《The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse》


 Chapter 1: The Beginning

    The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, gold light that painted the clouds in shades of amber and pink. It was a breathtaking, almost surreal sight. Suddly, the heavs rumbled, and the mountains shattered, sding debris flying in all directions. The surreal clouds parted, revealing a -haired youth wielding a crimson-zing longsword, standing in the air.


    The air a him was wild, whipping his hair back as he locked eyes with a towering figure. The figure stood a massive three meters tall, with a twisted face and two horns protruding from his forehead. In his hands, he gripped a giant spear crackling with lightning.


    "Lowly human, you dare block me?" the horned giant snarled, radiating an intse killing aura.


    "Really? From where I stand, it seems you''re the one blocking my way. You''re ev blocking the sun with your height," the -haired youth replied with a disdainful smile.


    "Human bug, I will crush you and ve your tire civilization," the horned man growled, tighting his grip on the spear.


    "Tsk, you couldn''t do anything two years ago. How do you expect to fare this time?" The -haired youth''s eyes glinted with a hint of sadness as he spoke. Th, his aura exploded, and he pointed his sword directly at the horned giant.


    "I will cut you down, hunt down your frids, and destroy them. After that, I will find your wretched race and exterminate it. This is my final promise to you," the -haired youth dered, his gaze burning with fury.


    "A mere human race dares to be arrogant? Do you think your little strgth can rival my thousands of years of cultivation?" the horned giant sneered.


    "We humans don''t need that much time. Today, I will show you why the human race will forever soar to the stars," the -haired youth said, dashing toward the horned giant. Space itself seemed to explode as their weapons shed.


    ---


    "How... how is this possible?" the horned giant gasped, lying on the g, his body covered in blood. The -haired youth stood imposingly over him, his sword pointed at the giant''s throat.


    "How? Well, it all started about 50 years ago," the youth began.


    About 50 years ago, Earth was a vibrant ce teeming with life and happiness. Technological advancemts had reached new heights, and ambitious nations had finally seeded in sding people to Mars for exploration. Over the years, many were able to permantly relocate to the red.


    Although interster space travel hadn''t be fully achieved, humanity was on track to aplish it. Life was good. The Sustainable Developmt Goals (SDGs) had be met, ushering in a new age of prosperity. The third world war never happed, and trade on the blockchain tered a revolutionary phase.


    Slowly but surely, humans were gearing toward a new era¡ªan era that promised to set them on the path of evolution and help them attain their true pottial. Unbeknownst to them, that evolution was nearer than they anticipated.


    It was April th, 070. Life was going on as usual wh, suddly, the air turned gloomy, and breathing became difficult. People started acting strangely. Trains lost their coordinators, pilots lost control of their nes, and machines began to malfunction.


    Communication was severed, and panic quickly set in. Homes, schools, parks, and airports all descded into chaos. People who had beughing and ying with one another suddly turned vicious. They began biting and eating their fellow humans.


    Siblings attacked each other, and teachers wt after their studts. Chaos reigned everywhere, and all life was in peril. But th it got ev worse. Domestic animals, once beloved pets, started mutating. Puppies became vicious, turning on their owners, and mosquitoes grew more robust, biting with deadly intt.


    The situation spiraled further out of control as wild animals began evolving, bing more ferocious than ever. Cities were thrown into turmoil. The animals, both domestic and wild, along with humans who had now be zombies, started killing indiscriminately.


    However, unlike the sluggish, slow zombies depicted in movies, these zombies were fast and vicious, making survival ev more difficult.


    Humans were dying like chicks. Within a week, the poption had dropped by a staggering 0%. The military stepped in, using all their might to defd against the chaos, but as the days passed, their grip on the situation began to slip. More monsters kept appearing, and the zombies grew stronger with each kill.


    Th, one day, from the six habitable contints, six individuals emerged, disying strange and powerful abilities. They harnessed fire, lightning, ice, and other elemts to protect themselves. It was th that people realized that just as the monsters had grown stronger and fiercer, humans too had started to gain extraordinary powers.


    These six individuals led soldiers in clearing cities, securing safe zones, and rescuing those who couldn''t defd themselves. A few months into this struggle, the tide began to turn. The human race started pushing back. Zombies were driv out or killed, and humanity began to reim its cities.


    The discovery that killing zombies and monsters made people stronger quickly spread. Bold and bloodthirsty humans wt into a frzy, ughtering zombies and monsters alike. It was a brutal struggle. While many monsters died, so did countless humans. Yet, as more people became stronger, the creation of safe zones elerated.


    Half a year into the apocalypse, humanity began to adapt. The old governmts copsed, and new rules were established. The dozs of former countries were no more. Instead, power was consolidated over tire contints.


    The six contints were reorganized into unions, with one powerhouse governing all the territories within. A yearter, more powerhouses rose to promince, absorbing smaller nations. Strgth and influce became the new currcy of power. These powerhouses began to name themselves Legacy Families, Great Families, and ns.


    Two years into the apocalypse, humans had managed to block off most of the infested cities and forests. Life became more stable, and people began to joy a semnce of peace once more.


    Five years into the apocalypse, humanity had regained a semnce of its previous peaceful life, thanks to the tireless efforts of cultivators, known as warriors. These warriors were the backbone of society, protecting the world from threats. Everyone wanted to be a warrior, and childr who began to awak superpowers were chasing that dream. It was a prosperous era for humanity.


    But on July st, 08, everything changed. The froz contint cracked op, and from beath the ice, a mysterious race emergedter known as the Ice People. They came with shocking technological equipmt far beyond anything humanity had ever se. Their sudd appearance st shockwaves across the globe.


    Their presce stirred hostilities, leading to a fierce battle betwe the human race and the Ice People. Many died on both sides. Just as the conflict was about to escte into a full-scale war, six powerful individuals from the human race¡ªalready recognized as heroes¡ªappeared and stopped the fighting in an instant.


    Nobody knew what was discussed behind closed doors, but after t days of secret negotiations, the humans and the Ice People signed a treaty of peace and mutual cooperation. The six human heroes would soon be known as the 6 Overlords. Not long after, a powerful warrior from the Ice People joined their ranks, making them the 7 Overlords.


    This new alliance betwe the two races thrust humanity into a new era of prosperity, setting the stage for a brighter future.


    Life gradually improved as brave souls vtured out to hunt monsters, striving to grow stronger. Through theirbined efforts, both the human race and the Ice People discovered new mineral reserves, thanks to their hanced strgth and advanced technology.


    Spiritual Qi became the cornerstone of daily life. People cultivated it, and in doing so, they began to ascd through various realms. The mysterious scre that appeared upon awaking revealed the stages of power: Awaked, Ascded, Master, Grandmaster, Saint, and more.


    As humanity advanced, they realized that monsters and zombies grew stronger too. In response, the various unions implemted reward systems, inctivizing warriors to vture into the wild and hunt down these ever-evolving threats.


    For a time, this bnce held, and prosperity seemed within reach. However, 30 yearster, a disturbing discovery was made: newborns were no longer awaking like their predecessors. Powerful parts, desperate to sure their childr''s strgth, began capturing monsters, forcing their childr to kill them in hopes of triggering an awaking.


    But despite their efforts, the childr remained ordinary humans.


    Panic swept through society as the future of the human race seemed uncertain. However, after several tse weeks, a revtion came to light. Newborns possessed special mutation ges, which could only be awaked wh they turned 6. This discovery brought hope back to humanity and ushered in a new era of expectations for the younger geration.


    A special drug was created, designed to stimte thett mutation ges in those who had not yet awaked. Wh the first batch of youths used it, the results were astonishing¡ªthey became significantly stronger than the previous gerations. From that point forward, everything began to fall back into ce.


    Power stilly in the hands of the strong, while the weak could only dure. Forty-five years into the apocalypse, yet another new race emerged¡ªthe Sea Borns, who imed 70% of the oceans. Unlike the initial hostility faced by the Ice People, the Sea Borns were weed more smoothly. They brought their unique technologies and cultures, integrating into the new global order.


    Evtually, the 7 Overlords became 8, and from there, fate continued to shape the world.


    As powerful families maintained their dominance, new giuses were born daily. The arrogance of the strong persisted, and while life appeared good on the surface, beath it all, the power struggles, betrayals, and conflicts never ceased.


    But all of this would change.


    One fateful day, a boy¡ªa boy who had be overlooked by everyone, a boy who wanted nothing more than to buy a house in the city and make his mother happy¡ªwould awak. That boy was us.


    On his 6th birthday, us would awak, not as just another warrior, but as thest paragon. His awaking would usher in a new era, one that would shake the heavs and challge the deepest abyss. His legd was about to begin, and it would turn the tides of history in ways no one could have predicted.

 Chapter 2: Klaus

    A slim, dark-haired young man was mopping a long corridor in what looked like avish building. He had headphones on, probably listing to music. His movemts with the mop were both graceful and slick¡ªalmost like he''d be doing this for so long that he''d developed his own technique, a rhythm that was uniquely his.


    Suddly, the doors burst op, and a swarm of young m and wom came rushing out of the ssrooms, flooding the hallway. The young man quickly stepped to the side, giving them room to pass.


    "Damn it, all that work for nothing," he muttered, ring at the dirt now streaked across the floor. His twty minutes of careful mopping had be ruined in seconds by the sudd stampede of studts.


    "Hey us! What''s the deal? It''s not your birthday; why are you just standing there, keep mopping?" a voice called out from a few meters away, making him frown.


    This young man, us, was a soon-to-be 6-year-old dropout working as a janitor to help support his family. He lived with his mother, a frail woman who also worked hard to make ds meet. us''s father had gone missing five years ago, leaving a gaping hole in their lives.


    Wh he saw how much his mother was struggling, us made the difficult decision to drop out of school and take on whatever jobs he could find to help keep them afloat.


    Together, they managed¡ªbarely. Each of them doing their best to support the other in a world that seemed to get harder every day.


    Fifty years ago, Earth tered a new phase of evolution. Humans, insects, wild animals, and ev nts began to evolve in ways that seemed straight out of fictional movies. This shift brought about sweeping changes.


    In the first decade, the underwt a period of adaptation. Although countless lives were lost, many managed to dure. The following t years saw significant advancemts in both power and politics. By the third decade, a new transformation began¡ªone that would shape the future of the next geration.


    Wh the spiritual Qi descded 50 years ago, a fortunate few among humanity gained extraordinary abilities that allowed them to battle the evolving monsters. However, thirty yearster, this boon ceased for newborns. Instead of inheriting these powers, new humans were born with normal abilities, though they were healthier than their predecessors.


    But this status quo didn''tst. Over the past twty years, scitists discovered a special ge prest in all new births. This ge, wh stimted, could awaktt talts and abilities. Fueled by this breakthrough, doctors and geticists wt to work, and within months, they developed a revolutionary drug.


    This drug could activate these hidd ges, unlocking the dormant strgths within individuals.


    But this drug only works on 6-year-olds. Because of this, the education system was overhauled to includebat and survival training, prepping these new humans for wh their powers would awak.


    us, who''s had a tough time these past five years, has be working tirelessly to save up ough money to buy the Celestial Water before his birthday, which is just a the corner. Ev though life hasn''t be easy for him, he''s determined and hopeful that he''ll make a breakthrough soon.


    He quickly re-mopped the area and made his way across the vast campus, skillfully avoiding detection. After a few minutes, he reached a tall wall. Pulling a rope from his side bag, he tied it to a hook and threw it up, securing it on the wall.


    With a quiet climb, he made it to the top andy t, peering over the edge. "Day #655, what are we learning today?" us muttered to himself as he watched a field where young boys and girls practiced with wood swords.


    us pulled out a small notebook from his bag and began scribbling notes, documting what he observed.us watched inttly as the studts practiced with their wood swords below. He muttered softly to himself, making notes and sketches in his small notebook.


    "Alright, let''s see¡­ First, it''s all about stance." us scribbled a quick drawing of a basic fighting stance. "Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bt. Bnce is key."


    He nced back at the field. "That''s right, keep your weight ctered. It makes it easier to move and strike." He drew a figure with arrows showing weight distribution.


    "Now, the basic strikes. Overhead chop, sideswipe, and thrust." us sketched out the differt moves, drawing lines to show the paths of each strike. "The overhead chop should be powerful. The side swipe needs to be fast and clean."


    He noted how the studts practiced their strikes in sequce. "Timing is important. You need to be quick but precise." us made a quick drawing of a studt performing abo of strikes.


    "Breathing. Don''t forget to breathe. It helps with control and focus." us jotted down a simple diagram showing a breathing pattern alongside the sword strikes.


    us looked closely at the way the studts were positioning their hands. "Grip is crucial. A firm grip without being too tight." He drew a hand holding a sword, showing the correct grip.


    "Remember, practice makes perfect. Repetition is how you get better." He wrote this as a reminder to himself, underlining it for emphasis.


    After two hours of observing and taking notes, us climbed down from the wall, packed his equipmt back into his side bag, and headed out. This had be his routine over the past years¡ªsneaking in a bit of learning every day before heading home.


    Ev though what he was doing was illegal, it worked best for him. Since no one had caught on yet, he made it a habit to spy on the studts'' training sessions and documt everything. Wh he gets home, he will review his notes and practice with simple and ordinary wood swords.


    Despite not having paid the school fees at Ross Academy where he worked, us always came home with fresh new insights. As they say, "Work smart, not hard."


    "Out of the way, scum!" Just as us was feeling a sse of triumph, an arrogant voice echoed in his mind, making him jump to the side instinctively. A speeding bike roared past him, kicking up a cloud of dust.


    The rider, clearly a studt, didn''t ev nce back or apologize. He just sped off. "Ah, why bother," us muttered, brushing the dust off his clothes. "Once I awak, I''ll make sure to put all these self-titled brats in their ce."


    us continued walking. After a few minutes, he tered an area that starkly contrasted with the opult buildings and polished roads he had just left behind.


    "There''s no ce like home," he mumbled, shaking his head. He lived in a slum where thews seemed xistt. It was a rundown part of Ross City, a ce where society''s outcasts and degerates gathered. Ross City was owned by the powerful Ross Great family, who controlled most of the businesses and had significant influce over the city.


    But this particr part of the city was awless zone, where the Ross family''s control didn''t reach. It was where us and his mother had ded up three years ago after they were forced to leave their self-contained home following his father''s disappearance, which was presumed to be death.


    "Mom, I''m home!" us called out as he stepped into their beat-up apartmt¡ªa small, single-room space with a brok door and cracked walls.


    "Come and eat," a calm and sweet voice replied from inside, making us''s face light up. He walked into the room and saw his mother preparing food. She turned to him with a warm, beautiful smile. Despite the hardships they had faced, her beauty still shone through. Her dark hair framed her slder figure, and though the struggles had tak their toll, she remained graceful.


    us dropped his bag and wt over to her. "It smells great, Mom," he said, his eyes gleaming with appreciation. She reached out and gtly ruffled his hair, her smile never fading.


    "You must be tired, us. Sit down and eat while it''s still hot," she said, setting a te on the small table they shared. The food was simple, but it was made with care, and us felt his heart warm just looking at it.


    As they sat down together, his mother watched him eat with a soft expression. "You''ve be working so hard, us. I''m proud of you," she said, her voice full of love. us paused, looking up at her, and smiled back.


    "It''s nothing, Mom. I''m doing it for us," he replied, his voice steady but filled with emotion. She reached out, cing a hand on his cheek, her touch gtle andforting.


    "I know, my dear. You''ve grown up so much," she whispered, her eyes misting over slightly. us swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat, but he didn''t want to show it. Instead, he just nodded and kept eating, the warmth of his mother''s love filling the room.


    "Don''t worry, Mom. Once I awak, our living situation will change. I just need to get a hundred more gold coins, and I can buy the Celestial Water," us said, looking at his mother with determination.


    "I know you will, my dear. I know you will," she replied, gtly ruffling his hair. "Just don''t push yourself too hard. Your health is what matters most to me."


    A few minutester, us finished eating and had washed the dishes. He th grabbed the wood sword he had made and wt outside to practice what he had learned from spying on the studts.


    As us walked out, his mother watched his back with a heavy heart. She couldn''t help but shed a few tears. She quickly wiped them away and nced at her left hand, focusing on her ring finger. "A mother is supposed to take care of her childr. I''m sorry, my love, but I can''t hold on to this any longer. us needs me, and the only thing I can do is help him."


    She stood up and called out to us, telling him she would be back within the hour. us nodded and continued practicing, swinging his wood sword with all the focus he could muster.


    After a while, us wt back inside, took a bath, and quickly fell into a deep, resounding sleep. His body was exhausted, but his mind was at peace, knowing he had done everything he could that day.


    A few hourster, his mother returned. She held a small case in her hands, her expression serious yet resolved.

 Chapter 3: The Awakening (1)

    The next day, us and his mother wt about their usual routines. us headed to the academy for his janitorial job, while his mother wt off to do hers. His birthday was just nine days away, and he was working extra hard to save up ough money to buy Celestial Water¡ªa rare drug that stimtes the mutant ge and awaks a person''s innate talt.


    What us didn''t know was that his mother had already managed to get her hands on the drug, but she didn''t want to worry him about how she did it. So, she kept up the act, pretding to be working just as hard.


    Fast forward to April th, us''s birthday. He woke up feeling gloomy, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His mother wasn''t a, but she had left a note for him.


    "Happy birthday, buddy! You don''t have to go to work today; I''ve got a surprise for you." us smiled as he read the note, holding it in his hands.


    "She really is the best. It''s just too bad I couldn''t save ough to buy the drug to awak. I guess I''ll just have to keep saving. ording to those researchers, I''ve got about half a month after I turn 6 to still have a chance at awaking my innate talt."


    us sighed as he thought about it. He''d overheard and ev snuck nces at lectures about how the awaking worked. It was something he desperately wanted, but knew was still out of reach. But today was his birthday, so ev though he felt foggy and weighed down, he knew he had to put on a happy face for his mom.


    Several hours after us woke up, his mother returned, holding a small bag with a cake inside. "Happy birthday, us! I know this isn''t much, but we''ll have to manage for now. Once I secure that job, things will be much more lively a here," she said with a warm, motherly smile.


    "This is more than ough, Mom," us replied, smiling back. He closed his eyes for a momt, made a wish, and th blew out the small candle. It was a simple celebration, but it filled the room with a sse of warmth and togetherness.


    They sat down at their small, worn-out table and shared the cake. It was a quiet momt, but one filled with love. They talked about little things¡ªmemories from wh us was younger, hopes for the future, and the challges they''d faced together.


    As they finished thest bites of cake, us noticed his mother had a strange look on her face, like she was holding something back. "Mom, is everything okay?" he asked, concerned.


    His mother took a deep breath and th reached into her pocket. "I have something for you, us. It''s not just any birthday gift¡­ it''s something I know you''ve be dreaming of."


    us watched as she pulled out a small vial from her pocket. The liquid inside shimmered with a faint, otherworldly glow. His heart skipped a beat. "Is that¡­?"


    "Yes, it''s the Celestial Water," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know how much this means to you. I wanted to give you the chance to awak your talt."


    us was speechless. He''d be working so hard, trying to save up for this, and here it was, in his mother''s hands. "Mom¡­ how did you¡­?" His voice cracked as he spoke, overwhelmed by emotion.


    His mother shook her head, her eyes shining with love. "Don''t worry about that, us. All that matters is that you have it now. You deserve this."


    us couldn''t hold back the tears any longer. He rushed to his mother, wrapping his arms a her tightly. "Thank you, Mom. Thank you so much¡­ I don''t know what to say¡­"


    His mother held him close, her own tears falling freely now. "You don''t have to say anything, us. Just know that I''m proud of you. No matter what happs, you''ve made me proud."


    They stood there, holding each other, both crying tears of joy and relief. In that momt, the weight of their struggles seemed to lift, if only for a little while. They knew they still had a long way to go, but for now, they had each other, and that was ough.


    "Go on, take it and awak your talt before I change my mind and sell it to someone else," his mother teased, breaking the emotional atmosphere. us chuckled, wiping his eyes, and gtly took the vial from her hands.


    He stepped outside, the eving air cool against his skin, and headed toward the small building behind their house. It was a quiet space where he''d oft tried to meditate, though he never really got the hang of it. Tonight, though, it felt differt. Tonight was his momt.


    "The man from my dreams, if you''re listing right now, this is my break or die momt. Don''t make me lose face," us whispered to himself, half-joking, but with a seriousness underlying his words.


    He sat down in the middle of the small room, the vial of Celestial Water resting in his hands. The liquid inside glowed faintly, pulsing with a mysterious ergy. us took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. This was it¡ªthe momt he had be waiting for.


    He uncorked the vial and hesitated for a split second before drinking it down. The liquid was cool as it slid down his throat, and he expected to feel something¡ªanything¡ªimmediately. The Celestial Water was supposed to be a powerful drug that stimted the mutant ge, awaking a person''s innate talt.


    It was said that once tak, the body would be flooded with ergy, and visions of one''s true power would fill their mind.


    But as us sat there, waiting, nothing happed. He waited a little longer, expecting some kind of reaction, but there was still nothing. No surge of ergy, no visions, no sign that anything had changed.


    us''s heart sank. He oped his eyes, staring at his hands as if he could will something to happ. But the room remained silt, and his body felt exactly the same as before.


    "What''s going on?" he muttered to himself, panic beginning to creep in. He had heard so many stories of people taking the drug and immediately feeling its effects. Why wasn''t it working?


    He tried to stay calm, reminding himself that maybe it took time. Maybe he needed to meditate or focus harder. He closed his eyes again and tried to clear his mind, but the anxiety gnawing at him made it impossible.


    Minutes passed, and still, nothing happed. us oped his eyes again, the reality of the situation settling in. The drug wasn''t working. It was supposed to awak his talt, but there was no sign of anything being awaked.


    He sat there, staring at the floor, feeling the weight of disappointmt pressing down on him. He had be so hopeful, so ready for this momt. And now, it seemed like that hope had be for nothing.


    Just as us was sinking into disappointmt, an explosion of ergy erupted within his body. It was like a bomb going off inside him, and he gasped, his eyes widing in shock. The force of it nearly knocked him over, but he managed to stay seated, gripping the floor as if it were the only thing keeping him ged.


    His body started to tremble, uncontrobly, as the ergy surged through him. It was overwhelming, like nothing he had ever felt before. He could feel it coursing through his veins, spreading out to every part of his body.


    Th, strange things began to happ. Sparks of lightning crackled a his hands, bright and fierce, before disappearing as quickly as they appeared. His breath caught as he saw mes flicker across his arms, licking his skin without burning him.


    Suddly, the air a him grew icy cold, and he could see frost forming on the g beath him. But just as quickly, the frost melted away as water droplets began to form in the air, swirling a him like a small storm.


    The g beath him trembled, and he could feel the earth shifting as if it was responding to the ergy inside him. Shadows seemed to grow darker a him, stretching and twisting unnaturally, while at the same time, a gtle breeze stirred, ruffling his hair and carrying whispers of power with it.


    A strange, glowing light began to emanate from his skin, pulsing with each beat of his heart. It was a soft, warm light, but it felt alive as if it were connected to the very essce of his being.


    us was overwhelmed by the ssations, his mind racing as he tried toprehd what was happing. He could feel the elemts swirling a him¡ªlightning, fire, ice, water, earth, darkness, wind, and light¡ªall reacting to the ergy inside him as if they were all part of him now.


    His breath came in ragged gasps as he tried to control the power that was surging through him. He had never felt anything like this before. It was terrifying and exhrating all at once.


    For a momt, us felt like he was going to lose control, like the ergy would consume him tirely. But th, as suddly as it had started, the explosion of ergy began to calm. The elemts a him started to settle, the lightning fading, the mes dying down, the shadows retreating.


    us was left sitting in the middle of the room, his body still tingling with the remnants of the power that had just surged through him. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, his mind reeling from the experice.


    Suddly, another wave of ergy erupted inside us''s stomach, sding powerful shocks rippling through his tire body. The intsity of it was beyond anything he had ever expericed, and before he could ev react, a sharp, searing pain shot through his brain, like a spear piercing through his skull. The pain was so overwhelming that it cked out his sses almost instantly.


    His body remained seated, but his consciousness slipped away, fading into darkness.


    For a momt, there was nothing¡ªno pain, no sound, no ssation at all. It was as if he had died. Or maybe¡­ something else had happed

 Chapter 4: The Awakening (2)

    Wh us oped his eyes, he found himself in a ce that was unlike anything he had ever se before. He was floating in a vast space that resembled the cosmos, with stars twinkling all a him. The stars wer''t just distant points of light; some were close, glowing with vibrant colors, pulsing with life.


    Others seemed to be swirling in strange patterns, creating beautiful but mysterious shapes.


    As us floated there, he saw strange things forming and dissolving a hims being born and th crumbling into dust, gxies spinning in perfect harmony, and waves of ergy that seemed to dance through the void, leaving trails of light in their wake. It was both awe-inspiring and overwhelming, and us couldn''t help but wonder where he was and what this ce could be.


    He reached out, trying to grasp one of the stars, but his hand passed right through it as if it wasn''t really there. Yet, it felt real¡ªmore real than anything he had ever known. He watched as new things continued to form¡ªworlds, creatures, elemts, and forces he couldn''t ev name. It was as if he was in a ce where the very fabric of reality was being wov and unwov, right before his eyes.


    Just as us was starting to feel like he could get lost in this cosmic wonder forever, something began to pull at him. It was as if an unse force had tak hold of him, drawing him away from the cosmic space and into something new.


    In an instant, the starry cosmos faded, and us found himself in a new ce. This ce was like a vast, dless sea, but it wasn''t made of water. Instead, it was a sea of differt elemts, each one distinct and vibrant. There were waves of fire, swirling clouds of ice, currts of wind, streams of light, shadows moving like liquid, and ev rivers of molt earth flowing in every direction.


    us floated above this elemtal sea, marveling at the sheer power and beauty of it all. The elemts were alive, constantly shifting and changing, creating a mesmerizing dance of ergy and color. It was like nothing he had ever imagined.


    As he gazed out over the sea, us noticed something ev more astonishing. Rising from the surface of the elemtal sea were Nine massive, beautiful doors. Each door was unique, crafted from the very elemts themselves. The first door was made of pure lightning, crackling with raw ergy. The second door was forged from roaring mes, its surface flickering and shifting like a living fire.


    The third door was a towering wall of ice, shimmering with a cold, ethereal light.


    The fourth door was formed from flowing water, its surface rippling as if it were made of liquid crystal. The fifth door was carved from solid earth, strong and unyielding, with patterns of rock and stone etched into its surface. The sixth door was a swirling vortex of shadows, dark and mysterious, yet strangely inviting.


    The sevth door was made of wind, a transluct gate that seemed to hum with the sound of a thousand breezes. The eighth door was a radiant portal of light, shining with a brilliance that was almost blinding, yet warm and weing. But unlike the other doors, the nine is made of all the 8 elemts. It has multicoloredyers of elemts each shining with its brilliances.


    us stared at the doors, each one represting a differt elemt, each one calling to him differtly. He felt a mixture of awe and curiosity, wondering whaty beyond each of them.


    "What is this ce¡­?" he whispered to himself, his voice echoing in the vastness of the elemtal sea. The doors seemed to pulse in response as if acknowledging his presce.


    As he continued to float in that space, us couldn''t help but wonder about a lot of things. "From what I know, once you awak, you will op your soul sea, and a scre will appear showing you your stats. So does this mean this is my soul sea" us pondered looking at the doors and the various elemts filling that ce.


    "This is vast. But why am I here?" us muttered, feeling frustration bubbling up inside him. The more he looked a, the more lost he felt. But just as he was about to lose his temper, a voice spoke from the direction of the first door.


    "Your patice seems to becking. Ah, why am I ev bothered?" The voice was strange yet familiar. It sounded like his own voice, just a little older, more mature.


    "Who''s there?" us demanded, trying to spot the source.


    "Right now isn''t the time to know that," the voice responded calmly. "You''ve just awaked, and this is your soul sea. What you should be focused on is understanding what all of this means."


    us frowned but th smirked, a thought crossing his mind. "If I don''t ask, would you tell me anyway?"


    The voice chuckled, the sound echoing across the elemtal sea. "That''s a good one. Yes, I''ll tell you anyway. You''ve awaked as a Celestial Elemtal Overlord. This means you can control all eight of the primal elemts of nature"


    us''s eyes wided in shock. "All eight? That''s¡­ that''s unheard of!" He had heard about awakings before, from lectures he managed to overhear. Wh people awaked, they typically gained control over one elemt, along with skills and techniques depding on the grade of their talt.


    From what us knew, talts were categorized into grades: Common, Rare, Epic, Earth, Heav, and Legdary. These grades were based on the elemt someone awaked to, and while there were more than eight elemts, these were considered the main ones, the primal forces from which all the others derived.


    Thest time he heard about a gius awaking in Ross City, it was Anna Ross, who awaked as a Heav-grade Ice Mage. She had be praised as a gius among giuses, someone destined for greatness. us couldn''t help butpare his situation to hers.


    However, now hearing that he had awaked as a Celestial Elemtal Overlord, with control over all eight primal elemts, he became overwhelmed with differt emotions. It didn''t make sse to him. If a Heav-grade Ice Mage was considered a gius, what did it mean for him who have awaked all eight elemts?.


    "Indeed, it is rare, but you''ve be granted this gift," the voice continued. "But that isn''t the most important thing. Ar''t you going to ask about your ss?"


    "Do tell," us replied, still in shock but trying to stayposed.


    "Hehe, I don''t know if you''ve heard, but you''ve awaked an unheard ss called Weapons Overlord. Little fe, you are indeed lucky," the voice said with a hint of amusemt.


    For some reason, instead of feeling shocked, us felt a strange sse of familiarity, as if he had expected to gain that ss from the beginning. "What does it mean?" he asked, guinely curious.


    "It''s in the name," the voice exined. "It means you have the ability to use all kinds of weapons. Your talt and ss allow you to wield all eight elemts and utilize any weapon you can imagine."


    us''s eyes wided slightly, his mind racing with the possibilities. "That sounds amazing. But can I know about the grade of this ss?"


    The voice paused for a momt, th responded, "The grade of your ss is not somethingmonly known, but giv your status as a Celestial Elemtal Overlord, your ss is likely to be of an extraordinary caliber¡ªbeyond ev the Celestial grade. You are positioned at the pinnacle of power."


    us was more than shocked. He had heard of the gius Anna Ross, who was celebrated for awaking a Heav-grade talt and ss. Yet here he was¡ªa nobody¡ªawaking a talt and ss that defied allmon sse. Was this some kind of cosmic joke? Was the universe ying games with him?


    "Go back," the voice said suddly. "Your time here is limited since your soul strgth is not that strong just yet. The next time we meet, you can ask further questions. Remember, the Last Reincarnation is what determines the d. Get stronger and trample on your emies without mercy as a Paragon should."


    Before us could ev think of asking any more questions, his vision began to dark. The cosmic space, the elemtal sea, and the doors all faded away, leaving him veloped in darkness.


    He th jolted awake in the makeshift building behind his house. He was sitting on the floor, drched in sweat, as if he had be poured over with water. His breathing was heavy, and his heart pounded in his chest.


    us looked a, trying to reorit himself. The room was still the same as before, but everything felt differt now. He could sse the air differtly. Breathing it made him be stronger.


    "Was that real?" He asked, but before he could wonder further, a window oped before his vision.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 6


    Talt: Celestial Elemtal Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Awaked - Lvl: /


    Strgth: 0 | Agility: 30 |Stamina: 50 |Defse: 60 | Intelligce: 0| Health: 00


    Spiritual Qi: 000


    Stat Points: 0


    Awaked Skills: Passive


    [Universal Enigma]


    ¡ª As you level up, so does your mind. Anything there is to know, you''lle to understand. You can speak and understand allnguages, no matter how ancit or obscure.


    [Overlord Healing]


    ¡ª As long as you have Spiritual Qi flowing through you, ev the gravest injuries can be mded. A damaged heart? No problem¡ªit''ll heal just like any other wound.


    [Sse]


    ¡ª Your unique physique grants you the ability to detect all forms of threats and emotions, no matter who¡ªor what¡ªyou''re dealing with. No realm is beyond your awaress.


    Awaked Skills: Active


    [Moon sh]


    ¡ª By tapping into your connection with the elemts, you can imbue your weapons with elemtal essce and unleash a powerful cresct-shaped arc. This Moon sh will cut through anything in its path.


    [Special Remark: Due to your extraordinary physique, it will take  levels to reach the next stage, and you''ll need 6 times the effort to level up.]


    "YES!" us shouted, jumping up in delight as the scre in front of him shed with the words he had be longing to see.


    "Is everything alright?" His mother''s voice filled with concern tered his mind as she rushed into the room, clearly startled by his outburst.


    us turned to her, his heart racing, and tears welling up in his eyes. "Mom, I did it! Your son has awaked! I''m a warrior now!" His voice cracked as he lunged forward, wrapping his arms a her tightly.

 Chapter 5: Klauss Birthday Gift

    His mother froze for a momt, processing his words. Th, slowly, her arms circled him, holding him close. "Oh, us," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I''m so proud of you."


    us buried his face in her shoulder, letting the tears flow freely. The years of struggle, of feeling powerless and uncertain about the future, all seemed to pour out of him in that momt. He clung to his mother as if afraid that letting go would make it all a dream.


    His mother''s own tears began to fall as she stroked his hair gtly. "You''ve worked so hard, us. You''ve sacrificed so much for us... and now, look at you. A warrior."


    They stayed like that for a while, lost in the momt. The world outside could have be falling apart, but inside that embrace, everything felt right. us could feel his mother''s heartbeat against his chest, steady and strong, and it gave him a sse of peace he hadn''t felt in a long time.


    "I couldn''t have done it without you, Mom," us finally whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "You never gave up on me, ev wh I wanted to give up on myself."


    His mother pulled back just ough to look him in the eyes, her own filled with a mixture of pride and love. "I would never give up on you, us. You''re my son, my strong, brave boy. You''ve always be a warrior in my eyes."


    us smiled through his tears, feeling a warmth spread through him that chased away the cold grip of doubt that had be with him for so long. "We''re going to be okay, Mom. I promise you, I''ll protect us. I''ll protect you."


    His mother nodded, unable to speak as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. She knew us meant every word, and in that momt, all the hardships they had faced seemed worth it.


    As they held each other, us felt a surge of determination rises within him. This was just the beginning. He would be stronger, not just for himself, but for the woman who had giv everything to see him seed.


    Together, they stood there, wrapped in each other''s arms, feeling like they could face anything the world threw at them.


    In that small room, in that fragile momt, there was nothing but love, pride, and the unbreakable bond betwe a mother and her son.


    "Let''s go back inside. I want to give you something special. It''s a birthday gift of sorts," us''s mother said after they had hugged for a while, gtly breaking away and wiping her tears, as well as us''s.


    "There''s more?" us was surprised, but he followed his mother back into their small room. Once inside, she oped a cardboard box and carefully pulled out a long wood box, about .5 meters in lgth.


    She ced it on the floor and stared at it for a momt, a deep sigh escaping her lips. us noticed the sadness in her eyes and felt a knot form in his stomach. "Is everything alright, Mom?" he asked, concerned by the look on her face.


    "No, nothing is wrong. Op it. It''s yours," she replied, her voice soft and a little shaky.


    us hesitated for a momt before stepping forward. He knelt down and slowly lifted the lid of the wood box. Inside, resting on a bed of soft cloth, was a beautifully crafted sword. The de gleamed ev in the dim light of the room, and the hilt was intricately designed with patterns he had never se before. But what caught his eye was a folded piece of paper ced on top of the sword.


    He picked up the note with trembling hands and unfolded it. As he read, his breath caught in his throat.


    "Happy birthday, us," the note began. "I''m so proud of you, son. I wish I could be there to see the man you''ve be.But since I am not here, I left something for you. This sword is a family heirloom, passed down from father to son. It''s now yours. Use it well, and protect your mother with everything you have.


    I''m sorry I can''t be with you but know that I love you both more than anything. Stay strong, my boy. I believe in you."


    The note was signed, "Dad."


    us felt a wave of emotions crash over him¡ªjoy, sorrow, confusion. He looked up at his mother, his eyes wide with questions. "Mom... did Dad leave this for me? Where did thise from? Is he really...


    gone?"


    His mother knelt beside him, her hand gtly resting on his shoulder. "He left it for you before he disappeared, us. He made me promise to give it to you wh you were ready. I don''t know where he is or what happed to him, but I do know that he loved us. He wanted you to have this wh the time was right."


    us stared at the sword, his mind racing. His father''s words echoed in his head, filling him with both hope and uncertainty. "What if he''s still out there, Mom? What if he''s not really gone?"


    His mother''s expression softed, though the sadness never left her eyes. "I wish I knew, us. But whatever the truth is, your father believed in you. And so do I. He left this for you because he knew you would be a warrior one day. This sword shows how much faith he had in you.


    Every part dreams of giving their childr a chance to find their ce in this chaotic world.


    I miss him, us, and I know you do too. But remember, I''m always here for you. And with this sword, your father is with you too."


    Hearing his mother''s words, us felt a wave of emotions wash over him. He gtly reached out and ran his fingers along the de of the longsword. The metal felt cool to the touch, and the craftsmanship was exquisite. As soon as his hand made contact with the sword, a sudd rush of information flooded his mind.


    It was as if memories or knowledge not his own were trying to surface, but just as quickly, it all wt nk.


    For a momt, us hesitated, unsure of what had just happed. But something deep inside him urged him on, a pull he couldn''t ignore. Almost as if guided by an unse force, he wrapped his fingers a the hilt of the sword.


    The momt he did, something shifted within him. His posture straighted, his grip firm and sure. It was as if the sword had awaked something within him, something ancit and powerful. us felt a confidce he had never felt before, as though he had be wielding swords his tire life. His feet instinctively moved into a solid stance, and his body felt bnced and ready.


    He swung the sword gtly at first, testing its weight and feel. The de moved through the air with a grace that surprised him. It felt natural, like an extsion of his own body. He adjusted his grip, feeling the strgth in his arms as he held the sword with a calm yet determined focus.


    For a brief momt, us wasn''t just a boy who had awaked as a warrior¡ªhe was a grandmaster, someone who had trained for years, someone who understood the art of the sword deeply. The connection he felt to the weapon was profound, and it stirred something in his soul.


    "There''s another note and a ring," us''s mother said, pointing to the inside of the box. Her expression revealed that she hadn''t looked at the contts all these years. us carefully picked up the note, unfolding it with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.


    "Little Fe," the note began, and us could almost hear his father''s voice in the words. "I know I promised to take you to get your first tattoo wh you turned 6. Unfortunately, I''m not there now to keep that promise. But don''t worry, I''ve already made arrangemts. Go to Ziggy Tattoo Parlor and tell him you''re my son. He''ll know what to do.


    Goodbye, little fe. And remember, always make your mother smile."


    us couldn''t help but let out a small, bittersweetugh as he finished reading. The note was so typical of his father, full of love, but also a bit of mischief. He could imagine his father grinning as he wrote those words, knowing full well the trouble it might cause.


    "Tsk, what a scoundrel," his mother said, shaking her head with a smile. "How could he promise a child that he''d take him to a tattoo parlor?" But despite the smile, us could sse the deep sadness behind her words. The note was a reminder of the man they both missed so much, a man who had left a void in their lives that had never truly be filled.


    us picked up the ring thaty beside the note, examining it closely. It was simple yet sturdy, made of dark metal that felt cool in his hand. Without hesitation, he slipped it onto his finger and directed his spiritual qi into it. A few secondster, his lips curled into a smile. "Dad really was the best.


    He ev left me a space ring." us had overheard a lecture about storage artifacts before, so he knew exactly how to use it the momt he saw it.


    "What''s inside?" his mother asked, curiositycing her voice.


    "Nothing, it''s empty," us replied with a grin, before casually tossing the sword into the ring''s storage space. The sword disappeared instantly, and us marveled at the ring''s capacity. It wasn''t ormous¡ªabout 0 square meters, but to someone like us, it was an invaluable treasure. Space rings, with their ability to store inanimate objects in a separate dimsion, were incredibly expsive.


    The fact that his father had left one for him showed just how much he cared.


    "Let''s get some sleep, Mom," us said, turning to her with a look of determination. "Tomorrow, I''m going on my first hunt. Wh Ie back, you''ll finally get a taste of awaked monster meat." His smile wided as he imagined the look on her face wh he returned victorious.


    With a sword and a space ring ready, the next step was to fill them and start earning ough to keep his father''s promise¡ªmaking his mother happy.

 Chapter 6: The First Hunt

    Sunlight Forest used to be a ce of peace and beauty, where people woulde to rx, have pics, or just joy the fresh air. But all of that changed about 50 years ago wh the world started to fall apart. Now, it''s a hunting g for the Awaked, those who have gained special abilities to fight the dangerous monsters within for resources to sell and make money.


    These monsters are unlike anything from the past. Some are massive, with thick hides that are tough to petrate, while others are small and fast, using their speed to ambush their prey. The forest is alive with the sounds of these creatures, making it a ce where only the brave or desperate dare to vture.


    For the Awaked, Sunlight Forest is a ce to test their skills and gather resources. The monsters there are dangerous, but they also carry valuable materials that can be used to craft weapons and for food. But every trip into the forestes with a risk. Many who ter never return, lost to the creatures that now rule the woods.


    It''s a dangerous ce, but also a great ce for awaking. In thest 40 years, it has be segmted into three sections. From what is known, there are the outer, inner, and core sections. The outer section has only Tier  monsters. These are monsters on the same level as an Awaked human. It''s also the ce where awaks are tak to level up.


    us took a deep breath as he left his small home, the weight of the pouch of gold coins in his pocket reminding him of his promise to his mother. He headed eastward through the city, his thoughts focused on the hunt ahead. He needed to level up quickly to secure a better future for both himself and his mother.


    After walking for half an hour, navigating through a maze of streets and alleys, us reached the border of the Sunlight Forest. A tall, imposing gate stood before him, guarded by a pair of stern-looking figures. The area was well-guarded, as expected. us approached cautiously, his heart pounding with anticipation.


    "Stop there. Show some ID," a voice called out, echoing through the air. us halted and reached into his pocket, pulling out his badge. It was a simple metal piece with his idtification etched into it.


    A light beam scanned us and the badge, making a soft hum as it processed the information. After a few momts, the same voice spoke again, but with a hint of suspicion. "Where are you going?"


    us straighted up, trying to appear confidt. "I''m heading into the Sunlight forest for a hunt. This is my first time going into the forest since I just Awaked"


    The guard, a burly man with a gruff face, eyed us critically. "First time, huh? You do know the risks, don''t you? The inner section is no ce for amateurs."


    us nodded earnestly. "Yes, I understand. I''m prepared and know my limits. I just need to hunt in the safer parts of the outer section."


    The guard''s gaze remained unyielding. "Prepared or not, the forest can be unpredictable. How do I know you won''t get in over your head?"


    us tried to remain calm. "I assure you, I''m not taking unnecessary risks. I''ll stay within the safer areas and avoid anything beyond my limit."


    The guard crossed his arms, still skeptical. "And what if something happs? We have regtions for a reason. You might think you''re ready, but you''re still an Awaked. You also don''t have someone to aid you in case anything bad happs during your hunt"


    us felt a pang of frustration but kept his tone polite. "I appreciate your concern, but I need to do this. I''m only asking to be allowed to hunt in the designated areas. I will stick to the outer sections"


    The second guard, a lean woman with sharp eyes, stepped forward. "We have to follow protocol. If we let you in and something goes wrong, it''s on us. Also, without a guardian, you are likely to get bitt by a Zombie, that will be bad don''t you think"


    us''s mood starts to change. He is being polite despite that being against his nature. He gave them face but just because he wasn''t from anyvish family, the guards wanted to make things difficult for him.


    us''s patice was wearing thin, but he calmed down and spoke. "I understand, but can you please just let me through? I won''t be a burd or cause any trouble."


    us kept hisposure as he listed to the guard''s words. The suggestion to join a group of wealthy Awaked wasn''t what he wanted to hear, but he nodded politely. "I will do as you say, sir," he replied, though deep down, he was fuming. These guards seemed more interested in making a quick profit than in doing their jobs properly.


    The guard smirked, clearly pleased with himself. "Smart move. Now, for a hunting pass, you need to pay 0 gold coins. It''s valid for one hunt only, so make sure you get your money''s worth."


    us''s stomach tighted. He knew the cost of a hunting pass was supposed to be  gold coins, but this guard was clearly trying to scam him. It was infuriating, but us didn''t let his anger show. Instead, he calmly reached into his pocket and handed over the coins, keeping his expression neutral.


    The guard took the money with a satisfied grin, handing us a small slip of paper¡ªthe so-called hunting pass. It was nothing more than another way for the Ross family to squeeze money from hunters. us clched his jaw but said nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself.


    As he turned to leave, us paused for a momt and looked back at the guards. "Thank you for your advice," he said, his voice calm but with an edge to it. "I''ll make sure to remember this experice. Who knows, maybe we''ll see each other again under differt circumstances."


    The guards, too focused on their ill-gott gains, didn''t catch the subtle warning in us''s words. They simply nodded, waving him off as if they had done him a great favor.


    us walked away, his heart burning with anger. He knew he couldn''t do anything now, but the memory of this momt would stay with him. One day, he promised himself, he''d make sure these guards learned the true cost of their greed.


    With that thought in mind, us stepped into the forest disappearing into the woods.


    As us disappeared from sight, the guards couldn''t help butugh, feeling victorious over their easy scam. "What a doofus," the man chuckled, his grin wide with satisfaction. "He clearly has no idea he''s be conned."


    The woman guard didn''t join in theughter. Instead, she frowned, her mind lingering on us''sst words. "There''s something about that kid that makes me uneasy. Maybe we shouldn''t have conned him," she said, her voice tinged with concern.


    The man waved her off dismissively. "Annabelle, you''re overthinking it. That kid''s a nobody. I just used my sses to probe him, and I can tell you, he''s the weakest Awaked I''ve se so far. Barely worth mtioning."


    Annabelle nodded slowly, but the uneasy feeling remained. Still, she pushed it aside, convincing herself that the man was right. After all, they had se countless young Awaked like us, and nothing ever came of it. "Yeah, you''re probably right," she finally said, though her voicecked confidce.


    Meanwhile, deep within the forest, us moved steadily forward, his eyes scanning the surings with sharp focus. The trees grew thicker, their branches intertwining to create a dark canopy overhead. The further he wt, the more the air seemed to hum with tsion, as if the forest itself was alive and watching.


    us kept his sses alert, every sound and movemt drawing his atttion. He knew that danger coulde from any direction, and he was ready to face it. His grip tighted on his weapon as he moved deeper into the forest, his heart beating steadily in his chest.


    After what felt like hours of walking, us came to a small clearing. The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting eerie shadows on the g. The air was thick with the sct of damp earth and something else¡ªsomething faintly metallic.


    Suddly, the underbrush rustled, and us froze. His eyes locked onto the source of the noise as a creature slowly emerged from the shadows. It was unlike anything he had ever se before¡ªa twisted, mutated version of a wolf, with matted fur and glowing red eyes. Its teeth were long and jagged, and its body was covered in rough, spiky scales.


    The monster snarled, baring its teeth as it eyed us hungrily. It was a Tier  beast, not the most powerful in the forest, but still dangerous ough to pose a serious threat. us knew he had to act quickly.


    "Jagged Spiked Wolf," us muttered also locking eyes with the monster. It''s a rare type of mutated wolf. From what he knew, this monster had no value, aside from its spiked fur and Sabertooth. Those sell slightly better. Nobody likes the meat, so aside from those two, it''s practically worthless.


    "Well, poor man like me shouldn''t be picky. Mr. Johnson, it''s time to see whether your sword teaching was something or garbage," A long sword appeared in us''s hand. Immediately, he felt fearless, instead, he was filled with battle intt.


    us stared at the Jagged Spiked Wolf, its red eyes glowing with hunger. The creature growled low, the sound vibrating through the air. us tighted his grip on the hilt of his sword, feeling its weight in his hand. This was it¡ªhis first real fight.


    The wolf snarled again, its sharp teeth glisting in the faint light. us took a deep breath, steadying himself. He remembered Mr. Johnson''s words during his training: "Stay calm, watch your oppont, and strike wh the time is right." us muttered, the wolf also made its move lunging at us with inhuman speed.

 Chapter 7: First Battle

    The wolf lunged at us, its spiked fur bristling as it closed the distance in an instant. us sidestepped quickly, feeling the rush of air as the beast''s ws swiped past him. He swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for the wolf''s side, but the creature was fast, dodging out of the way just in time.


    "Damn, this bastard wants me dead" us cursed under his breath, knowing he had to stay focused. The wolf was circling him now, its eyes never leaving his. us mirrored its movemts, keeping his sword ready. He couldn''t afford to make a mistake.


    The wolf lunged again, this time feinting to the left before darting to the right. us reacted instinctively, bringing his sword up to block the attack. The wolf''s ws scraped against the de, sding sparks flying. us pushed back, forcing the creature away from him.


    With a quick step forward, us shed downward, aiming for the wolf''s neck. The beast twisted its body, and the de grazed its shoulder instead. The wolf yelped in pain but didn''t retreat. Instead, it snapped its jaws at us, trying to catch him off guard.


    us jumped back, barely avoiding the sharp teeth. His heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm. He couldn''t rely on his elemtal powers or fancy skills. This fight was going to be won with pure swordsmanship¡ªor not at all.


    Well, not like he can use those skills yet. His objective foring to the forest was to train his sword skills and hunt. But aside from that, he was there to train. He has all eight elemts in him, but he doesn''t know how to use them just yet.


    It requires practice to master them, but in active battle and his first-ever battle as an awaked, using an unmastered skill is just courting death. As for his moon sh, us needed his elemtal mastery to use it, so for now, he wanted to test his knowledge wh it came to the sword.


    As a Weapons Overlord, he is destined to find it easy wh using any weapon. Strangely so, using the sword was practically easy for him, wless ev.


    The wolf charged again, more aggressive this time. us parried the attack, using the t of his de to deflect the creature''s ws. He felt the impact vibrate through his arm, but he held his g. The wolf was strong, but us wasn''t weak.


    "I knew it, my stats as an awaked are several times higher than the normal awaks," us said feeling how stronger he had be. In truth, wh someone awaks, their stats are just slightly higher than an athlete. However for us, his own was on the level of a getically gineered supersoldier. This gave him an edge over others.


    Taking advantage of the brief momt wh the wolf recoiled, us stepped in close, shing horizontally across its side. The sword cut through the thick fur and into the flesh beath, drawing blood. The wolf howled in pain, stumbling slightly.


    us didn''t let up. He followed the momtum, spinning a to deliver another strike. This time, the de dug deep into the wolf''s hind leg, crippling it. The creature staggered, its movemts bing slower and more erratic.


    Seeing his chance, us pressed the attack, thrusting his sword forward. The de pierced the wolf''s chest, sliding betwe its ribs and into its heart. The wolf let out a final, pitiful whine before copsing to the g, lifeless.


    us stood there, staring at the huge body of the wolf with nk eyes. "I killed it, just like that," he muttered to himself. He remembered sneaking into lectures at the Academy where he worked, hearing the instructors talk about how dangerous it was for an Awaking to kill a mutated monster.


    They made it sound like a terrifying ordeal, something that deserved praise. But now, standing over the body of a monster that many Awaked would have run from, he felt nothing.


    He wasn''t tired, stressed, or ev relieved. It felt like nothing more than a warm-up. The fightsted just five minutes, and he had killed a Tier  monster without using any active skills.


    Usually, wh someone awaks, they gain one skill, some giuses might get two. Families would th buy skill books to help them learn more. But us awaked with four skills, something unheard of. Yet, despite having so many skills, he hadn''t used any of his active ones. In fact, us still didn''t know how to use his active skill.


    His passive skills worked automatically, but he hadn''t quite figured out how to use [Moon sh]. His sses, though, were incredibly sharp, allowing him to anticipate the monster''s movemts. This gave him an edge during the fight.


    us turned his atttion to the scre that popped up after he killed the monster.


    [You have killed a Tier  Jagged Spiked Wolf. You have received 0 Exp.]


    [Next Level up: 0/600]


    "This is unfair," us muttered, his earlier excitemt now fading. He had read about needing  times the amount of experice to level up, but in the joy of his awaking, he hadn''t giv it much thought. Now, seeing the numbers in front of him, he frowned.


    A normal Awaked needed just 0 Exp to reach level . After that, the requiremt would double, needing 400 Exp to reach level 3. But for us, he needed six times that amount just to level up once. "Does this mean I''ll need 6 times the Exp to reach level 3, too?" us shuddered at the thought.


    He quickly pushed those thoughts aside. Dwelling on the unknown was dangerous, especially out here. There were too many other things to worry about, and right now, he needed to focus on mastering his skills, not on how long it would take to level up.


    "This ce is too op. I''ll take care of this in a more private spot," us muttered, storing the monster''s body and leaving the area. He didn''t have a map, but his sses were sharp. He could feel everything a him, so he wasn''t worried about a monster sneaking up on him.


    "I should master the Moon sh skill before going any deeper. But first, I need to find a secluded spot to collect my rewards," he thought to himself. After walking for about twty minutes, us came across a cave. He carefully checked the surings before stepping inside.


    The cave seemed empty, likely abandoned by a monster long ago. us quickly retrieved the monster''s body and began working on it. He started by cutting away the spiked fur, th moved on to removing its saber teeth. Each piece was valuable and could be usedter, either sold or crafted into something useful.


    Once he finished, us took a momt to rx. The cave was quiet, and the cool air was a wee relief after the fight. He sat down, leaning against the cave wall, and closed his eyes for a few minutes, letting himself unwind.


    But he couldn''t rest for too long. He still had work to do. us stood up, feeling a bit more refreshed, and decided it was time to practice his Moon sh skill. He knew it wouldn''t be easy, but he had to try.


    He drew his sword and focused, trying to connect with the elemtal essce inside him. He imagined the ergy flowing into his weapon, but wh he swung, nothing happed. The sword cut through the air, but there was no cresct arc, no sign of the Moon sh.


    us frowned and tried again. This time, he focused ev harder, picturing the ergy forming into the shape of a cresct moon. But wh he swung, it still didn''t work. The sword just cut through the air, leaving him frustrated.


    He tried several more times, but each attempt ded the same way. us could feel the ergy inside him, but he couldn''t get it to cooperate. The Moon sh remained just out of reach, refusing to manifest.


    "I can feel the ergies inside me, so why can''t I control them?" us asked himself, frustration clear in his voice. He dropped his sword and sat down, unsure of what to do next.


    "Damn it, education really is important," he sighed. us had never had the chance to study under an expert; everything he knew came from sneaking a Ross Academy and picking up bits and pieces of information.


    He remembered something an instructor had said about using spiritual qi to harness elemtal ergy. It was supposed to make the ergy manifest, but it was risky. Running out of spiritual qi was dangerous. us felt a momt of understanding but quickly dismissed it.


    "But now that I think about it, my spiritual qi is pretty huge. Maybe I can give it a try," he muttered. With that thought, he began to channel his spiritual qi. Almost immediately, he could feel the presce of his elemtal ergies more clearly.


    "Let''s start with Ice," us said, extding his hand. He focused, directing his spiritual ergy into his palm.


    As he conctrated, a cold ssation began to form in his hand. Slowly, ice started to appear, faint at first but growing more solid as he kept at it. us''s eyes wided in surprise and excitemt. It was working.


    He continued, focusing on maintaining the flow of spiritual qi while shaping the ice. It took a lot of effort, and the process was slow, but the ice was there, responding to his will. The more he practiced, the more control he gained.


    After a while, us felt ready to try the next step. He picked up his sword again, determination in his eyes. If he could channel the ice into his sword, the attack could be powerful. He steadied himself, gripping the hilt firmly.


    This time, he focused on merging the ice ergy with his weapon. He channeled his spiritual qi into the sword, just as he had done with his palm. The de began to shimmer with a frosty glow, and us could feel the power building up.


    He took a deep breath, th swung the sword with all his might. A burst of icy ergy in the form of a cresct moon arc shot forward, far more powerful than anything he had expected. The force of the attack was devastating, slicing through the air and leaving a trail of frost in its wake.


    "Well damn" us smiles evilly looking at the devastation he has caused. "Time to hunt and perfect this"

 Chapter 8: First Life and Death Battle

    A beautiful cresct moon made of ice sliced through the air, cutting a massive mountain bull cleanly in half. There was no blood wh the two halves of the monster hit the g, the ice had sealed the wounds. A few meters away, us stood with a satisfied smile, admiring his work.


    "Damn, your boy us is on fire today," he said with a yful grin, feeling like a spoiled family heir showing off his new toy. The past hour had be all about perfecting his technique¡ªcutting down monsters with a single swing. At first, it was rough, more like a desperate attempt to pull off the move. But as he kept trying, something clicked.


    He started to get the hang of it, feeling more connected with the power inside him.


    What surprised us the most was how quickly he was picking things up. Just by killing monsters, he was gaining new insights. In thisst half hour alone, he''d tak down four more Tier  monsters. With each one, his understanding of the Moon sh skill deeped. It wasn''t just about brute force; there was a rhythm, a flow that he was beginning to grasp.


    One of the first things he noticed was how to better manage his spiritual qi. In his initial attempts, he used up about 50% of his qi in one go. The result? He nearly tore his own meridians and muscles apart. Not exactly ideal. But as he kept practicing, he learned to control it more precisely, avoiding unnecessary strain on his body.


    But that wasn''t all. us found out that using less spiritual qi and focusing more on the elemtal essce actually boosted the power of his attacks. It wasn''t something he would have guessed, but the results were undiable. The Moon sh became sharper, and more destructive, without draining him so much.


    As he continued experimting, us discovered another important insight. The timing was everything. If he released the Moon sh at just the right momt, wh his spiritual qi and elemtal essce were perfectly in sync, the attack was not only more powerful but also faster. It sliced through the air like a hot knife through butter, leaving no room for the monster to react.


    He also learned that positioning made a huge differce. By adjusting his stance and the angle of his sh, he could direct the cresct moon with greater precision, targeting weak spots on the monsters. This meant he could take them down with less effort, conserving his ergy.


    "One more to level up," us muttered to himself, ncing at his progress. Satisfied, he stored the mountain bull''s body and started moving deeper into the forest. Ev though he was still in the outer section, the atmosphere became increasingly ominous with each step. The trees grew thicker, the shadows darker, and an unsettling silce filled the air.


    Roar!


    Just as us was leaping over a b of stone, a deafing roar echoed through the forest, shaking the g beath his feet. The sound was so powerful that it made his heart skip a beat.


    "Gotta run," us whispered, spinning on his heel. But before he could move, a sudd wave of cold washed over him, freezing him in ce. His breath caught in his throat as ice began to creep up his legs, locking him down.


    "This... it''s a Tier  sbaser Ice Jade Python. How unlucky can I get?" us felt a surge of dread. "But this is still the outer area¡ªhow is there a Tier  monster here?"


    The pressure bearing down on him was immse. The very air a him felt heavy as if the forest itself was closing in. us struggled to move, his body fighting against the icy grip that held him. Panic started to rise, but he forced it down, trying to focus. He knew that losing his cool would only make things worse.


    The python slithered out from the shadows, its jade scales shimmering with a deadly beauty. The creature''s eyes locked onto us, glowing with a cold, merciless light. It was huge, easily towering over him, its body thick and coiled with raw power. The temperature dropped ev further as it drew closer, frost forming on the g a it.


    us felt the weight of the python''s presce pressing down on him. Every instinct screamed at him to flee, but his legs wouldn''t budge. The cold was seeping into his bones, numbing his sses. His mind raced, trying to figure out a way out of this. He had faced Tier  monsters before, but this was something else tirely. The power differce was overwhelming.


    The python didn''t wait. It struck, its massive head darting forward with terrifying speed. us barely had time to react. He forced his body to move, throwing himself to the side just in time to avoid being crushed by the python''s jaws. The g where he''d be standing exploded into shards of ice, the sheer force of the impact leaving a crater.


    us rolled to his feet, panting heavily. The frost had spread across his body, making his movemts sluggish. He knew he had to fight, but he couldn''t let this battle drag on. The longer itsted, the more the cold would sap his strgth.


    Drawing on his spiritual qi, us tried to shake off the cold, focusing on the elemtal essce within him. He summoned the ergy into his de, the familiar icy glow of the Moon sh starting to form. The python hissed, ssing the power gathering in us''s weapon, but it didn''t back down. Instead, it coiled tighter, preparing to strike again.


    With a burst of effort, usunched his attack. The cresct-shaped sh flew through the air, aimed directly at the python''s head. But the creature was fast¡ªtoo fast. It twisted its body, dodging the attack with a fluid motion that seemed impossible for something sorge. The Moon sh grazed its scales, leaving a faint mark, but nothing more.


    us cursed under his breath. The python retaliated immediately, whipping its tail a in a wide arc. us tried to block, raising his sword to defd himself, but the impact was too strong. The force st him flying backward, crashing into a nearby tree. Pain shot through his body as he struggled to get back up.


    The python didn''t give him a momt to recover. It lunged at him again, jaws wide op. us knew he couldn''t afford to take another hit like that. He quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the python''s strike. The tree behind him splintered under the pressure, falling apart like it was made of twigs.


    Desperation kicked in. us couldn''t keep dodging forever. He had to find a way to turn the tide of this battle. He focused his ergy, trying to channel as much elemtal essce as he could into his next attack. The cold was still there, gnawing at him, but he forced himself to push through it.


    Summoning every ounce of strgth, us prepared tounch another Moon sh. This time, he aimed lower, targeting the python''s exposed underbelly. The creature hissed, ssing the danger, but it was already mid-strike,mitted to the attack.


    "Die brute" us released the sh with a shout, sding the cresct arc toward the python''s vulnerable spot. The ergy surged through his sword, more powerful than before. The sh connected, cutting deep into the python''s flesh. The creature let out a deafing roar, writhing in pain as blood sprayed from the wound.


    "This feeling..." us murmured, just as his stamina hit rock bottom. He felt a sudd warmth spreading from his stomach, seeping into every part of his body. His strgth began to return, and the fatigue and stress that had weighed him down started to fade away.


    us''s eyes narrowed as he watched the python''s wound begin to heal, the deep gash slowly closing up. "I have to kill this brute before things take a dark turn," he muttered, determination burning in his gaze.


    With rewed ergy, us pushed himself off the g. The warmth flowing through him felt like a second wind, and he wasn''t about to waste it. He focused his spiritual qi and elemtal essce, channeling them into his de. The icy glow returned, stronger than before.


    The python hissed, ssing the change in us. It lunged at him with rewed fury, but us was ready this time. He sidestepped the attack with surprising speed, his movemts no longer sluggish. As the python''s head whipped past him, he shed his sword across its side, aiming for the same spot he''d hit earlier.


    The Moon sh cut deeper this time, tearing through scales and flesh. The python let out a pained roar, its massive body thrashing wildly. us didn''t let up. He kept attacking, striking at the creature''s weak points, each blow more precise than thest.


    For a momt, it seemed like he was gaining the upper hand. The python was weaking, its movemts slowing as it bled from multiple wounds. us could feel victory within his grasp. But just as he was about to go for the killing blow, a new sound reached his ears¡ªa low, rumbling growl that made his blood run cold.


    From the shadows of the forest, a massive figure emerged. It was a beast, covered in thick, dark fur with eyes that glowed like embers. us recognized it immediately¡ªa Tier  Shadowmane, a predator known for its speed and ferocity.


    us''s heart sank. Fighting one Tier  monster was hard ough, but now there were two. The Shadowmane growled, its gaze locked onto us, and he knew he was in serious trouble.


    The python, ssing the presce of another predator, turned its atttion toward the Shadowmane. For a brief momt, us thought they might fight each other, but that hope quickly vanished. The two monsters seemed toe to an unspok agreemt, both turning their focus back on us.


    "Great, just what I needed," us muttered, gritting his teeth. He was already struggling with the python, and now he had to deal with this new threat. The odds were stacked against him, but he wasn''t about to give up.


    "If I don''t kill you two brutes, I will change my name," us said swinging his sword in a weird arc.

 Chapter 9: First Life and Death Battle (2)

    The Shadowmane charged at us, its powerful legs propelling it forward with terrifying speed. us barely had time to react, raising his sword to block the attack. The impact st a shockwave through his body, but he managed to hold his g.


    Before he could counter, the python struck from the other side, its tail whipping a with deadly force. us was forced to jump back, narrowly avoiding the attack. However, before he couldnd on the g, a macing w came swinging at his face.


    "Crap!" us instinctively raised his hand to shield his face. The Shadowmane''s w mmed into his arm, sding him flying backward. He crashed into a tree with ough force to knock it down, the impact rattling his bones.


    "Fuck me," us groaned, coughing up a mouthful of blood. He forced himself to stand, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. But he was too slow, or maybe he just hoped the monsters would give him a momt to recover. That hope was quickly dashed as the python''s scaly tail came swinging at him with deadly speed.


    Using his hand as leverage, us propelled himself up just in time, narrowly avoiding the tail''s crushing blow. As he dodged, something clicked in his mind. "So that''s how it works," he muttered to himself. He hadn''t se the tailing, but his body had reacted anyway, his Sse skill kicking in, almost like a sixth sse guiding him.


    The realization gave him a glimmer of hope. If he could rely on this instinct, maybe he could find a way to turn the tide. But there wasn''t much time to think. The Shadowmane lunged at him again, its blood-stained ws slicing through the air. us dodged to the side, the ws barely missing him by inches.


    "I have to disrupt their attack patterns," us said through gritted teeth. He was on the defsive, barely managing to stay one step ahead of the monsters'' reltless assaults. But he couldn''t keep this up forever. He needed a n.


    The python hissed, its jaws snapping at him from one side, while the Shadowmane circled a, looking for an oping. us felt the pressure mounting, the weight of both monsters bearing down on him. But now, with his Sse skill, he could feel their movemts, sse the rhythm of their attacks. It was chaotic, but there was a pattern¡ªone he could use to his advantage.


    "Moon sh!" us shouted, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The cresct-shaped ergy flew toward the python, forcing the creature to recoil. It wasn''t a decisive blow, but it bought him a few precious seconds.


    He dodged another w swipe from the Shadowmane, rolling to the side as the beast''s ws gouged deep furrows into the g. us could feel his stamina dwindling, the warmth that had bolstered him earlier now fading. But he couldn''t stop. If he slowed down, ev for a second, he''d be done for.


    As the monsters pressed their attacks, us began to notice more about their patterns. The Shadowmane always aimed for his left side, where he was weaker, while the python tried to corner him with wide sweeps of its tail. They were trying to trap him, to pin him down so they could finish him off together.


    us dodged another tail swipe, the Sse skill guiding his movemts. He saw an oping, a brief momt where the monsters'' attacks would ovep. If he could time it right, he might be able to use their own momtum against them.


    He feigned a stumble, letting the python think it had him cornered. The creature lunged, and at thest second, us threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the jaws snapping shut where he had just be standing. The Shadowmane, seeing an opportunity, charged in from the other side, its ws aimed at us''s back.


    But us was ready. He twisted his body, bringing his sword up in a desperate sh. The Moon sh cut through the air, not as powerful as before but still sharp ough to force the Shadowmane to pull back. The beast''s ws scraped against his side, drawing blood, but us didn''t falter. He had disrupted their timing, thrown them off bnce.


    Breathing heavily, us pushed himself harder. He couldn''t let them regain control. He had to keep them off bnce, had to keep disrupting their attacks until he found a way to break freepletely. The pythonshed out with its tail, but this time us saw iting, using his Sse to dodge to the right and counter with a quick sh to the creature''s nk.


    The Shadowmane snarled, leaping at him from behind, but us ducked low, feeling the rush of air as the beast sailed over him. He was starting to get the hang of it, the rhythm of the fight bing clearer with each passing momt.


    "Now!" us shouted, shing his sword in a strange arc. A dse cresct of ice shot out, heading straight for the Shadowmane. But us didn''t stop there. He dashed forward, each step carefully calcted.


    The python reacted instantly, whipping its tail toward him with a powerful strike. The force behind it was ough to crush bones, but us was ready. Just before the tail could connect, he ducked low, leaving an oping.


    The tail, now with nothing to stop it, continued its path and mmed into the Shadowmane''s side with the force of a battering ram. The beast let out a deafing roar as it was st flying through the air, crashing into the g with a heavy thud.


    "Eat that, bastard!" us cursed with a grin, his voice full of triumph. He turned his focus back to the snake, an evil smile spreading across his face. The python, still recovering from its strike, was vulnerable.


    us didn''t waste any time. He gathered his remaining strgth, channeling every bit of his spiritual qi and elemtal essce into his next attack. The de of his sword shimmered with an icy glow, more intse than before.


    With a powerful leap, us closed the distance betwe him and the python. The creature hissed, trying to coil away, but us was faster. He swung his sword in a wide, deliberate arc, the ice-infused de slicing through the air.


    The Moon sh connected, cutting deep into the python''s thick scales. The creature let out a final, agonized hiss as us''s de tore through it, splitting it in two. The massive body convulsed for a momt before going still, the life drained from its eyes.


    As soon as the python copsed, us felt a powerful stirring in his spiritual sea. A wave of warmth washed over him, flooding his nearly drained spiritual sea with fresh ergy. But it didn''t stop there. His connection to the elemts, especially the ice elemt, intsified, bing several times stronger than before.


    His sses sharped ev more, and the fatigue that had weighed him down vanished. His body felt loose, almost weightless, and his ergy surged back to life, filling him with rewed vigor.


    "You can die now," us said, turning his gaze back to the Shadowmane. He raised his sword with a confidt smirk, th swung it in a casual arc. This time, the cresct-shaped ice arc he st flying had a bluish glow, thicker and more pott than before.


    The arc sliced through the air with deadly precision, mming into the Shadowmane''s forehead. The impact caved in the monster''s skull, and blood gushed out in torrts. The ice that usually sealed wounds couldn''t contain this one. The beast staggered backward, th copsed with a heavy thud, lifeless.


    us stood over the fall creatures, a wide grin spreading across his face. He couldn''t help but feel a surge of pride. Two Tier  monsters, both dead by his hand. It was a feat he would have never thought possible before, but here he was, standing victorious.


    "Ha! Who needs years of training wh you''ve got natural talt like mine?" he said aloud, shamelessly bragging to himself. He looked down at the monsters, his chest puffed up with pride. "They didn''t stand a chance. Not against us, the future Overlord."


    He walked a the fall beasts, inspecting his handiwork. "Look at this," he said, poking the Shadowmane''s corpse with his sword. "I nearly died, but all this is worth it. More money for me"


    us chuckled to himself, feeling a bit giddy from the adraline still coursing through his veins. "If I keep this up, I''ll be a Saint in no time," he mused, imagining all the power and respect that woulde with such a title.


    us stored away his sword, feeling the rush of victory still pumping through his veins. With a flick of his wrist, he oped the scre to check his progress.


    [You have killed a Tier  Monster called sbaser Ice Jade Python. You have received 500 Exp.]


    [You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level  Awaked. You have received 0 Stat points.]


    [You have killed a Tier  Monster called Shadowmane. You have received 500 Exp.]


    [Next Level up: 900/0]


    "Wait, so this means the Exp is some kind of soul ergy I get after every kill," us muttered, piecing it together. "If that''s the case, doesn''t that mean my spiritual qi pool will be bigger than others?" He started doing the math in his head. Normally, others only required 0 Exp to level up to Level , and that amount would double for each subsequt level.


    But in his case, he needed 600 Exp for the first level-up, and th it doubled again.


    Not to mtion, others only needed nine levels to advance to the next stage, while us required twelve. If this Exp really was fueling his spiritual qi, th he''d have a massive qi pool soon. Intrigued, us quickly checked his status scre.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 6


    Talt: Celestial Elemtal Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Awaked - Lvl: /


    Strgth: 0 | Agility: 30 | Stamina: 50 | Intelligce: 0 | Health: 00


    Spiritual Qi: 600


    Stat Points: 0


    "Damn, what did I do in my past life to be this lucky?" us whispered, his eyes widing at the scre. He couldn''t believe his luck. All thoughts about the massive amount of Exp he needed to level up vanished from his mind. The sheer power and pottial he saw in his stats made him overly excited.


    "With this much spiritual qi, I''ll be able to unleash attacks way stronger than anyone else at my level," he mused, his mind racing with possibilities. "And if I keep leveling up like this, who knows how powerful I''ll be?"


    "Although I can''t ascd today, I will sure raise my level a little higher before leaving" us stored the bodies of the monster and dashed away. Time to level up

 Chapter 10: Entering the Inner Section

    us tered deeper into the forest. He knew Killing Tier  monsters would make him level up quickly. Also, from the little he knows, his soul with be several times stronger if he kills stronger monsters. The higher the rank of the monster, the more stronger his soul will be.


    He had distributed his points carefully: 40 to strgth, 30 to agility, and 30 to stamina. His muscles felt like they were buzzing with ergy, his reflexes sharper, his durance higher. It was like he''d be reborn stronger, faster, and more capable. The confidce boost was undiable.


    The first sign of trouble came in the form of low growls and rustling leaves. us didn''t slow down. If anything, he sped up, eager to test out his new power. Suddly, a Tier  wolf-like creature lunged at him from the underbrush, its fangs bared and eyes glowing with malice.


    us reacted instantly. With a swift motion, he swung his sword, channeling the ice elemt into a Moon sh. A cresct-shaped arc of icy ergy shot forward, slicing through the air with a cold hiss. The arc hit the wolf dead-on, cutting through it as if it were made of paper.


    The creature didn''t ev have time to yelp before it was split in two, its body copsing to the g in a lifeless heap.


    He instantly felt a rush of ergy ter his body. This indicates he has leveled up and the 0 exp has be added to his Spiritual Qi pool.


    "Well, that was easy," us said, almost disappointed. "Next!"


    The deeper he wt, the more monsters he countered. A pair of oversized lizards with thick, armored scales appeared next. They hissed and charged at him, their ws scraping against the g. us barely broke a sweat. Another Moon sh, this time infused with ev more ice essce, and the lizards were reduced to nothing but froz chunks.


    The ice elemt has be several times stronger now that he has leveled up to Level 3. Although he has received 0 points to add to his stats, he hasn''t added them yet, however, with his spiritual qi pool now several times bigger, he felt ergized.


    The deeper he wt, the fiercer the monsters became. He countered a serptine creature with scales that shimmered like metal. Itshed out with lightning speed, but us was quicker. He dodged its strike, th countered with a horizontal sh. The ice arc followed the path of his sword, cutting clean through the creature''s neck. Its head fell with a heavy thud, followed by its coiled body.


    After the serpty lifeless at his feet, us finally realized what he had just killed¡ªa Metal Scale Silt Serpt. The name rang a bell from one of the sses he''d managed to eavesdrop on back at the Academy. He remembered the instructor mtioning that this particr snake had vom sacs that could fetch up to a thousand gold coins each.


    us''s eyes lit up with excitemt. Ev a Tier  Metal Scale Silt Serpt''s vom sac was worth a 500 gold coins, and each serpt had three of them. That meant he was sitting on a small fortune.


    "Jackpot," us muttered with a grin, not wasting any time. He quickly and carefully extracted the vom sacs, making sure not to damage them. Once he had all three safely in hand, he stored both the sacs and the serpt''s body away and th vtured deeper.


    "Hmm, looks like some people were here rectly," us murmured to himself as he moved through the forest. After ughtering a few more monsters, he stumbled upon a clearing that told a differt story. The trees were splintered and brok, and the g was stained with blood¡ªa lot of it.


    "It was a group battle," us observed, his eyes scanning the area. The scorched earth and the patches of frost on the stones and trees made it clear that multiple elemts had be at y here¡ªfire and ice, at least. Whoever had fought here must have be strong, and it wasn''t just one person.


    He crouched down, running his fingers through the dirt, feeling the cold and heat still lingering in the air. "They didn''t hold back, that''s for sure," he mused. The aftermath of the battle suggested that it had be intse, with no room for mercy.


    us couldn''t help but wonder who these fighters were and what they had be after. Were they hunting the same monsters as him? Or was there something more valuable hidd deeper in the forest for them to go all out like that? The thought intrigued him.


    "Well, if they''re still a, I''ll have to watch my back," us muttered as he stood up, his gaze harding. "But if they''re after something valuable, I wouldn''t mind taking a piece of the pie."


    us decided to follow the trail left behind by the battle, curiosity driving him deeper into the forest. As he moved forward, the signs of conflict became more frequt¡ªbrok branches, scorched earth, and patches of frost that still clung to the trees. Each clue told him he was on the right path, but also that he was getting closer to something dangerous.


    The forest grew darker and more oppressive as he vtured further. The sounds of distant growls and rustling leaves kept him on edge, but us pressed on, determined to see where this trail would lead.


    But th, the trail began to fade. The signs of battle became less clear, and the once obvious path started to disappear. us frowned, trying to piece together where the fighters might have gone, but nothing seemed to add up. He pushed on a little further, hoping to pick up the trail again, but it was no use.


    That''s wh he realized something else¡ªhe was no longer in the same part of the forest. The atmosphere had changed. The trees were taller, their trunks thicker, and the air was heavier, almost suffocating. It hit him th¡ªhe had crossed into the border of the Inner Section of the forest, a ce far more dangerous than where he''d be before.


    "Great, just great," us muttered to himself, ncing a warily. The Inner Section was known for its powerful monsters and treacherous terrain. He hadn''t nned on vturing this far in¡ªnot yet, at least¡ªbut it seemed the forest had other ideas.


    "Guess there''s no turning back now," he sighed, gripping his sword a little tighter. If the trail led here, th whoever¡ªor whatever¡ªhe was following was in a whole differt league. And that meant he had to be ready for anything.


    Roar


    As soon as us stepped into the Inner Section, a thunderous roar echoed through the forest,ing from about a kilometer away. The sound was powerful ough to sd a chill down his spine, but it also sparked his curiosity. Ssing the intse presce, he decided to check it out.


    Moving quietly, us closed the distance, his steps careful and calcted. As he approached the source of the roar, now just 700 meters away, he was met with a sce of pure chaos.


    Two massive beasts were locked in a fierce battle¡ªa ming lion and an earth leopard. Both were Tier  monsters, but they were unlike anything us had faced before. The sheer power they were unleashing was on another level, far beyond the other Tier  monsters he had countered.


    us watched in awe as the lion roared, mes erupting from its mane, scorching everything a it. The leopard, not to be outdone, retaliated by mming its paws into the g, causing the earth to tremble and sharp rocks to jut out from the soil, aiming to impale the lion.


    The sh betwe fire and earth was intse, with neither monster willing to back down. us could feel the g shaking beath his feet, the heat from the lion''s mes warming his face ev from this distance.


    He couldn''t help but grin. This was the real deal¡ªthe struggle for power that he had be itching to experice. He was now at Level 4, and although he hadn''t distributed his stat points yet, he knew this was the kind of battle that would truly test his limits.


    The monsters were dishing out attacks with everything they had as if their very survival depded on it. And in a way, it did. us knew that stepping in would be dangerous, but the pottial rewards were too tempting to ignore. If he could take down one of these beasts, the experice and power he''d gain would be immse.


    "It''s not like I joy cheating, but wh two frids can''t get along, sometimes they need a big brother to step in and resolve the issue," us muttered to himself, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. He retrieved his sword from his space ring, the de gleaming with a faint blue light as it caught the reflection of the suring chaos.


    us moved quietly, his steps as light as a whisper. He knew that failing here would be disastrous. The monsters were so focused on each other that they hadn''t noticed his presce yet, giving him a rare opportunity. He waited, watching for the perfect momt to strike.


    His heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was clear. This wasn''t a game¡ªit was life or death. He had to go for the kill in one swing. Taking them both down in two strikes would be ideal, leaving no room for error.


    us positioned himself, every muscle in his body tse and ready. The ming lion reared back, preparing to unleash another wave of fire, while the earth leopard crouched low, gathering its strgth for a counterattack. This was it¡ªhis chance.


    With a deep breath, us sprang into action, his sword slicing through the air with lethal precision. He unleashed a cresct-shaped ice arc that flew straight for the neck of the ming lion. At the same time, another ice arc followed, cutting through the air and striking the earth leopard diagonally at the waist.


    The attacks connected almost simultaneously, the force of the impact sding dust and debris into the air. us stood there, motionless, for a split second.


    Th, as the dust began to settle, a smile crept onto us''s face. The kill notification shed before his eyes, confirming what he already knew. Both monsters had fall, their bodies slumping to the g, lifeless.

 Chapter 11: Saving a Damsel in Distress

    [You have killed a Tier  Monster called Wild ming Lion. You have received 500 Exp.]


    [You have killed a Tier  Monster called Hard Skin Eartern Leopard. You have received 500 Exp.]


    [You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level 5 Awaked. You have received 0 Stat points.]


    [Next Level up: 00/9,600]


    "Sometimes, helping others with their problems is the right thing to do," us murmured, looking at the message with a sly smile. "But this time, I''m going to make my mother the happiest woman on earth." With that, us walked over to the bodies of the two monsters he had just defeated.


    "Huh, still warm," he noted, touching the Wild ming Lion''s fur. "This time, I really struck gold. Mr. Johnson always said that the fur of a Wild ming Lion can be used for all kinds of equipmt and ev medicine," us muttered to himself.


    The world has changed so much in thest 50 years. Before everything wt to hell, people relied on modern medicine for everything. But now? Now, cksmiths, alchemists, and artisans were the ones creating powerful tools, pills, and potions that could do things most people wouldn''t have believed possible back th.


    The sudd evolution of Earth had oped up a whole new world of possibilities. Strange and powerful animals kept appearing, creatures no one had ever se before. And ancit knowledge, the kind that had be dismissed as useless, had suddly be incredibly valuable. Ev ordinary flowers could fetch a high price these days.


    That''s why hunters and advturers were always on the lookout for materials that could bring in some serious gold coins. The Wild ming Lion and the Hard Skin Earthern Leopard were among those valuable creatures. They might not be the most sought-after, but they still sold for a dect amount.


    us nced at the Leopard''s tough, rock-like skin. "This hide alone could make some serious armor," he thought. "And the Lion''s fur? Perfect for fire-resistant gear." He knew he''d be able to sell these materials for a good price, ough to make a real differce for him and his mother.


    BOOM! He was about to remove the skin of the animals wh a loud explosion erupted from a few kilometers away. "A fight, let''s go check it out" us hungrily stored the bodies of the monsters and ran off.


    -


    -


    -


    -


    A few kilometers away, a youngdy, could be se swinging her staff muttering spells as she ran away from a Three-meter-tall Dark Red eye wolf. She has blonde hair with soft and clean skin -well, not so clean seeing the blood stains on her. But she is a beauty. However, this beauty seems to have picked the wrong fight this time.


    The monster chasing her is a Tier 3 Alpha wolf, the kind that leads a pack of wolves. The bloodthirstiness in its eye shows it stopping at nothing to rip the girl to shreds.


    The young woman''s heart pounded in her chest as she darted through the dse forest, the sound of the Alpha Wolf''s heavy paws thundering behind her. She swung her staff, chanting a hurried spell, her voice trembling as she tried to focus.


    "Froz Spear, pierce the void and strike true!" A sharp, icy spear materialized in front of her and shot backward toward the wolf. But the beast was too fast. With a swift leap, it dodged the spear, which shattered against a tree, sding shards of ice scattering through the air.


    Her breath came in ragged gasps, the bloodstains on her once-clean skin a stark reminder of how close she was to death. She could feel the creature''s hot breath on her heels, and her panic grew. "I have to keep moving," she thought, her mind racing. "If I stop, it''s over. I can''t let the others die for nothing"


    The Alpha Wolf snarled, its blood-red eyes glowing with a savage hunger. It was reltless, its jaws snapping just inches away from her as she weaved betwe the trees, trying to put some distance betwe them. But it was no use¡ªthe beast was gaining on her.


    With a flick of her wrist, she cast another spell. "Waters of the deep, rise and shield me!" A wall of water surged up from the g, forming a barrier betwe her and the wolf. For a momt, she allowed herself to hope, but the Alpha Wolf simply crashed through the water, barely slowing down as it tore through the spell with brute force.


    She stumbled, almost falling, but caught herself just in time. "No... no, this can''t be how it ds," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear. She tried to gather her thoughts, to think of another way out, but the wolf was too close now. She could hear its growls, and feel the earth tremble with each step it took.


    The young woman''s mind raced, trying toe up with a n. She needed to find a way to slow it down, to buy herself more time. "Ice, ice¡­ I need something stronger," she thought desperately. Raising her staff again, she shouted, "Blizzard''s embrace, freeze all in your path!"


    A st of icy wind erupted from her staff, swirling a the wolf, coating the trees and g in a thickyer of frost. The cold air bit at her skin, but she kept pushing, trying to trap the wolf in a storm of ice and snow. The Alpha Wolf slowed, its movemts hindered by the thicking ice, but it wasn''t ough.


    With a furious growl, it broke free, shattering the ice with a powerful shake of its massive body.


    Her ergy was draining fast, and she knew she couldn''t keep this up much longer. Each spell took more out of her, and the wolf was still closing in. She had no choice but to keep running, hoping against hope that she could find a way to escape.


    But the wolf wasn''t about to let her go. It lunged forward, its jaws snapping shut just inches from her leg. She screamed, throwing up her hands in a desperate attempt to defd herself. "Torrts of the sea, drown my foes!" A surge of water burst from the g, crashing into the wolf and pushing it back.


    But the force wasn''t strong ough¡ªthe wolf dug its ws into the g, fighting against the currt as it slowly advanced on her.


    The youngdy''s legs burned with exhaustion, and her vision blurred as tears welled up in her eyes. She was running out of time, out of options. The Alpha Wolf was too strong, too fast. And she was too weak, too tired.


    She stumbled again, this time falling to the g. The wolf loomed over her, its hot breath on her face, its red eyes glowing with victory. "Is this really it?" she thought, her heart sinking. "Am I really going to die here?"


    Her body shuddered as shey on the g, too weak to move. "I''m sorry, Mom... I guess this is where we part ways," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She closed her eyes, bracing herself as the monster''s huge w came dangerously close to her throat. But just before she surrdered to the darkness, she caught a glimpse of someone running toward her.


    BOOM!


    A loud explosion erupted, throwing dust into the air. The youngdy was blown back a few meters, whimpering like a child. Her body trembled, and her vision blurred, but she clung to consciousness, barely hanging on.


    Wh the dust settled, us stepped forward, holding his sword with a determined look in his eyes. The monster''s right leg had a clean cut, blood pouring from the wound. us''s sword glowed blue once more, and with a swift motion, he st another icy arc straight at the monster''s neck.


    "Die, idiot! This daddy needs your body to rt a nice apartmt for his mother," us muttered, his tone calm but focused. He lunged forward, leaping high into the air. His sword glowed again, but this time, instead of using Moon sh, he aimed directly at the beast. With a powerful thrust, he drove his sword deep into the monster''s neck.


    The attack was swift, leaving the creature no time to react. us''s sword pierced through its neck, striking its vital spot. The monster let out a final, pained growl before copsing to the g, lifeless.


    "Fuck, did I just kill a Tier 3 monster?" usnded softly next to the beast, staring in disbelief at its massive body. He had heard the explosion and rushed over, only to find the gius of the Ross family fighting for her life.


    Anna Ross, thest born of the Ross Family, was actually battling for her life. us could hardly believe it. Anna Ross had awaked just two weeks ago as an Ice and Water Mage. It was rumored she has awaked a Legdary Talt and ss. Her reputation had spread throughout Ross City and beyond, making her one of the most respected figures a.


    us had se her a few times at Ross Academy so immediately recognized her wh he arrived. Seeing her in such a dire situation had nearly made him faint.


    He had initially hesitated to interve. He knew he was no match for a Tier 3 monster, but he had points he hadn''t used yet. So, he added 50 points each to Strgth, Agility, Stamina, and Defse, and th waited for the right momt.


    Just as the monster was about to finish her off, us took his chance and attacked.


    "Take this and run. Sd it to the Ross Mansion, and you''ll be rewarded," Anna Ross''s soft voice reached us from three meters away.


    us turned to see Anna, her face pale, holding out a small flower. Confused, he said, "Why should I run? The monster is dead. You can rest for a while and leave wh you''re ready. Bye." However, just wh he was about to store the monster''s body wh a loud shout came from a few kilometers away.


    "Slut from the Ross Family, hand over the Nine Life Yin Flower and ept your death!"


    Anna''s body wt rigid. Her eyes wided in fear as she gripped her staff tightly. u''s sword immediately appeared in his hand, its de shimmering with a deadly light. us looked in the direction of the shout, his mood calm.

 Chapter 12: Fighting a Peak Ascended Human

    us stood with his sword firmly in his grip, his eyes locked on the direction the voice hade from. In an instant, a figure appeared, wielding a spear and radiating a macing aura. The chilling cold that swept over us made him shiver. He red at the young man, who stood slightly over six feet tall.


    The man''s gaze flitted from Anna Ross to us, and th to the body of the Tier 3 monster lying on the g. us''s sharp sses caught a flicker of fear in the man''s otherwise icy expression wh he saw the monster''s corpse.


    "Slut, hand over the flower, and ept your death," the man snarled, his voice dripping with hostility. "Do you think you can just take something that belongs to my Guan Family?"


    Anna Ross''s voice was sweet but trembled slightly as she responded, "Matin, don''t push your luck. My team was the first to spot the flower. We fought an tire pack of wolves to get it. Why are you trying to steal it from us?"


    The Nine Life Yin Flower was no ordinary flower. It was incredibly rare and highly coveted, especially among female Awaked individuals. The flower riched their Yin essce, purified their bodies, and hanced their beauty. For the wealthy, it could be mixed with Mountain Dew to boost the affinity of those with rare constitutions.


    "Are you out of your mind?" Matin''s voice grew louder, full of anger. "That flower is meant for the Guan Family. We''ve be tracking it for weeks. You have no right to it!"


    Anna''s eyes narrowed as she defded herself. "We''ve already earned it through our own struggles. It''s not like we just picked it up from the roadside. We fought hard to get it, and you can''t just take it from us because you want it."


    Matin sneered, his anger evidt. "The Guan Family doesn''t need to justify anything to you. Hand it over now, or face the consequces."


    Anna took a step back, her expression resolute. "I won''t let you intimidate me into giving it up. The Nine Life Yin Flower belongs to my Ross Family. My team fought for it so don''t ev think you can have it just because you want."


    us watched the exchange with a calm look on his face. But from what he was seeing, he could tell the young man was in the wrong. He saw how Anna Ross was struggling from the Wolf which means she took something from it. This alone shows the young man is just trying to rob her.


    But he didn''t say anything, he stood there looking at the two disy their verbal conflict.


    "Hahaha, which team are you talking about?" Matinughed coldly. "Those idiots all died at the hands of my team. The few who managed to escape are being hunted down as we speak. To be honest, you should just surrder and let me have my way with you. After that, I might consider letting you go."


    Anna''s face paled, but she tried to maintain herposure. "You''re a monster, Matin. How can you be so heartless? Those are people, you monster"


    us''s body shook, anger appearing in his eyes as he looked at Matin who had a perverted look on his face. us didn''t know why, but seeing that look made his own killing intt start to exude subconsciously.


    "Consider yourself lucky that I hav''t decided to deal with you myself," Matin sneered. "I could easily take both you and your precious flower by force. But I''m giving you a chance to avoid a more gruesome fate."


    Anna took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I''d rather jump from a tall building into a pile of crap than let youy your filthy hands on me."


    Matin''s expression darked upon hearing her response, but he didn''t respond immediately. Instead, he turned his cold gaze toward us. "Brat, who do you think you are?"


    us didn''t ev nce at Matin. With a casual motion, he extded his hand and absorbed the monster''s corpse into his space ring. "I am a Nobody," us replied dismissively.


    Matin''s face twisted with rage. "Nobody? Do you dare speak to me like that? You''re nothing but a worthless trash. You think you can just brush me off?"


    us remained unmoved. He knew Martin was trying to provoke him, but he refused to take the bait. From how things appear, he is after the monster''s body too, but he underestimated us''s greed for money, he wasn''t about to let some ingrain take away his battle spoils.


    Matin''s temper red, and his voice grew more threating. "List up, you little brat. I am the third heir of the Guan Family, a peak Ascded, you dare be arrogant in front of me


    That monster body will be mine after I kill you two, well, after I kill you and take my price from her and th kill her" Matin smiles evily saying that.


    us finally turned to face Matin, his expression calm and resolute. "If you want a fight, th bring it. But don''t expect me to be swayed just because you''re some arrogant heir from a powerful family. I, us Hanson, won''t lower my head to anyone anymore. So if you''re too quick to reincarnate, the at me."


    Matin''s eyes narrowed, his fury evidt. "Die, you nameless brat!"


    With a roar, Matin''s spear shot forward, its tip glinting dangerously. It seemed almost to appear directly in front of us. But us only smirked and sidestepped with ease. He had just boosted his Agility with the remaining 0 points, making Matin''s attack seem slow and clumsy byparison.


    us moved with calm precision, easily evading the spear''s thrust. Matin was momtarily startled but quickly recovered, charging at him again. "Die, scum!" he shouted, stabbing forward with rewed anger.


    Once more, us sidestepped, letting Matin''s spear stab harmlessly into the air. The ease with which us avoided the attacks seemed to fuel Matin''s rage.


    "You can stop and run off anytime you like," us said coldly. "I still don''t have a good standing, so I don''t want to make unnecessary emies. However, if you attack again, I''ll draw my sword against you. Th we''ll be fated emies¡ªone will live, and one will die."


    Anna Ross, standing a few meters away, nced at us with a look of confusion. She held her staff against her head, clearly healing herself from the earlier battle.


    Matin''s anger boiled over. Ignoring us''s warning, he charged again, his spear thrusting forward with deadly intt. "I''m done listing to your nonsse! Prepare to die!"


    us''s smile turned cold and sinister. "Very well. If you insist on this path, th let''s see how well you fare against me."


    With that, us drew his sword, the de gleaming macingly. The air seemed to crackle with tsion as he prepared for the fight. Matin''s eyes wided slightly, but his rage blinded him to any caution.


    us moved with swift, calcted precision, his speed and agility making him a blur to Matin. He dodged each of Matin''s wild thrusts effortlessly, his own de ready to strike at any momt.


    Matin''s attacks grew more frzied, but us remainedposed, waiting for the perfect momt. He could see the desperation in Matin''s movemts, which only made the fight more predictable.


    "Weak," us muttered dismissively as he parried a spear stab from Matin. His movemts were precise and confidt. With a swift kick, us struck Matin in the stomach, sding him crashing backward into the g.


    Matin groaned in pain, struggling to push himself up. His anger and humiliation were evidt as he red at us, trying to regain hisposure. But us''s face remained a mask of calm arrogance.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" us taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "I expected more from someone who ims to be so powerful. Maybe you should reconsider what you said."


    Matin''s eyes burned with fury. He lunged again, his spear thrusting towards us with rewed aggression. "You think you''re so tough? I''ll show you just how wrong you are!"


    us sidestepped the attack effortlessly, a cruel smile ying on his lips. "Oh, I''m not done yet. I''m just getting started."


    With a swift motion, us spun a and delivered a series of precise strikes, each one aimed to test Matin''s defses and wear him down. The speed and grace of his attacks seemed almost effortless, a stark contrast to Matin''s frantic, angry thrusts.


    "Come on, show me what you''ve really got," us mocked, his voice cold and unfeeling. "Or are you just going to il a like a headless chick?"


    Matin''s frustration grew with each missed attack, his face flushed with rage. He tried tounch another assault, but us was always one step ahead. The spear''s tips seemed to barely miss as us moved with effortless agility, dodging and countering with ease.


    "You''re quite the disappointmt," us continued, his voiceced with a sinister edge. "I thought an heir of the Guan Family would have more to offer. But it looks like you''re just another overhyped fool."


    Matin''s breathing grew ragged, and he was clearly struggling to keep up. The more us taunted him, the more erratic his attacks became. It was clear to us that Matin was losing control, and that only made the fight easier.


    Anna Ross, who had be preparing to heal and possibly interve, watched us with growing astonishmt. She could clearly see that us was only a Level 5 Awaked, yet he was handling a Level 9 Ascded with what seemed like child''s y. "Who is this young man?" she muttered in disbelief, but there was no one a to answer her. She continued to watch, captivated by the disy.


    Matin''s frustration was evidt as he realized that all his attacks were being easily defded by us. He was unable tond a hit or use any of his skills effectively. His anger boiled over, and he snapped, "Just wait, scum. I''ll hunt you down and your family and kill everyst one of them"


    He began to retreat, his pride wounded and his frustration clear. us''s reltless defse and superior agility had tak a toll on him. Martin was ready to flee, knowing he had no chance against us''s skill and speed.


    "You shouldn''t have said that," us''s voice grew cold, his eyes harding. "You see, I td to get overly protective wh ites to my mother. Since you want to threat her, you leave me no choice but to kill you. In your next life, keep your threats to yourself."


    As us prepared to chase Matin down, a chilling voice cut through the air. "Moon sh."


    Matin''s body wt rigid, his breath catching in his throat. From a height of three meters, he watched in horror as his own headless body stood froz in ce.

 Chapter 13: Aftermath

    Thud


    The sound of something hitting the g shattered the eerie silce that had settled over the battlefield. us nced down at the head lying amidst the debris. Strangely, he felt nothing¡ªno guilt, no disgust, no fear, no unease. He was as calm as a still pond as if the gruesome sce were merely a distant memory.


    "Well, that takes care of it," us muttered to himself, th turned his gaze towards Anna Ross. She stood there, hands covering her mouth, her face pale with shock. Despite her fear, us felt no need tofort her. He was done with the situation.


    "You and I don''t know each other. We''ve never met. Goodbye," us said, preparing to walk away. Just as he was about to leave, Anna spoke up.


    "Thank you for saving me. My name is Anna Ross," she said, extding a gold card toward him. "If you need anything in the future, just give me a call."


    us took a quick nce at the card, running some numbers through his head before epting it.


    "Ah, maybe I was a bit rude earlier," us said, forcing a sheepish smile. "I''m us. I don''t have a phone, so I can''t give you my card. I''m really sorry about that."


    Anna gave a faint smile, though she was still clearly shak by what had just happed. us didn''t try to make her feel better¡ªhe had already done his part. The rest was up to her.


    "Can I know where you stay and which city you''re from?" she asked.


    "I''m not from any city, but we''re closer than you might think," us replied, not bothering to soft his words. "Anyway, I''m heading out. You should probably do the same. Your frids might be... long dead by now."


    Anna clched her fists at his bluntness, but she knew he was right. They had vtured into the Inner section of the forest and stumbled upon the Nine Life Yin Flower. She and her team had fought off a pack of wolves to get it. Some of them were injured in the battle, but they had managed to secure the flower with no casualty.


    Just as victory seemed within reach, the Guan family team, led by Matin¡ªthe very person us had just killed, had ambushed them. Her team had bought her time to escape, knowing how valuable the flower was to her. However, they had underestimated Matin''s cunning and ruthlessness, though. While they were buying time, the Guan team had moved in for the kill.


    In the chaos, Anna had managed to flee with some of her people, each taking differt routes to draw their pursuers away. But it seemed their efforts had be in vain. Anna had be pursued reltlessly by the Alpha Wolf and Martin himself. Without us''s intervtion, she would have likely died.


    Anna looked at us with a mix of gratitude and sadness. "Thanks again for saving me. I really didn''t think I''d make it out."


    us nodded. "No problem. Just stay safe out there. The forest can be unforgiving."


    With that, us turned and began walking away, leaving Anna to reflect on whether or not she would go back into the forest and look for her team or ept reality and leave. A few secondster, she sighed and th also moved in us''s direction.


    us had already anticipated her reaction so he didn''t say anything wh he saw her following him. Instead, he looked at the message floating before him.


    [You have killed a Tier 3 Alpha Monster called Light w Wolf. You have received 3000 Exp.]


    [You have killed an Ascded Human called Matin Guan. You have received 000 Exp.]


    [Next Level up: 5,400/9,600]


    us couldn''t help but think to himself, ''Seems there''s a differce betwe humans and monsters. Killing humans pays a lot more.'' A sinister smile crept across his face. ''Maybe I should rethink my strategy and go after some scum instead.'' He nced over at Anna Ross, who was lost in her thoughts, trailing behind him.


    Just th, a monster lunged at us from the shadows. He didn''t flinch. Instead, he swung his sword with practiced ease, channeling a powerful cut through the air. The de connected with the monster''s head, slicing through it in a single, clean strike. The creature crumpled to the g, lifeless.


    Without missing a beat, us quickly stored the monster''s body and continued on his way, his expression calm andposed. He kept his pace steady, ready for whatever else the forest might throw at him.


    After moving forward for a while, another monster suddly appeared, but it didn''t stand a chance. us''s sword swung in a precise arc, and the monster was killed before it could ev make a move. His swordy had reached a new level of finesse, and his mastery of the ice elemt and Moon sh skill was evidt.


    With his now vastly expanded pool of Spiritual Qi, us had be several times stronger and faster at harnessing his elemtal essce. Each swing of his sword was more fluid and powerful, and his control over the elemts was bing almost second nature.


    "You do know you cane near so we move out together, I don''t bite" us''s sse was sharper than he had thought. From behind, he can feel Anna Ross staring at him all the way. At first, he didn''t mind, but it started to get a little irritating.


    "So sorry, I just didn''t want to be a burd," Anna Ross said, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. She was still recovering from the earlier ordeal, and she knew that jumping into the fight now would be unwise. For now, staying behind and letting us handle the monsters was the best she could do.


    us nced over his shoulder, a mischievous smile ying on his lips. "Foolish girl, who said anything about you being a burd? If anything, I should be the one paying you to walk beside me. Having the Fairy of Ross City by my side is quite the honor."


    Anna blinked, momtarily tak aback by hismt. The smile on us''s face made her feel a bit lighter, easing the tsion from their earlier counter. "You''re quite the charmer, ar''t you?" she replied, managing a faint smile despite her fatigue.


    us shrugged, still grinning. "Just speaking the truth. Besides, I''ve had my share of counters with monsters, but this is the first time I''ve be lucky ough to have someone like you a."


    Anna shook her head, still blushing but feeling a bit more at ease. "Well, thank you. I guess I''ll just try to stay out of your way and let you do what you do best."


    us only smiled and led the way through the forest. Soon, they appeared in the outer section after killing five more Tier  monsters. He needed only 700 more exp to level up to level 6.


    "The monsters from here onwards are just Tier , you will be fine on your own from here. I still have some business to take care of before leaving. I will be sure to call you once I get a phone" us said parting ways with Her.


    She thanked him once more and left. After making sure she had gone far ough, us headed back into the forest and started looking for monsters. "Tsk, it seems the Sunlight Forest is just for the hype, next time, I will go to Evesting Zombie Forest, perhaps, I can level up quickly there"


    us moved deeper and soon, he ssed a monster, without wasting much time, he attacked killing it before it could ev make a sound. He stored the body and continued.


    -


    -


    -


    [You have killed a Tier  Monster called Shadow Spider. You have received 500 Exp.]


    [You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level 6 Awaked. You have received 0 Stat points.]


    [Next Level up: 400/9,00]


    "Halfway there," us said looking at his progress window. He th switches to his status window.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 6


    Talt: Celestial Elemtal Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Awaked - Lvl: 6/


    Strgth:  | Agility:  |Stamina:  |Defse:0 | Intelligce: 0| Health: 00


    Spiritual Qi: 8,00


    Stat Points: 0


    us nced at his stats, a satisfied smile crossing his face. He stored away his weapon, saying, "0 points for urgt use. For now, let me head home." With that, he dashed forward, his speed now several times faster than before, and in an instant, he disappeared from sight.


    Shortly after, us arrived at the border of Ross City, where he paid the 0 gold coins to the two guards. To his surprise, they wer''t there this time. He greeted the remaining guard politely and left, wanting to avoid making any negative impressions.


    Momtster, us found himself back in the slums of Ross City. As he surveyed the rundown area, a deep sigh escaped him. Clching his fist, he murmured, "I''ll get us out of this hellhole soon, Mother." His determination was unwavering as he stared at the grim surings, visioning a better future for both himself and his mother.


    Shortly, he appeared in his beatdown home, "Mom I am back" us shouted smelling the sct of something delicious.


    "us, you''re back!" The door swung op further, its brok frame barely holding on, but us''s mother didn''t notice. She rushed out and veloped him in a tight, warm hug.


    "I''m sorry I made you worry, Mom," us said with a yful grin. "But I''m back now. Hehe, your son made quite a bit of money hunting today."


    Her worried expression softed slightly as she pulled him inside. "Come in, food''s almost ready," she insisted, dragging him into their modest home.


    ---


    Bang!


    In avish room, a man in histe 40s mmed his hand onto a table, shattering it into splinters. "The Guan Family! How dare they touch my daughter! I''ll raze them to the g!" His voice was icy, filled with cold, murderous intt.


    Beside him stood three young m in their early 0s and two wom. One of them was Anna Ross, who had safely returned and was now reporting the evts.


    "Dad, please, calm down," Anna said softly, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at her father.

 Chapter 14: Madam Fei

    After us came back home, he sat down to eat with his mother. This time, the meal was differt¡ªfull of all the nutrits a person should have. us had managed to hunt a few eatable monsters, so he sliced up some of the meat and added it to their meal. Afterward, he roasted the rest, eating while sharing stories about his day.


    He told his mother almost everything, but he left out the part where he had to kill someone. Instead, he focused on his counter with Anna Ross. us loved his mother so much that keeping that secret made his chest ache with guilt. But he pushed the feeling away, reminding himself that the man had threated his mother. That memory was ough to ease the guilt if only a little.


    After dinner, us took a bath and wt to bed. By the time he woke up the next morning, it was a little after 9 am. He felt surprisingly refreshed, realizing he might have underestimated the befits of his new Physique.


    Breakfast was already prepared, and he ate quickly before heading out. His n for the day was to sell the monsters'' bodies he had killed. In the slum, there wer''t any dect ces to sell monster corpses, and getting into Ross City required an idtification badge.


    Most of the few who awaked in the slum tried their best to get that badge so they could sell in Ross City and hopefully find a way to relocate there.


    us was one of the lucky ones. Since he worked at Ross Academy, he had a worker''s permit that allowed him to ter the city. As soon as he passed through the huge gates, he noticed the air was richer and cleaner, a sharp contrast to what he was used to in the slum.


    He made his way through the bustling streets, keeping his head low but his sses sharp. Ev with his permit, he felt out of ce among the well-dressed citizs of Ross City. The buildings here were tall and elegant, nothing like the worn-down structures in the slum.


    us knew where he was headed¡ªa specific marketce where monster parts were sold to merchants and alchemists. The market was busy, filled with people haggling over prices and discussing thetest hunts. He navigated the crowd with ease, his movemts precise and confidt.


    Wh us reached his destination, he found the familiar stall run by Madam Fei, a merchant with a solid reputation for fair deals. An instructor at Ross Academy had rmded her, so most studts knew toe to her wh they had something to sell ones they awak. Ignoring the calls from other vdors trying to get his atttion, us stepped into her shop.


    "Wee to my humble shop, youngster. I''m Madam Fei. What do you have for me today?" she greeted him warmly, a smile spreading across her face, revealing a few remaining teeth. Despite her age, she had a lively ergy about her that made her seem younger than she looked.


    us smiled back, trying to seem more at ease than he actually felt¡ªor maybe he just hoped he looked that way. "I''ve got some monster parts I think you''ll be interested in," he said, keeping his tone confidt. While us might appear a bit out of ce in this part of the city, he knew wh to put on a know-it-all expression.


    Madam Fei had a solid reputation, but that didn''t mean he was about to trust her¡ªor anyone elsepletely.


    "Oh, good. Let''s see what you''ve got," Madam Fei responded, her tone light and businesslike. us extded his hand, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the Tier  monster bodies and parts he''d collected fell into the space Madam Fei had set aside.


    She examined the monster bodies with a slight frown, a brief expression that didn''t escape us''s notice. It seemed she wasn''t too ke on buying Tier  monsters, but her reputation for fairness meant she couldn''t turn away business so easily. After a careful inspection, she looked back at us, her faceposed.


    "One of each will go for 50 gold coins," she offered, her voice steady and professional.


    us nodded, knowing it was a fair price for what he had brought. He wasn''t in a position to haggle, and he appreciated that Madam Fei kept her word, ev wh the goods wer''t exactly to her liking. He epted the deal, Madem Fei took the bodies and was about to pay up wh us retrieved over  Tier  monsters.


    "They said you''re a fair businesswoman, but you can''t me a boy for having his doubts," us said with an apologetic smile. "Pardon my insolce, but I had to see for myself if you''re really as trustworthy as they say."


    Madam Fei chuckled softly, her eyes crinkling with amusemt. "Smart boy," she replied, her tone warm. "It''s good to be cautious, especially in a ce like this. But rest assured, I value my reputation more than a few extra coins."


    "Very well, this is the second batch of my goods. Go ahead, appraise them, and let''s see how much I''ll be walking home with," us said, shing a confidt smile.


    Madam Fei returned his smile and began examining the new set of monster bodies. As she worked, her eyes wided in surprise. "baster Snake, ming Lion, Earth Leopard... These are rare monster corpse. Youngster, where did you get these monsters?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.


    us''s smile broaded. "Well, I killed them myself," he replied, still smiling, joying the rare momt of catching someone like Madam Fei off guard.


    "These... these are allplete bodies," Madam Fei muttered, her eyes gleaming with excitemt. "That means the fur, bones, everything can be harvested. This is just great." She looked at us with newfound respect. "Good work, young man. Take a seat and rx.


    It''s going to take some time to fully appraise them all."


    She poured him a cup of tea, the gesture almost maternal, and th wt to hang a ''closed'' sign on the door. Returning to the monster bodies, she began her thorough inspection,pletely grossed in the task. us took a sip of the tea, letting the warmth of it settle in his chest as he watched her work, feeling a sse of satisfaction.


    ''Hehe, this Young Master is about to take the world by storm'' us said inwardly sipping on his tea.


    "Young man, I have to be honest with you," Madam Fei said after about half an hour of careful inspection. "I don''t think I can fully appraise everything right now, especially the Wild ming Lion and the Earth Leopard. So, I''ll give you an estimated price for now.


    Later, once I''ve had time to do a detailed inspection, if there''s additional profit, I''ll make sure you get it wh youe by next time."


    "I don''t mind," us replied casually, leaning back in his chair.


    "Very well," Madam Fei continued. "For now, these bodies, including the Tier s, will fetch you 40,000 gold coins. This is just a preliminary estimate. Once I''m done with the detailed inspection, the price will likely increase."


    "Okay, th I can add this too," us said, extding his hand as the massive body of the Tier 3 Alpha Wolf appeared before them.


    "Heavs!" Madam Fei eximed, nearly jumping out of her skin. She momtarily forgot to maintain herposed, elderly demeanor as she stared wide-eyed at the wolf''s body. us couldn''t help but smile at her reaction, but he wasn''t done yet. With a casual flick of his wrist, he retrieved the three Vom Sacs as well.


    Wh Madam Fei saw those, her legs almost gave out. She nearly dropped to the floor, barely catching herself on the counter. "This... this is beyond anything I expected," she murmured, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and awe.


    "Well, this is just the start of our transactions, Madam Fei," us said, smiling at her stunned expression. It was bing clear to him that whoever had rmded her might have exaggerated her experice with high-value goods. She clearly wasn''t used to customers bringing in such rare and valuable items.


    Madam Feiposed herself, her initial shock slowly fading as she realized the opportunity before her. "You''ve certainly brought me quite the challge, young man," she said, a bit of her usualposure returning. "But I''m not one to back down. I''ll make sure you get what these are worth¡ªand th some."


    us nodded, pleased with the way things were going. He could tell that this was just the beginning of what might be a very profitable rtionship.


    Madam Fei took another long look at the bodies, her mind calcting the pottial profits. "I''ll give you 00,000 gold coins for everything," she said, her tone serious. "And like before, I''ll add more once I''ve had the chance to examine everything in detail."


    us was momtarily stunned. 00,000 gold coins? Just a few days ago, he could only dream of having ev a quarter of that amount. Now, here he was, about to walk away with a fortune. He could feel a wave of emotion welling up inside him.


    "Thank you, Madam Fei, really... thank you," us said, his voice thick with gratitude. It took everything he had to keep his emotions in check, but the weight of what this meant for him and his mother was almost overwhelming.


    Finally, us felt a surge of hope. With the money he was about to take home, he could provide for his mother like he always wanted to. The life they lost wh his father wt missing seemed within reach of being reimed¡ªand ev improved upon. It felt like he was starting to see the first light of a new dawn for both him and his mother.


    Madam Fei observed him with a knowing smile. It was clear to her that this young man was more than he initially appeared. There was something special about him, something that wt beyond his unassuming exterior.

 Chapter 15: The Way Forward

    us was guinely thankful to Madam Fei for her honesty. In a world where he had se greed, evil, and backstabbing all too oft, finding someone reliable was a rare and wee change. Although they had just met, us had learned over the years how to see people for who they truly were. Madam Fei, with her straightforwardness and fair dealings, was a breath of fresh air.


    Beforeing here, us had only estimated his total sales would be somewhere betwe 30,000 to 50,000 gold coins. He never imagined the monsters he had killed were worth so much more. These gold coins, now the standard currcy after the world had changed and contints formed unions, were important.


    Wh the global leaders came together to establish amon currcy, it made the old currcies like dors and euros obsolete overnight. Gold coins became the new measure of wealth, and having such arge amount felt extravagant.


    us knew that these coins were esstial for securing a better life for himself and his mother. "I really am grateful, Madam Fei. And you can call me us," he said, finally calming down ough to speak.


    "To tell you the truth, us," Madam Fei began with a warm smile, "this Tier 3 monster alone could easily fetch you over 50,000 gold coins. But since Ick the experice to fully appraise them right now, I could only offer you 00,000 gold coins for the tire lot. You really surprised me with the Vom Sacs and the Tier 3 monster body."


    us couldn''t help but grin at her words. "I''ll be sure to surprise you ev more in the future," he replied, his confidce growing. Madam Fei smiled and gave him the 00,000 gold coins.


    "Thank you," us said, th added, "By the way, can you tell me about the housing system in this part of the city?"


    Madam Fei raised an eyebrow, clearly a bit surprised by his question, but she answered. "Well, that depds. The housing system in this city isn''t exactly easy. To secure a house, the first step is to be a registered member of the city. And to do that, you''ll need a rmdation from someone who already lives here. Each person can only give out one rmdation, so it''s pretty limited."


    She paused for a momt, making sure us was following along. "But that''s just the beginning. You also need to have at least 50 million in your ount. This rule is in ce to make sure that once you''ve bought or rted a house, you''ll still have ough money to cover other living expses. They don''t want anyone struggling to pay for basic amities."


    us nodded, listing carefully.


    Madam Fei continued, "Another requiremt is that you have to undergo a backg check. The city wants to make sure that anyone moving in doesn''t have a criminal record or anything that might cause trouble for the residts. They''re very strict about maintaining a safe and peacefulmunity."


    She th added, "You''ll also need to have a stable source of ie. Whether it''s from a job, a business, or some other means, you have to prove that you can consisttly afford the cost of living here. The city doesn''t want anyone who might d up being a burd on the system."


    Finally, Madam Fei mtioned, "And, of course, there''s the matter of the housing tax. It''s an annual fee that everyone has to pay. It''s used to maintain the infrastructure, like roads, parks, and public services. The tax amount depds on the size and location of the house you''re buying or rting."


    She leaned back, studying us''s reaction. "So, you see, it''s a bit of a challge to secure a house here. But if you''re determined and meet all the requiremts, it''s definitely possible."


    us absorbed everything Madam Fei had said, but a few questions lingered in his mind. He couldn''t shake the memory of something that had happed to him and his mother a few years ago. If what she said was true, th they shouldn''t have be forced out of their home wh his father wt missing.


    Back th, they were told that they didn''t have ough money in their ount and that, since his father was presumed dead, his assets were seized. But us remembered his mother telling him that the bank ount was a family ount. That meant all three of them¡ªhis father, his mother, and himself¡ªshould have had ess to it.


    The more he thought about it, the more something didn''t add up. It smelled fishy like they had be tricked or something more sinister was at y. But now wasn''t the time to dive into that. There was too much else to focus on.


    Just as us was lost in thought, Madam Fei spoke up again, snapping him back to the prest. "I know getting a rmdation is tough," she said, "but since you''re a warrior, you can easily secure one."


    us looked at Madam Fei, a bit surprised, but quickly asked, "Really? How can I get a rmdation?" He didn''t mind staying in the slum for himself, but for his mother''s sake, he wanted to get them out of there and give her a better life.


    Madam Fei nodded. "There are two ways," she began. "First, you can apply for a warrior badge from the Hundred Hands Bank. They''re a powerful organization that looks for young, talted warriors to groom. Applying is free, but they''ll ask you to work for them for a few years in exchange."


    us immediately shook his head, dismissing the idea. The thought of being tied down and working for some organization didn''t sit well with him. He had his own ns, and being bound by a contract wasn''t part of them.


    Madam Fei noticed us''s reaction and smoothly transitioned to the second option. "The second option is to op a bank ount at the Royal Gold Reserve Bank and deposit at least 60 million gold coins. This will earn you a Copper Badge, and with that badge, you won''t need a rmdation. You can easily buy a house in the city."


    us''s face brighted a bit as he considered this option. "That sounds better. But how many rmdations can I get with a Copper Badge?" he asked with a smile. He needed two rmdations, so it was important to know.


    Madam Fei nodded. "A Copper Badge can give out one rmdation. However, if you manage to deposit about  million gold coins, you''ll receive a Bronze Badge, which allows you to secure rmdations for two people. A Silver Badge, requiring 40 million gold coins, lets you secure three people, and so on."


    us nodded, feeling more at ease with the second option. It was much better than being tied down by a contract that could have all sorts of hidd downsides. "Thank you, Madam Fei," he said, guinely appreciative of her advice.


    He th asked, "Another question¡ªif I manage to bring back more goods, how confidt are you that you can buy them all?"


    Madam Fei smiled reassuringly. "You don''t have to worry about paymt. As long as there are wares, I''ll be able to pay you."


    us nodded, satisfied with her response. Seeing a clear path ahead, he knew what had to be done. He has to get stronger so he can hunt more monsters and th secure a good home for himself and his mother.


    Securing  million gold coins seemed like a far-off dream, but us knew that with his rising strgth, he''d be able to hunt stronger monsters that would bring in more money. For now, he had to make do with what little he had to sure they didn''t starve like they used to. But once he secured those funds, he could move to the city and finally give his mother thefortable life she deserved.


    "Nice doing business with you, Madam Fei. Next time, I''ll be sure to bring back better goods," us said, extding his hand for a handshake.


    Madam Fei smiled and shook his hand. "I''ll be looking forward to your next sale. Just take care of yourself out there. Remember, there are more than just monsters in those forests."


    us nodded in agreemt and left her store, nning to buy some food before heading home. As he walked away, Madam Fei stood for a momt, deep in thought. After a while, she shook her head and muttered to herself, "This kid is something special. I''ll wait and see what he brings next time before making any decisions."


    us walked through the bustling streets, his mind upied with thoughts of the future. But he wasn''t scared, if anything, he was more prepared for the task ahead.


    As he reached the market, the smell of freshly baked bread and cooked meats filled the air. The vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables on disy caught his eye, and he couldn''t help but feel a sse of relief that he could finally afford to buy ough food. No more scraping by on scraps or worrying about where their next meal woulde from.


    He picked up a few esstials¡ªbread, some fresh vegetables, and a small portion of meat. It wasn''t much, but it was more than they''d had in a long time. As he paid the vdor, us couldn''t help but smile. This was just the beginning.


    With the foodstuff in hand, us made his way back home. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, gold glow over the city. The slum where he lived wasn''t much, but it was home¡ªfor now. Soon, he would be able to get his mother out of there, into a ce where she could live in peace andfort.


    Wh he arrived at their small, worn-down house, he pushed op the door and was greeted by the familiar sct of home.


    "I''m back, Mom," us called out as he set the groceries on the table.


    His mother turned and smiled at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of pride and relief. "Wee home, us. How was your day?"


    "It was good," he replied with a grin. "I made a dect sale today" us began narrating his day to his mother.

 Chapter 16: Visiting the Tattoo Parlor

    Aftering back from his little sale, us and his mother had a delicious dinner. They ate heartily, joying the rare momt of good food and rxation. That night, us slept soundly, feeling a new sse of hope for both himself and his mother. As dawn broke, he woke up with a smile, ready to face the day.


    He wt through his morning routine, eating breakfast and dressing up. As he buttoned his shirt, his mother looked at him with a concerned expression. "Do you really have to get a tattoo?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry.


    us nced at her, a bit unsure. "Mom, this is something Dad and I talked about before he wt missing. I know it''s not necessary, but it feels like something I should do. It''s strange, but I can''t exin it."


    His mother sighed and tried to convince him gtly. "I understand it meant a lot to your father, but do you really think it''s worth it? It might be better to focus on our needs right now."


    us shook his head. "I get where you''reing from, but it''s not just about the tattoo. It''s about honoring what Dad wanted and finding some kind of connection to him."


    She reached out and touched his arm. "us, I just want what''s best for you. You''ve be through so much already. Maybe it''s better to wait or find another way to remember him."


    us nodded, appreciating her concern. "I know you want the best for me, Mom. It''s just that this feels like something I need to do for myself and for Dad."


    His mother looked away, conflicted. "I see. But please, think it through carefully. Tattoos are permant, and I just don''t want you to make a decision you might regret."


    us gave her a reassuring smile. "I promise I''ll think about it. But this is important to me. I need to do this to feel like I''m honoring Dad''s memory."


    She hugged him tightly, trying to mask her anxiety. "Alright, us. I just want you to be sure and be safe. You know I love you and want the best for you."


    us smiled as he hugged his mother and kissed her on the cheek. "Don''t worry, Mom. If it''s some ugly tattoo, I''ll run off before they get a chance to put ink on my wless skin." They bothughed before us headed out.


    He walked through the city gate and made his way toward the eastern part of Ross City. The city was ormous, and divided into four main sections: Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern. There was also a special area called the Gard, where the Ross Family lived.


    Ross City was home to about 60 million people and was just one of many cities governed by powerful families. Wh the Spiritual Qi descded on Earth, North America was unified into the Northern Union, bringing all its countries under a single power. Most countries and cities were overtak by these powerful families, leaving only a few with their original names.


    In the d, North America was condsed into many cities. It was a tough time for humanity, but now, 50 yearster, people have managed to thrive, proving their resilice.


    The Ross Family, though considered a minor power, wielded significant influce in the Northern Union, especially within Ross City. But ultimately, it all came down to who had the strongest punch. us was a nobody right now, so his focus was on building his own strgth. For now, though, he had to find Ziggy Tattoo Parlor.


    "Excuse me, I''m looking for Ziggy Tattoo Parlor," us asked as he stopped at a store selling cultivation equipmt. Fortunately, the attdant was helpful.


    "Head  miles that way, and th take a turn wh you see the tall Idtity Guild building," she directed. us thanked her and set off. With his increased speed, it didn''t take long to reach thendmark.


    After turning, he walked for a few more minutes until he spotted a small signpost. He smiled and headed toward the store. He pushed op the door, and a small bell tinkled, drawing his atttion. As he stepped inside, he couldn''t help but be intrigued by the gtle chime of the bell.


    As soon as us stepped inside, a deep voice rumbled from behind. "What''s a youngster like you doing in a tattoo parlor?"


    us turned to see five bare-chested m lounging, each adorned with borate tattoos. The aura they exuded was unmistakable: ''Grandmaster Stage Warriors.'' us was tak aback. Ev though they tried to mask it, he could clearly sse their intimidating presce.


    "Hi, Sior. My name is us Hanson. My father said I shoulde here after I awaked," us said politely, trying not to let his nerves show.


    "And who might your father be?" the same man asked. From his demeanor, us could tell he wasn''t the fridliest.


    "Pete Hanson," us replied. The reaction was immediate and dramatic. All five m jumped up.


    "Wait... you''re Pete''s son?" one of them eximed. us nodded, surprised by their sudd, intse reaction.


    The five m''s eyes wided in shock and recognition. One of them, a burly figure with intricate dragon tattoos, stepped forward, his expression shifting from surprise to intse excitemt.


    "Pete Hanson''s son? It''s be years!" he eximed, his voice tinged with a mix of nostalgia and reverce. "Your father was a legd a here!"


    The others crowded a us, their faces lighting up with emotion. "I remember wh Pete came in here, looking to get that tattoo," said another, pointing to a particrly striking design on his own arm. "He told us stories about you ev before you were born."


    us was tak aback by the thusiastic response. "You knew my father?" he asked, trying to process their reaction.


    "Of course! We all did," said the burly man, pping us on the shoulder with a grin. "Your father was one of the finest warriors we ever knew. He had a way of inspiring everyone a him. he saved our lives several times"


    The man''s voice softed as he continued, "We hav''t heard about him in a long time. We really did miss him. It''s good to see his legacy is still alive."


    us smiled, feeling a mix of pride and sadness. "He''s be missing for a while. I''m just trying to follow in his footsteps."


    "Well, you''re in the right ce," the man said, his tone shifting to one of warmth. "We''ll make sure you get the best treatmt here. Your father did us all a great service; it''s time we return the favor."


    The atmosphere in the room shifted from one of intimidation to camaraderie and respect. us was immediately weed, and the m guided him to one of the chairs with fridly gestures.


    "You must be surprised by our reaction," James said with a warm smile. "We knew your father wh we were younger. By the way, I''m James. That bald fellow is Matt, the hairy one is Xian, the bulky one is Jojo, and the lean one is Ziggy."


    us nodded, taking in their names and the fridly tone.


    "Tell me, us," Jojo asked, "wh did you awak?"


    "About five days ago," us replied.


    "And you''ve already reached the 6th Level? Hahaha, indeed, you''re definitely his son," Ziggy said, hisughter echoing through the room. The others joined in, theirughter full of admiration and pride.


    us smiled back at the group. "I can imagine you have a lot to tell me, but today isn''t the day for it. We''ve be away for a while and just returned. It seemsing back now was no coincidce. Pete put so much effort intoing up with this design," Ziggy said, pulling out a small book from a drawer.


    He oped it, and the book magically unfolded into arge sheet of  paper with an intricate drawing. us stood up to get a closer look. As his eyes locked onto the design, he felt his sses begin to fade and his vision blur.


    "You can sit down," Ziggy''s voice cut through the haze. "I''ll prepare everything so we can get started."


    Just before us lost consciousness, Ziggy''s voice pulled him back to reality, and he slowly sank back into the chair, his mind struggling to grasp the meaning of the design before him.


    The design on therge  paper was mesmerizing. It featured a grand, circr ring with an intricate and elegant pattern that twisted and curved, creating a dynamic, flowing shape. Within this massive ring were nine smaller rings, each containing a differt star design. The stars varied in shape and style, adding to theplexity and beauty of the overall piece.


    Thebination of these elemts made the design both captivating and awe-inspiring.


    "Take off your shirt andy face down on the chair," Ziggy instructed after gathering some tools. us obeditly removed his shirt andy down. There was something about the design that had stirred an unexpected urgcy within him; he felt an almost instinctual need to get the tattoo as soon as possible.


    "Since this is your first tattoo, it''ll hurt a bit," Ziggy warned as he wiped us''s back with a chemical solution.


    As Ziggy prepared to start, something subtle yet significant shifted in his demeanor. It was almost imperceptible, but there was a change¡ªsomething differt in the way he moved, a quiet intsity in his focus. us and the others in the shop remained unaware, their atttion fixed on the task at hand.


    With steady hands, Ziggy began his work, the tattoo needle buzzing as it made contact with us''s skin. The momt the needle touched him, us''s consciousness abruptly slipped away, leaving his body behind. Yet, the others in the room noticed nothing unusual. They wt about their business, chatting and moving a as Ziggy focused on his task.


    us''s body remained in the chair, flinching asionally from the needle''s touch, but his mind had already drifted far away, detached from the physical ssations that should have be coursing through him. Ziggy, absorbed in his work, continued as if nothing was amiss, the intricate design slowly taking shape on us''s back.

 Chapter 17: Nine Star Paragon Art

    us woke up inplete darkness. It was so pitch ck that he couldn''t ev see his own hands or toes. He looked a, but all he could see was more of the same¡ªjust dless darkness. Th, out of nowhere, something appeared on the horizon. It was small, almost insignificant at first, but as soon as it showed up, us knew he was in some strange cosmic space.


    He couldn''t quite put it into words, but there was this feeling deep down that he was here for a reason, like this ce had a purpose for him. But staring at that tiny light, he wasn''t sure what to do. He felt small, almost insignificant in the vast darkness that sured him. Yet, the darkness didn''tst long.


    Just as he was struggling with these feelings, the little light began to expand. It grew from the size of a pill to that of an egg, th to an orange, a watermelon, and a basketball¡ªit just kept getting bigger. Suddly, it swelled up to the size of multiple moons, and th, without warning, it exploded. His vision wt ck again, and he lost consciousness.


    Wh us woke up, he was back in the same dark ce. But this time, things were differt. The light reappeared, but now there were nine of them in total.


    The nine lights grewrger andrger until they were the size of the sun. But unlike the sun, they didn''t radiate light. They just hung there, massive and dim, almost like pale moons with ev less color. us stood still, froz in ce, staring up at the ormous orbs in the sky.


    Th, out of nowhere, a voice started speaking.


    "From the darkness, from the cosmos, from the rivers of time and the age of destiny, through the struggles and through the sorrows, they shall rise. Nine of them."


    us''s heart skipped a beat. "Excuse me, who''s there?" he called out, his voice shaky. But the voice ignored him, continuing its strange chant.


    "The dless rivers of time will never permit them to ascd, neither would it allow them to have fate. But what is fate, what is having fate. The nine are not, they were, they are, and they are to be."


    us had no idea what the voice was talking about, but he kept listing, unable to tear his eyes away from the giant orbs.


    As the voice wt on, something started happing to the lights. At first, it was subtle. The edges of the orbs began to shimmer, like the surface of a distant ocean catching a faint light. us noticed it, but he wasn''t sure if it was real or just his mind ying tricks on him.


    The voice grew louder, its tone more urgt. "They shall pass through the fires of the past, the storms of the prest, and the shadows of the future. The nine are the guardians of time, but time itself will not bd to their will."


    The shimmering grew stronger, spreading across the surface of each orb. us''s breath caught in his throat as he realized these wer''t moons at all. They were stars, massive and ancit, but something was differt about them.


    "The nine shall be bound by the chains of destiny, yet destiny itself shall be their prisoner. The cosmos shall tremble, but the rivers of time shall flow, unyielding and eternal."


    The stars began to pulse, their dull glow bing more intse. Each pulse st a wave of light rippling through the darkness, making the stars look like they were breathing, alive.


    "The nine shall walk among the shadows, yet they shall cast no shadow of their own. For they are not bound by light, nor by darkness, but by the dless cycle of time."


    us could feel the weight of the words, ev if he didn''t understand them. The stars continued to pulse, their light growing stronger with each beat, as if they were waking up from a long slumber.


    "Time shall weave their fates, yet they shall weave the fate of time. The nine shall rise, and with them, the dawn of a new age."


    The stars were now shining brightly, their light filling the vast darkness a him. They were no longer just orbs of light; they were powerful, almost divine.


    "And so it shall be, from the darkness, from the cosmos, from the rivers of time and the age of destiny, the nine shall rise."


    us stood there, overwhelmed by the sight of the nine stars, their light now piercing through the void, illuminating the space a him. He didn''t know what any of this meant, but deep down, he felt that whatever was happing, was something far beyond his understanding.


    Suddly, us felt a sharp pain in his head as he stared at one of the stars. It was like something had pierced his brain, a sudd, intse stab that made him wince. But before he could react, sev more sharp pains struck his mind, one after the other, like needles digging into his skull. The pain was unbearable, and he couldn''t hold back the scream that tore from his throat.


    The chanting changed. The voice, once calm and distant, now took on a darker, harsher tone. us''s mind wt into overdrive, and in a rush, images began shing before his eyes.


    He saw a battlefield, littered with bodies. Blood soaked the g, and the air was thick with the sct of death. He didn''t know where he was, but it felt strangely familiar, like he had se it before. The pain in his head grew worse, but he couldn''t look away from the carnage.


    The chanting grew louder, echoing in his skull. "Through the rivers of time, the blood shall flow, unding, unyielding."


    Another sce shed. A vige burning, mes consuming everything in sight. People ran, screaming, but there was no escape. us felt their fear, their hopelessness. He could almost feel the heat of the mes on his skin, the smoke choking his lungs.


    His heart pounded in his chest as the images came faster now. A dark forest, filled with shadows. Figures moved among the trees, their eyes glowing with malice. They hunted, and those they found were torn apart, their screams echoing through the night. us felt like he was there, hiding among the trees, trying to escape the same fate.


    The voice continued its chant, reltless. "From the shadows of the past, the future shall rise, built on the ashes of the fall."


    us''s vision blurred, and another sce took over. A city in ruins, buildings crumbling, streets filled with rubble. The sky was dark, thick with smoke and ash. People wandered aimlessly, their eyes empty, their faces gaunt with hunger. us felt a deep sse of loss, of something precious that had be tak away.


    The pain in his head intsified, but he couldn''t stop the images. He saw a figure standing alone on a mountaintop, overlooking a battlefield. The figure was sured by bodies, their eyes wide op in death. The sse of d¨¦j¨¤ vu hit us hard. He knew this ce, this momt, but he couldn''t ce it. It was like a nightmare he had lived before.


    "The nine shall rise," the voice chanted, "but not without sacrifice. Blood shall be the price, and suffering the path."


    Another sh. A temple, ancit and crumbling, its walls covered in strange symbols. Inside, nine figures stood in a circle, their faces hidd in shadow. us felt drawn to them as if they were connected to him somehow. But the closer he got, the more the pain in his head increased.


    He could feel the weight of countless lives lost, the sorrow of a thousand battles fought and lost. He felt the despair of those who had giv everything, only to see it all destroyed. The sces kepting, faster and faster, until they were just a blur of blood, fire, and death.


    us was overwhelmed. He wanted it to stop, but he was trapped, forced to witness it all. The voice kept chanting, each word driving the images deeper into his mind.


    And th, just wh he thought he couldn''t take any more, the images stopped. us felt like he had just lived a thousand lifetimes in a few momts. The sse of d¨¦j¨¤ vu was still there, stronger than ever, but he couldn''t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.


    "They shall be called the Nine Paragons, those who defy time and fate. They wille together and reshape the ruins of the past, building the walls of destiny. They will carve their own path, outshining fate and challging the heavs. They shall be known as the Nine Paragons of Destiny."


    As soon as the voice finished speaking, the nine stars trembled and th shattered, shrinking rapidly. Out of nowhere, nine rings appeared before us. The first ring was small, but each one grewrger as they ascded. The shattered pieces of the nine stars began merging into these rings.


    The first star split into two and merged with the smallest ring. The second star split into three pieces and joined the next ring. The third star divided into five, the fourth into sev, and so on¡ªthe fifth into nine, the sixth into elev, the sevth into thirte, the eighth into fifte, and the ninth into sevte pieces.


    The rings th rearranged themselves, forming a pattern in the air before flying straight toward us. Instinctively, he tried to raise his hands to defd himself, but it was as if his body had froz, refusing to move. Panic surged through him, but th, from deep within, a voice echoed in his mind.


    "You have be born but have yet to awak. Oh, Paragon of the Ninth, your destiny awaits. Your journey begins with the Nine Star Paragon Art."


    Before us could react, the lights from the rings flew toward him, merging directly into his forehead. His eyes snapped op, and the darkness a him vanished. He was back in the tattoo shop, lying on the chair.


    At that exact momt, Ziggy, the tattoo artist, finished thest mark,pleting the design. us felt a jolt, a connection betwe the light in his mind and the fresh ink on his skin.

 Chapter 18: Paying Back a Debt

    Wh us woke up, he felt a hot ssation on his back, right where the tattoo was. For a few seconds, there was a strange connection, like the tattoo was alive, but just as quickly as it came, the feeling faded away. He tried to reconnect with it, focusing as hard as he could, but nothing happed. It was like a door had be shut, and he was locked out. us could only sigh in frustration.


    He lifted himself off the chair, standing there bare-chested. James, Jojo, Xian, Matt, and Ziggy were all grinning at him. us returned the smile, but something felt off. Their smiles wer''t directed at him¡ªthey were looking somewhere else. Confused, us turned to nce at the mirror and saw teardrops on his cheek.


    He blushed slightly, quickly wiping them away. "Hahaha, it''s normal. I''m surprised you didn''t scream during the process," Mattughed, giving us a hearty pat on the shoulder.


    "This is a sign he''s a real man," Jojo said, puffing out his chest with pride. "Real m have a strong resistance to pain."


    Xian nodded in agreemt. "Yeah, I''ve se grown m cry like babies in this chair. But you, us, you took it like a champ."


    Ziggy, the tattoo artist, smiled and added, "It''s rare to see someone stay so calm during their first tattoo, especially one as detailed as yours. You''ve got guts."


    James, who had be quiet, finally spoke up. "And here I was, betting you''d pass out halfway through," he said with a smirk. "Guess I lost that one."


    The group started bragging about their own experices. Matt wt on about how he got his first tattoo wh he was just 6 and how he''d fainted right after it was done. Jojo, not to be outdone, told the story of getting a tattoo on his ribcage, which everyone knew was one of the most painful spots.


    "I didn''t make a sound," Jojo imed proudly. "Ev though it felt like someone was digging into my bones."


    "Yeah, right," Xian teased. "You were whimpering the whole time."


    "Was not!" Jojo shot back, but the others justughed.


    us listed, feeling a mix of amusemt and relief. The pain from the tattoo was still fresh in his mind, but hearing these stories made it feel more manageable. It was like he was now part of some unofficial club, one that came with its own set of bragging rights.


    Ziggy looked at us and said, "You did good, kid. Wear that tattoo with pride. It''s more than just ink on your skin now."


    us nodded, appreciating the stimt. He still felt that strange disconnection, but he pushed it aside for now. There was no point in dwelling on it, especially wh he had just gone through something so intse.


    The m continued to joke a, talking about their next tattoos,paring designs, andughing at each other''s stories. The atmosphere in the shop was light and filled with camaraderie, a stark contrast to the dark and mysterious experice us had just gone through.


    The process he has just gone through is too real. He saw chaos and carnage. He saw bloodshed on a smaller andrger scale. He saw worlds destroyed,s, stars, and gxies destroyed. he couldn''t help but wonder where he was in this chaos.


    "So us, where are you staying now, and how''s your mother?" Jojo asked, his voice carrying a bit of concern ev as the group continued to joke andugh.


    "My mom''s fine," us replied with a smile. "As for where we live, well, after my dad wt missing, we had to move to the slums. But that''s just temporary." He tried to keep his tone light, not wanting to stir any trouble or make them feel sorry for him.


    But us quickly realized he had underestimated how much they cared. Jojo''s smile faded, reced by a look of anger. "Who forced you out? Tell me, and this big uncle will storm over there right now!" Jojo stood up, his aura ring as he clched his fist, veins popping out on his arm.


    us''s eyes wided slightly at Jojo''s reaction. He hadn''t expected that. "It''s only temporary," us said, shaking his head with a reassuring smile. "We''ll be back in the city soon ough. You don''t need to waste your time on things like that, Uncle Jojo."


    Jojo''s fists slowly unclched, but the intsity in his eyes didn''t fade. "Temporary or not, no one should be pushing you and your mom a," he muttered, still clearly upset.


    Xian, noticing the tsion, chimed in with a grin, trying to light the mood. "us is right, Jojo. Besides, you''re too old to be storming anywhere. Let the young ones handle it."


    Jojo huffed but sat back down, his expression softing a bit. "Just know, us, if anyone gives you trouble, youe to me, okay? We''ve got your back."


    "Thanks, Uncle Jojo," us replied, guinely touched. "I appreciate it, really."


    Ziggy, who had be quietly observing, nodded in agreemt. "The slums can be tough, but it''s not where you''ll stay forever. You''re a tough kid, us. You and your mom will make it through this."


    Ziggy could sse the determination in us''s voice wh he said he would handle things. It was a rare quality, one that spoke volumes about his character. Ziggy knew that if they stepped in and took over now, it might undermine us''s growth and resilice in the long run. Sometimes, the best thing to do was to step back and let a person face their challges head-on.


    All he could do was watch and be there if needed.


    "We will, Uncle Ziggy," us said with a smile, appreciating their concern. The others nodded in agreemt, their expressions softing but still carrying a hint of seriousness.


    Ziggy leaned in slightly, his voice calm but firm. "But just so you know, in the future, if things get a little sticky, remember that you''ve got five uncles right here who will do everything in their power to help you. Your father helped us so much that we can''t ev repay all he did for us in this lifetime." He shook his head, a mix of respect and regret in his eyes.


    The room grew quieter as the weight of Ziggy''s words sank in. us could feel the depth of their bond, how much his father had meant to these m. They had be away wh his father, Pete, wt missing, and by the time they returned, they couldn''t find us or his mother. They had assumed the two had moved away.


    But now, hearing that us and his mother had be forced into the slums, their emotions shifted. Ev though they were trying to keep calm, us could sse the simmering anger beath their surfaces, a quiet but intse killing intt directed at whoever was responsible.


    They were ready to fight if it came to that.


    us, though touched by their fierce loyalty, knew that this was his battle to fight. "Thank you, all of you," he said, his voice steady but full of emotion. "I know I can count on you if things get bad, but I''ve got to do this on my own for now. My mom and I will get through this, I promise."


    Ziggy gave him a knowing nod, the others following suit. They understood, ev if it was hard to stand by and watch. But they respected us''s choice.


    "Just remember, us," Jojo said, his tone a bit lighter now but still serious, "we''re not just here for wh things get bad. We''re here for all of it¡ªthe good, the bad, and everything in betwe."


    us smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude and determination. "I''ll remember that, Uncle Jojo. I really appreciate it."


    The mood in the room gradually shifted back to something more rxed as they started to talk about lighter things again.


    "By the way, how many people have you killed so far?" Xian suddly asked, cutting through the lighter conversation with an unexpected question.


    Jojo immediately smacked Xian on the back of the head. "You bastard, why would you ask him that?" he said, clearly annoyed.


    us watched their antics with a chuckle. They were older, but they acted like childr sometimes, which was oddly dearing.


    Ziggy shot Xian a disapproving look before turning to us. "You don''t have to answer that," he said, clearly ufortable with the question.


    us waved it off with a shrug. "It''s okay. I hav''t killed many¡ªjust an idiot who tried to steal my monster corpses and threated my mom." He said it with a casual air as if it was no big deal.


    The room fell silt for a momt, th suddly, everyone burst into resoundingughter.


    Jojo, perhaps overly happy at us''s response, pped him on the back. "Good kid, you did well. In this life, our lives should be devoted to the ones we love. Real m protect their mothers."


    Theughter continued, and a warm and guine sound filled the room. us felt a sse of belonging and relief. Despite the tough circumstances, he was sured by people who guinely cared for him and his mother.


    Ziggy shook his head with a smile, joining in theughter. "Alright, alright, let''s not get too carried away. us, you''ve got a lot of pottial. Just keep your focus and remember who you''re doing this for."


    us nodded. He is devoted to his mother, so he knew no matter what, he will always protect her. They chatted for a while and wh the sun started to dip, us left. But before leaving, the five uncles gave him some stuff saying he should count them as a fraction of the debt they owe his father.


    us could only ept them after some persuasion. After leaving, he wt to some stores and bought some more foodstuff, ice cream, and some leather clothes before heading home. That night, us had a dream: he was fighting on an ancit battlefield sured by dead froz bodies.


    The next day, he got the surprise of his life.

 Chapter 19: Going for the Next Hunt

    "Do you really have to go? We have ough money tost us for months. Stay home and rx for a bit," his mother pleaded softly. It had only be a day since us got his tattoo, but he was already preparing to head back into the wild. This time, he aimed to hunt higher-tier monsters and raise his level, so he could tackle ev stronger ones in the future.


    But his mother wasn''t ready to let him go so soon. She held onto his arm, her eyes glisting with unshed tears, clearly unhappy with the idea of us vturing out again so soon. It had only be a few days since hisst hunt, and the worry was still fresh in her mind.


    "Mom, you don''t have to worry about me," us said gtly, trying to soothe her fears. "I promise I won''t do anything reckless. I''ll be away for just a few days, tops. And wh I get back, I won''t go out for a few more weeks. We can spd some time together, just the two of us."


    His mother didn''t reply right away, still clutching his arm as if letting go would mean losing him all over again. us knew she was scared, and he couldn''t me her. The wild was dangerous, and every time he left, there was always a risk he might not return.


    Earlier that morning, us had checked the contts of the space ring Uncle Ziggy and the other uncles had giv him. Inside, he found a pile of gold coins¡ªmore than 0 million by his estimate. They had told him not to look until the next day, and wh he did, he realized he had be rich overnight.


    It was their way of helping him without solving all his problems for him, showing they cared but still letting him earn his way.


    Along with the gold, there was a gold badge he recognized as a rmdation badge. It was a sign of how much they cared, yet also a reminder that they didn''t want to take away his challges. With 0 million and one rmdation, us knew he only needed 40 million more to gain another rmdation and make the move to the City smoother.


    us was determined to bridge that gap. If he could secure more funds, the move to the City would be easier than he had originally thought. He wanted to give his mother the life she deserved, one where they didn''t have to worry about the next meal or a leaky roof.


    But right now,  of that mattered as much asforting his mother. He gtly pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms a her. "Mom, I''ll be fine. I''ve be training hard, and I know what I''m doing. I''lle back in one piece, I promise."


    His mother sniffled against his chest, holding him tightly. "I just... I just don''t want to lose you, us. You''re all I have left."


    "And you''re all I have, too," he whispered back. "That''s why I''m doing this. I want us to have a better life. But I won''t take any unnecessary risks. I''ll be careful."


    She finally pulled back a little, looking up at him with worried eyes. "Just a few days, th?"


    "Just a few days," us reassured her with a smile. "I''ll be back before you know it. And th, we''ll have all the time in the world to spd together."


    His mother sighed, wiping away a tear. "Alright... But promise me you''ll stay safe."


    "I promise, Mom. I''ll stay safe," us said, giving her a final hug before she reluctantly let go.


    She nodded, finally giving in. "Okay... But I''m holding you to that promise."


    us smiled, feeling a sse of relief that she was willing to let him go. "I won''t let you down. I''ll be back soon."


    With onest look at his mother, us grabbed his gear and headed for the door. As he stepped out, he nced back to see her watching him, her eyes full of love and concern. He gave her a reassuring wave before turning to face the journey ahead.


    The wild was waiting for him, but so was his promise to return. And this time, us was more determined than ever toe back home safe and sound bringing with him some more goods.


    -


    -


    -


    In a sere gard somewhere in the City, a youngdy stood in front of a man who appeared to be in histe 40s. He was undiably handsome, a trait that seemed toe naturally as one''s cultivation base rose¡ªunless, of course, getics didn''t favor you.


    The man was Davin Ross, the Leader of the Ross Family and the most powerful figure in Ross City. His influce in the city was unmatched.


    "Anna, you''ve recovered," Davin said, addressing the youngdy before him. She was Anna Ross, his youngest child and the rowned Fairy of Ross City.


    "Yes, Father. The Nine Life Yin Flower is truly magical. It''s a shame there wasn''t much Mountain Dew to fully hance its effect," Anna replied confidtly. It was clear she had used the Nine Life Yin Flower that Matin had tried to steal from her.


    The effects were already visible. A chilly aura sured her, carrying a mix of moisture and ice-cold ergy. Ev her demeanor suggested that she had advanced in her elemtal affinity.


    "Good. You''ve done well bringing that flower home," Davin said, clearly pleased, his smile a testamt to his satisfaction. "By the way, do you still not remember the young man who saved you? Thanking him would be the right thing to do, don''t you think?"


    Anna shook her head slightly. "I''m sorry, Dad. I tried to remember, but nothinges to mind. Thest thing I recall is Matin stabbing his spear toward me, th his head falling before everything wt ck. Wh I woke up, I was somewhere in the outer region." Her tone was filled with regret.


    "It''s okay," Davin reassured her, his voice gtle. "The fact that you''re safe is all that matters to me. But are you sure you want to go to the Evesting Zombie Forest? That ce isn''t just home to zombies¡ªit also harbors some of the most vicious monsters. Unlike Sunlight Forest, there are no sections there. Any rank of monster could show up at any time."


    Anna nodded determination in her eyes. "I know, Father. But I need to grow stronger. Staying in myfort zone won''t help me. I''ll be careful, I promise."


    Davin sighed, a mixture of pride and concern on his face. "Just remember, your safety is the most important thing. Don''t take unnecessary risks."


    "I won''t," Anna assured him. "But I need to do this. For myself"


    Davin looked at her for a momt, th nodded. "Alright, Anna. Juste back safe."


    "I promise, Father," Anna replied with a soft smile and th left, disappearing from the Gard.


    "You do know she was lying to you," a voice chimed in just as Anna left the gard. From that direction came a youngdy with the looks of an angel. Her silver hair flowed down to her waist, and her curvy form, paired with her refined cheekbones and silver eyes, made her look like a messger st by the immortals.


    "Lucy, you don''t have to tell me that," Davin Ross replied, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "I know she''s lying, but we have to respect her privacy. The fact that she doesn''t want to reveal this hidd befactor shows she''s maturing. All we can do is let her grow."


    "It''s just annoying," Lucy said, pouting slightly. "Seeing my own sister keep secrets from me... We used to tell each other everything."


    Davin chuckled softly. "I know, but sometimes, growing up means keeping a few things to yourself. She''ll share wh she''s ready."


    Lucy sighed, crossing her arms. "I suppose you''re right. It''s just hard, you know? I want to be there for her like we used to be."


    "You still can," Davin said gtly. "She''s just finding her way. Give her time."


    Lucy nodded, her pout softing into a small smile. "Alright, I''ll try. But if she doesn''t spill soon, I''m going to have to pry it out of her."


    Davinughed. "Just don''t push too hard. She''lle a."


    Wh Anna came back from the Sunlight Forest and reported what had happed, they tried to find out who the young man was who had helped her. But she lied, saying she cked out before she could get a good look at him. She had se us''s character and knew he wasn''t someone who liked attachmts, so she made sure to keep him a secret, tucking away that part of her story.


    Anna was too pure to be a good liar, but the fact that they didn''t scold or force her to say anything showed how much they cared for her. They trusted her, ev wh she wasn''t tirely truthful.


    "So, wh will you be going back to the mountain?" Davin asked after a momt of silce.


    "My master told me to stay for a while, to calm my heart, and really think about what I want and need," Lucy replied. "Only th should Ie back to use the Colorless Bone Marrow essce to advance to the Saint Stage."


    She paused, th added, "So, I guess I''ll be a for a bit. Maybe until after the Inter-City Celestial Mountain Academy selection exams in three months." As she spoke, she took a seat beside her father and bit into an apple, the crisp sound filling the quiet gard.


    Davin nodded, taking in her words. "That sounds wise. It''s good to take time and reflect. Just remember, we''re here for you, no matter what."


    Lucy smiled, appreciating her father''s support. "I know, Dad. That''s why I''m not in a hurry. I want to make sure I''m ready, in every way."


    With that, the gard is filled withughter betwe daughter and father spding their morning in a peaceful atmosphere.

 Chapter 20: Entering the Everlasting Zombie Forest

    After leaving the city, us set out on his journey. This time, he wasn''t heading to Sunlight Forest, so instead of going east, he took the westward path. Two hours of steady speed walking brought him to a checkpoint, simr to the one he passed through on his way to Sunlight Forest.


    Fortunately, he wasn''t alone this time. There were a few other people there, all going through security checks. The process was the same as before¡ªthey scanned everyone, and you had to pay the fee before being allowed to pass.


    But unlike Sunlight Forest, getting into this one required taking a shuttle. The shuttle was reinforced with military-grade metal, a precaution to prevt any sudd idts from the asional monster attacks that happ on the way. They took safety seriously here, making sure everyone tered the forest unharmed.


    The Evesting Zombie Forest was no ordinary forest. It was one of those ces filled with wildlife so dangerous that it could threat tire cities or ev a country. It was massive, teeming with vicious monsters. Sometimes, these monsters would swarm out of the forest in tides, attacking the nearby cities.


    Ross City, Guan City, Hamid City, and Felin City were the closest to this forest, which meant the city guards were always on high alert. They also made sure that anyone who vtured into the forest came back without any nasty infestations.


    The forest earned its name, Zombie Forest because a huge part of it was infested with zombies. But these wer''t the slow, shambling zombies you see in movies. These were fast and vicious, and some say they''ve ev heard them speak, though that''s a rare urrce.


    Just as there are differt kinds of monsters, there are also various types of zombies in this forest. Although these zombies don''t offer any food value wh killed, most of them carry something rare and valuable¡ªa Zombie Stone. These stones have some medicinal properties that make them highly sought after.


    It''s said that absorbing a Zombie Stone can grant some resistance to zombie bites. While there''s no cure for the zombie virus yet, those who ar''t fully overtak by the virus after being bitt can sometimes be cured. Because of this, Zombie Stones are incredibly valuable.


    That''s why so many advturers vture into this dangerous forest. But as the saying goes, the greater the value, the greater the danger. The Evesting Zombie Forest is not a ce for the weak. Most people who ter are either at the Peak Ascded stage or have reached the Master stage.


    As us approached the line for the shuttle, a few people began to notice him. They ssed his cultivation base, and some of them started to sneer and whisper among themselves.


    "What''s an Awaked doing here?" one of them muttered, loud ough for us to hear.


    "He must have a death wish," another one snickered, shaking his head.


    "Probably thinks he''ll get rich quick," a third person added with a smirk. "He won''tst five minutes in there."


    Their mocking remarks continued, growing bolder as they sized us up. They seemed to find his presce amusing as if they were watching amb wander into a lion''s d.


    But us didn''t react. He wasn''t here to prove anything to them. He had a purpose, and their words didn''t matter. He kept his focus straight ahead, ignoring the taunts and jeers.


    Some of them tried to catch his eye, hoping for a reaction, but us didn''t give them the satisfaction. He knew better than to gage with people like this. They wer''t worth his time or ergy.


    The line moved slowly, and the sneers continued. But us remained calm, his mind already on the task ahead. He was here for a reason, and nothing was going to distract him from that.


    Wh it was us''s turn, he paid his fee and received a badge. The cost this time was 00 gold coins, partly due to the shuttle ride, but the badge was good for four tries into the forest. After the fourth time, he''d only have to pay half the fee if he wanted to keep hunting there.


    As us took the badge, the guard who handed it to him offered some advice. "Little brother, you shouldn''t wander too deep into the forest. Hunting in the outer section is good ough."


    us nodded, epting the badge. "Thank you, big brother."


    "Hrick."


    "Thank you, big brother Hrick. I''m us. Next time, I''ll be in your care," us responded with a smile. Hrick seemed far better and fridlier than those guys who had scammed him at the Sunlight Forest border.


    "Just be careful out there," Hrick said as us turned to ter the shuttle. It had 5partmts, and he chose the 5th one, lying down to rx. The border to the forest was about 70 miles away, so he knew it would take some time to get there.


    As the shuttle moved, us noticed a few others in the 5thpartmt, but they kept to themselves. No one bothered him, so he settled in, feeling at ease.


    Along the way, the shuttle was attacked by monsters. However, the shuttle''s advanced mechanisms, built to handle such threats, took care of the situation quickly. us couldn''t help but admire how seriously the Ross Family took safety and business. This kind of protection made people feel secure, and many would be forever grateful to the Ross Family for it.


    But for us, this was nothing new. He was already aware of how the Ross Family operated, so he didn''t pay much atttion to the praises others were murmuring. Instead, he justy there, drifting off to sleep, which surprised the other passgers.


    Whever a monster attacked, the others would tse up, some ev drawing their weapons in case things wt wrong. But us remainedpletely unfazed, lying there as if he were dead.


    His calmness was unsettling to some. They couldn''t understand how he could be so rxed wh danger was literally knocking at the shuttle''s doors. A few of them exchanged nces, puzzled by his behavior.


    As the shuttle continued on its way, more monsters tried to attack, but the shuttle''s defses held strong each time. The passgers flinched and prepared themselves, but us didn''t move a muscle. It was as if he trusted the shuttlepletely¡ªor maybe, he just didn''t see the point in worrying.


    Evtually, the tsion eased a bit among the others. Seeing us so calm made them realize that the shuttle was indeed well-protected. A few passgers ev began to rx a little, though they still kept their weapons close, just in case.


    Finally, after what felt like hours, the shuttle neared its destination. The advturers aboard tsed up as they approached the Evesting Zombie Forest. Ev from a distance, the sounds of roaring monsters echoed through the air, and the thick sct of blood hung in the atmosphere, putting everyone on edge.


    "This is where we drop you off. From here on out, it''s all up to your abilities and survival instincts," a voice announced as the shuttle came to a stop. The advturers quickly disembarked, weapons ready, and began making their way toward the forest''s edge.


    us, however, lingered in the shuttle for a few momts longer. He felt something¡ªan odd, familiar presce¡ªbut wh he looked a, he didn''t see anyone. Frowning slightly, he dismissed the feeling and finally stepped out of the shuttle.


    As he set foot on the g, the tsion in the air was palpable. Everyone a him was on high alert, scanning the area for any signs of danger. But us stayed calm, his mind already focused on the task ahead.


    He saw some people getting on the shuttle. It appeared they were people who had tered the forest and were now leaving. The stress and fatigue could be se on their faces as they climbed aboard after being checked whether they were infected.


    ncing a onest time, he shrugged off the strange ssation and headed into the dse forest. The dark trees loomed overhead, and the sounds of distant roars grew louder with every step.


    "Hopefully, this time, I can make some great profit before leaving," us muttered to himself as he vtured deeper into the forest.


    As he moved further in, the eerie atmosphere of the Evesting Zombie Forest sured him. The air was thick with tsion, and every step he took seemed to echo through the dse undergrowth. Suddly, a rustling noise caught his atttion.


    "Spike Lizard," he noted calmly as a Tier  monster appeared from the shadows. Without hesitation, us swung his sword, sding a sharp ice arc slicing through the air. The attack hit the lizard dead on, killing it instantly with a single blow. us didn''t ev break a sweat.


    Before heading out this time, us had wisely distributed the 0 points he gained from hisst level-up into strgth and stamina. The increase in strgth made his attacks far more devastating, while the added stamina meant he could dure longer battles without tiring.


    But what really gave him an edge was his agility. It was off the charts now, making him faster than ever before. With his newfound speed, us felt more confidt in his ability to survive and thrive in the Zombie Forest this time a.


    "I should probably level up before looking for Zombies," us said storing the body of the monster. He began moving again. The forest true to its name, just a few steps away, he countered his second monster, and that began his hunt. He currtly is a Level 6 Awaked, but he is several times stronger than normal awaks at the same level, so he began to run amok killing monsters about.


    A little after two hours, he smiled looking at the message he wanted to see the most.


    [You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level 7 Awaked. You have received 0 Stat points.]


    [Next Level up: 300/38,400]


    "Time to officially begin the hunt" us smiled and dashed away, heading deeper into the forest.

 Chapter 21: The Zombie Hunter (1)

    After leveling up to Level 7, us felt a massive surge of power. His spiritual qi pool had grown several timesrger, filling him with more than ough ergy to unleash his attacks. He''d only just started tapping into the ice elemt, mainly because us had always had a thing for ice.


    Ever since he was a kid, he was fascinated by anything rted to ice, so it was only natural that he instinctively started using it as soon as he awaked. Now, his Moon sh skill was on a whole new level. us wt on a rampage, taking down Tier  monsters left and right.


    He needed 38,400 points to hit Level 8, so he knew he had to go all out. The stronger he got, the better his chances of taking on Tier 3 monsters. Last time, he got lucky and caught a Tier 3 monster off guard, but he wasn''t sure he''d get that same stroke of luck again.


    Ev if he did get lucky again, it would only work once. But to make 40 million gold in three days, he''d need that kind of luck hundreds of times over. This time, he nned on staying out in the field for a few days before heading back.


    Ev though he''d awaked, us knew almost nothing about cultivating. To really get a grip on the intricacies of the cultivation world, he knew he''d have to move to the city, where he could gather the knowledge he needed to navigate this new life.


    Right now, us''s top priority was getting several times stronger so he could gather the funds needed to move his small family to the city.


    sh!


    A sword light shed, sding a sharp ice arc slicing through the air. The arc struck a Tier  Hound, killing it instantly.


    "I still don''t have that sharpness and effortlessness I crave," us muttered, staring at his sword with a puzzled expression. For the past five hours, he''d be hunting and honing his sword skills, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn''t break through to the next level.


    Sure, he could take down a Tier  monster with a single strike now, but it still didn''t have that razor-sharp precision he wanted. There was always some dullness to his attacks. It was frustrating. With a sacred ss like his, he couldn''t help but get a little obsessed, hoping to fix it before moving forward.


    "I guess I''ll have to keep killing more monsters¡ªmaybe I''ll figure it out," us sighed as he stored the body and continued his rampage.


    "A zombie," us muttered, stopping in his tracks. He narrowed his gaze at the figure standing over a monster''s lifeless body, its mouth smeared with blood and chunks of meat. It was clear the zombie had killed the creature and was now devouring it.


    The zombie''s head jerked up as it caught sight of us. Its eyes, empty and lifeless, locked onto him. The creature growled a low, macing sound that st a chill down us''s spine. His grip tighted a the hilt of his sword, his focus sharping as he prepared for the fight.


    us didn''t flinch. He took a deep breath, ctering himself. He wasn''t going to use any fancy skills or elemts this time. This was about pure speed and precision. His agility had be honed to the point where he could strike before most emies ev realized he''d moved.


    The zombie lunged at him with surprising speed, but us was faster. In a single fluid motion, he sidestepped the attack and swung his sword in a wide arc. The de cut through the air with a sharp hiss, aimed directly at the zombie''s neck.


    The strike was clean and precise. us''s sword sliced through the zombie''s neck with one swift sh, beheading it instantly. The creature''s body crumpled to the g, lifeless, while its head rolled away, the dead eyes still staring nkly.


    "Slower than I thought," us muttered as he stared at the Tier  Zombie lying on the g. His sword shed again, slicing cleanly through the monster''s head, cutting it in half. As the pieces fell apart, a small stone, about the size of a grape, tumbled out. It was  in color.


    "Low-Grade Zombie Stone. I''m emotional, y''all. Who would''ve thought my first kill would produce a stone?" us grinned as he picked up the small  stone, turning it over in his hand.


    "It''s just a Tier  low grade, meaning this Zombie was one of the weakest. But hey, this little thing is worth about ,000 gold coins¡ªthat''s more than ough." us tucked the stone away in his space ring and began moving deeper into the forest.


    He had finally tered the part of the forest where the Zombies roamed. As he walked, he noticed several Zombie corpses along the path, indicating that others had already be through here.


    A rustling sound caught his atttion. us nced to the side and spotted another Zombie stumbling out from behind a tree. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and lunged forward. The de sliced through the air, and with one clean strike, the Zombie''s head separated from its body, copsing in a heap. No stone this time.


    us continued onward, his sses on high alert. It wasn''t long before he countered a pair of Zombies, shambling toward him with slow, unsteady steps. He didn''t waste any time. With two quick shes, both Zombies were down, their heads rolling on the g. This time, one of them dropped a small gray stone.


    "Another one," us said, pocketing the stone. "This one''s worth a bit less, but it all adds up." Zombie stonese in differt grades. There is the Low Grade which is . Th there is the Medium grade whiches in brown. Th there is the ck high grade.


    However, aside from these three, there is a grey zombie stone which is less than the low grade but also valuable. It''s mostly dropped from zombies that have just advanced to Tier . But although its worth is less, it''s still better than .


    As he moved deeper into the forest, the number of Zombies began to increase. Some came at him in small groups, others alone. But it didn''t matter; us cut them down with ease, his movemts quick and precise.


    Every so oft, a Zombie would drop a stone, either  or gray. us collected each one, stashing them in his space ring. The thrill of finding these stones kept him going, pushing him to take down as many Zombies as possible.


    After dispatching another small group, us found himself standing in a clearing. He took a momt to catch his breath, looking a at the fall bodies. "Not bad," he thought, "but I need more if I want to buy a house," us said with a small smile.


    A sudd noise behind him made us spin a, sword at the ready. Arger Zombie, clearly stronger than the others, was lumbering toward him. Its eyes glowed with a dull, eerie light, and it moved with more purpose than the weaker ones.


    us tighted his grip on his sword. This one might be more of a challge, however, he quickly dismissed that though wh he saw the Zombie move. The Zombie lunged at him, but us was quicker. He sidestepped the attack and brought his sword down in a powerful arc, severing the creature''s head in a single blow.


    As the body fell, a bright  stone rolled out. us picked it up, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Low grade but worth more than the in , I guess there is some luck following be after all."


    He pocketed the stone and pressed on, his confidce growing with each kill. The deeper he wt, the more Zombies he countered. But  of them could stand up to his speed and skill.


    In a few hours, us had gathered several more stones, but he wasn''t satisfied yet. He wanted more. In fact, he wanted so many that ev if he took a break from hunting for a while, he''d still be in good shape financially.


    "This ce is good," us thought to himself. "The deeper I go, the stronger the zombies I counter. If I can manage to get a few Medium-grade stones, that would be great."


    He wasn''t aiming for the Higher-grade stones¡ªthose were found in Tier 3 Zombies, and he knew he wasn''t ready for that yet. He still had to sure he had the strgth to take them on. But now wasn''t the time to push his limits recklessly.


    us continued to press forward, his eyes sharp and his sword ready. He countered another group of Tier  Zombies, slightly stronger than the ones he had fought before. They moved with a bit more coordination, their growls louder and more macing. us didn''t hesitate. With swift, precise movemts, he cut them down one by one, his sword shing in the dim light of the forest.


    Wh thest Zombie fell, us quickly searched the bodies, hoping for a Medium-grade stone. His heart skipped a beat wh he found one¡ªa dull blue stone,rger than the others he had collected. It wasn''t a High-grade, but it was better than the Low-grade stones he had be gathering.


    "Perfect," us murmured, storing the stone in his space ring. "Just a few more like this, and I''ll be set. But these Zombies are bing stronger, I have to test my limit and distribute the points ordingly."


    He continued his hunt, ughtering more Zombies along the way. The deeper he vtured, the stronger the Zombies became. Their numbers grew, but so did his determination. us was reltless, cutting them down with precision, collecting stones, and moving on without hesitation.


    Finally, after heading ev deeper into the forest, us countered a differt kind of Zombie. This one was unlike the others. It still had the rotting appearance of a Zombie, but its eyes were sharp, not dull and lifeless like the rest. In its hands, it held a bone sword, gripped tightly as if it knew how to use it.

 Chapter 22: The Zombie Hunter (2)

    "A Peak Tier , just a few steps away from bing a Tier 3," us observed, his eyes narrowing as he sized up the creature. "I guess it wants my blood for that final push."


    A sinister smile curled on us''s lips as he tighted his grip on his sword. "Just so happs, I also want that stone in your head," he said, his voice low and macing.


    Without wasting any more time, us lunged at the Zombie, his sword slicing through the air with deadly intt. The Zombie reacted quickly, raising its bone sword to block the attack. The sh of des echoed through the forest as the two gaged in a fierce battle, each strike sding sparks flying.


    us could feel the power in the Zombie''s attacks, but he was faster, more agile. He dodged a swipe aimed at his head and countered with a swift sh across the Zombie''s chest. The creature staggered but didn''t fall. Its sharp gaze locked onto us filled with a hunger for more.


    "This bastard has some skills, but its nothing in front of Master us. You can die now" usughed.


    The Zombie swung its sword again, but us was ready. He sidestepped the attack and drove his de into the Zombie''s side, twisting the sword to make the wound deeper. The Zombie let out a guttural growl, but us didn''t stop. He yanked his sword free and delivered a final, powerful strike to the creature''s neck.


    The Zombie''s head rolled to the g, its body crumpling a momtter. us watched as a stone, slightlyrger and brighter than the others, fell out of its head. He knelt down and picked it up, his sinister smile returning.


    "A Medium-grade stone, just as I hoped," us muttered, examining the stone before storing it away. "One step closer to the city, one step closer to a better life." usughed and the moved ev deeper.


    Ev though the zombie was an upgraded version, us didn''t feel any real danger from it. If anything, he felt like he hadn''t ev begun to tap into the full pottial of his sword. It was like he was holding himself back. So, he decided to head deeper into the forest. If he could find more of these zombies, he might start to understand something important about the sword path.


    ng!


    The sound of shing swords echoed through the trees as us''s sword was suddly blocked by a bone sword. As he vtured deeper into the forest, he quickly realized that the zombies here were differt¡ªthey wer''t ordinary at all.


    These ones had sharp, focused gazes and moved with a more coordinated attack pattern. It was the kind of precision you could only get through training. That meant not all zombies were brainless; some were skilled fighters capable of going toe-to-toe with humans.


    "This is getting exciting," us muttered, parrying an attack from the zombie. He swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming for the zombie''s waist, but it managed to pull back just in time. However, it wasn''t fast ough. Before it could fully retreat, us delivered another swift strike to its neck, killing it instantly.


    "Huh, I leveled up again," us muttered to himself. It wasn''t until after he''d stowed away the zombie stone that he realized he''d reached Level 8 Awaked.


    "Now I''ve got 00 free points to distribute. Looks like it''s time to step up my game." Without hesitation, us allocated the points, focusing on just three of his attributes. He added 70 points each to Strgth and Stamina, and 60 points to Agility.


    "I should probably focus on Defse next time," he mused, ncing at his status window. Feeling the surge of strgth coursing through him, us couldn''t help but smile.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 6


    Talt: Celestial Elemtal Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Awaked - Lvl: 8/


    Strgth: 30 | Agility: 70 |Stamina: 40 |Defse:0 | Intelligce: 0| Health: 00


    Spiritual Qi: ,800


    Stat Points: 0


    "Just four more levels, and I''ll be Ascded. Th I can really step into the big leagues and go on some intse hunts," us grinned, and like the wind, he dashed off into the forest, heading straight for the core region. This time, he was aiming for Tier 3 monsters and zombies.


    It didn''t take long before he countered his first Tier 3 monster. With his stats boosted, us didn''t waste a second¡ªhe immediately unleashed a series of devastating attacks.


    -


    -


    -


    Far from where us was, a young man with dark hair stood before thousands of humanoid figures that at first nce looked like ordinary zombies. But these zombies were differt¡ªthey were more rxed, each holding a bone sword.


    It was a bizarre and slightly unnerving sight. Normally, zombies don''t feel pain; their only instincts are to kill and feed. Seeing these vicious monsters standing at ease and clearly awaiting orders was a clear sign something was about to happ.


    At first nce, the young man didn''t seem like a zombie, but a closer look revealed that he was indeed one¡ªjust an exceptionally powerful one. He was a Tier 3, probably at the peak of Tier 3.


    "This time, we''re going to wipe out all the humans that have tered our territory," he announced. "Those of you who hav''t brok through the barrier will get to feed on them first. So go out and kill as many as you can. Today, we''re going to make sure there are no survivors."


    A loud, guttural growl erupted from the zombies at his words. In an instant, thousands of them began to move, ready to turn the forest into a sea of crimson.


    At another location, a differt handsome zombie gave the same speech, prompting another group of thousands of zombies to march toward the area where the first group had gone. Each of them wielded a bone sword.


    The sce yed out in yet another spot, where thousands of zombies were moving in unison toward a single destination. It was the same story at multiple locations, with all the groups seemingly converging.


    The Zombie Forest sees thousands of expertsing through every day. It''s so vast that ev with ts of thousands of experts roaming a, the chances of running into each other are slim¡ªunless you know the forest well.


    For those with some connections or backing, detailed maps of the forest are avable, showing at least parts of it. If you have one of these maps, navigating the forest bes much easier. And this means the forest''s owners can also track where the crowds are gathering and n their attacks ordingly.


    It''s a perfect ambush n and unluckily for most, these Zombies have be ev more intelligt in the past years. This time, their numbers are so great that if all goes well, they willy waste to all humans in the forest.


    -


    -


    -


    After hunting for a while, us decided it was time to find a ce to rest for the day. He needed 76,800 points to level up to Level 9. Thanks to his rect upgrade and the boost from killing a few Tier 3 monsters, he had racked up 3,000 points for each one he took down.


    He''d underestimated the power of Tier 3 monsters. Wh he shed with them, he quickly realized they were tougher than he''d expected. He had to strike harder and faster to take them down. But with his hanced abilities, he managed to hold his own ande out on top.


    After his intse battle, he had amassed about 70,000 points. He found a cave to rest in for the night. The next morning, he set out again, vturing deeper into the territory of zombies and monsters.


    It was quite a sight. His sword shed continuously as monsters fell one after another. His space ring was nearly filled with monster bodies. He had to start removing Tier  monster corpses to make room for the more valuable Tier 3 ones.


    [You have killed a Tier 3 Monster called Silver Fur Lion. You have received 3000 Exp.]


    [You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level 9 Awaked. You have received 50 Stat points.]


    "Killing humans really does pay off," us sighed, ncing at the messages. "Ev zombies bring in more than regr monsters." He''d be hunting for a while, but the experice points he was getting felt pretty disappointing.


    He noticed that killing a Tier  zombie gave him ,500 EXP, so a Tier 3 should''ve be a 5,000. Yet, the 3,000 EXP he got for each Tier 3 monster kill felt like a real letdown. It was clear that the rewards wer''t matching up to the effort he was putting in.


    "There is something wrong" Just wh us was rxing and gathering his thoughts on how best to use his 50 points, he felt an ominous feeling in the air. He doesn''t know why but he felt the danger in two ways.


    "Am I overthinking things, this is strange," he muttered to himself and th shrugged it off. He stored the monster''s body and started walking away. However, after moving a few steps, he felt the feeling again, this time, a little more stronger than he has expected.


    He also got a faint idea as to where the feeling wasing from. he quickly started making his way there despite the danger he was feeling. us didn''t know why he was going toward the danger, but he felt no resistance, instead, every part of his body wanted to go there.


    Because of this, he didn''t use his points, instead, he saved them forter trouble. Back in the academy, he overhead a lecturer that advised the studts to always save their points for wh they really needed them.


    us had only moved for a few minutes wh a loud explosion erupted a few miles away from the direction he was going.


    "This aura, it seems she hase here too" us smile and th hast his steps

 Chapter 23: Zombie Tide (1)

    One part of the Evesting Zombie Forest is dominated by a strange mountain range with five distinct opings. At the heart of this range lies arge, op clearing. Thanks to the natural barrier provided by the mountains, this area has be made safe for the humans who vture into the forest, offering them a ce to rx and regroup.


    Tts made from highly advanced fabrics were scattered throughout the clearing, providing shelter for the human experts who came here to hunt. The mountains served as a protective wall, and since the five opings were the only try points for monsters, the humans had set up defses to sure that any creature that dared to ter never made it out alive.


    It was a ce where hunters could catch their breath and ev turn a profit. But suddly, this peaceful hav, which housed thousands of people, began to tremble. The g rumbled ominously, and small stones started to bounce across the earth.


    One by one, experts rushed out of their tts, weapons at the ready, their faces etched with confusion and concern.


    "What''s going on?" a young man with a spear in hand asked, his eyes fixed on one of the opings.


    "Everyone, get ready! There''s a monster tide!" A shout came from near one of the mountain opings, the voice filled with urgcy.


    "A monster tide in the Safe Zone? How is that possible?" panicked cries echoed through the clearing as experts began to realize the gravity of the situation.


    "What the hell is happing?" another voice called out, panic rising as the g continued to shake.


    "This ce is supposed to be secure!" a woman yelled, her bow drawn as she nced nervously a.


    "Did something break through our defses?!" someone else shouted, their voice tinged with fear.


    The tremors grew stronger, the g almost vibrating beath their feet. The once-sturdy tts swayed precariously, some of them copsing as the quakes intsified. The safe zone, which had always be a ce of security andfort, was now filled with fear and uncertainty.


    "We''re sitting ducks here!" a hunter cried, his eyes wide with terror as he looked toward the nearest mountain oping.


    "Why now? Why here?" a young woman whispered, clutching her sword tightly, her knuckles .


    "Monsters! They''reing!" someone near the front lines screamed, their voice barely audible over the growing roar.


    The panic spread like wildfire. Ev the Master level expert started to panic.


    "We are doomed," a young man muttered as his grip on his sword loosed, and the weapon ttered to the g. From  kilometers away, Tier  monsters of all sizes and shapes surged toward them from four of the five opings. There were hundreds, maybe ev thousands, of them.


    "Look over there, no monsters areing from that ce!" a youngdy shouted, pointing frantically at the one oping that was still clear. "Everyone, run there!" The order, though anonymous, sparked a wave of desperate motion as the crowd surged toward the supposed safe exit.


    "Idiots," a young man holding a bow muttered under his breath, shaking his head at the fleeing masses. He th pulled back his bowstring, and an arrow made tirely of fire materialized. With a sharp twang, he released it. Boom! The arrow shot out, streaking through the horde of monsters, and those it struck were instantly incinerated.


    Without hesitation, he loosed another arrow. Each shot carried intse heat, burning through the monsters on impact, killing them outright. Those that survived the initial strike wer''t lucky for long¡ªthe next arrow found them, and death quickly followed.


    "Rainbow mes Volley!" the young man shouted as he nocked another arrow. This time, as the single arrow left his bow, it split into dozs of smaller arrows mid-flight. They rained down on the monsters, each one a deadly spark that erupted into mes on contact. The monsters howled in agony as the fire arrows pierced them, their bodies turning to ash within momts.


    Not stopping, the young man conjured another arrow, but this one was differt. "zing Wind Piercer!" he called out, releasing the shot. The arrow spun like a drill as it flew, gathering wind and fire a it. Wh it hit the horde, it didn''t just strike¡ªit tore through the monsters, creating a fiery vortex that sucked in those nearby, shredding them to pieces.


    The monsters tried to push forward, but he was reltless. "Inferno Burst!" he shouted, channeling his ergy into the next arrow. This one glowed with an intse, fiery light before he released it.


    As it hit the g in the middle of the horde, it exploded with a blinding sh, sding out a wave of fire that gulfed everything within a wide radius. The monsters caught in the st were vaporized, leaving nothing behind but scorched earth.


    The air was filled with the stch of burning flesh, and the once unstoppable tide of monsters was now a scattered mess of charred remains. The young man, breathing heavily, lowered his bow for a momt to assess the battlefield.


    Looking over to one of the other opings, the archer noticed another figure fighting with terrifying efficicy. This guy was wielding a spear, and with each swing and stab, a monster fell. His movemts were smooth and precise like he was dancing through the battlefield.


    "Tier  scum, how dare youe after a Master Stage expert like me?" the young man sneered as he thrust his spear forward, impaling a Tier  dark-tail wolf. With a swift spin, he unleashed a powerful burst of wind ergy, sding shockwaves through the air. The st tore through the ranks of the monsters, their bodies exploding into pieces as they were blown apart.


    The spearman didn''t stop. He continued to mow down the monsters with deadly uracy, his spear a blur as it sliced through flesh and bone. Each movemt was calcted, and each strike was delivered with perfect timing. There was no hesitation, no wasted ergy¡ªjust pure, lethal skill.


    The wind a him seemed to obey his everymand, swirling with his spear strikes, amplifying their power. Monsters that got too close were instantly cut down, their bodies shredded by the force of his attacks.


    "Mark, reserve your strgth. We don''t know how many tides will being. It''s best if you don''t exhaust yourself too early," the bowman called out, his voice steady despite the chaos a them. After giving his advice, he quickly turned back to his own bloody work, arrows flying with deadly precision.


    Mark nced over at hispanion and smiled, his spear still moving fluidly through the air. "Thanks for the reminder, Kay. But don''t worry¡ªI''m just warming up." With a powerful swing, he st several monsters crashing to the g, their lives snuffed out in an instant.


    Elsewhere on the battlefield, another figure was tearing through the horde with terrifying efficicy. Each strike of his de was like a reaper''s scythe, cutting down the monsters as if they were nothing more than wheat in a field.


    Not far from him, a young woman was also in the thick of the fight, her sword a blur as she shed through her emies. Her movemts were graceful yet fierce, every swing filled with determination. The two fighters seemed to be in sync, always aware of each other''s positions, suring that no monster could sneak up on them.


    Their teamwork was seamless, a clear sign that they had fought side by side many times before.


    At thest of the four opings, five experts held their g, their faces set with grim determination. Two of them were at the Master stage, their power evidt in every move they made. The other three, still at the Ascded stage, fought with equal ferocity, refusing to let the monsters breach their defses.


    Across the battlefield, those who hadn''t fled were gaged in their own battles, striking down any monsters that slipped past the main defses. It was a sce of organized chaos, each fighter focused on their task, but all working towards the same goal¡ªsurvival.


    "NO!" A panicked shout tore through the battlefield as a young man was suddly lifted into the air by the razor-sharp leg of a massive spider. His scream echoed as the deadly leg pierced through his body, the horror of it freezing those a him in their tracks.


    "Tier 3 monsters! Everyone, run!" Panic spread like wildfire. The orderly retreat turned into chaos as humans scattered in every direction, desperate to escape the monstrous threat. But some wer''t fast ough. They were cut down before they could ev move, their bodies falling lifeless to the g.


    Others managed to flee, though not without injury, while a few were lucky ough to escape unscathed.


    The battlefield descded into madness as more and more monsters poured in from the trances. Those who panicked met quick ds, while the ones who managed to steady themselves raised their weapons and fought back with everything they had.


    "Something''s not right," the youngdy fighting beside the young man said, her voice barely audible amid the chaos. She continued to fight, her sword shing as she struck down another monster.


    "Lily, what''s wrong?" Kilian, the young man fighting beside her, asked betwe swings of his sword.


    "Look at the way the monsters are running," Lily said, her voice tse with realization. "It''s like they''re fleeing from something."


    "You mean to say something''s driving them here?" Kilian asked, his grip tighting on his weapon.


    "Yes. If I''m right, these monsters ar''t attacking¡ªthey''re running for their lives. Something else is behind this," Lily replied, a cold sweat breaking out on Kilian''s brow as her words sank in.


    "Lily, what should we do? Just give the order, and I''ll follow without question," Kilian said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him.


    "You overestimate my authority here, Kilian," Lily said, shaking her head, her expression grim.


    "What do you mean?" Kilian asked, but before he could get an answer, a cold, ominous voice chanted something in the distance. Suddly, the temperature across the battlefield plummeted, the air turning icy as if winter itself had descded in an instant. The chill cut through the chaos, and everyone on the battlefield paused, the breath of fear hanging heavy in the freezing air.


    "Eternal Freezing Domain, Ice Que wrath"

 Chapter 24: Zombie Tide (2)

    The momt Anna started chanting, the tire battlefield turned icy cold. The Tier 3 monster that had be tearing through everything froze in its tracks.


    Boom!


    Anna''s staff struck the monster, shattering it into countless chunks of ice. As the mist cleared, an ethereal beauty emerged, causing gasps of surprise from almost everyone.


    "Big Sister Anna!" some of thedies and ev a few of the young m shouted, relief washing over them as they saw her. With her arrival, a glimmer of hope sparked among the fighters.


    "Everyone, focus! The monsters ar''t our real emies!" Anna''s voice rang out across the battlefield, her words clear andmanding despite her gtle tone.


    "What?" Everyone, except for Lily and Kilian, was shocked by this revtion. Lily, however, smiled faintly. She nced at Kilian before speaking up.


    "It''s true. The monsters are running from something. Big Sister Anna, what should we do?" Lily asked, making sure to show respect. Anna was a Level 6 Ascded, while Lily was Level 4. Though Lily was strong, she had no interest in challging Anna for leadership.


    Anna was surprised. The youngdy who addressed her was just like her¡ªan Ascded, but from the Felin Family. Lily was also considered a Fairy in their city, but for her to defer to Anna so easily was unexpected.


    "Sister Lily, how about we work together to create an oping for the monsters? If we can push them in one direction, we might gain the upper hand and maybe ev find a way to escape," Anna suggested, swinging her staff as she spoke. Ice shards flew across the battlefield, turning monsters into statues and chunks of ice.


    "That''s a good idea, but the monsters areing from all four trances, and the fifth one still has some Tier 3 monsters. How are we going to drive them back?" Lily asked, her mind already working on a solution.


    Anna paused, thinking quickly. "We''ll need to conctrate our forces on one trance. If we can break through there, we can lure the monsters away from the other side. It''ll give us a chance to regroup and n our next move."


    Lily nodded, considering the n. "I can take a group to handle the Tier 3 monsters at the fifth trance. If we can clear that area, we can create a safe path for the rest to escape."


    Anna agreed quickly. "Alright, the rest of us will cover the other trances and keep the monsters distracted. Let''s move fast before more show up."


    She raised her voice, calling out to everyone. "Let''s work together to hold the four trances while Sister Lily and the others break through the fifth!"


    Anna''s voice carried amand that made everyone stop in their tracks. Whether they were fighting or running, they turned to follow her lead. Ev though hundreds had already died, there were still thousands left, each one determined to keep fighting.


    Lily, Kilian, and a group of Master Stage experts headed straight for the Tier 3 monsters, cutting them down with precision. With everyone now following orders, it didn''t take long for them to gain the upper hand.


    "Everyone, lead the monsters to the fifth trance!" Anna''s voice rang out again. In less than twty minutes, Lily and her team had cleared the fifth path. Anna''s orders wt into effect immediately as those with wide-area attacks started controlling the battle''s flow.


    The mindless monsters, struck down or killed before they could react, were funneled toward the fifth path. Slowly but surely, their numbers began to dwindle.


    "Now''s the time! Kill more monsters and level up quickly¡ªthe real battle is just beginning!" Anna''smand seemed to ignite a fire in everyone. Like they were possessed, they surged forward, ying monsters with rewed ergy.


    Lily, who has now leveled up to Level 5, watched Anna with newfound respect. "She''s a natural-born leader," she thought to herself. Though Lily was known for her intelligce, shecked the natural leadership qualities Anna possessed.


    Despite her rect setback in Sunlight Forest, Anna stood her g,manding the battlefield with precision and determination. She was focused on minimizing casualties, and ev though many of the fighters had their own pride, they all respected her authority.


    In less than twty minutes, they had killed more monsters than they ever had in their tire lives. Most of them leveled up, while others were on the verge of it. They were incredibly happy wh thest monster fell, but that joy was short-lived.


    Suddly, from all four trances¡ªand th the fifth¡ªa voice boomed, "KILL!"


    Thousands of zombies poured in, bone swords in hand, their eyes glowing red with hunger for blood and flesh. The sight was terrifying. Some of the surviving humans froze, their minds nk with fear.


    Ev Anna felt a cold chill. She and Lily had suspected that someone was behind the monster tide, directing them through the trances. But now, seeing the zombies, they realized they were wrong. The monsters hadn''t be herded there¡ªthey were running in fear, just like them.


    The hunger in the zombies'' eyes was macing, and to make matters worse, there were thousands of them swarming in from all five trances.


    "Everyone, charge toward the fifth trance! Their numbers are fewer there!" Annamanded, her voice cutting through the panic. The number of zombiesing from the fifth trance was indeed smaller. It seemed the monsters they had led there earlier had managed to thin out the zombies a bit.


    "Rainbow mes Volley!"


    "Ice Vortex!"


    "Infinity sh!"


    Shouts erupted across the battlefield as the young m and wom fought desperately for their lives. Behind them, thousands of zombies closed in, moving with terrifying speed. In front of them, more zombies blocked their path, determined to keep them trapped.


    Before the apocalypse, humans had always imagined zombies as slow, mindless creatures¡ªnothing more than empty shells driv by hunger. But wh the apocalypse descded, those fantasies were shattered. The zombies that emerged were anything but slow.


    These creatures were fast, and unlike the mindless monsters people had once imagined, these were vicious and cunning. They had a grim intelligce, devoid of emotion. Wh the apocalypse hit, humans found their worst emies wer''t just the Monster¡ªbut the fellow humans who had turned into Zombies


    Now, blocking their way were those same humans¡ªfrids, neighbors, people they onceughed and talked with. But there was no talking now. Noughter. Only a desperate struggle to survive.


    "Charge through, everyone!" Anna''s voice rang out, cutting through the chaos. "If we manage to break through, we can escape!"


    The battle intsified. Attacks flew in every direction as everyone fought for their lives. The air was thick with the sounds of shing weapons, the groans of the undead, and the cries of the living. Blood sttered across the g as more zombies fell, but for every one that died, more seemed to take its ce.


    Lily fought beside Anna, her face set in grim determination. She swung her sword, cutting through zombies with fierce precision. Beside her, Kilian unleashed a barrage of mes, burning the creatures to ash. But still, they kepting.


    "Keep pushing forward!" Anna yelled, her voice hoarse from shouting. "Don''t let them sur you!"


    A young man to her right screamed as a zombietched onto his arm, its teeth sinking into his flesh. He managed to pull away, but the damage was done. Blood poured from the wound, and his face wt pale with fear. He knew what wasing.


    "Keep moving!" someone shouted, pulling him forward. There was no time for hesitation. No time for second thoughts. It was fight or die.


    The zombies pressed closer, their bone swords slicing through the air. One of them lunged at Anna, but she sidestepped, driving her staff into its skull. It crumbled to the g, but there was no time to celebrate. Another was alreadying.


    Lily gritted her teeth, using every ounce of strgth to keep her de swinging. Sweat dripped down her face, her muscles burning with exhaustion. But she couldn''t stop. Not now. Not wh they were so close.


    Kilian''s mes flickered, threating to go out. He was running low on ergy, but he forced himself to keep going. If he stopped, they were all dead.


    "Just a little further!" Anna urged, her voice trembling with strain. They could see the fifth trance now, just beyond the wall of zombies. Freedom was within reach, but the path was still blocked.


    The zombies were reltless, their eyes glowing with that terrible hunger. A group of them charged forward, knocking a few fighters to the g. Panic surged through the ranks as they struggled to get back up.


    "Don''t give up!" Anna shouted, pushing her way forward. "We can make it!"


    Lily and Kilian fought their way to her side, their faces grim but determined. Together, they unleashed a final, powerful attack, cutting down the zombies blocking their path.


    For a brief momt, the way was clear.


    "Now!" Anna screamed. "Run!"


    They didn''t need to be told twice. The survivors surged forward, racing toward the fifth trance. Zombies snapped at their heels, but they didn''t look back. All that mattered was getting through.


    "Where do you insects think you''re going?" Just as the surviving members were about to charge through the trance, a sneering voice echoed from one of the mountains. The trance was wedged betwe two towering peaks. They froze in their tracks as soon as they heard it.


    "Everyone, get back!" Anna shouted, but before she could finish, a blood-red bone sword swung in a wide arc, sding a deadly wave of blood ergy toward those at the front.


    "Ice Que''s Blessing, Ice Wall!" Annamanded, quickly raising walls of ice to shield them. The blood arc mmed into the ice, shattering it instantly. Those nearest to the wall were struck down, killed on the spot. The luckier ones were thrown back by the shockwave, coughing up blood as they tumbled through the air.


    "A Zombie Captain," Anna muttered, her grip tighting on her staff. "I''ll hold him off. Everyone else, get ready to run."


    "Sister Anna, that''s a Tier 3 zombie about to break through! You can''t face it alone!" Lily protested, stepping up beside Anna. Kilian followed, his sword aze with mes. Mark and Kay joined them, ready to fight.


    They all knew the stakes. If they didn''t kill the zombie within the next two minutes, the others from the four trances would close in on them, and th it would be over.


    "Th we attack together," Anna dered, preparing to strike wh, out of nowhere, a sword pierced through the chest of the Zombie Captain, killing it instantly.


    "Looks like I made it to the party just in time," a voice called out from behind the Zombie Captain. Anna immediately recognize the voice.

 Chapter 25: Zombie Tide (3)

    "Looks like I made it to the party just in time," a voice called out from behind the Zombie Captain. Anna instantly recognized the voice. Behind the now-froz Zombie Captain, which had turned into a solid ice statue, stood a young man. He wasn''t convtionally handsome, but there was something striking about him. His dark hair flowed down his back, with streaks of  here and there.


    us drew his sword out and the Zombie Captain that was froz into solid ices shattered dropping a Zombie Stone on the g. us picked it up with a sly smile.


    "No more zombies wille through this trance, so anyone who wants to leave can go now. I''ve got work to do," us said, moving off. As he passed by the stunned Anna, he gave her a quick wink.


    Everyone watched him as he zipped past them with terrifying speed, an aura of ice-cold death trailing in his wake. His presce was so chilling and chaotic that it st shivers down everyone''s spines.


    "Who is that?" Kay asked, staring in the direction us had gone. It was the direction of the thousands of monstersing from the four main trances.


    "Anyone who can''t fight should leave now. The infected should eat the Zombie stones and get out quickly. If you''re lucky, you might be saved," Anna ordered her voice firm.


    Following hermand, hundreds of people who survived gave a quick bow and hurried away, leaving only Anna, Lily, Kilian, Kay, Mark, and two other young fighters behind.


    "This is our chance to level up. Everyone, stay sharp and watch each other''s backs," Anna said with a slight smile, pleased that they were staying to fight. She led them back toward the safer part of the area.


    "What the hell is that?" Kilian gasped as they stepped into the clearing. The sight before them was pure destruction. Hundreds of headless zombies stood froz in ce, their bodies cased in ice. Their heads were nowhere to be found.


    "Where are their heads?" Mark asked, his voice filled with shock as he stared at the sce.


    "Look over there," Lily pointed toward us. "He''s cutting off their heads and storing them in his space ring as he fights."


    "Heavs," one of the young m who had stayed behind whispered, eyes wide. "Is he ev human? How can he move that fast?" Everywhere us wt, zombies lost their heads in an instant.


    us moved like a shadow, his sword shing through the air with blinding speed. In one smooth motion, he decapitated five zombies, their bodies freezing solid before they hit the g. He barely paused before spinning a and slicing through another group, their heads flying off in differt directions.


    Without missing a beat, us leaped into the air, his sword glowing with a faint blue light. He came down hard, driving the de into the g. A ripple of ice shot out in every direction, freezing the legs of a doz zombies. He was on them before they could break free, lopping off their heads with swift, precise strikes.


    us''s control over the ice has improved greatly after he advanced to Level . Wh he ssed the danger and moved toward it. it was the direction of the fifth trance. He wasn''t particrly afraid wh he saw the horde of Zombies.


    Actually, wh he saw them, he was pumped with joy. The Exp needed to advance to Level  was very high, so he needed more exp to level up. Thankfully, killing Zombies pays more than monsters. Because of this, he wt into action and started ughtering them.


    This action slowed down the Zombies so instead of them shing with the monsters Anna and her people lead through the fifth door, it was rather us that trimmed them down. His attacks were both devastating and freezing.


    Within an hour, he had killed so much that he didn''t know wh he leveled up. However, wh he leveled up, he started to feel more connected to the ice elemt. Now, aside from his sword, he can now freely use his ice elemt.


    By stumping down, he can freeze all things a the 30 meters of him. But that''s not all, he can now use the ice elemt to move. By tapping into the ice in the air, his movemt bes several times faster.


    As he moved through the horde, us used his free hand to hurl small, icy projectiles at distant zombies. Each one struck its target with deadly uracy, shattering their skulls and leaving their bodies to copse in icy heaps.


    At one point, a particrlyrge zombie lunged at him. us sidestepped easily, th drove his sword upward through its chin and out the top of its skull. The body froze solid and shattered into a thousand pieces with a single tap of his de.


    "Seriously, who is this guy?" Kay asked again, his voice filled with awe as he stared at the battlefield.


    "I don''t know, but whoever he is, he''s incredibly powerful. Where could he be from?" Lily wondered aloud, her eyes filled with curiosity. Anna, standing beside her, had a strange look on her face as well, but deep down, she was ev more shocked than the others.


    She had se us in action before, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined he could be this terrifying. Everywhere he wt, the g was coated in ice. There wasn''t a drop of blood on the battlefield, nor a single stain on his dark clothes.


    Everything was froz solid. Every Zombie body was headless since they wt into his space ring as he cut them. us doesn''t know how to use his ormous spiritual pool, but he managed to discover how to pick things into his space ring using spiritual qi without touching them. He knew he had to take his spoils fast before others sneak up and im them.


    So learning to how use the Spiritual Qi to take items was something he felt necessary.


    After leveling up to level , his spiritual pool has swelled ev more. Now, he can use stronger attacks without having to worry about running out of ergy.


    us kept up his reltless pace, swinging his sword in wide arcs that took down groups of zombies with each pass. Every move he made was fluid and efficit, with no wasted motion. It was as if he was performing a deadly dance, with the zombies as his unwilling partners.


    He paused for a split second to let out a cold breath, and with a wave of his hand, an icy mist spread out, freezing a wave of iing zombies in ce. us th dashed through them, his sword a blur, leaving a trail of decapitated bodies behind him.


    In another instant, he stopped abruptly, as if ssing something behind him. Without turning a, he stabbed his sword backward, impaling a zombie that had tried to sneak up on him. He pulled the de out and spun, slicing off its head in one swift motion. The head flew into the air and th disappeared into his space ring.


    us didn''t stop there. He swung his sword in a horizontal arc, sding a sharp gust of wind that cut through a line of zombies, their heads popping off like dandelions in a breeze.


    He thunched himself into the air again, flipping over a crowd of zombies beforeing down with a powerful downward strike. The impact created a shockwave of ice that sted away everything within a t-meter radius, leaving nothing but froz corpses in his wake.


    As hended, us didn''t slow down. He moved seamlessly into his next attack, this time driving his sword into the g again. Massive spikes of ice erupted beath a cluster of zombies, skewering them from below. Their bodies froze solid as they were lifted off the g, and us casually walked past them, snapping off their heads as he wt.


    "More zombies areing, we should start fighting too," Anna said, snapping everyone out of their trance. Her words were all it took to spur the others into action.


    Kay was the first to move. He pulled back his bowstring and released an arrow that ignited into a ming serpt as it flew. The fiery snake streaked across the battlefield, crashing into a cluster of zombies with explosive force. Kay is a Level 5 Ascded. He has deep spiritual qi pool, so he didn''t hold back. He infused each arrow with more ergy, suring every shot had devastating power.


    Mark wasn''t far behind. With a swift motion, he swung his spear, unleashing sharp wind arcs that sliced through the air. The wind attacks cut through the zombie horde with lethal precision, severing limbs and heads as they wt. Like Kay, Mark was also a Level 5 Ascded. They are frids from the same academy, so they know each other''s strgths and weaknesses.


    Fighting side by side, Kay and Mark moved with perfect coordination, instinctively knowing wh to cover for each other. They had trained together for years, ev before they awaked, so their teamwork was seamless.


    Lily joined the fray next. Her swordy was both graceful and deadly, her strikes silt but lethal as she harnessed the wind elemt. She moved like a shadow, her attacks swift and precise, cutting down zombies with minimal effort.


    Beside her was Kilian, her brother, whose fiery sword attacks contrasted sharply with her cool demeanor. Every swing of Kilian''s sword set the zombies aze, turning them into walking torches before they crumbled to ash.


    The other two who stayed behind also leaped into action. One was a mage, weaving powerful spells that ripped through the horde with sts of elemtal force. The other was an ax-wielding warrior, his swings so powerful that they cleaved through multiple zombies with a single stroke. Like Kay and Mark, these two knew how to cover each other''s backs, creating a deadly duo that kept the zombies at bay.


    Th there was Anna. Now that she was sured by such skilled fighters, she didn''t have to worry about protecting anyone else. Everyone was already watching out for one another, allowing her to finally let loose.


    Her hair flowed behind her as she chanted spell after spell, her voice carrying a chilling power. The zombies stood no chance against her ice magic. Every swing of her staff froze them in their tracks, turning them into lifeless statues before they shattered into pieces. Anna moved through the battlefield like a fairy turning the Zombies into chunks of ice.


    BOOM!


    Suddly, a massive explosion echoed from the first trance. The g trembled, and from the dust and debris, a new wave of zombies emerged, they look differt. Their skin was pale, almost , and they moved with a disturbing, unnatural speed.


    "White Zombies," Anna muttered, her face pale. "This is bad."

 Chapter 26: White Zombies

    The momt the pale-looking zombies appeared, everyone except us turned as  as paper. The  zombies are a dangerous variant. They possess unnatural speed, strgth, and viciousness, which most warriors can''t evprehd.


    Like normal zombies, they crave flesh and blood. However, their primary food is the human brain. They prefer to suck out the brains of their victims. No one knows exactly why, but through many battles, humans have learned that zombies, like people,e in differt races.


    White zombies are particrly feared for their power and brutality. The ones approaching now are all Tier , and by the way they are moving and the aura a them, it won''t be long before they advance to Tier 3.


    "You guys handle the remaining zombies. I have a destiny with these  ones. Try not to die," us said as Anna and her team panicked.


    "Huh, those are White Zombies. They are very fast and strong. We should run while we still can," Anna said, her tone grim.


    "Don''t worry, they''re nothing against my sword," us chuckled and dashed toward the hundreds of  zombies. Anna and the others looked on in horror as us charged forward.


    Despite their panic, us approached the zombies with a determined smile. From lectures he had overheard from Ross Academy, he knew that  zombies carried a unique type of zombie stone. Unlike normal zombie stones, whiche in three grades, zombie stones from  Zombies have distinct marks. These marks determine their values. The more the markings, the more valuable it gets.


    These marks can hance weapons wh used to refine them, bestowing runes that amplify the weapon''s attacks. us had umted so much wealth thus far, but a stone from a  zombie was worth far more.


    "Moon sh," us muttered, swinging his sword. A powerful arc of ice surged toward the monsters, slicing through the front line. Five zombies fell instantly, their heads flying off as the icy arc cut through their ranks.


    Instead of pausing to collect their heads, us moved like a whirlwind, charging toward the remaining zombies. His sword swung wide, effortlessly severing the head of another  zombie. The head flew into the air before vanishing, swallowed by the chaos of the battle.


    us continued his reltless assault, each swing of his sword precise and deadly. The  zombies struggled to keep up with his speed and skill, their attacks bing increasingly disorganized. His speed is just too fast for them to follow up. As us moved through the horde, his sword left a trail of destruction in its wake.


    It didn''t take long for the zombies'' numbers began to dwindle as us cut through them with unwavering determination. His movemts were precise, each strike executed sds a Zombie or Zombies to the aterlife...Literally.


    "The sharpness is starting to manifest," us said as he continued swinging his sword. From the momt he tered the forest, he has be feeling a subtle change in his sword. Although he doesn''t understand it, as a Weapon Overlord, he knew it was something he needed toprehd before continuing. However, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn''t manaifest the change.


    But now, with each swing, he started to sse a distinct change.


    His attacks felt sharper and more lethal, the kind of sharpness he truely wanted. Realizing this, us intsified his efforts, fighting with rewed vigor.


    Unbeknownst to us, inside his Sea of Consciousness, something began to awak behind one of the Nine Doors. A small oping had appeared beath the door, through which gold ergy started to seep out into us''s soul sea, mingling with his essce.


    Kay, who was also battling the zombies, looked on in disbelief. "How is he killing them so easily? He''s just an Awaked, for Christ''s sake," Kay muttered, clearly blew away by us''s disy ofbat.


    "He is a gius, just like one of those Heavly giuses we keep hearing about," Lily sighed, watching us''s back with a mix of admiration and vy.


    "This is an eye-oper for me. No matter how powerful or talted you are, there''s always someone better," Mark said, shaking his head. He felt a mixture of awe and resignation as he observed us''s prowess.


    Anna, ssing the expressions stepped in to offer some couragemt. "We can''tpare ourselves to him right now, but that doesn''t mean we should let his superiority damp our spirits. Admitting defeat now means epting that we''ll never reach the top."


    She continued, "My sister said that wh she wt to the mountain, she realized how much weaker she was than she thought. Back in Ross City, she was the strongest among her peers, but there, she found out there were others far stronger, better, and more beautiful. But that didn''t stop her. Instead, it made her ev more determined to climb to the top. Her hard work is already showing results.


    So instead of feeling down, we should strive to rise, be like him, or ev surpass him."


    Her words lifted the group''s spirits. Lily nodded, her eyes now shining with rewed determination. "You''re right, Sister Anna. We were foolish to think we couldn''t improve."


    Anna smiled. "It''s okay. There will always be new giuses. But if we keep pushing ourselves, one-day people will see us as giuses too. To be honest, I''m d someone like him hase into my life. Everywhere I go, people praise me for my talt, and it always feels good.


    But seeing him now makes me realize I have to work ev harder to earn such praise."


    Her words resonated with the group, dispelling their doubts and igniting a rewed sse of purpose. Though they were giuses, in front of us, they felt small, almost insignificant. They had be gued by the fear that they would never measure up. But hearing Anna''s words now, they began to see a new light at the d of the tunnel.


    Unbeknownst to any of them, including us, far from the battlefield, two wom of breathtaking beauty observed the sce with calm expressions.


    "This kid is strong," one of them remarked, a slight glint appearing in her eyes.


    "Indeed," the other replied, her expression unchanged. However, her gaze was fixed on us as he swiftly behead zombies after zombies, storing their heads in rapid session.


    "There''s something differt about his attacks. It''s as if he''s tapping into a new realm of power. Sister Nia, do you think he might be on the verge of awaking that ergy?" one of the wom asked the other.


    "It''s too early to say," Nia replied, her tone thoughtful. "His ice essce keeps getting purer by the second, so it might be due to that. But as I said, it''s too early to draw any conclusions."


    "But ev if he doesn''t awak it, this kid is pretty good. It would be wise to bring him to our side before the great families set their sights on him," the other woman suggested.


    "Asha, what did Master tell you? She said it''s better to let someone walk their path without interferce. What if, in our attempt to recruit him, we actually push him away?" Nia cautioned.


    "Sister Nia, I..." Asha began to speak, but Nia gtly interrupted.


    "It''s alright. I know you just want what''s best for the academy. But your judgmt of a person''s character still needs work. Look at him. It''s clear he doesn''t trust easily. He could have waited until the battle was over to collect the zombie stones, but he didn''t trust any of the young experts on the battlefield, so he picked them up as he fought.


    This should be ough of a sign to tell you he won''t be easily swayed. We can only observe and see how things unfold," Nia said, her voice calm and measured.


    Back on the battlefield, us had managed to take down 80% of the  zombies. The experice point he earned was ormous, and he was nearing the bottleck to advance to the th level. However, us wasn''t at ease.


    Beforeing to this Zombie Tide, he had ssed two forms of danger. The first was the Tide itself, which he had now conquered. But the second danger had only grown more intse from the momt broke through to the tth stage. Now, as he approached the th stage, the sse of danger loomed evrger.


    us couldn''t shake the feeling that his life was in mortal danger, yet the source of this danger eluded him. What was it like? Where was iting from? How severe would it be? The only thing he could vaguely sse was that this danger would appear sooner than he expected.


    "This bastard should just die already so I can level up and see what kind of danger I''m dealing with," us muttered under his breath. His attacks became ev more chaotic, striking with increased ferocity. The zombies stood no chance against him.


    Outside his battle zone, Anna and the others had cleared the majority of the zombies, earning significant experice points. Anna had already reached the 7th level, while the others were at the 6th. As they leveled up, their attacks became expontially stronger, allowing them to ughter the zombies faster than before.


    A little over two hours after the battle began, thest of the ordinary zombies were dealt with, causing everyone to sigh in relief. However, the battle was far from over. The  zombies were reltless, but us was ev fiercer. His attacks were both lethal and controlled, with a single ice arc leaving a trail of dead bodies in its wake.


    Slowly, their numbers continued to dwindle, leaving only a couple doz before the tire battlefield was cleared.


    Suddly, a booming sound echoed from all five trances, and five zombies appeared, one from each. The momt they appeared, Anna and the others stiffed in fear. "Zombie Captains... and there are five of them," Lily whispered, her voice trembling. "No, they''re all peak Tier 3, almost stepping into the 4th Tier, and a Tier 4 Zombie Geral. This is bad, really bad."


    "Humans, you dare ughter my kind," one of the Zombie Captains growled just as us dispatched thest of the  zombies. At that same momt, a message appeared before us''s eyes, making him smile.


    [You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level  Awaked. You have received 00 Stat points.]

 Chapter 27: Toying with Tier 3 Zombie Captains

    us looked at the message with a smile. He had indeed earned a great deal of experice points from the  zombies. Each kill had awarded him close to 8,000 points, allowing him to level up faster than he had anticipated. Now, he had over 500 stat points ready to be distributed at any time and an ormous pool of Spiritual Qi to use as he saw fit.


    His understanding of the ice elemt had also improved significantly. He could now unleash attacks not only from his sword but also from his hands. Ev a focused step on the g could gerate a devastating ice attack. However,  of that seemed important at the momt. Suring him were five zombies that posed a differt kind of danger.


    "Human, you dare ughter my kind," the Zombie Captain repeated, its gaze fixed squarely on us.


    Through years of fighting and studying zombies, humans had learned that there were ranks among them. The normal zombies were like foot soldiers, while the Zombie Captains. Above the captains were the Zombie Gerals. ording to what was known, every zombie army consisted of five captains and one geral. So the appearance of these five confirmed the rumors.


    us had already killed one captain, which meant there were four more and a geral still to face.


    "Are you mtal? Those idiots were trying to kill us! What, are we just supposed to stand there and let them?" us''s voice wasced with arrogance,pletely disregarding the danger that sured him. His arrogance was like an insult in face of this monsters.


    "Die!" The Zombie Captain roared, lunging at us with terrifying speed. But us only smiled slightly. With a swift movemt, he met the Zombie Captain head-on, their sh sding sparks flying through the air.


    "Weak," us muttered, his face full of disdain as he pushed the Zombie Captain back a few steps. The zombie growled in frustration and lunged forward again, determined to kill.


    But us was ready. He parried the zombie''s attack with ease and, in a fluid motion, st a powerful kick to its abdom. The force of the blow st the Zombie Captain flying backward, crashing into the g with a heavy thud. he dashed forward again, meeting the Zombie captain in another sh.


    Anna and the others readied their weapons, expecting a fierce battle. But to their shock, the other zombies just stood there, watching us and the Zombie Captain fight. It was as if the rest of the zombies disregarded their existce tirely, focusing solely on us.


    "Die!" The Zombie Captain shouted once more, lunging at us after being pushed back again.


    us chuckled, unfazed by the attack. "That''s ough. You can die now," he said, his voice calm and confidt.


    With a quick motion, us disappeared. The next momt, he reappeared behind the Zombie Captain, his sword piercing through the zombie''s mouth and exiting the back of its head. The captain''s eyes wided in shock before it copsed to the g, dead.


    "Hehe, a High-grade Zombie Stone," us muttered with a satisfied grin, examining the stone in his hand after crushing the Zombie Captain''s head under his foot.


    Turning to the remaining zombies, us''s expression grew ev more arrogant. "Gtlem, this young master doesn''t have all the time in the world, so I''d advise you all toe together so we can d this faster," he called out, his voice dripping with confidce.


    One of the remaining Zombie Captains bristled at us''s arrogance, ready to lunge at him. But before it could move, us raised a finger in the air, stopping it in its tracks.


    "It would be best if you all came together," us repeated, his tone calm butmanding. "I don''t have much time for one on onebats."


    Contrary to what anyone would have expected, the remaining three Zombie Captains lunged at us simultaneously. And instead of retreating or showing any sign of fear, us weed them with a satisfied grin, his sword glowing blue.


    -


    -


    -


    "Arrogant," Asha muttered, standing far from the battlefield, her eyes fixed on us as he shed with the three Zombie Captains.


    Nia, watching alongside her, nodded in agreemt. "Well, he certainly has the strgth to back it up. But this time, he might have bitt off more than he can chew." Her gaze remained steady, analyzing the chaotic sce below as us fought with the three Zombie captains.


    Asha''s eyes narrowed as she watched the intse battle. "He''s fighting three Zombie Captains at once. Ev if he''s strong, that''s a lot of power to handle."


    Nia''s gaze remained focused on us, a thoughtful expression on her face. "True, but sometimes arrogance can be a double-edged sword. His confidce might be his greatest asset or his biggest downfall."


    Asha nced back at Nia. "Do you think he''ll manage to defeat them all?"


    Nia sighed, her eyes still fixed on the battlefield. "It''s hard to say. If anyone can pull it off, it''s him. But the risk is high. He''s pushing himself to the limit, and those Zombie Captains won''t hold back. Not forgetting the Zombie Geral, he won''t just let his captain die just like that"


    Asha frowned, concerned. "If he gets overwhelmed, we might need to interve. I don''t want to see someone with his pottial fall here."


    Nia nodded. "We''ll keep watching for now. If things get too dangerous, we''ll step in. But for now, let''s see how he handles this challge. It''s a test of both his skill and his resolve."


    If only Nia and her sister knew that us had yet to use the points he earned from hisst three level-ups. The strgth he was using to fight came from his Level 8 point distribution. He still had 500 points left from his 9th to th level-ups that he hadn''t allocated yet.


    us shed with the three Zombie Captains, sding sparks flying with each strike. Despite the intse battle, us showed no signs of being overwhelmed. Instead, he appeared to relish the fight.


    He parried an attack from one of the captains, his sword meeting the emy''s with a metallic ng. With a swift kick, he knocked another captain back, sding it staggering. The third captain lunged at him, its bone sword aimed at his midsection.


    us leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the sword that shed through the air where he had just be. Hended gracefully, his eyes locked on his opponts with a confidt glint.


    The three captains regrouped, their movemts more cautious now. They circled us, each waiting for an oping. us took the opportunity to taunt them.


    "Is this all you''ve got?" us shouted. "I''ve faced tougher opponts in my sleep!"


    The captains snarled, their eyes glowing with rage. One of them charged at him again, its bone sword swinging in a wide arc. us sidestepped the attack with ease, his movemts fluid and precise.


    He countered with a quick sh, catching the captain on its arm. The captain howled in pain but didn''t falter. It swung its sword back at us, who blocked the attack with his own de.


    us pushed the captain back, th turned his atttion to the second captain. This one tried to strike from the side, but us anticipated the move. He met the attack head-on, their weapons shing in a shower of sparks.


    The third captain tried to nk him, but us was ready. He spun a, his sword slicing through the air. The captain barely managed to dodge, its bone sword missing us by inches.


    "Come on! Is this the best you can do?" us taunted, his voice filled with mockery. "I''ve fought monsters in my sleep that were more of a challge than you!"


    The captains'' frustration grew. They attacked in unison, hoping to overwhelm us. But he was too quick, too skilled. He deflected their blows with ease, his movemts almost a dance.


    He ducked under a swing from the first captain, th kicked out, catching it in the shin. The captain stumbled but quickly regained its bnce. The second captain tried to strike from above, but us blocked the attack with a powerful overhead swing.


    The third captain tried to catch him off guard, but us spun a, his sword shing through the air. He shed at the captain''s shoulder, drawing a deep cut.


    The captains were now on the defsive, their attacks growing more desperate. us pressed his advantage. He dodged and weaved, his sword a blur of motion.


    "You''re making this too easy," us said with a grin. "I''ve faced harder challges on azy afternoon."


    The captains growled, their frustration evidt. They attacked with rewed fury, but us was always one step ahead. He parried their strikes and countered with his own, his sword finding gaps in their defses.


    He knocked one of the captains off bnce with a powerful kick, th spun a to face the other two. They were breathing heavily now, their attacks slowing.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" us taunted again. "I was expecting a real fight."


    The captains exchanged nces, their expressions a mix of anger and rage. They regrouped, their movemts more synchronized now. They attacked in a coordinated effort, trying to catch us off guard.


    But us was ready. He dodged theirbined assault with ease, his movemts fluid and precise. He blocked their attacks and countered with his own, his sword slicing through the air.


    The captains were growing weary, their attacks bing slower and less urate. us took advantage of their fatigue, pressing his attack with reltless precision.


    He disarmed one of the captains with a swift strike, sding its bone sword ttering to the g. The captain stumbled back, its eyes wide with shock.


    The other two captains continued to fight, but their movemts were sluggish now. us took advantage of their weakness, his sword a blur of motion as he shed and parried.


    Despite their best efforts, the captains were no match for us. He toyed with them, his movemts precise and controlled. He dodged their attacks and countered with devastating strikes, his taunts never ceasing.


    Finally, the captains were forced to retreat. They backed away, their expressions a mix of anger and defeat. us watched them with a satisfied grin, his sword still glowing with a strange ergy. For once, the Zombies that have no expressions aside evil now have angry and scared looks.


    "You''ve done well tost this long," us said with a smirk. "But I can''t let you leave, it''s be fun fes but you have to die now"

 Chapter 28: Killing Captains and a General

    "You''ve done well tost this long," us said with a smirk. "But I can''t let you leave. It''s be fun, fes, but now you have to die."


    With a smirk, us raised his sword and shed it through the air. But instead of targeting the three Zombie Captains, he turned and shed behind him.


    BOOM! A figure was st flying through the air, crashing into the g with a thud. us turned to face the intruder, his eyes cold and calcting.


    "Didn''t your elders warn you about sneaking up on people?" us said, his voice filled with disdain. He looked at the Tier 4 Zombie Geral, who had tried to ambush him during the battle with the captains.


    us hadn''t noticed the geral at first. It was only wh the geral got within 00 meters that us ssed its presce. His sharp instincts had saved him from being caught off guard.


    The Tier 4 Zombie Geral struggled to stand up, its gaze filled with rage. It red at us, its eyes burning with anger. The geral had be hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right momt to strike, but us had thwarted its ns.


    "You think you can just sneak up on me and get away with it?" us taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I''ve dealt with plty of monsters, and you''re no exception."


    us appeared angry, but deep down, he was happy. Just now, he ssed he was closer to tering the realm of swordsmanship he had be ssing the past hour. The attack just now wasn''t ough to kill a Tier 4 monster, but it contained ough force to deal a devastating blow.


    The Zombie geral didn''t expect such an attack from him as he wasn''t prepared. he was caught off guard.


    The geral growled, its bone armor clinking as it moved. It charged at us with a fierce roar, its bone sword swinging in a wide arc. us was ready, though. He met the geral''s attack head-on, their weapons shing with a resounding crash.


    The force of the impact st shockwaves through the air, but us stood his g. He dodged and parried, his movemts fluid and precise. The geral was powerful, but us was more skilled.


    He countered with a quick sh, aiming for the geral''s exposed nk. The geral roared in pain as us''s sword cut through its armor. It staggered back, its rage only growing.


    ''These creatures are ev more human than most humans. Where did they get the armor from'' us wondered looking at the ce he had just cut. It was well known in movies that Zombies only wear ragged clothes, but from what he is seeing, these creatures are more than mindless drones. They possess some many qualities that humans would ev jealous. ''No wonder humans fear them''


    us pressed his advantage, his sword shing through the air. He moved with lightning speed, his attacks reltless. The geral struggled to keep up, its defses faltering under us''s assault.


    "You''re really not very good at this, are you?" us taunted, his voice filled with mockery. "Maybe you should have stayed hidd or just run wh you had the chance. But since you are here, I can only kill you and take what is really mine."


    The geral snarled, its eyes zing with fury. It lunged at us with rewed desperation, its bone sword swinging wildly. us easily dodged the attacks, his movemts graceful and controlled.


    He struck back with precision, his sword slicing through the geral''s defses. The geral roared in frustration as us''s de found its mark again and again. Despite its strgth, it was no match for us''s skill.


    Although they have some minds, they are stillcking whpared to human warriors. The only thing they excel in is their viciousness. That is also what makes them lethal.


    us continued his reltless assault, his movemts fluid and deadly. He ducked under a swing from the geral, th shed upward, cutting through the geral''s armor. The geral staggered back, its strgth waning.


    "You''re really putting on a show," us said with a grin. "But I''ve se better. You shouldn''t havee, but s, you have to die. That stone inside your head is worth more than you think."


    Just as us finished his taunt, a sudd kicknded on its abdom, sding it flying backward. It mmed into the g, a cloud of dust erupting a it.


    us didn''t let the Zombie Geral regain its footing. As the geral struggled to stand, us quickly countered. He swung his sword, unleashing a powerful ice arc that surged through the air. The icy st struck the geral, pushing it back ev further.


    The geral roared in frustration and pain as it was driv backward by the force of the attack. The ice arc cut through the air with chilling intsity, making the geral''s movemts sluggish and unsteady.


    "This is unbelievable. How is he making it look so simple?" Lily muttered, her eyes wide with astonishmt. She gripped her sword tightly, ready to strike if the three remaining gerals attempted to flee.


    "He is a monster," Anna said quietly, her voiceced with awe. "This is too much ev for him." Despite her words, there was a faint glint of admiration in her eyes.


    Marks, standing beside them, nodded in agreemt. "My eyes are oped," he said thoughtfully. "From now on, I won''t feel proud of every small achievemt. In this world, there are hidd dragons and crouching tigers."


    The Zombie geral roared in anger, its frustration palpable. It charged at us with a final, desperate attack, but us was ready. He sidestepped the blow and countered with a powerful strike, his sword glowing with ice ergy.


    -


    -


    -


    "Sister Nia, what do you think? Is this kid ough to impress them?" Asha asked with a mischievous grin, holding a small tablet-like device. Clearly, she was recording us''s battle with the geral and captains.


    Nia stared at the scre, her mouth slightly op, but no words came out. She was at a loss for what to say.


    Asha chuckled softly. "Hehe, who would have thought that the great Nia, a peerless gius and a beauty, would be left speechless?"


    "This..." Nia finally managed to say, her voice trailing off. "This is heav-defying. He hasn''t ev Ascded yet. How is he this strong?"


    She paused, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, this isn''t just about strgth. It''s about skill. But how does this make sse? He''s just an awaked, meaning he hasn''t be a warrior for long. So, how can his skills be this refined?"


    Nia''s eyes remained glued to the battlefield, watching us''s precise movemts with growing amazemt. The level of expertise he is disying seems far beyond what one would expect from someone so new to being a warrior. His swordy was smooth and deadly, every move calcted and effective.


    "Thinking about it now, we should probably pull him to our side before any other family gets their hands on him," Nia said. Asha''s eyes lit up at the suggestion.


    At that momt, the three captains who had be watching lunged at us. However, just as they were within  meters of him, us swung his sword in a wide arc. A blueish ice arc shot out, but this time, a faint gold ergy coated the tip of the arc.


    "No!" one of the captains shouted, but it was toote. The two captains in front were sliced in half, their bodies freezing solid as they fell.


    "What No, you''re next!" us said, ready to attack thest captain. But he was forced to stop and jump to the side as a sudd attack came from the geral, who was now covered in cuts. us had made a significant impact on him.


    "Rx, dude. Your death will be swift, I promise. But first, I must deal with your subordinate," us said, his voice cold. He swung his sword, sding a thick ice arc toward the Zombie geral. The arc struck the geral, sding him flying through the air.


    "Where were we?" us asked with a grin. "Ah, I was just about to kill you." With a swift motion, us appeared almost instantly before the remaining captain. His sword swung decisively, and the captain''s head flew into the air, vanishing into his space ring.


    us th turned his atttion back to the geral, who was struggling to rise from where he had be thrown.


    us dashed toward the geral. The geral tried to evade, but before it could react, us''s sword struck, severing the geral''s hand. It fell to the g with a sicking thud.


    "I assumed this tide was your doing," us said coldly. "This is all your fault. You made your minions do the dirty work while you reaped the befits. You caused many humans who were minding their own business to die unexpectedly"


    With a swift, merciless motion, us shed his sword again. The geral''s other hand was severed, dropping to the g beside the first. The geral''s screams of pain filled the air, but us remained unmoved.


    "You''ve caused death and chaos," us continued, his voice devoid of sympathy. "And now you will face the consequces of your actions."


    us moved with ruthless precision, severing the geral''s left leg. The geral''s screams grew more desperate as he copsed, barely able to move.


    "In your next life, try to be a good zombie," us said with a twisted smile, observing the agony he had inflicted.


    Seeing that he had gone far ough, us decided to d it. With a swift motion, he drove his sword into the geral''s chest, freezing the creature in ce. He pulled the sword out in one smooth movemt, causing the geral''s body to shatter into ice fragmts.


    Wh the ice cleared, all that remained was a ck stone about the size of an apple. us picked it up with a satisfied grin.


    "All in a day''s work," he said, his smile widing as he examined the precious stone. He was about to store it wh a voice spoke from behind him,


    "I want to know if this Little Brother wants to sell that"

 Chapter 29: Nia and Asha

    The voice was calm and chanting, like a thousand birds harmonizing in perfect unison. us, slightly exhausted from the battle with the Zombie Captains and Geral, was immediately drawn to the sound.


    Turning a, he saw two wom whose beauty could topple the heavs and shatter the earth with just a smile. us had always considered his mother the most beautiful woman he had ever se, but the sight of these two made him raise an eyebrow in awe.


    Asha, though slightly less striking than the Nia, still possessed an allure that made her stand out. Her long ck hair cascaded down her waist like a flowing waterfall, smooth and glossy. Her high cheekbones and finely sculpted jawline framed her face perfectly, giving her an air of elegance.


    Her ocean-blue eyes held a depth that could pull anyone in, and her lips were so captivating that any man would find them hard to resist.


    Her slder legs moved with a grace that drew atttion, while her curvy hips swayed with every step,manding praise. But what truly caught us''s eye was her chest area, which was undiably impressive. Her pale, jade-like skin seemed to glow softly, illuminating her presce and adding to her chanting beauty.


    Nia, walking beside Asha, is ev more stunning. She has long, blonde hair that cascades down her back like a river of moonlight. Her skin is wless, with a soft, gold glow that seems to shine from within her very soul. Her eyes are a deep, vibrant gre as if they were carved from the purest emeralds. They sparkle with a light that can captivate anyone who looks into them.


    Her lips are full and rosy, with a natural curve that makes her smile chanting. Every step she takes is graceful, and her slder legs move with elegance.


    us, who hadn''t se many beauties in his life, was particrly captivated by these two. However. just as he found himself getting drawn into their allure, a burning ssation on his back snapped him back to reality.


    "This little brother is us. May I know who these lovely fairies are?" us asked, using the question as an excuse to shake off the charm that the two wom possessed. Ev Anna and the others, standing not far away, had be tranced by the two wom. It was only after us spoke that they also snapped back to their sses.


    "Hehe, no need to be so courteous. I am Nia, and this is my little sister, Asha," Nia said with a warm smile.


    "Pleasure to meet you both, fairies. The heavs must truly be looking favorably upon me, sding two immortal fairies to wash away my stress after such a hectic battle," us replied with a calm, innoct gaze.


    Anna and the rest were stunned by his remark. Nia and Asha exchanged amused nces before bursting into resoundingughter.


    "You''re interesting. For a momt, I almost thought you were a death god. Who would''ve guessed you have such a cute side?" Asha said, She suddly moved with unnatural speed and appeared right in front of us. us was startled but didn''t show it. Instead, he stood there with a subtle smile on his lips.


    "Little brother us, what''s happing to your hair?" Asha suddly asked. us who expected a rather mischievous behavior from the youdy was rather tak aback by her question.


    "What do you mean?" us asked, puzzled. In response, Asha took out a small mirror and handed it to him. Wh us looked at his reflection, he gasped. Half of his hair had turned , and he could see more strands gradually losing their color visibly.


    "Wh did this happ?" us wondered aloud. He was certain that wh he had left home a day ago, his hair had bepletely ck. If there had be any  hairs, his mother would have mtioned it. The fact that she hadn''t said anything meant that this change had only started after he tered the forest.


    "No need to be startled; this isn''t a bad thing. If I''m not wrong, this might be a result of you undergoing some form of change. You''re close to ascding, which means you''ll undergo your first evolution. It seems your hair has already started changing as part of that process," Nia exined.


    "Evolution?" us arched an eyebrow, puzzled. In all the lectures he''d be fortunate ough to overhear, he had never countered the concept of evolution. This was the first time he had heard about it. Seeing his confusion, Nia smiled and began to exin.


    "Wh the spiritual ergy descded, it awaked dormant ges within us that carry what experts call the Mutation effect. From what we know, humans and animals have always had the pottial to evolve, but we never had the push or the right vironmt to take that final step.


    However, wh the ergy descded, those mutated ges awaked, triggering changes in all humans and animals. As those ges activate, the human body must adapt. At first, this wasn''t noticed, but as people began ascding to higher levels, it became clear that, aside from gaining superhuman abilities and strgth, other changes also began to take effect.


    Your eyesight, hearing, sse of smell, and ev your ability to sse your surings will start to change. But that''s not all¡ªchanges in physical appearance, such as increased handsomess or beauty, also start to manifest. The higher you rise in ranks, the more pronounced these changes be. So, the fact that your hair is changing color means you are evolving.


    It''s just that this evolution is happing rather suddly and is unheard of at your currt stage. You hav''t ascded yet, but at this rate, wh you do, you''ll be ev more handsome. Hehe, I''ve never se a -haired youth before; this will be my first time," Nia finished with a light, chantingugh, her tone carefree and amused.


    "Wh you put it that way, th I guess there''s nothing to worry about. I was just tak aback for a second," us sighed, visibly relieved that nothing bad was happing to him.


    "May I know where these two Fairy sisters are from?" us asked, curious about the origins of these two mysterious wom. They seemed fridly ough, and he figured it wouldn''t hurt to learn more about them.


    "Well, we''re not from a here. We just tered this forest to gain some experice, and we happed to witness your battle," Asha was quick to reply. Her tone carried a hint of pride as if she wanted to show her older sister that she wasn''t as inexpericed as she might seem.


    In truth, these two were wandering the earth, searching for their own paths in a world turned upside down by the apocalypse.


    In this new world, the more years spt cultivating, the more experice humans continued to gain. Younger warriors like Asha and Nia were couraged not to confine themselves but to spread their wings, seek out differt perspectives, and find their own ways before advancing in their cultivation.


    Hearing their response, us nodded thoughtfully. It made sse to him. Everyone had their own path to walk. He knew these two could have interved earlier, perhaps saving more people during the initial stages of the battle, but he also understood that doing so might have unforese consequces.


    "And what about you?" Asha asked, her eyes bright with curiosity. She seemed eager to learn more about him, maybe ev searching for a clue to something deeper.


    "Ross City," us answered with a smile. Anna, who was standing a few meters away, was surprised by his response. She immediately recalled us telling her they were closer than she thought wh he saved her from Matin Guan just a few days ago.


    Mark and the others standing beside Anna exchanged nces, their eyes settling on her shocked expression. It was clear she hadn''t known this about us.


    "Good to know," Asha replied with a smile, quickly shifting the conversation. "About the Zombie stones¡ªdo you happ to want to sell them? We really need them," she added, her voice taking on a yful tone as she pouted slightly.


    us immediately ssed that Asha was trying to charm him, but there was something about her cute face that made it hard for him to resist. He couldn''t help but smile, ev though he knew she was up to something.


    "I don''t mind selling them, but I''m not sure about the market price. I''ve already discussed with someone about bringing in a stock soon, so it might be a bit tricky for me to sell them right now," us exined, trying to bnce honesty with caution.


    "It''s fine," Nia said as she stepped forward with a gtle smile. "We know the market price, and you don''t have to worry¡ªwe won''t cheat you or anything."


    "Th I''ll have to trust you," us said, smiling as he retrieved the Zombie stones from his pack. He ced six stones in front of them: one medium-grade stone from a Tier 3 Zombie Captain, four high-grade stones from Tier 3 Zombies, and one high-grade stone from a Tier 4 Zombie geral.


    The momt the stones appeared, Asha''s eyes lit up with excitemt. "Can Brother us add some of the White Zombie stones? We will buy them for t times the market price. No, twty times the market price," Nia quickly added, her gaze intse as she looked at the stones.


    us was tak aback by their eagerness. But th, a voice that sounded like his own echoed in his mind, ''This is your chance to buy a house us, don''t let some pretty face charm you.'' A small smile formed on his lips as he reached for his space ring. In an instant, 300 froz heads materialized before him.


    "Ladies, let''s talk business," us muttered, snapping his fingers. The heads shattered, revealing small, beautiful White stones with intricate marks on them.


    The sight of the White Zombie stones caused both Asha and Nia to gasp in awe. us could see the desire in their eyes, and he knew he had the upper hand.

 Chapter 30: Making friends for the first time

    Seeing us''s thusiastic smile, Nia and Asha were tak aback. They couldn''t understand why he was so happy. The stones were indeed valuable, but his level of excitemt left them surprised.


    "I only have 500 of these stones, and as I mtioned, I already have someone lined up to buy them. So I can only sell you 300 along with the other high-grade stones. I hope you two sisters won''t take offse," us said.


    "Not at all, Selling 300 to us is more than gerous. We wouldn''t want to take everything," Nia replied with a smile.


    "These are all medium-grade  zombie stones, and ording to the market value, each is worth 5,000 gold coins. However, since we are cutting into someone else''s market, we''ll be buying each for 7,000 gold coins. I hope Brother us doesn''t mind," Nia said gtly.


    us''s eyes wided upon hearing that. He knew the stones were valuable, but he never imagined they could be that expsive. And what did they mean by asking if he wouldn''t mind? Big Daddy us needed money, so ev if they inted the prices to a million coins, he wouldn''t hesitate to ept. He could settle the debtter, but for now, he needed the cash.


    "Well, I''ll thick my skin and ept your gerosity," us said, a bit bashful but clearly pleased.


    "Great! As promised, we''ll multiply the total sales by 0. So for the  zombie stones, everything wille to 4 million," Nia said and us nearly fell on his butt.


    "As for the high-grade stones, we can offer you 30,000 gold coins for the Tier 3 ones, which include the medium grade, and 0,000 gold coins for the Tier 4. And yes, the 0 times multiplier still applies here as well," Nia said. As us tried topose himself, another shockingly good offer came his way, making his eyes go ev wider.


    "So, the totales to 47 million gold coins. I hope Brother us is okay with this arrangemt," Nia said, clearly joying us''s stunned reaction as she summed up the numbers.


    "Are you kidding me? This is more than ough," us said, his face a mix of satisfaction and disbelief. He was astounded by their gerosity and wondered who these people were and how they could afford this much. He was out out of words.


    "Good, I''m d to see you''re pleased with the transaction. Can I have your number so I can transfer the money into your ount?" Nia asked. Just as us was basking in his happiness, her question made his smile freeze.


    "Is everything alright?" Nia noticed his smile vanish and felt a pang of worry. Had she said something wrong?


    "Well, how should I put this? I don''t have a phone, nor do I have a bank ount," us admitted, feeling embarrassed. It was expected to exchange numbers andplete transactions at this point, but Big Daddy us didn''t ev have a phone.


    Nia sighed in relief wh she heard his response. For a momt, she thought she had made a mistake or something, but now a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. "Well, that''s inconvit," she said with a smile. "So, how should we finalize our transaction?"


    "That''s actually quite simple," us said, turning to Anna. "You can transfer the funds to Fairy Anna here. She and I are practically best frids," us said, winking at Anna, who looked stunned.


    "Wh did we be frids?" Anna wondered a little out loud. In truth, us could have chos anyone, but he was closer to Anna. Since she owed him a favor and was the daughter of the richest man in Ross City, he knew she wouldn''t take advantage of him. Besides, 47 million was like a single drop in a mighty ocean for her family.


    "It breaks my heart to hear that, Fairy Anna. I thought of us as frids, and it sadds me that you didn''t see it the same way," us said with a dramatic, hurtful look. Anna quickly realized her remark was overheard by others.


    "No, I didn''t mean it like that," Anna said, flustered. "I just didn''t realize you still considered me a frid after we parted ways. Big Sister Nia, I''ll ept his money if you don''t mind." She stepped forward and stopped in front of Nia.


    Nia and Asha exchanged uneasy nces. They felt a sse of urgcy seeing us and Anna so close. They were there to recruit us before any family noticed him, but from the looks of things, they might already be toote. Anna had clearly earned us''s trust, and she might have informed her family about him.


    "Sister Nia, you don''t have to worry. My family doesn''t know anything about him, and ev I don''t know much," Anna whispered, catching the shift in their mood. Hearing her words, Nia and Asha sighed in relief. Anna also sighed seeing they easily believed her.


    Nia quickly took Anna''s number and transferred the money into her ount. us, standing to the side, smiled as he saw the fundsnd in Anna''s ount. He had finally received the money needed to move his mother to the city and start a new, more rxed life together.


    "So, how will you be receiving your money?" Anna asked, looking at us.


    "You don''t have to worry. I''ll contact you wh I need it. I just need to get a phone. This should give me another reason to call you, don''t you think?" us said with a smile. The blush on Anna''s cheeks was dearing.


    "Big Sister Nia, here are the zombie stones," us said, handing the stones to Nia.


    "Here is my card. Wh you get a phone, you can contact me and sell more zombie stones if you have any," Nia said with a slight blush as she handed her card to us.


    Asha giggled behind Nia, clearly delighted by how flustered her sister had be over such a small gesture. "Brother us, here''s my card too. You can call me anytime you want," Asha said, handing her card to us. Her expression was yful, with a hint of mischief. She clearly doesn''t have that many reservations like her sister Nia.


    "Brother us, I''m Mark. Here''s my card. You can call me wh you get a phone," Mark said, stepping forward and giving us his card.


    "Hi, I''m Kay. Here''s my card as well. If you evere to Hamid City, you can ask for me," Kay added, passing his card to us.


    "I''m Kilian, and this is my sister, Lily. We''re from Felin City. Whever you''re there, you can reach out to us. We''ll be happy to show you a," Kilian said, handing over his card along with Lily''s.


    "Big Brother us, I''m Daniel, and this is my frid Danny. We''re from Guan City, members of the Large Hammer Mercary group. If you ever find yourself in Guan City, feel free to contact us," Daniel said, presting his card along with Danny''s.


    Just wh us thought it was all, all the young m and wom who had be with Anna stepped forward. They all handed in their contact details clearly wanting to have him as a frid.


    us was blown away. In his life, the number of times he has interacted with people was wh they looked down on him wh doing his janitorial work. Now, handing over their card as a sign of fridship is some of the gius in the Northern Union. He was clearly surprised by their gesture.


    "Thanks, everyone. I''ll reach out right after I get a phone," us said, storing the contact cards carefully.


    Nia smiled warmly. "We''re d to have earned so much from you today, us. Now that we''ve wrapped things up, we should all be heading home. It''s be quite a day."


    "Yes, it''s gettingte," Asha added. "I''m looking forward to some rest."


    Kilian and Lily nodded in agreemt. "We''re heading back to Felin City soon. It''s be a pleasure meeting you."


    Kay looked at Mark and th said, "We should be going as well. Hamid City is quite a distance away."


    Daniel and Danny exchanged nces. "We''ll be returning to Guan City," Daniel said. "It''s a long journey for us too."


    us hesitated, feeling a bit awkward. "Actually, I''m nning to continue my hunt for a bit longer."


    Nia looked surprised. "You''re not heading home yet? It''s getting dark, and the forest can be dangerous at night."


    us shrugged slightly. "I still have some ergy left. Besides, I want to take advantage of the remaining daylight. More monsters to kill and level up too" he smiled slightly.


    Anna, just smile looking at us. It''s clear the soon-to-be -haired young man has no ns to go home anytime soon. "If you''re sure, th I wish you luck. Just be careful out there."


    The group nodded, the with a final  of goodbyes, they all prepared to head their separate ways. us watched them leave, feeling both excited and nervous. This time, he has made frids, however, the danger he keeps ssing keeps getting stronger by the second.


    "0,000 more points to advance to the next level and ascd," us muttered as he checked his progress bar.


    "A few more monsters should do it," he decided, setting off toward the forest''s first trance. The forest was vast, and the zombies he had countered so far hade from just one area. He hoped to find more zombies in the other parts of the forest. The zombies give more EXP points than the monsters.


    Hours passed and us kept hunting monster after monster while keeping track of his progress bar, "Just ,000 more points and I''ll break through to the Ascded stage. However, this unknown danger is daunting."


    "Tsk, what''s there to be scared of? Whatever dangeres, I''ll face it head-on," us said with determination.


    Momtster, a Tier 3 monster emerged from the shadows. With a swift diagonal sh of his sword, us killed it instantly.


    As the monster fell, a deep rumble echoed through the heavs. us felt a chill as his hair stood on d. At that exact momt, his level-up message appeared.


    [You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level  Awaked. You have received 00 Stat Points.]


    But th, another message shed across his vision:


    [Get Ready for your Tribtion. The Lightning descds in 5 Minutes.]


    us''s eyes wided in shock. "What?" he shouted.

 Chapter 31: Heavenly Tribulation (1)

    "Fuck, Mr. Johnson lied to me!" us shouted, staring at the message in disbelief. "Is it because I never paid school fees that he did this on purpose? How am I weing a tribtion wh I hav''t ev stepped into the Saint Realm yet?"


    Forty-nine years ago, wh the first person became a Saint, they were baptized by heavly lightning. It was said that many believed the world wasing to an d. The process was terrifying, to say the least. A few weekster, the second person became a Saint and faced their own tribtion.


    Th came the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. After the sixth Saint, people noticed something differt. ording to those first six individuals, once someone reaches the Grandmaster stage, they must form their star core before advancing to the next stage.


    This star core determines the amount of spiritual qi one can store. However, no one knew exactly how to form this core or what it truly was. But wh they did form it, it triggered a heavly tribtion. Passing this tribtion made them several times stronger, ev granting them the ability to walk in the air.


    But never in the fifty years since the apocalypse began had anyone heard of an Awaked undergoing tribtion just to advance to the Ascded stage. us was first and for that, he is both scared and angry. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he had be set up.


    "Fuck..." us cursed again, feeling a wave of terror wash over him. He nced up and saw the clouds gathering ominously above. Suddly, he felt something stir within him, specifically in his back.


    In an instant, his shirt caught fire, but he didn''t feel the burning ssation on his skin. Instead, his eyes shed, and he copsed to the g.


    He suddly found himself in the same ce he had gone to during his awaking. He was sured by a sea of elemtal ergies, each with its own distinct color and fluctuation. In the cter stood nine tall and elegant doors.


    "There''s something differt about this ice door," he noticed. The first door, seemingly made of pure ice, had undergone some changes.


    "Hahaha, you''re quite perceptive. It appears you''re more powerful than I thought, leveling up this quickly," a voice suddly spoke from behind the ice door. It sounded exactly like his own voice but slightly more mature.


    "Sior, can you tell me why I''m about to undergo tribtion wh I hav''t ev reached the Saint stage yet? I don''t know much, but I''m sure tribtions don''te until after one forms their star core. How is this happing?" us asked, his voice filled with panic.


    "Of course, you''re about to undergo a tribtion. You''re a Paragon, after all. The heavs don''t want apetitor, so they''ll try to kill you," the voice replied casually.


    "Say what?" us nearly dropped on his butt in shock.


    us felt his heart pounding in his chest, the weight of the revtion almost too much to bear. "A Paragon? What do you mean, Sior? I never heard of such a thing before. Who is a Paragon?"


    The voice behind the ice door chuckled softly. "A Paragon is a being who stands above all others, someone who has the pottial to surpass ev the heavs. You, us, were born with the pottial to be this very being. That''s why the heavs have tak notice of you. They see you as a threat and will do everything in their power to eliminate you before you can rise to your full pottial."


    us took a step back, his mind racing. "But why now? I''ve only just started my journey. I hav''t done anything extraordinary yet."


    "That''s where you''re wrong," the voice responded. "Your rapid growth, your unique abilities, and your connection to the eight elemts all point to something far greater than you realize. The heavs can sse your pottial, ev if you can''t fully grasp it yet. This tribtion is their way of stopping you before you be unstoppable."


    us felt a mix of fear and anger building inside him. "So, what am I supposed to do? How can I face this tribtion and survive it?"


    The voice grew more serious. "You must embrace your destiny, us. This tribtion is just the beginning. If you survive, you''ll grow stronger, and your path will be clearer. But if you fail, th that is all."


    us was at a loss for words. "How is this happing?" he muttered, his voice trembling. "I hav''t ev had any fun yet. My mom is still in the slum, and my dad is still missing. How can I be fighting for my life now wh all I wanted was to protect my mother and make her happy? I never had any ns to go against the heavs." He felt tears welling up in his eyes.


    The situation felt cruel and unfair. All he ever wanted was a simple life, not to battle against forces beyond his understanding.


    The voice from behind the ice door interrupted his thoughts. "Tell me, us, why do you cultivate to be strong?"


    us hesitated for a momt, trying to find the right words. "I cultivate to protect the people I care about," he finally said. "My mother... she''s all I have left. I want to give her a better life, to make sure she''s safe and happy. And my father...


    I want to find him, to understand what happed. I don''t want power for the sake of power. I just want to keep my loved ones safe."


    The voice was silt for a momt as if considering his words. Th it spoke again, more gtly this time. "Your inttions are noble, us. But strgth, true strgth, oftes with burds we don''t anticipate. The heavs see your pottial, and they fear what you could be. That''s why they''re trying to crush you before you can realize that pottial."


    us clched his fists, frustration, and anger bubbling up inside him. "But I don''t want to fight the heavs! I just want to live my life, protect my mom, and find my dad. Why does it have to be like this?"


    "Because the path of power is rarely simple," the voice replied. "You can''t control what others perceive you as. But you can control how you respond. The heavs may see you as a threat, but that''s because they recognize the greatness within you. You can either rise to meet that challge or let it consume you."


    us took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. "I never asked for this," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "But if this is my fate, th I''ll face it. I''ll protect my mom, I''ll find my dad, and I''ll survive this tribtion. I have to."


    "Good," the voice responded, a hint of approval in his tone. "Remember, us, the heavs only challge those who have the pottial to change the world. You are stronger than you think, and your journey is just beginning. Embrace it, and you''ll find the strgth you need to protect those you love."


    "Fuck, this bastard heavs just made an emy out of me. I''ll be sure to remember this one day," us muttered through clched teeth, his frustration boiling over. In his frustration, he didn''t notice that a small orb of light slipped through the ice door, siltly merging with one of the star tattoos on his back.


    It was as if the heavs themselves were unaware of the secret gift bestowed upon him.


    Desperate for a way out of his predicamt, us decided to try a differt approach. If he couldn''t fight the heavs on his own, maybe he could gain some wisdom from the mysterious voice behind the ice door.


    "Erm, Sior," us began hesitantly, his voice a mix of hope and nervousness, "you don''t happ to have a name, do you?"


    The voice, which had be silt for a momt, responded with a soft chuckle. "You''re trying to curry favor now, ar''t you? Clever boy. As for my name¡­ it''s not important. What matters is the power and knowledge you can gain here."


    us felt a glimmer of hope. "Well, if you''re willing, could you share some of that knowledge? Anything that might help me survive this tribtion? I can''t let it d like this, not wh I have so much left to do."


    The voice paused as if considering his request. "There are indeed things behind these doors that you need, us. But understand this: power isn''t giv freely. You must earn it, and prove that you are worthy of it. The tribtion you are about to face is just the start."


    us''s heart sank a little, but he refused to give up. "Th tell me what I need to do. How can I pass this tribtion ande out stronger?"


    The voice sighed, but there was a note of approval in its tone. "Your determination is admirable. Very well, I will tell you this: the key to surviving this tribtion and the ones toe lies in the bnce of your elemts. Each of those doors represts a part of you, a power you''ve yet to fully understand. You must learn to harness them, to bring them into harmony.


    Only th will you be able to withstand the wrath of the heavs?"


    us nodded, absorbing the words. "Bnce the elemts¡­ bring them into harmony. But how do I do that?"


    "You are still far from understanding any of this, just know that the ice you channel and the sword you wield are part of your will. Embrace them and allow yourself to be absorbed by their essce, only th can you start harnessing your true pottial.


    "Alright, time to go now... Your time is already up" A wave blew from the door and us''s vision darked, and th he cked out.


    Wh he oped his eyes, he was shocked to find the dark clouds forming more intsely on the horizon. "Fuck, I just wanted to awak and make my mom happy, how did it d up in this plot" us almost cried but th, his eyes lit up, and his sword appeared in his hands


    "Alright Bastards, Let this young Master teach you what respect is"

 Chapter 32: Heavenly Tribulation (2)

    The clouds continued to gather, growing darker with each passing second. us, who looked minuscule beath the looming storm, stood with his chest held high, fully aware that he was about to face a brush with death.


    Although he didn''t know exactly what or who a paragon was, the voice''s words made it clear that they were beings ev the heavs feared. That alone filled him with the determination to pass this tribtion and be stronger.


    To protect his mother, us knew he had to keep getting stronger. This trial was just one more step in that journey. If he failed, his dream of making his mother the happiest person in the world would be shattered. So despite the overwhelming odds, he stood tall, ready to face whatever came his way so he could return home.


    The clouds grew heavier, swirling faster as they darked. Lightning shed within them, sding jagged bolts of light across the sky. The air became thick and heavy, pressing down on us as he stood beath the storm.


    Thunder rumbled, growing louder with each passing momt. It felt like the earth itself was shaking. The wind picked up, howling through the trees and whipping a us, but he didn''t flinch.


    The clouds twisted and churned, almost alive with anger. They seemed to be reaching down, ready to crush him. The darkness spread, blocking out the sun until it felt like night had fall.


    us could feel the power building in the storm, a force so strong it made his heart race. The g beath his feet began to tremble as if the earth was afraid of what wasing.


    "It''sing," us muttered, readying himself. His grip tighted on his sword, his knuckles turning .


    Suddly, the heavs roared, and a bolt of lightning, no thicker than a finger, shot down from the sky. It fell with terrifying speed, aimed directly at us. He smirked and th swung his sword sding a powerful ice meeting the bolt of lighting mid-air. An explosion erupted as the ice shattered but the bolt of lightning also shattered.


    However, wh it shattered, it formed into small runes that moved and tered us''s body. At once, he felt his body gaining strgth. us was tak aback feeling his ergy rising, he didn''t say anything, instead, he readied himself for the next lightning. The heavs rumbled again and the clouds stirred ominously.


    The sky darked ev more, almost as if night had fall. The wind picked up, swirling a us, carrying the sct of death and destruction. The air felt thick and heavy with the promise of more lightning.


    us tighted his grip on his sword, his eyes fixed on the churning clouds above. He could feel the ergy building, the tsion in the air like a drawn bowstring ready to snap.


    Another roar from the heavs echoed across thend, louder and more macing. The clouds seemed to pulse with power, swirling faster and faster. us''s heart raced, but he remained calm, his mind focused on the fight ahead.


    Without warning, another bolt of lightning shot down. It wasrger and brighter than the first, crackling with intse ergy. us didn''t hesitate. He swung his sword once more, sding another ice arc into the sky. The two forces collided with a deafing boom.


    The ice shattered again, and the lightning split into dozs of tiny runes. They glowed with a strange light as they tered us''s body, spreading warmth and strgth through him. The power was intoxicating, but us knew he couldn''t let his guard down.


    The sky above rumbled ev louder as if angered by his resistance. The clouds thicked, turning an almost pitch-ck shade, swirling violtly. us could feel the storm''s fury building, and he knew the worst was yet toe.


    Another bolt of lightning shot down, followed quickly by a second and third. They came in rapid session, each one more powerful than thest. us swung his sword again and again, each time meeting the lightning with his ice arcs.


    "Fuck," us muttered, his voice strained as he shattered the fourth wave of lightning. The clouds above didn''t dissipate as he hoped; instead, they gathered again, darker and more macing. The g beath his feet began to tremble, a deep rumbling that echoed through his bones.


    Thunder cracked loudly in the sky, and suddly, a massive snakehead made tirely of pure lightning emerged from the clouds.


    "The fuck is this shit?" us felt a surge of fear, a deep sse of mortal danger like nothing he''d felt before. The snakehead, crackling with ergy, slowly descded from the cloud, and as it did, the rest of its ormous body followed. The creature was massive¡ªits 40-meter-long form twisted and coiled through the air, radiating a terrifying pressure that pressed down on everything beath it.


    us felt the weight of that pressure immediately. His body stiffed, muscles tighting as if the air itself was trying to crush him. The force was so immse that it felt like his very movemts were being locked down, making it almost impossible to breathe, let alone fight.


    "Break!" us shouted, forcing every ounce of his willpower into hismand. He pushed against the invisible force holding him down, trying to free himself from the overwhelming pressure.


    Cough! us spat out a mouthful of blood as he forced himself free from the crushing force that had pinned him down. His chest heaved, and he wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. "So it was an attack of wills. I guess my will isn''t strong ough yet," he muttered, feeling the sting of weakness but refusing to let it break him.


    He straighted, his eyes locking onto the massive lightning snake that coiled beath the dark clouds, its electric body crackling with dangerous ergy.


    "I''m just a child. Why would the heavs be this cruel?" us''s grip on his sword tighted, his knuckles  with the strain. The situation was dire, but he couldn''t afford to show fear. Not now. Not with death staring him in the face.


    Suddly, the heavs rumbled once more, the sound echoing like a death knell. But this time, us was ready. He began channeling his essce into his sword, the de glowing with a fierce blue light as it absorbed his power. The air a him vibrated with the ergy he was pouring into the weapon, and despite the odds, he felt a surge of determination.


    "It''s either you die, or I do," us muttered through gritted teeth, his gaze locked on the lightning snake. His eyes burned with fierce resolve as he faced down the colossal creature. The snake''s eyes glowed, mirroring the storm above, and it seemed to hiss with anticipation as it circled lower, preparing to strike.


    us nted his feet firmly on the g, bracing himself for theing battle. The air was thick with tsion, and the storm a him was a maelstrom of power and danger. He knew that this was it¡ªthe momt that would decide everything.


    He raised his sword, the blue light a it intsifying until it was nearly blinding. The snake coiled tighter, readying itself to unleash its full might. us could feel the pressure mounting, the weight of the heavs pressing down on him once more.


    But he didn''t flinch. His heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was clear. There was no room for fear, no space for doubt. All that mattered was survival¡ªhis, and his mother''s. He couldn''t afford to lose.


    The heavs rumbled once more, and the snake charged forward, sding waves of pressure and lightning crashing toward us.


    us gritted his teeth, holding his sword firmly over his head. As the snake drew closer, the g began to tremble ev more violtly. In the face of the terrifying lightning snake, us felt small, so small that his resolve began to waver.


    -


    -


    -


    A few miles away from the tribtion g, on top of a mountain, ady in  stood watching the sce unfold. Her expression was one of shock and disbelief.


    "How is this possible? He''s just an Awaked. Why is he undergoing tribtion?" she muttered, her eyes fixed on us as he swung his sword, destroying bolt after bolt of lightning.


    She was amazed by his ability to fd off the lightning strikes, but what truly astonished her was that the person undergoing the tribtion was merely Awaked.


    "Heavs, why is this happing?" thedy cried out in shock as the lightning snake appeared.


    She watched us, his face twisted in fear as he held his sword. Her heart sank seeing his terrified expression. Suddly, her own expression changed as she realized something. "Heavs!" she shouted.


    Just as us felt his resolve nearly shattered, he let out a bestial roar. With a fierce swing of his sword, he unleashed a powerful ice arc that sliced through the air, meeting the lightning python head-on.


    us''s ice arc collided with the lightning python, but the force of the impact barely slowed it down. The creature roared, its lightning crackling violtly, and charged again. The g shook with each of its movemts, making it difficult for us to maintain his footing.


    He gritted his teeth and dodged another bolt of lightning, but the creature''s speed was overwhelming. Its massive body coiled and struck with a ferocity that us struggled to counter. Each time he swung his sword, the snake seemed to anticipate his moves, making him miss more oft.


    A sharp pain shot through us as a bolt of lightning struck his shoulder. He staggered, blood pouring from the wound, and his vision blurred. His strgth was waning, and the intse heat from the lightning made it hard to breathe. He felt a wave of exhaustion and despair washing over him.


    He tried to stand, but the pain was almost unbearable. His sword felt heavy in his hand, and he was barely able to keep it up. Blood smeared his clothes and dripped from his wounds, staining the g beath him. The lightning snake pressed its advantage, its lightning strikes bing more frequt and powerful.


    "Fuck, I will shatter the heavs and destroy everything they hold dear" us cursed out loud as he walk the thin line betwe life and death. But his cursing holds no power against the lightning snake, he is losing.

 Chapter 33: Tribulation ended, Klauss Transformation

    us stumbled backward, struggling to keep his bnce. The fear and pain were almost too much to bear. His sword was barely staying in his grasp, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. The snake''s reltless attacks were pushing him to his limits.


    "This is not how I fall, I refuse to believe this is how I fall" us shouted lifting his own spirit as he faced off against the lighting snake.


    Just wh it seemed like us might copse, something inside him began to change. A surge of ergy started to build within him, and his vision cleared. The pain was still there, but it was now apanied by a fierce determination.


    us''s grip on his sword tighted. His bloodied hands gripped the hilt with rewed strgth. He felt a strange, powerful force flowing through him as if his very soul was igniting with a new power.


    The snake lunged again, but this time us was ready. He roared defiantly, his voice echoing through the area. With a powerful swing, he unleashed another ice arc, but this one was differt. It was sharper, faster, and coated with a faint gold ergy.


    The ice arc met the lightning snake with a resounding crash. The creature''s roar was cut off as the arc sliced through its body, freezing parts of it solid. The lightning snake convulsed and writhed, its attacks faltering.


    us was delighted so he pressed the advantage, unleashing ev more terrifying attacks. His strikes were precise, and the snake''s movemts became sluggish. The ice arc continued to cut through the creature, reducing its lightning power and weaking it.


    "My turn now, you monsters" us''s confidce surged as he began to regain his footing. His attacks grew more intse and erratic. The ice arc emanating from his sword became significantly stronger and more lethal.


    "Is this what it means to understand the will of the sword?" us muttered, clearly relishing the battle. If he could defeat the lightning snake, he would pass the tribtion. Determined, he spared no effort in his assault.


    -


    -


    -


    Away from the tribtion zone, thedy watched in awe as us unleashed devastating attacks on the monster.


    "Heavs, to think he is on the track to awak sword aura this early. This kid is a monster," she eximed, astonished by us''s power.


    "This kid must be protected before the great families get their hands on him. I need to report this to the higher-ups," she thought, scanning the battlefield. But th, she frowned.


    "He clearly needed privacy, which is why he came here. Reporting this will only draw more atttion. I''ll just keep an eye on him for now," she decided. Despite her resolution, she was deeply unsettled by what she had witnessed.


    Back in the tribtion zone, us had finally managed to destroy half the lightning snake. Now that he was in control, he made sure to inflict great damage knowing that the Snake was not alive. But to release stress, he made sure to torture it.


    "You can die now," us muttered. With a fierce roar, he delivered a decisive blow. His sword cleaved through the lightning snake, slicing it in two. The monster dispersed into runes and merged with us.


    As the clouds parted, revealing a clear sky, us copsed. Exhausted, he fell onto the g, his body battered with brok bones and wounds.


    As fatigue set in, us felt a surge of ergy erupts from within him. Everything wt ck. As he lost consciousness, a  icy mist burst from his body, cocooning him in a dome of ice.


    Not far away, thedy in  appeared, her gaze fixed curiously on the ice dome.


    "This is unusual," she murmured. "Aside from the tribtion, he''s also undergoing aplete evolution. This kid is full of surprises. I can''t afford to lose sight of him."


    After observing the cocoon for a while without noticing anything else of interest, she decided to retreat and conceal her presce.


    The ice cocoon remained undisturbed for  hours before it began to crack. The cracks started siltly, but soon they wided, more fractures appearing across the surface. Suddly, the cocoon burst op, sding shards flying. A  mist rose from within.


    As the mist dissipated, a young man with  hair appeared, sitting in a lotus position. us''s hair had transformed from ck to  and had grown slightly longer. His eyes were now gold with a hint of . His cheekbones seemed restructured, making him look more handsome and refined.


    The currt him is ough to raise mor wh he appears in public. His  natural hair and gold eyes made both his appearance and gaze chanting. In short, he has be a charmer, one who doesn''t have to op his mouth to get what he wants.


    His biceps were well-developed, showcasing a finely cut six-pack. His muscles had also developed, giving him a more fit and athletic physique.


    Suddly, a burst of icy ergy erupted from us''s body, sding mist swirling into the air. He slowly stood up and retrieved arge ck shirt from his storage ring.


    "Good thing I bought more clothesst time," us muttered to himself. As he was about to examine his newly transformed body, he suddly turned his gaze in a specific direction, his eyes narrowing. He stared at the spot for a few breaths before looking away.


    "Strange, I felt like something was watching me from there. Maybe I''ve just be too ssitive after leveling up," us remarked, brushing off the feeling.


    Meanwhile, thedy''s eyes wided in shock in a concealed area. She was clearly surprised by us''s sudd awaress.


    "This kid is interesting," she murmured with a smile. "He almost discovered me." Instead of being scared, a slightly mischievous smile appeared on her lips and she continued to observe us.


    us now d in an oversized ck shirt stood there with his sword in his grip, his gaze on the scre showing his stats.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 6


    Talt: Celestial Elemtal Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Ascded - Lvl: /


    Strgth: 330 | Agility: 370 |Stamina: 340 |Defse:00 | Intelligce: 00| Health:


    Spiritual Qi: ,7,800


    Stat Points: 700


    "Looks like I''ve gained 0 points in every attribute, plus an additional 00 after breaking through to the Ascded stage. This is good, really good," us murmured, smiling slightly as he observed his stats. His strgth had increased several times over.


    "Tier 4 monsters won''t pose much of a threat to me, ev if theye in hordes," us said to himself. "Maybe I should find a team and join temporarily so I can start tering the Forbidd Zones."


    The Forbidd Zones were areas off-limits to most people, especially those like us whocked significant backing. These ces were home to stronger and more dangerous monsters. It was said that these monsters possessed a Core, which, once obtained, could be used to hance one''s strgth.


    Experts imed that the spiritual qi in the Forbidd Zones was much dser than in normal forests. Because of this, the monsters there were able to form cores. This also meant that a Tier  monster in a Forbidd Zone could be as powerful as a Tier 4 monster in an ordinary forest.


    But these ces are off-limits to ordinary people. To ter a Forbidd Zone, one must be part of a registered team, and that team must gain permission under strict regtions. If us wanted to vture into these zones, he would need to join a team first.


    "I guess I''ll have to go see Uncle Ziggy and see if he can hook me up," us decided. With that in mind, he checked his progress board.


    [Next Level Up: ,000/,8,800 ]


    [Remark: After each level up, ,000,000 will be added to the next EXP requiremt.]


    "Fuck, This is cheating!" us cursed in frustration. "If the heavs want me stronger, why are they making it so hard?"


    But hisints were heard by only two people¡ªhimself and thedy who had be secretly watching him.


    "Adding a million points after each level-up is just cruel. But I guess it''s better than the previous times wh it doubles after each level," he muttered to himself. Normally, after ascding, the EXP requiremt only increases by 0,000 to 500,000 with each level. For us, though, it was a staggering  million.


    "Huh, strange. Why isn''t there a new skill added to my list?" us muttered with a frown. During his battle with the lightning snake, he had ssed a new skill awaking within him. But strangely, it wasn''t showing up on his skills list.


    "I can remember the feeling of the skill, but it''s not here. Where did ite from?" us wondered aloud, but with no answer in sight, he turned away, gripping his sword ev tighter. "Maybe it''ll show up once I truly learn it," he decided.


    us took a deep breath and focused his mind. He closed his eyes, recalling the ssation he felt during the fight¡ªthe surge of power, the connection with his sword, the intse focus.


    Suddly, us''s sword began to glow red, and the temperature a him started to rise rapidly. He could feel the intse heat surging from the de. "This feeling... it''s the Moon sh, but differt," us muttered.


    As the sword continued to glow, us''s spiritual qi surged, amplifying the heat ev further. The power within the sword was growing by leaps and bounds, far beyond what he had ever expericed before.


    "Huh, what is this gold ergy in the me?" us wondered as he noticed a distinct gold ergy swirling within the mes that veloped his sword. It seemed to be hancing the strgth of the attack, making it ev more pott. Excited by this newfound power, us grinned. "Let''s see what you''re made of."


    He turned his gaze toward a cluster of towering trees in the distance. They were thick and sturdy, their bark nearly impervious to normal attacks. But us was confidt that this new power would cut through them like butter.


    He took a deep breath, feeling the power build within him, th shed his sword diagonally. With a loud boom, a powerful arc of pure red mes, coated in that strange gold ergy, shot out from the sword.


    The arc of mes tore through the trees, slicing through them as if they were nothing more than paper.


    "So, this is the true power of the Moon sh," us muttered and th burst into a resoundingughter.

 Chapter 34: Saving a Damsel in Distress Again

    Seeing the destruction caused by his single attack, us was stunned. Ever since his awaking, he had relied solely on the ice elemt with his Moon sh skill. He hadn''t experimted with the other elemts and wasn''t sure if they would work. But since ice had be effective, he was contt to stick with it.


    Now, however, he was speechless. The fire elemt had exceeded his expectations. The sight of over 00 trees cut down and gulfed in mes filled him with delight.


    Curious, us switched back to the ice elemt. The result was a stark contrast, like yin and yang. On one side, the earth was scorched, and all life was extinguished. On the other, it was an Ice Age¡ªtrees froz solid with a subtle mist rising from them.


    us could hardly believe it. He had be far stronger than he ever imagined. This was exactly what he needed. He wanted the strgth to protect his mother, and now it seemed he had gained that and more.


    He still had 700 points to distribute, so he knew he wasn''t at an absolute disadvantage. Ev though the monsters and zombies in the forest wer''t the strongest, the fact that he, as an Awaked, could y them with ease meant a lot.


    "Now that I have the strgth, killing a few Tier 4 monsters is just what the heavs would want," us chuckled to himself as he started moving deeper into the forest.


    He had already secured ough money to buy a house and move his mother to the city, thanks to Asha and Nia. From here on, every kill would be about umting more wealth. He knew he stillcked skills and techniques, so getting more would be ideal. But for now, the hunt continued.


    -


    -


    -


    Boom!


    A powerful explosion rocked the forest, sding mist into the air. Wh the mist cleared, arge spider-like monstery dead on the g. A few meters away stood us, a small smile on his lips.


    "Metal Pincer Poison Spider," he murmured, pleased. "Just one leg will sell for a couple of thousand gold coins, and there are 6 of them, Hehe, the heavs are indeed looking favorable upon me"


    us walked closer, stored the body inside his space ring, and continued deeper into the forest.


    Momtster, another Metal Pincer Poison Spider appeared, its body dripping with oily vom. "It seems I''m in the spider''s territory," us noted, a smile gracing his lips


    us narrowed his eyes as he faced the new Metal Pincer Poison Spider. Without hesitation, he activated his ice elemt again. He swung his sword, sding out a sharp, cold arc of ice. The attack sliced through the spider''s legs like they were made of paper, freezing them solid before they shattered into pieces.


    "Another one down, Fuck, that was a lot of gold coins" us muttered, storing the spider''s body in his space ring. "These spiders are worth a lot."


    As us continued deeper into the forest, more spiders emerged. Some wererger, with thicker pincers, while others had differt colors, like a dark red variant that seemed to move faster.


    "Red Fang Poison Spider," us idtified the new threat. "A bit quicker, but nothing my ice can''t handle."


    He swung his sword again, sding out another ice arc. The Red Fang Poison Spider tried to dodge, but the arc was too fast. It hit the spider, freezing it instantly before it crumbled to the g in icy shards.


    "Still not a challge, I guess I am stronger than I thought," us said, his voice calm.


    He kept moving, countering spider after spider. Each one was differt in some way¡ªsome had glowing eyes, while others were covered in thick armor-like shells. But no matter their differces, they all fell to his ice arc with ease.


    "Glowing Eyes Poison Spider," us said as he took down one with bright, glowing eyes. "Looks dangerous, but it''s just as weak. However, money doesn''t distinguish weak and strong, so I can only kill you"


    "Steel Shell Poison Spider," he noted, facing another spider with a tough, metallic shell. "Let''s see if you''re any tougher."


    us''s ice arc struck the Steel Shell Poison Spider. The shell cracked, and the spider copsed, froz solid.


    "Guess not," us said with a grin, storing the body.


    He continued his hunt, feeling more confidt with each victory. The forest was thick with spider variants, but us took them all down effortlessly, his ice arc leaving a trail of froz bodies in his wake. He was shocked to see his ice arc has be several times tougher than before. As for the fire arc, us hasn''t used it just yet.


    It''s too destructive and not good for preserving monster bodies for a good sale.


    Finally, after what felt like hours of ying spiders, us paused. He looked a, noticing that the forest had grown quieter. The spiders had be less frequt, and the air was colder, filled with the remnants of his icy attacks.


    "Seems like I''ve cleared out most of them," us muttered to himself. "I guess it''s time to head back home. There are no Tier 5 monsters here to test my strgth," he said confidtly, knowing his words were backed by the power he had gained.


    With his space ring nearly full, there was no reason to stay in the forest any longer. He had killed hundreds of Tier 4 monsters, gaining over 300,000 experice points, drawing him closer to his goal of advancing to Level  Ascded.


    BOOM!


    Just as us was basking in his sess, an explosion shook the forest. The sound came from the east, about 4 kilometers away. Without hesitation, us dashed toward the source of the noise. In a split second, he arrived at a small clearing.


    There, he saw a woman dressed in , gaged in a fierce battle with a massive spider. The spider''s sixte legs were gulfed in mes, and its grotesque face bore a twisted, human-like appearance.


    "A Tier 5 Human-Face Spider Demon," us immediately idtified the monster. But th he frowned. "How did I know the name of this monster?"


    The thought puzzled him. He had never se or heard of this creature before, yet the name and its nature came to him instinctively.


    us quickly noticed that the woman, though holding her g, had a small cut on her arm. Without a second thought, he began channeling fire essce into his sword, ready to unleash a fire arc using his Moon sh skill.


    ''I can''t just stand by and watch,'' he thought, focusing his ergy. The fire built up in his de, glowing fiercely as he prepared to strike.


    Suddly, one of the spider''s ming legs shot forward, aiming directly at the woman''s chest. She staggered backward, struggling to regain her bnce. Panic shed in her eyes as she realized she had no way to block the attack.


    The spider''s leg drew closer, and fear gripped her heart. But just as it was about to pierce her, a wave of terrifying heat swept past her. In an instant, the leg was severed, falling to the g just a hair''s breadth away from impaling her.


    Before she could ev process what had happed, another fiery sh cut through the air, striking the monster''s grotesque face and splitting it in half. The woman''s eyes wided in shock as the ormous creature copsed.


    Overwhelmed, she staggered backward and fell. But before she could hit the g, a soft yet firm hand caught her from behind.


    She looked up, still dazed, and saw us standing over her, his sword still glowing with the remnants of his fiery attack. His expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp, focused on the now-dead spider.


    "You''re safe now," us repeated, his voice steady as he held her securely. For a few seconds that felt like an eternity, their eyes locked. us''s gold eyes bore into the woman''s silver-gre gaze, filled with intsity and curiosity.


    She didn''t flinch, matching his stare with her own, a mix of relief and surprise evidt in her expression. The world a them seemed to fade away as they stood there, froz at that momt. us''s hands, still wrapped a her waist, kept her steady, a protective warmth emanating from his touch.


    Neither of them spoke, but in that silce, a connection formed, unspok yet undiable. Finally, the woman blinked, breaking the gaze as she took a small step back, though us''s grip remained gtle, suring she didn''t stumble.


    "Thank you," she whispered, her voice soft and sincere.


    "Cough...Don''t mtion it" us awkwardly coughs. He didn''t know why, but staring into her eyes, he felt a good feeling from her. The kind that he only felt from his mother.


    It was a feeling he only ever associated with his mother¡ªa deep sse of care and connection. The realization caught him off guard, leaving him momtarily unsure of what to say or do next.


    Suddly, us''s eyesnded on her arm. "Your wounds," he said, his voice filled with concern. Without hesitation, he appeared beside her in an instant. With a quick, precise motion, he pinched some spots on her arm near the wound, and almost immediately, thick, ck blood began to ooze out, purging the vom from her body.


    "This is a Human-Face Spider Demon," us exined, his tone serious. "Its vom is highly corrosive. If it isn''t removed quickly, it can spread through your bloodstream, breaking down tissues and causing severe damage."


    Thedy didn''t say anything, but her eyes held a myriad of emotions¡ªgratitude, curiosity, and something else us couldn''t quite ce. As us continued the treatmt, he suddly froze, his eyes widing in shock.


    ''What is going on with me? How did I know all this?''

 Chapter 35: I Look Favourable On You

    ''What is going on with me?'' us wondered inwardly. A strange feeling washed over him, one that was unfamiliar and unsettling. It was as if something deep within him had be stirred, a connection he couldn''t exin.


    Suddly, he started learning things he had never heard or se before. That was a strange ssation, one that made him slightly rattled


    His abrupt pause startled thedy. "Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.


    us quickly snapped out of his thoughts and forced a small smile. "I''m fine," he reassured her. "I just... remembered something important, that''s all."


    Thedy looked at him momtarily, clearly ssing there was more to it, but she didn''t press further. Instead, she nodded, epting his exnation, though her eyes still held a hint of worry.


    us, trying to shake off the lingering unease, refocused on the task at hand. "Let''s get you out of here," he said, "We need to find a ce where you can rest and recover."


    "Mmmh, ar''t you going to take the body of the monster?" us asked, breaking the silce as they began to move away. us had nearly forgott about the massive corpse of the Human-Face Spider Demon lying on the g, as someone looking for such monsters to sell and make money, his atttion was immediately drawn to it.


    "You killed it, so go ahead and take it," she said with a casual shrug as if the body of a Tier 5 monster was nothing to her. us, however, didn''t notice her nonchnce. His heart was racing with excitemt. A Tier 5 monster was a rare and valuable prize, and he knew just how much it was worth.


    The Human-Face Spider Demon had countless uses. First, there were the 6 vom sacs, each connected to its legs. These sacs were highly sought after in both cksmithing and medicine, with the vom being a key ingredit in crafting powerful weapons and antidotes.


    Beyond that, its legs were tougher than most metals. cksmiths could forge them into weapons of incredible strgth and durability. Th there was the web fluid sac, which could be weaponized to create ropes ors capable of trapping ev the strongest of monsters.


    The tire body was a treasure trove of materials, each part more valuable than thest. For us, acquiring the corpse of such a formidable monster was nothing short of incredible.


    "I won''t waste this opportunity," us muttered to himself. He quickly retrieved the spider''s body, storing it securely in his space ring. Thedy watched him with a faint smile, seemingly amused by his spirit.


    With the spider demon''s body safely stored, us turned back to thedy. "Alright, now we can leave," he said, his tone much lighter now that he had secured such a valuable prize.


    As they started walking again, us decided to break the silce. "By the way, I''m us," he introduced himself, his mood lifted by the rect sess and the valuable prize he had secured.


    "I am Ohema," she replied with a gtle smile. "Once again, thank you for saving my life."


    They continued walking for about t minutes until they arrived at a small, clear river. "You can wash the wound here," us suggested. Ohema nodded and approached the water to clean her wound.


    Just as us''s mind began to drift back to the unsettling feeling he had expericed earlier, a voice suddly echoed in his mind. ''Mmmh, us, you are indeed lucky.''


    Before he could react, he felt a strange ssation, as if his consciousness was expanding and retracting. A connection to his soul sea formed, stronger and more immediate than ever before.


    ''You can use this connection tomunicate with me,'' the voice spoke again, and this time us recognized it.


    ''Sior, you can talk to me on the outside too?'' us was startled but quickly smiled, feeling a sse of reassurance. The voice belonged to the sior behind one of the doors in his soul sea. The same person who helped him understand the reason for his first tribtion.


    ''Yes, this connection will allow us tomunicate directly,'' the voice continued its tone calm and knowing.


    us couldn''t help but feel a surge of happiness. The voice had guided him before, revealing the reason behind his tribtion during his breakthrough. Knowing he could nowmunicate with it anytime gave him a newfound sse of confidce.


    ''Sior, why did you say I''m lucky?'' us asked, his curiosity piqued.


    ''Well, list, kid,'' the voice replied, its tone slightly cryptic. ''No matter what, never get on the wrong side of thatdy. It would be best if you could get her on your side.''


    ''What do you mean, Sior?'' us pressed further. ''I don''t know why, but I felt something good from her. Is there a reason for that?''


    The voice hesitated before answering. ''I can''t tell you the specifics¡ªit''s for your own good. But just know that getting on her good side will befit you greatly. In fact, if you can... take her as you... Cough...


    you know.'' The voice chuckled before adding, ''I''m looking favorably at you, us.'' Th, it faded away, leaving us with more questions than answers.


    At that momt, Ohema finished washing her hands and returned to him. us, who was still reeling from the voice''s suggestion, was suddly struck by her beauty. It was as if, in the rush to save her, he hadn''t truly tak in her appearance. Now, as he looked at her, us found himself mesmerized.


    Her silver-gre eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and her presce had an aura of grace and strgth that captivated him.


    Her long ck hair flows down her back like a waterfall. Her features are perfect. us couldn''t help but be struck dumb by her beauty.


    For a momt, us was at a loss for words. The voice''s suggestion echoed in his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside, focusing instead on the prest. He smiled, trying to mask the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in his head.


    "You look much better," he said, his voice a little softer than before.


    Ohema returned his smile, a warmth in her eyes that made us''s heart race just a little faster. "Thanks to you," she replied, her tone sincere.


    "By the way, I meant no offse, but where did you learn to dispel poison like that" Ohema asked


    us was caught off guard by Ohema''s question, but he quicklyposed himself. Without missing a beat, he replied, "My dad taught me." He kept his expression steady, hoping she wouldn''t see through the lie. In truth, us didn''t know how he had instinctively known how to dispel the poison¡ªit was as if the knowledge had simplye to him in the momt.


    Ohema nodded thoughtfully, her silver-gre eyes studying him with a hint of admiration. "Your father seems to be a great figure," she remarked, her voice carrying a note of respect.


    us forced a small smile, his mind racing. He didn''t want to delve too deeply into a conversation about his father, who had be missing for so long. "He was," us said simply, choosing his words carefully.


    Ohema seemed to sse the weight behind his words and didn''t press further. Instead, she offered him a gtle smile. "You''ve clearly learned well. I''m lucky you were here."


    us rxed slightly, relieved that the topic had shifted. "I guess we both got lucky today," he said, trying to light the mood.


    us, feeling a bit out of his depth, especially a Ohema, tried to keep the conversation going. "By the way, I''m from Ross City," he said, his voice a bit uncertain. "I was on my way home wh I heard your battle with the spider. Now that you''re fine, I guess I''ll be leaving."


    He paused, ncing at her to gauge her reaction. The words felt awkward on his tongue, and he wasn''t sure if he was saying the right thing. "Perhaps... do you want to leave with me?" he added, hoping he didn''t sound too forward.


    Ohema tilted her head slightly, a small smile ying on her lips as she observed us''s struggle. Something was dearing about his awkwardness, a contrast to the strgth and skill he had just disyed in battle. "That sounds like a good idea," she replied softly. "It would be safer to travel together, don''t you think?"


    us nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. "Yeah, you''re right," he agreed, relieved that she didn''t find his offer strange. "It''s always better to have someone watching your back."


    "So tell me, us, which family are you from?" Ohema asked as they moved away from the river and started heading out of the forest.


    "Well, I''m not from any notable family. I just live with my mom," us replied with a smile.


    "You mean to say you''re not from any Great Family?" Ohema asked again, clearly surprised by his answer. The strgth us had shown suggested he was from a powerful lineage.


    What many don''t realize is that while killing weaker monsters can raise your cultivation base, those who level up by defeating stronger monsters be much more powerful. It''s all about the spiritual Qi. Those who kill stronger monsters will have a wider and more pott spiritual Qi pool, and its dsity will be higher than those who level up by fighting weaker monsters.


    Powerful families always sure their childr hunt stronger monsters from the start. This way, their strgth will be above that of the average awaked. But beyond that, the skills us had disyed were something an ordinary person wouldn''t be able to afford. So, for us to unleash such a powerful skill, Ohema was convinced he must be from a powerful family.


    "You look like someone from a powerful family," Ohema said with a soft smile.


    "Oh, don''t be intimidated. This little one just lives with his mother," us replied with a grin. What he didn''t realize was that the currt version of him was ough to catch the eye of anyone. His ascsion hadpletely transformed him. Now, with his unique  hair and striking gold eyes, people couldn''t help but feel differt wh they looked into them.


    "By the way, where are you from? Although I''m not from a powerful family, you clearly are," us stopped and looked at her curiously. It seemed like his charm was back¡ªtime to unleash Young Master us.

 Chapter 36: She is Clearly hiding something

    Ohema looked at us with a hint of curiosity. She hesitated before answering.


    "I''m from the Baffour family, a small but respected family in the western region," she said. "We don''t have the same power, but we''re known for our skill inbat and espionage." In the Northern Union, there are five regions. The Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern and Ctral. Each region contains more than a doz Families.


    However, aside from those families which most people call the Great families, there are others that although are not on the level of a great family, they are still powerful ough.


    us nodded, impressed. "So, you''re not from one of the Great Families, but still quite skilled." he has witnessed a part of her battle, so he was convinced she was skilled. However, he just doesn''t know why she was alone in the forest and such a scary ce at that.


    Ohema smiled. "Yes, we''ve trained hard to be strong, ev if we don''t have the same resources."


    us grinned. "It shows. Your skills are impressive." He continued, "I don''t mean to pry, but what were you doing in that part of the forest?"


    Ohema smiled slightly. "Would you believe me if I said I got lost?"


    us nced back at her, a knowing smile on his face. It was clear she was hiding something, but he decided not to press further.


    us decided to let it go. "I guess we all get lost sometimes," he said with a shrug.


    Ohema sighed with relief and th asked, "So us, what are your ns for the uing Celestial Mountain Academy InterCity exams?"


    "Celestial Mountain Academy?" us raised an eyebrow. "What''s that?"


    Ohema paused, looking at him with surprise. "You don''t know about the Celestial Mountain Academy? "


    us shook his head. "I hav''t heard of it before."


    Ohema looked intrigued. "Really? The Celestial Mountain Academy is the greatest academy in the tire world. It''s the ce every awaked person wants to go. The fact that you don''t know about it makes me wonder where you''ve be hiding."


    In truth, us had heard of it before but didn''t know much about it. Seeing an opportunity to learn more, he decided to y along. It''s always better to know more about something ev if you clearly have some ideas from the get-go.


    "It sounds impressive. Can you tell me more about it and why it''s so important?" us asked.


    Ohema smiled, pleased to share her knowledge. "The Celestial Mountain Academy is known for its top-notch training and elite instructors. It''s where the best of the best are trained. Getting into the academy can op doors to powerful alliances and resources. It''s the ce for the absolute nurturing of young talts. However, to get in is incredibly difficult.


    You first have to pass the InterCity exams, Regional selections, and subsequtly, the Union selection"


    She continued, "The InterCity exams are a way to test pottial studts from differt cities. Only the most talted and skilled make it through. The academy offers advanced techniques, rare skills, and ess to influtialworks.


    "Getting into such an academy will not only op doors for you but also shape your future in ways you can''t imagine," Ohema said. "From what I know, the Celestial Mountain Academy was founded by the six Overlords, and it''s now supported by the eight Overlords."


    us''s interest was piqued. He listed closely as Ohema continued.


    "The six Overlords were the heroes who saved the Earth during the early stages of the apocalypse. They are the backbone of the and the force that keeps things in check. Wh all hope seemed lost, they appeared with extraordinary powers and fought off the monsters and zombies."


    Ohema paused, th added, "Initially, there were six Overlords, one from each of the six habitable contints. But t years into the apocalypse, a new race of humans immune to ice emerged from beath the icy depth of Antarctica, which is now known as the Froz Union."


    us''s eyes wided with interest.


    "Wh they first appeared, there was some conflict," Ohema exined. "But evtually, the Froz Union and the six Overlords reached an agreemt. One of the Froz Union''s top experts joined the original six Overlords, making it sev.


    And yearster, the water or sea people also appeared covering 70% of the oceans. Their top expert also join making the union of Overlords now Eight"


    us nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "So, the academy was founded by these powerful individuals. It must have a strong foundation."


    Ohema smiled. "Exactly. The academy is highly respected and offers incredible opportunities for those who are admitted."


    us''s curiosity was now fully gaged. He knew he had to find a way to gain admission. The prospect of being part of such a prestigious institution was exciting and motivating.


    "However, getting in won''t be easy. There are many requiremts, and you only qualify for one of them," Ohema said, causing us to raise an eyebrow.


    "What are the requiremts?" us asked.


    "There are three," Ohema exined. "First, you need to be an Ascded and under 8 years old. Second, you must have made a significant contribution to the army. This can be done by joining a team and tering the Forbidd Zone to help eliminate the monsters there. From what I know, you need to have at least ,000,000 points to qualify."


    She paused before continuing, "Lastly, you must have a rmdation from a powerful backer. This is where things get tricky for you. Since you don''te from a powerful family, the chances of you getting a rmdation are very low. The rmdation muste from someone with real influce in the world."


    us''s mood sank as he heard the strict requiremts. A frown creased his face. The first two requiremts seemed achievable¡ªhe was already an Ascded, so that box was checked. As for the second, he had ns to ter the Forbidd Zones soon, so he could work on earning those points.


    But thest requiremt was a real obstacle. He was a nobody, with no connections or powerful allies. How was he supposed to get a rmdation?


    Seeing his despair, Ohema spoke up. "No need to look so down. With your strgth, I''m sure you''ll catch the eye of someone powerful. You just need to show your might and let others see that you''re a gius."


    "Really?" us asked, his spirits lifting as a smile spread across his face. He hadn''t expected to hear that.


    Ohema smiled at his sudd change in mood. "Of course. Wh you ter the Forbidd Zone, your name will appear on the Warrior Ranking. This ranking shows how many points a person has earned.


    That will be your chance to prove yourself. By climbing the ranks, you''ll draw the atttion of someone powerful, and they might just rmd you."


    us felt a surge of hope as Ohema''s words sank in. The idea of earning his ce through sheer determination and skill lit a fire inside him. He knew it wouldn''t be easy, but the challge excited him.


    "Thank you, Ohema," us said, his voice filled with newfound resolve. "I''ll do whatever it takes to climb that ranking and earn my spot."


    Back at Ross Academy, us had overheard many studts talking about their dreams of getting into the Celestial Mountain Academy. From what little he knew, the befits of being epted into such a prestigious institution were immse. If he could gain admission, it would change his life and his mother''s forever. The opportunities would be dless.


    All he had to do was take that first step, and once he set foot there, the future would op up with limitless possibilities.


    "Work hard on that," Ohema advised, her tone serious. "It''s not going to be easy. This InterCity selection is just the first stage. From each city, only 00 people will be chos. But ev th, there''s no guarantee you''ll make the final cut. After the city selection, there''s a regional selection, and th the Union selection."


    "Say what?" us asked, his eyes widing in surprise.


    Ohema nodded, understanding his surprise. "Yes, it''s a rigorous process. The InterCity selection is only the beginning. Each city sds its best candidates, but from there, only a fraction will move on to the regional stage. Thepetition gets tougher with each level. By the time you reach the Union selection, you''re up against the top talts from across the tire contint."


    us felt a mix of excitemt and anxiety. The thought ofpeting against so many skilled individuals was daunting, but the rewards were too great to ignore. If he could make it through all those stages, the doors to the Celestial Mountain Academy would op wide, and with it, a future he had only dared to dream of.


    "So, out of thousands of people, only a handful will make it to the academy?" us asked, trying to grasp the scale of the challge.


    "Exactly," Ohema confirmed. "The selection process is designed to find the best of the best. And let me tell you, from what I''ve heard, there are giuses out there who can strike fear in your heart with just a single punch. That''s why I want you to show your might¡ªnot just to get noticed, but to prove that you''re a gius in your own right."


    us smiled, though a bit modestly. "Well, I don''t know about being a gius, but I''ll do my best."


    "You should" Ohema nodded.


    "You seem to know quite a lot," us remarked, a hint of teasing in his voice. "Although I don''t want tough at you, seeing a beautifuldy like yourself being a full-on erudite makes me blush in shame." He shook his head in mock dejection, but a small smile yed on his lips.


    Ohema pouted, clearly not pleased with thebel. "Hey, who are you calling an erudite? I just know things."


    "A beautiful erudite is a good thing, you know," us said, his smile widing.


    Ohema couldn''t help but smile back, and just like that, the awkward tsion betwe them faded awaypletely. They bothughed, the light-hearted exchange easing the seriousness of their earlier conversation.


    As they continued their walk out of the forest, the conversation betwe us and Ohema flowed easily. Ohema proved to be an excellt conversationalist, and us, now rxed in thefortable atmosphere, was joying their talk. Without realizing wh it happed, the conversation began to turn a bit more personal.


    Suddly, Ohema asked, "So, us, do you have a girlfrid? Someone as handsome as you must have someone you fancy."

 Chapter 37: Parting Ways

    us stopped in his tracks, tak aback by the unexpected question. Did he have a girlfrid? Wasn''t it a bit early to ask that? He was momtarily stunned but quickly regained hisposure. Adopting the confidt demeanor of Young Master us, he replied with a teasing smile.


    "Well, I don''t have anyone at the momt. But I think it''s only a matter of time before I find someone," us said, grinning. "What about you, Fairy Ohema? Is there anyone you fancy?"


    Ohema blushed slightly and turned her gaze away, not responding. us couldn''t help but smile at her reaction.


    "Don''t tell me a beauty like yourself hasn''t caught anyone''s eye," us said with a yful grin. "From where I stand, and speaking for all m, I can confidtly say that no man would remain unmoved after seeing you. So, what''s the story, Fairy Ohema? Are you running from the boys?"


    He teased again, his smile widing.


    Ohema''s blush deeped, and she tried to hide her smile behind her hand. us seized the opportunity to continue his yful teasing.


    "Come on, Fairy Ohema," he said, leaning in slightly with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Surely there''s someone who''s made you stop in your tracks, or at least made your heart skip a beat. You''re not just charming on the outside¡ªyou''ve got to be captivating on the inside too."


    Ohema nced at him, her cheeks still tinged pink. Sheughed softly, shaking her head. "You''re quite the charmer yourself, us. But really, I''m not running from anyone. I just hav''t met the right person yet."


    us raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Is that so? A beauty like you, and no one''s managed to sweep you off your feet? Now that''s hard to believe. Maybe you''re just too selective."


    Ohema rolled her eyes yfully. "Or maybe I''m just focused on other things right now."


    "Focused, huh?" us said with a grin. "Well, I guess that makes sse. But don''t think I''m going to let you off the hook so easily. I''ll keep an eye out for any lucky guy who might catch your atttion."


    Ohema chuckled, clearly joying the banter. "Alright, alright. I''ll make sure to let you know if anything changes."


    us winked at her. "I''ll be looking forward to it. But don''t worry, if no one''s caught your eye yet, this little brother won''t hesitate to help you out. Just leave me your card, and I''ll reach out wh I get home."


    Ohemaughed, shaking her head. "You''re incorrigible, us. But I suppose if you''re offering, I might just take you up on that. I''ll have to keep an eye on you too." Well, the little paragon may just have seeded in rizzing a fairy who just doesn''t know it yet.


    Ohema took out a card and gave it to us, who received it with a happy smile. As for Ohema, within those rosy cheeks, there is a hint of happiness too. She has clearly achieved her goal and it happed in a way she hasn''t ev worked for.


    "Be sure to contact me wh you get home," Ohema said, watching as us tucked her card away in his space ring. "I''ll be waiting for your call."


    "My mom will scold me if I don''t contact you," us replied with a smile.


    Ohema''s eyes softed. "You seem to care a lot about your mother."


    us''s smile grew more sincere. "Of course. She''s everything to me. My goal in life is to make her happy."


    The guine affection in his voice was clear, and Ohema could see just how much us loved his mother. She smiled but didn''t say anything.


    "What?" us asked as he noticed Ohema staring at him strangely while they moved out of the forest.


    "Nothing," Ohema said with a grin. "It''s just that your hair is really unusual. I''m sure you''ll be a hot topic from today onwards." She gave him a thumbs-up, her eyes twinkling with amusemt.


    us, who hadn''t se his appearance yet, was surprised by hermt. He quickly brushed his hair from his face, and his eyes wided in shock. Ohema burst intoughter as us realized his hair had turnedpletely .


    "Wow, I didn''t expect this," us said, touching his new  hair in disbelief.


    "In some ways, it''s a good thing," Ohema said, still chuckling. "You just have to keep up your charm, and I''m sure someone influtial will notice you and rmd you to the academy, ev without you having to make an appearance on the Warrior Chart. Being a handsome face can be promising sometimes. Hehe."


    usughed along with her. "Well, I guess I''ll have to make the most of it. Thanks for the heads-up."


    Ohema nodded with a yful smile. "Anytime. Just remember, confidce is key. With that new look and your charm, you''re bound to turn heads."


    The two looked at each other and burst into resoundingughter. us, realizing that his life would never be the same, epted the change with a determined smile. He brushed his  hair back, focusing on his next goal: buying a house for his mother. That was his main priority now.


    After a few hours of walking, they arrived at the shuttle area. To their surprise, it was deserted. They quickly climbed aboard, and before long, they were heading back to the border of the four cities. The journey took about an hour and a half.


    "I guess this is where we part ways," us said with a smile, looking at Ohema. The guards a them kept ncing in their direction, but us paid them little mind. His atttion was focused on the slightly sad look in Ohema''s eyes.


    "I had fun today, us. Thank you, and once again, thank you for saving my life," Ohema said warmly.


    "Don''t mtion it," us replied with a chuckle. "I couldn''t just stand by and watch a damsel in distress."


    "Be sure to contact me wh you get home. I''ll be waiting for your call," Ohema said with a hopeful smile.


    us nodded and waved goodbye. Ohema was headed to Felin City, while us was returning to Ross City, so they had to part ways.


    Momtster, us vanished from the road. With his now higher agility, he vanished almost instantly wh he moved. As he left, Ohema sighed and began her journey toward Ross City as well.


    The guards watched the exchange with curiosity.


    "Who is that kid?" one of them asked, still puzzled.


    "It''s strange. He looks familiar, but I can''t quite ce him," another guard replied, noting us''s striking appearance. The new us was indeed an eye-catcher,pletely differt from how he looked wh he tered the forest just three days ago.


    "How about thedy? She looks familiar too," a third guard remarked. They all exchanged looks and with no answering, they wt back to their business.


    -


    -


    -


    us sped toward Ross City with terrifying speed. After leveling up, he had be several times faster, allowing him to cover the distance in less than 30 minutes. He swiftly made his way through the slum and headed home, which was just a few minutes from the city''s border.


    Navigating through abyrinth of passageways, us finally arrived at his small home. He called out in his usual casual tone, "Mom, I''m home!"


    The door swung op, and his mother, who had be anxiously waiting, rushed out. As soon as she saw us, her gaze locked onto him.


    "What, liking the new look?" us asked with a smile, spreading his arms for a hug.


    "us?" she eximed, jumping into his embrace. "What happed to you? I was so worried. And your hair ¡ªwh did you be this handsome?"


    His mother fired off a series of questions, squeezing him tightly in her embrace.


    "Seriously, Mom, you would have preferred if I stayed ugly for the rest of my life?" us joked, clearly pleased to be home.


    His motherughed through her tears, still holding him close. "Oh, us, you know I love you no matter what. But seeing you like this, it''s a nice surprise."


    us smiled, feeling a deep sse of conttmt. "Well, I''m just d to be home. Let''s talk about everythingter. Right now, I''m just happy to see you."


    Together, they moved inside, where they could finally catch up and joy each other''spany.


    Wh they tered their small home, a figure appeared 500 meters away, clearly shocked. "So this is where you live, huh?" Ohema muttered, observing us''s modest dwelling. "It seems he wasn''t lying wh he said he wasn''t from any big family." She smiled softly and th disappeared.


    Meanwhile, us was in their small room, chatting with his mother. She had be worried sick for the past three days, her anxiety growing with every passing hour. us reassured her, promising he wouldn''t go on any hunts for a few weeks.


    "Mom," us said, tears streaming down his face. "This time, your son will be taking you to live in the city."


    His mother''s eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. "Oh, us my Baby Boy."


    "Yes, Mom," us said, wiping his tears. "I want to make things better for us. I want you to be safe and happy."


    She hugged him tightly, her tears mingling with his. "I''m so proud of you, us. I knew you''d make it. I knew it"


    us hugged her back, his heart swelling with emotion. "You''ve always believed in me, Mom. I want to give you the life you deserve."


    They held each other for a long time, their tears of joy and relief soaking into each other''s shoulders. The weight of their struggles seemed to lift, reced by a hopeful future.


    us gtly pulled away, his eyes still misty. "We''ll start nning for the move tomorrow. For now, let''s just joy being together."


    His mother nodded, smiling through her tears. "I''d like that. I''m just so happy to have you back."


    They spt the eving talking, sharing stories, and nning their future. They are for each other, and us who has be the Man of the house for a few years now was determined to make his other happy for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 38: The First Paragon Star Diagram

    us and his mother spt the night chatting until he fell asleep in her arms. As she looked at his innoct face, tears welled up in her eyes. "I am a terrible mother," she whispered. "I should be the one carrying all the burd, not you." She held him close for a while before gtlyying him down in bed.


    Oblivious to her tears, us slept like a baby. He was exhausted from three days of reltless ughter. Having be on edge the tire time, he was grateful to be home, where he could finally let his guard down and sleep without interruption. He slept soundly through the night and only woke up with the sunrise.


    Wh he finally stirred, the ticing aroma of something delicious reached his nose. us quickly got out of bed and hurried to the kitch, where his mother was preparing breakfast.


    "Sleepyhead, you''re finally awake," his mother said with a warm smile as us tered the kitch.


    "Mom, what are you cooking? It smells amazing," us asked, reaching for a b of fried meat. But before he could grab it, his mother yfully pped his hand away.


    "Go back inside. It won''t be long before I''m done. I''m making something special for you," she said with a chuckle. us reluctantly walked back to his room with his head down, while his motherughed heartily at his impatice.


    Wh us walked back to his room, he sat down and began to meditate. Soon, his consciousness was drawn into his soul sea, leaving his body motionless and unresponsive. The soul sea is a mysterious realm that ev the most powerful humans have yet to fully understand. Those who have vtured into it oft return with iplete or puzzling discoveries.


    Each person has a unique soul sea, which is esstially the space where their consciousness resides and where their true pottial lies. For ordinary Awaked individuals, essing the soul sea is impossible, unless their Spiritual Qi pool is pretty huge.


    Attempting to ter the soul sea without proper control would mean leaving their body behind and risking death, as the consciousness cannot return once it has left the body.


    essing the soul sea requires a strong soul, which is determined by the amount of Spiritual Qi a person possesses. us, with hisrge reservoir of Spiritual Qi, was able to ess his soul sea quickly. His extsive Spiritual Qi not only allowed him to ter but also provided protection, abling him to remain in the soul sea for an extded period.


    This was a significant improvemtpared to wh he was just an Awaked warrior wh his time in the soul sea was much shorter.


    us found himself back in the familiar multicolored sea with the nine ormous doors. He immediately noticed that the space seemed to have expanded slightly since hisst visit.


    "Sior, are you there?" us asked, his voice echoing through the vast expanse.


    "Of course, where else would I be?" The voice replied, causing us to smile slightly. He settled into a lotus position, ready to list.


    "Sior, you mtioned before that I am a Paragon. Can you tell me more about it?" us asked. He wanted to understand better and prepare for his next tribtion. His first tribtion had be a near-death experice, and he was determined to be ready this time.


    "I can''t say much due to karma and all that," the voice responded. "But what I can tell you is that a Paragon exists outside the normal rules. You are still young and inexpericed, so I won''t burd you with ancit history.


    What you need to know is that as a Paragon, you don''t follow the ordinary rules. You exist beyond them. The reason you faced a tribtion is because your existce challges these rules. To live outside the rules means you are opposing them.


    A Paragon is such an existce. They don''t adhere to the rules like most others do. So, you should be proud. A Paragon is meant to be the strongest, the most fearless, and the most formidable. The currt you is far from ev being called an afterimage of a shadow of a paragon."


    "Ouch, that hurts," us replied with a chuckle. "As a sior, you should be moreforting, not so harsh." He smiled at the sior''s proud and cryptic words.


    "You just have to keep growing, and you need to grow faster. As a Paragon, facing dangers is the only way to elerate your growth. The fact that you''re still this weak means you hav''t be willing to take ough risks," the voice said.


    us''s frustration bubbled over. "Seriously, I''ve faced thousands of zombies and fought monsters many stages above me. How can you say that''s not dangerous? Sior, are you perhaps angry with me, wanting me dead from the start?"


    The voice paused before responding, a hint of amusemt in its tone. "I''m not angry with you. The dangers you''ve faced are significant, but they''re just the beginning. As a Paragon, you''re meant to face ev greater challges. It''s not about being reckless but about embracing the path that lies ahead and pushing beyond your currt limits."


    us sighed, trying to make sse of the advice. "So, what should I do to meet these expectations and be stronger?" He knew this was to prepare him for his next tribtion.


    "Hahaha, now we''re talking!" The Siorughed heartily. "A Paragon is arrogant, domineering, and possesses a charm that infuriates everyone. To live up to your pottial, you must assert who you are. To do that, you need to take great risks."


    The Sior''s voice grew more serious. "The youngdy already gave you some guidance. My advice is to start spreading your wings. Embrace the dangers and gage in life-and-death battles. Only by doing so will you awak the true essce of a Paragon."


    us''s heart raced at the Sior''s bold words. His only aspiration had be to be strong ough to protect his mother. He never sought to be domineering. However, after surviving his rect tribtion, he knew that his life was on a differt path ¡ªone he could not ignore.


    "Thank you, Sior. I will heed your advice," us said, feeling a mix of gratitude and determination, ev if the advice seemed to be sding him on the path of mortal danger.


    "Good," the Sior replied, his tone satisfied. "Now, let me transfer the first Paragon Star Diagram to you. Your currt cultivation method is too pathetic."


    us''s eyes lit up with excitemt. Finally, something that would help him grow stronger in a way that felt tangible. "Sior, what is this Paragon Star Diagram?" he asked, eager to understand more.


    The Sior''s voice was steady as he responded, "Ar''t you wondering why you require so many points to level up?"


    us nodded. It had always puzzled him.


    "It''s because you walk a differt path, us. You walk the path of a Paragon. This means that to grow stronger, you need the Stars of Paragon. The reason you require so many points is tied to this path. The currt you is not strong ough to awak a star, but you can harness its power by cultivating this diagram."


    us listed inttly as the Sior continued, "This diagram contains 06 nodes, each linked to the first Paragon Star¡ªAstralis Corpos. It''s the star of the body, and cultivating it will build your body to unprecedted levels."


    us was excited to hear that. Right now, what he needs is a way to be stronger. So getting a way to be much stronger means he can now walk the path of a paragon. he was more than happy, however, the sior''s next words poured cold water on his joy.


    "The process to cultivate this first diagram consists of nine stages and  levels per each stage," the Sior exined. "You mustplete the first stage before you can advance to the next Realm of your cultivation. This means that ev if you meet the requiremts to progress, you won''t be able to ascd until you''vepleted the first evolution."


    us''s curiosity deeped. "Sior, how long will it take toplete the first step?" he asked, wondering about the time and effort required.


    "That depds on your training and dedication," the Sior replied. "I''ve already said too much. You''ll understand more once you begin cultivating. For now, just follow the path set in this diagram."


    As the Sior finished speaking, a light shot from the first door and tered us''s forehead. The ssation was swift, and before us could fully process it, his consciousness was pulled back into his body.


    Back in his body, us blinked, feeling the weight of the new knowledge settling in. Meanwhile, the Sior, still in the soul sea, sighed and muttered to himself, "I''ve blocked some parts of the Karma for you, kid, but it wasn''t ough. Your next tribtion will be a severe one. I hope you grow stronger before th."


    As soon as us woke up, he noticed a diagram had formed in his mind. The diagram depicted a human body with 06 nodes, just as the Sior had mtioned. "These are the bones in the human body," us muttered to himself. "And I have to evolve them twelve times for each stage. This is going to be hard."


    The Sior exined that there were nine stages, with twelve levels for each stage. This meant that for every level of his cultivation, us had to pass a corresponding level of evolution. Only after breaking through all twelve levels could he ascd andplete the first stage.


    Just as us was diving deeper into the details of the Star Diagram, a familiar voice called out, "Breakfast is ready!"


    His mother tered the room with a tray of food. The sight and smell of the dishes quickly pushed thoughts of the diagram out of us''s mind. His stomach growled in response, and he eagerly moved to the table.


    Seeing the array of delicacies before him, us didn''t hesitate. He started devouring the food with thusiasm, savoring every bite. His mother watched him with a warm smile, her heart swelling with happiness. They had faced so many hardships over the past years, and now that things were starting to improve, she was determined to give him the best she could.


    Preparing these meals was her way of showing her love and care.

 Chapter 39: You Little Player

    us continued devouring the food, not ev pausing to praise his mother''s cooking. In all his life, this was the first time he had tasted something this good. He and his mother were used to basic meals like in rice with pepper stew and maybe a few small fish, if they were lucky. Sometimes, there was no fish at all.


    But now, sitting in front of him, was a feast. There were differt kinds of fish, sult meats, fresh fruits, and juice that tasted like heav. us felt like he was on cloud nine. For once, he felt like he had achieved everything there was to achieve as a human.


    He savored every bite, relishing the rich vors and the way the food filled him with warmth and satisfaction. It was a stark contrast to the meager meals he was used to. As he ate, a sse of conttmt washed over him. For the first time in a long while, he felt at peace.


    His mother watched him with a soft smile, her heart swelling with happiness at seeing her son joy the meal. She had worked hard to prepare this feast, and seeing us so pleased made all her efforts worthwhile.


    But as us continued eating, a small pang of guilt tugged at him. He hadn''t ev thanked his mother or acknowledged her hard work. He knew how much this meal must have meant to her, and yet he had be so consumed by his own hunger that he had forgott to show his appreciation.


    Finally, as he slowed down, us looked up at his mother. "This is incredible, Mom," he said, his voice filled with guine gratitude. "Thank you for this."


    His mother''s smile wided, and she reached out to gtly squeeze his hand. "I''m just d you''re joying it," she replied softly.


    After eating almost everything, us let out a satisfied sigh and gulped down thest of his pineapple juice. "This was amazing," he blurted, his face lighting up with guine delight. His breakfast had be morevish than some people''s suppers. His mother watched him with a warm smile, pleased to see her son joying himself so much.


    For the first time in a long while, her baby boy was behaving like a carefree child.


    As us leaned back in his chair, savoring thest drops of juice, his mother''s voice cut through the momt. "Alright, us, I know you usually tell me everything, but why didn''t you mtion you''ve already found a girlfrid?"


    us, still swallowing the juice, nearly spat it out. "Say what now?" he eximed, nearly choking on his drink.


    His mother raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "I may not be a gius, but I know wh I smell a woman''s perfume," she said, pausing for effect. Th, with a knowing smile, she reached into us''s backpack and pulled out a card. "And if you don''t have a girlfrid, th why would she give you a credit card with 0 million on it?"


    us''s eyes wided in shock, and this time, he choked on his drink. He coughed, trying to catch his breath, as his mother handed him the card. He took it, still trying to process what she had just said.


    "A credit card¡­ with 0 million?" he repeated, staring at the card in disbelief.


    His mother nodded, clearly joying the momt. "Yes, us. It was in your things. Care to exin?"


    us felt his mind racing as he tried to piece together where the card could havee from. His thoughts raced back through rect evts, sifting through his memories. Suddly, a face appeared in his mind.


    "Ohema..." us muttered, though his voice was loud ough for his mother to hear.


    She raised an eyebrow, her smile widing with curiosity. "Who is Ohema?"


    us smiled slightly, remembering his brief interaction with the dark-haired beauty. "She was someone I saved in the forest. I guess she might have slipped this into my bag wh we were on the shuttle."


    His mother''s smile grew broader. "You were on a shuttle together? That means you must have be quite close for her to slip something into your bag."


    us felt his face flush slightly. "It wasn''t like that. We were just on the same shuttle after the incidt."


    "Oh,e on, us," his mother teased. "You little yer! Who would have thought that the innoct us would start ying the big boys'' game?"


    usughed, shaking his head. "It''s not like that, Mom. She was just really grateful, and I guess this was her way of showing it."


    His mother''s smile softed, her eyes filled with affection. "Well, whoever she is, she clearly thinks a lot of you. I guess I am now old, I guess I will soon wee some grandkids."


    us''s face flushed red at his mother''s teasing. He sighed and replied, "She really isn''t bad, Mom. Maybe I might get lucky." He tried to sound nonchnt, hoping to deflect his mother''s teasing.


    His mother chuckled, shaking her head. "Hehehe, you little brat. Instead of focusing on your cultivation, you''re out there chasing wom."


    us grinned, trying to y it cool despite the embarrassmt. "It''s not like that, Mom. Just¡­ keeping my options op."


    His motherughed warmly. "Alright, alright. Just don''t forget your priorities. Cultivation first, romanceter. But if she is the one th don''t forget to introduce her fast"


    usughed, "Don''t worry, Mom. First impressions count, so before I introduce you, we should move into the city first," he said with a smile.


    His mother nodded, understanding his point. us''s gaze lingered on the card in his hand, a mix of feelings evidt on his face.


    "It''s nothing to worry about, us," his mother said gtly. "She likely slipped it into your bag knowing you might reject it. But now that you have it, the least you can do is appreciate her kindness."


    us looked at the card thoughtfully. "So, you think I should keep it?"


    "Absolutely," his mother replied. "Withdrawing it will sd her a message that you''ve epted her gift. It''s a way of acknowledging her gesture. You can always repay her kindness a thousandfold in the future."


    us nodded, taking his mother''s advice to heart. Still, he waspletely stunned by the fact that he hadn''t noticed wh Ohema had slipped the card into his bag. Wh he left for the forest, his mother gave him a backpack with some snacks. us had ced it into his space ring before heading out.


    Wh he was returning, he had tak the bag out and hung it on his back. That was wh Ohema must have slipped the card in.


    ''I guess I can create a bank ount with this much,'' us thought, a smile spreading across his face. He realized that, without ev realizing it, he had be a millionaire.


    "Mom,ter today I''ll go create a bank ount," us said with newfound excitemt. "Once I get the rmdation card, we can head to the Idtification Guild and register to obtain our own Idtity cards."


    His mother''s eyes brighted with pride and happiness. "That sounds like a great n, us. I''m so proud of you."


    us nodded and wt to fresh up, leaving his mother alone in the room. She smiled, shaking her head fondly as she nced in a certain direction before sding the dishes away. us left the house but didn''t head straight to the bank. Instead, he made his way to a tattoo shop.


    Along the way, many people gave him curious nces. His  hair and gold eyes were so striking that some ev took secret photos of him. us didn''t mind; he had other things on his mind. Right now, his priority was finding out how he could join a team so he can ter the forbidd Zones. Unbeknownst to him, his image had already started trding online, apanied by various hashtags.


    -


    -


    -


    In a sere gard where all life seemed to resonate with the universe, twodies were sitting together, drinking and eating snacks. One was Anna, and the other was her sister, Lucy. As they rxed, Lucy took out her phone and started scrolling through her social media.


    Suddly, an image of a young man with  hair and gold eyes, wearing ck shorts and an oversized ck shirt, appeared on the scre.


    "What a handsome guy," Lucy said, showing the scre to Anna. "Look at this. Don''t you think he''s handsome?"


    Anna''s eyes wided as she saw the image. She almost blurted out us''s name but managed to stifle it, though her surprised expression gave her away.


    "You know him?" Lucy asked, her curiosity piqued as she focused her full atttion on Anna.


    Anna hesitated, her mind racing. "No, why do you ask?" she replied, trying to sound casual despite her obvious interest.


    "Nothing," Lucy chuckled, returning her atttion to the image. Anna, who had nearly blurted out us''s name, looked at her sister with curiosity.


    "What are you thinking, Sister?" Anna asked.


    "Nothing," Lucy replied, but her smile betrayed her. After a momt, she added, "I have to find him. Maybe I can get a date for the Felin Youth Balling up in three weeks."


    Anna, in the middle of drinking her juice, choked and coughed. "You can''t do that!" she eximed, immediately regretting her outburst.


    "I knew it!" Lucy beamed. "It was him, wasn''t it? The one who saved you in the forest?"


    Anna hesitated, th sighed. "Sister, you can''t tell anyone. us doesn''t want to be in the spotlight. The fact that his image is circting is already bad ough. The family can''t know. Please, I''m begging you."


    Lucy''s smile remained, but she nodded understandingly. "Alright, alright. Your little secret is safe with me. But you have to tell me everything you know about him. And if I can introduce him to my frid, Nadia, the fashion designer. With his looks, she''ll hire him as a model without a second thought."


    Anna sighed in relief, but she couldn''t hide a hint of concern. "Fine. I''ll tell you what I can. But remember, keep it quiet."


    Lucy''s eyes sparkled with excitemt. "Deal! Now, tell me everything about this mysterious us."

 Chapter 40: Pretty Boy

    us, unaware of the stir he was causing, made his way to Ziggy''s Tattoo Shop. Without a phone, he had no idea about the buzz his image had gerated online. But as he walked, he noticed more and more people turning to look at him, their eyes filled with curiosity.


    What us didn''t realize was that the pictures of him were being uploaded to the inte with tags, including geotags that pinpointed his location. As more people in the area saw the photos, they began searching for him, eager to catch a glimpse of the now-famous "Pretty Boy."


    As he continued down the street, the increasing number of stares and the sound of camera shutters became too much to ignore. Irritated by the atttion, us approached a young man who had just tak his picture.


    "Excuse me, brother," us said, his voice firm but polite. "Can you tell me why everyone is staring and taking pictures of me?"


    The young man was stunned, his mouth slightly op in shock. Had he just be spok to by the #Pretty_Boy himself?


    "Uh, brother... don''t you know? You''re all over the inte," the young man replied, still in disbelief. He quickly pulled out his phone and showed us the scre, where the first t images were all of him walking toward the tattoo shop.


    us stared at the scre, confusion and surprise washing over him. He had no idea that his image had gone viral, and now he was at the cter of atttion. The realization made him feel a mix of annoyance and unease, but he kept hisposure.


    "Thank you," us said, nodding to the young man and turning to leave. But before he could take a step, the youngster spoke up, "Big Brother, can I take a selfie with you?"


    us paused, unfamiliar with the term. "What''s that?" he asked, but quickly realized what the young man meant. Not wanting to reveal his ignorance, he nodded. The young man beamed with excitemt and quickly took a selfie with him.


    "My handle is @GoodBoyB," the young man said, grinning from ear to ear. "You can message me anytime you want. I know practically everywhere, so if you need a guide, just reach out." us nodded again, smiling at the young man''s guine thusiasm. Unbeknownst to him, this smile was captured in the photo.


    As us noticed more people rushing over, his smile faded. With a frown, he tapped into his newfound speed after ascding and disappeared from sight in an instant.


    "Heavs, he''s not just handsome; he''s actually a warrior!" one person eximed, astonished by us''s sudd burst of speed.


    "This is a clear sign of someone who''s both handsome and powerful," another person said, excitemt growing in the crowd. "Quickly, spread the word! Hashtag #PrettyAndStrong, #PrettyStrong!"


    And just like that, the inte buzzed with ev more fervor, the chaos only escting as us''s image continued to spread.


    us sped forward, only slowing down wh he was a few meters away from the tattoo shop. He sighed, frustration evidt in his voice. "What was that? These people are so annoying," he muttered to himself before walking toward the shop. The small bell above the door jingled as he tered.


    "Hello, Uncle Ziggy, Uncle James, Uncle Jojo, Uncle Xian, and Uncle Matt," us greeted warmly as he saw the five m inside,ughing and talking together.


    "us, wh did you be such a pretty boy?" Uncle James teased, looking at him with a grin.


    "You saw the pictures too, huh?" us replied, shaking his head with a small smile.


    "This is the era of cultivation and technological advancemt. These things are only normal," Uncle James said with a chuckle.


    "You''ve ascded, good boy. You''re definitely Pete''s son," Uncle Ziggy said with a proud smile.


    "Thank you, uncles, for the money and the rmdation cardst time," us replied gratefully.


    "No need to thank us, us. We''re your uncles, and it''s only natural to help you wh you need it," Uncle Ziggy said, waving off us''s thanks. "But honestly, isn''t it a bit boring to keep thanking us for every little thing? It makes us feel distant."


    us smiled at that. "In that case, I won''t stand on ceremony," he said as he sat down. "Uncles, I need your help."


    "Just ask," Uncle Ziggy said, and for some reason, the five m seemed ev happier to hear this.


    "Well, I know it sounds arrogant, but the monsters in the forest ar''t strong ough for me anymore. I''ve heard the ones in the Forbidd Zones are much stronger. So, I need help getting into some of these zones," us exined.


    The five uncles raised an eyebrow at his request, th burst into heartyughter.


    "Pay up," Uncle Ziggy said, turning to the other four. "I told you he''de asking sooner orter. Looks like it was sooner than I thought!"


    "This..." us was tak aback by the sudd turn of evts.


    "Don''t be surprised, us," Uncle Ziggy said with a knowing smile. "Thest time you were here, I ssed your spiritual Qi purity. I knew th you wouldn''t be satisfied with weaker monsters for long. If I''m not mistak, during your first hunt, you took down several Tier  monsters and ev a Tier 3 one, didn''t you?"


    us was shocked by how urate Uncle Ziggy''s guess was, but he nodded.


    "I figured as much," Uncle Ziggy continued. "I knew that once you ascded, those lower-tier monsters wouldn''t be much of a challge anymore. But I didn''t expect you toe back so soon. It seems you''re ev more outstanding than your father, Pete."


    "So, about the team?" us asked, curious.


    "Don''t worry about that," Uncle Jojo said, stepping in. "We still have onest spot on the Bloodaxe Mercary team that your dad used to fill. It''s yours if you want it. But I suppose you wouldn''t go hunting with us, right?"


    "Stupid, he''s just an Ascded. Are you trying to get him killed?" Uncle Ziggy cut in, shaking his head. "us, don''t pay atttion to him. He had too much to drink this morning."


    "Why would I die if I wt hunting with you?" us asked, confused.


    Uncle Ziggy''s expression turned serious. "List well, us. There are hundreds of Forbidd Zones all over the world, but not all Forbidd Zones are the same. They''re ranked based on the ss of monsters they house. The ones you fought in the forest are like grehouse flowerspared to the real monsters out there.


    The real monsters are graded into sses, and each ss is stronger than thest. Right now, the human race has idtified five sses of monsters: Lesser, Great, Dark, Terror, and Devil. I won''t go into too much detail, but ev the strongest of us can only defd against or run from a Terror Monster."


    "What?!" us shouted, shocked by the revtion.


    "No need to be so shocked," Uncle Ziggy said calmly. "We''re just Grandmasters forming our Star Core, while a Terror Monster has already formed its Beast Star Core. It''s only natural for us to struggle against one. But let''s not get off-topic. As I was saying, there are differt sses of monsters, but ev within a ss, not all monsters are the same.


    For example, if a mosquito and a lion both became Terror Monsters, it''s obvious the lion would be stronger than the mosquito. However, that doesn''t mean you could easily kill a Terror Mosquito either. So, if you''ve killed a Tier 5 monster, that''s impressive, but your chances of killing a Tier 5 Dark Monster are nearly zero."


    us was shocked again. He had always known the monsters in the Forbidd Zones were strong, but hearing this made him realize just how immse the differce was.


    "But don''t worry," Uncle Ziggy continued, "Forbidd Zones are graded by Tiers. Currtly, you can ter a Tier  and  Forbidd Zone, but I''d advise you not to go too deep into it. A Tier  Forbidd Zone contains monsters ranging from Tier  to Tier 5, betwe the Lesser and Dark sses.


    The stronger ones are mostly found in the inner sections, but that doesn''t mean you won''t counter tough monsters in the outer areas either."


    "Uncle, what makes these monsters stronger, and how can I idtify them?" us asked after taking a momt to process what he had just heard.


    "Well," Uncle Ziggy continued, "these monsters are more evolved and have something called Monster Cores. These cores act like an ergy source. While you rely on your spiritual qi pool, monsters use their cores to power themselves. This core is what makes them stronger and allows them to use spiritual qi like humans do."


    He paused to let the information sink in before continuing, "To idtify them, there are two main ways. First, if your spiritual qi is strong ough, you can sse their ss based on their aura. If you can''t do that, you can use your tracking band."


    "Tracking band?" us asked, intrigued.


    "Yes," Uncle Ziggy exined. "The tracking band is what the military uses. It tracks the number of kills you''ve made and rewards you with points ordingly. It can also help you idtify the strgth and ss of the monsters you counter."


    "Thank you, Uncle Ziggy. I''ll make sure to prepare well before heading out. It looks like I''ll really be facing stronger monsters this time," us said with a confidt smile.


    "Well, the rewards are great, so it will be worth it. I suppose you hav''t gott your idtity card yet?" Uncle Ziggy asked.


    "Not yet. I n to go to the bank after I leave here," us replied.


    "Good. Wh you get your card,e back here. We''ll register you into our team, and th you can head to the hunter guild to buy a Forbidd Pass. That will let you ter the Zone," Uncle Ziggy said.


    "Okay, thanks!" us said. He turned to leave but paused at the door. "Um, Uncles, do any of you happ to have a hat and sunsses?"


    The five uncles exchanged amused nces and burst intoughter.


    Shortly after, us left the shop wearing a cap and sunsses and headed to the Royal Gold Reserve Bank where a surprise was awaiting him

 Chapter 41: Royal Gold Reserve Bank

    After leaving the tattoo shop, us headed toward the Royal Gold Reserve Bank, now disguised in a dark hat and sunsses. His earlier run-in with the paparazzi had be exhausting. It was the first time in his life he had be noticed, and it rattled him more than he expected.


    He had tried to prepare for this momt since his awaking, but it still came too suddly. Now that his face was out there, he knew he had to brace himself for whatever mighte next. As he walked through the busy streets, weaving betwe shops and crowds, he kept a low profile, moving quietly toward the bank. ording to Uncle Zizzy, it would take about an hour to reach his destination.


    Ross City was massive, it was once a state but now fully under the control of the Ross Great Family. Millions of people called it home, and it spanned thousands of miles. us didn''t know exactly howrge the city was, but he knew the bank was located on the eastern side.


    The Royal Gold Reserve Bank is a massive financial institution that gained promince wh the new union leaders implemted a rule to rece all old currcies with gold coins. Their presce made the transition smooth and efficit.


    Now, with blockchain technology as the backbone of global transactions, the Royal Gold Reserve Bank stands as a titan of finance in this new era. They have branches in every city across the world, and their immse influce attracts a vast number of customers. Almost everyone who wants reliable banking services turns to them.


    us had learned from Madam Fei that there were other banks where he could request housing assistance, and they would only require a quarter of what the Royal Gold Reserve Bank demanded. However, those bankscked the backing and prestige of the Royal Gold Reserve, meaning their services were much more limited.


    Madam Fei''s rmdation of the Royal Gold Reserve Bank couraged us to aim for the best.


    After 45 minutes of weaving through the busy streets and keeping a low profile, us finally arrived in a differt part of the city. Ross City was truly a marvel. The buildings seemed to stretch dlessly into the sky, constructed with advanced machines, elegant designs, and durable ss. The towers gleamed in the sunlight, a testamt to the wealth and power conctrated in this part of the city.


    The g beath us''s feet was lined with smooth tiles, and the terrain had be meticulously designed so that walking, driving, and ev flying could be done with ease. It was a seamless bld of functionality and luxury.


    In the distance, us spotted a massive building adorned with arge gold coin insignia. The building towered above everything else, with countless floors. Ev from afar, us could see the bustling parking area filled with sleek cars and a few private jets parked to one side. The sight of those jets made his heart race.


    "Suddly, I feel out of ce," us muttered to himself with a smirk. "Who am I kidding? I''ve always be out of ce." Heughed quietly at his own situation but didn''t stop moving forward.


    His eyes locked onto one of the smaller, yet elegant jets among the fleet. "One day, I''ll be packing my jet here too," he said with quiet determination, already imagining himself arriving in style.


    Just as he approached the bank, about 00 meters from the trance, a voice rang out behind him. "Stop right there!"


    us halted in his tracks and slowly turned a, wondering who was calling for him now.


    Turning a, us saw a young man in a slick suit, casually walking with two beautiful wom on either side of him. They moved with confidce, and behind them followed a self-driving Velox T-0, a sleek vehicle that us wouldter learn was made from nano-technology capable of repairing itself and ev resisting bullets and other projectiles¡ªthough not all.


    ''A Rich brat,'' us thought to himself, instantly assuming the worst. He figured this guy was up to no good, so he mtally prepared for a verbal sparring match. However, wh the young man approached, his expression was far from hostile. Instead, he smiled warmly.


    "I''m Nathan Alcadia," the man said, his tone fridly. "May I know this brother''s name?"


    us immediately recognized that Daniel was older than him and radiated the aura of a Master stage expert. It surprised him, though, that Daniel''s demeanor was far more polite than he had expected.


    "I''m us," he replied, keeping his expression neutral.


    "I noticed Brother us is headed into the bank, so I won''t take much of your time," Daniel said, still smiling. "Would you mind giving me a minute of your time?"


    "Feel free," us responded, rxing a bit and giving Daniel the go-ahead to continue.


    "Good," Daniel smiled, visibly pleased. "Actually, I noticed that Brother us is a warrior. From your aura, I can tell you''re stronger than most Ascded. The reason I stopped you is to see if you''d be willing to join a temporary team I''m putting together. We''re nning to ter the Jade Mountain Forbidd Zone for a special task."


    Daniel paused for a momt, letting the gravity of his words sink in before continuing. "Although you might not have time to think about it right now, I''d like to let you know that just by joining the team, you''ll immediately earn 00 million gold coins. And after the quest ispleted, you''ll receive another 300 million."


    us raised an eyebrow at the numbers. Five hundred million gold coins was an astronomical sum, more than ough to secure afortable future for both him and his mother. But there was a catch¡ªthere always was. So, without hesitation, us asked the most important question, "Can I know what Tier the Jade Mountain Forbidd Zone falls in?"


    "It''s a Tier 3 Forbidd Zone, but the strongest monster there is a Tier 6 Terror," Daniel exined. "I''m telling you this to make sure you''re aware of the danger. I wouldn''t want to bring you in knowing you''re several ranks lower than a Tier 6 monster. But don''t worry, the strongest member of the team is a Grandmaster who has already started forming their Star Core."


    us took in the information, considering the risks and rewards. "Good to know. And wh is this task?"


    "A week after the Felin Youth Ball," Daniel replied, "so about a month from today."


    us nodded, already calcting how much time he had to prepare if he decided to join. "I''m busy at the momt and can''t make a decision right now, but if you leave me your card, I''ll reach out once I''ve made up my mind."


    Daniel''s smile wided in satisfaction. He beckoned to one of thedies beside him, who quickly handed us a sleek card. "I look forward to hearing from you," Daniel said with a slight bow.


    "I''ll contact you once I decide," us replied, turning to leave. He approached the gate, which scanned his worker''s permit badge before oping it automatically. He stepped through, tering the grand trance of the Royal Gold Reserve Bank.


    As he walked away, one of the wom by Daniel''s side leaned in and asked quietly, "Young master, why did you request his help and show him such respect?"


    "Honestly, I don''t know," Daniel admitted, watching us disappear into the distance. "Big sister told me to invite him. She''s too prideful toe herself, so she st me instead."


    One of the wom raised an eyebrow. "Why would she care about him?"


    Daniel shrugged. "Who knows? Anyway, let''s head back. He probably won''t reach out. A weak warrior like him would only be a burd." With that, the car doors oped automatically, and they got in. The sleek vehicle drove off, fading into the bustling city.


    Meanwhile, us, now standing before the grand trance of the Royal Gold Reserve Bank, held the card Daniel had giv him. He chuckled to himself. "If I didn''t know better, I''d say the heavs are favoring me," he mused, tucking the card away.


    As he approached the door, it slid op before he could touch it. Stepping inside, us was momtarily tak aback by the luxurious interior. The walls gleamed with polished stone, and the air smelled faintly of freshvder. Before he could take it all in, a petite woman in a fitted ck suit approached him with a polite smile.


    "Young warrior," she greeted him, her voice warm yet professional, "wee to the Royal Gold Reserve Bank. How may we assist you today?"


    "Hi, I am looking to op an ount," us said, addressing the petite woman in the ck suit.


    "This way, please," she responded with a polite nod. She led him to a door and oped it, gesturing for him to ter. "Young warrior, you''ll be attded to through there."


    "Thank you," us replied and walked through the door.


    On the other side, he found himself in front of a ss table where a young blondedy was seated, scrolling through a ss phone.


    "Hi, I was directed here," us said, making his presce known. "I''m us and I would like to op a bank ount."


    Thedy who was lost in her Phone was jolted awake wh us spoke. With an embarrassed expression, she spoke. "Sorry about that. Wee to the Royal Gold Reserve Bank. How may I assist you today?"


    "I would like to op a bank ount," us said, taking a seat in one of thefortable chairs.


    Thedy quicklyposed herself and began oping a form on herputer. "May I have your name, please?"


    "us Hanson," us replied.


    After typing a few details into theputer, the youngdy looked up and said, "Kindly ce your right palm on this scre, after cing your left palm." us followed her instructions.


    "I will need you to remove your cap and sses so I can scan your face," she added.


    us cursed inwardly, but he gtly removed his cap and sunsses. As his disguise came off, thedy''s eyes wided in shock, and her jaw nearly dropped.


    "Please, can we continue with the ount creation?" us smiled at her reaction. His mother had advised him to take it easy with thedies now that he had be more charming, but such reactions were beyond his control.


    "I know this isn''t rted to the ount creation, but can I¡ª"


    "Yes, I''ll take a selfie with you, but let''s finish the ount setup first," us interrupted before she could finish her request. us could only smile looking at such a foreign reaction.

 Chapter 42: A Platinum Customer

    Thedy''s eyes lit up with excitemt. Her demeanor shifted from flustered to efficit, and she quickly proceeded with the paperwork. She asked a few more questions and had us sign several e-documts. Once the process wasplete, she turned to him and asked, "How much would Brother us like to deposit into the ount?"


    us reached into his space ring and pulled out a credit card. "I''d like to withdraw all the money on this card into my ount," he said, handing the card to thedy.


    Thedy took the card and began tering details into herputer. After a few seconds, a look of confusion crossed her face. "tinum... Cus...tomer," she stammered, ncing up at us with astonishmt.


    Before she could say more, the door to the room oped, and a man in his early 40s walked in. "Manager, sir, I..." thedy began, but the man held up a hand to stop her.


    With a fridly smile, he addressed us. "Distinguished customer, I''ll be taking over from here."


    us raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Why? Thisdy seems to be doing a good job. Is everything alright?"


    The manager smiled reassuringly. "Everything is fine. You''ve be upgraded to a tinum customer, which means she''s no longer qualified to continue the process. I''ll handle it from here."


    us sighed at the sudd shift in treatmt. Although thedy who had be helping him hadn''t made the best first impression, he still found her dearing in her own way.


    "Distinguished customer, we can continue the process in my office," the manager said, his tone filled with respect.


    "You can just call me us," us replied, feeling a bit ufortable with the grand title.


    "Mr. us, this way," the manager gestured, leading him to a private elevator. us smiled slightly, following along. Before he could ev fully process what was happing, they arrived at the highest floor.


    The office they stepped into was nothing short of luxurious. Every item seemed to glist with diamond sparkles¡ªchairs, tables, and ev the cups on the desk were made of diamonds. It was a sight that made us almost drool, the extravagance far beyond anything he''d se before.


    "Please, can you tell me what''s going on?" us asked, still trying to make sse of the situation.


    The manager smiled warmly. "The card you prested is a tinum rmdation card. As such, your ount has now be credited with  billion gold coins."


    us stared at him, stunned. T billion gold coins? How could that be possible? He had only prested a credit card with 0 million on it, yet his ount had be credited with an astronomical sum. "How is this possible?" us asked, his voice full of disbelief.


    The manager leaned forward slightly, speaking in a calm tone. "Mr. us, you seem to be new to this, so allow me to exin. In our banking system, there are differt ranks. It starts with Copper, followed by Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and finally tinum. tinum is the highest tier in terms of ranking."


    He paused briefly, watching us absorb the information before continuing. "Each rank offers differt befits and privileges. As you might guess, not just anyone can hold a tinum card. Typically, to qualify for one, you must wield significant influce and possess considerable wealth. However, Mr. us, the card you prested is from an¡ª"


    The manager suddly stopped mid-stce, his eyes flickering with hesitation. He seemed to realize he was on the verge of revealing something ssitive. After a momt, he cleared his throat and gave a polite smile. "Rest assured, the card carries unique privileges," he said, carefully avoiding any further details.


    us sat back, still trying to process everything. What kind of card had he gott his hands on? And more importantly, who is Ohema? Because he knew for a fact that the card came from her, if what the manager said is true, which it is, th who is Ohema, what is her true idtity?


    "So, I now have t billion in my ount?" us asked, still trying to wrap his mind a the staggering figure.


    The manager smiled again and nodded. "Yes, Mr. us. You now have t billion gold coins at your disposal. Congrattions."


    us blinked, feeling a strange mix of disbelief and excitemt. T billion gold coins. It was ough to change his life¡ªand his mother''s¡ªforever. This is a great thing for him, but somehow, his mind isn''t at rest like someone who now has t billion in their ount.


    "Manager, can I know who this card is from? Just a little information is all I ask," us said, leaning forward slightly, his curiosity getting the better of him.


    The manager hesitated, his smile fading just a little. He nced a as if suring no one else could overhear before lowering his voice. "I''m afraid I can''t reveal too much, Mr. us. But what I can tell you is that the cardes from a very... influtial individual.


    Someone with considerable power and resources."


    us''s eyes narrowed. "But who? A name will suffice"


    The manager offered a polite but firm smile. "I''m sorry, Mr. us, but that''s all I can disclose. The befactor clearly wishes to remain anonymous."


    us nodded, still full of questions but knowing he wouldn''t get any more answers today. Whoever Ohema really is, he will soon find out, after all, he will have to pay her back sooner rather thanter.


    "I can see Mr. us has a lot to think about," the manager said with a knowing smile. "But please understand, as a tinum customer, your status is now several times higher than wh you first walked through these doors."


    us smiled to himself. He had walked in as a nobody and was now leaving as a billionaire. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined something like this. epting the reality, he said, "We can proceed, Mr. Manager."


    "The next step is simply linking your card to your phone for easier transactions," the manager exined. "The process has already bepleted."


    us''s smile faltered, and he frowned slightly. He didn''t have a phone¡ªmainly because he didn''t have an ID to purchase one.


    "Uh, Mr. Manager," us began, a little embarrassed. "I don''t actually have an ID yet, and as far as I know, you need one to buy a phone. So... I don''t have a phone."


    The manager raised an eyebrow in surprise but quicklyposed himself. "Ah, I see. No worries, Mr. us," he said smoothly. "Since you''re now a tinum customer, we can assist you in acquiring both an ID and a phone right here. Consider it a privilege of your new status."


    us felt a wave of relief wash over him, mixed with amazemt at how smoothly everything seemed to fall into ce. It was as if his new tinum ount holder status had oped doors he didn''t ev know existed. His mind began to clear, and he realized that his status had elevated him to heights ev he had yet to fully understand.


    After only a few more minutes of waiting, someone arrived with a sleek ss phone and a shiny new ID card for the manager to hand over. us blinked in surprise at the speed and efficicy of the process. This sudd shift felt almost surreal in a world where he''d always struggled.


    "Mr. us, this is your phone and ID. You can ess your ount anywhere using this phone, and with this ID, you can rmd anyone," the manager said, handing us the sleek device and idtification.


    The momt us touched the phone, a wave of joy surged through him. Finally, he had a phone of his own. He quickly unlocked it, his fingers moving with excitemt, and was thrilled to find his bank ount already linked. Wh he saw the long string of zeros in his bnce, he had to hold himself back from shouting in celebration.


    "Thank you, Mr. Manager," us said, smiling widely.


    "Mr. Manager, I''d like to know the housing system ording to the bank''s standards," us asked without hesitation. His main objective was clear¡ªhe needed to buy a house.


    The manager nodded, understanding the importance of the request. "Of course, Mr. us. As a tinum ount holder, you have ess to exclusive housing options. The bank works closely with the city''s top real estate developers, offering properties ranging from luxury apartmts to private estates.


    You can choose from various high-d locations, and with your currt status, purchasing or rting will be a seamless process. "


    "Can I know the prices if I want to buy?" us asked.


    The manager smiled and tapped a few buttons on his desk. A holographic projection appeared in front of them, disying various houses and estates across the city. "Of course, Mr. us," he said. "Here are a few options."


    The projection showcased differt types of properties, from luxury apartmts in the heart of the city to sprawling estates on the outskirts. the locations shown in the projection are all in high-level ces in Ross City. Just looking at it made us wanna buy everything his money can afford.


    "For a high-d luxury apartmt in the western district," the manager exined, "you''re looking betwe 50 to 500 million gold coins. For a private estate with more space and privacy, prices can range from  billion to 5 billion, depding on the size and location."


    us nodded and continued browsing through the hundreds of avable houses, each unique in its own way. He couldn''t help but feel a little overwhelmed as he scrolled past luxurious homes that once seemed beyond his reach. After about 0 minutes, he reached the final listing: a private estate with a stunning waterfall. It caught his eye immediately.


    He had marked down a few houses to revisitter, carefully considering his options. But just as he was about to make his choice, the manager spoke up.


    "Mr. us, congrattions on buying a house."


    us blinked in confusion. "What?"


    The manager smiled. "It appears your ount automatically purchased one of the properties you were browsing¡ªour system marked it as confirmed."


    us stared at the manager, dumbfounded. Had he unknowingly made a purchase? He hadn''t ev decided yet!

 Chapter 43: Benefits of a platinum Customer

    us was beyond shocked to hear that he had already purchased a house. He hadn''t ev made his choice, yet somehow, a house had be bought in his name. It didn''t make sse at all. The only logical exnation was that someone else had ess to his ount and made the purchase for him.


    But wh he checked his bnce, he was ev more puzzled¡ªhis ount hadn''t be deducted a single coin. How could he have bought a house without paying?


    He looked back at the manager, who smiled as if nothing was amiss. "How... how did I buy a house without any money leaving my ount?" us asked, his mind racing.


    The manager''s expression remained calm. "Mr. us, as a tinum customer, certain properties are granted through a special program for individuals of your status. In this case, the house you selected was gged for immediate transfer to you¡ªno paymt required."


    us stood froz, speechless, but his instincts kicked in. He could tell the manager wasn''t beingpletely truthful. Something about the situation felt off. It was as if someone was pulling strings behind the sces, orchestrating evts in his favor.


    A single name floated to the forefront of his mind¡ªOhema. Her beautiful face shed in his thoughts. But why would she be behind this? What would she gain from manipting his situation so discreetly? us was full of questions, his mind buzzing with the possibilities. There was only one person who could give him answers.


    Before he could press the manager for the truth, the manager abruptly shifted the conversation. "Now, Mr. us," he said, ncing at a documt, "let''s finalize your transaction and discuss the befits thate with your new status as a tinum ount holder."


    us bit back his questions for the momt, deciding to y along. But deep down, he knew he''d have to confront Ohema soon. She has done more than ough, the least he can do is know why.


    "Alright, we can talk more about the befits," us said, deciding to go with the flow for now.


    The manager smiled, clearly pleased. "Excellt, Mr. us. With the purchase of this estate, you gain ess to a number of exclusive perks. For starters, the estatees fully furnished with luxury amities, including a private security team and maintance staff.


    Additionally, you will have ess to the tinum Club, an exclusive society where only high-ranking individuals like yourself canwork and socialize. This membership ops doors to powerful connections across the city."


    us listed carefully, taking in the information, but his mind kept wandering back to Ohema. Was this all connected to her somehow? And if so, what was her real motive?


    "For your convice, your estate is also equipped with advanced technology formunication, privacy, and hanced security," the manager continued, his voice smooth. "Additionally, your new homees with an As Arcadia turbo car, a state-of-the-art vehicle known for its speed and durability. Perfect for someone of your status."


    us raised an eyebrow, impressed.


    "And," the manager added, leaning forward slightly, "you''ll have ess to a private Tier 6 training area. This space is designed to allow high-level warriors like yourself to train without any disturbance, fully equipped to handle intse sessions. You won''t find anything like it in the public sectors."


    us couldn''t help but be intrigued. A Tier 6 training area? Only the elite could dream of that, and now it was his. Still, he couldn''t shake the feeling that all of this was too good to be true.


    "Anything else I should know about?" us asked, forcing a casual tone, ev as his mind raced with thoughts of Ohema and her possible involvemt.


    The manager smiled wider. "Well, Mr. us, your estate also offers direct ess to several hidd services only known to tinum customers, but we''ll leave that for wh you''re more settled in. For now, you''re all set to joy your new life of luxury."


    us was impressed by how efficitly the bank handled everything. Beforeing in, he expected a lot ofplications, but things had unfolded almost effortlessly. Still, he had one more question on his mind.


    "I have another question, Mr. Manager," us said, leaning forward slightly. "My mother isn''t a registered citiz. How would the procedure go if she wanted to obtain an ID?"


    The manager smiled as if he had anticipated the question. "Ah, not to worry, Mr. us. Giv your currt status as a tinum customer, the process will be very straightforward for your mother. Normally, obtaining an ID involves a few steps¡ªverification of residcy, backg checks, and so on.


    However, because of your rank, all we would need is a simple rmdation from you, and the process will be expedited."


    us nodded, relief washing over him. He had feared it might be moreplicated, but the manager''s answer reassured him.


    "The ID can be arranged within a few hours after your rmdation is submitted," the manager continued. "Your mother will be recognized as a citiz without the usual red tape. She''ll be free to joy all the befits of city life."


    "Thank you, Mr. Manager," us replied. "So now that this is settled, can I know how my estate looks, where it is, and wh I can move in?" us asked with a smile.


    The manager pressed a button on his desk, and a projection of the estate appeared in front of them. It wasn''t too big, nor too small, but perfectly situated within one of the most luxurious areas of the city. From the projection, us could see that the estate had four rooms, a spacious hall, a pool, and a lush gard filled with all kinds of fruit trees.


    Theyout was elegant yet simple, with a sere, weing atmosphere.


    "The estate alsoes with a car and a full security team," the manager said again. "They''ll be deployed to the property before you move in. If you have any personal items you''d like to transfer, just let us know, and we''ll arrange it for you. As for wh you can move in, that''s tirely up to you."


    us nodded thoughtfully, feeling more at ease with how smoothly things were progressing. "I think I''ll move in tomorrow. I''ll need to prepare a few things first."


    "Of course, Mr. us. Everything will be ready for your arrival, just call the number on the scre and you will picked up to your new home." the manager said with a courteous nod.


    "And for your mother," the manager added, "she can move in as well. Someone from the Idtity Guild wille by and take care of her ID."


    us nodded in appreciation and th stood up to leave. A few secondster, he was back on the g floor of the bank. As he was about to exit, he noticed thedy he had promised to take a selfie with earlier, staring at him through the ss.


    He smiled to himself, shaking his head. With a sigh, he decided to keep his word and walked over to her. They took three selfies and th she gave him her contact before us was free to leave.


    Back on the top floor, the manager let out a long sigh as soon as us left. Momtster, a soft chime echoed in the room, signaling an iing call. A holographic projection lit up in front of him, revealing the image of a woman.


    "How did it go?" thedy asked, her voice cool but curious.


    The manager straighted his posture before replying, "He''s smart, very smart. It''s only a matter of time before he figures out who she is."


    "Well, that is to be expected," thedy said, her voice calm and measured. "However, we should leave that to her. Our only job is to make sure hecks nothing."


    The manager nodded, understanding the delicate bnce of their task. "Yes, ma''am," he replied. "We''ll sure everything he needs is provided without raising suspicion."


    The projection faded leaving the Manager to sit back up in a morefortable posture. "What a lucky fe" He muttered with a slight smile.


    As us walked through the bustling streets toward Madam Fei''s shop, he reflected on how smoothly things had gone. He hadn''t expected the bank visit to be so seamless, with all the luxury and befits that came with his new tinum status. Now that the financial matters were handled, his focus shifted back to business: offloading the goods from hisst hunt before heading into the Forbidd Zone.


    While walking, us pulled out his phone to check out more of the bank''s befits. Besides all the perks and amities, one feature particrly caught his atttion¡ªthe bank also buys monster parts from hunters. However, their standards were high. They only dealt with parts from Tier 4 Dark Monsters and above.


    us''s curiosity deeped, so he began reading about the rankings of monsters based on their sses. Tier  monsters, he learned, could only have two sses: Lesser and Great. Tier 3 monsters expanded that to three sses: Lesser, Great, and Dark. The same held for Tier 4. However, wh it came to Tier 5 monsters, they gained an additional ss: Terror.


    This ssification piqued his interest. He knew that tering the Forbidd Zone would likely bring him face-to-face with monsters of these higher sses, and the idea of facing a Tier 5 Terror-ss beast stirred a mix of excitemt for some unknown reason.


    He had also learned more about the stages beyond the Grandmaster level. Once someone became a Saint, leveling up became much harder. It wasn''t just about farming experice points anymore; it required gathering spiritual qi from the atmosphere or killing monsters to absorb ergy from their cores. us knew this path would only get more difficult as he advanced.


    After nearly three hours of walking, us finally arrived at Madam Fei''s shop. He stepped inside, scanning the room to sure no one else was a. Once he confirmed it was just him and Madam Fei, he removed his disguise, leaving her stunned.


    us grinned at her shocked expression. "As promised, I''m here with ev more goods."

 Chapter 44: Madam Feis Advise

    Madam Fei stood there, stunned, her eyes wide as she looked at the boy who had surprised her just days ago with those high-tier monster bodies. But now, us''s transformation left her ev more speechless. He hadn''t just grown more handsome; he had be unique.


    His pure  hair and gold eyes set him apart in a way few could ignore. Though many could dye their hair , something is mesmerizing about the natural color. It gave him an air of mystery and chantmt that dyed hair could never replicate. us had shifted from merely good-looking to something beyond¡ªhandsome in a way that defied expectations.


    us noticed Madam Fei''s shocked expression and smiled slightly. Normally, such stares from others would make him ufortable or ev irritated, but with Madam Fei, it was differt. Her reaction amused him, and instead of feeling annoyed, he found himself quietly tertained by it.


    "As promised, I''m here with ev more goods," us said, snapping Madam Fei out of her reverie.


    She blinked, still slightly dazed, before blurting out, "You¡ªwh did you be this handsome?"


    us chuckled softly at her reaction, feeling more at ease now. "I suppose it just happed," he replied, a hint of amusemt in his voice.


    "Anyway, I have some stuff for you," us said, shifting the conversation back to business. He began retrieving the bodies of the monsters he had killed during his second hunt. After that, he carefully ced the zombie cores on the counter.


    Madam Fei''s eyes wided as she looked at the sheer number of monster bodies and cores in front of her. "This..." she muttered, dumbfounded, trying to process what she was seeing. Hundreds of monster bodies and coresy before her.


    "Well, myst hunt wt surprisingly better than I expected," us said with a smile. "No need to rush with the appraisal. I''ll leave them with you, and you can sd the paymt once you''ve had time to check them all," he added, his tone calm and confidt.


    Madam Fei, still stunned, nodded slowly. "You''re full of surprises, ar''t you?" she said, shaking her head with a small smile. "I''ll make sure to appraise everything carefully and sd what you''re owed."


    us nodded again, more at ease with Madam Fei. Despite his rising status, he still nned to continue selling to her, at least until she couldn''t buy anymore.


    "I''ll be heading into the Forbidd Zone soon," us said casually. "Next time, I mighte back with ev better goods."


    Madam Fei''s eyes wided in concern. "The Forbidd Zone... that''s a dangerous ce, us. Are you sure you want to go there?"


    us smiled, his confidce unwavering. "Dangerous, yes. But I''m ready. There''s no growth without risk," he replied calmly.


    "Well, I guess you''re right," Madam Fei said with a sigh. "But if you''re heading into the Forbidd Zone, this might be ourst transaction. Mutated monsters are several times more expsive than regr ones. And although I said I could buy anything you sell, I won''t be able to afford more than a doz Mutated Monsters at most."


    She trailed off, a hint of regret in her voice.


    "It doesn''t matter," us said casually. "I can leave them with you, and wh youe up with the money, you can sd it to me."


    Madam Fei looked at him with a gtle smile. "You clearly don''t realize the value of Mutated monsters, nor how high the demand is these days. Ev the weakest Mutated monster is a hundred times more expsive than a high-tier normal monster."


    "A hundred times?" us was tak aback, his eyes widing in shock.


    "Yes," she continued, nodding. "And that''s just for ordinary Mutated monsters."


    "It''s still the same to me," us replied confidtly. "I''ll bring them here, and you can use your connections to sell them. That way, you earn some profit, and I''ll still be getting the better d of the deal."


    Madam Fei smiled, clearly pleased by the arrangemt. She knew that with her experice as a businesswoman, she could sell those Mutated monsters for far more than us could on his own. It was a win-win situation for both of them¡ªless effort, more gain.


    "However," she said, her tone growing more serious, "you should be very careful going into the Forbidd Zone. That ce is filled with dangerous monsters, but worse than that, you might counter vile humans¡ªmore vicious than the monsters themselves. But the fact that you''re going there tells me you''re a powerful warrior, so let me share a little secret with you, consider it an advice."


    us leaned in slightly, intrigued by her shift in tone.


    "Wh you ter the Forbidd Zone," she continued, "all kills you make will be recorded and awarded points. These points determine your might and strgth. What many don''t know is that these points are more than just a ranking¡ªthey op doors. Some arrogant people can get ahead because they have powerful backers, but those without support can only rely on their own strgth."


    Madam Fei paused, her eyes locking onto us''s. "Ev if you''re strong, without the right connections, you''ll be blocked from tering certain ces. But there''s a way a that. The point system. If you manage to climb into the top 00 in this city, your status will rise higher than you could ever hope for."


    us took in her words thoughtfully before asking, "How many rankings are there, and how hard is it to ter?"


    "There are four rankings," Madam Fei exined. "City, Region, Union, and World Rankings. But don''t concern yourself with thest three right now¡ªjust appearing on the City Ranking is more than ough. You should know, that each ranking only has a thousand people, and ev the one in the 00th spot holds significant influce.


    Making it onto the list will be your opportunity to be an important figure."


    us smirked. "So esstially, I need to be popr by showing everyone I''m a true warrior," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.


    Madam Fei chuckled. "In a way, yes. But remember, it''s not just about poprity¡ªit''s about proving your strgth. Get on that list, and doors will start oping for you."


    us couldn''t help but smile to himself. Ev before Madam Fei''s advice, he had already set his sights on something far grander: world domination. But for now, his first objective wasplete. He had secured a house for his mother, suring she could live a happy and peaceful life for the rest of her days. That thought brought him a deep sse of satisfaction.


    Now, his focus shifted to his next goal¡ªbing several times stronger. He knew that without power, his future trials, especially the looming Tribtion, would be incredibly dangerous. It was time to make bold moves.


    The past fifty years had brought many new discoveries, things that could make him much more powerful. us understood that if he hesitated, those opportunities would slip through his fingers. The path forward required strgth and courage, and us was ready to seize every chance that came his way.


    "Thank you, Madam Fei," us said with a nod. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he left the shop and headed home. Along the way, he stopped to buy some nice food¡ªsomething he hadn''t indulged in for a while. With his rect sess, he felt it was a good time to treat himself.


    Wh he arrived home, he joyed a hearty meal and shared the details of his day with his mother. However, her response was not what he had anticipated.


    "First of all," she said, her tone serious, "you shouldn''t call her and start interrogating her. It would be best if you didn''t mtion any of this at all."


    us was tak aback. "But Mom, I think Ohema might be more than she seems. I''m concerned about what''s going on."


    His mother anticipated his next move and quickly advised against it. "us, wom handle things differtly. We do things you might not fully understand. So, trust me wh I say that you should just act like nothing has changed. If she''s ready to share anything, she will do so in her own time."


    us nodded, taking his mother''s advice to heart, though he was still a bit rattled by the evts from earlier.


    His mother, with a teasing glint in her eye, broke the tsion. "Hehe, who would have thought my innoct baby boy would be getting a Sugar Mommy right off the bat? You little yer. Just make sure you take good care of her, okay?"


    us blushed and chuckled at his mother''s yful remark. "Mom, stop teasing. It''s not like that. With everything happing, Ohema must have a terrifying status. Someone like me isn''t suited to be with her. We''re just frids."


    His mother clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Who are you kidding? Ev if you can''t see it now, I''m sure she has a differt opinion of you. Just promise me you won''t do anything to hurt her."


    us smiled, touched by her concern. "I promise, Mom."


    She continued, her tone lighting as she brushed her hand through his  hair. "And stop acting all modest. With how you look now, you could win anyone''s heart. Look, ev I''m blushing."


    usughed, feeling a mix of embarrassmt and warmth from his mother''s teasing. Her support and humor were just too satisfying.


    "Mom, we''ll be moving to our new home tomorrow," us said, retrieving a small box from his space ring. "But before we leave, I have a gift for you."


    He handed the box to her with a smile.


    As his mother oped the box, tears began to streak down her face. Inside was the wedding ring she had sold to buy the Celestial Water for his awaking.


    "This¡­" Her voice trembled as she looked at the ring.


    "You''ve sacrificed so much for me, Mom," us said softly. "At least have this to remember the good times, every now and th."


    His mother''s tears flowed freely now, a mix of joy and emotion. She clutched the ring to her chest. us hugged her letting her well up on his chest.

 Chapter 45: Moving into Their New Home

    The next morning, us helped his mother pack the few belongings they would take with them. Though their items wer''t valuable, they were what had sustained them over the past year, and they had grown attached to them. After packing, us stored everything in his space ring.


    They th made their way toward the city. After an hour of walking and chatting, they reached the city gates and used us''s idtity badge to gain try. Wh us showed the badge to the guards, their expressions shifted to surprise. us couldn''t help but smile.


    As expected, his ID had a differt effect. The guards didn''t ev ask him to remove his sunsses and cap. They simply waved them through. us and his mother walked a little further until they reached a small park with a bch. They sat down, and us called the number the manager had giv him.


    A few minutester, a car pulled up to the park. A young man stepped out and greeted them. "Mr. us, I am from the Royal Gold Reserve Bank. I''m here to pick you up and take you to your new home," he said, oping the car door for them. us nodded in acknowledgmt and led his mother into the car.


    The vehicle sped away, leaving the slum behind. us looked at his mother and smiled, feeling a wave of relief and happiness. Their lives were finally taking a turn for the better.


    After about an hour of driving, they arrived at a grand mansion with a majestic gate. As the gates swung op, they revealed a wide, tiled path lined with lush flowers. The car drove through, and after five minutes of slow driving, the mansion came into view.


    It was a small mansion, simr to what us had se in the projection, but seeing it in person left him astonished. The tire mansion was built tirely of ss. The sses have a hint of diamond brilliance in them.


    However, while the house was built using ss, they are nowhere brittle. They are durable ss made from the rareless material that can withstand an attack from ev a Tier 7 monster. From the walls to the roofing, everything is built with the best quality material. Had us asked, he would have be told the house is more than a billion gold coins.


    The car pulled up to the front trance, and the young man from the Royal Gold Reserve Bank oped the door for them. us and his mother stepped out, their eyes wide with awe. The young man led them to the front door, which was framed by a delicate pattern of etched ss.


    Inside, the mansion was just as impressive. The interior was bright and airy, with ss walls providing an unobstructed view of the suring gard. The floors were polished marble, and the furnishings were tastefully arranged, creating a bld offort and sophistication.


    From the inside, one can see the outside clearly, however, the same cannot be said for wh you are outside, or wh you look at the next room.


    us''s mother looked a, her eyes filled with wonder and relief. us felt a mix of pride and happiness as he watched her take in their new home.


    The young man from the bank handed us a remote key, "This is your new home. If you need anything or have any questions, please contact the manager directly. The maids and security will arrive within the hour"


    "Thank you," us replied, taking the key. He turned to his mother, who was still absorbing the grandeur of their new house.


    "This is it, Mom. I hope you like it," us said, his voice filled with anticipation.


    "Of course I do. This is wonderful, us," his mother replied with a beaming smile. Seeing her happiness, us felt a surge of joy and relief.


    About an hourter, two doz people arrived at the house. us was tak aback by their sudd appearance. There were t wom and t m, each a Grandmaster-stage expert. He hurried to greet them.


    "Master us, I am Kofi, the head of security task to protecting you and your mother," said a young man in his early thirties, bowing slightly.


    "Please, there''s no need to bow and just call me us," us repeated warmly, cing a reassuring hand on Kofi''s shoulder. "In fact, I insist on being called us from now on. You are all my siors, and it would be rude for me to be called Master."


    Hearing his words, the twty people standing before him felt an unexpected wave of relief. They exchanged nces, their stiff postures softing. Many of them had worked under harsher conditions before, where servants were treated as nothing more than tools. But this time, something was differt. us had shown them respect, treating them like equals rather than mere servants.


    It was a small gesture, yet it meant the world to them.


    As they were processing the surprising kindness of their new employer, us''s mother approached the group. us smiled and turned to the gathered staff. "Everyone, this is my mother. You can call her Auntie."


    The staff members bowed slightly, greeting her with the same respect. us''s mother smiled warmly at them and said, "There''s no need to be so formal. As us said, we''re all family now. Let''s treat each other with kindness and respect, and there''s no need to stand on ceremony."


    us smiled slightly at his mother''s words but, deep down, he was surprised. How had she overheard what he said? He was certain she hadn''t be there wh he made thatmt. He quickly brushed the thought aside, choosing not to dwell on it.


    The twty staff members introduced themselves one by one and th dispersed to their respective duties. Kofi, the head of security, took us on a thorough tour of the mansion, showing him the impressive security protocols that had be implemted.


    They explored the tire house, including its hidd ssors, emergcy escape routes, and ev an advanced monitoring system that kept an eye on every corner of the property. After about an hour of detailed exnations, they finally wrapped everything up.


    us th made his way to the garage and was relieved to find the car he had be promised. Its design was nothing short of extraordinary. It''s the kind of car built for long-range travel and rugged terrain. The car had a sleek, aerodynamic body with sharp, angr lines that made it look both futuristic and aggressive.


    Large, rotating tires which are perfect for navigating roughndscapes are securely fixed raising the car slightly up. The exterior gleamed with a metallic finish, ted by glowing strips of light, while the front grille was broad and the windows narrow, hancing its imposing look.


    Per the manual, the car ran on a hybrid quantum gine capable of extracting ergy from the Earth''s maic field. us was impressed; this meant the vehicle could theoretically run indefinitely, without ever needing to refuel.


    [A/N: Image in themt section]


    "Having money is indeed great," us murmured to himself with a smile as he turned and walked back inside the house.


    Upon tering, he found his mother happily chatting with one of the maids. Not wanting to disturb them, he quietly made his way to his room. Once inside, he sat on the edge of his bed and reached into his space ring, pulling out a gold card. He hesitated for a momt, staring at it thoughtfully, before setting it aside and picking up his phone.


    After a deep breath, he dialed a number and waited as the phone rang. After a few rings, a familiar face appeared on the scre. "Hello, Ohema," us said with a small smile. "I called, didn''t I?"


    Ohema smiled back, her expression warm and teasing. "I thought you wouldn''t call," she replied yfully.


    "I was already nning toe looking for you."


    us chuckled softly, feeling a little lighter. "Well, I couldn''t keep you waiting forever, could I?"


    "Tell me," Ohema teased. "How manydies have you called before calling me, Mr. Pretty Boy?" She winked yfully.


    us smirked, his expression turning mock-serious. He wasn''t about to letting her win just like that.


    "Let''s see," he said, raising his hand and slowly counting on his fingers, pretding to recall something. His mischievous smile wided as he continued the act, his eyes ncing up at Ohema with a yful glint.


    "How have you be?" Ohema asked, her voice softer now.


    us leaned back, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I won a lottery."


    "Errh..." Ohema responded, caught off guard. Though her tone remained calm, us could tell, ev through the video call, that she was slightly shak by the news. He had always be good at picking up on small shifts in people''s emotions. However, he didn''t act on it, rather, he continue to tease her.


    "Yep, you heard me right. This little guy is now a billionaire," us said, shing a smirk. "You should let me take you out and spoil you rott."


    Ohema raised an eyebrow but smiled, clearly amused. Unlike us, who was trying to be more reserve, she didn''t hold back as she replied


    "Finally," she said with a yful grin. "I''ll let you know wh I''m free."


    us blinked, surprised by her response. He hadn''t expected her to ept his yful offer so readily. He chuckled, trying to mask the surprise. "Alright th, I''ll be waiting," he said smoothly, but inwardly, he was a little shocked.


    Ohema smiled warmly, exchanging a few more yful words before ding the call. us was still smiling to himself wh, out of nowhere, a voice broke the silce.


    "You little yer," his mother teased from the doorway. "I knew you had game, but I never expected you to be this quick."


    us nearly jumped out of his skin, his face flushing red. He hadn''t ev noticed his mother slip into the room. Hermt left him both blushing and shocked.


    "Mom!" he shouted, trying to hide his embarrassmt. "How long have you be standing there?"


    His mother chuckled, clearly joying his flustered reaction. "Long ough," she said with a yful grin. "Seems like my boy has grown into quite the smooth talker."


    "You should really introduce me to this mysterious Ohema of yours," she added, her yful smile widing.


    "Mom..." us groaned, trying tough it off. "It''s not like that. We''re just frids."


    His mother raised an eyebrow. "Mhm, sure. ''Just frids,''" she teased. "Well, wh you''re ready to bring her a, I''ll be here, waiting."


    us sighed, shaking his head with a smile. "I''ll let you know if it ever gets to that point." us forced his mother out of his room. He sighed and th tapped on some part of the wall, a small passage oped and he walked through tering the training g.

 Chapter 46: Cultivating the First Star Diagram

    us tered a spacious room filled with various training equipmt. He nced at a few of the machines and weights but didn''t approach any of them. Instead, he walked over to a mat, sat down in the lotus position, and focused inwardly. His main objective wasn''t physical training today; it was to cultivate the First Star Diagram which is also a type of physical training.


    ording to the knowledge in his mind, he needed to temper his bones using the ergy of a star. The instructions were clear: each time he leveled up, he had to temper all his bones before advancing again.


    Currtly, us was just a Level  Ascded, so this was the perfect momt to begin the tempering process.


    He closed his eyes, letting his mood settle and his mind clear. Th, with deliberate precision, he formed several hand seals. A diagram began to glow on the g beath him. us smiled slightly, pleased that he had formed the correct seal. Next, he created another hand seal, causing the diagram to start spinning slowly.


    It rotated for a while beforeing to a sudd stop. As soon as it did, us felt his Spiritual ergy stir within him, heating up and circting faster. His body began to feel warm and loose, a sign that the tempering process was beginning.


    Suddly, us felt a foreign ergy ter his body. His bones began to feel soft and hot. The ergy was both violt and soothing, making him sweat on his back while remaining calm. It started at his head and flowed through his tire body.


    The processsted only a few seconds before it abruptly stopped. us th felt a violt shaking in his soul sea. A part of his consciousness was drawn into it. As he looked a, he saw the soul sea quaking as if a storm were approaching.


    Th, the first door creaked op slightly. From behind it, us saw what appears to be a world, a rather strange sight. He didn''t dwell on it, though, since something else caught his atttion.


    For just a fleeting momt, he saw a blood-red star boiling like blood on fire. A wave of bloodthirsty ergy emanated from it. Ev though the sight was brief, it left a deep impact on us. He felt a profound shift within him as if something fundamtal had changed.By just a single nce, his mood shifted unknowingly.


    Suddly, a torrt of blood-red ergy erupted from the door, filling us''s tire Soul Sea. He was jolted by the surge, and before he could call for help from the Sior from behind the door, he was forcefully pulled back to his physical body.


    Once back in the training room, us immediately felt his bones being soaked in a powerful, painful, and terrifying ergy. His bones started to heated up as the red ergy began to flood his body. The tire room was suffused with a dse red qi, almost corroding everything.


    The red ergy surged from us''s head to his toes. With each cycle, he felt an overwhelming power build inside him. Yet, wh the next wave of ergy hit, that earlier strgth seemed insignificant inparison. He could do nothing but dure the increasing pain he was going through. The process seem automated making him unable to stop ev if he wanted.


    "The tempering process is something you must dure," a voice echoed in his mind. "After each cycle, the pain multiplies several times over. You must cleanse your bones of all impurities first."


    "Sior," us replied, his voice shaking slightly. "Are you saying the process hasn''t ev started yet? I am dying here ev if my strgth is also rising."


    The voice chuckled, almost mocking him. "Foolish brat, do you think this is the real power of the Star Diagram? This is merely the beginning. Once youplete the first Bone Tempering stage, you''ll be able to crush ev Tier 6 monster with just a p."


    us''s heart pounded in his chest at the Sior''s words. Ev now, without the true tempering, he felt several times stronger than before. He believed he could smash through any oppont with a single punch. But the Sior''s words made it clear: the real tempering hadn''t ev begun.


    Just how monstrous is this technique? us thought, stunned by the pottial it held. us immediately clched his fists, channeling ev more ergy into his body. Right now, he craved strgth, and since he had found a path, all he could do was dure and grow stronger. The pain is the paymt.


    "Don''t resist it," the Sior''s voice instructed calmly. "Let the ergy flow through your body. The star ergy will temper not just your bones but your tire body. Your bones form the structure of your body, and with each tempering, your body will adapt to your ever-growing strgth."


    us gritted his teeth and released his resistance. A surge of ergy poured into him, and an intse burst of power erupted from his body, shaking the training room.


    "Now, guide the ergy along the path set in the diagram," the Sior continued. "Once this step isplete, you''ll sse the star ergy more. Only th can the true Bone Tempering begin."


    us nodded, focusing his mind as he moved the ergy. He started from his head, allowing the ergy to flow down to his toes. As it passed through him, he felt a wave of nourishing ergy cleanse his body. It was as if all the impurities had be washed away, leaving him feeling light and refreshed, as though he had be reborn.


    "This feeling is amazing!" us eximed, marveling at the newfound strgth coursing through him. He could feel his body growing several times stronger.


    "I can sse it. Damn, what a powerful ergy," us muttered in awe as thest of the ergy finished washing through his bones. An immediate connection was formed with an external force, one so powerful that it dwarfed his previous spiritual Qi. Wh he had awaked and level up, he felt powerful, but now that he is feeling this ergy, he felt ev more powerful.


    His previous strgth was nothingpared to this.


    "If only I could..." us''s curiosity got the better of him. A reckless idea formed in his mind, but the temptation to explore it was irresistible. "I guess there''s no harm in trying," he smiled, and without hesitation, he began channeling the star ergy into his spiritual qi pool.


    The momt the two ergies touched, chaos erupted within his soul sea. A violt whirlpool of conflicting forces swirled a, threating to tear him apart.


    "What are you doing?" the Sior''s voice rang out, sounding rmed.


    "We''ll find out in a few minutes," us replied through gritted teeth. The instant the ergies collided, his body heated up, as if being torn apart and reassembled over and over again. He knew this wasn''t literally happing, but the ssation was unbearable. He was mixing two ipatible ergies.


    "Idiot! You can''t mix two ergies that don''t share any properties! Stop before you explode!" the Sior''s voice echoed, filled with urgcy.


    us ignored the warnings. His body started to turn red as if his very flesh was burning from within, yet he forced himself to dure the excruciating pain.


    "Stop it!" the Sior screamed, but us, fighting through the agony, forced a reply.


    "No need to be scared, Sior," he gasped, barely able to speak as his mind battled the torture. His tire body shook, but us refused to relt.


    Cracks began to form all over his body, widing with every agonizing second. His skin split op, blood seeping through the ever-expanding fissures. His tire being screamed in pain, yet he refused to stop.


    "Your foolishness will kill you," the Sior warned, his voiceced with helplessness as he observed the reckless merging of ergies. But us was far beyond reason, pushing through the unbearable torture with sheer determination.


    As the cracks deeped, blood trickled from his eyes and nose, yet us continued, stubbornly clinging to his experimt. His aura flickered wildly, growing more unstable by the momt. But us whispered to himself, "Ev if I don''t know what or why I want this, I will seed."


    Th, without warning, a violt explosion erupted within his soul sea. His vision darked suddly, and his consciousness was pulled inside his soul sea. There, he saw it: the spiritual qi, shimmering , and the star ergy, burning red. The two forces spun furiously, shing like emies in an eternal battle.


    "So that''s it," us murmured, realization dawning. "Education really is important." He smacked his forehead, lighted by the conflict betwe the two ergies.


    "So all I have to do was transform one into the other. I can''t have both," us muttered. It appeared he was doing the wrong thing from the start.


    "That might actually work," the Sior''s voice chimed in from behind the door, sounding impressed for the first time.


    us grinned. "What do you think, Sior? Does this little paragon qualify now?" His tone was like a kid who has won his fathers approval.


    "Get to work," the Sior urged, "I''ll help guide the transformation. Sess depds on you."


    With a nod, us focused on his spiritual qi, carefully slowing its wild spinning. He immediately felt like his ergy had tered a ck hole. Sweat drched him as the task demanded every ounce of his strgth and conctration. But as he focused, a sudd light shot from the door, merging with us and infusing him with boundless ergy.


    The spiritual qi began to slow, its frantic motion calming. us clched his teeth, using the oping to feed the star ergy into the spiritual whirlpool. His soul sea trembled as the star ergy gradually veloped the spiritual qi.


    "Fuck, it''s working," us whispered, excitemt bubbling through the pain. Power surged through him, raw and immeasurable. "Is this what it feels like? I feel like I could cut the earth in half!" He clched his fists, both in his soul sea and in the physical realm.


    "What are you so impressed about? This isn''t ev a thousandth of a star''s true power. Your thinking is good for now, but because of this approach, your future cultivation will be several times harder," the sior warned.


    us smiled and replied, "Mr. Johnson used to say that with strgth, everything can be bt. I believe that with ough power, it doesn''t matter if there''s a mountain blocking me¡ªI''ll cleave through it ande out on the other side as the winner."


    As soon as us finished speaking, a surge of ergy erupted within his soul sea. Suddly, dse red ergy gushed out of the door, flooding his soul.


    "This..." The sior started to say something but but stopped

 Chapter 47: Terrifying changes

    A dse red star ergy gushed out, flooding us''s soul sea with an overwhelming and terrifying power. Outside his body, small runes began revolving a him, while his aura surged higher by the second. Inside his body, his bones started glowing gold as ancit runes lit up along them.


    "How is this possible?" the Sior muttered, wide-eyed as he observed the changes.


    "Sior, what''s happing?" us asked, feeling his strgth soar and his Star Qi rising to unfathomable levels.


    "You''ve merged with the star ergy," the Sior replied, "and now it''s reforming your bones."


    "Reforming? Does that mean I''m getting new bones?" us questioned, but the Sior remained silt. us quickly realized the answer for himself. He could feel it¡ªdeep within his body, his arm bones were turning transpart. As more ergy flooded in, the rest of his bones began to shift, bing clearer with every second.


    Once all his bones had turned transpart, blood-red runes started merging with them, pulsing with ancit power. Th, a sudd agony overtook him. us felt as if every bone inside him was being crushed, shattered, and reformed from scratch.


    "Endure, us!" the Sior urged. "This is a blessing. If you manage to reform all your bones, ev the gods will vy you!"


    As the Sior spoke, the heavs on the outside roared above. Dark clouds formed ominously, but just as quickly as they appeared, they dispersed, leaving behind an eerie calm.


    As more blood-red runes merged with us''s bones, they gradually turned transluct, their hue shifting from normal  to deep crimson. The runes circled a them, pulsing with power, while more Star Qi surged into his body, filling his bones with immse ergy.


    "This feeling..." us muttered, ssing his body bing several times stronger. Th, a grin spread across his face. "Hahaha! This is great! This is truly incredible!" us was beyond overjoyed.


    The searing pain that had wracked his body began to ease over time, but he didn''t focus on it. What consumed his thoughts now was the transformation within him. His ergy source had changed ¡ªfrom Spiritual Qi to the much more powerful version, Star Qi. He could feel the vast differce.


    Where once he needed to use 40 perct of his ergy to unleash an attack, now, with just  perct of his Star Qi, he could achieve a far more devastating effect.


    With this shift, us realized that whever he leveled up, his Star Qi pool would continue to grow. However, he also understood that the power of his new ergy would limit how much of it he could umte. Star Qi was several times stronger than Spiritual Qi, but it would take a lot more effort to expand its reserves. This thought brought a twinge of frustration.


    "What are you being gloomy about?" the Sior interrupted. "You''ve reformed your bones, gaining something, not ev gods, humans, beasts, or demons have possessed since the dawn of time. Don''t underestimate yourself, us. The currt you is a terrifying existce. Just having these bones is a gift. With minimal ergy, you''ll be able to unleash attacks that would make others tremble."


    The Sior''s words made us''s heart race. He had never imagined his bones could be so powerful. It was hard to wrap his mind a it.


    "Sior," us asked, still in awe, "can you tell me more about these bones of mine?"


    "I can''t say much," the Sior replied, "but know this: you no longer need to cultivate the star diagram like before. These new bones of yours have evolved to the point where they will constantly temper themselves using your ergy. Fortunately, you have more than ough Star Qi to sustain this ongoing evolution."


    He paused before continuing, his tone firm, "Focus on raising your cultivation base. That should be your priority now. With your currt cultivation level, you can only ess less than 5 perct of your full strgth. But as your cultivation rises, so will your ability to harness the full power of your bones."


    us''s mind buzzed as he absorbed the Sior''s words. Just 5 perct, yet he could tell the currt him is about twty times stronger than before he started cultivating the star diagram.


    "This cultivation method is more terrifying than I thought," us muttered to himself, clching his fists with determination. "I have to ter the Forbidd Zone soon. This time, I won''te out until I''ve leveled up a few times."


    With that, us focused inward, letting his consciousness reter his body. Wh he stood up, he immediately noticed how much stronger he felt. His muscles were taut with power, and his bones hummed with ergy. Curious to test his new strgth, us walked over to a strgth-measuring machine.


    Clching his fist tightly, he punched the te without hesitation.


    BOOM.


    The tire training g trembled from the force of his blow. us''s eyes wided as a number shed on the disy: "9,000Kg"


    "This... this is too good to be true," us whispered, staring in disbelief at the result. He couldn''t believe how much stronger he''d be.


    After a momt, he sighed and left the training g. What he needed now were live targets to truly test how far he''d progressed. But there was one issue¡ªhe had promised his mother he wouldn''t go hunting for at least a week, and it has only be less than three days since hisst hunt.


    "I''ll have to convince her somehow," us muttered to himself as he tered the bathroom to fresh up. Once he was clean, he ate a quick meal, th took a slow walk a their home, taking everything in, deep in thought.


    Evtually, us returned inside and wt to his loving mother. He approached her with a small, hopeful smile. "Mom, I know I said I wouldn''t go hunting for a while," he began, using his most innoct voice. "But I need to get used to my rect cultivation. I promise I''ll be careful." He finished with wide, pleading eyes, hoping to sway her decision.


    us''s mother looked up from where she was sitting, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied her son. She knew him too well, and his attempt to use his puppy eyes wasn''t lost on her. She sighed softly, cing her hands on herp.


    "us," she began gtly, "you''ve barely had time to rest. I can see how much you''ve grown, but you promised me you wouldn''t rush back out there."


    "I know, Mom," us replied earnestly, stepping closer. "But this time is differt. I''ve gained so much strgth in thesest few days¡ªmore than I ever imagined. I just need to see what I''m truly capable of now. I need to test myself so I can protect us better."


    His mother''s expression softed. She could see the fire in his eyes, the same determination she had se wh he first awaked. It was hard to argue with his reasoning, especially knowing how much us wanted to improve their lives. She could feel the sincerity in his words, and though she worried, she also knew that us wouldn''t let his new power go untested for long.


    With a heavy sigh, she nodded. "Alright, us. You can go. But," she added firmly, "you must promise me you''ll be cautious. I don''t want you to take unnecessary risks."


    us grinned, relieved and grateful. "I promise, Mom. I''ll be careful. I''ll stick to areas I know are safe."


    His mother smiled softly, though her eyes remained serious. "You''re stronger now, us, but that doesn''t mean you''re invincible. Don''t let this power make you reckless."


    "I won''t, I swear," us said, hugging his mother tightly. "Thank you, Mom. You''re the best." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before running to his room.


    Once there, he called Uncle Ziggy, excitedly informing him that he had obtained his ID and could now officially join the Bloodaxe Mercary team. A few minutester, us received a message confirming his membership with the team. His joy was palpable, and he wt to bed that night with a sse of satisfaction, looking forward to the wild advtures ahead.


    The next morning, his mother prepared various dishes for him, which us stored in his space ring. But despite his protests, she insisted he also take his bag filled with snacks. After a final, heartfelt hug, he left with Kofi, who drove him to the Hunters Guild.


    Inside the Guild, us quickly bought a hunting pass. He was giv a watch-like device that could idtify monsters, their grades, and sses. It also recorded points for each kill.


    The points system was as follows: killing a Tier  monster earned 0 points, a Tier 3 monster earned 500 points, a Tier 4 monster earned ,000 points, and a Tier 5 monster earned 0,000 points. In the Forbidd Zone, however, monsters came in differt sses, each with its own point system.


    Lesser monsters earned twice the base points, great monsters five times, Dark monsters t times, and Terror monsters twty times.


    us frowned at theplexity of the points system. He knew he couldn''t change the rules, so he resolved to follow them and see where his newfound strgth would lead him. Thankfully, only those under the Saint stage were allowed to ter Tier  and 3 Forbidd Zones. us bought a Tier  pass, where the strongest monsters were Tier 5 Terrors.


    With everything in ce, us felt a mix of excitemt and nervousness as he prepared to head into the forest. He was led to a waiting area. After a while, many more hunters appeared and sat in wait.


    After three hours, the ce was filled up. us ssed almost everyone was a grandmaster stage expert. Some ev sneer wh they sse his cultivation base. Clearly, they are looking down on him. After a while, thest person came. They were led into a huge armored shuttle which quickly drove them away.


    Three more hourster, they appeared in a ruined City. "From here onwards, you are your own. Transportation will arrive a week from today, those who survive should be here by th"


    us clched his fist and th disappeared into the ruined city ready to hunt.

 Chapter 48: Start of a Slaughter

    As soon as us tered Ruin City, he pulled up a map from the watch on his wrist. ording to the map, he had tered a Tier  Forbidd Zone known as Ruin City. This ce was once a thriving metropolis before the Apocalypse. Now, it was a dangerous territory ruled by a pack of White Strip Mountain Wolves and other terrifying monsters, each a mace to society.


    From the limited records us had found, he learned that aside from the wolves, the area was home to several other vicious monsters. Notable among them were the Red Scale Python, the Jade White Mountain Lion, and the G Drake Lizard King. These creatures were all Tier 5 Terror Monsters, and their locations had be marked on the map.


    Ev though us had grown stronger, he knew better than to go after a Tier 5 monster right away. He wasn''t about to take on the big threats just yet. First, he needed to understand his own abilities better and figure out how to use them effectively inbat.


    For now, his goal was to hunt smaller monsters, test his limits, and gradually work his way up to the more dangerous creatures lurking in the city.


    "Tier 3 should be a good start," us thought to himself. He knew these monsters were differt from the ones he''d faced before, but he was eager to test himself. He didn''t want to underestimate them, but he had grown far stronger than he once was. His confidce pushed him to aim higher, ev if it meant taking on more than he could handle.


    With that thought, us vtured deeper into the city. The brok ruins sured him, remnants of a world long lost to chaos. After a few minutes of walking, he suddly stopped. Closing his eyes, a smile crept onto his face. "I guess that painful transformation wasn''t for nothing," he muttered to himself.


    His sses had expanded dramatically. Now, he could detect anything within a 5-kilometer radius. It was more incredible than he had imagined. He could feel the presce of monsters, their realms, and ev their sses. At that momt, us could sse a doz Tier 3 monsters nearby, ranging from Lesser to the Great ss, all within his expanded range.


    Wasting no time, he locked onto his first target: a spike-tail crocodile, a powerful lizard-type monster. As he approached within 00 meters, the creature ssed his presce and charged at him, its sharp tail poised for attack.


    us smirked, clearly unfazed. His sword wt into a casual swing, slicing through the air effortlessly without ev bothering to channel his elemtal essce or star ergy into his sword. The de cut clean through the monster''s neck, and its head rolled to the g.


    Just like that, a Tier 3 Great Monster was killed¡ªwithout us breaking a sweat. No elemtal essce or star qi was used. Just a normal swing.


    [You have killed a Tier 3 Great Monster called Spike-Tail Crocodile. You have received 7,000 Exp.]


    [You''ve earned ,500 ranking points.]


    "As expected, killing mutated monsters pays more than the ordinary ones," us thought with satisfaction. Thest time he killed a Tier 3 monster, he had only received 3,000 Exp. This time, however, he had gained 7,000 Exp.


    In addition to that, he had earned ,500 ranking points for his first kill in the zone. "This is a good start," he said to himself with a nod of approval. He quickly stored away the monster''s body in his space ring and was about to move on wh something caught his eye. On the g, there was a small, glowing object.


    "So this is the core," us muttered. He had read about these on his way to the zone, so he immediately recognized it. The core was smaller than an egg, yet as he held it, he could feel the boundless ergy it contained. After admiring the core for a momt, us ced it inside his space ring and set his sights on his next target.


    "I need to level up quickly," us whispered as he swiftly stabbed his sword into the neck of a Berserker Rat, another Tier 3 Great Monster. It barely had time to react before it fell lifeless to the g. us moved seamlessly from one monster to the next, cutting them down with ease.


    Despite not distributing his 700 points from previous level-ups, us''s speed had already be monstrous. He was moving with incredible agility, far beyond what he''d once thought possible.


    [You have killed a Tier 3 Great Monster called Blue Fur Rabbit. You have received 7,000 Exp.]


    [You''ve earned ,500 ranking points.]


    "How curious," us mused. "There are no Dark Monsters here. Does that mean these monsters live in a hierarchy based on ss?"


    After killing 3 monsters, us noticed that every single one had be a Tier 3 Great Monster. Not a single Dark monster or anything higher-tier had appeared. It started to feel like he was stuck fighting weaker opponts, far below his currt level.


    "I need a stronger challge. These monsters are just too weak," us said with a hint of disappointmt. He quickly realized he had be something of a bully. He hadn''t ev needed to use his Star Qi, yet he was able to kill dozs of monsters in less than  minutes. His power was truly terrifying.


    As he reflected on this, us started to understand that the star diagram he had cultivated was far more powerful than he had originally thought. Ev though some of the monsters had ssed him and released their ergy in defse, us felt nothing from their attacks. Their aura didn''t ev faze him.


    Back in the Sunlight Forest, he had barely escaped death wh a Tier  monster locked him down. But now, facing Tier 3 monsters, he waspletely unchallged. He felt as though he was gliding effortlessly through the battlefield, moving from one kill to the next like a fish in water.


    Not satisfied with the easy victories, us pressed on, making his way deeper into Ruin City in search of something more worthy of his growing strgth.


    Roar!


    The g beath us shook as a deep, thunderous roar echoed through the brok-down city. It came from a few kilometers away. Without hesitation, us sprinted toward the source. After a few swift steps, he arrived at a small clearing where an intse battle was already underway.


    "They''re fighting," us muttered to himself, taking in the chaotic sce. Threerge monsters were locked inbat for reasons he couldn''t discern.


    The first was a Dark Fur Mountain Wolf, known for its incredible agility and strgth. Its dark, sleek fur rippled as it danced a the battlefield. Opposing the wolf was a Red-Eye Leopard, its glowing eyes dangerous to ev nce at.


    From his watch, us recalled that the Red-Eye Leopard possessed terrifying hypnotic powers ¡ªlooking directly into its eyes would plunge a person''s mind into chaos, making them vulnerable to attack.


    But what truly caught us''s atttion was the third monster¡ªa Diamond Tusk Elephant. Its massive body towered over the others, but it wasn''t its size that made us''s heart race. No, it was the monster''s tusks. Diamond Tusk Elephants themselves were oft considered worthless despite their size, but their tusks were a rare treasure. Owning ev one could fetch an impressive sum on the market.


    us''s eyes gleamed with excitemt as he surveyed the sce. "What a perfect opportunity," he thought. The Mountain Wolf''s meat was highly prized, something that people would go wild for.


    The Leopard''s value was dect and ev more ticing was the fact that it was a Tier 3 Dark Monster¡ªkilling it would not only add to his ranking points but also provide him with a body he could sell for more money.


    "Let''s see the power of Star Qi," us muttered to himself, channeling a small portion of his star ergy into his sword. The momt the ergy flowed into the de, it began to hum with life, vibrating with raw power. A gold aura veloped the sword, instantly amplifying its strgth.


    "Fuck, this feels amazing," us grinned, feeling invincible. His original n was to ambush the monsters, but with the surge of power from his Star Qi, it became clear that they stood no chance against him.


    Ice essce flowed from his body into the sword, freezing the g a him in an instant. The sheer power left us giddy with excitemt. "Damn, this is great!" he eximed.


    With a mischievous smirk, us whispered, "Gtlem, the Yama King says hi," and th lunged forward, shing his sword at the Mountain Wolf. A dse cresct-shaped arc of blue ice, coated with gold ergy, flew from his de and struck the wolf. The attack sliced deep into the creature''s skull, leaving a massive wound.


    At the same momt, us directed another arc of ergy toward the Red-Eye Leopard. The strike was so precise and powerful that it cut the leopard cleanly in half before it could ev react.


    Finally, he turned his atttion to the Diamond Tusk Elephant. A more pott ice arc shot from his sword, aimed at the creature''s thick neck. us had expected the beast to dure the attack, perhaps ev retaliate, but to his surprise, the momt the ergy connected, the massive elephant copsed to the g with a resounding thud.


    Dead, just like that.


    us stared at the fall monsters in disbelief. "Wow, that was... almost too easy," he murmured, his heart pounding with exhration.


    "Although they are Tier Dark Monsters, I expected some resistance" us only used a small portion of the ergy he could channel, yet the monsters were overwhelmed, killing each with a single attack.


    "Since that is the case, th I better use this time to level up and see whether or not, this City can contain us" us arrogantly said storing the bodies of the monsters. He disappeared further into the City. What followed was howls, roars, and thuds. us has finally found his groove and started his ughter.


    After about  hours, us stopped and sat on top of a brok wall. he pulled the system message.


    [You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level  Ascded. You have received 300 Stat points.]

 Chapter 49: Starting a War

    As soon as us leveled up to Level , he felt a sudd surge in his Star Qi reserves. The increase was immse, far beyond what he had expected. During the transformation process from Spiritual Qi to Star Qi, he discovered something astonishing¡ªStar Qi was hundreds of times stronger than Spiritual Qi.


    So at first, us believed that he wouldn''t receive all the umted EXP wh he leveled up. It only seemed logical that some of it might be lost in the conversion process, but he was wrong. Wh he leveled up to Level , the millions of EXP he had earned werepletely converted into Star Qi, without deducting a single point.


    This realization filled him with great joy and a newfound strgth to keep leveling up.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 6


    Talt: Celestial Elemtal Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Ascded - Lvl: /


    Strgth: 330 | Agility: 370 |Stamina: 340 |Defse:00 | Intelligce: 00| Health:


    Star Qi: ,84,00


    Stat Points: ,000


    "I''m still nowhere near my limit, so I''ll hold on to these points for now," us muttered as he looked at the thousand points waiting to be used whever he needed them. He didn''t know his limit yet. All he could do was keep fighting until he reached it. Th, he would adjust his stats as needed.


    us pulled out a milk drink from his backpack and took a few gulps. Feeling his stamina return, he leaped down and headed deeper into the forest. What followed was another series of bloody battles.


    After defeating a few Tier 3 Dark Monsters, he realized they were worth more than he had expected. With that in mind, he began hunting more of them, pushing ev further into the heart of the city. He didn''t want to jinx it, but part of him was excited at the thought of facing a pack of wolves. Though for now, that was just wishful thinking.


    As us moved forward, ice covered everything in his path, leaving frost where there should have be blood. He hadn''t used his fire elemt at all. Strangely, he felt a stronger connection to the ice elemt. Whever he was about to attack, ice always came to mind first.


    In just sev hours, us had killed ough monsters and gathered ough points to level up to Level 3. But despite tering deeper into the city, he hadn''t countered a single Tier 4 monster. To level up now, he needed about 5. million experice points, which meant he needed to find stronger, higher-tier monsters.


    "I''m starting to regret not going to a Tier 3 Forbidd Zone," us said with a frown. He had reached the ctral area of the eastern part of the Ruin City, but no Tier 4 monsters had appeared. From his research, he knew the Ruin City Forbidd Zone was divided into five sections: East, West, North, South, and Ctral.


    Each section was ruled by a differt monster: the G Drake Lizard King in the East, the Red Scale Python in the West, the White Stripe Mountain Wolves in the North, and the Jade White Mountain Lion in the South. The Ctral region was a mystery, and nobody dared to ter it.


    us had done some online research, thanks to Kofi teaching him how to use the inte. He found rumors that the Ctral region was overrun with zombies. Some threads imed asional human voices could be heard, but there was no concrete evidce.


    From what he knows, those who have a death wish can freely vture into the ctral region. Nobody knew how terrifying that part of the forest is, but everyone abandons that region. In contrast, us knew the other regions were home to thousands of Tier 4 and ev Tier 5 monsters. But despite spding the past  hours going deeper, the highest tier he had faced was Tier 3 Dark Monsters.


    He needed a lot of experice points, and killing higher-tier monsters was the fastest way to get them. He needed to find all the Tier 4 monsters he could.


    "Fine, if they''re noting to me, I''ll force them out. Going to war with the Eastern Wing of the Ruin City should elevate my status," us decided. He rested for the next few hours. The following day, the forest echoed with howls and roars.


    us had begun his massacre and a bloody one at that. Hours passed quickly and thousands of monsters filled the g as us continue to kill his way deeper into the Core of the Eastern wing.


    Ev though us killed countless monsters now littering the g, they were all Tier 3, ranging from Lesser to Dark. His bottomless reserve of Star Qi meant he didn''t need to worry about running out of ergy.


    Initially, us had to be mindful of his stamina. However, after cultivating the star diagram, he noticed that his stamina drained at an almost imperceptible rate. He only felt significant stamina burn wh using more powerful attacks.


    He realized that if he used only 5% of his maximum ergy per attack, he could perform nearly 300 attacks before bing fully exhausted. This suggested that each attack consumed about  stamina point.


    Despite this, us remained unconcerned. With over a thousand points in reserve, he could easily add more points to his stamina if necessary.


    Four hours into the massacre, us leveled up to Level 4, adding more points to his Star Qi pool. He immediately felt his body grow stronger and realized he could now use about 7% of his ergy per attack. But despite the increased strgth behind his strikes, using less than % of his ergy was already devastating.


    The level-up had boosted his ergy, making his efficicy ev more impressive. His speed, which he hadn''t explicitly increased, also improved as he leveled up. us''s aura grew colder and more formidable as he continued to kill more and more monsters.


    Suddly, us ssed several presces several kilometers away. His ssing range had expanded beyond 5 km, allowing him to detect the approaching Tier 4 monsters. "Dark Monsters right off the bat," us grinned from ear to ear.


    While many would see this as a reason to flee, us saw it as an opportunity to test his strgth and gain more experice points. He was eager to see how far he hade and to level up further in the process.


    us began increasing the amount of ergy he used, making his attacks ev more lethal. Although he couldn''t collect the monster bodies, he efficitly stored the monster cores in his space ring as he fought his way across the battlefield.


    "They are dless, but it''s futile," He said, his sword zing crimson. "My targets are the Tier 4 monsters. The rest of you are garbage." He poured 5% Star Qi into his sword and dashed toward the swarm of Tier 3 monsters.


    BOOM!


    He plunged his sword into the g, unleashing a sea of mes that surged in all directions. The mes erupted several meters high, sweeping across the battlefield and turning the monsters into a fiery barbecue. Ev the fire-type monsters couldn''t escape the inferno.


    "With a few spices, I could op a barbecue shop in this Ruin City," us muttered, surveying the scorched battlefield with a satisfied grin.


    "The fire elemt is truly destructive," He muttered, narrowing his gaze at the Tier 4 monsters advancing toward the battlefield.


    "Brothers, I have waited long. Since you''vee, we can dance," us said with a wicked grin. His sword glowed crimson with a hint of gold hue. Without hesitation, he dashed forward to meet the monsters.


    His sword swung in a wide arc, releasing a lethal fire arc that seared through the air. The intse mes sliced through everything in its path, striking the head of a Tier 4 monster and killing it instantly.


    "Damn, that wasn''t ev % of my Star Qi ergy," us said, visibly shocked by the ease of the kill. he expected the monsters to be strong, but he clearly underestimated his own strgth


    "This is a rare chance to test and better my skills." us immediately started using the battle to better his skills instead of fearing for his life.


    He pressed on, gaging the remaining Tier 4 monsters with abination of precision and power. He observed each attack closely, refining his technique as he fought.


    His next target¡ªa massive, scaled beast with glowing red eyes¡ªcharged at him with incredible speed. us responded swiftly, channeling 3% of his Star Qi into a sweeping fire sh.


    The fire arc sliced through the monster''s defses, leaving a trail of molt scales. "Increasing the ergy by just a few perct makes a significant differce," us noted, watching as the monster staggered and fell.


    Another monster, a hulking brute with thick armor, lunged at him. us conctrated, pouring 4% of his ergy into a conctrated fireball. He hurled it at the monster, and the explosion gulfed it in mes. The brute roared in agony before copsing.


    "That was impressive," us said, admiring the destructive power of his hanced attack. "I''m getting the hang of this."


    As us continued to battle, he experimted with differt levels of ergy output. He noticed for a quick attack, he needed about only % of his Syar Qi. To put that into practice, a monster with great agility dashed at him, but before it could get close, his sword shed sding a lethal me arc. The monster was gulfed in mes, rdering its speed useless in the face of his sword.


    "Ev with less ergy, the result is still deadly," hemted, pleased with the efficicy of his attack.


    He faced a group of monsters next. He charged up 5% of his Star Qi and unleashed a wide, sweeping ze that scorched the tire area.


    "Perfect for crowd control," us said, watching as the monsters fell to the g, their numbers reduced by every attack. "I can get used to this" He muttered.


    Each kill was apanied by a momt of reflection. us was not only fighting but also learning from every counter. His attacks grew more precise, and his understanding of his powers deeped.


    "With this, I can develop my own skills without having to buy them or wait till I can Kill Tier 7 monsters to get drops" us muttered, with that, he started trying differt styles ofbination aiming toe up with something, something that can deal more blow to the monsters with minimal effort.

 Chapter 50: Killing Like Crazy

    Behind usy thousands of dead monsters, their bodies strewn across the battlefield. In front of him stood a massive horde of Tier 4 monsters, each one exuding a terrifying, bloodthirsty aura. But no matter how intse their presce was, us felt nothing. Instead, his face held an expression of disbelief. The monsters he was ughtering were all Tier 4, ranging from Lesser to Dark.


    Yet, despite their strgth, us hadn''t ev used half of his own power to defeat them. He couldn''t find his limit. It felt almost too easy¡ªlike a fish swimming effortlessly through water. To him, these fearsome creatures were nothing more than bugs.


    "Is this the power of a Star?" us muttered, still in shock at what he was capable of.


    Suddly a voice tered his head. "Brat, don''t confuse this with the true power of a Star," the Sior corrected. "While I admit you are strong, the Star Qi you''re using now isn''t ev close to reaching the realm of a Star. Ah... you''ll understand more as you continue to cultivate the Star Diagram."


    us nodded, pushing the thought aside for now. He returned his focus to the battle, ying monster after monster. With each kill, he gained a clearer understanding of how to refine his skills. At the momt, he was using his fire elemt, and the sce a him was one of zing chaos¡ªa sea of mes burning through the monsters.


    Suddly, an idea sparked in us''s mind. "This could work," he said aloud.


    As he swung his sword and killed more monsters, he began forming a small ball of me in his left hand. It started off small but quickly grew in size. It expanded from the size of an egg to that of an orange, th to a mango. Within a minute, it had grown asrge as a basketball.


    us studied it for a momt, th frowned. "This is too slow and weak," he muttered.


    Without hesitation, he tossed the ball of me toward the monsters. "Explode!" hemanded.


    The me obeyed, but the result was disappointing. The explosion only took out a doz monsters, far fewer than us had anticipated. The devastating impact he''d be hoping for never came.


    us expected a loud bang, something powerful ough to wipe out arge portion of the horde. But what happed was a far cry from that. The explosion was weak, barely ough to kill a few monsters. Frustration crept onto his face, but he didn''t let it stop him. He continued cutting through the waves of monsters, shing and hacking without pause.


    As he fought, his mind kept turning back to the me ball. ''How do I make it stronger?'' he wondered, pondering the best way to increase its explosive power.


    After a while, and many more dead monsters, he decided to try again. With a flick of his wrist, he began forming a new orb. This time, it came together faster, the ergy swirling tightly in his palm. Within seconds, the me grew to the size of a basketball. But just like before, it stopped growing.


    us hurled it forward with a grunt. It exploded on contact, but the results were disappointing. The st only took out a couple of monsters. The force still wasn''t ough.


    "Not again," he muttered, shaking his head. His brow furrowed in thought as he surveyed the battlefield. The monsters kepting, reltless, but us remained undeterred. He cut down a few more with ease, hardly breaking a sweat. His challge now wasn''t facing the monsters, it was finding a way to make his fireball skill he is working on work.


    "I need morepression," us murmured, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Maybe I''m spreading the ergy too thin."


    Determined, he tried again. He focused harder this time, gathering the mes more tightly in his palm. The orb formed quicker, reaching its full size in just a few seconds. He felt a flicker of hope. But wh he threw it, the result was no differt. The explosion barely made a dt in the advancing monsters.


    us sighed in frustration. His sword swung in a wide arc, killing several monsters at once, but his mind was elsewhere. "Why isn''t this working?" he muttered, feeling the weight of failure building in his chest.


    But us wasn''t one to give up. Each failure taught him something. He realized that he was pouring too much ergy into making the orb bigger rather than more powerful. ''Maybe size isn''t the key,'' he thought.


    With a sharp breath, us killed another wave of monsters, their bodies falling like leaves in a storm. Th, he tried again. This time, he focused on condsing the mes into a smaller, dser ball. The orb formed rapidly, but it stayed small¡ªbarely the size of a grapefruit.


    us narrowed his eyes and hurled it with force. The explosion was sharp and loud, but still, it wasn''t strong ough. Only a few monsters were killed. us gritted his teeth, annoyed but determined.


    "Too small," he grumbled. "I need more bnce ¡ªpower without losing control."


    He adjusted his stance, cutting down another group of monsters. Each swing of his sword was precise, almost mechanical, as his mind remained focused on the me. He decided to try something new. He let the me build in his palm but didn''t rush it. Slowly, he fed it more ergy, keeping itpact but steady.


    The orb grew again, but this time it felt differt¡ªmore stable. Wh it reached the size of a ser ball, us hurled it with a shout. The explosion was a bit stronger, but still, it wasn''t ough to satisfy him. The me scattered weakly across the field, only knocking back a few monsters.


    us''s eyes darked with frustration. "I''m missing something," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. He clched his fists tightly, his knuckles . ''Why can''t I get this right?''


    He shed through more monsters, their blood sttering across his boots, but his mind never left the me. He realized that with each attempt, he was learning something new. His control over the me had improved, but he still hadn''t mastered the explosive force.


    "Maybe I need to release the ergy all at once," us thought aloud. He grunted as he fought, his breath heavy with exertion. He would try again¡ªthere was no other option.


    He formed another me orb in his hand. This time, he didn''t just focus on size or dsity. He focused on timing. He let the ergy build, th tried to release it at the perfect momt. The orb grew quickly, bing asrge as a watermelon in just a few seconds. us felt the heat from it and hurled it forward, holding his breath.


    The explosion was louder this time, but still, it only took out a handful of monsters. us growled in frustration. "Not ough!" he shouted. His patice was wearing thin, but he refused to give up.


    Wiping sweat from his brow, us pushed through the next wave of monsters, determined to perfect his technique. He thought back to what the Sior had said about true power and Star Qi. Was he rushing things? Maybe he needed more time to understand his ergy before trying to force it into something bigger.


    us shook his head, clearing the doubts. He would keep trying. Every failure brought him one step closer to sess.


    He swung his sword with rewed vigor, clearing the monsters a him, th prepared to form another me orb. This time, he tried a differt approach¡ªhe let the me grow naturally, not forcing it. He felt the ergy flow more smoothly, though the orb remained small.


    us tossed it again. The explosion was still weak, but he noticed something differt¡ªthere was more control, more stability. It wasn''t the result he wanted yet, but it was progress.


    "One step at a time," us whispered to himself, his frustration easing slightly. He would keep refining it. Failure after failure, he knew he was getting closer.


    "Ah, what an idiot," us muttered to himself, pping his forehead in frustration. He formed another me orb, preparing to try once more after failing for what felt like the hundredth time. This time, however, a small smile tugged at his lips.


    Wh the me orb took shape, us channeled his Star Qi into it. Almost instantly, the me began to grow rapidly. "It''s all about linking my Star Qi pool to it and letting it grow on its own," us said, his smile widing.


    Earlier, he had be focused on just pouring a part of his Star Qi into the me. But he realized that although his Star Qi was powerful, the momt the me exploded, the ergy dispersed too quickly. This made the st weaker than he had hoped for.


    So, over the past hundred attempts, us had be working to fix that problem. Each failure brought him closer to understanding how to make the explosion stronger and more controlled. After many tries, he finally discovered the solution: make the me orb sturdy by letting it draw Star Qi on its own.


    His Star Qi pool felt dless, but he couldn''t use it all at once¡ªhe was only able to control about 8% of it. Although using Star Qi with his sword was almost second nature, applying it to the me orb was differt. Ev after two minutes of intse focus, he could only channel about 5% into the me, all while fighting off waves of monsters with his sword.


    He realized the only way to manage it was to automate the process. By linking his Star Qi with the essce of the me, the orb started drawing ergy on its own. Suddly, the me began to grow, quickly surpassing the size of his previous attempts.


    us''s smile grew as he watched the orb expand. He hurled the me ball toward the horde of monsters. To his surprise, the me ball shot forward with terrifying speed.


    "What''s happing?" us muttered in disbelief. The me orb kept growingrger as it sped toward the monsters, reaching the size of five basketballs, and th continuing to expand. As it hurtled toward the heart of the horde, it began spinning violtly.


    Roars, howls, and groans of pain echoed from within the monster ranks as the me orb surged toward them. us''s face wt pale. The me ball had now grown to the size of twty basketballs and was still increasing in size. It looked like a massive, spinning sun about to crash into the monsters.


    Panicking slightly, us watched as the me orb plowed through the eastern wing of the monster horde, moving deeper and deeper, nearly 50 kilometers away from him. His heart raced as he quickly turned and ran back, knowing the power that was building up.


    Finally, he clched his fist and shouted themand, "Explode!"

 Chapter 51: A Sea of Flame Burning everything

    us barely had time to brace himself wh the me orb exploded. The sound was deafing like thunder splitting the sky apart. The g shook violtly beath his feet, nearly knocking him over.


    A massive wave of heat rushed toward him, so intse it felt like his skin might burn away. us stumbled back, shielding his face with his arm as the world a him turned red and orange from the mes. The explosion was far bigger than he expected, far more chaotic than he could have imagined.


    The st spread out like a tidal wave of fire, swallowing everything in its path. Monsters in the immediate area were obliterated instantly, their bodies disintegrating into ash before they ev had time to react. Those further away were caught in the mes as the fire expanded, their pained roars cut short by the sheer force of the detonation.


    The city ruins a him began to crumble further. Old buildings that had be standing on shaky foundations copsed as the shockwave hit them. Stone and metal alike melted under the intse heat, turning into pools of molt g. Ancit towers, long abandoned and worn by time, were swallowed whole by the raging firestorm, their tall frames crashing to the g like brittle sticks.


    us could see the mes spreading outward for kilometers. The once mighty-ish Ruin city, now reduced to a decaying wastnd, was being consumed tirely by the fire. The monsters that had once roamed these ruins in countless numbers were no more. Thousands of them, Tier 5 and lower, werepletely wiped out, their bodies vanishing in the mes.


    The fire wasn''t just eating away at the city¡ªit was swallowing the very earth. Trees, rocks, and ev the g itself were melting under the intsity of the me. Huge craters formed where the explosion hit hardest, and deep fissures oped up, swallowing debris and anything else that had managed to survive the initial st.


    us watched in awe, stunned by the scale of the destruction he had unleashed. His body trembled as he realized how far beyond his control things had gone. He had only intded to destroy the monsters, but now it seemed like the tirendscape was being erased.


    The me showed no mercy. It burned with a terrifying hunger, consuming everything in its path. As the fire spread, the screams of the few remaining monsters echoed in the distance, but they were short-lived. Nothing could survive the all-consuming heat. The ruins of the city were now nothing but a massive sea of fire, stretching as far as us could see.


    The g beath him cracked, and us had to jump back quickly to avoid falling into one of the newly formed chasms. The force of the explosion had shattered the earth, causing it to buckle and break apart inrge sections. Pieces of the g crumbled and fell away into the mes, leaving behind only charred remains.


    us took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He tried to calm his racing heart, but it was impossible. The power he had unleashed was overwhelming. The devastation was beyond anything he could have imagined.


    As he looked out over the destruction, us couldn''t help but feel a strange mix of awe and fear. The me ball had be far more powerful than he intded, far more dangerous. He had tapped into something he wasn''t fully prepared for.


    The once dark and ruined city was now lit up by the mes, but it was a city no more. It was just a wastnd of charred remains, empty of life, save for the roaring fire. The monsters were gone,pletely wiped out by the explosion. Not a single one had escaped.


    us wiped sweat from his brow, his body still shaking from the aftermath. The heat was beginning to die down, but the devastation remained. The air was thick with ash and smoke, making it hard to breathe. The once solid g was now littered with deep scars from the explosion, the remnants of buildings scattered across the ckedndscape.


    us took a step forward, feeling the cracked earth under his feet. He nced a, trying to grasp the full scope of what had just happed. The silce that followed the explosion was almost eerie, a stark contrast to the chaos that had erupted momts before.


    For a brief momt, us felt a sse of satisfaction. The monsters were gone, and he had seeded in testing the limits of his power. But that feeling quickly faded, reced by a growing unease. The cost had be too high. He had lost control of the me ball, and the result had be nothing short of catastrophic.


    The ruined city was now a wastnd of fire and ash, thend itself scarred beyond recognition. us couldn''t help but wonder what kind of consequces his actions might have. He had unleashed a force that he barely understood, and now the world a him was paying the price.


    us let out a heavy sigh, his mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. The destruction he had caused was immse, and he couldn''t shake the feeling that he had crossed a line. As the mes slowly began to die down, us turned away from the sce of devastation. There was nothing left for him here now.


    us shook his head, trying to push away the lingering thoughts of the destruction he''d caused. "No point worrying now," he muttered to himself, trying to sound more confidt than he felt. He nced a the scorched battlefield, his eyes searching for anything valuable amidst the ruins.


    Stepping carefully over charred remains, us began his search for monster cores. He knew that after a fight like this, there had to be something left behind. But as he vtured deeper into the aftermath of the explosion, he found nothing. Not a single core remained intact.


    He frowned, a little disappointed. "I guess that''s the price of too much power," us sighed, kicking a chunk of melted rock aside. His earlier excitemt about leveling up faded a bit as he realized the downside of the destruction he''d unleashed.


    Still, us couldn''t help but grin slightly at the thought of his newfound strgth. Before using the me ball, he had already reached Level 5, but now, after wiping out an tire battlefield of Tier 4 and ev some Tier 5 monsters, he had shot up to Level 8. It felt surreal to gain so much power so quickly.


    "Just four more levels," he murmured, thinking ahead to the next Tribtion that awaited him. Though the thought of facing another one made him uneasy, the promise of greater strgth kept him motivated. He knew that leveling up wasn''t easy, especially now that ev Tier 5 monsters wer''t giving him ough experice to push past his currt stage.


    us chuckled softly. "At this rate, I''ll need to find ev stronger monsters to fight if I want to keep progressing." He nced a the battlefield once more, scanning the horizon for any signs of life. But the only thing that greeted him was the smoldering remains of his earlier rampage.


    However, just wh he could finally calm down, a deep, earth-shaking roar echoed across the ruined battlefield. us instinctively raised his sword, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward the source of the noise. From the horizon, he could feel an immse surge of ergy sting toward him like a powerful wave.


    He braced himself, gripping his sword tightly as a massive shadow began to emerge from the smoke and ash. The g trembled with each heavy step the creature took.


    "The G Drake Lizard King," us muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible as he stared at the ormous scaly lizard charging toward him. The beast''s body was charred and cracked, its once-imposing scales now marred by burns and wounds from the explosion.


    "So it was caught in the st too," us said, a mix of surprise and grim satisfaction in his tone. He hadn''t expected the explosion to reach so far or to inflict so much damage on a creature of this size and power.


    The G Drake Lizard King, despite being on the brink of death, was still a terrifying sight to behold. It was massive, towering over everything a it, with dark, jagged scales that glisted under the fading sunlight. Its sharp eyes locked onto us, filled with rage. Blood dripped from its wounds, staining the g beath it.


    Though the monster was clearly on itsst breath, its aura was as powerful as ever. It radiated an intse, suffocating ergy that made us''s skin crawl. He felt his hair stand on d as the creature''s presce grew closer, its bloodthirsty intt palpable.


    "Ev at death''s door, it''s still this strong," us whispered, his eyes never leaving the lizard. He could feel the weight of the creature''s aura pressing down on him, challging his resolve. For a momt, doubt crept into his mind. He had just leveled up, but could he take down a monster this powerful in its final momts of rage?


    The lizard let out another deafing roar, its scaly body charging forward with surprising speed for something so massive and injured. us could feel the g shake beath him with every step the beast took. Dust and debris flew into the air as the creature barreled toward him.


    us quickly adjusted his stance, raising his sword and preparing for the inevitable sh. "No backing down now," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. The G Drake Lizard King was strong, but us knew he had to be stronger. He had to finish what the explosion had started.


    The distance betwe them closed rapidly. us could feel the raw power emanating from the beast, a force that seemed almost tangible in the air. He knew he needed to test his limits before making any adjustmts. "This creature is weaker than a True Tier 5 Terror Monster," he thought, "but it should be a good test."


    With a determined look in his eyes, us dashed forward, meeting the G Drake Lizard King head-on. The impact of their sh was nothing short of earth-shattering. The g beath them quaked violtly, sding tremors that reverberated through the tire eastern region and beyond.

 Chapter 52: Who is this white hair kid

    "Heavs, what happed here?" Far from where us was battling the G Drake Lizard King, a group of warriors arrived, staring in disbelief at the battlefield. Thousands of Tier 3 monster corpsesy scattered across the g.


    The shock was writt across their faces. These warriors, all of them Master stage experts, had clearly be through their own struggles. Yet, seeing the sheer number of fall monsters before them, some began to turn pale.


    Soon, more people started arriving, including several Grandmaster stage experts, each wearing the same look of astonishmt. A few minutes earlier, wh the me Ball had exploded, it had drawn atttion from those scattered throughout other regions of the Forbidd Zone.


    They had rushed over at full speed to investigate the chaos, but by the time they arrived, only the bodies of Tier 3 monsters remained. There was no sign of the person responsible. Greed quickly crept into some of their eyes.


    "Who could have killed this many monsters?" one Grandmaster stage expert asked, his voice filled with awe.


    "Why bother asking?" another replied, his gaze filled with greed. "There''s no one here. This is a rare opportunity. We should grab these bodies and run before whoever did thises back."


    "Do you have a death wish?" a more clear-headed expert retorted, surveying the battlefield with caution. "Whoever did this must be powerful ough that they can kill you in an instant. Look at how many monsters they took down."


    "Th what should we do?" someone else asked nervously.


    "Let''s survey the area first," the cautious one suggested. "If we''re certain no one''s a, we can take what we want."


    Everyone nodded in agreemt and began to spread out, carefully moving a the battlefield, searching for any signs of danger.


    Suddly, a deafing roar echoed from far away, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks. The sheer force of the roar st pressure crashing down on them, forcing several to buckle under its weight. But just as suddly as it had appeared, the pressure was wiped away by a powerful booming sound.


    "Hurry! There''s a battle up ahead!" one of the experts shouted, quickly darting toward the direction of the noise. The others followed closely behind, racing toward the new source of chaos.


    Rushing forward, they arrived at a section of the g that was still smoldering from the explosion. Charred earth stretched before them, the air thick with heat and smoke.


    "Heavs, what could have caused this?" someone muttered, voice filled with awe.


    "More importantly, who could have caused this?" another person asked, eyes scanning the scorched surings. They all stood still for a momt, staring at the devastation in disbelief.


    "Look ahead, Someone''s still fighting" the leader of the group suddly called out, pointing toward the distance.


    Everyone immediately moved closer, straining to see what was happing. As they got a clearer view, one of the warriors gasped in shock. "Is... Is that the G Drake Lizard King?" he shouted, his jaw hanging by a thread.


    "Oh my god!" another eximed, panic rising in his voice. "It''s the Overlord of this region! The G Drake Lizard King!"


    They all stared in shock at the sight ahead of them. But it wasn''t just the monstrous creature that held their atttion. There, in the midst of the chaos, stood a lone figure¡ªa -haired boy, battling fiercely against the Overlord.


    "Who is that kid?" someone whispered, eyes wide with disbelief. "Why is he fighting the Overlord?"


    The warriors watched in stunned silce, unable to tear their eyes away from the impossible sce unfolding before them.


    "Fuck, he''s overpowering the Overlord! Quick, someone records this!" a figure eximed, frantically looking a. Seeing that everyone else already had their recording devices out, he quickly fumbled for his ss phone and started filming the battle.


    Up ahead, us continued to circle the G Drake Lizard King, unleashing fire attacks with reltless precision. Each strikended with deadly uracy, his movemts smooth and calcted. The arcs of fire he conjured were sharper than ever, each one shimmering with a gold aura.


    Ever since awaking his sword aura, us had expericed explosive growth in his swordsmanship. Every strike now carried an extra force, ough to cut through ev the toughest defses of the monster. No matter how thick its hide, his attacks always left a mark.


    Suddly, the G Drake Lizard King let out a deafing roar and leaped high into the air. Its colossal body came crashing down toward us, aiming to crush him beath its massive weight. But us only smirked and dashed forward, disappearing and reappearing at the monster''s tail just as it was about tond.


    His sword gleamed crimson, and with a swift sh, he cut into the beast''s tail, igniting it in mes.


    us didn''t stop there. As the monster began to descd, he swung his sword again, this time striking its side. The force of the blow st the monster crashing into the g with a thunderous boom, causing a massive shockwave that pushed us back several meters.


    "Fuck, having a big body sure has its perks," us cursed, picking himself up from the g. He shook off the impact and dashed forward again, sding out a few more zing fire arcs before closing the distance betwe him and the beast.


    "So it seems my defse still needs some work," us muttered to himself. After narrowly surviving the heatwave and shockwave from the me ball''s detonation and now being thrown back by the monster''s weight, he realized he was stillcking in defse. Ev with all his power, there was more to improve.


    But he wasn''t done yet. He would keep pushing until he reached his limit¡ªif he had one at all.


    BOOM!


    The G Drake Lizard King mmed its massive ws into the g, causing spikes of harded earth to erupt and shoot toward us. us smirked, effortlessly dodging some of the spikes while shattering others with quick, precise strikes from his sword.


    The G Drake Lizard King was an earth-type monster, fully adept at manipting the earth elemt. Its attacks were earth-based, each designed to crush or impale its emies. But us wasn''t worried. His agility far outmatched the colossal monster.


    He moved with incredible speed, his reflexes razor-sharp, and before any of the monster''s attacks could ev reach him, us would disrupt them with ease.


    us knew he wouldn''t have had such an easy time if the G Drake Lizard King had be a human. A skilled human oppont might have predicted his moves, adapted to his speed, or countered his attacks. But this monster, for all its raw power,cked that level of strategy and finesse. It relied too much on brute force and the overwhelming strgth of its elemt.


    "It''s not ev my match," us sighed, his tone calm as his speed suddly increased. In an instant, he appeared directly in front of the G Drake Lizard King. His sword shed forward, aiming for the monster''s neck. Just before the de tered its thick hide, it glowed a brilliant blue. With one swift motion, us buried the sword to its hilt in the monster''s neck.


    The beast''s eyes wided in shock for a brief momt, th turnedpletely , froz in ce. Its massive body trembled violtly, trying to resist the unnatural cold spreading through its veins. But it was toote. The ice had already tak hold, freezing its blood and locking its body in ce.


    The G Drake Lizard King, once full of life and ferocity, stoodpletely still, now lifeless.


    us stood beside the froz corpse for a few seconds, his expression unreadable. He calmly withdrew his sword, wiping it clean. No blood flowed from the wound¡ªthe ice had sealed itpletely. The towering monster, the Overlord of this region, was dead, its reign brought to an d.


    The onlookers, who had be filming the battle with their recording devices, stood froz in ce like statues. Their faces were pale with shock, unable toprehd what they had just witnessed. us ignored them for a momt, bding down to retrieve the monster''s core. He stored it away without a word, th finally turned to face the experts.


    They stood there like mannequins, still holding their devices, eyes wide with disbelief.


    "It''s dead," someone blurted out, breaking the silce. The voice snapped the others out of their daze. Slowly, they began to gather their sses, staring at the colossal, lifeless body of the G Drake Lizard King lying before them.


    "Wait... It''s him! The Pretty Boy!" another person eximed. Now that the fight was over and us stood visible in the op, everyone finally recognized him. He was the infamous "Pretty Boy" who had be causing an uproar on the intetely.


    Over the past few days, people had be scrambling to get a new image of him, but no matter how hard they tried, he always seemed to slip through their grasp.


    Just a day ago, a user by the name of @GoodBoyB posted a selfie with us, captioning it: "Big brother is in seclusion, so no one should bother looking for him." The post exploded, causing a storm online. Thousands of people, from curious fans to high-profilepanies, flooded @GoodBoyB''s direct messages, demanding to know us''s whereabouts.


    Brands and businesses wanted to sign deals with him, while people from all walks of life were desperate to learn more about the igmatic -haired youth. Because of the frzy, @GoodBoyB became an overnight ssation. Yet, despite the atttion and offers, he remained tight-lipped, refusing to share any more information about us.


    Th, just a dayter, another user, @Hi_Its_Me_Mandy, posted a thread filled with various selfies of her and us. In each photo, us was wearing the same clothes as he had in @GoodBoyB''s post. This stirred ev more chaos online, with people bing ev more desperate for any sight of him.


    Now, standing before them in the flesh is us, the Pretty Boy everyone has be looking for. They didn''t know how to behave. They just stood there looking at him with both shock and reverce.


    "Fuck, I am heading over," A youngdy with a bow on her back said walking toward us with shaky confidce


    "Brother..." She started to speak but she realized she didn''t know his name, nobody did.


    "us" us responded with a small smile making his name known to everyone now.

 Chapter 53: Breaking Records

    "Big Brother us, were you the one who did all this?" the youngdy asked, still in shock but slightly happy to be the one discovering the name of the infamous pretty boy. "Oh, my name is Hanna," she added with a shy smile.


    us chuckled softly. "Please, just call me us. ''Big Brother'' makes me feel older than my mom," he replied, smiling. He felt a sse of satisfaction from defeating the Tier 5 Terror monster, ev if it was already halfway dead. He had also just created a new killing skill powerful ough to bring down an tire city. These were things that should have made him proud¡ªand they did.


    "Brother us is funny," Hanna said, smiling warmly at him.


    "d to hear that," us said, still amused. "And yes, I killed these monsters. Is everything alright?" He was well aware that he had be recorded, but after what Madam Fei had told him, he knew he was bound to be popr sooner orter. Getting a bit of free press wasn''t the worst thing.


    "Heavs, you really managed to clear the tire Eastern Section of Ruin City all by yourself?" a young man shouted, clearly stunned by us''s admission.


    "Quick, someone check the ranking!" another man called out urgtly, signaling for someone to verify it.


    "Oh my god, he''s on the City ranking" a young woman eximed in disbelief.


    "What number?" someone nearby asked excitedly.


    "He debuted at number 90" the girl replied, her legs nearly giving out from the shock.


    "What? He''s also on the Region ranking¡ªnumber 360!" another person shouted, looking ev more astonished than thest.


    Everyone immediately checked the Union ranking too, but us''s name was nowhere to be found. Ev so, the fact that he appeared on two differt ranking charts was more than ough to leave everyone stunned.


    The Union consists of many cities. After the desct of Spiritual Qi, humanity tered a new era. All the countries within each contint were brought together under a single rule, and the contints were ramed into unions. Each union contains many Cities, most of which are now controlled by powerful families. These families hold significant power and influce over much of the affairs.


    Each Union is divided into five regions: Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, and Ctral. Within each region, there are numerous cities. As a result, ranking the best warriors and mages in each area is something people pay close atttion to.


    us, being just an Ascded Warrior, had no business appearing on of any ranking chart at this stage. It wasn''t unheard of for someone to debut early, but to appear on two charts in the same day and rank near the top¡ªthat had never happed before.


    Yet, us had done just that. His sudd appearance on both charts had caused an uproar, and it was ough to create a hugemotion across the region.


    -


    -


    -


    Back in Ross City, life wt on as usual. People were busy with their daily routines. Cars sped through the streets, some on the g, others flying overhead. Suddly, all the scres on the buildings and signboards switched to a breaking news alert.


    The news anchor appeared, her voice clear and excited. "This just in! We have a new name on the City and Region rankings!" she announced. The crowd a the scres started to slow, their atttion drawn to the news.


    "Earlier today," the anchor continued, "a young Ascded Warrior named us has brok records by debuting on two differt ranking charts¡ªboth the City and Region rankings."


    The scre showed us''s name in bold letters, followed by his rank: Number 90 in the City Warrior Ranking Chart and Number 360 in the Region Chart.


    "This is truly remarkable," the anchor said. "us has be one of the very few to make such an impact so early in his journey. Experts say his rise is unheard of, especially for someone so young."


    The streets of Ross City buzzed with murmurs of disbelief. "Who is this us?" someone in the crowd asked.


    "No one knows much about him," another person replied, "but if he''s already on the charts, we''ll be hearing a lot more about him soon."


    The anchor continued, "It''s not every day that a new warrior makes such waves. us has achieved what many only dream of¡ªranking on both charts in one day. Stay tuned for more updates."


    The crowd''s chatter continued to grow, excitemt buzzing in the air. Suddly, notifications began popping up on everyone''s phones, flooding in so fast that people couldn''t keep up. Before anyone had a chance to op them, the giant scres lit up once again. This time, a video started ying¡ªa young -haired boy battling a massive Tier 5 Terror Monster.


    Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as they watched, mesmerized by the boy''s speed and power. After a few seconds, the video cut to the news anchor, her voice now more urgt.


    "Breaking news!" she announced. "The newly ranked warrior, us, has be idtified as  other than the infamous ''Pretty Boy'' who took the inte by storm just a few days ago. It turns out the rumors are true¡ªhe is not just a pretty face but a terrifying force on the battlefield."


    The anchor continued as more clips of us fighting shed on the scre. "Reports confirm that us has tered the Ruin City Forbidd Zone, an area notorious for its deadly monsters. Incredibly, he has single-handedly cleared all the monsters in the Eastern section of Ruin City, including defeating the Overlord of that region."


    The crowd erupted into a frzy. People couldn''t stop talking, pointing at the scres in disbelief. More videos started flooding the inte, showing piles of dead monsters, charred earth, and utter destruction left in us''s wake.


    "Heavs, who is this guy?" a young man in the crowd muttered, clching his fists. The fire in his eyes was unmistakable¡ªhe had be deeply motivated by what he saw. us''s actions had ignited something inside him.


    The disbelief was palpable. People struggled toprehd what they were witnessing. If us had be a Grandmaster, they might have epted this oue. But an Ascded Warrior? How could someone at his level possess such overwhelming power?


    The streets and the inte were in chaos. Videos,mts, and threads exploded across every tform. Everyone was talking about us, sharing every detail they could find. The name "us" was on every lip, in every headline, and at the top of every trding list.


    Once again, us had brok the inte.


    -


    -


    -


    In a gard more vibrant than the evergre rainforest, a young woman with silver hair scrolled through her phone. Suddly, she froze, her eyes widing.


    "Anna! Anna,e quick!" she called out. Momtster, another youngdy appeared¡ªAnna Ross, the girl us had saved during his first hunt.


    "Look!" the silver-haired girl, Lucy, said excitedly, showing her phone to Hanna. "Your boyfrid has appeared on the City and Region charts!"


    "What?!" Anna gasped, but quicklyposed herself, her cheeks flushing. "Sister, please stop. He is not my boyfrid. We''re just frids." Despite her protest, she couldn''t hide her surprise at seeing us''s name on the charts. A momtter, a smile crept onto her face. "But honestly, I''m not surprised.


    us really is something else."


    "You''re not concerned?" Lucy asked, her gaze narrowing slightly as she observed her sister.


    "Why should I be concerned? It''s us. From day one, I knew he was special," Anna replied, her pride evidt in her smile.


    "Ar''t you worried that powerful families will start making moves on him? His fame is spreading like wildfire. People might start having... darker thoughts," Lucy said, her tone serious.


    Anna tilted her head slightly, giving her sister a reassuring look. "Sister, you seem more worried than I am. us hasn''t ev called me yet. We should keep our distance for now until he reaches out. Don''t worry, I promise I''ll introduce you two evtually, so your fashion designer frid can have his model," she said, shing a yful grin.


    But Lucy wasn''t amused. "Anna, I''m being serious here. Do you understand what it means to climb the rankings like this? People will start seeing us as a threat. He''s famous now, yes, but some won''t see that as a good thing. A nobody rising out of nowhere, shooting up the charts¡ªit''s bound to create emies.


    His life is about to get much harder."


    Anna''s smile faded slightly, though she didn''t lose her confidce. "I guess we''ll just have to wait and see what happs," she said softly. "But I have a feeling us is going to keep everyone on their toes." Her smile returned, this time more thoughtful.


    -


    -


    -


    In a bustling training room that resembled a gym for an academy, dozs of studts were hard at work. Some were lifting weights, others practicing martial arts, and a few were sparring in the corner. Suddly, a voice cut through the air, loud and excited:


    "The pretty boy has be idtified as us! He''s tered both the City and Region ranking charts!"


    Everyone froze. The weights nged to the floor, the sparring halted, and every studt fumbled for their phones. Within seconds, images and videos of us flooded their scres, showing his feats and his rise through the ranks. Chaos erupted in the room as the news spread like wildfire.


    "Haha! Brother us has finally made his move!" a voice boomed from across the room. "Danny, let''s go to Ross City!"


    Daniel and Danny had fought alongside us during the Zombie tide back in the Evesting Zombie Forest, and they had be waiting eagerly for his call ever since. But it never came. Now, seeing what us had be up to, they didn''t need to wait any longer. Without hesitation, they dropped everything, grabbed their bags, and rushed out of the gym, their destination clear¡ªRoss City.

 Chapter 54: Next Move That Will Break Everyone

    "Auntie, look! It''s Young Master us! He''s tered the City and Region Warrior Rankings!" One of the maids came running over, her face bright with excitemt, holding a ss tablet phone in her hands.


    us''s mother was sitting peacefully in their small gard, weaving something wh the maid arrived. She looked up and asked, "What''s that?"


    The maid beamed. "It''s a ranking that shows the strongest warriors in the city and region. Only the best of the best make it. And Master us just appeared at number 90 for the City Ranking and 360 for the Region!" She smiled wider, clearly proud to be working for us, ev if she was just a maid.


    "There''s something like that?" us''s mother replied, surprise filling her voice. She watched as the maid pulled up a video on the tablet, showing us battling a G Drake Lizard King. As the video yed, an unreadable expression crossed her face.


    "Can you call him for me?" she asked, reaching for her phone.


    The maid nodded and quickly dialed us''s number. In no time, us''s handsome face appeared on the scre.


    "Mom, is everything alright?" us asked concern in his voice, his expression showing a bit of panic.


    "Everything''s fine. But what about you? Are you having fun yet?" his mother asked, her gaze warm but knowing.


    "Not really," us said with a smile, biting into a piece of bread. "I''m just sitting here, joying the food you prepared for me."


    "You scoundrel!" his mother huffed, her face redding with frustration. "What did I tell you before you tered the Forbidd Zone?" She had se the video of him fighting the massive G Drake Lizard King, yet here he was, joking about it like it was nothing.


    "Mom, you worry too much. At this rate, you''ll age faster from all this stress," us teased gtly, his smile not hiding the affection in his voice.


    His mother''s frustration was clear, but so was the love behind it. "You''lle here and let me scold you properly. I''m still your mother, after all," she said sternly.


    us''s voice softed as he replied, "I promise I won''t do anything that''ll put my life in danger. This life of mine belongs to you. These monsters don''t have the right to take it."


    His mother''s heart softed at his words. "Just be careful," she said with a sigh. "You''ve already be a hot topic."


    us chuckled. "Hehe, soon ough, everyone will be bowing at my feet."


    She raised an eyebrow. "You, what are you up to?" she asked, but before she could continue, us shed a mischievous smile.


    "Eat more protein, Mom," he said, th hung up.


    Hel, the maid, couldn''t help but smile as she watched the mother and son''s interaction. The past few days had be the happiest of her life as a maid. Aside from cleaning with the other staff, she spt most of her time with us''s mother, almost like her personal attdant.


    "Keeps me updated on whatever that brat is up to," us''s mother instructed. Hel nodded before leaving the gard.


    Left alone again, us''s mother sighed. "He''s just like his father," she muttered to herself. "I guess he''ll soon find out what really happed." She shook her head and returned to her weaving, her mind still lingering on the past.


    After us tered the warrior rankings, his name spread like wildfire. No longer confined to just Ross City, us''s reputation reached other cities throughout the Eastern Region of the Northern Union.


    Entering the Regional Chart meant his points had surpassed most of the warriors on the City Charts and ev overshadowed many on the Regional Chart.


    The Eastern Region consists of 4 cities and  powerful ns. Each city and n has its own elite warriors who have spt months, ev years, racking up points to earn their spots on the charts. These warriors risk their lives by vturing into the most dangerous parts of the Forbidd Zones, battling high-tier monsters. Their bravery has earned them respect throughout the region.


    Yet, out of nowhere, us¡ªa young Ascded warrior who had awaked less than a month ago¡ªshot past them all. He appeared on the charts with shocking speed, surpassing many of the elites who had long held their positions. No one could believe it.


    Ross City became a buzz of excitemt. People flooded in from other cities, hoping to gain us''s favor, or simply to meet the rising star themselves. His name was on everyone''s lips.


    But the person at the cter of it all, us, was far from themotion. He was perched high in a tree, calmly eating his meal, oblivious to the chaos he''d caused.


    "That fireball destroyed all my money," he muttered to himself, gazing at the charred battlefield in the distance.


    Earlier, after defeating the Tier 5 Terror, us had tak some time to rest and chat with Anna. She seemed eager to share everything she knew. In her excited ramblings, she exined that the military was responsible for overseeing the Forbidd Zones.


    Anna had ev told us about the rewards the military offered to those who contributed significantly to the battle against monsters. She proudly showed him a badge she had earned after defding a city that had nearly be destroyed wh a Forbidd Zone had be overrun.


    From Anna''s descriptions, us realized his rect achievemts would earn him great rewards wh he returned. Because of this, he only gathered a few rare Tier 4 monster bodies to bring back to Madam Fei and let the others take the rest. They were beyond overjoyed at his gerosity.


    After spding some time chatting with them and taking a few selfies, us left, already nning his next big hunt. His experice point (EXP) progress bar showed he needed  million more points to reach Level 9. He sighed, knowing that ev if he wiped out another region, it might not be ough for a breakthrough.


    The monsters in the Forbidd Zones rewarded him with more EXP, but they were mostly Tier 3, which wasn''t ough to satisfy his growing need for EXP points.


    Every level up added an additional  million points to his requiremt. Right now, he needed 5 million more points just to advance to Level 9. Unlike others, us needed to reach Level  before he could break through to the next stage.


    "Ah, I guess I''ll use the monster cores to make up the differce," us muttered, looking ahead. "For now, I need a new target."


    Turning his gaze towards the Ctral Region, he smiled. "The ctral zones it is. With my undistributed points, those zombies won''t know what hit them." The thought of battling the zombies excited him, but first, he needed a short break.


    "Wait a minute," us mused. "If the fire destroyed all my money, shouldn''t the ice bnce it out? Hehe, I never should''ve used that fireball in the first ce." He jumped down from his perch and started running in a certain direction. After a while of running, he stopped, pulled out a map, and activated its tracking feature. After confirming no one was nearby, he set his next n into motion.


    A small ice ball appeared in his hand, gradually growingrger until it was the size of a basketball. With a determined flick of his wrist, us hurled it forward.


    BOOM!


    The ice ball exploded, freezing everything within a -kilometer radius in solid ice. Massive ice spikes jutted out from the froz g like jagged teeth. us smiled in satisfaction and continued practicing. Slowly, the ice began to spread, stretching from kilometers to miles until the tire vironmt turned into an icy wastnd.


    Anna had shown us a map feature that disyed the number of people in the forest and their currt locations. Thankfully, no one had be in the Eastern Section wh us detonated his fireball.


    ording to Anna, the Western Section contained rare monsters and valuable herbs, making it a popr hunting spot. As for the Ctral Section, no one dared to vture there. us intded to go next, hoping to level up quickly and reach the Master stage before the City Selection for the Celestial Mountain Academy.


    "I should probably make this next move look cooler than that fireball," us said, deep in thought. He walked to a nearby mountain and sat down, pondering his next move. After a few momts, his eyes brighted with an idea. "Lotus Flower," he whispered to himself.


    Spreading his arms wide, us began to form ice in the shape of a delicate flower. But before the first petal could fully take shape, it exploded, freezing us solid in a block of ice. He quickly heated his body, shattering the icy prison.


    "Ugh, that hurt," us grumbled as he freed himself from the shattered ice.


    He immediately began forming another ice flower. This time, a petal took shape, followed by another, and th another. Wh the fifth petal began to form, it cracked and exploded, casing us in a solid statue of ice.


    Once again, us used his fire to shatter the ice. "Hehe, almost there," he smiled and began forming the ice petals once more. This time, the first five petals appeared, followed by the sixth and sevth appearing simultaneously. The eighth petal soon joined, and th the ninth.


    However, as the ninth appeared, us felt a sudd blockage. It was as if no more petals could be formed.


    "The momt of truth," us said with a grin. He channeled his Star Qi into the lotus. As soon as the ergy made contact, us felt a sharp pain in his head and th lost consciousness. Despite this, the lotus did not dissipate. Instead, it began to spin.


    The petals of the lotus started to transform. They grew longer, and nine marks appeared on each petal. These marks took the form of Stars. After the stars appeared almost instantly, they vanished, but one of the smaller stars on the first petal remained, taking on a deep gold hue.


    Gradually, the lotus shrank and tered us''s forehead.

 Chapter 55: Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom

    us woke up with an icy headache. As he looked a, he saw that he was still in the same ce, but everything a him was now coated in ice.


    "Congrattions, us, on creating your first skill," the Sior''s voice echoed from his soul sea.


    "Really? I actually seeded?" us''s face lit up with joy. He quickly oped his status window to check his gains, but to his surprise, the skill wasn''t listed. It hadn''t be recorded.


    "You''ve created a skill, but you hav''t named it yet, so it''s not recognized as a true skill," the Sior exined.


    "Sior, how do I name it?" us asked.


    "Just activate the skill and speak its name," the Sior replied. us nodded and, almost instinctively, a lotus flower made of pure ice bloomed into existce. The temperature in the tire area dropped to below freezing level.


    "Damn, this iciness alone is ough to freeze many people," us muttered, feeling the cold a him. "This feels differt from the Fireball. I can actually control how much ergy is used."


    us smiled and thought for a momt. After a while, his smile brighted. "I will name it ''Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom.''"


    As soon as he spoke the name, the heavs rumbled and dark clouds began to form overhead. "Sior, what''s happing?" us asked, panic creeping into his voice.


    "You''ve created a skill that surpasses the standards of your world. Naturally, the heavs will try to destroy it," the Sior replied casually, making us wonder if the Sior actually wanted him to fail.


    "Sior, what should I do?" us asked urgtly.


    "It''s your skill. You must do whatever you can to defd it. Destroying the skill means destroying you," the Sior said.


    us felt the cold air and his mind raced with calctions. Above him, the clouds continued to dark and be more macing.


    "Dammit, this Paragon thing is a scam. I hav''t ev joyed my life yet, and the heavs are always looking for ways to kill me. How is creating a skill a bad thing?" us cursed, ring at the heavs.


    Within his soul sea, the Sior muttered to himself, "They''re scared because it''s the Nine Paragon Stars Ice Lotus Bloom." He sighed and th fell silt.


    Outside, us continued cursing at the dark clouds. Th, suddly, he stopped and grinned. "Well, if you want to kill me so badly, how about we go for a little stroll?" With that, us jumped down from the mountain and began adding points to his stats. He put 00 points each into Strgth, Agility, Defse, and Stamina. Th, he added 300 points to Intelligce and 400 to Health.


    With a determined smile, he dashed forward towards the Ctral Region of Ruin City, rumored to be filled with nothing but zombies.


    As expected, the ominous clouds followed him, continuing to form as they had during his tribtion. us estimated it would take about five minutes, just like before. He tered the Ctral Region at full speed, sword drawn and ready for action.


    "White Zombies¡ªjust as I thought, there are only zombies here," us said, his smile widing. An ice arc shot from his sword, slicing through a doz zombies that were devouring a huge monster.


    Immediately after his first attacknded, us ssed hundreds of zombies moving toward him. He smiled and a me appeared in his left hand. With a swift motion, he hurled the fireball forward.


    The  zombies, a few kilometers away, saw the fireball approaching. They stopped and quickly turned to retreat. But it was toote. The fireball soared over them and continued deeper into Ruin City.


    As it moved, the fireball expanded to the size of a doz basketballs before it exploded. mes swirled and consumed everything in its path. Since us was now at a safe distance, he didn''t feel the heat. Additionally, with his boosted defse, his resistance to the mes had improved significantly.


    The fireball consumed thousands of zombies, killing them instantly. us ssed more zombies approaching from afar. He smiled and quickly formed another fireball, sding it ev deeper into the forest.


    Within three minutes, us had used the fireball three times and leveled up to Level 9, but only after killing thousands of zombies. He checked his messages and confirmed that all the zombies were Tier 3. He knew more wereing, and the clouds had already formed overhead.


    "Hehe, sharing pain with frids like you is the greatest honor one could ask for," us said with a grin as he moved toward the approaching zombies.


    His sword glowed crimson, and with a powerful sh, he cut a path through the zombies. He dashed deeper into the city, as lightning began to rain down from the dark clouds above. The zombies felt their movemts restricted and started falling.


    The lightning bolts created holes in some zombies split others in half, and left many charred from the intse electrical burns.


    For us, it felt like being a fish in water. The zombies a him stood froz and th began to fall as he moved swiftly through the Ctral Region. Surprisingly, the zombies dying from the tribtion were contributing to his EXP and Ranking Points, which filled us with immse joy and drove him to cover more g.


    Suddly, he ssed Tier 4 zombies. Unlike the others, these zombies wer''t froz, but their movemts were sluggish. us rained down a mix of ice and fire attacks, helping them ter the Yama Kingdom for good. However, more and more Tier 4 zombies began to appear, causing us to worry.


    He wasn''t invincible. He needed the zombies to spread out the tribtion lightning evly. Using his Lotus Flower move now would draw all the lightning to himself, so he had to dure and increase his speed and rate of killing.


    Suddly, the heavs rumbled, and a colossal lightning python appeared. As it showed its massive head, us grinned. "Not this time, pal. You can''t lock me down today." He felt a powerful force trying to restrain him, but his star qi circted, allowing him to break free.


    The Tier 4 zombies wer''t so lucky. The python descded on them, turning them into charred pieces. "Good, follow me, Partner. We have a lot to do," us said with a nod toward the snake, th continued running deeper into the forest.


    The lightning followed, killing thousands of zombies every second. us''sughter echoed through the air.


    us continued to move swiftly, cutting through the zombies as lightning followed him, killing thousands every second. The sce was a chaotic storm of death and destruction. His sword shed crimson as he cut down zombies left and right, each swing sding more of them to the g. The constant lightning strikes made his work easier, creating a path of destruction wherever he wt.


    "At this rate, I will be clearing the tire forest within minutes if all this goes well" us muttered gliding through the forest. Everywhere he passes hundreds of Zombies will fall.


    The lightning pythons'' strikes proved invaluable, tearing through the hordes of zombies. us''s excitemt grew with each zombie he killed, hisughter ringing out in the storm. He danced through the battlefield, feeling invincible with the divine power of the heavs helping him.


    Suddly, an intse attack struck the lightning python. The colossal serpt writhed in pain before it was obliterated. Its form shattered into fragmts of light that dispersed into runes. These runes flowed through the air and merged into us''s body.


    As the runes tered him, us felt a surge of new power. However, before he could fully grasp the new developmt, a new wave of zombies emerged. These were differt¡ªstronger and more macing.


    "Zombie Captain" us immediately recognizes the new batch of Zombies as the Zombie Captains. Back in the Zombie Forest, he killed a few. However, now before him are hundreds if not thousands of Zombie Captains each a Tier 4 Dark Zombies.


    "I guess this ce is really dangerous, ev the Captains are this imposing, how about the Gerals" us shuddered imagining that. However, he immediately recognizes he is not alone, he has the heavs supporting him. And just like he had expected, before the Zombie Captains could move, the clouds rumbled.


    From the dark clouds, more than t lightning pythons emerged, their ormous forms crackling with ergy. At once, a great pressure descded on the tire forest. us immediately circted his Star qi and like before, he broke free. However, the Zombie Captains wer''t that lucky, Immediately the lightning Pythons appeared, their fate was sealed. Seeing this, us''sughter erupted.


    us''sughter grew louder and more triumphant as he witnessed the pythons'' devastating effect. "You think you can challge me?" he yelled, his voice full of excitemt. "Bring it on! This is just getting started!"


    He dashes forward and starts to attack with rewed vigor, his sword moving faster than ever. The Zombie Captains struggled to keep up with the lightning-fast strikes. Each swing of us''s sword was met with a burst of ice or fire, powered by the lightning pythons'' ergy.


    The battlefield was a tempest of chaos. Zombies were reduced to ashes, their numbers dwindling rapidly under thebined assault of us''s attacks and the lightning strikes. The sky roared with thunder, adding to the frzied atmosphere.


    us felt invincible. He relished the power flowing through him, driving him to push harder. "You think this is all you''ve got?" he taunted the Zombie Captains. "I''m just getting warmed up!"


    As the lightning pythons continued their assault, us darted betwe the monsters, his movemts a blur of speed and precision. The new zombies fell quickly under the reltless onught, their bodies disintegrating in the fiery and icy fury.


    More and more Zombie Captains appeared, but us was too lost in his frzy to notice. His mind had drifted away from the tribtion, his tire focus locked on the ughter at hand. Nothing else mattered.


    As he continued to kill, us began to feel something stirring deep inside him. It was a dark, primal urge¡ªa need to shed more blood. This overpowering desire consumed him, pushing everything else from his mind as he carved his way deeper into the forest.


    Th, without warning, an ormous pressure surged from within the forest. The air grew thick, and in an instant, the Lightning Pythons froze. They shattered into glowing runes that rushed toward us, disappearing into his body. As they did, an ev greater force erupted from within him, and one of the star tattoos on his back zed to life.


    Suddly, a bloodthirsty voice boomed from the depths of the forest. "Human, die!" it roared.


    Before us could react, a massive club came hurtling toward his head.

 Chapter 56: Seven Terrifying Zombie Generals

    Boom!


    us swung his sword, meeting the club head-on. The force st a sharp numbness through his arm as he was pushed back a few steps. His eyes wided in shock¡ªthis was the first time since tering the forest that something had managed to push him back. His gaze locked onto the crimson eyes of a massive figure. He instantly recognized it as a Zombie Geral.


    "Great... more monsters," he muttered, eyes darting up to the sky. The dark tribtion cloud that had be looming over him began to fade, returning the sky to its usual state. us felt a wave of unease. The storm that had protected him was gone, meaning his supernatural aid had abandoned him. Now, he was on his own.


    He nced back at the Zombie Geral, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I managed to defd my skill... meaning I can use it. Well th," us chuckled, gripping his sword tighter. "Shall we dance?"


    With a quick dash, us lunged at the Zombie Geral, his sword cutting through the air. They shed again, but this time, us felt the strgth behind the zombie''s blows more clearly. They were evly matched, or so it seemed. But as usunched his attacks, he could feel his body heating up, ergy surging within him.


    His Star Qi red to life, circting through his body, and strgthing his bones and muscles. The power rushed into him, fueling his strikes. With this newfound strgth, us intsified his assault, his attacksing faster and harder.


    "Almost there," us thought, his sses fully aware of the other zombies charging toward him. He quickly unleashed a powerful ice arc from his sword, sding the Zombie Geral flying backward. In a smooth motion, a small ice lotus formed in his hand, rapidly growing in size.


    "This is incredible," us murmured to himself, amazed at the speed with which the flower took shape. "I guess it''s official now¡ªa fully recognized skill." He smiled as he hurled the lotus forward.


    The momt it left his palm, the flower spun faster, expanding as it traveled. Frost began to spread across the ruins, covering everything in its icy grip. us''s gaze shifted to the horizon, where thousands of Tier 4 Zombies were charging toward him, their terrifying auras growing stronger.


    "After today, there won''t be a Ctral Ruin left in this Forbidd Zone," us dered, his smile widing.


    "Explode!" hemanded, clching his fist as the ice lotus reached the heart of the Ctral Ruin.


    For a brief momt, nothing happed. Th, suddly, an icy explosion erupted at the ruin''s core. A cold, unnatural ergy washed over everything. us felt the chill hit him as the world a him froze in ce¡ªtrees, brok buildings, stones, and, most importantly, the zombies. Everything was cased in solid ice.


    us stood still, feeling the surge of ergy flood his body. He had leveled up to Level .


    "What kind of explosion is this?" he wondered, staring at the froz sce before him. There had be no shockwave, no st of destruction like he expected. Instead, the ice-cold ergy had swept across the area, leaving everything froz in its wake.


    All us heard was a loud explosion¡ªth, silce. The only thing left was the ice-cold ergy washing over everything. He stood there, shocked but pleased. With his previous Fireball skill, the explosion was wild and destructive, harming anything in its path, frid or foe.


    But this new power felt differt. us ssed control in it, the kind that could target specific areas, leaving others untouched. He realized this newfound control was because his skill had be recognized by the universe.


    BOOM!


    Suddly, another explosion rocked the Ruin forest, snapping us out of his thoughts. He immediately ssed danger. But instead of retreating, he grinned and muttered, "Looks like the challge I''ve be craving has finally arrived."


    In the distance, he spotted sev figures rushing toward him. They were all Tier 5 Dark Zombies¡ªZombie Gerals. Each of them wielded a massive club, their eyes burning with rage as they charged, radiating intse killing intt.


    "Human, die!" one of the zombies bellowed as it lunged forward, its club swinging with terrifying force.


    BOOM! The club smashed into the g, just missing us as he dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.


    ''Shit, this thing is strong,'' us thought to himself, quickly realizing he was facing a much tougher battle than before. He quickly dodge to the side again evading another club. He sucked in a cold breath.


    "Freeze!" usmanded, stomping on the g. Ice shards shot up, freezing one of the raged Zombie Gerals up to its waist. Wasting no time, us dashed toward it, but before he could strike, another club came crashing down toward his head.


    He quickly abandoned his attack and braced for impact. Boom! The club smashed into his arm, sding him skidding back several meters.


    "Damn, that hurt," us cursed inwardly. But despite the pain, his angry expression shifted into a cold smile. "My bones ar''t brok," he thought. "The Star Diagram cultivation method is ev more terrifying than I imagined."


    us narrowed his eyes, ncing a. Sev Zombie Gerals had sured him, each radiating a macing aura, clubs in hand. us smirked as his Star Qi began to circte through his body.


    "Gtlem," he said coldly, "shall we dance?"


    His eyes zed with ergy as he stabbed his sword into the g. Ice shot out in all directions, disrupting the rhythm of the Zombies. Just as he expected, they staggered back. us seized the opportunity and darted toward his first target.


    His sword swung down, but the Zombie Geral blocked with its club. However, just as their weapons shed, us pivoted, swinging his leg into the Zombie''s ribcage. A loud crack echoed through the air, followed by a groan as the Zombie was st flying.


    "Moon sh!" us shouted, unleashing an icy arc from his sword. It collided with another clubing at him from the right. The two attacks met, forcing both us and the Zombie Geral back. Using the momtum, us swiftly stabbed his sword at a nearby Zombie while his legs kicked out, deflecting two more clubs aimed at him.


    us felt the weight of the battle pressing down on him. The sev Zombie Gerals were reltless, each attack more ferocious than thest. But us wasn''t backing down. He had faced death before, and this fight was no differt.


    The Zombie he had kicked away snarled as it got back on its feet, eyes glowing with fury. us barely had time to catch his breath before it charged at him again, its club swinging in a wide arc. He quickly ducked, the club whizzing just inches above his head.


    us responded with a quick sh to the Zombie''s legs, aiming to cripple it. But the creature was fast, jumping back just in time. us cursed under his breath. These Zombie Gerals were stronger and smarter than the other zombies he had fought before.


    Another Zombie Geral lunged at him from the side, its clubing down with incredible force. us rolled to the side, barely avoiding the crushing blow. The g where he had just stood cracked and splintered from the impact.


    us was on his feet in an instant, his sword ready. He swung at the attacking Zombie, aiming for its neck. But the Zombie raised its club just in time, blocking the strike. The impact st a shockwave through us''s arm, but he held firm.


    The other Zombies began closing in on him, their clubs raised high. us knew he couldn''t afford to get sured. He needed to keep moving. With a burst of ergy, he leaped into the air, flipping over the heads of the Zombies tond behind them.


    As hended, he spun a, sding a wave of ice toward the closest Zombie. The ice struck its legs, freezing them in ce. us took the chance to rush in, shing at the Zombie''s chest. His sword cut deep, but the creature didn''t fall.


    Before us could follow up, another Zombie Geral was on him. Its club came crashing down, forcing us to block with his sword. The force of the blow drove him to one knee, but he quickly rolled away before the next strike couldnd.


    "Fuck, these bastards are terrifying," us cursed under his breath, realizing his attacks wer''tnding as he had expected. His frustration grew as he dodged another swing of a heavy club. "I need to create an oping," he muttered, spinning on his heels to evade yet another strike.


    But just as he thought he had dodged sessfully, a sudd cold ssation pressed against his side. Pain shot through his body, sharp and overwhelming. Before he could react, he realized what had happed¡ªa Zombie Geral had struck him with its club. The weapon was coated in a sinister red ergy, radiating a powerful blood aura.


    "Shit!" us cursed loudly, wincing as he felt his rib crack from the impact. Gritting his teeth, he nced up at the attacker and saw the familiar face of the Zombie whose rib he had brok earlier. It hade back for revge.


    us gritted his teeth, pain surging through his body. His side burned where the Zombie Geral''s attack hadnded. Blood dripped from his mouth, and he could feel the sharp edge of a brok rib grinding with every breath. But he wasn''t about to let this monster get the better of him.


    Rage boiled inside him as he dashed toward the Zombie Geral that had struck him. The creature grinned, its hollow eyes filled with evil. us could feel the blood ergy radiating from the Zombie''s club, a dark, powerful force that threated to consume him if he let it.


    "No more games," us growled, tighting his grip on his sword. He wasn''t going to hold back. The pain in his body only fueled his anger, sharping his focus.


    The Zombie Geral swung its club again, aiming for us''s head. us ducked low, feeling the wind from the club''s swing brush past him. He retaliated immediately, shing at the creature''s legs with all his strgth. His de cut through its knee, and the Zombie let out a guttural roar as it stumbled forward.


    us didn''t give it a chance to recover. He pressed forward, driving his sword into the Zombie''s chest. The creature howled in pain, but us twisted the de, sding icy ergy through the sword into its body. Ice spread rapidly, freezing the Zombie from the inside out.


    With a final shove, us yanked his sword free, watching as the Zombie Geral fell to the g, its body cased in frost.


    "Take that bitch" us muttered but he didn''t stop to celebrate¡ªthere were still six more of them.

 Chapter 57: Sword Aura True Awakening

    He turned just in time to see two more Zombie Gerals charging at him, their clubs raised high. us sidestepped the first, but the second managed to graze his shoulder. The impact st him spinning, his feet skidding across the g.


    "Damn it," us muttered, feeling the sharp sting of the hit. Although he still has some stamina and his bones are bracing for the impacts, the pain can never be ignored. He couldn''t stop, or more like he didn''t want to stop. He wanted to test his limit and for one, he got exactly what he craved. He has already tak down one Geral, however, the remaining six are ev more terrifying now.


    Taking down one made them gain more room to coordinate their attacks. They now backed each other up, following up each other''s attack. It''s like they know each other''s rhythm. These zombies are more lethal and intelligt than the Tier 4 and below.


    He raised his sword, blocking another attack, the force pushing him back a few meters. us grits his teeth, pushing back against the weight of the club. His arms shook, but he held firm.


    Th, he felt it¡ªa familiar surge of ergy building within him. His Star Diagram cultivation method was kicking in, circting his qi through his body, healing him. us immediately felt rejuvated, almost like he hadn''t had any injuries during the battle.


    ''So it works this way too'' us said inwardly trying to replicate the feeling. However, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn''t get it. It was like just wh his injuries were about to get severe, the Star Diagram kicked in.


    Unbeknownst to us, just wh his internal injuries were starting to be more severe, the tattoo on his back took effect lighting up subtly and the Star Qi circted within him.


    "With my Star Qi pool, I can do this all day" us muttered, summoning every ounce of power he could muster. He released another st of ice, freezing the g beath the Zombies'' feet. The creatures stumbled, their bnce thrown off.


    us didn''t waste a momt. He dashed forward, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision. He aimed for the neck of the nearest Zombie Geral, but the creature raised its club just in time to block the strike. The impact st vibrations through us''s arms, but he didn''t back down.


    With a quick twist of his wrist, us redirected his sword, shing at the Zombie''s side. His de cut through its armor-like skin, and the creature howled in pain. us pressed on, delivering a flurry of blows, each one chipping away at the Zombie''s defses.


    But the other Zombies wer''t standing idly by. One of them lunged at us from behind, its club crashing into his back. us gasped as pain exploded through his body. He staggered forward, barely managing to stay on his feet.


    "Fuck, this bastards are too vicious" he muttered through gritted teeth, forcing himself to stand tall. He spun a, just in time to block another attack. His sword shed with the Zombie''s club, sparks flying from the impact.


    us was panting now, struggling to take in breaths. His vision blurred, but he refused to fall. He could feel the blood running down his side, mixing with the dirt beath his feet. But th again, the Star Qi circted and he was filled with ergy yet again, healing all wounds again.


    The Zombies circled him again, their eyes glowing with a hunger for death. us raised his sword, and the momt he summoned his strgth, he felt something shift within the de. As a Weapon Overlord, he instantly understood what was happing. That ssation he''d be feeling in his sword¡ªit was stirring again.


    At first, us had thought he''d already awaked this power, but now he was drawn deeper into the ergy. The sharpness of the de felt hanced, and he could sse a new connection forming. It was as if the sword and he were linked, bound by a shared force.


    "Well, isn''t this exciting," us thought with a wry smile. He could feel the differce¡ªhis aura felt sharper, more refined. His next attack would be something far more precise and deadly.


    "Let''s give it a try," he muttered, tapping into the ergy pulsing within the sword. As soon as he did, the de began to glow with a gold light. An oily, swirling ergy coiled a the edge of the weapon, and us could feel its sharpness intsifying. He was certain now¡ªthis sword could cleave through a mountain with a single strike.


    Ice essce and star qi surged into his sword, the two ergies blding powerfully. At the same time, he stomped on the g, freezing the area within a kilometer a him. The sudd frost forced the Zombie Gerals to stumble back, giving us the oping he needed.


    Without hesitation, he unleashed two Moon sh attacks. Two icy arcs, now glowing with a gold aura, shot out of his sword, slicing toward the gerals. The first zombie was too slow to react, and the arc cut cleanly through its body, splitting it in half. The second geral, quicker on its feet, raised its club to block the strike.


    Though it managed to halt the arc, the force of the attack was too much. The club cracked and shattered into pieces.


    "That''s more like it," us muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Let''s see who has thestugh." With that, he dashed toward the now weaponless zombie.


    The zombie tried to retreat, moving quickly to escape, but us was ready. He stomped the g again, expanding the icy field, freezing everything in its path. The retreating geral found its movemts restricted, its escape cut off.


    us wasted no time. He thrust his sword forward, driving it through the zombie''s back. Ice spread rapidly through its body until it crumbled into froz fragmts. In mere momts, three out of the sev Zombie Gerals had be in.


    us grinned, finally feeling like he had control of the battle. He turned his gaze to the remaining four Zombie Gerals. Their bloodthirsty eyes gleamed with rage, but now there was a flicker of caution like they were fearing him, something that shouldn''t be possible, they are zombies, not humans. Fear is not part of their emotions. us could see they were growing wary of his power.


    One of the zombies, thergest of the remaining four, charged at him with a roar. It swung its massive club toward us''s head, moving faster than the others. us narrowly dodged the attack, the club smashing into the froz g, sding shards of ice flying everywhere.


    us spun to the side, taking advantage of the zombie''s slow recovery. His sword glowed again as he shed it upward, aiming for the creature''s arm. The de sliced through with ease, severing the arm at the shoulder. The zombie let out a screech as its weapon fell from its grip.


    Not waiting for a counterattack, us quickly stabbed his sword into the zombie''s chest. Ice spread rapidly through its body, and in seconds, the giant zombie crumbled to the g in froz chunks.


    "Three left." He muttered


    Two more zombies rushed him together. One swung a jagged club while the other had a sharp w-like club that glowed with a red, ominous light. us braced himself, his mind racing. He knew he couldn''t take them head-on like before. He noticed the Zombies were using some kind of skill that made their weapons hurt more than they used. Although he might not die from an impact, he was rather cautious.


    He dodged the w club-wielding zombie''s strike, stepping back just in time. But the wed zombie lunged forward, nearly catching him off guard. us ducked under the attack, feeling the ws graze his armor.


    Quickly, he spun a and shed at the wed zombie''s exposed back. The de cut deep, and ice rapidly covered its body, freezing it solid. With one strong kick, us shattered the froz creature into pieces.


    "Two left." He muttered with a grin


    The second club-wielding zombie didn''t hesitate. It roared in fury and charged again, swinging its jagged club wildly. us knew he couldn''t let the creature keep up this reltless assault, so he decided to change tactics.


    Instead of backing away, us rushed forward, meeting the zombie head-on. At thest second, he ducked under the zombie''s swing and thrust his sword upward. The de pierced through the zombie''s chest, and us twisted it, forcing ice to spread out rapidly.


    The zombie froze in ce, its body turning into a block of ice before crumbling apart like the others.


    Only one zombie remained.


    Thisst one stood still, its glowing eyes watching us carefully. Unlike the others, it seemed to understand the danger it was in. It didn''t rush at him. Instead, it began circling, waiting for the right momt to strike.


    us smiled, admiring the creature''s caution, but he knew it wouldn''t save it. He took a deep breath and prepared himself. His sword was glowing once again, its gold aura swirling with ice essce.


    "Circling me won''t save you, bro, it''s better we d this now. I don''t have much time" us taunted


    Perhaps being angered by his words, the zombie finally lunged, but us was ready. He sidestepped the attack and, with a single, precise sh, cut the creature''s legs out from under it. The zombie fell to the g, unable to move.


    us raised his sword high and brought it down, stabbing the creature through the chest. Ice spread onest time, and the final zombie turned to froz dust.


    "Sword Aura, quite amazing," us muttered, watching the gold aura coil a his de. From the beginning of the battle, he had faced two problems. First, he couldn''t block multiple emies while counterattacking.


    Second, his attackscked the sharpness he needed. But now, that had changed. The awaking of his Sword Aura had refined his strikes, making them sharper and more precise.


    "I guess that''s it," us grinned to himself. "Time to collect my spoils of war, hehe." He sheathed his sword and bt down to gather the Zombie Stones from the fall gerals.


    But before he could reach for the first stone, a powerful roar echoed through the forest. It was deafing, shaking the trees and sding birds scattering from the treetops. The g beath him trembled violtly, causing us to freeze in ce. His instincts red up in rm.


    Suddly, us heard the sior spoke from his soul sea


    "Be ready, us," the voice said. "You are about to face a true oppont."

 Chapter 58: Killed with a single slash

    In Ross City and nearly fifty other cities, every scre was fixed on one location: the Ruin City Forbidd Zone. Wh the apocalypse struck, technology took a massive hit, but it didn''t stay down for long. Just five years into the chaos, scitists and gineers¡ªsmarter than the greatest minds the world had ever se¡ªbegan to emerge.


    These individuals had awaked with new talts and sses that hanced their intelligce far beyond normal limits. As a result, technology advanced rapidly. This progress came with both befits and dangers, reshaping the world in unexpected ways.


    A few hours ago, us made an appearance on both the City and Regional ranking charts. His battles quickly became the talk of every city. Media houses across the Northern Union broadcasted his fights, and within hours, us''s fame skyrocketed. People were astonished by how quickly his name spread, not just in Ross City, but beyond.


    But th, chaos erupted. Out of nowhere, us, who had be ranked 90th on the City chart, shot up to 35th. At the same time, his position on the Regional chart soared from 360th to nd. The tire Northern Union wt into a frzy.


    Amidst the chaos, the military redirected their satellite feed to the Ruin City Forbidd Zone just in time to capture us''s sh with sev Zombie Gerals. The video was broadcast across every scre, captivating viewers as if they were watching a live tournamt.


    With technology now more advanced than ever, the world watched in awe. us, however, remained unaware of the spectacle his battles had be. He was too busy fighting for a few more points, oblivious to the chaos unfolding in the cities far behind him.


    Wh us took down the first Zombie, everyone watching held their breath in shock. But th, as if it were nothing, he wt on to ughter the others with ease. This left the audice ev more stunned.


    In a lush room, five individuals in army uniforms watched the battle, their expressions filled with disbelief.


    "What do we know about him?" asked a figure with a  beard and a bald head.


    "His name is us Hanson," one of the officers replied. "He awaked about two weeks ago and lives with his mother in Ross City. His father was the Mad Hunter, who wt missing six years ago."


    "That''s all?" the -bearded figure pressed.


    "Yes, Geral. There''s not much else. Aside from his rect rise to fame, we don''t know much about him."


    "Good," the Geral said with a nod. "That will make things easier. Sd m to the Ruin City borders to wee him wh hees out."


    "Geral, we can''t do that," one figure in a  navy uniform quickly interjected.


    The Geral''s brow furrowed. "And why not?"


    "The higher-ups issued a direct order," the navy officer exined. "We can''t recruit him unless he chooses to list on his own. We''re also forbidd from interfering in his affairs. Furthermore, once the battle ds, we''re to redirect the satellite."


    A tse silce fell over the room. The only sound was the steady thumping of their hearts, which seemed to slow as the weight of the situation sank in.


    All they could do now was watch as us fought against the remaining Zombies, powerless to act.


    -


    -


    -


    In another ce, two individuals watched the battle with shocked expressions. One of them suddly broke the silce. "You said he''s just an Ascded?" the figure asked, still trying to make sse of what he was seeing.


    "Yes, sir," replied a young man dressed in a neat, tight-fitting suit. "He awaked about two weeks ago. Within a few days, he ascded, and ever since he''s be hunting. He tered the Forbidd Zone three days ago."


    "And you believe he''s the one who saved Anna?" the man asked again, his eyes still glued to the scre where us, with his  hair, was battling the Zombie Gerals like a seasoned expert.


    "Yes, sir. I followed the younger madams a few hours ago wh I noticed them sneaking out. They met up with some other young people, and from what I overheard, it seems they know this young man."


    Dav Ross, the patriarch of the Ross family, pondered this for a momt. "Hry, do you think we should bring him to our side? Give me your honest opinion."


    Hry, the butler of the Ross family, sighed before answering. "I don''t think that would be wise," he said carefully.


    Dav raised an eyebrow at the response. "Oh? Why not? Exin."


    "From what I''ve observed," Hry began, "this young man doesn''t seem like someone who would follow orders easily. He was a nobody before, but now that he''s gained some fame, arrogance will naturallye. That''s expected. However, there''s something differt about him¡ªhe may be the kind of person who channels that arrogance in a good way."


    Dav leaned back in his chair, intrigued. "What makes you say that?"


    Hry nodded thoughtfully. "He''s still new to the cultivation world. He doesn''t know much about it yet, so he''ll probably spd time trying to figure things out. And what better way to do that than by joining the strongest academy in the world?"


    "You believe he''ll join the Celestial Mountain Academy?" Dav asked.


    "Ev if he doesn''t want to, they''lle for him," Hry replied. "I''ve already se two of the academy''s studts with Miss Anna just a few hours ago. It seems they''re trying to recruit him. That kind of atttion can turn anyone arrogant."


    Dav frowned slightly. "So what do you think we should do?"


    "It''s simple, sir," Hry said with a calm smile. "Miss Anna is the key. She seems to hold us in high regard. She didn''t ev reveal his idtity wh his mother asked about him. We should let her build a connection with him. Through her, we can establish ties with him as well."


    Dav nodded slowly. "You think other families will try the same?"


    "Absolutely," Hry said. "The Felin family has already made a move. We must rely on Miss Anna to sure we''re not left behind."


    Dav Ross sat in silce for a momt, contemting Hry''s words. The flickering images of us battling the Zombie Gerals continued to y on the scre in front of them, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew Hry''s advice made sse. The boy was powerful, and determined, and clearly had the pottial to be a major force. But he also wasn''t the type to be easily swayed or controlled.


    Finally, Dav spoke. "Alright, we''ll follow your suggestion. Let Anna handle it. But I assume she won''t agree to our arrangemt easily, so make sure she has everything she needs and stays out of their business. Whether this seeds or fails will depd on her charm."


    Hry nodded with a smile. "Sir, what about Lady Lucy? She seems to have tak an interest in this boy," Hry added suddly.


    Dav Ross chuckled lightly at Hry''s observation. The idea of his daughter Lucy being interested in us amused him more than it surprised him. He knew Lucy was strong-willed and indepdt, much like Anna. The thought of her showing interest in a boy¡ªespecially one who has just awaked amused him.


    "Oh, really?" Dav asked, his tone still light with amusemt.


    "Yes, sir. I''ve caught her a few times scrolling through posts about him. She seems curious, at the very least," Hry replied. As a diligt butler, he paid close atttion to such details.


    "Well, she''s 8 now," Dav said with a shrug. "She can do as she pleases. Just keep an eye on them and make sure they''re safe."


    Dav turned back to the scre, just in time to see us deliver the final blow to thest of the Zombie Captains. His shocked expression intsified, and th suddly, his eyes wided.


    It wasn''t just him, everyone watching the scre held their breath wh the colossal monster appeared from within the Ruin City.


    -


    -


    -


    us''s heart raced. He straighted up, scanning the area for the source of the roar. The air a him felt heavy, thick with an intse pressure that made it hard to breathe. His grip tighted a the hilt of his sword as he braced himself for what wasing.


    A massive figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, shaking the earth with every step. This creature was unlike anything us had ever se before. It was towering, easily twice the size of the Zombie Gerals, with thick, dark fur and glowing red eyes filled with malice. Its ws were long and razor-sharp, and its body radiated an aura of raw power and bloodlust.


    Everything about the monster screams bloodlust and danger. us could sse that the auraing from the new breed of Zombie standing before him was that of a Terror grade Tier 5 Zombie, the strongest creature in the Ruin City.


    us muttered under his breath as he stared at the monstrous Zombie. "What kind of monstrosity is this?" The creature stood about 3.4 meters tall, its sheer size both daunting and bewildering.


    Its body was a grotesque amalgamation of fur, rott flesh, and bone-like armor, resembling a nightmare made real. us knew he had to act quickly. He reached for his sword, feeling its familiar weight and the sharp, cold sh of light as he swung it.


    Since awaking his Sword Aura, us felt a deeper connection with his weapon. He knew that in terms of sheer strgth, he was no match for the colossal monster charging toward him. His only chance was to strike first and avoid letting itnd a blow.


    He tighted his grip on the sword and closed his eyes. Instantly, his heartbeat slowed, and he became acutely aware of his surings¡ªthe wind, the thudding footsteps of the monster, and the subtle link forming betwe his mind and the sword.


    Although he was not fully synchronized, the connection was strong ough to guide him. With a sudd jolt, us''s eyes snapped op. He swung his sword upward with precision.


    A thin arc of ice shot out from the de, streaking toward the giant Zombie. For a momt, time seemed to stand still. Th, with a deafing thud, the Zombie split in half and copsed to the g.

 Chapter 59: The Aftermath

    A heavy silce fell over everything¡ªstreets, pubs, restaurants, ev homes. No one moved, no one spoke, and no one ev dared to breathe too loudly. It just didn''t make sse. In fact, it shouldn''t have be possible.


    Wh the mutated Zombie Geral appeared, everyone had braced themselves for an intse battle. They held their breath, expecting us to struggle or ev flee. But with a single sh, he not only killed the Zombie¡ªhe split it clean in half. The shock was too much for anyone to process.


    us, a mere Ascded warrior, had just tak down a Tier 5 Terror Mutated Zombie and walked away without a scratch. It defied logic. Yes, there were giuses out there, fighters who could face opponts a level or two above them. But to kill something three realms higher with a single strike? That was unheard of.


    Disbelief rippled through the crowd. Th, suddly, the scres showing the battle wt nk. The military had moved the satellite away.


    As the sce of Ruin City faded from the scres, a new image appeared¡ªa news anchor, looking serious. "Breaking news!" the anchor announced. "The young Ascded warrior, us, has made his debut on the Union Warrior Ranking Chart, tering at number 807. Additionally, his rank on the City Chart is now 9, and on the Region Chart, he is ranked 98."


    The momt the announcemt was made, the world erupted into a frzy once again. No one could remain idle. There was chaos everywhere, especially online. us''s fights had be the most trding topic, with countless videos circting across the inte.


    But while the world was buzzing with excitemt over his incredible feats, the main character of all this chaos stood calmly in the ctral region of Ruin City, staring down at his sword. He had be staring at it for thest five minutes, deep in thought.


    After another t minutes of silt contemtion, us muttered to himself, "I''ll explore itter." With that, he ced the sword into his space ring. He th approached the fall Mutated Zombie Geral, carefully extracting a dark Zombie Stone from its body.


    "This is a high-tier stone," us said with a grin, eyeing the dark stone in his hand. "Hehe, the boy''s rich now." A Tier 5 Zombie Stone was something anyone would vy, and for good reason. Once someone reached the Grandmaster stage, they needed to form a Star Core to ascd to the Saint stage.


    The quality of this Star Core was crucial¡ªit determined one''s future pottial. Naturally, everyone sought to form thergest, most refined Star Core possible. But doing so required immse resources. Tier 5 monster cores were ideal for this purpose, but Zombie cores were ev more valuable.


    Not only did killing a Zombie give more experice than a regr monster, but Zombie cores also held significantly more ergy.


    Because of this, Zombie cores from Tier 4 and above were in high demand. With us having in hundreds, if not thousands, of Tier 4 Zombies, he now possessed a vast number of these prized cores.


    Suddly, the battlefield shifted. The ice that had covered it exploded, releasing a mist of freezing air that swept across the tire area. Within that mist, us''s Star Qi pulsed. As the mist spread across a -kilometer radius, every Zombie core on the battlefield stirred. They were drawn to us, vanishing one by one into his space ring.


    "My control over ice is stillcking," us muttered to himself. He recalled the words of the sior who had guided him: understanding the essce of his elemts¡ªice, and all the others¡ªwas crucial if he wanted to unleash true elemtal attacks.


    us moved back across the battlefield, repeating his earlier actions twice more, drawing in every remaining Zombie core. Once satisfied, he left and returned to the small mountain where he had once formed his Ice Lotus skill.


    "Looks like my status has ris again," us said with a smile, noticing the change. "Oh, I''m on the Union Chart now. Hehe, it seems I''ve finally made my debut. Let''s see who dares to look down on me ever again."


    Wh Madam Fei had couraged him to show everyone his power, no one expected his rise to be this explosive. Not only had us tered the City Chart, but he had climbed to the top, and ev more impressively, he had secured a spot on the Region Chart within the top 0.


    In every city, there were millions of warriors, all striving for a chance to rank among the top. The Union Ranking Chart was reserved for only the top ,000 warriors across the tire region. To make such a debut, one needed not just strgth but also vast amounts of Military Contribution Points. us had done it¡ªhe had made his mark.


    This meant us''s points far surpassed those who had be hunting and killing monsters for years. Not only had he eradicated an tire region of the Ruin, but he had also wiped out two regions tirely. He had in thousands of monsters, amassing a massive sum of points, which catapulted him to the top of the rankings upon his debut.


    What us aplished in such a short time would take others months, if not years, to achieve. Normally, it would require a team of dozs of warriors to ev attempt such a feat¡ªand ev th, they would barely manage it. Wiping out an tire region of a Forbidd Zone was something no one had ever imagined possible, not since the apocalypse struck.


    us was the first to achieve it, and he set the bar so high that ev if someone tried to replicate his sess, it wouldn''t have the same explosive impact. His actions had redefined what it meant to be a top warrior, and the world was now watching.


    Despite his incredible feats, us couldn''t help but frown as he stared at his status scre. "Hmm, after all this killing, I still need 7 million more experice points to level up and be a Master," he muttered, eyeing the progress bar with disappointmt.


    He had hoped that this battle would be the turning point, the push he needed to ascd to Master Warrior. But now, seeing how much experice was still required, he could only sigh.


    Suddly, his phone rang¡ªnow showing on the military tracking device Hanna helped him link his phone to. The name "Ohema" shed on the scre.


    "It''s Ohema," us said, quickly retrieving the phone. Before answering, he brushed his hair back, trying to look more innoct and cute.


    "Hello, Ohema. Missing me already?" us teased in a fridly tone as soon as her face appeared on the scre.


    "Tsk, who''s missing you?" Ohema replied with a slight blush. "By now, thousands of girls are sliding into your DMs, and you think I would miss you?"


    us blinked, confused. "Mmmh, what''s a DM?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.


    Ohema stared at him for a momt before bursting intoughter. "Oh right, I forgot you''re new to all this," she said, still giggling. "Anyway, you''re popr now!"


    "It seems so. I guess this means I can ter the Selection for Celestial Mountain Academy," us said, his voice filled with curiosity.


    "Oh, absolutely," Oheme replied with a nod. "You''re more than qualified now. Ev without a rmdation, I''m sure the academy will reach out to you soon ough."


    She paused for a momt, th raised an eyebrow. "But¡­ ar''t you worried you might have gone too far this time?"


    us looked at her, confused. "Gone too far? I only killed monsters and Zombies. It''s not like I stole anyone''s girlfrid," he said, guinely puzzled.


    Oheme sighed and leaned closer. "You''re on the City, Region, and Union charts, us. That alone is an insult to many prideful warriors. Think about it¡ªif one day you woke up to find your status pushed back or wiped from the charts by someone several Tiers below you, how would you feel?"


    us frowned but remained silt as she continued.


    "You''ve not only pushed people down a rank but on the City Chart, you''ve tered the top fifty¡ªa feat usually reserved for Saint Warriors and above. Do you see now why I said you might have gone too far?" Oheme''s tone was gtle, but her words carried weight.


    us thought about her words for a momt, finally understanding the impact of his sudd rise on others. He could see what she meant now. Still, it wasn''t his fault that people were weaker than him. "Well, that does make sse," us said, nodding thoughtfully. "I guess I won''t wipe out the other three regions just yet."


    Ohema''s jaw dropped. "Wait, you were nning to take out the other three regions?" she asked, eyes wide.


    us smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I was going to use the time to break through to the Master stage," he replied casually. "But since you mtioned I might be stepping on some toes, I''ll postpone it for now."


    "You... ar''t you tired?" Ohema asked, still in disbelief.


    us chuckled. "Not at all. I could do this all day." If only she knew about his heav-defying recovery ability that defied all logic¡ªshe probably wouldn''t ev be able to stand next to him without feeling overwhelmed.


    "Th it''s a good thing I called you," Ohema said. "You don''t need to break through just yet. After the City Selection, there''ll be a gift. Those selected will be giv a vial of Mountain Dew. Wait until th and use the Mountain Dew to cleanse your body before you push yourself to the Master stage."


    "What is Mountain Dew?" us asked, his tone curious.


    "It''s a unique medicinal essce," Ohema exined. "It cleanses all impurities from the body, allowing a warrior to cultivate more easily and break through to higher realms. If you use it, your spiritual qi will be more refined and pott."


    us nodded thoughtfully. "I see. I''ll take your advice and¡ª"


    Suddly, us paused, his atttion shifting sharply to the left. His eyes narrowed.


    Ohema noticed his change in demeanor and asked, "us, what is it?"


    "It seems I have some visitors," us replied, a cold edge in his voice. "I''ll call youter, Ohema."


    Before she could respond, us ded the call. A wicked grin spread across his face

 Chapter 60: Threatening My Mother is a Big No

    After ding the call, us remained seated at the mountain peak, showing no sign that he was aware of the people sneaking toward him. Ever since he had transformed his spiritual Qi into Star Qi, his sses had sharped dramatically. Now, he could sse anything within a 50-kilometer radius¡ªa feat typically only possible for those at the Saint stage.


    At the Saint level, one''s sses evolve into Divine sse, allowing for perfect awaress ev with closed eyes. Though ev Divine sse has its limits, us, who hadn''t yet reached the Master stage, could already detect the slightest disturbance within his 50-kilometer range.


    As soon as us ssed the approaching group, he knew they had bad inttions. While he couldn''t see them directly, his heighted awaress allowed him to track their movemt patterns. It became clear to him that they wereing for him¡ªand they wer''ting in peace.


    "Gtlem, I have be expecting you," us said calmly. As the group of t figures moved within 00 meters, preparing their ambush, us turned toward them. A small lotus flower, made of ice, spun slowly in his hand.


    The t m froze in ce, shock shing across their faces. us smiled. "No need to be surprised. Your concealmt skills are good, but I''m not like everyone else."


    One of the figures stepped forward, his expression harding. "Brat, do you really think the satellite is still watching this ce? No one''sing to save you."


    They hadn''t expected us to detect them, so  of them had bothered to hide their faces. Their mission was simple¡ªkill him and leave no trace. With us dead, there would be no one left to tell the tale. However, they underestimated him, and that''s their mistake.


    "Oh, there was a satellite." us was clearly tak aback by this revtion but quickly recovered. A small smile crept onto his lips. "It seems my actions didn''t go unnoticed," he muttered to himself.


    Before he could reflect any further, a gruff voice called out. "Hey, brat! Hand over the Zombie Stones, and we might think about sparing your life."


    us turned his atttion to the speaker, a man who appeared to be the leader of the group of t figures facing him. us''s smile faded into a neutral expression. "And what if I say no?" he asked calmly.


    The leader sneered. "Th you leave us no choice but to kill you. Let me make this clear¡ªyou have no chance of escaping today. So it would be best if you didn''t resist."


    us raised an eyebrow. "I''ll think about that, but first, tell me¡ªwho do you work for? Why should I trust any of you?"


    The leader''s sneer deeped. "You don''t need to know that. Just hand over the Zombie Stones, and we might consider letting you live."


    us sighed softly, shaking his head. "I guess Ohema was right. This powerhouse wouldn''t leave me in peace."


    He paused for a momt, th turned to face the t figures. "I suppose someone hired you for this, right? This Forbidd Zone only ops once a week. You''re clearly advturers hired by somebody to ambush me here.


    "Don''t get me wrong," us continued, his tone calm butced with cold mace. "The t of you don''t have the spine to make this decision on your own. You all saw my feats on the inte and know the influce I hold now. So, for all t of you to show up just to throw your lives away, means someone more powerful is pulling the strings."


    He paused, a slight grin forming. "Of course, you don''t have to tell me who it is. It won''t change anything. I''ll just kill you, and I won''t feel the slightest bit of guilt. I''ll ev give you a chance¡ªleave now, while you still can. Because wh I strike, there won''t ev be bones left to bury."


    Though us''s voice remained calm, the icy threat in his words st shivers down the spines of the t figures standing before him.


    "With only you, do you think you can take on the t of us? Let me tell you, the Dark Fang Mercary group doesn''t¡ª" One of the figures began to speak but stopped abruptly, ssing something was wrong. But it was already toote.


    "Dark Fang Mercaries," us muttered with a smile. He had wanted information, and now that he had what he needed, there was no reason to hold back. He could deal with them now and figure out who they were working forter.


    "KILL HIM!" the leader roared, charging forward with his sword swinging wildly. The other mercaries followed, each radiating the powerful aura of Grandmaster warriors.


    us remained still, not ev bothering to draw his own sword. In his palm, he held nothing but an ice lotus, glowing faintly.


    "Freeze."


    Suddly, ice exploded from the g, instantly freezing everything within a -kilometer radius. The t figures that had rushed forward were stopped in their tracks, froz solid in mid-motion. us remained calm, his expression unchanged. He gtly tossed the ice lotus toward them.


    The flower spun through the air before bursting apart. This explosion was smaller than usual, but its freezing power was several times stronger. The ice a the froz mercaries thicked, casing them tirely.


    Momtster, there was nothing left but ice sculptures, froz in the exact momt of their defeat.


    "Break," us muttered, snapping his fingers. Instantly, t explosions rocked the area. The t figures that had be targeting him shattered into crystal ice, leaving no trace behind¡ªnot ev their bones.


    us sighed, gazing at the spot where they had stood just momts ago. "Their mistake was targeting me. Maybe in their next life, they''ll choose their fights more wisely." He th turned, narrowing his eyes toward a particr direction.


    "You cane out now if you''re not convinced," he called out in a casual tone. Almost immediately, three figures emerged from the shadows.


    "I suppose you''re also here for my Zombie stones?" us asked, sounding bored.


    "Who cares about Zombie stones?" one of the figures scoffed. us raised an eyebrow. "If not for the stones, th why are you here?" he asked.


    One of the figures stepped forward. "You''ve angered some powerful people, brat. They want you gone," he said coldly. "It''s best you don''t resist. Killing you will take only a momt."


    "I can say the same thing," us said with a small smile. His sword appeared in his hands, and before anyone could blink, he vanished. In an instant, he reappeared in front of one of the figures. With a swift motion, he stabbed his sword straight through the person''s chest. The figure froze instantly, a look of shock froz on his face.


    The remaining two attackers reacted quickly, shing their weapons at us. But us only smirked. Without turning a, he thrust his sword behind him. One of the attackers managed to block the strike just in time, but the third figure was slower. usshed out with a powerful kick, hitting the man squarely in the ribs.


    The sound of bones breaking echoed through the air as the man staggered back, gasping in pain.


    "Courting death!" the man who parried us''s attack snarled, swinging his weapon toward us''s neck. us ducked just in time and kicked out, his fist smashing into the man''s face. A painful grunt escaped the man''s lips, but there was no time to recover.


    As the first oppont struggled to get back on his feet, us moved swiftly, delivering another brutal kick to his already battered face. The impact shattered his sword-wielding arm, sding him flying backward.


    "Damn, these bones of mine are too strong," us muttered with a grin as he dashed toward the man with the brok ribs. Before the man could stand, us delivered another kick to his side, sding him crashing into the first oppont. The two of them collided and tumbled ev further across the g.


    "Had ough?" us asked, smiling as he stood over the two miserable figures. With their bones brok and their pride shattered, they looked far worse off than they could have ever imagined.


    us stared at the two m before him, his expression cold and unfeeling. The brok-faced man, despite his injuries, managed to spit out vomous words. "Brat, do you think we don''t know who you are? If you kill us, you and that slut mother of yours won''t go scot-free."


    us''s icy smile faded, reced by a deaded gaze. "Coming after me, I could forgive," he said, his voice chilling. "But threating my mother? That''s something I won''t tolerate." He tighted his grip on his sword, his knuckles turning . "Here''s what''s going to happ: I''ll kill you two now, and th I''ll find out who st you.


    After that, I''ll hunt down everyst one of them until there''s no one left to threat my mother."


    Without another word, us disappeared like a shadow in the night, reappearing behind the brok-rib man. Before the man could react, his head was severed from his body, spinning in the air before it hit the g with a dull thud.


    The brok-faced man tried to defd himself, but before he could retreat, us''s powerful kick connected with his skull. The impact was brutal¡ªhis head split in half, sding chunks of flesh and bone flying through the air.


    Bloodstained us for the first time, and he stood there in the midst of it, cold and unmoved. He nced at the mangled bodies at his feet and muttered quietly, "In your next life, don''t threat my mother."


    As he wiped the blood from his sword, he whispered a vow under his breath. "Daniel Ucher, Michael Stev, Jacob Msah¡­ Your organization and every one of your sponsors will follow soon." His tone was colder than the grave.


    Looking at his blood-stained feet, us frowned. He pulled out a bottle of water from his space ring and cleaned them thoroughly. Once satisfied, he returned to the mountain, sat down, and closed his eyes to calm himself.


    A few minutester, his phone rang again.


    "us, is everything alright?" Ohema''s voice came through the phone.

 Chapter 61: Leaving the Forbidden Zone

    Boom!


    A loud explosion echoed through the forest, followed by a heavy thud that shook the ground. A massive, 5-meter-tall ck Wolfy lifeless on the earth. A clean, bloodless wound on its neck suggested it had been taken down with a single, swift attack¡ªso quick that the monster never even had time to react.


    Momentster, us stepped over to the fallen beast. Calmly, he extracted the core and stored it in his space ring. Around the dead wolfy the bodies of seven others, all Tier 5 Dark monsters. The massive one at his feet was a Tier 5 Terror Mutant¡ªone of the strongest in the Ruin City Forbidden Zone.


    "That''s thest of them," us muttered to himself as he stored the bodies away.


    After wiping out the Eastern and Central regions of Ruin City, us had spent some time trying to create a Fire Lotus for his fire element just like he did with the ice element. But no matter how hard he tried, sess eluded him. Growing frustrated, he turned to hunting monsters, determined to earn the 7 million experience points he needed to level up.


    However, Ohema had warned him not to break through just yet. So taking her advice, us refrained from mass genocide, choosing instead to pick his targets carefully. He only went after Tier 4 Dark monsters and above, ensuring his hunts were strategic rather than reckless.


    Three days ago, a thought struck us. Why not kill the strongest monsters in the remaining three regions before leaving? He didn''t need a second opinion¡ªhe was alone, after all¡ªso he made up his mind. Without hesitation, he carved a path into the Western Zone.


    The battle was brutal. After ughtering over fifty Tier 4 monsters, his actions finally provoked the Tier 5 generals of the region''s Overlord. Once angered, they came at him in full force. But now that us had ess to sword aura, his attacks were sharper and deadlier, slicing through his enemies with ease.


    He faced seven Tier 5 Dark Monsters and killed each one. When thest one fell, the Overlord of the region emerged. us took it down with just five swift attacks, sending the massive creature to its death. With the Overlord defeated, us ventured deeper into the forest. To his surprise, he stumbled upon the creature''s hiddenir.


    Inside, us found something unexpected¡ªHigh Tier monster cores. Delighted, he quickly pocketed them. Not one to waste time, he then moved on to the next region and repeated his assault. Three dayster, he had managed to eliminate the major threats in Ruin City. Finally, he could sigh in relief.


    However, while he was sighing in relief, others were fuming. After killing hundreds of Tier 4 monsters and dozens of Tier 5 monsters, his status on the City, Region, and Union Ranking Charts had risen.


    This made many powerful people very angry, but us didn''t care about their feelings at this point. Suddenly, his phone started ringing.


    "Hello, sweetheart. Missing me already?" us said with a mocking smile. The screen showed Ohema.


    "Tsk, who are you calling sweetheart?" she said, slightly blushing. "By the way, today is thest day, right? You will being back to Ross City today, right?" Ohema asked hurriedly.


    "Of course," us said with a smile. "I miss my mom dearly. Even though I know she''ll scold me, I can''t wait to see her."


    "Of course, you cane too. My mom wants to meet you," us added, still smiling.


    "Sorry, I''m busy right now," Ohema replied. "But once I''m free, I''d like to meet her."


    "Mm," us nodded. "By the way, will you be joining the Selection for the Celestial Mountain Academy?"


    Ohema paused for a moment before answering. "Yes, I''m nning to. Why do you ask?"


    us shrugged. "Just curious. It would be nice to see you in the academy."


    "Definitely," Ohema said with a small smile. "Just make sure you get in first before making promises you can keep."


    us smiled back. "Although I don''t like to brag, I will. Just so you know, this big brother of yours doesn''t say things he can''t do. If I can kill Tier 5 Terror monsters with a single swing, I''m sure I can get into that academy without even trying."


    Ohema chuckled. "I like your confidence. It''s refreshing. But remember, the Selection won''t be easy. There will be a lot of strong candidates."


    us nodded. "I know. But facing challenges is what makes it interesting. I''m ready for whateveres my way."


    "Good attitude," Ohema said. "Just don''t get overconfident. Even the best have their limits."


    usughed. "Don''t worry. I''ll keep my feet on the ground. But it''s nice to have someone rooting for me."


    "Of course," Ohema replied. "And I''ll be cheering for you from the sidelines. It''s going to be exciting to see how far you can go."


    us''s smile widened. "Thanks. That means a lot. I hope you do well in the Selection too."


    "I''ll do my best," Ohema said. "And who knows? Maybe we''ll both make it in. It would be fun to be ssmates."


    us''s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "That would be amazing. We could help each other out. Even take baths together"


    "Absolutely," Ohema agreed. Then she paused, reying us''sst sentences in her mind. Suddenly, her cheeks turned rosy, and she red at us, who was smiling like an idiot.


    "You scoundrel! I''ll tell your mom about this when I meet her," Ohema said, blushing slightly. us just shrugged off her threat and continued their discussion.


    A few secondster, Ohema asked a question that slightly shifted us''s mood.


    "So, how are you going to deal with the peopleing after you?" she asked.


    "I''ll tolerate them for now, as long as they don''t threaten my mom''s safety," us said in a slightly cold tone. "But that won''tst forever. Once I find my footing, I''ll make sure to deal with everyst one of them."


    Ohema looked at him for a few moments before speaking. "Although my family isn''t that big or strong, if you need anything, just let me know. We are friends, after all."


    us nodded, grateful. "Thank you. I appreciate it."


    After a few more casual conversations, us hung up and began to leave. The past few days hadn''t just been about killing monsters. Some people had tried to attack him over his spoils or because he had ranked above influential figures on the charts.


    Of course, us had dealt with them before they could gain the upper hand. He had also made sure to gather any clues from them before disposing of their bodies.


    After taking all he could from the battlefield, us started making his way back to the checkpoint where transportation would arrive for those who survived thest 7 days in the forest. Along the way, he encountered a few people also heading out.


    Everyone recognized him and greeted him warmly. Suddenly, a sweet voice called out from behind. Turning around, us saw a youngdy who appeared to be about 17.


    "Hanna, you''ve be stronger," us said, walking slowly so she could catch up. She was the same youngdy who had approached him after he used the fireball to destroy the Eastern Region. Through her, he had learned more about the tracking devices they wore and the ranking system.


    "Brother us, you''ve be famous these past few days," Hanna said, catching up to him. "You''re now a top celebrity and warrior in the Northern Union."


    "Who cares about that?" us shrugged, though deep down, he was more than happy to finally gain some recognition. Hanna smiled at his nonchnt expression.


    "By the way, are you also from Ross City?" us asked.


    "No, I''m from Felin City," Hanna replied.


    "Well, you have my number, so whenever you''re in Ross City, you can call me. Even though I don''t know much about the city, I''ll be sure to show you around," us said with an awkward smile. Truth be told, he really didn''t know much about Ross City. He only knew the way to his home.


    "I''ll hold you to that," Hanna said with a small smile.


    They continued to walk side by side, chatting. Along the way, people''s gazes oftennded on them, and some even took secret photos. However, us didn''t mind. He was happy to have someone to talk to.


    An hourter, they arrived at the checkpoint where they would be transported to the Border. From there, everyone would head to their respective cities.


    "By the way, Hanna, will you be joining the Celestial Mountain Academy selection?" us asked. Hanna just smiled faintly.


    "I will, but I don''t think I''ll make the cut. They''re only selecting 200 people from the thousands who registered. I''m just a Level 5 Ascended; my chances are very slim," Hanna replied.


    In response, us reached into his space ring and pulled out four Tier 4 monster cores and four Tier 4 Zombie Cores. "Take these. Use them to level up to at least level 8, and you''ll have a better chance. I look forward to seeing you among the 200 selected."


    Hanna was shocked beyond words as she looked at the cores in her hands. "Thank you," she said softly, tears falling from her eyes. us smiled and gently wiped her tears.


    "You can call me if you need anything. Although I can''t promise I can solve all your problems, I''ll be there for you." us saw himself in the girl. he can tell she is someone who has no one, the same situation he was in just a few weeks ago. So he didn''t hesitate to make sure she had someone she could count on.


    Just then, the shuttle arrived, and everyone eager to go home started boarding. us pulled Hanna along, and soon they were in the shuttle. It began moving, heading back to the borders, which took just over an hour. Immediately after they arrived, us was shocked to see a crowd of people each staring daggers at the shuttle. Clearly, they are there for him.


    He was so overwhelmed that he didn''t know what to do. Suddenly, a voice entered his head. Turning around, he saw some faces he recognized,


    "Anna, what are you doing here" us asked stepping down from the shuttle along with Hanna

 Chapter 62: Arrival of a Handsome Hero

    Immediately after us disembarked from the shuttle, the entire area erupted. The sounds of boys, girls, men, and women filled the air. us, who was at the center of this attention, could only move with an embarrassed expression. He wasn''t used to this kind of attention and wished the earth would swallow him whole.


    Hanna, standing beside him, also couldn''t handle it. She hid behind us. She was a nobody who gained some fame after appearing in a video talking to us following the massacre in the Eastern Region of Ruin City.


    "Brother us, can I get your autograph?"


    "Brother us, I want to be as handsome as you!"


    "Brother us, tell me your secret to bing so strong!"


    "Brother us, I''ve heard so much about you! Can you give me some advice?"


    "Brother us, my friends won''t believe I saw you! Can we take a picture together?"


    "Brother us, I''ve been your fan forever! Please, just one photo!"


    "Brother us, what''s it like to fight those monsters? I want to hear all about it!"


    "Brother us, can you sign my shirt? Please?"


    The crowd''s requests were endless and shameless, and us could only smile awkwardly, trying to navigate through the throng of eager fans. The people, young or adult, are all shouting at the top of their voices knowing full well that none of the requests will be met.


    Suddenly, us noticed some familiar faces. "Anna, what are you doing here?" us asked, looking at the girl he had met twice before. The first was in Sunlight Forest, and the second was in the Evesting Zombie Forest. He had seen glimpses of her at Ross Academy but never had a chance to interact with her. Now, things have changed.


    "Oh, we''re here to wee you, us," Anna replied.


    Before Anna could say more, Danny walked up to us giving us a room to breathe. Being at the center of things is rather overwhelming. us promised himself he would reward Danny for his help today. In the face of thousands of monsters, us''s resolve never faltered, but among all these people, he felt weak.


    When it came to fighting, he showed powers beyondprehension. But faced with cheering humans, he felt lost.


    "Danny, good to see you again," us said, patting the young man on the shoulder. This gesture drewments from the crowd, especially as Daniel, Mark, Kilian, and Kay also approached, greeting us and Hanna.


    Many people recognized Danny and the others, adding to the chaos. The appearance of Danny and Daniel caused an even greater stir.


    They are known as the Daniel Brothers, they were famous for always doing everything together. Even before they awakened, their bond was stronger than that of most brothers. At first, many people thought they were actual brothers, but in truth, they were just close friends who had met at the same academy.


    Their fame made us''s already overwhelming poprity even greater. The crowd''s excitement only grew with the arrival of Mark, Kilian, and Kay, who were well-recognized and weed.


    But when Anna, Lucky, Lily, Asha, and Nia appeared, the scene erupted. The Ross Sisters were legendary, known across Ross City and beyond as geniuses born once every thousand years.


    Anna is a Dual Elementalist, she awakened both Ice and Water elements. Her sister, who had already entered Celestial Mountain Academy, also had the Ice element, but her second element was the wood element.


    Their reputation as geniuses was well-known, and seeing them weing us caused a frenzy of cheers and emotions from the crowd. Lily was also famous,ing from the esteemed Felin family, just like Anna. Although Asha and Nia were less known, their stunning beauty made them popr. Their appearance added to the excitement, as everyone admired their looks.


    "Hello everyone, good to see you all," us said, finally able to rx a bit as he looked around with grateful eyes. However, when his gazended on Lucy, he paused for a moment.


    Noticing his gaze, Anna quickly introduced them. "us, this is my sister Lucy. She''s a big fan," Anna said with a slight smile, looking at her sister, who seemed mesmerized by us''s golden eyes.


    "Nice to meet you," us said with a warm smile. He then turned to Hanna. "Everyone, this is Hanna. She''s my friend," he said, introducing her to everyone individually. Hanna, who had been lost in thought, quickly snapped back to attention as us introduced the group.


    "Hi everyone," Hanna said with a slight bow.


    "Sister Hanna, no need to bow," Asha said, taking Hanna''s arm and gently pulling her away from behind us, bringing her to the side of thedies. "Since you''re Brother us''s friend, you''re our friend too."


    "Mmm, can we find somewhere more private to talk? This ce is too crowded," us suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Soon, they all got into an extravagant car that could amodate them all. Before entering, us noticed Kofi, his chief security officer. He messaged Kofi to follow them. With that, they left the scene.


    Shortly after they departed, news of the arrival of the young, handsome hero began spreading. Along with the news of his power and looks, it was also noted that he was friends with some of the most renowned geniuses in the Eastern Region of the Northern Union.


    us and his friends left the scene and headed toward Ross City. Inside the car, us learned just how much chaos he had caused. To their surprise, us only smiled and said he hadn''t meant to offend anyone. He was just training, and if anyone needed to be med, it was the monsters for being too weak.


    This remark made everyone look at him as if he were a monster himself. "Let me tell you, Brother us, the fact that you''re now on the three Ranking Charts shows your status has reached the highest level," Danny said, he then cast an apologetic look at Anna and Lily.


    "Although you don''t seem concerned, many of these Great Families won''t want you disrupting the status quo. They''ll either try to curry favor with you or try to stop you from shining."


    "No need to apologize, Danny," Anna said. "I''m from a Great Family, and I know how they operate. But don''t worry, us, my family won''te after you or try to use other means to win your favor." Lily nodded in agreement.


    us looked at them with a smile. "You''re all my friends, so if your families need help and I can assist, I won''t just stand idly by. But as for those who try to use intimidation, heh, Uncle Zizzy and the others will certainly have a field day," us said with an evil grin, imagining the look on his uncles'' faces when he tells them he''s in trouble and needs their help.


    "Anyway, no more talk about who''s after whom. I just want to live my life. If anyone tries to disrupt that, I''ll handle it when the timees. For now, I want to know how you''re all doing," us said, subtly warning them.


    This made the young men and women sigh in their hearts. us was certainly different from what they had expected, but since he had made it clear he would be there to help when needed, they smiled happily.


    Despite their reluctance, us could see they were here to curry favor. He understood that their families wouldn''t make things easy for them, so he made that bold statement to calm them down.


    "Well, the Felin Youth Ball is next week," Daniel said. "Other than that, we''re just training and waiting for the Celestial Mountain Academy Selection Exams."


    "What is this Felin Youth Ball?" us asked. It was his first time hearing about it. Lily nced at Mark with a look that seemed to say, ''You better exin.''


    Mark, who, like Lily, was from the Felin Great Family, cleared his throat and started exining. "Well, it''s an annual gathering of the youth from the Eastern Region of the Northern Union. We meet to make connections and interact with newly awakened individuals. To be honest, it''s a gathering of the elite from various cities and ns in the region. It''s strictly by invitation," Mark exined.


    The Felin Youth Ball was started by the Felin Great Family 14 years ago. Initially, it was meant to scout elite youth to bring into their fold. However, they soon realized it could be more than that. Instead of inviting every awakened youth, they began selecting whom to invite. While the heirs of other Great Families are always wee, those from less prominent backgrounds can only attend if invited.


    Their goal was simple: to bring these individuals into their fold, show them the kind of life they could live, and hopefully win them over to their side. It was a smart move, and for the past 14 years, it has been quite sessful.


    "Sounds like a fun gathering," us said with a neutral expression. He didn''t care much about being invited. However, he knew he would be invited regardless of whether the guest list wasplete. As expected, Lily confirmed this.


    "Brother us, you are invited. Sister Hanna, you are too," Lily said.


    us smiled and nodded. He then turned to Asha and Nia. "Fairies, are you still interested in buying Zombie Stones?" he asked with a knowing smile.


    Asha and Nia''s eyes lit up at the mention of Zombie Stones. "Yes, we''ll buy any amount you have!" they said quickly. They had been waiting for the right moment to ask, so hearing his offer, they were eager to ept. us was pleased to sell to them, especially since they nned to inte the market price.


    Shortly after, they arrived in Ross City and entered a lush restaurant. us, who had never been to such a ce before, was impressed by the interior decor. But despite his surprise, heposed himself and followed his friends inside.


    They were led to a private room where various drinks were waiting for them. us wasn''t surprised by the luxury, as this restaurant was one of many owned by the Ross Great Family.


    ''It''s good to have money''

 Chapter 63: Talk about the Celestial Mountain Academy

    Sitting around the table, everyone started drinking and talking. us, of course, didn''t shy away and took sips of the juice drinks since that was all they had. The young men and women in the room didn''t mind. They were happily chatting and drinking.


    "us, my sister wants to introduce you to someone. She''s a fashion designer," Anna said, giving her sister a knowing smile.


    "Oh, that''s something," us muttered, ncing at Lucy, who had be quieter after meeting him. She has been pestering Anna to introduce them, but after meeting him, she has be even more silent and shy.


    "I don''t mind meeting your friend, but in return, I want you to tell me more about the Celestial Mountain Academy."


    Lucy, who had been a bit embarrassed by how her sister brought it up, quickly brightened at us''s request.


    She cast a subtle nce at Nia and Asha before she began speaking. "Celestial Mountain is the strongest and the best academy in the entire world." us and the others listened closely, hanging on to every detail she shared.


    From her description, the academy is located on the tallest mountain on Earth¡ªMount Everest. In fact, it seems like the entire mountain is the academy. When the apocalypse hit and everything began to change, Mount Everest changed too. Something profound happened to the world''s highest mountain.


    Her expression shifted slightly as she talked about what was discovered ten years into the apocalypse by the six overlords. They were shocked to find something even more fascinating. It turned out the mountain was one giant mechanism, existing for who knows how long. Though she didn''t know all the details, she mentioned that cultivating there was easier and much more efficient.


    After the apocalypse, it transformed into something mystical. The air around the mountain was no longer thin or harsh.


    The academy was built into the mountain itself. But it wasn''t just a structure perched on the slopes¡ªit was woven into the very rock. Tunnels and chambers cut deep into the mountain''s heart, with walls that seemed to hum with energy. Some parts of the academy hung off the cliffs, connected by ss walkways, while other sections were hidden within vast caves that could hold entire cities.


    Every floor of the academy had a purpose. The lowest levels were for new students, who needed time to adapt to the mountain''s strange atmosphere. The higher you went, the more intense the energy became. Students who could withstand the pressure and focus their minds were allowed to climb higher. Only the most talented reached the peak, where the most powerful techniques were taught.


    Legend has it that the mountain itself chooses who can rise through its levels. Not everyone is allowed to ascend. Some students are stuck on the lower levels for years, unable to climb further because the mountain refuses to let them. For others, the climbes naturally. The mountain seems to guide them, making their journey smoother as they ascend toward the peak.


    At the top of the mountain, it was said, the energy was pure and overwhelming. It could break those who weren''t ready. But for those who could withstand it, their strength would grow at unimaginable speeds. The six overlords, who had discovered the mountain, were the first to experience its power. They built the academy around this energy, using it to nurture the world''s most promising talents.


    She said that the very air inside the academy was thick with power. Even walking through the halls felt different. us could imagine what it must be like¡ªevery breath must feel like it''s filling your body with strength. But it wasn''t just the energy that made the academy special. The teachers there were the best in the world, having trained in the mountain for decades.


    There were training rooms within the academy where gravity could be controlled. Some rooms had increased gravity to force students to push their limits. Others had no gravity at all, allowing students to practice in zero weight, refining their control over their abilities. Students would spend hours there, pushing their bodies and minds, all in the pursuit of perfection.


    Some chambers simted extreme weather conditions. One could be training in a desert with scorching heat one minute, then step into a blizzard the next. These rooms were meant to prepare students for the real world, where they might face harsh environments while fighting powerful monsters.


    But the true heart of the academy was the Celestial Core. Deep within the mountain, this core was where the mountain''s energy was the most concentrated. It was a ce only the strongest were allowed to enter. Those who meditated near the Celestial Core found their cultivation advancing at an astonishing speed.


    Their energy channels opened wider, their control over their elements sharpened, and their physical strength grew beyond human limits.


    Only the top students were allowed near the core. Even then, they could only stay for short periods because the energy was so intense. Staying too long could cause someone to lose control of their power or even burn outpletely. It was a dangerous ce, but those who could handle it became legends.


    The academy didn''t only focus on raw power, though. It also emphasized knowledge. The library was one of thergest in the world, filled with ancient scrolls and books that had survived the apocalypse. There were texts on everything from cultivation techniques to the history of the world before the fall.


    Many students spent as much time in the library as they did in the training rooms, understanding that knowledge was just as important as strength.


    Beyond the training and learning, the academy was also a ce ofpetition. Students were ranked based on their performance in bothbat and academic studies. The ranking system was brutal but fair. Everyone had a chance to rise if they worked hard enough.


    The top students were rewarded with special privileges, like ess to rare techniques, better living quarters, and, most importantly, time near the Celestial Core.


    The studentse from all over the world, but at the end of the day, the academy only epts the best, and every year, thousands apply, but only a few are epted. Even fewer managed to stay for long. The academy''s standards were unforgiving, and many students left after realizing they couldn''t keep up.


    Despite the challenges, those who graduated from Celestial Mountain Academy became the most powerful figures in the world. They were the leaders, the protectors, and the warriors who kept humanity safe from the horrors that roamed the earth after the apocalypse.


    us and the others realize that the mountain holds secrets that only a few people know. She subtly hinted at some of these secrets, but us and the others could tell she didn''t know much herself. She was only able to share what she had heard from others.


    They also learned that from time to time, the Overlords visit the academy to teach, which, from her expression, was one of the most cherished moments every disciple looked forward to. She was more than happy to share some of the rare lessons she had learned, a gesture us appreciated.


    She went on to introduce them to the power factions within the academy. ording to her, every person who gets epted into the academy must join one of the eight avable factions.


    These factionspete for resources, so it''s crucial to join one once you''re epted. The academy also has a ranking system for both factions and individuals, based on contributions and the rewards earned.


    From her description, the system is fair and just, but it''s also harsh. Despite making it into the academy, if you ck off, you''ll be pushed out. There''s always a constant struggle andpetition to be the best and receive the best treatment.


    Also, once you step into the academy, you will be cut off from the outside world. All forms ofmunication will be disconnected. You''ll only be able to contact those outside after you be an Inner Disciple. us frowned slightly at this, concerned about his mother. But he sighed in relief when he heard her next words.


    He was worried about his mother, but knowing that the academy would protect his loved ones eased his concern. As long as his mother was safe, he would be willing to enter even the toughest challenges if it meanting out stronger.


    Lucy continued, "The academy is divided into three regions. The base of the mountain is the Outer section, where everyone who is epted starts. It might sound like a disadvantage, but being in the Outer section alone will greatly improve your cultivation.


    I am currently in the Outer section and will only move to the Inner section once I break through to the Saint stage. This is one of the requirements to be an Inner Disciple.


    Yes, there are requirements for bing an Inner Disciple. The first is to be a Saint in under 2 years after joining the academy. This is rtively easy because just being at the academy helps you progress faster. The second requirement is to kill a Tier 6 Terror before reaching the Saint stage.


    This is also manageable, as the academy provides all the techniques and skills needed to aplish this task.


    However, the main requirement is climbing the Stairway to Heaven." us and the others, hearing this for the first time, raised their eyebrows.


    "Stairway to Heaven?" us asked.

 Chapter 64: Stairway to Heaven

    Lucy nodded, seeing the curiosity on their faces. "Yes, the Stairway to Heaven," she repeated. "It''s not just a name. It''s an actual staircase, carved into the side of the mountain, leading up to the Inner section. But it''s not like any normal staircase. This one tests you¡ªyour will, your strength, your mind.


    Every step bes harder as you go up, and only those who are truly ready can make it to the top."


    us furrowed his brow, imagining what it must be like. "What kind of tests?" he asked.


    Lucy paused for a moment as if recalling something difficult. "The first few steps test your body. The gravity increases with each step. At first, it feels like you''re carrying a heavy weight, but the higher you go, the heavier it gets. After a while, it feels like your bones are being crushed."


    She took a deep breath before continuing. "Then, it gets worse. The next steps test your mind. They mess with your thoughts, making you question yourself, and filling your head with doubts and fears. It feels like you''re losing control of your own mind. Some people turn back at that point, too scared to continue."


    Lily leaned forward, her eyes wide. "Has anyone ever made it all the way up?"


    "Yes," Lucy replied, "Many. Those who do are the strongest of the strong. They be the true Inner Disciples of the academy. Climbing the Stairway to Heaven is the final test, the hardest challenge anyone will face before bing an Inner Disciple."


    us couldn''t help but wonder if he could ever make it. "What happens if you fail?" he asked quietly.


    Lucy''s expression softened. "If you fail, you can try again. But some people never do. The experience can be... traumatic. Not everyone is ready to face the stairway more than once."


    The room fell silent for a moment, everyone imagining the challenge that awaited them if they ever got the chance to join the academy. us clenched his fists, feeling a fire ignite within him. This was no ordinary academy. It was a ce that tested your limits and pushed you beyond what you thought was possible.


    He is a paragon, someone meant to topple the heavens and reshape the universe to his liking. Bing Strong is his first name, so hearing such a ce exists where he can be more powerful, he couldn''t help but wonder what it will be like, the real thing of course


    "So," Lucy continued, "that''s why the academy is divided into three regions. The Outer section, where all students start, is meant to build your strength. You''ll be there until you reach the Saint stage. Once you do, you can attempt the Stairway to Heaven. If you seed, you enter the Inner section."


    "And the third region?" Asha asked, her voice quiet.


    Lucy smiled slightly. "The third region is called the Celestial section. Only the best of the best get to go there. It''s where the academy''s greatest disciples train. Those who make it to the Celestial section are considered legends. They are the ones who can stand against the strongest monsters and protect the world."


    us couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement. The thought of one day entering the Celestial section was thrilling. But he knew it would take time and hard work.


    "So, you''re still in the Outer section?" Kay asked.


    Lucy nodded. "Yes, I''ve been there for a while now. But I''m getting closer to breaking through to the Saint stage. Once I do, I''ll have my chance to climb the Stairway to Heaven."


    us looked at her with respect. Lucy might seem calm and collected, but she was aiming high. "And you''re sure you''re ready for it?" he asked.


    She met his gaze with determination. "I am. I''ve trained hard for this moment. But even so, I''m not taking it lightly. The stairway is no joke."


    Lily shivered slightly at the thought of the stairway''s challenges. "It sounds terrifying."


    "It is," Lucy admitted. "But that''s what makes it worth it. Only those who conquer the stairway prove themselves worthy of entering the Inner section. Entering the Inner Section will send you one step closer to bing a true expert. You will have ess to many valuable resources to boost your cultivation"


    us let out a deep breath, his mind racing with thoughts of the academy. It sounded like the ultimate test of strength, both physical and mental. He knew he had a long way to go before he could even think about stepping foot on that mountain, but the idea of one day facing those challenges filled him with determination and excitement.


    "So, what happens in the Inner section?" us asked, curious to know whaty beyond the stairway.


    "In the Inner section," Lucy said, "the training bes even more intense. You learn advanced techniques and fight stronger monsters. The energy there is even more concentrated, making cultivation faster and more powerful. The masters there are legends themselves, and they guide you through the final stages of your training."


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    "And after that?" us asked, leaning forward.


    "After that," Lucy replied, "if you''re lucky enough and strong enough, you''ll be invited to train in the Celestial section. That''s where the true masters of the academy are. It''s a ce of ultimate power and knowledge, but only a few ever make it there.


    However, I don''t know the test and requirements thate with gaining the approval to be a Celestial Disciple. But from the little I know, those at the Celestial stage are even stronger than you can imagine. Every disciple craves to get in."


    The room was quiet for a moment as everyone processed what Lucy had told them. From Lucy''s speech, it seems the Celestial Mountain Academy was more than just a school¡ªit was a ce that could make or break a person. The challenges were immense, but the rewards were unimaginable.


    us felt his heart race with excitement. He knew that if he ever got the chance to go there, he would give it everything he had. The thought of standing on top of the mountain, having climbed the Stairway to Heaven and entered the Celestial section, was a dream worth chasing.


    And it wasn''t just him; Kay, Danny, Daniel, Kilian, Hanna, Anna, and Lily all looked excited and determined to get in. us sighed, knowing the struggle would be real. There are hundreds of thousands of young experts from every city vying for a chance to enter the most prestigious academy in the world, and at the end of the day, only 200 will be selected to advance to the regional selection.


    It''s going to be difficult. However, us trusts in his abilities and believes he will be able to pass. But out of curiosity, he asks, "So, Lucy, what will the City Selection be like? What are the tests one needs to pass to have a chance to be among the first 200 picked?"


    Lucy''s eyes lit up with the same excitement that us and the others felt for unknown reasons. "The City Selection is tough. It''s the first step toward entering the academy. It''s where the most promising candidates are chosen from each city."


    us listened closely, eager to understand whaty ahead. "What kind of tests do they have?"


    Lucy took a moment to gather her thoughts. "The selection consists of several parts. First, there''s a test of physical strength. It''s designed to see how well you handlebat and endurance. You''ll face monsters of varying tiers in a controlled environment. The better you perform, the higher your chances of moving on."


    us nodded. "And whates next?"


    "The second part is a test of skill and technique," Lucy continued. "You''ll be evaluated on your ability to use your skills effectively. This part is not just about raw power but also about precision and strategy. They want to see if you can think on your feet and use your abilities in creative ways."


    us thought about his own skills. He felt confident in his abilities, but he knew he would need to showcase them in the best way possible. "What about the third part?"


    "The third part is a mental test," Lucy exined. "It''s meant to assess your focus and determination. You''ll face challenges that test your willpower and decision-making under pressure. Sometimes, they throw in psychological obstacles to see how you handle stress and uncertainty."


    us raised an eyebrow. "Psychological obstacles? What do you mean?"


    Lucy sighed. "Sometimes, they use illusions or scenarios that y on your fears or doubts. It''s meant to see if you can stay calm andposed. They want to know if you have the mental toughness to endure the academy''s rigorous training."


    The room was silent as everyone absorbed the information. us could see the determination on their faces. They all want to get into the academy.


    "And after all those tests?" Kay asked, looking curious.


    Lucy smiled. "After you pass the tests, there''s a final evaluation where the top candidates from each city are chosen. They look at your overall performance and potential. Only the best of the best make it through to the next stage, the regional selection."


    us smiled excitedly "Thanks for exining, Lucy. It sounds like we''ll need to prepare really well."


    "Definitely," Lucy agreed. "But remember, the academy is looking for talent and potential. If you show them what you''ve got, you''ll have a good chance of making it. You don''t have to force yourself too hard¡ªjust give your best and let the experts evaluate you."


    us and the others nodded, looking very pleased. They all wanted to enter the academy, and next week, they nned to show their talent and strength. For now, us intended to use his remaining days to train and prepare.


    "Thank you, Lucy, for telling us all this. We will do our best to enter and study together," us said, and his friends nodded in agreement.


    "So now that you''ve held up your end of the bargain, it''s my turn," us said with a smile. "When can we meet this friend of yours? I happen to need some clothes for the Felin Youth Ball."

 Chapter 65: Back Home

    Lucy, pleased to have achieved her goal, quickly sang her friend''s praises in front of everyone. ording to her, her friend was one of the best fashion designers in the Northern Union and even the entire world. She has founded many fashion brands and currently owns one of the top fashion brands in the world¡ªNi Fashion Trend X.


    us learned a lot about the fashion industry and its trends. Lucy asked if us could be the face of a new brand her friend was about tounch. us didn''t mind at all. He was eager to integrate into his new life, and if wearing clothes and taking pictures was part of it, he was happy to join in.


    To get started, us needed to meet Lucy''s friend first. They exchanged contact numbers and agreed to meet in two days. Kay and the others were also invited, which they all dly epted. Hanna will stay with Lily for the time being and will live with her after they go back to Felin City.


    After the arrangements were made, us sold thousands of Zombie cores to Nia and Asha. They were happy to buy them at the agreed price, sticking to the same rules as before. us had asked them not to inte the prices, but they said it didn''t matter since they weren''t the ones paying.


    us was delighted to receive over 400 million gold coins from them. Additionally, Anna sent him the cash from his first sale. With this new influx of money, us felt more secure.


    After dining together for a while, everyone left and headed to their own homes. us met up with Kofi, who brought the car around, and they drove off together. Along the way, us stopped at an ice cream shop and bought some treats for himself, his mother, and everyone else. He also picked up a special gift for his mother, nning to use it to smooth things over since he knew she would be upset.


    When they arrived home, us let out a sigh of relief. "Mom, I''m home!" he called out, as he always did.


    His mother, who was in the kitchen with Helen, dropped everything and rushed to embrace him. She had missed him dearly during his week away.


    us''s mother held him tightly, her eyes misty with joy. "Oh, us, you''re finally back!" she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I''ve missed you so much!"


    Helen, who had been helping in the kitchen, smiled warmly at the reunion. She knew how much us''s presence meant to his mother.


    us returned the hug, feeling a wave of relief and happiness wash over him. "I missed you too, Mom," he said softly. He gently pulled away, holding out the ice cream and the special gift. "I brought something for you. I thought you might like this."


    His mother looked at the ice cream and then at the gift, her expression turning curious. "You didn''t have to," she said, but her smile showed she was touched by the gesture. "Let''s see what you got."


    us handed her the ice cream first. "I figured we could all have a treat," he said with a grin. He hoped the sweet gesture would help distract his mother from the fact that he had gone against her instructions.


    His mother''s eyes twinkled with amusement as she took the ice cream. "You little brat," she said, her voice yful but stern. "Do you think an ice cream will save you from a good spanking?"


    Before us could react, she grabbed his ear and twisted it gently. us yelped in surprise, his face contorting in a mix of pain and embarrassment. "Ow! Mom, that really hurts!" he cried, trying to wriggle free.


    His motherughed, though her eyes still held a hint of joy. "That''s for making me worry about you. I''m d you''re home safe, but you need to be more careful. I was so worried about you."


    us winced but couldn''t help but chuckle. "Okay, okay! I''m sorry! I promise I''ll be more careful next time."


    His mother finally let go of his ear and pulled him into a warm hug. "I''m just d to have you back. But don''t think you''re off the hookpletely," she said with a teasing smile.


    us hugged his mother tightly, feeling a mix of relief and affection. "I know, Mom. I''ll make it up to you," he said gently.


    "In fact, I already have something besides the ice cream that might ease your anger a little."


    He reached into his bag and handed her a small golden box. His mother''s eyes widened in curiosity as she took the box from him. "What''s this?" she asked, her voice soft with anticipation.


    us smiled. "Go ahead, open it."


    With trembling hands, his mother carefully unwrapped the box. Inside, she found a delicate bracelet, crafted with fine detail and adorned with small, sparkling gems. The bracelet caught the light, sending tiny rainbows dancing across the room.


    "Oh, us," his mother breathed, her eyes filling with tears once more. "This is beautiful." ?-§Ô§à§è?§ß%§ä*-@?#?*-@§å?¦Ô%-&§Ó-§å#-@


    us watched her reaction, feeling a sense of aplishment. "I''m d you like it. I wanted to get you something special to show how much I care. I know I''ve been away, and I hope this makes up for it."


    His mother looked at the bracelet with a mixture of awe and gratitude. "It''s more than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you, us. You''ve always known how to make me feel loved."


    She hugged him again. "I''m sorry for being upset earlier. I''m just so relieved you''re back safe and sound."


    us hugged her back, feeling a deep warmth in his chest. "It''s okay, Mom. I understand. I just want you to be happy."


    Helen, who had been quietly watching, smiled at the touching scene. She could see how much us''s mother appreciated the gift and how much us cared for his mother. Their bond is a little too deep.


    After the emotional moment, us''s mother slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, admiring it with a bright smile. "I''ll wear this all the time," she said. "It will remind me of you and how much you mean to me."


    us grinned. "That''s exactly what I hoped for."


    They settled down to enjoy their ice cream and chat about the week. The room was filled withughter and theforting feeling of being together. us felt a renewed sense of purpose and happiness, knowing that despite the challenges he faced, he always had his mother toe home to.


    As the evening came to a close, us''s mother began preparing a special dinner to celebrate his return. us, who was strictly not allowed in the kitchen, decided to step outside for a bit and visit Kofi and the others. After a while, he handed each of them three Tier 4 monster cores and three Tier 4 zombie cores.


    The security guards and maids were overjoyed by this gesture. For the first time, they felt treated as more than just servants. Their faces lit up with happiness and gratitude, and they thanked us profusely. us simply smiled, feeling pleased to have brought some joy to them, and then he quietly returned inside.


    After dinner, us spent the night deep in conversation with his mother. He told her about his n to join the selection process for Celestial Mountain Academy, and to his surprise, she wholeheartedly supported him. "I''ve always known you had great potential, us," she said warmly.


    She then handed him a parcel that had arrived while he was away in the forest. us opened it carefully, curiosity piqued. Inside, he found something that stunned him¡ªa formal letter of rmendation from the Celestial Mountain Academy itself.


    us''s eyes widened as he read through the letter. He couldn''t believe it. He didn''t need to search for a backer or do favors for anyone in exchange for a rmendation. The academy had recognized his potential and was officially inviting him to join.


    At first, us had been nning to visit the Royal Gold Reserve Bank to secure a rmendation, but now, holding the letter in his hands, he felt a wave of relief and excitement. He smiled to himself, realizing Ohema had been right all along.


    ''Make some waves, and everything will fall into ce,'' she had told him. And now, it seemed things were aligning in his favor.


    us sighed, feeling a mix of satisfaction and anticipation. Although he could technically join the Celestial Mountain Academy as a master stage expert, Ohema had warned him not to rush it. So for now, he held off leveling up, with his current EXP points sitting at:


    [Next Level Up: 18,900,000/21,228,800]


    He had stopped pushing for a breakthrough, but that didn''t mean he would stop umting EXP. He knew he would need every bit of strength when the time was right.


    After a peaceful night of eating and chatting with his mother, us went to bed early and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. He wasted no time and headed straight for his training room. He now has to bridge the gap for the exp required to level up before the City Selection. There, he started consuming the monster cores he had collected during his hunts.


    [You have consumed a Tier 4 Dark Monster Core. 20,000 EXP earned.]


    us''s eyes widened in shock. He had expected the monster cores to provide some EXP, but he hadn''t anticipated they would reward him the same amount as when he killed the monsters himself. This discovery was a game-changer. He realized that consuming these cores could elerate his progress without needing to battle constantly.


    "This is incredible," us thought, his mind racing with possibilities. If he could gather more of these cores, he could steadily increase his strength without exhausting himself in constant fights. Although he craves battles, he also prefers peaceful moments like this.


    He continued consuming a few more cores that morning, allowing the energy from each to fuel his cultivation. After two days, he was able to bridge the gap immensely, requiring him only 500,000 more points to break through. However, he didn''t continue to consume the core, he stopped and left to meet Lucy and the others to go to the Fashion Designer Lucy wanted him to meet.

 Chapter 66: Nadia Hemsworth

    Kofi drove us to the restaurant where he and his friends had dinner a few days ago. When he arrived, everyone was already there. Seeing them brought a smile to us''s face, and they seemed just as happy to see him. After a few more quick greetings, they all left together in the same transportation.


    Lucy had mentioned that her friend lived in the Northern section of Ross City, which meant the trip would take about three hours. This gave us enough time to ask some of the questions that had been bothering him.


    "So, Lucy," us began, breaking the silence, "about this fashion designer friend of yours... Aside from being her model for the new brand, what else would she need from me?"


    Lucy looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied, "Honestly, being her model is the main thing. But knowing her, she''ll probably want to discuss the details¡ªlike how much time you''ll need to dedicate, any specific events or shows she''ll want you to attend, and how you''ll represent the brand. She''s very creative, but she''s also very particr about the image she wants to project."


    us nodded, thinking it over. "That makes sense. I''m just wondering how it''s all going to work, with everything else I have going on."


    Lucy smiled reassuringly. "Don''t worry. She''s flexible and understands people have othermitments. I''m sure she''ll work around your schedule. And honestly, she''s excited about the opportunity to work with someone like you."


    us raised an eyebrow. "Someone like me? What does that mean?"


    Lucyughed. "You''re unique, us. You''ve got this presence about you¡ªstrong but humble. Plus, with your recent aplishments, you''re starting to get noticed. She thinks you''d be a perfect fit for her brand."


    "Well, I don''t know about humble," us said with a small smile, "but I''ll do my best to give her a good impression."


    Lucy grinned. "Don''t sell yourself short, us. You''re unique. Sure, there are plenty of people out there trying to look the part¡ªdying their hair white and all that¡ªbut yours is natural. You''ve got this charisma that can''t be faked. I bet Nadia will jump for joy when she finds out you''re willing to work with her."


    us raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. "Well, with you as my agent," he said teasingly, "I''m sure I''ll be more than happy working with her."


    Lucy chuckled and shook her head. "You won''t regret it, us. Trust me, Nadia''s got big ns, and you''re going to be a part of something really exciting."


    us couldn''t help but smile at her optimism. "Alright then, I''m looking forward to seeing what this is all about. Let''s make it happen."


    After three and a half hours of riding, they finally reached the Northern Region Borders. No one stopped them for any checks since the car had been cleared long before they even entered the Northern Region. us learned that Ross City was divided into four regions, each under the control of the powerful Ross Brothers.


    Daven Ross, the head of the Ross Family, had three sons and two daughters. However, Anna and Lucy had no interest in ruling any part of the city, so the Western, Southern, and Northern regions were entrusted to the three brothers, while Daven Ross himself managed the Eastern Region.


    But just because Anna and Lucy weren''t rulers didn''t mean theycked influence. Their presence was still felt throughout the city, even without official titles as rulers, they were still influential. After passing through the border, us and the others made their way to the headquarters of Ni Fashion Trend X.


    us had expected something impressive, but when they finally arrived at the headquarters, he waspletely blown away. The building wasn''t just grand¡ªit was beyond anything he could have imagined. The design was sleek and modern, with towering ss structures and stylish architectural elements that screamed luxury.


    The whole ce exuded elegance and sophistication, and it was clear this was the epicenter of fashion in Ross City.


    us felt a little out of ce at first, but he quickly reminded himself that he was here for a reason. He had been invited, and that was all that mattered. As they entered the building, the atmosphere was abuzz with activity. Designers, models, and staff moved about with activities, creating a lively and energetic environment.


    The interior of the headquarters was just as impressive as the exterior, with open spaces, bright lighting, and disys of thetest fashion trends lining the walls. us couldn''t help but admire the creativity and artistry around him. The whole ce seemed to pulse with inspiration.


    As they were led further into the building, us began to understand just how influential Ni Fashion Trend X was. This wasn''t just a fashion brand; it was a symbol of style and status. And to think he was now being introduced to this world made him feel both excited and a little nervous.


    Anna and Lucy seemed right at home, and so did Kay, Mark, Kilian, Danny, Daniel, Asha, Nia, and Lily. However, us and Hanna were a little rattled, but with so many of their friends with them, they quickly integrated themselves into their new environment.


    us smiled as he watched Lucy quietly set up her recording device, clearly excited to capture her friend''s reaction. The head designer, who had been leading them, seemed equally eager to see how the surprise would unfold. us had noticed earlier how lively everyone became when they saw him, their smiles and energy almost contagious.


    It made him realize that his presence held more influence than he had ever imagined. For the first time, us felt the weight of his growing reputation, and it was both humbling and exhrating. ¦£§ß*???-&??%-#?%-!


    As they entered the lift and ascended to the highest floor of the headquarters building, us found himself wondering where this new path would lead him. The thrill of the unknown filled him with excitement. When the doors opened and they stepped out onto the highest floor, the head designer led them to a sleek meeting room.


    Lucy positioned herself discreetly, ready to catch her friend''s reaction on camera. They didn''t have to wait long. Within moments, the door opened and a young woman with short violet hair and slightly dark eyes rushed in, her steps quick and light. Clearly, she was thrilled to see her friend.


    "Lucy, why didn''t you tell me you were¡ª" She started to greet Lucy but froze mid-sentence. Her eyesnded on us, and she stopped dead in her tracks, her face showing nothing but surprise.


    "Pretty Boy!" she said, almost losing her bnce as she stumbled forward in shock. Lucy quickly stifled augh, her camera catching every moment of her friend''s stunned expression.


    us grinned, standing there with an amused look on his face. "Nice to meet you too," he said with a teasing tone.


    The woman quickly regained herposure, her cheeks flushing slightly from her near fall. She smoothed her clothes, trying to y it off. "You could have warned me!" she said, shooting Lucy a mock re before turning back to us. "I wasn''t expecting... you."


    "Well, here I am," us said with a chuckle. "Surprise."


    Lucy finally burst intoughter, satisfied with how everything had yed out. "This is my friend us," she introduced. "And judging by your reaction, I think the surprise was a sess."


    The young woman nodded, still looking a little starstruck. "I''m Nadia Hemsworth," she said, holding out her hand to us. "I''ve heard a lot about you, but I wasn''t expecting to meet you today."


    us shook her hand, his grip firm but gentle. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Nadia. I also heard some great things about you"


    "Oh really, do tell," Nadia said as she settled down beside us, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity. It was easy to see she was lively, the kind of person who jumped into conversations without hesitation.


    us chuckled at her boldness and nced at Lucy. "Well, I heard you''re quite the beauty," us said yfully. "And now that I see you, I guess Lucy wasn''t lying."


    Nadiaughed, clearly pleased but not flustered. "So Lucy''s been talking about me, huh?" she teased, nudging Lucy, who rolled her eyes with a smile.


    "Of course I did," Lucy responded with a light grin. "How could I not?"


    us smiled at the easy banter between them. He could already tell that Nadia had a strong, cheerful personality, and he appreciated how rxed the atmosphere felt. All the nervousness he was feeling vanished.


    us quickly introduced everyone, and the group began to rx, settling into a morefortable rhythm as they shared stories about their lives and adventures. To us''s surprise, he discovered that Nadia wasn''t just lively¡ªshe was a GrandMaster stage Expert and an incredibly wealthy youngdy.


    Aside from owning the Ni fashion brand, she also managed severalpanies focused on different aspects of fashion, making her one of the most influential figures in the industry.


    As they talked more, us learned that Lucy was one of Nadia''s investors. The two had been best friends since childhood, and their connection went beyond friendship; they had built a strong business rtionship over the years. us was further impressed to find out that Nadia ranked in the top ten on the Northern Union''s Young Billionaire chart.


    Her wealth and influence were on a level us hadn''t anticipated.


    This raised his expectations for their uing discussion. If all went well, us believed that their negotiations could lead to a fruitful partnership. He could already imagine the potential opportunities that could arise from working with someone like Nadia. The thought filled him with excitement, though he kept hisposure.


    "Although I don''t like to underestimate anyone," us said, his tone genuine, "I have to admit, Nadia, you''re far more amazing than I initially expected."


    Nadia grinned at thepliment, her confidence shining through. "Thank you, us. But I believe everyone here is impressive in their own way. We all have our strengths."


    us nodded, appreciating her humility despite her achievements. He could tell that working with her could be a game-changer, and he was eager to see what woulde next from their coboration.

 Chapter 67: The Most Handsome Model In Town

    After talking and drinking for a while, us asked the big question. "So, Nadia, Lucy told me you wanted to talk to me about a partnership. Now that we''ve gotten to know each other, I guess it''s best if we dive into it and see where we can take it."


    Nadia nodded. "Well, you already know I''m a fashion designer, so I won''t beat around the bush. I want you to be the face of my new clothing line. And when I say the face, I mean I want you to embody everything the new line represents."


    us raised an eyebrow at that. "Can you borate on that?" he asked.


    Nadia smiled, taking a sip of her drink before she leaned forward slightly. "Of course," she began. "As you know, I''m a fashion designer, but I''m not just any designer. I''ve been working on a new line that''s going to be bold, unique, and modern, aimed at those who want to stand out. I''ve seen how you carry yourself, us¡ªyour style, your confidence¡ªit''s exactly what I need to represent this brand."


    ''Tsk, just say you need a warrior to embody your new warrior theme line,'' Lucy chuckled inwardly.


    us listened carefully, intrigued but still unsure. "So, what exactly would my role be?" he asked. "You want me to model the clothes, or is there more to it?"


    Nadia nodded, her expression serious. "Yes, I want you to model the clothes, but it''s more than just being a model. I want you to be the ambassador of the entire line. You would be featured in all our marketing campaigns¡ªads, billboards, social media¡ªand you would be the face everyone sees when they think of this brand. And beyond that, I want to coborate with you creatively, too.


    Your input on designs, concepts, and how we market the clothing will be important."


    us raised an eyebrow, still processing what she said. "That''s a bigmitment," he said slowly.


    "You''re asking me to be more than just a model. You want me to help build the brand."


    Nadia nodded again. "Exactly. I believe you have the influence and the right image to push this line to the next level. It''s not just about wearing clothes; it''s about creating something that people will connect with. Something fresh, different, and powerful."


    us leaned back, thinking it over. "And why me?" he asked, genuinely curious.


    "There are plenty of other people you could ask. What makes you think I''m the right person for this?"


    Nadia smiled again. "Because you''re not just another pretty face. You have a story, us. People respect you. You''ve achieved things most people can only dream of, and that makes you rtable and aspirational at the same time. You''ve got that mix of strength and style that can appeal to a broad audience.


    And," she added with a yful glint in her eyes, "I think you''d look amazing in my designs."


    us chuckled at thatst part. "I see you''ve put a lot of thought into this."


    "I have," Nadia replied earnestly."And I really believe this could be a great opportunity for both of us. You get to be a part of something exciting and fresh, and I get the perfect person to helpunch this line."


    us considered her words. "What would I have to do if I agree to this?"


    Nadia leaned back in her chair, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "We''d start with a few photo shoots, some promotional events, and maybe a few interviews. However, the real work woulde from coborating on the designs and the overall branding. We''d meet regrly to discuss new concepts and ideas, and you''d have a say in how everything develops."


    MVLeMpYr-content


    us nodded, thinking it over. "And what''s in it for me?"


    "Aside from the usualpensation for modeling and your involvement in the brand?" Nadia replied. "You''d get a percentage of the profits from the clothing line, and of course, you''d have ess to all thetest designs before anyone else. Plus, it''s a chance to expand your influence beyond what you''re already doing.


    You''d be branching out into fashion, which could open up even more opportunities down the line."


    us stayed silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. On one hand, it was an exciting offer, and Nadia seemed genuine about wanting to work with him. On the other hand, it was a bigmitment, and he wasn''t sure if it was the right time for something like this.


    After a moment, he looked back at Nadia. "I''ll need some time to think about it," he said honestly. "It''s a big decision, and I don''t want to rush into anything."


    Nadia smiled, clearly understanding. "Of course. Take all the time you need. I''m not in a hurry, and I want you to be fully on board with this. If you have any questions or concerns, just let me know."


    "Good, I will call my mom now," us said, not even ncing at the puzzled expressions around him. Everyone had expected him to take a few days to think it over, but to their surprise, us only needed to call his mother to make such a big decision.


    Before anyone could react further, a familiar face appeared on us''s phone screen. It was his mother.


    "Hello, Mom," us greeted with a smile.


    His mother''s expression changed to one of concern. "You''re not calling to tell me you''ve gone on another hunt, are you?" she asked, noticing the mischievous grin on his face.


    us chuckled, shaking his head. "Jeez, Mom, I already told you I won''t be going anywhere soon."


    Everyone around them smiled, amused by the easygoing conversation between the mother-son duo. They clearly shared a close bond, and the light-hearted exchange made the atmosphere warm and familiar.


    "Then why are you calling me?" she asked, her tone now more calm and curious.


    us leaned back in his chair, still smiling. "I''ve been offered a big opportunity. Nadia, the fashion designer I mentioned, wants me to be the face of her new clothing line. I''m thinking about it, but I wanted to get your opinion before making a decision."


    His mother''s eyes widened with surprise. "Really? That sounds exciting! What kind of role would you have?"


    us exined, "I''d be modeling the clothes and also helping with the design and branding. It''s a bigmitment but could be a great chance for me."


    His mother paused for a moment, considering his words. "Well, it sounds like a fantastic opportunity. But you know, you need to think about how it fits with your other goals and responsibilities."


    us nodded. "That''s why I wanted to ask you. I''m still weighing it all out, and your perspective always helps."


    His mother''s face softened with a reassuring smile. "If you think it''s something you want to pursue, I support you. Just make sure it''s something you really want and that it aligns with your ns. You''ve always made thoughtful decisions. But this sounds like a great opportunity for you."


    "Thanks, Mom," us said gratefully. "I''ll take your advice into ount. I think I''ll go ahead and give it a try. It seems like a good fit for where I''m headed."


    "Just remember to stay bnced and not let it take away from your main goals," his mother advised. "I''m proud of you for considering this, and I know you''ll make the right choice."


    us smiled. "I appreciate it, Mom. I''ll keep that in mind."


    With that, they ended the call, and us turned back to the group. "I think I''m going to take the opportunity. It feels right, and I''m excited about what we can achieve together."


    Nadia''s face lit up with a satisfied smile. "That''s great to hear, us. I''m thrilled to have you on board."


    The room buzzed with excitement at us''s decision to take on the deal. Everyone knew they would benefit from it, too. As the new face of the clothing line, us''s friends and acquaintances would likely receive free items and new clothes. They might even get opportunities to model for the brand if needed.


    us was more than happy to include them. "So, Boss," he said with a slight grin as he looked at Nadia, "I''ll be taking on this deal with my mother''s permission."


    Nadiaughed and shook her head. "Who are you calling Boss? Just call me Nadia. And honestly, I should be the one showing appreciation. Having the youngest warrior to appear on three Warrior Ranking Charts as a model is going to make a huge ssh in the fashion world. It''s going to be a big deal for the brand."


    us nodded, clearly pleased. "I''m d you think so. I''m excited about it, too."


    Nadia''s eyes sparkled with delight. "We''ll start nning everything soon. There''s a lot to do, but it''s going to be worth it. I''m really looking forward to seeing how this all unfolds."


    us nodded, and Nadia returned the gesture. "First order of business will be to sign the contract, which I have prepared already," she said, handing us a tablet with a list of names. "But before that, you can review this list and pick someone as your personal assistant."


    us nced at the tablet but shook his head. "I don''t need to look at the list. I already have a candidate."


    Turning to Hanna, who had been quietly observing, us grinned. "Well, Hanna, would you like to be the personal assistant to the most handsome model in town?"


    Hanna''s eyes widened in surprise, and then a smile spread across her face. "I''d be honored, us."


    Nadia chuckled, clearly pleased with us''s choice. "Looks like we have our assistant. Now, let''s get that contract signed and start making ns" The contract appeared on the tablet and us began reading it.

 Chapter 68: Signing the Contract

    us took his time reading the contract. He knew it was best to understand everything before putting pen to paper, so he took his time and went through everything. From it, he learned all the benefits he would be earning.


    For one, his sign-up bonus is a whopping 50 billion gold coins, a car, and a hundred percent discount on all products under Ni Fashin Trend X.


    us continued reading through the contract, noting the impressive details.


    Aside from the sign-up bonus, the contract outlined many benefits. His percentage on all products he would be modeling was set at 5%. This meant he would earn a share of every sale from the items he featured. This includes the current clothing line and some other products currently underway. Nadia was smart and nned to rope us in for as long as she could.


    us, who realizes that just smiles and continues with the other benefits.


    His annual ie was guaranteed to be at least 100 billion gold coins. This amount was fixed and would be paid out regardless of his modeling work.


    Additionally, us was promised performance bonuses. For each sessful productunch or major campaign, he would receive an extra 10 billion gold coins.


    The contract also included a housing allowance. He would receive 10 billion gold coins annually to cover the costs of his living arrangements, which was meant to ensure hisfort.


    Health insurance was another benefit. The contract provided full coverage for medical expenses, ensuring that us would not have to worry about health costs.


    There was also a travel allowance. us would receive an additional 5 billion gold coins each year to cover travel expenses rted to his work.


    Another perk was ess to exclusive events. us would be invited to high-profile fashion shows and social gatherings, enhancing his professionalwork.


    He would receive free wardrobe updates. Ni Fashion Trend X would provide him with new outfits each season, ensuring he always looked stylish.


    Additionally, us was promised professional training. He would have ess to top-notch training programs to improve his skills and keep up with industry trends. This training also included his cultivation, in which he was promised to receive the best resources aimed at enhancing his strength, which, from the way he sees it, aimed to enhance his handsomeness.


    There was also a public rtions package. Ni Fashion Trend X would handle all media appearances and promotions, saving us time and effort.


    us would be given a personal assistant. This assistant would help manage his schedule, appointments, and other tasks, making his work life easier. Of course, this was already taken care of since us chose Hanna as his assistant.


    The contract also included stock options. us could buy shares in Ni Fashion Trend X at a discounted rate.


    He would receive priority bookings, which meant that us would always be first in line for modeling gigs and major projects. It''s reallyughable, and at one point, the Senior inside his soul sea bursts into a burst of resoundingughter, clearly pleased with where us''s life is headed.


    us is a paragon. He is meant to be incredibly strong no matter what obstacles he faces. But because of his nature as a paragon, he is bound to have a lot of enemies. This means his life will not be peaceful, so seeing him find something that will make him happy for a while brings some relief to him.


    MVLeMpYr-unofficial-chapter


    Of course, us just shrugged hisughter and dived deeper into reading the rest of his benefits.


    us was also entitled to a yearly bonus based on thepany''s performance. If Ni Fashion Trend X had a sessful year, he would receive an additional bonus.


    He was promised a signing bonus for every new campaign he joined. Each campaign would bring in an extra 5 million gold coins as a signing incentive.


    A mentorship program was included. us would have the chance to be mentored by top figures in the fashion industry, further boosting his career. Of course, he can also mentor someone for which us just shrugs with a simple thought, ''Nobody is as handsome as me''


    The contract also provided for family benefits. His family would receive ess to health care, security, and other perks, ensuring their well-being.


    There was also a loyalty reward. After two years of sessful work with Ni Fashion Trend X, us would receive a special reward of 50 billion gold coins and other utilities.


    The contract allowed for flexible working hours. us could set his own schedule, bncing work with his life as a cultivator, something he really needed right now seeing he will always have to work extra hard to keep up with the others.


    The contract also included a relocation package. If us needed to move for work, thepany would cover all relocation expenses.


    He was entitled to a special recognition award. Thepany would recognize his contributions with an award ceremony and an additional bonus each year.


    The contract ensured that us had ess to a dedicated support team. This team would assist him with any issues or needs rted to his modeling work. Of course, this fell on his friends. us wouldn''t trust anybody outside his inner circle.


    us would be featured in promotional materials, and his image and work would be prominently disyed in advertisements and campaigns.


    He was also granted exclusive rights to certain products. This meant us would be the face of specific items, enhancing his profile in the fashion world.


    The contract included a cancetion use. If us decided to leave thepany, he would receive a generous severance package. Clearly, Nadia wants us by her side. All the benefits are just too good to be true, yet us is meant to have them all should he choose to sigh with her.


    Lastly, us was promised a creative freedom use. He would have the freedom to choose which projects and campaigns he wanted to participate in.


    With all these benefitsid out in the contract, us felt confident and excited about his new role. He signed the document, making sure to note down all themitments he will be upholding.


    First, us wasmitted to performing his best in every modeling job. He knew that his sess was tied to thepany''s sess, so he promised to give his full effort and dedication to every campaign.


    He also pledged to uphold thepany''s image. us understood that his actions would reflect on Ni Fashion Trend X. He was determined to maintain a professional demeanor at all times.


    us agreed to meet all performance targets set by thepany. He was aware that achieving these targets was crucial for receiving bonuses and other incentives.


    Hemitted to attending all required events and appearances. us knew that being present at high-profile fashion shows and social gatherings was important for his role.


    Anothermitment was maintaining his health and fitness. us promised to stay in top shape to meet the demands of his modeling work and uphold thepany''s standards.


    us agreed to work closely with his personal assistant. He understood that having goodmunication with his assistant would help him manage his schedule efficiently.


    He pledged to be a positive representative of the brand. us knew that promoting Ni Fashion Trend X in a favorable light was essential for his role.


    us agreed to honor the contract''s terms for the entire duration. He understood that fulfilling hismitments was key to maintaining a sessful rtionship with thepany.


    He promised to be open to feedback and constructive criticism. us was ready to learn and grow from his experiences.


    us was alsomitted to maintaining confidentiality. He understood that some aspects of his work would require discretion.


    He agreed to uphold thepany''s policies and guidelines. us knew that following these rules was important for his career and thepany''s reputation.


    us promised to handle all media appearances with care. He understood the importance of presenting himself positively in public.


    Hemitted to being punctual and reliable. us knew that being on time for appointments and shoots was a key part of his professional behavior.


    us was ready to embrace the creative freedom offered. He agreed to choose projects that aligned with both his interests and thepany''s goals.


    He reviewed the othermitments he had to uphold, and from the looks of things, he was more than ready to start working. He put his signature on the contract, and he and Nadia took a picture to cement the deal.


    "So, us, you need to establish a social media presence," Nadia said, turning to Hanna. "I hope you''re prepared for that," she added.


    Before Nadia could make any more suggestions, Hanna spoke up. "I''ve already set up his ounts and am ready tounch any campaigns whenever you are."


    Nadia nodded, clearly pleased with Hanna''s efficiency. "That''s great. From now on, you''ll be working closely with Dede here. She''s my chief designer and also my clothing consultant." Hanna nodded and shifted her attention to Dede, who was eager to get started.


    "us, your sign-up bonus will be transferred to you soon. As for the car, it will arrive by the end of the week. You can choose the brand if you don''t want to go with thepany''s rmendation," Nadia said.


    "I''ll go with your rmendation," us replied with a smile.


    "Perfect," Nadia said, beaming. "Even though I usually don''t like to rush things, I''m very excited about this partnership. Are you ready for some check-ups and fittings? We need to get your measurements and prepare the products for the uing photo shoots."


    Lucy and the others, watching from the side, were smiling. They were thrilled to see not only a powerful warrior but also a prominent fashion tycoon bing part of their circle. Lucy was particrly happy, knowing she was the one who introduced us to Nadia.


    "Let''s get started," us said.


    Nadia nodded and turned to Dede. "Dede, you can make the announcement and be sure to open pre-orders for thetest sunsses and leather armor," she instructed.


    "Let''s go then," Nadia said, turning to us and the others. They left the room, leaving Dede and Hanna behind. They were ready to prepare andunch a campaign that would take Ni Fashion Trend X from number 10 to number 1 on the fashion charts.

 Chapter 69: Klauss Influence

    (A/N: This chapter will focus on the shockwave caused after the announcement of the signing for a whole day. The next chapter will focus on us and the others a few seconds after the signing announcement.)


    "Breaking News: The influential warrior us Hanson has just signed a five-year deal with the viral fashion sensation Ni Fashion Trend X for their uing clothing line, XKloud Clothing. The pre-sale of the first two products is now avable on their website, with a 10% discount for the first 5,000,000 orders."


    Just minutes after us, Nadia, and the others left for his fitting, news channels began buzzing about the recent contract us had signed with Ni Fashion Trend X.


    The moment the news hit the airwaves, us''s name started trending across all social media tforms. Within seconds of the announcement, the hashtag #XKloudClothing exploded, bing the number one trend worldwide. us''s social media ounts, which have just been created started to gain followers rapidly.


    His fans started to skyrocket by the minutes, and notifications flooded in like a tidal wave.


    "us Hanson signed with Ni?! This is HUGE!" one fanmented on Xter, quickly gaining thousands of likes and retweets.


    Another user wrote, "I need that XKloud gear right NOW! Take my money!"


    The buzz didn''t stop there. Fashion bloggers, influencers, and even celebrities began posting about the deal. Some wore mock-ups of what they imagined the XKloud Clothing line might look like. Fashion moguls couldn''t believe what was happening.


    "us teaming up with Ni Fashion Trend X is the biggest move in fashion this year," one fashion magazine tweeted. "This is set to change thendscape of warrior-inspired streetwear!"


    In the Ni Fashion headquarters, the energy was electric. Phones were ringing off the hook, and their website started receiving so much traffic that it nearly crashed. The pre-sale of the first two products was only live for a few minutes before it sold out. 5,000,000 units gone, just like that.


    "We are out of stock!" a Ni employee shouted in disbelief.


    The manager in charge of Ni Fashion Trend X presale and sales department, already expecting sess, was still stunned by the speed of the orders. He immediately held a meeting with his production team. They immediately came up with a new discount which was approved by Dede who Nadia left in charge of handling things.


    Ni''s stock skyrocketed almost instantly. Within an hour, it had jumped by over 30%. The fashion industry took notice as Ni''s ranking on the global fashion charts began to climb. Initially ranked at number ten, the brand quickly surged to number seven, and it wasn''t slowing down.


    "This is crazy," a news anchor on one of the biggest fashionworks said. "Ni Fashion Trend X has just seen its biggest surge inpany history, and it''s all thanks to us Hanson!"


    "The greatest fashion signing in thest decade. This us Hanson sure has some influence" Another news anchor said shaking her head in disbelief.


    Meanwhile, us''s inbox was flooded with messages from other brands and sponsors, eager to coborate with him. Companies that had previously been indifferent to his growing influence were now practically begging for a meeting. Some even offered double the contracts he had just signed with Ni.


    Of course, Hanna was quick to respond letting them know for the next 5 years, us won''t be signing any contract rting to fashion. Of course, the non-fashion brands were more than hopeful to start sending their proposals.


    "Can you believe this?" Nadia said, scrolling through her phone, barely able to keep up with the flood of messages. "Everyone wants a piece of you now, us."


    us simply shrugged, though a small smile crept onto his face. He had never imagined his name would be this big in the fashion world. But now that he has made his debut, he can only endure and let the fame ept him.


    Out on the streets, people were already talking about it. In cafes, shops, and even workces, us''s new partnership was the hot topic of conversation.


    "Did you hear about us?" one young man said to his friend while waiting in line for coffee. "He''s with Ni Fashion now! I just ordered their new clothes. Got lucky before they sold out."


    "Yeah, I heard!" his friend replied. "My sister''s freaking out because she missed the discount. She''s trying to grab one on resale, but the prices are already insane!"


    "Hehe, now that it came to this, you think she will give me a chance if I offer my spot" The young man said only to get a smack from his friend


    "You yer, my sister is not offhand"


    In fashion circles, thepetitors of Ni Fashion Trend X were starting to sweat. Brands like Velvet Halo and Topform Couture, who had previously held steady positions in the top five, were now concerned about their rankings.


    "We didn''t see thising," a representative from Velvet Halo admitted. "We underestimated the influence us had. Now we need to rethink our strategy."


    Topform Couture''s CEO held an emergency meeting with his marketing team. "We can''t afford to fall behind. We need a new campaign ¨C something fresh, bold, and immediate."


    At the same time, fashion critics were praising Ni''s strategy.


    "This is a game-changer," one wrote in a widely-read article. "Ni Fashion Trend X is revolutionizing the industry by blending the worlds of fashion and power. us Hanson represents strength and style. This partnership will shake things up for a long time."


    Even news channels that typically avoided fashion news jumped in on the trend. "In a stunning turn of events, warrior us Hanson has taken the fashion world by storm. His recent deal with Ni Fashion Trend X has catapulted the brand to new heights, setting records in sales and stock value," a newscaster announced during the evening broadcast.


    us''s followers on xGram, which has already skyrocketed to millions started their own campaign. His ount became one of the most-followed profiles globally, with fans excited not just for his fashion line but also for his warrior achievements.


    It''s shocking how he started spreading. Initially, one would think he was only popr in the Eastern Region or maybe the whole of the Northern Union, but now seeing the influence, it was clear his presence on the global scale has also skyrocketed.


    Back at Ni, the design team worked around the clock to meet the new demand. They were rolling out new ideas for the XKloud line, including jackets, shoes, and even essories. Every new item seemed like gold, with pre-orders flooding in faster than they could handle.


    With every passing hour, Ni climbed higher in the rankings. By the end of the day, they had risen to number five on the global fashion chart, surpassing majorpetitors. And by the next morning, they reached number three.


    "We''re witnessing history in the making," a popr fashion podcast host said. "Ni might actually be the top brand in the world, all thanks to this one partnership."


    Even us''spetitors in the warrior world took notice, people he hadn''t even seen or heard about. Some admired him, while others were envious of his newfound fame in apletely different industry.


    When he made his debut on the City Ranking, many were shocked but they saw it to be normal knowing some Master stage experts are on the Chart, so it was only a matter of time before he and Ascended made their debut.


    However, when he appeared on the Regional Chart, everyone started to take him seriously. He quickly climbs up the Chart shocking everyone. However, when he made his debut on the Union Warrior Ranking Chart, a chart filled with Saints and even higher, the whole world went wild.


    Nobody could just believe how a mere Ascended Warrior was able to achieve something that grand. Everyone knew how hard to fight Tier 4 Dark monsters and higher. Even Uncle Ziggy cautioned us about not going after anything Tier 4 Dark and above.


    However, he not only went after that rank, he went after thousands at the same time and he walked away with only a few broken bones that healed almost instantly. That''s just too badass. Even if he was that strong, he only shouldn''t be able to kill an entire region of monsters.


    But us made it happen and now sitting at number 870 on the Union Warrior Ranking Chart is us, a 16-year-old Ascended who has awakened not more than a month ago. His fame is unprecedented, and now, he has captured yet another attention in the fashion world.


    -original


    But despite the overwhelming attention, us remained focused. He knew this deal was just the beginning. More opportunities were bound toe, and he was ready to take on anything that came his way. If he is going to climb to the top, then he will ensure his presence is uncontested.


    Ni Fashion Trend X''s momentum didn''t slow. A few dayster, they officially became the number one fashion brand worldwide, overtaking long-established names in the industry. Their stock was at an all-time high, and us''s face was everywhere ¨C billboards,mercials, and magazine covers.


    Even without an official chart, many have already made their own promo posters making it a trend everywhere. The inte now belongs to us and Ni Fashion Trend X.


    "us Hanson isn''t just a warrior," one media outlet dered. "He''s a brand. And that brand is unstoppable."


    "Talk about young entrepreneurs, Nadia Hemsworth is indeed a tycoon in the fashion world" Another outlet posted


    "Now sitting at the top of the Fashion World is Ni Fashion Trend X and they will remain that way for many years toe" Another posted. They were all keeping a close eye on things waiting to see what would happen.


    From humble beginnings to international fame, us had taken the fashion world by storm, and the ripple effects would be felt for years toe.

 Chapter 70: Table talks

    As soon as us, Nadia, and the group left the meeting room, they decided to grab some lunch. The mood was light, and everyone was in good spirits after the fitting. Just as they sat down at the table, Dede and Hanna announced us''s new deal with Ni Fashion Trend X.


    "Wow, it hasn''t even been a minute, and the news of your signing with Ni is already trending," Lucy said with wide eyes, her phone in hand. She had always been the first to notice things online, and this was no exception. The rest of the group quickly grabbed their phones to check the news themselves.


    "No way!" Nadia said with a beaming smile. "The pre-sales have already frozen the website!"


    us chuckled, surprised at how quickly everything was happening. "That''s crazy."


    "What do you expect?" Lucy said, puffing out her chest with pride. "Any rmendation I make is always top-notch."


    "Look at you, all happy," Nadia teased. "But seriously, thank you for making this happen."


    Lucy grinned and waved off thepliment. "Well, you can convert that thanks into designing some top-quality armor for all of us."


    The entire table erupted in smiles and chuckles. Anna, Kay, Asha, and the others shot Nadia looks, their gazes silently agreeing with Lucy''s suggestion. Even us couldn''t help but join in, giving Nadia a yful smirk.


    "Well, if that''s what it takes," Nadia said with a mock sigh, "I guess I''ll have to get to work."


    Everyone smiled at Nadia''s yful response. Then us, with a serious yet thoughtful look, turned to Nadia and asked, "Can Imission an exclusive design for someone? I''lle up with the design, but I''ll need your help to bring it to life."


    Nadia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "An exclusive design? For who?" she asked, a curious smile creeping onto her face.


    us hesitated for a moment before replying, "It''s for my mom. I want something special for her, something that''ll remind her of everything we''ve ovee. Something she can wear proudly."


    Nadia''s smile softened, and she nodded. "Of course, us. I''d be honored to help. We''ll make it perfect."


    The others at the table exchanged knowing nces, their smiles growing softer as they thought about us''s devotion to his mother. They had all witnessed just how deep that bond ran between them. us''s mother wasn''t just a parent¡ªshe was his source of strength, his foundation, and they all can see that. He cares deeply about her.


    Unbeknownst to most, she had sacrificed so much over the years. She had sold almost all of her possessions to make sure us had what he needed. us had watched her eat only a fraction of the meals she prepared, making sure he always had enough, even when times were tough.


    Because of this, us had made a solemn promise to himself. When he awakened, his mother would be his top priority. Everything he did from that moment on was for her, even if it meant putting his own life second to hers.


    As the room settled into a more rxed atmosphere, Lucy broke the silence with a grin. "So, aside from that futuristic leather armor and those high-tech sunsses you mentioned as part of the first line, what else are we going to be working on? I know you have some crazy ideas in the works. Care to share?"


    Nadiaughed, catching the curious looks from everyone at the table.


    "Oh, I''ve got a lot up my sleeve," she teased. "There''s going to be some smart wear¡ªclothing that reacts to the body''s needs, adapting to changes in environment and temperature. And then, of course, we''re dabbling inbat-ready casual wear. Imagine something stylish that can take a hit and still look good."


    The group leaned in closer, their excitement rising. Lucy, unable to contain her curiosity, urged, "Continue!"


    Nadia smirked, clearly enjoying the attention.


    "Alright, alright," she said, leaning back in her chair as she continued.


    "So, here''s the next big thing: adaptive armor integrated into everyday clothing. We''re talking about fabrics that can harden on impact, like when you''re hit, but stay soft and flexible the rest of the time. Plus, we''re incorporating elemental resistance tech¡ªimagine jackets that can repel fire, or boots that inste against frost."


    Everyone at the table exchanged amazed nces.


    "Elemental resistance in casual wear?" Kay repeated, wide-eyed. "That''s genius!"


    "It doesn''t stop there," Nadia added, her voice filled with excitement. "We''re also creating gear with built-in healing properties, using nanotechnology to promote faster recovery. So if you''re injured, the clothing will help speed up your healing."


    us raised an eyebrow, impressed. "This sounds like something out of a dream."


    "Exactly," Nadia said, beaming. "Fashion isn''t just about looking good anymore. It''s about merging style with utility¡ªespecially in our world. People need clothing that can protect them but still let them live their lives."


    Anna, sitting beside Kay, nodded eagerly. "I love it! It''s practical, but it still lets us be ourselves."


    "Definitely," Asha chimed in, her eyes glowing with excitement. "I can''t wait to see this in action."


    "Count me in too," us said, smiling. "This sounds like the kind of gear that could change the game, especially for people like us. I can''t wait to battle in them"


    Everyone weirdly looks at him. He is all about battles even when they are talking fashion.


    Nadia grinned, clearly satisfied with the reaction. "Trust me, it will. And us, your exclusive design for your mom? We''ll give it every bit of love and attention to make sure it''s worthy of her."


    us''s heart warmed as he listened to Nadia''s words. He couldn''t help but feel grateful to be surrounded by such supportive people. This new chapter in his life was opening up so many possibilities, and he knew that everything he was working for would soon pay off¡ªnot just for him but for the person who mattered most: his mother.


    "So Nadia," Daniel said, leaning forward with a thoughtful expression, "have you ever considered going into the weapon-making business? I''m not talking about building nuclear warheads or anything crazy like that. I''m talking about high-tech, practical weapons like bows, axes, spears, and swords. With us joining you now, I bet introducing something like that could sell like crazy."


    Nadia''s eyes lit up with interest. "Weapons, huh? That''s an intriguing idea. We''ve been focusing on clothing so far, but high-tech weapons could be a great addition."


    Nia who had been sitting quietly nodded in agreement and said. "I''ve seen some amazing designs for weapons, but if they''rebined with the kind of tech you''re talking about, they could be game-changers. Imagine a bow with adjustable tension and smart targeting, or a sword with built-in elemental effects."


    She pped her hands together. "And don''t forget about the axe. They could have interchangeable heads and smart bnce systems. The possibilities are endless!" She stopped looking at the people in the room look at her with widen eyes.


    Clearly, she is an erudite, the kind who loves to explore weapons. us didn''t peg her to be someone like that, but thinking about it, Ohema who is even more beautiful than Nia was the same. She practically knew everything there was to know.


    During his time in the forest, he learned a lot from her. It got to some point, it was us who snapped her out of her monologues. So seeing Nia be on full weapon savvy, he couldn''t help but picture Ohema in his mind.


    Nadia''s smile grew wider as she considered the idea. "You know, that''s not a bad thought. We could start with a few prototypes and see how they perform. There''s definitely a market for high-tech weapons, especially if they''re designed with the same attention to detail as our clothing."


    Daniel grinned, clearly pleased with the reaction. "I''m telling you, it could be huge. People love cutting-edge tech, and weapons are no exception."


    Anna and the others nodded enthusiastically. "Count us in for testing and feedback," Anna said. "We''d love to see what youe up with."


    Nadia looked around at her friends and partners, her mind racing with ideas. "Alright, it''s settled then. We''ll start exploring the world of high-tech weapons. I''ll need to do some research and get back to you all with the first concepts."


    us felt a surge of excitement at the prospect. "Although I don''t like to brag, however when ites to weapons, I''d say I''m an expert. So, if you''re really serious about this new venture, I''ll make sure to put in my best effort to see it seed."


    Everyone looked at him with smiles on their faces, sensing his seriousness. They were all eager to see what he could aplish. Little did they know, us''s unique ss made him an Overlord of all weapons. His expertise in wielding any weapon and unlocking its full potential was unparalleled. story-by-MvLeMpYr


    As the group continued enjoying their meal and discussing future ns, Nadia''s phone suddenly rang. She nced at the screen and answered quickly, "Dede, what''s up?"


    "Boss," Dede''s voice crackled through the phone, "The presale has sold out in under ten minutes. Vira and the team are asking if they should set up a new round with a 5% discount."


    Nadia''s eyes widened in surprise. "Sold out already? That''s incredible! Yes, definitely set up a new presale with the discount. We need to keep the momentum going."


    us raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Looks like things are really taking off."


    Nadia nodded, her excitement barely contained. "It''s all thanks to you, us"


    "Well, what are friends for" us said making Nadia smile widen. Being friends with a rising star like us sure has its perks.


    "We can head to the fitting next, I still have to get your measurements for your new wardrobe change and your clothing for the Felin Youth balling next two weeks," Nadia said leading everyone away.

 Chapter 71: Fitting [Bonus]

    us was led into a room filled with various image-capturing equipment. He was instructed to strip down, leaving only his pants on. us didn''t mind; he was confident in his physique. What he didn''t expect was the reaction his body would provoke from everyone in the room.


    As he stepped into the space where images would be taken for AI-generated content, the shock was palpable. Anna, Nia, Asha, Lucy, Nadia, Lily, and even the guys¡ªDanny, Daniel, Kay, Mark, and Kilian¡ªwere all captivated. Their eyes couldn''t leave him.


    us''s skin was smooth and polished, radiating a softness that seemed almost celestial. His abs were chiseled and defined, contributing to a physique that looked otherworldly.


    "Damn, even as a guy, I can''t help but want to see him without his clothes on," Danny said, unable to look away.


    "Pervert," Lily muttered, though her gaze remained fixed on us.


    "Who are you calling a pervert?" Danny shot back. "Aren''t you also staring? You know it''s bad to stare, right?"


    Lily''s face turned slightly red, but she kept her eyes on us. "I can''t help it," she admitted. "He looks like a god."


    Everyone subconsciously nodded at Lily''s remark. Suddenly, us''s back came into view.


    "Wow, what a nice tattoo!" Asha eximed, her eyes shining as she looked at the star tattoos on his back.


    us''s nine-star tattoo was now clearly visible, capturing everyone''s attention. The tattoo, which had initially shown nine differently designed stars encircled by a ring, seemed to be evolving. Something that shouldn''t be possible.


    If us had been paying attention to them the past weeks, he would have seen that the tattoos were gradually changing. Inside one of the stars, an image of an eye appeared. Another star revealed a scythe tattoo. Though not fully visible, other details began to emerge, making the tattoo even more captivating.


    "What''s the meaning of that word?" Nia asked, pointing to an inscription in an ancient script. "It looks like some oldnguage." She said


    The script in question was written in an unfamiliarnguage, its symbols and characters adding an aura of mystery to us''s tattoo.


    Anna, who had been observing quietly, stepped closer to the ss separating them and us to get a better look. "I''ve never seen anything like that before. It looks ancient. Does anyone recognize the symbols?"


    The room fell silent as everyone tried to decipher the script. The tattoo''s evolving details drew even more attention, with each change addingyers of intrigue. us of course remains oblivious to all these changes.


    "I''ve seen some ancient symbols before," Lucy said, squinting at the tattoo. "But this... this is something else. It''s like it''s alive."


    us, oblivious to the intense scrutiny, continued with the poses, unaware of the growing fascination with his tattoo. The team worked diligently to capture the images, but their curiosity about the tattoo was palpable.


    Nadia, sensing the shift in focus, tried to steer the conversation back to the task. "Okay, everyone, let''s finish up so we can move on. us, just a few more poses."


    After a few more takes, the imaging process wasplete. Nadia stepped in to take us''s measurements, using a scanning device that assessed him from head to toe. Although she could have done it with his clothes on, it was easier and more urate with him already undressed.


    "That will be all for now, us," Nadia said once she finished taking thest measurement.


    us nodded appreciatively and quickly put his clothes back on. He could sense everyone''s eyes on his body during the process but he did not mind. If they derive joy from seeing his body, then he wouldn''t mind stripping for them -to thedies of course.


    "Thanks, Nadia," us said with a smile. "How''s the rest of the schedule looking?"


    Nadia checked her notes. "We''re all set for the press conferenceter this afternoon. You''ll be meeting with the media to discuss your new coboration with Ni Fashion Trend X."


    "Sounds good," us replied. "I''m looking forward to it."


    Later that day, us and the group returned to the room before heading to the press conference. The event was a big deal, but us kept his answers short, letting Nadia handle most of the talking. Her confidence and experience with the media made everything flow smoothly.


    After the press conference, they explored the city and enjoyed themselves. us called his mother to let her know he wouldn''t being back until the next day, assuring her that he was safe and with friends.


    With two heiresses of Ross City¡ªAnna and Nadia¡ªby their side, doors opened effortlessly for them wherever they went. They had ess to the best restaurants, exclusive clubs, and events that only the elite could enjoy. Theyughed, danced, and made memories that wouldst a lifetime.


    It was a night filled with fun, where they forgot all their worries and simply lived in the moment, fully embracing the privileges of their status and friendships.


    The next day, us and his friends gathered early to shoot some promotional videos for Ni Fashion Trend X. The process was smooth, with us effortlessly slipping into his role as their official model.


    "So, you''ll being with us back to the Eastern Region?" us asked Nadia, who was seatedfortably with them in the car as they drove back.


    "Yes," Nadia nodded with a smile. "I still need to take your mom''s measurements. Even though the design isn''t ready yet, it''s ideal to get her sizes now."


    us smiled, thinking about his mom. "She''s going to be so happy. She''s never had anything custom-made before."


    "Well, she deserves the best," Nadia replied warmly. "Especially for raising someone like you."


    us chuckled softly, appreciating the sentiment as they continued their journey. "So Nadia, are you also in the Celestial Mountain Academy with Lucy" us asks.


    "No, my ss and Talent is more about creating. I don''t havebat prowess like you lot" Nadia replied.


    us nodded thoughtfully. "So, you''re more focused on creation? That''s impressive in its own way. Not everything''s about fighting."


    Nadia smiled. "Exactly. My talent lies in design and innovation. I create things that help others¡ªwhether it''s clothing, armor, or essories that boostbatants like you and Lucy. We all have our strengths."


    us leaned back in his seat, admiring her perspective. "Well, it sounds like you''re just as important as any warrior. We wouldn''t get very far without the right gear and support."


    Nadia grinned. "That''s the idea. And maybe one day, I''ll surprise you with something special¡ªjust for you."


    "Hey Nadia, are you hitting on your model?" Lucy teased from the front seat, a mischievous grin on her face.


    Nadia raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh? And what if I am?" she shot back yfully, crossing her arms and looking at us with a glint in her eye.


    us chuckled, slightly embarrassed but amused by the banter. "Two Fairies fighting over me, what an unexpected turn of events," he said with a grin.


    Lucyughed, turning around to face them. "Well, careful, us. Nadia''s got a habit of turning heads and stealing hearts with her designs¡ªand apparently her charm too."


    Nadia rolled her eyes but couldn''t hide her smile. "Let''s just say I like to make sure my models feel appreciated, especially if he is one with such mouth-watering features"


    "Shameless," Lucy said with a yful tone, casting a subtle sidelong nce at Anna, Lily, Nia, and Asha. "Just make sure some people don''t catch you in the night and beat you up." MVLeMpYr-chapter


    Nadia smiled, taking the friendly warning from her friend in stride. "I''ll keep that in mind," she said, her tone light and amused.


    Anna and the others exchanged knowing looks but didn''t say anything, content to let the friendly banter continue. The mood in the car remained lively as they drove on, the camaraderie andughter adding a warm touch to the journey back to the Eastern Region.


    "Mom, I''m home!" us called out as he stepped inside the house.


    He rushed over and enveloped his mother in a tight hug. The scene was heartwarming and poignant, making everyone watching reconsider their views of us. One moment, he was a fierce warrior; the next, he was just a young guy cherishing a tender moment with his mother.


    "us, you should behave yourself. Your friends are watching," his mother said, gently breaking the embrace to save him some face.


    "Everyone, wee to our home," us''s mother said warmly, gesturing for everyone toe inside. "us, aren''t you going to introduce your friends?"


    us, smiling a bit embarrassed, nodded and began the introductions. In his mother''s presence, he seemed just like any other son.


    "Mom, this is Nadia," us said, his voice full of pride. "She''s the designer who hired me. She''s here to take your measurements so she can design a beautiful dress for you."


    Nadia stepped forward with a friendly smile. "It''s a pleasure to meet you. us told us a lot about you and I''m excited to create something special for you."


    us''s mother smiled warmly at Nadia. "Thank you, Nadia. I''m looking forward to seeing what youe up with."


    "Everyone, settle down. us''s house is your house too" His mother said weing everyone. us and his friends settled down and for the next 12 hours, they spent some time together until they left.


    After they left, us went to spend the night with his mother before going to bed. The next day, he started his training whichsted for the next two weeks.


    He only stopped when the time for the Felin youth ball arrived. Nadia sent over his clothing for the Ball along with the car he got as a sign-up bonus.


    With his mother''s help, he dressed up in a one-of-a-kind open-shirt suit, and a thin Cuban link chain, and left with Kofi who took him to Ross Mansion where he will be going to Felin City with Lucy and Anna in one of the many Ross family jets.


    "Wee to the Ross Residence, Young Master us" Immediately us alighted from his car, he was greeted by a young man in a suit "I am Henry, Butler of the Ross family"

 Chapter 72: Meeting Daven Ross

    As soon as us saw the butler, he sensed a great danger from him. ''A Saint,'' us thought inwardly, looking at the smiling butler. Even though he had fought monstersparable to a Peak Saint, the difference between them and humans was vast. Humans were cunning and adaptable, whereas monsters were brutal.


    When he faced the Tier 5 Dark Zombies, he realized just how powerful monsters could be when well-coordinated. So even if he had killed thousands of monsters at the Saint level, fighting a human at that level would be a different challenge. He has to be careful, well for now.


    "Hello, nice to meet you," us said, shaking the butler''s hand. "Kofi, you can go now. I''ll let you know when I''ming back so you can pick me up," us said to his own butler. Kofi nodded and left with the car.


    "Follow me. The young misses are not ready yet, so I''ll take you to the garden to wait for them," Henry, the butler of the Ross Great Family, said. us nodded and followed him.


    "By the way, Mister us, I''m a big fan of yours," Henry said with a slight smile.


    "You can just call me us. Thank you," us replied with a knowing smile. Henry nodded and remained silent.


    us followed him through breathtaking scenery before entering a sleek garden that immediately captivated his attention.


    "What a beautiful garden," us praised, looking around. The garden was filled with vibrant flowers, neatly trimmed bushes, and a calm pond with koi fishes. A stone path wound through the garden, leading to cozy seating areas with elegant furniture.


    us admired the colorful blooms and the peaceful atmosphere. He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh, fragrant air.


    As he wandered along the path, he spotted a small fountain with crystal-clear water. The sound of the gently flowing water added to the serene ambiance made him want to stay there for a while, but of course, that was just a dream. They move further into the garden which by us''s estimate was even bigger than his house, several times bigger.


    "Seeing you in person, I have to say, Mr. us, you are more handsome than I thought," a voice said as they passed by a second fountain. us immediately turned his gaze in the direction of the voice and saw a man who appeared to be in his 40s, sipping wine while sittingfortably in the garden.


    Very strong, us thought, noticing the man''s powerful aura. He recognized him immediately but didn''t have time to appraise him further before the butler''s voice cut through.


    "Mr. us, this is Master Daven Ross, the patriarch of the Ross Great Family," Henry said, introducing the man.


    us nodded slightly. "It''s an honor to meet you, Master Daven."


    Daven Ross nodded and smiled. "The pleasure is mine, us. I''ve heard a lot about you. And you can just call me Daven or Ross"


    "That would be impolite," us said, shaking his head. "My mother taught me that it''s always important to show respect to your elders."


    "Haha, then you can just call me Sir Ross. I hope you don''t mind," Daven said with an amused smile.


    us nodded, epting the suggestion. "Of course, Sir Ross."


    "Come, sit down. Lucy and Anna will be done soon," Daven said. us took a seat, and Henry poured him a non-alcoholic beverage. It was clear they knew better than to introduce a young person to alcohol, even though it wouldn''t affect them seeing they are all cultivators now. wee-to-MVLeMpYr


    "I heard you signed a deal with Ni Fashion Trend X. Congrattions on that," Daven said, and us nodded, epting the praise.


    "Thank you, Sir Ross. It''s been an exciting opportunity."


    Daven leaned back, studying us with a thoughtful expression. "So, us, tell me¡ªhow did youe to be involved with Ni Fashion Trend X? I''ve heard a bit about your recent achievements, but I''m curious about how you managed to make such a deal."


    us smiled, sensing the curiosity behind the question. "Oh, it was actually through your daughters, precisely, Lucy."


    Daven nodded, "Well, that is to be expected, those children are always up to something. " Daven said. He pauses for a second and continues," What about your ns for the future? Are there any other ventures you''re considering or goals you''re aiming for?"


    us considered his response carefully. "I''m mainly focused on improving my skills and helping my family. I believe that sess in one area will naturally lead to opportunities in others."


    Daven''s eyes glinted with interest. "That''s a wise approach. It''s always good to stay focused on your core goals while remaining open to new possibilities."


    "I have seen you fight and I have to say, you were incredible. But I am curious though, where did you learn to use that sword that good. Clearly, you have someone you studied under" Daven asked in a curious tone.


    "Not really," us said, shaking his head. "I might have seen some people use the sword a few times, but I never truly had a teacher. Of course, there are videos online that can help one learn the sword, so I can just say I have not one but many tutors teaching me the sword."


    He kept his tone casual, careful not to reveal that everything he knew came from spying on students at the Ross Academy. Mentioning that would be like admitting to a serious crime, especially since the owner of the Academy was sitting right before him.


    Daven nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, online resources can be quite helpful. They''re a great way to get different perspectives and techniques."


    us agreed. "Exactly. There''s a lot of valuable information out there. It''s just a matter of sifting through it and finding what works best for you."


    Daven leaned back, still studying us with interest. "It sounds like you''re very resourceful. But tell me, besides your training, how do you bnce your time with other aspects of your life?"


    ''Really, had to ask that?'' us wanted to say that but he swallowed his words. Instead,


    us smiled. "I try to stay organized and make time for everything that''s important. It''s all about managing priorities and making sure I don''t neglect any part of my life."


    Daven raised an eyebrow. "That''s a good approach. Managing priorities can be challenging, especially when you have so many responsibilities. How do you handle the stress thates with it?"


    us thought for a moment. "I find that staying focused on my goals helps me deal with stress. Also, taking breaks and spending time with loved ones keeps me grounded."


    ''Your daughters are goodpany though'' us smiled inwardly


    Daven nodded, impressed. "It''s clear you have a good handle on things. I''m sure your determination and bnce will lead you to even greater sess."


    us appreciated thepliment. "Thank you, Sir Ross." Well, he had to.


    us knew Daven was testing him. Instead of asking direct questions, he was using a series of indirect questions to pry for information. However, he had picked the wrong person. us was moreplex than he realized. He managed to answer all of Daven''s questions without a single falter, something many wouldn''t be able to do.


    Being in the presence of such a formidable being was challenging enough. Maintaining a neutral look in the face of such subtle probing required guts. But us had more than enough courage to handle the situation.


    He kept his responses carefully measured, aware that Daven''s questions were designed to reveal more than he intended to share. us''s ability to navigate the conversation without giving away anything important showed his skill in dealing with delicate situations. He wasn''t an idiot, and he only trust his mother, so the rest can be said to be his potential enemies.


    Such people don''t need his honest opinion. He has cultivated the habit of keeping to himself while speaking the truth at the same time. Not even a lie detector can probe that, so Daven Ross''s subtle probing wouldn''t pick any weird heartbeats.


    Despite the subtle pressure, us remained calm. He knew the importance of staying focused and not revealing too much. His experience had taught him the value of carefulmunication, especially with powerful individuals like Daven.


    He was aware of Daven''s intent but chose to y along with the same level of subtlety. It was a game of wits, and us was determined to stay ahead.


    "So us, which of my daughters do you like?" Daven asked suddenly, a curious glint in his eyes. "Someone as powerful and popr as yourself must have someone you fancy. So, which of them do you like?"


    Contrary to us''s expectation, the question caught him off guard. It was rather unusual, especially considering the serious nature of their previous conversation.


    us smiled, thinking quickly. "Would you believe me if I said I''m after both of them?" he replied with a smug grin.


    Daven, clearly not expecting that answer, looked at us for a brief moment before both of them burst into resoundingughter. The tension that had been building between them instantly dissolved. Even Henry, the butler who had been standing several steps away, couldn''t hold back his amusement, though he tried to stifle hisughter.


    "You''re bold, us," Daven said between chuckles, clearly impressed. "You really have some backbone."


    us shrugged yfully. "I''ve learned it''s best to be bold in life, Sir Ross. No point in holding back."


    Daven nodded, still smiling. "True enough. It''s refreshing to meet someone who''s not afraid to speak their mind. You''ve got confidence¡ªsomething that will take you far."


    us appreciated the praise, but he remained aware that Daven was still sizing him up. The light-hearted moment didn''t change the fact that Daven was trying to learn more about him, to test his character. Still, us felt he had handled the situation well. He had managed to keep the conversation both respectful and yful, showing Daven that he wasn''t easily intimidated.


    "Good then," Daven said, still smiling but with a hint of challenge in his tone. "You''ll have to work hard because there are far more terrifying geniuses out there, all looking to catch their attention."


    us nodded. "I wouldn''t expect anything less. The greater the challenge, the more rewarding the victory."


    "What are you twoughing about" Just when us and Daven Ross could get more into their discussion, Lucy spoke. Turning, us saw two immortal angels entering the garden. Looking at them, his heart skipped a beat.

 Chapter 73: Going to the Ball

    us stood up and stared at the twodies walking towards him. They were like fairies straight out of a painting, their beauty otherworldly. Anna''s blonde hair cascaded down her waist like a golden waterfall, while Lucy''s silver hair shimmered like moonlight, giving her the appearance of a goddess. us couldn''t help but be mesmerized by them.


    For a moment, he felt as though he was under a spell. His thoughts weren''t his own, his mind nk as he gazed at them. But suddenly, a hot sensation shot through his back, jolting him awake. He quicklyposed himself, realizing that he had let his guard down.


    With a deep breath, us forced a small smile, trying to shake off the lingering charm they had unknowingly cast over him.


    "us and I were just talking about his adventures," Daven Ross quickly said, covering for him. us silently gave him a thumbs up in his heart, grateful for the save.


    Looking at them, us immediately realizes he has been with his mother for so long that he hasn''t ced any otherdy in his eyes. But looking at Anna and Lucy, he felt somehow lost at how to behave, but for a moment.


    Now, standing before Anna and Lucy, he was feeling something new. It was overwhelming. Their beauty seemed almost too much to process, and us couldn''t help but feel a bit out of his depth. He knew he had much to learn, but being thrust into this situation wasn''t what he had imagined. Anna and her sister were just... stunning.


    "us, you''re here!" Anna greeted him with a warm smile.


    "It would be impolite to let nation-destroying beauties like yourselves wait for me," us replied with a charming smile.


    Lucy and Anna both blushed slightly, their expressions softening at hispliment. Their father, Daven, who had been quietly observing the exchange, raised an eyebrow in amusement. ''This kid''s got guts,'' he thought to himself, impressed by us''s confidence in the face of such dazzling beauties


    "Dad, we''re heading out now. We''ll be back tomorrow. Also, don''t send Henry to follow us¡ªit''s the Youth Ball, and we can take care of ourselves," Lucy said with a knowing nce at her father.


    Daven chuckled softly. "Don''t worry, Henry won''t be following any of you. Go and have fun."


    Then he turned to us, his tone shifting slightly more serious. "Take care of them and bring them back safely. They are my only flowers," Daven said, his eyes resting on us with a protective fatherly gaze.


    us nodded firmly. "I will, Sir Ross. You have my word."


    As the jet sped away from the Ross Mansion, heading towards Felin City, the garden behind them fell into a strange calm. Momentster, a voice broke the silence.


    "You were right," a woman said softly, her voice carrying an almost otherworldly tone. "This kid is more powerful than he lets on. I used the charm on him, but it didn''t work. It''s like there''s a vast emptiness inside his mind, a void that can''t be trapped."


    Ady, appearing no older than her 30s, emerged from the shadows and walked gracefully into Daven Ross''s embrace. She looked serene but carried an aura of quiet power.


    Daven looked down at her with a thoughtful expression. "Well then, I suppose our daughters are safer with him than I initially thought. If even you couldn''t charm him, no one else would be able to," he said with a smirk, a hint of pride in his voice.


    "However," the woman added, her brow furrowed slightly, "there''s something else. His mind¡ªit''s not just resistant. There''s an unfamiliar energy around him. Something deep, almost ancient, that I can''t quite ce a grip on."


    Daven''s eyes narrowed. "Ancient, you say?" He stroked his chin, now more intrigued than before. "That makes him even more interesting. We need to keep an eye on him but from a distance. Let''s see where this goes."


    The woman nodded in agreement. "We will, but we need to be careful. He might be more of a mystery than we bargained for."


    Daven Ross''s brow furrowed in thought as he listened. "But are you sure someone is protecting him? I asked around, but I didn''t find anything unusual," he said, his voice carrying a hint of skepticism.


    The woman nodded, her expression serious. "That''s to be expected. My brother, who''s in the military, told me that their higher-ups issued a direct order not to interfere in his affairs. At first, I didn''t believe it, but after he came back from the Forbidden Zone, and no one from the military even approached him, it became clear."


    Daven leaned back, his eyes narrowing. "So, someone powerful has taken an interest in him, then. Someone who''s keeping a close eye on his every move," he mused aloud, clearly trying to piece together the mystery.


    "Yes," the woman replied. "Whoever it is has a strong background. They''re keeping him in the shadows, watching over him while making sure no one gets too close. It''s subtle but unmistakable."


    Daven sighed, a mix of frustration and curiosity. "That makes him even more dangerous, doesn''t it?" he muttered, rubbing his temples. "We need to figure out who''s behind him and what they want."


    The woman nodded again. "I agree. But for now, let''s y it safe. We''ll watch from a distance. Getting too involved could stir things up in ways we''re not prepared for."


    Daven looked into the distance, a spark of determination in his eyes. "This boy¡­ he''s going to change things. One way or another."


    Thedy, Cynthia Ross, nced at her husband and let out a quiet sigh. Despite what many might assume, the true backbone of the Ross Family is not Daven, but Cynthia herself. She and Daven had been high school sweethearts who rose to fame and power 50 years ago when the apocalypse descended upon the world.


    Back then, they had been nothing more than teenagers, but when the Spiritual Qi came, everything changed. Both of them awakened powerful sses and talents. Daven became renowned for his sheer strength and the wealth he umted, while Cynthia earned respect for her sharp mind and clever resourcefulness.


    Together, they carved out a city of their own, using their grit and determination to build Ross City from the ground up.


    Now, Cynthia managed the day-to-day operations of the Ross Family, ensuring that everything ran smoothly, her hands steady on the reins of the empire they had built. She was the one who kept everything in order, making sure every decision was calcted and every move precise.


    As she looked at Daven, she knew the stakes were higher than ever, and the boy they were talking about could be a key piece in the future of their family. But it was still unclear whether he would be an ally¡ªor a threat.


    -


    -


    -


    us, Lucy, and Anna soared through the sky, heading toward a gathering ce where the good, the bad, and the arrogant heirs of prominent families would soon meet. For us, who had never flown before, the experience was overwhelming. The speed of the jet was exhrating, and he couldn''t help but be amazed.


    "I have to buy a jet," us muttered to himself, grinning at the sensation of soaring through the clouds.


    Lucy, sitting beside him, chuckled at his words. "Your life is really simple," she teased. "While everyone else is busy thinking about buying skills, techniques, and weapons that will give them an edge over their opponents, you''re over here dreaming of buying a jet."


    us smirked and shrugged. "Well, flying is pretty cool. Can''t me me for wanting to enjoy it more often."


    Anna, who had been quietly observing the two, smiled warmly. "It''s nice to see someone who enjoys the simple things," she said


    "Exactly, there is no way anyone will reject having a jet" us smiled with a mischievous grin.


    "Well, you''re now a top model for one of the biggest fashion brands in the world," Lucy said with a yful smile. "I''m sure sooner orter, you''ll be able to buy one."


    usughed, appreciating the encouragement. "If I ever get the chance, I''ll definitely consider it. For now, I''m just enjoying the ride."


    Anna looked at us with a hint of curiosity. "You really seem to enjoy the simple things, don''t you?"


    us nodded, enjoying the flight. "I guess I do. Sometimes it''s the little things that make life worth living."


    Lucy and Anna exchanged nces, both smiling at us''s perspective. The conversation drifted into light banter as the jet continued its journey, carrying them toward the eventful night ahead. MVLeMpYr-reader


    A little over 45 minutester, the jetnded in Felin City. us and thedies were greeted by a sleek car arranged by Lily specifically for them. As they drove through the city, us took in the sights, making a mental note of everything he saw.


    Instead of heading directly to the venue for the Ball, the car took them to Lily''s residence. The mansion was impressive, with its elegant design and sprawling grounds. As they arrived, us could see their friends waiting for them.


    Danny, Daniel, Kay, Mark, Nia, and Asha were all there, each dressed to impress. The group had gathered at Lily''s residence, ready for the evening''s event.


    "Although I''m not jealous, I still envy his looks," Danny said, eyeing us as he stepped out of the car. us was dressed in a sleek, tailored suit with an open jacket and a diamond chain, looking effortlessly stylish.


    "I know, right?" Daniel agreed, nodding appreciatively.


    "Well, who are you two kidding? He''s every guy''s nightmare," Mark said with a grin, watching us walk confidently with Anna and Lucy in his arms. "I''m really looking forward to seeing the jealous looks on everyone''s faces at this ball."


    "I can''t wait to see it, too," Kay agreed, his excitement evident.


    "For some reason, I think this ball will be the best one yet," Kilian added, standing beside the boys and taking in the scene as us approached them.

 Chapter 74: Klaus made his appearance

    Young warriors from all over the Eastern Region of the Northern Union began arriving at the Felin Great Estate. They were the bright, newly awakened ones who would walk the path of cultivation to be outstanding warriors. Heirs of prominent families and young geniuses stepped out of their cars, heading inside the grand ballroom where many were already gathered.


    As more people entered, murmurs spread throughout the crowd. "Look, isn''t that Omari Hackman, the youngest heir of the Hackman family who awakened as a Magnus?" one youngster whispered, tapping his friend.


    "That''s him," his friend replied, eyes wide with admiration. "I heard he awakened a legendary grade ss and talent." Both of them stared in awe as Omari entered the ballroom, with a confident smile and ady by his side.


    The ballroom was grand and filled with energy. Large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over the polished marble floors. Tables lined the edges of the room, covered in fine cloth, and decorated with golden candles. Servants moved around gracefully, offering drinks and light snacks to the arriving guests.


    Young warriors from all over the Eastern Region continued to arrive. Some wore extravagant clothes, showing off their wealth and status, while others dressed more simply but carried themselves with quiet confidence. Each one of them had awakened terrifying, making them stand out from ordinary people.


    "Look, that''s Selene Wren!" another youngster whispered excitedly. "She awakened as a Lunar Mage and is said to have one of the highest affinities with the Moon element."


    "She''s been undefeated in every tournament she''s entered," his friend replied, watching in awe as the tall, graceful girl entered the ballroom. Selene moved with elegance, her eyes sharp and focused.


    As the minutes passed, the ballroom became more crowded. The air was thick with excitement and anticipation. Conversations buzzed throughout the room, with many talking about the strength of the various families and the talents of the young warriors.


    "Do you see him?" someone else pointed. "That''s Tarek Lin, the sword prodigy. They say he can cut through steel with a single swing."


    "My brother said he witnessed him cut down a Tier 4 Terror with just a single swing when he was just a Level 7 Awakened. He is very powerful"


    "Well, sword prodigies are always powerful. A single swing carries their strength and power you can only dream of"


    "They said he can be likened as the strongest sword cultivator in the whole of the Northern Union"


    "Well, those are just spection, but for someone his age to awaken sword Aura, I wouldn''t be surprised if he is."


    Tarek entered the ballroom calmly, his expression serious. He was well-known for his discipline and intense training. People whispered as he passed, admiring his reputation as one of the best sword users in the entire region.


    Another group of guests entered, and the murmurs grew louder. "That''s the Zhou twins," someone said, eyes wide. "Both of them awakened as dual-element users. Earth and Fire."


    "I really envy them, with their connection, they canplement each other in battle"


    "Tsk, who are you kidding, they are far more talented than you might think. I already heard they can Transmute some metals. Even my instructor said they will soon reach the level of a beginner metal cultivator"


    "That''s wild."


    The twins, a brother and sister, walked side by side. They were dressed in red and gold, matching their Fire affinity, and their presence demanded attention. People stepped aside to let them through, impressed by their power.


    More arrivals followed. Heirs from prominent families, each one surrounded by a small group of followers or friends. Their names were spoken in low voices, each carrying a story of their talents and potential.


    Then, a sudden hush fell over the room as another figure entered. It was Aiden Frost, the rumored future leader of the Frost family. He had awakened as a Frost Reaper, a rare and deadly ss that aside from him, there was only one other person to awaken it. Frost Reapers use the scythe and can harness the coldest form of ice.


    "Aiden''s here," someone whispered, their tone filled with respect. "They said he has already opened his demon eyes and can lock onto one''s soul with his icy gaze"


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    The ballroom seemed to pause for a moment as Aiden walked in, his icy presence making the air feel colder. His pale blue eyes scanned the room, and no one dared to look directly at him for long.


    Some say just looking at him will freeze your soul. Although he is terrifying, he is not that strong yet. The reason why they are exaggerating everything is because one of the 8 Overlords has a Frost Reaper ss and he is said to be very terrifying.


    As more and more young geniuses arrived, the gathering became a showcase of power and prestige. The heirs of prominent families exchanged greetings, some with polite smiles, others with barely hidden rivalry. The tension was clear, but there was also a sense of shared purpose. They were all here to test their strength, build connections, and carve their names into the future.


    Conversations continued to flow, but the focus remained on the arrivals. "Did you see Kiera Woods?" someone asked. "She''s supposed to be the strongest wind user in the region."


    "Yeah, and she''s only sixteen," another added. "I heard she defeated a Master-level warrior in a duel."


    Kiera entered the ballroom with a calm expression, her long hair blowing gently as if carried by an invisible wind. People watched her closely, curious about the young warrior who had already made such a name for herself.


    She is incredibly beautiful, so beautiful that the young men there started having negative thoughts. But she ignored all their gaze and walked toward her seat.


    The room buzzed withments and excitement as the gathering of geniuses reached its peak. Every corner of the ballroom was filled with young warriors, each one determined to prove themselves.


    "Where is us? They said he''d being today, but why can''t I see him?" someone suddenly asked, causing a ripple of curiosity across the room. Everyone began looking around, searching for the young warrior.


    us, who had already made a name for himself, was a hot topic for everyone. Though he was just an Ascended, his achievements had ced him on the City, Region, and Union Charts. That alone had made him famous among the young warriors gathered there.


    But what really set him apart was his battle feats. He had fought and defeated Tier 5 Dark Zombie Generals and even killed a Tier 5 Terror Mutated Zombie with a single swing of his sword. It was a story that had spread like wildfire. People whispered about it with awe and admiration.


    Then there is his recent blowup when he signed with Ni Fashion Trend X. He has be everyone''s favorite andpetition. A 16-year-old with a unique appearance who wasn''t known until his image started appearing on the inte. Suddenly, he blew up taking the entire world by storm.


    Everyone was expectant, some looking around searching for him. Suddenly, a group of people entered the ballroom making everyone quiet down as their gazes were directed at the neers.


    The moment us walked into the ballroom, the entire atmosphere shifted. A hush fell over the crowd as eyes turned to him. Dressed in a sleek ck suit with his white hair falling softly over his shoulders, us looked striking. The diamond chain around his neck caught the light, and his golden eyes gleamed with confidence.


    He wasn''t alone, though. On either side of him were Lucy and Anna Ross, two of the most admired sisters in the region. Their beauty was legendary, but even more impressive was their power. Lucy, the older of the two, walked with grace and authority, while Anna, her younger sister, had a soft yetmanding presence. Their presence next to us only heightened the awe surrounding him.


    "Wow, that''s us!" someone whispered. "He came with the Ross Sisters? That''s insane."


    "He really is as handsome as they say," another person muttered, unable to take their eyes off him.


    But not everyone was impressed. Some people frowned, their expressions turning sour. "He''s just an Ascended," one young man sneered. "What''s so special about him? He''s probably just lucky."


    "I heard he defeated a Tier 5 Terror Mutated Zombie with one swing of his sword," a girl responded, her eyes wide with admiration.


    "That''s just a story," the young man scoffed, jealousy shing in his eyes. "I bet it''s exaggerated."


    As us and the Ross sisters continued walking through the ballroom, whispers followed them. Some were filled with awe, while others wereced with envy.


    "Who does he think he is?" a boy from one of the lesser-known families muttered under his breath. "Just because he''s on the charts doesn''t mean he''s invincible."


    Despite the murmurs, us walked with calm confidence, seemingly unaffected by the stares andments. Lucy and Anna exchanged nces, both smiling softly. They were used to this kind of attention, but they could see us was handling it well.


    Behind them, us''s friends entered, each with their own unique ir. Mark, with his heavy appearance, gave a casual nod to some familiar faces in the crowd. Kay, alwaysid-back, grinned widely at anyone who met his gaze. Danny and Daniel, both with sharp features and athletic builds, moved confidently, while Nia and Asha exchanged excited whispers as they admired the grandeur of the ballroom.


    Lily and Kilian, though part of the host family, had chosen to arrive with us and the others, showing where their loyaltiesy. This decision raised a few eyebrows among the other guests.


    "Why would the Felin heirs choose toe with him?" someone muttered in confusion. "Isn''t this their event?"


    "Well, they are friends with us so it''s only natural theye with him," Someone else said. Everyone turned their attention to us as he walked through the ballroom heading to the center.

 Chapter 75: Let the Ball Begin

    Jealousy started bubbling up among some of the other young warriors as they watched us get all the attention.


    "He''s acting all high and mighty because of his recent victories," one boy said, sneering. "Let''s see how long thatsts."


    "He''s not even a Master yet," another added, his tone bitter. "He won''t be so lucky forever."


    "Just because of some small victory, he started using his fame to deceive thedies. Tsk, what a showoff"


    Despite the negativements, others couldn''t help but admire us. "Look at him," a girl whispered to her friend. "He''s calm,posed, and... well, incredibly good-looking. How I wish I could take a picture with him"


    "Yeah, but it''s not just his looks," her friend replied, eyes fixed on him. "He''s powerful. He''s already made it onto three different charts. That''s something not many can say."


    As us and his group walked further into the ballroom, more people whispered and pointed. Some looked at him with respect, others with jealousy. The reactions were mixed¡ªpraise, awe, envy, and even some outright disdain.


    "He''s surrounded by girls," someone remarked, rolling their eyes. "I bet that''s the only reason people talk about him."


    "Say what you want," another person chimed in, "but he''s earned his ce. You don''t make it onto those charts by being weak."


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    "Whatever," the first person retorted, crossing his arms. "I''d like to see him in a real fight. Let''s see how tough he really is."


    As us reached the center of the ballroom, the attention on him was undeniable. Some greeted him politely, extending their hands in respect. Others gave him cold nces, their jealousy barely hidden behind forced smiles.


    us remained unfazed. He greeted those who approached him with a nod and a firm handshake, not allowing the whispers or the looks to affect him. He knew how to handle the pressure that came with fame, and he wasn''t going to let anyone''s jealousy or envy get to him.


    "Let them talk," Lucy said quietly to him as they walked. "You''ve earned your ce here."


    "Exactly," Anna added with a smile. "They can''t take away what you''ve achieved."


    us smiled back at them, grateful for their support. He hade a long way, and he wasn''t going to let anyone''s negativity hold him back.


    Unbeknownst to everyone, us had already made ns to further cement his status once he passed the City Selection and broke through to the Master stage. His achievements so far were impressive, but he aimed to solidify his reputation even more.


    As us and his friends settled around arge table, a youngdy approached them. She had features simr to Lily''s, but her demeanor was quite different. Also, us being a man of culture notices her features are more developed than Lily''s.


    "us, this is my sister Emily," Lily said, introducing the young woman.


    Before us could respond, Emily spoke up, her voice breaking the calm atmosphere. "The infamous us himself, in the flesh!" She grinned widely, her eyes sparkling with mischief.


    Emily''s yful tone and energetic presence contrasted sharply with Lily''s more reserved and graceful demeanor. Where Lily was calm andposed, Emily seemed full of life and fun. Her arrival immediately drew attention from those nearby.


    us looked up, intrigued by the contrast between the sisters. Emily''s lively personality was a breath of fresh air.


    "Nice to meet you, Emily," us said, smiling. "I''ve heard a lot about you," us said casting a nce at Lily who said nothing about having such a lovely sister.


    Emily''s grin widened. "I hope it''s all good things! I''ve been hearing quite a bit about you too." She looked around at us''s friends, her curiosity piqued. "So, these are your friends? They seem quite the interesting bunch."


    us''s friends nodded and greeted Emily warmly. Mark gave a friendly wave, while Kay shed a casual grin. Danny and Daniel exchanged polite nods, and Nia, and Asha smiled back.


    Emily''s eyes sparkled with interest as she took in the group. "It''s always exciting to meet new people, especially those who are making waves like you are, us. I''ve heard you''ve achieved quite a lot already."


    us chuckled. "I''m just trying to do my best. There''s always more to achieve."


    Emily''s mischievous smile didn''t fade. "Well, I''m sure you''ll do even more today. But for now, enjoy the party! There''s plenty of fun to be had."


    Emily had just excused herself to greet some other guests when Lucy turned to us and said, "She''s a Senior at Celestial Mountain Academy."


    us raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You mean to say she''s met the requirements and even climbed the Stairway to Heaven?"


    "Yes," Lily confirmed with a nod. "She joined the Academy two years ago."


    "That''s impressive," us remarked, his interest piqued. Finding out that Lucy, Asha, and Nia were all at the Celestial Mountain Academy only fueled his desire to join them. He hadn''t had many friends growing up, but now that he had begun forming bonds, the thought of rising alongside them filled him with determination.


    He had promised Ohema he would get into the Academy, and that promise burned bright in his mind.


    Just as us was about to ask Lily another question, a voice interrupted from behind him.


    "You''re us," the voice said with a hint of arrogance.


    us turned around and saw a young man with short, deep blue hair approaching him. His sharp gaze suggested he wasn''t just another admirer. There was something intense about him, almost challenging.


    "Yes, I am," us replied calmly, studying the young man. "And you are?"


    The blue-haired youngster stopped just a few feet away from us. He looked him up and down with a smirk before speaking. "I''m Orion. I heard you killed a Tier 5 Terror with a single swing."


    us met his gaze, his expression calm. "I did," he replied.


    us immediately sensed trouble. He knew Orion wasn''t just making small talk. The fact that he was bringing up something that had been all over the inte for weeks made it clear that Orion was testing him¡ªprobably looking for a fight.


    us could read people well, and he could see right through Orion''s intentions. It was obvious that this was a challenge. But us wasn''t the type to back down, nor was he the type to rush into conflict. He decided to y along for now, keeping his cool. After all, he knew this would happen sooner orter¡ªpeople were bound to test him, to see if he was as strong as his reputation imed.


    "Is that so?" Orion said, narrowing his eyes. "Must''ve been a fluke, then."


    us gave a small shrug, his tone still even. "Believe what you want."


    "Arrogance over something so small," Orion said with a smirk, trying to provoke us further.


    us didn''t flinch. His eyes sharpened as he met Orion''s gaze. "Only my mother gets my respect," us replied coolly. "No-names like you? Not worth it."


    The crowd around them gasped at us''s bold response. A few chuckled, while others exchanged uneasy nces. The tension in the room grew thicker as Orion''s smirk faded into something more dangerous.


    "You''ll regret that," Orion muttered, his voice low and threatening.


    us didn''t even bother to respond this time. He turned his attention away from Orion, clearly showing he didn''t consider him a real threat. That dismissal burned more than any words could have, and everyone in the room felt the energy shift.


    Orion clenched his fists, but before he could say or do anything else, Lucy stepped forward, cing a calming hand on us''s arm. "Let''s not waste time with unnecessary fights," she said softly, ncing between the two.


    Orion red at us, his eyes filled with burning anger. "A little fame shouldn''t make you think you can fly close to the sun," he said coldly. "Believe me, your wings might get burned."


    With that, Orion turned and walked away, his aura radiating hostility. us, unfazed, took a sip from his ss, his expression calm andposed. "Tsk, you can try it any day," us said casually, his voice dripping with indifference. "I don''t mind exchanging pointers."


    ''Your neck looks clean for cutting'' He wanted to add that, but he held back.


    The tension hung in the air as Orion''s figure disappeared into the crowd. Whispers followed his exit. Everyone knew Orion wasn''t just another Ascended; he was feared and respected. Rumors imed that he had awakened a rare ss, something akin to a Grim Reaper but with wind elements instead of darkness.


    People said he could fight beyond his level, even defeating Master and Grandmaster stage experts while still being a mere Level 1 Ascended.


    In the Eastern Region of the Northern Union, Orion was one of the most celebrated prodigies. He was known for his arrogance, his pride, and his overwhelming strength. For someone like us¡ªwho had once been a nobody¡ªto suddenly surpass him in achievements was a blow to that pride. Orion wasn''t the only one who felt this way.


    Many in the room were seething with anger, their egos bruised by us''s meteoric rise.


    Everyone wanted a piece of him.


    "us, you probably shouldn''t antagonize anyone," Danny said, his voiceced with concern as he leaned closer. "Trust me, these guyse from powerful backgrounds. They could make you disappear overnight if they wanted."


    us scoffed lightly, his expression was neutral but his eyes were sharp. "Tsk, a bunch of arrogant bastards think they can threaten me?" he said, his tone calm but carrying an unmistakable edge. "They must have death wishes."


    Despite us''s seemingly indifferent attitude, the aura around him shifted. Those sitting nearby could feel a sudden, chilling tension in the air as if the temperature had dropped. A cold shiver ran down their spines, and even Danny couldn''t help but feel uneasy, though he knew us was trying to reassure him.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, Wee to the 14th edition of the Felin Youth Ball" Suddenly, a young man appeared taking the spotlight.

 Chapter 76: Lets Play Ball

    "Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the 14th edition of the Felin Youth Ball!" A young man in his early 20s stood at the front of the ballroom, his voice carrying easily through therge space. He had a warm smile on his face as he addressed the crowd.


    "As you already know, this event is organized so the young prodigies in our cities and region can meet and interact with each other. It''s an opportunity to learn, share ideas, andpare notes on how best to navigate the challenges of being a warrior."


    The room was quiet as everyone listened intently. The young warriors were eager to see what the night would bring, knowing that the Felin Youth Ball was a prestigious event. Many had looked forward to this gathering for weeks, excited to meet others like themselves.


    "I know you all are outstanding individuals with various views on things," the young man continued, "so without taking much of your time, let the Youth Ball begin!" His smile widened as he stepped back, signaling the start of the evening''s festivities.


    "That''s Mettle," Lily whispered to us. "He''s my second brother and the current heir to the Felin Estate."


    us nodded, watching Mettle closely. He could see the strength and confidence in the young man, traits that clearly made him a respected figure in the Felin family. "He seems capable," us remarked, keeping his voice low.


    Lily smiled proudly. "He is. Mettle''s always been someone we look up to. He''s strong, smart, and knows how to lead."


    us nodded studying Mettle''s character. Perhaps because he doesn''t want to add more to the envy and jealousy people are directing to us, he remains away from their section. but gave him a silent nod. us appreciates that but naturally, he doesn''t care.


    So what if people are jealous of him, he earned his strength and status, unlike most who got theirs because they are from powerful families. He fought for it, so no matter how much they hated him, they knew deep down that he was indeed on a level they could never reach.


    us could only shake his head and smile when he sensed such envious and clear jealous looks on him. The event has many activities. The first one has to do with going around and getting to know each other.


    Because of this, people began to mingle around the room, some formed small groups and started conversations. Some were discussing strategies, while others exchanged stories of their experiences as warriors. The atmosphere was a mix of excitement and tension, with everyone eager to make an impression.


    A few young warriors approached us, introducing themselves and exchanging pleasantries. "It''s an honor to meet you, us," one of them said, shaking his hand firmly.


    Although they say more about him, their ego won''t allow them to show they are followers of what is going on in us''s life. us could only nod in acknowledgment, keeping his responses polite. He could sense the mixture of admiration andpetition in the air. Everyone was sizing each other up, trying to gauge who was the strongest, the smartest, or the most promising.


    As the evening progressed, more conversations flowed. Some were filled with genuine interest, while others carried subtle hints of rivalry.


    "Lily, your brother seems to have gathered quite a crowd," Anna said, ncing at Mettle, who had a group of young warriors, mostlydies all around him. "He''s definitely popr."


    Lily nodded, her pride evident. "Mettle''s always been a leader. People naturally gravitate toward him."


    "Well, he seems to be quite popr with thedies too," Daniel said casting a look at Mettle who was surrounded by a bunch ofdies each with sparks of admiration in their eyes.


    "Well, you can also be popr if you do something grand" Danny smacked Daniel on the back of the head making their group smile.


    us observed Mettle for a moment longer before shifting his focus back to the people around him. He knew that tonight was about more than just socializing¡ªit was an opportunity to see where he stood among the other young prodigies.


    After a while, us suggested they also go around. He certainly wanted to test some people out and seeing their ego wouldn''t allow them toe to him, he would rather go to them.


    As he moved through the ballroom, us encountered different reactions. Some people greeted him warmly, while others gave him cold looks, clearly not pleased with his presence. He could hear murmurs behind him, a mix of admiration and resentment.


    "Tsk, what''s so grand about what he did?" someone sneered from the side, irritation evident in their tone.


    "Well, if you ever manage to clear two regions of a Tier 2 Forbidden Zone as an Ascended, then feel free toe back and make thatment." A youngdy said, making the fellow frown.


    He clenched his jaw, visibly frustrated. He had no response to that, only biting down his irritation as others nearby chuckled quietly. The reality was, that us had done something nearly impossible for his level, and everyone knew it.


    us took it all in stride, knowing that not everyone would be happy with his sess. He had learned that being strong meant attracting both friends and enemies.


    Meanwhile, Lucy and Anna stayed close by, engaging in conversations with other young women in the room. Their presence by us''s side didn''t go unnoticed, and he could sense the curiosity and envy it sparked.


    "Who is he to be so close to the Ross sisters?" someone muttered.


    "Well, he is the moment and they seem to be good friends with him so it''s only natural," another replied, watching them intently.


    "I truly envy these two sisters, they are getting all the attention," A youngdy said looking at Lucy and Anna walking beside us as he moved toward his selected targets.


    As us continued moving through the ballroom, he was suddenly greeted by a familiar voice. "Brother us, long time no see."


    Turning towards the voice, us immediately recognized the young man. "Brother Nathan, it has been a while," us replied with a friendly smile.


    Nathan was the young fellow who approached him about a month ago with an interesting proposal to join a team he was putting together. At the time, us had just be an Ascended, and though not yet widely known, his images had started circting online, gaining him some attention.


    Nathan smiled warmly. "I hope you''ve been doing well, Brother us. It looks like you''ve already made quite an impression."


    us chuckled. "You could say that. I apologize for not getting back to you about the proposal. If the offer is still open, I''d like to join your team."


    Nathan''s eyes lit up with excitement. "Of course! We''ve postponed the expedition to three weeks from today because of the uing City Selection Exams for Celestial Mountain Academy in two weeks. I hope that won''t be an issue?"


    "Not at all," us assured him.


    "Great! I''ll add you to the group chat so you can stay updated. If you have any friends who might want to join, feel free to invite them as well," Nathan said, clearly pleased.


    Before us could respond, Lily spoke up eagerly, "Brother us, I''d like to join too." Anna, Kay, Mark, Daniel, Danny, and Kilian all nodded in agreement, expressing their interest.


    us smiled, noticing how excited his friends were. "It seems everyone here wants in. And there''s one more who will jointer," he added, thinking of Hanna, who had missed the event to support Nadia with setting up ns for us''s first photoshoot.


    "Excellent!" Nathan said, thrilled by the turnout. "You can all meet the rest of the team members. They''re eager to meet you."


    us and his friends followed Nathan as he led them to a group of young men and women gathered in a corner of the ballroom. They exchanged pleasantries and introduced themselves to the other team members. The group was diverse, with members from different backgrounds and families, each bringing unique skills and talents to the table.


    As us interacted with the team, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of anticipation. He couldn''t wait to enter the Tier 3 Forbidden Zone.


    us had already experienced the dangers of a Tier 2 Forbidden Zone and wasn''t all that impressed. He was determined to push himself further, seeking out more dangerous zones to truly test his skills.


    As us mingled with the others, Mark, who had been keeping an eye on everyone, noticed something troubling. "That''s Omari Hackman... Why is he looking at Brother us with those eyes?" Mark said, spotting a murderous re aimed in us''s direction.


    The stare came from Omari Hackman, the heir of the Hackman Great Family and a young Magnus with unrivaled control over the water element.


    Lucy smirked. "Well, that little guy''s been after my sister Anna for a while now. Naturally, he feels threatened by us''s presence."


    powered-by-MvLeMpYr


    us, who had already sensed Omari''s hostile gaze from a distance, couldn''t help but entertain a wicked thought. With a mischievous smile, he stepped closer to Anna and gently wrapped his arm around her waist, catching herpletely off guard.


    "He should feel threatened because those eyes of his aren''t worthy of this fairy," us said with a grin, oblivious to Anna''s flustered expression and the sudden jealous nces from Lucy, Lily, Asha, and Nia.


    Omari, seeing this disy, could no longer hold back his anger. "Courting death!" he roared, his rage boiling over as he red daggers at us.


    ''First target secured. Now it''s time to dismantle him.'' us said inwardly with an evil grin.

 Chapter 77: The Arrogant Young Master Klaus

    "Courting death" Omari shouted, his murderous gaze intensifying. find-more-stories-on-MVLeMpYr


    "Really? I don''t feel like it," us replied, his grin widening as he locked eyes with Omari. "Care to demonstrate?" His tone was yful, almost mocking, and it only seemed to infuriate Omari more.


    Omari''s fists clenched at his sides, and his aura red with a burst of water energy, swirling around him like an impending storm. The air grew tense as everyone in the ballroom turned to watch, sensing the impending sh between two powerful young warriors.


    us stood there calmly, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement as if daring Omari to make the first move. His rxed posture contrasted sharply with Omari''s growing rage, further irritating his opponent.


    "You think this is a game, us?" Omari snarled, taking a step forward, his aura intensifying.


    us shrugged casually. "Not a game. Just curious to see if you''re all bark and no bite." He tilted his head slightly, the smirk never leaving his lips. "But if you''re serious about demonstrating... I''m right here. Take your best shot."


    Omari''s anger boiled over at the taunt. The water around him surged, swirling into a visible aura of blue energy. He clenched his fists, ready to unleash his power.


    "Don''t test me, us," Omari warned through gritted teeth.


    The tension in the ballroom was palpable as everyone watched the confrontation unfold. People stepped back, forming a wide circle around them, eager to see if the young Magnus would strike. Some of the guests whispered nervously, unsure of how this would end.


    Anna stepped forward, her hand lightly touching us''s arm. "us, this isn''t the time or ce..." she said softly, her voice pleading.


    us nced at her briefly before returning his gaze to Omari. "It''s alright, Anna," he said calmly. "If he wants to prove something, let him try." His voice was stillced with confidence,pletely unfazed by Omari''s growing power.


    Omari red at him, his frustration evident. But even with his power crackling in the air, he hesitated, unsure whether he really wanted to start a fight with us right here in the heart of the gathering.


    "Just a small bit of fame, and you think you''re on the same level as us?" Omari was almost ready to strike, but a sneer from another part of the ballroom froze him in ce.


    Everyone''s attention shifted toward the voice, and a murmur rippled through the crowd. "It''s Miguel the Demon Hunter," someone whispered, clearly shaken just by the sight of him. Miguel stood tall, his robust frame intimidating, with veins bulging on his forearms like thick cords.


    His reputation preceded him¡ªhe was known for only hunting down mutant zombies called Green Horn Demon Zombies from the moment he awakened.


    Rumor had it that he had in a Tier 3 Zombie General when he was just a Level 1 Awakened. There were even whispers that he drank the blood of his victims, though most dismissed that as an exaggeration.


    But regardless of the rumors, Miguel''s presence demanded respect. His mere entrance shifted the atmosphere in the room as if a dark cloud had settled over the gathering. His cold eyesnded on us, and for a moment, the tension thickened even further.


    us, however, was unfazed. He tilted his head slightly and smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Same level as you? Please, who''d want to be on the same level as you? I mean, look at you and then look at me." His words hung in the air like a taunt, shocking everyone.


    The room fell silent. Everyone held their breath, knowing Miguel''s temper was as brutal as his reputation. Miguel''s aura exploded with a burst of malevolent energy, a wave of pressure sweeping across the room, causing some to gasp and step back in fear. The air grew dense with his killing intent.


    But us remained steady, his grin never wavering. "What? Did I say something wrong?" he added, his voice mocking and carefree.


    Miguel clenched his fist, veins bulging on his forehead as he red at us with bloodshot eyes, almost as if they were dripping red.


    "Tsk, how disappointing. All bark, no bite," us muttered, turning his attention away from Miguel as if he wasn''t worth his time. This dismissive gesture only fueled Miguel''s anger further, but the final push needed to make himsh out never came.


    "Tsk, a country bumpkin who got lucky and gained some fame thinks he can show off," another person sneered from the sidelines, clearly trying to provoke us.


    But no matter what they said, us remained calm, showing no sign of anger. He simply ignored their taunts, his rxed demeanor only adding to their frustration. It was as if their words couldn''t reach him, and that indifference irritated them even more.


    us''s expression shifted subtly, his eyes narrowing with disdain as he stared at the group. Ohema had warned him about situations like this¡ªjealousy, sneers, and provocations. He knew better than to let it get to him, at least when the insults were only directed at him.


    But then someone crossed the line. They mentioned his mother.


    That was a mistake. A mistake they would never forget.


    "You think being arrogant will be enough to protect you and that slut mother. of yours"


    us''s calm exterior cracked for just a moment, and a dangerous gleam shed in his golden eyes. The air around him seemed to grow heavier. He turned his gaze toward the person who hadmented, locking eyes with them, his face now devoid of the usual humor.


    "You should choose your words wisely," us said quietly, his voice low but filled with an edge of danger. The room, already tense, became even more silent. Everyone watched closely, sensing something had changed.


    The person who had spoken looked startled for a moment, but they tried to mask their fear with a sneer. "What? Can''t handle a little¡ª"


    Before they could finish, us took a single step forward, and the tension in the air snapped like a wire. The sneer on the person''s face faltered as he realized he had made a serious error.


    us wasn''tughing anymore. The atmosphere grew cold and heavy as his golden eyes locked onto the person who had insulted his mother. The young man''s words faltered as fear gripped him, his bravado quickly fading.


    "us, you there¡ª" the young man tried to shout, but he never got the chance to finish.


    In a sh, us moved. Before anyone could react, he was standing in front of the man, an ice shard pressed firmly against his throat. The sharp, cold edge glistened a silent warning that froze everyone in ce.


    Gasps filled the room as everyone instinctively stepped back, distancing themselves from the dangerous situation. The bold sneers and arrogantments disappeared instantly, reced by wide eyes and a suffocating tension.


    The young man stood frozen, his breath shallow, clearly terrified. us''s eyes, now icy and unforgiving, locked onto him with a deadly focus. The silence that followed was almost unbearable.


    "Say one more word," us whispered, his voice cold and sharp as the ice at the young man''s throat. "And I''ll make sure it''s yourst."


    Everyone stood still, eyes wide, stunned by the sudden shift in the air. The atmosphere had changedpletely. us, who had been calm just moments ago, now radiated a deadly aura, like a reaper ready to strike. His opponent, the young man who had foolishly provoked him, was frozen in ce, too terrified to even blink, fearing that any movement might lead to his immediate death.


    "us, calm down," Emily''s voice suddenly cut through the tension, snapping everyone out of their trance.


    All eyes turned toward her, some sighed in relief. She was trying to diffuse the situation before it spiraled further out of control.


    "She''s right," another voice chimed in. It was Diana, a youngdy dressed in an elegant white gown. Her calm, soothing presence seemed to soften the room. "We''re all here as friends. Instead of fighting, we should be using this time to interact and share ideas."


    us didn''t say anything at first, his golden eyes still fixed on the young man, who was now visibly trembling. The tension in the room was thick.


    "us, please," Lily added, stepping forward. "Listen to Sister Emily and Sister Diana. We''re supposed to be allies, not enemies."


    After a moment, us finally rxed, his deadly aura fading away as he took a step back. The young man visibly sagged with relief, though his face remained pale from the near-death experience.


    "Fine," us said, atst, his tone still icy but less menacing than before. "But this is yourst warning. You can mess with me, insult me, say whatever you want. But never¡ª" his voice dropped dangerously low, "¡ªin this life or the next, should you threaten my mother. Trust me, I might be a country bumpkin, but when I strike, not even the death god himself will be able to save you."


    His words sent a chill through the room, and no one dared make a sound. Even those who had been whispering sneers earlier now kept their heads down, unwilling to meet us''s gaze.


    Emily ced a gentle hand on us''s arm, trying to ease the tension further. "Let''s not spoil the evening. We''re all strong in our own ways. Let''s focus on that instead."


    us took a deep breath, letting the tension in his body dissolve. He gave Emily a small nod, appreciating her effort to de-escte the situation.


    The young man who had been on the receiving end of us''s wrath took a step back, clearly shaken. He nced at us, his eyes filled with fear and regret, and then quickly melted into the crowd, hoping to disappear from sight.


    As us rejoined his friends, the atmosphere slowly returned to normal, though an uneasy silence still lingered in the air. The young warriors had witnessed a glimpse of us''s true nature, and no one would dare challenge him so lightly again, well for a moment I guess.


    "us, I challenge you to a Verbal duel"

 Chapter 78: Verbal Duel [Bonus]

    The uneasy silence that had settled over the room was suddenly broken by a voice from the back.


    "I challenge you to a Verbal Duel!" The words rang out, clear and sharp. Everyone turned in shock to see who had dared to challenge us after witnessing his earlier disy. Standing tall with a confident smirk was a young man with dark hair, sharp features, and a presence that demanded attention.


    The crowd immediately started buzzing with excitement.


    "A Verbal Duel? Is he serious?" someone whispered.


    "That''s Lawrence Kain, from the Kain family. He''s known for his quick wit and sharp tongue," anothermented.


    "What''s a Verbal Duel?" a young girl asked curiously


    "It''s an old tradition," a young man who seemed more experienced began exining. "When two warriors want to avoid physical conflict but still wish to settle a score, they challenge each other to a Verbal Duel. It''s a battle of words, logic, and wit, where the goal is to outsmart and humiliate your opponent without ever raising a hand."


    "It''s supposed to test not just strength but intelligence," another added. "Some say it''s a way to show dominance without violence."


    us narrowed his eyes at Lawrence, measuring the young man. He could see the smirk on Lawrence''s face and the gleam of confidence in his eyes. Lawrence clearly thought he had the upper hand in this challenge.


    us''s friends, still recovering from the earlier tension, exchanged worried nces. "What''s this guy thinking?" Mark muttered. "Does he really believe he can outwit us?"


    Anna and Lucy both stepped closer to us, their expressions wary. "Be careful, us," Anna whispered. "Lawrence is known for this. He''s humiliated many with his words."


    us raised an eyebrow at Lawrence, unimpressed by the challenge. "You think words will save you where strength cannot?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying an edge.


    Lawrence chuckled, his smirk widening. "Oh, strength has its ce, but intelligence rules all. I''m here to show everyone that being a brute isn''t enough. You might be strong, us, but how sharp is your mind?"


    The murmurs grew louder as the crowd watched with bated breath. Some were excited at the prospect of seeing us brought down a peg, while others were curious to see how he would respond to this unexpected challenge.


    us considered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, Lawrence," he said, his voice even. "You want a Verbal Duel? You''ve got it. Let''s see if your words can hold up better than your courage."


    The room erupted in murmurs once again. Some were surprised us epted, others eager to witness the rare duel.


    "Lawrence might actually stand a chance in this," someone muttered. "He''s clever, and us isn''t known for his sharp tongue."


    "Well, do we really know us" another replied. "This could go either way."


    "But still, Lawrence is an erudite in many fields. He has also challenged many people even before he awakened, so he has a high chance of winning."


    "Well, we know little to nothing about us, so we can''t say for sure who would win"


    Lawrence stepped forward confidently, clearly eager to begin. "For someone who''s made it into the Union Charts, us, you certainly have a lot to learn. Do you think power alone will protect you? Power is fleeting. Brains, however, can keep you alive in situations where strength alone will fail."


    us listened, not rushing to respond. He wasn''t one to engage in petty arguments, but he understood the weight of this challenge. It wasn''t just about winning; it was about humiliating that arrogant bastard in front of him. The entire room was watching closely.


    When it was his turn to speak, us''s words came slow and deliberate. "Strength may be fleeting," he admitted. "But intelligence without strength is just as useless. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but without the power to act on it, you''re just another voice in the wind. Intelligence isn''t about proving how clever you are to others.


    It''s about using your wits to protect those you care about."


    The room fell quiet for a moment as us''s words sank in. Lawrence''s smirk faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered.


    "Nice try," Lawrence shot back, his voice steady. "But in the end, a strong mind can manipte even the strongest warrior. Words canmand armies, shift loyalties, and break even the toughest of men. That''s something you''ll never understand."


    us gave a small smile, but it wasn''t warm. "Words are powerful," he conceded. "But only when backed by actions. You can spin your clever lines, Lawrence, but at the end of the day, it''s what you do that defines who you are. People don''t remember words; they remember deeds."


    The crowd erupted in whispers again, each person trying to figure out who will be winning the duel when it starts. Both sides had made strong points, but us''s calm demeanor seemed to carry more weight than Lawrence''s sharp retorts. NovelFire-novel-source


    "Tsk, someone who dropped out of school still thinks he can win the battle of the tongue" A sneer came from Miguel who has recovered from the terrifying might us has showed everyone.


    The room went dead silent for a moment as Miguel''s sneering words hung in the air. us, a school dropout? Whispers quickly spread through the crowd, disbelief and curiosity lighting up everyone''s faces.


    "Did he just say us is a dropout?" one young warrior whispered to hispanion.


    "No way! With his power and skills, I thought he was one of the top students!" another murmured, clearly shocked.


    Miguel, emboldened by the gasps and murmurs, continued with a mocking smile. "How does it feel, us? Standing here among the elite, pretending to be one of us when you couldn''t even finish school?"


    Lawrence, sensing an opportunity to strike, smirked and added, "Ah, that exins a lot. Power without proper training can only take you so far, us. No wonder you resort to brute force over strategy."


    us stood calmly, letting the noise die down around him. His golden eyes flickered over to Miguel and Lawrence, and then he looked out at the crowd. He could feel the weight of their judgment, but instead of anger, he felt an odd sense of peace.


    "Yes," us said finally, his voice firm but calm, "I dropped out of school."


    His confession sent another wave of murmurs through the ballroom, but us didn''t flinch. He stood tall, his posture rxed yetmanding.


    "I had no choice but to leave school," he continued, his gaze steady on Miguel. "Not because I wasn''t capable of learning, but because life doesn''t always go as nned. My mother needed me. My family needed me. And sometimes, responsibilitiese before personal dreams."


    His words had a ripple effect through the crowd. Some of the young warriors began to look at him with newfound respect, while others still wore expressions of confusion.


    "And despite that," us added, his voice growing stronger, "I stand here today, not because of a fancy education, but because of hard work, perseverance, and the will to survive. School doesn''t define a person. Your actions do."


    Miguel scoffed but remained silent this time, realizing the crowd was beginning to lean in us''s favor. Lawrence''s smirk had faded as well, and he looked less sure of himself now.


    us turned to face Lawrence again, a small smile on his lips. "So, Lawrence, if you think education alone gives you the right to look down on others, you''re mistaken. Life isn''t about who can recite the most facts or who can throw around the biggest words. It''s about who can stand tall when the world tries to knock them down."


    The room was quiet now, all eyes on us. Even those who had doubted him were starting to see him in a new light. The tension from before had shifted into something else¡ªan odd mix of admiration and respect.


    Lawrence, clearly rattled by us''sposure, opened his mouth to retort but seemed to think better of it. Instead, he crossed his arms, looking away as if he had lost interest in the conversation.


    us, satisfied that his point had been made, let out a slow breath.


    A few momentster, one of the youngdies from the back of the room broke the silence. "I think us is right," she said quietly, but her voice carried. "School or no school, look at what he''s aplished. That speaks louder than anything else."


    Herment sparked a ripple of agreement through the crowd. Even those who had been skeptical moments before were now nodding.


    "He''s faced Tier 5 monsters and lived to tell the tale," someone else added. "That''s more than most of us can say."


    As the murmur of voices grew, Miguel and Lawrence both looked increasingly ufortable. What had started as an attempt to undermine us had backfired spectacrly.


    The duel hadn''t even started yet and Lawrence could sense something that made him a little rattled.


    "Alright everyone, Lawrence Kain has challenged us to a Verbal duel and per the rules, the challenger will start. Now, I know many of you are hoping to see some action, well, this is another form of action that we all can learn from.


    The rules are simple, a case study will be given and you two will banter on it, the one to overpower his opponent with his words wins.


    If you are losing, don''t resort to violence since that will be seen as going against the rules and you will be expelled from the gathering" Emily, Lily''s sister said stepping in as referee. It''smon to have some of these duels in gatherings like this, so Lawrence challenging us was normal, however, everyone knew this was an attempt to humiliate us.


    "Now, the case study:"

 Chapter 79: Master as Reasoning [Bonus]

    Emily stood between us and Lawrence, her expression serious as she raised her hand for silence. The crowd, eager for the verbal duel, quieted down, all eyes locked on the twopetitors.


    "The case study is simple," Emily began, her voice clear and firm. "Imagine a small vige is being terrorized by a dangerous monster. This monster is too powerful for the vigers to defeat, and they have no way to call for help.


    As a warrior, you must decide whether to fight the monster alone, risking your life, or train the vigers to defend themselves, which will take time but might save more lives in the long run."


    She paused, giving them both a moment to think before stepping back. "Lawrence, since you''re the challenger, you will begin."


    Lawrence smirked confidently and stepped forward. His posture was rxed, and he spoke with authority.


    "In this situation, the logical choice is clear," Lawrence began. "You fight the monster yourself. As a warrior, it''s your duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves. You act quickly, eliminating the threat before it can cause more harm. Training the vigers would only waste time, and by the time they''re ready, more lives could be lost.


    A true warrior takes responsibility and acts swiftly to protect others. That''s what sets us apart from ordinary people."


    A few nods of agreement rippled through the crowd. Lawrence''s argument made sense on the surface, and many seemed to agree with his reasoning. He crossed his arms, feeling satisfied with his opening statement.


    us, however, remained calm, his golden eyes thoughtful. He stepped forward and began speaking in a measured tone.


    "Lawrence''s point sounds noble," us said, ncing briefly at his opponent, "but it''s short-sighted. Sure, you might be able to defeat the monster yourself, but what happens when you''re not there next time? Another monsteres along, and the vigers are defenseless again. The real solution isn''t just saving them once. It''s giving them the tools to protect themselves in the future."


    A few murmurs of approval spread through the crowd as us''s argument began to sink in.


    us continued, his voice gaining strength. "If you go in and defeat the monster, sure, you''re the hero for a day. But you leave them just as vulnerable as they were before. Training them may take time, but it createssting change. The vigers can defend themselves not just against this monster but any future threats. You empower them instead of just saving them."


    Lawrence''s confident smirk wavered slightly. He hadn''t expected us toe at the problem from this angle. Still, he wasn''t ready to back down. story-source-NovelFire


    "That''s idealistic," Lawrence retorted, trying to regain control of the argument. "But not practical. In the time you spend training them, how many lives could be lost? What if the monster attacks while they''re still learning? A true leader doesn''t take risks with innocent lives. You act decisively to remove the threat."


    us shook his head slowly, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. "It''s not about taking risks," he said, his voice steady. "It''s about long-term solutions. Yes, you might lose a few lives during the training, but how many lives will you save in the future by teaching them to defend themselves? You''re thinking like a warrior, Lawrence, but not like a leader."


    The crowd began to shift in favor of us. His argument had depth, and he was slowly chipping away at Lawrence''s initial confidence. Even some of Lawrence''s supporters were beginning to look uncertain.


    Lawrence narrowed his eyes, trying to push back. "You''re putting too much faith in ordinary people," he argued. "Not everyone is cut out to be a warrior. Some are simply too weak, too afraid. Training them might be a waste of time and resources. You can''t expect them to be able to fight like we do."


    us met Lawrence''s gaze steadily, his expression firm. "I''m not expecting them to fight like we do," he said. "I''m expecting them to fight like themselves. Everyone has strengths, and it''s a leader''s job to bring those strengths out. Maybe they won''t be warriors, but they can still defend their homes and their families.


    The point isn''t to make them like us¡ªit''s to make them the best versions of themselves."


    Lawrence''s frustration began to show as he realized us wasn''t budging. "That''s na?ve!" he snapped. "You''re underestimating the danger. The monster could wipe out the entire vige while you''re busy giving speeches about empowerment!"


    us didn''t flinch at Lawrence''s outburst. Instead, he took a step closer, his voice calm but powerful. "And you''re underestimating the power of people when they believe in themselves. When they know they can make a difference, they''ll fight harder than you ever could alone. That''s true leadership, Lawrence. Not just being the hero, but helping others be their own heroes."


    The crowd fell silent, hanging on us''s every word. Lawrence, for all his bluster, seemed to be losing ground. His initial confidence had crumbled, and now he looked unsure of how to proceed.


    us pressed on, his tone now almost gentle. "You can kill the monster, Lawrence, but what happens after that? Who will protect the vige when the next threates? You can''t always be there. But if you leave them with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves, you''re ensuring their safety long after you''re gone."


    Lawrence opened his mouth to respond but hesitated. The crowd was clearly on us''s side now. Even those who had supported Lawrence earlier were nodding in agreement with us''s logic. Lawrence''s argument had been based on short-term thinking, while us had shown a deeper understanding of leadership and responsibility.


    With no more retorts left, Lawrence stepped back, his face tight with frustration. He had lost this battle, and he knew it.


    Emily stepped forward again, a small smile on her lips as she nced between the two. "It''s clear that us has won this verbal duel. His argument was not only well-reasoned but also inspiring. The goal of leadership isn''t just to solve the problem in front of you¡ªit''s to ensure a better future for those you protect."


    The crowd erupted in apuse, cheering for us. Lawrence, still seething, could only stand by as us graciously epted his victory with a humble nod.


    us turned to face Lawrence onest time, his expression softened. "It''s not about who''s stronger with words or swords, Lawrence. It''s about understanding what truly matters in the long run. Maybe you''ll see that one day."


    The crowd, still buzzing from the duel, turned to us with renewed interest. One young man stepped forward, his face full of curiosity.


    "Brother us," he asked, "you talked about thinking of the long run as a leader. But what if the situation doesn''t allow for that? What should a leader do then?"


    us paused, considering the question carefully. His gaze swept over the attentive faces in the crowd.


    "That''s a great question," us began. "In some situations, you might not have the luxury of time. Immediate threats or crises sometimes demand quick action, even if it means making tough choices."


    He took a breath, continuing. "When you can''t n for the long run, you focus on the most pressing needs. First, address the immediate danger to ensure survival. Protect those who are in the most danger and stabilize the situation as best as you can."


    A few people nodded, clearly following his reasoning.


    "Next," us said, "once the immediate threat is managed, start working on a n for the future. Even in a crisis, you should be thinking a few steps ahead. After dealing with the current danger, begin to set up measures that will help prevent simr issues from arisingter."


    He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "In essence, you handle the emergency first but always keep an eye on long-term solutions. It''s about bncing immediate needs with future goals."


    A woman in the crowd raised her hand. "Can you give an example of how this might work in real life?"


    us smiled, appreciating the question. "Sure. Imagine a town is under attack by a band of raiders. As a leader, you''d first need to defend the town and protect the people. Once the raiders are driven off or defeated, you then focus on rebuilding and strengthening the town''s defenses to prevent future attacks."


    He looked around at the crowd, making sure his message was clear. "In a crisis, you act decisively to ensure survival. After that, you n for long-term improvements. Both are important. It''s about finding the right bnce between immediate action and future preparation."


    The crowd seemed satisfied with his answer, their expressions reflecting a deeper understanding. us had once again demonstrated his intelligence and leadership, earning even more respect from those around him.


    At first, they all doubted him knowing he was a school dropout, however, after sharing his perspective, he earned back his reputation and even added more, making Lawrence appear like an idiot.


    "Interesting perspective you have there, Mr. us," a voice rang out across the room. Keen Felin, the patriarch of the Felin Great Family, entered with a group of others, each showing formidable strength.


    "I really admire how you outline your reasoning with real-life scenarios," Keen added, making everyone look at us in a new light. Even the leader of a great family was impressed by his reasoning.


    "I was just speaking my mind," us said with a polite smile.


    "Well, your mind really contains some interesting reasoning. Care to share more?" Keen Felin said, not waiting for us to respond. He continued, "Mr. us, what do you think the essence of battle is?"


    As soon as Keen asked the question, all eyes turned to us, trapping him in a situation he couldn''t easily escape.

 Chapter 80: Essense of Battle

    [A/N: I will be getting a little nerdy with this chapter, so bear with me please]


    us took a moment to gather his thoughts. He doesn''t know how, but whenever a question is posed, the answer to such a question will appear in his mind. It''s both bizarre and shocking, but since he has to maintain his reputation, he let go of that weird feeling and then began speaking. "The essence of battle," he started, "is not just about fighting or winning.


    It''s about strategy, understanding, and adaptation."


    The crowd listened intently as us continued. "At its core, a battle is a conflict between two or more forces. It''s not just about who is stronger or who has better weapons. It''s about how effectively you can use your strengths and exploit your opponent''s weaknesses."


    A murmur of agreement spread through the room as us spoke.


    "First," us exined, "understanding the battlefield is crucial. Know the terrain, know the environment, and know how these factors can affect the oue. A battle isn''t just fought with weapons; it''s fought with knowledge and preparation."


    Keen Felin nodded, clearly impressed. "Continue, please."


    us continued, "Second, you must understand your own strengths and limitations. Know what you''re capable of and where you might fall short. This helps in creating strategies that maximize your advantages and minimize your vulnerabilities."


    The crowd seemed to be absorbing every word us said.


    "Third," us added, "understanding your opponent is just as important. Study their tactics, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Anticipate their moves and adapt your strategy ordingly. A good strategist is always a few steps ahead."


    Keen leaned forward, clearly intrigued. "And how do you adapt during the battle itself?"


    "Adaptation," us said, "is about being flexible and responsive. No n survives contact with the enemy perfectly. You must be ready to adjust your strategy based on the changing dynamics of the battle. React quickly to unexpected events and make decisions at the moment."


    The room was silent, captivated by us''s insight.


    us continued, "Another key aspect is psychological warfare. Understanding the mental and emotional state of both yourself and your opponent can give you a significant advantage. Manipting the enemy''s perceptions and emotions can often be as effective as physical strength."


    A few people in the crowd exchanged impressed nces.


    "Finally," us said, "the essence of battle is also about leadership. Good leaders inspire and guide their forces, maintain morale, and make critical decisions under pressure. Leadership can turn the tide of a battle more than any individual skill or tactic."


    Keen Felin''s eyes sparkled with interest. "You''ve clearly given this a lot of thought."


    us smiled modestly. "Experience and study have taught me these things. Battles areplex, and sess oftenes from understanding and adapting, rather than relying solely on brute force." us spoke those words but inwardly he was more shocked than everyone.


    "Excellent points," Keen said, clearly pleased. "You''ve managed to encapste the essence of battle with both depth and rity. It''s rare to hear such a well-rounded perspective."


    The crowd, impressed by us''s deep understanding, began to murmur with admiration.


    One young warrior spoke up, "I''ve always thought battles were just about who was stronger, but us has shown there''s so much more to it."


    Another added, "His insights are incredible. It''s clear he''s not just a powerful warrior, but also a thoughtful strategist."


    us, still humble, nodded in thanks. "I''m d you find my perspective valuable. Battles are not just physical conflicts; they are mental and strategic challenges as well."


    Keen Felin pped his hands, drawing attention back to him. "It''s clear that us has a profound understanding of battle. Let''s all take a moment to appreciate the depth of his knowledge."


    The crowd responded with enthusiastic apuse, and us felt a sense of satisfaction. His insights had not only impressed Keen Felin but also resonated deeply with those present.


    Keen then addressed us directly. "Mr. us, would you be willing to share more of your thoughts on strategy and leadership with us? Your perspective is something we could all benefit from."


    Although us didn''t know why and how he was able to answer their questions with such depth, he was more than happy to keep talking. He could see the faces of almost everyone gathered there and started to reflect on what he was teaching. The impact was visible.


    People were eager to ask more questions, hoping to gain further wisdom from the young warrior. Suddenly, a tall, serious-looking young man stepped forward.


    "Mr. us, I have a question that might be a bit deeper. How do you reconcile the need for immediate action in a battle with the importance of long-term strategy? Specifically, how do you handle situations where a decision that benefits the present might undermine future goals?"


    The room fell silent. us turned to face the questioner, intrigued by the depth of the question. He took a moment to collect his thoughts all more like pretending to be in a deep thought. He knew the answer before the question was asked, but who is asking.


    "That''s a great question," us said, nodding appreciatively. "Bncing immediate needs with long-term goals is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership and strategy."


    He continued, "In any battle or conflict, you often face urgent situations that demand quick decisions. However, these decisions should not be made in istion. It''s essential to understand how immediate actions will impact your long-term objectives."


    us paused, ensuring that everyone was following. "When faced with a choice between immediate gains and future oues, you need to weigh both options carefully. Ask yourself, ''How will this decision affect my long-term goals? Will it set me back or help me advance?''"


    "For example, in a battle, you might need to make a tactical retreat to save your forces from a more significant threat. While this might seem like a setback, it could actually be a strategic move that allows you to regroup, reinforce, ande back stronger."


    The young man nodded, clearly following us''s exnation.


    us continued, "One way to manage this bnce is to prioritize your objectives. Identify what is crucial for your long-term sess and ensure that your immediate actions align with these priorities. Sometimes, short-term sacrifices are necessary to achieve long-term goals."


    He added, "However, it''s also essential to be flexible. Situations change, and new information can alter the best course of action. Being rigid in your strategy can be detrimental. Adaptation is key. Always reassess your position and adjust your ns as needed."


    The crowd was deeply focused on us''s words, clearly impressed by his thoughtful approach.


    "Another aspect to consider," us said, "is the concept of trade-offs. Understand that every decision involves some level ofpromise. Weigh the benefits of immediate actions against their potential long-term impacts. Sometimes, the best choice is bnced, considering both aspects."


    He looked at the young man who asked the question. "Does that answer your question?"


    The young man nodded slowly, clearly impressed. "Yes, Mr. us, that was an excellent exnation. Thank you"


    The room was filled with murmurs of agreement and admiration. us on the other hand stood with his hands behind him looking around like an ancient schr.


    A young woman in the crowd raised her hand next. "Mr. us, how do you maintain morale among your team when faced with challenging decisions that might impact both immediate and long-term goals?"


    us smiled, appreciating the thoughtful question. "Maintaining morale is crucial in any leadership role, especially when difficult decisions are required. It''s important tomunicate openly with your team. Exin the reasons behind your decisions and how they align with both immediate and long-term objectives." m|v|l|e m|p|y|r original content


    He added, "Encourage your team by highlighting the importance of their roles in achieving the overall mission. Show them that their efforts are valued and that even difficult decisions are made with their best interests in mind."


    The crowd listened intently.


    "Furthermore," us said, "lead by example. Demonstrate confidence and resilience in your decisions. When your team sees you handling challenges with determination and rity, they are more likely to remain motivated andmitted."


    Another person spoke up, "How do you deal with conflicting advice or opinions within your team when making critical decisions?"


    us responded, "Conflicting opinions are a natural part of decision-making. It''s important to listen to all perspectives and consider them carefully. Evaluate the merits of each viewpoint and use them to inform your decision."


    He continued, "However, as a leader, you must also be decisive. After considering all opinions, make a decision and stand by it. Provide clear reasoning for your choice and ensure everyone understands the rationale."


    The room was abuzz with admiration for us''s depth of knowledge and practical advice. He had effectively addressed each question with rity and insight, further solidifying his reputation shaming his haters.


    us concluded, "Remember, leadership involves continuous learning and adaptation. The challenges we face are always evolving, and so must our strategies and approaches. Keep learning, stay flexible, and lead with integrity."


    The crowd erupted into apuse, clearly impressed by us''s profound understanding and articte responses. His ability to tackleplex questions with ease and rity had made asting impact on everyone present.


    "Impressive" Suddenly another voice entered the ballroom making every turn in that direction.


    p! p! p!

 Chapter 81: War Goddess

    A graceful woman with striking features entered the ballroom, instantly drawing everyone''s attention. Their eyes widened, and jaws dropped as people gazed at her in awe. She appeared to be in herte twenties, carrying herself with an aura that demanded respect.


    As she approached, Anna, Lily, Keen Felin, and everyone else bowed slightly. "Greetings, War Goddess," they said in unison.


    ''War Goddess?'' us thought, feeling confused. He had never heard of anyone by that title before. This was the first time he had ever encountered such a name.


    But even though us didn''t know who she was, the reverence in the room was undeniable. Out of caution, he decided to follow suit.


    But just as he was about to bow, the woman suddenly appeared beside him, gently cing a hand on his shoulder. us froze mid-bow, startled by the unexpected touch. Slowly, he turned his head to see the War Goddess smiling warmly at him.


    "You, my friend, don''t need to bow. You and I are the same¡ªwe are both built for war," thedy said, her words causing shock to ripple through the room.


    The War Goddess, the most powerful being in the entire Eastern Region, had just called us, an Ascended, her equal. It made no sense. War Gods and Goddesses were the pirs of each region, chosen by the Overlords themselves to protect theirnds. Their power was unrivaled, their importance supreme. Discover worlds on m _v _lempy _r.


    In each region, there was either a War God or War Goddess. It is known that when the apocalypse struck, the selected few who fought alongside the Overlords were bestowed the title War Gods or Goddesses. These individuals were tasked with safeguarding the regions in the Overlords'' absence. Their strength was said to be beyondprehension.


    For someone of such stature to call us her equal left everyone stunned and speechless.


    "Do you know why I said you and I are the same?" the War Goddess asked us, her focus solely on him as if the entire ballroom had faded away. Her authority was absolute¡ªno one dared to question her actions.


    "I really don''t know," us replied, his voice calm.


    The War Goddess turned to us with an amused smile. "Come on, little brother," she teased, her tone light. "I heard everything you said about leadership and the essense of battle. You don''t want me to form a different opinion of you, do you?" Her smile grew wider, clearly enjoying the moment.


    All around the room, people were stunned into silence. Even Anna and the others standing beside us couldn''t believe their ears. Did the War Goddess really just call us her "little brother"? Surely they must have misheard.


    The aloof, proud Goddess¡ªwho never regarded anyone as her equal¡ªhad just addressed us, a seemingly insignificant figure who had only recently begun to make a name for himself, as her brother.


    "You wouldn''t want to waste your big sister''s visit, now would you?" she added yfully, causing even more jaws to drop. "After all, you''re the reason I''m here."


    The entire room held its breath, trying toprehend what they had just witnessed.


    us raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face. "Well, if you put it that way, this little brother won''t hold back." His mood shifted instantly, an undeniable connection sparking between them. He could feel it¡ªthe woman standing before him was like him. She wasn''t someone who followed the rules; she was someone who broke them. Arrogant and powerful¡ªthat''s what us sensed from her.


    And for some reason, it made his blood surge with excitement.


    "I''m guessing you hate the title ''War Goddess,'' don''t you?" us said, his eyes locking with hers. "It puts you in a box and forces you to y by their rules. But you and I both know¡ªscrew the rules." His grin mirrored hers, their energy syncing as if they were two parts of the same force.


    "I knew I would like you," the War Goddess said with a smile making everyone watching stare in shock. The moody war goddess is smiling.


    Everyone in the room was unsure how to react. What they were witnessing was far from anything they expected. us, instead of being intimidated by the War Goddess, seemed toe alive in her presence. This was the same War Goddess known for her arrogance, the one who ruled over the Eastern Region of the Northern Union with an iron will.


    Rumor had it that she is sworn sisters with the leader of the Overlords, giving her a strong reason to carry such an air of superiority. She rarely acknowledged anyone, treating them as insignificant. But now, this legendary figure was not only speaking with us, she wasughing and resting her hand on his shoulder. It baffled everyone.


    Who was us, and how could he inspire such behavior from someone so untouchable?


    Even us didn''t have all the answers. But deep down, he knew something about himself. Despite his humble beginnings and quiet demeanor just weeks ago, there had always been a fire burning within him¡ªa quiet arrogance, one that was now beginning to surface. He had been biding his time, but now, with each passing moment, his confidence was growing.


    us was destined for more. He was meant to be a Paragon¡ªan existence so powerful that even the heavens and the rules themselves would bow before him. Paragons were not born to obey; they were born to rule. They were beings meant to look down on the world with the same disdain that the War Goddess now disyed.


    And us, though still at the beginning of his journey, was finally starting to embrace that path.


    us shed a smug smile, ncing around the room. "I am us, after all¡ªeveryone likes me," he said, his tone dripping with confidence.


    Lucy and his friends couldn''t help but shake their heads. Who was he kidding? Plenty of people wanted him dead, and with every passing moment, their hunger to take him down only grew stronger.


    The War Goddess, still smiling, asked, "I heard you''ll be joining the selection exams for Celestial Mountain Academy."


    us nodded.


    "Well," she continued, her smile widening, "now that you''re my little brother, I expect nothing less than first ce. Anything short of that, and I''ll make sure you don''t even get a chance to enter the regional selection."


    The room fell into stunned silence. Did the War Goddess just set an impossible goal for us? The selection exams for Celestial Mountain Academy were infamous. Every year, the world''s most talented prodigiespeted, each one fighting for the coveted top spot. The exams were grueling, with constantly shifting challenges designed to weed out even the best.


    Many geniuses had failed to im the top spot in the past, proving that talent alone wasn''t enough.


    For the War Goddess to ce us in such a position was nothing short of remarkable. Those who wanted to see us fail were quietly rejoicing, already picturing his downfall.


    But us didn''t flinch. He simply smiled back at her. "I don''t mind living up to Big Sister''s standards. But let''s say I do take first ce¡ªwould Big Sister offer me something special to mark my achievement?"


    He knew exactly what she was doing and understood the stakes. But us also knew how to y the game.


    "Of course," the War Goddess replied with a smirk, "if you manage to take the first spot in the City Selection, I''ll grant you anything you desire¡ªso long as it doesn''t cross my bottom line."


    us''s grin grew wider and he quietly looked at her chest area. Those two mountains are clearly calling for his attention. "Well then, Big Sister, be prepared. This little brother of yours will make sure you keep that promise."


    The War Goddess''s eyes twinkled with amusement. "I look forward to seeing what you''re capable of," she said, her tone both challenging and encouraging. "Prove me right, and you might just surprise everyone."


    us gave a confident nod. "I won''t let you down."


    As the War Goddess turned to leave, the room''s tension began to ease, but the chatter quickly resumed. Everyone was abuzz with the dramatic turn of events. People whispered about the audacity of us''s challenge and the unexpected support from such a formidable figure.


    Lucy and his friends gathered around us, their expressions a mix of worry and admiration. "Are you really going to take on that challenge?" Lucy asked, her voice filled with concern.


    us chuckled quietly. "Of course. If Big Sister wants me to, the least I can do is make her happy," he murmured, making sure the War Goddess wouldn''t hear as she moved away from the room. But He underestimated the keen hearing of a cultivator.


    The War Goddess moving out heard everything but just smiled and went away.


    "You''re handling this quite well," Emily, who was now standing beside us and his friends,mented.


    "Well, Big Sister wouldn''t give me a task she doesn''t believe I cant handle," us replied with a smile. Although he didn''t know the War Goddess very well, he respected her greatly. Her confidence in him had made a positive impression.


    "You''re something else, us. This just shows you''re a real man," Keen Felin said, giving us a friendly pat on the shoulder.


    Around them, friends were smiling, while foes were frowning. Despite the mixed reactions, the moment was centered on us. It was clear that, for today, he was the focus of attention.


    Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and an ambient glow filled the room. Soft music began to y in the background, signaling that it was time to dance. Everyone started pairing up, looking for their dance partners.


    us, who hadn''t expected this moment, was taken aback. It wasn''t that he didn''t know how to dance¡ªhis mother had taught him from the age of five, so he was quite skilled at moving to the music. The real issue was that he hade with twodies, and the situation required him to choose just one to dance with.


    The question now was, who would he choose? Lucy or Anna

 Chapter 82: Tango [Bonus]

    us found himself in an impossible situation. He had arrived with two impressive women by his side, both of whom looked like they could handle anything. But right now, he was the one in a bind. The current situation didn''t feel "badass" at all¡ªit was one of those moments where no decision seemed like the right one.


    Although Lucy and Anna were sisters, choosing one would inevitably hurt the other. It was a kind of dilemma in which there was no clear solution. Making one happy while disappointing the other wasn''t something us considered a real solution¡ªit was more like a trap with no way out.


    "Little sister, would you like to dance with me?" Emily spoke up just as us was frantically trying to figure out what to do. She extended her hand toward Anna, who smiled and nodded, epting the offer without hesitation.


    us looked over at Emily, and she shot him a knowing smile. In that moment, us silently vowed to himself that he would do anything for Emily in the future. No matter what she needed, no matter how far he had to go, as long as he was alive, he wouldn''t hesitate to repay her. She had saved him today.


    He also felt grateful for Anna''s understanding. She knew what Emily was doing and epted it gracefully. With a deep breath, us silently thanked his lucky stars and turned to Lucy, reaching for her hand.


    Her body trembled slightly at his touch. "Well, Fairy Lucy," us said with a small smile, "would you care to share a dance with me?"


    Lucy nodded almost immediately. us led her gently to the center of the dance floor, where several young men and women were swaying to the rhythm of the music. The tension he had felt earlier began to fade as they moved together, the night bing just a little bit easier.


    The music yed softly, filling the room with a gentle melody. us held Lucy''s hand as they stepped onto the dance floor.


    She looked up at us, her eyes shining with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The uncertainty in her gaze was obvious, and it made us smile softly. Though he had never danced in public before, the lessons his mother had given him in their small home were enough to guide him through this moment.


    Despite the calm and joyful atmosphere, us could feel a few cold res aimed his way. He sensed the envy and bitterness from those watching, secretly hoping he would stumble, make a fool of himself, and be left out. But us wasn''t concerned. His focus was entirely on the beautiful girl standing before him.


    "You don''t need to worry," us said gently, trying to soothe her nerves. He extended his left arm and ced his other hand carefully on her waist, pulling her a little closer, but with tenderness.


    Lucy offered him a small, tentative smile, still uncertain. "I''ve never danced like this before," she admitted quietly.


    us met her eyes with warmth and reassurance. "It''s okay," he said, his voice calm and steady. "We''ll take it slow. Just follow my lead."


    As the music flowed around them, us guided her with care, step by step, making sure she felt safe and confident in his arms. Slowly, Lucy''s nerves began to ease, and she started to rx into the rhythm, trusting us as they swayed together. For that moment, it felt like the rest of the world faded away, leaving just the two of them.


    They began moving together, slowly finding a rhythm that matched the music. us focused on keeping his steps smooth, ensuring each one flowed seamlessly into the next. Lucy followed his lead, easing into the dance with surprising grace, almost as if she had done this a hundred times before.


    "You see? It''s all working out," us said with a reassuring smile, offering her a bit of praise. Lucy smiled back, clearly impressed not only with herself but also with how naturally us was guiding her through the dance. Unbeknownst to her, us was just as surprised. The fluidity of his movements felt almost effortless, as though the dance steps came instinctively to him.


    Since the moment the verbal duel began earlier in the night, us had started to experience something strange. It was as if knowledge¡ªthings he had never studied or consciously learned¡ªwas awakening within him. He felt as if every action, every decision was suddenly second nature.


    The essence of battle, the art of leadership, how to make impossible choices¡ªit all seemed toe to him without hesitation. It was bizarre, almost unreal.


    This feeling had been creeping up on him for weeks, manifesting in subtle ways, but us had brushed it off, not giving it much thought. Now, however, the sensation was different. It was more intense, more present, and harder to ignore. Something inside him was awakening, and it wasn''t just about dancing. It was something deeper, something powerful, waiting to be fully understood.


    But for now, he allowed himself to stay in the moment. With Lucy by his side, he simply let the music guide them, trying not to dwell too much on the mystery stirring within him. There would be time to unravel itter, but tonight, the dance was all that mattered.


    us couldn''t quite grasp what was happening, but he knew one thing for sure¡ªwhatever strange force was at y, whether good or bad, had saved him today. And for that, he was more than grateful.


    "If you keep blushing like that, you''re going to make your sister jealous," us teased, ncing at the clearly flustered Lucy. Her cheeks were glowing pink, and for once, us felt certain he was doing something right.


    Lucy smiled shyly, her eyes momentarily avoiding his. "This is nice," she said quietly, almost as if she was speaking to herself.


    "It really is," us agreed with a warm chuckle. "Who would have thought a simple country bumpkin like me would be dancing with such a beautiful Fairy"


    With a yful grin, us spun Lucy gently, watching as she twirled before softly falling back into his arms. The moment felt almost magical, like something out of a dream. For a brief second, Lucy''s heart skipped a beat as she found herself gazing into us''s striking golden eyes.


    "Well," us said with a mischievous smile, "are you charmed yet?"


    Lucy looked up at him, her breath catching as she smiled back, unsure whether tough or blush even more. She felt warmth spreading through her chest, and for a moment, it seemed like the whole world had narrowed down to just the two of them.


    Maybe, she thought, there was something a little magical about this country boy after all. us was on cloud nine forgetting everyone around as he dived into the dance with even more finesse.


    All around them, people began to take notice as us and Lucy danced. Their movements flowed with such ease and grace that it seemed almost effortless, making the moment feel perfect¡ªperhaps a little too perfect.


    Anna, who was dancing with Emily just a few meters away, nced over at her sister and us with a warm smile. There was no hint of jealousy or envy in her eyes, only genuine happiness. For reasons she couldn''t quite exin, seeing her sister enjoying herself made her feel content.


    us noticed Anna watching them and caught her gaze for a brief moment. She seemed to fall into a trance, mesmerized by the way us''s white hair whipped around as he danced. The intensity of the dance began to grow, and soon more and more people stepped back, giving us and Lucy the space to shine.


    It was as though the spotlight had naturally gravitated toward them, and us wasn''t about to let the moment pass by unnoticed.


    He gently guided Lucy into moreplex steps, bringing out the full beauty of the dance. She responded with grace, her nervousness fading as she embraced the rhythm and followed us''s lead.


    Then, suddenly, the music changed. By that point, everyone else had cleared the dance floor, leaving only us and Lucy in the center of it all.


    us looked down at her, his golden eyes gleaming with yful confidence. "Can you tango?" he asked with a smirk.


    Lucy hesitated for a split second before nodding. "A little," she replied, a shy smile ying on her lips.


    "That''ll do," us said, his grin widening. "Let''s tango."


    us took Lucy''s hand and pulled her close. The tango had a different energy¡ªmore intense, more passionate. He felt the shift in the music and adapted instantly, his movements sharper and more deliberate. Lucy stayed with him, her trust in us growing with every step.


    They started slow, their feet moving in sync as they glided across the floor. us led with confidence, guiding Lucy effortlessly through the dance. The world around them seemed to fade away. It was just the two of them, the music, and the rhythm of their hearts.


    Lucy looked up at him, her eyes wide with a mix of excitement and surprise. She hadn''t expected us to be such a natural. Her nervousness melted away as the dance continued, reced by a sense of joy. She let herself get lost in the moment.


    us noticed the change in her. She was more rxed now, her steps bing lighter and quicker. He smiled down at her, silently praising her for keeping up. The connection between them grew stronger with each movement.


    As the music picked up, so did their pace. us spun her out and then pulled her back in, their bodies close but perfectly aligned. He made sure to guide her through every twist and turn, never letting her falter.


    They danced with a passion that caught everyone''s attention. The crowd around the dance floor watched in awe,pletely captivated by the pair. Some whispered among themselves, surprised by how well the two danced together.


    us felt the eyes on them but paid no mind. His focus was entirely on Lucy. He was determined to make sure she felt safe andfortable, even as the dance became moreplex.

 Chapter 83: Sweeping Her Off Her Feet

    The music intensified, and us decided to push a little further. He lifted her slightly off the ground for a brief moment before setting her back down with grace. Lucy gasped softly, but she quickly recovered, her smile growing wider.


    She looked up at him. "I didn''t know you could dance like this," she said, her voice breathless but filled with admiration and something else.


    us chuckled, his grip on her waist tightening just a little as they moved together. "Neither did I," he admitted, his voice low. "But I''m d it''s working out."


    It really is working out just fine, or perhaps, a little too fine. The fluidity of their movement was in sync making the moment just too right and lovely. However, while he was enjoying the dance, Lucy''s mind was somewhere else.


    ''Isn''t he holding my waist a little too much'' She wondered, ''It feels nice though...Lucy what are you thinking, just focus on the dance'' Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.


    They continued to dance, the tango now bing second nature to them. us led her into a series of quick steps, each one precise and perfectly timed. Lucy followed without hesitation, her trust in him unwavering.


    The music slowed again, and us took the opportunity to pull Lucy closer. Their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling as they moved in perfect harmony. There was something electric in the air, something neither of them could exin.


    Lucy''s heart raced, but it wasn''t from the dance. It was from the way us looked at her, the way he made her feel like she was the only person in the room. She hadn''t expected to feel this way, but she couldn''t deny it.


    The white-haired young warrior is full of surprises. He has shown he is not only all brute strength but also intelligent and thoughtful. All those qualities brought his reputation up a notch. Now, however, he will be known as the Master of Tango.


    us noticed the change in her expression, the softness in her eyes. He felt a simr pull, something unfamiliar but not unwee. For a moment, he wondered if she could feel it too¡ªthe strange connection that had formed between them.


    Well, who is he kidding? Lucy is a disciple at one of the most prestigious cultivation academies in the world. She is someone with great influence and would soon be taking the final step to be an inner disciple, someone of her status wouldn''t like someone like him.


    Well, that was what he was thinking, a stark contrast to what Lucy was thinking.


    us knew that, but who is he if not the bane of every young prodigy? Only someone of his status will get this lucky. But since he is notparing notes with anyone, he lets the moment be even more magical as he eases further into the dance making everyone look at him in a new light.


    As the music neared its end, us slowed their movements even more, guiding her into a gentle finish. He dipped her gracefully, holding her steady before pulling her back up to stand. Their eyes locked, and for a brief moment, everything else disappeared.


    The room erupted in apuse, but us and Lucy barely heard it. They were still caught in the moment, their gazes locked as they caught their breath. Slowly, reality began to return, and us smiled down at her.


    "Not bad for a country bumpkin huh," he teased lightly, his voice yful.


    Lucyughed softly, her cheeks still flushed from the dance. "You''re full of surprises," she said, her eyes shining with warmth.


    us chuckled, releasing her gently from his hold but keeping her hand in his. "I guess we make a good team," he said.


    Lucy nodded, still smiling as they stepped off the dance floor together. The crowd parted for them, offering nods of approval and admiration. us could feel the stares, but for once, he didn''t mind. He had done well, and he knew it.


    As they made their way back to where Anna and Emily stood, us caught Anna''s eye. She smiled at him, and he returned the gesture, feeling a sense of peace wash over him. Everything had worked out better than he could have imagined.


    Well, at least that was what it looked like...


    Lucy squeezed his hand lightly, and he looked down at her, his smile widening. "Thank you," she said softly.


    us shook his head. "No, thank you," he replied. "You made me look good out there."


    Lucyughed again, a soft sound that made us''s heart feel lighter. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly at ease. His mother''s teaching didn''t fall on deaf ears. Well, he can''t wait to brag and exaggerate things to his mother.


    The night continued around them, but for us, the best part had already happened. The dance had been unexpected, but it had left a mark. Something had changed between him and Lucy, and while he didn''t fully understand it yet, he knew it was something special.


    As they rejoined their friends, us couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement for what was toe. The night wasn''t over yet, and he had a feeling there were still more surprises in store.


    As the evening progressed, us continued mingling with his friends, the atmosphere lively and full of energy. They shared jokes,ughed, and enjoyed food and drinks.


    A whileter, some seniors from the Celestial Mountain Academy who came from the Eastern Region began to share some details with them.


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    It was the same things they knew, but hearing it from people who went through the trials was rather eye-opening and slightly tasking. Per the requirement, each city will only take 200 prodigies. Thousands will apply and take the test but only the top 200 will be selected.


    Then at the Regional level, it gets even harsher. Out of over 12,000 from all over the cities within the Eastern Region, only 1000 will be selected. Harsh but necessary if humanity wants to look for the best from the best.


    As they listened, us could tell his friends started to despair, but he held back from saying anything encouraging. They needed to hear that if they wanted to grow stronger and be part of the prodigies that would be entering the academy.


    For the Union Selection, only 2000 will be selected. It means from the five regions in the Northern Union, 3000 will be eliminated. Harsh but necessary.


    "Finally," the senior said, "the world selection happens at the Academy. Out of 16,000 hopefuls from the eight Unions, only half¡ª8,000¡ªwill be granted permanent positions at Celestial Mountain Academy."


    Hearing this, us couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. That is like seeing the fruit but you can''t touch it. The numbers were staggering. Out of tens of thousands of hopefuls from all over the world, only 8,000 would make it. It was a harsh, unforgiving process, but it was also the only way forward for someone with dreams as big as his.


    Around him, others began murmuring to one another, their voices tinged with anxiety. us could sense the fear in the air.


    Even he could feel the pressure mounting in his chest. But he pushed it down, reminding himself of what he had aplished so far. He was no stranger to struggle. Life had been unforgiving to him from the start. Yet, he had survived and grown stronger. He would need that same strength now more than ever.


    ''It''s cruel,'' us thought, shaking his head slightly. ''But this is the reality. If I want to make it, I can''t afford to hesitate. I have to push myself beyond my limits.''


    He nced at his friends and gave them a look of assurance that everything would be alright. If they can''t make it on their own, he will drill the will into them.


    "It''s just a test, all we can do is do our best and we can walk out smiling," Lily said quietly.


    Anna smiled softly. "That''s right. We can only do our best"


    us nodded. The road ahead would be brutal, but he wasn''t alone. He had his friends with him, and that made all the difference. Together, they could push through the trials that awaited them. No matter what, they all wanted to make it true the trials and secure their spots within the 8,000 that will be making it to the registers of the Academy.


    As the night wore on, the conversations returned to lighter topics. Laughter filled the air once again, and the tension began to ease. But the words of the seniors still lingered in the back of us''s mind. The road to Celestial Mountain Academy was long and perilous, but us was ready to face it.


    No matter how difficult the process, he vowed to give everything he had. His dreams and his future were on the line, and he wasn''t about to let fear stop him. After a night ofughter and socialization, the night came to an end, but before everybody left, some friends left us with a few words of wisdom-ish

 Chapter 84: Playing both hands

    "us, the next tie we meet, I''ll clip those wings of yours," Miguel spat, his eyes burning with anger. He had been ring at us the entire night, waiting for the moment to strike with his words. Well, he couldn''t with his fist.


    The ball had been nothing short of a disaster for Miguel. He had arrived with high hopes, and dreams of outshining everyone. But instead, us had shattered those hopes, leaving him humiliated and broken. The defeat was personal, a wound that festered with hatred. This kind of anger was not something that would fade easily; it had taken root deep in his heart, like a heart devil.


    us met Miguel''s gaze calmly. He wasn''t surprised by his anger, he caused it after all. He had expected it. Rivals like Miguel always surfaced when someone started to rise. They couldn''t stand seeing others seed where they had failed.


    The tension in the air was thick, but us remained calm with an annoying smile on his face. "I''ll be waiting," he said. There was no malice in his tone, only certainty.


    Miguel clenched his fists, his knuckles white. "Don''t think you''re invincible just because you got lucky tonight. Everyone gets their turn, us. You''ll fall just like the rest."


    us nodded slightly, still unbothered by Miguel''s threats. "Maybe," he replied. "But until then, you can crawl back to where you came from.


    As Miguel stormed off, us could feel the eyes of his friends on him. Emily sighed, her brow furrowed with concern. "He won''t let this go, us. Be careful."


    us shrugged, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Why would I have to be careful? If he wants to be my stepping stone, who am I toin?" His tone was light, almost teasing.


    Emily raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by his confidence. us chuckled and added, "Sure, my good looks will take me far, but let''s be honest¡ªevery now and then, I need to p some arrogant bastards like him around just to blow off some steam."


    Keenughed, shaking his head. "You are one arrogant kid, us, Just be careful you don''t anger some powerful people" He knew his words were just air to us. The white-haired youngster is full of troubles.


    us smirked, feeling invincible at that moment. Who wouldn''t, having a beautiful damsel by you tends to make one nk out and do stupid things.


    "Maybe. But until then, I''ll keep enjoying the ride."


    His friendsughed, clearly impressed by his demeanor. us knew Miguel had powerful backing, but so did he now. He had invisible helpers, even if he wasn''t fully aware of them yet. And beyond that, he had someone else¡ªthe War Goddess, who openly called him her brother. That alone gave him grounds to be a little arrogant.


    At the very least, only people his age would dare challenge him. Their backers could only manipte events from the shadows. None of them would be foolish enough to attack him outright. His own unofficial backer, the war goddess was far too unreasonable for them to take that risk.


    After saying their goodbyes, us and his friends headed back to Lily and Kilian''s mansion. It''srger than us''s ce. However, for some reasons unknown, there were not enough rooms for everyone, so some had to share a room. A rather unusual thing for such a grand and huge mansion.


    Sensing something off, us quickly picked Kilian as his roommate to avoid any awkwardness. But to his surprise, Kilian, usually so easygoing, rejected the offer with a sly grin. Before us could rethink his n, everyone had scattered, leaving him alone with Lucy.


    He would forever remember the yful smirks on Lily and Anna''s lips as they ran off, clearly enjoying his predicament. Once again, us found himself in an awkward situation.


    "My life is funny," us thought to himself as he turned to Lucy, trying to keep hisposure. "We should probably get some sleep," he said quickly, grabbing her hand before she could respond and leading her toward their shared room.


    From across the hallway, Lily, Emily, Nia, Asha, and Anna watched the scene unfold with amusement.


    "You four are evil," Emily said, shaking her head as she saw the mischievous grins on Lily and Anna''s faces.


    Lily chuckled softly. "Oh,e on. It''s harmless fun."


    "Fun for you," Emily replied with a sigh. "Poor us."


    Anna smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement. "He''ll be fine. He''s tougher and shameless than he looks. But I wouldn''t worry about him. It''s Sister Lucy we should be concerned about."


    Emily raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh, and why is that? The Lucy I know is someone even the Legacies are chasing after at the academy."


    Anna leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a juicy secret gossip. "Well, Sister Lucy may be the perfectdy in many ways, but when ites to dealing with boys¡­ let''s just say she''s the true definition of shy." Anna''s grin widened.


    "In short, even though she''s this elegant and wonderfuldy, she''s got no game. Like, zero game."


    Emily blinked in surprise. "Seriously?"


    Anna nodded, barely containing herughter. "Yup. You''d think someone like her would have boys falling over themselves, and she does. But when ites to actually talking to them or, heaven forbid, showing interest? She''spletely clueless."


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    Emily couldn''t help but chuckle at the image. "That''s¡­ kind of adorable, actually."


    "Adorable, but also dangerous," Anna teased. "She''s got us in a room with her now, and she probably has no idea what to do. Poor us might be trying to be the gentleman, and she''ll be overthinking everything."


    Nia joined in with a giggle. "This might be more entertaining than we thought."


    Asha, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. "Well, maybe this will be good for her. us seems like the kind of guy who''ll put her at ease. And who knows? Maybe they''ll surprise us all."


    Anna smiled warmly. "Maybe. But either way, it''ll be fun to see how it all ys out tomorrow morning. I just hope Lucy doesn''t freeze up."


    The group of girls exchanged amused nces,They had set the scene, and now they were eager to see what would unfold between their shy, yet beloved friend, Lucy, and the unexpectedly charming us.


    Back in the room, us had no idea that he and Lucy were the subject of such scheming. But as he nced over at Lucy, who seemed to be nervously fussing with her nket, he couldn''t help but feel like he was in for an interesting night.


    Finally, us broke the silence with a smallugh, trying to ease the tension. "Looks like it''s just me and you now," he said, his voice lighthearted. He paused for a second before adding with a yful grin, "Scared?"


    Lucy blinked, clearly startled by the question. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly shook her head, forcing a smile. "Me? Scared?" She let out a nervousugh. "Of course not."


    us chuckled softly, noticing how her hands fidgeted with the edge of her nket. He leaned back, trying to seem rxed. "Good, because there''s nothing to worry about. I don''t bite."


    Lucy smiled again, this time a bit more genuinely. "I know," she said softly, finally rxing a little. "It''s just¡­ a bit unexpected, that''s all."


    us nodded, understanding. "Yeah, it wasn''t exactly part of the n. But hey, at least we''ve got a nice room, right?" He nced around, trying to keep the mood light.


    Lucy let out a softugh. "I guess that''s one way to look at it."


    The tension between them started to fade as they continued talking, sharing small jokes and stories about their day. Slowly, the awkwardness melted away, reced by a sense of ease. Though the situation was still a little unusual, us could see that Lucy was starting to feel morefortable.


    As they finally settled down for the night, us found himself grateful that things weren''t as awkward as they could''ve been. He smiled to himself, realizing that maybe, just maybe, this little twist wasn''t so bad after all.


    Little did he know, Lucy was thinking the same thing. However, as theyy side by side on the bed, us could sense her unease. Her body trembled slightly, the tension radiating off her. Though she tried to appear calm, it was obvious that the situation was making her nervous.


    us smiled softly, deciding to ease her difort. Gently, he reached over and took her hand in his. The moment their hands touched, Lucy stiffened, her entire body going rigid as if her blood had suddenly frozen.


    "Are you alright?" us asked quietly, his voice full of concern, yet a mischievous grin could be seen on his face.


    Lucy swallowed hard, barely able to meet his gaze. "Y-Yeah," she stammered, though her voice betrayed her nerves. "I''m fine¡­"


    us noticed her hesitation and gently loosened his grip. "I can let go if you want," he offered softly, concern etched on his face.


    For a moment, Lucy didn''t respond. She nced down at their hands, her heart racing. It wasn''t the touch that made her uneasy¡ªit was the unfamiliarity of the situation, the vulnerability.


    "No," she finally whispered, shaking her head slightly. "It''s okay."


    us smiled and continued to hold her hand. "Then let''s stay like this for a while, if you''re fine with that," he said softly. Theyy side by side on the bed infortable silence. us, at peace, slowly drifted off to sleep. But while he rested easily, Lucy''s mind was far from calm.


    Her heart pounded in her chest as shey beside us. This was all so new to her, and it was happening too quickly. She had never imagined herself in such a situation. True to what her sister Anna had said, Lucy feltpletely out of her depth when it came to dealing with the opposite sex. It was as if her mind just stopped functioning in that area, leaving her confused and flustered.


    us, on the other hand, seemed effortlessly confident. His calm presence reassured her. Even though his life had been filled with hardships, his mother had always ensured that he never lost his self-assurance.


    But what Lucy didn''t know was that us''s confidence wasn''t just from his mother''s encouragement. It also came from his father, who had once instilled a natural charm and self-belief in him. The "Rizz" he was showing now reflected his father''s influence, which us carried with him wherever he went.


    Soon she also drifted into a quiet sleep still holding each other''s hand. The next day, they both woke up in rather peculiar settings.

 Chapter 85: Waking Up Flustered

    The next orning, sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow in the room. us was still asleep, his arm wrappedfortably over Lucy, touching things. They were cuddling closely, and for a moment, it felt like a perfect scene of serenity.


    Lucy, however, was far from serene. As she slowly woke up, she realized the intimate position they were in. Her heart raced again, and she felt a flush of heat spread across her cheeks. Her mind was a chaotic mess of emotions.


    She tried to gently shift away from us, but his grip on her was firm. Every tiny movement seemed to make her more aware of how close they were. She could feel his breath on her neck, and it only made her blush deeper.


    Lucy''s thoughts were in overdrive. Suddenly, she felt something hard pressed against her backside when she tried to wiggle her way out of us''s arms. She gently reached out to push it back but it was then she realised she has made a big mistake.


    ''Oh no,'' She thought immediately her hand touched us''s dragon which was as hard as it should be. Thankfully, us was asleep, kinda so he didn''t feel it. She immediately let go.


    Desperately, she tried to think of a way to get up without disturbing us. She slowly moved her arm, attempting to free it from under his. But as she did, us shifted slightly, pulling her even closer.


    ''Oh no!'' Lucy thought, her face turning a deeper shade of red. She could hardly believe how embarrassing this was. She hadn''t nned for this, and she feltpletely unprepared.


    us, still half-asleep, murmured something unintelligible and tightened his hold on her. Lucy''s heart nearly skipped a beat. ''Why does this have to be soplicated?'' she thought, trying to steady her breathing.


    She took a deep breath and tried to gently pull away again. This time, she managed to free her arm, but us''s other arm was still wrapped around her. She could feel the warmth of his body against hers, making her cheeks burn even more.


    As she tried to quietly get out of bed she seded, but not for long. Just when she was sneakily making her way around the bed, she identally knocked over a small bedsidemp. It tumbled to the floor with a tter, and Lucy froze in panic.


    us was wakened, his eyes fluttering open. He looked around, confused, and then his gaze settled on Lucy. He blinked, taking in the situation. "Good morning," he said sleepily, a smile tugging at his lips.


    Lucy''s face turned bright red. She stammered, "G-Good morning, us. I, um, didn''t mean to wake you." Her voice was barely a whisper, and she felt utterly flustered.


    us''s smile grew wider. "It''s okay. You''re not bothering me at all," he said, maintaining his warm smile as his gaze stayed fixed on Lucy.


    Her heart began to race as she looked at that smile. For some reason, she felt a strange sense of unease, but she couldn''t quite figure out why.


    Suddenly, something clicked and Lucy nced down and noticed she was still in her panties. She had forgotten to put on her clothes after removing them earlier. Panic surged through her, and she jumped back into bed, trying to cover herself.


    However, in her haste, Lucy ended up leaping right into us''s arms. His smile didn''t falter; in fact, it only seemed to grow more mischievous. us''s arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her close.


    Lucy''s face turned crimson as she found herself snuggled up against us. She tried to pull away, but us''s grip was gentle yet firm. "I-I''m so sorry!" she stammered, her voice filled with embarrassment.


    us chuckled softly. "No need to apologize," he said, his voice soothing. "It''s just us here."


    Lucy squirmed slightly, trying to free herself, but us''s arms remained around her. "This is so awkward," she muttered, her face still flushed. She couldn''t believe she had ended up in such an embarrassing situation.


    us continued to smile, his voice teasing. "I couldn''t have asked for a better situation," he said, making sure his arms held her securely. His grip wasn''t forceful, but it was enough to let Lucy know he wasn''t nning to let her go anytime soon.


    Hearing hisment, Lucy froze for a moment, realizing that she wasn''t getting out of this awkward situation as easily as she had hoped. She stopped struggling, knowing us wouldn''t release her right away, but that didn''t stop her heart from pounding relentlessly in her chest.


    She didn''t know what to do or say. Her thoughts were jumbled, tangled in the strange, unfamiliar feeling of being this close to us. Everything about this situation was new to her, and she felt utterly unprepared.


    us, on the other hand, seemedpletely at ease. His calm smile, his steady breath, his yfulments¡ªit was like he was enjoying the flustered state Lucy had found herself in. It only made her blush more.


    "us¡­," she whispered, barely able to get the words out. "This¡­ is so¡­ embarrassing¡­"


    us chuckled softly, his breath brushing against her cheek. "You say that, but you''re not trying very hard to escape," he teased lightly, his tone yful.


    Lucy bit her lip, trying to regain control of her racing thoughts. She couldn''t deny the truth in his words. She wasn''t exactly putting much effort into breaking free anymore. Maybe it was because part of her didn''t want to¡ªor maybe it was because she had no idea how to handle this kind of situation.


    "I-I''m just¡­ processing," Lucy finally stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.


    us raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her response. "Processing, huh?" he said softly. "Take all the time you need. I''m in no rush."


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    Lucy felt her heart skip a beat at his words. His confidence, his ease, the way he spoke to her¡ªit was overwhelming. She had never experienced anything like this before, and it made her feelpletely out of her depth.


    She tried to calm herself down, focusing on her breathing, but every time she inhaled, the scent of us seemed to surround her, only making her more flustered. She could feel his warmth, his steady presence, and it was bothforting and nerve-wracking at the same time.


    "us¡­," she whispered again, this time her voice softer, almost hesitant. "You''re really enjoying this, aren''t you?"


    us chuckled again, his grip on her loosening just slightly. "Maybe just a little," he admitted, his smile turning yful again. "But I promise, I''m not trying to make you ufortable."


    Lucy blinked up at him, her cheeks still flushed. "I-I know that," she said quickly. "It''s just¡­ a lot to take in¡­"


    us nodded in understanding, finally loosening his hold on herpletely. "I get it. We can take things slow," he said, his tone bing more serious, though his smile never fully faded.


    Lucy took a deep breath as she sat up, finally free from his arms. She immediately put some distance between them, though she couldn''t help but notice the lingering warmth from where he had held her.


    "Thank you," Lucy said softly, trying topose herself. Her heart was still racing, but at least now she could think a little clearer.


    us sat up beside her, his expression calm and understanding. "Anytime," he said. He didn''t push her further, which Lucy was grateful for. She needed a moment to process everything that had just happened.


    For a few moments, they sat in silence, the awkwardness slowly melting away into something morefortable. Lucy couldn''t help but nce at us, feeling a strange mix of emotions¡ªembarrassment, and nervousness, but also a sense of warmth and safety.


    us noticed her gaze and smiled again, this time more gently. "Hey," he said softly, breaking the silence. "You okay?"


    Lucy nodded quickly, her face still slightly flushed. "Yeah¡­ I''m okay," she said, her voice more stable now. "Just¡­ wasn''t expecting all of this."


    us chuckled lightly. "Neither was I," he admitted. "But sometimes things happen when you least expect them."


    Lucy managed a small smile at that, feeling a little more at ease now. "Yeah¡­ I guess you''re right."


    The tension in the room had eased, and though Lucy was still a bit flustered, she found herself feeling morefortable around us again. There was something about his presence that made her feel safe, even in all the awkwardness.


    As they sat there, side by side, Lucy couldn''t help but wonder where this strange connection with us would lead. She had no idea what the future held, but in that moment, she felt a sense of calm wash over her. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay after all.


    "This is nice," us suddenly said, breaking the silence.


    "Yes, it is," Lucy replied softly, her voice calm yet still a little nervous. Then they fell quiet again, the atmospherefortable but charged with something deeper. The silence stretched between them, neither one speaking, but there was an unspoken understanding in the air.


    After a few minutes, Lucy began to shift slowly, inching toward us. She wasn''t entirely sure what she was doing, but her body seemed to act on its own. us noticed her movements but didn''t say anything. Instead, he smiled inwardly, sensing her hesitation but also her desire to be closer.


    Finally, Lucy found herself beside him, closer than before. Taking a deep breath, she gently rested her head on his shoulder. Her heart raced, but somehow, it felt right. She let herself sink into the warmth of his presence.


    "us, let''s stay like this for a while," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.


    us nodded, his expression tender. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in just a little closer. "Sure," he whispered back, letting her rest her head on his chest. He could feel her heart pounding, but her breathing gradually began to slow down, bing more steady as she rxed in his embrace.


    Lucy''s nerves didn''t disappear entirely¡ªher heart was still racing like crazy¡ªbut the longer she stayed in us''s arms, the more at ease she felt. His warmth, his steady presence, it all made her feel safer than she ever thought possible. She wasn''t used to this kind of closeness, but with us, it didn''t feel awkward or forced. It felt...natural.

 Chapter 86: You… you kissed me

    "Thank you, us," Lucy whispered after a while, her voice soft and full of sincerity.


    "For what?" us asked, slightly surprised. He tilted his head to look at her, his brow raised in curiosity.


    "For... being here," Lucy replied, her cheeks flushing pink as she nced up at him. "For making me feel safe. For... everything."


    us''s smile softened. "You don''t have to thank me for that, Lucy. It''s just¡­ I guess it''s what I want to do."


    Lucy smiled. "Well, still, thank you. I''ve never felt like this before¡­ so calm, so..." she trailed off, unsure of how to put her feelings into words.


    us chuckled softly, his grip around her tightening just a little. "You''re wee. Anytime you need it, I''m here."


    "By the way, we should probably prepare and leave. The others might have the wrong idea if we stay in too long" Lucy said with a slight flustered cheeks.


    "Oh, I am actually looking forward to that," us said with a slight grin.


    "You...What are you thinking" Lucy asked not even trying to free herself, clearly, she wasn''t resisting anymore.


    "Oh you know...this" us gently pulled her head back slightly making Lucy stare right into his golden eyes. Her heart pounded but before she could speak, us closed in and nted a gentle kiss on her lips.


    Lucy''s eyes widened as us''s lips touched hers. For a moment, her mind went nk. She wasn''t sure how to react. Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest that it drowned out everything else. She had never expected this¡ªhadn''t even thought it was possible. But as the kiss lingered, soft and gentle, something shifted inside her.


    us, ever so calm, held the kiss for just a few seconds longer before pulling back, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief. He watched her carefully, gauging her reaction, wondering if he had gone too far. But Lucy didn''t move, frozen in ce, her cheeks burning red.


    When she finally spoke, her voice was a soft whisper, "You¡­ you kissed me."


    us chuckled, his grin widening. "I did," he said matter-of-factly. "And I don''t regret it."


    Lucy blinked, trying to find the words, but nothing came. Her mind was still spinning. She wasn''t upset¡ªsurprisingly, she wasn''t angry either. If anything, she felt¡­ confused. But also warm. The memory of his lips still lingered on hers, sending her heart racing all over again.


    us gently released her, but his eyes stayed locked on hers. "If that was too much¡ª" he began, but Lucy quickly shook her head.


    "No! I mean¡­ no, it wasn''t¡­" she stammered, her face flushed. She bit her lip, feeling a strangebination of embarrassment and curiosity. "I just¡­ I wasn''t expecting it."


    "Well, I''ve been wanting to do that all night," us said with a soft smile, his voice warm and teasing.


    Lucy gazed at him for a few moments, her heart racing. Then, gathering her courage, she gently lifted her head and pressed her lips against his. It was soft and brief, but it sent a jolt through her entire body.


    "Me too," she whispered, though her voice trembled with nerves. Her cheeks were flushed, but she couldn''t hide the small, nervous smile that yed on her lips.


    They locked eyes for a moment, the room around them feeling still and quiet. Without speaking, they leaned in again, this time more sure of what they both wanted. Their lips met once more, but this time it was deeper, more meaningful, and filled with a silent understanding between them.


    The kiss was slow and gentle at first, growing in intensity as they both became lost in the moment. The sound of their breathing and the soft press of lips against each other filled the quiet room, and nothing else seemed to matter at that moment.


    Time seemed to stretch on, the world outside forgotten as they shared this intimate connection. After a while, two people stare back at each other as if they aremunicating something.


    "us..." Lucy said softly before hurriedly jumping out of bed, grabbing her clothes, and rushing out of the room. us watched her with a grin, amusement dancing in his eyes as the door closed behind her.


    "Clearly, she has a lot of thinking to do," us murmured to himself, falling back onto the bed. A wide smile spread across his face, contentment settling over him as he stared at the ceiling.


    -


    -


    -


    Meanwhile, Lucy dashed down the hallway, not really knowing where she was headed. Her mind was racing, and her cheeks were still flushed from what had just happened. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she couldn''t help but feel a mix of embarrassment and excitement.


    As she hurried around a corner, a door suddenly swung open in front of her. She skidded to a halt just in time, her eyes widening in surprise. Standing before her were Emily, Nia, Asha, Lily, and Anna¡ªall with curious looks on their faces.


    Anna was quick to speak. "Sister Lucy, why are you running through the hallway like this?" she asked, a yful smile tugging at her lips.


    Lucy froze, her face turning crimson as she struggled toe up with an answer. She nced at the group, all of them staring at her with raised eyebrows. Anna''s mischievous grin only made Lucy feel more flustered.


    "I, uh¡­" Lucy stammered, searching for an excuse. Her mind was nk, and the heat in her cheeks was impossible to hide.


    "Sister Lucy, you should probably get inside before anyone else sees you like this," Anna added with a smirk, her voice barely containing herughter.


    Lucy, still lost in her embarrassment, hadn''t even realized that she was only half-dressed. She had hastily grabbed her clothes and was holding them against her chest, leaving herpletely exposed otherwise. Her eyes widened in horror as she nced down at herself.


    Without another word, Lucy spun around and darted back into the room she had just rushed out of. The door mmed behind her.


    The sound ofughter echoed in the hallway as the other girls burst into giggles, amused by Lucy''s frantic escape. Anna wiped a tear from her eye, shaking her head with an amused grin. "Well, that went better than expected."


    Emily chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Maybe too well. Poor Lucy"


    -


    -


    -


    Back in the room, us was still reeling from the kiss he''d shared with Lucy. The memory of it made his heart race, and he was grinning like a fool when the door suddenly swung open, snapping him out of his daze.


    Lucy rushed back inside, her face flushed and her breathing heavy from her frantic escape. us raised an eyebrow, amused by her return. "Well, that was fast. Not even a minute, and you came running back to me," he teased, smiling at her.


    Lucy stood there, her mind still in chaos. In her flustered state, instead of going to her sister or the otherdies, she somehow rushed back into the very room she had just fled from. Now, standing in front of us, her emotions overwhelmed her.


    Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and she began to cry softly. She looked at us, her voice shaky as she whispered, "What is happening to me?"


    us''s smile softened as he quickly got off the bed and moved closer to her. He gently ced his hands on her shoulders, trying to reassure her. "Hey, hey, it''s normal," he said softly, his voice calm and soothing. "Come on, it''s just you and me here. Nothing to worry about."


    Lucy wiped at her tears, feeling embarrassed but unable to stop the flood of emotions. "I''ve never felt this way before," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper. "I don''t know what''s happening to me. I''m so confused."


    us pulled her into a gentle hug, letting her rest her head against his chest. He stroked her hair lightly, speaking in a calming tone. "It''s okay, Lucy. You''re just feeling something new. It''s scary, I know, but you don''t have to figure it all out at once."


    Lucy held onto him tightly, findingfort in his embrace. She didn''t know why she was crying, but being with us made her feel a little more at ease. His steady heartbeat under her ear soothed her, and slowly, her tears began to dry.


    us pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes. "We can take it slow, alright?" he said with a smile. "You don''t have to rush. We''ll figure things out together."


    Lucy nodded, feeling a bit moreposed now. She took a deep breath, her emotions finally settling. "Thank you," she whispered. "I just¡­ I''ve never been this close to anyone before. It''s overwhelming."


    us chuckled softly. "I understand. But you don''t have to be afraid. I''m right here, and I''m not going anywhere."


    After a while, both us and Lucy got dressed and decided to leave the room together. Lucy, feeling a bit moreposed but still somewhat embarrassed, stayed close behind us as they made their way down the hallway.


    They reached arge sitting area where the others were waiting. The space was filled with soft morning light, and the atmosphere was cheerful and rxed.


    As they entered the room, Anna was the first to notice them. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she greeted them with a teasing smile. "Good morning, lovebirds," she said, her tone light and yful.


    Lucy''s face turned a bright shade of pink as she quickly nced at us, who simply chuckled at Anna''s remark. He ced a reassuring hand on Lucy''s shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze.


    The other girls¡ªEmily, Nia, Asha, and Lily¡ªlooked up from their conversations, their faces breaking into amused smiles at the sight of us and Lucy. The yful atmosphere was clear, and it was obvious that the others were enjoying her predicament.


    "Did you two have a nice, restful night?" Emily asked, her voiceced with humor as she looked at Lucy and us.


    Lucy fidgeted slightly, her cheeks still flushed. "Uh, something like that," she said, trying to hide her embarrassment. Her eyes wandered around the space, avoiding the amused gazes of her friends.


    Nia gave Lucy a warm smile. "I hope you''re feeling better now. You seemed a bit flustered earlier." Discover new worlds on NovelFire-mpyr.


    "You five should stop teasing her. Lucy,e here, sit with me" us said pulling Lucy to his side as they settled down.


    After a while, Mark, Kay, Kilian, Danny, and Daniel also came. They settled down and began chatting among themselves.


    "So what next" Emily asked

 Chapter 87: Back to Ross City

    us and his friends spent the morning chatting and catching up. The atmosphere was rxed, with everyone sharing stories and enjoying each other''spany. The conversations flowed easily, and the group was in high spirits as they explored the city together.


    After a while, Lily and her sister took them out for breakfast. They were in Felin City, which was several timesrger than Ross City. The city was full of stunning ces, and us and his friends were amazed by its beauty. They visited variousndmarks, admired the impressive architecture, and enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere.


    When evening dawned, They dined at a well-known restaurant that offered a breathtaking view of the city''s skyline. The food was exquisite, and thepany was even better. us felt a sense of camaraderie with his friends, enjoying the night out before the challenges ahead.


    Later, they returned to Lily''s mansion. They spent a little more time together before their final meeting. Keen Felin arrived and left them with a few words of encouragement.


    "Remember," Keen said, "the City Selection for Celestial Mountain Academy is only a week away. Give it your all. Passing the selection will put you in the spotlight, and you''ll need to be at your best. Many will bepeting, and only the best will be chosen."


    us listened. He had been eagerly anticipating this event and couldn''t wait for the days to pass. The thought of being in the spotlight andpeting for a ce at the prestigious academy spurred him on.


    As the evening came to a close, it was time for farewells.


    Daniel and Danny said their goodbyes and headed back to Guan City. Mark and Kay prepared to leave for Hamid City, while Nia and Asha made their way to the Union Capital. us was surprised to learn that Nia and Asha were from the Capital of the Northern Union.


    With heartfelt farewells and promises to keep in touch, us, Anna, and Lucy prepared for their return to Ross City. They jet off leaving Felin City for Ross City.


    The journey back to Ross City was smooth, and it didn''t take long for them tond at the Ross Residence. As soon as they arrived, us saw Kofi waiting for him. After exchanging brief but warm greetings with Daven Ross, us said his goodbyes and left with Kofi.


    On the way home, us''s mind wandered back to the Ball. He couldn''t help but smile, remembering the excitement and the memorable moments. He quickly retrieved his phone and essed the web seeing it would take minutes before they get home.


    As soon as he opened his phone, a flood of videos and articles appeared. The screen was filled with clips from the Ball¡ªhis verbal duel with Lawrence, his engaging speech on the ''Essense of Battle'', and his insights on ''How to Make Difficult Decisions as a Leader.'' It was clear that his performance had made quite an impression.


    us began scrolling through the posts, his smile growing wider with each passing moment. Thements and articles praised his eloquence and insight.


    In this era, nothing stays hidden for long. us hadn''t even realized he was being recorded, but now, seeing all the positivements and remarks, he wasn''t upset. In fact, the attention only added to his growing reputation, and he weed the praise.


    As he continued scrolling through the posts, he noticed a few important messages. With a quick flick of his fingers, he opened them. The first was from Nadia, the fashion designer he had signed the modeling contract with.


    Nadia''s message was overflowing with praise for the tango he had danced with Lucy. "us! Your tango performance was absolutely stunning! The way you and Lucy moved together was mesmerizing. The video is topping the charts, and you''ve be quite the sensation!"


    us had almost forgotten about the dance. As he read through the messages, he saw that the dance video was indeed making waves. It was everywhere¡ªtopping charts, being shared widely, and receiving countless views.


    He couldn''t help but chuckle. "How did my life turn out this way? From Pretty Boy to Tango King," us mused internally, reading through the enthusiastic messages.


    Suddenly, us''s phone started ringing. He answered with a smug smile. "Hello, Boss."


    "Who are you calling boss?" Nadia''s voice came through, her tone light and yful. "Are you back yet?" Join us at NovelFiremp _yr now.


    "On my way home now," us replied.


    "Oh, okay. I just wanted to congratte you," Nadia said, her smile audible in her voice. "You''ve managed to sell out a product that hasn''t even been officially released yet!"


    "What?" us asked, surprised.


    Nadia chuckled. "Well, the suit you wore was a design I created. It wasn''t supposed to go on sale just yet. But after that video of you and Lucy, we started getting offer after offer."


    us was taken aback. "Seriously? People want to buy it already?"


    "Yes," Nadia continued. "Shockingly, they wanted a pair. Your suit and Lucy''s dress. Luckily for us, Lucy''s dress was also designed by me. So, when the timees, you and Lucy will need toe in for a photoshoot together."


    "Wow, that''s incredible," us said, impressed. "Great news, actually. Let me know when you''re ready to set it up."


    "I will," Nadia assured him. "And us, congrattions again. You and Lucy have made a huge impact. It''s not every day we get such unexpected sess."


    "d I was able to help," us said.


    "I came up with some designs for your mom''s clothes," Nadia said over the phone. "I''ll send them over for your input. Since you want something one of a kind, I''ll make sure I deliver."


    "Thank you, Nadia," us replied, genuinely appreciative. "I''m looking forward to seeing them." He ended the call with a smile, feeling satisfied with the progress.


    Shortly after, us and Lucy arrived at his mansion. As soon as they stepped inside, us dashed toward his mother, enveloping her in a warm hug.


    "Wee home, us," his mother said, her voice filled with affection. "I missed you too. But seriously, you''re a grown-up now. You should start behaving like one."


    us grinned sheepishly, still wrapped in his mother''s embrace. "I know, Mom. But no matter how grown-up I get, I''ll always be your kid at heart."


    His mother shook her head with a smile, though there was a hint of exasperation in her eyes. "Well, it''s good to have you back. I''m d you''re doing well."


    Despite his recent sess and the attention he was getting from others, us''s childish side came out when he was around his mother. It was a reminder of the deep bond they shared, and she found it endearing despite his grown-up status.


    After a few moments, us finally released his mother from the hug and took her hands in his. "How have you been, Mom? I hope everything has been alright here."


    "Well, I had fun watching you tango with Lucy," his mother teased with a yful grin. "I guess everything is good after all. Honestly, I never knew you were this good."


    us''s face flushed with a hint of embarrassment. He felt a warm flush rise to his cheeks as he recalled the time he spent dancing with Lucy. Despite the teasing, the memory made him smile slightly.


    "Well, I had fun," us said, trying to sound casual but unable to hide his contentment. He gave his mother a small, sheepish grin before heading off toward his room.


    His mother watched him go, shaking her head with a fond smile. She was happy to see her son enjoying himself and finding joy with his peers.


    -


    -


    -


    Back at the Ross Residence, Lucy and Anna stood facing each other in silence. Though no words were spoken, their eyes conveyed countless emotions and unspoken messages.


    "Thank you," Lucy finally said, her voice trembling with gratitude.


    "We''re sisters, Lucy," Anna responded with a gentle smile. "I would be selfish if I didn''t do something as simple as helping my sister find some happiness."


    Hearing this, Lucy''s eyes welled up with tears. The depth of Anna''s selflessness struck her deeply. Despite her own feelings, Anna prioritized Lucy''s happiness over her own. It was an act of profound generosity that made Lucy feel both sad and grateful.


    Seeing her sister''s tears, Anna stepped forward and wrapped her in aforting hug. The embrace was warm and filled with love, offering sce to Lucy''s troubled heart. Anna''s willingness to put Lucy''s needs above her own was a testament to their strong bond.


    "us makes you happy," Anna said softly as she held Lucy close. "I saw it from the moment you saw his image. Helping you ept those feelings was the least I could do. But remember, someone with us''s fame will have many admirers. Even I haven''t given up yet." Anna''s yful tone broke the tension, adding a touch of humor to the moment.


    "I expect nothing less," Lucy said through her tears, her voice filled with emotion. "Sisters are supposed to share in joy and happiness." She took a deep breath, feeling reassured by her sister''s support.


    Though she knew she wouldn''t be the only one in us''s heart, she was determined to cherish her time with him. For now, being the first to capture his heart was enough for her, and she was ready to strengthen their bond.


    Unbeknownst to the two sisters, just outside the door, a woman stood silently, listening to their heartfelt conversation.


    "That is rather an unexpected twist," she said softly to herself, a smile ying on her lips.


    With a final nce at the scene inside, she slowly faded into the shadows, her presence bing indistinguishable from the darkness.

 Chapter 88: Day of the City Selection Exams

    Days passed in a blur, and before us knew it, the day of the City Selection exams for Celestial Mountain Academy had arrived. In the days leading up to the exams, us had spent most of his time preparing. He had been informed that the exams varied each time, but there was a strong possibility that they would include a written test.


    us was grateful to Nia for the information and dove into studying, eager to absorb whatever knowledge he could find. Lucy, looking for any excuse to spend more time with us, had offered to help him with his studies.


    The white-haired youngster epted her offer without hesitation. Having been teased by Ohema over the past few days about his budding rtionship with Lucy, us decided it would be smart to take her up on her offer to study together. Plus, he couldn''t deny that he enjoyed herpany.


    Ohema had somehow found out about his and Lucy''s time together, and although she teased him relentlessly, us could tell she wasn''t upset. Instead, she seemed to find the whole situation amusing. He did his best to endure her jokes, focusing on preparing for the exams instead.


    us and Lucy spent many hours in the library, where us diligently studied everything he could get his hands on. Lucy was amazed at his ability to retain information after just a single nce at the pages. She was often left speechless as us quickly absorbed books on history, geography, and recent events since the start of the apocalypse. His memory seemed almost photographic.


    After a few days of intense studying, us found himself running out of material to read. So, for thest three days before the exams, he and Lucy decided to take a break from the books and enjoy some time together.


    They explored the city, taking care to disguise themselves to avoid unwanted attention. They spent their days wandering through hidden parks and quiet streets, taking pictures, and even sharing a few kisses when they found themselves alone. It was a blissful time, filled withughter and a sense of connection that only deepened as the days passed.


    But time waits for no one, and soon enough, the day of the City Selection exams arrived. us woke up that morning with a smile on his face. He felt prepared¡ªboth mentally and physically¡ªfor whatever the exam had in store for him. As he stretched and got out of bed, the memories of the past few days flooded his mind, making him feel confident and ready.


    us quickly got dressed and made his way to the kitchen, where his mother had already prepared breakfast.


    "Today''s the big day," she said, cing a te in front of him. "I know you''ll do great, us."


    "Thanks, Mom," us replied, sitting down to eat. "I''m ready for this. I studied everything I could, and I''m feeling good."


    His mother nodded, her expression softening. "You''ve always been smart, us. Just remember to stay calm and trust yourself. No matter what happens, I''m proud of you."


    us smiled and ate his breakfast infortable silence. He felt a calm confidence wash over him. After finishing his meal, he hugged his mother, promising to return with good news.


    After kissing his mother on the cheek, us left the house with a light heart. Kofi, the family''s trusted driver, was already waiting for him outside. The ride to the exam site was quiet.


    As soon as Kofi parked the car and us stepped out, he was greeted by a sight that left him momentarily stunned. Hundreds of thousands of young people were scattered across the vast open space, each one radiating confidence and determination.


    He couldn''t help but smile to himself and shake his head. So many confident faces, and so much eagerness. Yet, us knew the harsh reality of the situation¡ªonly 200 would be selected to join the prestigious Celestial Mountain Academy. The sheer numbers made the whole process feel incredibly cruel. Many dreams would be shattered today.


    us observed the sea of confident faces, scanning the crowd for a bit longer before deciding to shift his attention to his phone. He dialed Anna''s number, knowing she was already there but still sitting in her car, avoiding the chaos. Anna wasn''t the type to dive into a crowd like this; the moment she stepped out, she would undoubtedly be swarmed by onlookers and admirers.


    After a few rings, Anna picked up. "Are you here already?" she asked in a soft voice. us nodded.


    "Yeah, where are you parked?" us asked.


    Anna gave him the details, and without wasting any more time, us headed toward her location. He was wearing the sunsses and the hood that Nadia had made for him, a special outfit designed to help him blend in.


    It wasn''t foolproof, but unless someone looked at him closely, they wouldn''t recognize him. It was a good thing, too¡ªeveryone around was too busy either calming their nerves or psyching themselves up for the exams. No one had time to pay attention to him as he made his way through the crowd. Find stories at NovelFire|le|mp|yr.


    With quick strides, us soon found himself standing next to Anna''s sleek car.


    When he got closer, Henry rolled down the window and offered him a polite smile. "Master us, the young miss is inside," Henry said calmly.


    us returned a small nod, but he couldn''t help narrowing his eyes for a moment, trying to figure out if there was more to Henry''s smile than what it seemed. Letting it go, he opened the car door and stepped inside.


    The interior of the car was cool and quiet, a wee contrast to the chaos outside. Anna was sitting in the back seat, her eyes lighting up the moment us entered. She looked calm andposed, though there was a certain tension in her posture.


    "You''re early," she said, her lips curving into a smile.


    "I could say the same about you," us replied, settling into the seat next to her. He took a deep breath and leaned back. "Nervous?"


    "Not really," Anna said with a small shrug. "I just didn''t want to deal with the crowd yet. How about you?"


    us chuckled softly. "Nah, I''m good. It''s a little crazy out there, though."


    Anna nodded, her gaze shifting out the window for a moment. "Yeah, I figured. It''s always like this during the exams. Too much pressure, too many expectations." She paused, then nced back at him. "Thanks foring."


    us smiled, pulling his hood down slightly. "Of course. I wasn''t going to miss it."


    For a moment, they sat infortable silence, the noise from outside fading into the background. us felt at ease, his usual confidence unwavering despite the challenge ahead. Anna, on the other hand, seemed more pensive than usual, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.


    "So," us said after a beat, breaking the silence, "how do you think it''ll go?"


    Anna sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It''s hard to say. There are a lot of talented people out there. But I''m prepared. I''ve trained for this."


    us nodded. "You''ve got this. Just remember what you''re capable of."


    Anna smiled again, this time with a bit more confidence. "Thanks. I needed that."


    us grinned and looked out the window. "Ready to step out? Or are we staying hidden in here forever?"


    Anna let out a smallugh. "Let''s give it a few more minutes. I''m not quite ready to face the storm yet."


    us nodded in agreement, and they sat together in the quiet car, stealing a few more peaceful moments before diving into the whirlwind that awaited them outside.


    After a while of sitting in the peaceful quiet of the car, us and Anna noticed the movement outside shift. The once scattered crowd began to gather and head toward arge, imposing building that stood wide and tall in the distance. The gates, which had been locked earlier, were now open, signaling that it was time for everyone to head inside.


    us and Anna exchanged a quick nod, their silent understanding clear. It was time. us reached for the door handle, ncing over at Anna as she did the same.


    "Ready?" he asked, his voice steady.


    "As I''ll ever be," Anna replied with a small smile, her confidence returning.


    They both stepped out of the car, and luck was on their side. With the crowd so focused on hurrying toward the building, no one paid attention to the pair emerging from the sleek vehicle.


    Everyone was too busy making their way inside, their minds on the uing exams. us and Anna held hands and slipped seamlessly into the flow of people, unnoticed and undisturbed.


    They headed toward the building, which looked to be over a hundred floors tall andrge enough to hold hundreds of thousands of people.


    After passing through the gate, they arrived at the base of the building. From the outside, it was clear that this was an assembly hall, and everyone was heading inside.


    us and Anna followed the crowd. Soon, they were all inside.


    "Wee to the City Selection exams for Celestial Mountain Academy. The exams will begin soon, but first, I will exin the structure and the rules," a voice announced. A holographic projection of a beautiful woman appeared as the voice spoke.

 Chapter 89: The Structure and Rules

    The moment the voice echoed across the hall, everyone fell silent. All eyes locked onto the holographic projection of thedy. They knew the trial that could shape their future was about to begin, so no one made a sound.


    us and Anna, standing somewhere near the back, focused their attention on her as well. Thedy in the projection nced around the room sternly before she began to speak.


    "You are all here because you are considered the best this city has to offer," she said, her tone firm. "You recently awakened and began your journey on the path of cultivation¡ªthe chaotic path of strength and endurance. Well, some of you."


    Though her face remained neutral, her words showed subtle disdain. us noticed it, and so did others.


    It was no secret why she spoke this way. Cultivation was hard enough, but it became even harder for those without a strong background. It was well known that those who hunted higher-tier monsters after awakening gained far more power than those who leveled up by facing lower-tier creatures.


    us was one of the many without backing, unaware of the advantages that came from fighting stronger monsters early on. Had he continued down that path, his potential would have been limited.


    Thedy seemed to be pointing out that while some were here on their own merit, others were here solely because of their family''s influence.


    "Some of you will fail," thedy continued, her voice cold. "Not because youck potential, but because you do not have what it takes to im one of the few spots avable. I won''t sugarcoat it. Some of you are only standing here because of your families. But let me make this clear¡ªyour family name means nothing in these exams.


    Even if you are the child of an overlord, if you do not meet the standards, you will fail."


    Her words are like a sharp thorn in their side. However, nobody uttered a single word. They all know what she said was the truth. No matter what they think, what she said is indeed true. Many will wash out, and they will probably be the greenhouse flowers pampered by their families.


    "Now, let''s talk about the structure of the exams," thedy said, drawing everyone''s full attention once again. "There will only be one exam this time."


    As soon as she said that, murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. Confusion flickered across the faces of the young participants.


    "What does this mean, senior?" a youngdy bravely asked, her voice filled with curiosity and concern. The hall grew quiet as everyone waited for an exnation.


    The participants were well aware that, in the past, there were three distinct exams. The first exam was written, focusing on history, monsters'' anatomy, and the cultivation path. This part of the exam was why many attended school before awakening. It required deep knowledge and sharp intellect, testing their understanding of the world and their future as cultivators.


    The second exam was a test of strength and endurance. Here, candidates were put through rigorous challenges to measure their power. This test could vary greatly from year to year. Sometimes, it would focus on mental endurance, pushing participants to reach their limits of patience and focus.


    The third exam wasbat. Participants would face off against monsters in a controlled environment. This test evaluated their reaction speed,bat techniques, mastery over their weapons, and their ability to maintain control over the battlefield. It was a critical test for those seeking to prove their warriors'' worth.


    But now, with only one exam mentioned, uncertainty filled the room. What kind of test could rece all three?


    "As I mentioned earlier, there will only be one exam," thedy continued. "However, this single exam will include all the elements of the previous exams. Yes, you will still be tested on your knowledge, strength, endurance, andbat abilities. But unlike before, where these tests were separated, they will now bebined."


    She paused, watching the crowd as her words began to sink in. Then, with a small, dramatic smile, she added, "This year''s exam will take ce inside the Oracle."


    The room erupted in gasps of shock. Murmurs spread like wildfire as everyone tried toprehend what they had just heard. The Oracle was something most people only heard about in rumors, and the thought of using it for their exams was overwhelming for many.


    Except for us. He simply stood there, clueless about what the Oracle even was.


    Anna, noticing his confusion, leaned over and whispered an exnation. "The Oracle is a virtual reality world. Fifteen years ago, an engineer, a programmer, and an artisan¡ªwho were supposedly college roommates before the apocalypse¡ªstarted working on it. They wanted to create a world where people could enter and interact with others in a fully immersive virtual reality."


    us nodded, trying to process what she was saying.


    "They achieved their goal five years ago," she continued, "but it wasn''t released to the public. it was only essible to the military and certain security organizations for testing. People kept hearing about it, but most had never experienced it themselves."


    Anna lowered her voice. "In the Oracle, everything feels real. It has a 100% immersive experience that replicates your cultivation base, talents, and abilities. You can use your strength and skills just like you would in the real world. And even better¡ªdeath in the Oracle is temporary. You respawn after you die."


    us''s eyes widened as he absorbed this new information. It was incredible. A world where death wasn''t permanent, where they could fight and train without risking their lives. The Oracle sounded like something out of a dream.


    Anna smiled at him. "A lot of people have been waiting to try it, but since it''s not avable to the public yet, they''ve had to be patient. But now, we get to use it for our exams."


    us nodded, finally understanding what the Oracle was. The idea of entering a virtual world where everything felt real was both exciting and a bit scary.


    .


    "The test will work like this," thedy''s voice continued, clear and precise. "You will face different breeds of monsters. Each will have a unique anatomy, so you''ll need great knowledge to figure out their weaknesses and how to kill them. Some monsters will be familiar, but many will be new to you."


    She paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in.


    "These monsters will challenge your knowledge andbat skills, strength, and endurance. Each monster possesses different abilities. Some may be fast, others incredibly strong, and some will have special powers. You must be ready for anything."


    us listened carefully, picturing what was ahead.


    "To seed," thedy continued, "you will need more than brute force. You will need strategy and sharp instincts. Pay attention to every detail because a single mistake could mean failure."


    "The Oracle will simte these monsters withplete realism," thedy added. "Their attacks will feel real, their strength will feel real, and so will the pain they inflict. Remember, this is your chance to show what you''re truly capable of."


    "And before you think you can use a battle of attrition to study your opponent," thedy said with a smirk, "know this: you will be facing waves of monsters. These waves will start from Tier 2 Lesser to Dark. After each wave, the tier of the monsters will increase, bing more powerful and dangerous."


    She continued, her tone more serious. "While you can take your time to defeat them, which will earn you the same points as someone who kills them faster, there''s a catch. If you manage to defeat the monsters quicker, the remaining time before the next wave will multiply the points you earn."


    The hall waspletely silent now as everyone absorbed this new information.


    "For example," she exined, "if you''re required to clear the first wave within 5 minutes but you do it in 3 minutes, the remaining 2 minutes will multiply your points. The faster you are, the greater your advantage."


    us clenched his fists. Every second counted. us felt a wave of relief when someone asked the question that had been on his mind as well.


    "Senior, can undistributed points be allocated while in the Oracle?"


    "Yes, you can," thedy answered calmly.


    us felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He still had most of his points unallocated, and he knew he would need them soon. Though, he chuckled inwardly. He had already cleared out an entire region of monsters before; this should be no different. Or so he told himself.


    Thedy continued, "Also, for those who won''t make it into the top 200 selected ones, know that your trial video will be made public. This means your performance could still gain recognition, and you might attract attention from other academies. So, even if you don''t seed here, your chances are not entirely gone."


    us could hear the sighs of relief around him. It was clear that not everyone expected to be in the top 200, but knowing that their effort wouldn''t be wasted gave them hope.


    "Now," thedy''s voice continued, "you will all be transported to your test areas. Prepare yourselves to enter the Oracle and start your trial."


    Immediately after her words ended, countless doors opened along the walls. "Enter one by one," she instructed. People began walking through the doors without wasting time, and soon, the hall started to clear out.


    Anna turned to us, giving him a nod and a smile. "Good luck," she said as she headed toward one of the doors.


    "Same to you," us replied with a smile as he approached a different door.


    As us stepped through, he found himself inside a small, futuristic room. In front of him was a sleek, bedlike chair, and beside it, a helmet that looked like something out of a video game.


    "Sit inside the chair and put on the helmet," a calm voice instructed him.


    Taking a deep breath, us did as he was told. Immediately, he put on the helmet, his vision darkened.

 Chapter 90: The Test Begins [Bonus]

    "Where am I?" us muttered as he appeared in a dark space after putting on the helmet. His vision had gone ck the moment the helmet was secured, and now he found himself in total darkness.


    Suddenly, a symbol of two circles¡ªone inside the other¡ªappeared before him. A mechanical voice, almost lifelike, echoed through the space. "Wee to Oracle."


    Without warning, us''s surroundings began to shift.


    "You are now in the test area for the Celestial Mountain Academy City Selection exams," the voice continued. "The test will begin shortly, but first, you must choose your weapon."


    A list of weapons appeared in front of us, allowing him to scroll through and pick his preferred choice. He didn''t hesitate¡ªhe selected a long sword, one almost identical to the one he used in the real world.


    NovelFire|mp-yr chapter


    As he gripped the sword, us was surprised by how real it felt. The weight, the bnce¡ªit was just like the sword he held outside of this virtual space. His hand tightened around the hilt, and to his amazement, he felt his star qi flowing through him, just as it did in reality. This both thrilled and puzzled him.


    Does this mean the system can detect other energies besides Spiritual Qi? us wondered, feeling a surge of concern. He wasn''t ready for this secret to be exposed just yet. But with no way to confirm his suspicion, he pushed the thought aside and steadied himself for the trial ahead.


    "Remember," the mechanical voice chimed in, "if you fail to clear a wave before time runs out, you will be disqualified."


    The scene around us shifted once again. His vision darkened for a split second before he was transported to a new area.


    us now stood on a massive field stretching for kilometers in both directions. There were no trees, only a wide expanse of green grass dotted with patches of sand.


    "The trial starts in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."


    As soon as the countdown reached zero, the ground beneath him began to tremble. He gripped his sword tighter, his senses spreading out across the battlefield.


    "Diamond Scale Lizards," us muttered, narrowing his eyes as he recognized the iing threat. The first wave of monsters consisted of Diamond Scale Lizards, a type of lizard known for its tough, nearly imprable scales.


    "So this is a test of strength and knowledge," he said with a smirk, feeling the approaching horde of monsters. Despite their hard scales, us knew their weakness. Anyone who studied them would know¡ªthey had low resistance to ice. Their scales, as tough as they were, could be easily exploited with the right strategy.


    us steadied himself as the lizards drew closer, ready to exploit their weakness and prove his strength in the trial.


    It was like water and fire¡ªone meant to destroy the other. us, who thankfully knew all about these monsters, stood calmly as they emerged on the horizon. His eyes followed their movement as they drew closer. Once they were within a 1-kilometer radius, the mechanical voice echoed again, apanied by a timer that appeared in the sky.


    "You have 10 minutes to clear this wave. Failure to do so will result in disqualification."


    us smiled, his confidence growing. He watched the Diamond Scale Lizards advance, patiently waiting for them to reach range. He had a n, and he knew their weakness well. This was his chance to strike.


    us stood perfectly still as the Diamond Scale Lizards charged toward him. He watched them close the distance¡ª500 meters... 400 meters... 300 meters. His focus remained steady, his body calm. He didn''t move an inch as the monsters neared, closing in on a 100-meter radius around him.


    To an outsider, it looked like us waspletely ignoring the threat. But he was far from careless. In his mind, he was calcting, and analyzing the situation. He knew the area of effect for his next move covered a range of about 3 kilometers, but he intended to narrow it down to a 200-meter radius for maximum impact.


    He waited patiently for the right moment, letting the 300 lizards, each one about 3 meters long, inch closer to his kill zone. His breath was steady, his eyes locked on the nearest lizard. The moment the first lizard stepped into a 50-meter radius, us made his move.


    His sword began to hum with power as he channeled his ice essence and star qi into the de. The air around him grew cold, a mist forming. us''s gaze remained sharp, calcting the monsters'' slow but steady advance. Though their scales were tough, their speed was no match for his agility.


    With a slight grin, us raised his sword and then drove it into the ground with a sharp motion. The moment the de pierced the earth, a wave of ice spread out from the point of impact. The ground within a 2-kilometer radius instantly froze solid, forming a shimmeringyer of ice that expanded rapidly in all directions. The 400-meter radius was rather denser with chilling ice.


    The charging lizards had no chance. One by one, they were caught in the icy st, their bodies frozen solid in mid-motion. Not a single one managed to escape. Within moments, all 300 monsters werepletely encased in ice, immobilized in their tracks.


    us stood there for a moment, admiring the frozen battlefield. Then, with a confident smirk, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.


    At the sound of the snap, the ice shattered instantly, breaking into countless shards. The frozen lizards crumbled along with it, their bodies disintegrating into nothing more than icy fragments scattered across the field. The entire wave of monsters was gone¡ªdefeated in a mere 15 seconds.


    us took a deep breath, his energy still pulsing through him. He smiled to himself, satisfied with the result. The first wave had been wiped out, and he hadn''t even broken a sweat. This was only the beginning, but us felt ready for whatever came next.


    -


    -


    -


    In arge room filled with glowing screens, a group of powerful figures sat observing the progress of thousands of participants in the Celestial Mountain Academy Selection exams. Among them was thedy who had made the initial announcement. She kept her eyes on the screens, her expression neutral, until something caught her attention. One of the screens shimmered blue, signaling something unusual.


    "Zoom in on that one," she said quickly.


    The projection erged, revealing a cleared battlefield with shattered ice and no signs of monsters left. Thedy''s eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Someone has already cleared the first wave."


    The others in the room turned their heads toward the screen, murmuring in shock. One man, dressed in a dark robe, leaned forward with a look of disbelief.


    "It''s him. The kid who made it onto the Union chart," he said. His voice carried surprise, but his eyes held something deeper¡ªan unreadable expression.


    Thedy nodded, her lips curving into a slight smile. "So, the rumors were true," she mused softly. "He really does have the ability to make it onto the charts."


    Her smile caught the attention of some of the others in the room. A few nced at her, intrigued by her reaction, but none dared to ask what was on her mind. Instead, they turned their attention back to the screens as the projections continued to shift.


    "Another one has cleared the first wave!" a man called out. He pointed to a different screen, where the battlefield was filled with frozen lizards, their bodies transformed into intricate ice sculptures. At the center of the icy scene stood a young woman, her staff glowing with power.


    "That''s Anna Ross," one woman in the corner said. "She''s the sister of the Vine Queen, Lucy Ross."


    "They both awakened the ice element," another person added, clearly impressed. "Such a powerful element... It runs in their blood."


    Thedy who had been smiling earlier watched Anna''s screen for a moment longer before returning her gaze to the first boy''s screen. "Interesting," she muttered to herself, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Very interesting. I guess mying here won''t be wasted"


    Shortly after, some more screens started shimmering, indicating some more people had cleared the first wave.


    -


    -


    -


    In the virtual world, us found himself in a dense forest. The trees intertwined overhead, forming thick canopies that blocked out most of the light. The air felt heavy, almost oppressive, and something about the ce felt off. us couldn''t quite figure out what was wrong, but his senses told him to stay alert.


    Momentster, his instincts kicked in. He picked up the faint sound of movement¡ªscurrying, skittering. He smirked as he recognized the new threat.


    "Annoying Clingy Spider Monkeys," he muttered. He had read about these creatures. They were fast and aggressive, with six spidery legs that clung to their prey. If they managed totch on, they would tear off patches of flesh before you could shake them off.


    us quickly readied his sword, knowing the danger he faced. But just as he prepared to strike, a thought crossed his mind. He nced around at the towering trees and the dense canopy above. A n began to form.


    "Trees hold water," he mused to himself, "and water is a natural conductor." He nced up at thework of tree branches, already envisioning his next move. "This ce is perfect for creating a dome of ice."


    With a grin, us walked over to one of the trees and ced his palm against the rough bark. He felt the water within the tree, the life essence running through its roots and branches. The spider monkeys, known for their strong grip but weaker bodies, were already closing in on him.


    "Freeze," us whispered, channeling his energy through the tree.


    Instantly, a wave of ice surged out from his hand, spreading rapidly through thework of trees. The ice raced up the trunks, along the branches, and across the canopies, freezing everything connected to the trees. The spider monkeys, still clinging to the branches, were caught in the surge.


    In less than a second, they were frozen solid¡ªtrapped mid-leap in perfect ice sculptures. us watched the frozen monkeys with a smile and then snapped, making them shatter into pieces, unable to withstand the cold.


    He smiled to himself. Another wave of monsters was defeated in mere seconds. "Too easy," he muttered, his ego inting.

 Chapter 91: A Little Too Easy

    us cleared the first wave in just 15 seconds. The monsters were slow, and he didn''t want to risk his life by rushing to meet them. Although 15 seconds was impressive, it wasn''t unheard of, considering this was only the first wave and the monsters were Tier 2, ranging from Lesser to Dark ss.


    What truly shocked everyone was that us cleared the second wave, made up of Tier 3 monsters, in less than 10 seconds. That was astonishing, and the disbelief was clear on the faces of everyone in the room.


    "This trial was designed to test reaction speed and spell-casting speed," thedy said, watching the screen showing us''s performance.


    The trial indeed aimed to measure reaction speed. The Annoying Clingy Spider Monkeys were fast but weak, making them perfect for testing speed and reflexes test. However, us not only passed the trial, but he also did it in a way that rendered the test almost meaningless.


    "Wait, how does he have so much ice essence? The area was about 2 square kilometers. How did he manage to freeze everything with just a touch?" someone else asked.


    The room fell silent. They couldn''t quite grasp what had just happened. Suddenly, another screen beeped, drawing their attention to Anna''s projection.


    She stood there, radiating ice qi that seemed toe from deep within her. Unlike us, who used clever tactics to clear the trial, Anna took a different approach by creating an environment she could control.


    First, she transformed her water element into ice vapor, filling the forest with an icy mist. Then, she pinpointed the spider monkeys'' locations and movements using the mist. All that was left was forming ice shards, a skill she had mastered quite well. It took her just over two minutes to kill all the monsters.


    In the past few weeks, Anna had grown significantly stronger. Although her clearing speed was slower than us''s, she demonstrated her deep understanding of the trial. The rules required them to clear the trial within a certain time, and both of them met that expectation.


    Although us''s method was unruly, it wasn''t frowned upon either. The trial was about killing monsters, and in the field, us is an overlord.


    After ten minutes, many started washing out. Although the Monsters in the second wave are weaker than most Tier 3 monsters, they are just too annoying. Fighting them requires great reflexes. However, that is easier said than done.


    Many failed to clear it within 10 minutes so they were disqualified. Others also died. The Annoying Clingy Monkeys are just too fast and annoying when theytch onto you.


    By the end of the ten minutes, only 8500 out of 102,900 people made it to the third wave. It was a huge washout, but one that is necessary to narrow things down.


    -


    -


    -


    Back inside the virtual world, us stood in a field of dried grasses. He could smell the scent of dry leaves. This made him give a thumbs-up to the creators of the virtual world. It''s indeed 100% immersion like Anna said.


    Suddenly, the third wave of monsters came into view. "Deserted Field Rat Vipers." us immediately recognized them. They areTier 4 monsters, each towering between 2 and 4 meters tall. us narrowed his eyes looking at the monster''s approach.


    The Deserted Field Rat Vipers are a special kind of rat monsters that attack with their tails. As their name suggests, their tails are long and poisonous, simr to viper snakes. A single stab from these tails could weaken even a Saint.


    Each Viper was fierce, radiating dense poisonous energy.


    "Sorry, Fe, this big bro won''t be fighting you head-on today," us said, holding a small lotus flower in his hands.


    He made the flower spin until it was the size of a basketball and then tossed it at the approaching monsters. When the lotus flower reached the group''s center, us whispered, "Explode."


    The flower stopped spinning and exploded, freezing everything within a 3-kilometer radius. us, who was inside the area, felt the ice-cold shockwave on his skin and smiled. "No wonder the heavens tried to stop me before I could name this skill. It''s monstrous." He smiled.


    "Too simple," us muttered as he looked over the field of frozen rats. Just like that, he cleared the third wave in under 8 seconds, setting yet another record.


    -


    -


    -


    "How is this possible?" The people in the room stared at us''s projection with stunned expressions. First, he cleared the first wave in just 15 seconds, which was impressive but expected, considering the monsters were only Tier 2.


    Then he surpassed expectations by clearing the second wave of Tier 3 monsters in under ten seconds. Although this went beyond the trial''s intended challenge, raw strength could be epted.


    However, the third wave was what truly astonished them. Tier 4 monsters, ranging from Lesser to Dark, were wiped out in under 8 seconds. This was extraordinary for someone at us''s level. Killing Tier 2 monsters was one thing, but for an Ascended to defeat Tier 4 monsters as if they were nothing was incredible.


    "It''s like he wasn''t even trying. Is the trial really that easy?" Thedy wondered, but then noticed the screens turning red, indicating that other contestants had died. She immediately dismissed that thought. They are all Ascended but us is just too abnormal.


    "This kid is too monstrous,"mented a woman in the corner, her slight smile showing both amazement and disbelief.


    "Isn''t the purpose of this trial to find extraordinary individuals? And now we''ve found a true monster,"


    Just as everyone was reeling from us''s performance, a voice cut through the room. A beautifuldy, radiating authority and confidence, entered.


    "War Goddess," everyone said in unison, standing up as she entered. She waved for them to sit, focusing on us''s projection.


    The War Goddess stood at the front of the room, her proud smile reflecting her satisfaction. ''As expected, my little brother is indeed impressive,'' she thought to herself as she watched us''s projection.


    Suddenly, another screen beeped, and Anna''s image appeared. She was breathing heavily but stood tall and confident. She was the second to clear the third wave after us.


    Although she managed to clear it within 3 minutes, it wasn''t bad at all. If anything, it''s the true definition of how extraordinary she is. She cleared it faster than one might think. But then again, if you size her against us, she is stillcking.


    A voice from the crowd of people in the room watching the trial spoke, "War Goddess, that is Anna Ross. Her control over the ice and water element is impressive."


    The War Goddess nodded, her gaze still fixed on the screen. "Yes, I see that. Her control is indeed noteworthy."


    The people in the room murmured in agreement. Anna''s performance was impressive, and her mastery of her elements was clear.


    "Three years ago, her sister Lucy was the top performer in the City and Regional selection. It seems her little sister is following in her footsteps. But it''s unfortunate she''s in the same trial as that monster," thedymented, ncing at us. The others nodded in agreement.


    Anna had demonstrated impressive control over her Ice and Water elements, earning respect from those watching. Despite this, us''s performance had overshadowed hers, making it difficult for Anna''s achievements to shine through fully. Nevertheless, her potential was clear.


    Anna remained confident and resolute, showing no sign of discouragement. Herposure wasmendable, and the War Goddess, observing from the front, nodded in approval. She was indeed impressed with Anna''s performance.


    After ten minutes, only 904 contestants had advanced to the fourth wave. The rest either didn''t survive the ten minutes or failed to clear the trial within the time limit.


    "The fourth wave will determine who will advance to the top 200," thedy announced. The room buzzed with anticipation as everyone watched who would be making it to the top 200.


    When us entered the fourth wave zone, he was taken aback. He found himself in a vast field filled with mirrors. His surroundings were a maze of reflective surfaces. Each mirror perfectly replicated his every move, creating countless reflections of himself.


    "The fourth wave is on the other side of the mirror maze. Navigate through it and clear the wave of monsters before the ten minutes reach." The mechanic''s voice said, making us understand what to do.


    us observed the mirrors closely. Every slight movement, every twitch, was mirrored perfectly. The reflections multiplied his image, making it difficult to distinguish the real us from the countless illusions.


    He took a deep breath and focused. He knew this challenge would test his perception and reaction time. The mirrors were not just a visual obstacle; they could also be used to confuse and mislead him.


    He moved cautiously, watching each reflection for any hint of movement or change. He tested the mirrors with small actions, like shifting his weight and adjusting his stance. Each mirror replicated these actions wlessly.


    us realized that the real challenge was navigating the mirrors and understanding how they might be used against him. He had to stay alert and avoid being misled by the illusions.


    He tried a few different strategies, such as sudden movements and quick changes in direction. Each time, the mirrors reflected his actions precisely, but they didn''t provide any new insights.


    As us continued, he noticed a pattern in the reflections. Some mirrors seemed to distort slightly, indicating that they might be hiding something. He decided to focus on these mirrors, hoping they might reveal a clue about the actual path forward.


    He moved toward the distorted mirrors, carefully avoiding any sudden or unnecessary movements. The more he focused on these mirrors, the clearer the pattern became.


    us found a series of mirrors that didn''t perfectly reflect his movements. They showed a slight dy or distortion. He realized these might be the key to finding the correct path through the maze.


    With renewed determination, us followed the path indicated by the distorted reflections. He navigated carefully, using his observations to guide him.


    As he progressed, he encountered fewer and fewer mirrors with distortions. This indicated that he was getting closer to the solution.


    Eventually, us reached the end of the mirror maze. A single, clear mirror marked the exit without any distortions. He stepped through it.


    Immediately, he appeared on the other side; us was greeted by a scene that made him smile.

 Chapter 92: Beheading

    Immediately after walking through the mirror door, us stood in a wide green field. In front of him stood a hundred Tier 5 zombies, all of them Zombie Captains. us was surprised by this unexpected sight.


    "Well, this is a surprise," us muttered, narrowing his eyes. His first encounter with Zombie Captains had been at Tier 3. The second time, they were at Tier 4. Now, he was facing Tier 5. Clearly, there was a lot more for him to learn about zombies.


    The Zombie Kingdom was vast, filled with all kinds of zombies. The ones in front of him were just the ordinary type. us had already encountered white zombies and even a mutated one before.


    These ordinary zombies weren''t the real threat¡ªhe hadn''t yet faced the true horrors of the undead. But us wasn''t afraid, not in the slightest. In fact, he was eager for a quick fight.


    us had trust issues, especially with the Oracle system. Although he could update his status with his undistributed points, he didn''t trust Oracle enough to do it on the inside. He knew that opening his status could alert the owners of Oracle. So, before entering, he distributed his points to his attributes.


    He added 300 points each to Strength, Agility, Defense, and Stamina. He added 200 to Intelligence and 500 to Health, using up all his saved points. Now, he was several times stronger than before.


    As he gazed at the approaching zombies, all hundred of them charging toward him, us smiled slightly, considering how to handle them. In his previous trials, he had used his ice element to deal with monsters. Now, he was deciding whether to continue with the same approach or try something different.


    "That would definitely look good on my resume," us muttered, narrowing his eyes at the advancing horde. He smirked and then dashed forward, closing the distance between himself and the zombies in an instant.


    His sword swung forward, and a head flew into the air. The first zombie was beheaded, its body dissipating into sparks of illusion-like runes. us didn''t stop there. He moved swiftly, ducking under a bone sword before beheading the second zombie.


    "I''ll take my time and perfect this move," us thought to himself. He just realized he could use the trial to create a technique. A rather peculiar one but a fun one, kinda. He loves the idea of beheading, so he wants to create a technique called Beheading.


    While others fought desperately to be among the first two hundred within the ten-minute mark, us is using the time to refine a technique he nned to master to the highest level. The technique was simple: Beheading. It involved ignoring all defenses to deliver a fatal blow by decapitating the opponent.


    us moved swiftly between the zombies, his sword cutting through the air with precision. Each swing was controlled and calcted. Another head flew off, vanishing into glowing sparks. He felt the satisfaction of the strike but knew he could do better. His movements needed to be faster and smoother.


    "Not quite there yet," us muttered as he sidestepped a zombie''s heavy strike, the bone sword barely missing him. He countered with a swift sh, beheading the creature cleanly.


    He moved on to the next zombie without pause. His goal wasn''t just to kill them¡ªit was to perfect his technique. He wanted his beheading strikes to be wless, with no wasted energy and no hesitation. The zombies were just tools for his training, and he would use every moment to sharpen his skill.


    us ducked under another attack, pivoted on his heel, and swung his sword. His de met resistance for a brief second before slicing cleanly through the zombie''s neck. The head rolled to the ground before turning into sparks.


    "Closer," he murmured. He could feel it¡ªeach strike was bing more natural, more efficient. But he wasn''t there yet. He wanted to reach the point where beheading was second nature, as easy as breathing.


    Another zombie lunged at him, but us didn''t even flinch. He stepped aside and, in one smooth motion, decapitated it. He barely had to think about it anymore. His body was beginning to move on its own, following the rhythm of the fight.


    "Getting better," he said with a small smile. He could feel the technique bing more ingrained in his movements. His strikes were faster, his aim more precise. Every swing of his sword felt more natural, more powerful.


    -


    -


    Outside the trial, the War Goddess and the others stared at the screen in disbelief. What was us doing? The white-haired youngster seemed unfazed as he moved through the horde of zombies. While his fellow participants on other screens were washing out one after another, us continued beheading the Tier 5 zombies as if they were nothing more than stationary targets.


    No one could keep up with him. Even us himself felt a hint of regret for using all his points before entering the trial. He hadn''t even tapped into half of his true strength, yet he was cutting through Tier 5 zombies like they were mere insects.


    "How is this possible? Just how?" someone asked, unable to contain their astonishment.


    "It''s like he''s not even aware of the zombies around him," thedy who made the earlier announcement murmured, still trying to grasp what was unfolding before her eyes.


    "Why should he be?" the War Goddess said with a cool, indifferent tone. "In the face of absolute strength, all strategies be useless." Unlike the others, who were stunned by the disy, she wore a small, proud smile.


    More zombies came at him, but us was in his element now. His sword moved almost on instinct, cutting through the air and meeting its target each time. Heads flew, and the zombies fell. He was no longer just practicing¡ªhe was mastering.


    us ducked low, spinning as he swept his sword across another zombie''s neck. The head flew off, and he was already moving to the next one before the sparks faded. Each strike was perfect, each motion fluid.


    "I can feel it now; the beheading is bing more refined now," us said, his voice low but confident. He was beginning to feel the true mastery of the technique. He was feeling it. He has already killed dozens so his understanding is expanding now.


    He dodged another attack effortlessly, his sword cutting cleanly through another neck. The zombie fell, disappearing into runes, and us didn''t miss a beat as he turned to face the next one.


    The more zombies he fought, the more his technique improved. He had to adjust to their varying movements and attacks, but he refined his beheading strike a little more each time he did. He was learning from every battle, every swing of his sword.


    "It will take some time to master it, but I will make it happen," us said under his breath, slicing through another zombie. His focus was absolute now. He didn''t care about the time or the number of zombies left. His only goal was to perfect this technique.


    As another zombie came at him, us didn''t hesitate. His sword shed, and the zombie''s head was immediately separated from its body.


    With each kill, us felt his mastery growing. His movements became faster, smoother, deadlier. He didn''t need to think about his strikes anymore¡ªthey came naturally. He was finally reaching the level he wanted.


    By the time he had cut down thest zombie, us felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Although he can''t say the beheading skill is near perfect mastery, he can tell it''s improving by the second.


    The Zombies stood no chance against his beheading skill, which he was eagerly sharpening.


    "Four minutes, thirty seconds, huh?" us murmured, gripping his sword as he surveyed the empty space where the zombies had once been. He had cleared the fifth wave faster than he''d expected.


    "I still need a lot more refinement to master this skill truly," he said, reflecting on his technique. "Once that''s done, I can start improving it." While over 500 people had already washed out falling to the Zombie Captains, us stood there calmly, analyzing his progress.


    "If I get the chance, I''ll give the creators of this world some pointers on its ws," us thought, noting certain limitations in the trials. He knew that the oue could have been very different if these trials had been held in the real world. But then again, these limitations worked in his favor.


    He knew that only the smart ones would realize this was a virtual world. In reality, things wouldn''t be this straightforward. The unpredictability of a real battle could change everything. Yet here, in this controlled environment, us was thriving, using the very ws of the world to sharpen himself further.


    "Not that I''mining," he smirked, confident that this was all just a stepping stone to something greater.


    After ten minutes, 330 people had advanced to the next wave. us remained in first ce, with Anna following closely in second. What shocked everyone was how Anna had unleashed a different side of herself during the fourth wave¡ªa side thatmanded great respect. It became clear she had been holding back, waiting for the right moment to reveal her true strength.


    She wasn''t the only one. Others had also demonstrated remarkable skill during that wave, pushing themselves to their limits. But despite their efforts, over 200 participants still remained, and the trial was far from over.


    When the fifth wave arrived, the sight of it made many shudder in fear. Three hundred Tier 5 White Zombie Captains appeared before them, their imposing presence sending a chill through the ranks.


    But while others trembled, us was ted. ''Hehe, Tier 5 White Zombie Captains, and there are 300 of them,'' he thought, a grin spreading across his face. This was exactly what he had been waiting for. To him, this was no threat¡ªit was an opportunity. He was on cloud nine, ready to push his beheading skill to the next level.

 Chapter 93: The Art Of Beheading

    On one side of the battle in the virtual world, Anna stood before a horde of zombies, each towering over her with their imposing height and twisted features. Oddly enough, some of them were almost handsome for zombies, though their fiery red eyes and evil gleam ruined the effect.


    Anna remained still, gripping her staff, her expression calm andposed¡ªcontrary to what anyone might have expected in such a dire situation. She wasn''t rattled; she was calcting. The white zombies were known for their unnatural speed and ferocity, but she held her ground, refusing to show any weakness.


    ''They''reing,'' she thought, gripping her staff more tightly. She watched the white zombies close in, her icyposure unwavering. As a mage with water and ice elements at hermand, she had learned to adopt a chilling calm in the face of danger.


    She wasn''t like her sister, Lucy, who instead of water has the wood element. Lucy had both ice and wood and with her abilities, she could easily trap zombies in vines and subdue them with ice before they even got close. Her control over the battlefield was immense.


    But Anna was different. She had water and ice¡ªan element of control and one of offense. While wood was also an excellent control element with powerful offensive capabilities, Anna''s water element offered more subtle control. She could manipte the flow of battle, but her offensive power came from her ice. This required careful timing, which is why she waited for the right moment to strike.


    As the zombies got within 400 meters of her, Anna raised her staff and began to chant her spell.


    "Water, earth¡ªsoil uprising, water mixing."


    The ground within a 700-meter radius around her began to shift and soften. The once-hard earth was now turning into squishy, unstable mud. The advancing zombies felt their movements slow, their feet sinking into the soft ground.


    Because they are monsters that thrive on speed, getting the ground all soft and muddy was the perfect counter. Unless, of course, they could fly, which unfortunately in this situation -no.


    Anna smiled slightly. The trap was set.


    As the ground softened, the white zombies stumbled. Their quick advance was halted, their speed useless against the earth turning to sludge beneath them. Anna watched carefully, her eyes focused. She had them exactly where she wanted them.


    One zombie, taller than the others, snarled and tried to push forward. It took a heavy step, but its foot sank deep into the mud. It struggled, pulling hard to free itself, but the more it moved, the deeper it sank.


    Anna waved her staff again. "Ice chain," she whispered.


    Immediately, the mud around the zombie hardened into thick ice, locking it in ce. The zombie roared in frustration, but there was no escaping now.


    Other zombies saw what had happened and hesitated. But they had no choice; the ground was shifting everywhere. They couldn''t retreat. Anna took a deep breath, feeling the flow of her magic coursing through her body. She was in control. She liked that feeling.


    Another zombie charged at her, using sheer force to break through the mud. Anna narrowed her eyes. She lifted her staff, and a spike of ice shot from the ground, piercing the zombie through its chest. It froze in ce, still trying to push forward, but its movements slowed as the ice spread through its body.


    Anna moved quickly. She wasn''t going to let them overwhelm her. She raised her staff again and called upon more ice. This time, sharp icicles burst from the ground in rapid session, stabbing through the legs of several zombies and stopping them in their tracks.


    They were stuck. They were vulnerable. And Anna was ready to finish them off.


    She took a step forward, confident now. Her control over the battlefield was absolute. She spun her staff in a quick motion and created a wave of freezing water that crashed into the zombies. The water clung to them, turning to ice, freezing their movements even more.


    One by one, they frozepletely. Statues of ice scattered across the field. Anna''s lips curled into a slight smile. She wasn''t done yet.


    With a swift motion, she shattered the ice with a burst of magic, breaking the frozen zombies into pieces. Their bodies crumbled into nothing, leaving only shards of ice behind.


    The few remaining zombies struggled desperately, trying to break free from the icy prison. Anna watched them for a moment. She could feel the exhaustion creeping into her limbs, but she couldn''t stop. Not yet.


    She raised her staff onest time. "Blizzard," she whispered.


    A cold wind whipped across the field. Snow and ice swirled in the air, gathering speed as they circled around her. The storm grew stronger, encasing the remaining zombies in a violent whirlwind of freezing cold.


    Anna closed her eyes for a second, feeling the power of the blizzard surrounding her. When she opened them again, she saw thest of the zombies frozen solid, encased in thick ice. She breathed out slowly, her breath visible in the cold air.


    She lowered her staff, satisfied. The field was silent now. Nothing but frozen statues remained. Shortly, they dissipated, indicating that she had won. However, exhaustion could be seen on her face -she is beyond exhausted.


    Inside the room, the observers were left speechless. No one had expected this. Anna hadn''t just won¡ªshe had annihted the zombies with absolute precision and control.


    Everyone thought she would struggle, but to their surprise, she Annihted the Zombies in under three minutes. That is just too much for someone who isn''t us.


    "She is great. With her control and the way shemanded the battlefield, she is a natural-born leader, One that can control the flow of battle" one of the onlookers said with admiration. "She''s even better than her sister in this aspect."


    "True," another agreed. "Such controles naturally to water cultivators, but hers is impable."


    The War Goddess, who had been watching Anna''s performance, smiled slightly. Then her smile grew wider as she shifted her gaze from us to Anna and back again. "Perfect," she muttered softly, a hint of satisfaction in her voice.


    But the announcementdy looked more concerned. "She won''t be able to hold on for long, though," she said with a thoughtful expression. "Her essence is thinning¡ªshe needs to recover." Despite her words, she couldn''t hide the admiration on her face as she gazed at Anna.


    The pride and respect from everyone watching were palpable as they realized Anna wasn''t just a powerful force but a strategic mind with unmatched control over her dual elements.


    -


    -


    -


    us stood confidently before the three hundred white zombies, his mocking smile widening. "Gentlemen, shall we dance?" he said with a grin, disappearing from his position and reappearing behind one of the zombies.


    "It''s all in the control of the wrist," us murmured as his sword sliced cleanly through the zombie''s neck. The head flew through the air, disintegrating into sparks. He noticed another crucial aspect of his new technique¡ªThe Art of Beheading. Each swing needed precision and control. It wasn''t just about power; it was about perfect execution.


    He had a clear goal: to refine this skill to its highest potential before trying it out in the real world. us knew that once it was perfected, the technique would be registered and integrated into the system which would make it easy to track his progress.


    Thanks to the insights he gained from Ohema through their constant video calls, us understood how skills and techniques could be recorded. Ohema had shown him how to go about registering a technique, exining that the more refined it was during its first trial, the better it would be ranked.


    Though he had already registered a technique by coincidence, this time, us felt more in tune with the process. He wasn''t relying on luck; he was methodically working on mastering every aspect of his new technique.


    The idea of beheading had be histest obsession. us took it seriously, dedicating himself to perfecting every movement. He was using Oracle as a training ground, a ce where he could refine his technique without any real consequences. Once perfected, he nned to register it in the system.


    us darted around the battlefield, his sword slicing through the air. Every movement was smooth and deliberate. Everywhere he passed, Zombie''s head flew into the air turning into sparkles.


    The key to the technique, us realized, was controlling the flow of his power. Too much, and the strike would be sloppy. Too little, and it wouldn''t be effective. Finding that bnce was what he was working on now. With each head he removed, he felt himself growing more adept at controlling his strength.


    One after another, the white zombies fell. us''s sword became a blur of motion as he moved fluidly between them, beheading them effortlessly. His wrist flicked with precision, and every strikended perfectly. He wasn''t wasting any energy.


    The battlefield was littered with sparks from the defeated zombies, but us was just getting started. His speed increased, and so did the intensity of his strikes. The white zombies were no match for him now. They fell one by one, unable to keep up with his relentless assault.


    Within three minutes, thest Zombie was beheaded, but us still didn''t feel like his Beheading Technique had reached the level he craved. He needed more.


    However, he wouldn''t be getting the chance. That''s because the fifth wave has finally separated the true 200 geniuses. This means the trial is over, and everyone will be ejected.


    The Announcementdy was about to eject the remaining 200 when her phone rang.


    "Yes, Ma''am," She replied.


    "The trial continues...for him," She said, pointing at us.

 Chapter 94: A Growing Threat

    "The trial continues... for him," the announcementdy said, pointing at us. The room fell silent. Everyone knew that once the 200 candidates had been selected after the fifth wave, the trial was supposed to end. So why was us being allowed to continue?


    A young man, confused, asked, "Ma''am, the 200 people have already been selected after the fifth wave. Why is he allowed to continue?"


    "I don''t know. I just received an order from the higher-ups to let him continue. Also, make the footage live for the public," the announcementdy responded.


    The room buzzed with murmurs. Everyone, except the war goddess, looked astonished.


    "It''s an order," the announcementdy said firmly. "There''s no need to ask any further. Get to it."


    Just as the staff was about to carry out the orders, the war goddess spoke up. "Don''t pull out the girl too."


    The announcerdy looked surprised. "War goddess, the order was only for us to stay in the trial."


    "If you don''t want to damage that youngdy''s self-esteem, then let her continue as well. The worst that can happen is she dies in the virtual world, but she will wake up fine in the real world," the war goddess replied indifferently.


    "But..." the young man started.


    "No buts," the war goddess interrupted. "That youngdy needs this. Don''t dy; go ahead and do it. I will take responsibility for this."


    The announcementdy hesitated but then nodded. "Understood. I''ll make the necessary arrangements."


    The room quieted down again as the staff began implementing the new orders.


    The war goddess watched the screens with a thoughtful expression. She had her reasons for wanting Anna to continue.


    While everyone was focused on Anna''s amazing control over the battlefield, she noticed something that made her decide to let Anna stay in the trial.


    Anna was putting in her best effort solely to impress us. The war goddess, who had earned her title through skill and experience, saw this and understood the significance. She knew that pulling Anna out would be a huge blow to her confidence, so she decided to let her continue.


    It wasn''t just Anna who was trying to impress us. Back in Felin City, Lily, who had emerged as the toppetitor in the trial, was also continuing. The war goddess had given the order to ensure that both women kept their confidence.


    Just like Anna, who showed remarkable skill during the fifth wave, Lily demonstrated her impressive swordsmanship, leaving everyone in awe. Both women were doing everything they could to impress us, who waspletely unaware of their motives.


    In reality, us had no idea what was happening, even if it was happening right in front of him. His rtionship with Lucy had worked out because of the circumstances they were in. When it came to picking up on signals, us was still quite inexperienced or more like too shameless to pick on genuine emotions.


    But that is where his handsomenesses in. With his good looks, he doesn''t have to do anything. Thedies will do all the work. All he had to do was keep showing how amazing he was, and that''s precisely what is going on now.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the virtual world, us was transported to a different part of the battlefield, where he faced 300 Tier 5 Zombie Generals. From Zombie Captains to Generals, that is an upgrade.


    He had expected this, knowing that no trial would require an Ascended to fight monsters four realms above them. But this is a special case and is was more than happy to get things done. Just like that, he started another massacre with heads flying into the air almost instantly.


    Although us''s speed stats might not be high, he possessed the strength and agility for quick reflexes. He could execute a series of movements effortlessly without worrying about being sneaked up on.


    It took us just three minutes to dispose of all 300 Zombie Generals. As he had anticipated, the next wave consisted of Tier 5 White Zombie Generals.


    At this point, screens worldwide began showing us''s trial. When us appeared on the screens, everyone knew a thrilling show was about to begin. Originally, the n was to release the videos after the trial, but due to us''s impressive performance, an order was given to broadcast it live.


    Nobody initially understood why, but it became clear almost immediately when viewers saw us in action against the zombies.


    Those who had failed and felt dejected realized their own shorings. Meanwhile, those who had learned from their mistakes began observing us''s techniques, nning to improve and ovee their failures rather than letting them overwhelm them.


    us''s performance was inspiring. The higher-ups had hoped for this effect: seeing an Ascended battle monster''s four realms above him motivated everyone to work harder to achieve simr feats.


    Anna managed to defeat the Tier 5 Zombie Generals, but when the White Zombies Gnerals arrived, she was exhausted and was ultimately defeated. Despite this, she earned some recognition. The same was true for Lily, Kay, Daniel, Danny, Kilian, and Mark, who all performed well.


    It was well-known that they were friends with us, so seeing their names at the top of the rankings was no surprise.


    ---


    In a luxurious room, five powerful individuals sat behind a screen, watching us effortlessly behead zombie after zombie without even breaking a sweat.


    "He''s a monster," one of them said.


    "Is he even human?" another person asked. "How can an Ascended be this strong? Even the Legacy''s heirs pale inparison."


    The others nodded in agreement, their expressions a mix of shock and admiration.


    The fifth person, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "Do you think he could be a future threat? Or someone we should recruit?"


    The others exchanged nces. "He''s a wildcard," said the first person. "His potential is huge, but we don''t know his loyalties or intentions."


    Another person sighed. "We''ll have to keep a close eye on him. A talent like his could shift the bnce of power."


    "Well, we should be careful," the first person said. "I''ve heard that he''s caught the attention of that arrogant war goddess. I hope I don''t need to tell you how unreasonable she can be. We might get into trouble if she senses anything suspicious."


    "That would indeed be troublesome," another person agreed. "Her influence is vast, and her temper is well-known."


    The group exchanged concerned looks. The war goddess was not someone to be underestimated. Her reputation for being unpredictable and fierce was well-earned.


    "We need to tread carefully," the third person said. "If she gets involved, it couldplicate matters significantly."


    "Then what should we do?" the second person asked, frustration evident in their voice. "The Five Great ns can''t let someone like him wander around unchecked. Although he''s just a kid now, if we allow him to roam free, his arrogance will only grow. It will be a major headache."


    Another person nodded. "He''s already started targeting young heirs. We can only imagine what wille next if we don''t address this soon."


    The room fell silent as the weight of the situation sank in. us is like a wildcard, one they saw no way to control.


    "The Five Great ns have always maintained a bnce," the first person said. "If we let him continue unchecked, it could upset the entire order. We need to act before it esctes further."


    The third person sighed. "But directly intervening could make things worse. We need to be strategic about this."


    The fourth person agreed. "We should find a way to limit his impact without drawing too much attention. Perhaps we can influence his environment subtly."


    "You mean targeting his friends," one of them suggested. "They''re all from Great Families. Although we have some influence over them, antagonizing them might not be the best move in this situation."


    The room fell silent as they considered the idea. These five people were the leaders of the Five Great ns. When the world turned apocalyptic, and the old government dissolved and powerful individuals, carved out their own territories.


    The continent was unified by the Legacy Families, who led the current world order. The Great Families, on the other hand, had established their own cities within the continents.


    But beyond these two groups, there are five ns. These ns had been influential even before the apocalypse and had significant power. Their influence was so vast that even the Great Families and the Legacy Families would be cautious about provoking them.


    For these leaders to consider going after us in such a way was indeed a serious matter.


    "We need to approach this carefully," the first person said. "Targeting his friends could have far-reaching consequences. It might provoke a bacsh from the Great Families."


    Another person nodded. "True. But if we do nothing, we risk letting us''s arrogance grow unchecked. He''s already causing trouble by targeting young heirs."


    They continued to watch as us beheaded Zombie General after Zombie General. Deep down, they were wary of him. His explosive growth was too shocking; it made them feel threatened, and they had every reason to.


    us was a paragon, someone with limitless potential¡ªexcept that the heavens seemed intent on eliminating him before he fully matured.


    But if he did manage to grow, their positions would be in serious jeopardy. They had to handle him carefully but discreetly.


    Little did they know, they weren''t the only ones looking to kill us. All around the world, powerful individuals were searching for ways to suppress him. If he was allowed to grow unchecked, his arrogance could be uncontroble.


    But their major mistake was letting us enter the Oracle. While everyone was plotting his downfall, us cleared the trials to the point where even a thousand Tier 5 Zombies weren''t enough to stop him.


    After about the 13th wave, Tier 6 Zombies appeared. Contrary to what anyone expected, us took them on and defeated them within 5 minutes, setting a record as the only Ascended to battle and kill multiple Tier 6 monsters.


    This scene exploded on the inte, shocking everyone, including the higher-ups at Celestial Mountain Academy, who quickly ordered the trial to end.

 Chapter 95: A Humble Klaus

    Immediately after us beheaded the 50 Tier 6 Zombies, the scene vanished, and he was ejected from the Oracle. The disy had been too shocking. The original n was to use his overwhelming strength andbat skills to inspire the young elite and temper the wills of true warriors.


    That strategy worked for a while¡ªuntil us started making them feel uneasy. The higher-ups, watching how effortlessly he was killing the monsters, began to wonder if they had gone too far. What was meant to build confidence was now nting seeds of doubt and fear in the hearts of the young warriors.


    Killing the Tier 5 Zombies was impressive but manageable. They had expected us to fall once the Tier 6 Zombies appeared. But, to their surprise, us didn''t even flinch. He remainedpletely focused on perfecting the technique he was developing.


    After he cut down 50 Tier 6 Zombies, they realized he hadn''t reached his limit yet. They considered increasing the number of monsters to overwhelm him, hoping that pushing him to his breaking point would allow them to control the narrative.


    Headlines could then read:


    "Even the Strong Have Their Limits"


    "us, the Young Prodigy, Battles Tier 6 Zombies Before Falling"


    "The Rise and Fall of a Genius: us Pushes Beyond His Limits"


    "Unstoppable Until the End: us Falls After Facing Impossible Odds"


    "The Ascended Warrior Who Faced the Impossible, but Couldn''t Hold On"


    It would have been the perfect opportunity to teach the young elites a valuable lesson, but us didn''t follow their ns. His goal was to perfect his beheading technique before he faced an impossible challenge.


    Had they allowed him to continue, they would have made the biggest mistake of their lives. Inside the Oracle, the monsters didn''t have the same willpower as those in the real world. Theycked the fierce determination and unpredictable berserk tendencies that could activate at any moment. Those vital traits simply weren''t present.


    Because of this, the true strength of the monsters inside the Oracle was only about 60-70% of what they would be in the outside world. If they had let us continue, perhaps only a Tier 6 Terror would have stood a chance of overwhelming him. But even then, that''s assuming he used his sword without tapping into his elemental powers¡ªor if he chose not to unleash his Lotus Bloom skill.


    Waking up in the chair, us removed the helmet and stared at the wall. "Damn it, I was this close to perfecting that move," he muttered, frowning.


    He had reached a critical moment¡ªlearning to ignore defense to behead his target. It was the most important part of the skill, and he had just begun to grasp it when he was ejected.


    "If only I had one more chance to fight them," us clenched his fist, gritting his teeth as he red at the Oracle helmet in frustration.


    us stood up from the chair, still fuming. The frustration of being so close gnawed at him. He paced back and forth for a moment, trying to calm the storm brewing inside.


    "One more fight¡­ that''s all I needed," he whispered under his breath.


    His mind raced with thoughts of what could have been. The move he was working on wasn''t just another technique¡ªit was the key to reaching a whole new level of mastery. He knew that once perfected, it would give him the edge he needed against stronger opponents. But now, that progress was cut short.


    He stopped pacing and took a deep breath. "I can''t let this hold me back," he said firmly. "If I want to perfect it, I''ll just have to do it in the real world."


    His frown faded, reced with determination. us picked up the helmet again, inspecting it. The Oracle had its limits, but it had pushed him farther than he''d expected. Now, he was ready to take on real challenges outside of simtions.


    "It''s time to test myself out there," he said, cing the helmet down. His eyes gleamed with anticipation. "I need a real fight."


    The moment us stepped out of his room, he found himself back in therge hall filled with only 199 disciples. These were the ones who had made it to the top 200, the elite among them. As soon as he appeared, all eyes were on him.


    us, still irritated by his interrupted fight, nced around with an indifferent expression, though his mind was elsewhere. His gaze lingered on their neatly polished necks, something about them drawing his attention more than usual.


    ''What the hell¡­ this technique is messing with me,'' us thought, realizing with a shock that for a brief moment, he had the urge to slice through their necks. It wasn''t bloodlust, just a result of hours spent focusing on perfecting the deadly skill. The desire to execute that technique was lingering, almost reflexively.


    He shook his head subtly, clearing his thoughts. "Focus," he whispered to himself, reminding himself that this wasn''t a battlefield.


    "us, over here!" Anna called out, her voice cutting through the low hum of chatter. She was surrounded by a group of guys whose smirks and predatory stares made it clear they weren''t just interested in small talk.


    ''Bloodthirsty, horny bastards,'' us thought in his usual sarcastic tone. Even though Anna had ced second in the Top 200 selections, making her one of the strongest, it only seemed to make things worse. Her new status had drawn even more unwanted attention, and now she was in a tricky spot.


    us sighed, his earlier irritation fading as he started walking toward her. "Being beautiful is a disease", he muttered under his breath, though a small smirk tugged at his lips. He couldn''t help but feel a bit amused by the whole situation.


    Death stares, gritted teeth, and angry res followed us as he moved through the crowd. He looked like an elf straight out of a painting. His white hair flowed down his back, and his golden eyes shone brighter than ever. Nadia had also made sure his wardrobe was top-tier.


    He wore ck trousers and a violet shirt with intricate embroidery, the outfit topped off by a sleek pair of LandMax shoes that matched perfectly. He looked more like a model on a runway than a boy walking among his peers.


    He was simply too handsome, and the other boys weren''t having it. But us didn''t tell them to be ugly¡ªLol. He walked past them without a care and stopped beside Anna. Ignoring the bitter stares, he casually wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.


    "Are you okay?" he whispered, his voice soft but loud enough for the onlookers to hear.


    Anna''s face flushed slightly as us pulled her in, but she quicklyposed herself. The tension in the hall grew thicker as the other disciples watched in stunned silence. Some of the guys clenched their fists in frustration, their jealousy palpable.


    Anna nodded, smiling up at us with a grateful look in her eyes. "I''m fine, thanks to you," she said softly, though there was a hint of relief in her voice. The bloodthirsty nces she''d been dealing with moments ago seemed to vanish the second us arrived. His presence alone was enough to silence any unwee attention.


    us gave her a small smile, though his eyes darted to the crowd for a moment, catching the res aimed at him. He could feel the hostility, but he shrugged it off, unfazed.


    "Good," us said, still keeping his arm around her as they stood together. "Let''s get out of here."


    They walked to a quieter corner of the hall, away from the mor of the remaining disciples. When they reached a secluded spot, us finally let go of Anna''s shoulders but continued to hold her hand. He turned to her with a genuine smile.


    "You were amazing, Anna," us said, his eyes meeting hers as he nced at the projection of the rankings. "I knew you''d give me a run for my money."


    The disy showed the top performers, and despite us''s staggering points, Anna''s score also stood out. The gap between her and the third-ce contestant was significant, a clear sign that she had performed exceptionally well.


    Anna''s smile widened, a mix of pride and relief in her eyes. "Thanks, us. I''ve been working hard, and it feels good to see it pay off."Although she tried her best to look natural, the pink flush on her cheeks sold her away.


    ''She is blushing,'' us thought.


    ''What is withdies and blushing?'' us has already experienced many blushes; he even made Ohema, the mysterious Ohema, blush in theirst conversation, ending the call before they could continue.


    So he knew it was a trait indies. But seeing Anna that way made his heart jump a bit. ''She is so cute,'' He said inwardly, but then the face of another moon goddess with silver hair appeared in his mind, clearing that thought away.


    us nodded, squeezing her hand gently. "You deserve it. You''ve got skills and determination. It''s impressive."


    As they stood there, absorbed in their own conversation, the noise of the hall seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in their own moment. Suddenly, a section of the hall creaked open, and five figures emerged. us and Anna were jolted from their thoughts.


    "It''s her," Anna said, her eyes widening as she saw thest person enter the hall.


    "Big Sister," us said, recognizing the War Goddess as she walked in. She smiled warmly when she saw us and Anna.


    "Little brother, you are indeed something," the War Goddess said, her eyes twinkling with approval. us couldn''t help but smile at her words.


    "I don''t like to brag, Big Sister," us replied with a grin. "After all, I''m a humble person. But I have to say, betting against me was probably the biggest mistake you ever made."


    The War Goddess chuckled softly. "Oh really? I guess that''s fair. You''ve certainly surprised everyone," she said, turning her attention to the others.


    us and Anna moved closer to join the group. The War Goddess''s presence seemed to draw the attention of everyone in the hall, and a hush fell over the crowd as they awaited her words.


    "Congrattions, everyone"

 Chapter 96: Mountain Dew Essense

    "Congrattions, everyone! You''ve all proven to be the best among the hundreds of thousands of candidates for this year''s Celestial Mountain Academy City Selections. You should be proud of your achievement.


    It''s impossible to ovee many challenges and emerge victorious without feeling proud, so be proud. This is a rare aplishment, and your sess today will have asting impact." The war goddess said, making everyone smile with satisfaction.


    Indeed, they had be the elite of the moment. There were 200 of them, each having faced impossible odds to secure their ce. Who wouldn''t be proud of that?


    "But as much as I would like to say that all of you will make it to the Academy, reality is often harsh. In three months, you willpete against other top candidates from cities across the Eastern Region at Arcadian City.


    Only a selected few will advance to the Union selection, but those who won''t make it will not be forgotten. This time, the Academy will ensure you have a stable opportunity. Even if you don''t progress to the next round, you will still receive benefits to help you continue your growth."


    The war goddess continued, "Thepetition in Arcadian City will be tough. You''ll face even stronger opponents and more challenging tests. But this is an opportunity to prove yourselves on a bigger stage.


    Prepare well over the next three months. Train hard and refine your skills. Show everyone the strength and determination that got you this far.


    For those who advance, great opportunities await. For those who don''t, remember that this is just one step in your journey. The Academy''s support will help you keep moving forward and grow stronger.


    Keep your spirits high and stay focused. The future holds many possibilities for you all. Good luck to everyone." The War goddess ended her speech.


    The Announcement Lady also started, "Now that we''ve celebrated your achievements let''s talk about whates next. Each of you will receive a special reward: Mountain Dew''s Essence. This will help you advance to the Master stage faster."


    She paused to let the news sink in, then continued, "Mountain Dew''s Essence is a powerful substance. It enhances your energy and boosts yourbat abilities. With this essence, your training will be more effective, and your progress will elerate."


    "Taking it will clean impurities from your system, making you more in tune with the flow of spiritual qi. This will allow you to harness even more energy to boost your attacks. Trust me, this is a rare treasure that only grows at the highest peak of Celestial Mountain."


    us and Anna exchanged nces and nodded at each other. us had read extensively about Mountain Dew''s Essence, and he knew its effects were remarkable. The essence could cleanse the body of impurities, enhancing one''s ability to channel spiritual energy.


    us, despite hisrge pool of Star Qi, could only harness a maximum of 8%. This was more than sufficient for his battle prowess. However, if he could clear out more impurities, he would be able to channel even greater amounts of energy.


    But us didn''t need the essence for himself. He already had a Celestial-grade body and cultivated the Star Diagram. His system automatically clears impurities every time he levels up. Using the essence would be a waste for him, but he kept that to himself.


    One of the notable effects of Mountain Dew''s Essence is its ability to help people regain or retain their youth. It works best ondies and can significantly rejuvenate those who use it. us wanted his mother to use it.


    Unfortunately, his mother had awakened a weak ss and talent, making it impossible for her to cultivate effectively. Even fighting Tier 1 monsters was a challenge for her. us''s father had tried to help her, but she was too weakand weakhearted to even kill subdued monsters and Zombies


    They tried using monster cores to improve her abilities, but after reaching Level 5 Awakened, the cores had no effect. But despite her struggles, she never showed anger or sadness. She found happiness in being a good wife and mother.


    When us''s father went missing, and they were forced out of their home, his mother saw how her weakness prevented her from supporting their family. It wasn''t her fault; destiny had been cruel. Awakening with a cooking ss and talent was not ideal for surviving in the apocalypse.


    us wanted to use the essence to help his mother regain her youth. Although she appeared to be in her 30s, the exhaustion of the past year had taken its toll. He wanted her to look as young and beautiful as she once did¡ªthe beauty that made him see her as the most beautiful woman in the world.


    "Some of the effects of Mountain Dew''s Essence include increased stamina and strength. It helps to heal minor injuries quickly and improves your focus during battles. It''s a valuable aid for anyone looking to reach the next level."


    The Announcement Lady smiled. "But that''s not all. Along with the essence, you will also receive a training guide. This guide is designed to help you make the most of your time before the nextpetition. It includes advanced techniques and exercises to improve your skills."


    "Each guide is personalized based on your performance. It will offer tips and strategies that suit your strengths and areas for improvement. Make sure to study it carefully and follow the advice."


    She looked around the room, making eye contact with several candidates. "Remember, this is not just a chance to improve your abilities. It''s also an opportunity to prepare yourself mentally. The trials ahead will test your resolve and character.


    You will face even stronger and terrifying odds and opponents, but passing will mean you are one step closer to being an official disciple of the prestigious Celestial Mountain Academy."


    "As you prepare, remember that sess in the next stage will require more than just strength. It will need strategy, adaptability, and a strong will. Be prepared to face unexpected challenges."


    She nced at her notes and then said, "Finally, I want to remind you all to stay connected with your peers. Building alliances and learning from each other can be as valuable as individual training. Support one another and share your experiences."


    "There will be workshops and seminars held over the next two months. These events will cover advancedbat techniques, team strategies, and personal development. Participation is optional but highly rmended."


    "Keep an eye on the Academy''s bulletin board for announcements about these events. They will provide additional resources and opportunities for growth."


    "Good luck to every one of you. We look forward to seeing your continued progress and sess. Remember, the Academy believes in your potential. Make the most of this opportunity."


    She gave a final nod and stepped back.


    "Through these doors, you will be sent to the inventory section. Use your Mountain Dew Essence to advance to the Master stage before the next Selection. Good luck, everyone," a youngdy announced, directing everyone away.


    "Little brother,e see me at Arcadian City when you have time," the war goddess said to us as he moved toward the inventory.


    "I sure will," us replied.


    "Good. And little sister, if you manage toe out in the top ten of the regional selection, I will pick you as my one and only disciple. Okay, you can go now." The war goddess vanished into thin air before she could see the shocked expressions on Anna''s face.


    The people around them were stunned. The war goddess, the strongest figure in the Eastern region, had just made an incredible offer to Anna. The news was so surprising that even the onlookers nearly tripped and fell.


    "Well, congrattions, Anna! You''ll need to work hard to win that offer. Big sister, picking you as a disciple would be a great opportunity," us said, making Anna nod, her fist clenched.


    They walked through the door and appeared on the other side. Soon, they received a parcel and made their way to the parking lot. us knew things were about to change for him, but he wasn''t worried. In fact, he was eager for the changes toe. After all, he still had heads to cut and a technique to master.

 Chapter 97: Challenged by a Legacy [Bonus]

    Just like that, two days passed since the city selection exams for Celestial Mountain Academy took ce. The names of the 200 selected candidates were posted, with us''s name at the top. However, it wasn''t just his selection that was causing a stir. The real buzz was about his performance during the trial.


    The entire inte was abuzz, with people everywherementing on us''s incredible feats. His performance had sent shockwaves through the onlinemunity, and the discussions were filled with amazement and spection.


    In the days following the city selection exams, us''s performance became the talk of the town. News outlets, forums, and social media were flooded with discussions about him.


    His ability to defeat so many monsters, especially the Tier 6 Zombies, amazed people. His speed and skill were unmatched, and videos of his battle were shared everywhere. People marveled at his strength and determination.


    The media praised him as a prodigy and a rising star. Headlines such as "us''s Unbelievable Triumph" and "The New Legend of the Trials" were everywhere. His performance was described as a once-in-a-lifetime event.


    Many saw us as an inspiration. Young warriors and aspiring fighters looked up to him. They admired his dedication and hard work. Some even started training harder, hoping to achieve simr feats.


    However, not everyone was pleased with us''s sess. Some people felt threatened by his rapid rise. They worried that his strength might overshadow their own. There were whispers of jealousy and unease.


    Certain influential figures were concerned. They feared that us''s growth could disrupt the bnce of power. Discussions among the elite included how to handle such a formidable talent.


    Just a day ago, news began circting that us had cheated during the selection trial. The rumors quickly spread, fueled by some who wanted to discredit him. It was clear to many that this was just a smear campaign orchestrated by those threatened by us''s rising fame.


    The media houses behind the false reports were quick to spread the story. They imed that us had colluded with the creators of Oracle to manipte the trials. The aim was to tarnish his reputation and undermine his achievements.


    However, this backfired spectacrly. The Oracle creators responded firmly to these usations. They rified that there was no cheating involved and that us had performed exceptionally within the rules. This revtion caused an uproar among the powerful figures who had supported the smear campaign.


    The bacsh was swift and severe. Many media houses that had spread the false information found themselves facing severe consequences. Some lost their licenses, while others faced heavy fines. The power of the Oracle creator''s statement was undeniable.


    The media houses that had been affected were in disarray. Desperate to recover their lost credibility, some even sought out us, hoping he could help them regain their licenses. However, us remained indifferent to their pleas and focused on his own priorities.


    While the media drama unfolded, us spent the past three days trying to convince his mother to use the Mountain Dew Essence. He was determined to see her benefit from it, despite her reluctance.


    "Mom, I''ve already said I don''t need this. It''s of no use to me. My Talent and abilities don''t have any affinity with this essence. I want you to have it," us said earnestly.


    His mother shook her head, still hesitant. "But you''re the one who needs it more than I do. You''re on a path that requires constant growth and improvement."


    us took her hands gently. "Mom, you''ve always been there for me. Now, I want to help you. The essence will restore your youth and help you regain some of what you''ve lost. It''s important to me that you use it."


    She looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of love and concern. "You''ve already done so much for me. I don''t want to take away from your future."


    us smiled reassuringly. "It''s not taking away from me. It''s about making sure you''re okay. I need you to be healthy and happy. That''s more important than anything else."


    Reluctantly, she agreed to use the essence. us was relieved and hopeful that it would improve her well-being. He knew that her happiness was essential to his own.


    "Fine, but don''t think I will always ept everything you give me. You now have a girlfriend; spend more on her. I am your mother, and she is your girlfriend; she can offer more than I can," his mother said with a slightly bashful smile.


    "You..." us choked on his words, then quickly recovered. "You''re overthinking things. And well, Lucy rejected the essence before I even had the chance to offer it to her, so take that," us teased, a grin spreading across his face.


    His motherughed softly, shaking her head. "You''re impossible. Alright, if you''re so insistent, I''ll use the essence. Just promise me you''ll take care of yourself too."


    us nodded, his expression serious now. "I promise. I''m focused on improving and getting stronger. And I''m doing all this because I want to make sure we have a better future."


    His mother''s eyes softened. "I know my love. And I''m proud of you. Just remember to take time for yourself, too. You work so hard."


    "I will," us assured her, giving her a warm hug. "And thanks for agreeing to use the essence. It means a lot to me."


    "I look forward to seeing a more youthful mother. I promise not to tease you then," us said before handing the parcel containing Mountain Dew to his mother. After leading her to the training room, he left, allowing her privacy.


    Per the instruction given, one will have to remove most of their cloth before using it, giving way for the impurities toe out. After leaving, us went to his room to call Ohema, who he had teased so intently thest time, into hanging up.


    "Hello Suger Mommy," us said immediately Ohema appeared on his phone screen.


    us smiled as he watched Ohema''s reaction to his greeting. Her eyes widened slightly before she rolled them in yful exasperation.


    "Hello, us," she replied with a smirk. "I see you''re still as charming as ever."


    "Of course," us said, leaning back in his chair. "I''m just checking in to see how things are going. Thought I''d call since I haven''t heard from you in a while."


    Ohema''s expression softened. "Things have been busy but good. I heard about the chaos surrounding you. Are you handling everything alright?"


    us nodded. "Yeah, I''m managing. My mother''s using Mountain Dew now, so I''m hoping that helps her. I''m just focusing on my training and making sure everything is on track."


    "That''s good to hear," Ohema said. "I know you''ve been through a lot recently. Just remember to take care of yourself too. You have a lot on your te."


    "You seem concerned about my health," us said with a cheeky wink. "Just so happens, I''m having some body pains. Shouldn''t youe and give me a massage?"


    Ohema''s face turned a deep shade of red. "us, you''re impossible. Don''t tease me like that."


    us leaned closer to the camera, his grin widening. "Oh,e on. I''m just ying around. I thought maybe you''d like to help me out."


    Ohema tried to maintain her stern look, but her blush deepened. "Really, us? Is that the best you''ve got?"


    "It''s all in good fun," us said, chuckling. "I just thought it would be nice to see youe over and take care of me. I''m sure you''d give a fantastic massage."


    Ohema covered her face with her hand, clearly flustered. "You know, if you keep this up, I might have to get you back for all this teasing."


    usughed. "I''ll be looking forward to it. But seriously, it would be nice to have you around."


    Ohema tried to regain herposure. "Well, if you keep making me blush like this, I might just have toe over and give you a proper spanking."


    "Sounds like a n," us said with a wink. "I promise I''ll be on my best behavior and best shorts."


    Ohema shook her head, still blushing. "You''re impossible, us. But I guess I''ll see you soon enough."


    us''s teasing left Ohema with a bright red face and a smile she couldn''t hide. "I''ve sent you a gift, and I''ll tell your girlfriend you''re flirting with other girls. Bye," Ohema said before ending the call, not wanting to let the charming young man get the best of her with just words.


    us smiled andy down on his bed, nning to catch some sleep before his mother woke up. Just as he was about to drift off, his phone rang. The caller was none other than Danny of the Daniel brothers.


    "Danny, what''s up?" us answered.


    "us, have you seen the news? The Devil Archer has challenged you to a duel. It''s all over the headlines!" Danny said urgently.


    "The Devil Archer? Who''s that Clown?" us asked with a frown.


    "He''s one of the three legacies in the Northern Union," Danny replied.

 Chapter 98: If you are afraid of Death, dont challenge me [Bonus]

    "us, I, the Devil Archer, challenge you to a duel. If you have the gut, ept, and we will fight to see who is the best of the younger generation. I''ve heard you''re decent, so don''t disappoint me. If you dare to ept, we will duel in the Oracle." us watched the video of a young man with a bow-shaped mark on his forehead, his face expressionless.


    "Who is this clown?" us asked.


    "He calls himself the Devil Archer," Anna replied. "He''s one of the three Legacies of the Northern Union''s younger generation. His real name is Max Duncan. He''s from the Duncan Legacy family, the rulers of the Northern Union."


    When Danny called, he added the others to the video call. Now, Daniel, Lily, Kilian, Mark, Kay, Lucy, Nia, and Asha were all on the line. us had just finished watching the challenge video and couldn''t help but want to p that arrogant fool.


    "The Legacies?" us asked.


    "Yeah, there are eight of them," Lucy jumped in. "The Northern Legacy rules the Northern Union, led by the Duncan monarchy; the Vargas Dynasty rules the Southern Union; the Eastern Union by the Sheng Empire; and the Western Union by the Von Falkenrath Cult.


    The Equatorial Union is ruled by the Kamara Dynasty, the Austral Union by the Koa Sovereignty, the cial Union by the Frostweaver Dynasty, and the Aqua Union by the Coralborn Dominion.


    These Legacy families maintain order and protect the unions. When the apocalypse descended and governments fell apart, these families rose to restorew and order in a world that had been shattered by the sudden arrival of Spiritual Qi. Without them, Earth would have¡ª"


    "Uh, Lucy, dear," us interrupted, "I love how smart you are, and I appreciate your knowledge, but can we stick to the current topic? You know, the Northern Union?"


    Lucy blushed, realizing she had gone off on another tangent. As a bookworm, she tends to be more talkative about things like this. The others watched the immortal fairy blushing, and they couldn''t help but give us a thumbs up in their heart. Their boy has tied her down for good.


    "The Northern Union... yes, let''s get back to that," Lucy said. "In the Northern Union, there are three Legacies. They''re like heirs, just like us. One of them is E Duncan. She''s a mage, much like Anna, but her power makes her unique.


    She awakened a terrifying version of the water element called Corrosive Annihtion Water.


    She''s calm and respectful, but make no mistake¡ªshe''s extremely dangerous." Lucy paused and then continued.


    "The second is Ethan, and he''s even more dangerous. They say he killed a Tier 3 monster before he even awakened. He''s highly skilled with the spear. From what little we know about him, he''s very arrogant, and he has every right to be.


    He awakened a lightning element talent, and his Spearman ss lets him use lightning incredibly efficiently. He''s truly terrifying. If possible, it''s best to stay on his good side," Lucy said.


    "Lucy dear, are you worried about my safety? How sweet. I knew you were that kind-hearted the moment Iid eyes on you," us flirted, making Lucy blush deeply. The others watched with smiles on their faces.


    "I''m serious, us. Ethan is truly terrifying, and provoking him could be very dangerous for you," Lucy said, her concern clear on her face.


    "Don''t worry, my dear. I won''t provoke him unless hees after me. But hey, have some faith in your boyfriend. I''m no pushover, you know," us said with a wink. "By the way, what''s that clown''s name again?"


    "Max Duncan. He''s also dangerous, and his name, Devil Archer, is well-earned. He awakened a bow ss and a darkness element. But what makes him truly terrifying is his weapon. It''s a soul weapon, which means it was awakened within his soul.


    Soul weapons are special; you can create your own if you have the skill and enough spiritual Qi. But those who awaken automatically are usually prodigies with unmatched talent.


    Max Duncan is one of those few. His bow is called Devil yer, which is where his name, Devil Archer,es from. Like Ethan and E, he''s extremely powerful and very arrogant," Lucy exined.


    "So that''s the situation, huh? Some fool wants to challenge me because he thinks he''s powerful. Well, it sounds like he has a death wish," us muttered.


    "He''s asking for the duel to take ce in Oracle, so it would be a virtual death," Mark said.


    "That''s cowardly. It should be in the real world if he wants to challenge me. Let''s see who will be left standing," us said coldly.


    "Oracle is a safe ce for duels," Mark said. "It''s designed to simte real battles but without the risk of actual death. Max probably wants it this way to avoid serious injury."


    us shook his head. "I don''t care. If he''s so confident, he should fight in the real world. I want to see if he''s as strong as he ims."


    "So, are you going to ept his challenge?" Lucy asked, her concern evident.


    "Probably. If I don''t, he might use it to cause trouble for me and those I''m affiliated with," us replied.


    "You think he''ll target Ni Fashion Trend X?" Nia suddenly asked.


    us frowned, considering Nia''s question. "It''s possible. Max might use this as an opportunity to undermine me in any way he can. He could target Ni Fashion Trend X to create more problems for me.


    So rejecting his challenge is not an option."


    Daniel nodded in agreement. "It''s a smart move on his part if he''s looking to cause trouble."


    "Well, he thinks he''s invincible now, but I''ll check his arrogance. People like him believe they can do whatever they want just because they''re legacies. But I''ll be sure to put him in his ce," us said confidently.


    "By the way, how do I ept his challenge?" us asked.


    "You can just post on your social media ounts," Anna replied.


    "Alright, it''s time to show these fools what real arrogance looks like," us muttered as he opened his social media ounts. In less than three minutes, he crafted a post filled with the most arrogant words ever to grace the inte.


    us''s post read:


    "Max Duncan, you think you''re invincible because you have some little soul weapon? That''s just adorable. But I''ve faced tougher opponents in my sleep. Your little stunt isughable; maybe find a speech coach to help you with better lines next time.


    Honestly, even a school dropout like me cane up with better words than this nonsense. Maybe you should stick to hunting with your little bow; perhaps the monsters might understand you better.


    Today''s kids are all talk and no bite.


    But since you want to challenge me, be ready to face the real deal. Hiding behind your pathetic facade is so cute that I nearly diedughing just watching you speak.


    If you''re afraid of death, don''t bother challenging me. I don''t waste time on cowards who hide behind their fancy titles.


    I''ll ept your challenge but with a handicap. I''ll close my eyes and let you shoot three times. If you manage to kill me with those three shots, I''ll drop out of the next round of the academy selection.


    Good enough? Don''t worry, I won''t ask you to drop out because that would hurt your future. So do your best to kill me with those three attacks. After your three shots, I''ll make my move, and it will be swift.


    Oh, and if you manage to defend against my one attack, I''ll consider it your win. You can set the time, date, and location. Hear from youter, little brother. Big brother will be waiting for your reply."


    As soon as the post went live, the entire inte exploded. The audacity! Did us really use his words to trash-talk someone before the battle even began? The audacity! Did us just drag an entire legacy through the mud with mere words?


    The audacity! Did us really give a whole legacy a handicap in their fight? That''s pushing it, even for someone as capable as us.


    "Arrogant."


    "He''s so arrogant; this guy thinks he''s invincible."


    "He''s done for." Fans of Max Duncan flooded us''s page with hatefulments. But us''s fans didn''t stay silent either.


    "This is what you call handsome, strong, and arrogant. OMG, us is the definition of Prince Charming. I''m dying fromughter!" @BigSisterTitiesmented.


    "Damn, that''s a powerful shot... Did Big Brother us just call a legacy his little brother? I mean, there are two ways to take that. Max Duncan, idiots, do you want to know what he meant?" @usIsMyPrincemented.


    "Why don''t I tell them, @usIsMyPrince?" @usEternalFan, another fan joined the thread.


    @usIsMyPrince? replied, "Go ahead, bro."


    The fan wrote, "Max Duncan, he meant you are a d*ck"


    "Lol, that is wild; big brother us never disappoints. I can see him bitch pping that arrogant bastard for dinner," Another fan said, joining the trolling. us has fired his shot, and it''s a wild one.


    ---


    ---


    In arge mansion, a young man with a bow tattoo on his forehead stared at his phone, his face contorted with anger.


    "That bastard!" he roared, smashing his phone against the wall.


    "I told you not to do it. He''s a wildcard. His fame has blinded him, and the worst has already happened. Just this post alone shows where he stands when ites to the legacies, especially us," another young man with short ck hair and striking cheekbones said.


    "I don''t know about that, but I think he''s a perfect stepping stone," a feminine voice interjected. A beautiful dark-haireddy with eyes like the sea entered the room. She was both captivating and intimidating.


    "So, are you going to ept his terms, or are you just going to continue to whine like a d*ck?" the youngdy asked, barely containing herughter.

 Chapter 99: Klaus Has a Girlfriend

    "In a surprising turn of events, Max Duncan, known as the Devil Archer, has challenged the famous warrior and model us Hanson to a duel. us epted but with a rather arrogant twist. This is what makes the story worth reporting.


    In three weeks, Max Duncan will face us Hanson in the Immortal Arena in Oracle. The battle will be broadcast live, and betting tforms will be open. Those who like to take risks can ce their bets and see what luck brings.


    Ladies and gentlemen, I want to let you know that us Hanson has agreed to take three attacks from the Devil Archer with his eyes closed. Do with this information what you will. This is the controversial news, @KKKickinIt, signing off."


    Ten minutes after us posted his eptance message in a rather arrogant tone, Max responded, and Oracle updated their website, listing the duel as an uing event. The media and those looking to capitalize on this started making their moves.


    us, smiling while his friend stared at him for the past twenty minutes, finally said, "What? It''s a chance to make quick money, folks. The odds on me are huge. You should put all your money on me. What are friends for?"


    "us, aren''t you worried you might lose?" Lucy asked, looking worried.


    "Oh, Lucy, Kofi ising to pick you up. I want to take you somewhere before you leave this Friday. And hey, have some confidence in your boyfriend. I don''t make empty promises. Even if I gave him a hundred chances, he couldn''t do anything." us said arrogantly.


    Lucy, hearing his message, immediately ended the call and went to get dressed. The others on the call continue to stare at us in shock.


    "Arrogant, you really are arrogant, but somehow, I like it," Kay said with a smirk.


    "Well, sometimes you have to be arrogant to make even the most arrogant people feel useless," us replied. "Okay,dies and gentlemen, I''m hanging up now. But remember, sell your stocks and assets; betting on me is the way to go. See youter." us said before ending the call.


    Mark, Nia, Asha, Kay, Lily, Kilian, Anna, Daniel, and Danny, still on the call, looked at each other for a moment before Nia spoke up. "This is going to be intense. us is really going to humiliate a legacy like that."


    "Do you think he can actually do it?" Kay asked.


    "I think so. Besides his confidence, there''s this strong desire to drag this guy through the mud," Nia replied disdainfully.


    "Do you want him to win?" Asha, seeing her sister speak that way asked, concerned.


    "Yes, I want him to be humiliated badly. Too bad us is only going to use one attack," Nia said, clenching her teeth.


    "Sister Nia, are you okay?" Lily and Anna asked at the same time.


    "I''m fine," she answered, but they could all tell she was lying.


    The group fell silent for a moment, the tension hanging in the air. Kilian, trying to lighten the mood, finally spoke up. "Well, whatever happens, it''s going to be a show. I''ve never seen a duel quite like this."


    Daniel nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this is definitely going to be one for the media. The whole world will be watching."


    Danny, who had been quiet until now, added thoughtfully, "us is really confident, but sometimes overconfidence can be a downfall. We''ll have to see how it ys out."


    Lily, still concerned, nced at Nia. "Are you sure you''re alright? You seem pretty worked up."


    Nia forced a smile. "I''m fine, really. Just¡­"


    Anna, looking at Nia with a mix of concern and curiosity, said, "If you need to talk about it, we''re here for you."


    Nia nodded, appreciating the support but not ready to share more. "Thanks, everyone. We should all focus on our cultivation now, especially you seven."


    The group discussed their thoughts and predictions about the uing battle as the call continued. Despite the underlying tension, they were all eager to see how the duel between us and Max would unfold.


    us, who had just ended the call, walked through the house with a broad smile. All the maids and security guards who saw him greeted him warmly. Some even asked if he was confident about his uing battle with Max.


    It was clear they were eager to ce their bets on their young master. us smiled and assured them that he would win in style. After taking a moment to enjoy some fresh air, he went inside and freshened up.


    A little whileter, Helen arrived with a package. It was a gift from Ohema. us was thrilled to receive it and was about to open it when Kofi pulled up with Lucy, who looked as breathtaking as always.


    Lucy stepped out of the car, d in a white gown with golden embroidery on the left chest area. Her silver hair flowed behind her as always, and for some reason, us felt as though he could see moonlight in her eyes. Perhaps it was because he was so charmed by her presence that he imagined seeing things that weren''t really there.


    As soon as Lucy alighted from the car, us embraced her and kissed her. This gesture made the guards and maids look at their young master with newfound respect. In their hearts, they gave him a thumbs up.


    Everyone knew Lucy, the silver-haired first daughter of Daven and Cynthia Ross. She had awakened a dual elemental talent, a feat only a few prodigies were able to aplish.


    Lucy excelled in the City and Regional selections and ced second in the Union selection. Two years ago during the union Trial, she had defeated two legacies to secure her spot, joining the Celestial Mountain Academy in style.


    Everyone adored her. So, to see her kissed by us was a surprise but a pleasant one. After all, when this news spread, they would have the chance to brag that their boss had won in the end. Even legacies couldn''t touch her heart.


    "You are breathtaking as ever," us said, holding Lucy''s waist.


    "us," Lucy blushed, ncing around. The maids and guards quickly understood the situation and left, smiling as if they had just won the lottery.


    "Let''s go inside," us said, leading her into the house. Helen, who us had already asked to check on his mother in the training room, vacated the hall.


    us set Lucy down and served her some fruit juice. "Where is Auntie?" Lucy asked, looking around for us''s mother.


    "You should probably start calling her Mom now since you''re already mine," us said, smiling smugly beside her.


    "You scoundrel, just because your mom isn''t here doesn''t mean you can get naughty," Lucy said, stepping away from him.


    "Is it working?" us asked, feigning innocence.


    "Get dressed," Lucy said with a bashful smile. "By the way, my mom said you shouldn''t get any ideas." us smiled at her warning. Who was she kidding? Who wouldn''t want a mini us running around?


    "Don''t worry; I won''t make you ufortable," us said sincerely. "By the way, if you want to see my room, you can follow me. I don''t bite," he added, heading toward his room.


    "Tsk, thest time you said that, you kissed me. I won''t fall for that again," Lucy said, her cheeks flushed.


    "You''re too cute," us said, admiring the flustered Lucy before disappearing into his room. He quickly got dressed and, within five minutes, emerged looking his best as always. He picked up a notepad and wrote something on it before heading out with Lucy.


    Kofi, who was waiting with the car, drove them to a ce one of the maids had rmended when us asked for the best view in the city.


    After an hour, they arrived at their destination. It was a lush area with vibrant orange vegetation. The oranges were fully ripe and looked delicious just from their appearance. The ce is called Orange Mountain because it is situated on a mountain, offering a stunning view of the city.


    As us and Lucy stepped out of the car, they were greeted by the breathtaking view of the lush orange grove. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. The air was fresh and fragrant with the scent of ripe oranges.


    us led Lucy along a well-worn path through the grove. The trees were heavy with fruit, their branches swaying gently in the evening breeze. Lucy couldn''t help but admire the beauty around her, her eyes wide with wonder.


    us reached out and took her hand, guiding her to a secluded spot with a perfect view of the city below. A nket and a pic basket were already set up, waiting for them. The scene was beautifully romantic, with candles flickering softly in the twilight.


    They sat down on the nket, and us opened the pic basket, revealing a selection of delicious treats. They enjoyed the simple, tasty food and sipped on sparkling juice as they talked andughed.


    The conversation flowed easily, and they found themselves sharing stories and random stuff. Lucy talks more about herself and her experience so far in the academy. It was a great moment for the two young lovers.


    As the stars began to twinkle in the sky, us and Lucyy back on the nket, gazing up at the stars. The cool evening air wasfortable, and the sky seemed to stretch endlessly above them.


    us took a deep breath, savoring the peaceful moment. He turned to Lucy, who was looking at him with a soft, affectionate gaze. Her silver hair shimmered under the starlight, and her eyes sparkled with warmth.


    After a while, they stood up, ready to leave. us gently brushed a strand of hair from her face


    Lucy blushed and smiled, her heart fluttering at the tender gesture. us moved a little closer, his gaze locked on hers.


    The moment felt suspended in time. us''s hand lingered on Lucy''s cheek, and he leaned in slowly. Lucy''s breath caught in her throat as she felt the closeness of his lips.


    Finally, their lips met in a gentle, loving kiss. It was soft and sweet, filled with all the emotions they had been holding back. The kiss seemed tost forever, capturing the magic of the evening and the depth of their feelings.


    Unbeknownst to them, the moment was captured by someone and has already found its way onto the inte. "us Has a Girlfriend" is the phrase that caused the inte to explode.

 Chapter 100: Are you jealous?

    The next morning, the picture of us kissing Lucy was all over the inte. The image went viral almost instantly, and people went wild. us, already a hot topic, had made an unexpected ssh. Everyone had anticipated seeing his girlfriend, given his high profile, but no one expected her to be the infamous Princess of Vine.


    Lucy was known for her exceptional and powerful control over the wood element with her go-to skill being the Vine. Legacies and all kind of heirs have their eyes on her. She is beautiful but also very strong, the perfectbination. But she never showed interest in anyone before.


    So the revtion that someone like Lucy had fallen for us was a huge deal. It was as if us had already won. The legacies now saw a clear difference between themselves and us. This unexpected development led some influential heirs to start sending threats to us.


    The threats were a mix of jealousy and frustration. They were not used to being overshadowed, especially by someone they considered beneath their status. The idea that us had captured the heart of a woman as esteemed as Lucy was too much for some to handle.


    Despite the bacsh, us remained unfazed. On the contrary, just a few hours after the image of us and Lucy kissing went viral, Ni Fashion Trend X dropped a photoshoot of their new Tango suit and gown. The Photoshoot was between us and Lucy, who looks rather smitten.


    The marketing move was brilliant. The timing was perfect, and the new collection quickly became a sensation. Within hours, the Tango suit and gown sold out. The fashion line''s sess was a significant boost for us, and it served as a powerful rebuttal to his detractors.


    The sellout was more than just amercial triumph; it was a direct p in the face to everyone who had been hating us. The fashion world was buzzing with the news, and the attention only added to us''s rising star power.


    "Mom, are you really my mom?" us asked, staring at the strikingly beautiful woman standing before him. Yesterday, when he got home, she was still in the training room, so he had gone to bed, only to wake up to this shock.


    "Brat, are you looking for a beating?" his mother replied with a smile.


    us, seeing her smile, felt his heart skip a beat. What''s wrong with me? I''m really blushing at my mother, he thought to himself.


    "Mom, maybe you should stop smiling. Your son is falling for you," us said as he moved in for a hug, which his mother dly epted.


    "Mom, you are really beautiful," us added.


    "Isn''t this what you wanted?" His mother said with a smile, looking at us from dangerously close.


    I''m really blushing, us thought inwardly. The sight of her ocean-violet eyes and wrinkleless face made his heart skip a beat. Is she really my mother? he wondered again.


    "Hey, brat, what are you thinking? You''re not having any perverted thoughts about your mother are you?" she asked with a smile.


    "I''ve had my eyes on you for a while now, Mother. Now that you''ve closed the age gap between us, I think it''s time to im my official status as the man of the house. What do you think? Wanna move in together?" us said, trying to break away from the hug.


    He tried to pull away, but his mother held on tight. Before he could react, a yful spanknded on his rear, making him jerk in surprise.


    "You brat, I''m your mother," she said, though she knew he was just joking. The idea of her charming her son unsettled her. She noticed us seemed genuinely charmed for a moment.


    ''I should really help him build resistance to charms before someone else takes advantage of him,'' she thought.


    Unbeknownst to her, us was also thinking about the situation, but with a different twist. ''Why didn''t I feel that hot sensation from my tattoo when I was charmed?''


    us had experienced the charm from seeing Ohema, Lucy, and Cynthia Ross before. Each time, he felt a hot sensation on his back that snapped him out of it before he lost control. But this time, he felt nothing when charmed by his mother. There was no resistance, but he was relieved she was his mother¡ªthere was no way she would harm him.


    "Mom, I got charmed by you," us said, bing more serious now.


    "I know," she replied, her tone equally serious.


    "But this is good. I would have been disappointed if I had been snapped out of it by that hot sensation while under your charm," us said, managing a smile.


    "What hot sensation?" His mother asked, her eyes widening.


    "Well, I always feel a hot sensation on my back whenever I''m being charmed," us exined, making his mother''s eyes widen even further.


    His mother''s eyes widened in surprise. "A hot sensation on your back? I didn''t know that."


    "Yeah," us said, nodding. "It''s like a warning sign. The sensation helps me snap out of it whenever I start feeling charmed. It didn''t happen this time, though."


    His mother looked thoughtful. "That''s interesting. I guess it''s a good thing you have that warning. But we''ll need to figure out how to strengthen your resistance to charms."


    us nodded. "Agreed. It''s important, especially with how people are trying to get close to me now. I have to be more careful."


    His mother smiled, a mix of relief and concern in her eyes. "I''ll help you with that. For now, let''s just enjoy our time together."


    She sat down with us''s head resting on herp. "Mom, I''m going to the Evesting Zombie Forest on Monday to advance to the Master stage. It will only be for a few hours," us said.


    "Okay, but you have to be careful out there," she said, gently brushing his hair.


    "I will, Mom," us promised.


    "Good," she responded. "us, do you want me to twist your hair for you? I think it will look good and be morebat-friendly."


    us, who wanted to spend some time with his mother, eagerly epted the offer. "Sure, Mom. I want the dreadlocks you made for me on my 8th birthday."


    His mother smiled and began twisting his hair with practiced hands. "I remember how proud you were of those dreadlocks," she said. "They looked great on you."


    us grinned. "Yeah, they did. Thanks, Mom."


    "Mmmh, us, when will your girlfriend be leaving?" us''s mother asked.


    "Friday," us answered a hint of sadness in his voice.


    "Look at you, already missing her. You could invite her over for dinner tomorrow before she leaves," his mother suggested, making us smile cheerfully.


    "I''ll do that. You really are the best mother," us said. "By the way, do you think you could make her stay the night?" he asked with a grin.


    "You brat, what are you thinking?" his mother replied, amused.


    "Hehe, Mom, why are you twisting my hair harder now? Are you jealous?" us joked.


    His mother rolled her eyes but couldn''t hide a smile. "Jealous? Of your girlfriend? I think I''ll pass."


    us chuckled. "Come on, Mom. You know you''ll always be my number one girl."


    She yfully swatted his arm. "You''re such a charmer. You better not use those smooth lines on other girls. Your girlfriend should be the one hearing such shameless words."


    us winked. "Only if you promise to keep up the good work with these dreadlocks."


    "Alright, alright," she said, shaking her head with augh. "Just remember, if you ever need advice on romance, you know where to find me."


    "Definitely," us said with a mischievous grin. "And I might need to call for backup if I''m in trouble."


    His mother raised an eyebrow. "Backup for what?"


    "Backup for when my girlfriend realizes she''s dating a momma''s boy," us teased,ughing as his mother yfully rolled her eyes again.


    "By the way, how is your ''Sugar Mommy''?" his mother asked, referring to Ohema, whom us had started calling Sugar Mommy.


    "She''s great. She sent me a gift, but for some reason, she refused to see me, even when I offered to visit," us said.


    "Well, she might be busy with other things, you know," his mother said, shaking her head.


    "But tell me, us, do you really like her? I mean, do you like her?" his mother asked, a bit embarrassed.


    "Mom, you know you can ask me anything," us said, turning to look at her as she tried to hide her face. "No need to be embarrassed."


    "And yes, I do like her, but I don''t know about her, so for now, we''re just friends. I don''t want to make thingsplicated. Also, I really like Lucy, so I think I''ll stick with her for now," us answered.


    "You yer! I knew it. You''re just like your father," his mother said with augh. After a couple of hours, us''s hair was all twisted, making him take on a new look. Heter called Lucy to inform her about the dinner ns and promised to pick her up the next day.


    After that, he went to his room and opened the gift Ohema sent him. When he saw the content, his jaws dropped.

 Chapter 101: Ready to Become a Master

    Ohema sent us ten vials of Mountain Dew, along with a note that read, "You owe me, us, but for now, give these to your girlfriend and mother-inw; they need it the most." us was stunned. At first, he didn''t catch the part about the mother-inw. But after reading it again, he smiled, realizing Ohema was teasing him.


    "She really is something else," us muttered, staring at the note. "I''d better work harder to win her heart before someone else does."


    "Whose heart are you trying to steal?" his mother''s voice interrupted from behind just as he was lost in thought.


    us jumped a little but kept his cool. "You really should knock next time, Mom. You might not be ready to handle this diamond body," he said, handing her the note.


    His mother chuckled as she read it. "She cares about you, clearly. Makes me wonder what you have to offer her," she said with a sly smile.


    "At the very least, I can offer her my body," us joked, winking.


    "Well, there''s that," his mother said, winking back.


    "Mom, you should really be teaching your son some good values. You''re starting to be a bit of a naughty mother," us teased.


    "Says the naughty child," she shot back yfully.


    usughed and shook his head. "Touch¨¦, Mom. But seriously, I think Ohema''s got me all twisted up inside. I can''t tell if she''s messing with me or if there''s something more going on."


    His mother raised an eyebrow. "Well, you''ve always been slow to catch on when ites to women. Maybe she''s just testing the waters. Or maybe she''s waiting for you to make a move."


    us sighed. "I don''t know. She''s so hard to read. One minute, she''s teasing me, and the next, she''spletely out of reach."


    His mother smiled softly. "That''s the fun part, isn''t it? The chase. But don''t wait too long, us. Some chances don''te twice."


    us nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, you''re right. I''ll have to step up my game. Can''t let someone else swoop in and steal her away."


    "Good boy," his mother said, patting him on the shoulder. "Now go and figure out what you want to do. Just remember, don''t lead her on if you''re not sure. Be clear, and be kind."


    us smiled. "Thanks, Mom. I''ll keep that in mind."


    After the mother and son duo finished plotting to capture the heart of the mysterious damsel, they went about their usual business. us gave three vials of Mountain Dew to his mother and saved the rest for Lucy, who wasing over for dinner the next day.


    Fast forward to dinner, Lucy arrived, and they had a great time. us even managed to get a shoulder massage from the Moonlight Fairy, earning him a thumbs-up from his mother. He noticed his mother seemed more energetic and lively after using the Mountain Dew, which made him happy.


    Later that night, after dinner, us convinced Lucy to take the Mountain Dew. It took some persuading, but she finally agreed. They spent the rest of the evening talking about a lot of things, making memories they could hold onto while she was away at the academy. They both knew once she returned, it would be difficult to stay in touch for a while.


    After hours of talking andughing, Lucy finally asked the question us had been quietly anticipating.


    "us, do you like my sister?"


    us eventually expected this question, but it caught him off guard. "Of course I do; we''re friends, after all," he replied casually.


    "No, I mean, do you like her the way you like me? Wait, let me rephrase that. Do you want to kiss my sister?"


    us'' heart skipped a beat. The rawness of the question stunned him. He did want to kiss her, and if he was honest with himself, he loved her too. But why was Lucy asking this now?


    Instead of answering, us asked cautiously, "Why are you asking me that?"


    us felt his chest tighten as Lucy spoke. He hadn''t anticipated this turn in the conversation, and now he found himself grappling with a reality he hadn''t fully acknowledged before.


    Lucy took a deep breath and continued, her voice soft but steady. "I think my sister is in love with you. No... I don''t just think so; I know she is. And honestly, I''m happy for her. She deserves someone like you.


    But..." She paused, ncing down at her hands, her expression shifting into something more serious. "I''m concerned."


    us frowned slightly, his brow furrowing. "Why are you concerned?" he asked, his tone gentle but curious.


    Lucy hesitated, her eyes still focused on the floor. "I''m concerned that you might not feel the same way about her as she feels about you," she admitted quietly. "And if that''s the case, it could really hurt her."


    us was silent for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. He has always been cool with Anna. He liked the way shemanded herself and how selfless she could be. It was because of her that he won Lucy''s heart. He was grateful for that. But love?


    Was it really that?


    "Lucy..." us began softly, searching for the right words. "I don''t want to hurt her. I don''t want to hurt either of you. This whole thing is moreplicated than I expected."


    Lucy nodded, still not meeting his gaze. "I know, us. That''s why I''m telling you this now. I need you to be sure about your feelings. If you''re not, it''s better to be honest with her sooner rather thanter. She''s my sister, and I love her, but I also care about you.


    I don''t want any of us getting hurt in the end."


    us felt the weight of responsibility settles on his shoulders. He knew he had to figure out his feelings before things spiraled out of control. He couldn''t let this situation turn into something that would break the people he cared about the most.


    "Lucy," us said gently, reaching for her hand again. "I''ll be honest with you¡ªI''m confused. But I don''t hate her and don''t want to say I love her -at least not yet. But I will surely tell her if I develop the same feelings for her."


    "Thank you, us", Lucy said with slightly teary eyes. us''s heart skipped a beat seeing that.


    us felt a pang in his chest when he saw the tears welling up in Lucy''s eyes. It made his heart skip a beat, and for a moment, he didn''t know what to do. He hadn''t meant to hurt her, but he could see how much this conversation weighed on her.


    "Lucy..." he whispered, squeezing her hand gently. "I never want to make you feel this way. I''m sorry if all of this is making things harder for you."


    Lucy blinked back the tears, forcing a small, brave smile. "It''s okay, us. I just want everyone to be happy. And I trust you to be honest with her¡ªand with me."


    us nodded, trying to steady his own emotions. "I will. I promise. And whatever happens, I want you to know how much you mean to me. I''d never do anything to hurt either of you on purpose."


    Lucy gave a weakugh, wiping her eyes quickly. "I know, us. You''re a good guy. Maybe that''s why all of this is so difficult. I just hope that, in the end, we can alle out of this without any regrets."


    us smiled softly, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles. "No regrets. We''ll figure it out together."


    With that, Lucy nodded, finally seeming a little more at ease. They sat in silence for a moment longer, the air between them filled with unspoken feelings and a quiet understanding. No matter what the future held, they would face it honestly, and that was all they could ask for.


    Suddenly, Lucy turned and looked at us, "Can we sleep together tonight? And before you get any funny ideas, know that we won''t go beyond kissing" Lucy buried her face in her palm, clearly embarrassed from making such a bold statement.


    us blinked in surprise at Lucy''s sudden request, his mind racing to catch up with what she had just said. He could see her embarrassment as she buried her face in her hands, clearly flustered by her own boldness.


    He chuckled softly, trying to ease the tension. "Lucy, you didn''t have to hide your face like that," he said, gently pulling her hands away from her face so he could look at her. "I get it, and I respect your boundaries. No funny ideas, I promise."


    Lucy peeked at him through her fingers, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and nervousughter. "I just... I didn''t want things to be awkward between us, and I guess I said it all wrong," she mumbled.


    us smiled warmly, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You didn''t say it wrong. It''s fine, really. We can just be together, no pressure, no expectations." He paused for a moment, his voice softening. "I''ll be here, no matter what."


    Lucy lifted her head slightly, her gaze meeting his. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice filled with relief. She smiled then, though the embarrassment still lingered in her eyes.


    us stood up and held out his hand. "Come on, let''s get some rest. We''ve both had enoughplicated feelings for one night."


    She took his hand and stood up, following him to his room, where theyy side by side, talking quietly until they both drifted off to sleep. As promised, nothing happened beyond a few kisses and shared warmth.


    However, when they woke up the next day, Lucy got the shock of her life, the kind of shock that would make her blush every morning when she woke up, even when she was away in the academy.


    The next day, Lucy left for the Celestial Mountain Academy. us missed her, but when Monday came, he also left for the Evesting Zombie Forest to break through to the Master stage.

 Chapter 102: Master Stage Heavenly Tribulation

    us left home in high spirits. His next challenge was a daunting one, but he felt more prepared than ever. If the heavens wanted his head, he was ready to show them he was no pushover.


    After breezing through the checkpoint¡ªone he didn''t even need to pass at this point¡ªus boarded the shuttle and set off for the forest. This was his third battle against the heavens, and he was determined to make it count.


    Upon arriving at the forest''s edge, us quickly vanished into the depths. He avoided the border area to stay cautious. The strongest monsters here were Tier 5, and they had no special sses. He was confident he could handle them if they crossed his path.


    After thirty minutes of trekking deeper into the forest, us stopped beneath arge tree. He scanned the surroundings, ensuring no one was nearby and that the monsters present posed no threat. Satisfied, he sat down and pulled out some monster cores.


    He had already consumed enough cores that the experience points needed for his next breakthrough were just over ten thousand. As he settled in, he began to consume the cores one by one. It wasn''t long before a message appeared:


    [You have levelled up. Current Level: Level 12 Ascended. You have received 300 Stat Points.]


    [Get Ready for your Tribtion. The Lightning descends in 5 Minutes.]


    As us prepared himself for the lightning storm, the senior inside his soul sea voice echoed in his head.


    "Brat, are you ready?" the voice asked.


    "I am, senior. At the very least, I''ll die and reincarnate," us replied with a hint of humour.


    "Brat, are you joking with your life? This is the Master stage of tribtion. Considering your previous encounters, you should be concerned," the senior warned.


    "What''s there to be scared of? They''re just lightning monsters. Killing them will be a breeze," us said confidently.


    "Don''t underestimate this tribtion," the senior''s voice warned. "The Master stage is a significant leap, and these lightning monsters won''t be like ordinary foes They''ll be more powerful and unpredictable."


    us smirked. "I appreciate the advice, but I''ve faced many challenges. I''m not going to let a few lightning monsters intimidate me."


    "Fine," the senior replied with a hint of exasperation. "Just remember, keep your wits about you and don''t let your guard down. Lightning can be both swift and deadly."


    As the senior''s voice faded, us returned to the storm. The first wave of lightning monsters began to manifest from the lightning bolts. They crackled with electricity and floated menacingly in the air.


    us acknowledged the senior''s warning with a nod. "I appreciate the heads-up, senior. I''ll do my best to pass this trial."


    He had learned that some things were better left unsaid directly, so he knew the system was just warning him about something other than his will in passing theing tribtion.


    Looking up at the dark clouds still crackling with electricity, us''s eyes gleamed with determination. "Bring your worst," he dered to the heavens.


    The storm intensified as if responding to his challenge. Bolts of lightning arced through the sky, and the air buzzed with electric tension. us braced himself, ready to face whatever the heavens had in store.


    Suddenly, the dark clouds churned, and a massive void filled with lightning bolts appeared in the sky. us stared into it, feeling his hair stand on end. "Damn, that''s one enormous hole of lightning," he muttered, though he didn''t let it faze him.


    In an instant, a colossal bolt of lightning shot down at us with terrifying speed. He fixed his gaze on the iing bolt and swung his sword, releasing a sharp ice arc slicing through the lightning easily.


    The bolt dissipated into sparkling runes that swirled and entered us''s body. As they did, he felt a surge of strength. "No pain, no gain, hehe," he said, grinning at the sensation of power flowing through him.


    us felt the runes merging with his essence, amplifying his strength and vitality. He steadied himself, ready for the next wave of the storm. The sky crackled with growing intensity as the storm became fiercer.


    "Herees the rain," us muttered, bracing for the challenge.


    The giant hole in the clouds churned and released smaller bolts of lightning, which shot out in rapid session. us moved quickly, weaving through the lightning as it struck the ground.


    "Huh, it''s not painful at all," us said, noticing that a bolt thatnded on him felt like nothing more than a ssh of water. He was surprised to feel no pain at all.


    "Now, this is interesting. I can feel my strength rising with each bolt that hits me, but I don''t feel anything. This is great!" us said with a grin as he stopped and let the lightning bolts rain down on him like a torrential downpour.


    As us stood amidst the storm, the lightning bolts bombarded him. With each strike, he felt a surge of energy, his body growing stronger and more resilient. The power from the runes and the lightning seemed to blend seamlessly, enhancing his abilities.


    He closed his eyes for a moment, savouring the sensation. The storm''s fury was no longer a threat but a source of energy for him. us''s confidence grew with every passing second.


    "Moments like this, it feels like the heavens are actually blessing me," us smiled, then settled into a lotus posture, closing his eyes. He focused on the lightning still crackling around him, using it as a conduit to connect with his owntent lightning abilities.


    As an Elemental Overlord, us had the potential to harness any element, but so far, he had only mastered Ice and Fire. He was determined to unlock the Lightning element as well. There was no better time to tap into this power than when a storm of lightning surrounded him.


    He allowed the lightning to strike his skin, feeling its raw energy surge through him. He concentrated, channelling the electricity into himself and attempting to attune his essence with the element. Each bolt that hit him was a jolt of power, and us focused on syncing his energy with it.


    The process was intense. The raw energy of the lightning was both exhrating and overwhelming, but us remained centred. He visualized the lightning weaving into his own energy pathways, trying to blend his inherent power with the external force.


    "Weird, why is my Ice element reacting?" us muttered to himself. As he channelled the lightning through his body, he sensed an unusual response from his Ice element. It was as if something inside him was calling out, and he could feel his Lotus flower reacting to the call.


    Suddenly, the lightning ceased, and us felt the connection severed. But he understood something significant: his Lotus bloom was responding to the tribtion of lightning, and he needed to explore why.


    The heavens rumbled again, and the clouds swirled with renewed intensity. Thicker bolts of lightning began to rain down. us stood resolute, letting the lightning strike him. This time, he felt a strange sensation, but there was no pain¡ªjust a powerful force touching his body.


    "Time to test this out," us decided, conjuring the Lotus flower. As soon as the flower appeared, it floated away from him and ascended toward the centre of the lightning storm. It bloomed, opening all nine petals, and began to spin.


    The first petal, adorned with nine smaller stars started to glow brightly as more and more lightning struck it. Then, something extraordinary happened: two of the nine stars on the first petal turned golden. As this urred, a massive wave of ice surged from the flower, obliterating the lightning in its path.


    "Damn, that is OP," us eximed, awestruck by the power of the Lotus flower. Thebination of lightning and ice created a formidable force, and us could hardly believe the magnitude of its effect.


    The storm around him began to dissipate, leaving a calm, eerie silence in its wake. us stood there, marvelling at the newfound synergy between his elements. The Ice element had reacted unexpectedly and powerfully, and he was eager to explore this new dimension of his abilities.


    Suddenly, the heavens rumbled, and the clouds stirred. Darker, more ominous clouds began to form, and from within them, arge serpent head emerged. As soon as it appeared, a heavy pressure descended upon the forest. Yet, us felt nothing. Instead, he focused on his Lotus flower, which was spinning silently.


    "Why can''t I control it?" us muttered in frustration.


    "Brat, this is a rare urrence," the senior''s voice echoed from his soul sea. "Your skill is activating on its own. Use this time to learn it well because, after today, you won''t have another chance to master these new moves."


    Shocked by the senior''s warning, us quickly redirected his attention to the flower. As he did, he sensed the first golden star on the petal glowing brightly. A powerful ice beam shot from the centre of the flower, striking the lightning serpent head-on.


    The serpent froze instantly and then shattered into countless sparkles of runes that scattered and merged with us. He noticed that 70% of the runes entered the lotus bloom, causing it to spin even faster for a moment.


    "So that was it," us murmured to himself, marvelling at the newfound power. "It has a beam skill. I''ll call it Ice Beam."


    The moment he named it, the Lotus flower shuddered, and a powerful burst of energy radiated outward.


    "Good, us. Now learn the second skill," the senior''s voice echoed from his soul sea, making us grin excitedly.


    As us basked in his sess, the heavens rumbled once more. This time, a single lightning spear emerged from the dark clouds above instead of a serpent. The spear looked ominous, radiating danger. us immediately felt a terrible sense of dread as it locked onto him, and at that moment, he knew he was in serious trouble.


    The spear shot down at him with terrifying speed and precision. us gripped his sword, preparing to strike back, but before he could act, the Lotus bloom descended and hovered over his head. The second of the nine stars on the first petal glowed golden, and in an instant, the area within a 400-meter radius froze over with a chilling cold.


    us watched in disbelief as the spear that had been racing toward him froze the moment it entered the frozen zone. It shattered into thousands of tiny sparkles of runes and entered his body, as did the lotus flower.


    "What the¡­ what the fuck?" us shouted in shock.

 Chapter 103: Terrifying Lightning Spears

    As the spear dissipated, us felt a surge of power flow through him, and the potency of the Lotus flower continued to rise. The runes that entered his body were small, but their power far surpassed the previous lightning. us could sense it¡ªthis energy was elevating him to new heights.


    "This is good," us muttered to himself, his lips curling into a mischievous grin. "At this rate, I''ll be able to raise the Lotus''s power with this tribtion."


    He nced up at the swirling clouds, which were still forming ominously above him. "If this is the best you''ve got," he taunted, "then the heavens really are blind," us smirked, though deep down, he knew this was far from over.


    And he was right.


    The heavens rumbled once more, and suddenly, spear after spear of lightning began shooting down at him in rapid session. The sky was filled with streaks of electric fury, each one targeting us with deadly precision.


    But us remained unfazed. He stood his ground, watching the spears enter his 400-meter ice domain one by one. As soon as they did, they froze in ce, unable to prate further. The cold was so potent that even the powerful lightning was stopped in its tracks.


    The frozen spears disintegrated into sparkling runes, which drifted toward us and his Lotus flower, merging seamlessly with their power. No matter how fast or powerful the spears were, the moment they entered the icy domain, they were rendered powerless, unable to get within 100 meters of us.


    He felt a sense of calm wash over him as he observed the storm''s fury being neutralized by the sheer might of his Lotus flower. Each failed spear only made him stronger. Each shattered bolt raises his energy to greater heights.


    us smirked a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Seems like you''ve underestimated me," he whispered, confidently addressing the heavens. The tribtion was still raging, but us knew he was turning it into his greatest triumph.


    For the first time, us felt truly in control, and he wasn''t going to let the heavens stop his rise without a fight.


    Spears continued to rain down from the sky, but they were powerless against the Lotus flower''s protection. us racked his brain, searching for the perfect name for the second ability of the Lotus. After a moment of thought, a smirk crossed his lips. "I''ll call it Absolute Ice Domain."


    The clouds began to churn ominously as if the heavens sensed the threat. From their depths, enormous lightning spears, each 50 meters long and 5 inches thick, started to emerge.


    "Now, it''s starting," us muttered to himself. But at that moment, a flood of new information entered his mind, making him smile.


    He raised a finger towards the looming spears. The Ice Lotus spun faster, and us felt his Star Qi being rapidly drained. Yet, the Lotus continued spinning, undeterred.


    As the spears hurtled towards him, a powerful beam of ice shot out from the Lotus flower, obliterating them in a sh. But even as the first wave was destroyed, more spears began forming, threatening to overwhelm him.


    This time, however, us didn''t panic. Now that he had mastered the two abilities of the Lotus flower, he felt a newfound confidence.


    "Come at me, suckers!" he shouted. He activated the Absolute Ice Domain, and his Star Qi surged, freezing the surrounding 400 meters even further. Every spear that entered the domain halted mid-air and shattered into glowing runes, which us and the Lotus absorbed.


    us felt stronger with each burst of lightning ruins that entered his body. The battle wasn''t over, but now he knew¡ªhe had what it took to stand against the heavens themselves.


    At least, that''s what us was thinking. In truth, he was far from truly challenging the heavens. He had survived this long only because even the heavens were bound by rules. Without those rules, he would have been dead long ago.


    He wouldn''t have stood a chance if these spears hade at him during his first tribtion. But now, with his growing strength, he had the power to survive. Still, survival didn''t mean absolute control. Even within the rules, there were loopholes, and us was just beginning to encounter them.


    Yet, the heavens also underestimated him. us had cultivated the first form of the Star Diagram, reshaping his bone structure into something rare and extraordinary. His bones were now a treasure so valuable that even gods would covet them. In that sense, he was a heaven-defying existence.


    He could fight across realms, a feat possible only because of his unusual nature as a paragon. Someone like him wasn''t meant to conform to the standards of ordinary people. He was meant to break the rules, to live outside them. Killing opponents five or six realms above him felt perfectly natural for someone of his status.


    The heavens knew this, and they were doing everything possible to stop him. But us was prepared this time¡ªboth physically and mentally. Hisst tribtion had nearly killed him, and he had no intention of letting that happen again.


    "These idiots really want me dead," us muttered as he sensed the growing power of the spears. They were now entering the 100-meter radius of his Absolute Ice Domain.


    But us remained unfazed. He calmly circted his Star Qi, pumping more energy into the Lotus flower. His Star Qi reserves felt endless, so he kept feeding the Lotus, increasing its power with every moment.


    The spears continued to approach, more powerful than ever before, but us only smirked. He was ready. The heavens could throw everything they had at him, and he would face it head-on. His body was stronger than ever, his mind sharper, and the power of the Lotus flower at hismand was unmatched.


    As the spears closed in, us''s confidence surged. This time, he wasn''t just fighting to survive. He was fighting to win.


    "Is that the best you''ve got?" us shouted, a mocking grin spreading across his face. He wasn''t sure if the heavens could hear him, but after learning about karma from the senior in his soul sea, he knew one thing: the heavens were always listening.


    Though the heavens were supposed to be impartial, us knew better. When it came to him, they were anything but fair. A paragon and the heavens were natural enemies. The rules were the only thing keeping them in check, and us''s one advantage was that he could grow outside those rules. While the heavens were bound, he was free to thrive.


    "Bring your worst! These spears are weak!" us taunted again, his voice brimming with defiance.


    The heavens responded.


    From the swirling clouds above, the tip of a dark-coated spear began to emerge. The moment it appeared, the sky rumbled, and an oppressive pressure descended on the forest. The force was so great that everything within a 10 km radius was ttened. Trees splintered, and the creatures in the area were crushed into a paste by the sheer weight of the heavens'' wrath.


    us felt the pressure too¡ªhis feet felt as though they were sinking into the earth¡ªbut he remained calm.


    "Brat, do you want to get stronger?" the senior''s voice echoed from within his soul sea.


    "Isn''t that obvious, senior? I''ll do whatever it takes to get stronger. My mother... she''s been smiling a lot moretely, and I want to keep it that way forever. Screw the heavens, I need the strength to protect her," us replied with conviction.


    "Good... good. I like that attitude," the senior said approvingly, though his tone darkened. "But be warned¡ªif we continue down this path, you will umte more karma."


    "To hell with karma! I''m all in. We either go all out or we go home," us dered, his energy ring.


    "Very well," the senior said, "I''ll transmit a skill to you. I will also create an isted space within your soul sea, sealed from your consciousness. Anything stored there will be hidden from the heavens. But there are some downsides."


    "What downsides?" us asked.


    "Your soul sea will shrink temporarily, limiting the amount of Star Qi you can channel. However, once you survive this tribtion, it will return to normal. The only question is whether you can endure until then."


    us smirked. "What exactly are we about to do?"


    "We''re going to steal the tribtion, dummy. Are you ready to defy the heavens even more?"


    us''s grin grew wicked. "Minion, today we steal the tribtion."


    "Brat, who are you calling a minion?" the senior growled.


    "Senior, let''s focus. A massive lightning spear is about to strike me any second now," us reminded him with augh.


    "Fine. Brace yourself."


    us suddenly felt his soul sea surge, then begin to shrink. Momentster, he sensed a section of it slip out of his control, only for the connection to return just as quickly.


    Curious, he essed the newly sealed space and was shocked to find a sprawling field of green grass stretching about 3 km wide. "Senior, what is this ce?"


    "That depends on what you want to call it," the senior exined. "Many call it Soul Space or Sealed Space. Those with powerful soul seas can create spaces like this to store things they don''t want others¡ªespecially the heavens¡ªto find."


    us''s grin widened. "Then I''ll call it Tribtion Prison. Now, let''s start stealing some lightning."


    "Good. I''ll transmit the technique to you now." An orb of light flew from the first ice door within his soul sea and merged with us''s forehead. As the knowledge flowed into him, us smiled, his gaze fixed on the terrifying spear descending toward him.


    us was ready. It was time to steal the power of the heavens themselves. The skies roared as a massive, 100-meter-long spear of energy descended toward him with terrifying force. The ground beneath his feet trembled violently, cracks forming as if the earth itself was afraid.


    us could feel his feet sinking into the ground, but he remained unfazed, a confident smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. As the spear hurtled closer, now within a kilometer of him, us calmly formed a series of hand seals. A dark orb shot out from the center of his forehead, pulsating with power as it ascended.


    The orb exploded into a swirling ck vortex, expanding rapidly above him.


    "Come on, enter, idiot," us said with a grin as the colossal spear collided with the ck hole. Without a trace of resistance, the mighty weapon of the heavens was sucked into the vortex and vanished into nothingness.

 Chapter 104: Karmic Lightning Beasts

    Inside the Tribtion Prison, a ck hole opened, and the colossal spear of lightning descended into the space,nding with a powerful thud. us felt an immediate connection as soon as it touched down¡ªhe could control it.


    "Well, this is unexpected," us muttered with a satisfied smile.


    "Why are you grinning?" the voice of the senior inside his soul sea interrupted. "This is only the beginning. Now that you''ve taken something from the heavens, you''d better brace yourself for karma."


    us''s smile faltered slightly as he felt a sudden shift in the air. The skies above him roared with fury. He could feel his hair standing on end as thunder rumbled ominously. The entire forest seemed to awaken, its energy growing heavier as something terrifying descended upon the area.


    "Now I''m in trouble," us said to himself, gripping his sword tightly. Its de glowed a deep crimson, and his sword qi red, ready for battle.


    "The next trial is the Karmic Lightning Tribtion," the senior continued. "If you manage to steal some of that power, you canter raise the power of your Ice Lotus Bloom Flower"


    us couldn''t help but smile at the thought. His senior had been unusually talkativetely, offering guidance rather than just warnings. us knew he would pay a steep price for all of this, but in that moment, he felt nothing but gratitude.


    "Alright," us murmured to himself, watching as the clouds swirled above, "bring it on."


    With the spear now under his control and his sword ready to strike, us braced himself for the next round. The heavens might roar and rage, but he was no longer the same. He was ready to face whatever karma had in store for him.


    The heavens, ever relentless, responded in kind. From beneath the swirling clouds, one beast after another began to emerge.


    "What the¡ª" us shouted, his voice filled with shock as he recognized the creatures. "These are all monsters I''ve already killed!"


    Anger surged through him. The heavens were mocking him, throwing his past conquests back in his face. us knew better than to lose control, but the sheer audacity of it¡ªforcing him to fight the things he had already killed¡ªwas infuriating.


    His gaze hardened as he watched the beasts charge toward him. The ck hole above swirled, sucking in any monsters that ventured too close. The Ice Lotus Bloom materialized, spinning above his head as his star qi surged into it. Even with his qi pool cut in half, he still had more than enough to fuel his next move.


    The Absolute Ice Domain expanded from him, a wave of intense cold freezing everything within a 400-meter radius. Any monster that escaped the pull of the ck hole found itself instantly turned to ice, trapped in us''s unrelenting domain. He wasn''t holding back anymore¡ªhis power was in full force.


    Thousands of monsters appeared monsters from every battle he had fought, from the Sunlight Forest to the Evesting Forest and then the Ruin City. They descended upon him like an endless tide, but us met them all with a furious grin.


    "Are they really serious?" he muttered, amused by the spectacle. "Sending back everything I''ve killed? Is that the best they can do?"


    He couldn''t decide whether to rage, cry, orugh at the heavens'' twisted sense of irony. But instead, us just smirked, his eyes glinting with determination.


    "Don''t they know the saying? What doesn''t kill you makes you stronger."


    With that, us braced himself for the fight. The heavens might send wave after wave of his past enemies, but they were only helping him grow stronger.


    "Die again," us snarled as a fiery arc surged from his sword, cleaving a human-faced spider demon in half. The weak creature had somehow gotten within 50 meters of him, but it stood no chance.


    As it was obliterated, its form dissolved into glowing runes that surged into us, strengthening him further. Even the Ice Lotus Bloom overhead absorbed some of the power, growing stronger with each kill.


    "At this rate, the Tribtion Prison is going to be overflowing," us thought to himself with a smirk. "Maybe I should add more space to it."


    But the senior''s voice rang out in his mind immediately. "You can''t expand it any further for now. Focus on surviving the tribtion. Once you be a Master Warrior, you''ll have the power to expand it more."


    us nodded, acknowledging the wisdom. He turned his attention back to the endless waves of monsters pressing toward him. The Absolute Ice Domain was incredibly powerful, but with thousands of creatures flooding into its range, its force was spread thin, slightly weakening its effect.


    No matter¡ªus''s sword shed through the air, easily cutting down light-bodied monsters. Each creature he killed was reduced to glowing lightning runes that flowed back into him, bolstering his power. The ck hole above continued to devourrger beasts while his sword, qi, tore through the others, filling him with energy.


    Suddenly, the clouds rumbled, and a massive figure emerged. "The Ground Drake Lizard King," us muttered, his eyes widening as he stared at the enormous monster hovering above.


    "I guess it''se back for revenge," he said, tightening his grip on his sword. Thest time he faced this beast, it had been on itsst breath, but even then, it had shown terrifying strength.


    Now, however, it was different. The creature in the sky was the true Ground Drake Lizard King, restored to its full power. Itcked blood but crackled with lightning, its form radiating an even more formidable aura.


    "But I''m not the same as before either," us dered, his eyes narrowing with determination. "Come at me, monster."


    Realizing his Absolute Ice Domain wouldn''t be enough to contain the beast, he prepared himself for a direct confrontation. The Ground Drake Lizard Kingnded with a thunderous impact, shaking the ground violently. It charged toward us with its massive body.


    us directed the Ice Lotus Bloom to rise into the air, keeping it at a safe distance. He readied himself as the monster bore down on him.


    Boom!


    A powerful fire arc surged from his sword, crashing into the monster''s scaly tail and sending shockwaves rippling through the air. us''s eyes narrowed as he saw his attack barely faze the beast.


    "More power then," he muttered. His sword hummed with increasing energy as he fed more power into it. He leaped into the air, avoiding a sweeping tail attack, and spun gracefully. As he descended, he drove his sword into the ground, unleashing a wave of fire that pushed the monster back a few meters.


    The Ground Drake Lizard King charged at us with its massive form, but us was quicker. In a sh, he appeared behind the monster and delivered a powerful strike to its belly.


    The attacknded with precision, cutting a deep gash into the monster''s underbelly. As the beast roared as if in pain, us followed up with another attack, targeting its hind leg. The strike severed the limb, causing it to explode into a shower of glowing runes that surged into his body.


    Just then, us ducked sharply, narrowly avoiding a pincer attack from a Human Face Spider monster that had appeared out of nowhere. With a swift sh of his sword, he severed the spider''s grotesque, human-contorted face, killing it instantly.


    "I almost forgot," us muttered to himself as he observed the chaos around him. "These aren''t real monsters; there''s no hierarchy here."


    If these creatures were real, none of these minor pests would dare to interfere in a battle of such magnitude.


    "You can die now," us muttered as he unleashed two fiery arcs from his sword, which tore through the air and struck the Ground Drake Lizard King. The beast staggered backward, but us''s sword plunged into its belly before it could regain its footing.


    Ice surged from the de, freezing the monster instantly. The fire attacks had merely been distractions; the real blow was the ice-infused stab. The creature froze solid and then shattered into sparks that vanished into his body.


    As the monster crumbled, the clouds overhead darkened once more, and a formidable presence began to descend upon the forest.


    "The zombies are here," us remarked with a wry grin. "At this point, I must have some kind of destiny with zombies."


    He surveyed the terrifying lineup of undead creatures that had appeared, ready for battle.


    "Well, let''s dance," us said as he shed his sword at the first zombie that came into view. The de shed crimson as he began severing heads with precise, efficient strikes.


    "This is the perfect opportunity to master the final aspect of the Beheading technique before it gets officially registered," us thought. While many would be paralyzed by fear or flee in panic, us viewed the tribtion as a training ground to hone his skills.


    Inside his soul sea, the senior voice sounded from behind the door. clearly shocked by what us was doing, "A monster," he muttered


    us moved like lightning, his sword a blur as it severed heads with lethal precision. Each swing sent a head flying, leaving only glowing runes that surged into him, amplifying his strength.


    He let the Absolute Ice Domain run rampant throughout the tribtion, but he used it strategically, drawing some of the zombies toward him before slipping through the domain to continue his assault.


    In just ten minutes, us had decapitated thousands of zombies, but the onught showed no signs of stopping. The more he killed, the more seemed to appear.


    "This ends now," us dered, frustration seeping into his voice. He infused his sword with an intense amount of fire essence, then swung it forward in a sweeping arc. A wave of fire erupted from his de, incinerating everything in its path. His face paled slightly.


    "us, finish this quickly," the senior warned in a grim tone. "Thest wave ising, and neither the ck Hole nor your flower can hold them off. Prepare yourself."


    us nodded and hurled the Ice Lotus Bloom toward the advancing horde.


    "Explode!" hemanded. The flower erupted with freezing power, turning everything within its st radius into solid ice.


    At that moment, the heavens roared once more, and from within the darkened clouds, two figures emerged. us''s eyes widened in shock as he recognized one of them.


    "Matin Guan?" us breathed.

 Chapter 105: Klauss Fury [Bonus]

    Matin Guan, the arrogant heir of the Guan Great family, had once recklessly chased after Anna Ross, only to stumble into us during his first hunt in the Sunlight Forest. It was unfortunate for him. Back then, us had just awakened his Talent and ss, working to change his and his mother''s situation. He was unreasonable in those days, and Matin''s arrogance only fueled the tension.


    Had Matin not targeted the Tier 3 monster''s body¡ªor worse, threatened his mother¡ªhe might still be alive today. But things had escted. us killed him, and that was that. Or so he thought.


    us never found out what Matin''s family did afterward, but since no one came knocking on his door for revenge, he moved on and forgot about it. That was until now.


    Slowly descending from the sky, Matin Guannded on the ground, his spear gripped tightly in his hand, his cold gaze locked onto us.


    "Shit," us muttered to himself, memories flooding back. "Now that I think about it, I never took his weapon back then... or did I?" He frowned, still uncertain. But before he could puzzle over it any longer, his eyes shifted to the figure standing beside Matin.


    "The Mutated Zombie General..." us''s eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What a sinister plot." He remembered barely surviving his first encounter with the Zombie General. This time, the situation was far worse.


    That time, if he hadn''t killed the Mutated Zombie with that one strike, he would have struggled. Even his undistributed points wouldn''t have made much of a difference.


    Two enemies¡ªone resurrected and the other far deadlier¡ªstood before him. "I got luckyst time... but this time, it''s going to be different. I can''t handle them both at once." The heavens really wanted him dead, seriously.


    Then, something struck us as odd. Despite Matin only being Ascended and the Mutated Zombie being a Tier 5 Terror, there was something deeply unsettling about them.


    "Their eyes..." us squinted, noticing the strange color shifting within their irises¡ªshes of red, gold, and brown. He couldn''t put his finger on it, but those eyes sent chills down his spine.


    us clenched his fists tighter, the realization hitting him like a bolt of lightning. The heavens¡ªthe so-called impartial arbiters of fate¡ªwould always be his mortal enemies. They despised him, and now, he despised them with equal fury.


    "Bring it on, bozos!" us roared, charging forward with renewed vigor. As he dashed ahead, he deactivated the ckhole and had already exploded the Lotus flower. The explosion of the ice energy created a misty battlefield zone, one where he held the advantage. The swirling mist allowed him to move faster, slipping through the air like a phantom.


    But us wasn''t the only one bolstered. The heavens had chosen to empower Matin and the Mutated Zombie as well, infusing their weapons with crackling lightning. A dangerous fighty ahead.


    BOOM!


    us''s sword shed with the jagged club of the Mutated Zombie, the force of the impact sending him flying backward. He managed to twist in midair,nding squarely on his feet, but there was no time to recover. Matin''s spear came stabbing at his neck with blinding speed.


    us parried the spear just in time, using the momentum to throw a powerful kick at Matin. But the Zombie''s club intercepted his leg, the blow rattling his bones.


    "Damn, that hurts," us muttered through gritted teeth, the pain radiating through his body. He nced at his two opponents, their movements uncannily synchronized.


    "They''re working together¡­ Is this what the heavens want? Cooperation?" His mind raced. "The heavens'' weapons are working in unison¡­ This is bad. This tribtion is different. Could this be... karma?"


    us shifted to the defensive, blocking a series of rapid strikes from Matin''s spear and the Zombie''s club. Their attacks were relentless, their coordination tightening with every sh.


    us''s thoughts raced as he struggled against the unrelenting assault. "Is this what Senior meant when he said the heavens are unpredictable¡ªespecially when ites to me?" he muttered, barely managing to block a strike that hurled him through the air.


    "Fuck karma! This young master has more to live for, moredies to woo! I''m not dying to your schemes!" us roared, shing his sword at Matin with fury. But once again, the jagged club of the Zombie General intercepted his attack, forcing us to sidestep a powerful stab from Matin''s spear.


    In a swift motion, us grabbed the spear, yanking Matin forward. But before he could follow through with a counterattack, a brutal strike crashed into his ribcage, sending him flying across the battlefield.


    Cough! Cough!


    us spat out two mouthfuls of blood as he struggled to rise from the ground. His leather top was torn, revealing bruises on his pale skin. His ribs hadn''t broken, but they felt as if they were shattered.


    "Damn it, this bastard has to die now," us growled, his eyes narrowing. He could sense that Matin was more sinister than the Zombie General, but the constant interference from the zombie was preventing him from delivering a fatal blow. He knew that if he couldn''t find an opening soon, things would only get worse.


    His fears were realized faster than he expected. As us tried to steady himself, Matin''s spear came hurtling toward his heart. He sidestepped, but it wasn''t enough¡ªthe spear pierced his shoulder joint, sending jolts of searing lightning through his body.


    "Cough¡­" Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The stab was deep, the pain sharp and unrelenting. us grimaced; he had been just a fraction too slow.


    "Damn it," he cursed, forcing himself to distance himself from Matin, but there was no reprieve. Before us could react, a piercing attack erupted from the ground, stabbing into his back with brutal precision. He was thrown through the air, hurtling straight toward the Zombie General, who was already poised to strike.


    "Shit," us muttered, but his words came toote. The Zombie''s club smashed into his left shoulder, the sickening sound of bones cracking filling the air. The force sent us flying once more, his body crumpling under the repeated blows.


    "Fuck¡­" he groaned.


    "After all this, some pampered greenhouse legacy flower dares topare himself to me?" us growled, narrowing his gaze. "If I don''t put them in their ce, my name isn''t us." He rolled across the icy battlefield, narrowly evading a strike from the Zombie General, who now appeared more intelligent, using the terrain to his advantage.


    The ice battlefield us had created was beginning to crumble, but he had anticipated this. He knew his advantage was fleeting, a momentary edge that would soon disappear.


    As the jagged club of the Zombie swung toward him, us reacted swiftly. A flower manifested in his palm, and with his right hand, he swung his sword, blocking the club''s impact. Simultaneously, he leaped into the air, dodging a spear thrust from Matin, who had attempted a sneak attack from his blind spot.


    us flung the flower toward Matin, detonating it mid-air. The explosion momentarily froze Matin in ce, encasing him in ice. But us''s victory was short-lived. Before he could deliver the finishing blow, the Zombie charged at him again, its club raised for a deadly strike.


    "Damn you, brute! Let me take out this bastard, and then we''ll have our one-on-one!" us shouted in frustration, though he knew his words were pointless. With no choice but to abandon his attack on Matin, us turned to face the Zombie.


    His sword gleamed crimson as he channeled his fire essence. With a swift motion, he unleashed a powerful arc of me, cutting deep into the Zombie''s chest. But the satisfaction of the hit was fleeting¡ªthe wound healed almost instantly, the Zombie regenerating with unnatural speed.


    "Fuck, the heavens are such cheats," us cursed under his breath, realizing how unfair this battle had be. But even as frustration gnawed at him, us steeled himself. There was no point inining now. He had to fight on.


    Martin broke free from the ice with a fierce charge. us reacted quickly, blocking the strike and delivering a powerful kick that sent Matin stumbling backward.


    "I killed you once; I can do it again!" us growled, his eyes narrowing at Matin''s cold, unyielding gaze. But something about Matin felt off, tugging at us''s instincts. ''What is wrong with him?'' us wondered, his unease growing as Matin grew colder with every attack.


    Before us could dwell on it further, the Zombie General lunged at him again. us evaded the strike and countered with a swift, powerful attack to sever the Zombie''s neck. But just as his de was about to make contact, Matin''s spear intercepted it with precision.


    "Shouldn''t there be a timer on this?" us muttered in frustration. "Like, if the heavens can''t kill me in a few minutes, I win?"


    But the battle showed no signs of ending. The synergy between Matin and the Zombie made it impossible for us tond a decisive blow. No matter how hard he struck, one of them would always be there to disrupt his attacks.


    us clenched his teeth, frustration boiling inside him with each blocked strike. No matter how fast or precise his attacks were, they seemed futile. The Zombie was tough¡ªits rugged exterior and monstrous strength made it nearly impossible to prate. And even when usnded a hit, the creature''s superhuman healing rendered his efforts meaningless.


    Matin was no better. He was far sneakier now than when us had killed him the first time. There was something off about him, something that made us''s skin crawl. Each time Matin moved, a chill ran down his spine.


    "Something''s wrong," us muttered under his breath. But before he could piece together what was happening¡ªbefore he even knew what to stop¡ªsix massive pirs of earth exploded from the ground, encircling them in a 2-kilometer radius.


    A strange blue field began to form between the pirs, crackling with energy. us felt it the moment the fields connected. His strength was cut in half, and his movements were suddenly sluggish and heavy.


    "The Earth Domain," us cursed under his breath. "What the hell? How does this Zombie have an ability like this?"


    But it was toote. He was trapped, and his enemies were closing in.


    ====


    [A/N: I''ve finished my exams! The more Power Stones and Golden Tickets I receive, the more Bonus Chapters I can provide. And yes, a mega gift can secure you ten plusBonus Chapters! Lol]

 Chapter 106: On the Brink of Death

    us gritted his teeth, feeling the energy drain from his body as the Earth Domain locked into ce. The six towering pirs loomed around him, crackling with an unfamiliar power. His strength had been cut in half, and he could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him.


    "The Earth Domain... Seriously? Why does this Zombie have this kind of ability?" us muttered in disbelief. He had expected a tough battle, but this felt like the heavens were stacking the odds even further against him. He was trapped.


    "Brat, do you finally understand what I told you? The heavens are unpredictable. They''ll throw everything at you to kill you. And this? This is nothingpared to what they''re truly capable of," the voice of us''s senior echoed in his mind from deep within his soul sea.


    us gritted his teeth. "I get it now. So that''s how it is¡­ They picked an opponent with an earth affinity and gave it this sinister ability." He could feel the dark plot working against him.


    His mind shed back to the days before the City Selection Exams when Lucy helped him prepare. He had studied countless monsters and their abilities, including the Ground Mountain Ko Bear. That creature is the only one capable of using the Earth Domain. But the Mutated Zombie? It shouldn''t have this power.


    The realization stung. He had been caught off guard, thrown into a trap set by the heavens themselves. Now, he truly understood what his senior had warned him about. The heavens were using karma as an excuse, twisting the rules just to kill him. And it was working¡ªhis strength had been drained to a mere 50 percent.


    "Fuck, this is too sinister!" us growled, his anger boiling over.


    "That it is," his senior''s voice returned. "But you have to push through. This is just another obstacle. And what do you do when you face an obstacle? You cleave through it. This is no different.


    You''re a Paragon. Man up and kill these suckers... er, monsters," he finished awkwardly.


    us couldn''t help but chuckle at his senior''s slip, but the words fired him up. "You''re right, senior. I can kill these suckers." His grip tightened on his weapon, determination flooding back into his veins.


    us charged at the Zombie and Matin, his determination zing brighter than ever. The odds were stacked against him, and the trap set by the heavens had snared him deep. But that didn''t matter now. His will refused to waver. He knew that this was it¡ªthe moment that would define him.


    This was his make-or-break moment. Either he would fall, crushed by the weight of his enemies, or he would walk out alive, his head held high. There was no in-between.


    With a surge of energy, us gripped his sword tighter and locked his eyes on his opponents.


    us gritted his teeth as he shed with the Zombie, evading Matin''s spear as best as he could. The Earth Domain had severely reduced his speed, yet he still held his ground. The heavy exhaustion weighed on him with every movement, the air feeling thick and oppressive. Most would have buckled under the strain, but this wasn''t an issue at all thanks to his experience fighting those realms about him.


    The Zombie lunged at him brutally, but us held his ground, parrying the attack and dodging Matin''s spear. Every movement was slower than it should have been, and every sh brought more pain as the strikes tore apart his clothes. Blood dripped from the new wounds gracing his pale skin, staining the already shredded fabric.


    "Mom''s going to need to give me a serious massage after this," us muttered with a grim smile. His body ached, but the thought of returning home fueled him.


    Still, the frustration was mounting. Matin''s spear continuously ripped his clothes, cutting through his shirt and trousers like a de through paper.


    "Come on!" us growled, ring at Matin. "Is this spear some kind of clothing destroyer? Can''t you strike where it''s already torn? Seriously!"


    Despite his mounting frustration, us couldn''t escape the relentless assault of the two heavenly weapons. A powerful strikended on his left arm, shattering it before healing instantly, only to be broken again.


    He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress a groan, when another attack mmed into his right arm. This time, us was ready. He used the force of the blow to propel himself forward, his sword slicing toward Matin. The spear-wielder blocked the attack but was pushed back several meters


    "Good one, partner," us said with a pained grin, giving the Zombie a thumbs-up. Unfortunately, he used his broken left hand, causing him to wince in pain.


    "Damn it!" he cursed


    us charged at the Zombie again, aiming for its leg. But the attack was in vain; the leg was severed, only for the wound to regenerate almost instantly.


    "If it regenerates this fast, cutting its leg won''t do any good," us thought, eyes narrowing. He didn''t want to waste time on attacks that wouldn''t make a difference.


    "This motherfucker has to be beheaded," us growled, dashing at the Zombie once more. This time, he aimed for the neck, hoping for a clean cut. But Martin, ever the sneaky bastard, stabbed at him from behind. us was forced to abandon his attack to block the spear, a costly mistake.


    The Zombie seized the opportunity,nding a powerful blow to us''s back, sending him crashing to the ground face-first.


    "Fuck, my back!" us yelled, a chill running down his spine. His spine hadn''t broken, but the pain was intense. He rolled on the floor, using the momentum to kick the ground and propel himself back up.


    The Zombie swung its weapon again with crushing force, but us was ready. He dodged the heavy strike, making the weapon m into the ground instead. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, pushing us backward with surprising speed.


    He braced himself, anticipating the force, and used the momentum to propel himself into a fierce sh with Matin.


    The sh of sword and spear created a deadly rhythm, a symphony of metal that echoed in the confined space. us gritted his teeth, his frustration growing.


    "This idiot is more skilled than the real bastard," he muttered, realizing that the heavens were controlling the Zombie and Matin. He knew better than to judge their abilities by their own standards.


    "Die!" us shouted, aiming for Matin''s neck with a powerful sh. But Martin, ever the crafty opponent, blocked with his spear, pushing us back a few steps.


    "If you don''t want to die, I''ll beat death into you," us said, determination in his voice.


    He paused, his eyes narrowing as he questioned his own sanity. "Wait, what am I saying? Am I losing my mind, too?"


    But the moment of doubt passed quickly. "No matter, I''ll beat death into you again."


    With renewed focus, he sidestepped a devastating blow from the Zombie and redirected his attention back to Matin. The sh resumed, us channeling the momentum from his dodge into a relentless assault.


    us was using the shockwaves from the Zombie to boost his own speed. It was a dangerous tactic, but effective.


    BOOM


    Suddenly, the pirs around him shrank, closing in on us. He felt an intense pressure on his shoulder as if a heavy weight was crushing him. Just then, a powerful kicknded on him, sending him flying through the air until he crashed into one of the pirs.


    "Ahhh!" us screamed in pain. When he hit the ground, the side of his body that struck the pir was burned. His left arm was dripping with blood, and his left leg was slightly burned, with blood seeping out.


    Unfortunately, he remained trapped within the domain. He knew he couldn''t escape unless he defeated the Zombie. His vision was blurring, and his grip on his sword was slipping away by the second.


    "Fuck, I won''t fall here," us gritted out, charging at the Zombie and Matin, pain radiating through his body.


    BOOM


    He was hurled through the air again. This time, he managed tond on the ground, but his wounds widened, causing him to groan in agony.


    "If this keeps up, I''ll die. I need toe up with something." He attempted to behead the Zombie and Matin repeatedly, but every time he got close, one of them blocked his attack while the other struck him down.


    His body was battered, bruised, and aching, but us''s resolve remained unbroken. He tried to think of a solution, but his mind was clouded with pain. His senior had warned him that his Lotus wouldn''t be able to defeat them, and now he understood why.


    "Fuck the heavens," us roared, his voice echoing through the forest. "I won''t go down without a fight. Today, we''ll see whose life is tougher¡ªthe slum kid who lives with his mother or the useless heavens that only plot against a kid."


    "Today, we''ll find out if I''m destined to be a Paragon or die like a chicken." He distanced himself from the Zombie and Matin, then flicked his wrist. A red, burning orb appeared in his palm, growing rapidly. It soon reached the size of ten basketballs, glowing with intense heat.


    "I hope this works." He charged toward the Zombie and Matin, and when he was within 300 meters of them, he hurled the glowing orb in their direction.


    Struggling with his aching body, he dashed back, ncing over his shoulder. As the fireball neared within 50 meters of its targets, the Zombie leaped into the air, swinging its club.


    "Not today," us muttered coldly, sprinting further away.


    "Explode!"

 Chapter 107: This feels soft and nice.

    "Explode!" us shouted.


    For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze, an eerie silence enveloping the forest. Then, with a blinding sh, the orb detonated. The explosion originated from within the ball of fire, instantly flooding the forest with a crimson glow.


    The Zombie, which had been moving toward the orb, was reduced to ashes¡ªor rather, runes. The orb''s fiery eruption consumed it entirely, leaving only scattered runes behind. Martin, who was only a few meters away, was also engulfed by the mes and died instantly, again.


    us, who had managed to reach the barrier before the explosion, felt his life force slipping away. Desperately, he summoned the Ice Lotus and channeled everyst bit of energy he could muster into the second star, activating the Absolute Ice Domain.


    As the fire spread, shockwaves seemed to cleave through the very earth, charging in all directions. us was prepared for a tough fight but underestimated the tribtion''s intensity. While the tribtion cloud was nearly dissipated, he had inadvertently created a new fire tribtion for himself.


    He could run away, but that will be a mistake seeing he can''t outrun the shockwave, so he has to brave it and hope he didn''t reduce to ashes himself.


    Crack


    Suddenly, the lotus flower began to crack, its light dimming. The fire and shockwaves battered the ice domain, causing it to weaken by the passing seconds.


    Crack


    It cracked again. us''s heart shuddered. The me was now more powerful than before. He had overestimated the zombie and Matin by making the fireball too strong. But that was a mistake since he nowcks enough Star Qi to power the ice lotus.


    Boom! Shattered!


    Suddenly, the flower exploded, and the fire charged straight at us. His heart stopped, and his eyes widened as he saw his life sh before him.


    ''I''m about to die. How disappointing,'' us sighed, facing his imminent death. The mes shed at him. Even from 300 meters away, his clothes were incinerated, leaving himpletely naked as he stared death in the face. His skin started showing signs of melting.


    ''Damn, I''m dying butt naked,'' us thought, a smirk forming on his lips. Everything seemed to slow down as the fire surged toward him.


    Suddenly, a searing pain erupted from one of the star tattoos on his back. His vision blurred, as the pain sank into his body.


    ''What''s happening?'' he wondered, but there was no answer since he had no idea what was happening himself. Suddenly, arge golden ring with three triangles appeared behind him. Tiny, atomic-like stars spun within the triangles, as golden energy surged from them.


    The golden energy formed a protective dome around him just in time to shield him from the fire. us bit down hard on his tongue as he watched the mes hit the dome and spread around it. He expected the sea of me to hit his body but it parted around the golden dome.


    Shortly after, the sea of mes passed making him sigh in relief.


    "It''s over," us said, copsing.


    "Yes, it''s over. You can rest now," a voice said from behind him. us heard the voice but lost consciousness before he could see who it was. Just before he hit the burnt ground, a hand grasped him and lifted him away.


    -


    -


    -


    [Note: The below will contain some adult stuff. 18+!!!!}


    us felt like his head was splitting open. His vision was still blurry and distorted, and he could feel one side of his face resting on something soft. Feeling the softness, the headache suddenly disappeared, but the lingering unease remained.


    Instinctively, us turned his head to the other side, still nestled in the softness. His mind didn''t dwell on it as he drifted back into sleep. After a while, he began to stir, slowly waking up.


    "This feels soft... and nice," us mumbled as he reached out with his hand, feeling the thing beneath him. As he started to wake up fully, his head lifted slightly, and then¡ªhe froze. His hand was still resting on what he''d been sleeping on.


    ''Oh no,'' us thought inwardly, but it was toote. He felt something pointy, something firm under his touch.


    ''Oh, no...'' he repeated in his mind, instantly recognizing what he was holding. But before he could move away, a calm voice broke the silence.


    "Enjoying what you''re touching?"


    When us heard the voice, he froze, his body stiff with dread. He recognized it instantly¡ªOhema. For a moment, he was dumbstruck.


    ''But how is she here? What is she doing here?'' us wondered, cursing inwardly. His hand was still on Ohema''s Boobs, and in his panic, he forgot to let go.


    Slowly, he lifted his head and met her gaze. Ohema was looking back at him, a yful, mocking smile on her lips. "Don''t worry," she said teasingly. "I won''t bite. Feel free to examine for as long as you want."


    us felt his heart sink. He knew he''d lost. He had noeback for this¡ªnothing could salvage his pride now. This was too embarrassing. He had lost entirely, and Ohema knew it.


    us immediately let go and tried to dash away, but a firm hand grabbed him before he could escape. He stumbled and fell back, his facending directly between two soft, warm "mountains" that greeted him with a mocking smile.


    "You''re still not fully healed," Ohema said in a teasing tone, holding him firmly. "Take it easy. Don''t make any sudden moves. Rx, enjoy your recovery time. Your Sugar Mummy has your back."


    us felt his face flush with embarrassment. ''I''m done for'', he thought as a hot sensation spread through him. His hand instinctively moved to his hip, and he felt a fabric. He sighed in relief but quickly realized something strange.


    ''Wait... the fire burned all my clothes, even my underwear. So, how am I wearing new underwear?'' His mind raced with confusion. What is happening?


    Ohema held him tightly against her chest, her grip surprisingly strong. us didn''t even bother trying to resist¡ªhis strength felt insignificant against her hold.


    "Don''t worry, you''re not naked anymore," Ohema teased, "but you might want to have a chat with your dragon. He seems to be having some... ideas."


    ''Subtle, Ohema. Learn to be subtle'', us thought, his face flushing with embarrassment. Thankfully, she couldn''t see it with his face still nestled between her two soft "mountains."


    Desperately trying to shift away, us twisted his body to hide his... predicament. But, somehow, he ended up lying back against her chest, his face turned upward. Worse yet, his now very obvious bulge was fully visible, printing hard in the tight underwear.


    Ohema''s face suddenly appeared in his view from overhead, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "It''s perfectly normal, Mr. Pretty Boy," she said with a wink. "This just proves you''re not all bark and no bite. And don''t worry, I promise I didn''t touch too much when I dressed you in those pants."


    "Here, let me help you with that," Ohema said with a sly grin as she started to extend her hand toward his bulge.


    "I-I can handle it myself!" us finally spoke, quickly using his hand to adjust the situation, shifting his bulge so it rested between his legs, though still noticeable through his pants.


    "You couldn''t have given me something with a bit more room?" us asked in a slightly raised, frustrated tone.


    "Hey, those were the only pants I had that belonged to a guy. You should consider yourself lucky¡ªit could''ve been much worse," Ohema said teasingly, her hand now casually caressing us''s chest.


    "Hey, what are you doing? This is not helping!" us protested as he felt his "dragon" stirring again.


    "Oh,e on," Ohema replied with a mischievous smile. "You''re a guy; I''m ady. It''s perfectly fine." She then yfully pinched his nipples, sending an unexpected jolt through us''s body.


    "I should be the one doing this, not you! This is beyond embarrassing! How did I end up in this situation?" us groaned, exasperated. "I''d rather face another tribtion than deal with this!"


    "Feel free, us," Ohema said with a smile, her eyes gleaming. "My body is yours. Do whatever you want. I won''t bother resisting."


    "Not falling for that¡ªI already have a girlfriend," us said firmly.


    "Oh really?" Ohema teased, grinning. "Have you ever touched your girlfriend''s boobs? And has she ever touched your, well, dragon? You and I are on a whole different level, us. Hehe, that dragon of yours is quite impressive for someone your age."


    "Ohema," us sighed, "what happened to your elegance and poise? Why are you being so... naughty?"


    "Well," Ohema chuckled, "I guess all your teasing these past weeks changed me more than I thought. But now that we''re here... how about we take it to the next level?" she asked, brushing her hands over his chest again.


    "You do realize this is harassment, right?" us raised an eyebrow.


    Ohema tilted her head yfully. "Do you feel harassed?" she asked, her smile never faltering.


    "No... I mean, yeah... a little. What''s wrong with me?" us hesitated.


    "You see," Ohema whispered, her palm still gently gliding across us''s chest, "you want this. So why hold yourself back? You might not get another chance. Make the best of it."


    "I''m not falling for that," us said, his voice steady, though his body betrayed him.


    "I don''t believe you for a second," Ohema responded with a sly grin as her hand ventured lower, just below his belly. us''s "dragon" jerked involuntarily.


    "Damn it," us cursed softly, turning to stare at Ohema, his resolve weakening.


    "Go on, say it," Ohema teased, her smile widening. But before she could savor her victory, us moved swiftly, and their lips locked.


    Ohema''s eyes widened in surprise as us''s tongue slipped into her mouth. ''What''s happening?'' she wondered, her mind racing to catch up. But her thoughts faded as the sensation of his lips deepened. She found herself lost in the kiss, though deep down she thought, I wanted you to say ''please,'' surrendering to the moment instead.


    Ohema waspletely out of her league now. She never expected this¡ªnot the kiss, not even in her wildest thoughts. All she wanted was to tease us, to get him to beg, to say "please" and surrender to her. But in a twist of events, they were kissing. And, much to her own shock, she didn''t want it to stop.


    When us finally broke the kiss, he looked at her smugly. His confidence was palpable. "You''re mine now, Ohema," he said softly but firmly. "Your body, everything¡ªit''s all mine."


    Ohema swallowed hard, her heartbeat quickening. What just happened? She gulped again, feeling a sudden unfamiliar heat rising within her.

 Chapter 108: Getting Some [Bonus]

    Ohema stared at us for a whole minute, utterly speechless. She had no idea what to say, her mind racing in every direction. us, meanwhile, watched her smugly, clearly enjoying the power shift. After a moment, he casuallyy back down, his head once again resting between her "mountains."


    "If youe out of your trance, let me know," us said with a chuckle, closing his eyes as if he hadn''t a care in the world.


    Ohema looked down at the white-haired boy resting on her chest and felt an overwhelming urge to shove him off¡ªjust to wipe that smug look off his face. But she held back, her emotions a mess. For some reason, her heart was racing faster than it ever had before.


    ''What is happening to me?''


    ''He''s just an awakened brat...Not even a Saint yet''


    ''Wait, who am I kidding? There are plenty of Non-Saints out there doing far worse things.''


    ''But why do I feel this way? Do I... do I actually like him?''


    Her thoughts spiraled, leaving her confused and vulnerable in a way she hadn''t expected.


    ''This wasn''t supposed to go this way.'' Ohema''s mind raced with confusion. ''I was the one who should beughing, not him.''


    ''Did I lead him on?''


    Thoughts swirled through her mind so quickly that she didn''t even notice when us fell asleep. As he turned and rested his face between her "mountains," it was clear now that it was intentional. Inside, us wasughing like a maniac.


    ''Serves her right,'' he thought with a smug grin. ''But this works out well. I won''t have to do much now. If I y my cards well, I might get some''


    As usy there, seemingly content, Ohema''s heart raced, conflicted between frustration and something she couldn''t quite ce.


    ''I''ve fallen for this brat. How strange,'' Ohema concluded, though she wasn''t ready to ept it just yet. Just as she was grappling with her feelings, us shifted, resting the side of his face against her "mountains." As he adjusted, his body inadvertently pressed against her thigh, his bulge now resting there.


    Ohema''s body stiffened immediately. "Oh,e on, it''s not like you haven''t seen or touched it before," us said, feeling her reaction.


    "That was different. I was just dressing you," Ohema retorted.


    "Don''t worry. This body is all yours now. No need to be shy," us said with a mischievous grin.


    "Put on some clothes," Ohema demanded.


    "Nope. I''m perfectly okay this way," us replied, smirking as he settled backfortably.


    "You¡ª" Ohema began, struggling to find her words.


    "What is it? Do you want me to stop?" us asked, his tone yful yet sincere.


    "No... I mean, yes," Ohema stammered, but us simply smirked and settled back into his position.


    "You know, Ohema, I''m really happy right now. I thought I was going to die today. So thank you. And after today, if you don''t want to see me again, I won''t be mad. But... can I stay like this for a while?" us asked, his voice softening.


    Ohema felt a pang in her heart as she listened. She had seen us''s tribtion from start to finish and knew just how close he hade to the end. Hearing him express such vulnerability made her own heartache. Tears began to fall down her cheeks without her realizing it.


    She remembered the moment when the fire raged around us. She didn''t know what he had been thinking, but she had seen the smile on his face despite everything.


    "us," Ohema started again, but her voice faltered.


    "It''s alright," us said gently, wiping her tears away. "I''m d you''re here with me now." He then reached for his phone to call his mother.


    "I''ve already called her. I told her I''m with you and that you''lle back tomorrow," Ohema interjected, stopping him from dialing.


    "Uh, how did you get her number?" us asked, looking at her curiously.


    "I called your assistant and got it from her," Ohema replied with a smile.


    "You see, I made the right choice. Thoughtful and cute¡ªyou''ll make a great wife," us said, leaning in to kiss her again. Ohema blinked, taken aback and unsure of how to respond.


    "So, wife, do you want us to continue what we started, or should we put a pin in it for now?" us asked with a mischievous smile.


    "Who''s your wife? Keep dreaming," Ohema retorted, though a smile tugged at her lips.


    us chuckled at Ohema''s yful denial but noticed the soft smile she couldn''t quite hide. He settled backfortably, making himself at ease between her and the soft surface beneath him.


    "Alright, alright," us said, still grinning. "I''ll give you a break for now. But don''t think I''m letting you off the hook that easily."


    Ohema rolled her eyes, though her smile remained. "You''re impossible, you know that?"


    "And you''re incredibly patient," us replied, his tone softening. "I guess we bnce each other out."


    There was a brief moment offortable silence between them. Ohema nced at us, her thoughts still swirling with the earlier chaos and the unexpected tenderness of their shared moment. She found herself wrestling with the conflict between her feelings and the yful banter they had been sharing.


    "So, what''s the n now?" Ohema asked, breaking the silence. "Do we just stay like this, or is there something else you want to do?"


    "As soon as that calms down, I''ll dress up, and we can leave this forest," us said, gesturing to his dragon. Ohema''s gaze followed his hand, but she immediately blushed when she saw the hardened dragon.


    "What, want to help me out?" us teased with a mischievous grin.


    "In your dreams," Ohema shot back without hesitation.


    "Don''t be like that, wife; your husband needs you," us said, putting on his most endearing puppy face. Now that he had reached the Master stage, his presence was even more captivating. His golden eyes seemed to shine with an almost irresistible allure.


    Ohema found herself lost in those eyes, her resolve crumbling under their intense gaze. Look away, look away, she repeated to herself, but somehow, she couldn''t pull her eyes from him.


    us noticed her struggle and let out a soft, knowing chuckle. "Looks like you''re having a hard time resisting," he said gently.


    Ohema tried to regain herposure, clearing her throat. "Stop teasing me. You know this isn''t fair."


    "Fair?" us questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Life''s not always fair, but I like to think we can have a little fun with it."


    Ohema sighed, her blush deepening. "Alright, alright. But just so you know, this doesn''t mean you''ve won me over entirely."


    "Winning you over is a work in progress," us smirked. "But for now, I''m happy with this little victory."


    us beamed with a victorious grin, clearly pleased by the turn of events. Ohema, having made her promise, had no choice but to follow through. She reached toward his shorts, her face a mild embarrassment.


    us, feeling the shift in the atmosphere, took a deep breath, preparing himself for the moment. His golden eyes sparkled with a blend of anticipation and yfulness.


    As Ohema''s hand made contact, us felt a rush of adrenaline. This was a step into a different world, a big boys'' game he had never quite imagined himself in before.


    Ohema''s fingers were surprisingly gentle, and despite her initial reluctance, she handled the situation with a surprising amount of care and professionalism.


    us couldn''t help but chuckle softly, breaking the tension. "Well, this is definitely a new experience."


    Ohema shot him a look, her cheeks flushed. "Don''t get toofortable. This doesn''t mean you''ve won me overpletely."


    "Winning you over might take some time," us said, still smiling. "But for now, I''m enjoying the ride."


    And just like that, us took the first step toward the big boys'' game.


    -


    -


    -


    "So, what''s next?" Ohema asked, ncing away from us.


    us, now dressed in ck trousers and an oversized brown t-shirt, smirked as he watched her antics. "We''re heading home to see the mother-inw," he said, taking her hand. They began to walk away from the cave where they had been.


    After the tribtion, Ohema took us to a cave to rest. Surprisingly, even in his sleep, us had clung to her, which exined the awkwardness when he woke up.


    As they made their way to the outer section, the shuttle was just about to depart. They boarded it, and soon enough, they were back at the border. Kofi was waiting for us with the car.


    us had called him during their journey back to the border. When Kofi saw Ohema, he was taken aback. He seemed to recognize her but couldn''t quite ce her. The guards had the same reaction.


    They got into the car and started driving. To us''s surprise, Ohema didn''t protest about meeting his mother. Given their growing rtionship, it felt natural to take this step. They''ve already taken a big step in their rtionship, so it only felt natural.


    Shortly after, they arrived at us''s home.


    "Mom, I''m home!" us called out as usual.


    His mother appeared from the kitchen, her face brightening when she saw him. "us, you''re back!" She then noticed Ohema standing beside him. "You must be Ohema. I''ve heard so much about you. I must say, you''re even more beautiful in person."


    Ohema smiled shyly. "Nice to meet you, Mother-in¡ª" She caught herself, ncing at us. He was grinning, which made her cheeks flush even more. When she looked back at us''s mother, her blush deepened.


    "Nice to meet you too," us''s mother said warmly. Ohema, now blushing like a tomato, moved to hide behind us. us''s smile widened at the sight, and his mother gave him an approving thumbs up.


    Clearly, his mother was impressed by how us had managed to charm Ohema. "us, make her feel at home. I''ll have dinner ready soon," she said with a smile.


    us nodded and led Ohema away to his room. His mother watched them go, a thoughtful smile on her face.


    ''This kid''s got more game than I expected,'' she mused to herself before heading back to the kitchen.

 Chapter 109: Taking a Bath Together [Bonus]

    Ohema waspletely out of her depth. Her n to tease us had backfired in an unexpected way. She found herself thinking about many things after us kissed her, but it all came down to one question: was she in love with the white-haired pretty boy?


    She was older than him, and their differences created gaps she couldn''t fully understand. Was this love or just a fleeting experience that could disappear as quickly as it came? Ohema didn''t have the answers. All she knew was that she didn''t want us to ever feel alone.


    When she had seen his expression right before he almost died, it had caused her an indescribable pain. And though she might try to deny it, the past few weeks had been some of the best in her life. us was always calling her, or she was calling him, only to end up blushing over his yful and often shameless remarks.


    Maybe that''s why she had wanted to tease him, too, to test the waters. But she had underestimated us.


    The shameless rogue had clearly been scheming with his mother on how to capture her heart. And when he saw his opportunity¡ªa rare, one-in-a-million chance¡ªhe seized it without hesitation. Strangely enough, he seeded. Ohema was his now, and the night was still far too young.


    "This is my room. Cute, right?" us said as he led Ohema inside. She stood for a moment, gazing around and taking in the space.


    "So... how many girls have you brought to this bed?" Ohema asked, unable to think of anything else and going for the most obvious¡ªa jealous remark.


    us grinned, stepping closer almost instantly. "Just Lucy. You''d be the second. What do you think? Will I get lucky tonight?" His gaze locked onto hers, and Ohema gulped, feeling her face heat up.


    "You... you..." she stammered, unable to form a proper response.


    "Hehe, look at you, all blushing and cute," us teased with a smirk. "Rx, I won''t do anything you''re notfortable with." He took a step back, giving her space.


    Ohema sighed, her heart still racing. "You should take a bath," she suggested, trying to shift the topic.


    "True," us agreed, casually pulling off his shirt. As he started walking toward the bathroom, he suddenly stopped and turned back to face her.


    "You should, too. After all that action in the forest, you could use a fresh start. Wanna join me?" he offered, his eyes yful. Ohema''s gaze instinctively dropped toward his waist, and she gulped again, unable to stop herself.


    "Keep dreaming," Ohema said, though her voice was shaky and not as convincing as she''d hoped.


    "Suit yourself," us shrugged casually. "I''m going now." He turned and continued toward the bathroom.


    Ohema watched him walk away, a sudden pang of disappointment hitting her.


    ''He''s just... leaving? Without even trying harder?''


    ''Did I make things too difficult?''


    ''Is he pitying me?''


    ''Wait, why am I disappointed? Do I actually want this?''


    ''Oh no... I do want this. But how do I say it? He''s leaving! What do I do?''


    ''What''s wrong with me? I''m his woman now. This is perfectly normal... Yes, this is fine...''


    Ohema''s mind raced as she watched us move further away. She felt torn¡ªpart of her wanted to join him, but another part of her hesitated, uncertain if she was truly ready.


    Just as us was about to open the bathroom door, her voice cut through the air.


    "Wait!"


    us turned slowly, amusement dancing in his eyes as he looked at her. "Yes?" he asked, his voice teasing but gentle.


    Ohema took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she knew what she wanted. "I... um..." she stammered, feeling her cheeks warm again.


    us leaned against the doorframe, watching her with a patient smile. "Take your time," he said softly. "I''m not going anywhere."


    Ohema took a step forward, her eyes locked onto his. "I... I don''t want you to go in there alone," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She wasn''t sure if she was ready for what mighte next, but something in her didn''t want to let this moment slip away.


    us''s smile widened, but there was warmth in his eyes now, not just teasing. He extended a hand toward her. "Thene with me," he said simply.


    Ohema hesitated for just a second before stepping forward and taking his hand. us pulled her gently toward him, their bodies close but not touching.


    "No pressure," he whispered, leaning down slightly so their foreheads were almost touching. "We''ll take this at your pace."


    Ohema smiled nervously but felt a sense of calm wash over her. us wasn''t rushing her, and that made all the difference. She nodded, the tension in her shoulders easing. "Okay," she whispered.


    "We can''t, you know, do that right now," Ohema stammered, doing her best to find the right words. "I don''t want to take that moment away from Lucy, so we can''t... but we can do other things."


    us, standing in the bathroom with her, blinked in surprise. ''Did she just ept her ce as the second wife?'' His thoughts raced for a moment, unsure of how to react. Ohema had finally epted him¡ªwas he dreaming?


    But then, with a soft smile, he realized it was real. "Okay," he said, his voice steady as he moved closer to her. us gently kissed her on the forehead, his lips lingering for just a second. "You don''t have to worry," he whispered, looking into her eyes. "I''ll respect your decision. I won''t go overboard."


    us''s hands moved with gentle precision as he untied the knot on Ohema''s shoulder. Slowly, he released the other side, and before long, her white gown slipped off, falling to the floor.


    There, standing before him, was the most stunning sight us had ever seen¡ªher curvy figure, a firm, rounded shape, a t stomach, and her breasts standing firm and proud.


    Ohema quickly covered her chest with her hands, her face flushing a deep shade of red. us gave her a soft smile, not rushing her. He guided her gently toward the bath, his touch reassuring.


    After removing his trousers and shorts, he helped her step in, carefully removing the rest of her clothing before leading her into the warm water. us sat back, letting her rest her head on his chest, her body rxed against him.


    But with that position, her breasts were now fully in view. us chuckled softly, his fingers lightly tracing over her skin, his touch respectful and tender. Ohema closed her eyes, her mind racing as her heart pounded in her chest. She felt safe in his arms, though the closeness left her breathless with anticipation.


    us''s hands moved softly over her breasts, eliciting a quiet moan from Ohema. He was gentle, his touch was caring and deliberate, and he took his time. Even us himself was surprised by the confidence and instinct that guided him. Each touch seemed to awaken something deep within him, a desire to make her feel at ease, to bring her pleasure without crossing boundaries.


    "Ah..." Ohema gasped, her voice breathy as us gently pinched her nipple. The sensation sent waves through her, leaving her body feeling light and weak under his touch.


    us smiled, noticing the effect he had on her, and moved to her other nipple. Ohema waspletely lost in the moment, her body responding to him with every subtle motion. The woman he had saved weeks ago was now fully his, and he knew it.


    But even though she was in his arms, he still respected her limits. He wouldn''t be crossing certain lines tonight, but that didn''t mean there wasn''t more to explore together.


    Just as things were heating up, warm water began to fill the bath, bringing us back to the moment. He pulled back slightly, smiling down at her. "Let''s cleanse first," he said softly.


    Ohema blinked, looking up at him with a hint of confusion and surprise. ''Did he just stop halfway? Seriously?'' she thought, her mind racing. She wasn''t expecting him to pause like that, but then again, this was us¡ªfull of surprises, always keeping her guessing.


    us chuckled softly at her expression. "We have all night," he teased gently, reaching for the soap. "No need to rush."


    They bathed together, though Ohema couldn''t stop flinching. Something long and firm had been pressing against her back the whole time, and she knew exactly what it was¡ªus''s excitement wasn''t exactly hiding itself.


    Yet, to his credit, us kept his cool, not making any inappropriate moves despite the situation. Ohema respected that about him and even took the initiative to wash him, which us enjoyed far more than he''d like to admit.


    He felt a mix of emotions as they bathed. On the one hand, the happiness of having Ohema with him filled him, but thoughts of Lucy made him a little sad. He wouldn''t see her unless he made it into Celestial Mountain Academy, and the thought tugged at his heart. But, for now, he was content to enjoy the present.


    Once they finished bathing, before Ohema could even think about dressing, us scooped her up into his arms like a princess and carried her back to the bedroom.


    "Like I said," us whispered with a yful smile, "we have all night."


    Ohema blushed deeply but didn''t resist. She was in us''s arms now, and despite everything, it felt right.


    us gentlyid Ohema down on the bed, his heart pounding. For the first time, he noticed the desire in her eyes, mirrored by her body''s reactions. She was craving his touch, but us held himself back.


    Instead, he leaned in for a long, slow kiss, savoring every moment. Their lips met for what felt like an eternity, both lost in the warmth and connection of the moment.


    us''s hands began to wander, moving downward with tender intent. But just as he was about to go further, Ohema gently stopped him, her cheeks flushed.


    "us, you can''t... Let me help you instead," she whispered, her voice soft but certain. She hesitated for only a second before gently pushing him onto his back.


    usy there, watching her as she knelt beside him, her expression filled with a mixture of nervousness and determination. Before he could react, he felt her soft lips brush against his long and hard dragon.


    ''Damn''

 Chapter 110: A Mothers Concern

    Gulp


    Ohema gulped as she looked at us, her face flushed with embarrassment. She had just swallowed something she''d never expected to do, and it tasted surprisingly good. She''d been trying her best to get things right, and it seemed she had seeded. Meanwhile, us was grinning like a mischievous scoundrel.


    Ohema licked her lips and continued to tidy up the area with a mix of grace and unease. us watched, noting how the usually poised Ohema was handling what could only be described as a rather naughty task.


    After a few minutes, she settled down on us''s chest, her eyes closed. Clearly, she was still embarrassed by what had just happened, but beneath her blush, there was a sense of happiness and contentment.


    "us, you scoundrel. You actually made me do that," Ohema said, her voice muffled against his chest, her cheeks still pink.


    us chuckled softly. "Well, if you ever want me to do the same for you, just let me know," he said yfully, his hand resting gently on her back.


    "No, I already said we can''t go further. Even me doing this was a bit risky. I won''t take that from Lucy, so until you and she get things sorted, this is as far as we can go," Ohema said firmly.


    "Good for me, I guess," us replied, trying to lighten the mood.


    Ohema, still blushing, added, "That means you need to do well in both the regional and Union selections and get into the academy quickly. I have needs too, and I can''t wait forever."


    us raised an eyebrow. "Is that a threat?"


    "Maybe you don''t want me looking for a gigolo, do you?" Ohema said with a teasing smile.


    "Well, that gigolo would be in for trouble before he even sees you naked," us said, his gaze turning slightly cold.


    "Then make sure to handle that legacy brat and get into the academy," Ohema said, brushing her hand lightly against his side.


    "That, my love, I promise it''s going to cause chaos throughout the entire," us said


    "You sound confident," Oheme said, turning to face him.


    "I am. I am not weak, you know. Handling that bastard will be as easy as killing a chicken," us smirked.


    "Don''t underestimate your opponents, us. You never know what trump cards they might be hiding," Ohema warned.


    us met her gaze steadily. "I''m not underestimating him. I just have confidence in myself. Someone like him doesn''t know true arrogance, but he dares to challenge me. I''ll make sure he and anyone else with foolish ideas about me know what real fear feels like," us said coldly


    Ohema''s heart skipped a beat looking at his cold gaze. She had heard much of what us had said during his tribtion and sensed there was a deep secret behind his trials¡ªone that connected to why he began facing such challenges after awakening.


    "us, you know I''m here for you, right? If you want to talk, I''m always here to listen," Ohema said gently.


    us squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I know, my love. I know, and I will."


    They stayed silent for a while, simply enjoying each other''s warmth. Suddenly, Ohema broke the silence with a question. "us, aren''t you going to ask why I was in the forest?"


    us looked at her with a tender smile. "You have your secrets, Ohema. I know that much, and I love you for who you are. I won''t pry into your secrets even if I don''t know everything. You saved me, and honestly, having you by my side has been a blessing. I thought I could handle things alone, but I guess I overestimated myself.


    Your presence means more to me than I realized."


    Ohema''s eyes softened as she listened. us continued, "As for who you are and what secrets you hold, whenever you''re ready to share them, I''m here to listen. And don''t worry¡ªno matter what, even if you''re the goddess of war or anything else, my love for you won''t waver."


    Ohema stared at us for a moment, her eyes welling up with tears. As they began to trail down her cheeks, us realized that his words deeply moved her. She seemed to have been worried that he might push her to reveal her secrets, but his reassurance had touched her deeply.


    us noticed her tears and gently wiped them away with his thumb. "Hey, no need to cry. I meant every word," he said softly.


    Ohema managed a small, grateful smile through her tears. "Thank you, us. It''s just... hearing you say that means more to me than you know."


    us smiled back, his gaze tender and affectionate. While he had a vague idea of her background, his focus was more on the present moment His feelings were rooted in the here and now, he wouldn''t go looking into her secrets while he had the real deal on his chest at the moment.


    us thought about adding, ''Tsk, why would I ask about your background when such a sinful body is resting on my chest?'' but decided against it.


    They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the moment before getting dressed and heading to dinner.


    As they entered the dining room hand in hand, us''s mother was already there, ready with a question. "Ohema, how''s your stay been so far? Everything going well?" she asked with a smile.


    Ohema''s cheeks flushed a deep pink at the question. She could sense that us''s mother was teasing her, and she caught a glimpse of the mother and son duo exchanging mischievous smiles.


    "I''m having the best time," Ohema managed to reply, her voice tinged with a mix of embarrassment and warmth.


    "I''m d to hear that. And if this scoundrel does anything foolish, be sure to let me know. I''ll be more than happy to give him a proper scolding," us''s mother said with a wink.


    us chuckled, shaking his head.


    Ohema smiled, feeling both amused and relieved by the lighthearted atmosphere. The dinner began, and the evening unfolded withughter and lively conversation. They had dessert and were only chatting about random things.


    "us, Kofi came looking for you. You should go see him," us''s mother suddenly said.


    us noticed the hint that his mother wanted some alone time with Ohema, so he nodded and left the dining room. As the door closed behind him, silence fell over the room for a few moments before his mother spoke.


    "This brat loves you dearly, you know that, right?" she said softly.


    Ohema nodded, touched by the sentiment. Although she already knew us cared deeply for her, hearing it from his mother felt more personal and tender.


    "Yes, that brat fell in love with you the first time heid eyes on you. He never stops talking about you¡ª''Ohema this, Ohema that,''" she added with a knowing smile, making Ohema smile in return.


    "I''m telling you this because I don''t want you to hurt him. I know you have your secrets, and neither us nor I will pry into them. But know this: he is my only son, and he''s had a difficult life. I wasn''t able to give him the life he deserved, so seeing him happy was everything I could ask for.


    He loves you, and I know you love him too. So, as a mother, I''m begging you¡ªnever hurt him. It would break him, and I don''t want to see that."


    Ohema''s eyes softened, and she nodded in understanding. "I promise I would never do anything to hurt him."


    "Thank you. That means a lot to me." us''s mother gave her a reassuring smile.


    "Twodies already; this brat needs a leash put on him before he starts a harem of thousands," us''s mother said with a chuckle. Ohema couldn''t help but smile at thement. us was indeed a wild one, and his charm had already ensnared two incredibly beautiful women.


    "You''re not a jealous one, are you?" us''s mother asked, noticing Ohema''s blush.


    Ohema looked down, her cheeks flushing even more. "No, not really. I suppose I''m just... surprised."


    "Well, if you are, be prepared. I''m his mother, and I know this brat won''t stop with just you two. You might find yourself with more sisters in the future. Honestly, I can''t wait to see how that turns out," us''s mother said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.


    Ohema''s face turned a deeper shade of red, and she yfully tried to hide it with her hands. "I... I see. I''ll keep that in mind."


    us''s motherughed warmly, clearly enjoying Ohema''s reaction. "Oh, don''t worry. As long as you''re happy, that''s all that matters."


    "By the way, you two didn''t do that...you know," us''s mother asked with a yful smile gesturing with her fingers.


    Ohema''s face turned a deep shade of red. She tried to hide, but with no ce to go, she ended up running behind us''s mother¡ªthe very person who had made her blush in the first ce.


    "Hehe, look at you all blushing and cute. Come here," us''s mother said, pulling Ohema into a warm, motherly hug. "No need to feel embarrassed. I''m like a mother to you now, so you don''t have to be shy about having that talk with me."


    Ohema, still blushing furiously, managed a nervousugh. "Thank you... I just didn''t expect this."


    us''s mother smiled reassuringly. "It''s perfectly okay, sweetheart. I''m here for you, no matter what. We''re all family now."


    Ohema rxed a little in the embrace, feelingforted by us''s mother''s understanding and kindness.


    With their bond growing stronger, the two spent the night chatting about various topics. us''s mother even shared some amusingly embarrassing stories from his childhood. The next day, Ohema left, and us entered seclusion. It was time to assess his gains from the tribtion and prepare for his uing duel with Max Duncan.

 Chapter 111: Sea of Lightning

    "Wow, that is one terrifying lineup!" us shouted as he stared at the sea of monstrous shapes, all formed from lightning. There were tigers, spiders, zombies, spears, and even some figures made of spears, all standing there, filling the space to the brim.


    During his tribtion, us used the ck hole to steal the lightning and trap it within the tribtion prison that his senior had created inside his soul sea. He had expected only a few creatures to be pulled in, but he clearly underestimated the ck hole''s power. The entire 3-kilometer area was packed with monsters.


    "I''ll need to expand this ce before my next tribtion," us said with a satisfied grin. The sight of the lightning monsters and shapes filled him with joy.


    "Senior, what''s next?" us suddenly asked, his excitement brimming.


    "Just kill them and absorb the runes into your body or your Lotus flower," the Senior replied within his soul sea.


    us paused for a moment. "But, Senior, howe I have an affinity for all elements, yet I can only ess ice and fire?" He frowned, thinking it over. His talent is Celestial Elemental Overlord, meaning he has an affinity for all elements.


    But so far, only ice and fire were within his reach. He couldn''t help but wonder: if he could unlock ess to all elements, wouldn''t that make him overwhelmingly powerful?


    "You can''t ess the other elements yet because you''re not ready or strong enough to wield them. I shouldn''t be telling you this¡ªkarma will start piling up," the Senior''s voice grew quiet as if reluctant to continue.


    "Come on, Senior, I don''t care about karma or whatever else," us pressed, frustration in his voice. "Just tell me what I need to do to unlock the other elements."


    The Senior sighed. "Fine. The reason you can''t ess the rest is because you haven''t met the requirements yet. Even the ice and fire you''re using now are only the most basic forms of those elements. You''ve barely scratched the surface."


    "Take, for example, that girl, Lucy," the Senior continued. "She awakened a unique form of the ice element called Half-Moon Ice. Her ice is much stronger than yours, with special properties that give it an edge. What you''re using now is just the normal form of ice."


    us listened in stunned silence. If his element was just the basic form, why was it already so powerful? It didn''t make sense.


    "Of course, you''re wondering why your ice and fire are still so powerful despite being in their basic forms," the Senior said as if reading his thoughts.


    "Well, there are two reasons for that. First, it''s because of your talent. A celestial-grade talent like yours is unheard of. That alone makes you terrifying. It''s a blessing, yes, but ites with a cost."


    us furrowed his brow. "What cost?"


    "It means you''ll have to work even harder to awaken your elements fully," the Senior exined. "Unlocking the true form of your ice and fire will require far more effort than it would for anyone else."


    us nodded slowly, processing this.


    "The second reason your basic elements are so strong," the Senior continued, "is because you''re using Star Qi as your energy source. Most people use Spiritual Qi, but your Star Qi is on apletely different level. It amplifies even the simplest forms of your elements, making them much more powerful."


    us took a deep breath. "So, the real power of my elements is still locked away¡­ and I have to put in the work to unlock them."


    "Exactly," the Senior said. "But once you do, you''ll be beyond anything you''ve imagined."


    "Then how can I unlock them?" us asked eagerly. If he could gain ess to the earth element, his defense would be imprable. If he could wield darkness, he could wreak havoc in the shadows. There was infinite potential locked away within him, and he was determined to unlock it all.


    "There are many methods," the Senior replied, "but for you, only two are viable right now. The first is the easiest: They will automatically unlock and awaken as you level up and break through to higher realms."


    us listened closely, but the Senior hesitated before continuing.


    "And the second way?" us pressed.


    "Well..." The Senior hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Some truly powerful monsters produce unique cores that contain specific elemental properties. If you manage to acquire and consume some of these cores, it could greatly increase your chances of awakening the true forms of your elements."


    us''s eyes lit up with interest. "And what about unlocking new elements?"


    "That depends on the strength of your soul," the Senior exined. "But your soul is strong enough now to handle the awakening of a new element if you can find the right core which I am not saying will awaken or unlock your elements by just consuming them, it will definitely increase your chances"


    us''s mind raced with possibilities, but the Senior quickly added a caution. "However, with your current strength, securing such monster cores won''t be easy. The creatures that hold them are no ordinary foes. They''re real monsters¡ªbeings far more powerful than what you''ve faced before."


    "How strong exactly?" us asked.


    "Well," the Senior began, "you know how a human has to form a Star Core when they''re about to break through to the Saint Stage, right? But that''s only the beginning. After the core is formed, the Evolution Phase begins. It''s simr to what monsters go through but with some differences.


    To advance to the Sage Stage, your core will need to undergo four evolutions: Lesser, True, Alpha, and finally, Chaos. This evolution is a crucial step in bing a true powerhouse. But just like humans, monsters also experience this process."


    us listened intently as the Senior continued.


    "When monsters advance to the Devil ss, their core evolves into a Devil Core. This core contains their elemental powers and grants them ess to a variety of skills, much like humans. It''s at this stage that they start evolving into true beasts.


    Now, contrary to what you might think, a Devil-ss monster is far more terrifying than a thousand Terror-ss monstersbined."


    us felt a chill run down his spine as the Senior exined.


    "If you want to obtain a Devil Core," the Senior said, "you''ll need to start hunting Tier 7 Devils. And trust me when I say this: they are several times more dangerous than anything you''ve faced before. Monsters can only ascend to the Devil ss when they break through to the Tier 7 stage."


    us sucked in a cold breath, the weight of the challenge ahead sinking in.


    "So, this means I need to start venturing into higher-tier forbidden zones," us said with a grin, already thinking ahead.


    "Brat, did you hear anything I just said?" the Senior snapped, raising his voice. "Going up against an opponent that can use skills like you do is terrifying¡ªespecially one that''s four realms above you!"


    "Old man, chill," us replied, still smiling. "I''m not nning on charging into hordes of them. I''ll scout the area, n carefully, and strike when the iron is hot and ready."


    The Senior sighed but couldn''t help but chuckle a small. "You''re either incredibly brave or utterly stupid."


    us smirked. "Why not both? I am a paragon, after all."


    "Speaking of that, Senior," us said with a yful grin, "don''t you think I''ve earned a new skill by now? Come on, throw me a bone here."


    The Senior let out a low chuckle. "I don''t have anything new for you, kid. As you grow, you''ll naturally learn more on your own. For now, focus on developing your Lotus Flower. You''ve already unlocked two abilities with it¡ªuse this opportunity to make it even stronger."


    us leaned back, slightly disappointed but intrigued. "Why the rush?"


    "Because," the Senior''s tone grew serious, "the day you face a Tier 7 Devil will be the day you understand what true terror looks like. And believe me, you''ll want every ounce of power you can muster when that dayes."


    us smiled and refocused on the lightning monsters before him. Inside the Tribtion Prison, his power reigned supreme. With a flick of his will, a hundred lightning monsters exploded, sending lightning runes swirling toward him.


    "I don''t need these anymore," us mused. "The flower can take them."


    He summoned the Ice Lotus Flower, allowing it to hover over the remaining monsters. One by one, they began to detonate, releasing runes that floated up into the flower. us watched as the Lotus became more solid and tangible with every rune absorbed.


    "It''s growing stronger," us noted, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. The more monsters that exploded, the more robust the flower became, and its form gradually stabilized.


    "Hehe, maybe it''s time to visit Ruin City and clear the ce out," us chuckled. "Should give me a nice chunk of EXP to level up."


    Now that he has advanced to the Master Stage, he will need far more experience points to continue progressing. Fighting weaklings wouldn''t cut it anymore. Forbidden Zones were his best bet¡ªces teeming with powerful creatures.


    Besides, us thought with a grin, the military wants those ces cleared out anyway. Might as well do the public a favor.


    "Kid, it''s crucial that you focus on awakening the elements you''ve already unlocked," the Senior advised. "Also, try to use your fire element as effectively as you do with your ice element. Trust me, your Lotus Flower is more powerful than you realize. Just keep strengthening it every chance you get." the senior said


    "I will, Senior," us replied with determination. From his tribtion, he knew the Lotus Flower was indeed formidable. Based on what he had seen, each petal could hold up to nine abilities. If his calctions were correct, he could one day unlock all 81 stars on the petals, giving him 81 abilities in one flower.


    "That''s incredibly OP," us thought to himself with a grin. After about two hours, all the lightning monsters were detonated, and the flower absorbed all the runes.


    us went back to the waking world and started practicing his swordy while he waited for his duel with Max Duncan.


    ===


    [A/N: I will be adding three different privilege chapters next month: 10 advanced chapters, 20 advanced chapters, and 30 advance chapters. Get your coins ready!]

 Chapter 112: Day of the Duel

    "This is KKKickinIt with Controversial News. Three weeks ago, the infamous Devil Archer, known for his pinpoint uracy and deadly shots, issued a challenge to the youngest warrior currently ranked on the City, Regional, and Union Warrior Charts.


    In an unexpected turn, the white-haired ''pretty boy'' warrior epted the challenge and even proposed a handicap. He will close his eyes and allow the Devil Archer to fire three deadly shots at him. Some might call that arrogance.


    But there''s more: if the Devil Archer manages to kill him with those three shots, us Hanson has promised to drop out of the Regional selection for the Celestial Mountain Academy. That''s right, us is putting his future on the line.


    It''s audacious, to say the least. But it doesn''t stop there. us also promises that victory will be handed to Max Duncan if the Devil Archer fails to kill him, but he still manages to defend against his attack.


    So,dies and gents, us Hanson isn''t just handsome; he''s also confident to the point of arrogance. Today, we''ll find out if he''s got the skill to back up his bravado.


    Betting tforms are open, with odds set at 12 to 120. Choose wisely¡ªsome wallets might be emptied by the end of the day.


    This has been @KKKickinIT with Controversial News. I''m out."


    The Controversial News channel, notorious for its provocative reporting, has been relentlessly covering the duel between us and Max Duncan for the past few weeks.


    But it''s not just them. Other media outlets have been equally engrossed, eagerly anticipating the big day. us will face off against Max Duncan today, and the entire event will be broadcast live for everyone to see.


    Standing in front of his mother with a sly grin, us is ready. Behind him, his friends¡ªAnna, Lily, Danny, Daniel, Mark, Kay, and Kin¡ªstand in support.


    "You better win," his mother warned, yfully twisting his ear. "Or when you get back, I''ll spank you until your backside turns purple!"


    us chuckled, wincing at the yful threat. "Don''t worry, Mom. I''ll make sure to bring home a win."


    "You better," his mother replied before nting a kiss on his forehead. "Be careful out there, all of you," she added, her voice filled with concern.


    us and his friends left, climbing into a sleek, self-driving car spacious enough for ten people. The car hummed to life, smoothly pulling away from the house.


    Just a week ago, a representative from Oracle had met with us to give him an overview of the uing duel. The location was set at the same ce where the City selection exams for Celestial Mountain Academy had taken ce. A special helmet had been arranged for the duel. And to ensure fairness and security; the War Goddess herself had been appointed to oversee the equipment transport.


    Mark leaned forward from his seat as the car sped towards their destination. "us, how confident are you that you can win this? You''re at a disadvantage, after all."


    us leaned back with a grin. "Well, I don''t know his exact abilities or how strong he really is, so I''d say¡­ I have about a 97 percent chance," he teased. "But that all depends on whether his first shot can actually impress me."


    His friends chuckled, though the tension of the uing duel still hung in the air.


    "You know, you''re really arrogant," Anna said with a teasing smile, "but it''s kind of cute."


    "I''ll take that as apliment," he replied with a grin, "but seriously, you guys don''t need to worry. The smart move is to bet everything on me. Honestly, I''m putting 700 million on myself. You should all do the same."


    us''s friends shook their heads, unable to believe how calm he was. He was about to face a prodigy, someone who had been trained with the finest resources since birth. Yet, us¡ªwho was just a slum kid not too long ago¡ªdidn''t seem bothered in the slightest. His confidence, despite the odds, almost felt too arrogant.


    "I''m putting a billion on you, us," Anna said, pulling out her phone. "But if you lose, I''m packing up and moving into your house."


    us chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "No worries. My bed''s big enough for both of us. Lily, you should join us too," he teased, casting a yful nce toward Lily.


    Both Anna and Lily blushed slightly, exchanging embarrassed but amused nces. Anna shot back with a smirk, "Don''t get ahead of yourself, us."


    "Just stating facts here," us said. He nced at his male friends¡ªKay, Mark, Kilian, Daniel, and Danny. "What about you guys? Do you have enough spine to bet on your handsome friend here?"


    They exchanged looks, a mixture of amusement and doubt on their faces. Kay was the first to speak, crossing his arms with a smirk. "You''re as cocky as ever, us. But fine, I''ll throw some cash on you. Don''t make me regret it."


    Mark nodded, chuckling. "Guess I''ll do the same. Someone''s gotta support your crazy confidence."


    Kilian shrugged. "I''m in. Let''s see if that arrogance of yours pays off."


    Daniel and Danny exchanged a nce before grinning. "All right," Daniel said. "We''re with you, us. But if you lose, you''re buying drinks for a month."


    usughed, shaking his head. "Deal. But don''t worry, you''ll all be swimming in cash by the end of the day."


    us nced at his friends and couldn''t help but nod in approval. They were just as wild and daring as he was¡ªand he loved that about them. These were the kinds of friends you could always count on. For them, it was either go all out or go home. And right now, us had orchestrated the perfect "get-rich-quick" n. If everything went ording to his n, they''d be cashing out big time.


    He had even given his maids and security extra pay this month, encouraging them to make a little something on the side. His partner in crime, Kofi¡ªhis chief of security¡ªwas already working behind the scenes, staking bets on multiple tforms. Everything was in motion.


    Madam Fei had also sent over 300 million after us sold her a few goods, and with what he had sold to Nia and Asha, he had over 700 million riding on this duel. It was a massive risk, but us believed in himself. If he could win, it would all be worth it.


    But that was the key: if he won.


    "We''re here," us said as their car pulled up in front of the enormous building. He and his friends stepped out and made their way inside. Just as they approached the entrance, us heard a familiar, enchanting voice.


    "Little Brother, you''re early," the voice teased. "Scared you might lose, so you came ahead of time?"


    us looked up and saw her¡ªthe War Goddess herself, radiating elegance as she strode toward him with a yful smile. Her hourss figure andmanding presence caught everyone''s attention.


    "Big Sister," us replied, feigning a wounded expression, "it seems you don''t have much faith in me. That stings, you know." He ced a hand over his heart dramatically, casting her an exaggerated look of hurt.


    Sheughed softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, don''t be so dramatic. I''m just making sure you stay sharp."


    us grinned, shaking his head. "Don''t worry, Sister. You''ll see soon enough who''s staying sharp today. By the way, do you want to make a bet again, likest time?" He shed her a cheeky smile.


    "What do you want if you win?" the War Goddess asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "A hug," us replied with a mischievous smile. He nced at her chest area, knowing full well that a hug would have him face-to-face with it.


    "Really? Just that?" The War Goddess asked, clearly unaware of the deviousness behind us''s request.


    "Of course," us said, "but if you want to add a message to that, I''d be perfectly fine with it." His grin widened as he imagined the oue.


    "Brat, go on inside," the War Goddess said, a knowing smirk on her face. "I''m not falling for your smooth talk."


    Her friends couldn''t help but smile, enjoying the look of realization on the War Goddess''s face. usughed, then walked into the building, his friends following closely behind.


    Once they were inside, the War Goddess sighed deeply. "That kid is something else," she murmured. "I nearly fell for that. I''ll have to be extra careful around him." With another sigh, she turned and followed them into the building.


    As soon as they entered, the War Goddess caught up with us and led him to a private room. Meanwhile, his friends were shown to a separate area with arge screen disying the Oracle logo. They settled in, eager to watch the event unfold.


    us was guided into a room having afortable, bed-like chair, perfect for long gaming sessions.


    "The moment you log in, you''ll need to select your weapons. Then you''ll be transported to the arena," the War Goddess exined.


    "Got it," us replied.


    "Good luck," she said with a supportive smile.


    "Thanks, Big Sister. I appreciate it," us said with a wink.


    The War Goddess then helped us put on the helmet. With the helmet securely in ce, us maintained a confident smile as his consciousness shifted into the Oracle.


    He materialized in the same virtual space as before. He quickly selected a sword simr to his own and willed himself forward. A spacelike effect enveloped him, and in an instant, he found himself in a vast, open arena.


    The arena resembled an ancient diator coliseum, with thousands of stone seats surrounding the central area. us took a moment to survey his surroundings. Suddenly a figure appeared about a kilometer away from him.


    "us, are you ready to die?" Max Duncan''s voice boomed across the arena.


    us feigned ignorance, a yful smile on his lips. "Excuse me, did you just say you''re afraid to die?" he asked, his tone dripping with mischief.


    Max''s face immediately turned a deep shade of purple with rage.

 Chapter 113: You missed

    All over the world, people are glued to their screens, eager to witness the duel between a legacy and the youngest warrior ever to rank on the City, Regional, and Union warrior charts. Max Duncan''s challenge was unexpected, shaking up the status quo.


    Legacies are known for their arrogance, and they have every right to be. Their power and strength often justify their confidence. So, no one anticipated a legacy would lower themselves to challenge a rising warrior.


    Yet, when us not only epted the challenge but also gave Max a handicap, it left many in disbelief. Some were thrilled by us''s bold move and disrespect towards Max. Secretly, they were rooting for us to win the duel.


    When us appeared on their screens, his fans erupted in cheers while his haters scowled. But who cares? us is their idol, and they''re tuning in to support him in humiliating a legacy.


    ---


    "us, are you ready to die?" Max shouted.


    "Excuse me, did you just say you''re afraid to die?" us asked with a smirk, clearly teasing Max, who was trying hard to look intimidating.


    Max''s face turned a deep shade of purple with rage.


    "Careful there," us continued with a grin, "you might turnpletely purple if you don''t control your anger. I could handle a white Max Doofus, but a purple one? I''m not sure if I''m ready for that."


    Max gritted his teeth in anger. It was clear he was struggling to control his emotions, making us''s taunting all the more enjoyable making him win this verbal duel before the real battle even began.


    "Your mouth might be running now," Max said, trying to steady himself, "but I hope you can keep being arrogant after this is over."


    "I''ll be just fine either way," us replied with a smile, "but don''t worry, I won''t give you that satisfaction. As for you, after today, don''t let this defeat define you. When you''re feeling down after the duel, just remember that the only reason I was able to beat you is that I''m better than you¡ªand I will always be better than you."


    Max''s eyes narrowed, his anger barely contained. He took a deep breath, trying to regain hisposure. "We''ll see about that. I''m going to make you regret those words."


    us chuckled, his confidence unwavering. "Regret? I doubt it. But I''m looking forward to seeing what you''ve got, Little Devil Archer."


    Max could feel us was just ying with his mind, but the anger inside him was unstoppable. The fact that a so-called nobody dared to disrespect a bona fide legacy like him only fueled his desire to make us pay.


    "Everyone, wee to the duel between the infamous Devil Archer and us!" A new figure appeared in the arena, drawing everyone''s attention. us turned his gaze to see a man in histe 40s standing atop a pir kilometers away from them.


    "Today''s battle is going to be quite unique," the man announced. "The challenger, Max, will have three chances to shoot at us. ording to the stakes, us will be disqualified from the regional selection of Celestial Mountain Academy if Max manages to kill us with any of these shots.


    However, if Max fails to kill us with his three shots, he will still have one chance to defend against a single attack from us. If he seeds in defending, he wins. So, as I said, this duel is definitely one of a kind."


    "Of course," the man continued, "the higher-ups reviewed this duel and decided to level the ying field. Since there''s no reward for us''s wins, they''ve added a special incentive. us will receive a nk Pass to all Forbidden Zones if he wins. This means he can enter any Forbidden Zone without joining a team or buying a pass.


    Additionally, he''ll have the power to reserve a Forbidden Zone for a set duration, keeping everyone else out. He can also grant special privileges to ten people, allowing them unrestricted ess to these Zones.


    Finally, with the nk Pass, us will gain category three ess to military information."


    At this announcement, the crowd watching held their breath, the stakes of the duel now clearer and more exciting than ever.


    Getting an entire Forbidden Zone to yourself is a prize anyone would envy. Forbidden Zones are famous for their dangers and the rare treasures they contain, like precious herbs and minerals. People are always eager to take risks in hopes of finding something valuable.


    However, because so many people enter these zones, the chances of finding something worthwhile are slim. But if you have a whole Forbidden Zone to yourself, it means you can ess everything inside without anypetition. It''s a golden opportunity to gather all the treasures and resources without having to fight others for them.


    "Now, before we start, the contestants will say a few words. And by the way, my name is Desmond King, War God of the Western Region." Desmond King then turned to Max.


    "I don''t have much to say," Max began arrogantly. "But to those watching who think they can disrespect a legacy so easily, let this be a turning point. Today, I''ll show you the difference between a legacy and a nobody."


    Next was us. He smiled, his expression confident. "To everyone watching, whether you''re a Legacy or not, make sure to pay attention. Today, I''ll demonstrate that Legacies are just wealthy nobodies. The real difference is that they have money.


    But today, a Slum dropout will wipe the smugness off their faces and bring them back to reality." us''s smile remained, but the coldness in his eyes spoke volumes.


    He wasn''t just challenging Max¡ªhe was challenging all Legacies, showing that he didn''t care whether they held the title or not.


    All over the world, people were either cheering or fuming. us''s words had struck a nerve with the wealthy heirs who saw themselves as superior. By insulting their status, us had challenged their arrogance, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.


    Max had insulted the nobodies, and us, being a nobody himself, was defending his honor. But the way us disrespected the wealthy heirs stirred their anger. Yet, us was the nobody who had given a handicap to a legacy, showcasing a different level of arrogance¡ªtrue arrogance.


    "Then, with everything said and done, the duel starts NOW," the War God announced, and us and Max locked eyes, both cold and unyielding.


    "us, prepare to die," Max said, summoning his bow. However, due to the restrictions in the Oracle, only a replica of his real bow appeared in his hands.


    In response, us conjured a small lotus flower, which floated gently in his hand. He looked back at Max with a smirk. "Since I promised to close my eyes, I''ll stick to that. But let''s make this more interesting.


    For your first shot, I''ll simply evade. Don''t worry; I''ll keep my eyes closed, and my back turned to you.


    For the second shot, I''ll catch the arrow with my bare hands. Again, my back will be turned, so you don''t need to worry.


    As for thest one, I''ll use my sword to cut it clean in half. And don''t worry, my back will remain facing you.


    So, little brother, give me your best shot," us said, turning his back to Max. The ice lotus floated above his head, and a thinyer of icy mist began spreading across the battlefield.


    "Arrogant, he is too arrogant," that was the prevailing sentiment around the world as everyone watched us''s daring disy.


    Around the world, many people started toment on us''s disy.


    "us might be overestimating his abilities. Turning his back to Max seems like a huge risk."


    "The bravado is impressive, but I hope us has the skill to back it up. "


    "Wow, us is not just confident; he''s downright charming. I wouldn''t mind being his sword dummy."


    "us''s bravado is seriously attractive. If he wins this duel, he''s definitely on my radar."


    "How dare he disrespect Max like that! us is crossing the line. Max is a legacy, and he deserves respect."


    "us is a nobody trying to act all high and mighty. He''s in over his head and will get what''sing to him."


    Comments and reactions from various perspectives continued to flood both verbally and online. Meanwhile, the focal point of this dramatic scene stood calmly with his eyes closed, his back facing his furious opponent.


    "Die!" Max roared.


    "See True Dark Eyes!" Max shouted as a long, dark arrow with eerie markings materialized in his bow. He drew the bowstring and aimed directly at the back of us''s head.


    Max''s eyes narrowed, darkness shing within them. His ability, See True Dark Eyes, allowed him to see all possible reactions and oues us might make. This enabled him to select the perfect spot to shoot.


    Once he locked onto his target, nothing could escape it. Confident in his uracy, Max believed us was as good as dead. His dark eyes had analyzed every minute detail, leaving no room for error.


    "Let this be your first lesson; never disrespect those above you," Max said coldly.


    "Dark Eye-Piercing Arrow," he muttered, releasing the arrow. The space around it seemed to warp as it sped toward us.


    Everyone held their breath as the arrow flew through the air. us remained motionless. Then, almost imperceptibly, he tilted his head slightly to the left. The dark arrow, aimed precisely at the center of his head, brushed past his ear and whizzed by him.


    Stunned, the crowd''s eyes widened in disbelief, their voices silenced. Even the War God watching from afar narrowed his gaze in surprise.


    "How?" Max demanded, bewildered.


    "You missed," us replied with a smirk, his eyes still closed and his back turned.

 Chapter 114: My turn

    Across the globe, everyone watching the duel was frozen in stunned silence. They had just witnessed something that seemed utterly impossible¡ªus had actually evaded a shot from Max.


    Everyone knew the terrifying reputation of Max''s ''See True Dark Eyes.'' It was said that nothing could escape those eyes once a calction was made. But us had shattered that belief. Max had calcted every tiny detail, picking the perfect oue, yet somehow, us¡ªwith his eyes closed and back turned¡ªdodged the attack without even drawing blood.


    "How?" Max asked disbelief in his voice.


    "You missed," us replied with a smirk.


    "This is not possible," Max muttered, unable toprehend what had just happened. He had never imagined anyone could evade his ''See True Dark Eyes''.


    us chuckled softly. "Just because it hasn''t been done before doesn''t mean it''s impossible. If it could be, then it was always bound to happen at some point. So, little brother Max, maybe aim better next time."


    The crowd, still shocked, watched as Max stood there, unable to respond, shaken to his core by the impossible feat he''d just witnessed.


    Max''s resolve was starting to crack, and he could feel it. Before the duel, he had been boasting to his friends about how he would kill us with a single shot. Despite knowing he was shameful due to the handicap us had given him, his confidence still seemed well-founded.


    Everyone knew the terrifying power of the ''See True Dark Eyes.'' Once activated, it was believed to be unbeatable, and us should have been as good as dead. Yet, somehow, that didn''t happen. Now, standing there, Max couldn''t believe what he was facing¡ªus had not only survived but evaded the shot.


    Meanwhile, us''s thoughts were far from serious. ''Ah, I should''ve put my hands in my pockets before the shot. That would''ve looked so badass,'' he mused.


    Contrary to what anyone might think, us was more concerned about how cool he appeared evading the attack. He would''ve looked even more impressive if he''d put his hands in his pockets.


    ''There are still two attacks left,'' he thought. ''Pocketing one hand now will make up for the earlier misstep.'' With everyone still staring in awe, us casually slipped his left hand into his pocket and, in a mocking tone, said, "Little brother Max, now I''ve given you a real handicap. Take your best shot¡ªI''ll catch it like a champ."


    His arrogance was on full disy, making him seem even more confident andmanding.


    Many of the women watching couldn''t help but stare at us with hungry eyes. His current attitude¡ªso domineering and arrogant¡ªwas captivating. A trait they cherished... well, most of them, anyway.


    Max fumed, his frustration boiling over. He extended his hand, and a sleek arrow with red and golden markings materialized. It looked both majestic and sinister, radiating a dangerous aura. It''s one of his many arrow-forming abilities, the Devil Piercing Sieging Arrow¡ªone of Max''s most powerful weapons, capable of easily piercing through anything.


    He locked the arrow onto his bow and pulled back the string. His ''See True Dark Eyes'' shed once again, but this time there was something different. A red hue flickered in his gaze, burning with intensity as he focused on us.


    us, standing with his back turned, sensed the shift. But instead of rm, he only shrugged. He felt something locking onto his head. Under normal circumstances, he might have shuddered. But now, with Star Qi coursing through his veins, such abilities seemed insignificant.


    "Devil Piercing Sieging Arrow!" Max shouted as he released the arrow. The moment it left the bow, it vanished into thin air. That was the arrow''s ability¡ªit remained invisible until it was just ten meters from its target. No matter the distance, it would only reveal itself at thest moment, perfect for deadly attacks from afar.


    And with Max standing a full kilometer away, he was certain the shot would connect.


    But us merely smirked. "Puny attack," he muttered under his breath.


    us casually swung his arm in a graceful arc without moving from his spot. Just before the arrow could pierce his head, it appeared¡ªdark and lethal, ready to strike. But us had already sensed it. He tilted his head slightly, not even bothering to step aside.


    His hand snapped forward, catching the arrow just an inch away from his head. It was both a graceful and elegant disy of finesse and with his hand in his pocket, the whole scene looks just too domineering. us''s smile widened as he inspected the deadly arrow.


    Then, with a simple flick of his wrist, he snapped the arrow in half. The once menacing Devil Piercing Sieging Arrow disintegrated into thin air, leaving nothing behind but us''s smirk.


    Max, standing in the distance, could only watch in disbelief. One of his most powerful attacks was reduced to nothing in us''s hands.


    "Just how?" In avish room somewhere in the world, a young man with short dark hair and sharp cheekbones mmed his fist on a table, shattering it in frustration. The young man is Ethan Duncan, one of the legacies of the Northern Union.


    Beside him stood a young woman, her wide, ocean-blue eyes filled with shock and fear. She is the other legacy, Anna Duncan, watching the duel with growing disbelief. For the past week, she had been confidently proiming that us would easily crumble under her influence, dismissing him as nothing more than an arrogant fool.


    But now, as the spectacle unfolded in the Oracle, unease crept into her chest. Anger, regret, and doubt warred within her. She was the one who venomously poisoned and pushed Max into challenging us in the first ce. She was convinced that no one could possibly surpass her.


    She had even considered challenging us herself, but her arrogant pride stopped her¡ªit felt like lowering herself to his level.


    Instead, she used her charm to set Max on us, thinking it would be an easy victory. Now, watching in horror, she realized she had unwittingly led her brother into failure and possibly disaster.


    us had evaded Max''s deadly arrow. Not only that, but he had caught one with ease. If that wasn''t proof enough of who the true genius was, Anna wasn''t sure what was.


    Her pride and arrogance had clouded her judgment, and now she could only watch as us effortlessly dismantled Max''s arrogance and possibly, his future as an Archer.


    And it wasn''t just Ethan and Anna; people all over the world couldn''t believe what they were seeing. us was simply too domineering. Even after giving Max a huge handicap, he remained standing tall, as arrogant as ever.


    "You must be wondering how I did it," us said, his voice cold yetced with a smirk.


    "Let''s just say my survival instinct is sharper than you might think. And although I know my mom is watching, and she''ll probably spank me for what I''m about to say, I''ll say it anyway," us added with a yful grin.


    Somewhere in Ross City, inside a grand hall, us''s mother smirked, watching her son''s antics. "Yes, I will spank you for that," she muttered under her breath, causing Helen, her personal maid, to chuckle softly.


    us continued, his tone turning more serious. "The first time I killed a Tier 2 monster, I was just a Level 2 awakened. And it wasn''t just one¡ªthere were two terrifying ones. I had nobat experience, no passive skills in swordsmanship, yet somehow, I survived."


    He nced at Max, who looked stunned. "Do you want to know how I did it? I''ll tell you anyway¡ªit''s something I call survival instinct. It''s the kind of instinct born from the sheer will to live."


    "Your arrow just now had the potential to kill me. Honestly, if I had been even a split secondte, I''d be dead. But my instincts picked up on it long before it entered that ten-meter range."


    us''s voice hardened as he added, "You never stood a chance from the beginning, Max. I''ve tempered my instincts through countless battles, facing enemies several realms above me. Even if you had a thousand shots, you still wouldn''t be able to kill me."


    He paused for a moment before adding, "But I have to admit, I underestimated you. You''re decent¡ªI won''t lie. Your skills show that you''ve got the potential to be a terrifying archer. I just hope after today, you don''t lose the will to keep practicing."


    us''s smirk returned. "Now,e at me with your third and final shot." Of course, he wasn''t going to tell them the main reason he survived the two attacks, so he came up with something.


    Max red at us''s back, fury burning in his eyes. He locked another arrow into his bow, pulling the string taut. As usual, his See True Dark Eyes shed, locking onto us. This time, however, the arrow was different. It was pitch ck, but the tip was coated with a reddish energy that radiated pure, intense bloodlust.


    "It''s the Devil yer Arrow," someone in the crowd watching somewhere whispered.


    "That''s one of Max Duncan''s trump cards," another added. "It''s a rare arrow formed from the purest spiritual qi. For him to use it now means his control over the darkness element is exceptional, and his spiritual qi is incredibly pure."


    "If us dodges this, he''ll be a dragon among dragons," someone remarked.


    "More like a dragon among tigers," another corrected.


    Back in the Oracle arena, us''s sword appeared in his hand, its de coated with a thinyer of ice and sword qi. He stood calm, one hand still in his pocket. As Max locked his gaze on us, he let out a furious roar and unleashed his attack.


    "Devil yer Arrow!" The arrow shot from the bow at a terrifying speed, streaking toward us with deadly precision.


    But at the same moment, us swung his sword, turning slightly to the side. His sword, still sheathed in that icy energy, cut through the air, sending an ice arc shing out.


    What followed was almost mesmerizing. The ice arc met the arrow''s tip, and like a hot knife through butter, it sliced the arrow cleanly in half. The two halves of the Devil yer Arrow streaked past us''s ears, missing him entirely.


    "My turn," he said, his voice cold as ice.

 Chapter 115: Never Bet Against Me

    Max stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened. Even the war god overseeing the duel was left speechless. And it wasn''t just him¡ªpeople all over the world, glued to their TV screens, were stunned into silence.


    First, us had dodged a lethal attack with ease. Then, he had gone further, catching an even deadlier strike mid-air. But now, cleaving an arrow in half like it was nothing¡ªlike slicing through butter with a hot knife¡ªwas too much. It was overpowered, leaving everyone speechless.


    [War Goddess POV]


    Since the duel began, the war goddess of the Eastern Region of the Northern Union had been watching closely. She sat with Anna and us''s friends, their eyes glued to a massive screen showing the fight.


    "He''s going to win, right?" Anna asked, her fists clenched in nervous anticipation.


    "Of course," Mark replied confidently. "It''s us. We''ve all seen how insane he can be." His mind drifted back to the first time they met us, during the Zombie Tide in the Evesting Zombie Forest.


    Hundreds of warriors had fallen when the tide suddenly appeared. They fought hard, barely hanging on, and just as they were about to escape, a Zombie Captain blocked their path. Despair started to set in, but then us appeared, cutting down the Zombie Captain like it was nothing. And he didn''t stop there¡ªhe went on to kill even more, including a Zombie General.


    Since then, us had consistently done the impossible, pulling off feats no one his age or at his cultivation level should be able to do. Now, he stood in the arena, facing a powerful legacy¡ªand if that wasn''t enough, he even added insult to injury by offering his opponent a handicap.


    Mark smirked. "He''s not just going to win. He''s going to make a statement."


    "You sound confident," the war goddess said suddenly.


    "I am," Mark replied. "Even though we haven''t known us for long, from what little we''ve seen, this opponent doesn''t stand a chance. Take it from someone as skeptical as me¡ªus is not normal. He''s different, and everyone will see that today."


    "I suppose we''ll find out," the war goddess said, turning back to the screen just as Maxunched his first attack.


    When us dodged the attack, it was as if the war goddess''s understanding of reality was shattered. She was powerful and knew exactly what it took to perform such a maneuver. It shouldn''t have been possible for us to do what he just did.


    She was right¡ªus didn''t possess divine sense yet, so he couldn''t see through his eyes closed. He could only feel, and that wasn''t enough for the feat he had just aplished. Yet, somehow, us evaded the attack.


    Anna, Mark, and the others were equally baffled. They couldn''t understand how us managed that. Then came the second attack, and us caught the arrow. At this point, they were left in shock.


    But then Anna noticed something.


    "The ice mist," she said, her eyes widening. "He''s using the ice mist to sense his surroundings. But how is that possible?"


    The war goddess narrowed her eyes, considering Anna''s observation. "That''s true, but how is he managing it? It shouldn''t be possible."


    "It must have something to do with that flower," Lily suggested. However, she was mistaken. us did have a connection with the ice mist, but he was using the flower merely to spread it.


    One of the benefits of having a ''Celestial Elemental Overlord talent is the ability to connect with elements at an atomic-molecr level. us could sense the ice down to its finest detail. This means that the moment an arrow entered the ice mist, he could detect it.


    The rest came down to his reaction speed. us could have used the ''Absolute Ice Domain'' ability of the lotus flower to either block the attackspletely or slow them down enough for him to dodge them. However, us was also training his reaction speed, so even though it was a life-or-death duel, he chose to test his limits.


    "What kind of talent allows someone to do that?" Daniel asked, astonished.


    "Who knows?" The war goddess replied, her awe growing. "No one knew the extent of his talent or what he has awakened. But from this disy, it''s clear it has something to do with elements."


    Mesmerized, she sat down with the others, her eyes fixed on us as he effortlessly cut through the third attack.


    [Inside Oracle]


    us turned around, a smirk on his lips as he looked at Max, who was now astonished and shocked. With Max having exhausted his three attacks without managing to kill us, it was now us''s turn to strike. He had promised only one attack, and it was going to be decisive.


    "Are you scared?" us asked, his voice dripping with mockery.


    "You should be. Never in your wildest dreams did you think you''d fail to kill me with that handicap? I gave you a chance, and you didn''t take it. Now it''s my turn to attack and trust me, you''ll die from it. So stop despairing and open your eyes.


    A Nobody is about to defeat you, and it will be quick. After today, you might want to start calling yourself a Foot Soldier instead of a Legacy. That title means nothing in the face of true strength.


    You might not realize it now, but you''ve actually made me realize something today," us said, tilting his head to the side.


    "What''s that?" Max managed to ask through gritted teeth.


    "That Legacies ain''t shit," us said with a cold smile.


    "Bastard!" Max shouted, pulling back on his bowstring. But before he could release his attack, the war god intervened.


    "If you attack now, you''ll be breaking the rules," the war god dered. "As such, you''ll lose and be fined 100 billion to the winner."


    Max froze, his gaze burning with fury. us''s insult had cut deep, not only challenging Max''s status as a Legacy but undermining all Legacies everywhere.


    "Remember these words well: All schemes are useless in the face of absolute strength. Now, prepare to die," us said, his grip tightening around his sword with cold determination.


    As he spoke, the mist that had been spreading across the arena finally reached Max. us''s smile widened, knowing his flower had done its job perfectly. With the mist now enveloping the entire arena, the flower''s work wasplete, and it began to disperse.


    "I''ming for you now," us muttered, his voice barely audible.


    In the blink of an eye, us moved. His speed was like a whisper of wind¡ªswift, silent, and without a trace of shockwave or tremor. Max''s eyes narrowed as he sensed something shift. Before he could react, he felt a cold pressure at his neck.


    He looked up to see us standing just a step away; his back turned in a strangely graceful pose. Despite the intimidation, the white deadlocks cascading down us''s back gave him an oddly beautiful appearance.


    us turned to face him, a cruel smile ying on his lips. "This is how you die, Max Doofus. So long."


    As us''s words echoed in his ears, Max''s vision dimmed, and darkness took over. He awoke, disoriented, in a chair simr to the one us was sleeping in.


    ''I died,'' was the first thought that crossed his mind. He looked around, and indeed, he was back in the room he entered the oracle in.


    A figure stood beside Max, silent and unmoving, watching the screen reying the duel. Max turned his head, following the figure''s gaze. His eyes widened as he saw it¡ªthe moment of his death reyed in slow motion.


    "How is that possible?" Max muttered under his breath. He could see it clearly now. It was as if us had vanished, only to reappear behind him in an instant. The entire sequence felt both mesmerizing and unreal, like a nightmare.


    us''s sword had passed cleanly through his neck the moment he appeared beside him. The precision, the speed¡ªit all seemed too perfect, too deadly. If this had been reality, Max knew he''d be lying dead on the ground right now. The thought alone sent a violent chill down his spine.


    His body trembled uncontrobly, and he stumbled backward, his legs giving out beneath him. He copsed onto the chair bed, staring at the screen in disbelief. The rey continued, each frame a reminder of his swift defeat, and with it came the bitter sting of helplessness.


    Max''s breath quickened, the icy realization sinking in¡ªhe had truly lost, and to us of all people.


    Max sat there, his mind reeling. The person he had once thought of as a nobody, someone he was nning to humiliate, had justpletely crushed him. The shame wasn''t just his own¡ªhis defeat was a humiliation to all legacies. He had lost, and the weight of that embarrassment was suffocating.


    He felt an overwhelming urge to disappear, to bury himself somewhere no one could find him. But there was no escaping reality. Just as the despair was sinking in, the war god overseeing the duel appeared on the screen.


    "Well,dies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed the show. Now, the winner will say a few words."


    us''s face filled the screen. A yful smile spread across his face as he spoke. "Hehe, this was fun. To everyone who doubted me, I''m sorry to say this young master isn''t losing to any legacy¡ªin this life or the next. So, next time you hear my name, remember these words: never bet against me."


    us''s grin grew wider as he continued. "And to my dear friend Max, like I said before, you''re a decent archer. So, instead of wallowing in despair, use this as a wake-up call. Being a legacy doesn''t make you supreme. There are others out there far better than you."


    He paused for a moment, then added, "And to Oracle, thank you for making this battle happen. This ce is incredible, and I hope it bes a training ground for young warriors to grow without the fear of dying."


    us gave a casual wave. "That''s all for now. I''ve got to go face some scolding from my mom. Bye."


    The screen cut off, leaving Max staring at his own reflection in the darkened monitor, the sting of us''s words and his humiliating loss settling deeper into his core.

 Chapter 116: Clowns

    us blinked, taken aback by the intensity of the war goddess''s gaze. He had barely opened his eyes before she spoke staring daggers at him.


    "How did you do it?" she asked her voice firm, curiosity clear in her tone.


    "Huh?" us mumbled, caught off guard.


    "How did you know the arrows wereing? You''re not a Saint yet, so you don''t have divine sense. So how did you sense them?" she pressed, her eyes locked on his, demanding an answer.


    us chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, it wasn''t really about seeing or sensing them in the way you''re thinking."


    The war goddess raised an eyebrow, waiting for more.


    "It''s the ice," us continued. "I have a certain level of connection to the ice element, almost like feeling the air. When the mist spread, the arrows disturbed the ice particles. That''s how I knew."


    She crossed her arms, still not fully convinced. "But reacting that quickly... even with that connection, it shouldn''t be possible."


    us shrugged with a grin. "Guess I''m just built differently."


    The war goddess narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing us for a moment longer before a small, amused smile appeared on her lips. "You certainly are," she said. "I wouldn''t have called you ''Little Brother'' if you weren''t special."


    us raised an eyebrow, a yful smirk forming. "Oh, so I''ve earned the title, huh? Guess I really impressed the great war goddess."


    Her smile widened slightly, though her eyes remained sharp. "Don''t let it get to your head. Special or not, you''re still reckless. You''re not invincible."


    us chuckled. "Reckless is part of the charm, right? Besides, being invincible sounds boring. I''d rather keep pushing my limits."


    "Just don''t push too hard," the war goddess warned, though there was a teasing glint in her eyes. "You''ve really angered the legacies, you know." She chuckled softly, her tone yful. "Hehe, theing days are going to be fun."


    us grinned, his eyes shing with excitement. "Fun, huh? Well, I was starting to think things were getting a bit too quiet anyway. Max was just unfortunate for crossing me"


    She shook her head, still smiling. "You really have a knack for stirring up trouble. I hope you''re ready for the storm that''sing. Hehe, I look favorable on you, Little Brother."


    us shrugged nonchntly. "Let theme. I''ve already faced worse, and I''ll handle whatever they throw at me."


    The war goddess chuckled again. "Well, Little Brother, I hope you keep that confidence. You''ll need it."


    "So, what''s next?" the war goddess asked, her tone warmer now, clearly pleased and easing into the conversation with us.


    "I''m not sure yet," us replied, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "But I feel like I''m close to something¡­ like a breakthrough. I think I''ll spend the next few days focusing on that."


    Since waking up from the virtual world, there was a strange sensation in his eyes, something he couldn''t quite ce. He knew he needed time to understand it better.


    "Then you won''t being for your reward anytime soon?" she asked with a yful pout, a surprising disy of emotion from someone with her stature and demeanor.


    us smiled, and without hesitation, he gently took her hand¡ªa bold move that made her arch an eyebrow. In all her life, no one had dared to touch her so casually, yet here was this white-haired, golden-eyed boy doing just that. Oddly enough, she felt no irritation, only amusement.


    "Big Sister," us said with a charming grin, his grip soft but firm. "You can alwayse and spend some time with me. I''ve got plenty of rooms. And if you''re scared to sleep alone, my bed''s big enough for the both of us."


    Her lips twitched in amusement, though her eyes sparked with a hint of surprise. us''s audacity was refreshing, and his carefree nature was disarming in a way she hadn''t expected.


    "You really are something else, Little Brother," she said, a smile tugging at her lips, shaking her head lightly. "I will take you on the offer; I don''t particrly have anything better going on anyway."


    us''s grin widened at herment. "Then I''ll make sure your stay is unforgettable."


    "us, you really did it!" Danny was the first to blurt out as us and the War Goddess stepped out of the room.


    "Of course. I wouldn''t let you lose your money like that," us replied with a confident smile.


    "us, E, and Ethan Duncan just released a statement," Lily said, ncing up from her phone and showing him the screen. A video of Ethan and E yed.


    "us Hanson, you''ve crossed a line you shouldn''t have," Ethan''s voice was cold. "Just because you epted a challenge from a legacy doesn''t give you the right to insult all of us. You''ve gone too far, and for that, you''ll pay.


    Because of your arrogance, I''m using my status as a Legacy to ban you from Union City. The ban will remain in effect until you apologize to all legacies."


    us smirked, shaking his head. "Tsk, what a bunch of clowns."


    "What are you going to do, us? If you can''t enter Union City, you can''t participate in the Union Selection after the regional rounds," Anna said, her voiceced with concern.


    "Who cares? If the Academy doesn''t step in, then maybe it''s the wrong ce for me." us was unfazed. A ban didn''t matter much to him¡ªhe is a Paragon, and with his star qi, he had more than enough power to handle whatever came his way academy or not.


    "Don''t worry, little brother. I''ll talk to the Academy and have them take care of it," the War Goddess reassured him.


    "Thank you, big sister," us replied with a smile.


    "So, are you going to respond to them?" Daniel asked, clearly excited by the drama. us could sense the chaos brewing in his friend''s mind¡ªthey were simr in that way. He also craves chaos, and what better time than when the chicken came knocking?


    Without a second thought, us pulled out his phone, typed a single word, and tagged the video from Ethan and E: "Clowns."


    That one word ignited chaos online. His fans and haters shed online, blowing everything out of proportion. However, us, the instigator, is headed home with his friends and a big sister, ready to celebrate his victory.


    As soon as they arrived, us spotted his mother standing at the entrance, arms crossed over her chest. Although she wore a smile, he could tell she was mad.


    "Brat,e here," she called the moment he stepped out of the car.


    us obediently walked toward her, his head slightly bowed. he stopped in front of her not daring to raise his head. Suddenly, he felt her soft arms wrap around him.


    "My baby boy," his mother whispered, her voice gentle. us was caught off guard and froze for a moment. Then, without warning, a sharp pain shot through his left ear as she pinched it.


    "Brat, what did I tell you about taking unnecessary risks?" she scolded.


    "Mom!" us yelped in pain. Somehow, her pinches always hurt more than anything else.


    His mother gave him a pointed look. "Your friends are here, so I''ll spare you some face, but once they leave, I''ll deal with you properly."


    us could only grin sheepishly, rubbing his sore ear as he nced at his friends. "Mom, I have something to tell you. I''ve got a big sister now, and she''ll be staying with us for a while." He gestured towards the War Goddess, who watched the scene with an amused smile.


    "Hello, I''m Mariam," she introduced herself, her voice calm but warm. us and the others raised their eyebrows in surprise, hearing her name for the first time.


    "Big sister, your name is as beautiful as you," us quickly added, cutting off his mother before she could speak.


    His mother gave him a yful smack on the back of his head. "Brat, you''re not getting any ideas, are you?" she warned with a smirk before gesturing for everyone toe inside. She knew this no-good son of hers had no good intention of picking a sister off the road just like that.


    They all entered,ughing at us''s predicament. The same us who had just taken down a legacy was now getting smacked left, right, and center by his mother.


    "Big sister, now do you see why I need to share a room with you? This mother of mine is too cruel!" us whined dramatically, hiding behind Mariam.


    But he underestimated the power of women. With a sly smile, Mariam stepped aside, allowing his mother to grab his ear again and pull him forward.


    The whole scene became lively withughter. Even the maids watching couldn''t hold back their giggles, seeing the young master humbled by his mother.


    Once inside, us stood there, eyes slightly red from all the ear-pulling. His mother and the War Goddess exchanged amused smiles as they watched him. us turned to Anna and Lily, his face filled with mock sorrow.


    "Fairies, you wouldn''t let your handsome friend suffer such injustice, right? How about it¡ªwant to spend the night with me andfort me in my sleep?" us asked, giving them his best puppy eyes.


    Both girls blushed, ncing at each other before quickly running to hide behind his mother and Mariam. us could only sigh as they betrayed him without hesitation.


    "Don''t worry, us. I''ll spend the night with you," Danny chimed in, patting us on the shoulder.


    us immediately scoffed, shrugging him off. "Tsk, who wants to spend the night with you? Only thedies get that privilege!"


    The room was filled withughter, warmth, and a sense of togetherness. Soon, dinner was served, and they all ate, enjoying each other''spany. Afterward, Anna and the others left, leaving just us, his mother, and the War Goddess, Miriam.


    us spent some time chatting with them, but eventually, he excused himself to get some rest. He had a lot to do the next day, and he needed his beauty sleep.


    When he woke up the next morning, he found himself alone in his bed, making him sigh in mild disappointment. With a grin, he thought to himself, ''Another day, another chance. One way or another, I''ll manage to sleep with my face nestled between those mountains on Miriam''s chest.''


    With that amusing thought, us got up, ready to face whatever the day had in store for him.

 Chapter 117: Arcadian Mine Invasion (1)

    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 16


    Talent: Celestial Elemental Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Master - Lvl: 1/12


    Strength: 1,030 | Agility: 1,070 |Stamina: 1,040 |Defense:900 | Intelligence: 900| Health: 4000


    Star Qi: 65,986,200


    Stat Points: 400


    [Next Level up: 200,000/23,228,800]


    "Looks like 200 points have been added to all attributes and 2,000 to health," us muttered, gazing at his status window. Since bing a Master, he hadn''t bothered to check it¡ªuntil now.


    "This is going to be a wild ride. Twenty-three million points before I level up to level two." He scratched the back of his head, eyeing the huge number. us knew it would take a serious effort to keep leveling up, but he wasn''t too worried.


    "Well, when the timees, I''ll deal with it," he said quietly to himself. For now, there was something more pressing¡ªhe needed to figure out what was happening with his eyes.


    ---


    A week passed, and us had been in seclusion the entire time. He had already told his mother not to let anyone disturb him. After the duel with Max a week ago, he felt an odd heat from the back of his eyes. Something was definitely changing, and us was determined to understand it before facing his next challenge.


    The next stage of the Celestial Mountain Academy selection was approaching fast, only three months away. ording to the War Goddess, us needed to be at least a Level 4 Master stage warrior by then. While it wasn''t a strict requirement, it would give him a significant edge, and us didn''t n to fall behind.


    But before he could focus on leveling up, he had to deal with the strange hot sensation that had been bothering him since his duel with Max. He had already received the nk Card promised as his reward for winning the duel. Now, all that remained was figuring out what was happening with his eyes.


    For some reason, the Senior, the guide within his soul sea, wasn''t in the mood to help. No matter how much us asked, the Senior stayed silent. So, for the past seven days, us had been working on it alone, trying to unlock whatever was guing him.


    He could feel he was getting closer with each passing moment, his focus sharpening, but the answer still eluded him even after a week in seclusion. The heat from his eyes persisted, a reminder that something deeper was happening¡ªsomething he had yet to fully grasp.


    But us wasn''t the type to give up easily. He knew that once he understood this strange sensation, it would bring him one step closer to bing much more powerful.


    -


    -


    -


    Far from Ross City, hundreds of warriors could be seen standing guard atop a towering, lighthouse-like structure. It rose high above thick walls that stretched for miles in every direction. From a higher vantage point, one could spot more lighthouses scattered along the walls, each manned with vignt soldiers.


    This ce is the infamous Arcadian Mines¡ªa peculiar region home to a rare and powerful mineral known as Humium. Before and during the apocalypse, Humium was an invaluable resource, used to power cannons and other heavy artillery.


    Highly explosive in its raw form, it became a sought-after mineral long before the world fell into chaos. But when refined, Humium could generate electricity on a massive scale, making it even more essential as the world crumbled.


    The Arcadian Mines were a hub of activity, with hundreds of thousands of workers toiling daily to extract this precious resource. However, when the apocalypse hit, disaster struck. One day, the mines copsed, trapping thousands of workers beneath the rubble. The event was a national tragedy.


    But twenty years into the apocalypse, a horrifying discovery was made. The people buried in the mines weren''t dead. They had transformed into a new, terrifying variant of zombies known as Voltox Zombies.


    These creatures were unlike anything seen before. They are resistant to the very weapons powered by Humium. Guns and cannons crafted from the mineral were useless against them. Whenever they are struck, they absorb the energy from the st, which further makes them stronger.


    Fighting them using such weapons was like feeding them. The weapons were infective against them. The military fought desperately to fend off these new zombies, but the Voltox proved to be far stronger than the other Zombies.


    Their regenerative abilities were beyond anything the world had encountered. It was only through the relentless efforts of brave warriors that Arcadian City and the nearby towns were spared from beingpletely overrun by the zombie tide.


    After managing to repel the Voltox Zombies, the military and the Arcadian Great Family constructed massive fortresses, sealing off the mine for good. However, they knew that as humans grew stronger, so did the monsters. So to ensure the mine remained secure, they stationed several powerful warriors there, guarding against any potential surprises.


    For the past 30 years, this strategy worked. But on this fateful day, when everything seemed normal, a sudden explosion rocked the Arcadian Mine. The st was so powerful that the towers closest to it cracked and copsed, killing most of the guards stationed on them.


    From the heart of the explosion emerged a towering figure, standing three meters tall with glowing purple skin. Its veins pulsed with an unstable mix of fiery red and luminescent green, radiating from beneath its cracked, fractured body. Through the fissures, vivid purple energy leaked out, glowing ominously.


    A dark crystal could be seen embedded in its chest exuding faint, dark energy while its bulging arms radiated a terrifying aura of power. It stood menacingly, and before long, more of the same figures started to appear, pouring out of the mine.


    The guards around the area were instantly thrown into a state of panic. rms red, and distress signals went out across every emergency channel.


    "THE ARCADIAN MINE HAS BEEN BREACHED! SEND REINFORCEMENTS IMMEDIATELY!" echoed over the radio waves.


    But the worst was yet toe. After the purple zombies appeared, another wave followed¡ªthis time with figures glowing in violet.


    The warriors around the mine immediately startedunching desperate attacks, bombarding the creatures in a bid to hold them off. They knew they had a slight advantage; the protective seal around the mine would take a few minutes to fully break. Reinforcements might arrive in time¡ªif they were lucky. But if not, they were prepared for the worst.


    Everyone knew a great disaster was about to descend on Arcadian City. But despite being fully aware that they stood little chance against the horrors emerging from the mine, the warriors gave everything they had to hold the monsters back, even if just for a while.


    They were prepared to die, taking sce in the fact that they had done their part to protect the innocent in the cities surrounding the Arcadian Mine.


    ---


    Meanwhile, back in Ross City, life carried on as usual. People went about their business¡ªthe rich getting richer, the poor doing their best to survive. That was until, without warning, every screen in the city shed with a single urgent message.


    EMERGENCY: THE ARCADIAN MINE HAS BEEN BREACHED. ALL WARRIORS ACROSS THE EASTERN REGION ARE BEING CALLED TO ARCADIAN CITY TO DEFEND IT.


    For a moment, it felt as if time had frozen. Then, chaos erupted. Panic spread like wildfire as people rushed home to be with their loved ones. The memory of the Voltox Zombie invasion from 30 years ago haunted everyone''s minds. Back then, they knew that the neighboring cities would also be destroyed if the zombies overrun Arcadian City.


    With the emergency broadcast ying across the city, tension filled the air. Warriors scrambled into action, rushing to fulfill their duty. The brave among them immediately set off for Arcadian City, ready to fight and defend. Meanwhile, a few cowardly souls chose to flee, hoping to save themselves from the looming threat.


    But it wasn''t just warriors who rushed to Arcadian City. News crews and medical teams also scrambled to the scene, each preparing to y their part in the crisis. Across the Eastern Region of the Northern Union, warriors of all kinds mobilized, heading toward Arcadian City to offer their aid.


    It wasn''t long before a new update shed across every screen:


    UPDATE: THE ARCADIAN MINE HAS BEEN OVERRUN. VOLTOX ZOMBIES ARE ADVANCING TOWARD ARCADIAN CITY.


    ETA: 3:30 Minutes

 Chapter 118: Arcadian Mine Invasion (2)

    Within just two hours, thousands of warriors had gathered in Arcadian City, ready to defend against the impending tide of Voltox Zombies. Everyone knew this invasion would be especially dangerous, and the reason was clear. Although many power sources can be used for weapons, Humium was widely regarded as the most powerful of them all.


    Its destructive power far surpassed that of any other known mineral. The fact that weapons made from Humium would be less effective against the Voltox Zombies made the situation even more dire. Sure, other weapons could be used, but not all were suitable for arge-scale invasion like this one.


    Take uranium, for example. If they were to use it in this battle, the aftermath would be devastating. While it might help hold back the zombies, the cost to the environment¡ªand the city itself¡ªwould be severe. Entire sections of Arcadian City would need to be abandoned due to the radioactive fallout. Even though technology had advanced significantly, it hadn''t always been in the right direction.


    When the spiritual qi descended upon the world, and chaos erupted, governments and militaries resorted to using their hidden nuclear stockpiles, originally meant as ast resort against human enemies, to fight the invading monsters and zombies. But the consequences were far worse than anyone had anticipated.


    After the war, scientists discovered that areas whererge amounts of nuclear weapons had been used became death zones. It turned out that uranium fused with spiritual qi in an unpredictable and catastrophic way. Instead of being their ultimate weapon, uranium turned into something even more dangerous.


    Now, there are ces known as Death Zones¡ªregions that are uninhabitable for humans but where terrifying monsters thrive, growing stronger every day. Ironically, these regions were engineered by humans themselves, though they had no way of knowing the long-term effects when they first deployed their nuclear arsenal.


    Unless they had no other choice, they wouldn''t dare use such destructive weapons, which meant everything depended on the warriors gathered here. Victory would rely on their skills, techniques, and teamwork. If they hoped to survive, they''d have to give everything they had.


    A camp had been set up about three miles from Arcadian City, and thousands of warriors who answered the call could be seen preparing for the uing battle. With the zombie horde expected to arrive in less than two hours, everyone was getting ready¡ªboth mentally and physically.


    In one part of the camp, Anna, Mark, Lily, Kilian, Danny, Daniel, Kay, and Hanna sat together, a mix of tension and focus on their faces.


    "You said he hasn''t answered your calls?" Lily asked, directing her question to Anna.


    "Yes, I''ve called him several times, but there''s been no answer," Anna replied.


    "Maybe he''s busy," Danny sighed, trying to sound hopeful.


    Hanna suddenly chimed in, "Actually, I called his mom. She said us has been in seclusion for days now, and he told her not to let anyone disturb him until hees out." Her words made the others nod in understanding.


    When the emergency signal went out, us''s friends tried contacting him, but when they got no response, it rattled them. Still, they were in too much of a hurry to track him down, especially Anna, who was closest to him.


    She assumed us was probably off hunting or training somewhere, so she left him several messages in case he checked his pher.


    "He''lle once he sees our messages," Daniel said, ncing around cautiously. "I just hope he''s not toote. There are some vipers lurking, waiting to cause trouble for him."


    Despite the looming invasion, many of the warriors hade for more than just defending the city¡ªthey were here to level up. us''s friends were among them, ready to test their strength. And it wasn''t just them. All around the camp, you could see many young geniuses who hade for the same purpose.


    us would even recognize most of them, having briefly crossed paths with them during the Felin Youth Ball.


    They all looked ready for battle, but there were always a few who came looking for trouble. us''s friends ignored the piercing gazes aimed their way and focused on strategizing. Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps started approaching them, making them frown. Five imposing figures entered their area when they looked up, and the group immediately felt small in their presence.


    "You''re friends with that little fe us, right?" a tall, bulky man with tattoos covering his arms asked.


    Anna nodded. "That''s right."


    "Good. Where''s that pretty boy?" Uncle Ziggy asked.


    "He hasn''t arrived yet," Anna replied, keeping her tone calm. "We spoke with his mother, and she said he''s been in seclusion. He''lle when he''s ready, but we''re hoping he''s not toote." As the natural leader of her group, Anna felt the responsibility to answer the five powerful saints standing before them.


    "Good enough," Uncle Ziggy nodded. "I also hope he''s not toote. Well then, since you''re us''s friend, you can call us uncles. I''m Uncle Ziggy, that''s Uncle Jojo, Uncle Xian, Uncle Matt, and Uncle James." He gestured to the other four men with him.


    "Oh, and you little fes," Uncle Ziggy continued with a grin, "feel free to use this time to level up. We''ll be fighting beside you to ensure you are not hurt."


    His words made us''s friends, especially Lily, smile with relief. Knowing they had such powerful support lifted some of the weight off their shoulders.


    Saints weren''t exactly rare, but they weren''tmon either. Most saints spent their time training and hunting, aiming to advance to the Sage stage. So while there were many saints, it was still rare to see them around.


    For five saints to appear here, and with such amanding presence, it naturally drew attention. People nced at them with a mixture of awe and relief. Having saints fighting beside them made everyone feel a bit safer.


    Anna and her team also rxed. Though they wished us was with them. However,knowing his five uncles were there gave them some peace of mind. Yet, deep down, they still longed for us to join them.


    Suddenly, five figures descended from the sky, hovering down slowly. The atmosphere shifted as everyone turned their attention to the neers.


    "Everyone, thank you foring," a voice boomed. "I know this isn''t how you expected to spend your day, but as warriors, we all understand that unexpected challengese with the territory. This invasion took us by surprise, but I have no doubt we will prevail because each of you is one of humanity''s finest and bravest warriors."


    The crowd listened closely as the speaker continued.


    "The enemies we are about to face are the worst kind, but with our strengthbined, I believe we will ovee this. And rest assured, after this invasion, each of you will bepensated for your bravery. Once again, thank you foring."


    Dave Arcadia, leader and ruler of Arcadian City and one of the wealthiest people in the entire Northern Union, spoke.


    After his speech, everyone went about their preparations. An hour passed, and with each passing minute, the warriors stood ready.


    Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the ground a few miles ahead. The Zombies had finally broken through all the containment barriers meant to thin their numbers and buy time to mobilize the fighters.


    From the explosion, terrifying Zombies emerged¡ªcreatures that looked like they had stepped straight out of a nightmare.


    "Everyone, kill without hesitation!" Dave Arcadia shouted. With hismand, the warriors charged forward, even those who had been visibly shaken by the sight of the horrific Zombies. They were eager to prove themselves, hoping to score some points by taking down the Variant Zombies.


    Anna and her friends also rushed into battle, picking their side of the field. Uncle Ziggy and the others charged alongside them, taking up positions around Anna and her group.

 Chapter 119: Arcadian Mine Invasion (3)

    "This is Gale Hendrick, reporting live from the invasion at Arcadian Mine. After three relentless hours of blockades, the Voltox Zombies have finally broken through and are now shing with the brave warriors defending Arcadian City.


    Both young warriors and seasoned veterans are fighting to ensure there''s still an Arcadian city for the future. Meanwhile, authorities are working tirelessly to evacuate civilians.


    So far, no casualties have been reported, but as we all know, anything can happen in battle. I''ll keep you updated live, and once satellites are in ce, you''ll be able to watch the battle unfold from wherever you are. Until then, stay strong, and don''t stop praying for these courageous fighters who are risking their lives."


    The young war reporter delivered the updates to those anxiously watching at home, their hearts pounding as they awaited more news from the frontlines.


    On the battlefield, chaos reigned. Spells shed across the sky, arrows zipped through the air, and swords nged as warriors shed with the undead. Everyone fought with all they had, determined to eliminate the terrifying Voltox Zombies.


    "Rainbow mes Volley!" Kay shouted as they unleashed a barrage of ming arrows, each one hitting its mark. They were pushing themselves to the limit, knowing that leveling up during the fight would restore their strength and heal their tired bodies. With the first wave being made up of only Tier 4 Zombies, everyone was giving it their all.


    There were no Tier 3 Zombies or weaker in this horde, making it even more crucial for the master-level fighters to push themselves harder. The goal was clear: kill as many as possible before the real nightmare began.


    "Goddess bestow and deny, Ice Goddess''s will, Infinity Zero Domain!" Anna chanted, driving her staff into the ground. Suddenly, the 1km area around her froze solid.


    Everyone felt the sudden shift in their surrounding, but despite the icy environment, no one felt any difort. Instead, their minds felt clearer, and their senses sharpened.


    "Nice one, Anna!" Mark praised her, twirling his spear with a grin. "Whirlpool Wind Hurricane!" With a powerful thrust, a hurricane of sharp winds tore through the battlefield, slicing through the Zombies who had been slowed and frozen by Anna''s ice domain.


    "me sh!" Kilian shouted as his sword glowed crimson with intense heat. He unleashed a rapid series of shes, sending sharp arcs of me directly at the Zombies within the frozen domain, cutting them down with precision.


    "Wind sh!" Lily moved like a whisper through the battlefield, ensuring her friends were covered from behind as she sliced through any zombie with swift, graceful strikes.


    "Danny, you''re cking!" Daniel teased, cleaving a Zombie clean in half with a powerful swing of his massive axe.


    "Who''s cking?" Danny shot back, driving his spear-like weapon through a Zombie''s head, shattering it in a bloody mess. "I''ve already got 50 kills!"


    Daniel smirked. "Like I said, you''re cking. Look at Hanna¡ªshe''s already taken down 140 Zombies."


    Danny nced over at the calm young woman, her movements fluid as she fired lightning-infused arrows in rapid session, each one striking a Zombie dead-on. Hanna''s arrows were a deadly mix of finesse and uracy, every shot hitting its target with lethal precision.


    When us first met her in the Ruin City Forbidden Zone, shecked the confidence to make it through the City Selection. But after us gave her Monster and Zombie cores, andter picked her as his personal assistant, she started to change.


    Thanks to Ohema sending over loads of Mountain Dew, us who doesn''t need it shared it with his friends. This made their training improve more rapidly.


    Hanna, who had barely passed the City Selection, passing with a ranking of 195, was now driven to be stronger. For days, alongside her duties as us''s assistant, she has been training relentlessly, and her hard work was paying off.


    Each arrow she fired disyed her growth, a grand showcase of skill and determination, as she continued to thin down the zombies one rapid-lighting shot after the other.


    "These kids aren''t bad at all," Uncle Ziggy said as he continued to fire lightning-infused bullets at the approaching Zombies. Among us''s five uncles, he was the leanest, so it was only natural that he didn''t wield any heavy weapons.


    But with his Gunslinger ss and expertise in Lightning Ammunition, he looked even deadlier than the bulkier, heavily armed uncles. Each shot he fired crackled with energy, cutting down Zombies with precise, lethal efficiency.


    "Indeed," Uncle Jojo agreed, unleashing a powerful sh that cut through dozens of Zombies in one fluid motion. "Looks like us will have the best of the younger generation watching his back in the future."


    The two uncles exchanged a nce, a hint of pride in their eyes as they watched the younger warriors holding their own on the battlefield.


    And it wasn''t just us''s friends; many young warriors were fighting bravely across the battlefield. On one side, Miguel, the young man us had disciplined during the Felin Youth Ball, was cutting through the Zombies with a calm, neutral expression.


    Not far from him was Lawrence, the man who had tried to humiliate us with his sharp words but ended up with a taste of his own medicine. Now, he is fighting desperately for his life, the battle pushing him to his limits.


    Despite their past conflicts, both men showed no signs of backing down when it came to humanity''s survival. Their warrior spirit shone through as they fought with determination.


    "Have you seen him yet?" Lawrence suddenly asked Miguel.


    "No," Miguel replied with a toneced with disdain. "But what do you expect? Cowards hide when dangeres. It''s only natural he''s not here."


    "After this battle, we''ll see where he can hide," Lawrence muttered, then returned to his relentless ughter of the undead.


    us''s absence was bing noticeable. Warriors across the battlefield nced around, searching for any sign of him, but he was nowhere to be found.


    us''s recent duel with Max had made him a hot topic of conversation, and everyone was eager to see him on the battlefield. Yet, he was nowhere to be found.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, an explosion erupted miles behind the Zombie army. Tier 5 Zombies began making their way toward the battlefield.


    "Saints, advance to the vanguard and hold back the Tier 5 Zombies! Warriors, dig in and clear this tide before the next wave arrives!" a general in military armor shouted, sending the Saints rushing toward the approaching Tier 5 Zombie captains.


    There were thousands of them, moving at speeds several times faster than the normal Zombies or even the white Zombies. Dark crystals could be seen on their chests, their eyes glowing a deep red as misty smoke poured from their sockets.


    "Alright, little fes, we''re heading to the frontlines. Don''t worry; with you watching each other''s backs, these lesser Zombies are no match for you," Uncle Ziggy said before taking to the skies with his team and leaving for the frontlines.


    Anna stood in the center of the battlefield, chanting spells after spells that were gradually draining her energy.


    "Infinity Ice, Ice Goddess''s Wrath!" Ice erupted from the ground, freezing the monsters in ce and halting their movements. This allowed her friends to deliver devastating attacks.


    But that wasn''t all. Ice spikes shot up from the ground, shattering the frozen Zombies. "Let''s level up before the Tier 5 Zombies break through the Saints'' blockade!" Anna shouted.


    She and her friends are already at level 2 Master stage, thanks to the Mountain Dew us had given them. It allowed them to absorb monster cores faster and managed to level up to level 2 before the invasion.


    "Everyone, be ready. The real fight begins now!" Anna''s voice rang out,manding and icy, calming the hearts of all who heard her.


    "A natural-born leader," Lily said quietly with a smile, watching as the young men and women rallied under Anna''smand. It wasn''t just the core group anymore; others were joining in, recognizing Anna as their temporarymander while the Saints.

 Chapter 120: Spirit Eye Awakening

    Back in Ross City, inside a secluded training room, us sat in a lotus posture, his eyes closed in deep concentration. He had been like that for days, unmoving. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, releasing a reddish, misty aura. A sharp pain shot through his head, and he winced as a splitting headache surged into his brain.


    His eyes glowed crimson, radiating a potent energy that seemed to reach deep into his soul.


    "Don''t resist. This is just the initial awakening of your spiritual eye," the senior voice from his soul sea suddenly spoke.


    "Oh, so you finally decide to talk," us muttered, despite the unbearable headache. He had hoped for the senior''s guidance when he first began his seclusion, but there had been only silence. Now, at the worst possible moment, the senior seemed eager to chat.


    "Brat, focus. This is a crucial step," the senior said, his tone firm.


    "Crucial step? Feels more like my head''s about to split open," us replied, still clutching his temples.


    "Your eye is forming a link to your spiritual space. Naturally, it''s going to be painful. Just endure it, and it''ll pass sooner than you think," the senior reassured him.


    us gritted his teeth, knowing he had no choice but to push through. He continued to endure. Slowly, his eyes began to dim, though they still held a faint crimson glow.


    "Congrattions, brat, you''ve awakened your Spirit Eye," the senior said in a t tone.


    "Senior, what is the Spirit Eye?" us asked. He had been feeling a burning sensation ever since his duel with Max Duncan. Now that it was settled, he still wasn''t sure what he had gained. He hadn''t noticed any effect yet.


    "A Spiritual Eye is a direct link between your eyes and your soul. It''s quite a handy ability. You can now see even with your eyes closed. By focusing on your senses, you''ll be able to perceive your surroundings. Even though this is just the initial awakening, you can see up to 1 kilometer around you with your eyes shut.


    As you grow stronger, that range will expand."


    us blinked, trying to process the information. The idea of seeing without his eyes seemed strange, yet intriguing.


    "Is that all it does?" us asked, his curiosity piqued.


    The senior chuckled softly. "Not quite. The Spiritual Eye has more uses, though you''ll need time to master them. For one, it allows you to see through illusions. No matter how powerful the illusion, your Spiritual Eye can cut through the deception and reveal the truth. It''s like peeling awayyers of false reality."


    us''s brows furrowed as he absorbed the implications.


    "Another ability," the senior continued, "is seeing the flow of energy¡ªwhether it''s spiritual qi, Star Qi, or any other force. You''ll be able to track movements of energy, predict attacks, and even spot weaknesses in your opponent''s techniques."


    us raised an eyebrow, intrigued.


    "In fact," the senior added, "a Spirit Eye has more uses that you''ll discover over time. I can''t say exactly what kind of eye you''ve awakened, but even at this level, you can already use some spiritual attacks. These attacks can bypass physical defenses and strike directly at an opponent''s soul or spirit. A very powerful ability"


    us''s heart raced at the thought. This new power was more dangerous than he had realized. When he was preparing for the City Selection exams, he remembereding across something about spirit masters.


    From what he read, spirit masters could attack souls and even control weapons with their minds. It was something that he was drawn to. He wanted it but he wasn''t sure he could do that. But now that he is hearing he can do some soul attacks he is hopeful. us immediately asked, "Senior, does this mean I can control weapons with my mind?"


    "You could always control weapons with your mind, even before awakening the Spirit Eye," the senior replied casually.


    "Huh? What do you mean? I know for sure I couldn''t do that," us said, confused.


    "You''re a Weapon Overlord, brat. You have supreme control over weapons. So, yes, you''ve always had that ability."


    "F*ck, why didn''t you say something earlier?!" us snapped, frustration bubbling up.


    "Language, brat," the senior chuckled. "I thought you''d figure it out on your own, you know, Karma and all"


    "F*ck, this is a scam. You''re just hanging around in my soul, doing nothing. Where are you even from?" us asked coldly, his frustration evident.


    "You don''t qualify to know that," the senior replied calmly. "But don''t me me. It''s not my fault you never bothered to be curious about your Weapon Overlord ss. When you awakened your sword aura and felt that deep connection with your weapon, I figured you''d take the opportunity to learn more. But you didn''t. So, me yourself for beingzy."


    us clenched his fists, annoyed but knowing the senior had a point. He''d been too busy chasing butts and boobs and hadpletely overlooked something so important.


    "Brat, I hope you''re not mad at me," the senior asked with a hint of sarcasm.


    us sighed, his frustration simmering. "No, I''m mad at myself," he admitted. "I should''ve paid more attention. But you could''ve at least given me a heads-up."


    The senior chuckled. "Consider this your wake-up call. Betterte than never, right?"


    "Right, I guess I''ll need to spend more time training," us said with a determined sigh.


    "Smart choice," the senior replied. "How about this? You''ve earned it. I''ll transfer a technique that will allow you to use your spirit eye more efficiently. It can even be used for weapon maniption."


    us smiled, feeling excited at the thought of growing stronger. He can now learn a new technique aside from his moon sh skill.


    What us didn''t realize was that the senior had a clever n in mind. By admitting us had beenzy and that he hadn''t helped him earlier, the senior subtly created the impression that he owed us something. ording to the rules of karma, debts must be paid to maintain bnce.


    The technique the senior was giving us wasn''t just a gift¡ªit was a way to settle the karmic debt. This was the senior''s method of outsmarting karma. us wasn''t yet aware of these intricacies, but the senior knew better.


    us''sst tribtion had been a dangerous one, and the senior was doing everything he could to avoid piling on more for the next tribtion.


    A golden orb flew from the door and entered us''s forehead. "Master this technique, and you''ll be able to use your Spirit Eye more efficiently. And next time, try dedicating some time to mastering your skills rather than chasing women." The connection between him and the senior abruptly cut off.


    "Tsk, this young master is all about thedies," us smirked, essing the message that appeared in his mind.


    [You have received a new Technique]


    [Name: Ten Thousand Soul Needles]


    [Ten Thousand Soul Needles]


    >> Grade: Ancient


    >> Tier: Top-Tier


    -- By using your Spirit Eye and Star Qi, you can create soul needles that directly attack the soul. Each needle contains your will and can be controlled using your mind.


    [Remark: Focus on training. Thedies aren''t going anywhere.]


    "Seriously, you couldn''t have said something more inspiring?" us muttered, though clearly pleased. Now, he had a new skill to add to his collection alongside his [Moon sh] and [Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom].


    He quickly essed the technique. A detailed diagram appeared in his mind. At a nce, us recognized one pattern that looked simple enough. His crimson eyes glowed brighter and with a single thought, a needle about 4 inches thick materialized before him. He focused, sending the needle shooting forward. However, when it attacked, it dealt no damage.


    "Oh, I forgot it only attacks the soul," us muttered but started forming more needles. As the tenth needle took shape, his face began to turn pale.


    "I guess that''s my limit for now," us said with a weak smile. "I need to get some projectile weapons." He reached for his phone to see if he could order some, but as soon as he pulled it from his space ring, a flood of messages assaulted his eyes, which had returned to their normal golden hue.


    "What the heck?!" us shouted, immediately running out of the training room.


    "us, you''re out! Your friends need you!" his mom said immediately after he came out of the training room.


    =========


    Technique Grades


    Common, Rare, Epic, Earth, Heaven, Legendary, Mythic, Primordial, Divine, Supreme, Celestial, Ancient...


    As for the tier, there are Low Tier, Medium Tier and Top Tier

 Chapter 121: Overwhelming Odds

    "us, your friends need your help," his mom''s voice reached his ear immediately after he came out of the training room.


    "Mom, what''s wrong?" us asked, ncing at the flood of messages he had missed. He hasn''t had time to check the messages since some of them are from his mother. All he needed was her name to know something was wrong, so he rushed out.


    "There''s an invasion in Arcadian City, and your friends are there fighting. You should go help them," his mother exined, her tone hasty and serious. us could see she wasn''t kidding.


    Even though she always advised him to avoid risks, she hade to ept that her son is now a warrior. His path was going to be fraught with danger, and rather than holding him back, she wanted to ensure he was prepared and knew how to handle such threats.


    She also recognized how happy us was when his friends were around. She knew their lives were in danger with them on the front lines, and us''s presence could make a difference. She had seen his skills during the battle with Max Duncan and knew her son had grown into a formidable warrior.


    "The invasion was sudden, and they said if it''s not defended, it might spread to neighboring cities. So many warriors, including your friends, went to help defend it," his mother said urgently. "You need to go, but be careful, and don''t get too reckless."


    "Kofi," us nodded and then called out to his security chief and driver. "Take me to the Ross Mansion."


    "Kofi will be going with you. He''s a saint and can protect you better than you can protect yourself," his mother said, and Kofi nodded. He quickly went to get the car while us put on the battle armor Nadia had given him a few days ago.


    They left promptly, heading toward the Ross Mansion. Knowing that driving would take too long, us nned to ask Anna''s parents for a favor. If he could get a jet or helicopter, he''d reach Arcadian City in less than an hour.


    Henry, the butler was there waiting for them immediately us and his driver arrived at Ross Mansion "Master us, the patriarch has been expecting you."


    us was curious about why he would be expected but didn''t have time to ask. He and Kofi followed Henry. He knew Anna had made arrangements for him, or they anticipated something like this from happening.


    "us, you''re finally here," Daven Ross said as they entered the garden.


    "Yes, I was tied up with something and just got out," us replied.


    "No need for exnations. You want to get to Arcadian City faster, right? Henry here has been ready to take you and your guard there," Daven said.


    "Thank you. I''ll be sure to repay this favor when you need it," us said, turning to Henry.


    Immediately after they left the garden, ady stepped out of the shadows. Cynthia Ross, Anna and Lucy''s mother, watched us back with a smile.


    "This kid is full of surprises," she mused, her eyes shining with interest. "Each time I see him, something new changes about him. Fascinating, very fascinating."


    us, Kofi, and Henry, the butler, made their way to the park where the Ross family''s fleet of cars and jets were lined up. Henry led them through the area passing many cares and jets before finally stopping next to a sleek helicopter-like jet.


    "This is the Valkyrie V-9 Thunderstrike," Henry said, gesturing to the angr chopper with its durable titanium-aluminum alloy shell. "It''ll get us to Arcadian City in under an hour." The jet''s two forward-facing rotors were designed to reduce noise and naturally harness the wind for faster, more efficient flight.


    us wanted to take a moment to appraise the impressive machine, but they were pressed for time. Without hesitation, they jumped inside, and soon enough, they were airborne, speeding toward the battlefield.


    Settling into his seat, us pulled out his phone and opened a live feed of the ongoing battle. The military had finally redirected their satellites to the battlefield, capturing the chaos in real-time.


    The battlefield was pure chaos. Though there were no casualties yet, the medical teams were on high alert, ready to treat the wounded at any moment. Among the many fighters, a few powerful presences stood out. Sages are battling alongside the rest. One of them was Dave Arcadian, fiercely holding the frontlines.


    And it wasn''t just him. Uncle Ziggy and his crew were there too, fighting with everything they had against the seemingly endless waves of Zombies.


    The battle had been raging for three hours now, and the human forces were being pushed to their limits. The sheer number of Zombies was overwhelming. After dealing with the first wave of Tier 4 Zombies, the more dangerous Tier 5 Zombies came into force.


    Despite the odds, the Saints and Grandmaster experts managed to push through, clearing the initial wave. But then, twice the number of Tier 5 Zombies appeared, filling the battlefield and making it even harder to hold the line.


    This forced about ten sages to step in, turning the tide just enough to give the human forces a fighting chance, but the battlefield was still chaotic and unpredictable.


    Anna led the group of young men and women in defending the city as the final line of defense. Although they were reluctant to use weapons that might cause more harm than good, they knew they couldn''t let the Zombies overrun the city.


    So as ast resort, cannons and projectile weapons were armed and ready to fire, when their human force was unable to endure anymore.


    The battle was pure chaos. More and more Tier 5 Zombies kept pouring in, but thanks to the efforts of the Saints and Sages, they managed to hold the line for now.


    However, everything suddenly changed when thousands of Tier 5 Zombie Captains started to appear. Their appearance made the situation even more dire. The Sages were forced to push forward, unleashing devastating attacks in an attempt to thin the numbers.


    But there was only so much they could do. With just ten of them, they needed more time to clear the field, and more Zombies kept flooding in. This forced the Saints, acting as the second line of defense, to step up, further reducing the number of Zombies.


    In doing so, though, they had to ignore some of the Tier 5 Zombies, making things harder for the Grandmasters and Anna''s team. Despite this, Anna''s quick, decisive decisions kept her group holding their ground.


    Casualties started to mount as the army started to lose their numbers. These troops fought fiercely, knowing it was their duty, but the pressure was immense.


    Two hours into the battle, the situation worsened. Tier 5 Zombie Generals began flooding in, making the fight even more brutal. Then, the real nightmare started¡ªthousands of Tier 6 Voltox Zombies appeared. At this point, casualties were unavoidable, and the battlefield became a bloodbath.


    Even among the Saints, the overwhelming number of Zombies began to take its toll. Some started losing ground, and the situation quickly became dire. Others, however, continued to hold their own. The Sages pulled back slightly, using their power to shield the others, absorbing most of the damage to keep the frontlines from copsing.


    Before them was a terrifying sea of Zombies, seemingly endless. Despite this, no one considered retreating¡ªnot yet. Everyone believed they could still hold on.


    "Anna, watch out!" Lily''s urgent voice suddenly cut through the chaos prompting Anna to turn just in time to see it¡ªa Tier 6 Zombie General lunging at her, its wed hand aimed straight at her neck.


    Anna, in the middle of casting a wide-area spell, had no way to defend herself. Panic seized her, and she staggered backward. If she fell, it would be over. Kay, Danny, and the others abandoned their targets, rushing to her aid, but they wouldn''t make it in time. They knew that, but they refused to ept it.


    A single tear slid down Anna''s cheek as she closed her eyes. She braced herself for the fatal blow, knowing there was no way to avoid it. But just as the Zombie''s ws were about to strike, a hand pulled her back, and she felt warm blood ssh across her face.


    Her heart sank. But then, a familiar voice broke through the chaos.


    "Miss Anna, you''re safe now."

 Chapter 122: Appearing with Ice and Fire

    Anna slowly opened her eyes, her vision still hazy from the chaos, only to see Kofi, us''s driver and chief of security, fiercely shing at an oing Zombie. Relief flooded her as her eyes brightened at the sight of him. The moment she saw Kofi, she knew¡ªus had finally arrived.


    "Kofi! Where''s us?" she asked urgently, her voice trembling. She has just escaped death after all.


    Before Kofi could respond, the temperature on the battlefield suddenly dropped, chilling the air. The Zombies that had been rushing toward the Sages'' defensive line froze in ce. Everyone, friend and foe alike, paused to look up.


    In the heart of the battlefield, an icy blue lotus spun gracefully toward the center of the horde of zombies. It radiated a cold so intense that even before it detonated, the Zombies were already freezing where they stood, their movements sluggish, limbs stiffening.


    It didn''t matter if they were the mutated purple or the more dangerous violet Zombies¡ªthey all fell under the icy grip of the lotus. The sheer terror of the flower''s power was unmistakable.


    Then, cutting through the stillness, a cold,manding voice echoed across the battlefield.


    "Explode."


    The icy lotus paused for a brief moment, almost serene in its stillness, before releasing a subtle burst. It wasn''t the earth-shaking explosion one might expect, but rather a quiet, controlled wave of freezing energy. In an instant, a chilling shockwave rippled across the battlefield, sweeping through everything within a 20km radius.


    Zombies, regardless of size or mutation, froze solid where they stood. The mindless Zombies rushing forward in their numbers were frozen in ce.


    Even the soldiers and warriors fighting felt the bite of the cold, their breath freezing in the air as their bodies shivered for a moment, though they were untouched by the full force of the st.


    As the battlefield fell into eerie silence, the sky above shimmered. A stealth helicopter jet revealed itself, phasing out of its invisible camouge. It was the Valkyrie V-9 Thunderstrike, it has the ability to blend into its surroundings, bing invincible even.


    From the jet, a young man with white hair jumped out, d in sleek ck leather armor. A longsword was sheathed across his back, and as he descended, his hair flowed behind him like a silver banner. There was something both graceful and chilling about him, his presencemanding as hended amidst the frozen battlefield.


    It was us.


    Everyone looked up in awe as us descended, hisnding timed perfectly with a thunderous explosion. It was as if he had synchronized hisnding with the shattering of the ice statues. The frozen Zombies exploded all at once, shattering into countless shards, leaving no trace of the horde that once stood there.


    The entire battlefield stood still. Whether they were Sages, Saints, or regr soldiers, everyone sucked in a cold breath. The explosion was mesmerizing and devastating, a disy of raw power that left them speechless.


    "Everyone, move back!" us''s voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the stunned silence. Almost immediately, an intense wave of heat erupted from his position, melting the ice surrounding him.


    us stood with his back to them facing the human army, a small orb of fire glowing in his palm. He was preparing to unleash the destructive fireball, but he wasn''t entirely sure how destructive it would be. So Better safe than sorry, he asked them to move back.


    No one needed to be told twice. They quickly started retreating, giving us the space he needed. He sighed softly, then dashed forward. While most of the Zombies had been wiped out by the ice lotus, more were approaching, and he wasn''t done yet.


    He could only explode the fireball within a 10km radius, so he needed to get close for maximum impact. As he raced toward the oing horde, the orb in his hand grew brighter. When he was just 1km away, he hurled it toward them with all his strength.


    Instantly, his star qi started to drain as the fireball rapidly expanded, growingrger with every passing second. Within moments, it became a massive inferno, pulsating with heat. When us felt his control slipping, he knew it was time.


    "Explode," hemanded.


    At the same moment, He started sprinting back toward the human army, pushing his speed to the limit. Behind him, the fireball stopped spinning, and a blinding sh of light consumed the area. Unlike the icy lotus, this explosion was a violent eruption of fire. mes spread everywhere, devouring everything in their path.


    us''s speed was impressive, but even as he rushed away, he could feel the searing heat nipping at his back. A wave of hot air hit him, making him want to curse his luck. The explosion was beyond devastating¡ªevery Zombie caught in the st was incinerated instantly.


    He didn''t need to look back to know the battlefield was reduced to ashes. However, he had underestimated the fireball''s force. The explosion sted him forward, sending him flying like a ragdoll through the air.


    He knew thending he expected would happen since he was far from being saved by any warrior on the battlefield. He will be eating sand after killing thousands of Zombies with his Ice and Fire Attack.


    He cursed his luck. However, just when he was about to hit the ground, a gentle hand caught him. At the same time too, a familiar smile assaulted his nose.


    "Big Sister," us said with a slight smile. It was the War Goddess, who had appeared just in time to prevent him from crashing into the ground. It would be a rather unusual way to greet the army after disying such a powerful entrance.


    "I''ve been waiting for you," the War Goddess said, setting him gently on the ground.


    "Sorry I waste," us said


    us took a moment to survey the battlefield. It was a charred wastnd; every Zombie had been reduced to ash. The destruction was even greater than he had anticipated.


    "Well," us said with a satisfied nod, "that worked out better than I expected."


    "Be ready, though. The real battle is about to start," the War Goddess warned, her voice calm yetmanding. us couldn''t help but smile slightly at her words. Just then, Anna and his friends rushed to his side.


    "You''re finally here," Anna said, stopping beside him, her breath still heavy from the battle.


    "Sorry I waste," us replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Anna blushed slightly at the gentle touch.


    "Little fe, you finally made it!" A booming voice, followed by a heavy pat on us''s shoulder, came from behind.


    "Uncle Jojo!" us greeted, delighted to see the familiar face.


    "We thought you''d chickened out and decided to hide," Uncle Xian chimed in, a teasing smile on his face.


    "Sorry to disappoint you, Uncle Xian," us quipped back, shing a grin.


    Everyone sighs looking at the momentarily calm on the battlefield. us has wiped out the Zombies and the War Goddess, the strongest existence in the Eastern Region of the Northern Union has finally made her appearance.


    "Grandmasters and above, prepare for battle," the War Goddess suddenly dered, her voice cutting through the brief hiatus.


    "The next wave will decide whether the city stands or crumbles." Her eyes scanned the gathered fighters.


    "Masters who are confident they can face Tier 6 General¡ªand possibly King¡ªmay join. Otherwise, remain behind to handle any Zombies that slip through. Form teams, and if luck is on your side, you might even take down a Tier 7 King today."


    Although her words were meant to inspire, there was a trace ofughter in her tone. Those gathered couldn''t help but feel a pang of anxiety. A Tier 6 Zombie Captain alone was enough of a nightmare to fight¡ªlet alone a General and a King, is she perhaps hoping to kill them all?


    Just as the weight of her words settled, an explosion rocked the battlefield. From the charred remains, Tier 6 Zombie Generals began to pour out, their grotesque forms pushing through the rubble.


    us smiled happily. The two powerful attacks he had unleashed earlier had caused him to level up instantly, reaching Level 2 and drawing closer to Level 3.


    "You guys are almost at Level 5, this is good then. Let''s kill some Tier 6 Zombies and level up."us said with a smile


    Perhaps hearing it from us, his friends that were down from the War Goddess''s wicked inspiring speech lightened up a bit.


    ---


    [Author''s Note: Just to rify, Zombies, like monsters, have ranks. These include Captains, Generals, King, Emperor, Monarchs, and more. A Zombie Captain is equivalent to a Dark Monster of the same level, and the ranking progresses from there.


    Tier 5 Dark Monster = Tier 5 Zombie Captain


    Tier 6 Terror Monster = Tier 6 Zombie General]

 Chapter 123: The Last Stand

    us nced at his friends, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "Come on, you''re not thinking of backing out, are you? The fun''s just about to start. Wipe those frowns off your faces and get ready to kill some Zombies!"


    Anna and the others exchanged uneasy nces but stayed silent. They knew the reality¡ªthey were far from being able to take on a Tier 6 Zombie General alone. The best they could handle was a Tier 5 Captain one-on-one, and maybe a Tier 6 General if they fought as a group.


    But the moment a Tier 7 Zombie King enters the scene, they will be overwhelmed. Tier 6 Generals were on the same level as Tier 6 Terror monsters¡ªpowerful, ruthless, and nearly unbeatable for anyone at their level. They just weren''t there yet. In the ssification of monsters, anything from Tier 4 to Tier 6 could be a Lesser, Great, Dark, or Terror ss.


    It was the same for Zombies. Starting at Tier 5, they became Captains¡ªlike Dark Monsters¡ªand at Tier 6, they reached the terrifying General rank, equal to a Tier 6 Terror Monster.


    Once a creature or zombie reached Tier 7, they evolved into something far deadlier¡ªmonsters became Devils, and zombies became Kings. And beyond that, Tier 8 monsters became Tyrants, while Tier 8 zombies ascended to the level of Emperors.


    So for us to ask his friends, who were still only Masters (Tier 3), to face off against Tier 6 Generals¡ªit was like sending them to their deaths. They weren''t like him, capable of disregarding realms and taking on greater threats.


    "Rx," us reassured them, his tone lighter. "You''ll be fighting in a controlled area, and Kofi and Henry will be with you." He gestured to the two Saints standing beside him.


    Kofi frowned and stepped forward. "But young master, Auntie said I''m supposed to watch your back," he protested, clearly unhappy with where this was going.


    "Don''t worry about me, Kofi," us said with a calm smile. "Uncle Ziggy and the others will have my back. Your job is to make sure my friends stay safe."


    Kofi hesitated, concern still clouding his face. us''s mother had given him strict orders to protect her son at all costs, and he intended to do just that. But seeing the firm resolve in us''s eyes, Kofi gave a reluctant nod.


    "Excellent," us said, his gaze settling on Anna. "Oh, and Anna¡ªyou''ll be in your strongest state, so get ready to support the others."


    He raised his hand, forming a glowing lotus, which hovered gently over Anna. Then, with a swift motion, he activated his [Absolute Ice Domain], instantly freezing the 2km radius in a biting cold.


    Anna, who had an affinity with ice, immediately felt a surge of strength coursing through her. us caught her eye and smiled. "Any Zombie that steps into this domain will get hit with a debuff. So, in a way, you''ll be fighting weaker versions of them."


    Hearing this, his friends exchanged relieved looks, finally letting out a sigh of relief. They weren''t alone in this battle after all.


    "Alright, let''s kill some Zombies!" us grinned, unusually ted. Maybe it was the thought of finally testing his Spirit Eye against a higher-tier monster that excited him.


    The idea of stunning a Zombie just by looking at it made him giddy. But then he caught himself, thinking, ''I should probably look serious¡ªsome people have died, and others are injured.'' He turned briefly to nce at the wounded soldiers, his expression sobering for a moment.


    Before he could dwell on it, the Zombies came within range. Anna and the others moved to one side of the battlefield, joined by other Master stage experts and even a few Grandmasters who had decided to make a stand.


    Inside the icy domain, those with ice abilities grinned, feeling their power rise, while those with fire felt slightly restricted but still stood their ground.


    "Little Brother, are you ready?" War Goddess Miriam''s voice called out, her tone full of challenge.


    us shed a confident smile. "I was born ready."


    "Good," Miriam said, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Impress me, and I''ll reward you with something special."


    us''s gaze immediately drifted to her chest, his mind shamelessly wandering. He nodded, trying to keep his thoughts in check. ''I''d love to bury my face between those mountains,'' he thought mischievously.


    "Don''t worry, Big Sister," he said with a grin that was a little too wide, "I''ll definitely put my face where it¡ªuh, I mean, I''ll impress you for sure!"


    His smile was filled with all the dark thoughts racing through his mind. Miriam gave him a curious look, sensing something off but not quite knowing what it was.


    Meanwhile, Uncle Ziggy and the others who were watching from the sidelines exchanged knowing nces, each giving us a silent thumbs-up in their hearts. ''This brat truly is a man of culture,'' they thought with a chuckle.


    "Everyone, try not to die," the War Goddess said tly before vanishing. In the blink of an eye, she reappeared, her sword cutting through the air. Dozens of Tier 6 Zombie Generals'' heads flew off in a single swing.


    "That''s sword aura... but more advanced," us muttered, eyes locked on the strange energy radiating from her de.


    "Brat, try to keep up," Uncle Ziggy called, moving at a speed us could barely track. In the next second, his twin revolvers crackled with lightning as he fired, each bullet punching holes clean through the heads of the Zombies.


    He has a unique ss that makes him a master Gunslinger, and from the precision and powerful shots he was unleashing, us could only watch as Zombies fell one after the other.


    Then, Uncle Xian leaped into action, wielding a massive axe. He mmed it into the ground, sending Zombies flying in every direction. Those close to the impact zone exploded on contact, but even the ones farther away weren''t spared.


    As they flew through the air, two colossal fire boomerangs cut them down, cleaving dozens of Zombies in half. Uncle James had finally joined the fray.


    Despite his hulking frame, Uncle James preferred using boomerangs, and they sliced through the air with deadly precision, decimating the ranks of the undead.


    Uncle Jojo, on the other hand, moved like a slow menace, his sluggish movements almost unsettling. But every time he punched forward, Zombies exploded in rapid session, like a chain reaction of destruction. His gauntlets radiated intense cold, freezing everything in his path.


    Then there was Uncle Mark, his giant shield smashing through the horde. Every hit from that shield reduced dozens of monsters into nothing but meatpaste. It was brutal, and it was efficient. Gruesome as it was, they were getting the job done.


    us watched it all unfold and sighed. He knew he couldn''t keep up with their overwhelming power and speed, but he also had his own strengths.


    ''Let''s see who gets thestugh,'' he thought, determination sparking in his eyes.


    Using the ice mist that nketed the battlefield, us moved with terrifying speed, disappearing from sight. In an instant, he reappeared behind a Zombie, severing its head with a single swing of his de.

 Chapter 124: A Devil Appeared

    us moved like a blur, using the ice mist in the air to propel himself. His speed was several times faster than normal, making him almost untouchable.


    Even though he had 800 undistributed points that could boost his stats, he knew it wasn''t time yet. He hadn''t reached a point where he needed them. For now, he is relying on his natural advantage, cutting down enemies to level up quickly.


    Most of his vast Star Qi pool was fueling the Nine Star Ice Lotus Bloom, protecting his friends. But that didn''t mean he was limited in how much Qi he could use. With nearly 90 million Qi at his disposal, he had more than enough to handle the battle. The Lotus flower was consuming a significant amount of Star qi, but not enough to leave him at a disadvantage.


    "These zombies are weaker than I expected," us muttered, effortlessly beheading another one. His beheading technique wasn''t officially mastered yet, but it was leagues better than during the City Selection Exams.


    us was approaching a realm beyond normalbat. To him, these zombies were like flowers, and he was simply cutting them down, one by one.


    On one side of the battlefield, the War Goddess was cleaving through zombies as effortlessly as harvesting wheat. She kept part of her attention on us, watching him kill the Zombies almost effortlessly.


    As the protector of the Eastern Region of the Northern Union, it was her duty to guard against threats to the region. Some might argue that a battle of this scale didn''t need her yet, but she couldn''t just stand by and watch.


    Truthfully, she had only revealed herself when us arrived. There was something about that white-haired, mischievous younger brother of hers¡ªthough not the best behaved¡ªthat drew her in. He was the real reason she had joined the fight.


    Yes, she was the War Goddess of the Eastern Region. Yes, she was meant to protect thend. But that didn''t mean she had to involve herself in every battle. This time, though, it felt different. Despite her status, and for reasons she couldn''t fully exin, she wanted to fight beside us. And so, without making it obvious, she was subtly edging closer to him.


    Uncle Ziggy and the other rowdy uncles were all doing their part. They are now Saints, andparing them to the other Saints on the battlefield felt like an insult. They are terrifying, to say the least.


    Uncle Ziggy was like an underworld gunslinger, each of his deadly shots precise and mesmerizing. His bullets pierced straight through the heads of the zombies, leaving them immobile for a few seconds before they copsed.


    Uncle Xian was unleashing heavy damage with his colossal axe, while Uncle James was carving through the battlefield with his fiery boomerangs. His attacks weren''t brutal, but wherever his boomerangs flew, zombies were sliced clean in half.


    Like us, Uncle James''s cuts were precise¡ªthrough the head, waist, or neck. And despite the zombies being undead, a clean cut through the waist was just as fatal as one through the head or neck.


    As for Uncle Mark, he was like a juggernaut, bulldozing through the battlefield. His shield was massive and heavy, making each of his steps carry the weight of a small earthquake.


    Then there was Uncle Jojo, moving like a drunkard with his gauntlets, smashing anything in his path. His fighting style was strange but effective. Just when it seemed like a zombie might w or strike him, he''d sway, stumbling like a drunk, and effortlessly dodged the attack beforending a crushing blow.


    "Uncle Jojo, you might want to get yourself a new movement technique. This one is¡­ well, unusual," us said with a smug grin, ncing at his tall, muscr, gauntlet-wielding uncle.


    "Hey, brat, are you looking to get a beating?" Uncle Jojo replied, smashing a zombie''s head, shattering its brain before turning back to us.


    us wasn''t the only one thinking it¡ªhe was just the only one bold enough to say it first.


    "He''s right, Jojo," Uncle James chimed in, spinning a boomerang at a group of approaching zombies. "That weird movement of yours makes you look like you''re drunk. It''s hard to take you seriously."


    "Says the man using boomerangs," Uncle Jojo shot back with a grin.


    "Are you looking for a fight?" Uncle James narrowed his eyes.


    "Bring it on! Since when have I ever been afraid of a fight?" Uncle Jojo growled.


    us, smiling, stepped between them. "Uncles, let''s finish the battlefield before you two try to kill each other. We need your strength right now," he said, watching the two with amusement. From the looks of it, they were both a couple of battle maniacs.


    They wouldn''t hesitate to stop mid-fight just to throw punches¡ªor, in this case, boomerangs and gauntlets¡ªat each other.


    ''Seriously, how does that even work?'' us thought with a chuckle.


    Anna and the others were fighting fiercely, killing to their heart''s content. Anna stood out, showing exceptional skill in leading the hundreds of young warriors who had decided to join the final stand against the Zombies.


    Even the usually arrogant Miguel and Lawrence were inside the domain, using its effects to their advantage. They were fighting just as hard as everyone else. Anna saw this as a rare opportunity to make us look good.


    Though she wasn''t officially his woman yet, she was determined to make the white-haired youth shine. After today, the headlines would surely read, "Young Master us abandons his strongest defense to protect his friends and fellow warriors from danger."


    He would indeed look good. The lotus flower offering the Ice domain spun gracefully in full bloom, showing no signs of fading anytime soon.


    Anna had already reached level 5, the first to do so. Surprisingly, Hanna was the next to follow. She never stopped unleashing her arrows at the monsters, clearly determined to stay by us''s side and continue as his personal assistant.


    Danny and the others soon followed. Miguel, Lawrence, and the other young prodigies also leveled up to level 5. After that, they became even deadlier inbat. But they knew better than to step outside the safety of the domain.


    Kofi and Henry were also doing their part, protecting the Master stage experts within the domain while keeping a close watch for any threats that might endanger their young master''s life.


    The soldiers and Saints who came to support Arcadian City were giving their all. us could see their struggle. However, with the War Goddess and his uncles contributing, they were managing¡ªalbeit.


    Soon, some began to falter. Injuries started to appear, but they weren''t backing down just like that. Their Warrior Spirit Never Fading.


    Dave Arcadian was also doing his best to hold the line. Contrary to what others might think, he was not like those rich Patriarchs who only issuedmands from the safety of their chairs. Perhaps anticipating a day like this, hisbat skills were as lethal as any seasoned warrior. He fought bravely on the front lines, determined to stop as many Zombies as possible.


    Despite the chaos, they were managing the situation¡ªat least for now.


    Suddenly, a chilling sensation swept across the battlefield, sending shivers down everyone''s spine.


    Out of the darkness a few miles from the battlefield, a 3-meter-tall Zombie emerged, wielding a long, metal-like club with a dark crystal embedded in its chest.


    us narrowed his eyes, a small smile appearing on his lips. "A Devil," he murmured.

 Chapter 125: Level 3 Master Stage

    The newly arrived King-rank Vampire was both imposing and terrifying. It looked like a new variant, towering and fearsome. Just looking at it made everyone want to abandon the battlefield and never return to war again.


    Standing 3 meters tall, it showed it was muscr with dark, hungry red eyes. Its skin was a deep crimson, and the bulging veins on its arms made it clear to Uncle Jojo and the others that they were no match for it in terms of size or strength.


    In its hand, the Zombie wielded a massive metal club, sorge that it seemed to hold unimaginable power. us, however, was more intrigued by the dark crystal embedded in its chest. It pulsed with intense, ominous energy. Just looking at it told him he was no match for this creature, yet a part of him still wanted to fight it.


    Suddenly, a horde of Tier 6 Zombie Generals, numbering in the thousands, appeared on the horizon. Then, another Zombie King arrived. This one was purple, and it too came with thousands of Tier 6 Generals.


    Then another one appeared this one a deep violet, followed by yet another horde of Tier 6 Generals. Soon, four more Zombie Kings emerged. At this point, everyone on the battlefield began to panic¡ªeven the Saints.


    There were now seven Zombie Kings, eachparable to Devil Monsters, and behind them stood over ten thousand Tier 6 Zombie Generals. It was a terrifying lineup, and the human army could now fully sense the overwhelming threat before them.


    The human army had thousands of Saints and over 20 Sages now. They knew that while a Sage was roughly equivalent to a Tier 6 Zombie in strength, their human intelligence allowed them to fight and hold their own against dozens of Tier 6 Zombies at a time.


    However, the real problemy before them¡ªthe enemies they are about to face are Tier 6 Zombie Generals. These creatures were far more terrifying, and even the Sages began to feel the looming threat. As for the Saints, most were no match for the Zombie Generals¡ªexcept for a few. Uncle Jojo, Xian, Ziggy, James, and Mark, despite the overwhelming odds, stood tall, showing no fear.


    Suddenly, a powerful, crushing pressure descended upon the battlefield. The Zombies that the human army had been struggling against copsed under the immense force, and in an instant, thousands of them were dead.


    "Grandmaster stage and below should evacuate the battlefield. Take the injured with you. Saints who can''t continue should also leave," the War Goddess''s indifferent voice echoed across the battlefield.


    The numbers they were about to face were no small threat. The Grandmasters and those below them would be nothing more than fodder to the Tier 6 Zombie Generals. As for the Zombie Kings, it would only take a flick of their hands to wipe them out.


    Thousands of warriors began rushing toward the safety of the city. us watched his friends for a few moments, then sighed as he retracted the Lotus flower.


    "You all should head back first," us said, knowing his friends were now out of their depth. The scale of the battle had risen beyond anything they could handle.


    "us, are you sure you want to fight these things?" Anna asked, clearly ufortable with his decision.


    "Don''t worry, Anna. I''ll be fine. What''s the worst that could happen? I kill a few Tier 6 Generals, maybe get lucky, and drive my sword through a Zombie King. That would make the headlines more interesting, don''t you think?" us smiled.


    "You..." Anna wanted to pull his ear in frustration but stopped herself, ncing around at the others. "Just be careful, alright? My sister just found happiness. I don''t want her to break down if something happens to you," she said before leading the group back.


    They had all leveled up to Level 6, but that wasn''t nearly enough to bridge the three-realm gap between them and the Tier 6 Zombies Generals¡ªlet alone the Zombie Kings.


    "us, don''t die. I still haven''t gotten my revenge for the humiliation you put me through at the Felin Youth Ball," Miguel said before walking off the battlefield.


    The other geniuses who had been present during the ball and were now fighting on the battlefield gave us meaningful looks before leaving as well.


    us watched them go, then turned back toward thest-stand army. There was the War Goddess, the sole Sovereign. Dave Arcadian, also the sole Great Sage. He has been suppressing his realm initially. Although he knew the battle was a life or death battle, the politics and backstabbing from the other cities made him want to hide many things.


    Well, not anymore, the stakes have risen and he needed all the strength he could Muster. Hiding his realm was not needed anymore, now, it''s who standsst as the other fall.


    Twenty-four Sages, 500 Saints¡ªincluding his five uncles, Henry the butler, and Kofi, his chief of security and trusted driver. And then, there was us, standing tall with no trace of fear in his eyes.


    "Well,dies and gentlemen, what''s the n?" us asked with a smile. The War Goddess looked at him for a few moments before replying.


    "us, are you sure you can handle the Zombie Generals? These are different from the ones in Oracle. And remember, death here is permanent." She didn''t want us to make this decision lightly, and she was right to ask.


    "Big Sister, I know you refuse to hug this little one because my status isn''t high enough. But don''t worry, after killing these Tier 6 bastards like chickens, I''ll have enough fame to earn that hug," us grinned.


    "Brat, be serious," the War Goddess frowned, though, behind it, there was a slight blush that only us and Dave Arcadian noticed. Dave gave us a silent thumbs up in his heart. Even though they were about to face a life-or-death battle, there was no harm in a little humor to lift spirits.


    "Don''t worry, Big Sister, just focus on stopping those Tier 7 idiots. The rest can be handled by us," us said confidently.


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself. The real threat hasn''t shown itself yet, so I won''t be joining this battle. I need to stay on the lookout," she said, causing everyone to frown.


    "You think?" us asked.


    "Yes. There are seven Zombie Kings, so it''s only natural an Emperor is lurking," she replied. The group''s frowns deepened. But the War Goddess remained calm, her eyes on us, who gave her a meaningful look.


    "Uncles, can each of you handle a Zombie King?" us asked.


    "Brat, watch how your uncles handle these bastards," Uncle Jojo, the brute of the group, said eagerly, hungry for the fight.


    "Good, then there are two more to deal with," us said, turning to Dave Arcadian, who nodded.


    "I''ll take care of one," Dave said firmly.


    "Then Henry and Kofi, I''ll trouble you two to handle thest one. The rest of us will take care of the thousands of Zombie Generals. Let''s all try not to die¡ªI have ns after this, so death isn''t an option."


    us nced at the War Goddess¡ªor more specifically, her chest area. He smiled, then looked toward the horizon where thousands of Zombie Generals were starting to appear.


    "Gentlemen, it''s been great fighting beside you. After this battle, let''s grab some drinks," us said with a grin as the Ice Lotus bloomed in his hands. "Let''s freeze some bastards."


    Everyone except the War Goddess charged forward. us was the first to reach the horde and detonated the Lotus flower, killing hundreds in an instant. At the same time, he felt a surge of energy flood into his soul sea.


    "I''ve leveled up," he muttered, feeling the increase in his strength, now at Level 3. He smiled, distributing his points across his attributes.


    "Time to behead some bastards," Muttered, his sword instantly appeared coated with sword qi.

 Chapter 126: Chaotic Battle (1)

    A masked man in dark armor with sharp spikes on his shoulders could be seen sitting quietly in a dimly lit room, holding a small device in his hand. The room was quiet until the device suddenly beeped, and a hologram of a masked man appeared, projected from the screen.


    "My Lord," the masked figure said with a slight bow.


    "Has he appeared?" the armored man, referred to as Lord, asked.


    "Yes, he has. He is currently fighting in thest stand against the Zombies," the man on the screen replied.


    "Good. How is the arrangement? I trust everything is in order," the Lord inquired.


    "Yes, my Lord. Everything is in ce, just waiting for yourmand," the masked man confirmed.


    "Good. Ensure there are no mistakes. The moment I give the order, execute the n. There must be no room for error," the Lord warned, his voice cold and firm.


    "Understood. I will await your orders," the masked man bowed again before ending the transmission. As the screen dimmed, the Lord sighed and muttered to himself, "It''s just business."


    ---


    Back on the battlefield, us and the others shed with the Zombies in a chaotic symphony of shes, swings, and stabs. us had manifested the Lotus flower once again, but this time, he was pouring even more energy into it than before.


    The Zombies they faced now were far stronger than the earlier ones, and the Absolute Ice Domain struggled to slow them down. However, us, who had just leveled up, could sense an endless sea of star qi waiting to be unleashed.


    Knowing they had to cut through thousands of these Zombies, he didn''t hold back. He burned through his star qi like it was paper, and it was working perfectly. The Zombies entering the domain began to lose their mobility, their movements slowing as the ice took hold. us took full advantage, rampaging through them like a demon.


    He wasn''t holding back anymore. This time, he was using his full strength, and it was terrifying, especially within the Lotus flower''s domain. It felt as if he could teleport. One moment he was here, the next he was there, cutting down enemies before they even realized what was happening.


    The ice mist in the air allowed us to move with fluid grace. His talent, which made him an Overlord of all elements, granted him far more power than he ever could have hoped for. Even the thinnest ice particles in the air were weapons at hismand, and now, he was swimming through a domain filled with them.


    Inside the domain, however, his fire abilities had less impact, which was understandable. Ice and fire were natural opposites, but there was no need to worry. The ice was doing its job perfectly. The real challengey in the sheer number of Zombies. Thousands were swarming the battlefield, and the sages and Saints were struggling more than us had hoped.


    Although us wasn''t underestimating the Sages, he knew not to rely too heavily on them. That didn''t mean they weren''t pulling their weight. These warriors had fought countless battles, and even though they were at a disadvantage, the Zombies weren''t overwhelming them entirely.


    The Saints, however, were faring much worse. In just five minutes of battle, many had already suffered injuries. But knowing they were no match for these Zombies forced them to adapt, as humans always do. They teamed up, with two or three Saints taking on a single Zombie at a time. Thanks to us''s ice domain handling most of the horde, they were managing to thin down the numbers bit by bit.


    Still, ten thousand Zombie Generals were noughing matter. Despite everything, they were holding on¡ªjust barely.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a thunderous explosion shook the battlefield. us, in the midst of beheading a Zombie General, was forced to turn his gaze toward the source of the noise.


    Ahead, he saw Uncle Xian, his grip tight on his massive axe, charging toward a Zombie King. The Zombie King, wielding an enormous metal club, charged right back at him. The two shed with such force that the ground trembled beneath them.


    "Hahaha! You''ve got some strength, but it''s not enough!" Uncle Xianughed, even as he was pushed back several meters by the impact. Without hesitation, he charged again, meeting the Zombie King head-on. Both were brute warriors, relying purely on raw power, and it showed in the way their weapons collided.


    Neither of them was using any skills or techniques¡ªjust sheer strength. Yet, the force of their shes was enough to kill a few Zombie Generals who had been too close to their battlefield.


    Zombie Kings, much like humans, had the ability to use skills and techniques. It was unsettling but true. When the spiritual energy descended upon the world, it wasn''t only humans who began to evolve. The humans who turned into Zombies were also granted this evolution.


    Just like humans, who grew stronger and often more handsome, some even reversing in age, Zombies also undergo simr changes. They became stronger, awakened new abilities, and developed sses and Talents. However, these powers only began to manifest when they formed their Devil Core or King Core, marking their terrifying evolution.


    Tier 7 Zombies or Monsters areparable to Great Sage-level humans. For a human to reach that stage, they first need to form a Star Core. After that, the next step is to form a Sage Core. This involves saturating the Star Core, either by gaining experience points through Kills, absorbing energy from Monster cores, or directly taking in the spiritual energy from the air.


    Once the Star Core bes fully saturated, it will shatter. This triggers a heavenly tribtion, a dangerous test of strength and will. If the human taking the tribtion survives, they will form a Sage Core, marking their ascension to the next level of power. The process continues from there as they aim for even greater heights.


    But for monsters and Zombies, the path is different. They don''t gain strength from tribtions the way humans do. Instead, they evolve naturally through their Devil Core or King Core, skipping the need for heavenly approval. This makes their growth more unpredictable¡ªand often more dangerous.


    They have free reign to evolve, continuing their growth until the heavens take notice. At that point, a monster may be called a Beast, and a Zombie can be referred to as an Undead.


    But before reaching these stages, they are just as terrifying as they are formidable. Uncle Xian and the others were experiencing this firsthand. us observed the brutes battle for a brief moment before turning his attention to Uncle Ziggy, who had managed to make the Zombie King seem like a practice target.


    Uncle Ziggy''s lightning bullets rained down like a gue on the Zombie King, who wielded a long spear. The Zombie King used a skill that spun the spear around it like a shield, but the bullets still found their marks.


    But even so, the bullets weren''t enough to pierce the Zombie King''s head just yet. us could see that Uncle Ziggy was preparing something with his second revolver, as he had only been using one in battle so far.


    Suddenly, a powerful sword light shed, striking another Zombie King, who wielded a long, t metal sword. us was forced to look over, only to see Kofi radiating intense fire energy. His sword was glowing with a mix of fire essence and sword qi.


    ''What the fuck, Kofi is this powerful?'' us thought, surprised but secretly smiling at his Chief of Security.


    On one side, Henry was acting as bait, drawing the Zombie King''s attention while Kofi dealt the damage. It was a perfect team-up. But the battle was far from over, and the fight raged on with no end in sight.

 Chapter 127: Chaotic Battle (2)

    The battle was chaotic, with humans shing against Zombies in a fric struggle. There was no clear victory in sight. The Zombies were numerous, but they weren''t gaining the upper hand either. Well, it looks like they have the potential to overwhelm the Humans.


    Yet, an obstacle stood in their way: us. He is radiating chilling ice energy, cleaving through the monsters as effortlessly as if he were harvesting wheat.


    Though the fight was demanding, us wasn''t at a disadvantage. The contrast between his ease and the struggles of the Saints and Sages was stark, and people all over the world watching the live broadcast were taking note.


    In this new era where everything was broadcast live, it was unsettling yetmonce. us, unaware of the globalmentary, continued his relentless assault on the Zombies, his life depending on it¡ªquite literally.


    ''Ah, if only they allowed the use of tracking watches here,'' us thought with a sigh. ''I would have already entered the world warrior ranking chart, or be on the verge of it.'' He pushed the thought aside and continued to cut down more and more Zombies.


    us was indeed confident, taking down Zombie generals with ease as if they were mere chickens. The War Goddess, who had been quietly observing, couldn''t help but mutter to herself, "This kid is a monster."


    Watching us fight across realms left her in awe, but it also unsettled her. She was on high alert for the True Terror, a Zombie Emperor¡ªan entity at her own level of power. Despite her concern for us''s safety, she found it hard to remain calm. Some might say she was overly protective of him, but it was only natural. Someone with us''s potential needed to be safeguarded.


    Although it was uncertain how long he could maintain his ability to fight realms above his own as his cultivation grew, it was impressive to know he could do so at any time. Once a Zombie reaches the level of King, their power multiplies significantly.


    us might not be able to maintain his dominance in fighting three realms above him for much longer, but that wasn''t a major concern. He was growing stronger by the second, and that was what truly mattered.


    Within Arcadian City, the young Master stage experts continue to watch us in awe. One of them couldn''t help but ask aloud, "How is he doing that?"


    "He''s a monster," a youngdy said, her voice filled with admiration. "A handsome monster."


    Another observer added, "I now understand where his arrogancees from. He''s a monster among monsters."


    "Even the Sages can''t match his speed in killing," someone else said. us''s effortless killings made some of the arrogant onlookers want to hide their faces. Their wealth had blinded them to true strength, making them realize how wrong they had been to underestimate him.


    "After the battle, I wouldn''t mind offering myself to Brother us," a youngdy confessed, her face hidden in embarrassment.


    Her friends exchanged nces but said nothing. It was clear she wasn''t the only one with such thoughts. All thedies present were captivated by the white-haired warrior''s disy of power.


    "Honey bitches," Hanna, standing with Anna and us''s other friends, muttered.


    "What? Aren''t you thinking the same thing?" Danny asked with a slight grin.


    "No. Brother us is my friend and my boss. I have no such feelings toward him," Hanna replied with a straight face, making everyone raise an eyebrow. Even Anna was taken aback but could tell Hanna was serious.


    Anna wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead, she turned her attention back to the giant screen showing the battlefield.


    us was rampaging, and so were his uncles.


    The Zombie King fighting Uncle Ziggy was covered in wounds. It had attempted a few counterattacks, but Uncle Ziggy was always a step ahead, forcing the Zombie King to remain on the defensive.


    Meanwhile, Uncle James was ying a relentless game of catch with the Zombie King he was fighting. His ming boomerangs were a nightmare for the Zombie. Each time the creature managed to fend off one attack, more boomerangs woulde crashing down, leaving the Zombie King growling in frustration.


    Uncle James activated a technique that multiplied his boomerangs a dozen times. Although the clones were less powerful, they were perfect for causing destruction. The Zombie King is struggling to defend itself, its body increasingly covered in wounds.


    "Giant Shield Art: Meteor''s Might!" Uncle Mark shouted. A massive, 30-meter-tall shield materialized in the air. He smashed the shield in his hand forward, sending it crashing down with a dangerous and powerful force.


    The Zombie King he was fighting charged forward, its club raised high. The club shed with the giant shield, sending shockwaves through the air. The force of their collision was immense, and the Zombie King struggled against it. However, the shield remained intact. Uncle Mark nted his feet firmly on the ground and pushed his shield forward with renewed strength.


    Suddenly, the Zombie King''s leg snapped, forcing it to kneel. At the same time, the crystal embedded in its chest began to pulse with intense energy. It was using the energy from the crystal to heal itself.


    "Not again, you bastard!" Uncle Mark growled. He mmed his shield forward once more, unleashing a beam of light that struck the Zombie King''s chest, hitting the dark crystal directly. The crystal cracked for a moment and then shattered.


    The Zombie King attempted to rise, but before it could get back on its feet, another giant shield crashed down upon it, ttening it against the ground. And so, Uncle Mark defeated the first of the Seven Zombie Kings.


    He wipes a sweat off his forehead but maintains a smile. Though visibly exhausted, he did not miss the chance to taunt his friends.


    "Bastards, guess who took down their opponent first?" Uncle Mark called out, ncing at his friends, who were still engaged in their own battles with Zombie Kings.


    "What are you gloating about? Get into action and help us and the others!" Uncle Ziggy shouted, making the exhausted Uncle Mark move towards the Tier 6 Zombie Generals.


    What followed was a thunderous sh, with the Zombie Generals falling one after another, leaving nothing behind but Zombie Cores and a grotesque mixture of zombie remains.


    -


    -


    -


    Far from the battlefield, a three-meter-tall Zombie with deep green eyes and white markings on its red face stared intently toward the battlefield. Standing beside it are two Zombie Kings, each looking even more dangerous than the ones already fighting.


    "I sense someone of my level is on the battlefield," the white marked Zombie said in a dangerous tone. "I will deal with them. But ensure the others are dead before I address the real threat."


    "It won''t be long before the Queen orders us to retreat from this human settlement. Our job is to make sure there is no resistance left within this region when she arrives." The marked Zombie''smand made the two Zombie Kings nod in agreement.


    "Alright, get to work," the marked Zombie said. The two Zombie Kings dissolved into the ground, vanishing without a trace.


    The red Zombie looked back at the battlefield once more before disappearing as well.


    Back on the battlefield, us and the others were fighting fiercely with the Zombie Generals and Kings when suddenly, an immense pressure descended upon them. High in the sky, a terrifying red Zombie appeared, wielding a crimson sword dripping with dark energy.


    Without a word, the Zombie shed its sword downward, aiming to kill anything on the battlefield, Zombies included. The dark energy cut an arc shing toward the humans and zombies locking them in ce.


    However, just as the dark energy was about to strike, a blinding sh of sword light cleave through the air, obliterating the attack upon impact. The War Goddess had finally intervened.


    A sovereign and an Emperor, ready to face the battle.


    ===============


    Human = Soveriegn


    Zombie = Emperor


    Monster = Tyrant

 Chapter 128: Chaotic Battle (3)

    The War Goddess shed with the Zombie Emperor high in the air, their swords meeting with such force that shockwaves rippled down to the battlefield below. In mere seconds, they exchanged hundreds of strikes, each blow sending shockwaves everywhere.


    "You have some power, human," the Zombie Emperor said indifferently.


    "And you will be dying today," the War Goddess dered, her voice fierce. Sheunched another powerful attack. us looked up and saw her moving with incredible speed. It was as if she was teleporting between strikes.


    He watched her with a mix of awe and distraction. Her slender legs and well-toned figure were apparent as she swung her sword with fierce precision. Her chest bounced with each powerful swing, capturing us''s attention despite the chaos around him.


    us shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "What is wrong with me?" he wondered inwardly. Despite his confusion, a satisfied smile spread across his face. His determination to win those mountains grows stronger.


    The War Goddess continued her relentless assault, her sword slicing through the air. Each strike seemed to shake the very ground beneath her. Her movements were fluid andmanding, a dance of destruction.


    "I should probably get back to my killing too," us muttered, before leaping into the fray once more. He moved swiftly, cutting down Zombies with lethal precision. Now that Uncle Mark was assisting, the number of Zombies began to dwindle rapidly.


    us nced around. His other uncles were also nearing the end of their battles. The Zombie Kings were losing ground, and us could see it clearly in the way their attacks became more desperate.


    Suddenly, something caught us''s attention. He felt a strange presence, making him turn in a specific direction. But when he looked, there was nothing. Yet, his instincts told him something was wrong. Without hesitation, he moved toward Uncle Mark.


    "Uncle," us called out, his voice urgent. "I have a way to handle half of these bastards, but I''ll need your help."


    Uncle Mark raised an eyebrow. "What do you need?" he asked, gripping his shield tightly, ready for whatever came next.


    us took a deep breath. "I''m going to unleash a powerful area-of-effect attack," he exined. "But I don''t know if it''ll kill all the Zombies. I''ll need you to follow up with one of your strong attacks to finish off the survivors."


    Uncle Mark grinned, clearly intrigued by the n. "Sounds like a n," he said with a nod.


    us smiled back, feeling confident now. He took a moment to focus, preparing to release his attack. The battlefield around them was chaotic, but us knew this could be the turning point.


    Uncle Mark stepped back, giving us space to work. The air around them felt tense as if even the Zombies could sense the buildup of energy.


    us''s star qi surged, and in an instant, the Ice Lotus began spinning even faster. His focus shifted to the thousands of Zombies surrounding him. At the same time, his golden eyes started to change, taking on a red hue.


    Then he felt it¡ªa connection to all the Zombies within a 5-kilometer radius. They appeared to him like glowing orbs, ready to be shattered. us knew he couldn''t kill them with his Spirit Eye alone, but he didn''t need to. His goal was to weaken them.


    He nned to stun the Zombies and then let the Ice Lotus finish them off. By stunning them, they would lose ess to their spiritual energy for a brief moment, leaving them defenseless.


    That was the perfect time to strike, and us intended to make the most of it. He nced around and saw Uncle Mark preparing for the follow-up attack.


    "All Saints and Sages, fall back!" us shouted, and the Sages and Saints fighting immediately retreated. The Lotus flower floated forward, stopping in the middle of the battlefield.


    At the same moment, us''s eyes burned with a red glow. Like a sh of lightning, his eyes brightened, releasing a wave of spiritual energy powered by his star qi. It spread across the battlefield, and as he watched the Zombies¡ªor rather, their souls¡ªhe saw them dim for a brief moment. That was all he needed.


    "Explode," hemanded.


    The flower came to a sudden stop in mid-air and then fell. Before it could touch the ground, it burst apart, releasing an explosion of chilling energy. This time, the st was louder and far more powerful. us had sacrificed a lot of star qi for that attack, and it took a heavy toll on his stamina. But the effort paid off.


    Across the battlefield, around 70% of the remaining Zombies froze solid. Those closest to the explosion were instantly killed, their bodies encased in ice. The wave of cold swept across thend, leaving behind nothing but shattered remains.


    At that moment, Uncle Mark''s booming voice rang out,manding the battlefield.


    "Giant Colossal Shield, descend!"


    The clouds above darkened, and from the horizon, a massive shield¡ªnearly 100 meters wide¡ªbegan to appear. Its presence alone brought an overwhelming pressure that spread across a 10-kilometer radius. us could feel the weight of it, but he wasn''t affected. Uncle Mark had ced his hand on his shoulder, shielding him from the crushing force.


    The Zombies, however, were not so fortunate. As the colossal shield descended, the pressure on them became unbearable. Their bodies started to crack and then started to shatter under the immense weight. The closer the shield came, the worse their fate became, until they werepletely crushed beneath its unstoppable descent.


    Uncle Mark''s face turned pale. He had used up all his remaining energy in that one attack, but it worked better than expected. The battlefield was now filled with disoriented Zombies¡ªaround 500 of them¡ªstaggering from the impact of the st.


    us and Uncle Mark had just killed over 5,000 Zombies, but the effort had drained their strength. us could feel the toll on his stamina, though his star qi and incredible physique could still keep him going.


    Up in the sky, the Zombie Emperor bes enraged seeing the 5000 Zombies crash just like that. It wanted to attack us and his uncle, but the War Goddess didn''t allow it. Her meaning was clear, kill me first before you can get that white-haired handsome.


    Thankfully, none of the 24 Sages were injured, so they quickly jumped back into the fight. However, half of the Saints were wounded, while the rest were exhausted. Even so, seeing victory within reach, 200 of the Saints rejoined the battle.


    us nced at his uncle, who was gasping for air. Reaching into his space ring, us pulled out a vial of Mountain Dew.


    "Drink this," us said, offering it to him. But Uncle Mark hesitated. He knew what us was giving him and didn''t want to waste it on himself. But before he could protest further, us tipped the liquid down his throat.


    "You can pay me back after the battle," us said with a grin, dashing back into the fray. There were still more Zombies to kill, and time was running out. Feeling his strength return thanks to the Mountain Dew, Uncle Mark charged back into battle, smashing his shield into the oing Zombies.


    BOOM.


    Suddenly, something crashed down from above, shattering the ice on the ground into a mist of icy debris. As the air cleared, us saw a terrifying sight. The Red Zombie Emperor, a towering three-meter-tall creature, rose from the ground, a giant wound still gaping in its chest. Across from it, the War Goddess stood, her movements graceful but showing signs of fatigue.


    The Zombie Emperor clearly is stronger than she thought. But despite that, her grip on her sword never lessened.


    "Die!" her chilling voice echoed across the battlefield as she prepared to strike a deadly blow. But just as she moved, two Zombie Kings burst out from the ground, lunging at her from her blind spot. She saw them, but defending against both would be a challenge.


    If she abandoned her attack on the Zombie Emperor, she would lose her chance, but if she continued, she risked sustaining devastating injuries. Not forgetting the Zombie Emperor will use the chance to attack.


    Suddenly, a massive shield crashed down, blocking one of the Zombie Kings'' attacks. At the same moment, a chilling flower of ice appeared, intercepting the second attack.


    "Well then," us smirked, stepping forward, "let''s see how I behead you."


    Atst, he was about to face a Zombie King in battle.

 Chapter 129: He is a monster

    "Big sister, focus on that brute and leave these fools to your little brother and his handsome uncle," us said, stepping between the Zombie King and the War Goddess, who had just pushed the Zombie Emperor back with her powerful strike.


    "Are you sure?" the War Goddess asked, her eyes narrowing in concern.


    "One hundred percent confident! Watch me kill a Tier 7 Zombie," us joked, lunging at the Zombie King, who was now caught within his Ice Domain. Although his star qi was nearly drained, he wasn''t worried. His goal now was to kill this creature, trusting that his stamina and strong physique would carry him through.


    us swung his sword, sending an arc of ice, coated with ice qi, toward the Zombie King. The attack struck a wall of earth that rose suddenly to block it.


    "Well, that''s a problem," us muttered, eyeing the Zombie King, who now held a spear and was charging at him. The Zombie had a strong affinity for the Earth element, giving it incredible defensive abilities.


    "Tsk, fine, I''ll just beat you to death!" us said, abandoning his active skills for closebat. He rushed forward, closing the distance between them. Soon, the sound of their fierce battle echoed across the battlefield, as us''s de shed with the Zombie''s spear, each strike reverberating from their brutal exchange.


    us grinned as their weapons collided, the force of each strike sending shockwaves through the air. The Zombie King''s earth affinity made it tough to prate its defenses, but us wasn''t deterred. If the Zombie wanted to rely on brute defense, then us would simply wear it down.


    The Zombie King lunged again, thrusting its spear with frightening speed. us narrowly dodged, feeling the rush of air as the weapon whizzed past his side. He retaliated instantly, swinging his sword with fierce precision. His de connected, but once again the Zombie''s earth barrier absorbed most of the impact.


    "Stubborn, aren''t ya?" us muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. He could feel his body tiring, but he wasn''t going to back down now. His mind raced, searching for a weak point, something he could exploit.


    Suddenly, us switched tactics. Instead of focusing on breaking through the Zombie''s defense, he aimed to outmaneuver it. With a burst of speed, he darted to the side, forcing the Zombie to adjust its position.


    us stomped hard on the ground, and ice erupted from beneath him, sending a burst of freezing shards toward the Zombie King. The sudden explosion of ice knocked the Zombie off bnce, giving us the opportunity he needed. With a swift, calcted strike, us''s sword sliced through the air, connecting with the Zombie King''s armor.


    The attacknded, but it barely made a dent.


    "That''s some tough skin," us grumbled. The creature''s hide was incredibly thick, almost metallic. It was clear that the Zombie''s prolonged exposure to the Humium mineral had fortified its skin, making it nearly impervious to his blows.


    "Thick skin, huh? Then watch me beat some softness into you," us dered, his eyes narrowing with weird ideas.


    He lunged forward again, his movements swift and decisive. He focused on exploiting every opening, his sword shing with precise strikes, aiming to wear down the Zombie King''s defenses bit by bit.


    On the other side of the battlefield, Uncle Mark was engaged in a fierce sh with the other Zombie King. Unlike us, who was cautious and strategic, Uncle Mark was all about brute force. His style was raw and relentless, reflecting his nature as a powerful, intimidating shieldbearer.


    Among the five Uncles, Uncle Ziggy was known as the most lethal. However, under normal conditions, Uncle Mark could be just as formidable. With just a single blow from his shield, he could reshape the earth itself. Today, he was showcasing his incredible strength, proving just how powerful he could be.


    Despite his might, the new Zombie he faced was tougher than he anticipated. This Zombie wielded a massive club, and unlike the one he had previously defeated, this one had a rather strong defense. Uncle Mark found himself struggling to gain the upper hand.


    But Uncle Mark was undeterred. As a fighter who relied on his sheer strength, he embraced his advantage. His attacks were powerful and punishing, and the Zombie certainly felt the impact. Yet, the creature''s affinity for the earth element was holding its ground, making it a tough opponent.


    Uncle Mark''s brute force was effective, but it was clear that oveing this Zombie would require more than just strength¡ªit would take a relentless assault and the right moment to break through its defenses.


    Boom


    The War Goddess sent the Zombie Emperor flying once more, but this time she was ready for the follow-up. She shed her sword, sending a chilling wave of sword light toward the Zombie, who was struggling to find a way to defend itself.


    The attack struck the Zombie Emperor''s chest, cutting another deep wound into its already battered form. Without pausing, she followed up with another attack. Her goal was clear: defeat the Zombie Emperor quickly so she could aid us.


    At the same time, us was having a moment of rity. The Zombie King was like a metal doll, but it wasn''t imprable. On the contrary, us saw that it had many ws. One particr w made him question whether the heavens were aiding him or if the Senior in his soul sea had exaggerated the strength of these Devil monsters or King Zombies.


    "Since you want to y hard to cut, why don''t I heat things up?" us mused. He realized that the Zombies, particrly those from the Arcadian mine, were not fond of fire.


    Recalling his earlier attack with the fireball, us noted how its st had been unexpectedly devastating. The strength of the fireball seemed excessive, making him question its intensity. He had noticed something peculiar during the initial sh with the Zombie¡ªnone of the Zombies used me attacks.


    It suddenly clicked. Humium, the mineral they were exposed to, was highly reactive to fire. This meant that when fire came into contact with it, their defenses would be significantly weakened.


    us smiled, dismissing his Ice Lotus Flower and freeing the Zombie from the Ice Domain''s effect. But this didn''t mean the Zombie''s troubles were over. On the contrary, its nightmare was about to get even worse¡ªand it was going to be devastating.


    us grinned as his presence began to radiate intense heat. Across from him, he saw Uncle James''s ming boomerang slice off one of the Zombie King''s arms. us knew he was right about the Zombies'' vulnerability to fire. Without wasting any time, he unleashed a barrage of fiery arcs from his sword, attacking relentlessly.


    The Zombie King raised its earth defenses, but it was futile. us''s attacks were far more lethal now. Cornered and overwhelmed, the Zombie was forced into a defensive stance, unable to mount an effective counterattack.


    us''s smile widened as he saw how easily he was handling the situation. Yet, he was aware that this was far from dominating Tier 7 Devils or Kings. If he were up against a Zombie King with powerful offensive skills, he would likely be on the defensive.


    "But hey, since I got lucky, why not make things even more shocking?" us thought, his smile growing as he closed the gap between them. What followed was a relentless beatdown that would be etched in the memories of all who witnessed it.


    On this day, us, a Level 3 Master stage expert,pletely dominated a Tier 7 Zombie King in a one-on-one battle. The headlines would call him a Monster. And yes, us was a monster¡ªa true force to be reckoned with.

 Chapter 130: And Klaus Died...Suddenly

    Across the globe, people continue to watch in awe as us dominates the Zombie King. His enjoyment was palpable, and it was clear to everyone witnessing his prowess.


    "Is he even human? How is this possible?" In Arcadian City, the crowd watched in amazement as us effortlessly overwhelmed the Zombie, which could barely defend against his relentless attacks.


    "Of course, he''s human¡ªjust a very, very handsome human," a youngdy said, her gaze fixed on us''s projection on the screen. His white dreadlocks which were twisted by his mother continue to whip behind him.


    "I can see why someone like Wood Princess Lucy would fall for him," another youngdy added.


    While thedies were smitten, the reaction from the guys was quite different. They saw us as a living nightmare¡ªsomeone who would make their girlfriends rethink their affections.


    us embodied the perfect young warrior: handsome, strong, and charismatic. In front of the entire world, he showcased all these qualities with undeniable ir.


    us had promised himself he would prove to the world that he deserved a ce on the warrior ranking charts. Today, he was making that promise a reality, leaving no doubt about his ce among the greatest.


    "Hanna, have you changed your mind yet? You''ll be spending more time with him, you know," Danny said, leaning in closer to Hanna, who was engrossed in watching us dominate the battle with deadly precision.


    "Danny, stop teasing her," Lily said, pulling Hanna closer.


    "It''s okay, Lily. I know he''s just teasing me," Hanna replied, maintaining a calm demeanor. There was no longing or desire in her gaze¡ªshe genuinely had no lustful feelings toward us.


    Anna watched for a moment, and as if something clicked, she moved closer and ced a hand on Hanna''s shoulder. She gave Danny an annoying look. Danny smiled and turned his attention back to us, who was still pushing the Zombie Kingback, moving further from the chaos of the battlefield.


    The Sages had sessfully cleared the entire battlefield. us''s uncles had also dominated their foes. Uncle James had managed to disable a Zombie by cutting off its legs and one arm, reducing it to a crawling state. It didn''t take long for Uncle Jojo and the others to bring down their opponents.


    When they offered to help us, he declined with a grin. He was having too much fun. This, however, was bad luck for the Zombie that Uncle Mark was facing.


    After dealing with their enemies, the other uncles began ganging up on the second Earth Zombie. It was like target practice. Uncle Ziggy was the first to join in, while Uncle Jojo went to assist Dave Arcadian, who had managed to sever a hand of the Zombie King He was fighting.


    Kofi and Henry, who were among the healthiest on the battlefield, continued to overwhelm their target with lethal attacks


    Although it took time, they maintained control over the battle. They tried repeatedly to kill the Zombie, but it seemed to keeping back to life no matter what they did. However, once Uncle Xian joined the fight, it was like a juggernaut had entered the fray. It didn''t take long for them to bring down all the Zombie Kings.


    They then moved on to clear the rest of the battlefield, taking down the remaining Zombie Generals. They offered to help the War Goddess next, but like us, she refused their assistance. She was managing well on her own. Shortly after, the head of the Zombie Emperor went flying.


    The War Goddess stood tall, her presencemanding respect as she looked over at us, who was doing something quite unusual.


    "Hey, us, what are you doing?" the War Goddess asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.


    "Nothing," us replied casually, but he continued attacking the Zombie with no intention of killing it just yet.


    ''If I can understand how this dark crystal works,'' us thought, ''perhaps I can help Nadia create weapons that will be most effective against them.''


    He focused on the dark crystal embedded in the Zombie''s chest. Each time hended a blow and the Zombie began to show signs of distress, the crystal would light up and heal it instantly. It was as if the crystal had an infinite supply of energy, but us sensed there was more to it.


    The crystal was indeed Humium, but it seemed to contain something beyond the potent energy he was familiar with. It was as though the crystal harbored another mysterious element.


    ''If I can wear it down, I might be able to examine it up close,'' us decided.


    He intensified his attacks, pushing the Zombie to its limits. His strikes were relentless, designed to overwhelm and exhaust the creature. The dark crystal continued to glow and heal the Zombie, but us was determined to get a closer look.


    us''s attacks grew fiercer, each strike aimed to push the Zombie beyond its limits. The creature staggered under the relentless assault, the dark crystal glowing brightly with each impact. Despite the healing power of the crystal, us could see that it was struggling to keep up with the damage he was inflicting.


    As the battle raged on, us noted that the crystal''s glow seemed to pulse in rhythm with the Zombie''s movements. The healing effect was powerful but not perfect¡ªthere were moments when the crystal flickered, revealing a brief crack in its defenses. us focused on those moments, hoping they would reveal more about the crystal''s nature.


    He delivered a particrly powerful blow, causing the Zombie to lurch and the crystal to re up violently. us seized the opportunity and closed the distance. With a swift, precise strike, he shattered a part of the crystal''s surface. For a brief instant, the crystal''s true nature was exposed¡ªa swirling mix of dark energy and an unfamiliar, shimmering substance.


    The Zombie roared in pain, its healing abilities temporarily disrupted. us''s heart raced as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. The shimmering substance seemed to be a form of energy he had never encountered before, intermingling with the Humium in a way that amplified its power.


    ''This is it,'' us thought, ''I need to study this closer.''


    He pressed on with his attacks, determined to keep the Zombie from recovering while he examined the exposed crystal.


    Suddenly, us noticed the crystal dimming and turning transparent.


    ''So that was it,'' us realized. ''Humium has a healing factor too.'' He understood that it was merely a Humium crystal embedded in the Zombie''s chest.


    ''But this isn''t right,'' he thought. ''If the crystal was embedded, it means the Zombies are more than they appear.'' He had a moment of rity. It was clear that someone with great knowledge had ced those crystals there.


    ''No time to think about this now,'' us decided. ''Let me just finish this fight and then I can go nt my face somewhere peaceful''


    With a powerful strike, us severed the Zombie''s head, sending it flying through the air. He watched as the head fell to the ground. he smiles cheerfully. He bent down and took the Zombie stone that fell while the soldiers started to cheer.


    But just as he was about to sheathe his sword, something locked him in ce. It happened so suddenly that he sensed nothing until it was toote.


    From one side of the city walls, a blinding sh signaled theunch of a powerful projectile weapon. us felt his body stiffen, unable to move.


    His body shuddered, and then his star qi surged. In response, his Lotus flower appeared, but it was toote. A two-meter-long arrow made of pure gold was already in the air.


    He threw the Lotus flower at the arrow, but itcked the power needed, it was too sudden to fuel it with more energy. The arrow tore through the Lotus and continued its path toward him.


    us''s eyes turned red as he tried to control the arrow with his mind, but he was toote. The arrow pierced through his chest drawing a gush of blood. His body froze and then started to fall back


    As his body started to fall, he saw a masked figure up ahead, looking back at him before disappearing. The entire event happened in an instant.


    "us!"


    "Little Brother!"


    "Young Master!"


    Shouts echoed across the battlefield, but it was toote. us, with a calm expression, felt his eyes growing heavy. He fell backward, and thest thing he saw was the War Goddess with tears in her eyes, catching him in her embrace.


    He had managed to achieve his wish of resting his face between her chest, but he couldn''t enjoy it. He drew hisst breath, slipping into the darkness.

 Chapter 131: Disappointing isnt it?

    us watched as the light slowly dimmed from his vision. ''So this is how I die,'' he thought, the only thing shing through his mind as he faded into nothingness.


    The thought of his mother hit him hard. He could picture her devastation, the grief she would feel upon hearing about his death. It was too much for him to dwell on, but it was toote now. The arrow had pierced his chest, leaving behind a potent poison that was swiftly taking its toll.


    The weapon used against him was the Doomsday Night Bow, a weapon designed for extreme circumstances by Arcadian City. It was meant to be used only if the Zombies overran the human army. The bow was powered by hazardous minerals, which made it dangerous to use repeatedly.


    Prolonged use could harm the city itself. Yet, somehow, someone had chosen to use it on him.


    The arrowhead contained a deadly poison, that spreads instantly upon contact. Whoever the masked figure was, they hadn''t just aimed at him for target practice¡ªthey intended to kill him, and they seeded with terrifying precision.


    usy motionless in the War Goddess''s arms, his once calm face now pale, drained of all life. He was dead¡ªor so it seemed.


    In the quiet of that moment, the battlefield around him seemed distant. The War Goddess held him tightly, her tears falling silently. She had caught him, but it hadn''t been enough. The poison had done its job.


    -


    -


    -


    "Is it done?" a man in a dark room asked, staring intently at a projection of a masked figure¡ªthe same one us had seen before his death.


    "Yes, my Lord, he is dead," the masked figure responded.


    "Good. You know what to do next," the man replied calmly, his tone cold and calcted.


    A short whileter, a post appeared on the dark web. The message it contained was perhaps the most provocative and chilling one a person could ever write: "Arrogance is bliss, fare thee well, warrior. It was just Business" Alongside the text was an image of us lying lifeless in the War Goddess''s arms. The post was marked by a name that, when seen, caused widespread panic: "The Dark Order."


    Just like that, the assassins behind us''s death were revealed, and yet nobody knew who they really were. The Dark Order was a mysterious organization that had surfaced ten years into the apocalypse, known for assassinating powerful figures over the years.


    When they first appeared, few took them seriously. But as time passed, their reach expanded, and their reputation grew. Their signature move¡ªposting the aftermath of their assassinations on the dark web¡ªbrought them infamy. With each high-profile target they took down, their power became undeniable.


    A saying has emerged in the years since: "If your name appears in the Dark Order''s books, not even the Yama King can save you." us had be one of those unfortunate souls.


    Everyone knew us had made enemies, especially after publicly humiliating a Legacy and calling them nobodies. It was clear he would face tough opposition, but no one could have predicted that a young warrior like him would be targeted by the Dark Order. This marked the first time they had assassinated someone so young, which shocked and saddened many.


    The news of us''s death spread like wildfire. His fans, who had watched him rise and ovee impossible odds, were left mourning all over the world. They had always believed us could survive anything, but now, the grim reality of the situation was too much to bear. The world had lost one of its brightest young warriors.


    -


    -


    -


    They say that when you die, your soul travels through the nine nar worlds and heads to the underworld, a realm beyond all existence.


    In the underworld, it is said that you be a servant to the Yama King, forever bound to serve him. Yet, there is hope. If your deeds in life were pleasing to the immortals, they might bargain for your soul, granting you the chance to enter reincarnation.


    It''s also believed that those with strong ties to fate can bypass the underworld entirely, sent straight into reincarnation. They are reborn as wealthy and powerful individuals, their lives shaped by the fate they carried.


    People say many things, but it all revolves around one central idea: fate. Those blessed with it are reincarnated. But the real question is, what happens if you don''t have fate? Or, more unsettling, what if fate itself doesn''t want you?


    What if your existence is so unique that even the heavens hesitate to im your soul after death? That''s a rare and troubling situation, and us has just found himself in it.


    He died, that much was clear. But instead of his soul being taken to the underworld or entering the cycle of reincarnation, he woke up in a ce both strange and familiar in a strange way...Lol. The environment was serene and lush, the air thick with the scent of life. Yet, there was an unsettling feeling, like something dark was lurking just out of sight.


    us stood up, confused and wary. He had never felt this way before. It wasn''t pain or fear¡ªit was something deeper. A cold, creeping sense of wrongness.


    "Mom will be devastated by now" He muttered not bothering to take in his surroundings for the moment. A whileter, he sighed and then started to look around.


    His surroundings were beautiful, like a dreand. Tall trees with golden leaves swayed gently, their branches whispering in the soft wind. A river flowed nearby, its surface shimmering with light. The sky was painted in hues of pink and orange, casting a warm glow on everything.


    But us couldn''t shake the feeling that something was watching him, something ancient and powerful. He nced around, trying to spot any movement, but thendscape seemed empty.


    "Where am I?" he muttered to himself, his voice echoing slightly in the stillness.


    This ce felt like it was caught between worlds. It wasn''t the underworld, and it definitely wasn''t the mortal realm. It was something else entirely, a ce where time and space seemed distorted.


    us began walking, following the river''s edge. His senses were on high alert, every muscle in his body tense. He couldn''t trust this ce, no matter how peaceful it seemed.


    As he walked, the feeling of being watched grew stronger. Shadows moved in the corners of his vision, but whenever he turned to look, nothing was there. The air felt thick, heavy with something unspoken.


    Suddenly, a voice echoed through the trees, soft but clear.


    "Disappointing, isn''t it? To die a virgin"


    us froze in his tracks, his eyes darting around the eerie, twistedndscape. There was no one in sight, yet the voice felt like it came from everywhere¡ªechoing through the dead trees and creeping into his mind.


    "Who''s there?" us demanded, his voice sharp.


    There was no direct response. Instead, the space around him began to ripple and distort. Before he could react, he felt a force pulling him away. His vision darkened, and for a moment, he was suspended in nothingness. Then, just as quickly, his surroundings shifted, and he found himself standing in a new ce.


    When his vision cleared, he was face to face with someone he had never expected to see. A monk with dashing violet hair, handsome features, incredible cheekbone, and somehow, dual pupils. One dark, one white. And he looks exactly like us, but more mature and Handsome.


    "Tea?" the figure asked casually, extending a cup toward us. Before he could refuse, a steaming cup of tea appeared in his hands.


    "You... who are you?" us asked, still trying to make sense of the situation.


    The stranger smiled faintly, leaning back as though enjoying a quiet afternoon. "My mother calls me Haus. My Uncles once called me Fruity," he said with a small chuckle. "But to the rest of the universe, I was known as the Renegade Monk."


    He then looked back at us with a smirk, "And who might you be Little Fe"


    us looked up and down at his mirror image and then narrowed his eyes before replying.


    "I''m us," he replied. "But I don''t think I''m a ''little fe.''" He said thest part with a half-smile, trying to gauge who¡ªor what¡ªthis person was.


    Haus chuckled, the sound light but somehow ancient. "Ah, us. A name with strength. But names can only tell so much, don''t you think?"


    us raised an eyebrow, still gripping the cup of tea he hadn''t asked for. "You still haven''t answered my question. Where am I, and what''s going on?"


    Haus looked at him for a while and then asked a question that made us''s heart Skip a beat, "Tell me us, do you believe in reincarnation"

 Chapter 132: A Mothers Sacrifice

    "Do I believe in reincarnation?" us repeated the question slowly, his brow furrowed in thought. It wasn''t a question he had ever seriously considered. Reincarnation¡ªthe idea of being reborn after death, starting over as someone entirely new, someone with no memory of their past life¡ªwas something he''d only heard in stories.


    us found himself uncertain. How could he answer something he barely understood? His life had been filled with battles, survival, and defying the heavens -well, he hasn''t yet, but who is asking? The thought of starting over, losing everything he had learned and fought for, felt foreign to him.


    He nced at the figure sitting across from him, who was watching him with patient eyes, waiting for a response. us didn''t want to appear confused or weak, so he forced out an answer, one that felt safe, if not entirely true.


    "I suppose it''s possible," us said, his tone guarded.


    Haus smiled at his response, as though amused by us''s hesitation. There was a quiet understanding in that smile as if the stranger knew us''s uncertainty ran deeper than he let on.


    us shifted ufortably and then took a sip of the tea in his hand, letting the warmth spread through his chest. The vor was rich, yet unlike anything he''d tasted before. Curiosity tugged at him.


    "What is this tea made of?" us asked his voice light, trying to steer the conversation away from the heavy topic of reincarnation.


    Haus''s smile deepened a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Ah, now that''s a question worth asking."


    "What if I were to tell you, you just drank memories from your past life?" Haus said with an amused smile,


    us froze mid-sip the second time, lowering the cup slowly. His mind raced as he processed the figure''s words. Memories? From his past life?


    "You''re joking right," us said, his voice calm but his heart pounding. "Memories can''t be¡­ drunk."


    Haus''s smile widened as if enjoying us''s reaction. "Is it really so hard to believe? You are a Paragon after all"


    us felt the weight of the teacup in his hand, suddenly heavier than before. He doesn''t know much about the Paragon thing, but he knows for a fact he will figure things out in the long run. Now, it''s just too wild for him toprehend.


    "How?" us asked, his tone more serious now.


    Haus leaned back, still smiling. "The tea you drank is no ordinary brew. It is made from the essence of your forgotten lives, distilled into a form you can consume. Each sip unlocks fragments of who you were before."


    us nced down at the tea, its surface calm and unremarkable, yet now it seemed ominous. "And what if I don''t want to remember?"


    Haus shrugged casually. "That''s the thing about memories¡ªthey don''t ask for permission. You''ve already consumed them. Whether you choose to acknowledge them or not is up to you."


    us wanted to say something in return, but the words wouldn''te. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him, and before he could make sense of it, Haus''s voice echoed inside his head.


    "Well, I didn''t expect I''d be drugging myself," the figureughed, but us was too dazed to respond. His vision blurred, and then everything went ck as he slipped into unconsciousness.


    -


    -


    -


    "My queen, we are under attack!" a young maiden cried, bursting into a room. Inside, an enchanting woman with features so striking that she could destroy entire nations with just a smile immediately stood up.


    Beside her, lying peacefully on the bed, was a young boy, no more than seven years old. His innocent face held a calmness that seemed like the very essence of peace and love.


    The queen turned as she heard the maiden''s panicked voice. She walked and nced out the window and saw the chaos outside. Thousands of people dressed in ck are shing with her guards and soldiers, the battle raging at the gates of her city.


    "The King said you must take Haus and run. Do not return until hees for you," the young maiden urged, handing the queen a jade tablet before drawing an arrow into her bow and rushing toward the door.


    The queen needed no further urging. She quickly picks up the boy, still sleeping, into her arms. The maiden led her to a hidden passage, guiding them through the pce''s secret tunnels. Within moments, they emerged outside the grand city, now fleeing into the wild.


    But no sooner had they made their escape than ten masked figures appeared from the shadows, chasing after them with rming speed. The queen and the maiden ran as fast as they could, the boy cradled tightly in her embrace.


    "My queen," Suddenly, the maiden said breathlessly, "it has been an honor serving you in this life. If there is a next life, I hope I will serve you again."


    The queen turned, fear and realization flooding her eyes. "Haniva, no!"


    But it was toote. Haniva had already made up her mind. In one swift motion, she ignited her soul, her body bursting into lightning mes that shone like a beacon. The explosion of light created a barrier, buying the queen and her son some precious time to escape.


    Tears streamed down the queen''s face as she ran, her heart heavy with grief. She didn''t stop, couldn''t stop. Not until her son was safe.


    The boy stirred in her arms, blinking awake. "Mom, why are you crying?" he asked softly, looking up at her tear-streaked face as they sped through the forest.


    "Nothing, my love," she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. "We''re almost there."


    Haus turned his head to look behind them. His eyes widened in innocent confusion as he saw five masked figures in hot pursuit. "Mom, are those the bad people you told me about?"


    The queen''s heart clenched at the sound of his voice. "Yes, Haus," she said, forcing a gentle smile. "But today, they won''t catch us. Mother will protect you."


    The boy''s small hand reached up to wipe a tear from his mother''s cheek, and she kissed his forehead in return, her mind racing with what to do next.


    They were running out of time.


    The wind whipped past them as they continued their escape, but the masked figures were gaining ground. The queen could feel their dark energy growing stronger. She had no choice but to reach the teleportation formation contained in the jade tablet Haniva gave her.


    The trees blurred as they rushed forward, but the queen knew they couldn''t keep this pace forever. Her own strength was dwindling, and the loss of Hanna weighed heavily on her heart.


    Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past, narrowly missing her. The queen gasped, her body tensing as she darted through the thickening forest. Haus clung to her, his small fingers clutching the fabric of her dress.


    Suddenly, they appeared in front of a waterfall. Right in front of the water, a circr structurey on the ground, covered in glowing runic diagrams. The queen wasted no time, rushing forward and cing her son in the center of the formation.


    "Mom?" Haus asked, his voice small and confused, watching as his mother stepped away from him, toward the edge of the circle.


    "Haus, know that I love you more than anything in this life," she said, tears streaming down her face. Her voice trembled with emotion, but she kept her gaze steady on her son.


    At that moment, the five masked figures came within range. One of them shouted, "Slut! Hand over the cursed child and ept your death!"


    The queen''s heart tightened, but she refused to show fear. She turned her attention back to the formation. The runes began to glow brighter, responding to her presence and energy.


    "In this life, no one will touch my son while I am alive," the queen dered, her voice resolute. The formation beneath Haus began to hum, the magic taking hold.


    Before the masked men could rush toward the boy, the formation activated, casting a bright light around him. Haus looked at his mother, tears welling up in his eyes, but before he could say anything, the light swallowed him, and he vanished.


    The queen smiled, her heartbreaking but full of resolve. She had done what she had to do.


    One of the masked figures snarled, realizing what was happening. "Stop her!" he screamed, but it was toote.


    The queen ignited her soul, her body bursting into mes of radiant power. "For my son," she whispered.


    BOOM.


    A deafening explosion tore through the area, obliterating everything within a 20-mile radius. The queen''s body and soul erupted in a st of pure energy, taking the five masked figures with her and destroying the formation in the process.


    In her final act of love and sacrifice, she ensured that Haus would never be located again, leaving behind nothing but ash and silence in the ce where she had given her life to protect her son.

 Chapter 133: Raised By Monks

    Somewhere far away, a beam of light descended from the heavens, brightening the forest for a moment. When the light faded, a boy of about seven years old could be seen sleeping on the ground.


    He looked innocent and peaceful in his slumber. Suddenly, three bald men appeared beside him. One of them held a Seraphi Rod, another worerge, woven beads around his neck, and thest carried only a cane.


    The monk with the beads examined the boy closely. "Where is he from?" he asked, looking puzzled.


    "I don''t know," replied the monk with the Seraphi Rod. "But we can''t leave him here. We have to take him back to the monastery. The Grandmaster will know what to do."


    They carefully lifted the boy, making sure not to wake him. The one with the beads wrapped a warm cloak around the child for protection.


    As they began their journey back to the monastery, the forest seemed to hold its breath. The trees whispered softly, and the air was filled with an otherworldly calm.


    The monks moved swiftly but gently, navigating through the dense forest. They were careful to avoid any obstacles that might disturb the boy''s rest.


    The journey was long, but the monks remained calm.


    Finally, after what seemed like hours, the ancient monastery came into view. Its tall spires and sprawling grounds were bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun.


    They reached the Grandmaster''s chambers and gently ced the boy on a soft mat. The Grandmaster, an elderly man with wise eyes, looked at the boy with a mixture of curiosity and concern.


    "We found him in the forest," the monk with the Seraphi Rod exined. "He was surrounded by a beam of light. We thought it best to bring him here for your guidance."


    The Grandmaster nodded, his gaze never leaving the sleeping boy. "We shall see what fate has in store for him. For now, we will watch over him and learn more about his origins."


    The monks left the chamber quietly, leaving the Grandmaster alone with the boy. The ancient man sat in contemtion, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders.


    "Finally, he has arrived. Our peaceful days are over," the monk said, his eyes fixed on the boy sleeping on the mat.


    After a moment of silence, he stood up and left the room. He made his way to a different section of the monastery. There, in a room adorned with ancient scrolls and dimly lit bynterns, five monks, each more aged than thest, were seated, sipping tea.


    "The renegade has appeared, huh?" one of the monks asked, his voiceced with curiosity.


    "Yes, Master," the Grandmaster Monk replied with a nod.


    "Ha, so the prophecy was right. The heavens are in for a wild one," said one of the ancient-looking monks, a hint of amusement in his voice.


    "Master, what are your instructions?" the Grandmaster Monk asked, his tone respectful and attentive.


    "Nothing for now," the Master said with a thoughtful expression. "He has experienced a traumatic event, but it has been addressed. He will awaken as a new person, at least temporarily. Prepare your fellow monks for what is toe. Their calm and patience will soon be tested like never before."


    The Grandmaster Monk bowed respectfully. "I will make sure they are ready."


    He left the room and returned to therge hall where all the monks of the monastery were gathered. He looked at their faces¡ªwell, the shiny bald heads might be a more urate description. After scanning the room, he said only one thing:


    "Let your inner heart guide you."


    With that, he dispersed everyone.


    Two dayster, the boy''s eyes fluttered open. He was greeted by a sharp, splitting headache. Before he could scream, a voice echoed in his mind:


    "Tea?"


    He turned to see a bald monk smiling at him, holding a cup of tea.


    The boy, still disoriented, stared at the monk and asked, "Senior, what happened to your hair?"


    The monk''s smile falted for a moment, but he simply replied, "You''ll find out soon enough. For now, have some tea. It will help you regain your strength."


    The boy hesitated but epted the tea, sipping it cautiously. His head still throbbed, but the warmth of the tea was soothing. As he drank, he nced around the room, trying to make sense of his surroundings.


    As the boy tasted the tea, he said, "It tastes fruity." He smiled up at the monk, clearly asking for more. The monk poured another cup, and the boy eagerly drank the entire teapot full of tea in less than ten minutes.


    Once he had finished, he was dressed in a white robe and led to a different part of the monastery. The new area was a serene garden, filled with vibrant flowers and gentle butterflies. The moment the boy saw it, he couldn''t contain his excitement. He darted around the garden, trying to catch the butterflies with gleeful abandon.


    "At least he looks happy," said one of the monks who had found him in the forest, appearing beside the monk who had served the tea.


    "I think so," the other monk replied, watching the boy''s joyful antics.


    "Do you know his name?" the first monk asked.


    "No," the second monk said with a shrug. "But he seems to like the word ''fruity.'' Why don''t we call him that until he remembers his real name?"


    The first monk nodded in agreement. "It''s a good idea. ''Fruity'' it is, then."


    The boy continued to chase the butterflies, hisughter echoing through the garden. The monks watched him, feeling a mixture of relief and hope. Despite the boy''s mysterious arrival and the challenges ahead, his happiness at this moment was a small but wee sign.


    The name "Fruity" quickly spread throughout the monastery. Everyone found the boy intriguing and enjoyed ying with him. Over time, his presence became a beloved part of the monastery. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Years went by, and Fruity grew into a handsome young man with striking violet hair.


    "Fruity, you are now sixteen. It''s time to start practicing the scriptures," one of the monks said, using his rod to lift the now-grown Fruity up into the air.


    "Nope. I don''t want to shave my beautiful hair like you guys," Fruity protested, trying to wiggle away from the monk.


    "You are a monk now. You must shave your hair," the monk insisted.


    "Tell me, Uncle, why do monks shave their hair?" Fruity asked.


    "Well... I... You..." The monk stammered, unable to find the right words.


    "You see, Uncle, you shaved your hair without really knowing why. I prefer to look my best when I meet the Ice Princess," Fruity said with a yful grin.


    "You brat..." The monk eximed in frustration.


    "Uncle,nguage," Fruity said with a teasing smile.


    Meanwhile, on top of a nearby mountain, six monks stood overlooking the scene.


    "This kid is a menace," one of the ancient monks said, shaking his head.


    "Master, do you think he''ll ever let anyone touch his hair? He seems to have a strong attachment to it," the Grandmaster Monk observed.


    The Master sighed. "He has his own way of doing things. Perhaps it''s better to let him be for now. The scriptures and training can wait until he''s ready."


    The Grandmaster Monk nodded in agreement. "Very well. Let''s hope he''lle around in his own time."


    "What are you two thinking? He will never shave his hair. It''s better if we allow him to carve his own path," one of the ancient monks said, watching Fruity hang off the rod of the monk.


    "I think so too," another ancient monk agreed, his face breaking into an amused smile. "At least he is wearing the monk''s robes. That''s a bonus, I guess."


    Just like that, Fruity was made into an official monk and will soon start practicing the teachings of the monk.

 Chapter 134: A Genius but Lazy Monk

    "Fruity, this is the Soul-Calming, Heart-Warming Sutra. Before you can learn any of the advanced techniques your uncle monks use, you first need to learn how to calm your heart and soul," a monk said, handing a stone tablet with intricate writings to Fruity.


    Fruity took the tablet and examined the writings. "The soul attunes with the stars, making the heart lighten and calm like the moon," he read aloud.


    The monk''s eyes widened in surprise. "You... you can read this?" he asked, astonished.


    "It''s not that difficult, Uncle. No need to look so shocked," Fruity replied casually, his tone light.


    "You," the monk started to say something but then stopped, unable to find the words.


    "What next, Uncle?" Fruity asked with a small smile.


    "Go to the Soul-Calming Tree and sit under it. Note my words, sit under, not on top. Focus on the Soul-Calming, Heart-Warming Sutra and start reciting it. Once you master it, I will take you to the Awakening Temple to awaken your spiritual Qi," the monk instructed before leaving.


    "Tsk, who said I don''t have inner peace?" Fruity muttered as he headed toward the small peak. "I''m surrounded by the best uncles. What else do I need?"


    He arrived at a small peak where the Soul-Calming Tree stood. The tree looks magnificent, with branches woven into a canopy that cast dappled shadows on the ground. Its leaves are shades multicolored and alluring. Small, vibrant fruits hung from the branches.


    ording to the monastery''s teachings, those who could achieve a state of attunement while surrounded by such delicious fruits were said to have attained true inner peace. Fruity approached the tree, finding a spot beneath it to sit. He settledfortably on the ground, preparing himself to focus on the sutra and find the calm he was being asked to achieve.


    He set the stone tablet before him, watching as it floated gently in the air. Fruity focused his eyes on the tablet and began reciting the sutra. For a brief moment, he felt his mind calm and his heart warm, but just like that, the feeling quickly faded.


    "Inner peace, inner peace, inner peace," he murmured, but his focus was easily distracted. "Dinner peace, dinner please."


    The enticing fragrance of the fruits hanging from the branches began to overwhelm him.


    "Maybe I should eat a few and then I might develop some resistance to it," Fruity said, eyeing the fruits with a mix of curiosity and temptation.


    He reached out, plucking a small fruit from the tree and examining it. The vibrant color and sweet scent were irresistible. Fruity took a bite, savoring the taste while still trying to maintain his focus on the sutra. As he chewed, he wondered if indulging in the fruit might somehow help him achieve the inner peace he was seeking.


    But who was he kidding? Fruity had already eaten thousands of these fruits over the years, yet he hadn''t developed any resistance to their allure. If anything, his insatiable hunger only intensified whenever he saw them.


    Far from him, the ancient monks and the Grandmaster Monk observed the scene.


    "At this rate, he will never be able to master this technique anytime soon," the Grandmaster Monk said, shaking his bald head.


    "Well, that''s because he has already attained inner peace. In fact, he achieved it two years ago. He just doesn''t realize it yet," one of the ancient monks replied.


    "What? How is that possible?" the Grandmaster Monk asked, clearly surprised.


    The ancient monk smiled gently. "Inner peace is not always about perfect control or serene focus. Sometimes, it''s about understanding and eptance. Fruity''s constant struggle and his reaction to the fruits show that he''s already in a state of bnce. He just needs to recognize it for himself."


    The Grandmaster Monk frowned thoughtfully. "So you''re saying he''s already where he needs to be, but he doesn''t know it?"


    "Yes," the ancient monk confirmed. "Sometimes, the journey to inner peace is about realizing that you''ve already arrived. Fruity''s unique approach and his apparent distractions are actually signs that he''s achieved what he''s been seeking."


    The Grandmaster Monk nodded slowly, considering the ancient monk''s words. The realization brought a new perspective on Fruity''s training, and he decided to let him continue in his own way, trusting that he woulde to understand his inner peace in due time.


    "Why does it feel like I''m in the state I should be in but don''t know it?" Fruity wondered aloud, gazing at the Soul-Calming, Heart-Warming Sutra floating before him.


    He sighed and continued to talk to himself, "Okay, Fruity, what will you do if somebody insults you?"


    He paused, considering the question. After a moment, he answered, "I''ll just brush it off and smile. It''s not worth getting upset over."


    He nodded to himself as if convinced by his own response.


    "See, if I can stay calm and not let little things bother me, maybe that''s a sign of inner peace already," he mused, a small smile forming on his lips.


    Fruity paused again, contemting his self-imposed question. "What happens if someone looks at the Ice Princess weirdly?" he asked himself.


    He thought for a moment, then answered with a thoughtful tone, "I''d probably step in and defend her. It''s not right to let anyone disrespect someone important to me."


    "Tsk, who are you kidding, Fruity? You''d probably p him senseless," Fruity said with a smile, amused by his own response.


    He chuckled to himself, then added, "That too, but I''ll make sure I maintain inner peace while doing it."


    Fruity''s smile widened as he pondered his own words. Bncing his actions with a sense of calm and understanding seemed like a practical approach to achieving inner peace.


    As he continued to recite the sutra, he felt a growing sense of contentment, realizing that perhaps inner peace was not just about perfect serenity but also about integrating his true self into his actions and reactions.


    "Mmmh, this fruit tastes like inner peace," Fruity said, savoring the vor. Despite having already eaten hundreds of these fruits, he still felt an insatiable craving for more.


    After a while, Fruity felt something stirring within his heart. He dropped the fruit he had been holding and resumed reciting the sutra with renewed focus. This time, something within him seemed to connect. He felt his soul aligning more deeply with his surroundings.


    A sense of calm washed over him. There were no distractions, no doubts, and no uncertainties. He felt safe, serene, and harmonized with everything around him.


    "So, this is what inner peace feels like," Fruity muttered to himself. He continued to concentrate on deepening this connection. However, despite his efforts, he sensed something blocking him. It was as if an invisible barrier prevented him from fully reaching that part of his soul.


    "Congrattions, Fruity. You have attained inner peace," a voice suddenly spoke.


    Fruity turned to see his Uncle Monk standing before him. His uncle had been the one to guide him to this ce. "So, what''s next, Uncle?" Fruity asked.


    Uncle Monk smiled warmly. "Inner peace is just the beginning. Now, you must learn to maintain it amidst the chaos of the world."


    Fruity nodded, eager to understand more. "How do I do that?"


    "By practicing mindfulness and self-discipline," Uncle Monk exined. "Inner peace is like a fragile me. It can be easily extinguished by stress and distractions if not properly nurtured."


    Fruity listened carefully. "And how do I ovee these distractions?"


    "Start by observing your thoughts without judgment," Uncle Monk advised. "Recognize them as passing clouds and let them drift away. Focus on your breath and the present moment."


    Fruity closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to follow his uncle''s guidance. He let the thoughtse and go, like clouds drifting across the sky.


    "Remember," Uncle Monk continued, "inner peacees from within. External circumstances can influence it, but true peace is a state of mind you cultivate and protect."


    "When you are done, I will take you to Hammon City to awaken your Spiritual Qi" The uncle monk left after saying that. Fruity smiled and went about practicing while consuming fruit after fruit.


    A weekter, he managed to attain all there was to attain and left with his uncle monk to Hammon City to awaken and finally be a cultivator.

 Chapter 135: Hammon City

    Hammon City is one of the many cities in the Grand Xhanti Kingdom. It is a human-upied kingdom, one of the few remaining human Kingdoms in the world of Valeria.


    Known for its peaceful atmosphere, Hammon City thrived on trade. Merchants, both rich and poor, came and went daily, keeping the city bustling with activity.


    Today was an important day for Fruity and his Uncle Monk. They were on their way to Hammon City for Fruity''s awakening ceremony. It was a significant event, marking the moment when one would form a connection with their soul and consciousness.


    This bond granted powers beyond ordinary understanding, a process known as awakening one''s Talent and ss.


    In Valeria, it was tradition for those who turned 16 to undergo the ceremony. Sixteen was the minimum age, but not everyone seeded on their first try. Some returned at an older age, either for their second or even third attempt after previous failures. The third time was usually theirst chance.


    Fruity, however, wasn''t thinking about the ceremony. His mind wandered as he watched the people on the road. It was only his second time going to Hammon City.


    The first time, he was ten years old and had snuck into a caravan the monks were using to transport fruit. Back then, he had been full of excitement and curiosity.


    Unfortunately for Fruity, the monks weren''t exactly funpany. They barely spoke and had no interest in the world around them. For a young boy like Fruity, their silence had been painfully dull.


    But even then, Fruity had managed to overhear bits of conversation from the traders and travelers passing by. He''d learned a little about Hammon City, but one thing in particr had caught his attention: the Ice Princess.


    He had heard the name whispered by a few people during his first visit, though he hadn''t been able to find out much more. He didn''t know who she was, where she came from, or why people seemed to talk about her with such awe. But ever since that day, Fruity had been fascinated by the mysterious Ice Princess. Meeting her had be a secret dream of his.


    "Uncle, do you think the Ice Princess will being to the awakening?" Fruity asked, his voice full of hope.


    His Uncle Monk nced at him, shaking his head. "Brat, focus on your own awakening first," he said in a gruff tone.


    Fruity pouted. "Tsk, how boring."


    The road to Hammon City was long, and Fruity''s thoughts kept drifting back to the stories he''d overheard as a child. Who was the Ice Princess? Was she real? Would she be attending the awakening ceremony, just like him? His heart raced at the possibility.


    As they approached the city gates, Fruity''s eyes widened. Hammon City was even more impressive than he remembered. The tall stone walls loomed over them, and the streets were packed with people from all walks of life. Merchants haggled loudly in the marketce, while travelers hurried to and fro.


    The air was filled with the scent of fresh bread, spices, and the faint tinge of sea salt from the distant harbor.


    "This ce is fire!" Fruity eximed, his eyes wide with excitement as he looked around with puppy-like enthusiasm.


    "Brat,pose yourself. People are watching," Uncle Monk muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed. He wanted to remind Fruity that he was a monk now and should behave with dignity. But Fruity was too swept up by the beauty of the city to care about appearances orposure.


    People around them were staring. It wasn''t every day they saw a monk with such dashing hair. Most monks were known for their calm and reserved demeanor, but Fruity stood out with his lively energy. He didn''t seem to notice the attention or simply didn''t care.


    Without warning, Fruity dashed toward a nearby fruit candy stand, causing Uncle Monk to sigh and follow him.


    "Uncle, take one!" Fruity said cheerfully, handing over a candy straw. In his other hand, he was clutching ten more.


    Uncle Monk''s lips twitch. "You can have them. I don''t eat like you, glutton," he said, shaking his head.


    "Suit yourself, Uncle. For someone so in tune with nature, you sure don''t enjoy what nature gives," Fruity teased, biting down on another candy. He might be 16, but his behavior resembled that of a carefree 10-year-old. Not that he cared¡ªhe was having fun, and that was all that mattered to him.


    They continued through the crowded streets toward the awakening hall. It was arge, imposing building at the heart of the city. As they arrived, they were greeted by the sight of other 16-year-olds, all eager to awaken their talents and begin cultivating their powers.


    Fruity looked around, taking in the scene. Young men and women were dressed in elegant clothes, stepping down from fancy carriages. He nced at his uncle, who was deliberately pretending to look in another direction, ignoring the luxurious disy.


    But Fruity couldn''t hold back his question. "Uncle, why are we poor?"


    Without missing a beat, his uncle gave him a light smack on the back of his head. "Who said we''re poor?" Uncle Monk replied sternly.


    Fruity rubbed the back of his head, confused. "Well... aren''t we?"


    "Have you ever starved?" his uncle asked, his tone sharp but patient.


    "No," Fruity admitted.


    "Do youck clothes?"


    "Well¡­" Fruity hesitated, thinking about his simple monk robe.


    "Do you not have a ce to sleep?" Uncle Monk continued, raising an eyebrow.


    "I mean, yeah, but..." Fruity began but trailed off. He could see where his uncle was going.


    "Then we''re not poor," Uncle Monk finished firmly. "We have what we need, and that''s enough."


    Fruity wanted to argue further, but he could feel people''s eyes on them, so he decided to let it slide¡ªfor now. He''d have a more thorough conversation with his uncle once they returned to the monastery.


    His uncle led him to a registration stand where Fruity was handed the number 69. After registering, Uncle Monk guided him to the side where the other youngsters were gathered. "I''ll be over there," his uncle said, pointing to a spot in the distance. "Do your best not to cause any trouble. These young ones are here for something important."


    Fruity couldn''t help but pout at his uncle''s words. "Hey, Uncle, does that mean I''m not important enough?" he asked, his voice tinged with mock hurt.


    His exaggerated reaction caught the attention of some of the nearby teens. A few smiled, amused by Fruity''s childish behavior. Despite being there for a serious asion, Fruity''s light-heartedness was hard to ignore. It added a little warmth to the otherwise tense atmosphere of the awakening ceremony.


    "Little brother, are you a monk?" A young girl, slightly taller than Fruity, asked as soon as his uncle left.


    "Indeed, I am a certified monk. Inner peace and all," Fruity responded with a yful grin, puffing out his chest in mock pride.


    The girl smiled, amused by his lightheartedness. "You don''t seem like the quiet, peaceful type," she remarked, raising an eyebrow.


    Fruity shrugged, biting down on another candy straw. "What can I say? I''m a unique monk," he replied with a wink, making the girl chuckle softly.


    "I can see that," the young girl said, her eyes drifting to Fruity''s striking violet hair. "By the way, I''m Aurelia."


    "I''m Fruity," he replied with a casual grin.


    "Fruity? That''s quite an unusual name," Aurelia remarked, tilting her head slightly as if trying to figure him out.


    Fruity shrugged, used to the reaction. "Yeah, I get that a lot. But it suits me, don''t you think?" He shed a yful smile, clearly not bothered by how odd his name might sound to others.


    Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted, and a figure appeared in the air. His long beard flowed freely in the wind as he descended slowly from the sky. Fruity and Aurelia turned their gazes toward the figure.


    "Everyone, wee to this year''s awakening ceremony," the figure''s voice boomed

 Chapter 136: The Awakening Begin

    Fruity looked up at the figure descending from the sky, his eyes wide with wonder. "Immortal," he murmured.


    Aurelia, however, remained calm andposed. "That is actually a Saint," she said. Unlike Fruity, who spent most of his days eating and ying pranks on the monks, Aurelia seemed to know more about such matters.


    Fruity turned to her with curiosity. "What is a Saint?" he asked softly. He had read about immortals in the monastery''s texts. The writings spoke of their ability to fly and move through the air, but he had never heard of a Saint before.


    "A Saint is a cultivator with control over certain elements," Aurelia exined. "They have the ability to influence these elements in ways that let them defy some naturalws. For example, they can walk on air, fly, or travel long distances in mere seconds."


    Fruity''s eyes sparkled with excitement. "So, which is more awesome, Saints or Immortals?" he asked with a grin.


    Aurelia looked puzzled by the term "awesome" but quickly understood the gist of the question. She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Immortals are generally stronger than Saints. Their abilities are more extensive and their endurance is unmatched. However, both are remarkable in their own ways."


    Fruity nodded, still smiling. "So, Immortals are awesome, but Saints are also awesome."


    Aurelia nodded in agreement. "In a way, yes. Both have their own special qualities that make them remarkable. It''s not just about who is stronger, but also about what they can do and how they use their abilities."


    "It''s decided, I want to be a Saint," Fruity said looking at the figure whose legs finally touched the ground. Aurelia looks at him curiously and smiles. They focus their attention back to the Saint that just appeared.


    "I know you are all here to awaken and be cultivators, so I won''t waste anyone''s time," the Saint said, forming a hand seal. From behind him, a giant pir, about 30 meters tall, rose from the ground.


    The pir had ten segments, each marked with intricate symbols. As soon as the pir appeared, everyone''s faces lit up with excitement. It was the Awakening Pir. They said that if you touch it, strange energy would enter your body, linking your soul with your consciousness and opening the path to the spiritual sea, opening a way for you to cultivate.


    "This is the Awakening Pir," the Saint continued. "As you can see, there are ten segments, which can be viewed as levels, ranging from one to ten. When you touch it, it will connect your consciousness with your soul, awakening yourtent talents and ss. After that, it will measure your level based on your talent and ss."


    He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "If you rank at level one, it means your talent and skill are mediocre. At most, you might be an Ascended or remain as an Awakened. If you rank at level ten, it means your talent is extraordinary."


    The crowd murmured with excitement at the thought of their potential. "Those who rank between levels five and nine will be directly recognized by the King and receive special attention from the kingdom," the Saint added.


    Suddenly, a calm and reserved voice broke the murmur. "Uncle, what if someone ranks tenth?" Fruity asked, casually chewing on a piece of candy as if he hadn''t just interrupted a Saint.


    Everyone turned to look at Fruity, surprised by his nonchnt demeanor. The Saint turned his gaze towards Fruity and replied, "Nobody has ever reached the tenth level, but if someone did, I am sure the Emperor himself would take notice."


    Fruity''s eyes gleamed with interest. "Does that mean you could meet the Ice Princess if you rank tenth?"


    The Saint nodded. "That is possible, yes." For some reason, he felt calm talking to the Kid.


    "Good, I guess I''ll awaken and rank ten so I can also meet her," Fruity said with an excited smile.


    Some of the youngsters around him exchanged confused nces. "


    ''Who is this strange kid?'' they wondered, observing Fruity''s childish behavior.


    While many were anxious about their potential rank, Fruity seemedpletely unfazed. His casual attitude and broad smile seemed out of ce at such a serious moment. A few people even felt a pang of irritation, wanting to p him for hisck of concern. However, most just sighed, recognizing that Fruity''s behavior was simply a sign of his immaturity.


    The Saint nced at Fruity for a moment, his expression unreadable, before continuing with his speech. "As I was saying, you will be measured based on your ss and talent."


    He stepped aside to make way for the elders. "Without further ado, the awakening ceremony may begin."


    "Matin Gent, you are first." And the elder called out. A young man with striking blue hair walked confidently to the pir, his shoulders held high. He approached the pir and paused, turning around to face the onlookers before turning back to the pir.


    "Tsk, show off," Fruity muttered under his breath, feeling an inexplicable urge to p Matin. However, recalling his teachings, he took a deep breath and whispered, "Inner Peace."


    Aurelia watched Fruity with a soft smile. She found his reactions endearing and couldn''t help but think that Fruity was too charming to be just a monk. In her mind, he seemed more like a prince from a grand kingdom.


    If only Aurelia knew that Fruity was actually a prince. But who''s asking?


    Matin gently ced his hand on the pir. At first, nothing happened. Then, after a few seconds, the pir began to hum and light up. The first segment glowed blue, brightening steadily. The second segment followed, lighting up green. The third segment shone yellow, and then the fourth segment illuminated in violet.


    But after the fourth segment, the pir''s light stopped.


    "Impressive," some of the parents and guardians remarked. "Matin Gent awakened with Level 4 talent. This is impressive; his future looks bright."


    Matin Gent, who had just achieved Level 4, was pleased but not as ted as he had hoped. He had not reached the fifth level, so he wouldn''t receive special recognition from the King. The realization slightly dimmed his happiness.


    "Stacy Hendrik," the elder called out. A slender youngdy with attractive features stepped forward. Unlike Matin, she ced her hand on the pir immediately, and it lit up in response. Just like Matin, she too stopped at Level Four.


    With a smile, she walked down the stairs, satisfied with her result. As more names were called, Fruity watched with increasing curiosity. To his surprise, none of the other candidates reached Level Five. Most fell between Levels Three and Four, with only a few managing Level Two, a rare urrence.


    "Aurelia Jenkis," the elder announced.


    Fruity''s attention snapped to the youngdy beside him. Aurelia, with her long silver hair, hourss figure, and graceful legs, walked confidently toward the pir. She gave Fruity a warm smile before she approached the Pir.


    "I''ll cheer for you, Aurelia!" Fruity shouted.


    Aurelia nced back at him, her smile widening as she appreciated his support. She reached the pir and ced her hand on it. The pir responded immediately, beginning to light up in a dazzling disy.

 Chapter 137: Fruitys Awakening

    Aurelia walked gracefully to the Pir and gently ced her hands on it. The Pir hummed, and then the colors began to light up.


    The blue segment lit up almost instantly, followed by the green. The third level glowed yellow, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the next level. Just as they hoped, the fourth level lit up, shining violet.


    Then, in an instant, the fifth level also glowed pink. The crowd gasped, their eyes wide with excitement, watching the soft pink light radiating from the Pir.


    "Look! The sixth level is lighting up!" a youngdy suddenly shouted. All eyes turned to the Pir, where the sixth level shone bright red.


    As soon as it did, the crowd erupted in cheers. Though they were all there for their own awakening, they couldn''t help but celebrate someone reaching such a high level. Fruity was the loudest, his cheers echoing above everyone else''s, filled with joy for his friend.


    Aurelia stood before the glowing Pir, her face calm but her eyes sparkling, clearly, she was happy with her gains.


    The light stopped at level six. It was the most incredible thing they had seen so far, even though not everyone had finished their turn yet. Aurelia''s achievement was already the best.


    "Aurelia, you are awesome!" Fruity shouted, jumping up with excitement.


    Aurelia smiled from the altar, pleased with herself. Before she could join Fruity, an elder approached and guided her away, probably to take down some information about her results.


    The testing continued, but none of the others could match Aurelia''s performance. No one reached beyond level four after her. A littleter, a young woman managed to impress the crowd by hitting level five, earning some recognition.


    Fruity, who had long since finished his candy, stood eagerly waiting for his turn. He was curious about how he would perform. He fidgeted in ce, excited and nervous at the same time. After a short wait, Aurelia returned and stood beside him.


    "That was amazing, Aurelia," Fruity said, cing a hand on her shoulder without a second thought.


    "Really?" Aurelia asked, her face turning slightly pink. Fruity, innocent as ever, didn''t notice that his hand on her shoulder was making her blush.


    "Of course! You were great! Look, you''re even glowing on your cheeks," Fruity added,pletely unaware of her growing embarrassment.


    Aurelia, feeling shy, turned her face away. Her cheeks grew warmer, and she hoped the Violet-Haired Monk wouldn''t notice her blushing.


    Fruity, still oblivious, wondered why she had turned away. He wanted to ask her more questions about what it felt like to reach level six. But just then, he heard his name being called.


    "Fruity!" The elder''s voice echoed across the room, though there was a slight hesitation in the way he said it. The name felt a bit odd, and the elder couldn''t help but think, Who would name their child Fruity? It seemed like an unusual choice.


    Still, Fruity didn''t mind. He smiled widely and walked forward with confidence. His heart raced, but he didn''t let the strange looks from the crowd bother him. He had been waiting for this moment.


    As he approached the altar, he nced at Aurelia one more time. She gave him an encouraging nod, and his nerves calmed down a little.


    "Let''s show them what monks are capable of," Fruity thought to himself, determination in his eyes. He pressed his hand firmly against the pir.


    The moment he made contact, the pir hummed with energy. Suddenly, the first three levels lit up in rapid session, stunning everyone around.


    Gasps filled the room as the lights red to life. Fruity, with his hand still on the pir, felt something strange happen. His mind went nk, his vision became blurry, and then he felt it¡ªa deep, unfamiliar sensation coursing through him.


    His consciousness expanded as if a switch had been flipped inside him. He sensed something powerful awakening within. The world around him darkened further until he felt as though his entire being had been pulled out of his body like he was no longer standing there but somewhere else entirely.


    He opened his eyes, startled. He found himself in a ce that was the very embodiment of darkness and pain¡ªa deste, cold space where not a shred of light existed. It was eerie and oppressive like all hope had been stripped away.


    But as his eyes adjusted, Fruity noticed something odd beneath him. He was standing on arge stone tablet.


    Suddenly, the tablet began to glow. At first, it was faint, but it grew brighter until it shimmered with a soft golden light. Then, like foam dissolving in water, the tablet disintegrated and transformed into a radiant orb of golden energy. The orb shot toward him and merged with his forehead, filling him with warmth and a sense of power he had never felt before.


    Back in the real world, Fruity''s hand remained pressed against the pir. As his body stood there, the light at level four blinked into existence. The onlookers, who had been watching in awe, were shocked to see the light climbing higher. Without hesitation, the fifth level lit up, casting a bright glow around the room.


    But it didn''t stop there. To everyone''s astonishment, the sixth level was also illuminated, glowing red and casting a fiery hue across the entire space. The air grew tense with excitement and disbelief as people exchanged shocked nces.


    Then, just when the crowd thought they had seen it all, another miracle urred. A brilliant white light red into existence, signaling that the seventh level had been unlocked. The entire ce was bathed in the blinding radiance of the seventh light, something no one had ever witnessed before.


    The audience fell into stunned silence. They could hardly believe what they were seeing. Reaching the seventh level was unheard of, even among the most powerful individuals. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, as they tried to process what was happening.


    Fruity, still unaware of the chaos he was causing outside, stood in the dark, deste space. But now, something had changed. The golden orb that merged with his forehead seemed to unlock something deep within him.


    A surge of energy coursed through Fruity''s veins, making him feel invincible. It was like he had tapped into something far away¡ªsomething unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar at the same time.


    Out of nowhere, a blinding light descended from above, merging with Fruity''s body. At that moment, the eight levels of the testing pir outside lit up. As if that wasn''t enough, the ninth level lit up too.


    Everyone stood frozen, jaws dropped. Even his Uncle Monk, usually calm andposed, stared in disbelief. The Saint who had weed them earlier stood motionless, eyes fixed on the pir now glowing with golden light.


    Suddenly, the sky began to darken. Thick clouds swirled overhead as the rumble of thunder echoed through the heavens. The tension grew, and everyone looked up in fear, sensing something extraordinary about to happen.


    All over Hammon City, people stopped in their tracks, staring at the sky. Even those far from the testing grounds turned their gaze toward the dark clouds forming above them.


    Then, the pir began to hum, its vibrations growing stronger with each passing second. Suddenly, the tenth and final level of the pir lit up, glowing in a brilliant violet-gold hue.


    As soon as it did, a beam of light shot from the top of the pir, piercing the sky. The entire area was bathed in its radiance, casting a golden glow across the city.


    Gasps and whispers filled the air. No one had ever seen the tenth level light up before. It was an achievement beyond anyone''s wildest dreams.


    "What¡­ is this?" someone murmured from the crowd, eyes wide with amazement.


    Fruity, still standing in the strange ce, felt the power within him growing stronger by the second. He could barelyprehend what was happening, but his body hummed with newfound energy. He felt connected to the very fabric of the world around him, as though he had be one with the universe.


    Suddenly, the space cracked and seven figures walked through. Immediately they appeared, Everyone watching bowed.

 Chapter 138: Ten Thousand Lightning Valley

    "Sovereigns," Aurelia whispered, her eyes wide as she looked up at the seven figures that appeared through the crack in space. Each figure radiated an aura of grace and strength, their presence overwhelming andmanding.


    The moment they appeared, everyone in the crowd bowed deeply. Even the Saint, who usually stood tall andposed, lowered himself in respect.


    "Greetings to the Seven Elders of Ten Thousand Lightning Valley. What brings you here today?" he asked, his voice steady but filled with underlying tension. Of course, he knew why they hade, but out of formality, he had to ask.


    The Seven Elders didn''t respond. Instead, their eyes shifted toward Fruity, who still had his hand resting on the pir. Their expressions remained unreadable, but the intensity of their gaze spoke volumes.


    At that very moment, the dark clouds above parted, and the light from the pir began to fade. As the glow dimmed, Fruity opened his eyes, his appearance subtly different. His features had be more refined, and there was a newfound charm in his expression, almost as if he had undergone a transformation.


    For a brief moment, Fruity stood still, looking more mature and serious than ever before. But just as quickly, his familiar cheerful grin returned. "Aurelia, I was awesome, right?" he asked with a beaming smile, his carefree tone returning.


    Aurelia''s heart skipped a beat. She forced a smile, trying to keep herposure.


    "You were awesome, Fruity," she replied, though her voice trembled slightly. Deep inside, she felt something strange stirring within her, an emotion she couldn''t quite ce.


    ''Is this what my sister called butterflies in the stomach?'' she wondered, her thoughts swirling. She nced at Fruity again.


    All around, people were staring at Fruity in disbelief, their expressions filled with confusion and curiosity. Even the Seven Elders, who rarely showed emotion, seemed intrigued by the young monk''s casual demeanor.


    Suddenly, one of the elders, a man with a long white beard and eyes like lightning, spoke up. "Little Monk, what is your name?"


    "Fruity," he replied cheerfully, without a hint of hesitation.


    The elder blinked, then nodded slowly. "Well, Fruity, do you want to join the Ten Thousand Lightning Valley?" he asked, his tone serious.


    Without missing a beat, Fruity replied, "Nope."


    The elder looked taken aback, his eyes widening. "What?" he eximed, clearly shocked by the unexpected answer. "Do you understand the offer you''ve just refused?" His voice grew firmer, the weight of his words hanging in the air.


    Fruity shrugged,pletely unfazed. "I don''t know, and I don''t care," he said with a carefree grin. "I''m a monk. I prefer to stay a monk. You know, inner peace and all that." He smiled again as if this was the most natural decision in the world,pletely oblivious to the strange looks now stered on the faces of the elders and everyone else around him.


    The elder, clearly unsettled by Fruity''s nonchnce, furrowed his brow. "You''re turning down a chance to join one of the greatest powers in the world, and you''re not even interested?"


    Fruity nodded, still smiling. "Exactly! I like being a monk. Simple life, simple goals. It''s peaceful. Besides," he added with a wink, "all that lightning stuff seems like a lot of noise."


    The crowd, which had been holding its breath, suddenly erupted into whispers. No one could believe what they had just heard. To reject an offer from the Ten Thousand Lightning Valley? It was unthinkable!


    Did he just call the infamous Ten Thousand Lightning Valley a bunch of noisemakers? That was bold. Everyone could feel the anger simmering in the elders.


    "Little one, you should reconsider your decision. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," one of the elders said, trying to keep his voice calm, though barely managing to hide his frustration.


    "I''ve already thought about it, Grandpa," Fruity replied with a calm smile. "I want to stay a monk. This way, I won''t have to live up to anyone''s expectations. I like my peaceful life and enjoy ying with my Uncle Monks. They are the best," he added, ncing in his uncle''s direction.


    Although his uncle taught him about inner peace, letting go of pride, and not seeking recognition, Fruity''s words warmed his heart. A small, rare smile appeared on his lips. This mischievous little monk had finally shown some appreciation for all the years of trouble he had put them through.


    "That will be all, Grandpas," Fruity continued. "But if you need to fill a quota, I can rmend some great candidates. They''d fit right into your Valley."


    What the seven elders didn''t realize was that Fruity had already been warned not to join the Valley by his Grandmaster Monk.


    Hammon City is one of the five cities in the Lanky Kingdom. The Lanky Kingdom is one of the seven kingdoms in the Evergreen Empire. However, outside of these kingdoms and beyond the Empire itself, there exists another great power. They are not a kingdom, but their influence spreads far and wide.


    This power isn''t just confined to the first Human Empire¡ªthey are everywhere. This group is called the Ten Thousand Lightning Valley, and they are known for seeking out talented individuals to train and add to their growing army of cultivators.


    People generally avoid antagonizing them because they aren''t subject to any king or emperor''s authority. They are their own independent force, and opposing them is like challenging an empire itself.


    No one wants to get on their bad side. However, that doesn''t mean you have to say yes to everything they offer. Fruity''s decision to reject their invitation was well within his rights. Still, the elders were reluctant to leave him be. After all, for the first time in thousands of years, someone had activated all ten levels of the Awakening Pir.


    That was unheard of, and the Seven Elders were eager to recruit him, hoping it would earn them a favor. Unfortunately for them, Fruity wasn''t your typical candidate.


    "There are consequences for rejecting the Valley, brat," the elder said, his tone growing darker and more menacing. His aura began to leak, and the youngsters nearby shivered as a chilling sensation swept over them, making it feel as if death was creeping closer.


    "Consequences? Tomato, tomato," Fruity replied with a calm but mocking tone. "I don''t know about that, old man. But let me give you a little advice¡ªit''s in your best interest not to push this any further. Trust me, there are things no one wants to see. I may seem weak right now, but turning down your offer today is the best thing that could ever happen to you."


    His usual yful demeanor vanished as he narrowed his eyes at the Sovereign Elders, beings far stronger than him. Fruity was like an ant standing before Titans, but even so, he didn''t back down. His gaze locked with the elders, and for some reason, the elders felt a deep unease¡ªas if death had just written their names on its list.


    Still, the elders are no ordinary people. They are Sovereigns, beings of immense power. A mere awakening from some brat wasn''t going to scare them.


    One of them narrowed his eyes and was about to crush this child with just a little pressure. But just as he was about to exert his strength, the temperature around them dropped dangerously.


    Suddenly, the sky cracked open, and from the split in the heavens, a woman appeared. She looked like she had stepped straight out of a painting, her beauty both mesmerizing and terrifying. Fruity''s stern expression softened, and his eyes widened in surprise and delight as heid eyes on thedy.

 Chapter 139: The Ice Princess Appeared

    From the crack in space, a breathtaking woman stepped out. Her baster skin seemed to glow, and her long blue hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her slender legs and hourss figure were highlighted by a stunning whitish-blue gown, with a thinyer of white fabric elegantly draped around her neck.


    Her blue eyes were captivating, and her lips¡ªfull and inviting¡ªseemed to silentlymand attention. Even her chest area, which was perfectly proportioned, added to her overall grace and allure. Fruity, who was usually calm andposed, suddenly felt his heart racing uncontrobly, something he hadn''t experienced before.


    ''She''s beautiful,'' he thought, but on the outside, he kept his expression neutral, showing no hint of what was going through his mind.


    "I believe ''no'' means ''no,'' Elders. Don''t you agree?" the woman said as she descended gracefully from the heavens. Her voice was as icy as it was calming, an enchanting blend of authority and serenity.


    The moment her feet touched the ground, the earth beneath her froze, spreading out into a stunning carpet of ice. She cast a calm nce over at Fruity, who met her gaze with a neutral expression.


    It was finally happening. The Ice Princess he had dreamed of since he was ten was standing right in front of him.


    "Ice Princess, with all due respect, this is a matter for the Ten Thousand Lightning Valley. I must ask you not to interfere," one of the elders said, trying to maintain his authority.


    "Interfere? I''m not interfering. I''m simply here, just like all of you," she replied with an icy, yetposed, tone. She then turned her attention to Fruity.


    "Little brother, what is your name?" she asked.


    "Fruity," he answered, offering a small smile.


    "Fruity? What a delightful name," the Ice Princess said, her smile warming her otherwise frosty demeanor.


    "Tell me, Little Brother Fruity, do you want to join the Ice Pce?" the Ice Princess asked.


    Fruity hesitated for a moment, turning to nce at his Uncle Monk. Although his uncle didn''t say a word, Fruity could read his silent approval.


    "Yes, I would like to join," Fruity said with a bright smile. ''One step closer to getting closer to you,'' he thought inwardly.


    "Well, that settles it. Fruity is now a potential candidate for the Ice Pce. I trust the Valley won''t try to steal such a promising candidate," the Ice Princess dered, her gaze fixed on the seven elders.


    The elders clenched their fists in frustration. This situation was unprecedented for them. Their usual method was to show up, make an offer, and then take their chosen candidate. They had never faced a scenario like this before and were unsure how to counter it. Finally, one of them spoke up.


    "The Ice Pce is known to only ept Ice Elementalists. He isn''t even an Ice wielder. How can he join the Ice Pce?"


    The Ice Princess nced at Fruity and smirked at the elder. "He can always inherit the Ice element if he joins. There''s no need to worry about that," she said, her tone dismissive.


    "Big Sister, there''s no need to worry," Fruity suddenly interjected, addressing the Ice Princess as "Big Sister." The Ice Princess looked at him, curiosity flickering in her eyes. She wanted to ask what he meant, but before she could speak, Fruity extended his hand, and a block of ice materialized in his palm.


    Everyone stared at him in astonishment. But Just as the Ice Princess was about to make a subtle remark to the elders, the ice in Fruity''s hand began to darken. Immediately it appeared, be it the ice princess, the seven elders, the saint, or Fruity''s Uncle, everyone stared in shock.


    "The Annihtion Ice," the Ice Princess said, her eyes widening with surprise as she looked at the darkened ice in Fruity''s hand.


    "Big Sister, is this impressive?" Fruity asked a hint of pride in his voice, however, he didn''t understand where their surprise wasing from.


    "Put that away!" the Ice Princess said sharply, making Fruity panic. He quickly withdrew the ice he had conjured.


    At that moment, space cracked open, and the seven Elders vanished into the rift. The Ice Princess seemed poised to take action, but just as she moved, she halted. Turning back to Fruity, she said, "Little brother, do you have time to talk? Your uncle and friend can join us."


    In an instant, Fruity, Aurelia, and Uncle Monk disappeared from their location and reappeared in a room that resembled an inn. They quickly gathered around a table.


    "Little sister," the Ice Princess began, addressing Aurelia rather than addressing Fruity''s immediate concerns, "do you want to join the Ice Pce?"


    Aurelia nodded enthusiastically.


    "Excellent! Not only have I found someone with Annihtion Ice, but also someone with a rare ice constitution. This is wonderful," the Ice Princess eximed with a broad smile.


    "Big sister, why are we here?" Fruity asked, confused by the sudden shift from the awakening tower to this new setting.


    "Little brother," the Ice Princess replied coldly, "would you believe me if I told you that everyone wants to kill you?"


    "What?" Fruity, his uncle, and Aurelia eximed in shock.


    The room fell silent after the Ice Princess''s shocking statement. Fruity''s eyes widened, and he looked at Aurelia and Uncle Monk, searching for any sign that this might be a joke.


    Aurelia''s face was pale, and she looked troubled. Uncle Monk''s brow furrowed as he stared at the Ice Princess, trying to understand the situation.


    "Why would everyone want to kill me?" Fruity finally managed to ask, his voice trembling.


    "You, Fruity, have just awakened an Ice that shouldn''t exist," the Ice Princess said. "Annihtion Ice is a forbidden ice constitution. It appeared only once many eons ago. I don''t know much about it, but from what I''ve read in the Pce scriptures, Annihtion Ice is one of the Seven forbidden ice constitutions in the world."


    She paused, letting her words sink in. "When I say ''forbidden,'' it doesn''t mean no one can awaken it. It''s rare, but people have awakened it before. However, they didn''t live long enough to use it. They were killed before they could grow stronger. So when I say you are in danger, I mean it.


    People will want to kill you."


    Fruity''s heart pounded in his chest. "You''re saying I''m a target?"


    The Ice Princess nodded. "Yes, that''s exactly what I''m saying. You shouldn''t even trust me. I might be one of those people who could harm you."


    Fruity felt a mix of fear and confusion. He nced at Aurelia and Uncle Monk, hoping for some reassurance. Aurelia looked as if she was trying to process the gravity of the situation. Uncle Monk''s face was serious, reflecting the concern he felt for Fruity.


    "Is there any way to protect myself?" Fruity asked, trying to find a way out of this predicament.


    The Ice Princess leaned forward, her eyes sharp. "There are ways, but they require powerful allies and knowledge. I can help you, but you must be cautious and trust no one easily."


    Fruity took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "What should I do next?"


    "For now, go back with your uncle and try your best to grow stronger and faster. I have already taken care of the Seven Elders and wiped everyone who witnessed your awakening memory. Nobody will remember you. No one aside Me, your uncle, and Aurelia here"


    "Big sister, please wipe my memory" The Ice Princess wasn''t even done speaking when Aurelia spoke making Fruity frown.

 Chapter 140: Our peaceful days are over

    "Aurelia, what do you mean by ''wipe your memory''? You will forget about me?" Fruity asked, looking at the youngdy beside him.


    Aurelia gave him aplicated smile and replied, "I know, Fruity. But I can''t be the reason peoplee after you. If I know about your ice, it only makes it more dangerous for you."


    "But you will forget about me. You''re my only friend," Fruity said, his voice tinged with sadness.


    "And you are my only friend too," Aurelia said, tears welling up in her eyes. "But I can''t let my presence put you in danger. I have to let go of the small memories we have. I can''t risk your life for my own unwillingness to forget."


    The Ice Princess spoke up, "Aurelia is right, Fruity. She needs to forget. But don''t worry. I will take her to the Ice Pce. Once you''re strong enough, you cane search for her. For now, you should return to the monastery.


    It''s the best ce for you to hide and grow stronger."


    Fruity looked troubled. "But how can you help me? You don''t even know me."


    The Ice Princess nodded, understanding his concern. "I know it''s hard to trust me, but I will do my best. I can cover your tracks and protect you for now. I can''t promise everything will be perfect, but I will try my hardest to help you."


    Fruity felt a mix of frustration and gratitude. He knew the Ice Princess was trying to help, but the uncertainty of his situation weighed heavily on him. He nced at Aurelia, who gave him a final, tearful smile.


    "Thank you," Fruity said quietly. "I appreciate everything you''re doing."


    Aurelia nodded, her expression resolute despite her tears. "Stay safe, Fruity. And remember, you are not alone. We will find a way to be together again."


    The Ice Princess and Aurelia vanished from the room, leaving only Fruity and his uncle behind. Fruity looked at his uncle and sighed deeply. His peaceful days were clearly over. "Let''s go, Uncle," he said. Together, they left and headed back to the monastery.


    Far from Hammon City, the Ice Princess stood atop an ice mountain, gazing at a girl before her. Suddenly, an icy mist swirled around Aurelia. When the mist cleared, apletely different person stood in her ce. She looked almost identical to the Ice Princess but had silver hair and a natural charm that made her seem more in tune with nature.


    "Sister, do you think he will be alright?" the Ice Princess asked, her voice tinged with concern.


    The woman, now looking like a more mature version of Aurelia, responded calmly. "He will be fine. You and I both know he''s not as simple as he seemed. He just needs a few years to grow, and everything will be fine."


    She noticed the worried look on her sister''s face and added with a gentle smile, "You know you can''t tell him everything right now. He has to figure things out on his own."


    The Ice Princess nodded slowly. "I know, sister. It''s just that when I saw him, he was so happy and full of life. Now, he looks like the weight of the world is pressing down on him."


    Aurelia, now in her mature form, reassured her. "Don''t worry, Tasha. He will be fine. For now, we need to ensure that no one discovers him. After all, he hasn''t just awakened Annihtion Ice. He has also awakened Chaos Ice and Devouring Ice.


    The world is about to be chaotic, and we need to be prepared."


    "What?" The Ice Princess eximed, but her shout was cut off by the sudden shattering of space. The two women vanished into the void.


    Back at the monastery, Fruity stood before six imposing figures, each radiating a terrifying presence. The room was thick with tension.


    "So you''re saying he has awakened Annihtion Ice?" one of the ancient monks asked. Uncle Monk nodded in response.


    "Good. This is good," the ancient monk said with a smile, and the others followed suit, their expressions showing approval. Fruity was taken aback by their reaction.


    "Grandpa, why is this good? People will literallye after me. They will try to kill me just for possessing this ice. How can this be good for me?" Fruity asked, his voice filled with confusion and fear.


    The ancient monks exchanged nces before one of them spoke. "What you have awakened is incredibly rare and powerful. While it does put you at great risk, it also marks you as someone of immense potential. The power within you could turn the tide of many conflicts and bring great change. It is a double-edged sword, but it is a significant strength."


    Fruity struggled to see the positive side of the situation. "But how can I protect myself from those who will want to harm me?"


    The ancient monk nodded thoughtfully. "That is why we are here. We will help you train and prepare. Your journey will be difficult, but with our guidance, you can learn to control and harness your powers."


    Fruity studied the monks for a while as if trying to gauge whether he could trust them. After a moment, he sighed and extended his hand. Dark ice, red ice, and dark gold ice materialized in the air, shimmering with a powerful aura.


    The monks'' eyes widened in shock as they saw the three types of ice. Their jaws dropped in disbelief.


    "Annihtion Ice, Chaos Ice, and Devouring Ice," one of the ancient monks said, his voice trembling.


    Fruity looked at them, confused. "Grandpa Monk, what are these types of ice?"


    The ancient monk took a deep breath to steady himself. "Each of these ice types is incredibly rare and dangerous. They represent different aspects of the Ice element."


    He pointed to the dark ice. "This is Annihtion Ice. It can erase anything it touches, reducing it to nothingness. It is one of the most feared types of ice because of its destructive nature."


    Next, he gestured to the red ice. "This is Chaos Ice. It causes instability and disorder. It can disrupt the bnce of elements and create chaos wherever it is used."


    Finally, he indicated the dark gold ice. "This is Devouring Ice. It consumes and absorbs other energies, growing stronger with each thing it devours. It is nearly impossible to stop once it starts feeding."


    Fruity listened carefully, absorbing the information. "So, each type of ice has its own unique power. Why are they so dangerous?"


    The ancient monk nodded. "These ice types are dangerous because they can cause great harm if not controlled properly. They have the potential to change the world in significant ways, which is why they are so feared and sought after."


    "I see," Fruity said. "So, they are afraid I might be too powerful in the future and can''t be stopped." Grandpa Monk nodded in agreement.


    "I understand," Fruity continued, his voice calm but carrying a note of resignation. "I will train and be stronger." His usual lively demeanor was gone, reced by a more mature and somber attitude.


    Grandpa Monk looked at him with a heavy heart. He turned to Fruity''s Uncle Monk. "Take him to the Soul Temple and let him select any skill or technique he wants. After that, take him to the Immortal Cave."


    He then addressed Fruity directly. "Use whatever resources you need to grow stronger. Your life is in your own hands now. As for us old fossils, we will stay here and stand guard."


    Fruity nodded, epting the responsibility. He left with his Uncle Monk, heading toward the Soul Temple. There was nothing he could do now but train and grow stronger.


    Once they were gone, one of the ancient monks turned to the Grandmaster Monk. "Activate the formation and get everyone ready. Our peaceful days are over."

 Chapter 141: Nine Divine Soul Bead Art

    Fruity and his Uncle Monk walked in silence toward the northern part of the monastery. This was where the training area was located¡ªthe most secure part of the monastery. The quiet between them felt heavy, each step filled with unspoken thoughts.


    As they reached the edge of the training grounds, Fruity couldn''t hold back his worry any longer. "Uncle, do you think my presence here will put the monastery in danger?" He already knew the answer deep down, but he didn''t want to admit it.


    Uncle Monk paused for a moment before replying, his voice calm but firm. "No, Fruity. You are part of this monastery. This is your home. No matter what happens, your uncles and everyone here will protect you. You just need to grow stronger and show the world you fear no one."


    Fruity nodded, though the knot in his stomach tightened. His uncle was trying tofort him, but Fruity knew the truth. The monastery was on the brink of being dragged into something dangerous, all because of him.


    "Thank you, Uncle," Fruity said softly. He felt a mix of gratitude and guilt. The monastery could have easily sent him away, distancing themselves from whatever trouble wasing his way. But they didn''t. They chose to stand by him, even knowing the risks.


    As they walked further into the training area, Fruity clenched his fists. He had to be stronger, and fast. He couldn''t let his uncles sacrifice their safety for him without doing his part. He couldn''t allow himself to be the reason they faced danger.


    The weight of responsibility pressed on him. Every step he took from now on had to be toward growth, toward bing someone capable of protecting not just himself but those he cared about.


    Uncle Monk nced at Fruity, sensing the storm of thoughts inside him. "Don''t carry this burden alone, Fruity. We''re all in this together."


    Fruity gave a small smile, though his heart was still heavy. He appreciated his uncle''s words, but he knew he couldn''t rely on others forever. He had to step up.


    After passing the training ground, the Soul Temple came into view. It was a grand, majestic structure, standing proudly at the heart of the monastery. This temple housed all the most advanced techniques and skills that the monastery had umted over centuries.


    Uncle Monk stopped and turned to Fruity. "Fruity, you need to choose the best technique that suits your abilities," he said. "Inside are powerful defensive and offensive skills, but remember, everyone has something unique that sets them apart from others. It''s the same with techniques¡ªsome things can''t be learned unless you''re meant for them."


    Fruity listened carefully as his uncle continued. "What I''m trying to say is, don''t choose a technique just because of the trouble you''re facing. Rx and look for something that fits you. Some believe that when the right technique appears, you''ll know it instantly."


    The idea of picking a technique overwhelmed Fruity a bit, but he knew this was an important step. His future strength depended on it.


    "Take your time," Uncle Monk added. "Go through the scrolls and see what calls out to you. Once you''ve made your choice, I''ll take you to the Immortal Cave. The Spiritual Qi there is denser and more concentrated. It will help you cultivate faster."


    Fruity nodded, understanding the weight of this decision. Since his uncle could not enter, he approached the entrance, Fruity felt a strange energy emanating from the temple. It was as if the techniques themselves were alive, waiting to be chosen by the right person.


    He took a deep breath. "Thank you, Uncle. I''ll choose wisely," he promised.


    Uncle Monk smiled warmly. "I know you will. Trust your instincts, Fruity. They''ve never led you astray."


    As soon as Fruity stepped inside the building, he felt like he had entered another dimension. The air was different, heavier yet filled with an almost ethereal energy. The space seemed vast and endless, yet when he looked around, he noticed something surprising¡ªthere were fewer than a hundred scrolls and tomes scattered around the room.


    "I guess Uncle wasn''t exaggerating when he said I should look through them all," Fruity muttered, scanning the room. "There are fewer than I expected."


    He began walking slowly, wanting to see the techniques first and hoping to feel some sort of connection. His eyesnded on a scroll, and curiosity got the better of him. He opened it and read the title aloud.


    "Astra Projection Art." The moment he gazed at the scroll, something unexpected happened. A strange sensation filled his mind. "Huh, I... I learned it. But how?"


    He had merely nced at the content, which was written in a series of diagrams, and yet he could now recall everything perfectly as if it had been embedded into his mind.


    "Does this mean I can learn any skill or technique just by looking at it?" Fruity whispered, his mind racing with disbelief. The information had appeared in his head without any effort, as though he had spent weeks studying it.


    "Maybe it''s just this one," he thought, still baffled. He put down the Astra Projection scroll and moved to the next one.


    "Divine Ascension: 419 Strikes," he read aloud. As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire technique materialized in his mind, just like before.


    "Well, this is weird," Fruity muttered, though he couldn''t help but smile. The situation was strange, but the potential was thrilling. "It won''t hurt to learn them all, I guess."


    He nced around the room again, counting about 73 scrolls and 14 tomes in total. His heart raced with excitement. If simply looking at these techniques allowed him to memorize them, why not learn everything? It was an opportunity too good to pass up.


    Without hesitation, Fruity walked from scroll to scroll, tome to tome. Each time he opened one, the content would immediately flood into his mind. Defense techniques, offensive arts, even rare and forbidden skills¡ªeverything was now at his fingertips.


    As he absorbed the knowledge, Fruity felt an overwhelming sense of power growing inside him. It was as if the techniques weren''t just being memorized¡ªthey were bing a part of him.


    After a while, Fruity stood still, his mind buzzing with countless techniques and strategies. He had learned them all, effortlessly.


    "This... this is unbelievable," Fruity said to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. He wasn''t sure what this strange ability was or why it worked, but he couldn''t deny its power.


    Just like that, Fruity had learned all the techniques the Monastery had gathered over centuries, possibly even millennia. "I''m sorry, Uncles, but I couldn''t stop my brain from working," he said, feeling guilty for absorbing all the skills and knowledge so quickly.


    "Well, I guess there''s no special technique here for me," Fruity muttered, disappointed. The connection his uncle had spoken of didn''t happen to him. He had already learned everything the Monastery had to offer, but the unique technique meant just for him still hadn''t appeared. With a sigh, he turned and started to leave the building.


    As he approached the exit, something caught his eye. The door he had walked through earlier, which had closed behind him, now seemed different. He had been so focused on the strange space inside that he hadn''t looked back to check the door like most people would.


    Now, as he looked more closely, he noticed intricate drawings of diagrams and runes etched into the door. Above them was a title written in strange, glowing runes.


    "Nine Divine Soul Bead Art," Fruity whispered as he read the name aloud.

 Chapter 142: Strange Place

    "Nine Divine Soul Bead Art," Fruity whispered as he read the name aloud. He didn''t even need a second to look at the runic inscriptions, he immediately knew the meaning so he spoke the name.


    The moment he said the words, the runes on the door began to light up, pulsing with energy. A low hum filled the air, and Fruity immediately felt a strange sensation in his chest as if something was calling out to him.


    Fruity''s heart raced faster as he approached the glowing door. "Is this it? Is this the technique meant for me?" he thought, moving closer. The light intensified, and suddenly, the door swung open again.


    He expected to see the outside of the building, but what greeted him took him by surprise. Instead of the familiar surroundings, he saw a peaceful, evergreen space filled with vibrant flowers, rare nts, and birds flying about. Their soft chirping created a melody that instantly calmed him.


    "What is this ce?" Fruity muttered as he stepped through the doorway. The atmosphere was serene, unlike anything he had ever experienced. He could tell that this ce wasn''t part of the world he hade from. It felt like apletely different ne of existence.


    "Finally, the renegade has appeared." Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.


    Startled, Fruity jerked forward, his heart pounding again. He quickly turned around and saw a bald man sitting under an apple tree, draped in simple monk robes with heavy-looking prayer beads around his neck. The man sat calmly on a prayer mat, his presence powerful yet strangely peaceful.


    "Who are you?" Fruity asked, trying to keep his voice steady, though he couldn''t hide the fear creeping in. The monk''s presence felt overwhelming, like a force of nature.


    The monk smiled gently and gestured to a prayer mat across from him. "Come, sit down, Fruity."


    Fruity hesitated but was too curious to refuse. As he sat down, he couldn''t help but ask, "Grandpa, how do you know my name?" Since the monk hadn''t introduced himself, Fruity gave him the same respectful title he used for the elder monks at the monastery.


    The monk chuckled softly. "Names are easy to know, especially when the heavens have been watching you for a long time."


    Fruity felt a cold chill run down his spine. "The heavens?" he repeated, his voice tinged with sudden wariness. He couldn''t exin it, but hearing that word stirred something deep inside him¡ªan odd mix of anger and sadness.


    It wasn''t something he fully understood, yet the feelings lingered. On the outside, he remained calm, but the monk sitting before him seemed to notice everything, as though he could see straight into Fruity''s soul.


    The monk didn''t mention it. Instead, he asked a simple question, "Fruity, what is it that you want in this life?"


    Fruity blinked, caught off guard. What did he want? The question seemed easy enough, but when he tried to answer, he found himself struggling. A day ago, the answer would have been simple.


    He would have said that he wanted to grow up, eat lots of food, y with his uncles, and maybe when he was strong enough, he''d seek out the Ice Princess, the girl he admired so much. But now, that dream felt distant, almost childish.


    His life had changed in ways he hadn''t expected. He wasn''t just a carefree boy anymore. Now, he was responsible for much more. He needed to be stronger, not to chase after a girl, but to protect himself and those he cared about.


    He had to grow powerful enough to reunite with Aurelia and defend his home when the inevitable dangers arrived.


    "I want to be strong enough to tear down the heavens and protect the ones I love," Fruity said suddenly. The words came out without hesitation, even though he hadn''t nned to say them. They were raw, filled with emotion he didn''t fully understand, but he knew in his heart they were true.


    The monk''s eyes gleamed with understanding as he gazed at Fruity. There was no surprise, only eptance. "A noble desire," he said softly. "But be warned, Fruity, tearing down the heavens is no easy task. It will demand more of you than you can imagine. Strength alone may not be enough."


    Fruity clenched his fists. "I''ll do whatever it takes. I won''t let anyone hurt the people I care about."


    The monk nodded. "Good. Hold on to that resolve. It will guide you in the dark times ahead. But remember, strength isn''t just about power¡ªit''s about the heart, the will to keep going when everything else tells you to stop."


    Fruity sat in silence, absorbing the monk''s words. He wasn''t sure what the future held, but he knew one thing: he couldn''t afford to fail. Too many people were counting on him.


    The monks didn''t show it, but deep down, they were all wary of what was toe. They knew that no amount of training, secrecy, or careful covering of tracks could hide Fruity''s existence forever. He was an oddity, something that didn''t fit the natural order. And the heavens? They wouldn''t allow such an oddity to grow.


    Fruity''s presence was like a crack in their design, something destined to be eradicated.


    After observing Fruity for a while, the Monk spoke "Good. Now remember, you are who you choose to be. Don''t let the rules or expectations of others change who you are meant to be. You are a Paragon, the bane of the heavens. Be one. Be the renegade, the one who defies all norms."


    As the monk''s words echoed in Fruity''s mind, something strange happened. His vision began to darken, and before he could react, everything around him disappeared into ckness. The peaceful evergreen space was gone, and when his sight returned, he found himself standing in an empty, vast expanse. The ce felt hollow and deste, with no light to guide him and no life in sight.


    A shiver ran down his spine. The darkness wasn''t just ack of light¡ªit felt like something more, something pressing against his very soul.


    Then, suddenly, a low, rhythmic chanting filled the air. The sound seemed toe from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The words were strange, foreign, yet they stirred something deep inside Fruity. The chanting grew louder and more intense, and Fruity stood there, frozen in ce as if drawn into a trance.


    As the chanting continued, a sense of unease and wonder washed over him. His heart raced, but at the same time, he felt a strange calm, as though the chanting was meant for him, calling to him. The sound seemed to speak to the deepest parts of his soul, unlocking thoughts and emotions he didn''t know he had.


    He felt entranced, unable to move or look away. Something was happening¡ªsomething beyond his understanding.


    "What... is this ce?" Fruity whispered, his voice swallowed by the vast emptiness around him. But no one answered.


    The chanting intensified, filling his mind with images, symbols, and fragments of something greater. It was as if the very space he stood in was alive, pulsating with an ancient power that was reaching out to him.


    Fruity didn''t know what was happening, however, he soon got the answer. The chanting suddenly stopped and Fruity was left standing inside the Soul Temple. Somehow, he was back there.


    He sighed, but just when he could move, something appeared in his mind, "The Nine Divine Soul Bead Art... It''s the first form" He smiled and then walked out of the Temple with a smile ying on his lips.

 Chapter 143: First Tribulation

    After leaving the Soul Temple, Fruity and his uncle headed toward the Immortal Cave, where Fruity would spend days, weeks, months, and even years training. The cave was special, with a formation that gathered the most concentrated form of spiritual energy in the area. It was the perfect ce for deep cultivation.


    When they arrived, Fruity bid his uncle farewell and stepped inside the cave. He wasted no time and immediately began training, sitting down and using the technique his uncle had taught him. The spiritual Qi in the cave flowed naturally toward him, making it easier for him to focus and gather energy.


    Days turned into weeks as Fruity stayed in the cave, cultivating without stopping. After the first week, he felt his strength gradually increase. By the end of the third week, however, he encountered a problem.


    There was something inside him blocking his progress. He remembered what his uncle had said: this was the barrier to the next realm of cultivation. His uncle had told him that when the time came, all he had to do was gather enough spiritual Qi and attack the barrier.


    Determined, Fruity began to gather more spiritual Qi. The energy swirled around him as he concentrated harder, feeling the pressure build. After hours of intense focus, he felt the barrier starting to weaken under the force of the spiritual energy. Two more hours passed, and he knew it was time. The barrier had weakened enough.


    Fruity struck at it with all his gathered Qi, and suddenly, the barrier shattered. It felt like a new world had opened up to him. His power surged, and he could sense his strength on a whole new level. But at that exact moment, something else happened. He felt the heavens lock onto him, like a heavy weight pressing down on his entire being.


    Startled, Fruity stood up and hurried outside the cave. As soon as he stepped out, he saw the Grandmaster Monk waiting for him, his eyes focused on the sky. Dark clouds were forming, swirling ominously above.


    "Grandmaster, what is happening?" Fruity asked, his voice filled with concern. The pressure from the heavens was growing stronger by the second, and he could feel it tightening around him.


    The Grandmaster Monk turned to Fruity, his face calm but serious. "It seems you''ve attracted a heavenly tribtion," he said. "The heavens have noticed your breakthrough."


    Fruity''s heart raced. He had heard of heavenly tribtions before, but he hadn''t expected one toe so soon. "What should I do?" he asked, feeling the weight of the sky bearing down even more.


    The Grandmaster gazed at the dark clouds, which crackled with energy. "You must face it. Every cultivator who seeks great power must pass the trial of the heavens. Stand firm and don''t let fear control you."


    "Grandmaster, what are you not telling me? I''m not the same carefree brat who used toze around. I know you''re hiding something, so what is it?" Fruity demanded.


    The Grandmaster smiled gently and replied, "It''s not that I''m hiding things. It''s just that to gain heaven''s recognition, you need to form a connection with the naturalws of the world. This usually happens when you''re about to break through to be a Saint."


    He continued, "In other words, having a tribtion while only breaking through to the Ascended stage is unusual. It shouldn''t be happening at this level."


    "So, the heavens want to kill me. How typical of them," Fruity muttered, his resentment towards the heavens growing stronger. It seemed that the more he learned, the angrier he became.


    The Grandmaster looked at Fruity with a conflicted expression. He wanted to say more but held back. Instead, he gazed up at the dark, ominous clouds forming above, his face showing a hint of defeat.


    "You should go over the mountain there," the Grandmaster said, pointing to a mountain peak a few miles away. "It''s a better location for the tribtion."


    Fruity nodded and took off toward the mountain.


    Soon, he stood at the peak, looking small against the backdrop of dark clouds. He looked up defiantly and smirked.


    "Stupid heavens, you want to kill me? Let''s see who''s tougher¡ªthe handsome monk or the spineless heavens that prey on kids like me," Fruity said, his voice filled with defiance.


    "Inner Peace," he chanted, trying to calm himself despite his anger. It was clear that Fruity''s approach was anything but typical for a monk.


    Suddenly, the heavens rumbled, and lightning crackled, ready to strike him. At that same moment, a strange chanting filled the air.


    Fruity quickly formed a hand seal and began chanting in anguage unfamiliar to most. From behind him, arge, mystical bead appeared. It had five faces, each one strange and emotionless at first nce. However, upon closer inspection, the faces seemed to convey subtle, shifting emotions.


    The bead hovered behind Fruity, its presence adding a sense of ancient power and mystery. The heavens roared in response, the clouds swirling more violently. Fruity focused on the bead, readying himself for the trial ahead.


    Suddenly, the heavens roared, and a thick bolt of lightning shot down from the clouds, aiming directly at Fruity. In response, he quickly formed another hand seal, and the bead behind him began to spin, presenting one of its faces forward. From that face, a golden bell emerged, growingrger andrger until it enveloped Fruitypletely.


    The moment the bell covered him, the lightning struck it. A powerful ringing sound filled the air, and instead of just being a noise, the sound rippled through the sky like a sharp cut. The clouds above parted, clearing a section of the sky for a brief moment.


    "What is that?" The Grandmaster, standing far away, muttered in astonishment as he watched the bell.


    The bead, which had beenrge, now shrank but remained hovering behind Fruity, who was safely inside the bell.


    "This shouldn''t be possible," a voice spoke from behind the Grandmaster. The Five Ancient Monks appeared, their eyes fixed on the bead with deep curiosity.


    "Master, do you know what the bead is?" the Grandmaster Monk asked.


    "That is the Pentaface Bead," the Master replied.


    "Pentaface Bead?" The Grandmaster, despite his age and wisdom, looked like a curious child eager to learn more.


    "The Pentaface Bead is an ancient relic," the Master began. "It is said to have originated from five ancient deities¡ªor rather, from five ancient nightmares, if you will. Legend has it that during the Chaos Era, these five Nightmares fought a deity for sixty-six days."


    "No one knows exactly why the battle started, but after those sixty-six days, the five Nightmares were defeated, and the deity who killed them perished as well. After their deaths, a strange bead appeared. Some believe it was the deity transformed into the bead, others think it was his soul."


    He continued, "ording to the legends, the bead contains the souls of the Nightmare of Harrow Sounds and Ring, the Nightmare of Despair, the Nightmare of Starvation, the Nightmare of Anarchy, and the Nightmare of Discord. It''s said that their souls were sucked into the bead, giving it five faces. The bead then vanished, reappearing only once every few million years."


    The Master nced at the bead again. "Although this might just be a projection, I am nearly certain this is the Pentaface Bead. I only saw an image of it once during a ruin exploration, but I recognize it."


    The Grandmaster looked at the bead with renewed awe and concern. "This is bad" He muttered.


    "How is this bad, if anything, this is good. Just look at the person taking the tribtion and tell me if he is having it easy or hard" The Grandpa Monk said.


    Inside the bed, Fruity was chewing something as more and more lightning fell on the bell. "If anything, you should be happy, at least when he grows up, he can protect himself"


    The tribtion went on for about a few more minutes before it ended. It was like the heavens were tired of ringing the bell. After the tribtion, Fruity came down the mountain and met with the Monks who had many questions.

 Chapter 144: Calamity Descent

    After his tribtion and meeting with the Monks, Fruity returned to the cave and began cultivating again. He realized that he faced several limitations during the tribtion.


    Firstly, his spiritual qi was insufficient to sustain the bell for long periods. The bell has two unique abilities. The first was defense, both physical and spiritual. The second was a sonic attack, an offensive skill. However, using these abilities required a lot of strong spiritual qi.


    During his tribtion, he had only used a fraction of the bell''s true power. He needed to grow stronger to expand his soul sea and gain ess to more spiritual qi. He knew his next tribtion would be hard, but he was determined to fix that, gradually.


    Secondly, Fruity felt disconnected from the bead. He knew he should be able to use all five faces of the bead, each representing a unique skill. However, he could only use the [Bell of Harrow] face.


    He tried to connect with the other faces inside the bell, but they didn''t respond. Fruity understood that he needed to be stronger to ess these faces and use their powers effectively. He hoped that by increasing his strength, he could unlock these abilities and turn them to his advantage.


    Fruity learned a few things about the bead from the elders. But when he returned to the cave, one question kept nagging at him: "If the technique I''m using is called the Nine Divine Soul Beads Art, then where are the other eight?"


    It was a question only he could answer. He remembered receiving only the first form of the technique when he emerged from the strange ce. This meant the other eight beads were out there, waiting for him to find them.


    With this thought in mind, Fruity resumed his cultivation. Two monthster, he faced another tribtion as he was breaking through to the Master stage. This tribtion was rtively easy. All he had to do was sit and let the bell handle most of the work. His spiritual qi was what powered the bell, so in a way, he was still in control.


    After the tribtion, Fruity continued his training, spending less time outside. Initially, he would go out to get food, but as his strength grew, he realized that food was bing less important. He dedicated his days, weeks, and months to cultivating.


    Four monthster, he went through another tribtion and reached the Grandmaster level. Despite his efforts, he couldn''t get the other faces of the bead to respond. No matter how hard he tried, they remained unresponsive. His attempts were in vain, and his frustration grew.


    After weeks of failed attempts, Fruity refocused on his training to form his Nexus Core, a crucial step toward bing a Saint. The Monks provided him with additional resources. Without wasting any more time, he set to work on his cultivation.


    Half a yearter, Fruity bridged the gap needed to begin forming his Nexus Core. This was a significant milestone in his journey to greater strength.


    It took Fruity another half-year to form his Nexus Core. The process was so intense and challenging that he began to suspect the heavens might be interfering. ording to the teachings he received from the Monks, the core formation required him to focus on his Spiritual Qi pool, which appeared in his soul sea after breaking through to the Grandmaster stage.


    The goal was to concentrate and condense this Qi pool. While the initial concentration was straightforward, the condensing process was the difficult part. Even the smallest leakage of spiritual qi could have a significant impact on future progress. As a result, most people spent months ensuring that everyst drop was perfectly condensed.


    Fruity faced an extraordinary setback. When it was time to form his Nexus Core, he discovered that his spiritual qi pool was scattered. Instead of being concentrated in one ce, it was divided into nine separate locations. This meant that if he formed the core in one location, the other eight would be wasted.


    Though this was a severe blow, Fruity did not despair. Instead, he embarked on what could only be described as a mad quest. For five months, he painstakingly worked to move the other eight pools into a single location. It was a slow and tedious process, but his determination never wavered. After months of intense effort, he finally seeded.


    With the pools unified, Fruity was able to form his Nexus Core and condense it. Afterward, he faced another tribtion. The tribtion unfolded as it had before Fruity remained inside the bell while tribtion lightning rained down from the heavens. The bell''s sonic attacks, triggered by the lightning strikes, annihted all the lightning beasts that appeared.


    The moment Fruity became a Saint, he felt a new connection to another face on the bead. The first face was the [Bell of Harrows]. The second face was called the [Eye of Despair]. Fruity spent an entire month exploring the three skills associated with the Eye of Despair.


    When activated, arge eye would appear. Simply looking directly at it could plunge someone into despair, especially those with weaker souls and minds.


    The first skill was called [Soul Gaze]. When activated, the eye opened sinisterly. Gazing into it could cause the soul of those with weaker wills to shudder or even injure their soul. The severity of the effect grew as the skill''s owner became stronger.


    The second skill was [Eye of Malevolence]. When activated, tiny eyes appeared within therger eye, and a haunting hum emanated from them. This hum could cause intense mental torture, breaking down the target''s mind.


    The third skill was [Soul Beam]. Fruity needed to concentrate his spiritual qi into the Eye of Despair and shoot it forward with deadly intent.


    This skill was quite dangerous. On arge battlefield, the beam could affect the souls of allies as well as enemies, unlike Soul Gaze and Eye of Malevolence, which targeted one person or a small group.


    Despite its risks, Fruity sensed that as he grew stronger, he could gain control over the Soul Beam. It was a terrifying skill, but if used correctly, it could be nearly impossible for even stronger opponents to defend against. After all, it was a soul attack.


    After mastering the second face of the skill, Fruity continued his cultivation. He remained vignt, always on the lookout for danger. He had sensed that the Monastery had been restless for a few months, but the Monks reassured him, telling him not to worry and to focus on his cultivation.


    Because of that, he went on and started cultivating even more intensely. Months passed and before long, he had spent two years just cultivating from Awakened to Saint and now nearing the Sage stage.


    However, exactly two years after he started cultivating, the heavens darkened ominously. On that fateful day, the Monastery was surrounded. Powerful figures emerged from the space cracks that had been appearing around the Monastery.


    The Monastery went on high alert. There was no despair among the Monks; they had been anticipating this day for a long time, and now it had finally arrived.


    "Monks, surrender the Forbidden Ice Wielder," a voice boomed, "and this Monastery will live to see another day."

 Chapter 145: Waking Up To A Room Full Of Damsels

    On arge bed big enough to fit a dozen adults with space left over to amodate even more, a young man with skin so pale that white seemed dark byparison was sleeping peacefully. His head rested on a broad, softp. A bandage was wrapped around his chest as if holding something to a wound.


    On one side of him sat a silver-haired youngdy, her face streaked with tear marks. It was clear she''d been crying for a long time. On the other side, a dark-haired youngdy clutching one of the young man''s arms, her own tears still flowing''


    Just below the bed, another stunningdy sat with her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her face, too, was marked by tears. However, she looks calmer and more straight-headed.


    The room was filled with people¡ªmostly women, but some dudes as well. What are they even doing there? It would have been great if only thedies were there. Either way, they were present. They all looked sad, but none of them had any tear marks, they are dudes after all. Their attention was fixed on the pale young man lying on the bed.


    Suddenly, color began to return to the pale face of the young man. Everyone noticed right away. How could they not? They had been watching so closely that even a fly wouldn''t have escaped their gaze.


    "Ugh, that bastard got me good," the young man muttered as he slowly opened his eyes.


    "us!"


    Everyone shouted his name in unison, their voices feeling the room. Maybe they were a little too excited, their voices practically overwhelming him.


    "Jeez, people, my head''s splitting here," us groaned. At that moment, he felt something wet drip onto his face. He opened his eyes a little more and found himself staring at a woman so stunning she could be called the most beautiful in the cosmos.


    "Mom?" us asked, confused. But no¡ªthis wasn''t his mother or more like this wasn''t the mother he remembered. This woman was too breathtaking, with her round face, long violet hair, and puppy-like eyes. He reached up with his left hand to gently wipe away her flowing tears, but he underestimated the sorrow of women.


    He nced to his right and saw Ohema, her tears pouring out just as much. On his left, Lucy''s eyes were also wide open and flooded. Across the room, Hanna, Anna, Lily, Nia, and Asha were all crying. Even the emotionless War Goddess was wiping away tears.


    "Danny, not you too," us said, looking over at his male friends. Sure enough, Danny, the big softy, was bawling. The others weren''t much better, though they were trying to be a little more discreet.


    The room was filled with sorrow, and us, the cause of it all,y there helpless. He had no way to console them, especially his mother. He justy there, waiting for something to happen.


    Suddenly, he felt a soft, warm hand gently cup his cheek. "My baby," his mother said, her voice breaking.


    Hearing her broken tone, us felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He had made his mother worry, worry too much. He had caused her to cry so long that her voice seemed to be lost in her sorrow. He had always vowed never to make her worry, to ensure she always had a smile on her face. But now, the same woman who had always been his pir of strength was crying.


    Seeing his mother like this was unbearable. It broke his heart into a million fragments. He wanted tofort her, to tell her it would be okay, but the weight of his own guilt and pain kept him rooted to the bed. The room''s sadness seemed to press down on him, making it harder to breathe.


    His mother''s tears fell onto his face. us reached up weakly, trying to brush them away, but his strength was insufficient. He wanted to speak, to reassure her, but the words caught in his throat.


    "Fuck, I''m going to kill a lot of people," us said suddenly, clenching his fist. Well, at least he tried to, but he ended up instinctively using his left hand. He regretted it almost immediately.


    "Fuck, that hurts," us muttered, wincing in pain.


    "You shouldn''t move," his mother''s voice came through a bit more lively this time.


    "Okay, Mom," us replied, sounding like a good child. He waited to hear from her again and like he had expected, his mom spoke,


    "Are you okay?" she asked softly, brushing his hair back.


    "I am, Mom," us answered, trying to sound reassuring.


    "Good," she said, but her eyes told a different story. He could see the worry still lingering, the pain she was trying to hide.


    "Mom... I''m sorry," us managed to say, looking into her eyes. That was all he could muster. He had died¡ªor nearly died¡ªand the thought of what his mother must have gone through was too painful to dwell on. Just imagining her fear and sorrow was more than he could bear.


    "Oh, my baby," his mother whispered, still brushing his hair. "You''re here, and that''s all that matters." Though her words were meant to beforting, her tears wouldn''t stop. They flowed like rain, evidence of the torment she''d endured. She had almost lost her precious son.


    Now that he was awake, she didn''t want to let go. us, for his part, didn''t want to move either. Herp was asforting as it was warm, and he felt safe there.


    "us," Lucy finally spoke, her voice soft but filled with emotion. She gently squeezed his hand, holding onto him as if afraid to let go.


    "I''m sorry, Lucy. I made you worry," us said gently. His eyes shifted toward Ohema, who seemed to be recovering from her own tears. "You shouldn''t cry so much, Ohema. You look even more beautiful when you cry, and I don''t want these dudes getting any funny ideas," he added with a teasing smile.


    That brought small smiles to the faces in the room. The tension lifted slightly, and it seemed the person they had all been crying for was truly back, awake, and healthy, well, trying to look healthy.


    "Hmm, I guess me nearly dying brought out some hidden personalities," us said with a yful grin. "Who would''ve thought the almighty War Goddess is such a big softy?" He looked toward Miriam, the War Goddess, who was still wiping away her tears.


    Miriam shot him a half-hearted re, but there was a warmth behind her eyes that hadn''t been there before. Even there was a slight pink on her cheek.


    "us, you shouldn''t tease her like that," his mother said, pulling his ear gently.


    "Mom, you look... different," us said, squinting at her with a yful, narrowed gaze.


    "Brat, you''re not getting any funny ideas, are you? Your girlfriends are here," his mother replied, sensing her no-good son was about to say something shameless. She tried to use his girlfriends as a shield, but who was us, if not a wild spirit?


    "Nothing shameless, Mom," us said, closing his eyes as if preparing for what was toe. "I just thought it''d be nice if you were actually my stepmother, that''s all."


    He barely finished his sentence before he braced himself. As expected, his ear was twisted, his thigh pinched, and his left shoulder grabbed¡ªhis mother, Lucy, and Ohema had ganged up on him.


    Despite the pain already coursing through his body, us could only endure their yful assault, wincing but smiling through it. Even with the teasing and the pain, there wasfort in knowing he was surrounded by people who cared so deeply for him.


    "Seriously, why are you guys here, wouldn''t it be nice if I only woke up to a room full of damsels," us said narrowing his eyes yfully at his male friend. They could onlyugh knowing that their friend was back from the dead and the same as before.

 Chapter 146: Catching Up

    "Take it easy, us," Ohema said as she helped him sit up. Despite his lovers surrounding him, us leaned back into his mother''s embrace, resting his head on her chest like a child seekingfort. He felt safe there, cradled in her warmth.


    His two girlfriends could only shake their heads at his antics. They knew how much us loved his mother, so there was no need for jealousy. His bond with her was something they respected, even if it made him a bit of a "Mommy''s boy."


    "So... what happened?" us suddenly asked, breaking the silence.


    Everyone had expected this question, but when he asked it, they all exchanged nces, unsure of who should answer. Eventually, all eyes settled on one person¡ªMiriam, who had been sitting quietly at the base of the bed.


    Miriam sighed, clearly not keen on softening the truth. "The Dark Order tried to assassinate you, us," she said bluntly.


    "The Dark Order?" us repeated, his brow furrowing. The name wasn''t unfamiliar, but hearing it in this context left a bitter taste in his mouth.


    "They are a mysterious organization. Some kind of assassination group that no one knows where theye from or where they are based. They operate through the dark web, so with the right connections, they can be hired for a task."


    "You seemed to have been their target two months ago. Fortunately, you didn''t die. To the rest of the world, you are dead, but only we know you''re still alive. If it were up to me, you''d have been buried deep underground by now, since technically, you''ve been dead for the past 72 days."


    "What? Seventy-two days?" us was taken aback.


    "Yes, you''ve been dead for 72 days. Thankfully, your dear mother didn''t want to let go, and your girlfriends felt the same. So here you are, alive, I guess," Miriam said, a sad look in her eyes.


    To an outsider, it might seem like she was disappointed us was still alive. But us knew she felt guilty. She had been right there and could have stopped the arrow from piercing him. But due to her exhausted state at the time, she was a step toote.


    "Big sister, it''s not your fault. I''m fine now. So instead of feeling guilty, can you tell me everything you know about the Dark Order?"


    Miriam took a deep breath and began, "Nobody can say who they are, where theye from, or even if they are human. From what I know, they are so secretive that they don''t even reveal themselves when they kill. They prefer to stay hidden and strike silently."


    "This was the first time they killed someone in public," she continued. "Normally, they would have assassinated you in secret. But in this case, they chose a public spectacle. And it worked to their advantage."


    "By killing you openly, their fame skyrocketed. They''re known for one thing: they never miss their target. Killing you was their way of demonstrating to the world that the Dark Order is still very much alive."


    "However, they don''t just pick random targets. Someone must have hired them, and they simply took the job. For them, it''s all business. Like I said, no one really knows anything about them," Miriam finished her vague exnation, full of hints butcking real answers.


    "I see, I guess they took a swing and missed," us muttered.


    "So, what are you going to do? You should know your rowdy uncles have been causing troubletely," Miriam said.


    "That''s expected. But what have they been up to these past months?" us smiled faintly. He knew his uncles wouldn''t sit idle. Those brutes are a few screws loose.


    "They''ve tried all sorts of methods to track down the Dark Order, but nothing seems to work. They aren''t giving up, though. Just three days ago, they destroyed a small team of Saints who were bad-mouthing you. You should probably let them know you''re okay now," Miriam added with a strange look.


    It seemed like people were pressuring her to keep the five uncles in check. us could only nod. He then turned toward his mother. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds before muttering softly, "I love you, Mom."


    His mind drifted back to the memories of when she didn''t hesitate to sacrifice herself for him. It was the most painful experience of his life. Looking at her now, he didn''t know what he would do if she ever did something like that again.


    His mother gently brushed his hair back. "I love you too, my baby. Just stay like this for a while, please," she said. She could tell us wasn''t going to take the assassination attempt lying down. She wanted to keep him close, even if only for a little while.


    "I''m not going anywhere, Mom. After all, I''ve got to enjoy every bit of your body before I head back into the wild," us grinned mischievously.


    "You brat, I''m your mother!" she scolded, twisting his ears.


    "Mother with a sinful body!" us yelped,ughing. "I''m going to kill anyone who looks at you weird. This body is only for me to admire!" He nced at his male friends, who quickly looked away, causing him to smile.


    Ohema gave him a silent thumbs-up. No one needed to tell us that his mother had gone through a lot while he was unconscious. The changes in her were likely her way of coping, making sure us woke up happy. And it worked¡ªmaybe a little too well.


    "You brat!" us felt his head hit the pillow as his mother rushed out of the room.


    "You really shouldn''t tease her too much, us," Ohema said, taking his mother''s spot by his side.


    "What happened? She seems different. And when did she be an Ascended?" us asked. Lucy and Ohema exchanged nces before Lucy spoke.


    "us, don''t tease her too much. After your incident, your mother couldn''t handle it. She fainted for a whole week."


    us''s heart shook at the thought.


    "We were all shaken. But when she woke up, something in her changed. She started using the Mountain Dew you gave her, and strangely, her cultivation began to improve. She''s been ming herself for being too weak, so none of us stopped her from trying."


    "She hasn''t slept in 72 days, us. Every day, she''s pushing herself to be stronger. Your mother loves you so much. It would be best if you didn''t tease her too much. She went through a lot just to look the part, and she misses you dearly," Lucy said, her voice filled with admiration.


    us smiled faintly as he processed Lucy''s words. He nced at Ohema, who gave him a slight nod. Despite his aching body, us gently got out of bed and made his way to his mother''s room, where he found her crying. She is a little too emotional, but he didn''t mind.


    us wrapped his arms around her. "Mom, stop crying. I won''t let you go through this again," he whispered.


    "No, baby, I should be the one apologizing. I''m practically useless. I couldn''t even protect you," she said, her tears flowing freely.


    "No, Mom. I''m the one who''s supposed to protect you. How about this: until the next Academy selection exams, I''ll stay with you. We''ll spend the best time together like we used to in the slums," us offered, and his mother smiled at the idea.


    "This will give me some time to explore all there is to explore," us said with a mischievous grin. Though he tried to hide the meaning of his words, his mother caught on and gave him a quick twist to his ear.


    "You''ve practically got angels waiting in your room, and you still think teasing your mother is a good idea?" She twisted his ear even harder.


    "It''s not my fault you''re this good-looking. Every kid dreams of having a mother like you," us said, grabbing her arm with a yful smile.


    "Tsk, suddenly I wish you hadn''t woken up," she replied with a grin.


    "I can always die again... in your arms," us joked, his eyes drifting to her chest as he imagined an overly dramatic death between those mountains. He seemed more attracted to those mountains than his own aching body which was healing rapidly from the moment he woke up.


    They exchanged nces for a breath moments, before bursting intoughter together.


    Still chuckling, he held his mother''s arm, and they walked back to his room.

 Chapter 147: Haniva is Hanna

    When us and his mother returned to the room, he noticed that Danny and his other male friends were not there. This made him smile slightly. Clearly, his friends were men of culture. He looked around the room, his smile lingering. Then his eyesnded on Hanna.


    As soon as they did, memories of a young woman who had ignited her soul to buy time for his mother and him when they were being chased by the ten masked figures flooded back. That young woman looked just like Hanna, though a bit more mature.


    But she still looked like Hanna. In his memories as Fruity, he learned that this woman had been his mother''s close friend, protector, and even his babysitter. They had been very close.


    Her name back then was Haniva, and she used a bow, just like Hanna. us recalled how close they had all been¡ªhim, his mother, and Haniva. He knew Haniva never loved anyone besides his mother and had been deeply loyal. So, seeing someone who looked just like her standing there stirred emotions in us that he never thought possible.


    Without hesitation, us walked over to Hanna and, without saying a word, hugged her tightly. It was a warm hug that caught everyone off guard. Even Hanna was taken aback, but us didn''t bother exining.


    "Thank you for everything," he whispered into her ear. Hanna''s body shuddered at his words, for reasons she didn''t fully understand.


    Breaking away from the hug, us looked between his mother and Hanna. "Mom, from today onward, Hanna is my big sister. I want you to shower her with love¡ªthe kind that only a mother gives to her children."


    Hanna''s body shuddered again, and then, as if a dam had burst, tears began flowing down her face. She didn''t know why, but us''s words made her feel something she hadn''t felt in a long time¡ªgenuine love.


    "It''s alright, Hanna. You''re part of my family now. My mother will be your mother, as it should be," us said gently. His mother looked at him for a few moments before smiling. She, too, had felt a strange but strong attachment to Hanna the first time she saw her. She was happy to wee her as family.


    Hanna is an orphan. Her parents had died when she was just seven, so being included in a family now meant everything to her. us''s mother came over and hugged her. Seeing how overwhelmed Hanna was by her tears, she led her away to a quieter room, leaving us alone with the other women.


    "Well,dies, who''s going first? Or should we do this together?" us asked with an amused smile, ncing around the room at the remaining damsels.


    There were seven heaven-defying beauties in the room, each one staring at us with unreadable expressions. Well, except for the War Goddess¡ªhe could tell she was holding herself back from smacking him on the back of the head.


    His body was actively healing, and the wound on his shoulder had already stopped hurting. One of the passive skills he had awakened, [Overlord Healing], made sure of that. As long as he had spiritual energy, even a damaged heart could heal.


    With his overwhelming star qi, the process was elerated. He was healing incredibly fast now. The star qi is several times stronger than the Spiritual qi, so the process was going on quicker than he expected.


    "Big sister, if you keep looking at me like that, I might get the wrong idea, you know," us said, turning to Miriam.


    "Tsk," she chuckled, standing up. Perhaps she stood too quickly, as the two mountains on her chest jiggled slightly. us smiled at the sight, but his amusement was cut short when he felt four eyes lock onto him from behind. Ohema and Lucy were making their presence known.


    "Uh, big sister, where are you going?" us asked with a shrug.


    "I''m hungry, so I''m going to cook," Miriam replied casually.


    ''Can she even cook? Damn, wouldn''t it be nice to see her in just an apron?'' us''s mind wandered to some rather dirty thoughts, but before he could say anything, Miriam dashed out of the room, her face red with embarrassment.


    "Suddenly, I''m hungry too," Anna said, standing up. She nced at Lily, Nia, and Asha, who also rose with amused expressions that said they were hungry as well. Anna giggled as she led them away, the others following her.


    ''This girl is both adorable and shameless,'' us thought to himself. Memories of the gentle Ice Princess from his past surfaced in his mind, and he sighed before turning his attention to Ohema and Lucy, who were both deliberately avoiding his gaze.


    "Ladies," us began with a yful grin, "I suddenly feel like bathing, and since I can''t raise my hand, I''ll trouble these two fairies to bathe me." His grin widened as he looked at Ohema and Lucy.


    Ohema nced at Lucy and then at us. Suddenly, she stood up and said, "I just remembered Auntie needs me for something. I''ll be taking my leave now, so I''ll leave Sister Lucy to help this bastard with his bath." She gave Lucy a faint smile before walking out.


    As she passed us, Ohema whispered something to him, making him chuckle. Lucy watched her go, unable to shake the thought, ''Did this b*tch just throw me under the bus?''


    She turned to us, who was smiling at her. "You''re a Saint now, huh?" us teased.


    Lucy nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. ''Why am I nervous? It''s just a bath...''


    ''Oh my, I''m going to see him naked.''


    ''Am I supposed to be naked too?''


    ''Oh no, this is bad. This is very bad.''


    ''Why am I overthinking this? I can just run away, and he can''t catch me.''


    Lucy nced at us, who seemed to hear every chaotic thought running through her mind. Her heart raced as she caught him staring at her.


    "Don''t overthink it, Lucy," us said calmly. "It''s just a bath. You''re my woman now, and I respect your boundaries. So don''t worry¡ªI won''t do anything you don''t want me to." His words soothed her, even as her mind struggled to calm down.


    "Okay," Lucy replied softly. She stood from the bed and led us to the bathroom. Her heart raced like she was in a marathon, but she did her best to appear calm.


    Thest time she spent the night with us, she had woken up the next morning holding something rather hot, long, and thick in her arms. That morning, she had been so flustered that when she left, her cheeks were as pink as the color pink itself.


    It was her first time experiencing something like that, and for the past few weeks at the academy, every morning when she woke up, the memory resurfaced, making her blush again and again. It was overwhelming.


    Now, as she prepared to take the next step¡ªfrom touching through clothes to seeing him naked¡ªLucy felt like she was on the verge of losing herposure. Her mind was flooded with nervous excitement, and the idea of seeing him bare only made it harder to stay calm.


    Back inside the bathroom, us looked at Lucy with a look that seemed to say, ''You''re handling everything yourself, missy.''


    Lucy appeared to understand. She gently began removing the bandage from us''s chest. The wound had healed, but the mark remained. It would take a few days to fully disappear. As she looked at his abs, she silently gulped.


    With a deep breath, Lucy reached for his shorts. Like peeling a delicate flower, she carefully began to remove them. Suddenly, his pants came off, and when the "weapon of mass destruction" appeared, Lucy''s heartbeat nearly stopped. She swallowed hard, her nerves on edge as she stared in shock.

 Chapter 148: Tasting the Forbidden Fruit (1) [18+]

    us couldn''t help but smirk as he watched Lucy gaze at his little brother with wide eyes. Even though it was still asleep, its size alone was enough to make the Princess of Vine''s eyes go big.


    "Wow," Lucy gasped, staring at his dingos. us was thrilled to see that reaction. I mean, what guy wouldn''t want to get that kind of response from a girl? He was more than ready to show off a bit, but Lucy wasn''t giving him the satisfaction he craved.


    Before he could strike any goofy poses, Lucy guided him toward the bath. She helped him step in, and as soon as he did, the water began to fill up. Lucy stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next.


    ''Should I take off my clothes or just jump in fully dressed?'' Her mind was racing. It was her first time, after all, and she was totally clueless about how to act. For someone who wasn''t used to being around guys, this felt like a tough test.


    us, being his cheeky self, just lounged in the bath with a grin. Suddenly, Lucy seemed to make up her mind. In one quick move, she shed her gown. Now it was us''s turn to be taken aback.


    Underneath that gown was a tempting sight that made us''s little brother start to react. Lucy had an hourss figure, and even though she tried to cover up, her curves were now on full disy, looking stunningly graceful.


    She hurriedly took off everything and stepped into the bath, looking a bit flustered. The steam rose around her, enveloping her in a warm embrace, and it was clear she hade to terms with things and was ready for whatever might happen next.


    us grinned but stayed put, his heart racing with anticipation. Lucy began washing him, her hands gliding over his skin, making an effort to ignore the growing dragon in the water, a symbol of the tension that hung in the air.


    us acted like he waspletely unaware of what was stirring beneath the surface. He appeared rxed, leaning back against the edge of the tub, enjoying the sensation of the warm water sshing against his soft, pale skin. The gentle ripples created by Lucy''s movements sent shivers of delight through him.


    Lucy seemed to be taking her time, perhaps thinking us wasn''t quite ready for this and was still a bit tense. She focused on the task at hand, her fingers working diligently, but there was an underlying current of electricity between them that neither could ignore.


    It felt like it took ages, but she was doing a great job, and us, with all the time in the world, was loving every moment. Each stroke of her hands felt like a caress, igniting a fire within him that he struggled to contain. The water swirled around them, creating a private oasis where the outside world faded away, leaving just the two of them in this intimate space.


    Out of nowhere, Lucy''s hand slipped and brushed against something. She froze up, her breath hitching in her throat. us noticed the sudden tension in her body, but his thoughts were elsewhere, captivated by Lucy''s figure. Those lovely curves on her chest, the pink nipples that seemed to beckon him closer, and everything else that made her so undeniably alluring.


    Then there was her t stomach, smooth and inviting, and the way her waist curved into her hips and backside, creating a silhouette that was nothing short of mesmerizing. It was like something out of a fantasy tale, a vision that danced in his mind and made his heart race.


    She was absolutely breathtaking, and us, getting a bath from such a beautifuldy, felt like he was on top of the world, lost in a dream where nothing else mattered but the two of them and the connection that was blossoming between them.


    Suddenly, us felt a soft hand brushing past his groin. His body reacted involuntarily, and he felt a jolt. Lucy, who was the one touching him, felt her heart race. For the first time, she didn''t panic. Instead, she held on.


    She slowly wrapped her hand around him, feeling him harden. ncing out of the corner of her eye, she saw us smiling back at her as usual.


    ''She''s bing bolder,'' us thought with a smile. Lucy didn''t move for the first few seconds, but then she began to stroke him gently. us could feel her hand moving along him and had to suppress any sounds of pleasure. He decided to let Lucy take the lead.


    The slippery water made everything smooth, and there was no pushback at all. us was having a great time while Lucy took charge. It was obvious that the bath had shifted into something more intimate, and us was totally into it. He had no reason toin about that!


    "Damn," us gasped as he felt Lucy''s left hand make contact with his groin. That simple gesture sent a rush of excitement through him. The gentle touch brought him immense pleasure, and his reaction made it clear to Lucy that there was something special about the way she was handling him during their intimate moment.


    With that in mind, Lucy focused on intensifying the experience, skillfully stroking him while maintaining her attention on his sensitive areas. us felt as if he were floating on air, overwhelmed by the blissful sensations she was providing.


    Lucy seemed to be improving as her actions brought us to a realm of intense pleasure. us was so absorbed in the sensation that he didn''t notice the small smile of satisfaction on Lucy''s face. She seemed content just doing that.


    Suddenly, she stopped and looked at us, who was also gazing back at her.


    "C...can we continue inside?" she asked, her tone shy. us smiled and, like a knight escorting a princess, lifted her and led her to the bed. She gently fell onto the bed and smiled up at him. Without hesitation, She resumed her task with a determined focus.


    us felt a jolt of surprise when she suggested they continue indoors, but he had no reason to protest. He would follow her anywhere, even to the depths of the underworld if necessary. The pleasure he was experiencing was beyond anything he had known. Suddenly, he realized where this was headed, and he was fully prepared for it.


    Lucy was shifting back and forth while attending to him. us was so lost in ecstasy that he didn''t notice Lucy casting a peculiar nce at his younger brother, as if she were assessing him. In that heightened state, when something soft, warm, and wet made contact with his dick, his body reacted instinctively, tensing up.


    He turned to see Lucy staring back at him with her lips wrapped around his dick. us grinned broadly at the beautiful scene. Then her head moved. A surge of joy swept through us.


    Lucy, not the greatest at massages, started rubbing his balls with her head back and forth around his dick, but she appeared happy doing that. The intensity of it made us feel as though he was going to pass out.


    To his amazement, Lucy refused toply when he tried to hold her head back. He could feel his load building up and ready toe any moment. Seeing she has no n to stop, us then shoots his loads into her mouth, turning her mouth white. Lucy''s body trembled, but she held her tongue. Rather, she swallowed it and held for more.


    "us, can we do it" After taking all the juice, Lucy asked in a soft tone. In response, us smiled and gently pushed her down onto the bed. "With pleasure"

 Chapter 149: Tasting the Forbidden Fruit (2) [18+]

    us couldn''t help but admire the stunning figure sprawled out on the bed. It was just too tempting to overlook. Lucy had her hands covering her face and her legs pressed together, lying t on the bed. The only thing us could see was her perfectly shaped breasts, with pink nipples standing at attention.


    The light in the room caught a glimpse of some moisture around her lower area, making it clear she was aroused. us took a moment to appreciate her beauty before leaning down to kiss her neck.


    As soon as his lips met her skin, Lucy shivered. He didn''t hold back, continuing to kiss and nibble at her neck while his left hand found its way to her breasts, gently massaging them.


    Lucy let out a soft moan, keeping her voice down as us kept his rhythm. Soon, her breasts were all around his face as he kissed between them, and he began to suck on them.


    He spent some time sucking on her nipples, making Lucy''s moans grow louder, but us didn''t pay attention to that. He just continued with his job. Soon, Lucy couldn''t maintain her posture any longer, so she opened her legs.


    us felt a wave of a captivating scent assault his nostrils, causing him to abandon the breasts and look downward. There, he saw that she was dripping wet. us moved slowly, kissing down her body, and when he came face to face with her Nether Region, he couldn''t help but smile and stick out his tongue.


    He brought his tongue closer and gently licked the small opening that was producing the juice. When his tongue touched the perfectly shaved region, Lucy let out a loud moan as her body trembled slightly. us smiled and continued to lick even more.


    Lucy''s moans grew even louder as us continued. His tongue ventured deeper, sending waves of pleasure through her. She couldn''t contain her sounds anymore, but us, somehow knowing exactly what to do, kept working on her with precision.


    It all felt instinctual to him¡ªthe way he twisted his tongue, the perfect spots he hit. It was as if it came naturally. This made him wonder whether these instincts came from his recent memories or some other source.


    But he couldn''t help but smile slightly, the bastard he saw in his memories was a Monk, no way he could have such experience, I mean that''s not possible, right?


    Having the memories of a previous self was both a blessing and a curse, but at that moment, he wouldn''t have minded having all the knowledge of lovemaking.


    us was so skilled that Lucy''s hips thrashed against the bed. Anticipating this, he held her waist firmly, keeping her in ce as he continued to pleasure her.


    Lucy''s eyes roll backward as she doesn''t know aside from death, there is another side that can make one be breathless. us was cleaning herher region with both finesse and pleasurable experience that left her screaming his name in various notes like she was leading an orchestra.


    A few minutester, Lucy reached her climax. Her body trembled, and she released, her essence covering us''s face and mouth. He paused for a moment, surprised by how pleasant it smelled and tasted. But since this was his first time and hasn''t tasted some before, he swallowed and continued, licking the walls of herher cave, ensuring Lucy felt every sensation.


    Her body vibrated like a massage chair as she came, trembling from the intensity. After a few moments, she copsed onto the bed,pletely drained.


    "us¡­ it was incredible," Lucy whispered breathlessly.


    "I know, right? If I had known it was this sweet, I wouldn''t have been such a gentleman back then," us said with a teasing smile, kissing Lucy''s neck.


    Her body trembled at his words, sending a shiver through her, a pleasant shiver though from the look on her cheeks when she heard that.


    Lucy''s breath hitched as us''s lips moved from her neck to her corbone, leaving a trail of warmth in their wake. She clutched the sheets beneath her, her heart racing as his touch ignited something deep within her.


    "You are full of surprises, us," she whispered, her voice soft but filled with emotion. "I never imagined I would end up like this, at least not this early in our rtionship. But...But this nice."


    us chuckled, his hand gently tracing the curve of her waist. "Neither did I," he admitted, his voice low, "but here we are." He paused, looking into her eyes. "And I wouldn''t change a thing."


    Lucy smiled, feeling a rush of warmth flood her chest. "Me neither," she said softly, brushing her fingers against his cheek. The intimacy between them was undeniable, a connection that went beyond just physical attraction. It was something deeper, something neither of them had fully realized until now.


    us leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers, their breathing in sync. "You mean a lot to me, Lucy," he whispered. "More than I can put into words. I nearly died, but now that I am back, alive and kicking, I don''t wanna have any regrets anymore"


    He couldn''t help but remember what the Monk, his past self said when he appeared in the strange ce, "Disappointing isn''t it, to die a virgin" us wanted to bitch p him but at that time he didn''t know who he was so he held back. But now remembering that, he could only endure and p himself the next time they met.


    Lucy''s eyes welled up with emotion, but she quickly blinked the tears away, not wanting to ruin the moment. "You mean the world to me too, us."


    She paused for a moment, then whispered, "I want to feel you inside me." Her eyes squeezed shut as the words left her lips, clearly too embarrassed to meet his gaze. She could already feel us''s firm length brushing against her thighs, which only heightened her desire.


    us''s expression softened as he looked at her. He could see the mix of nervousness and longing on her face. Gently, he tilted her chin, guiding her to look at him. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice calm and reassuring.


    Lucy opened her eyes slowly, meeting his warm gaze. Her heart raced, but she nodded. "Yes¡­ I''m sure."


    us smiled, leaning down to kiss her softly, his movements slow and deliberate. He wanted to make sure she felt safe andfortable. As his hand slid along her body, he could sense her anticipation growing. He moved with care, positioning himself between her legs, letting the moment build.


    "I''ll be gentle," us whispered against her lips as he slowly guided his azure dragon toward her entrance, which was already wet with anticipation.


    He teased her by brushing his rod against her, drawing another soft moan from Lucy. us wasn''t in any rush; he had her permission now, and he knew that, in time, this moonlit goddess would be hispletely.


    For a few more moments, he continued to tease her, feeling her body tremble beneath him. Then, positioning his dragon at the entrance to herher cave, he leaned in and said softly, "It''ll only hurt for a moment."


    Lucy nodded her heart racing, bracing herself for what was toe. us began to push gently, feeling the resistance of her tightness. Her body, untouched and unfamiliar with this sensation, gripped him as if reluctant to let him in. But us was patient, easing in slowly, using her natural lubrication to help.


    He moved carefully, making sure not to cause her unnecessary pain, allowing her body to adjust as he entered. Lucy''s breath quickened, her hands gripping the sheets tightly as she felt him stretch her. It was intense, but the way us moved, taking his time, made it bearable.


    Suddenly, something gave way, allowing us to push deeper into her, widening herher cave. Lucy let out a painful sigh, a single tear escaping from her eye. us gently wiped the tear away and whispered, "The hard part is over now. I''ll make sure you enjoy it from here on."


    Lucy nodded, gripping the bedsheet tightly as she braced herself. us began moving slowly, giving her time to adjust to the sensation. He wanted her body to get used to him before he increased his pace. Even though it was just the beginning, Lucy''s body was already trembling under him.


    This is her first time, so she is both nervous and expectant. She may not admit it, but she has been craving for this moment for weeks. Now that she was getting it, she felt both happy and nervous. Nervous because she doesn''t know where this will lead. Happy because she is officially bing us''s first woman.


    us kept his movements steady and slow, but soon, his tempo began to rise. Lucy''s moans grew louder as his thrusts became more intense. Soon, the room was filled with the rhythmic sound of their bodies hitting each other, the heat between them building with every passing moment.

 Chapter 150: Tasting the Forbidden Fruit (3) [18+] - Bonus

    Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah!


    us kept thrusting, and Lucy''s voice was soft, praising him between breaths. Their passion grew more intense with every second, the tension between them rising as if even the roof of the room might split from the sheer force of it.


    Neither was in the right mindset to stop, both were caught in a wild frenzy. us felt like he was floating on Cloud Nine, while Lucy was lost on her own rainbow mountain, far beyond reality.


    They were no longer in this world, lost in each other''s pleasure, their bodies moving in sync.


    "More," Lucy gasped, her voice trembling. Her fingers tightened their grip around us, holding him like he was her lifeline. us didn''t hesitate, driving his vein dragon into her deeper and harder, making her body arch in response. A soft, trembling cry escaped her lips as her whole body quivered under his intensity.


    Soon after, Lucy felt herself nearing her climax, her body clinging to us even tighter. Her breathing quickened, and with a sudden burst, her dam broke, sending her over the edge.


    A fragrant scent filled the room, her essence spreading around them, making the moment feel even more intoxicating. us, who was relentlessly thrusting, couldn''t help but notice how strangely fragrant she smelled, but he was too focused on his rhythm to stop.


    A whileter, us felt his own climax approaching, but he wasn''t ready to finish yet. He had to show the Princess of Vine and Woods who is in charge, to show her that he was the Don, the one in control.


    Before he would let himselfe, he would make sure Lucy reached her peak at least three times. He was determined to leave her trembling with pleasure, and to let her know she had fallen for a monster¡ªnot just a beast on the battlefield but a force of nature in bed.


    She might have protested if she knew what us was thinking, but the pleasure was too overwhelming. But even if she knew, She would only conclude that being with someone like us wasn''t such a bad thing after all.


    Thirty minutester, Lucy came for the second time, and again, the air was filled with that same fragrant essence. us, still unrelenting, pushed her further. Another Twenty minutes passed, and she came for the third time.


    Her body shook with pleasure, unable to take any more. us, though barely holding on, wasn''t done yet. He was lost in the pleasure, so much so that when he felt himself about to release his Star Juice, he couldn''t pull out in time.


    Lucy, still caught in the bliss of the moment, didn''t notice either. Her moans filled the room, her body trembling, lost in the waves of ecstasy. Then suddenly, she felt it¡ªus''s hot Star Juice started flooding inside her, making her body heat up instantly.


    "us!" she gasped, jerking slightly, but he was too far gone to pull out now. He kept going, unloading every drop inside her. The Moon Princess felt her body warming, a mix of lust and fear washing over her.


    She wasn''t on any medication, and she knew what this meant¡ªpregnancy was a real possibility. But as her body continued to heat up, that fear melted away, reced by a strange sense of eptance.


    ''So what if I be his baby mama? I love him,'' Lucy thought, feeling his body still pressed against hers, his iron rod still inside her. She couldn''t help but sigh knowing she had finally crossed the line and entered the next stage of their rtionship.


    She has finally be us''s woman and there is no mistaking that.


    "Uh, us, something''s happening to me," Lucy whispered, her voice shaky. Suddenly, she felt a burning sensation in her lower abdomen, just above her pussy. The heat was growing stronger, and she couldn''t tell if it was from lust, the fear of bing pregnant despite her eptance, or something else entirely.


    us quickly pulled out his dragon which still has energy in it and looked at where Lucy''s hand rested on her abdomen. Just below her stomach, something faint began to appear. A few secondster, it became clear.


    "A star tattoo?" he muttered. Within seconds, the faint mark solidified into a glowing star-shaped tattoo on her skin.


    Lucy brushed her fingers over the tattoo, confused. "What is this?"


    "I''m as clueless as you," us admitted. "But do you feel any difort?" His tone shifted from curious to concerned.


    Lucy shook her head, looking surprisingly energized. "No, I feel fine. Better, even!" Her voice was bright and full of energy. It was a stark contrast to how drained she''d been just moments before, leaving us to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. Her sudden surge of energy wasn''t normal.


    Just a few seconds ago, Lucy was drained, but from her tone now, she looked and sounded energized. us became curious so he decided to try something.


    "Do you want to experiment more?" us asked, his mischievous grin returning.


    "Still hungry, huh?" Lucy''s voice had changed, bolder and more confident. It was like she was bing a different person, shedding the shyness she usually carried.


    us chuckled. "Looks like I''m a good influence. Who would''ve thought the shy Vine Princess could be this bold after Tasting the Forbidden Fruit"


    "Do you like it when I''m bold, or should I go back to being shy?" Lucy teased, wrapping her hand around his now-hard iron rod, and giving it a firm stroke.


    "Please, be as bold as you can be. You''re going to need that confidence after you walk out of this room," us smirked. His words made her freeze for a moment as she realized what he meant¡ªthey hadn''t activated the noise-canceling system in the room. All their sounds, moans, and movements had likely been heard by anyone nearby.


    "Oh, fuck," Lucy cursed, her eyes wide with embarrassment. It dawned on her that not only had they been overheard, but any cultivator with heightened senses would''ve heard them clearly.


    us grinned. "No need to be shy, my love. This is what lovers do. Let the rest be jealous as they listen." His voice was louder now, making sure anyone who was listening knew they were aware of the eavesdropping.


    "My sister won''t let me live this down for months," Lucy blushed, her cheeks pink from both pleasure and embarrassment.


    us chuckled softly. "If it''s any constion, she''ll be in the same situation one day. Just use this time to gain some experience." With that, he activated the noise-canceling system, sealing the room in blissful silence.


    Lucy smiled at us''s words. At least he still had her sister in his heart. It counted for something. She leaned in, her confidence now fully awakened, and pushed us down onto the bed, making his iron rod stand proudly once again, pointing towards the ceiling.


    "Then let''s see just how much experience I can gain," Lucy whispered with a wicked grin, straddling him as her hands ran down his chest.


    Lucy rose slowly, positioning her Nether cave over us''s iron rod, her eyes locking with his as she calmly took control. Lowering herself onto him, she took on the cowgirl posture.


    She slid gracefully, letting us''s hard iron rod open her tight walls once again. cing her harm on his chest, Lucy started moving up and down, letting his rod explore her cave to the deepest depth.


    She wasn''t very experienced, but that didn''t stop her. The more she moved, the more she learned how to please them both. For us, it was heavenly, watching her confidence build with every thrust. After what felt like countless minutes of blissful riding and Lucy blessing him a few times, us finally released, filling her inner walls with his Star Juice once again.


    But they didn''t stop. This time, us took control, making her bend forward as he worked his way into her from the back. Every movement, every thrust was electric.


    The next couple of hours were spent in a whirlwind of heated passion, exploring each other''s bodies. us feltplete satisfaction, while Lucy, after every session, only seemed to grow more energized, her stamina increasing with each round.


    us couldn''t help but wonder about the change in her. She was glowing, almost too energized. He made a mental note to have an awkward conversation with the senior residing in his soul sea when the time and mood allowed. There was something strange about the star tattoo and her renewed energy.


    Unbeknownst to us, just when the star tattoo appeared on Lucy, a small half-moon tattoo had also appeared on his back, glowing faintly inside one of the star tattoos on his back.

 Chapter 151: Sudden Connection

    As usy back, catching his breath, he couldn''t help but admire Lucy. She was more than just beautiful¡ªshe was everything. He wasn''t the same after he got back from the dead. It''s like he has grown overnight, making him more perceptive.


    ''She''s incredible,'' he thought, his gaze softening as he watched her. But just as he was lost in his thoughts, admiring her sinful body, a voice echoed in his mind.


    ''He is incredible. I would''ve killed myself if he hadn''t woken up,'' the voice whispered.


    Startled, us blinked. It wasn''t his own thought. It was Lucy''s voice. His eyes widened in shock.


    "Lucy, what did you just say?" us asked, lifting his head to look at her resting on his chest.


    "What? I... I didn''t say anything," Lucy stammered, her face growing pale. She had just thought to herself how she might''ve killed herself if us hadn''t survived the assassination attempt.


    "us," her voice cracked as her eyes filled with tears.


    "It''s okay. Don''t think like that," us said gently. "I''m not going anywhere anytime soon. But... how is it that I can hear your thoughts in my mind?"


    Lucy''s eyes grew wide in disbelief.


    "What?" she whispered, her heart racing.


    "Yes, I can hear your voice inside my head. Can''t you hear mine?" us asked, his eyes searching hers. But Lucy just stared at him, wide-eyed, clearly in shock. After a moment, she shook her head.


    "I can''t hear yours," she whispered.


    "Strange," us muttered. "Try thinking of something else."


    Lucy nodded, focusing on positive thoughts this time. But as she did, us''s expression remained nk.


    "It''s not working anymore," he said, confused. "But how did it work the first time?"


    "What were you feeling when you said those words the first time?" us asked, his voice soft but curious.


    Lucy wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "I was feeling how lonely I would be if you were gone from this world. It was heartbreaking, us. I was really scared," she admitted, her eyes filling up with tears again.


    ''I was really scared,'' she thought, and suddenly, us heard her voice in his mind once more. His heart skipped a beat.


    In response, us focused on Lucy, reaching out emotionally. At that moment, he felt something shift¡ªlike they had established a connection.


    ''It''s okay, my love. I''ll make sure this never happens again,'' us''s voice whispered into her mind.


    Lucy''s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly raised her head. "It''s working, us! I can hear you inside my mind!" she said, her smile growing wider as she looked at him, her heart soaring.


    us smiled back, feeling closer to her than ever before.


    "us, I love you," Lucy whispered, burying her face in his chest, tears spilling down her cheeks. The emotion was overwhelming, and their shared connection felt like a gift. What woman wouldn''t want this? The ability to hear the thoughts of the one you love¡ªat least the ones they chose to share¡ªfelt deeper than words.


    It was more intimate than anything Lucy had ever imagined. This was what love should be, she thought, and now she was fully immersed in it. Truth be told, she had been scared from the beginning She wasn''t sure what she was getting herself into when they started, but now lying on us''s chest, feeling his breath on her neck, she feltplete, more happy, and somehow stronger.


    "us," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I want to open every part of myself to you. All my thoughts, everything about me¡ªmy fears, my strengths, and my weaknesses. I want you to know it all." Lucy was lost in love for the first time in her life. She was really in love now.


    us gently brushed her tears away, smiling warmly. "I don''t need to know all that to understand how much you love me. I already know, Lucy. You lying here,pletely defenseless on my chest, says everything I need to hear. I''d rather get to know you naturally."


    He paused, a teasing grin on his lips. "Wouldn''t it be fun when I find out you''re scared of spiders?"


    Lucy''s body shuddered involuntarily at the word spiders.


    us chuckled. "Heh, so you really are scared of spiders. Who would''ve thought?" Hisughter echoed in the room as Lucy squirmed deeper into his arms, hiding her face.


    "Stop it," she muttered, embarrassed but smiling as she clung tighter to him. Looking at how adorable she looks, us''s heart warmth.


    They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other''s warmth, before us finally broke the silence.


    "So, what''s next?" he asked, his voice low and calm.


    "I''ll stay for a few weeks before I have to leave," Lucy replied. "My master gave me some time off. I think she just wants me to clear my mind before I climb the Stairway to the Heavens. She knew I''d hear about your assassination attempt one way or another, so when I broke through to the Saint stage, she brought me here herself."


    us nodded thoughtfully. "She sounds like an amazing person."


    "She is," Lucy said with a soft smile. "She''s like a second mother to me."


    "A second mother, huh?" us raised an eyebrow, his expression curious.


    Lucy, noticing the look on his face, quickly asked, "Hey, you''re not thinking anything shameless about my master, are you?"


    us grinned. "Not at all. Why would I be thinking about other women when I have such a sinful body lying on my chest?"


    Lucy arched an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh, so when this ''sinful body'' is gone, you''ll go back to thinking about other women, huh?" she teased.


    us chuckled, shaking his head. "You know that''s not what I meant. Besides, no one else canpare."


    "I bet you''ll be saying the same thing to Sister Ohema and Miriam," Lucy teased, her eyes gleaming with mischief.


    us smiled slightly, not liking where the conversation was headed. "Hey, let''s just stay in this moment," he said, his tone a little more serious yet yful. "Where only you and I matter."


    Seeing the look on his face, Lucy couldn''t help but grin wider. "Oh,e on, don''t get all flustered now," she teased, enjoying how easily she could push his buttons.


    us sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. "You''re impossible. How about I show you who''s in charge?" And just like that, they ended up in another marathon. Lucy quickly realized she was teasing a sleeping dragon.


    She experienced the dragon''s might for another set of hours before they were exhausted gain. As theyy there afterward, Lucy, now looking more flustered and weak, tried to speak. "us, about my sister, can you¡­"


    "Don''t worry, my love," us said with a grin. "Your sisters will learn not to mess with this young master." Lucy could only smile and rest her head on his chest, feeling a deep sense offort.


    A whileter, they went to clean up and were ready to go out after seven hours.


    "You should probably put on a weak face so they don''t devour you," us teased, holding Lucy''s hands. The past seven hours had brought them closer than ever. Lucy felt a deeper connection and warmth between them.


    "Let''s go," she said, and they left the room, wrapped in each other''s arms. us didn''t mind; he was shameless enough to use their teasing to his advantage. Lucy, on the other hand, knew her sister would give her a hard time.


    Shortly, they appeared in the hall, only to be greeted by a room full ofdies. Danny and the other guys were nowhere in sight. Their presence would have beenforting had they been there.


    Seeing the look on thedies'' faces, Lucy''s cheeks turned a deep pink. She quickly hid behind us, who was unfazed by the situation.


    "Well,dies, how are we doing?" us said with a charming smile, looking at the women before him. ''Damn, I am one lucky bastard,'' he thought to himself.

 Chapter 152: My Dear Mother

    us looked at thedies gathered in the room, all smiling brightly. He couldn''t help but feel a burning rage toward the Dark Order. They had nearly taken his life, and that would have cost him this moment¡ªto be surrounded by such heaven-defying beauties.


    "Sister Lucy, why are you hiding behind us?" Anna suddenly said, her yful tone making Lucy want to strangle her sister.


    "Yes, Sister Lucy, why don''t youe outside with us?" Nadia chimed in, having arrived just a few hours ago. She had been dealing with her own struggles since us''s sudden death, so She hadn''t been around when he woke up. But as soon as she got Hanna''s message that us was alive, she dropped everything and rushed over.


    ''You should probably go with them,'' us said to Lucy telepathically. ''I doubt your sister will pass up this chance to tease you. Better to get it over with.''


    Realizing there was no escape, Lucy stepped out from behind us. Her gaze fixed on the floor, she walked toward her sister, who gently took her hand and whisked her out of the room.


    The others¡ªNia, Asha, Nadia, Lily, Ohema, and even the distant and emotionless War Goddess¡ªfollowed, leaving us, his mother, and his newly found big sister, Hanna, alone in the room.


    us turned to his mother with a grin. "My dear mother, why don''t you give your son, who just escaped death, a hug?" He spread his arms wide as he walked toward her. His eyes briefly flicked to the impressive ''melons'' now adorning her chest, a change he hadn''t expected in her mother.


    But before he could get close, his mother turned and pulled Hanna into her embrace instead.


    "Mother!" us called out, feigning hurt as he stopped in his tracks.


    "What, not satisfied with what you got from your Moonlit Princess, and now you want more?" us''s mother teased, a mocking smile ying on her lips. It was clear she had overheard everything between him and Lucy.


    "Mom, you know it''s bad to eavesdrop," us replied, though his satisfied grin showed he wasn''t really bothered. They exchanged a nce and both burst into a loud, sharedugh that left Hanna feeling a bit lost. Not that she wasining¡ªbeing hugged by those ''melons'' wasforting enough that she wouldn''t ask for more.


    us and his mother nced at thedies gathered under the small pavilion, now surrounding Lucy. "She''s in for trouble," his mother said with a chuckle.


    "Her sister''s a devil. Why would she do that to her?" us asked, eyeing Anna, who was grinning wickedly at Lucy''s predicament.


    "It''s a coping mechanism," his mother replied.


    "Huh?" us frowned, clearly confused.


    "She''s unsure whether you really like her, so she''s using her sister to figure it out. It''s her way of making sure she''s doing the right thing around you and ensuring you always notice her presence," his mother exined.


    "Ohh, so that''s what it was. She was scared I''d forget about her after getting close to her sister," us said, finally understanding Anna''s actions. He remembered how Anna had sacrificed her own chance during the ball so her sister could stay with him, and suddenly, a lot of things made sense.


    "Little brother, you''ve got quite a few women by your side now," Hanna chimed in, addressing us as her little brother.


    us smiled mischievously. "You can join if you want."


    "Nope," Hanna said, clinging to us''s mother. "I like being your big sister. Besides, Mom said you''re a yer, so I shouldn''t get involved with you."


    "Mom! You shouldn''t say things like that to my sister. You''re ruining my image," us said, pretending to be hurt.


    "Tsk, what perfect image? Weren''t you the one making all that noise just a few hours ago?" his mother shot back, a teasing smile on her lips.


    us opened his mouth to protest but couldn''t help butugh again.


    "But seriously, I never knew your charm was this strong. Who would''ve thought you''d gather this many women, us? Even I''m impressed," his mother said, eyeing him with a curious expression.


    "What, thinking about your status as my mother and wanting to join in? I wouldn''t mind at all," us teased, taking her hand with a sly grin. He really like teasing her. Not that she will pass out a chance to tease him back.


    "Just be careful not to let all this get to your head," she said, her tone serious now. "There are things you can always have when the time is right, so don''t get too excited. They''re not going anywhere." She was trying her best to caution him about the dangers of losing control to lust.


    us understood. Having this many women could mess with anyone''s head, and he appreciated her warning. With a sigh, they settled down. usid his head gently on herp, feeling thefort only a mother could give.


    "Mom, I''m sorry for putting you through so much these past weeks," he said softly, looking into her eyes.


    "It''s okay," she replied, brushing his hair gently. "You''re here now, and that''s all that matters. But I want you to be more careful. Someone tried to take you from me, and now that you''re alive again, they won''t stop."


    "Don''t worry, Mom. No one can take my life but you," us said, his gaze turning cold. "This time, I''ll make sure no one dares to threaten me."


    "Just... just don''t do anything reckless," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.


    "Hey, Mom, you don''t happen to have any food lying around, do you?" us asked, his stomach growling loudly. Despite being a cultivator who could survive for months without food, to him, eating was still one of the most important parts of his day.


    He couldn''t help but remember a certain monk who was always stuffing his face with food.


    ''That bastard probably had all the best meals in the world,'' us cursed inwardly, shaking his head.


    ''Wait... I''m insulting myself now. That''s both weird and, well... very weird,'' us sighed. His mother noticed his strange expression but simply smiled and headed off to the kitchen.


    As soon as she left, us stood up and turned to Hanna. "You okay?" he asked.


    "I am," Hanna replied softly.


    "You know you can be yourself around me, right?" us said, his tone gentle. Having experienced his past life and now his current one, he still saw something in Hanna that hadn''t changed. Even though she didn''t have memories of her past self like he did, he knew her heart remained the same.


    Hanna shuddered slightly, then nodded. "I know. And I''m grateful you epted me into your family," she said, her voice full of sincerity.


    "You''re my sister now. You don''t need to keep thanking me for everything," us smiled warmly at her. Then, before she could react, he shifted positions, and his head was suddenly resting on herp.


    "You..." Hanna started, staring down at him in surprise.


    "What? Aren''t we family? It''s only natural for a little brother to rest his head on his big sister''sp," us said with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying himself.


    Hanna sighed but didn''t push him away. She gazed down at us, her thoughts swirling. After a moment, she asked softly, "Little brother, what are you going to do now that you''re alive?"


    us didn''t hesitate. "Well, first, I''m going to spend some time with Mom. Once she''s calmed down, I''ll make sure the Dark Order doesn''t exist anymore."


    His voice turned cold, sending a chill down Hanna''s spine. "I''ll kill everyst one of them if I have to," he said, his eyes darkening with a quiet resolve.


    Hanna shuddered at his words, feeling the weight of his determination. She knew he wasn''t bluffing¡ªhe meant every word.

 Chapter 153: The Chicken Order

    After eating, us spent time chatting with Hanna, learning about her life. He found out that Hanna had been an orphan since she was seven. Her parents died during a monster tide, leaving her to fend for herself ever since.


    She grew up doing all sorts of odd jobs, saving whatever money she could to buy Celestial Water. Like us, she had dropped out of school. But after she awakens her abilities, she starts hunting, just like us, to survive and improve her life.


    Her story was simr to his, except that us had a loving mother who had supported him over the years. us reassured Hanna that her life would now be filled with love and that she should embrace it.


    Later that day, when Lucy was finally done with the other women, they let her go. She dly rushed to us''s room. us expected Ohema to spend the night with him, but Ohema had other ns.


    "You should spend all the time you can with Lucy," Ohema said. "She''ll be going back to the academy soon, and I''ll still be here with you."


    For some reason, Ohema didn''t seem to have any ns to leave. She and the otherdies spent their days chatting and enjoying each other''spany. us, of course, was happy to spend time with Lucy. They cherished every moment together, sharing intimate nights.


    Two weekster, Lucy left to return to the academy. Anna and the other women also left, preparing for the uing Regional Selection exams, which were scheduled for two weekster. Now, it was just us, his mother, Hanna, and Miriam. Even Ohema had gone.


    She mentioned she had some matters to take care of and promised to return once she was done. With Miriam still around, practically having her own room, us was more than happy to spend time with her. He even tried to get hugs from her, but she just shrugged him off with a yful smirk every time.


    As much as us enjoyed thepany, there was a quiet tension lingering in the air. With Lucy and the others gone, things felt a little too calm. But for now, us embraced the peace, wondering whaty ahead.


    A weekter, Miriam also left, leaving only us and his family. With everyone gone, the house felt quieter, and after calming his mother down, us decided it was time. He entered seclusion¡ªhe had been holding back for too long. Even Hanna had been training intensely in preparation for the regional trials.


    Now, seated in his training room, us found himself unsure where to start. He had so much to do. In his mind swirled hundreds of techniques he had absorbed from Fruity''s memories, each one ingrained in him as if it were second nature. His goal was to master them all.


    A week ago, he had Hanna use her ount to order some projectile weapons for him. He nned to learn how to wield those too. He wanted to be prepared for anything, and yet, he also wanted to remain hidden. No one could know he was still alive, not yet. He had unfinished business.


    us cherished the time he had with his mother. It felt like a dream he''d longed for, one that had finallye true. She was calm, happy, and at peace once more. That gave him the space to focus on his training without worry.


    Now, his path was clear. us would train, refine his skills, and prepare for what was toe, all while keeping his presence hidden from the world for just a little longer.


    Well, at least that was the n. But us wasn''t sure he could focus on training without stirring up some trouble first. With an evil grin and calm determination, he grabbed his phone and went online.


    "Damn, I made a lot of people sad," he muttered, scrolling through the millions of messages. People had been grieving over his "death" for weeks. us sighed, feeling a strange mix of guilt and amusement.


    But then, without holding back, he typed out a message, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen. He knew exactly what he was doing.


    "Hello, Dark Order. Looks like it was a swing and a miss. For such an anonymous and ominous organization, you sure are all bark and no bite. Tsk, who would''ve thought you couldn''t even kill a Level 3 Master Stage warrior?


    From the way I see it, your name should be the ''Chicken Order'' instead of the ''Dark Order.'' What a disappointing group."


    His words were brutal, but that was the point. As soon as the message went live, chaos erupted across the inte.


    Comments, responses, and outrage flooded in instantly. The Dark Order, notorious for their shadowy influence, had just been humiliated¡ªpublicly. us leaned back, satisfied. He didn''t need to check the reactions; he knew he had struck a nerve. Now, the real fun would begin.


    And with that, us returned his phone to his pocket, chuckling softly to himself. Training could wait a little longer. Trouble had already started brewing.


    "Breaking News! Reports justing in confirm that us Hanson is alive! Yes, you heard that right¡ªus, who was presumed dead after the intense battle during the Invasion of Arcadian Mine, is alive and well. In fact, he has just humiliated the notorious Dark Order with a single, scathing post online.


    From sources, it seems us expressed disappointment that the Dark Order couldn''t finish the job. In his own words, he mockingly referred to them as the ''Chicken Order.'' The inte is exploding as us''s fans are trolling the Dark Order relentlessly!"


    News outlets everywhere started picking up the story, broadcasting us''s sudden return to the public eye and the brutal face p he delivered to the Dark Order. The once-feared organization was now theughingstock of the web, with memes,ments, and endless trolling flooding social media.


    us''s presence online had turned into a media storm, with fans celebrating his survival and enemies seething in silence. The Dark Order''s reputation had taken a serious hit, and us was the one holding the hammer.


    Now, his first step toward revenge was set in motion. us knew an organization like the Dark Order wouldn''t let such humiliation slide. He was counting on their retaliation. He hadn''t slept peacefully in weeks¡ªthe mere thought of the Dark Order still lurking in the shadows infuriated him.


    Every sleepless night only fueled his anger. The failed assassination attempt still burned in his memory, and he was determined to make sure they regretted it. They needed to understand that us Hanson was not someone to trifle with. He wasn''t the weak target they thought he was.


    us began making preparations, every move calcted. His mind raced with ns for revenge, each more dangerous than thest. He didn''t want them to just suffer¡ªhe wanted to crush their entire existence.


    The look he saw on his mother''s face when he woke up still burned deep within him. He had heard from Lucy how devastated she had been during the weeks he was dead. ording to Lucy, after the news of his death reached his mother, she fainted and remained unconscious for an entire week.


    When she finally woke up, her broken state made her seem like a mad woman. She started absorbing Mountain Dew every single day and began cultivating. It was painful to watch her endure all of that.


    Lucy also revealed that his mother had been ming herself for being too weak to protect him, and for that reason, she held herself responsible for his death. Secretly, us had cried a few times in the bathroom after Lucy went to sleep.


    His goal had always been to awaken and ensure that his mother never stopped smiling. But because of him, for 72 long days, she hadn''t smiled¡ªnot even once. This shattered his heart, and us knew he would never find peace until the Dark Order was no more.


    "This should be enough for now," us muttered, nodding in satisfaction as he reviewed the chaos his post had already caused. His work had just begun, and the Dark Order would soon realize they had made a fatal mistake.


    This time, us would strike back, and when he did, there would be no mercy.

 Chapter 154: The Pentaface Bead Awakening

    In a dark, lifeless room, a dark-haired figure wearing a mask could be seen sitting quietly, resting his chin on his fist. However, despite his calm demeanor, there was this unsettling aura surrounding him giving him the presence of danger. Suddenly, a device in the room began beeping.


    "My Lord, it is done," a masked face appeared on the screen after he answered. "Number 92 has been taken care of."


    "Good. Now, move to the next phase. He failed toplete the job. I hope you won''t," the lord said, his voice calm butmanding.


    "Arrangements have been made, my Lord. He will be moving out in a few days," the masked figure replied.


    "Good. Make sure he seeds. I don''t think I need to remind you of the consequences of failure," the lord added.


    "My Lord." The masked figure bowed before the projection faded from the screen.


    "What a headache," the masked man muttered, his tone devoid of emotion. Not that it mattered¡ªhis mask hid any possible expression.


    Momentster, the device beeped again. This time, upon answering, another masked figure appeared on the screen. But instead of remaining seated, the man in the room stood and bowed slightly.


    "Dark Lord," he greeted with a soft bow. The mask worn by the figure on the screen was different, It has been marked with a golden line beneath the left eye, clearly signifying higher authority.


    "I trust you''ve made the necessary provisions. This must bepleted within two weeks. The damage is more severe than we anticipated," the golden-marked mask figure said, her voice unmistakably female.


    "Yes, Dark Lord. Everything is in order. us Hanson will be dead within the next two weeks" the masked man replied, his tone respectful.


    "Good. Know that failure this time will bring severe consequences," she said coldly before the screen went dark again.


    -


    -


    -


    After setting his bait, us turned his attention back to the main task. The brief memory of his past self had given him more than he had hoped for. Though it wasn''t all rainbows and sunshine, he had certainly gained something valuable.


    His mind was now filled with a myriad of techniques, each more terrifying than thest. All the techniques his past self had learned from the Soul Temple were now within his grasp. He could use any of them if he wished. However, he first has to ess them and see which ones will best suit him.


    Most of the techniques were suited for spear and staff wielders, but there were also some for swords, bows, and even mages.


    He had everything he could need within his mind, and he was eager to learn it all. However, before he made that decision, he wanted to see if he could awaken the Nine Divine Soul Bead Art technique he had received from the Old Monk. He wanted to see if he could awaken the Pentaface Bead.


    us was curious to learn more about it. Observing how Fruity used it, us saw its potential. All of Fruity''s tribtions involved sitting back and letting the bell handle the work. us wanted the same ease, so he nned to see if he could manifest it in his current life.


    us knew his soul sea was far stronger than Fruity''s, and with his powerful energy source, he was confident he could awaken the Nine Divine Soul Bead Art. But his real struggley within his heart.


    From Fruity''s memories, he knew that to awaken the technique, one needed a certain level of inner peace. In that aspect, Fruity had to bemended¡ªhis heart, even if only for a moment, was pure enough to achieve it.


    us, on the other hand, didn''t have a peaceful heart right now. Anger boiled inside him, clouding his spirit. That was why he had spent days quietly with his mother and Hanna, trying to center himself.


    He was learning how to stay calm in the face of chaos, and he had made some progress. Most of that was thanks to Lucy, who spent nights with him, offering a more... intimate form offort.


    But now, sitting here, all us could think about was how he was going to kill every member of the Dark Order. The various cruel ways he was going to do that and how he nned to go about it. His mind is in chaos.


    "Well, that''s one way to calm my heart, I guess," he muttered to himself. If ughter was a path to inner peace, did that mean psychopaths were the most at peace with themselves? The thought was disturbing, though us barely realized how much it reflected his own state of mind.


    Sitting in a lotus posture, he forced his heart to calm. The anger still simmered, but he pushed it down. He began chanting the incantations for the Nine Divine Soul Bead Art. He had memorized them by heart, and the words flowed easily from his lips without any trouble.


    The moment us began chanting, he felt something shift deep inside him. It was subtle at first, but soon he could sense a presence rising within him. He didn''t understand how or why, but it was as though something long dormant was awakening, trying toe toward him.


    ---


    Far away, perhaps outside the bounds of time itself, a massive faceless statue stood atop a mountain. Its imposing figure cast a dark, torturous shadow over thend as if doom itself was descending from the heavens. If us were there, he would''ve said something like, "This is onerge motherf*cker." The statue was colossal, towering high into the sky.


    Suddenly, it began to tremble. No, it didn''t just tremble¡ªit shook violently. The entire space around it quaked, and cracks began forming in the ground beneath it. The once steadfast statue now had fractures running along its surface.


    Then, a strange chanting filled the air, echoing throughout the space. The moment the chanting started, the statue began to slowly rise into the air. It wasn''t gentle¡ªthe rising was apanied by more shaking as if the statue resisted.


    In a sudden burst, the statue shattered into pieces, sending debris flying everywhere. Dust clouded the area, making the sky and earth lose their color for a brief moment. The explosion was chaotic and monstrous.


    When the dust settled, a pentagon-shaped bead hovered in the air, pulsating with a dark aura. Each pulse of the bead was like a heartbeat, and with every beat, a hum vibrated through the space, causing it to warp and distort.


    The chanting grew louder and darker, and from the swirling clouds above, a portal slowly opened, casting an eerie shadow. A powerful suction force began pulling at the bead. At first, the bead resisted, but as the chanting deepened in tone, it surrendered and flew obediently into the dark portal.


    ---


    Back in us''s training room, he remained seated, chanting softly. Suddenly, he felt something foreign enter his soul sea¡ªa dark, pulsing presence unlike anything he had ever experienced before.


    us''s body shuddered as his consciousness suddenly slipped into his soul sea. The instant he arrived, another shudder coursed through him. His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him. Inside his soul sea, next to the familiar nine doors, was a massive dark-violet bead, floating ominously.


    Five faces¡ªemotionless yet disturbingly expressive¡ªwere etched into its surface, their eerie gaze fixed on him.


    He swallowed hard, his throat dry. The object was imposing, far more real, and terrifying than anything he had seen in Fruity''s memories. It loomed over him, radiating a sense of dread. He doesn''t know where the fear ising from, but he sure was scared shitless looking at the bead.


    "Why the hell am I scared of this thing?" us muttered under his breath, unsettled by the bead''s presence.


    "You should be scared, brat," Suddenly, the senior inside his soul sea said making us look toward the first door "That thing... that''s one of the Nine Forbidden Relics. Having it here is both a blessing and a curse."


    us raised an eyebrow, half curious, half rmed. These days, he just doesn''t get a breather about so many things wrong with things around him. He was about to ask what a Forbidden Relic was when the entire soul sea began to shake violently.


    "Senior! What''s happening?" us panicked, feeling the space around him tremble.


    "How... how is this possible?" His senior''s voice, usually calm and wise, was now filled with shock. It was the first time us had ever heard him sound unsettled. This made him feel something is wrong, but what...?.

 Chapter 155: Awakening The Eye Of Malevolence

    "Senior, what''s happening?" us asked again, panic creeping into his voice. Around him, the space in his soul sea continues to tremble violently. The once calm, multicolored sea beneath him now boiled like a raging tsunami. He stood frozen in the middle of it all,pletely unsure of what was going on.


    "Listen carefully, us," the senior''s voice came through again, more urgent than before. "You''re about to awaken a third eye, and when I say ''third eye,'' I mean a spirit eye¡ªbut this isn''t the real thing. This is a type of spirit eye that should never have existed in this world, not in this life."


    us blinked, trying to make sense of the words, but the panic in the senior''s voice only made things worse. It was rare for the senior to sound this rattled, which made the whole situation even more unsettling.


    "Senior, tell me what''s really happening. Forget karma and all that," us insisted, his voice sharp with urgency.


    The senior sighed deeply. "I can''t tell you much, trust me. If I reveal anything forbidden, your next tribtion will be yourst." His tone was grim, and us gulped, his heart pounding as he listened.


    "You''re awakening a spirit eye, but not just any spirit eye. This one shouldn''t be possible for a human. It''s called the Eye of Malevolence, and like its name, it''s an evil eye."


    us''s breath caught in his throat. "An evil eye? What does that even mean?"


    "Awakening this eye is like inviting torment and torture into your life. Yes, it grants powerful abilities, but ites with a heavy cost. Your mind will be filled with dark thoughts¡ªconstantly. It will corrupt your peace, us. After today, you won''t be able to have a peaceful moment with anyone, not even your mother," the senior warned.


    us swallowed hard again. Panic gnawed at the edges of his mind, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Senior, is there no way to stop this? Anything you can do?" he asked, his voice betraying his desperation.


    "I wish there was, but this is beyond my control now. Once it begins, there''s no stopping it."


    Suddenly, the soul sea parted. From beneath, a dark green, menacing eye began to rise slowly. us felt a strange heat in his eyes as the eye emerged from the depths of the soul sea. It rose ominously from beneath the sea and stopped when it was just a few meters away from us.


    The eye hovered a few meters away from us, its presence foreboding. He raised his head and locked eyes with it. Though the eye looked real, something about it was deeply unsettling. It wasn''t just that it was blinking¡ªit was the way it blinked as if it was alive.


    The moment their eyes met, us''s vision instantly darkened. After a brief pause, he opened his eyes again, only to find they were no longer golden. His eyes had turned a terrifying, blood-red. The change was sudden, but it was real, and looking at us, one could tell he had changed. He is still him, but he isn''t him.


    "Tsk, who would have thought I''d panic over this greenhouse eye?" us spoke suddenly. But his voice wasn''t his own. It sounded more mature, darker, yet strangelymanding¡ªa bizarre mix of tones.


    "I didn''t expect you to awaken this early," the voice continued, "but it''s for the best. The sooner I take control, the faster I can grow." us''s voice, or what sounded like his voice, pped his hands together, looking amused instead of scared.


    pping his hands together, us started to chant. It wasn''t calm like before the bead awakens. This one is more chaotic and dark. Listening to it sounded eerie.


    As the Chanting filled the turbulent soul sea, the green eye, with its terrifying veins, started to shudder, as if it were afraid. It began to retreat into the multicolored sea again. It''s both bizarre and amazing for some reason.


    However, it didn''t have time to escape. Just as it was descending, golden strings, formed from runes shot out of us''s eyes. Countless glowing golden strings moved swiftly and bound the eye.


    The eye of malevolence shuddered, trying to break free, but the strings were too strong and seemed to be hurting it. The more it shuddered, the more painful it appeared. The strings look sturdy and bind the eye like a chain.


    "Tsk, all bark, and no bite," us spoke in his strange voice as he formed a hand seal.


    Suddenly, the Pentaface bead spun, revealing its first face. From this face, a bell emerged. The bell grewrger until it wasrge enough. It moved and, in one gulp, swallowed the green eye.


    us formed another hand seal and from the bell, a ringing sound filled the air. Immediately the bell rang out the raging soul sea calmed instantly. The only sound now was us''s continuous chanting. The eye, swallowed by the bell, stayed inside like an obedient child.


    Slowly, the dark aura around the eye began to fade into the bell. It took over thirty minutes, but eventually, the only thing left was the green eye. This time, however, it no longer looked just terrifying; it had an alluring quality to it that made it both attractive and dangerous.


    Suddenly, the eye shuddered and transformed into runes. The bell rose, and the runes flew into us''s eyes. As they entered, the first door within his soul sea opened slightly, revealing a red star. It was visible only for a moment, but when us gazed into it, his eyes, which had been turning green, shifted back to a deep red.


    Then, beside the Pentaface bead, a menacing red eye appeared, hovering with a sinister presence. It looked more real and terrifying. But looking closely, it appeared projected yet real at the same time. However, the sinister air around the green eyes wasn''t there. It looks oval with dark red pupils looking back at us with an emotionless expression.


    "That''s more like it," us muttered with a smirk. Then, he vanished from his soul sea. Back in his training room, he fell backward and passed out.


    After five hours, us woke up with a splitting headache. "Damn, my head hurts," he muttered. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and drank it, then slumped back down.


    "I passed out, huh?" he said with a nk expression.


    "Wait, why isn''t my head filled with tormenting thoughts like the senior said?" us wondered and then reentered his soul sea.


    "What the...?" Immediately he appeared back inside his soul sea, he was greeted with a terrifying sight.


    "Brat, are you okay?" Before us could react to the terrifying red eyes inside his soul sea, the senior spoke.


    "Senior, what is that thing?" us asked, pointing at the eye, still not fully grasping the connection between him and it.


    "You tell me. Somehow, you''ve managed to purify the Eye of Malevolence into something new," the senior said, causing us to raise an eyebrow.


    "This is great, I guess," us muttered, now sensing the connection between himself and the eye. He cked out when the eye appeared but now woke up to a sudden connection to what was meant to torment him for the rest of his life, one would tend to want to get to the button of it all, but not us who knew exactly what happened.


    ''Was it Fruity...or some other bastard from my past'' He just doesn''t want to get into it now.


    He then turned his attention to the Pentaface bead.


    "Senior, what can you tell me about this eye and the bead?" us asked, hoping for more information. Yet again, the senior did not provide a concrete answer.


    "Just don''t focus on what isn''t there. Your existence is a special case. Even if you don''t sense it yet, the more you grow, the hungrier the heavens be in their attempts to kill you. Don''t ask for what isn''t there."


    "But what I can tell you is that these two objects are your strongest abilities. Use them wisely and try not to show off too much," the senior added, making us smile.


    us had seen what the bead could do in Fruity''s memories, but he knew he had unlocked something deeper. Inside Fruity''s soul sea, there were no beads or doors. For him, they were present, and he could feel their terrifying power. After admiring his new dark powers for a while, he joked,


    "Senior, you don''t happen to be a monk from many years ago, do you?"

 Chapter 156: Void Piercing Needle

    us''s question seemed casual, but he was being serious. In Fruity''s memory, it was the Old Monk in that strange space who had given him the Nine Divine Beads, the first form. Now, us sensed a strange familiarity between the tone of that Monk and the senior lurking in his soul sea.


    He couldn''t help but ask. As expected, the senior said nothing in response to his question, nor did he mention us''s recent brush with death. us wondered if the senior was paying attention at all. Still, he didn''t push for answers.


    He nearly died, yet the one having residence inside his soul sea said nothing about it, clearly, he doesn''t want to say things he doesn''t want affecting himter.


    Instead, he focused on studying the Pentaface bead. So far, he had unlocked only two faces, just like Fruity. He had ess to the [Bell of Harrows] and the [Eye of Despair].


    However, unlike Fruity, us didn''t need to bring the bead out when using these skills. The bead stayed within his soul sea, while the abilities manifested externally. He also discovered that the red eye he had awakened was now linked to the [Eye of Despair].


    This meant that whenever he activated the skill, the terrifying red eye would appear. And because us had star qi, his abilities were far more powerful than Fruity''s. He realized with a smirk that he had be a walking nightmare.


    The senior eventually told him a bit about the new eye''s abilities. us could now see with his eyes closed, but that wasn''t the most impressive part. He could sense everything within a 40km radius, and if he focused in one direction, his range extended to 70km.


    Aside from the enhanced sight, us discovered something even more intriguing when he activated the skill through his eyes. He could sense when someone was lying. Clearly, it wasn''t the best ability forbat, but in situations where the truth is needed, he can be a lie detector.


    But what made the eye even stranger was that he could maintain his golden eyes while using this ability, though the effect would be significantly weakerpared to when he switched to his red eyes, he could still maintain his charming golden eyes while observing his surroundings.


    But the red eyes offered more than just the ability to detect lies. With them, us could see a person''s soul to some extent and even manipte it directly. This maniption opened up a variety of dangerous possibilities. One of these was soul shock, where us could overcharge a person''s soul, leaving them vulnerable.


    There was also the soul imprint, which allowed us to leave a mark on someone''s soul. This made it easier to influence or control them without their knowledge. To a certain extent, he could even prate their mind. Of course, the senior said he wouldn''t be able to do that just yet, he is still weak.


    The abilities seemed endless, and us was determined to unlock every one of them eventually. He knew he was treading a fine line between power and danger, but the allure was too great to ignore.


    "Uh, Senior, you don''t happen to have a way for me to transfer techniques and skills to others?" us finally spoke after examining the bead for a while.


    "I do have a method," the Senior replied, "But you''ll need to give me something of equal value in return to bnce the karma."


    "Fair enough," us answered, nodding as he began to think. After a moment, he said, "I''ll share a secret with you. I believe that should be enough for this transaction."


    A whileter, us opened his eyes, still in the training room. But the second he did, he regretted it. "Sorry, Mom," he muttered with a sheepish smile. His new ability to see with his eyes closed had activated automatically, and he saw everything. And by everything, he meant everything.


    Quickly, he deactivated the ability and calmed his racing heart. With a faint smile, he retrieved the package he had asked Hanna to order for him. He didn''t have the shamelessness to discuss his new connection with Lucy with the Senior, so he left that topic forter.


    For now, his next n was to master using projectile weapons inbat. The weapon he ordered was a set of Needle-type weapons known as Viper Piercing Needles. These double-edged needles could be thrown by a skilled marksman or, in us''s case, controlled using his mind.


    Opening the package, he found 360 sleek, golden needles, each about 4 inches long. They were thin, razor-sharp, and designed for precise strikes. Just holding one made his fingers tingle with excitement. This was going to be fun.


    He grinned. "Time to get to work."


    us''s star qi surged, and with a single thought, he connected with the needles. Sixty-six of them rose into the air, but almost immediately, he felt the strain. His vision blurred, and his face turned pale from the pressure on his mind.


    "So that''s my limit," us muttered, feeling the weight hammering his brain. He felt every fiber of his brain stretching just but keeping the needles suspended.


    Quickly, he released most of the needles, letting 60 drop back into their case. A wave of relief washed over him as the strain eased. His head cleared a bit, but he continued manipting the remaining six needles, experimenting with their movements.


    He didn''t have a proper technique to control them inbat yet, but that didn''t stop him from trying. The needles whipped through the air with terrifying speed, obeying his mind''smands. He gestured with his hands, and the six merged, forming a single thick needle that shot forward with a burst of speed.


    Then, with another gesture, the needles separated. us paused, a realization hitting him.


    "Oh snap, I forgot!" he muttered, pping his forehead. "I have a technique for this."


    He remembered the [Ten Thousand Soul Needles] technique that his Senior had given him. It was specifically designed to manipte needles created from his star qi. Flipping through the skill in his mind, he found what he was looking for¡ªa method to control the needles with precision and power.


    "Void Piercing Needle," he whispered, picking one of the attack patterns. He began practicing, merging the six needles into a single,rger one. But when he followed the pattern, something felt off. It didn''te together like he''d hoped.


    "I need more needles," us realized.


    Ten more needles flew from the case, joining the six. Now, sixteen of them formed into a thick needle. But even with more power, it still wasn''t enough.


    "Not enough...," he muttered under his breath, his mind racing for a solution.


    He released his control, and the needles scattered back into the air, hovering around him like a swarm of golden fireflies. us quickly analyzed them, calcting the exact number he needed for the technique to work efficiently.


    "Thirty-three," he muttered. That was the magic number.


    He added 17 more needles to add to the original set, but as soon as he did, the familiar headache red up again, sharp and throbbing. "Flying them solo puts less strain on my brain than merging them all together," us grumbled. Despite the difort, he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, determined to form the Void Piercing Needle.


    Slowly but surely, the needles came together, twisting and coiling in the air, until they formed a thick, gleaming golden needle, extending about 12 inches long. It hovered in front of him, vibrating with power.


    us stared at it for a moment, then smiled. "Now we''re getting somewhere."


    us''s eyes shifted to the titanium dummy standing a few meters away. Without hesitation, he gestured with his hand, and the Void Piercing Needle shot forward like a bullet. It cut through the air with a faint hum before drilling straight through the dummy''s forehead, leaving a clean, gaping hole.


    us grinned evilly. "Now that is dangerous," he muttered drawing continuous holes in the dummy. A whileter, a 6-foot dummy stood with holes littered all over its body. us nodded with satisfaction and then went about pushing himself further by learning some more patterns from the [Ten Thousand Soul Needles] technique.

 Chapter 157: It was An Accident, Mom [Bonus]

    us spent four full days in the training room, pushing his mental limits. Even though he had the Weapon Overlord ss, which allowed him to control weapons with his mind, it didn''t mean he had perfect control without effort. It only gave him easier controlpared to most, but he still had to work hard.


    His mental strength was crucial if he wanted to keep the needles flying for a long time. Of course, he didn''t let this challenge hold him back. Instead of settling for controlling just 33 needles and a single attack pattern, he pushed further.


    Now, after four days, he could effortlessly control 54 needles without much strain and had even mastered three more attack patterns from the [Ten Thousand Soul Needles] technique.


    Along with the [Void Piercing Needle], which allowed him tobine 54 needles into one long, 14-inches needle for a powerful strike, he had also mastered three new techniques: [Swarm Attack], [Infinity Piercing], and [Jagged Strike].


    The first, [Swarm Attack], involved sending all 54 needles to fly independently. As the name suggested, the needles would attack together, with some taking alternate paths to maximize piercing damage¡ªjust like a swarm of bees, but deadlier.


    The second technique, [Infinity Piercing], took things to another level. In battles with hundreds or even thousands of enemies, speed was everything. This technique allowed him to kill multiple enemies at once within his attack range. The key was mental capacity. If your mind was strong enough, you could scatter the needles around and kill enemies both in front and behind.


    us, now blessed with divine sight, knew he could keep killing even with his eyes closed. All He needed was to keep his mental capacity in check and the killing would never stop.


    Thest attack pattern was a variation of the Void-Piercing Needle, but this time, the needle had sharp, jagged edges. Not only would it pierce the target, but it would also slice through them, making it a deadly killing technique that would solve many of us''s problems in battle.


    Although the three added are no match for the Void Piercing Needle, there was no harm in learning them.


    After four days of intense training, us finally took a break. He consumed some monster cores, which helped him level up to the Level 4 Master stage, earning him 400 undistributed points. During the battle at Arcadian City, he had used all his points after reaching Level 3, so the only ones he had left were the fresh 400 points from histest level up.


    Feeling the surge of new strength, he opened his status window and smiled, satisfied with his progress.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 16


    Talent: Celestial Elemental Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Master - Lvl: 4/12


    Strength: 1,230 | Agility: 1,270 |Stamina: 1,240 |Defense:1,100 | Intelligence: 1,100| Health: 4200


    Star Qi: 143,672,600


    Stat Points: 400


    [Next Level up: 10,000/31,228,800]


    "After the Regional Selection, I''ll go hunting again in a Tier 4 Forbidden Zone," us muttered, staring out his window. He had been given a nk Pass, that would allow him to enter any zone without restriction.


    He ns on using it to enter a Tier 4 Forbidden Zone where the weakest monster is a Tier 6 Dark or Tier 6 Zombie Captain. He needed time to level up and what the best way if not more killing. He ns on killing more and even trying his hands on Tier 7 Devils or Zombie Kings to see if he can earn some elemental cores.


    After seeing Fruity''s Ice awakening, he was determined to awaken his too. Indeed, he was jealous of the violet-haired pampered renegade Monk.


    When he asked about what happened after he died, he learned that after he killed the Zombie King, the battle had ended. But instead of celebrating, the atmosphere was filled with tension and pain due to the assassination attempt on his life.


    What shocked him more was hearing that even Miguel and the other youngsters, who once despised him, were upset at the thought of his death.


    Of course, us knew that most of them were probably just mad because they didn''t get the chance to take revenge themselves before he died. This made him smile darkly, thinking of the chaos he would soon unleash on his enemies.


    With only three days left before the Regional Selection, which would now be held in Hiroshi City¡ªthe secondrgest city in the Eastern Region¡ªhe started to prepare both mentally and physically. Originally, the event was supposed to take ce in Arcadian City, but after the invasion, the city was still rebuilding its defenses.


    The assassination attempt on us had also forced the higher-ups to change the venue. us found out that three guards who were protecting the Doomsday Bow were killed by the assassin. So even though it technically wasn''t Arcadian City''s fault, us knew humans had a peculiar tendency to ce me when they were hurt or grieving.


    After making sure he was ready, us left the training room and entered the hall, where his mother was seated reading quietly. Without saying a word, he walked over, sat beside her, and rested his head gently on herp. His mother responded with a soft smile, brushing her hand through his hair.


    "Mom, have I ever told you how beautiful and graceful you are?" us asked, his voice warm and sincere.


    "Tsk, you don''t have to coil your words, us, I know you want to say how hot my body looks" His mother who has known him all his life was quick to pick on the underlying tone in his words.


    "You are indeed hot Mom" us admitted.


    "Is that why you were peeking?" his mother asked, leaning in closer, her eyes narrowing yfully as she gazed into his.


    us''s heartbeat sped up, not from their closeness, but because she was right. He had identally peeked when he first awakened the Eyes of Malevolence. In that brief moment, he saw things he was never meant to, and no matter how hard he tried, the image was burned into his mind.


    "Mom, it was an ident," us admitted, his voice turning shy, a rare blush creeping across his face.


    "Hehe, I never knew the almighty us Hanson, thedies'' man, would stoop to peeking at his own mother," his mother teased, cupping his cheeks with a mischievous grin.


    "Mom!" us groaned, his cheeks flushing a deep red from embarrassment. "I told you, it was an ident," he repeated, though he knew it was pointless. His mother wasn''t going to let this go anytime soon. She was going to milk it for all it was worth.


    But what really puzzled us was how she had even known he peeked¡ªidentally, of course. ''How could she have sensed it?'' he thought, bewildered.


    The senior had told him it would be nearly impossible for others to detect his divine sight, especially when he wasn''t emitting any killing intent. So how had his Ascended mother picked up on it so easily? Is she perhaps a war goddess in disguise, us thought shing with many assumptions.


    ''Is it because I have no defenses against her?'' us wondered.


    He had always been vulnerable around her, never putting up any barriers. Maybe that''s why she could sense even the slightest hint of his presence, even when he hadn''t meant to peek. With a sigh, us resigned himself to his fate. His mother could charm him any day, and he knew it. So it was hard to say she could sense his presence even when he wasn''t there.


    "Mom, I will be leaving tomorrow with Anna and Hanna for the Regional Selection at Hiroshi City, will you be lonely" us asked taking the discussion to a new topic.


    "I will be, but we can spend today together. Your sister is still training so we can spend the day together, just you and me" His mother said making us smile cheerfully. They stay like that talking about a lot of things.


    The next day, he left with Annd and Hanna using one of Ross''s family jets. Once again, us was reminded of why he should buy his own jet.

 Chapter 158: Hiroshi City [Bonus]

    Hiroshi City is the secondrgest city in the Eastern Region and the 11thrgest in all of the Northern Union. Like any great city, it is managed by a powerful family¡ªthe Hiroshi Great Family, known for their unparalleled skill in swordsmanship.


    At the head of this family is Ryo Hiroshi, the King of Swords and patriarch of the Hiroshi Great Family. Across the entire Northern Union, Ryo is regarded as the strongest Great Sage, second only to Miriam, the War Goddess.


    Though Miriam is unmatched in raw power because she is a sovereign, a stage above a great sage. But Ryo''s battle experience is legendary. During the early days of the apocalypse, it''s said he single-handedly cleaved through thousands of Zombies, all while carrying a ten-year-old child on his back.


    It was said He had started with a team, but they were all overwhelmed by the sheer number of zombies around them. Despite this, Ryo''s determination and unmatched sword mastery allowed him to face down the hordes without flinching.


    Some even im he''s immune to Zombie bites. That is because when he returned from that fateful mission with the daughter of the current Northern Union leader, his body was covered in bite marks, yet he remained fully human.


    In the end, Ryo is not just a legend in battle but also the architect of a grand city. Hiroshi City is vast, stretching miles wide, with an elegance that reflects Ryo''s greatness. Towering buildings rise into the sky, impressivendmarks catch the eye, and flying cars zip through the air.


    The roads are smooth and well-kept, lined with sleek vehicles. The air itself feels clean and breathable, a stark contrast to the chaos outside in the forests and the forbidden Zones.


    "This ce is beautiful," Hanna said, gazing out the window as they flew toward their hotel in a flying car. The Trial was in two days, but us wanted some time away from home to explore Hiroshi City, so they arrived early.


    "Before and after the Regional Selection Trial, we can tour the city if you want," us replied, mentally noting a few spots he wanted to check out. One great thing about flying cars was the view¡ªyou could see the entire city from above.


    us sat in the car with Hanna and Anna. They were meeting Lily and the others at the hotel they will be staying in, but for now, he is using the time to admire the city with his enhanced vision¡ªhis Spirit Eye. He wasn''t using its full power, though. Thest thing he wanted was to identally peek at something he wouldn''t be able to forget.


    His mother had never let him live down the incident when he had unintentionally seen her bathing. It was aplete ident, but she never missed a chance to remind him. Every other minute, she''d tease him, making sure he couldn''t forget.


    A short whileter, they arrived in view of the Third Finger Royal Hotel, a five-star establishment that Lily had booked for the group. They had an entire suite to themselves. As soon as theynded, a hotel attendant greeted them.


    "Wee to The Third Finger Royal Hotel, Mr. us, Miss Anna, and Miss Hanna," the attendant said politely, bowing slightly.


    "No need to be so formal, sister. We''re all friends here," us replied with a warm smile. His casual tone made thedy smile back, and she led them toward a private elevator.


    Lily had been thorough, ensuring us wouldn''t draw attention by appearing in public. She knew all too well the risks. His recent post about the Dark Order had made him a target, and thest thing they needed was for eyes to track him to the hotel.


    His friends were worried, but us wasn''t. He didn''t particrly care about staying hidden. His confidence had grown, and deep down, he wanted to test himself. He was certain he could handle anything thrown his way.


    "us, you''re here!" Lily said as us, Anna, and Hanna stepped into therge, extravagant hall.


    ''She stopped calling me Brother us, huh? Looks like she''s bing more confident,'' us thought, noticing the change in how Lily addressed him. It was the same way Anna had started calling him just ''us.'' Before, it was always ''Brother us.'' He smiled and replied,


    "Lily, you''re looking particrly delicious this evening."


    At his shamelessment, Lily blushed slightly and quickly moved to stand beside Anna and Hanna.


    "us, you really shouldn''t tease my sister like that. She has a soft innocent heart," Kilian said, walking up to us with a grin. They shared a brotherly hug, followed by the same greeting from Mark, Danny, Daniel, and Kay.


    After exchanging greetings, us scanned the room. The hall was elegantly decorated, filled with an air of luxury andfort. It was the perfect spot for them to unwind before the big Trial.


    "So, what''s the n for tonight?" us asked, his eyes still wandering, taking in the grandeur.


    "We thought we''d rx, get our minds off things before the Trial," Daniel said, leaning against a plush chair. "Maybe a drink, maybe just chill."


    us nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. His Spirit Eye still buzzed with the urge to activate, to sweep the area for any unseen threats, but he held it back. He needed to rx, too, though part of him felt restless, always on edge after his recent encounters.


    "Drinks sound good," us said, smiling as he joined the group. "But not too much, or we''ll end up missing the three in two days"


    Kilianughed, already sipping something strong. "Oh,e on! One night of fun won''t kill us!"


    Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "You say that, but you''re always the one knocked out first."


    "Not this time," Kilian protested, though the grin on his face betrayed him.


    As they settled in, the mood was light, filled withughter and yful banter. Hanna, Lily, and Anna sat together, quietly chatting, while us found himself lost in thought again. Despite the warmth of the moment, something keeps looming over him, something ominous. It wasn''t fear¡ªhe was confident in his abilities.


    But something in the back of his mind nagged at him, something he couldn''t quite ce.


    "Hey, you okay?" Lily''s voice snapped him back to the present. She stood beside him, her usual sharp gaze softened by concern.


    "Yeah, just thinking," us replied, shrugging it off. "Nothing serious."


    Lily didn''t seem convinced, but she let it go. "You know, you don''t always have to carry everything alone," she said, her tone gentle.


    us smiled at her, appreciating the sentiment. "I know," he said. "But some things are just harder to share."


    Lily sighed but didn''t press further. Instead, she joined the others, leaving us to his thoughts.


    As the night wound down, the group enjoyed thest of their drinks before heading to bed. While the others fell into a restful sleep, us remained wide awake, staring at the Pentaface Bead in his soul sea. He couldn''t afford to waste time. There was something about this relic, something powerful, and he intended to unlock its secrets.


    The senior had told him it was one of the Forbidden Relics. He hadn''t said much else, but the word "forbidden" was enough for us to understand the gravity of what he was dealing with. This wasn''t some ordinary artifact; it held something dangerous and ancient, something that could either help him or destroy him.


    For hours, us focused on the bead, trying to understand anything he could about it. He didn''t need anything grand, just something that could put him at ease. But after hours of trying, nothing surfaces.


    By the time morning arrived, us was no closer to unlocking the bead''s secrets than when he had started. With a heavy heart and tired eyes, he sighed and set the bead aside.


    Afterward, he joined his friends for breakfast. Despite the sleepless night, us managed to put on a smile. He could see Lily and the others already seated, enjoying their meal.


    "Morning," us greeted as he sat down, grabbing a piece of bread from the table.


    "Morning," Anna replied, noticing his tired face despite putting on a calm face. You could only apud ady for their keen sense. "Rough night?"


    "Something like that," us shrugged, keeping the details to himself.


    "us, we have received an invitation" Lily suddenly said taking out a sleek-looking envelope.

 Chapter 159: Meeting A Dear Friend

    "The Hiroshi Family invited us for dinner this evening at the Hiroshi Estate," Lily said, handing us a golden card.


    us raised an eyebrow, taking the card from her. The weight of the invitation was evident not just in the card''s ornate design but in the significance behind it. The Hiroshi Family didn''t extend such invitations lightly.


    "They must really want to meet us, huh?" us said, examining the card. The Hiroshi Estate was famous, and any dinner there promised to be more than just a meal¡ªit was an event, a show of status, and sometimes even a test.


    Lily nodded. "It''s an honor, but it''s also about making connections. Ryo Hiroshi himself might be there. It''s a good chance to meet him."


    us smiled slightly, though his mind was already working. ''Ryo Hiroshi... the King of Swords,'' he thought to himself. This dinner might not be as casual as it seemed.


    "Well, I guess we better prepare then," us said, cing the card down and turning back to his breakfast.


    The Hiroshi Family''s influence was vast, and though us wasn''t overly concerned about impressing them, he knew better than to underestimate anyone with their kind of power. The fact that they extended an invitation carried weight, and us understood that the true purpose behind it would only be revealed once they stepped into the Hiroshi Estate that evening.


    "That being said, us, tone it down a bit when we go there today," Anna said, raising an eyebrow in warning. She knew us far too well to let him go in without a heads-up.


    us grinned. "Anna dear, are you worried I''ll cause trouble?"


    Anna sighed, but before she could respond, Lily chimed in. "She''s serious, us. Taro Hiroshi has a tendency to stir up trouble, and since we''re not in our domain here, it''s best if you don''t get tangled up with him. He''s what most would call... a prick." Her face scrunched in mild embarrassment as she said the word.


    us leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a thoughtful look. "Ah, so there''s always one of those, huh?"


    "Always," Anna replied with a knowing smirk. "Just this time, we don''t need you making things worse."


    us chuckled, but his eyes were full of mischief. "Fine, fine. I''ll y nice... until I can''t."


    Lily shook her head, clearly unconvinced. "Just remember, we''re there to make alliances, not enemies." us is no heir to any Great Family, so he doesn''t care about impressing anyone, unlike Anna and the rest. They are there to extend their family influence, so knowing us and his troubles, they start warning him before heading over.


    us gave a mock salute. "Scout''s honor."


    But even as he joked, us knew this dinner was no casual affair. There would be more than food served at the Hiroshi Estate¡ªpower ys, hidden agendas, and maybe even a challenge or two. He could feel it in his bones and he was looking forward to it.


    Later that evening, a sleek flying car arrived to pick them up and take them to the Hiroshi estate. Thanks to Nadia, who always ensured his wardrobe was on point, us looked sharp. His mother had also added some ir to his dreadlocks, giving him a mix of charm and intimidation. He looked both cute and dangerous at the same time, a bnce he never minded.


    His friends were dressed just as well. Having a close friend who modeled for the number one fashionpany in the world certainly had its perks. Even after us died, Ni Fashion Trend X remained on top of the charts. In fact, it hadn''t just stayed strong; it became even more sessful.


    The only trouble came from the investors. They had tried to make things difficult for Nadia, but before it spiraled out of control, an anonymous buyer swooped in and purchased the shares of the other investors. Then in a twist, every bit of the shared bought was handed to Nadia to manage. So now, she has 100% control over herpany and it''s thriving even better than before.


    After about half an hour of flying, they arrived at the estate. From 2km away, us could see the sprawling Hiroshi estate, stretching for miles in every direction. It was grander than he had imagined.


    "This ce is incredible," us muttered, his eyes wide as he took in the sprawling estate.


    Theynded and were quickly ushered into another car, which drove for another twenty minutes before they arrived at arge mansion that stood elegantly like a castle.


    "Wee to the Hiroshi Estate. I am Lanki, the butler of the Hiroshi Great Family," said a man who looked to be in histe thirties. He was dressed in a dark suit, impably neat. He doesn''t need an introduction to know he is a butler.


    "Please follow me," he instructed. us and his friendsplied and began to follow him, us sensed a powerful aura around Land and he knew if he were to sh with this man, he knew he''d be in serious trouble. Though Lanki was just a Sage, the energy around him felt far more dangerous than the Zombie Kings us had faced during the invasion at the Arcadian Mine.


    "You are us," A voice spoke


    us and his friends stopped and turned to see a youngdy, around Lucy''s age, walking toward them. Her presence was striking, and us felt an unexpected jolt of curiosity. Who was she?


    "Master us, this is Young Miss Aoi Hiroshi, the third daughter of Ryo Hiroshi," Lanki introduced her with a slight bow.


    Aoi smiled warmly, her demeanor friendly yet poised. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, us," she said, her voice clear and inviting.


    For some reason, us felt Nervous and excited at the same time looking at Aoi Hiroshi. He just couldn''t ce his finger on it, but there was something about her that he found curious. Of course, he doesn''t know what, just yet. "Nice to meet you, Aoi," he replied, trying to sound confident.


    The atmosphere shifted slightly as Aoi stepped closer, her gaze curious. "I''ve heard quite a bit about you. They said you cleared an entire battlefield with a single attack. That is impressive"


    us nodded, unsure of what to say. He nced at his friends, who seemed just as intrigued. "Yeah, it''s been quite the journey," he finally said, hoping to keep the conversation light.


    Aoi''s smile widened. "I''d love to hear more about it. Maybe after dinner?"


    "Sure," us replied, and just like that, their interaction was over. Aoi turned and walked away, leaving us and the others watching her go.


    "Sister Emily said she ranked number 12 on the Inner Disciple Ranking Chart at the Celestial Mountain Academy," Lily mentioned, her eyes still following Aoi.


    "Wow, that''s impressive," Anna said, ncing at us, who seemed lost in deep thought. Then they started moving again. Of course, us didn''t respond to thement Lily made, so they followed Lanki instead. Soon, they arrived at arge garden.


    As soon as they appeared, familiar faces greeted them.


    "Hello, my dear friend Miguel! How have you been?" us eximed, his mood shifting instantly. It was like he was seeing a long-lost friend. But everyone around knew better. These two were no friends; calling them mere enemies would be an understatement. They were mortal enemies.


    The air grew tense as us smiled, but his eyes held a glint of Mischief. us was looking for trouble with Miguel. Miguel returned the smile, but it was tight-lipped, masking the animosity simmering beneath the surface.


    "Just trying to survive, us. You know how it is," Miguel replied, his voice casual butced with underlying tension.


    Perhaps anticipating something like this, Miguel chose his words carefully, but they only made us narrow his gaze in amusement. After all, he had just survived an assassination attempt on his life; one could say he was indeed trying to survive the past weeks.


    "Touche, Miguel, touche," us said, a smirk ying on his lips. "You and I could have been best friends if you weren''t such a dick."


    us''s raw words caught everyone''s attention. Miguel clenched his fist clearly annoyed by us calling him a dick, but before he could fire back, Anna and Lily pulled us away. The night hasn''t even started yet and he has already started causing trouble.

 Chapter 160: Trouble Under The Mountain

    "Why do you always have to poke the bear?" Anna asked, her exasperation clear. Her sister had given her the mission to keep us out of unnecessary trouble, but the night hadn''t even started, and she could already feel a headacheing on.


    "Because it''s fun," us replied with a wide grin. "Besides, he needs a reminder of who he''s dealing with. Plus, Miguel is a big guy, although it looks like I hate him, he is kind of a friend"


    Lily sighed, shaking her head. "Just try to keep it civil, okay? We don''t need another scene."


    "You two shouldn''t leave his side," Daniel said, dragging us''s male friends away. "We''re going to mingle and see if we can get lucky tonight." Without even looking back at us, they all left trying their best to win some before the night was over. us couldn''t be the only one surrounded bydies, they needed some too.


    us found himself alone with the two fairies, who were now tasked with de-escting any mischief he might try to stir up.


    "Tsk, traitors! But hey, I get to keep two fairies with me," us said, cing a hand on the shoulders of Lily and Anna. The twodies blushed slightly, making Hanna raise an eyebrow in curiosity.


    "Oh, big sister, you can join in if you want! Here,e in for a hug¡ªlet''s make this a foursome!" us said, shing a mischievous grin.


    Hanna smirked but opted for a drink instead of indulging her younger brother''s shameless antics. Their mom had already warned her not to fall for us''s charm, but unfortunately, Lily and Anna were too naive to know better.


    As us leaned back, enjoying the moment, he couldn''t help but think that the night was only just beginning. With the fairies at his side and trouble brewing on the horizon, he felt a rush of excitement.


    At one side of the gathering, which looked like a mini version of the Felin youth ball, a group of youngsters continued to quietly observe us. Both male and female eyes were fixed on him, though for different reasons.


    "Look at him, using his fame to deceive thosedies," one of the young men muttered, his voice dripping with bitterness. The look on his face said it all¡ªhe was jealous, in and simple.


    A femalepanion beside him raised an eyebrow. "Deceive? Or maybe they just like him?" she teased, smirking slightly, enjoying how much it bothered him.


    The young man scoffed. "Please, he''s nothing special. Just a shy show-off. I bet without his fame, they wouldn''t even nce his way."


    But his clenched fists and narrowed eyes told a different story. Watching us surrounded by two blushing fairies seemed to be pushing his buttons in all the wrong ways. The other youngsters exchanged nces, sensing the underlying jealousy in his tone.


    Miguel who was watching was also looking at us with angry looks. Seeing us get that close with Anna made him want to rush over there and Kill him. But he wouldn''t or more like he couldn''t and deep down, he knew that.


    On another side far from the gathering, Aoi looks at us who isughing and feeding grapes to the Blushing Lily and Anna.


    "He doesn''t look like someone who''s ranking on the Union Chart," the young woman said, clearly intrigued by how carefree us seemed.


    "He sure has a free spirit," another added, her tone curious. "I wonder if he realizes the cmity he''s called upon himself by publicly disrespecting the Dark Order."


    Standing beside Aoi were her two older sisters, each resembling her but with a more mature air. One of them, her expression stern, nodded. "He may be bold now, but crossing the Dark Order... that''s a death sentence in itself."


    Aoi nced back at us, who wasughing with Lily and Anna as if the world wasn''t full of dangers waiting for him. "He doesn''t seem like someone who''s concerned about his own survival," she mused.


    The eldest sister smirked slightly. "Or maybe he''s just good at hiding it. People like him always pay for their recklessness sooner orter."


    Aoi''s gaze lingered on us, wondering if he truly understood the consequences of his actions¡ªor if he was just fearless, tempting fate with every move he made. us''s disrespect toward the dark order was something that made even the strongest raise an eyebrow. Some called him bold while others called him foolish. But in reality, us doesn''t care even in the slightest.


    "Do you think Taro will create a scene today?" one of thedies asked, her tone low but curious. "He seems to have some hidden animosity toward us, especially after it came out that the Queen of Vine is dating him."


    The mention of Taro, their younger brother, caught Aoi''s attention. Taro, thest-born of the Hiroshi Great Family, was just as much a skilled swordsman as the rest of them. But his pride always gets the best of him. He is a menace to youngsters and they seem concerned.


    The eldest sister sighed, crossing her arms. "Taro''s never been good at hiding his jealousy. Especially when the Queen of Vine is concerned."


    "Honestly, I''m surprised he''s kept quiet this long," the other sister added. "It''s obvious he''s been simmering ever since the rumors about us and Lucy started circting. us has that effect on people, and for him to take the girl he has his eyes on, I am impressed even"


    Aoi nced across the gathering, her eyes searching for their brother. "Taro won''t let this go easily," she said, her voice filled with concern. "If he''s nning something, it might get ugly."


    The eldest sister nodded. "We''ll have to keep an eye on him. Thest thing we need is a public spectacle, especially with us being... us."


    "Well," the other sister smirked, "if anyone''s going to stir up trouble tonight, it''ll be Taro. And us isn''t someone to take arrogance from his peers lying down. You saw what he did to a whole Legacies."


    Aoi''s gaze flickered between her sisters and the carefree us, feeling a sense of unease settle over the gathering. Tonight might not end quietly after all.


    Just as they had predicted, in an elegant room within the estate, a young man sat on a plush bed, his eyes flickering in and out of focus. Kneeling between his legs was a young woman, her head moving rhythmically, clearly, she was the source of the man''s strange expressions.


    A whileter, when she finished, she stood up with a satisfied smile. The young man remained on the bed, a grin stered on his face. Moments after she left, another figure entered the room without bothering to knock. The neer smiled upon seeing the young man basking in the afterglow.


    "Young Master, did you enjoy my gift?" Han asked, his tone smug.


    "Indeed, she was the best one yet. Good work, Han," the young man on the bed replied. "But tell me, why are you here?"


    "us Hanson is in the estate," Han said casually. The moment those words left his lips, the young man jumped off the bed in excitement¡ªthough, being stark naked wasn''t exactly the best time for such enthusiasm, especially if you''re a guy.


    "Really?" he asked, eyes wide.


    "Yes," Han confirmed with a smile.


    The young man''s grin twisted into something darker, more sinister. "Perfect." Without wasting another second, he slipped into the bathroom, and after a short while, he emerged, fully dressed and ready for action.


    "us Hanson," he muttered coldly, his voice dripping with resentment. "You stole my girlfriend. Today, I''ll see whether you really have what it takes to steal what belongs to Taro Hiroshi."


    His words hung in the air, sharp with the promise of violence, making Han''s smile widen.


    "Are we going to make a scene, Young Master?" Han asked a glint of excitement in his eyes.


    Taro''s gaze hardened. "We''ll see. One way or another, us will regret ever crossing me."


    With that, he strode out of the room and headed toward the gathering area. Nobody knows whats brewing inside his head, but one thing is certain, the night is bound to be more than just a dinner.

 Chapter 161: Eating Like a King

    "Little brother, if you don''t n to make these twodies your women tonight, then stop leading them on," Hanna said, raising an eyebrow at us. He had his arms wrapped around Anna and Lily''s waists, their faces flushed in embarrassment.


    The two women were clearly flustered beyond repair, unable to meet Hanna''s gaze as the tension between them all hung in the air.


    us nced down at the two flustered beauties in his arms and tightened his grip around their waists. With a mischievous grin, he replied, "Don''t worry, big sister. Let your little brother enjoy some quality time with these fairies."


    Hanna sighed and shook her head, though a small smile tugged at her lips. She wasn''t surprised. us''s mother had made sure to tell her all about us growing up, as a way to bond with her.


    He learned about us''s childhood and the struggles he went through after his dad went missing. So Hanna knew he deserved all the joy in this world. us''s mother wanted to make sure she becamefortable around us and It worked¡ªHanna had befortable around him, even a bit overprotective, despite not knowing him for long.


    She wasn''t jealous of Lily or Anna, but she didn''t like the way some of the other women were eyeing us either. With a teasing grin, Hanna called over her shoulder,


    "Alright,dies, put your backs into it. Don''t let some hungry tigresse along and snatch him away from you two!" Her cheeks flushed red as she hurried off, clearly not wanting to be left alone with the awkwardness. She made her way toward Danny and the others.


    us watched her go, a silent thumbs-up forming in his heart. He knew Hanna didn''t have feelings for him, but seeing her support made him want to shower her with affection. Her words had done the trick too¡ªLily and Anna stopped blushing and, instead, started iming their territory with newfound confidence.


    He chuckled, knowing the night was only going to get more interesting. After a while, they were led from the garden into a grand hall, where arge dinner table was set. It became clear this wasn''t an open invitation for every youngsterpeting in the Regional Trial.


    Looking around, us quickly realized that less than 2 percent of the participants were there for the Reginal Trial were there. Only the best of the best had been invited. Of course, he wasn''t concerned about that, his focus was on the foodid before them.


    "Wee, everyone, to Hiroshi Mansion. We are thrilled to host you," a voice rang out just as they settled into their seats.


    us turned his head to see a young man with short dark hair, perfect facial features, and a well-built, athletic body speaking. His presence wasmanding, and the room fell silent.


    "You might be wondering why we extended this invitation..." the man continued, his voice smooth and calcted. "The Hiroshi Family wishes to express our willingness to work with promising youngsters like yourselves in the years toe. We believe we can make this new world a safer ce for our loved ones through togetherness and fostering bonds." He smiled gently, the sincerity almost convincing.


    us, standing off to the side, smirked silently to himself. ''They could''ve just said they want to suck up to rising stars and be done with it. What''s with this fancy way of saying ''sucking up''?''


    He saw through the charade. The Hiroshi family wasn''t about fostering bonds or safety. They wanted to align themselves with the future powerhouses, hoping to cash in once these rising talents reached their peak. us knew that as soon as someone fell out of favor or lost their potential, the Hiroshi family would cut ties without a second thought.


    But us wasn''t bothered. He understood the game, and in some ways, he appreciated it. They weren''t the first family trying to secure their future by banking on the youth, and they certainly wouldn''t be thest.


    "Enjoy your food and the hospitality of the Hiroshi Great Family," the young man said, looking at the smiling faces around the table. With a final nod, he turned and walked away.


    us watched him go, a slight frown forming. "Suddenly, I don''t feel like being part of a great family," he muttered under his breath. The thought of all the political games and sucking up didn''t sit well with him.


    But then he nced to his left and right, where Lily and Anna sat. A grin spread across his face. "But with two fairies by my side, I wouldn''t mind joining your families."


    Lily and Anna blushed at his words, their faces turning a delicate shade of pink as they shyly averted their eyes.


    The night began as usual, with food being served. us, who had juste to the realization that maybe he and Fruity weren''t so different after all, wasted no time devouring the meal in front of him. He didn''t care about the looks people were giving him.


    He knew some of them were hungry but were too busy trying to maintain their ridiculous image, picking at their food to appear refined. ''Not this young master,'' us thought. ''I have no such image to uphold.''


    His only concern was filling his stomach, and that''s exactly what he was doing. Anna and Lily kept sneaking nces at him as he ate with no shame, but they didn''t seem bothered. In fact, they looked more amused than anything.


    It wasn''t just us, either. Danny, Daniel, Kay, and Mark were doing the same. None of them came from great families, so why should they care about keeping up appearances? They were hungry, and the food was there to be eaten.


    "Tsk, as expected, the dogs reveal themselves at a table full of Unicorns," a voice suddenly cut through the room.


    us looked up to see a young man sitting across from him, his words dripping with condescension, clearly aimed at us and his group. The others around the table went silent, waiting to see how us would react to the not-so-subtle insult.


    us paused mid-bite, slowly lowering his fork. His gaze shifted toward the young man across the table, who was staring at him with a smug expression. The silence at the table thickened as everyone watched for us''s reaction.


    For a moment, us considered responding, but then a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He resumed eating,pletely unfazed. "You know," he said casually between bites, "if being a dog means I get to eat without pretending to be something I''m not, then bark, bark."


    Lily and Anna snorted, trying to hide theirughter, while Danny, Daniel, Kay, and Mark exchanged grins. The insult didn''t hit as the young man had hoped, and the tension shifted back toward him.


    The smug look on the young man''s face faltered, clearly not expecting us to brush him off so effortlessly. He clenched his jaw, trying to maintain hisposure. "Typical response from someone without any ss."


    us wiped his mouth with a napkin, his eyes locking onto the young man. "ss? Is that what you call pretending you''re too good to eat? Looks to me like you''re starving, but don''t worry, there''s plenty of food. Maybe one day you''ll realize that pretending to be above everyone else doesn''t make you better, it just makes you hungry."


    The room fell silent again, but this time, it was the kind of silence that followed a blow that hit its mark. The young man flushed with embarrassment, unable toe up with a retort. Of course, the blow wasn''t aimed only at him, but since he was the one who asked, he had to take it all.


    us grinned, leaning back in his chair, content. He turned to Anna and Lily, who were still stifling theirughter. "Now, where was I? Ah, right. Eating like a king."


    "us, do you dare have a duel with me?" a voice suddenly echoed from one side of the hall. Everybody turned only to meet the gaze of a young man storming through the doors, his eyes zing with rage.

 Chapter 162: Falling Face First

    us didn''t even bother to lift his head. He kept chewing,pletely unbothered. Without looking up, he muttered, "Put a leash on it, boy. This big daddy is eating." His voice was casual, almostzy, but the message was clear. He wasn''t interested in ying games.


    The room tensed. us''s response was enough to make jaws drop, He wasn''t bothered, not even in the slightest. If someone was calling him out like that, they either wanted attention or had something to prove. Neither option interested him.


    The young man stopped in his tracks, clearly taken aback by us''sck of response or more like his nonchnt response. His face reddened with anger. "Are you really that scared, us? Hiding behind your food?"


    us chuckled softly, finally ncing up. "Scared? Of you?" He leaned back,zily locking eyes with his challenger, a smirk ying on his lips. "No, I''m just not interested in wasting my time. But if you''re desperate for a beating, I can finish up here and give you some attention. Just don''t go running to your daddy when I''m done with you."


    A few people held their breath. The boldness of us''s insult was palpable. Everyone knew the young man challenging us¡ªTaro Hiroshi, the youngest heir of the Hiroshi Great Family. Arrogant yet undeniably talented. He isn''t a nobody for us to be disrespecting like that.


    So for us to openly disrespect him like that, none of them couldn''t believe their eyes and ears.


    Taro''s eyes narrowed, fury mixing with disbelief. He had expected some kind of reaction, but not this level of defiance. "You think you can just brush me off?" he spat, taking a step closer. "You''re nothing but a cocky fool."


    us shrugged, unfazed. "Cocky? Maybe. But I''ve got the skills to back it up. What do you have? A title and a family name?


    That doesn''t scare me."


    The tension in the room thickened, as others exchanged uneasy nces. They could feel the impending sh, a storm brewing between two young warriors. Taro clenched his fists, his body tense with anger. "You think you''re better than me? I, Taro Hiroshi will show you what real power looks like."


    us wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a grin spreading across his face. "Power? Is that what you call throwing a tantrum? Come on, Taro. You should know better than to challenge someone who doesn''t care about your family Name. And yes, I don''t care if you are the son of the Devil himself.


    In my eyes, you are a nobody so act like one."


    us''s words hit like a p in the face to every Great Family heir present. He clearly didn''t care about any of them, especially those who harbored animosity toward him.


    "But wait," us suddenly said raising a finger "Why does it seem like you hate me for no reason? This is my first time in this city and my first time entering this Mansion. So why the hostility? Make no mistake, your family''s hospitality is great.


    I enjoyed my food and will savor dessert, but why does this have to include a jerk like you?" He raised an eyebrow, looking directly at Taro, who was clenching his fists in rage.


    "Wait, I didn''t steal your woman, did I?" us asked, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Who am I kidding? With a face like yours, you wouldn''t have such luck." He relished the way Taro''s anger was ring. Taro is handsome, ady''s man and he knows it, but he just has to poke the bear. Anna and Lily knew there was no use stopping him now.


    Taro clenched his fists, his anger simmering just below the surface. He had no words; us was a monster when it came to this verbal game. Instead of enjoying the same freedom he had when entering the room, Taro found himself made a fool, standing there and seething.


    As if sensing the tension, Anna leaned in, whispering something to us. A mischievous smile spread across his face after hearing what she whispered into his ears.


    "On second thought, Taro, I ept your challenge. And don''t worry¡ªyou can use your sword. I''ll just use this spoon." us picked up a five-inch spoon from the table and began walking toward Taro.


    His action caught everyone off guard. A spoon? Was he serious? The room erupted into murmurs, disbelief etched on every face.


    Taro''s expression shifted from anger to confusion, then to rage. "You think this is a joke?" he shouted


    us shrugged, twirling the spoon between his fingers like a seasoned warrior wielding a dagger. "Not at all. I just want to keep things light. You seem so tense" us said with a puffy expression making the others don''t know whether tough or cry.


    The crowd around them watched in a mix of amusement and shock. us was known for his unpredictability, but this was a new level of absurdity. He gave a Legacy heir Handicap, now how, he is giving Taro another handicap? Spoon, really.


    "Are you really going to fight me with that?" Taro scoffed, trying to regain hisposure.


    "Why not? I figured a little spoon would be enough to take care of a honey bastard like you," us replied, gesturing with the spoon as if he were scooping up honey.


    Laughter erupted from the onlookers, and even some of Taro''s anger seemed to falter in the face of us''s ridiculousness. us spun the spoon in his fingers, looking back at Taro.


    "Look at you, Taro," us continued, "getting all worked up over a kitchen utensil. If that''s all it takes to rattle you, maybe you should reconsider this whole warrior thing."


    Taro red, his face twisting with a mix of fury and humiliation. "You think this is funny? I''ll make you regret this!"


    us just chuckled, stepping closer, spoon held high like a knight with his sword. "I''m counting on it. Show me what you''ve got!"


    The hall wasrge enough to amodate a simple spar between friends, but the tension felt anything but casual. Taro, despite his status as a Great Family heir, drew his sword and looked at us like he was prey. "Don''t regret thister," he warned, charging at us with determination.


    us smirked as Taro closed the distance. When Taro got close, he stabbed his sword forward, clearly intent on hurting us. But us merely sidestepped a glint of amusement in his eyes.


    In one fluid motion, he subtly kicked his leg forward, cing it right between Taro''s legs. Before Taro could react, his sword flew from his hand as he tripped over us''s leg. He crashed to the floor, his face hitting the ground first with a thud.


    The hall erupted inughter, the sight of Taro''s face hitting the floor first was just tooical to watch. us stood over him, spoon raised in triumph. "Looks like you forgot to watch your footing, honey bastard!" he teased.


    Taro groaned, pushing himself up and ring at us, his pride wounded. "This isn''t over," he hissed, his face flushed with embarrassment.


    "Oh, I wouldn''t dream of it!" us replied, still grinning. "Let''s see if you can actuallynd a hit this time."


    Taro picked up his sword again, fury in his eyes, and charged at us. But before he knew it, his face was hitting the floor once more. Once again the youngsters in the roomughed but not all. Taro''s fall wasical, but not all of them knew how it happened until the second fall.


    He charged at us for the third time, but before he could take any action, he was falling on the floor, face first. Theughter in the hall suddenly stopped.


    The first fall was amusing; it could happen to anyone. The second was still funny¡ªjust a coincidence. But a third? That was something else entirely. us had made Taro''s handsome face hit the ground thrice already.


    "Wanna try it again?" us taunted, his smirk growing wider. "To think someone who has his eyes on my girlfriend would be this weak. How disappointing." The look on us''s face said it all¡ªTaro''s challenge was bing a waste of time.


    "Please, when is dessert getting ready?" us suddenly asked.


    p, p, p.


    Before Taro could move, apuse rang out from one of the entrances, cutting through the tension. Everyone turned to see who had arrived.

 Chapter 163: The Three Hiroshi Sisters

    us and the others turned toward the sound of pping. Upon turning, their eyes settled on three women with otherworldly beauty walking toward them. Leading them was Aoi, and the two women beside her looked nearly identical to her, except they had more mature features.


    The moment us''s eyes fell on the two women nking Aoi, his heart seemed to stop. It wasn''t because he was charmed or had any intentions of wooing them. It was something deeper¡ªsomething in the aura that surrounded them.


    When he first awakened his Spirit Eye, the senior in his soul sea had told him that he would be able to see energies, though only to a certain extent. At the time, us didn''t know what to look for. But now, as he stared at the suffocating energy surrounding the women beside Aoi, one thing was clear: he was no match for them. Not even close.


    ''How vast is the difference between monsters and humans?'' us thought to himself, feeling a chill run through his body.


    us had fought monsters far above his level, many Tiers beyond his own. Yet, standing before the Hiroshi sisters, especially the two beside Aoi, a shiver ran down his spine. They were only three realms above him, but it was enough to remind him that humans, too, could be terrifyingly powerful.


    "Brother us, don''t you think it''s rude toe into someone''s home and beat them up?" one of the women beside Aoi asked, her voice dripping with a seductive undertone. It was the kind of tone that made Anna and Lily instantly bristle. They exchanged nces, clearly irritated. Being women themselves, they knew what was implied beneath those silky words.


    us raised an eyebrow, unfazed by thement, though he could feel the tension rising behind him. His eyes drifted to Taro whose face was swollen and bruised from the repeated falls.


    "I couldn''t help it," us said finally, unable to suppress a grin. The memory of Taro''s facent was too funny to ignore.


    The Hiroshi sisters exchanged knowing nces before looking at their younger brother, Taro, who was gripping his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His eyes shot daggers at us, his frustration boiling over. The sisters sighed quietly. They had witnessed the whole ordeal from the start, and, in truth, they had wanted to stop Taro from confronting us.


    But their father had told them not to interfere.


    Now, seeing the anger etched on Taro''s face, they understood why. Their father, Ryo Hiroshi, was not a man respected for his wealth but for his immense strength and warrior spirit. He had risen to prominence through discipline, and seeing his son drifting toward the spoiled, arrogant path, he needed something¡ªsomeone¡ªto pull Taro back to reality.


    In fact, this entire gathering had been carefully nned so that us would attend. It wasn''t that the Hiroshi family didn''t want to entertain the other young geniuses¡ªthey did¡ªbut us was the main focus.


    Like many youths, us had his share of arrogance, but he had the skill to back it up. Taro, on the other hand, had been seething for weeks, ever since the news broke that us and Lucy, the famed Queen of Vine, Princess of Vine, The wood Princess, were dating. His pride couldn''t handle it, and now his frustration was boiling over into something dangerous.


    The sisters knew that their father had orchestrated this encounter, hoping us would be the lesson Taro needed.


    Looking at Taro''s fuming expression, the Hiroshi sisters silently gave their father a mental thumbs-up. He had clearly nned this all along. Outwardly, they remained neutral, though it was obvious they had their own motives for attending the gathering.


    "Brother us, still, you should have shown a little more restraint," the other Hiroshi sister said, her smile just as teasing as before.


    us nced at Taro, whose face was burning with anger, then responded with a casual shrug. "You''re right, I should have held back a little. Tell you what, Brother Taro¡ªhow about a rematch? This time I won''t trip you," he said with an innocent look, clearly taunting Taro into another round of humiliation.


    The first Hiroshi sister, sensing where this was headed, quickly interjected. "Brother us has already won, so let''s call this duel over." Her tone made it clear she wasn''t amused by us''s baiting. Many might be caught in his bait, but not her.


    Had Taro epted, the next round would be a new form of humiliation that if care is not taken, can damage his foundation for good. So she she had to stop him.


    "Too bad," us said, inspecting the spoon in his hand as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. "I was really looking forward to a proper fight with him."


    Around them, a few people chuckled at us''s antics. Though some in the crowd disliked him¡ªwhether out of jealousy or rivalry¡ªthey couldn''t deny his charm. His casual way of mocking without malice,bined with his undeniable skills and prowess, made it hard for anyone not to be amused by his behavior.


    "Since Brother us seems so keen on another match, why not have a duel with Aoi here?" the first Hiroshi sister suddenly suggested, turning all attention toward Aoi.


    "First Sister!" Aoi eximed, clearly flustered.


    "Oh,e on," her sister continued with a teasing smile. "You think I don''t know you''ve been putting off your return to the academy just to see him?"


    Aoi shot her a look of pure betrayal, the kind that said, "You traitor!" But there was no escaping it now. The entire crowd had heard, and all eyes were on her.


    us blinked, surprised by the revtion. Aoi, the elegant and fierce number twelve on the Celestial Mountain Academy''s Inner Disciple rankings, had been eager to meet him. It all clicked into ce¡ªthe reason she had met him earlier in the garden. She hadn''t been able to wait any longer.


    He chuckled to himself, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Well, well, this just might be the best gathering hosted by a great family yet." He nced at Aoi, who looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up.


    Aoi''s cheeks burned with embarrassment as she avoided us''s gaze, clearly wishing she could disappear into thin air. us, however, couldn''t help but grin wider. "Well then, I''ll dly have a duel with Miss Aoi," he said, clearly amused by how things had turned out.


    "Wonderful! Let''s all move to the arena," the first Hiroshi sister chimed in, leading the way with a satisfied smile.


    us cast onest longing look at the food spread, almost wanting to shout, ''Where''s the dessert?'' But he bit his tongue and followed the group.


    If he was honest with himself, he had been itching for a duel with the Hiroshi family, knowing their deep mastery of the sword. Taro would''ve been the perfect match, but it was a shame the guy was a spoiled brat. Now, though, he had an upgrade¡ªa duel with Aoi, a Peak Saint, and an Inner Disciple of Celestial Mountain Academy, and on top of that, she was stunningly beautiful.


    The thought excited him. A perfectbination¡ªstrength, beauty, and the sword. It was too good to pass up.


    A whileter, they arrived at the arena. It was much bigger than us''s training room¡ªvast and open. He walked in casually, followed closely by Aoi. us stood opposite her and smiled.


    "Looks like I will be needing your guidance, Fairy Aoi," he said, feeling a spark of excitement.


    Everyone else stood by, watching intently as the duel was about to begin.


    "I will also need Brother us''s guidance," Aoi replied, determination in her voice. With that, she lunged at us.


    In an instant, us''s sword appeared in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, he moved ready to sh and see if the Hiroshi family were indeed up to their name as Masters of the sword in the Northern Union.

 Chapter 164: Duel with Aoi Hiroshi

    us shed with Aoi, their swords meeting in a sharp ng. Neither of them was using any active skills; it was a pure test of skill with their des. us felt the force behind Aoi''s strike, but he didn''t panic. Instead, he adapted for the second sh. When their swords met again, he found the force was more manageable this time.


    Aoi lunged forward with her sword, aiming to stab him. us sidestepped and parried her attack, using the momentum to twist his wrist and strike back. But Aoi was one step ahead; she moved her sword to block his attack. With a swift motion, she spun on her heel, her waist twisting gracefully as she struck forward.


    This movement sent her long, silky brown hair swirling in the air, making her look even more enchanting. us shook his head to clear his thoughts¡ªhe had to focus. Still, he couldn''t deny that she had a certain charm.


    Seizing the moment created by her spin, us struck forward, aiming for the blind spot. Yet, just like she had eyes in the back of her head, Aoi defended against his attack with surprising skill.


    The duel had just started yet the two had already started showing great skill with the sword, especially, Aoi who seemed to have the sword as an extension of her arm.


    us pressed on with a sharpened determination. He feinted left, drawing Aoi''s attention, then swiftly changed direction, aiming for her right side. Aoi reacted instantly, her instincts sharp. She pivoted, her sword moving to intercept his strike with fluid precision.


    Their swords shed again, sending vibrations up us''s arms. He could feel the intensity of the duel rising, and he relished the challenge. Aoi was no ordinary opponent; her skills matched him at least that was how it looked like, and the thrill of the fight energized him.


    As they exchanged blows, us noticed Aoi''s breathing¡ªa steady rhythm, controlled and focused. It impressed him. He decided to push her further. With a sudden burst of speed, he unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one meant to test her defenses. Aoi parried and dodged, her movements a dance of grace and agility.


    Then, in a surprising twist, she countered with a spinning sh, aiming for his shoulder. us barely managed to duck in time, feeling the rush of air as the de swept above him. He could see her determination shining in her eyes, and it made him smile.


    "You''re stronger than I expected," he called out, his voice filled with excitement.


    Aoi smirked, her confidence growing. "I could say the same about you, brother us!" With renewed energy, she charged at him again,unching a series of precise attacks that kept him on his toes.


    us adjusted his stance, feeling the rush of adrenaline. He met her strikes with equal fervor, the sound of metal ringing through the arena. The others are watching with both fascination and awe. Just the simple sh is saying a whole lot.


    Even us facing Aoi could tell this wasn''t just a simple duel. The way she was handling her sword said all he had to know, Aoi is a genius with the sword.


    Suddenly, Aoi feinted to the left, then quickly spun to the right, attempting to catch him off guard. us was ready this time. He sidestepped andunched a quick thrust, aiming for her side. Aoi reacted just in time, deflecting his attack with a flick of her wrist.


    They both paused for a moment, breathing heavily, exchanging nces filled with mutual respect. The duel was far from over, but us could feel the bond between them growing stronger with every sh.


    "Beautiful and skilled, what a temptingbination," us said, gazing at Aoi with admiration.


    Aoi blushed slightly, a smile creeping onto her face. "ttery won''t save you in this duel, us," she replied, her eyes sparkling with challenge.


    usughed. "Maybe not, but it makes the fight more enjoyable," he said, raising his sword once more. He was enjoying the duel, but most importantly, he was learning.


    With renewed energy, Aoi lunged at him again, her movements fluid and confident. "Let''s see if you can keep up, then!"


    us met her charge head-on, their swords shing once more. Each strike felt electric, the connection between them charged withpetition and camaraderie. The arena around them faded as they became absorbed in their duel, both pushing each other to new heights now.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" us teased as he parried her strike, grinning.


    Aoi responded with a yful re. "You''re going to regret saying that!" She spun around, attempting to catch him off guard again.


    us''s heart raced as he dodged, feeling the thrill of the moment. Aoi''s movements had shifted. At first, it felt like she was mapping out her next steps, but now she seemed to glide through the air as if dancing with her sword.


    ''She is skilled,'' us thought to himself, trying not to let it overwhelm him. He focused on adapting to her rhythm. The Hiroshi family was known for their swordsmanship, so it made sense that Aoi was so talented.


    But even if she is the daughter of Ryo Hiroshi, the sword king, she seems a little too skilled, and us, without any formal training in the art of swordy, is starting to try to keep up with her evolving technique.


    As Aoi twirled and struck, us realized he had to tap into his instincts. He shifted his stance, watching her movements closely. Each strike was a challenge, but also an opportunity. He could learn from her, even in this fierce exchange.


    With a sudden surge of determination, us decided to push himself. He anticipated her next move, stepping into her path as she lunged forward. Their swords shed again, the sound echoing in the arena. us felt the weight of her strength behind her attacks, but he stood his ground, matching her pace.


    Aoi paused for a brief moment, surprised by his response. "Not bad, us!" she eximed, a hint of admiration in her voice.


    "Thanks! But don''t think I''ll go easy on you!" us shot back, a grin spreading across his face.


    With renewed vigor, they resumed their duel, both pushing their limits. us felt the thrill of the fight coursing through him, and he realized that, despite the gap in their training, he was holding his own.


    us''s brain functioned like a digital camera, recording every move Aoi made and implementing them into his next sh.


    ''He is copying my skills,'' Aoi realized, her keen instincts as a skilled swordswoman quickly picking up on us''s actions. But instead of feeling frustrated, a smile spread across her face. ''He is a genius.'' She said inwardly


    With each strike, us adapted, mirroring her movements and refining his technique. Aoi found herself impressed¡ªnot just by his quick learning, but by the style he was using to learn it.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" she teased, her voice light, even as she lunged at him again.


    us chuckled, feeling the thrill of the challenge. "Not even close!" He sidestepped and countered, using the technique he had just observed.


    The duel evolved into a captivating exchange, each of them pushing the other to improve. Aoi found joy in the spar, appreciating how us embraced the challenge. She was learning a new thing from him, the thrill of battle and he was stealing...*cough*...learning from her.


    "You''re picking this up faster than I expected," she admitted softly, a hint of admiration in her tone.


    "Just trying to keep up with you!" us replied, grinning as they shed again.


    However, no matter how she wanted to continue the battle, she knew it had to end. us was learning her techniques and skills, something he first had to ask for permission from Ryo Hirosho before doing. So she knew she had to end the battle somehow even if he had just learned a fraction of her technique.


    The duel continues like usual Aoi not knowing how to end it. She could win any moment she wanted, but she didn''t want to. So she continued to repeat her techniques over and over again hoping us would notice, and he did. He knew what she was trying tomunicate.


    So in one swift move, he parried her attack, then, using the momentum, he drove the hilt of his sword toward her, disarming her with a surprising twist. In a graceful motion, he spun her around, catching her like a princess in a tango dance.


    Aoi blinked in surprise, caught off guard. us had won in a rather peculiar manner, and for a moment, she was speechless, her cheeks flushing.


    ======


    All around the arena, nobody uttered even a single word looking at Aoi in us''s arms, not even the Hiroshi sisters noticed anything. However, in a dimly lit room, a man with a sword tattoo on his forehead smiled as he watched the scene unfold.


    "This kid is terrifying," he muttered to himself.

 Chapter 165: Ryo Hiroshi

    ''She made me win,'' us thought inwardly as he gently lifted Aoi up. She had given him all the signs. In truth, Aoi was saving him from embarrassment and, possibly, from learning too much too soon. Having practiced since she was seven, it was only natural that she would be much better than us.


    But Aoi was shocked by how quickly us was learning her swordy. What took others years to master was being grasped by him in mere seconds. It was a talent that was hard to ignore.


    "Nice duel, Brother us," Aoi said, walking out of the arena, her cheeks flushed. us''s hands had pressed against her waist during the ending of the duel, and even though he had let go, she could still feel the warmth lingering there. The sensation made her blush deepen.


    She couldn''t shake the feeling of his touch, and it left her both flustered and intrigued. What had started as a friendly match had turned into something more meaningful, and Aoi found herself smiling despite her embarrassment.


    us, oblivious to the effect he had made on Aoi, felt a rush of his gains despite the handicap offered to him this time. He had learned so much in such a short time. But he also felt a pang of realization about how much he stillcked when it came to using a sword without any active skills.


    Even though Aoi had helped him win, he couldn''t help but smile as he walked toward his friends. As he stopped near them, he nced at the two Hiroshi sisters. Aoi was hiding behind them, so he couldn''t see her expression, but the looks on the sisters'' faces showed they were unaware of Aoi''s role in his victory.


    "Brother us, I didn''t know you were good with the sword," one of the sisters said, her eyes wide with surprise. "By the way, I''m Miki, and this is Mio."


    "Trust me, Sister Miki, I''m good with the sword through and through," us said with a grin. His words didn''te off as arrogant; instead, they carried a different tone that made everyone look at him oddly. However, a few of the guys caught the hidden meaning behind his statement.


    Daniel, one of his closest friends, gently tapped us on the shoulder and nodded knowingly. It was clear to him that us was both a monster on the battlefield and a beast in other ways.


    Miki and Mio exchanged nces, still puzzled by us''s words. Aoi, still hiding, felt her heart race for some reason.


    "Wow, we''ve got a real swordmaster among us!" Mio eximed, breaking the tension. us chuckled, amused that she didn''t catch the hidden meaning in his earlier words.


    "Maybe you should teach us some moves," Miki suggested, her curiosity clearly piqued.


    us grinned and said, "It will be my pleasure, Sister Miki. This little one doesn''t mind going a few rounds with each of you." He spoke in such a casual tone that thedies thought he meant he would train with them.


    But for the boys, it felt like a direct line to all the hidden meanings behind us''s yful words. They exchanged knowing looks, trying to suppress theirughter.


    "You are one bold and arrogant youngster," a deep voice suddenly interrupted. A man stepped into the arena, towering at 6''2" with a sword tattoo etched on his forehead. He had an athletic build and a calm presence thatmanded attention.


    "That is Ryo Hiroshi," Lily whispered to us, making sure he understood before saying anything too brash. "He''s the patriarch of the Hiroshi Great Family¡ªAoi, Miki, Mio, and Taro''s father. They call him the Sword King."


    us felt a rush of respect wash over him as he took in the imposing figure. Ryo''s reputation preceded him, and us knew he was in the presence of a true master. The air around him even spoke more than one had to say.


    "Nice to meet you, sir," us said, straightening up. He wanted to make a good impression, despite the yful banter just moments before.


    Ryo looked at him with a measured gaze, then smiled slightly. "You have skill, us. But remember, confidence is important, but so is humility."


    us nodded, appreciating the advice. He nced at Aoi, Miki, and Mio, all of them watching the interaction with a mix of pride and apprehension.


    "Let''s see if you can back up that confidence in a proper duel sometime," Ryo continued, a challenge hidden in his tone.


    us''s heart raced at the thought. "I''d be honored, sir," he replied, feeling both excited and intimidated.


    Ryo nced at Aoi, who was looking down, her face hidden. "You did well, kid," he said, his voice calm yet firm. "It''s just that this brat is too talented." Aside from us and Aoi, he was the only one who knew Aoi had helped us win.


    He knew Aoi was concerned about us learning her family technique, so he made him win when she could have easily defeated him.


    Instead of letting us lose, Aoi had chosen to support him, wanting him to feel good about himself. So hearing her father''s praise, Aoi smiled and nodded, her heart swelling with pride.


    He himself wouldn''t have easily let us learn the technique that has been in their family for many generations, even before the apocalypse go to a stranger that hasn''t known for that long. So seeing her daughter ce her own win aside just so she could preserve their heritage made him feel like a proud and aplished father.


    "Alright, you youngsters should continue enjoying yourselves," Ryo said, his tone shifting slightly. "Good luck tomorrow in the regional selections." He cast onest nce at us, a look that seemed to carry a warning before he vanished into thin air.


    us smiled after him, then muttered to himself, "Father-inw sure knows how to make an entrance and an exit." His words were quiet, but somewhere far from the arena, Ryo smiled too, murmuring to himself, "I might just have to kill him someday."


    us, still in the arena, felt a chill run down his spine for reasons he couldn''t quite grasp. Shaking it off, he nced at Aoi. "Fairy Aoi, if you don''t have any big ns tomorrow evening, would you join me and my friends for a night out after the Selection Trial?"


    Aoi, taken aback by the unexpected invitation, quickly rposed herself. "I would be honored," she replied, her heart racing. She nced at her sisters, who were looking back at her with teasing smiles.


    "Brother us, maybe you should win first before making a move on my sister," Mio said, her teasing tone clear.


    us chuckled. "A wise man once said, strike while the iron is still hot."


    "Does that mean you''ll also strike these two hot irons?" Miki teased.


    us''s smile widened. "I don''t want a certain somebody cutting my sword off," he replied, promptingughter from the group, especially the boys.


    Miki, Mio, and the otherdies joined in theughter, but suddenly, the realization hit them like a crashing mountain.


    Anna and Lily hid their faces behind Hanna, while Miki and Mio''s cheeks flushed a deep red. It finally clicked for them what us meant when he said he was good with the sword through and through. All the cheekyments he had made suddenly made sense, and they couldn''t stop blushing.


    The atmosphere shifted as they processed the implications of us''s words. Aoi felt her face heat up, realizing she had unwittingly stepped into a yful yet dangerous game. The teasing had been light-hearted, but now it felt more serious, charged with shameless meanings.


    us noticed their reactions and raised an eyebrow, a smirk ying on his lips. "What? Did I say something wrong?"


    "Not at all," Miki managed to say between giggles, her face still flushed. With that, they went back to enjoying the evening. us finally managed to enjoy his dessert and even cast Miguel a few mocking smiles. A whileter, the gathering was over and us and his friends left back to their hotel.

 Chapter 166: Night Chat With Lucy

    When they got back to the Third Finger Royal Hotel, us and his friends didn''t go to sleep right away. Instead, they sat together, talking about the Trial that awaited them the next day. After a while, they all retired to their rooms. As usual, us didn''t head to bed. Instead, he entered his soul sea and began studying the Pentaface Bead.


    ''us, are you there?'' A voice suddenly echoed in his mind, pulling him from his focus. us immediately exited his soul sea with a smile.


    ''Yes, my love, I''m here,'' us replied in his thoughts. He smiled because Lucy was using the connection they shared to speak to him. After their recent time together, something special had happened between them¡ªa bond formed during their intimate moments.


    At first, us thought there might be a limit to how far they couldmunicate. But when Lucy went back home, she could still reach him, no matter the distance. This made her incredibly happy. On her way back to the academy, she kept testing the bond to make sure it was still working.


    Her joy was unmatched when she realized she could even reach us while in the academy. Since she wasn''t an Inner Disciple yet, she couldn''t use themunication devices there. Before us attempted Assassination when she went back to the academy, she missed him greatly.


    So now that she had a way to reach him, she felt like she was on top of the world. Sharing a mental link with your boyfriend, whichdy wouldn''t want that?


    The day after Lucy returned to the academy, she entered seclusion, preparing for her Stairway to Heaven test. She promised us she''d reach out to him once she passed. So, the fact she was contacting him now meant only one thing¡ªshe had be an Inner Disciple.


    "us, I passed! I passed! I''m now an Inner Disciple!" Lucy''s voice rang with excitement in us''s mind.


    A smile tugged at us''s lips as he leaned back, closing his eyes. He could feel her joy through the connection, and it warmed his heart.


    "Of course, you did. I never doubted you for a second," us replied, his tone filled with pride. From the little he knew from Lucy, he knew for a fact she was a genius, so he was happy for her.


    "Thank you," Lucy said suddenly, her voice soft but full of meaning.


    "There''s no need to thank me. It was all your effort," us replied.


    "No, I mean it. Thank you," Lucy insisted. "I don''t know what you did, but after our... you know, I started getting stronger. At first, I didn''t understand what was happening, but now I do. us, I don''t know what that star tattoo is, but it''s making me stronger¡ªlike, really strong."


    "Even my Master is shocked by what happened today," Lucy added.


    "What happened?" us asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "I walked through the test like it was nothing. There was some resistance, sure, but I didn''t even sweat," Lucy said, her voice swelling with pride. The stairway to heaven is like the most difficult obstacle every outer disciple would have to face before bing an inner disciple.


    So to hear she just walked through it, that sounded wild, however, us wasn''t shocked, not even in the slightest.


    us chuckled. "Well, looks like I didn''t sweat for nothing."


    "You... you knew all along?" Lucy asked, suddenly suspicious.


    "I suspected, but I wasn''t sure. It''s clear now though¡ªthe star is more than just for telepathicmunication."


    "us, what is happening to me?" Lucy''s tone shifted, a slight panic creeping in.


    "Hey, my love, there''s nothing to worry about. I don''t know exactly what this is either, but I''m sure of one thing¡ªyou''re not in any danger. If anything, you should be happy. You''re just going to keep getting stronger." us felt certain his star qi was affecting her in ways even he didn''t fully grasp.


    "us..." Lucy''s voice trailed off.


    "What?" us teased, grinning. "Want me toe over and make sure you''re still strong?"


    Lucy, now sitting in her lush room, flushed red. Somehow, the white-haired bastard had managed to make her blush from thousands of miles away.


    "You''re my woman now, Lucy. No need to overthink everything," us said with a grin. "This is good¡ªat least I won''t have to worry about you being left in the dust. And hey, if you need a little boost, you can alwayse for a refuel," he joked again, knowing full well she was blushing on the other end, even though he couldn''t see her.


    His meaning was obvious. If being intimate with her made her stronger, he had noints. Any man worth his salt wouldn''t pass up something that beneficial.


    "us, you''re not cheating on me and Sister Ohema with other women, are you?" Lucy asked, trying to steer the conversation away from his teasing. But it wasn''t that simple.


    "As a matter of fact, I''ve got two damsels in my bed right now," us said, ying along.


    "You..." Lucy stammered, unsure how to respond.


    "What? Aren''t you the one pushing me to go after your sister?" us teased, his tone mocking. Lucy didn''t say anything, but he could sense her smiling on the other end, even though they weren''t face to face.


    "Just don''t hurt her," Lucy said, clearly pleased by the banter.


    ''What kind of weird sister is this?'' us thought to himself. ''She seriously wants me to bed her sister?'' It was bizarre how happy she sounded when he joked about it. Of course, she knew he was lying, but still¡ªit was strange.


    "Lucy, you''re not having any weird fantasies, are you?" us asked, amused. "Tell me, Big Daddy us will make them happen."


    "You pervert! What are you thinking?" Lucy''s face flushed red as she blushed hard, but us''sughter only grew.


    Lucy huffed, trying to hide her embarrassment, but the connection between them made it impossible. us could feel her flustered emotions, which only fueled his amusement.


    "Come on, love. Don''t be shy. I''m just making sure you''re not imagining things you shouldn''t be," us teased, his voice full of yful mischief.


    "You''re impossible!" Lucy muttered, but there was a lightness to her tone that let him know she was enjoying the back-and-forth. "You always know how to turn everything into a joke."


    "Well, someone has to keep things interesting," us said, grinning to himself. "Besides, it''s my job to keep you entertained. I can''t have you getting bored of me now, can I?"


    "Like I could ever get bored of you," Lucy replied softly, a hint of warmth slipping into her voice. "Even when you''re being insufferable, I still... I still love you, you know?"


    us''s teasing tone softened as he heard the sincerity in her words. "I know, Lucy. I love you too." He meant it, every word.


    There was a brief pause before Lucy spoke again. "So, what are you going to do tomorrow? The Trial ising up, right?"


    "Yeah, it is," us replied. "But don''t worry, it''s nothing I can''t handle. I''ve been through worse, remember? You just focus on settling in as an Inner Disciple. The academy isn''t going to know what hit them once you start showing your strength."


    "I will also contact Sister Ohema and let her know I am now an Inner Disciple, also tell Anna and the others. I will contact you tomorrow, the usual time" Lucy''s voice cut off from us''s mind. He smiled and then went to the fridge for water.


    He went back to the bed and was about to sit when he suddenly stopped for a split second. With a smile, he jumped into bed lying face down.

 Chapter 167: An Assassins POV

    Six days ago, Number 91 woke up to a dark envelope under his pillow. The moment he saw it, his body tensed. He quickly grabbed the envelope and tore it open. Inside the envelope is a payment token and a photograph of a young man with incredibly dashing white hair.


    Beneath the photo was a single word: Kill. Behind it are the name and location of the target. Without any hesitation, he burned the picture and loaded the token into his ount. Then, he got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. After a quick shower and breakfast, he dressed in a business suit and left his apartment. A short whileter, he was on a ne to Ross City.


    Upon arrival, he passed through customs like any ordinary traveler and hailed a cab. His destination wasn''t far. When he reached a certain hotel-like building, he entered quietly. Immediately he approached the counter, he shed a ring at the woman behind it.


    Her weing smile instantly vanished as she pressed a hidden button beneath the desk. Momentster, he was escorted to an elevator that took him to the top floor.


    There, he sat down in front of aputer and began his search for information on the white-haired target. After two hours of digging, he had what he needed. He stood up, left the building, and made his way toward the western part of Ross City.


    A short subway rideter, he found himself at an amusement park. He boarded a roller coaster, but his eyes weren''t on the ride. Instead, he focused on a mansion far in the distance¡ªhis real destination.


    After hours of watching the house, Number 91 returned to his hotel. The next day, he went back and repeated the same routine. He did the same on the third day, but this time, something felt off. There seemed to be some sort of block¡ªan obstacle he couldn''t quite put his finger on. Nevertheless, on the fourth day, he returned.


    To his surprise, he noticed a car leaving the mansion that morning. Discreetly, he followed it. The car led him to Ross Mansion, a ce with far more security. A short whileter, a private jet took off from the property, heading toward Hiroshi City.


    Number 91 returned to his hotel, calmly cleaning his room as if everything was normal. A few hourster, he was already en route to Hiroshi City, his focus sharp and unbroken.


    Upon arriving in Hiroshi City, Number 91 wasted no time. He checked into a modest hotel under a different alias and immediately began scoping out the area. His target had to be somewhere in the city, but Hiroshi wasrge, bustling, and known for its heavy security presence. This wouldn''t be as simple as following a car.


    The next day, he nted himself near the airport, scanning for any familiar faces. His patience was rewarded when,te in the afternoon, some youngsters handed in a private jet and got in a sleek car, nked by two bodyguards. Number 91''s heart didn''t race¡ªhe had trained for this. Calmly, he tailed them from a distance.


    Although they aren''t the white-haired boys he was interested in, the new group has something inmon with us; they are here for the Regional Trial of the Celestial Mountain Academy.


    He knew by sticking close to anyoneing to Hiroshi City for the same event, his chances of getting the location and a step closer to the target were very high. So he gathered the patient and did the only logical things, staying alert and following them.


    He followed them until they stopped and entered a hotel located at the City''s center. Number 91 watched carefully as the group checked in and was escorted upstairs. He knew rushing in now would be suicide. This would take precision.


    He continued to observe the hotel from a distance, watching carefully for any sign of the white-haired target. After a few hours, a flying car arrived and picked up a group of youngsters. To his advantage, Number 91 spotted the white-haired boy among them. Rather than pursue it, he decided to y it smart.


    He checked himself into the hotel, making sure his room was close to the suite the white-haired youngster hade from. Once inside, he blended in, ordering room service and behaving like any other guest. He knew better than to attract attention, especially in a ce like this.


    An hourter, to maintain appearances, Number 91 entered his room with a seductive woman by his side. Heughed and chatted with her, ying the part of a carefree traveler, but his mind never strayed from his target. Every detail mattered. Thedy was just part of his cover, nothing more. This was the life of a professional¡ªalways in control, always watching.


    That evening, Number 91 entered the jacuzzi with the samedy, sharing kisses and engaging in all sorts of intimate moments. Theyughed and enjoyed the warmth of the water, blending in perfectly with the atmosphere of the hotel. Around 10 PM, however, his attention shifted when he noticed the same flying car dropping off the white-haired youngster and his friends.


    A satisfied smile crossed his face as he returned to his room, thedy still at his side. They finished what they had started, and soon she drifted off to sleep, her breathing steady and peaceful.


    Once she was asleep, Number 91 slipped out of bed and took a bath, washing away the distractions. He changed into a dark leather outfit, the fabric fitting snugly against his body. He grabbed his bag and pulled out aptop. But instead of using it to check emails or browse the web, he dismantled it piece by piece.


    With swift, practiced movements, he rearranged the parts. In a surprising twist, theptop transformed into a dagger with a burning dark red de, glinting ominously in the low light. He carefullyced the de with poison, ensuring it would do its job if the moment came. Satisfied, he sheathed the dagger, readying himself for the task ahead.


    He moved silently to the bathroom, then slipped through the window, carefully entering the adjacent room¡ªit belonged to thedy in his bed. He climbed closer and stopped just as he was right beneath the sealing.


    He took his surroundings into his mental note before carefully touching the sealing. Like a foam in hot water, he discovered into the ceiling eerily.


    Momentster, he found himself in a kitchen, making sure his aura was canceled outpletely. He walked toward the washroom, once again merging with the wall. This time, he didn''t emerge on the other side. Instead, he found himself staring at the white-haired youngster, who was drinking water, oblivious to the presence lurking just beyond the wall.


    After a moment, the boy moved back to his bed. Number 91 watched intently, noting how he paused for just a heartbeat before jumping onto the mattress. Quietly, he sighed and unsheathed his dagger, preparing for the moment he''d been waiting for. He stepped out from the wall, making sure to remain undetected as he approached the bed.


    Each step was calcted, and soon he was just a breath away from his target. He will be able to strike any moment, all he has left is a single step and he took that step.


    But as he leaned in, ready to attack, something dark pierced through him¡ªor more precisely, something stabbed at his soul. In that instant, his vision began to darken, and the dagger started to loosen in his grip.


    He lost control, unable to fight against the creeping pain and helplessness he found himself in. His dagger slipped and his body lost all strength. His vision turned blurry...


    Just before he cked out, he caught the white-haired boy''s gaze who was muttering something at him. He manage to read the boy''s lips as he murmured, "Sleep tight. We have a lot to talk about when you wake up."


    His vision faded into pure darkness, the world slipping away from him.

 Chapter 168: Interview with an Assassin

    us stared at the body of the man in dark clothes, passed out on his floor, and smirked. The moment the man slipped into the wall, us sensed him. It was a foolish mistake. Though us didn''t know how to limit his senses to a specific radius, he never let them go easily.


    It was evening now, and he figured if he focused on their suit, he might see more, especially with threedies in the room nearby. So, he deactivated his full awareness but kept a part of it active. The instant the assassin used his spiritual qi to slip through the walls, us felt it.


    He then activated his sense knowing he would have to apologize to some people in the morning. But after sensing the intruder, he found that the man was just a saint. So, us did not attempt to reveal that he had sensed him. Instead, he jumped onto his bed and waited.


    As the assassin drew closer, just a step away, us activated the Bell of Harrows. It didn''t ring out loud on the outside, but inside his soul sea, it rang clearly and he directed the north the sonic, and the soul attack to the intruder. Its effect hit Number 91 hard he is currently passed out from both soul and mental attack.


    us formed a hand seal, and a rune appeared on his forehead. It moved and entered the assassin''s body. He nced at the man onest time, then jumped into his bed, ready to rx while he waited for him to wake up.


    "Well, how was your sleep?" us asked, watching the dark-clothed figure slowly open his eyes. He hadn''t bound the man at all; even his daggery on the floor beside him.


    In response to us''s cheerful greeting, the assassin reached for his dagger. But as he tried to move, he realized his body wouldn''t obey him.


    "What? Performance issues?" us asked, a mocking tonecing his words.


    The assassin red at us, frustration etched on his face. "What did you do to me?" he demanded, his voice strained.


    us chuckled lightly. "Just a little something to keep you from getting any ideas. You seemed so eager to y, so I figured I should spice things up a little bit"


    The man started to struggle against an invisible force, trying to regain control. "You won''t get away with this," he hissed, his anger rising.


    us leaned back casually, propping his feet up. "Oh, I think I will. You''re not exactly in a position to threaten me." He paused, enjoying the moment. "Besides, I''m curious about you. What brought you to my doorstep, or more urately, what brought you through my walls?"


    The assassin''s eyes narrowed. "You think I''ll tell you anything? Just lift this witchcraft and I will show you amateur what I am made of"


    us raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Amateur? You''re the one who got caught. I''d say that makes you the amateur here." He smiled, leaning closer. "Why don''t you make it easy on yourself? Tell me who sent you, and I might let you leave in one piece."


    The assassin hesitated, weighing his options. "And if I refuse?"


    us shrugged. "Then we can y a different game. I have all night." His tone turned yful, but the glint in his eyes showed he was serious.


    The man''s resolve faltered. "I won''t be your pawn."


    "Not a pawn," us corrected. "More like a guest. You can choose to be helpful, or we can see how far your stubbornness takes you."


    With that, us settled back, allowing the assassin time to think. The tension hung thick in the air. us noticed the man trying to bite down on something hidden behind his teeth, but he felt nothing. us had long since removed it. In fact, it was the senior in the soul sea who advised him to do so. This will be us''s first time catching an assassin after all.


    It was a bewitching spell. When cast into someone''s body, it would enter their soul and strip them of their free will. The spell wouldn''t allow the caster to read the victim''s mind, but it would let us know when the man was lying. Moreover, he could end the assassin''s life at will, and the victim would be unable to harm him, or themselves no matter what.


    us had ced the mark on the assassin a while ago, rendering him docile. His mind was still his own, but he was bound by the spell''s power. us leaned closer, watching as the assassin''s frustration slowly turned to resignation. "So, what''s it going to be?" us asked, breaking the silence.


    The assassin red, but the fire in his eyes was dimming. "You think you can control me?"


    us smirked. "Control? Not quite. I prefer the term ''guiding hand.'' You can still think, feel, and plot. You just can''t act on those thoughts without my say-so."


    The assassin''s jaw tightened, but he stayed silent, weighing his options. us could see the struggle within him, the conflict between pride and survival.


    "Tell me what I want to know," us urged, his tone shifting from yful to serious. "Who sent you? What''s your mission?" Of course, he already knew he was there to kill him and even knew who sent him, but he had to fake it to get what he wanted.


    After a moment, the assassin finally spoke. "I''ll never tell you anything."


    us shrugged. "Fair enough. But remember, the longer you resist, the more time we have for this little game." He leaned back, waiting for the man to crack.


    The assassin waspletely docile, and he knew it. He could move, run, or even shout if he wanted, but the spell wouldn''t allow him to act on his own will. Yet, despite this, that foolish thing called loyalty kept him from cracking. us watched him with mild amusement, knowing the man was trapped in his own stubbornness.


    us wasn''t in any rush. He didn''t have much pressing on his mind or hands at the moment. If push came to shove, he could easily shove the assassin in a closet and head out for the trial. By the time he returned, even the devil himself would have cracked.


    "Honestly, I''ve got all the time in the world," us said with a shrug. "But you, on the other hand, don''t. How long do you think that loyalty of yours will hold up? A day? A week?"


    The assassin red, his lips pressed into a thin line, refusing to respond. us sighed dramatically. "Well, since you''re choosing the hard way, I suppose I''ll just go handle my business. By the time I get back, you''ll be begging to talk." He stood up, stretchingzily as if the entire situation bored him.


    He nced down at the assassin onest time, his voice cold and final. "Loyalty won''t save you from what''sing. But hey, enjoy your stay in the closet."


    With that, us moved away, heading back to the hall. He didn''t want to keep looking at the bastard¡ªhe might identally kill him out of sheer annoyance. Leaving the assassin to stew in his own thoughts, since that was all he could do now, us decided to have a drink.


    As he left, us reached out to his senior in the soul sea, asking if there was a more powerful spell he could use to break the assassin''s mind. But the senior''s response was blunt: "The current you can''t handle the karma thates with such a stronger spell." us had no choice but to make do with what he had.


    Not long after, us found himself in a small bar inside their suit. The low lighting and the quiet atmosphere were a wee break from the tense encounter. Just as he settled down with a drink in hand, Anna walked out of her room, her eyes slightly puffy fromck of sleep.


    "Can''t sleep, huh?" us asked, taking a sip from his ss.

 Chapter 169: An Unexpected Conversation [Bonus]

    Anna sighed, rubbing her eyes as she sat down across from him. "Yeah..." she muttered, clearly exhausted.


    She nced at what us was drinking and, without hesitation, poured herself a ss of the same. us raised an eyebrow as he watched her gulp down the juice in one go.


    "You''re not worried about the trial tomorrow, are you?" us asked in a sarcastic tone, trying to lighten the mood. But Anna didn''t smile. Instead, she looked at him with a seriousness that made him pause.


    "us, do you think I can make it into the top ten?" she asked, her voice steady but filled with uncertainty.


    us took a slow sip from his drink, then replied, "Of course, Anna. You can easily make it. Just don''t overthink it."


    His words seemed to lift some of the weight from her shoulders, but they didn''t erase the doubt from her eyes.


    "My sister... she was first in the Regional Trial during her time. I just don''t want to fall too short," Anna admitted, her tone troubled. us raised an eyebrow, finally understanding why she was so tense. It was about her sister.


    "Anna, you''re not your sister," us said after a moment, his voice firmer. "You''re your own person. So instead of worrying about living up to her level, focus on walking your own path."


    He wasn''t great atforting people, and he knew it. His reserved nature didn''t leave much room for consoling others, especially when it came to women like Anna. He could be bold, even shameless, around them, but this... this was different.


    "You say that, but I see the way you look at me," Anna said softly, her gaze shifting. "It''s not the same way you look at my sister."


    Her eyes held a hint of sadness that made us''s stomach churn. This conversation was veering in a direction he didn''t want to go. Not that he hated it but he didn''t want to have that conversation now, especially with an assassin currently held hostage in his room. But us knew this was also a chance to y a small game on her.


    He gulped, feeling a sudden wave of difort. "Anna, I¡ª" He struggled to find the right words, but nothing seemed right.


    "It''s okay," she interrupted, forcing a small smile that didn''t reach her eyes. "I just... I don''t want to disappoint anyone."


    us rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension rise. "You''re not going to disappoint anyone. Least of all me." He meant it, but he wasn''t sure if it was enough to ease her mind.


    Anna stared into her empty ss, her fingers tracing the rim. "I just wish I could believe that."


    us sighed, leaning back in his chair. This was not the conversation he had expected, and he wasn''t sure how to navigate it. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine, that she didn''t need topare herself to anyone, especially her sister. But the words stuck in his throat, feeling hollow and unconvincing.


    Nevertheless, us knew what had to be done. He has been nning on doing that already.


    After a moment, he spoke, his voice more serious. "Anna, I don''t want to sound cruel, but... you''re being unfair here." He paused, meeting her gaze. "You know I love your sister, and I''ve never hidden that from you. But between you and me, you know I don''t hate you, not even in the slightest"


    Anna''s expression didn''t change, but her eyes held a flicker of something¡ªpain, maybe. us hesitated, searching for the right words, but this conversation was like walking through a minefield.


    "It''s just that... things are different between us," he continued. "I''ve always seen you as... well, someone I care about deeply. But it''s not the same as what I have with your sister."


    The air between them grew heavy with silence. us hated the wordsing out of his mouth, but he couldn''t stop now, he had already ventured into the delicate part of her heart.


    Anna looked down at her hands, her fingers tightly gripping the ss. "So you''re saying you love me, but not in the way you love her," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.


    us nodded slowly. "Yeah... something like that." He wished he could make it sound better, but he didn''t know how. Lucy is her older sister and she is still young.


    "I see," Anna said quietly, her shoulders slumping as the weight of his words sank in. "So, I''m just... second ce?"


    "No, that''s not what I''m saying at all, and you know it" us replied quickly, leaning forward. "You''re not second ce to anyone, Anna. It''s just...plicated."


    "Complicated," she echoed, her voice t. She took a deep breath, forcing a smile that didn''t reach her eyes. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Life''s alwaysplicated, right?"


    us winced, knowing how much his words had hurt her, even if she wasn''t showing it. He hated this. Hated seeing her in pain because of him. But what could he do? The truth was the truth, no matter how much it stung.


    "Anna, I didn''t want to hurt you. I''m just trying to be honest with you," he said softly, reaching across the table to touch her hand. "I care about you more than you know."


    She pulled her hand away gently, shaking her head. "It''s fine, us. Really. I just... I need some time to think."


    He nodded, feeling a sharp pang of regret in his chest as she stood up. Anna gave him onest look, her eyes full of unsaid emotions, then turned and walked back to her room, leaving us alone with his thoughts.


    "Little brother, that was cruel," Hanna''s voice suddenly came from behind us, soft but sharp. "But it had to be said, and I understand why you did it," she added, stepping closer.


    us sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know. But I had to check whether she would have a straight mind and continue her cultivation if something were to go wrong. I don''t hate her at all, I just don''t want her to get into something sheter might regret.


    I have seen how my influence can be on people and I know despite her feelings for me, those influences might be clouding her judgment somehow. If she can get through this, then she will be ready for whates next"


    Since regaining parts of his past memories, us no longer felt young and na?ve. The weight of his experiences had aged him beyond his years. Fruity might not be the social type, but he was in the midst of intelligent monks for over 15 years. It has been a long time since I have learned a lot about life.


    He was much more mature now. In the past, he wouldn''t have hesitated to shower Anna with sweet words,forting her without a second thought. But things had changed. Now he knew what needed to be done for her own good. At least for now, he wanted her to understand some things, even if it hurt.


    "Then why didn''t you just tell her that?" Hanna asked.


    us exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples. "Because if I pamper her and tell her all the sweet things, it might get stuck in her head. She might start believing everything is okay when it''s not. Also, I want to see if she''s doing all this just to please me or if she truly wants to be stronger¡ªmuch stronger than she is now."


    Hanna nodded slowly, watching her little brother with a thoughtful expression. She understood what he was trying to say, even if it wasn''t easy to hear.


    "And," us continued, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his lips, "if I''d been all sweet now, it would''ve spoiled my reward for her after the trial tomorrow."


    "A reward?" Hanna raised an eyebrow, intrigued.


    "Yeah," us said, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I''ve got something nned. She just needs to prove herself first." He leaned back, letting out a small chuckle. "But she''ll never see iting."


    Well, that would have been true if not for a certain youngdy currently hiding beside the doorway, eavesdropping on us and Hanna''s conversation. Lily, with a mischievous grin on her face, had overheard everything. She tiptoed away, barely excited, before bolting down the hall and straight into Anna''s room.


    A few momentster, the sad Anna was now smiling, the previous sadness washed away. us''s mission to test her has clearly failed.

 Chapter 170: An Assassins Loyalty [Bonus]

    us spent a few minutes chatting with Hanna. When midnight came, he asked if he could stay the night with her. Hanna didn''t mind at all. They were siblings now, and despite us''s reputation for being shameless, she instinctively knew he wouldn''t do anything inappropriate.


    She couldn''t exin why she felt so certain, but the way us looked at her told her everything. There was no hint of bad intentions in his eyes. Their mother had even reassured her, saying she didn''t need to worry about us. He wasn''t the type to cross that line with her.


    In truth, us''s past¡ªhis life as Fruity¡ªmade him extra protective of Hanna. He carried memories of the time they had spent together, the love and care she had shown him, and the ultimate sacrifice she had made for him and his in the end.


    us knew just holding her hand as they slept wouldn''t be enough to repay that. In his heart, he vowed to make her happy, to ensure she never had to worry about anything again. That night, they both drifted off to sleep with peaceful smiles on their faces.


    At 4 a.m. the next morning, us quietly got up and went to his room. He had an assassin under his spell, and it was time to check on him. The senior had told him to be patient¡ªthe spell would work on its own, but it required time.


    When us entered the room, he found the assassin sitting silently, staring at his poison dagger. The man looked like he was thinking about ending his own life, but something was stopping him. The Bewitching spell wouldn''t let him take that final step.


    "So, are you ready to talk, or are you still holding on to that loyalty?" us asked casually, his expression rxed.


    Number 91''s hands trembled as he stared at the mocking smile on us''s face. He wanted nothing more than to sever that head off his neck while that infuriating grin was still there, but he couldn''t. No matter how much he tried to muster the strength, he was powerless. His stubborn loyalty was eating away at him, but it wasn''t just that¡ªhis very soul was being consumed by the spell.


    In truth, us could''ve ended it easily. If he used the Eye of Malevolence, he''d be able to extract some memories from the man''s mind, it would be painful for both of them. He doesn''t yet have the mental and Soul capacity to do such a thing.


    But even if he could, a part of him didn''t want to. He was savoring the situation, watching the once-loyal assassin squirm. Another part of him thought it would be far more satisfying to record the man spilling his secrets and send the footage to his employers.


    They had tried to kill him, and now us wanted to strike back¡ªhard. The best way to do that was to show the Dark Order that he could turn anyone. When he said "anyone," he meant even the most loyal could be bewitched.


    "Let me make this clear," us said, his voice cold and sharp. "You will die today. Or maybe tomorrow, depending on how fast you talk. But instead of getting your fingers cut off, then your toes, then your hands, feet, tongue, ears¡ªevery piece of you, little by little¡ªyour death could be quick. Painless, even. All you have to do is tell me what I need to know."


    Number 91''s breathing quickened, sweat dripping down his face. us''s words cut through the room like a knife, leaving the assassin no room for hope. He knew us wasn''t bluffing. The man standing before him had no mercy, and the only thing keeping him alive now was his silence.


    But for how long?


    us''s cold eyes gleamed as he watched the assassin''s internal battle. The assassin''s resolve was cracking, his defiance hanging by a thread.


    "So," us continued, his voice even colder now, "what''s it going to be? Are you going to keep holding on to that worthless loyalty and suffering... or are you going to save yourself from unnecessary pain?"


    "The Dark Order sent me," Number 91 muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked down, avoiding us''s piercing gaze. "And before you ask who they are or where to find them, know this¡ªI''m just an assassin with the designation Number 91. I receive orders and payment, and that''s all I can tell you."


    us raised an eyebrow, amused. "That''s all you can tell me? Or all you will tell me?" He leaned in closer, his tone dark and menacing. "Because right now, you''re not in any position to make that choice."


    Number 91 swallowed hard, his throat dry. He had given us something, but it wasn''t enough. The name of the Dark Order meant nothing to us, and he knew that. It was like throwing a scrap at a wolf and hoping it would walk away.


    us smirked, clearly unimpressed. "I''ve heard about the Dark Order. They think they''re untouchable, moving in the shadows, sending their puppets to do their dirty work." He stepped closer, his eyes locked on Number 91. "But you''re wrong if you think you''re just a nameless pawn. You do know something, and I''m going to get it out of you."


    Number 91''s heart pounded in his chest. He knew there was no escaping this. The spell, the pain, and us''s cold gaze on him are menacing enough.


    "Now, let''s try again," us said, his voice chillingly calm. "Tell me everything. Names, locations, and how they operate. Don''t make me ask twice."


    "I receive orders through an envelope, and that''s about it," Number 91 said, his voice trembling slightly. "But there are safe houses in every city. To ess them, you need a key. This ring¡ª" he lifted his hand, showing a in ck band on his finger, "¡ªis that key."


    He paused, his breathing uneven. "Like I said, I don''t know where the Dark Order''s headquarters are. Not even at the Regional level. If you''re trying to find them, the best ce to start is their safehouses in the cities."


    He looked up at us, hoping that was enough, that he''d finally said all he knew.


    us studied him for a long moment, his eyes sharp and calcting. There was no hesitation in Number 91''s voice, no flicker of a lie. us could tell the man was being truthful. Maybe he didn''t know everything, but what he had given was valuable.


    us nodded slowly, his expression neutral. "You''ve done well," he said, his tone t but with a hint of something darker beneath. He took the ring from Number 91''s trembling hand, examining it briefly before slipping it into his pocket.


    Number 91 let out a shaky breath, unsure if this meant his suffering would soon end. His eyes darted to us, desperate for any sign of mercy.


    "So, where is the Dark Order''s safe house in this city? Or in Ross City?" us asked, his tone sharp and demanding.


    After a tense pause, Number 91 finally gave up the locations. His voice wavered, barely holding together as he shared the secret he had sworn to protect. us listened carefully, memorizing every detail.


    Once us had the information he needed, he stepped back and looked at Number 91 with cold, emotionless eyes. "You should have picked a different line of work," he said, his voice low and harsh. "Instead of getting paid to kill people."


    us''s gaze hardened. "But for telling me what I needed to know, I''ll grant you a quick death."


    With that, us''s sword materialized in his hand, glowing faintly with power. In one swift, fluid motion, the de sliced through the air. Number 91 didn''t have time to react as his head rolled from his body, hitting the floor with a dull thud.


    us slid his sword back into his space ring with a swift motion, the de vanishing from sight. He bent down, encasing the severed head in an ice sculpture, preserving it perfectly before tucking it into his space ring as well.


    The body was a different matter¡ªhe nced at the lifeless form and with a flick of his fingers, ice began to creep over it, freezing it solid. Once it waspletely encased, us shattered it into fine pieces, dissolving it into nothingness.


    He stood there for a moment, satisfied with how clean the process was. No trace, no mess. Just like that, he had secured a lead.


    "Now the Dark Order will know exactly who they tried to kill," he said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Even if it was just a contract from someone else, they would soon realize their mistake for trying to kill him and making those around him worry.

 Chapter 171: Going to the Regional Trial

    us took a bath washing the stench of death off him and then went back to studying the Pentaface bead for the next few hours. Around 7, there was a knock on the door. When us opened it, he saw Anna standing there, looking right at him.


    "Good morning, Anna," us said, trying not to think about the awkward conversation they had the night before.


    "Good morning, us," Anna replied, her tone carrying a hint of guilt. us wasn''t sure how to respond, but before he could say anything, Anna stepped forward and hugged him. An unexpected hug that is.


    "us, I know you said those hurtful things because you think I''m still young, and I understand that," she whispered. "But I want you to know, I won''t give up that easily. I will find a way into your heart. If not now, then maybe a year from now, or two, when I''m more mature for you."


    us''s heart pounded at her words. It''s not that girls her age can''t date, it''s more like girls her age dating are just wasting their time instead of focusing on cultivating and training to brave this apocalyptic world.


    They can date, but when all they think about all day is their significant other, then they are doomed. us doesn''t focus on just that, he has his priorities set, god knows he needs all the time to prepare since he will always have to fight for his life whenever he is breaking through realms.


    He might have said those words to make Anna set her priorities straight, but he was also doing it to give himself at least a few years to grow before these instructions piled up. After witnessing a part of his past self, us started to change without him even realizing it.


    So hearing her, us knew Anna had been thinking about those things. Thankfully, us thickened his skin and made her realize she wasplicating things for herself and him. Ohema and Lucy were both mature, unlike Anna and Lily who could get excited over every small thing.


    Anna broke the hug, and with her flustered expression, she hurried to her room. us just smiled and headed to eat the breakfast delivered by room service.


    Danny and the boys were already eating, so he joined them without a second thought. Meanwhile, Anna found herself sitting with two Fairies listening to them like a baby bird.


    "He''s right, Anna. You''re still young," Hanna said gently, watching Anna''s conflicted expression. "But understand this¡ªhe does love you. It''s just... it''s a lot for him right now. He loves you both.


    Give him time."


    Anna''s face softened, but she said nothing. Lily, standing nearby, nodded in silent agreement. They both knew Hanna was right.


    "Anyway," Hanna added, standing up with purpose, "we should get ready. The trial starts at ten O clock"


    With that, the women quietly excused themselves, heading off to prepare for the day ahead. A little whileter, they left the hotel in the same flying car they had been using.


    On the way, us nced at his friends and smirked mischievously.


    "Although none of you will be getting the first spot, since this handsome friend of yours already has it, I expect each and every one of you tond in the top 50 among the 1,000 who will be selected."


    His friends rolled their eyes, knowing he was being serious in his shameless way. They all understood that us was an anomaly; everyone knew that. None of them were confident they could take that spot from him, but they sighed, realizing that getting into the top 50 was what everyone aimed for.


    There were about 12,000 geniusespeting in the trial, but only 1,000 would be selected. It wasmon knowledge that those in the top 50 gained the most recognition and attracted support from others looking to win favor with them.


    It happened every time there was a trial like this. So every youngster will aim for the spot.


    "Just do what you can," he said, his tone sincere. "I have no doubt you all will advance to the next stage."


    His friends nodded, determination settling on their faces. us then leaned back in his seat, ncing at his phone as if expecting something. Shortly after, it began to ring.


    "My dear mother, I thought you wouldn''t call to wish me good luck," us said with a smile, seeing his mother''s face on the screen.


    "us, dear, good luck! Now put your sister on," his mother replied.


    us grinned and handed the phone over to Hanna.


    "Baby girl, good luck in the trial! Make sure you show this bastard what you''re made of," us''s mother said, her voice warm and encouraging. Hanna beamed at the praise.


    "A traitor mother and sister, tsk," us pouted silently, but he didn''t say anything. He watched as his mother showered Hanna with affection before she handed the phone back to him.


    "Okay, us baby, take care of yourself and your sister. Bye!" His mother smiled teasingly before hanging up.


    A few secondster, a text came through: "Good luck, my love! Show everyone what a handsome and shameless son who peeks on his mother is made of."


    us wanted to smash his phone and jump out of the car, but he held back. Clearly, his mother wouldn''t let go of that incident anytime soon. He smiled despite his embarrassment and leaned back in his chair, ready to face whatever came next.


    A whileter, they appeared in the view of a massive building, almost simr to the same building in Ross City.


    As they neared, us could see thousands of young people gathered outside, each ready to showcase their skills. us sighed as he took in the scene; he knew that many would have their dreams of entering the prestigious academy in the entire world crushed today.


    But who was he toin? They alighted from the flying car and walked toward a corner. To his surprise, us spotted his dear friend¡ªat least, that''s how he saw him, lol¡ªstanding there with a few friends and some familiar faces he had met at the Felin Youth Ball.


    "My dear friend Miguel! It''s been ages! You don''t happen to miss me as much as I miss you, do you?" us called out, moving closer to Miguel''s group.


    Miguel''s expression twisted with disdain. He hated us with a passion, and seeing that handsome, white-haired bastard only fueled his anger. All he wanted was to sever us''s head from his neck, but he forced himself to maintain aposed exterior.


    "Funny how you think anyone would miss you," Miguel retorted, crossing his arms. The tension in the air crackled as their respective groups sized each other up.


    "Ah, Brother Yaw is also here!" Daniel suddenly called out, walking toward a young man standing in Miguel''s group. They seemed to know each other well. This gesture helped ease the tension in the air as friends began chatting among themselves.


    us stood with a mocking smile, his gaze fixed on Miguel. "When you''re done hating me, I''d like to have a proper duel," us said, throwing a cheeky grin at Miguel before moving in a different direction.


    "Brother Nathan! Long time no see," us greeted warmly as he approached a familiar face. This young man is the son of Dave Arcadia, the leader of the Arcadian Great Family and the wealthiest individual in the Eastern Region of the Northern Union.


    "Ah, Brother us! I''m sorry about what happened during the invasion. It was our negligence that nearly cost you your life," Daniel said, his tone sincere.


    "Don''t sweat it; idents happen," us replied, waving off the concern. "Tell me, how are things goingtely? What happened to that group you were forming for the expedition to the Tier 3 Forbidden Zone?"


    They exchanged updates for a while, us absorbing all the information he could from Nathan. After their conversation, he returned to his group, feeling more informed and grounded.


    After about an hour of waiting, the massive doors of the building opened, and everyone began to move in, anticipation buzzing in the air.


    "Wee to the Regional Selection Trial of the Celestial Mountain Academy" After everybody found themselves in the building, a voice suddenly spoke quieting them.

 Chapter 172: Entering The Trial

    A projection of ady appeared, just like during the city selection. us and everyone fell silent, eager to hear what she had to say.


    "Congrattions on making it this far," she began. "This is the regional trial. As you already know, we will only be selecting 1,000 out of the 12,000 present here. However, those who wash out of this trial will still receive some attention from the academy."


    Everyone listened intently. They understood that this would be theirst chance to make an impression, even if they didn''t seed. "But that''s as far as it goes. You might gain some recognition, which, while limited, will still draw some positive attention toward you."


    No one was shocked by her words. They all knew that only the top 1,000 would advance, so they braced themselves for the news. Still, a few couldn''t help but sigh in resignation.


    "Now, let''s discuss the structure of the trial. It will be like the city selection, but instead of moving through multiple stages, there will be only one stage called Endless Tide. As the name suggests, you will face an unending onught of monsters and zombies, ranging from Tier 4 to Tier 6."


    A hush fell over the crowd as they absorbed her words. "There will be no breaks between tides. So if you don''t want to be overwhelmed by stronger monsters, it''s advisable to kill as quickly as you can. The strongest enemy you''ll encounter will be Tier 6 Terrors or Tier 6 Zombie Generals, and there will be tides of them. So prepare yourselves."


    Hearing this, everyone let out a collective sigh, a chill running down their spines. The weight of the challenge settled heavily on their shoulders. us, standing with his friends, nced at them and shook his head. They looked scared.


    He understood their fear; they had never faced suchrge tides of monsters before. us had, and it had been thrilling. Seeing his friends so worried made him want tofort them, but instead, he said something that made them want to murder him.


    "You guys are chickens. They''re just monsters. How hard can it be to kill them?" It wasn''t just his friends who red at him; those nearby were ready to join in on the murder.


    us just smiled, unfazed, and turned his attention back to thedy''s projection.


    "Also, I know many of you noticed that the monsters during the city trials were weaker than those in the real world. We designed it that way so they could exert only 60 percent of their strength." Many nodded in understanding, recalling how easy it had been to defeat those creatures.


    "However," she continued, "for this trial, the monsters will wield between 80 to 90 percent of their strength. So good luck, and may the strong and intelligente out on top."


    A heavy silence fell over the crowd as the implications sank in. The stakes had just risen dramatically. But there was no time to hesitate; doors opened along the walls, signaling them to enter.


    "Alright, guys, try not to die early. It would be a bummer if some of you washed out," us said with a grin. He cast a sneaky nce at a certain blonde-haired beauty who was watching them, more specifically, Danny. "Also, Danny, I think Alice is gunning for you, so be sure to make her happy."


    Danny smiled and walked away, ready to chase his dreams. Anna looked at us, and for some reason, she smiled as she walked off. This made us raise an eyebrow, puzzled by her expression. The smile wasn''t ordinary at all and us knew that.


    "Big sister, you should probably go. I think all of Mom''s good luck has been given to you," us said with a yful pout, eyeing Hanna, who couldn''t help but smile before leaving. Clearly, the mommy''s boy didn''t like not getting all the attention anymore.


    ''Maybe I should take her to the mountains and leave her there for a few days. That will give me more alone time with Mom,'' us thought as he moved toward a certain door. The idea made him chuckle, but he quickly focused on the task ahead. The challenge awaited, and he was ready to face it head-on.


    After walking through the doorway, he found himself in a room simr to the one for the city selection. usy back in a bed-like chair and ced the gaming helmet on his head. Soon, his consciousness entered Oracle, leaving his physical body vulnerable on the outside.


    Meanwhile, in a room somewhere within therge building, the officials overseeing the trial were gathered. Thedy who had made the announcement was present, along with a certain cute, dark-haireddy with a heavy chest¡ªthe War Goddess. She sat with her arms crossed, almost as if supporting those mountains.


    "War Goddess, are you sure about this?" the announcementdy asked, her voice tinged with concern.


    "Yes, Set his trial to 100 percent and increase the rate at which the monsterse," she replied. Thedy looked puzzled but nodded, ncing toward the screen that showed us selecting his weapons. She made some adjustments and sighed.


    Inside the game, us was presented with all types of weapons, but he chose only two: a sword and Viper Piercing Needles. It would be his first time using the needles inbat, so he wanted to have a backup n.


    The sword served as that backup, but even without it, he had the Ice Lotus and his Pentaface bead. However, he didn''t n to use any of that now; he wanted to focus on training with the needles and sharpening his mind during this trial.


    After selecting his weapons, us was transported to a vast field that stretched for thousands of kilometers. Thendscape was dry and deserted, but with his senses heightened, he could already feel the presence of monsters approaching.


    He could use the needles effectively within a 10-kilometer radius; beyond that, their attack power would drop. So, he waited patiently. ording to the instructions, there would be an endless tide of monsters, and he knew there would be plenty to kill.


    In the other parts of Oracle, youngsters stood in simr fields, preparing themselves and their weapons for the impending onught. Anna held her staff, exuding an air of calm as chill as ice. Lily gripped her sword tightly, the atmosphere around her seeming to respond to her steady heartbeat.


    Danny, Daniel, and others were also poised in their respective trial spaces, eagerly awaiting the monsters'' arrival. This is their time to show what they are made of, whether they qualify to be us''s friends or not.


    Meanwhile, on one side of the trial space, Hanna stood with her bow in hand, crackling with subtle lightning. She has an affinity for the lightning element which in some way is very lethal for an archer.


    Suddenly, hundreds of Tier 4 dark monsters appeared on the horizon, their various shapes and sizes looming ominously. Hanna narrowed her eyes watching them as they crossed the 5-kilometer mark. In an instant, a thick lightning arrow materialized in her bow. With a powerful pull, she released the arrow.


    As it flew toward the first monster, it burst into sparks of lightning that streaked through the bodies of the creatures. Just like that, over a hundred monsters were dispatched, and she was just getting started. More Lightning arrows followed


    =======


    Back to us''s battle space, he watched as the monsters entered his 10-kilometer radius, a smile creeping across his face. He suddenly released the Viper Piercing Needles, making 45 of them float around him. With a thought, the 45 Needles moved and merged forming onerge and thick needle.


    He grinned again and, with a quick gesture, he sent the needle flying at terrifying speed. What followed holes through heads and monsters dissipating into nothingness.

 Chapter 173: Like a Lightning Goddess With a Bow

    Lightning streaked across the battlefield like a meteor shower, lighting up the sky in brilliant shes. The monster that had dared to approach barely made it within 3km of the young woman holding the lightning-streaked bow firing lighting shot after shot.


    Hanna stood her ground, calmly firing one lightning arrow after another. She didn''t bother with any fancy techniques or shy moves. It was as if she didn''t have any special skills at all, aside from morphing her lightning into arrows. And in truth, she didn''t. She was one of the many who had awakened without any active skills.


    Her only strength was her lightning element, and that alone made her stand out despite herck of active skills. It gave her a raw, unshakable power that put her a step above the average awakened. She had no fancybat moves or special abilities. All she could do was shoot her bow, transforming her lightning into deadly arrows.


    But the speed at which she was killing was unlike anything you''d expect from someone with such a basic and average Stats. Everybody knew lightning element is one of the most powerful elements out, so it wasn''t a coincidence she was that lethal with the bow.


    During the city selection, Hanna had nearly washed out. Had it not been for a stroke of luck, she wouldn''t have even made it into the top 200. That near-failure broke her for days, leaving her devastated.


    But instead of giving up, she pushed herself harder. She began training relentlessly. Though shecked active skills, she knew that honing her lightning abilities alone would be enough for now¡ªuntil she could afford to buy a skill, which for some reason, cost an absurd amount.


    They always said that once you reach the Saint-level, you''ll automatically gain a passive skill and an active skill. Some lucky individuals even received a full technique set. Hanna had her sights set on that. It was her goal. But she also knew the path to bing a Saint wasn''t going to be easy.


    That''s why she was exploiting a loophole in the trial, one the announcementdy had hinted at. She nned to use it to her advantage.


    The trial is called Endless for a reason. In most trials, you had to clear the first wave of monsters before the next one came. But this one was different. There were no waves. The monsters appeared at random, all mixed together.


    Right now, Tier 4 monsters were roaming the battlefield, but Tier 6 could show up at any moment, with no warning. It was chaotic¡ªbut in a strange way, Hanna found it exhrating.


    She knew some of the geniuses with slower kill rates would be overwhelmed when the higher-tier monsters arrived. They''d be crushed under the sheer weight of numbers. But not her. She had figured out the key to survival¡ªkill fast, rack up points before things got out of control.


    And so far, her n was working.


    With her lightning arrows firing at an insane speed, Hanna was eliminating monsters quicker than anyone else. Her ability to stay ahead of the chaos made all the difference. While others were still struggling with the Tier 4 creatures, she was already thinking about the higher ones that would inevitablye.


    She wasn''t just here to survive. She was here to win¡ªand stay beside her little brother, us, who had epted her into his family. These past days with us and his mother had been the best of her life. She wasn''t going to lose her ce by us''s side anytime soon. After all, she is still us''s personal assistant.


    Unbeknownst to Hanna, the moment us woke up from his 72-daya and weed her as his sister, her destiny changed in ways none of them could have imagined. And now, during the trial, part of that change was beginning to show.


    Hanna''s grip on her bow remained as firm as ever, but something was shifting within her. At first, she relied purely on raw strength to make her lightning arrows fly with devastating power. But now, there was something else happening, something deeper. It showed in her eyes.


    Her eyes flickered with lightning, the same energy that now danced around her. As she loosed arrow after arrow, it was as though she was transforming. Even though this was just a virtual world, her consciousness was being affected by something greater.


    She was bing more lethal, more precise. Her lightning arrows began dealing far more damage than before. When Tier 5 monsters appeared, they stood no chance. They crumbled under the weight of her power.


    The battlefield soon filled with creatures ranging from Tier 4 to Tier 6, but none of them managed to cross the 2km line she had set. It was like an invisible barrier of destruction; anything that dared to approach was struck down before even getting close.


    Hanna wasn''t just fighting anymore¡ªshe was evolving. Her lightning grew fiercer, her attacks sharper, and even in this digital realm, she felt the change within her soul. Something had awakened, and it was making her stronger than she ever imagined.


    Yet through it all, Hanna''s thoughts remained steady. All she could do was kill¡ªand keep killing.


    ===============


    In the observation room overseeing the trial, 12,000 small screens disyed the participants'' progress. Soon, some of the screens began to turn red, signaling that contenders were washing out. The speed of their failures was staggering, and in no time, the number of active screens began to dwindle.


    "Who is that?" ady suddenly asked, pointing at one screen showing Hanna''s trial. The disy showed her firing lightning arrow after lightning arrow with deadly precision.


    "Is she not using any skills?" a manmented, eyes fixed on the way Hanna''s lightning arrows materialized seamlessly in her bow.


    "Indeed," the announcementdy confirmed, clearly impressed. "She''s just using her lightning as arrows. No skills involved."


    "But how is that possible? You can''t maintain that speed and power without a skill or technique," another person chimed in, making everyone else nce curiously at Hanna''s screen.


    "That''s because this youngdy has a lightning elemental mark," a calm voice spoke from the back. The War Goddess, who had been silently observing, now looked closely at us''s big sister, a small smile tugging at her lips. "It''s faint, but it''s there. I doubt she even realizes it yet."


    "What? That... that shouldn''t be possible," the announcementdy stammered. "Only someone who has formed a Sage Core can start sensing an elemental mark, talk less of someone who is just a master"


    "Well," the War Goddess said, "she''s a genius, then. The mark is there, and that''s why she''s wielding her lightning with such mastery."


    The officials in the room exchanged shocked nces. They knew exactly what an elemental mark was¡ªand what it meant. It''s a rare, powerful link that binds an individual closer to the element they awaken.


    Those with that mark often seen as a tattoo on their forehead hold great control over the said element with unparalleled mastery. So anyone with the mark or promised to have the mark is branded as a genius among geniuses.


    The day she awakens the mark is the day she will trulymand the storm and the heavens with lightning grace.


    "She''s like a Lightning goddess with a bow," a younger woman whispered, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she watched Hanna''s lethal efficiency.


    Hanna, unaware of the conversations happening in the observation room, continued firing her lightning arrows, each shot more powerful than thest.


    However, on one side inside the Oracle, us is standing at one spot and using his hands like a choir coordinator to direct the Void Piercing Needle to kill monsters like they are dummies.


    [A/N: Full disclosure, aside from the Main Character, Hanna is my second favorite character. I am sure y''all will love her once you read about her pasts]

 Chapter 174: A Boring Trial

    us stood still, only his fingers moving as the Void Piercing Needle darted through the air, piercing holes in the heads of monsters. Everywhere it went, creatures disintegrated into nothingness, leaving only the eerie silence of their death.


    The needle moved with terrifying speed, killing relentlessly. Tier 4 monsters appeared, but they didn''t evenst a minute before they were obliterated. There wasn''t even a hint of resistance in their attempts to withstand us''s attacks.


    It was as if they weren''t worth the effort. Even though us is fighting these monsters at their full strength, this is still the virtual world. Theycked the natural aura of intimidation they would normally have on the outside. But still, there shouldn''t have been such little resistance to the way us was destroying them.


    It felt almost too easy.


    "At this rate, I won''t even have to move an inch," us said, disappointment creeping into his voice. He watched as the monsters fell one after another, feeling a sense of emptiness in their swift defeat.


    The thrill of battle was fading, reced by a dull sense of monotony. He longed for a challenge, something that would make his heart race. Instead, it felt like he was merely going through the motions, his skills wasted on such weak opponents.


    us sighed, wishing for a fight that would truly test him. He nced around, hoping for a glimpse of something more formidable. But for now, the virtual world offered nothing but easy victories.


    The Tier 6 monsters that appeared were all weaker than us had expected. He couldn''t quite understand why, but with his Eye of Malevolence observing the battle, he felt a strange sense of control. The monsters charging at him seemed like mere objects, each with countless ways to be destroyed.


    He could pinpoint where to strike for an instant kill. As the needle moved, it became nearly invisible to the naked eye. The monsters didn''t even realize what had hit them before it was toote.


    us knew if he were to start using the Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom right now, then the monsters wouldn''t have much resistance. Even without it, they are not showing any resistance, not even in the slightest.


    "Had I known I could use the Spirit Master Powers like this, I would have mastered using more than 100 needles by now," us mused, watching as the monsters fell without a hint of resistance. The ease of it all left him feeling both powerful and unsatisfied.


    The challenge he craved never came, on a bunch of weak monstersing endlessly yet not able to do anything to him.


    However, while us was feeling bored, the thousands of young fighters were struggling. Many are facing overwhelming odds, especially those with slower killing speeds. Some were getting swarmed by the sheer number of monsters charging at them. Those who managed to kill faster were holding on, but it was only a temporary reprieve.


    Even us''s friends were not faring as well as he was. On one side of the battlefield, Danny had switched to a heavy spear-like weapon, delivering devastating blows. But it wasn''t easy for him either. Soon, he would be overwhelmed by the relentless tide of monsters.


    Daniel was also in the thick of it, wielding his axe with heaven-shaking might. Both Dannys are brute-strength fighters. They rely on heavy weapons to deliver powerful attacks


    Brute strength fighters have some devastating attack power, but when overwhelmed, their killing speed would slow dramatically. Daniel was doing his best to kill as many monsters as possible before the situation became unmanageable. The weight of the battle pressed on him, and he knew time was running out.


    Mark was having it slightly easier, but not by much. His spear spun, stabbed, and struck as he focused on killing as fast as he could. However, in thisrge-scale battle, he struggled to keep up his killing speed. Spearmen are powerful fighters, but in this chaotic situation, he felt the weight of the monsters closing in.


    Kay, on the other hand, was in his element. His fire arrows are activating every second, raining down mes on the monsters. He moved with agility, ensuring he kept his distance from the approaching threats. As an archer, it was only natural for him to maintain that gap.


    Kilian on the other hand is swinging his zing sword, slicing through monsters and unleashing arcs of fire with each strike. His attacks were lethal, and even without awakening his sword qi, his attack power was very impressive. The fire danced around him, making each move look both beautiful and deadly.


    Lily, his sister, appeared to be one with the wind. With her affinity for the wind element, she was the fastest in the group. Her sword sliced through the air, sending wind arcs that cut silently through the monsters. She moved effortlessly, her speed making her a difficult target as she darted around the battlefield.


    They all seem to be giving it their all as they battle the monsters like their life depend on it. well, it kinda does.


    As for Anna, she was on an entirely different level. Like us, she stood in one ce, her staff stabbed firmly into the ground. Around her, a 1-kilometer radius was frozen solid. This was her killing zone. Although one can tell by the paleness on her face that she is struggling to keep the killing zone active, she doesn''t back down either. She stood there with a determined look on her face.


    Any monsters entering that zone were faced with a grim fate. Weaker monsters were frozen to death instantly, while stronger ones were encased in ice and pierced by sharp shards that were shooting from the ground. It was the perfect killing domain, and Anna was fighting to maintain it for as long as she could.


    Despite the toll it took on her, she remained resolute, channeling her energy to keep the deadly frost alive. She wants to be within the top ten so she is doing all she can to enter that ranking even if it means she just wants to impress us.


    As for Hanna, she maintained her killing streak, but the paleness on her face signaled that she would soon be overrun. Despite her impressive speed, she was still an average awakener, and her stats were not that great. The struggle was evident.


    In just 20 minutes, 10,000 young fighters had been eliminated. With each passing second, stronger monsters continued to appear, increasing the pressure on everyone.


    ===========


    "I think this trial is meaningless for him. Just look at how he is killing those monsters¡ª is he even human?" a man in the observation room said, watching us.


    He stood with both hands behind his back, eyes closed, relying solely on his senses and mind to control the Void Piercing Needle.


    If only they knew that even with his eyes closed, us was as deadly as ever. He is a paragon, someone who doesn''t need to follow the same rules as everyone else. So it''s only natural for him to be this powerful.


    But they only see him as an Anomaly, unable toprehend just how powerful can a master be.


    "Even after making his trial extra hard, he seems just fine. Just how powerful is he really?" another observer wondered aloud. The War Goddess watched all of this with a gentle smile on her lips, clearly impressed by us''s performance.


    =============


    "Tsk, this trial should just end already so I can enter a forbidden zone and have a real fight," Inside the Oracle, us muttered, frustration seeping into his voice. It had already been 45 minutes, and even with zombies now flooding the battlefield, it felt dull to him.


    The thrill, the rush, the fun¡ªhe craved that adrenaline. Some might say it''s strange for one to feel that, but us didn''t care, the zeel he brought for the Regional trial was washed away. He is bored and everyone watching can see that.

 Chapter 175: Klaus is not Bothered, at all

    "Yes, ma''am, I''ll see to it that it''s done," the announcementdy said, hanging up the call. She nced around the room, noticing the strange looks on everyone''s faces.


    "Increase the rate at which the monsters pour in for his trial," she ordered, pointing at us''s screen. He stood there, calm, eyes closed, hands sped behind his back. The scene was too shocking for anyone toprehend.


    "By how much, ma''am?" one of the operators asked, eyes wide as she looked at the disy.


    "Ten times," a voice interrupted before the announcementdy could respond. It was the War Goddess herself, her tone firm and unyielding.


    Everyone''s jaws dropped in unison.


    "But War Goddess, that''s... that''s too much!" the announcementdy stammered. She had been told to raise the difficulty by three times, maybe five at most¡ªbut ten? That''s an overkill.


    The room was immediately filled with murmurs of disbelief. They all knew us was a monster, but this was pushing it beyond reason.


    "Are you sure?" the operator hesitated, her fingers hovering over the controls, unsure whether to follow themand.


    The War Goddess fixed her with a steely re. "Do it," she said, her voice final, leaving no room for argument.


    The room fell silent, and the tension was thick. Everyone exchanged nervous nces, but no one dared to question the War Goddess any further. They knew what kind of power she wielded¡ªquestioning her would be foolish.


    With a shaky hand, the operator entered themand. "Increase monster flow... tenfold," she whispered under her breath, her heart pounding as she hit ''Enter.''


    On the screen, us remained motionless, unaware of the chaos being set into motion for his trial. He stood there, calm, as if meditating, oblivious to the storm that was about to hit him.


    "Good luck," the announcementdy muttered under her breath, her eyes glued to the screen. Everyone braced for what was about to happen next. For some reason, they felt pity for us.


    Back inside Oracle, us stood firm, controlling the Void Piercing Needle with devastating precision. Suddenly, tens of thousands of monsters began pouring toward him, an endless wave of death.


    His eyes snapped open, locking onto the storm of creatures rushing his way. "Looks like they want me to feel something," us muttered with a smirk.


    In an instant, the Void Piercing Arrow appeared in front of him, breaking apart into 45 sharp needles. With a simple gesture, he added ten more, making 55 needles float ominously before him. A smile yed on his lips as the needles reformed into a single, new Void Piercing Needle.


    This time, it wasn''t the usual ten-inch needle. Instead, a thick, menacing 14-inch needle materialized, radiating danger. He grinned as he watched the monsterse within range.


    us stomped down, and from the ground, an ice chair emerged¡ªelegant and sharp, perfectly crafted. With a mischievous look, he sat on it,fortably taking his ce. Thanks to his memories as Fruiy, he had mastered shaping the ice element into whatever he pleased.


    us really doesn''t have any teacher to teach him how to use the Ice element, but thanks to the small memory he has of Fruity, his past self, he now knows how to shape some things.


    Resting his hand on the chair''s arm, us supported his chin with his left fist, looking almost bored. With a flick of his right hand, he pointed a finger forward, and the newly enhanced Void Piercing Needle shot out.


    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of monsters evaporated into thin air.


    "Tsk, not that I expected anything different," us murmured, unimpressed by the carnage. But this time, he knew he had to be faster and more careful¡ªthousands of monsters were pouring in by the second.


    "Well then," he said with a smirk, "why not make this more interesting?"


    With a flick of his fingers, the Void Piercing Needle split into two smaller, 7-inch needles. Almost instantly, they shot off in opposite directions¡ªone to the left, the other to the right.


    What followed was pure devastation. Hundreds of monsters disintegrated within seconds, shredded apart by the relentless speed of the needles.


    us even stopped using fingers and went back to controlling them with nothing but his mind and his Spirit Eye. The ughter was seamless as if the monsters were mere insects in the face of the needles'' precision.


    "I should really pay more attention to my ss," us muttered to himself, slightly amused. If he had realized this potential earlier, he might have already be a powerful Spirit Master¡ªadept in controlling weapons with his mind.


    But it was never toote to start, and the battlefield was the perfect ce to learn. An hour had already passed, and yet, 1,500 youngsters were still inside the oracle, fighting for a spot in the Top 1000. Looking at their struggles, though, it was clear that within the next ten minutes, the true 1,000 would be chosen.


    At this point, luck seemed to y a big role. All you had to do was hold on and hope the unlucky ones would be eliminated. Anna and the rest of us''s friends were still in the fight, but only Anna seemed to be handling the pressure well.


    Five minutester, only 1,200 remained, the red screens shing in the observation room said it all. Although these youngsters were strong, they couldn''t hold on much longer.


    Suddenly, the number dropped to 1,000. Now, the next kills would decide who made it into the Top 50. us''s name sat at the very top, his points towering above the rest. Nobody in the room was surprised. Even though his trial difficulty had been increased, he didn''t seem bothered at all.


    In the second ce, of course, was Anna. She was pushing herself hard, and it was paying off. Miguel is in third ce and from the look of how he is fighting, he seems to be trying to catch up to Anna


    Surprisingly, Hanna, who had ranked 195 out of 200 in the city selection, was now sitting at number 4. She has been training very hard for this trial and it seems to be paying off quite well.


    Kilian held the fifth spot, with his sister Lily right behind him at number 6. Mark, the spearman from us''s group, was at number 8, and Daniel and Danny followed at 9 and 10.


    Only on m v|le|mp|yr


    Kay, on the other hand, was hanging in there at number 15. He is skilled with the bow, but his killing speed isn''t the best. Still, it was enough to keep him out of harm''s way while steadily taking down his targets.


    Soon, the top 1,000petitors began to dwindle. Before ten minutes had passed, only five remained inside the Oracle. us sat calmly, continuing to kill with his two Void Piercing Needles, while Anna, surrounded by ice, was doing her best to hold on.


    Miguel, still at third, fought on. Despite his hatred for us, he proved himself to be a formidable warrior, showing everyone he wasn''t a pushover. Hanna, clinging to fourth ce, fought desperately, refusing to back down.


    The fifth spot now belonged to Danny, who had risen from ninth. He fought fiercely, and if he managed to hold on a bit longer, he might even surpass Hanna.


    But in the next minute, the final five were overwhelmed by monsters. They had no choice but to bow out of the trial. Anna finished second, followed by Miguel, us''s friend-nemesis, in third. Hanna secured fourth, Danny took fifth, Kilian came in sixth, and Lily, who had battled fiercely, ended up in seventh.


    Mark finished eighth, Daniel took ninth, and Kay managed to finish the trial in twelfth ce.


    As the saying goes, friends of a lion aren''t poppies. They have proven they are indeed worthy to be called friends of us who the higher-ups are considering whether or not to let him continue the trial.

 Chapter 176: The Creators Of Oracle

    In the observation room, where all the officials had gathered to monitor the trials, the War Goddess and others stood watching one screen in particr. It showed a white-haired youth seated on what looked like an ice throne. His left hand rested on the arm of the chair, his fist supporting his chin, while his right handy casually on the other armrest.


    His eyes were closed as if he had no care in the world.


    Around him, thousands of monsters were charging forward. But as soon as they entered within 1 kilometer of him, something would sh, and the monsters would instantly dissolve into light particles, vanishing into the air.


    "I''ve seen a lot of impossible things, but this... this is my first time witnessing something this bizarre," one of the officials muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. The others nodded, equally stunned, but the War Goddess stood silently, her expression unreadable.


    It wasn''t just the officials who found this hard to believe. Far from Hiroshi City, in a secluded location, three individuals sat around a table, also watching us inside the Oracle with puzzled looks.


    "Even though this is just a virtual realm, this kid is making it seem like we didn''t put enough effort into making the Oracle feel as real as the outside world," one of them said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.


    "Well, it''s a virtual world," another replied. "The terror people feel when facing real monsters is lessened here. They won''t actually die inside the Oracle, so it''s only natural."


    "True, but still," the third person chimed in, frowning, "he''s making this trial look far too easy. In reality, there''s no way he could handle it like this. So, what''s wrong with the Oracle that''s allowing him to remain this calm?"


    These three individuals are the creators of the Oracle. They have been developing it for the past five decades. Now, just as they were entering the final phase of their work, us''s performance had made them question whether they had indeed created something that could make a real difference.


    "Why so gloomy? Isn''t this the best thing that''s ever happened to you three?" A voice suddenly broke the silence, causing the three individuals to turn toward the door.


    "Big brother, you''re here!" they all shouted in unison, despite their ages.


    "Yes," the man replied calmly. Just by looking at him, it was clear he was powerful. The air around him seemed peaceful, yet there was an undeniable sense of danger lurking beneath the surface.


    "Big brother, why do you say this kid is the best thing that''s ever happened to us?" one of them asked, still puzzled.


    "Just look at him. It''s obvious he''s not feeling the will imposed by true monsters. I know you three have been working on this for a long time, but you couldn''t get that part right. So, why not add someone else to your team and see if he can help you with it?" the man suggested.


    "You mean... include us Hanson in our team?" one of them asked hesitantly. "But he''s not even a Saint yet. What would the others say?"


    The man smirked. "You think the Overlords are sitting around doing nothing? This is no issue. Just do it. If they object, I''ll handle it," he said, his tone full of pride.


    "Okay, big brother," they responded without further question. Their respect for the man in front of them was clear.


    "By the way," the man added, "you three should bettere up with something more creative for the Union Trial. That''s all." With that, he vanished into thin air, leaving the three Oracle creators exchanging nces.


    "Is it just me, or does Big Brother seem... happy?" one of them asked, eyebrows raised.


    "Tsk, of course, he''s happy," another replied. "He''s an Overlord. I heard they recently discovered some ancient ruin and started exploring it."


    "Well that is awesome I guess"


    "We have toe up with something for the Union Trial. This kid hasplicated everything; we need to step up our game," one of them said, frustration seeping through.


    "Why not just use the Infinity Zero space for that trial?" another suggested.


    "We can''t. That''s reserved for the uing Warrior Tournament. We won''t have anything concrete ready by then if we use it now, so we need to y it safe. We just need toe up with something for the Union Trial that''ll keep him on his toes," the third person chimed in, a bit more practical.


    A mischievous grin spread across Logan''s face. "Joon, that crazy girlfriend of yours back at MIT¡ªwasn''t she full of wild ideas for creatingbat-ready spaces when we were brainstorming Oracle?"


    Joon groaned, already knowing where this was going. "Logan, you bastard, you''re not seriously thinking about that, are you? Lucil stopped talking to me after what happened five years ago. Don''t drag her into this. She probably doesn''t even want to see my face ever again."


    "I don''t know about that." Logan shrugged, a yful glint in his eye.


    Joon''s frown deepened, sensing something was off. "Ryan, what did you do?" he asked, noticing Ryan was smiling down at his phone.


    Dive into the story on m|vl em pyr


    Ryan looked up, clearly enjoying the moment. "Well, you know Lucil and I follow each other on Xter. Turns out, she''s pretty interested in us Hanson. She is a huge fan. So, I sent her a quick message letting her know we''d be working with us for a while, and guess what? She immediately replied, saying she''s taking a vacation in two weeks and might just swing by."


    Joon''s jaw tightened. "And by ''swing by,'' you mean she''sing for the whole month, right?"


    Ryan smirked. "Sounds about right."


    Joon sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Ah, looks like my peaceful days are over..."


    Logan and Ryan exchanged knowing looks before ncing at their friend with sympathetic smiles. They knew it was true¡ªJoon''s peaceful days were long gone. Lucil is a wild one, and after what had happened between the boyfriend and girlfriend duo five years ago, they were certain Joon was done for.


    The three had been inseparable since high school, their friendship growing stronger through college, and now into their professional lives. Together, they were working on building a Virtual World¡ªa ce where warriors could train, connect, and even holdpetitions.


    Their work had earned them respect worldwide. The system they were developing promised to make life easier for warriors everywhere. But they hadn''t released it to the public just yet. There were still a few issues to resolve, but once those were ironed out, the entire world would gain ess.


    =============


    Meanwhile, back in Oracle, us continued his ughter of monsters with his eyes closed, sitting as if he were rxing on a park bench. The Void Piercing Arrow was doing all the killing with his mind controlling it. However, suddenly, the endless waves of monsters stopped. Not a single one appeared.


    He opened his eyes and smirked.


    "Looks like they''re finally tired of me," he muttered to himself. Then, his vision went dark.


    When his eyes opened again, he was back in the Game room. us removed the helmet and stood up, stretchingzily before heading toward the door. It slid open, and as he stepped through, he found himself back in the massive hall filled with 999 youngsters. All were excited, clearly thrilled to have made it into the top 1000.


    us scanned the crowd, quickly spotting his friends gathered near arge projection of the Trial''s leaderboard. He looked up, and there it was¡ªhis name in first ce. A grin spread across his face when he nced at the names in second, fourth, and beyond.


    "us!" a voice suddenly called out. He looked and saw Danny waving.

 Chapter 177: There is Something Different About These Two [Bonus]

    us waved back and made his way over to his friends. As he got closer, he noticed the same smile he saw on Anna''s face still tugging her lips as they made eye contact. us knew something was not right. Considering the talk they had the night before, she is supposed to be solemn, but with this new look, he just doesn''t get it.


    "Congrattions, big sister. You did well," us said proudly. Hanna had ranked fourth, a surprising achievement that amazed many around them. No one had expected her to rise so high.


    In the City Selection Trial, she had only ced 195th out of the 200 selected. But now, with 12 cities and over 12,000 young warriors, Hanna had fought her way to the top four. It was nothing short of shocking.


    "Thanks, little bro," Hanna replied, her smile beaming with pride. "Mom''s going to be over the moon when she hears what I ced."


    us rolled his eyes yfully. "Just don''t let her spoil you rotten."


    "Oh, I might take her up on that," Hanna teased, her confidence clearly restored. After all the struggles and doubts she''d faced, seeing her like this made us happy. She had found her footing again, and he was d she had reimed her strength.


    "Everyone, I''ll be back in a jiffy," Danny suddenly said, walking toward a certain blonde across the room. Mark and the others exchanged nces and sighed. It was clear they were all falling short in the women''s department.


    us ignored Anna for a moment and turned to Lily. "Fairy Lily, you did well," he said with a genuine smile, making Anna pout in mock annoyance.


    Lily nced at Anna, then smiled back at us. "Thank you, us."


    "Anna dear, congrattions on ranking second. I''m really proud of you," us added. He didn''t want to tease her, especially after the awkward conversation they''d had the night before. But seeing the mischievous smile she''d been shing him all morning, he knew she was up to no good.


    "Thank you, Brother us," Anna replied with a teasing grin.


    us raised an eyebrow. "Brother us, huh? Too bad I''m just a brother. I was nning to take you two somewhere specialter, but it seems I''ll only be taking Lily now," he said, moving to stand beside Lily and wrapping his arm around her shoulder.


    Lily blushed deeply, while Anna''s smile faltered for just a second. She knew us was joking, but a small pang hit her heart seeing his arm around Lily. With so many people watching, she couldn''t shake the feeling of being the third wheel.


    Luckily for her, at that exact moment, a door opened, and the officials entered to make the final announcements. Thest to enter was the War Goddess herself. Her eyes immediately found us and a smile tugged at her lips.


    "Congrattions, everyone. You''ve taken another step toward bing disciples of Celestial Mountain Academy," the War Goddess announced.


    "Though two more Trials remain to decide who will officially enter the academy''s books, passing this one proves that you are among the finest warriors of your generation. You should be proud."


    The room lit up with smiles as everyone soaked in her words. At least for today. the War Goddess has finally said something encouraging. She stepped aside, allowing the academy''s representative to deliver her speech.


    "As the War Goddess said, you should feel proud of your aplishments," the academy rep continued. "However, in four months, you will gather again in Union City to face the Union Trial. This time, you''llpete against 4,000 others. By the end, only 2,000 of the 5,000 will advance to the next trial."


    Her gaze swept over the crowd, making sure her words sunk in. "Use these four months wisely. Train. Prepare. Like before, each of you will be given three vials of Mountain Dew. Use it to reach the Peak Master stage before the Union Trial.


    I know many of you are already close, so bridge that remaining gap."


    "And to those who are still far from reaching the Peak Of Master Stage, work extra hard to bridge that gap before the Union Trial."


    "Additionally, the academy will award each of you three passes to Tier 3 Forbidden Zones and one pass to a Tier 4 Forbidden Zone. These are your opportunities to hone yourbat skills and grow stronger. The next trial will be more grueling and dangerous than what you''ve faced so far."


    The academy rep paused, letting her words hang in the air for a moment.


    "Lastly, three months from now, the academy will hold a gathering at Sinji Valley. Some seniors from the academy will be present. Use this event to learn more about what lies ahead, and find the motivation you need to seed in the Union Trial."


    The room quieted as everyone processed the weight of the trials toe. The doors opened on the sides of the building signally for them to enter and go for the Mountain Dew. us looked at his friend and gestured for them to go.


    He looked back and nodded at the War Goddess before leaving. After receiving the three vials of Mountain Dew, he and his friends headed back to their hotel. Once they arrived, us handed his share of the Mountain Dew to Anna, Lily, and Hanna.


    They all knew he had no use for them, so they epted it without hesitation. After that, us retreated to his room to take a bath. Once refreshed, he tried to call Ohema again, but like thest ten times, the call didn''t go through. Frustrated, he sat down and entered his soul sea to study the Pentaface Bead more closely.


    A few hourster, there was a knock on his door. He paused and opened it to find Anna and Lily standing there.


    "Can wee in?" Lily asked, her voice soft.


    "Sure," us replied, stepping aside to let them in. As they walked past him, he felt his heart quicken, though he couldn''t quite understand why. ''There is something different about these two''


    "So, what brings you two here?" us asked, trying to sound casual. The two exchanged nces before Lily spoke up.


    "us, do you hate us?" The question was simple yetplicated. us swallowed hard, feeling the weight of it. He understood the deeper implications behind her words.


    He didn''t answer right away, taking a moment to consider his response. Saying the wrong thing could have serious consequences. He could tell them he didn''t hate them, but what evidence did he have to back that up? In truth, he didn''t harbor any hatred; he simply didn''t want to get thisplicated for now. His mind is still not straight from knowing about his past, so he wants to rx for a while.


    But the tension was palpable. He knew it would be difficult, especially since he often flirted with other girls. If they remained in the friend zone for too long, it could create issues in their rtionship. Anna knew us liked them¡ªshe could sense it, and so could Lily. But he rarely showed it intimately to them.


    Though they weren''t as old as Lucy, he felt he should at least make them feel appreciated. He recognized that he had been distant, even yful with Anna when he should have been closer. Now, standing before the two beautiful faces, he realized he needed to do something.


    With a sigh, he walked toward them without overthinking. He stepped in front of Anna, gently pulling her closer and nting a soft kiss on her lips. Anna froze in surprise, but us didn''t linger. He turned to Lily and nted another kiss on her lips, then stepped back, a smile forming on his face.


    "Does this answer your question?" he asked, his tone light yet sincere.

 Chapter 178: Handsome, Shameless, Pervert [Bonus]

    Anna and Lily looked at each other, their faces flushed. They didn''t know how to react. They hade to have a difficult conversation, but before they could even begin, they found themselves speechless. us didn''t say a word; he just leaned in and kissed them both. It was unexpected and wild.


    "us," Anna managed to say, her expression bashful. Lily wore a simr look, her cheeks still pink.


    "I hope this answers your question," us said, smiling softly. "Although we can''t get more intimate right now, I want you both to know that I love you." He felt a warmth in his heart as he spoke. "We can be more active when I get this sorted out."


    As he said this, he felt a sense of peace, having already taken that step in his heart. But for Anna and Lily, hearing those words made their hearts race, pounding against their chests. They exchanged nces, a mix of surprise and joy dancing in their eyes. The moment felt electric, charged with unspoken feelings.


    "Hehe, look at you both, blushing like little tomatoes! Come on,e here," us said yfully. Before they could react, he swooped in, and they allnded on the bed together. He nted a kiss on Anna''s lips and then on Lily''s before settling them down in his arms¡ªAnna on his right and Lily on his left.


    "Thank you," Lily said, lying rigidly in his embrace.


    "No need to thank me. I''ve had my eyes on you both since the moment I first saw you," us replied, gently rubbing her arms.


    "Isn''t Sister Lucy and Sister Ohema enough for you?" Anna blurted out, instantly regretting her words.


    "Says thedy chasing her sister''s boyfriend," us shot back, causing Anna to close her eyes in embarrassment, her face burning.


    "What about Sister Nia and Sister Asha?" Lily asked, sounding surprisingly calm about the whole situation.


    "Hey, can''t we just stay in the moment without thinking about others?" us said, not liking where this was heading. He thought it was odd that thedies were so supportive of each other when it came to a boy they both liked. Shouldn''t they be rivals? Yet, all the women around him seemed to be rooting for one another.


    Enjoy stories on m_v lem|p-yr


    "Your mom was right. You really are a yer," Lily said with a teasing smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief.


    us looked at the usually quiet Lily and couldn''t believe his eyes. She now looks lively and yful, and from the look of things, she might be a huge challenge in the future. As they say, don''t judge a book by its cover.


    "I''m pretty sure he has his eyes on War Goddess Miriam and Aoi too," Anna added, making us pause and slip into deep thought. After a moment, a smile crept across his face.


    "I knew it! He does have his eyes on them," Anna eximed.


    "I only hope he has the stamina to satisfy them all," Lily chimed in, her tone teasing.


    "Lily, you can''t say things like that! It''s too... naughty," Anna said, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red.


    "What? You''ll experience all that one day, so what''s the harm in talking about it?" Lily replied with a grin.


    "You!" Anna shot back, still flustered.


    "Hey,dies, I''m right here. Why not talk about us and forget about other things?" us said, astonished by how mischievous Lily had turned out to be. He couldn''t help but chuckle at the banter between them.


    us felt a warm glow of affection for both girls as they continued their yful banter. It was refreshing to see this side of Lily, and Anna''s shyness only made her more endearing. For someone who had tormented her sister for weeks, this new look on her is just too cute.


    us was more than happy to have two beautiful girls in his arms. All the pent-up frustration he has been feeling after knowing a little about his past, the pain, and everything ufortable feeling started to melt away.


    Before he knew it, for the first time in days, he fell asleep, leaving Anna and Lily to gaze at his face. Anna held a small smile as she looked at the peaceful expression on his features.


    "He really is handsome," she whispered, not realizing she had said it aloud.


    Lily turned to her, a yful smile spreading across her face. "You''re not wrong. He has that brooding charm, doesn''t he?"


    Anna nodded, her cheeks flushing slightly. "It''s like he carries the weight of the world but still manages to look good doing it."


    "Exactly!" Lilyughed softly. "And that smile¡ªwhen he actually smiles, it lights up the room."


    They both chuckled quietly, careful not to wake us. The moment felt intimate, a shared secret between them. As they continued to admire him, Anna felt a warmth in her heart.


    "I''m d we''re here together," Anna said softly, her eyes never leaving us''s face.


    "Me too," Lily replied. "It feels special." The exchange looks and smiles.


    Neither Anna nor Lily wanted to wake us, so they all fell back asleep, only stirring around six when Hanna came in to inform them that Aoi would be joining them for the outing they had nned after the Trial.


    "You work fast, Boss," Hanna teased, turning to us with a yful grin. Just a while back, she became his personal assistant. Now, she is his sister, that is just too cute.


    "Big sister, you''re making me blush," us joked shamelessly. Just like how he got some pain and frustration from his past self, he also got somefort when he was around Hanna. Her past self Haniva was his Babysitter after all.


    Looking at the grin on Hanna''s face, us couldn''t help back think back to his past self as Fruity, ''Tsk, that bastard sure had the best people around him'' He thought.


    Though tragedy had found him sooner than he had expected, Fruity had experienced all that love, and much of it came from Neniva, Hanna''s past self.


    "You do know that having too many girlfriends requires a lot of work, right?" Hanna said a bashful smile on her lips.


    "Don''t worry! This brother of yours is more active than you think," us replied with a wink.


    "Pervert!" Hanna eximed,ughing as she darted out of his room.


    us shook his head, chuckling softly. "Tsk, that bastard had it good," he muttered, cursing his past self once more before heading to the bathroom.


    His past memories clung to him like an annoying shadow, influencing him in all the wrong ways. The bits he remembered were all about monk stuff¡ªdiscipline, restraint, all the things he no longer cared for. Now, us is moving in the opposite direction, one that doesn''t fit the teachings of monks. He had long abandoned their ways.


    After his bath, us dressed up and went to meet the others, who were already waiting for him. He had promised them an outing before they returned to their various cities. Once they were back, it would be all about training... and maybe some other nightly activities on the side.


    He still needed to find his uncles, who had disappeared since his return from the dead. His friends would have to go into seclusion, focusing on hunts to level up and sharpen theirbat skills. As for him, his schedule for the next four months was packed¡ªtraining, missions, and even some unfinished business with Nadia. The uing Trial was looming, and it was going to be a hectic ride.


    To top it all off, us had been banned from entering Union City, but oddly enough, he wasn''t too concerned. He figured things would work out in their own way. Right now, his only n was to enjoy himself with his friends.


    Soon after, Aoi arrived, looking as stunning as ever. us grinned, putting on his usual shameless charm as he approached her.


    "Beautiful, smart, and deadly with a sword. Damn, what abo," he teased with a wink.


    Anna and Lily rolled their eyes, but deep down, they knew they had fallen for this handsome, shameless pervert long ago and now, they have to live with him forever.

 Chapter 179: Outing with Friends

    Hiroshi City is vast and stunning, full of incredible ces to explore. us, his friends, and Aoi had wandered to many amazing ces until they finally entered a club only avable to warriors, a ce meant for young fighters like them. The atmosphere inside was lively, and designed for everyone to have a good time.


    They drank,ughed, and even had a few rounds of hard liquor. Despite them being warriors, the drinks hit them enough to leave them a little tipsy, but they didn''t care, they managed to chart in the top 1000 out of the 12,000 youngsters in the whole of the Eastern Region. They deserved all the fun in the world.


    us spent most of his time flirting with Anna and Lily but as the night reached its peak, us found himself alone with Aoi. She seemed to fit in just fine, mingling effortlessly with the group. But now, it was just the two of them.


    "So," us began, not giving Aoi any time to process the sudden moment alone moment. "How many pictures of me do you have in your room?"


    It was the most shameless question he could think of, and he knew it. He couldn''t help but smirk, remembering thest time they were at the Hiroshi Mansion. Mio and Miki, Aoi''s older sisters, had let it slip that Aoi was a huge fan of his. That tidbit had stuck with him, and now he saw the perfect opportunity to tease her.


    As expected, Aoi''s face turned bright red, and she quickly covered it with her hands. In the academy, she is very respected due to many factors but mostly because of her sword skills. She is very good with the sword.


    "us stop that" she mumbled through her fingers, still too embarrassed to look at him. us grinned, knowing he had already cracked through herposure.


    "By the way, thanks for making sure I didn''t lose face during our duel." He knew that without Aoi subtly holding back, he would have lost that match.


    It wasn''t something he could easily forget. That small gesture had meant a lot to him, and it solidified Aoi''s ce as someone he could trust. Some friendships are built through little acts of kindness, and Aoi was one of those.


    Aoi shifted slightly regaining herposure.


    "No need," she replied. "Just make sure you get into the academy and join the Yin-Yang Pce." Her face held a small smile, but us could tell she meant every word. It was more than just a casual suggestion¡ªit felt like something she truly wanted for him.


    "Yin-Yang Pce?" us raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. He didn''t know what it meant, but he could tell it had something to do with the Celestial Mountain Academy. Since he was eager to learn more, he focused intently as Aoi exined.


    "Yin-Yang Pce is one of the eight factions at the academy," Aoi began. "The eight factions are Yin-Yang Pce, Fire Dragon Hall, Thunder de Sect, Celestial Wind Pavilion, Iron Fist n, Aqua Spirit Sect, Earth Shadow Guild, and Sky Phoenix Sanctuary."


    us didn''t say anything, he just sat there listening attentively.


    "Since I''m in the Yin-Yang Pce, I''ll talk about that one," Aoi continued. "Factions are like sses. They''re designed to group warriors with simr talents and affinities so they can learn together and build stronger foundations."


    "The Yin-Yang Pce, as the name suggests, is made up of warriors with diverse talents, especially those who don''t quite fit into the other factions. Some joined because they didn''t want to be in the other factions, and some were here because the other factions rejected them. Yes, we''re at the bottom of the list, but that''s because of how broad and varied our group is."


    Aoi smiled softly, knowing what us might be thinking. "But that doesn''t mean we''re weak. In fact, it''s the opposite. We have ess to a wide range of resources due to the sheer number of different sses we amodate.


    However, because we don''t reject anyone, our ratings are always lower when ites topeting for resources. But remember, in the Yin-Yang Pce, every warrior is treated like a friend and family. If you want to be with people who will stand by your side without the threat of getting stabbed in the back, this is the faction for you."


    She hesitated briefly before adding, "Also... I want you to join because I want to stay in the same faction and practice the sword with you."


    us couldn''t help but smile at thatst part.


    "But you''re an inner disciple," he pointed out. "How can we practice together?" He didn''t know much about the structure of the academy, but from what he had learned from Lucy, once someone climbed the Stairway to Heaven, they would join the Inner Area.


    Aoi smiled knowingly. "That''s true. Normally, once you be an inner disciple, you''re focused on more advanced training in the inner section of the academy, away from the outer disciples. But," she paused, her expression softening, "I still make time to help those who mean something to me."


    us raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Meaning?"


    Aoi shrugged, trying to appear casual, but the bashfulness on her face said it all. "Let''s just say I''ll find a way. The Yin-Yang Pce is big on helping each other, no matter the rank or status. We''re family. And besides," she added with a yful smirk, "I can''t let you go around cking off just because I''m not there to keep an eye on you."


    us chuckled. "So, you''re my personal drill sergeant now?"


    Aoi''s smile, her shoulders held high. "Something like that."


    "How cute," us muttered, watching the yful look on Aoi''s face. She blushed lightly, caught off guard by his words. us knew well that it wouldn''t be simple for an inner disciple like Aoi toe down to the outer area of the academy, but he didn''t care much about the details. He didn''t know enough about the academy''s structure to be concerned. All he could do was smile and reassure her.


    "Don''t worry, Fairy Aoi, I wouldn''t mind joining your prestigious faction," us said


    Aoi''s blush deepened at his words, but she quicklyposed herself. "Good," she replied, trying to hide her flustered expression. "Just make sure you keep up. I won''t go easy on you just because we''re in the same faction."


    us chuckled. "I wouldn''t expect anything less."


    "By the way, know that my brother Taro won''t be causing you any trouble anytime soon," Aoi said.


    us smiled. ''Oh he wouldn''t dare try anything stupid after he realises I haven''t only taken the girl of his dreams, his sister is also caught in my'' us smiled slightly thinking that.


    He wanted to say that out loud, but he didn''t, instead he just smiled and nodded. He had already shed with Taro once and knew the guy wasn''t a match for him. The idea of Taro trying to cause problems now wasughable.


    At the very least, Aoi could p him back into ce if he tried anything.


    That thought made us smirk even more. They spent a few more minutes talking before Anna and the others returned. After a few more rounds of shots, they all headed back to their hotel.


    us first wanted to spend the night with either Anna or Lily, but he decided against it knowing he had other ns for the night. The kind he doesn''t want anyone knowing about it, at least not just yet.


    He waited for everyone to fall asleep. Once the suit was quiet and still, he dressed in dark clothes and slipped out into the thick of the night.


    [A/N: Not the very best chapter, but it contains some of the best details I''ll expand on in theing Chapters]

 Chapter 180: The Dark Order Safehouse

    us moved quickly through the crowded streets, heading in a certain direction dressed in dark clothes. After interrogating the assassin, he managed to extract the location of two Dark Order safehouses¡ªone in Hiroshi City and the other in Ross City.


    At first, he thought about going back to Ross City before doing anything. However, after digesting the information he got from the Assassin, he changed his mind.


    The safehouse in Hiroshi City had something far more valuable. From what he gathered, there is a system inside the Safehouse in Hiroshi City that holds the identities of assassins in the Eastern Region linked to the Dark Order. That wasn''t all¡ªthere was also a list of targets the Dark Order had been contracted to kill.


    Beyond that, the system could give him ess to both major and minor hideouts in the region. us knew he had to act fast and get that information before the Dark Order realized Assassin Number 91 had failed toplete the hit.


    Time was running out, and us didn''t intend to waste a second. He slipped through the darker, less crowded parts of the city until he arrived at a five-story, hotel-like structure. On the outside, it seemed like just another ce for travelers, but us knew better.


    This wasn''t an ordinary hotel. Sure, it functioned like one, but only for a select type of guest¡ªthose who possessed a specific ring. If you have the ring, you can enter. No questions asked. That means everyone inside this particr hotel is either an assassin or working for the Dark Order.


    "Wee, guest. How can the Everdark Hotel serve you today?" Immediately us entered, a woman at the front desk greeted him, her voice sweet and professional, just as us expected.


    To any bystander, it looked like a normal check-in, but us knew the truth. From the assassin he interrogated, he learned that the safe house didn''t know whether they were assassins until they showed the ring.


    us thought about asking what would happen if someone didn''t have the ring, but he already knew the answer. Instead, he shed the ring on his middle finger, his face unreadable. Without a word, the woman''s smile faded, and she gestured for him to follow her to an elevator.


    Once inside, us pressed the button for the top floor. As the elevator ascended, he swept the hotel with his senses. What he found surprised him. There were dozens of assassins in the building.


    us sensed the presence of three Sages and thirty-four Saints scattered throughout the hotel, but he didn''t dwell on it. His priority was to extract the data from their system before anyone suspected a thing.


    "These people are meticulous," us muttered, eyeing the sophisticated setup in the room he arrived in. The system was the type that left little to no digital footprint. It was designed to be as invisible as possible.


    He sat behind the console and recalled the instructions the assassin had given him. All he needed to do was insert the ring into a specific slot. As soon as he did, the system came to life, prompting him with a security question.


    Without hesitation, us entered the answer. The assassin had been too bewitched to lie, fully convinced us would let him live. One side effect of the bewitching spell was the ability to manipte someone''s emotions, making them more cooperative.


    The moment he keyed in the security answer, the system granted him full ess. us wasted no time and dove straight into the most crucial details¡ªsafehouses, their locations, and the methods for essing them.


    Next, he searched for the registered assassins in the system. As he scrolled through the database, something caught his eye.


    "Huh... what''s ''Tier locked''?" us murmured, noticing that the assassin profiles were categorized into four tiers: Tier 1 to Tier 4. However, only Tier 1 was avable to him.


    "Seems like the bastard I killed wasn''t important enough to grant me higher clearance," us scoffed, realizing that the assassin''s low rank limited the information he could ess.


    "Not bad, though. At least I can get Tier 1 assassins." us quickly essed the list and was shocked to find detailed profiles of twenty individuals.


    "Number 100 to Number 80," he noted aloud. It was clear now¡ªthe Dark Order used these numbers to refer to their assassins. us scanned the list, not bothering to open their profiles for more intimate details, there will be time for thatter.


    As he kept scrolling, his eyes caught something suddenly.


    "Number 92 is indisposed," he read, noticing a red tag next to the name. A grim smile tugged at his lips. That must''ve been the assassin who failed to kill him at the Arcadian city. He scoffed but didn''t dwell on it. He wanted to kill the bastard himself, but this also worked.


    Indisposed, ''indeed.''


    us pressed "print," and a stack of documents began piling up. He wanted everything, and the system was delivering. After printing the list of Tier 1 Assassins, he noted that Numbers 91 and 92 were already dead, leaving 18 more active.


    He didn''t linger on that detail. His next search was for the people on the Dark Order''s hit list. Three names popped up, and one stood out¡ªCynthia Ross.


    Anna and Lucy''s mother. us had always known there was something mysterious about her. She kept more secrets than even her daughters realized. He had asked Lucy about her once, but all she said was that Cynthia was always busy. Now, seeing her on the hit list, us knew his Mother-inw was one interesting woman.


    "Looks like somepetition wants her out of the way. I guess it''s time for a little outing with my mother-inw," us smirked. He had no problem using her as bait to lure out the assassin.


    "What are mother-inw''s for, am I right?" he muttered to himself, chuckling at the thought.


    Afterward, he skimmed through more of the system''s secrets, including how they processed their kills. He uncovered details about their dark web servers and ways to ess them. By the time he was done, stacks of printed documents were scattered across the room.


    After printing everything, us decided to leave them with some parting gift, but for now, he needed to survey the building and everyone inside before doing anything.


    He walked to a bed not far from him and fell on it as he activated his senses ready to observe everything. A few minutester, a voice entered his head making him smile.


    "Hello, my love," us greeted warmly, a smile spreading across his face as he imagined Lucy smiling back, wherever she was.


    "You sound happy," Lucy''s voice responded curiously.


    "Why wouldn''t I be? It''s rare to find yourself surrounded by friends whose undying sacrifice will help you level up," us replied, his smile turning wicked.


    "I guess it''s good to have friends," Lucy said, misunderstanding his dark humor. If only she knew the love of her life was about tomit genocide, she would have said something different.


    "How was your day?" Lucy asked, her voice soft but curious.


    "The usual," us replied with a grin. "Wooingdies and the like."


    "Pervert," she said, though he could hear the yful tone in her voice.


    "Lucy dear, why don''t we talkter? I''ve got some friends waiting for my help in crossing over to the next realm. I''ll be sure to chat back and tell you all about how your sister''s lips tasted."us said before severing the connection between them.


    He stood up, a wicked smile on his face, already imagining the look that must have appeared on Lucy''s face upon hearing his cheekyment.


    He walked toward a door, bypassing the elevator altogether. As he moved forward, a dagger appeared in his hand¡ªthe very same dagger Number 91 had intended to use on him.


    "Ah, there''s nothing better than a cold night of ughter," he muttered under his breath, a grin spreading across his face.


    Without hesitation, he knocked on a particr door. "Room service," he called out, his voice calm and collected, but on his face, he held a wicked smile, one that he intended to send away with the person who would be opening the door.


    [A/N: Two more chapters tomorrow morning]

 Chapter 181: A Cold Night Of Slaughter

    Under normal circumstances, when a person kills another human, they are supposed to feel some form of guilt or fear. Even cold-blooded killers feel something, even if it''s just for a brief moment. Killing a fellow human is too cruel in so many ways.


    So, when someone kills without feeling anything at all, that person is often seen as emotionless. People like that are called demons, psychopaths, sociopaths, or monsters. They have no attachment to anything, no remorse.


    us is one of those people, but his case goes beyond that. When he first killed Matin Guan, he expected to feel something¡ªregret, guilt, anything. But after wiping the guy out, us felt perfectly fine. In fact, he felt happy.


    He doesn''t know where that part of him came from, but he never cared. He craved it¡ªthe bloodshed. A part of him needed it. After his first encounter with Matin Guan in Sunlight Forest, something inside us wanted more.


    Again, he doesn''t know why, but the thought of killing humans felt invigorating to him. The rush, the thrill¡ªit made him feel alive. So, when he woke up from hisa after the assassination attempt, his blood had been boiling for ughter. Today, he had the perfect opportunity to satisfy that craving. The right situation to shed some blood.


    Knock, knock.


    "Room service," us said, knocking on the door. A secondter, it opened, revealing a man wearing dark shades. us smiled, his face calm, and muttered, "Hello... Bye."


    A dagger shed forward, and before the man could react, his head came tumbling down the floor. us didn''t need to use his Eye of Malevolence to stun his soul¡ªthere was no point. The man was just a Saint, too weak. The dagger sliced through his neck like butter, the head falling to the ground with a soft thud.


    "One down, 36 more to go," us muttered, kneeling to ce the head on the chest of the body. He took out his phone and snapped a picture of the body and the head. Then, without a second nce, he moved out, heading to his next target.


    A few secondster, another Saint opened the door. His head rolled to the floor before he could react to the familiar face greeting him. us didn''t need any special skills to enhance his strength; his normal strength was more than enough.


    But aside from appearing ordinary, his features are now more visible making the people he was killing recognize him that split second before their death.


    The next door opened, and another head fell. There were 34 Saints and 3 Sages, and us nned to kill everyst one of them before he left.


    Since the hotel was exclusively for assassins and workers of the Dark Order, us knew anyone who heard a knock would answer. They trusted each other, thinking they were safe within their own organization. Sneak attacks weren''t even a concern.


    That''s what they thought.


    The hideout had no cameras or security measures¡ªnothing to alert them. It was a free-range yground for us to unleash his darker side. The fourth door opened, revealing a woman in her mid-30s. But even she wasn''t spared. Another head hit the floor.


    us moved swiftly, his footsteps light and precise. No one expected death toe knocking at their door, quite literally. He approached the fifth door and knocked softly.


    "Who is it?" came a voice from inside.


    "Room service," us answered, his voice calm as always. The door cracked open, and another Saint appeared. Before the man could fully register what was happening, us''s dagger had already sliced clean through his neck. The headless body dropped to the floor with a thud, and us barely blinked.


    "Five down," he muttered under his breath, stepping over the body. His movements were fluid, cold, and efficient.


    As he approached the next door, he didn''t bother to knock. With a swift kick, he broke it open, catching the upant by surprise. The Saint inside barely had time to reach for his weapon before his head was cleaved clean from his body.


    "Six."


    There was no hesitation. No pause. us was a storm of death, moving door to door, cutting down Saints as though they were mere practice dummies. It didn''t matter if they were armed, unarmed, or prepared¡ªnone of them stood a chance.


    He wiped some blood off his dagger, his facepletely void of emotion. There were still 28 Saints and 3 Sages to go. The thrill of it coursed through his veins, and the more he killed, the calmer he felt. A


    very cold sensation he never knew he could crave yet here he was.


    us knocked again, and this time, when the door opened, it was one of the Sages. The Sage''s eyes widened in recognition, but us was faster. The Sage raised his hand to block the attack but us''s dagger was already at his throat. One clean sh and the Sage crumpled to the ground.


    "One Sage down," us whispered with a small smile.


    With his Spirit Eye fully activated, us moved swiftly from door to door, cutting through the hotel like a shadow of death. An hourter, 30 Saints were dead, along with two Sages. Only four Saints and one Sage remained. Thest Sage was the woman who had led him to the elevator earlier.


    The remaining four Saints were lounging in the hotel''s weing area. us didn''t immediately descend to the ground floor. Instead, he headed straight to the top floor, where his eye caught a buttonbeled "Self Destruct."


    Beside it was a timer. Without hesitation, us set it to a day after he return to Ross City, ensuring the ce would crumble long after he was gone. He then left the top floor and made his way to the ground floor.


    When the elevator chimed, us stepped out, now hidden beneath his disguise like how he was when he entered. His eyes scanned the room,nding on the four Saints sitting at a table, casually drinking. They had no idea what wasing.


    Nobody expected anyone to infiltrate their hideout. In truth, even if someone managed to kill one of the assassins, they wouldn''t know the value of the ring they wore. Unless, of course, they extracted the information from the assassin¡ªif they somehow managed to capture them.


    But that was unlikely since one of their teeth was poisoned. Before anyone could interrogate them, they wouldmit suicide by biting down on it. So, no one ever expected an infiltration. But us did, and now he has stepped out of the elevator, ready to kill.


    He shifted his gaze to the Sage behind the counter and smiled¡ªa smile that promised nothing but death.


    Without a word, a 14-inch needle materialized in his hand. In an instant, it flew through the air. Before the Sage behind the counter could react, a hole appeared in her forehead, the Void Piercing Arrow drew a sleek hole through the skull.


    But the arrow didn''t stop there. It continued its deadly path, and before anyone could blink, thest four Saints copsed, lifeless, their bodies hitting the ground with dull thuds.


    us stood in the middle of the room, his workplete. The hotel, once a fortress for assassins, was now a silent graveyard.


    He quickly took the images necessary for his ns in the next few days before leaving. The Hotel is for Assassins and since no civilian wille strolling in since he made sure to lock down the ce, he was confident his work is done there.


    He quickly made his way back to the Third Finger Royal Hotel making sure he remained as discreet as he could be.


    The massacre was already a distant memory to him. The weight of the lives he had taken didn''t linger. He knew this act would anger powerful people, but did it matter to him? Probably not.


    After returning to his hotel, us took a long bath, washing away the blood and sweat. He slept like a baby that night, unbothered by the massacre he had justmitted.


    The next day, he and the others left, each heading back to their respective cities. They now had four passes to enter a Forbidden Zone, and no one wanted to waste any more time.


    When usnded at the Ross Mansion, Kofi was already there, waiting to pick him and his sister Hanna up. Two dayster, two major events shook the entire world, sending shockwaves through powerful circles and leaving many trembling in fear.

 Chapter 182: It Was Just Business

    When us returned from Hiroshi City, the War Goddess was already at his house, acting like she owned the ce. She had practically moved in.


    us''s mother was happy to see her children back, but us knew she was more excited about Hanna''s safe return. Somehow, his mother has stopped worrying about him like she did before. She knew the white-haired brat would always find his way home¡ªhe was tough, after all.


    However, he knew a part of the reason was the war goddess who kept showing her some of us''s feats. This made her calm down a bit knowing his son is no weak warrior. But she can never stop worrying about him


    us didn''t stay to tease his mom or flirt with the War Goddess. He went straight into seclusion to check on something he had sensed when he ughtered the people at the Everdark Hotel. Something had felt off.


    Once inside his soul sea, us was surprised to notice that the Pentaface bead had changed¡ªjust a little¡ªon the first face.


    Before, it had been a in, emotionless face, a bit sinister but nothing unusual. Now, a small red rune had appeared, right on the forehead of the face on the bead. He had never seen it before.


    He tried to study the rune, but like always, he made no progress. It was frustrating. Still, something was different this time. He could feel a faint connection to the bead now. It was weak, but it was there, and that alone was enough to spark his curiosity.


    Despite not fully understanding the changes, us felt an even stronger pull toward the Pentaface bead. He knew it was only a matter of time before he uncovered some secret hidden within it.


    After spending the whole day checking on things and asking the Senior for advice, us finally left his soul sea and seclusion. He wanted to spend some time with his family¡ªand now, the War Goddess was practically part of that family.


    us didn''t mind her presence at all. In fact, she seemed more rxed and even happier when he was around. His mother liked her too, and she got along well with the maids, so everything seemed to fall into ce naturally.


    Of course, us didn''t stop shooting his shots now and then, teasing and flirting with the War Goddess whenever he had the chance. But she always brushed him off with a smirk. But that didn''t stop them from sharing a peaceful dinner, recounting the events that had happened in Hiroshi City.


    The next day, everything took a turn. Around 4 a.m., just a day after us and Hanna returned, a piece of news broke out, one that shook the inte and the media, sending waves of tension through the city.


    In Hiroshi City, an unpopr hotel had exploded in the early hours of the morning, killing everyone inside. Official reports imed that the explosion was controlled, reducing everything inside the hotel to nothingness.


    The media covered it like just another tragic incident, chalking it up to something routine¡ªmaybe an energy leak, a cultivation ident, or an attack. Buildings getting bombed wasn''t unheard of in these times.


    But then, an hourter, a post surfaced on the dark web, and it sent chills through everyone who saw it.


    In the post were images¡ª37 bodies with their heads severed, the heads ced neatly on the chests of the headless corpses. The captions attached to the post made it worse.


    "It was just business... Chicken Order."


    That line shook the online underworld. Everyone knew that "It was just business" was the calling card of the Dark Order, an infamous organization known for their ruthless kills. The sight of this post left people confused and on edge. Was a new group targeting the Dark Order? Was this a message? No one knew for sure, but the tension grew rapidly as the spection spread.


    us, the very perpetrator behind the hotel explosion, was sound asleep in his room,pletely unbothered by the chaos he had unleashed upon the world. The dark web buzzed with fear, and whispers of conspiracy were spreading, but us slept without a care.


    Suddenly, the door to his room swung open. The War Goddess stormed in, her eyes sharp and voice tense, waking him up in an instant.


    "Tell me it wasn''t you," she demanded, standing over him, her arms crossed, her gaze piercing.


    us blinked, rubbing his eyes as if he hadn''t just stirred up a city-wide panic. He sat up slowly, staring at her with a sly grin.


    "What makes you think it was me?" he asked, his tone too casual for the weight of the situation.


    "You know why," she shot back, clearly not in the mood for games. "That hotel explosion. The post. The heads. It''s all too... neat.


    And that caption¡ªdon''t tell me it wasn''t your doing."


    us stretched, his expression remaining unreadable. He didn''t deny anything, but he didn''t confirm it either. Instead, he smirked, ncing at her.


    "Maybe it was just business," he muttered, his voice low butced with amusement.


    Her eyes widened slightly, and she cursed under her breath. She knew us too well. There was no way he''d take an assassination attempt lying down. He yed it off like he was fine, acting calm to keep his mother from worrying. But the War Goddess could see right through that facade.


    As a battle maniac herself, she recognized the signs. us wasn''t okay¡ªfar from it. The bloodlust radiating from him was something she could sense without even trying. So when she saw the post, she didn''t hesitate to pin the me on him. It was just too... us.


    "You brat!" she snapped, but there was something else in her tone, something that wasn''t just anger.


    "Why didn''t you tell me you were going after those bastards? What if a stronger assassin had been there when you attacked?"


    us raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that twist. Instead of scolding him for the massacre, she was pouting because he hadn''t invited her to the ughter.


    "Really?" us muttered, half amused. "That''s what you''re mad about?"


    The War Goddess crossed her arms, her expression softening just a bit. "Of course. If you''re going to go on a rampage, at least give me a heads-up! I would''ve cleared my schedule."


    us chuckled, shaking his head. "Next time, I''ll make sure to send you an invite," he teased.


    Despite the absurdity of the situation, the War Goddess couldn''t help but grin back at him.


    "You better," she huffed, her pout only making her look cuter in us''s eyes. It was a rare sight to see the fierce War Goddess, Fairy Miriam, act so yful.


    us grinned, his mind already wandering toward shamelessness. "Fairy Miriam, why don''t you let this younger brother of yoursfort you in other ways?" he teased, reaching out to take her arm, his grin widening.


    Before his fingers could brush her skin, she disappeared in a sh.


    "ying hard to get, huh?" us muttered, smirking to himself as he leaned back. "I guess I''ll have to up my game."


    us knew it was just a matter of time, but for now, he will keep things PG and hope she doesn''t run off anytime soon. He still has two beauties currently in seclusion and another one currently unreachable.


    ''I guess the more the merrier...Lol,'' us smirked before falling back on his bed. Find your next favorite at m vl-em|p-yr


    =======


    In a dimly lit room, a masked man sat, his face partially illuminated by the glow of a projection. On the screen were the gruesome images of the headless bodies, the tagline beneath them staring back at him. His expression was hidden beneath the mask, but his posture hinted at deep anger.


    Suddenly, his device beeped, shattering the silence. He tapped it, and another dark figure flickered into view on the projection. He didn''t even have the time before a cold feminine voice came through the projection.


    "Talk," shemanded, her anger unmistakable.


    The masked man straightened, his tone careful. "Dark Lord, we are still investigating, but there is no concrete evidence yet. However, all signs point to one person."


    "Who?" the figure demanded, her voice even more venomous now.


    He hesitated for a second before answering. "Cynthia Ross."

 Chapter 183: Visiting Cynthia Ross

    There was a heavy silence in the room when the masked man dropped the name. After a brief moment passed, the masked woman finally spoke.


    "Deploy all active hitmen in the Eastern Region. Take her out. No mistakes." The call ended, and the man in the dim room sighed.


    He pressed a button on his device, and a projection of another figure appeared. "Number 81, recall number 91 and deploy all active hitmen. Target: Cynthia Ross. Duration: two days." He ended the call immediately after giving the order.


    The man reopened the projection of the post on the dark web again. Looking at the dead bodies, he sighed. A whileter, far from his location, 19 individuals received the same kill order through a certain device.


    Some were delivery workers, others were teachers in the middle of a ssroom, and some were just office workers. But the moment their devices beeped, their faces turned serious. They knew what they had to do.


    Meanwhile, us, who was brushing his teeth, heard a familiar beeping from his bed. He walked to the bed, picked up the device, and read the order. A smile crept onto his face before he returned to brushing his teeth.


    He had taken everything from Number 91 during his interrogation. All the intel, all the contacts. He knew this would be useful, and now the kill order for Cynthia Ross was right there on his screen. He had always suspected she had a dark side, and now he knew he was right.


    The Dark Order hadn''t even considered us'' presence in Hiroshi City. They immediately assumed Cynthia was the culprit, which could only mean one thing.


    She had past dealings with the Dark Order. Maybe she had killed some of their operatives, or perhaps the bounty on her was so high that she had be a prime target. Either way, the hunt was on.


    us wanted nothing more than to seize this opportunity to learn more about his mother-inw. He intended to use her as bait to lure in the assassinsing after her.


    Understanding the Dark Order was crucial; he needed to know his enemies. Each kill would provide him with valuable information on where to strike next and who to target. So this was like a gold mine for him.


    After brushing his teeth, he headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Once he was done, he left to visit his mother-inw at the Ross Mansion.


    "Master us, what brings you here today? Miss Anna is in seclusion," Henry the butler greeted him, as always.


    "Oh, Henry, I''m not here to see Anna. I actually came to see her mother," us replied casually.


    "Shouldn''t you be calling me Mother-in-Law instead?" Immediately us replied Henry, a voice that he recognised so well filled the air. He turned toward the source of the voice.


    And there she was¡ªCynthia Ross, walking toward him. Her hourss figure, slender legs, and generous curves were captivating like always, while her long grey hair flowed behind her like a veil. She appeared both magical and dangerous. us knew he shouldn''t look directly into her grey eyes, yet he found it hard to look away. Despite his efforts, he felt slightly shaken.


    ''This woman is dangerous,'' us muttered to himself. Looking into those eyes is like staring into an empty bottomless dark pit.


    "Oh, Mother-inw, just the woman I was hoping to see on this fine morning," us said smoothly. He wasn''t one to let a mere presence throw him off his game.


    "I wouldn''t be honest if I said I wasn''t also looking forward to starting my day with such a handsome presence," Cynthia Ross said, causing us to smile weakly.


    ''She sounds friendly, I guess'', he thought, letting out a sigh.


    "Do you have a moment for a talk, Mother-inw?" us asked, trying to keep his tone light.


    Cynthia''s expression shifted slightly, curiosity dancing in her grey eyes.


    "Of course, us. What''s on your mind?" she asked, gesturing for him to follow her into the Ross Garden. Henry stepped back, sensing he wasn''t needed anymore.


    Once they were seated, us sighed, unsure of how to start the conversation. He knew that one way or another, he would have to confess a few things¡ªlike how he knew she was in danger and what he did to get that information. He thought it over carefully before sighing again. One way or another, he had to achieve what he came for, so there was no point in trying to stayposed now.


    With his mind made up, us decided to drop the bombshell right off the bat.


    "Mother-inw, why is the Dark Order trying to kill you?"


    Cynthia''s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. She remainedposed, but us could feel the tension in her eyes.


    "How did you know that?" Instead of answering, Cynthia shot back a question, her tone, curious.


    "Just answer the question, Mother-inw. They seem adamant about wasting you away," us pressed, his tone firm yet cautious. He knew he had to tread carefully, but he was determined to get to the truth.


    Cynthia studied him for a moment. She seemed to weigh her words, and for a brief moment, there was no sound between them. Finally, she sighed, leaning back slightly. "Very well, us. But understand, this isn''t a simple matter."


    us leaned in, eager for more. "I''m listening."


    Cynthia took a moment. "The Dark Order has a long memory. They don''t forget easily, especially those who cross them. I was once involved in a business that put me at odds with them. It was a dangerous game, and I made some enemies along the way."


    us nodded, absorbing her words. "So, you think they want revenge?"


    "Revenge is part of it," she continued, her tone growing serious. "But it''s more than that. I possess information¡ªsecrets that could undermine their operations. They want me silenced before I can share what I know."


    Hearing this, us knew he had struck gold, yet he knew he knew it would put him in danger. But he doesn''t care "What kind of information?"


    Cynthia''s eyes narrowed again. "It''s best you don''t know too much, us. The more you learn, the more danger you put yourself in. But know this: the Dark Order is relentless. If they''reing for me, they won''t stop until they seed."


    us leaned back, weighing her words. "What if I could help you? They''ve tried to kill me twice already, so it''s only natural I hit back at them."


    Cynthia raised an eyebrow, skepticism flickering in her grey eyes. "us, dear, you wouldn''t happen to be the one who killed those 37 people, would you?" She had seen the post on the dark web, just like most people had.


    "Tomato, tomato," us shrugged, an evil grin spreading across his face. "The most important thing here, Mother-inw, is how you and I are going to work together to get back at our pursuers."


    Cynthia studied him for a moment, her expression shifting. The initial surprise faded, reced by a calcting look. "You''re serious about this, aren''t you?"


    "Absolutely," he replied, his voice steady. "We both have something to lose. If we don''t act now, we will forever have to endure knowing they coulde at any point, even putting the ones we love in danger"


    Cynthia leaned forward, her curiosity deepening. "And what do you propose?"


    "That will depend on what secret you have about the Dark Order," us replied, his expression serious.


    Cynthia studied him for a while weighing her options. Finally, she let out a long sigh, her posture rxing slightly. "Very well. I''ll share what I know, but you must promise to keep it between us."


    us nodded, sensing the gravity of the moment. "I promise."


    Cynthia took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "Years ago, I was involved with someone who had deep ties to the Dark Order. She shared some information she shouldn''t have with me about their operations, theirworks, and their goals. When I realized how dangerous they were, I cut ties with her, but not before learning things I shouldn''t have."


    "What kind of things are we talking about here?" us pressed


    She hesitated, ncing around as if ensuring they were truly alone. "They have a list of targets¡ªpeople they consider threats. Warriors, Scientists, engineers, you name it. But that isn''t all, thanks to my curious self, I managed to know about a few powerhouses funding the Dark Order.


    us raises an eyebrow

 Chapter 184 : Mother-In-Law and Son-In-Law Cooking Something

    us clearly wasn''t expecting the secret Cynthia held to be this huge. She had names of powerful figures aiding the Dark Order. That information alone could dismantle their organization if used wisely. Cynthia Ross was both valuable and dangerous at the same time.


    But one might wonder: why hasn''t Cynthia made any attempt to use this information to her advantage? She could have used it to destroy the Dark Order, so why hasn''t she?


    That''s because she is a mother, a mother who cares about her children. But also, it''s because she is dealing with the Dark Order.


    They were dangerous and far too powerful for just her to take them down alone. us understood that she wouldn''t act, especially with her children still growing up. Doing something as drastic as going against the Dark Order would only put them in danger.


    The Dark Order was aware of this hesitation. They didn''t attack her with full force¡ªat least, not until us destroyed their safehouse, inadvertently implicating his mother-inw.


    However, they also held back because they knew the kind of woman Cynthia Ross was; she would die without making a scene. So instead, they made just enough noise to let her know they were watching


    "So you have names of people supporting them?" us asked, seeking confirmation before taking any action.


    "Yes. I have names and theworks they use for their operations. And before you ask why I haven''t tried to bring them down, you should know that I couldn''t. They are dangerous, and I was just hiding, making sure my babies grow up without the Dark Order targeting them."


    "I understand," us said, nodding slowly. He could feel the weight of her words, realizing the depth of her struggle.


    "However, this is good for me. You don''t have to worry, Mother-inw. I will handle them from here on out. But I will need a favor from you," us said.


    "I''m listening," she replied, curiosity sparking in her eyes.


    "Are you willing to go on a pic with me? Let''s treat it as a two-day vacation¡ªjust you and me," us asked with a yful smile.


    Cynthia raised an eyebrow at his suggestion. "Hey, you''re not setting your sights on your mother-inw, are you?"


    "Not really, but what if I am? Do you think I''d have a chance?" us grinned, his teasing tone lightening the mood.


    Cynthia chuckled, her initial surprise fading. "You think you can charm me that easily, young man?"


    "I believe I have a shot," us smirked.


    "So tell me, why do you want to go on a pic with me?" Cynthia asked, a hint of suspicion in her tone.


    "Let''s just say I''ve just found out that their entire assassinwork in the eastern region has been deployed to take you out, and the hit is due in two days," us said, watching as Cynthia tensed.


    "So you want to use me as bait to flush them out?" she asked, her frown deepening.


    "Bait is such a harsh word, Mother-inw," us replied, raising his hands defensively. "Think of it as a strategic opportunity. We''ll draw them out and deal with them before they can even get close to you."


    Cynthia''s expression softened slightly, but concern lingered in her eyes. "And what if they find out about this n? It could put you in danger, too."


    "I can handle myself," us assured her, his tone firm. "But I need you to trust me on this. If we make it seem like you''re vulnerable, they''ll show themselves. We can''t let them seed."


    She studied him for a moment, weighing her options. "And if I say no?"


    us shrugged. "Then we continue living in fear, and you remain a target. It''s a risk, but one worth taking if it means keeping you safe in the long run."


    Cynthia sighed, knowing he had a point. "Alright, us. I''ll do it, but only because I want to protect my family. Just promise me you''ll be careful, my daughters are head over heels when ites to you, I don''t want them heartbroken if something happens to you.."


    "You have my word," he replied, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "Now, let''s n this pic. I''ll make sure it''s worth your while."


    After cooking a few things together and feeling satisfied with the results, us left the kitchen. As soon as he stepped outside, Daven Ross appeared in the garden.


    "He does have a point," Daven said, leaning against a tree. "Using you as bait to flush them out would be ideal. Since the entire assassinwork for the Dark Order in the eastern region has been deployed, taking them out will give you a few months of breathing space before they make any further moves."


    Cynthia crossed her arms, her expression conflicted. "I understand that, but it''s still dangerous. What if something goes wrong?"


    "You have to trust him, and I will be around if anything goes sideways," Daven said, pulling her into his embrace.


    "You can''t," Cynthia replied. "This has to go well, and your presence might draw attention from unknown sources. This can only be between me and us."


    Daven frowned, concern etching deeper lines on his face. "Cynthia, you''re putting yourself at risk. I can''t just stand by and let you face this alone."


    "I know you care, but this isn''t just about me," she insisted, her voice steady. "If we want to keep our family safe, we need to be strategic and discreet. I can''t have you in the shadows, making it obvious that something is going on."


    "But what if something happens? What if you need backup?" Daven pressed, his worry evident.


    "I''ll manage," she assured him. "us has a n, and I trust him. He knows what he''s doing. We must keep this quiet. If the Dark Order catches wind of our intentions, it could ruin everything."


    Daven sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "You''re right, but it''s hard for me to let go. I just want to protect you."


    Cynthia softened at his concern, cing a hand on his shoulder. "And I appreciate that more than you know. Just trust me to handle this. If I need help, I promise I''ll reach out."


    "Okay," Daven relented, though doubt lingered in his eyes. "But I want to be kept in the loop. I can''t help but worry."


    "I will, my love," Cynthia said softly, looking into his eyes.


    Daven chuckled, his expression lightening. "And make sure that brat doesn''t get any funny ideas. He''s already stolen two beautiful flowers from us; I can''t have him stealing my wife, too!" He smiled yfully at her.


    Cynthia smirked, a glint of mischief in her eyes as she met his gaze. "I can''t make any promises." The twoughed and Cynthia went about preparing for her vacation pic with us.


    After getting home, us informed his mother that he would be going out and would be back in two days. She opened her mouth to ask more questions, but us quickly assured her it wasn''t another hunt in the Forbidden Zone. That simple statement made her smile.


    However, the War Goddess didn''t buy his subtle lie for a second. us entered his room and went to take a bath. When he came out, he found the War Goddess waiting for him, her gaze sharp as a dagger.


    "Tell me everything," she demanded, her eyes narrowing.


    Then she froze. In her haste to get to the bottom of whatever us was cooking, she had neglected to consider that he had just been bathing and mighte out naked.


    Gulp... she swallowed hard.


    "Well, you like what you see?" us said, shing an evil grin. Miriam tensed and then like a smoke, she disappeared from his room, reappearing in us''s mom''s room with a deep blush.

 Chapter 185 : Luring the Assassins in

    [A/N: You shouldn''t try the following with your mother-inw. Trust me, it won''t end well... lol]


    A little after 2 PM, us returned to the Ross mansion to pick up his mother-inw. They only have two days to get things done.


    After the awkward encounter with the war goddess, she hadn''te back. However, us had sent her several messages exining what he was about to do with his mother-inw so she wouldn''t worry.


    He assured her that if he needed help, he would signal her toe. She read the messages but didn''t reply, which only made us believe he had significantly impacted her, especially after showing off his diamond-sculpted body.


    Once he picked up Cynthia Ross, they left and headed to the northern section of the city. It was a three-hour drive, with a few stops along the way to maintain the appearance so that the assassins and spies keeping track of them would know where they were headed.


    Cynthia was a natural actress, making their entire scheme appear real and intriguing. Anyone watching wouldn''t be able to tell that they were just acting. us, on the other hand, didn''t need to act. He was in disguise, and with his bold demeanor, it feltpletely natural for them to continue their ruse.


    Cynthia came up with most of the n. us just wanted to kill some Assassins so whatever she asked for, he never objected. As long as the n gets them the assassin, he wouldn''t object to anything.


    "Do you think they''ll buy it?" she asked. They are currently on their way to a resort where the ughter will be taking ce.


    us smirked, confident. "They have to. We''re ying our parts perfectly."


    As they drove, us couldn''t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The thought excited him. He thrived on danger, and with Cynthia by his side, he felt invincible.


    "Just remember to stay in character," he reminded her, a yful smile on his lips.


    Cynthia nodded. "You don''t have to worry, ying a cheating wife with my daughter''s boyfriend is perfectly normal," She said with a grin. us just smiled back.


    Together, they continued their journey, ready for whatever challengesy ahead. After a while, they arrived at the resort that Cynthia had booked for them. It wasn''t big, but it was cute for a couple. She had even reserved the entire ce just for the two of them.


    The staff had been reced by a few maids from the Ross Mansion, ensuring their privacy. They settled in, and for a few hours, they stayed indoors, nning their next move. That night, us''s senses were on high alert, but luckily, no one came knocking.


    The next day started off with a breakfast filled with fresh fruits and pastries. Afterward, they took a light stroll through a lush garden, the sun shining warmly on their faces.


    us didn''t know why, but he felt a sense of peace, even knowing an assassin might appear at any moment. Cynthia seemed unconcerned as well; they both knew things weren''t going to be simple, yet they were just two normal people walking through a garden while they waited for their killers.


    Hours passed, and still, no assassin showed up. Then, around 5 PM, us made a suggestion that caused Cynthia to raise an eyebrow before she epted.


    "Mother-inw, why don''t we go for a swim?" us proposed. The n was to keep up appearances, showing everyone they had no idea they were in danger. A swim seemed like a perfect way to distract from their circumstances.


    Cynthia smiled. "That sounds great! Let''s do it!" She said excitedly which puzzled us.


    They changed into their swimsuits and made their way to the pool. The water was inviting. us dived in first, surfacing with a ssh, while Cynthiaughed and followed suit.


    As they swam, they chatted and joked, theirughter echoing through the resort. The carefree atmosphere was a wee distraction from the tension of their reality. us felt lighter in the water, the coolness washing away his worries, if only for a moment.


    A whileter, still in the pool, us sensed something¡ªor rather, several somethings¡ªapproaching. A smirk tugged at his lips. He nced over at Cynthia, whose swimwear clung to her like a second skin, highlighting her curves in a way that was impossible to ignore.


    "They''reing," us said quietly.


    "Yeah, I picked them up a while ago, but it seems like they''re hesitant to approach. Are we not acting well enough?" she replied.


    "I think so. It''s like they''re trying to figure out if we''re just acting or really unaware of their presence," us said, still maintaining a hushed tone.


    "I have a n, but it depends on how restrained you can be, especially with your hands," Cynthia said in a somewhat bashful tone.


    "What n? I''m in if you are," us said, eager to kill some assassins. He wasn''t too concerned about the details, as long as it involved taking down the enemy.


    "Kiss me," Cynthia suddenly suggested.


    "Wait, what?" us nearly broke character with his startled response.


    "Two people kissing in a pool doesn''t exactly scream ''masterminds setting a trap for assassins.'' So, kiss me," Cynthia exined.


    "Okay," us replied. "But don''t regret thister" Without waiting for a response, he leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss. Cynthia''s eyes widened in surprise, but instead of pushing him away, she slowly started to reciprocate.


    It wasn''t because she wanted to¡ªit was because she had to act, they had to act for the Assassin, or that is what she is telling herself. But it''s working. The kiss made the Assassins who were skeptical at first start moving toward them again.


    But as their lips moved together, us found himself thinking, ''Isn''t this kiss a little too intense?'' Cynthia was practically biting his lips, making the kiss far more passionate than he had intended.


    His body wanted to react, but us reminded himself this was his mother-inw, even kissing her was too much. After a few more minutes, us broke the kiss and looked into Cynthia''s eyes


    "Mother-inw, we''ll continue thister. For now, get ready. I''ll make my move first. Just make sure none of them get away."


    "How many?" she asked, her voice steady despite the heat of the moment.


    "Eighteen. Eight Sages, ten Saints," us muttered. Cynthia nodded, but us could tell her mind was in turmoil. Still, he didn''t focus on that. He lowered his head toward her chest, and his eyes shed red.


    He activated the Eye of Malevolence. Instantly, everything within the resort became clear to him¡ªthe assassins were approaching, but slowly. It would still be a little while before they entered his killing zone, a 2km radius around him.


    "I''m sorry, Mother-inw," us whispered, feeling a bit guilty for using the situation to his advantage. He had to hide his face from the assassins because he knew they were watching. So the only way was to do that.


    "No, it''s fine," Cynthia replied, her voice slightly breathless. "We talked about this, so it''s nothing. Just make it count."


    They had nned for this moment, rehearsed how they would act when the assassins appeared, but ns change and this new n felt more intense than they''d expected. Both of them could feel it¡ªthere was something more building between them, something neither was willing to acknowledge.


    The tension between them thickened, not just from the approaching assassins but from the undeniable heat simmering beneath the surface. The n was simple¡ªact passionately, luring the assassins in by making it seem like they were oblivious to their surroundings.


    No one would suspect two people kissing in a pool to be hyper-aware of the danger lurking nearby.


    It was a wless n. Cynthia, with her affinity for shadows, detected every assassin as they approached, remaining unseen herself. us, with his Eye of Malevolence activated, could watch them without being noticed. Even if they were face-to-face, the assassins wouldn''t sense his gaze or realize they were already in his trap.


    So, while he continued to "y" with his mother-inw, us was calcting each movement, timing everything precisely. His senses were heightened, ready for the exact moment when they would all fall into his kill zone.


    Suddenly, thest assassin entered the range. That was the trigger. The sky above them darkened ominously, and without warning, a massive bell appeared. High above, a terrifying, all-seeing eye also appeared, its presence overwhelming.


    Ding! Suddenly, the bell rang, and the eye snapped open.

 Chapter 186: One Decisive Strike

    Enjoy stories on m_v lem|p-yr


    us knew he couldn''t afford to make a mistake. Assassins are tricky; if you don''t kill them with your first strike, the chance of seeding with the next is slim.


    Their escape skills are legendary, and us was well aware of that. He nned to counter those skills with his own, using precision and timing.


    The [Bell of Harrows] and [Eye of Despair] were the key to his sess. The bell had the power to deal both physical (Sonic) and spiritual damage. us needed thatbination, and with the addition of the [Eye of Malevolence], he knew he had a real shot.


    "Mother-inw, I''m making my move. Be ready to step in if things don''t go as nned," us muttered under his breath as the bell and eye manifested in the air.


    Ding! The bell rang, releasing a shockwave of spiritual energy that rippled through the air, spreading across a 4km radius. us had designed the attack for maximum impact, so he waited for the assassins to close in within 2km of his position.


    The moment the sound hit, us sensed them freeze in their tracks. The bell''s appearance and the ringing were so sudden that they had no time to react. After all, it was a soul attack¡ªsomething even skilled assassins couldn''t defend against easily.


    But as if that wasn''t enough, the [Eye of Despair] snapped open, and like a demon awakening, a wave of pure terror surged forth. This terror wasn''t just for show¡ªit was a powerful soul attack triggered by the eye''s three unique abilities.


    The ability, called Soul Gaze, unleashed us''s star qi in devastating force. He wasn''t holding back. Thirty percent of his star qi fueled the attack, and the results were immediate. The Saint assassins began to lose their senses.


    The attack struck deep into their souls, leaving them reeling, disoriented, and wracked with pain. Their eyes zed over as their spirits faltered. Even the Sages among them were struggling to withstand the onught.


    But us wasn''t done.


    A sh of light shot forward. Before any of them could react within that split second, blood started spraying into the air.


    The Void Piercing Needle, which us had secretly set up in their room long before they entered the pool, has started its work. us has held it in ce all this while they waited for their guest to appear, and now, it''s been put to good use.


    This arrow wasn''t in its ordinary form¡ªit was formed from all 54 Viper Piercing Needles us could control. So it''s both thick, heavy, and pointy for what he intended to do.


    In the blink of an eye, ten heads exploded. The Void Piercing Arrow moved faster than anyone could track, and with us''s [Eye of Malevolence] enhancing his vision, he pinpointed each target with terrifying uracy.


    One man, clutching his chest in shock, snapped his eyes open, sensing the attack toote. He turned to his left, but before he could react, something sharp passed through his forehead, exiting the back of his skull.


    Blood and brain tissue sttered as his body copsed. The needle didn''t stop there¡ªit continued its deadly rampage.


    In less than two seconds, ten Saints and one Sagey dead, their bodies crumpling to the ground. The rest weren''t far behind.


    Another assassin emerged from the shadows, sneaking toward the pool just as the bell rang and the [Eye of Despair] snapped open. He was immediately hit hard, his senses muddled from the soul attack. The pain was unbearable, and before he could regain his focus, the Needle of Death¡ªthe Void Piercing Needle¡ªstruck, piercing straight through his skull.


    On the other side, a woman dressed in ck was about to draw her bow when the soul attack hit. She froze, her body tense as she gritted her teeth, trying to endure the torment. From the look on her face, it was safe to say assassins have high pain tolerance.


    The soul attack wasn''t something anyone could quietly withstand, yet somehow, none of them screamed, not even the Saints. But that was irrelevant to us. He didn''t care about their suffering¡ªhe only needed to disorient them for five seconds. He was already running out of time, with just two seconds left.


    The woman sensed the Void Piercing Needle heading her way and tried to move back, but her body wouldn''t respond. Her shadow had been pinned in ce before she even had the chance to escape. The Needle pierced her head, killing the third Sage instantly. Only five remained.


    The needle continued its deadly path, slipping through a window, then bursting out the other side, spraying blood across the grass. It passed through a lush flower garden, staining the white lilies with blood.


    It streaked through the resort, and in the store window, a body copsed to the floor. Another figure dropped from a window and hit the ground. Just like that, seven out of the eight Sages had died before they could even react.


    Thest assassin, however, was quicker. Four seconds had passed since the soul attack hit, but he wasn''t as affected as the others¡ªlikely due to a stronger soul. As the Needle drew closer, he dove into a shadow, attempting to vanish from sight.


    But before he could fully escape, the shadow he was trying to emerge from shifted, dragging him back to where he had originally entered. He blinked in confusion, but it was thest blink he would ever make. His head exploded.


    Seven seconds¡ªthat was how long it took for us to eliminate eighteen assassins. Eight Sages, 10 Saints.


    Back in the pool, us stood with his eyes closed, focusing. Beside him, his mother-inw, Cynthia Ross, stood pale and shaky, holding his hand. She has a unique ss called Shadow Dancer, which allows her to control shadows.


    However, she''s only a peak Sage level. There was only so much she could do. Using her power to lock down a Sage had already taken a toll on her body. But when she went a step further and manipted the shadows of thest Sage, it drained her entirely¡ªher stamina and spiritual qi were almost gone.


    It hadn''t been easy. She had to link to all the shadows, locking them out and opening only one. She even reversed the Sage''s path, making sure he didn''t suspect a thing until he walked right into her trap.


    us had told her not to let a single assassin escape, and she had been determined to see it through. In the end, she seeded, and she had done it well¡ªbetter than anyone could have expected.


    "Mother-inw, are you okay?" us asked, noticing her face had gone as white as a sheet.


    "I''m fine. Just take me back to the room," Cynthia Ross muttered, closing her eyes. She knew the white-haired brat wouldn''t try anything inappropriate.


    Even if us had other thoughts, he wouldn''t act on them¡ªafter all, she was his mother-inw. As for her safety, she knew she was in good hands.


    She had kept her shadow sense active the entire time, witnessing how lethal us''s attacks were. She expected a few assassins might try to escape, but to her surprise, us was even more terrifying than she had imagined. He had killed them all before they even realized what was happening.


    us carried her like a princess back to the room and gentlyid her down on the bed, still dressed in her swimwear.


    "You''re not going to leave me behind, are you?" she asked just as us was about to walk away, reaching out to hold his hand.


    "I wouldn''t dare," us replied with a small smile, dropping onto the bed beside her. He hadn''t nned to stay; now that the action was over, he figured their roleying was over. But with Cynthia holding him firmly, he had no choice but to give in.


    He closed his eyes, trying to catch some sleep, though his senses remained on high alert. And now, his mother-inw was cuddled up beside him, making the situation even more awkward.


    ''Maybe the God of Lust and Womanizing has cursed me,'' us thought to himself.

 Chapter 187: Guilty Mother-In-Law, Shameless Son In Law

    Ten hours passed, and no new assassin came to the resort, so us could finally rx. His mother-inw, Cynthia, had fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion. us stayed awake the whole time, his mind drifting, trying not to focus too much on the tempting body lying next to him.


    After those ten hours, Cynthia woke up, looking more recovered. Her face had regained its color. But as soon as she became aware of the position she was in, she quickly moved away, her expression slightly flustered.


    "I''m a terrible mother," she muttered, probably thinking back on what had happened between her and us. It had been an intimate moment, much more than it was ever meant to be.


    She had been the one to suggest the kiss during the nning phase, but now, remembering how heated things had gotten, guilt washed over her.


    "I wouldn''t say that," us replied with a smile. "From the way I see it, you yed your role quite well. No need to feel guilty, Mother-inw."


    He smiled, unbothered. Yes, he had enjoyed his time with her, and instead of feeling any shame, he looked pleased with himself. Clearly, us wasn''t concerned at all.


    Cynthia''s face flushed deeper as she turned away, her heart racing. The words us said,bined with that smile, made her feel uneasy.


    She couldn''t understand how he was so calm about it all, especially after what had happened. She pulled the nket tighter around herself, trying to create some physical and mental distance.


    "You shouldn''t be so casual about this, us," she whispered, her voice barely holding steady. "I crossed a line. A huge one."


    us raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the headboard,pletely unfazed. "A line? You think so?" He chuckled softly, shrugging as if her worries were trivial. "Look, no one got hurt, and we''re both alive. I''d say it worked out perfectly."


    Cynthia bit her lip, still unable to shake the guilt gnawing at her. "Still, I am not happy kissing te boyfriend of my daughters. It''s just too not right" She said quietly.


    us stretched his arms casually. "No worries Mother-in-Law, it was just a role we both yed to get what we wanted, no need to overthink it"


    ''Ouch'' Hearing us''s reply, Cynthia felt a sharp pang in her heart. us clearly viewed their kiss as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. But for her, the reality of that moment was much heavier.


    She had shared something intimate with him, and the knowledge that he was her daughter''s boyfriend made her feel both guilty and heartbroken.


    ''What am I thinking?'' she scolded herself. ''Like he said, it was just a kiss. So why do I feel so sad hearing him?'' She snapped herself out of those thoughts, trying to regain herposure.


    "Good, then this stays between us," Cynthia said firmly, her voice steadying. "I don''t want Anna or Lucy hearing about it." She nced at us, her expression serious, hoping he understood the weight of what she was asking.


    us nodded, his demeanor rxed. "Of course. This is our secret." He shed a reassuring smile, but it did little to ease Cynthia''s turmoil. She felt a mix of relief and dread, knowing that this moment would linger in her mind long after they left the resort.


    "Good, you can leave now. I need to take my bath," Cynthia said, causing us''s smile to falter.


    "Since we started this, why not end it by sharing a bath?" us teased, already climbing down from the bed.


    "Brat! I''ll tell your mother," Cynthia shot him an angry look, though a smile tugged at her lips. This boyfriend of her daughter''s was more shameless than she had thought.


    usughed, leaving the room and heading to the next one. He knew the maids had already cleaned up the aftermath of the chaos¡ªthe dead bodies were gone, and even the broken windows had been fixed. After taking a quick bath, he returned to meet Cynthia again. Stay informed at m-vl-em,pyr


    She was now fully clothed, looking like the graceful mother-inw she was meant to be. But deep down, us knew their kiss wouldn''t wash away anytime soon.


    "So, what''s next?" he asked, trying to shift the focus away from their earlier encounter.


    "Since this is all the operatives they have in the Eastern Region, it will take time before they send more people to kill me. This means the same for you. They won''t being after you anytime soon, if you are lucky enough" Cynthia exined.


    "Does that mean they only send weaker assassins to targets in the Eastern Region? With the secret you have, they should be sending stronger assassins," us said, puzzled. He couldn''t understand why only ten Saints and eight Sages had been sent this time.


    He recalled that eight of the assassins he had killed were not even on the Tier 1 assassin list he had copied from the Dark Order safe house in Hiroshi City.


    "If what you said is true, then it means the list you have has already lost some assassins," Cynthia said, her brow furrowed in thought. "Eighteen Tier 1-level assassins should havee, but only ten showed up."


    "So, the other eight are dead, and I only killed one. I''m sure at least one of them was killed by their own group, which means some targets they were meant to kill managed to survive their assassination attempts by taking out eight more," us concluded, piecing the information together.


    "How exactly are the Tier levels structured in the Order?" he asked, curious about the hierarchy of the assassins. He knew Cynthia had the answer so he used the chance to ask.


    "From what I know, there are four tier levels," Cynthia began, her voice steady. "This means, that in the Northern Union, there are 100 assassins in total. Tier 1 is made up of Saint-level assassins, and from your list, it''s clear there are 20 of them."


    us nodded, recalling the list he had found. It made sense now why some of the assassins hadn''t seemed as strong as he had expected.


    "As for Tier 2, they consist of Sage-level assassins. I know for a fact that Assassin number 89 down to number 50 are in this tier. Theypletely disregard Saint-level assassins, which shows just how dangerous they are."


    "So the higher the number, the weaker they are?" us rified.


    "Exactly," Cynthia confirmed. "Tier 3 assassins are Great Sages, and they''re responsible for taking down high-level targets. From number 49 to number 11, it''s all Great Sages. I doubt they''lle after us¡ªat least, not yet. But they''re definitely a bigger threat."


    us listened carefully, his mind processing the hierarchy. He wasn''t too worried about the lower tiers, but the idea of encountering a Great Sage was unsettling.


    "And then there''s the 4th Tier," Cynthia continued. "They''re on the same level as the War Goddess, but some are even stronger than her. After the Sovereign stagees the Transcendent stage, and above that is the Ascension stage. That''s the level where the Overlords are."


    us swallowed hard. "So, does that mean the Dark Order has assassins at that level?" He needed to know for sure, not wanting to make any reckless moves.


    "No," Cynthia said, shaking her head. "As far as I know, their strongest assassins are at the Sovereign level. But their leader might be beyond the Sovereign stage¡ªthough definitely below the Ascension stage."


    us exhaled in relief. "That''s a smallfort," he muttered. He had feared the worst, but knowing the Order''s limits gave him some room to breathe. Still, the thought of a Sovereign-level assassin made his blood run cold.


    ''I need to be stronger. Faster,'' us thought to himself, the weight of the situation settling in. He knew the Dark Order wasn''t acting on their own¡ªthey had been hired. And if powerful people were after him, they wouldn''t stop until he was dead.


    "Ha, looks like I have a lot of killing to do," us muttered under his breath, a dark edge to his voice.


    Cynthia raised an eyebrow at his words. "us," she began cautiously, "don''t let this turn into a path you regret."


    us shed her a grin, though it didn''t quite reach his eyes. "Regret? No, Mother-inw, I''m just getting started."


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 Chapter 188: I Can Do Both

    "Mother-inw, I''m looking forward to our next pic. I hope next time it''ll be all sunshine, with no distractions," us said, giving Cynthia a yful wink as he dropped her off at the Ross Mansion.


    Cynthia Ross blushed slightly, her cheeks warming at his words. This bastard is too shameless, she thought, shaking her head before quickly closing the door to hide her embarrassment. us grinned, watching her reaction, before heading back to his own home.


    When he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of his mother chatting with the War Goddess. His smile widened, and he dove into his mother''s embrace.


    "How was your outing?" she asked, stroking his hair like she always did.


    "Better than I expected," us replied with a smirk. Indeed, it had turned out far more interesting than he imagined. The War Goddess, who knew all too well what us had been up to, narrowed her eyes.


    She couldn''t decide whether to scold him or pry for more details. Either way, she knew us had gotten himself into some mischief.


    "Nice to see you had fun. By the way, your sister and some of your friends went on a hunt a day ago," his mother said.


    us nodded absentmindedly, already aware of that. Hanna has already messaged him. "I''ll rest for a day and get back to training," he said, breaking from his mother''s embrace and heading to his room.


    Once inside, he tried calling Ohema, but as usual, it didn''t go through. She had been unreachable for weeks now. He was worried but continued to wait as she told him before leaving thest time.


    "She''ll call when she''s avable, I guess," us muttered to himself before flopping onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, trying to shake the unease creeping in. A few secondster, his eyes shifted toward the door as the War Goddess stepped in.


    "You, what exactly did you do on that mission?" she said, her tone sharp


    us grinnedzily. "You know... had fun, made out with my mother-inw, killed a bunch of assassins. Oh, did I mention I kissed my mother-inw?" His grin widened, fully aware of the reaction he was about to provoke.


    The War Goddess''s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, she looked like she was either going tough or smack him. "You''re impossible, us," she finally muttered, shaking her head.


    "How are you, by the way?" us asked with a grin. He knew exactly what she had been going through thest time they crossed paths, but now he wanted more answers.


    "I''m not talking to you again," the War Goddess huffed, turning to leave.


    "Hey, you''re the one who wanted to know what happened, and I already told you. Now it''s your turn to spill something," us teased, shing a wide smile.


    "You should hurry back to training. The next trial will be hard, even for you," Miriam said, trying to change the topic. The image of us''s diamond boy is still sculpted in her mind. She just couldn''t wipe that memory, not that she wanted to.


    "I''ll manage. Oh, my body''s weak right now. Care to give me a shoulder massage?" us shot his shot, his grin never wavering.


    "Nope, I''m leaving," Miriam responded, turning away¡ªbut not moving an inch.


    "You keep saying that, but you''re still standing here. Why, Miriam? You wouldn''t happen to be harboring some evil thoughts, would you?" us smirked, watching her closely.


    Miriam blushed, her cheeks betraying her stoic expression. She didn''t move. Instead, she stared at him, silently knowing that us wouldn''t stop teasing her or flirting.


    Even though she kept telling herself she had no feelings for him¡ªor at least that''s what she wanted to believe¡ªEver since thest time they met, ignoring him had be more difficult. Unwanted feelings were starting to creep in, whether she liked it or not.


    She crossed her arms, trying to maintain her cool. "Don''t get ahead of yourself, us. You''re not that charming," she muttered, though her wordscked conviction.


    "Uh-huh," us chuckled. "I think I''m growing on you."


    "Stop dreaming," she replied, but her blush deepened.


    us let out a softugh, enjoying the subtle back-and-forth. "I''m just saying, it''s cute how you''re sticking around. You know, you can leave anytime you want, yet here you are."


    Miriam sighed. She knew it was foolish to entertain him, but something about us made her stay. Despite her denial, her resolve was weakening.


    "You''re impossible," she said again, shaking her head.


    "And yet, here we are," us replied, his eyes twinkling.


    Miriam turned slightly, her gaze softening for just a moment before she caught herself. "You should focus on getting stronger, us. Not on me."


    "I can do both," he said with a wink.


    She narrowed her eyes at him, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "You''re infuriating, you know that?"


    us shrugged. "Comes with the territory."


    Miriam finally took a step away, but her lingering hesitation spoke volumes. "Train hard. Don''t die on me," she said, her voice quieter than before.


    "Wouldn''t dream of it," us said, his tone softer.


    With a final nce, she left, but not without a twinge of emotion she couldn''t quite shake. The moment she stepped outside, us''s mother met her gaze with a knowing smile.


    "He''s gotten to you too, huh?" us''s mother''s smile widened as she eyed the flustered War Goddess.


    Instead of running away, Miriam buried her face in us''s mother''s chest, clearly embarrassed. If anyone had seen the usually cold, ruthless, and bloodthirsty War Goddess like this, they wouldn''t have believed their eyes.


    "No need to be embarrassed, dear," us''s mother said with a chuckle. "That bastard is just too shameless." She sighed, amused. Only she could handle her son''s relentless teasing. Even goddesses weren''t immune to his charms. It made her wonder what he''d be capable of once he got stronger.


    "Come here, let me fix that hair of yours," she added warmly, running her fingers through Miriam''s slightly disheveled locks. "If you''re going to fall for my son, you should at least do it with beautiful hair."


    "Auntie!" Miriam protested, her face burning with embarrassment, but she couldn''t break free from the older woman''s gentle grip. us''s mother led her away, ignoring her attempts to escape.


    As she walked, us''s mother couldn''t help but drop one more tease, her grin yful. "You know, you should probably start calling me ''mother.''"


    Miriam''s blush deepened as she was being pulled away. us''s mom''sughter filled the house knowing no matter what, His no-good son would sink his hooks in her if he hadn''t already.


    As the saying goes, you learn from your parents. And clearly, us had inherited some of his shamelessness from his mother.


    us spent two days rxing with his mom and Miriam, enjoying a rare break from his usual intense schedule. After the second day, he decided it was time to leave for his own hunt. With a nk ess card in his possession, all Forbidden Zones were open to him. No restrictions.


    During his time at home, us had researched countless Tier 4 Forbidden Zones, going through hundreds of them to find the perfect one. After much consideration, he picked his target.


    He knew that the weakest creatures in a Tier 4 Forbidden Zone were Tier 6 Dark Monsters or Tier 4 Zombie Captains, while the strongest could be as dangerous as a Tier 7 Devil or a Zombie King. With that in mind, he made sure to prepare adequately.


    us nned to spend a few weeks in the Zone, sharpening his skills and pushing himself to new limits before returning home. The hunt would be brutal, but it was exactly what he needed to grow stronger.

 Chapter 189: Demons Abode Forbidden Zone [Bonus]

    The Demon''s Abode is one of the most dangerous Tier 4 Forbidden Zones in the Eastern region of the Northern Union. It isn''t far from Arcadian City. From us''s research, he discovered that only Sages dared enter this ce. A Saint would be sending themselves to their death unless they had absolute trust in their abilities and survival instincts.


    ording to what us had learned, the Demon Abode houses all kinds of terrifying creatures, including a special variant of Zombies known as Darkblood Demon Zombies. These Zombies wield both darkness and blood as their primary elements, relying on these forces to fuel their abilities.


    From what he read online, the Darkblood Demon Zombies were far more powerful than the average Zombie. They were faster and had remarkable regeneration abilities. However, they were also hideous.


    Unlike the White Zombies, which retained some eerie attraction, these Darkblood Demons were truly grotesque, the way one might imagine a ssic Zombie to look.


    us also learned that these Zombies didn''t just feast on humans. They hunted monsters too, making them much stronger than even the White Zombies or the Voltox Zombies from the Arcadian Mine invasion. This new information made it clear that the Demon''s Abode was no ce for the faint-hearted.


    It would be the perfect challenge. The perfect ce for us who is anything but a normal warrior.


    His status page looks good but needed to push further if he wants to keep up with the growing threats surrounding him.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 16


    Talent: Celestial Elemental Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnations Divine Body


    Realm: Master - Lvl: 4/12


    Strength: 1,230 | Agility: 1,270 |Stamina: 1,240 |Defense:1,100 | Intelligence: 1,100| Health: 4200


    Star Qi: 143,672,600


    Stat Points: 400


    [Next Level up: 10,000/31,228,800]


    "Looks like I''ll be doing more killing this time," us muttered as he stepped down from the military vehicle that had brought him from Arcadian City. Dave Arcadian, feeling both grateful and guilty for nearly losing us during the invasion, had offered the ride as a way of showing his gratitude.


    Standing at the edge of the Demon''s Abode, us felt a surge of excitement. The air was thick with danger, but instead of fear, it filled him with a sense of thrill.


    "This should be fun," he said to himself with a grin, stepping into the zone that looked like a massive reserve. Before the apocalypse, it had been a wildlife sanctuary, but now it was home to mutated monsters and unimaginable dangers.


    Thend stretched for miles, vast and perilous. As us quietly walked through the dense forest, the wind whispered through the twisted trees, adding to the eerie atmosphere. His Void Piercing Needle hovered above his shoulder, ready to strike at a moment''s notice.


    His n for the day was simple¡ªkill whatever crossed his path and clear out a safe space to rest. The next day, the real task would begin. He had stumbled upon some cryptic information online, a strange rumor about the Demon''s Abode.


    Something about the ce made it more dangerous than other Tier 4 Forbidden Zones, and us was determined to uncover the truth.


    For now, though, it was all about finding a ce where he could alwayse back to rest. As he ventured deeper into the forest, he sneered, knowing that soon, the hunt would begin.


    A whileter, us encountered his first target. Without hesitation, he used the Void Piercing Arrow, swiftly taking it down. He continued deeper into the area, moving quickly and efficiently, killing as he went, his eyes scanning for a ce he could clear and rest.


    Eventually, he came across a small mountain peak with a hidden cave. After scanning the area, he realized there were no monsters nearby, a stroke of luck for them. He quickly set up camp inside the cave, deciding to rx for a few hours before resuming his hunt.


    His n was simple. First, he wanted to train with the Pentaface Bead and master the skills he had unlocked so far. Second, he would train under pressure to strengthen his mind and add more Viper Piercing Needles to the Void Piercing Needle technique.


    Third, he needed to work on his swordsmanship. His recent duel with Aoi had made it painfully clear that he wascking in that area. He wanted to develop his own sword style, something he could truly master.


    Fourth, he hoped to create a new technique using the fire element, just like he had with the ice element when he formed the [Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom]. The senior had already advised him to try, so he was eager to see if he coulde up with something powerful.


    But most importantly, he wanted to hunt some devils, hoping to obtain an Ice Elemental Devil core if he was lucky. He couldn''t deny the jealousy he felt toward his past self, Fruity. Despite not having affinities for all elements back then, Fruity had managed to awaken three of the seven Forbidden Ice Elements.


    us wanted that too. Call it jealousy, but he couldn''t help himself. He was eager to awaken something simr, something to rival his past self''s power. The thought of it made him both restless and hungry for more.


    After resting for a while and eating almost a quarter of the food his mom had lovingly prepared, us gulped down some fruit juice and set out to start leveling up.


    us knew he was falling behind, far behind his friends. His sister had already reached Level 6, thanks to the War Goddess giving her higher-tier monster cores.


    All his friends were at Level 6 too, and the Mountain Dew Essence had made them even stronger. The gap between them was growing, and us couldn''t afford to stay behind, especially with the Next Academy Trial looming.


    With 31,228,800 Exp points needed to reach Level 5, he wasted no time. He began his ughter, starting with the Void Piercing Needle.


    =


    =


    =


    Somewhere deep inside the Demon Abode, on arge tform surrounded by seven towering pirs, a creature stood still watching the work going on around it.


    It was nearly 3 meters tall, with a twisted mix of human and decaying monster features. Its skin is dark, and a single horn jutted from its forehead. Its dark red eyes glowed faintly. It''s muscr and even one of its hands wasrge enough to rival the size of an adult''s thigh.


    It watched as offerings were ced beneath each pir. After a moment, the creature turned and walked toward a massive cave entrance, each step inciting heavy thuds.


    "How are the preparations?" A feminine voice, cold andmanding, echoed through the darkness making the ugly creature stop and bow slightly.


    "My Princess, the ritual offerings are almost ready. All that remains is to wait for the red moon to rise, and we can begin."


    "Good," she replied. "Make sure nothing goes wrong. We''ve invested much into this ritual, and the Empress is expecting results."


    The dark creature bowed once more before leaving. As soon as it was gone, a smirk formed in the shadows.


    "Those Voltox fools couldn''tplete a single task. This time, out of the 69 Zombie Strongholds, I will prove to everyone that the Darkblood Demon Zombies are worthy of standing by the Queen''s side in her conquest."


    Her smirk grew wider, her disdain echoing in the empty cave.


    =====


    Meanwhile, back in the forest where us was farming Exp points and sharpening his mind, thousands of monstersy dead, each with a single hole through their vitals.


    us had recently added 400 points to his Intelligence, making his mental training far more effective. The Void Piercing Needle continuously shed through the forest, piercing monster after monster with lethal precision.


    He had already umted over 20 million points, but it wasn''t enough. He needed more, so he never stopped killing. Eight hourster, his total reached 30 million points, leaving only a little more before he could finally level up.


    Suddenly, a deep, heavy roar tore through the thick forest, followed by the surge of a powerful aura that threatened to crash every soul around. us, unaffected by this aura smiles.


    "Finally," he muttered, "a Devil has appeared."

 Chapter 190: Red Eye Sabertooth Tiger [Bonus]

    us stood motionless, staring in the direction the monster was approaching. From the heavy, thunderous footsteps echoing through the forest, he knew it was something massive. His senses stretched to their limit, yet he couldn''t detect the creature.


    That sent a chill down his spine. Even though he was covering a 10-kilometer radius, the monster still remained out of reach, but its steps were felt strongly as if it was right beside him. Suddenly, something shifted. A 4-meter-tall creature crossed into his sensing range, and us''s eyes widened in shock.


    The monster is enormous. It has a muscr build, covered in dark, blood-streak fur. It has red eyes. Elongated, razor-sharp ws and serrated fangs made it the perfect killing machine.


    A wild, untamed mane framed its savage face, and a powerful tail, tipped with a sharp, bone-like spike, swayed behind it, promising deadly strikes.


    us instinctively took a few steps back but kept his focus sharp, watching the creature''s every movement. Its heavy steps left smoldering fire in its wake, the ground singeing beneath its feet.


    "Red Eye Sabertooth Tiger," us muttered under his breath, recognizing the Devil monster immediately. A fearsome fire-type beast, known for its brutal attacks with its ws and teeth.


    The reason they''re dangerous is that after reaching the Terror stage, they begin to evolve. Their first evolution allows them to walk on two legs, making them look like monstrous humans.


    But that''s not what makes them terrifying. It''s their ws. After evolving, their ws be deadly weapons. They move like humans, and they attack like humans¡ªonly fiercer, faster, and stronger.


    Now, approaching with an intense fire aura, was a Tier 7 Devil Red-Eye Sabertooth Tiger. us knew he had two choices: run or fight. But he also knew this was a rare chance to win himself a Fire-type devil core.


    Despite the danger, us''s sword appeared in his hand, radiating ice qi. He was about to fight fire with ice.


    us''s control over ice far surpassed his mastery of fire. In dangerous situations like this, he always relied on ice. Today was no exception. The monster, still kilometers away, was already exuding an aura more terrifying than the Zombie Kings he fought during the Arcadian mine invasion.


    In fact, the aura felt eerily simr to that of the Zombie Emperor, the one the War Goddess battled back then. us knew he''d have to up his game for this fight.


    "Brat, kill this monster. The reward will be worth it," his senior''s voice echoed from his soul sea, making us grin. He knew that obtaining the Fire Devil Core from this Red-Eye Sabertooth Tiger would benefit him immensely.


    "I''ll do my best," he muttered, just as the monster appeared before him, towering and radiating immense power. us locked eyes with it.


    Without a second thought, the monster charged. us dashed forward to meet it head-on. Boom! The two collided, and the force sent us flying backward, mming into the ground.


    Cough! cough!!


    "What the hell," he muttered, spitting out two mouthfuls of blood.


    "Brat, wee to your first real fight with a Devil. Try not to die," his senior remarked sarcastically. us pushed himself up, narrowing his gaze. This was it. He had truly stepped into the big leagues now.


    The Tiger''s ws, dripping with fiery energy, glowed as it leaped into the air, descending on us with terrifying force. us dashed forward, narrowly dodging, and shed his sword backward in a swift counterattack.


    A thin arc of ice, coated with sword qi, shot out and struck the monster''s side. But there was no damage. Its fur was like titanium¡ªunyielding and imprable.


    "No worries," us muttered with a grin. "If one strike doesn''t kill, I''ll use a hundred."


    His sword shed forward, sending multiple arcs of ice toward the beast. Each onended, but the result was the same¡ªno damage at all.


    The Red-Eye Sabertooth Tiger barely flinched as the ice arcs bounced off its thick fur. It growled, its fiery aura intensifying, and its eyes burned with rage. us could feel the heat in the air as the monster charged again, faster this time, ws outstretched.


    The Tiger shed its fiery ws at us''s head, but he ducked just in time and kicked forward,nding a blow on its leg.


    "That hurt," us muttered, wincing. But the monster was knocked slightly off bnce, giving us an opening to strike.


    His sword shed forward, and a thick arc of ice, coated with sword qi, surged out. It hit the Tiger''s chest, pushing the beast back a step.


    us didn''t let up. He charged again, aiming for the monster''s left arm. But before his de couldnd, the Tiger erupted in mes, its ws glowing bright red.


    sh!


    A powerful strike from the Tiger''s ws sent fire w marks flying toward us. He reacted quickly, stepping lightly on the ground and raising an ice wall for protection.


    The fiery attack crashed into the ice, shattering it instantly. Although the ice defense wasn''t that great, the attack was very powerful to the extent that itnded and shattered the ice instantly and then headed toward him


    "What?" us gasped, eyes wide as the remnants of his defense crumbled. The Tiger''s strength was far greater than he anticipated.


    us shed his sword, sending an ice arc to meet the fire arc. The two forces collided and exploded, pushing us back several steps. He wanted to dash forward, but before he could move, the Tiger appeared within striking range.


    "This is not good," us muttered, realizing he was trapped. He tried to retreat, but at that moment, the Tiger opened its maw. Like a dragon, it unleashed a torrent of fire, red and scorching, spraying toward him with terrifying speed. The mes moved like bullets, aiming to disintegrate himpletely.


    us, whocked strong defensive abilities aside from the bell and the flower, quickly summoned the ice lotus and instantly activated the Absolute Ice Domain.


    The moment the domain formed, it freed us from the lock the Tiger had ced him in, giving him just enough time to evade. He rolled across the ground, dodging the deadly mes, and in the same motion, activated the Ice Beam ability of the lotus. A concentrated beam of ice shot from the lotus, striking the monster with precision.


    The Tiger roared in pain as the beam hit, pushing it back several meters before it crashed onto the ground.


    "My turn," us growled, dashing forward, his sword glowing with ice qi. "I have to kill it without using the Pentaface Bead," he muttered to himself, determined. His sword shed forward, aiming for the Tiger''s heart.


    But the Tiger was too fast and too strong. Its fiery w shed with us''s sword, pushing him back effortlessly. When it came to speed, us couldn''t keep up.


    Strength? He was outmatched. Even in defense, he was barely holding on. Each strike proved how much weaker he waspared to the monster. One small mistake would cost him his life.


    It was overwhelming. Fighting a Tier 7 monster while only at Tier 3 was something almost no one could do¡ªyet here he was, doing it. But for the first time, us truly felt the gap in their power. The Tiger wasn''t just strong; it could use abilities like a human, making it far more dangerous than he had anticipated.


    Now he understood what the Senior had meant when he warned him. The day he faced a Devil, he would need every skill and technique he could muster. The realization sent a chill down his spine.


    "Round two," us muttered under his breath. His golden eyes shed, shifting to a deep crimson, giving him the appearance of a demon king.


    As the red light radiated from his eyes, a wave of crimson energy burst out, causing the Tiger to stagger. It hesitated, and us smirked, seizing the moment. He dashed forward with newfound ferocity.


    "Give me your core!" he roared, his sword shing forward with deadly intent, aimed right at the Tiger''s neck.

 Chapter 191: Beheading A Devil [Bonus]

    us unleashed ten percent of his Star Qi, channeling it into a soul attack that struck the monster, making it stagger for a brief moment. Seizing the opening, he dashed forward, his sword aimed directly at the creature''s neck. But just before his de couldnd, the monster leaped back, narrowly evading the strike.


    us smirked. With a swift stomp, he sent shards of ice shooting toward the tiger. They erupted from the ground, striking the beast''s chest and pushing it back several meters. This gave us the chance to summon his Lotus flower once again.


    "Ice Beam!" A freezing st shot forward, hitting the tiger square in the chest. Simultaneously, us''s eyes shed, and another soul attack mmed into the tiger, disorienting it once more.


    "Moon sh!" An icy arc cut through the air, coated with sword qi as it shed across the creature''s chest. This time, with the tiger still dazed from the soul attack, its defenses faltered. A deep cut appeared on its chest, making us smile.


    The tiger roared in pain, shaking the ground beneath them. Its eyes burned with rage, but the disorientation from us''s soul attacks kept it off bnce. us didn''t let up¡ªthis was his chance.


    He charged again, his body moving with practiced precision. With each step, the ground beneath his feet froze solid, leaving a trail of ice in his wake. He swung his sword downward, aiming for the tiger''s weakened chest. But the tiger, in ast desperate move, rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike.


    "Damn it" us cursed under his breath but quickly adapted. He mmed his palm into the ground, sending ice spikes shooting up around the tiger, boxing it in. The beast snarled, its movements growing more frantic, but the cold bit into its skin, slowing it down.


    "Another," us''s eyes shed again. As before, the tiger faltered, its movements stuttering in the ice trap, giving him the perfect opportunity to strike. With its body momentarily frozen in ce, us''s follow-up attacknded with a dangerous boom.


    The force sent the tiger flying back, crashing into the frozen ground. But instead of feeling victorious, us grew more disturbed. Despite his relentless physical strikes and repeated soul attacks, the tiger still seemed unnervingly strong, refusing to give in.


    "How is it still standing?" us muttered, watching as the creature began to recover, its fierce eyes locked onto him. His frustration deepened.


    "Does this mean I have to use the Pentaface Bead?" he whispered. The tiger was already charging at him again, ws tearing through the frost-covered ground.


    "No," he shook his head, steeling his resolve. "I need this fight to gauge my strength. I haven''t reached my limit yet."


    His grip tightened on his sword, the cold air biting at his skin. This battle wasn''t just about survival¡ªit was about testing himself. us wasn''t ready to rely on the bead just yet. He needed to push harder, to break through the barriers he knew still held him back.


    us could feel it deep within¡ªhe wasn''t living up to his full potential. That arrow should never have sent him into aa. Ever since he woke up, that memory continued to haunt him, gnawing at his pride.


    He med himself for being weak. He should have been able to defend against that arrow, but instead, he had nearly died. Too weak.


    The thought sickened him. He hated it with every fiber of his being. All he wanted now was to be stronger, much stronger. The way forward was clear¡ªhe had to break through the chains that were holding him back.


    Wasting no time, us dashed forward with renewed focus, his eyes locked on the devil-ss tiger. His grip on his swords tightened, and this time, there was no hesitation. He wasn''t going to rely on tricks or strategies. He was going to kill the beast with his bare strength.


    "Time to break these chains," he muttered under his breath, the ice beneath his feet cracking as he lunged at the tiger, ready to push beyond his limits.


    Boom!


    us shed with the tiger, this time holding his ground. He wasn''t pushed back, which was a good sign. He dodged a swiping w and countered with a swift sh,nding a cut on the monster''s left arm.


    The tiger roared in frustration, but us was already moving. He sidestepped a heavy stomp from the beast, and like a sh of light, his sword cut deep into its left leg.


    His eyes shed again, and the tiger, disoriented, closed its eyes for a brief moment. That was all us needed. He aimed his sword at its chest, targeting a vital spot. Just before the de could pierce, a sudden, violent burst of energy erupted from the tiger, sending us flying.


    He hit the ground hard, but instantly dashed forward again, freezing the earth beneath his feet with every step. His body moved on instinct, and his mind wasser-focused.


    us cursed himself for not using his [Absolute Ice Domain] to gain an upper hand. He could have made this fight easier, but he didn''t want that. He had relied on those abilities for too long. This time, he needed to see what he could do with just his sword.


    ng!


    His de shed with the tiger''s w, the sound ringing like metal striking metal. But us didn''t back down. He pressed forward, his attacks growing more precise, more dangerous.


    Without realizing it, he was adapting to the tiger''s speed and movement. His body started to flow with a newfound rhythm, and each strike carried purpose.


    Unknowingly, us was creating his own battle style. Every sh, every dodge was bing part of a new technique, one born out of this fierce struggle. He wasn''t just surviving¡ªhe was developing.


    us''s swordsmanship was evolving without him realizing it. It was as if he had entered a new phase ofbat, one driven by instinct and reflex, though stillcking the killing force needed to finish off the monster.


    "I guess I''ll just trade injury for injury and see who gets thestugh," us smirked, his body bruised and battered from the attacks he had sustained. There were cuts scattered across his skin, but thanks to his superior healing, he was holding on.


    He grinned, feeling the tiger''s stamina beginning to wane. "It''s getting tired. Best time to see if my beheading technique has a future, or if it was just a dumb idea," us muttered, shing again with the beast.


    The tiger had used several of its abilities, but us''s relentless closebat pressure had prevented it from activating any of its more powerful skills. It was good for him¡ªbad for the tiger. With each attack usnded chipped away at its strength, slowly wearing it down.


    However, us knew the truth. Without using the Pentaface Bead, dominating a Tier 7 stage creature wasn''t going to be easy.


    "It''s not like before," he admitted to himself. The other tiers had been manageable with his skill set, but this was different. It was a fight of pure endurance now, one that would force him to dig deeper than ever before.


    Still, this was exactly what us wanted. He needed to push himself, to see how far he could go without relying on external power, even if it was his power. But so far, the results were disappointing. He was doing badly¡ªtoo badly.


    "Let''s end this. I need to reevaluate my strategy," us muttered, realizing that if the fight dragged on for just a few more minutes, he''d lose. The tiger is strong and relentless, and even though it was weakening, so was he.


    "Bell of Harrows," he whispered, knowing he had no other choice.


    At once, the bell appeared. Inside his soul sea, his Star Qi surged into the first face of the Pentaface Bead.


    Ding!


    The bell rang, and the tiger froze. It was only for a moment, but us didn''t need more than that. His sword, now coated in shimmering sword aura, shed forward with lethal precision. In the next heartbeat, the tiger''s head was severed cleanly from its body. The head flew through the air andnded with a dull thud on the ground.


    "Ha," us exhaled, a mix of frustration and relief in his voice. "In the end, I had to use it."


    He stared down at the fallen beast, knowing that he was no match for a true devil.


    [You have killed a Tier 7 Devil Monster called Red Eye Sabertooth Tiger. You have received 500,000 Exp.]


    [You have leveled up. Current Level: Level 5 Master. You have received 400 Stat points.]

 Chapter 192: Two Red Sinister Eyes

    us''s Void Piercing Needle had been on a killing spree ever since the Monster Devil died. As soon as the big one fell, the smaller ones swarmed him.


    But with his Spirit Eye still active, he could see exactly where they were. He controlled the needle, sending it out to kill them with precision.


    Thanks to his recent level-up, his stamina had been fully restored. Now, he was fighting like a man with nothing to lose, swiftly dispatching the lesser monsters. He moved towards the fallen Devil Tiger and stopped beside its massive corpse.


    "So this is what an Elemental Core looks like," us muttered, picking up a red crystal-shaped core radiating intense heat. He studied it for a moment before storing it away in his ring.


    "Good job, kid," the senior''s voice echoed from his soul sea. "But don''t be stupid next time. If you think you can take on a Devil without using your active abilities, you''re fooling yourself."


    us smiled weakly, knowing the old man was right. If he had used his external abilities like the Ice Lotus Bloom, the Bell of Harrows, the Eye of Despair, or even the Ten Thousand Soul Needles technique, the fight would have ended much sooner.


    Instead, he had only relied on his Soul Shock and Ice Beam, which had turned out to be more effective than expected. Even though he hadn''t used much star qi, it had been surprisingly powerful.


    "Still, I guess it worked out," us muttered, a faint smirk on his lips. "But next time, I''ll make sure to use everything I''ve got."


    "Do that," the senior said. Though he was always about the Karma involved in him teaching him some things, he doesn''t always care to tell him the important stuff.


    us unsheathed his sword from his back, the de gleaming in the dim light. After quickly storing the monster''s body, he dashed forward, his mind sharp with focus. The Tier 7 Devils were too powerful to practice his sword skills on right now, but the Tier 6 Terrors would do just fine.


    As he cut through the air with his sword, his mind also kept controlling the Void Piercing Needle, guiding it toward distant targets.


    With his brain managing two tasks at once¡ªshing with his de and directing the needle¡ªhe knew he was training more than just his body. He was honing his mind, sharpening it like a weapon.


    The sh of battle shook the forest around him, and the sounds of dying beasts echoed in the air. But us had no intention of stopping anytime soon. If he wanted to farm Elemental Devil Cores and grow stronger, he had to level up as quickly as possible.


    He needed to be ready to face multiple Tier 7 Devils at once. Within five hours, us had killed enough monsters to gain 50 percent of the experience points needed for his next level-up. But as the sky darkened, he decided to stop and head back to his resting area.


    Stepping into the cave, us sat down in a lotus posture, closing his eyes to rey the battle with the Tier 7 Devil in his mind. He analyzed every move, checking if he could have attacked differently or found a weakness in its defense.


    After reying it over and over again, us came to the same conclusion: the Tiger Devil had outmatched him in speed, strength, and defense. He was at a disadvantage from the start.


    "I was really stupid to think I could keep up with that thing without using [Absolute Ice Domain]," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.


    With a sigh, he pulled out the Fire Devil Core, its heat warming his hand. "Senior, what do I do now?" us asked, looking for guidance.


    The senior''s voice came from within his soul sea, sounding gruff but patient. "Brat, one core alone won''t make much difference. You''ve got two choices. First, consume it and hope for a fire-rted power-up.


    No promise it''ll awaken your fire element, though. Or, second, create a technique like you did with the ice element. Consume the core to strengthen it, like how you fed the lightning runes to the Ice Lotus."


    us frowned. "But senior, I tried everything. I couldn''t make it work," he admitted. He had spent hours trying to create a lotus with the fire element, but nothing hade of it. He had even tried shaping other flowers and animals, but every attempt failed.


    "That''s because you''re not trying hard enough," the senior said bluntly. "You need to focus. Imagine exactly what you want your fire element to be. What does it look like? How does it act? Channel that vision into reality.


    I''m sure you''ll figure something out."


    us exhaled deeply.


    "I need toe up with something," us muttered, but deep down, he knew sitting and thinking wouldn''t help. Instead, he entered his soul sea and began studying the Pentaface Bead for now.


    He had to do something, even if it wasn''t what he initially nned. The faces on the bead were bizarre, far moreplex than they had first seemed. As his connection to the bead grew stronger, he knew there was more to uncover. Much more.


    As us focused on the strange faces, he realized that beneath their emotionless expressions, something was hiding. He could feel it. There was something beneath the surface, something he hadn''t understood before. He focused harder, trying to peel back theyers.


    The first face, "The Nightmare of Harrow Sounds and Ringing," drew him in the most. There was something sinister beneath that nk expression, something that seemed ready to awaken. us wasn''t sure what he was looking for, but he could feel a deep connection to this face.


    "Maybe I''ve been going about this the wrong way," he muttered, settling into a lotus posture.


    Tentatively, us sent a strand of his sense into the Face of Harrow. Just as he expected, his mind was pulled into it¡ªsucked into a void. But only for a moment. The instant his mind entered that dark space, two blood-red eyes slowly opened in the darkness.


    us felt his entire being freeze. Those eyes, huge and dripping with malice, filled the entire space. His mind went numb, overwhelmed by the sheer terror. In the real world, his body went limp, and he fell backward, unconscious.


    It all happened so quickly that us didn''t even have time to react. His mind went numb, and before he knew it, he passed out. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in that familiar yet eerie space¡ªthe same ce he''d been after his death during the Arcadian Mine invasion.


    The strange monk was there, just as before. The same violet hair, the same handsome features, and that all-too-familiar expression. He was staring right at us.


    "God, I hate myself," the monk muttered, his eyes locked on us with a strange intensity.


    us scowled. "Tsk, of all the names in this world, you chose Fruity? What an idiot," he said, ring at the monk. Despite the calm aura around him, Fruity''s gaze was anything but peaceful.


    "You''re weak," Fruity said tly, his voice cold.


    "And you''re annoying. Why am I here?" us shot back.


    "You tell me," Fruity replied, his toneced with mockery. "You were the one who thought it''d be a good idea to stare into the face of an Ancient Nightmare. God, how stupid can you be?"


    us clenched his fists. "Hey, shouldn''t monks be more polite with their words? You''re spheming the monk title," he retorted with a smug grin, though deep down, he knew Fruity was right. He had been reckless to send his sense into the bead. And now, he was paying the price for it.


    Fruity clicked his tongue, giving us a sideways nce. "Tsk, tell me, do you want some tea?" he asked with an infuriating smirk.


    "Not today, bastard," us replied, his irritation growing. He didn''t like what his past self was hinting at. He wanted to learn more about his past, but he hadn''t even processed thest memory yet. Watching his mother die had affected him more than he cared to admit.


    "Tsk, weakling," Fruity said, dismissively waving his hand. "Then go back. Oh, and hey, you don''t happen to still be infatuated with dragons, do you?" He smiled, but it wasn''t a friendly one.


    us''s eyes widened in sudden realization, but before he could ask anything, his vision darkened. He woke up back in the cave, his heart pounding.


    "Fuck, my head hurts," us groaned, rubbing his temples. Dive deeper into the story on m-vle-mpyr

 Chapter 193: Nine-Headed Azure Dragon

    "Fuck, that bastard is too hateful," us muttered, rubbing his temple. He knew he''d been stupid this time. Sending his mind into something the senior had described as a Forbidden Relic was just in reckless.


    Still, he had to me someone. The fact that he had run into the renegade monk again only fueled his frustration. He had learned the Nine Divine Soul Beads Art from that bastard, so if anyone was to me, it was his past self.


    "And how the fuck is he so damn handsome?" us groaned, feeling an irrational pang of envy over Fruity''s good looks. It annoyed him more than it should.


    He leaned back, not forgetting to take a sip of water before letting his thoughts spiral any further.


    "I''ll wait until I''m strong enough to enter the bead again," he decided, his jaw tightening with determination. He wasn''t about to give up on it, not aftering this far.


    us knew there was something more inside that relic¡ªsomething worth uncovering¡ªand he wasn''t going to rest until he found out exactly what it was.


    "Dragons," us muttered, recalling what Fruity had said before sending him out of that strange space. For some reason, hearing the word from his past self as the Renegade Monk stirred something deep within him.


    He didn''t know what it was, but he had a feeling he would find out soon. us sat back in a lotus position and began meditating, clearing his mind while also pondering the strange sensation he''d felt when he heard "Dragon."


    Minutes passed, then hours, yet us remained motionless, deep in meditation. He hadn''t had much time to meditate these past few weeks, so he took advantage of the quiet. Half a day drifted by, and still, nothing happened.


    Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and a small smile tugged at his lips.


    "That could work," he muttered. With a flick of his wrist, a fireball appeared in his hand. He closed his eyes again, allowing the fire to rest in his palm. He wasn''t manipting it or doing anything special¡ªit simply sat there, flickering with a calm, infernal glow.


    More minutes ticked by. The fire remained still, burning steadily in his hand, as us continued his meditative state. Then, without warning, the me shook¡ªbut almost immediately, it returned to its tranquil state.


    Suddenly, us''s eyes snapped open, flickering with an infernal hue. It was like those eyes of his were possessed by a fire deity for a moment.


    The cave trembled violently and then exploded, sending debris flying from the mountain peak. From his back, a massive ring appeared¡ªelegant yet imposing.


    It exuded an aura of chaos. Within this grand ring, three star-shaped orbs that formed into a perfect triangle could be seen. Inside each orb, small golden, red, and white stars glimmered, each about the size of an apple.


    The energy swirling around them was dense, capable of shattering mountains. Suddenly, the fire in us''s hands shot upward, soaring into the air. He, too, was lifted, still sitting in his lotus posture.


    For a while, the me just continued to flicker, shifting from red to ck then dark gold, and then back to red. us sat in the air looking at it with hungry eyes.


    Suddenly, the star flickered and shot forward, entering us''s forehead in an instant.


    The moment it entered his forehead, his eyes rolled back, and he fell into a trance-like state while suspended in mid-air. The massive golden ring behind him moved, hovering t above his head. From each star, beams shot forth, forming a triangr dome around him.


    In an instant, us found himself in his soul sea, but this time, he was far from the doors. He had arrived in a part of the soul sea filled with burning mes. His soul sea consisted of different types of elemental energies and this time, he was submerged in the fire-type space.


    "What is happening?" us muttered, his voice uncertain. But before he could get an answer, the sea of mes began to shake violently. He stood there, watching the fiery waves sway and crash against one another.


    "What is happening?" he repeated his voice barely a whisper.


    Suddenly, from the depths of the sea of mes, a huge egg formed, made from red and ck mes. It shot upward, parting the sea just like the Eye of Malevolence did when it was awakening. The egg is massive, its surface adorned with swirling ck markings, radiating intense me energy.


    The moment it surfaced, the entire soul sea trembled. us felt his own soul boil with a terrifying, chaotic energy. A whileter, the egg shook and then began to crack.


    He watched in awe as the egg began to crack. He held his breath, waiting for what was next, his heart pounding. As expected, the crack widened, and before long, the shell fell apart.


    Inside the egg was a ball of me, roughly the size of five basketballs. The ming orb suddenly vanished, and us quickly sensed its presence shift. His consciousness was yanked from his soul sea, and then he opened his eyes to the outside world. There, floating above him, was the ball of me, burning brightly in the air.


    Suddenly, it began to swirl, growingrger until it inted to the size of 50 basketballs. Suddenly, with a deafening explosion, it detonated in a blinding sh, sending a shockwave that blew the trees away.


    us, safely inside the protective dome created by the ring, remained unharmed. Instead, he watched curiously, waiting to see what would be left after the explosion.


    As the smoke cleared, us saw it. Coiling motionless in the air was a dragon, about the size of an adult human. Its body shook, and with a sudden boom, a wave of fire exploded from it, sending us flying backward this time. Hended hard but never took his eyes off the dragon now hovering in the air.


    This time, the dragon became enormous¡ªabout 20 meters tall¡ªwith four wed limbs, a scaly red and ck body, and two imposing horns on its head.


    "Is this... a real dragon?" us muttered, his eyes wide as he studied the creature.


    "No," the senior''s voice echoed in his mind. "This is a fire dragon made from your element. But it''s not just any dragon. It''s an embryonic elemental spirit."


    "Elemental spirit?" us asked, confused.


    "Elemental spirits are like you when you enter your soul sea, but they possess a unique nature. They can exist in both the soul sea and the physical realm. It''s not a real dragon, but it is a real dragon in a way."


    "So, it''s like a dragon spirit?" us pressed, still trying to understand.


    "Yes," the senior confirmed, making us smile.


    Before he could ask another question, the dragon let out a deafening roar. The sheer force of it made us feel like he was about to die.


    "This..." the senior''s voice echoed in rm.


    "Brat, you''re awakening your fire element," the senior said urgently. At that moment, us felt his soul sea shake violently. Then from the back of the dragon, arge crystal, bone-like structure emerged.


    It was the size of a person''s palm. However, soon, more began to follow. One by one, nine crystal bones appeared on the dragon''s back. Then suddenly, the form of the dragon began to change.


    Its body stretched, growingrger. us barely had time to register what was happening before he was lifted into the air again and stopped only when he was a few meters from the dragon. Now floating in front of the dragon, the nine-star tattoos on us''s back began to glow.


    A bone-shattering pain ripped through him as the stars lit up, but us gritted his teeth, enduring it, knowing something powerful was happening.


    As the transformation waspleted, the dragon''s head began to shimmer. Like a mask shifting, its head changes, revealing another dragon''s head instead. Then that head also shifted, and another appeared. This happened eight times in total, giving the dragon nine distinct faces.


    By the time thest head was revealed, us''s mind went numb, overwhelmed by the intensity of it all. He was on the brink of passing out. But just before he lost consciousness, he heard the senior''s voice whispering inside his mind.


    "The Nine-Headed Azure Dragon."

 Chapter 194: The Azure Dragon Spirit

    "Fuck, my head hurts," us groaned, clutching his temples as he woke up in an unfamiliar part of the forest. His surroundings looked different, but the pain in his head was just too much for him to care about.


    He barely cared where he was; his mind felt like it was being torn apart. After a few moments, the pain subsided enough for him to lift his head and take in the environment.


    "The Fire Region," us muttered under his breath. He quickly activated the projection on his tracking watch and confirmed his location, indeed, he was now in the Fire region. Inside the Demons Abode Forbidden Zone, there was an area known as the Fire Region.


    It was said that when the apocalypse struck, part of the mountain near the reserve had exploded, releasing chaoticva. Thatva spread across thend, and the monsters that survived were altered, gaining fire-type abilities.


    The monsters here were dangerous, far beyond what most could handle. Years ago, the military tried to eradicate them with advanced missiles, but it turned into a disaster. When the nuclear weapon detonated, only a small fraction of the monsters died. Worse, the uranium from the missile mutated the survivors, turning them into berserk, uncontroble creatures.


    After that, the government dered the area a no-hunting zone. Ten years ago, a team of 20 people ventured into the Fire Region, but only two came back. They reported seeing just five monsters still alive in the area, which shocked everyone. The military once again sent another force to investigate, and it was confirmed¡ªthe five monsters that remained were Devils.


    The military attempted to fight them, but the creatures were too powerful. So they didn''t do anything reckless. A whileter while making ns to handle them, the overlords of Earth told them to leave, and the militaryplied, sealing off the area from any further exploration. They officially named it the Fire Region and marked it as a no-hunting zone.


    "I need to get out of here," us muttered, forcing himself to stand despite the lingering pain.


    "What''s the rush, brat? Aren''t you after a Fire Devil Core? There are five powerful fire-type beasts here, and your Fire Spirit Dragon needs those," The senior''s voice suddenly entered his ear.


    "The Fire Dragon?" us asked, immediately remembering what led to him going unconscious again. But before he could process it, he felt a burning sensation on his right arm. Looking down, he saw it¡ªa dragon tattoo, glowing with fiery energy.


    us grinned and summoned the dragon with a thought. In an instant, a massive 40-meter-long dragon appeared, its body adorned with two giant horns and nine glowing crystals on its back. Its scales were a deep red, darkened with shadows, and its four wed legs ended in menacing fire-tipped talons. Just the sight of it made us shudder.


    "Very powerful," he muttered, watching the dragon glide effortlessly through the air, its presence radiating heat and fire.


    "Senior, I heard you say it''s the Nine-Headed Azure Dragon. Care to share more?" us asked, curiosity gnawing at him. For a moment, there was silence, making us wonder if he had misheard. He had been half-conscious earlier, after all.


    However, it didn''t take long for the senior to start speaking again.


    "All you need to know is that your Spirit Dragon is anything but normal. You haven''t just awakened your fire element¡ªyou''ve awakened nine of them. Yes, those crystals on its back represent the nine awakened fires, but for now, you can only use one fire element because the Spirit Dragon is weak."


    us''s eyebrows raised. Nine fires? He could barely process what that meant.


    "And when I say it''s not a normal dragon, I mean it," the voice continued. "The Nine-Headed Azure Dragon is the only dragon of its kind, born since the Primordial era..."


    Immediately the senior said that, the heavens rumbled making us smirk. He knew they were itching for an excuse to send down a tribtion. They had tried the same when he formed the Ice Lotus Bloom with the ice.


    However, now, they wouldn''t be able to do anything, the dragon wasn''t just a skill¡ªit''s more like the spirit of his fire element. The heavens couldn''t unleash a tribtion just yet, so they were trying to intimidate him instead.


    "Go on, Senior," us urged, his smirk growing.


    "As I said, it''s a one-of-a-kind dragon. Those crystals on its back represent the fire elements you''ve awakened. The first one is called Chaotic Nirvana me, and as the name suggests, it''s chaotic, unpredictable."


    us observes the first Crystal has more glow to it than the other eight. This of course means that only the first Crystal which is the Chaotic Nirvana me is active.


    "However, the me is in a weakened state for now. To restore its full power, you''ll need to collect many Fire Devil Cores," the senior exined. "And before you ask, the other mes will awaken as your Spirit Dragon grows stronger."


    us nodded, absorbing the information. His dragon wasn''t just a weapon¡ªit was more like his fire element made real. It''s now stronger in this form and can be controlled, something us wants more than anything.


    "Senior, can it talk?" us asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "Not yet," the senior replied. "It hasn''t awakened its dragon soul yet. So for now, it can only send out emotions, which I''m sure, with your Universal Enigma passive skill, you can easily understand. But it''s intelligent enough to know when you''re in trouble. I mean, it literally carried you here."


    us''s jaw dropped upon hearing that. He had been far from the Fire Region before passing out, and now he realized it was the dragon that had brought him all this way.


    "This is great! I can finally fly on a fire dragon!" us eximed, his excitement barely contained.


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself," the senior warned. "You need to fully awaken the Chaotic Nirvana me and unlock the abilities thate with it before you think about joy rides. Even your dragon knows this. Why else do you think it brought you here? It''s after those Fire Devil Cores."


    us was taken aback again. The dragon had its own desires and its own purpose. And it even sensed this ce, exactly how powerful is it. us was both happy and curious.


    "So, I have to kill five Tier 7 Devils," us muttered as he stood up. He walked over to the edge of the cliff the dragon had brought him to. He dismissed it with a wave of his hand and then called it back again.


    Seeing the activation speed, he was more than pleased with his gains this time. He stared across the scorching forest expanse, spotting the distant home of the Lava Tail Mountain Lion.


    us had made sure to research everything about the Forbidden Zone beforeing here. He knew all about the five remaining Devils. The five were thest ones standing after killing all the other monsters and feeding on them.


    The Lava Tail Mountain Lion, the Fire Horn Leopard, the Berserker ming Wolf, the Laser-Eyed Demon Cheetah, and the ck me Devil Fox.


    Each one is more dangerous than thest. They were the most fearsome creatures a warrior could ever face, and us¡ªwho was still four realms below them¡ªwas about to challenge them to feed his me spirit.


    He nced at the dragon. "Do you have any other abilities aside from flying?"


    In response, the dragon rose into the air andshed its tail forward. A powerful fire arc shot out, shing into the small mountain where us stood. The rock erupted with mes, sending bits of debris flying when the attacknded.


    "Hey! Are you stupid? Do you want to kill me?" us yelled, but a wide grin spread across his face. He was impressed.


    "This will do," he said with a chuckle. He mentally went over his arsenal: The Void Piercing Needle, his Eyes of Malevolence linked to the second face on the Pentaface Bead, the Eye of Despair, the Bell of Harrows, and of course, his Nine Star Ice Lotus Bloom. That should be enough.


    "This time, I''ll shock the whole world when I kill all five Devils," us dered confidently. He pulled up a screen on his tracking watch, his smile widening as he tapped on "ept."


    Just like that, us entered the bounty pool created by the Overlords, a challenge left for anyone brave enough to hunt the five Fire Devils. His name was the only one on the list, marking him as the first person in ten years crazy enough to ept the challenge.

 Chapter 195: The Devils Killer (1)

    us chose the Lava Tail Mountain Lion as his first target. As its name suggests, the creature''s tail is its deadliest weapon, shaped like a de capable of slicing through metal with a single swipe.


    Ten years ago, the Overlords could have easily wiped out all five Fire Devils that roamed the Devil''s Abode. But they left them untouched, setting a challenge rather for anyone brave enough to take them down.


    A reward was promised, though no one knew what it was. Dozens of warriors entered, but none returned. Over time, people gave up on the idea of venturing into the Devil''s Abode, not only because of the danger but also because the areacked any real resources. Eventually, the ce became deserted.


    That was exactly why us picked it. He wanted to push his skills to their absolute limit without risking the life of another warrior. Here, it was just him and the monsters lurking in the infernalva pool.


    His main targets were the five Fire Devils. He nned to kill them all and feed their cores to his me Dragon Spirit. If that also meantpleting an old quest, so be it. The reward woulde, and his name would spread even further. That was the n.


    With careful, calcted steps, us moved deeper into the region, his Spirit Eye activated and scanning the area. The Lava Tail Mountain Lion was nearby, and he was ready for it.


    After twenty minutes of moving through the rugged terrain, us finally located the Lava Tail Mountain Lion. Using his Spirit Eye, he saw it resting in a pool of moltenva, radiating intense me energy.


    The lion was massive, about 3.5 meters tall. Its fur looked less like fur and more like a metallic coating, glistening with fire-like patterns. Its legs ended in razor-sharp, fiery ws, and its burning red eyes gave off an eerie glow. Each breath it took made the air ripple with heat waves, the sheer energy it radiated visible to the naked eye.


    Coiled behind it was its infamous 2-meter-long tail, sharp as a de. The tail looked like a hybrid between a saber and a scythe, ready to slice through anything that came near.


    "That is one terrifying motherfucker," us muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. A n was already forming in his mind¡ªa crazy one, but that was how he operated.


    He wanted the danger and he has finally found one. With a grin, us moved appearing in the sight of the terrifying Lion.


    "Hello there," he said casually, standing opposite the beast. "I''m us, and I happen to need your core. You wouldn''t be willing to give it up without a fight, would you?"


    The Lava Tail Mountain Lion roared in response, its fiery eyes snapping open as it stood, muscles tense, radiating even more heat and pressure. It looks both fiery elegant and terrifying. Just a sight was enough to tell one this was no easy target.


    "I guess not," us chuckled, standing his ground. He could feel the immense weight of the lion''s presence bearing down on him. ''This is no ordinary Devil,'' he thought. ''Even its pressure is stronger than thest one I killed.''


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    us''s heart raced, but he wasn''t afraid. This was exactly what he wanted¡ªa chance to test just what the Pentaface Bead was truly made of. After his near-death experience trying to peek inside the first face of the bead, he knew one thing for sure: the bead was no ordinary artifact. Underestimating it could cost him his life.


    Roar!


    sh!


    The Lava Tail Mountain Lion didn''t give us a moment to think. Its tail whipped forward, sending a crimson arc of energy hurtling toward him. Instinctively, us swung his sword, releasing a fiery arc of his own. The two attacks collided with a massive explosion, and the shockwave knocked us backward.


    "I can''t beat it one-on-one," us immediately realized his shorings. ''I''d be sending myself to the grave if I try to face it head-on.''


    Without hesitation, us muttered something under his breath. A bell materialized behind him, growing rapidly until it hovered at three meters tall. At the same moment, the lionshed its tail again.


    This time, us didn''t bother with his sword. Instead, he pointed forward, and the giant bell surged ahead, mming into the lion''s fire arc. A deafening ring echoed across the battlefield.


    The lion, standing 100 meters away, roared in agony as the sound wave hit it, forcing it back. Blood began to burst out of its eyes and noise as the sonic wave pressed down on its brain. It''s eyes burst under the pressure.


    "Not good," us muttered, eyes narrowing. He hadn''t expected the bell''s sound to be so powerful. It felt more like a beacon¡ªa call for the other four Fire Devils. If he didn''t act fast, he would have more than a single battle on his hands soon.


    With that thought, us sprang forward, the bell spinning above his head, still pristine with no cracks. However, the attack had drained him. He felt a massive pull on his Star Qi¡ª12% of his 170 million qi pool had been used in that single attack. But the results were worth it.


    The lion''s eyes were gone, leaving it blind, but that wasn''t the only effect. Its soul had been shaken by the bell, leaving it vulnerable. Its molten fur dimmed, and us knew he couldn''t waste any time.


    mming the bell forward again, us struck the lion in the head, sending it staggering backward. The beast was weakening with every attack, and its defenses were dropping fast.


    With no hesitation, us leaped into the air, sword raised high. Its tip glowed with sharp sword qi. The blinded, weakened lion struggled, its instincts barely keeping it aware of its surroundings. But it was toote.


    us plunged his sword into the lion''s neck, and as he did, his ice qi surged through the de, flooding the Lava Tail Mountain Lion''s burning body. The sh of ice and fire created an intense reaction, boiling the lion from the inside. Its massive body shuddered violently as the heat and ice fought within.


    Suddenly, a wave of dense fire energy exploded from the lion''s body, throwing us through the air. He crashed 200 meters away, but a satisfied smirk crossed his face. He had already achieved his goal. Momentster, the colossal lion staggered and fell, its life force extinguished.


    A notification shed before us''s eyes:


    [You have killed a Tier 7 Devil Monster called Lava Tail Mountain Lion. You have received 800,000 EXP.]


    "I knew it, this devil''s way stronger than the Sabertooth Tiger," us muttered, eyes locked on the lion''s steaming body as it copsed to the ground.


    With a swift movement, us used the fire essence lingering in the air to propel himself forward. In the blink of an eye, he was standing beside the lion''s fallen body. He reached down and pulled out the monster''s core. Without hesitation, he crushed it in his hand.


    The dragon tattoo on his right arm glowed fiercely as the energy from the core surged into it. us smiled, watching the power get absorbed.


    "Rest for now, buddy. You''ll be hard at work soon," he whispered, patting his arm. Then, almost casually, he pulled out his phone.


    He set a timer, and using his ability to control objects, he made the phone float in front of him, positioning it for a picture. With a step on the lion''s head, he struck a pose, the phone snapping the shot.


    "Ha! What a waste of talent," he chuckled, looking at the phone. Controlling weapons was one thing, but using his abilities for a selfie? He couldn''t help but smirk at the absurdity.


    After securing the picture, he stored the lion''s body in his spatial ring. But there was no time to waste. The other four Fire Kings would soon sense the disturbance, and us had no intention of letting them gang up on him.


    Pulling up his Tracking Watch, he located his next target: the Fire Horn Leopard. Without hesitation, he began moving toward itsir, ready for the next battle.

 Chapter 196: The Devils Killer (2)

    "This monster is more like a jaguar than a leopard," us muttered, using his Spirit Eye to observe the Fire Horn Leopard. He was concerned after using the Bell Of Harrows in thest fight, the other Fire Monsters woulde.


    But from the look of this, this Fire Horn Leopard has no such ns. It was just sleeping, or at least that was how it wanted others to think.


    It was also clear that the five Fire Devils didn''t like each other, or rather, they simply stayed out of each other''s business.


    "Brat, try not to cause too much disturbance. Below that rock is a Fire Tulip. Eating it will greatly boost your fire element potency," the senior''s voice echoed from within us''s soul sea.


    us''s eyes lit up. "You mean there''s a treasure here? Senior, was there a treasure in the first region where I killed that lion?" he asked, his mood visibly improving.


    "Everything about this ce is a treasure. Just being here will greatly temper your body and strengthen your fire element," the senior replied, slightly amused.


    "Well, isn''t that just great," us said, ncing around with newfound excitement. After a few moments of observing his surroundings, he realized he had to be careful now. The leopard was resting on a rock, which was precariously bnced on two others. Using his heightened senses, us spotted the flower hidden beneath the rock.


    "I need to kill it as fast as possible," us muttered, quickly shifting his focus to a n. From what he knew, the Fire Horn Leopard has only two abilities: Fire maniption. The horn on its head is what he uses to manipte the fire. Also, extreme speed.


    Its speed is simr to how us taps into the elemental essence in the air to move but its own is faster¡ªmuch faster.


    us knew better than to engage in directbat with a beast like this. He might be fast, but he isn''t quicker than a Tier 7 Devil that could control fire. Entering a straight fight would be suicide.


    "Brat, you have to be careful," the senior''s voice echoed once again. "This monster has a unique skill¡ªit can heal itself using fire. And, well, you''re literally in the heart of mes here, so be cautious."


    us''s brow furrowed. "Great," he muttered.


    "Just what I needed¡ªan opponent that regenerates in its own element." He nced around, feeling the oppressive heat of the environment. The mes that surrounded the area were like a constant energy source for the creature. One wrong move, and he''d be stuck in an endless battle with a beast that wouldn''t stay down.


    But us wasn''t one to back down. He had faced worse odds and survived. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves.


    He quickly started moving forward, each step revealing a different aspect of the leopard. It was massive, stretching three meters long, with a hard exoskeleton that looked like moltenva, gleaming like hot metal under the sun.


    Its eyes were deep, blood-red, glimmering with a predatory intensity. Atop its head sat a twelve-inch horn made of unyielding metal. The tip radiated heat, and us could see the jagged teeth lining its powerful jaws¡ªeach one sharp and menacing.


    "What a hideous creature," us muttered, trying to suppress a shiver that ran down his spine.


    "This better work," he said, steeling himself as he stepped into the monster''s line of sight. The leopard responded immediately with a deafening roar, shaking the very ground beneath us''s feet.


    "I know, I know. I promise it will be quick," us smirked, but he was being more careful this time.


    The Fire Horn Leopard stood up, towering over him, its massive form still atop the rock. us noticed that its horn began to glow, pulsing with fiery energy. The air around it shimmered with heat, and us could feel the intensity building.


    "Here we go," he whispered


    He muttered something, and in an instant, a terrifying red eye appeared behind himrge and menacing. us''s Eye of Malevolence had merged with the second face of the Pentaface Bead, the Eye of Despair. This fusion allowed him to control the skill more actively than ever before.


    The horn atop the leopard glowed fiercely as a ball of me began to materialize on it. Sensing the imminent danger, us quickly formed a hand seal, and at that moment, his Star Qi surged, flooding into the eye.


    A sharp headache pierced through his skull, but he pushed through the pain, locking his gaze on the leopard.


    "Later, buddy," he muttered. With a surge of energy, the eye shot out a wave of red energy, a beam that mmed directly into the leopard''s head.


    The creature let out a roar and staggered backward, disoriented. Just then, a sixteen-inch needle streaked through the air, aimed right at the leopard''s skull. Just when it seemed the needle would pierce, the leopard, barely hanging on, roared again, deflecting the attack with a desperate swipe.


    us smirked, tapping into the fire essence swirling in the air around him. In a sh, he moved, his sword gleaming blue as he channeled his ice essence into it. With a swift thrust, he stabbed the de deep into the leopard''s neck, his ice qi surged freezing it from the inside.


    Within seconds, its massive body was frozen solid, and then slowly, it fell with a thud.


    "Sorry, buddy, I don''t have all day to see what kind of skills you have," us muttered, standing atop the stone where the leopard had been just a few moments ago.


    "Good one, kid. Now sit on the stone, and I''ll teach you a way to channel that energy to temper your body. It''ll increase your resistance to fire." us didn''t need to ask for more details; he knew the senior wouldn''t offer any exnations, given the karma involved.


    us settled into a lotus posture, preparing himself for what was toe. At that moment, deep within his soul sea, a golden orb shot out from the first door, pulsating with energy. As it entered his mind, us felt a surge of information flooding his consciousness.


    He quickly formed a series of hand seals. From the ground, a round diagram appeared, glowing with energy. As soon as it took shape, us felt his skin start to burn. The hot energy from the surroundingva began to bake him alive.


    "Fuck, this hurts!" us gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay still as the intense energy coursed through his body. Despite the searing pain, he knew he had to endure.


    He could feel his body growing more resistant to the heat, and he knew that with this, he would be able to walk around the Fire region without feeling even an ounce of heat.


    Thirty minutester, the heat baking him subsided, meaning it had no effect on him anymore. He stood up and kicked therge stone he had been sitting on, sending it flying. Beneath it, he found a red flower, burning hot. He scooped it up and stored it in his space ring.


    "I''ll absorb that when I get back home." He then moved to the body of the leopard and, with a flick, picked out the Fire core and crushed it. The dragon tattoo glowed, and the energy from the core flowed into it.


    "So, senior, does that mean I just need to feed the me Spirit if I want to unlock the other awakened fire elements?" us asked as he stored the monster''s body and started moving toward the next region.


    "Yes," the voice answered. "You''ve already awakened them, so just feed the me Spirit, and you''ll gain enough control over the fires forbat. But that doesn''t mean you can stop strengthening your body.


    Even though the me Spirit holds all types of mes, your body wouldn''t be able to handle them yet. The best n is to keep using all sorts of resources to temper your body. With enough resistance to the fire, you will be able to start actively using them without getting any harmful bacshes"


    "So what are my chances of using the Choatic Nirvana mes" us suddenly asked

 Chapter 197: The Devils Killer (3)

    "So, what are my chances of using the Chaotic Nirvana mes?" us asked.


    "You won''t get burned, that''s for sure," the senior replied. "But detonating it up close? Not a good idea. You should absorb the Fire Tulip first before trying to blow up your Fire Dragon. Trust me, the damage this new me will cause is hundreds of times worse than that fireball, so be careful."


    The senior''s words made usugh and frown at the same time.


    He had awakened nine different mes, ones he had never even heard of before. When he asked the senior for more information, all he got was, "You''ll find out soon." us didn''t want to seem desperate, but he was. He hadn''t summoned the dragon in battle yet, but he could feel its power¡ªjust from how it reacted each time he fed it a core.


    They were connected on a soul level, so he could sense it, like how one feels their cultivation. He knew it was strong. And even though the senior said he needed to unlock the skills that came with it first, us knew that just detonating it could solve most of his problems.


    "Sounds great then, I guess I have nothing to worry about," us said, already thinking of the destruction he could unleash with his new attacks. Of course, the senior could sense the mischief brewing from a mile away.


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    "Brat, don''t do anything reckless. Even consuming the meat of the two monsters you''ve killed will increase your resistance to the me more," the senior warned. us only nodded as he entered the region of the Berserker ming Wolf.


    "Brat, I''m afraid this isn''t going to be easy," the senior added, but before he could finish, us''s senses red. The Berserker ming Wolf was already charging toward him at full speed.


    Without hesitation, us willed his Ice Lotus Bloom into existence. His dragon tattoo glowed, and with a mighty roar, his Fire Dragon emerged into the air.


    "Attack from the side, and don''t get too close," us said. While it felt natural to give the dragonmands, he knew from the senior that until it awakened its dragon soul, it wouldn''t be able to make decisions on its own. Still, he couldn''t help but guide it.


    As the Dragon soared upward, the Berserker ming Wolf came into view. The creature stood four meters tall, fangs dripping with moltenva. Its crimson skin was engulfed in mes, and its ws glowed with fiery heat. Its tail, ending in a serpent''s head, swayed menacingly.


    us activated the first ability of the Lotus Flower, sending a concentrated beam of ice toward the beast. But the Wolf reacted swiftly, raising a fiery dome around itself to block the attack. At the same time, the Fire Dragon unleashed its skill, one us had named [Tail sh Kill].


    The dragon''s tail whipped forward, releasing a sharp arc of fire that sliced through the ming dome. It cut the barrier in half, but the Berserker ming Wolf barely seemed fazed.


    It leaped back, and true to its berserker nature, its body shuddered beforeunching a volley of sharp fire arrows directly at us.


    Reacting quickly, us surged his star qi into the Ice Lotus. His Absolute Ice Domain activated, forming a barrier that stopped the iing fire arrows. For a moment, the battlefield was split¡ªmes on one side, ice on the other.


    us narrowed his eyes. This beast wasn''t going to go down easily, but neither was he. The Berserker ming Wolf was berserk by nature, and us knew that just using ice to block its attacks wouldn''t be enough. He had to get more aggressive with his techniques.


    Ding!


    The Bell of Harrows appeared and rang out, sending sonic waves and soul attack, crashing into the ming Wolf. For a moment, its fiery body dimmed¡ªproof that us''s soul attack had worked.


    But he didn''t give it a chance to recover. The [Eye of Despair] manifested next, glowing ominously. us focused, sacrificing 20 percent of his Star Qi. Tapping into the soul beam skill of the Eye of Despair, a powerful soul attack was unleashed.


    The ming Wolf tried to activate its defense again, but this time, it was useless. The soul attack bypassed its physical defense hitting its soul directly.. Its fiery body dimmed even further. Up in the air, us''s Fire Dragon, draining his stamina and qi by the second,shed out once more with its tail sending fire arc at the wolf.


    Howl!


    A painful howl erupted from the Berserker ming Wolf as the fire arc from the dragon''s tail shed deep into its side. us couldn''t help but grin slightly. He''d finallynded a serious hit.


    "I need to end this quick before I''m drained," us muttered to himself. He could feel his stamina dropping fast, his qi pool draining with each passing second. Using the dragon alongside the [Bell of Harrows], [Eye of Despair], and the [Nine Star Ice Lotus Bloom] was taking its toll on him.


    He knew he didn''t have much time left before he waspletely spent. He retrieved his sword and then deactivated the Bell of Harrows. us focused again, channeling another soul attack with the eye of despair thatnded squarely, just like before.


    "Going in," us muttered. He dashed from his position, his sword shing down as he appeared beside the wolf in an instant. A deep cutnded on its hind leg, causing it to howl in pain. But us wasn''t satisfied.


    "This is a problem," he thought, feeling a tingling sensation in his hand from the impact of the strike. "Is its leg made of metal?"


    The Berserker ming Wolf''s skin had been tougher than he anticipated. us examined the wound he had inflicted, realizing that it didn''t bleed like it should have. Instead, it glimmered ominously, almost as if it had a protectiveyer beneath its fiery exterior.


    "No matter, n B then," us muttered. A 16-inch needle appeared in the air as the dragon shed its tail onest time before dissipating. us had to recall it to preserve his remaining Star Qi and stamina. But the dragon''s final attack wasn''t in vain¡ªit shattered the wolf''s new defense.


    This gave us the opening he needed. Wasting no time, he unleashed abined attack. The Eye of Despair glowed menacingly, while his own Eye of Malevolence sharpened his aim, making his strike more precise.


    But that wasn''t all. The Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom activated its Ice Beam skill, sending a focused st of icy energy. In a deadly three-waybination, the Eye of Despair unleashed a soul attack, the Ice Beam followed, and us''s Moon sh, infused with fire essence, sent a crescent-shaped me arc cutting through the air.


    All three attacks collided with the Berserker ming Wolf in rapid session. The wolf howled in agony as thebined force struck it with devastating precision. Yet, us wasn''t done.


    The Void Piercing Needle shot forward, slicing through the air and piercing the wolf''s neck. Blood gushed from the wound, but the needle didn''t stop there. It shed through the air again and again, stabbing the wolf''s neck dozens of times in a blur of lethal strikes.


    Despite the savage onught, the Berserker ming Wolf refused to die. Its body, though battered, still clung to life. However, it no longer had the strength to fight back. Its berserk rage had been wasted, as us never gave it a chance to attack. He knew better than to allow a Tier 7 Devil beast any opportunity to retaliate¡ªthat would be a death sentence.


    Finally, the wolf let out onest pained howl before its massive body copsed to the ground with a heavy thud. us sighed knowing it was a close one this time. The Wolf was far more powerful than he had expected, however, he managed to take it down, thanks to his control over his skills.


    "Great control, brat," the senior praised. But us was too exhausted to respond. He copsed onto the ground, sitting heavily on his butt as he gasped for air, his body spent from the intense battle.


    After a few minutes, us forced himself to his feet, still drained but determined. He staggered over to the Berserker ming Wolf''s fallen form, carefully prying out the Fire Core from its chest. Then, with a sigh, he slumped down again, this time sitting on the massive wolf''s body.


    "Three down, two more to go," he muttered, his voice weak but his face lit up with a tired smile.

 Chapter 198: The Devils Killer (4)

    us spent the next four hours sitting on the body of the ming Wolf, consuming core after core. He hadn''t made much progress leveling up in the past few hours, so he used the time to close the gap. He added the 400 points he gained from leveling up to level 5 straight into his stamina, which helped him recover much faster.


    Although his Star Qi was heavily drained, he still had enough to push his Overlord healing passive skill into overdrive. After consuming hundreds of cores from his earlier hunt and eating some regr food, he managed to recover his stamina and restore about 70% of his Star Qi.


    He also boosted his experience points to 32 million, leaving him just a million and some spare coins short of reaching level 6. That level-up was crucial¡ªhe needed it for his final target, the Dark me Demon Wolf, a really nasty creature that would require every skill in his arsenal.


    But for now, his next focus was on the Laser-Eyed Demon Cheetah, one of the most dangerous offensive monsters in the region.


    us had seen a post online saying that five years ago, five Great Sages¡ªeach as strong as a Tier 7 monster¡ªhad tried to take the cheetah down. Only two of them made it out, and they were severely battered.


    He even saw a post that said they fell unconscious and only woke up two yearster. That was enough to tell him how powerful the Monster was.


    That was five years ago, so us knew the beast had likely grown even stronger since then. This time, he would need to be extra cautious.


    He fed the fire core to the Dragon, then started moving toward the region where the Laser-Eyed Demon Cheetah was said to roam. The cheetah is one terrifying monster, known for shooting devastating attacks from its eyes.


    It had no other abilities, but that single skill was deadly enough on its own. As they always say, a warrior with on skill that can be used a thousand ways is more dangerous than one with many with less mastery over them.


    "Brat, your control over your skills is impressive, as it should be for a Weapons Overlord," the senior said, his tone blunt as always. "But you need to be extra careful when using them. Yourst battle was won because your Star Qi is several times stronger than Spiritual Qi."


    The senior''s words hit us like a brick. "Had it been Spiritual Qi, you''d be dead by now," he added, dropping the bomb without hesitation.


    us nodded, knowing full well that the old man wasn''t exaggerating. He really would have died if not for his superior energy source. Star Qi had saved his life in that battle, but it also masked his mistakes.


    "You''ve got to learn when to use a skill and when to hold back," the senior continued, his voice gruff but filled with experience, one that us needed to hear. "Instead of activating everything at once, you should''ve been strategic. Analyze the situation before unleashing a technique.


    You need to learn how to use your abilities without draining so much stamina and Star Qi. That''s the key to surviving in the long run. Your current style won''t hold well in arge-scalebat"


    us felt a twinge of embarrassment, knowing he had gotten carried away during the fight. His eagerness to end it quickly had led him to recklessly unleash his abilities, burning through energy like there was no tomorrow.


    "Thank you, senior," us said sincerely, his voice steady, but there was a weight in his chest. He was grateful for the advice, but it also reminded him that he still had much to learn.


    Being a Weapons Overlord wasn''t just about raw strength. It was about control, precision, and making every move count. He has control over all weapons, but he has to learn how to effectively learn to use them.


    The senior''s words echoed in his mind as he continued toward the Laser-Eyed Demon Cheetah''s territory. He would have to be smarter this time. His Star Qi might be powerful, but he couldn''t rely on it alone. If he kept wasting energy recklessly, he''d eventually find himself cornered without enough strength to get out.


    "I''ve only got 70% of my Star Qi left," us thought, clenching his fists as he stepped into the domain of the Laser-Eyed Demon Cheetah. "I need to end this battle in five exchanges, or I''ll have no choice but to retreat and try againter."


    His eyes scanned the area, and his jaw tightened when he saw the massive beast before him. "They keep getting bigger and bigger," us muttered under his breath, locking his gaze onto the 4-meter-tall cheetah standing inside a pool of fire.


    "I guess they weren''t exaggerating when they said it only has one eye," he added, eyeing the creature''s demonic form.


    The cheetah was a terrifying sight, its twisted features resembling a monster straight out of a nightmare. Its legs looked like sharp metal des, and its entire body glowed like moltenva, emitting waves of heat.


    But the most terrifying feature was the single dark red eye centered on its forehead. That eye is its weapon, the deadly source of its attacking power. From everything us had read online, once that eye locked onto its target, there was no escape. One shot from that thing, and it was game over.


    us moved discreetly, careful not to draw attention just yet. His mind raced as he formed ns, weighing his options. He needed one precise attack to finish this fight, but the Cheetah would also only need one precise attack to end him.


    It would be a deadly game of cat and mouse, and us wasn''t sure if he could defend himself from itsser. He had to be extra careful.


    The air was thick with tension, and us could feel the weight of the uing battle pressing on him. His heart pounded, but he forced himself to stay calm. If he let his emotions get the best of him, he''d make a mistake, and there''d be no second chances with this beast.


    "Alright, buddy, it''s all on you now," us said, rubbing the dragon tattoo on his arm. He hade up with a n, and it was a wicked one.


    He moved closer to the range where he knew the cheetah could sense him and stopped. Just as he expected, the cheetah turned its dark red eyes toward him, ready to lock on. At that moment, the dragon appeared in the air, roaring loudly.


    The cheetah averted its gaze to the dragon. With a swift motion, the dragon shed its tail, sending a sharp arc of fire that cut through the air. The cheetah retaliated by shooting a red meser beam from its demon eye.


    The two attacks collided, resulting in a massive explosion. This gave us the opening he needed to move forward. The cheetah, now focused on the dragon, roared and fired a terrifying red beam at it. It was fiercer than the first one.


    The dragon responded by swinging its tail again, but it was no use¡ªtheser cut through its body, dispersing itpletely. us, now only 50 meters away from the cheetah, coughed up blood when the dragon was destroyed.


    There is a connection between them, so if he wasn''t the one to deactivate or detonate the dragon, any attack that takes its life would have a bacsh on him. Although not too severe, it was still dangerous enough to slow him down.


    But he had prepared for this moment. With one attack in mind, he didn''t hesitate. He closed the distance further, and when he was just 30 meters away, the Void Piercing Needle appeared alongside the Bell of Harrows. The bell rang, and at such close range, the sonic and soul attacks were lethal.


    The cheetah staggered as the attack hit it very hard, and a smile crept onto us''s face. "Got your ass," he muttered.


    The Void Piercing Needle shot forward, and before the cheetah could react, it pierced its eye, blinding it instantly. us''s n was simple, disarm it before taking his time to kill it properly


    And now, the strongest and only weapon of the Laser-Eyed Demon Cheetah has been destroyed.


    "It''s Gang banging time" He muttered.

 Chapter 199: The Devils Killer (5)

    Thud!


    The body of the Cheetah, now littered with cuts and holes, fell with a heavy thud. us smiled cheerfully as he looked at it. His sword vanished into his space ring, and a water bottle appeared in his hand.


    "Haa, it''s always good when things work out," he said, grinning at the massive body of the cheetah, which he had been using as target practice for the past 20 minutes. Without his fancy skills, he knew a one-on-one battle would have left him lying on the floor, but hey, warriors are meant to use their skills, and he was doing just that.


    "Dinner time, buddy!" us dered as he crushed the core. The dragon tattoo on his arm glowed, and all the energy was sucked into it. He could sense the dragon''s energy had dropped after its death. He quickly realized that using the dragon as a meat shield was a bad move on his side.


    "Sorry, buddy, I didn''t mean to sacrifice you like that," he said, feeling a twinge of guilt. "But hey, cheer up! We killed it, and now we have just onest monster to take down." He snapped his usual selfie with the fallen cheetah and then stored its body away.


    us moved to a nearby spot and sat down. "Let me level up first before facing that monster," he thought. Once he leveled up, his stamina and other attributes would be fully restored, along with his Star Qi pool. He was counting on that.


    An hourter, a burst of energy erupted out of his body signaling he had leveled up. He opened his status window and smiled looking at his qi pool and stats.


    Name: us Hanson


    Age: 16


    Talent: Celestial Elemental Overlord


    ss: Weapons Overlord


    Bloodline: Dormant


    Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body


    Realm: Master - Lvl: 6/12


    Strength: 1,230 | Agility: 1,270 |Stamina: 1,640 |Defense:1,100 | Intelligence: 1,500| Health: 4200


    Star Qi: 208,130,200


    Stat Points: 400


    [Next Level up: 9,000/35,228,800]


    "200 to Agility and 200 to Stamina will do," us said, allocating the 400 points he had earned to his Stamina and Agility. "God knows I''ll need my speed to escape if things go wrong."


    "I really should focus on boosting my defense next," he thought. After finishing up a few tasks, he set off for thest location where the ck me Devil Fox lives.


    He only knew of two skills the fox possessed, one of which was hypnosis. It was said that being within 2 kilometers of it could hypnotize a person. Even worse, once that happened, your stats would drop by 30 percent. That was terrifying enough, but it wasn''t the scariest part.


    From what had been gathered over the years, one thing was clear: the fox possessed a type of me that devoured everything it touched. If us wanted a shot at winning, he''d need an even more precise attack than the one he used on the cheetah.


    "Brat, if you manage to kill this monster, you can stay here for a while to cultivate using the method I showed you. This region is very dangerous but rewarding," us heard his senior''s voice in his head, causing him to smile.


    "What do you mean by ''if'' I manage to kill it? Have some confidence in me, Senior!" us joked.


    Although us knew he had to be extra careful, having already killed four out of the five Tier 7 devils while being just a mere Master stage expert made all the difference. He couldn''t help but feel a swell of arrogance about it. God knows he will soon be making waves as a p in the face to all haters and the dark order who still hasn''t managed to kill him just yet.


    He briskly walked across the vast expanse of the fire region, and before long, he found himself in the territory of the ck me Devil Fox.


    As he made his way toward the core region, he kept his senses sharp and ready for action. After about 20 minutes of careful walking, he finally came within range. Using his spirit eyes, he took a good look at the ck me Devil Fox, and it was anything but ordinary.


    "It looks like a nightmare," he muttered to himself. Everything about it was twisted in one way or another. But that wasn''t all; just observing the creature had a hypnotic effect on him. Despite that, he pressed on, determined to study the fox as it devoured a massive five-meter beast it had just killed.


    "Oh, this is interesting," us said, a smile creeping across his face. He had expected something like this. He felt a hot sensation spreading across his back, wiping away the lingering hypnotic effect just when he was about to sumb.


    He didn''t know what those tattoos were or why his dad had insisted he get them, but he was sure they were his strongest abilities. One day, he would figure out how to actively use them.


    For now, though, he had no control over them; they only activated passively on their own.


    us took a deep breath, shaking off the residual effects of the fox''s aura. He couldn''t let himself be caught off guard. With a renewed sense of focus, he prepared to strategize his next move.


    "Time to show this fox who''s boss," he murmured, a confident grin spreading across his face as he readied himself for battle.


    us moved forward, confident that the hypnotic effect wouldn''t hit him too hard. As he got within striking distance, the fox sensed him. Without even turning to look, its body ignited in dark mes, and dark smoke began to spread around it.


    "Arrogant, huh? Well, that''s your mistake," us thought, feeling like the monster was looking down on him. Without holding back, he summoned the Ice Lotus, channeling 20 percent of his Star Qi into it.


    He hurled it toward the fox. As it got within 20 meters, us could see the creature react, clearly threatened by the extreme coldness.


    "Too slow, scum," he spat, snapping his fingers. The flower stopped just 10 meters from the fox and then exploded.


    A wave of ice surged across the entire area, freezing everything in its path. Thankfully, us wasn''t affected this time. But the fox wasn''t so lucky; it was frozen solid, though not dead yet.


    "Buddy, get your revenge!" he shouted as the dragon appeared overhead. Without wasting a second, it shed its tail, sending a sharp arc of fire slicing through the ice andnding on the fox''s neck.


    us heard a cracking sound and smiled. The dragon roared in response. "Good job, buddy!" he eximed, feeling pumped. He thenunched the Void Piercing Needle, which zipped forward and pierced the fox''s body, creating hundreds of holes that ended its existence for good.


    "Your mistake was underestimating me," us smirked, his ego swelling back to life. Little did he know, he had unlocked a terrifying trait within himself he wasn''t even aware of. When looked down upon by others, he became extremely precise and lethal.


    With just two attacks, he had taken down the fox he was worried would be hard to kill. It seemed that his anger only made him stronger.


    us retrieved the fire core and immediately felt something different about this one. "Senior, what kind of me is this?" he asked, sensing that the fire from the fox was stronger than his own¡ªor at least stronger than his current me.


    "It''s called the Dark Devouring me," the senior''s voice echoed in his mind. "It has several properties, like hypnosis and lethal burns, but its most dangerous feature is devouring. Anything that touches it will be consumed instantly."


    us''s eyes widened in surprise. "Compared to my Chaotic Nirvana me, which is stronger?"


    The senior chuckled. "Brat, when your Chaotic Nirvana me truly awakens, you''ll understand its full power."


    us''s eyes widened even further. So he was worried for nothing.


    "Great! Time to shock the world again," us said with a smirk, feeling more confident than ever. He took onest selfie with the monster''s massive body behind him.


    Within minutes, five new selfies were uploaded, and as expected, chaos erupted across the inte¡ªand soon, the entire world.

 Chapter 200: Shocking The Overlords

    Far from the Demon Abode, in a lush room, eight people were seated around what appeared to be a meeting. Three were on one side of arge golden table, four on the other. At the head of the table sat a woman who could only be described as the true definition of beauty, scrolling through a ss tablet with an emotionless expression.


    Despite her nk face, she was undeniably stunning. She looked to be in her 20s, but everyone knew that since the apocalypse, humans no longer aged like they used to. She might be very old, but she didn''t appear a day older than 20. Suddenly, she looked up from her tablet and spoke.


    "Report." That was all she said, her voice cold yetmanding.


    A young man who appeared to be in histe 30s, having short ck hair, handsome features, and a scythe tattoo on his forehead, spoke up.


    "Everything seems fine in the Southern Union. No new threats, aside from that bastard still hiding in the mountains. The War Gods and Goddesses are always on high alert, so everything''s pretty chill."


    Another man, also handsome but with a rather unusual set of pink eyes, chimed in next. "Seems like someone''s targeting the Dark Order. From the reports I got from the Eastern Region of the Northern Union, all their assassins in that area have vanished. It''s safe to say they''re all dead.


    "They''re not saying much, but ording to my contacts, they''re pissed¡ªand scared. Somebody''s wiping them out." He smiled, his pink eyes shining, giving him an oddly beautiful look instead of just handsome. He is almost too pretty for his own good.


    "That is to be expected," thedy at the head of the table said, still maintaining her emotionless look. She turned to a young woman who looked like she had been carved from ice. Her long, snow-blue hair matched her snow-blue eyes, and her cherry-red lips and high cheekbones only added to her charm.


    "How are things in the cial Union?" she asked.


    The blue-haired woman, equally cold but more rxed in her expression, replied, "Everything is going well. We discovered a new ice crystal minest week and have already started mining. That''s all."


    The woman at the head of the table nodded and then turned her attention to thest four people seated on the other side. "How''s the exploration of the ruins going?" she asked.


    Just as one of them was about to respond, a device began beeping. She raised a finger, signaling for silence, and tapped on a small projector device.


    "Sorry, Overlord, but you need to turn on the news. Something big just happened," a young woman''s voice came through before the projection faded away.


    With a tap of a button, all eyes turned to therge screen. As it flickered to life, us''s image appeared.


    "This kid again. What did he do this time?" the blue-haireddy muttered, her gaze fixed on the screen.


    In response, a familiar face appeared on the screen, and everyone turned to look at the colddy with puzzled expressions. They all wanted to shout, "Really?" but they held back, not daring to speak up. On the screen, the reporter began talking.


    "This is KKKickinIt with Controversial News! In an unexpected turn of events, after surviving an assassination attempt by the Dark Order¡ªwho he promptly renamed the Chicken Order¡ªand then going ahead to topping the Regional Selection trials, us Hanson, the most handsome, fierce, and arrogant warrior sh model, has done it again, y''all!


    "In a rather unusual post, us Hanson has shown the world that he''s not just some arrogant showoff¡ªhe''s a determined warrior. The Five Devils inside the Fire Region of the Demon Abode are dead, and guess who took them down? Yep, the kid who everyone thought was just a cocky nobody.


    "When I say killed them, I mean he, a Master Stage expert, took down five Tier 7 devils, and even posed with their bodies afterward. On one side, you''ve got all the legacies, and on the other side, there''s us Hanson. The difference is crystal clear now.


    "Alright folks, once again, this is KKKickinIt with Controversial News, and I''m out!"


    I mean, for an Overlord, shouldn''t she be watching more official news channels? Controversial News? Really? But since none of them wanted those cold eyes on them, they kept quiet, just watching as the image of the five Fire Devils appeared on the screen along with us''s rather unusual caption. Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    It read: "Okay, they''re dead. And guess who killed them? This young master. Never doubt me."


    "Those words are pretty arrogant, yet... oddly touching. This kid''s awesome. I need to meet him," the pink-eyed man said with a grin.


    "He''s strong but also dangerous," said a blue-haired young man with a calm yet twisted expression. Looking into his eyes, one could almost see the vast expanse of an ocean.


    "Water boy, are you intimidated?" the pink-eyed man teased with a smile.


    "Why would I be intimidated? And stop calling me Water Boy," the blue-haired man replied coldly.


    "Tsk, what a rigid guy." The pink-eyed man chuckled in response.


    "This little brother is quite interesting. I want to meet him too. He looks... delicious." Suddenly, the third woman in the room, with red hair and fiery red eyes, spoke while licking her lips. She had the aura of a fire queen, with a me tattoo on her forehead.


    The colddy at the head of the table nced at her with an unreadable expression. "You shouldn''t spoil him. He''s still young." Nobody knew why she said that, but it was clear she didn''t like the way the red-haireddy was eyeing us.


    "Hehe, big sister, don''t tell me you''ve finally fallen for someone! I mean, I wouldn''t me you if you have¡ªhe''s perfect for you. I bet his arrogance could melt that cold demeanor of yours. I can already picture you blushing. Oh, what a sight that would be!" the redhead teased.


    The colddy narrowed her eyes but didn''t reply. Instead, she nced at us''s image again and spoke.


    "Dharma, I''ll leave the reward to you. Since he''s in your union, do as you see fit." The pink-eyed man smiled.


    "Brother Dharma, take me with you when you go," the red-haired woman said.


    "To do what?" the colddy asked.


    "To be your wingwoman, of course! With your rigid, frosty looks, I don''t trust you to pull this off on your own," the redhead said with a yful smile.


    "You¡ª" The colddy started to retort but stopped herself, realizing the redhead was the only doing that to make her look miserable. And now, she''d gotten under her skin, cracking her cold exterior.


    "By the way," the blue-haired man,who Dharma referred to as ''Water Boy,'' spoke up again, his earlier expression now melting slightly. "It seems us won''t have it easy during the Union Trial. I''ve heard the Duncan Legacy family has banned him from entering Union City where the Union Trial will take ce."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll handle it," Dharma said with a smirk.


    "No, don''t. Let him deal with it himself," the colddy replied, surprising everyone with her unusual response.


    "Big sister, you''re not nning to use the Duncan family to kill him before he manages to break through that ice-cold heart of yours, are you?" the redhead teased, making the colddy narrow her eyes in warning.


    "Fine, fine. us will handle his issues without interference from the Overlords. Jeez, you scare me sometimes. Just make sure you don''t look at him that way¡ªyou might frighten him off, and then you''ll die lonely!" Before the colddy could respond, the redhead vanished from the room, leaving her cheekyughter echoing behind.


    "Annoying b*tch," the colddy muttered, sighing. The others exchanged nces before vanishing as well, signaling the premature end of the meeting.


    She nced at the image of us again, her expression softening briefly. "He really is handsome..." she muttered, but immediately regretted it.


    "I knew it!" the redhead suddenly reappeared, grinning as she walked closer, cing a hand on her shoulder.


    "Don''t worry, big sister. This brat will be yours soon enough."

 Chapter 201: Sending A Distress Signal [Bonus]

    While the world was in shock over the images us posted, the main instigator was still seated somewhere in the Demon''s Abode. He sat on a stone tablet in the fire region, specifically in the territory of the Fox Devil he had killed.


    The diagram he used to temper his body in the second region was still active, baking his body in a process that seemed incredibly painful. He had been enduring it for the past five days, with no sign of it stopping anytime soon.


    But despite the intense heat, us never made a sound as he let the mes temper his body. After another half day, the fire''s effect started to fade. Feeling it wasn''t working on him anymore, he stood up and began walking around the fire region, hoping to get lucky again like he did when he found the fire tulip.


    "I need to find a pack of wolves soon. In a few hours, the blood moon will rise, and they''ll be at their strongest. That''ll give me the perfect opportunity to train more effectively," he muttered to himself.


    After six hours of searching and finding nothing, us left the fire region. He then fed a core to the Dragon, which became several times stronger after absorbing it.


    us wasn''t sure how many fire cores he would need to unlock a skill from the Dragon, so for now, he could only rely on his next tribtion. He hoped the Fire Dragon might also absorb the core runes of lightning when the time came unlocking at least one additional skill.


    Aftering back to a new hideout in a much calmer and serene environment, a stark contrast to the fire region, he began to mediate for the next few hours. He stayed seated in meditation for a while before leaving, headed toward a region he''d picked from the map.


    His goal was to reach at least level 10 before returning. The requirement for the Union Trial was to be at the bottleneck of the Master stage, and he needed to make sure he was ready.


    Aoi Hiroshi had already told him that after the Union Trial, they would be given a new form of Mountain Dew, one that has an even stronger effect than the version they received for the City and Regional Trials.


    Even though us didn''t really need the Dew, he still wanted to try it. Maybe it would have some effect on him. At first, he has only been thinking about helping his mom with the dew, but not anymore.


    After he woke up from hisa, the woman he knew as his mother had be much more beautiful and younger, and her assets were more pronounced. us was happy about the change and figured he wouldn''t need to force the Dew on her again.


    She has also started to level up, which was something he was incredibly happy about.


    He stumbled upon a horde of Human-Faced Spider Demons, and without waiting for an invitation, he began another ughter. Itsted for two whole hours, but by the end, he''d managed to secure over 60% of the experience points needed for his next level-up.


    Feeling satisfied, us went back to rest for a while before preparing for his next hunt. It would be in about four hours when the blood moon would finally appear.


    ==========


    Far from us, within the territory of the Darkblood Demon Zombies, ten thousand Tier 6 Zombie Generals each standing three meters tall, their twisted, rotten, and jagged physiques making them look grotesque casting an ominous look across the region. Beside them also stood a thousand Tier 7 Zombie Kings, each one resembling a nightmare brought to life.


    They stood surrounding arge tform where seven other zombies could be seen standing atop massive pirs.


    Suddenly, the heavens began to turn red as the moon revealed its gaze. The moment it appeared, the pirs showed signs of awakening.


    ======


    Back in us''s resting area, he opened his eyes and smiled as the heavens began to change color. He stepped out of the cave, ready to head to the location he had marked for the wolves when something caught his attention¡ªa series of red beams shooting into the sky, illuminating the area.


    Though he was several miles away, he could see the beams clearly. Soon after, he noticed streams of red energy rising from all over the forest, heading toward the Seven Pirs of Light.


    "Senior, what is happening?" us asked curiosity and concern in his voice.


    "A blood moon ritual. How interesting. Who would have thought a world like yours would have such a ritual? Brat, it''s best if you leave this forest within the next hour," the senior replied, causing us to frown.


    "Senior, please tell me what''s going on," he pressed again, seeking more information.


    "Brat, this is a forbidden ritual, a very sinister one used to create forbidden beings," the senior said. "If I''m not mistaken¡ªand of course, I never am¡ªthis ritual is meant to create a dangerous variant of zombies. By the time it''s over, every monster in this forest will be dead, and judging by those red lights, seven powerful zombies will emerge.


    By then, it''ll be toote for you to leave."


    us felt a shudder run down his spine at the thought. All monsters would be dead, who would be crazy enough toe up with something this twisted and sinister?


    "But why am I not being affected?" he asked. He could sense every monster around him losing their life force, yet he remained unharmed.


    "That''s because you don''t have Spiritual Qi running through you. Once again, your Star Qi has saved you. But you need to leave now and call for the immediate extermination of this region before the ritual finishes."


    "How much time do I have?" us asked urgency in his voice.


    The senior''s voice was grave as he responded, "You have less than an hour. Once the ritual reaches its peak, it''ll be impossible to stop. Those seven zombies will be unlike anything you''ve faced before."


    "Then it''s a good thing I''m here," us said with a smirk. He took out his phone and dialed a number. Shortly after, Hanna''s face appeared on the screen.


    "us, are you okay?" Hanna asked, concern clear in her voice.


    "All good," us replied casually. "By the way, you wouldn''t happen to know how to send a distress signal using the tracking watch, would you?"


    "There is a way, but why do you ask?" Hanna''s curiosity grew.


    "Let''s just say something bad is happening in the Demon''s Abode, and if I don''t address it quickly, Arcadian City''s gonna be in some serious trouble again," us said, his tone more serious.


    "Pull up the info system on the watch. There should be a button to send a distress signal. It''ll be received by all warriors in the cities in the Eastern Region," Hanna exined without further questions, seeing the urgency in us''s expression.


    "Thanks, big sister. I''ll catch youter." us hung up and immediately essed the info system. Within moments, the distress signal process appeared on the screen.


    "Severity? Hmm, let''s go with ''very dangerous,''" us muttered as he selected the option and sent the signal.


    "Brat, what are you doing?" the senior asked as us began moving quickly toward the ritual site.


    "Well, Senior, someone has to stop them before the ritual reaches its peak," us said without slowing down. He was already speeding toward the danger. Soon, his phone rang again, and he answered it.


    "us, what''s happening? I just received your distress signal," the War Goddess, Miriam, asked, her voiceced with concern.


    "Big sister Miriam, how long will it take for reinforcements to reach the Demon''s Abode?" us asked in return.


    "Forty-five minutes, tops, if they''reing from Arcadian City," she answered.


    "Then you''d better hurry. Some dangerous shit is going down with these zombies, and I don''t think I can handle it alone," us said, his usual confidence wavering slightly.


    "us, don''t do anything reckless," Miriam warned, sensing the madness in his eyes.


    "Don''t worry, my love. Nothing dangerous will happen," us replied with a wink, though the War Goddess was too concerned to notice how he called her.


    "I''ll get there as fast as I can," she promised.


    us kept moving, and within ten minutes, the scene of the ritual came into view.


    "Now, that is just nasty," he muttered, disgust clear on his face. Thousands of hearts wereid at the base of each pir, creating a gruesome disy that made him want to vomit. All around the area, dangerous zombies stood guard, each holding menacing weapons, or their arms twisted into weapons, their eyes fixed on one of the pirs.


    At the top of that particr pir stood a figure¡ªa woman, though clearly a zombie, she looked more human than the grotesque creatures surrounding her. With just one nce, us recognized her cultivation level.


    "A Zombie Emperor," he whispered, his eyes narrowing.

 Chapter 202: The Red Moon Ritual [Bonus]

    "Overlord, there''s a Category Three distress signal from the Demon''s Abode," a voice announced suddenly. Inside the meeting room, where the eight Overlords had held their awkward meeting a few days ago, the Cold Lady was sittingfortably. Her calm was quickly interrupted when a holographic projection of a woman appeared before her.


    "Who issued it?" she asked, her voice sharp.


    "us Hanson," the woman replied, causing a flicker of emotion to pass across the Cold Lady''s face.


    "Which of the Protectors is nearby?" she asked urgently.


    "War Goddess Miriam. She''s already on her way," the woman informed her, prompting the Cold Lady to let out a relieved sigh.


    "Keep me updated on any further developments," she instructed. "And direct the satellite to monitor the Demon''s Abode. Don''t share the footage outside of this room," she added firmly.


    The projecteddy bowed, and shortly after, therge screen in the room lit up, disying the live situation inside the Demon''s Abode.


    ========


    Back inside the Demon''s Abode, us stood still as the zombiedy began to speak. "Everyone, I won''t say much, but after the ritual, we march toward the city that the Voltox idiots failed to conquer. We will take it, and show the Empress we are worthy to join her immediate army.


    Fear not, the DarkBlood Demon Zombie is about to dominate the world alongside the Zombie Empress!"


    us shuddered. He knew all too well that this wasn''t going to end well. He had fought during the Invasion at Arcadian City, and he had seen the countless lives lost. Hearing this n, he realized just how catastrophic things could get if the ritual seeded.


    "Senior, how do I stop the ritual?" us asked, his voice tense.


    "It''s already started, and from the look of things, these pirs have generated some kind of forcefield. You''ll need to destroy the dome first, then the pirs, all within the next 20 minutes," the senior replied, making us frown deeply.


    "That''s impossible. There are thousands of Zombie Generals and Kings. How am I supposed to get past them all?" us asked, frustration creeping into his tone.


    "That''s your problem, brat. If you don''t destroy the pirs within the next 20 minutes, there won''t be another chance. Unless, of course, you have the power to take on mutated Zombies," the senior added, making us frown even harder.


    "I''ll still have to try. If they seed, with this army, they''ll use Arcadian City as a stepping stone to impress this mysterious Zombie Empress," us muttered, not bothering to dwell too much on the mention of the Empress.


    His task was clear: destroy the pirs. But first, he had to break through the forcefield. And to do that, he''d have to get past the thousands of zombies guarding the area.


    "For the first time, I''m really at myst leg," us admitted to himself. He didn''t have a n, and even his trump cards wouldn''t do much in this situation. He is also too weak topare to the danger the senior was on about about this ritual.


    "Still, I have to do something," he whispered, clenching his fists. No matter how grim it looked, he wasn''t going to stand back and let the world fall.


    "Well, these are experience points waiting to be harvested," us chuckled, surveying the line of Zombies standing on the battlefield, ready to be taken down.


    He moved discreetly toward the ritual ground. As he got closer, he noticed some monsters already on theirst legs, their bodies evaporating as they were drained by whatever dark magic the Zombies were using. The sight fueled his determination.


    Using his senses, he examined the ritual ground and spotted various symbols drawn into the dirt, glowing ominously. "How is this even possible? They''re Zombies for fuck''s sake," he muttered, disbeliefcing his tone as he took in the gruesome setup that was siphoning the life force from the creatures in the Demon''s Abode.


    "I have to end this as quickly as I can," us said to himself, moving closer. He still had some distance to cover if he wanted his attack to maximize damage. He could feel the tension building within him, a fire that urged him to act.


    "Senior, if I detonate the Dragon, will its energy drop?" us asked, his mind racing with possibilities.


    "No, it will only drop if it''s killed. However, detonating it will drain your Star Qi," the senior replied, a hint of reassurance in their tone. us smiled, a n forming in his mind.


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    With his first strategy in ce, us felt a surge of confidence. He would detonate the Dragon near the Zombie Kings, hoping to take out a few of them in the st.


    Then, for the Zombie Generals, he would use the Ice Lotus, knowing they wouldn''t be able to counter much. After that, he nned to unleash the Void Piercing Needle, taking out as many as he could before engaging in closebat.


    After the detonation, us knew there would be enough residue of ice and fire essence in the air to help him move faster. With his talent as a Celestial Elemental Overlord, he could use even the tiniest bits of ice or fire essence to boost his speed.


    "I just hope these two detonations will help me level up. I need those 400 points," us muttered, aware he was walking a fine line here.


    "Senior, karma aside, what kind of zombies wille out of this ritual?" He had to know.


    The senior sighed, knowing this would bite him in the ass during us''s next tribtion. But he had to tell him. "They''re called Blood Princes. They''re zombies born from blood under the red moon."


    "Cool name. What about their powers? Care to give me a heads-up?" us asked.


    "They''ll be at least ten times stronger than the five devils you''ve already killed." us shuddered at that thought.


    He gulped, imagining the chaos ahead. He had used decisive methods to kill the fire devils, but he knew that wouldn''t work here. There were thousands of zombies he had to deal with first. If his instincts were right, he''d be up against six Blood Princes and probably a Blood Queen too. The thought made his stomach churn.


    "Miriam, please hurry up!" us clenched his fist, urgency flooding through him as he moved toward the point where the two attacks would be unleashed. Time felt like it was slipping away, and he needed to be ready.


    "Brat, make sure you don''t bite off more than you can chew. These zombies aren''t like the ones you faced before," the senior warned, his tone firm. us nodded, knowing the truth in those words. He had survived before, but this felt different. The stakes were higher, and he couldn''t afford to make mistakes.


    "This better work," us muttered. He sighed as a dragon and an Ice Lotus appeared in the air. At the same time, he felt his Star Qi being drained. The lotus absorbed some energy, while the dragon took its share as well.


    "Go!" He pointed forward. The Zombie generals and kings around him sensed the new presence. They all growled, watching the dragon and the Ice Lotus approach them.


    "This better work," us muttered again, watching the two attacks get closer. This time, he didn''t smile. Instead, a serious expression crossed his face as he snapped his fingers.


    "Explode!"


    On one side, a blinding sh of crimson fire erupted, its wave washing over everything. On the other side, the Ice Lotus detonated, freezing everything in its path.


    "Now!" us shouted as the Void Piercing Needle shot forward. The next moment was chaos¡ªice shattered, and blood sprayed everywhere as the Zombies howled in pain from the burns of fire and ice.


    "Nice one, brat!"

 Chapter 203: Killing With Lethal Precision

    The n was simple: use the Ice Lotus Bloom to attack the Tier 6 Zombies, a method us had already tested and proven effective. After that, the Chaotic Nirvana me, flowing through the Dragon, would be unleashed to deal with the more powerful Tier 7 Zombies.


    us had bet everything on this one massive explosion. Now, standing amidst the destruction, he felt a wave of satisfaction. The explosion wiped out over 40% of the Zombies on both sides, instantly allowing us to level up to Level 7.


    Without hesitation, he allocated the 400 points he had earned straight to his Agility. us knew speed would be his greatest asset. He needed to move quickly to keep the remaining Zombies at bay until reinforcements arrived.


    "Human, you dare!" The voice of the Lady Zombie standing atop one of the pirs echoed across the battlefield. After the explosion, us had begun systematically taking down Zombies with his Void Piercing Needle. The Lady Zombie, still ring at him from the top of her pir started to shout furiously.


    us on the other had just smirked. He knew she couldn''t leave the pir until her ritual wasplete, so her threats were empty for now. He didn''t bother replying, focusing instead on thinning out the horde. The Void Piercing Needle required little Star Qi, which made it the perfect weapon for this moment. All he needed was mental strength, something he had been honing throughout his battles.


    With every flicker of his mind, the needle darted through the air, piercing the heads of Zombies. Some had already died in the explosion, but those farther away had managed to survive. However, many of them weren''t quick enough to escape the reach of the needle.


    The explosion had been more powerful than us had expected, giving him a significant advantage. He pushed his mental strength to the limit, focusing on the Tier 6 Zombies first. They had less awareness of their surroundings, making them easier targets. The needle effortlessly tore through them, one after another. Discover stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin


    "Human, I will skin you alive!" the Lady Zombie screeched again, her voice filled with fury as she watched her subordinates get ughtered one by one. Her eyes zed with anger, but she was powerless to act, still bound to her ritual on the pir.


    In response, us merely raised his middle finger, a smirk tugging at his lips. He didn''t waste time with words. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, continuing to kill as quickly as he could.


    "You guys should stay at bay now," us muttered under his breath. With a flick of his wrist, the Bellof Harrows appeared before him, its chime echoing across the battlefield. The sound was more than just noise¡ªit carried a powerful sonic wave,bined with a soul attack, aimed directly at the Tier 7 Zombies. He needed to hold them back just long enough to finish off the weaker ones.


    Every five seconds, the Bell rang out, each toll sending a wave of force that kept the Zombie Kings at bay. It gave us the time he needed, making the ughter of the Tier 6 Zombies far more efficient.


    Blood sttered across the ground, staining the ice left behind by the explosion. The battlefield was a gruesome sight, littered with bodies. Within two minutes, 70% of the Tier 6 Zombies had been wiped out, leaving only a small percentage still standing.


    "Not fast enough," us muttered to himself, frustration creeping into his voice. His sword materialized in his hand, gleaming in the dim light. Without hesitation, he moved. In one swift, fluid motion, several heads flew into the air, severed cleanly by his de.


    His sword shed through the air, moving faster than the eye could follow. Each strike was lethal, each swing precise. Heads continued to roll as the Void Piercing Needle continued its deadly work alongside his de, darting through the battlefield and finishing off any Zombies left standing.


    us''s movements were a blur, a dance of death as he carved his way through the remaining Zombies. Thebination of his sword and needle made him unstoppable, his attacks relentless. He didn''t give the Zombies a chance to recover or regroup. Every time one moved, it was met with a swift, merciless end.


    The battlefield had be a ughterhouse, with blood pooling on the frozen ground. us showed no sign of slowing down, his determination burning brighter with each kill. The Tier 6 Zombies, though numerous, were no match for his speed and skill.


    Above him, the Lady Zombie watched helplessly, her anger turning to desperation. She could only scream and shout from her pir, unable to stop the massacre happening before her eyes.


    us didn''t care about her threats. His mind was focused solely on clearing the battlefield. The faster he could eliminate these Zombies, the sooner he could turn his attention to the real challenge: the Tier 7 Zombies, who were still waiting, held back by the Bell of Harrow''s sonic waves.


    "Human, stop what you are doing! Do you want to offend the Zombie Empress? Let me tell you, your so-called Overlords are no match for her!" the Lady Zombie shouted again, her voice filled with arrogance and desperation.


    us couldn''t help but smirk at her words. "Keep running your mouth. After I''m done with these idiots, I''ll make sure to wipe that smug look off your face," he muttered under his breath, his tone calm and unwavering as he continued to cut through the hordes of Zombies.


    He showed no mercy. Every swing of his sword and flick of the Void Piercing Needle resulted in another kill. The battlefield was chaotic, but us thrived in the madness. His movements were swift and calcted, his attacks leaving no room for the Zombies to fight back. He knew adding the 400 points to agility was the right move.


    "Just a few more," The senior who had been against the idea of him entering this fight this time still didn''t let the moment slide without praising him and encouraging him to keep on.


    us''s lips curled into a slight smile at the sound of his senior''s voice. Right now, he couldn''t care less about some unknown Zombie Empress. He knew that, sooner orter, he would face her. But at this moment, his focus was on staying alive long enough to deal with the 540 Tier 7 Zombies he was keeping at bay.


    "If I manage to pull this off, I''m definitely taking a vacation," us muttered to himself. The reality of the situation was grim¡ª500-plus Tier 7 Zombies were far too many for someone like him, a mere Tier 3 human. By all logic, he should have been crushed under such overwhelming odds.


    But us was anything but normal. In many ways, he was an anomaly, a fighter who always rose to the asion. To him, this was just another challenge to ovee. Looking at the staggering odds, us knew he''d have to fight harder than ever, but there wasn''t an ounce of fear in him.


    "I need to level up faster if I''m going to break through this force field," he muttered, shing his way through the bloody battlefield. His sword cut through Zombie after Zombie, each kill bringing him closer to his goal.


    "Brat, if you survive this and break through to the Grandmaster stage, your strength, and Star Qi will increase greatly," his senior''s voice echoed in his mind. "These Zombies have a unique aura that will enhance your Star Qi if you absorb it properly."


    "Now that''s what I like to hear," us said with a grin, feeling a surge of motivation.


    "You just have to survive this battle," his senior added a subtle tone of care in his voice. us''s smile widened. He knew the senior wasn''t just giving him advice¡ªhe was showing concern in his own way, reminding us that this was hard, but not impossible.


    The battlefield around him was a gruesome sight. Blood painted the ice and dirt, and bodies of fallen Zombies piled high.


    "And it''s a wrap" us smirked as the Void Piercing Arrow pierces thest Zombie General. He has some blood on him, but he wasn''t injured, they are the blood of the zombies. Next, the Zombie Kings...

 Chapter 204: Surrounded By Zombie Kings

    "Explode"


    The Ice Lotus exploded once more, freezing the entire region where the Tier 7 Zombies stood. The frost spread like wildfire, encasing everything in a sheet of glistening ice. us watched for a split second, taking in the devastation, but he couldn''t let his guard down.


    The Bell had already drained 20 percent of his Star Qi just to keep the Zombies at bay, and now, detonating the Ice Lotus had cost him another 10 percent. His Star Qi reserves were dwindling, and he knew he couldn''t afford to waste any more energy.


    "I need all the help I can get," us muttered under his breath. In an instant, the Dragon appeared in the sky above him. Its massive form coiled in the air before it shed its tail, sending sharp arcs of fire toward the frozen Zombies.


    The mes cut through them like a de through butter, turning many into nothing more than charred remains.


    us smirked as he looked up at the Lady Zombie, still perched on her pir, helpless. "You see this? This is how I decimate your precious army that you''re counting on to invade my human cities." His voice was cold and confident, mocking her as her forces crumbled before him.


    But there was no time to savor the moment. us moved swiftly, activating the Lotus Flower again, its icy petals blooming around him, and simultaneously activating the Absolute Ice Domain. The domain spread out in a sh, covering the battlefield in an aura of freezing energy.


    Inside the domain, us felt his body lighten. His movements became faster, his reflexes sharper. This was his advantage¡ªspeed. He needed it to keep the Zombies at bay while conserving what little Star Qi he had left.


    The Bell continued to toll, its deep chime echoing across the frozen battlefield. The sound waves,bined with the Dragon''s fiery attacks, were holding the Tier 7 Zombies back, but us knew he couldn''t rely on them forever. He had to take the offensive.


    With his sword in hand, us darted through the battlefield, his de cutting down any Zombie that crossed his path. Heads rolled, bodies copsed, and blood stained the ice below.


    All around him, us was surrounded by Zombies, each one aiming to take his life. Their eyes glowed with hunger, and their decayed hands reached out to tear him apart. But he wasn''t alone. His summoned Dragon was doing more than just holding them back.


    "It seems I really underestimated the Chaotic Nirvana me," us muttered, watching as the Dragon unleashed arcs of fire, reducing the Zombies to ash.


    The intense heat from its mes lit up the battlefield, sending smoke and embers swirling into the air. The Dragon moved swiftly, its fiery attacks obliterating any Zombie that got too close.


    Though the Dragon was helping, us wasn''t having an easy time. His heart raced, and his body ached from the constant swinging and shing. It was nerve-wracking to be surrounded by so many enemies, each several Tiers above him. A Tier 3 human against hundreds of Tier 7 Zombies, that was just ridiculous.


    He clenched his sword tightly, determined to keep going. His n was simple: hold on for as long as he could, no matter what.


    "At this rate, I''ll run out of Star Qi," us muttered again, his eyes darting to the Dragon, the Ice Lotus, and the Bell of Harrows. These powerful skills were draining his energy faster than he had anticipated. He could feel his Star Qi dwindling with every moment, like sand slipping through his fingers.


    He knew he had to act fast. If he could hold on just a little longer, he might be able to level up to level 8. That would restore his Star Qi and strengthen his other stats.


    But that was a big "if." Before that could happen, he first had to kill more Tier 7 Zombies to gain the experience points needed. Time was running out, and the pressure was mounting.


    Convincing himself he could kill all the Zombie Kings before the ritual ended was easier said than done. The Zombies kepting, relentless and fierce. He was surrounded, and the odds were stacked against him. But us had made up his mind. He wasn''t going to back down. Not now.


    He nced at the red sky above. The ritual had already begun, and he could feel the sinister energy swirling in the air, thick and oppressive.


    The Zombie Kings were gathering, and us knew he had to finish them before the ritual wasplete, or the consequences would be dire. That was the n¡ªend them before it was toote.


    "The idiots are endless," us muttered as he continued killing, but there were just too many Zombiesing. Thankfully, inside his Absolute Ice Domain, his speed was boosted, and he became much stronger. Yet, the question lingered¡ªhow long could he hold on?


    ======


    It had already been ten minutes since the battle started between us and the Zombies in the Demon''s Abode Forbidden Zone. The Zombies kepting in waves, relentless and tireless. us knew he was strong, but even his strength had limits.


    Meanwhile, warriors and the military were mobilizing in Arcadian City and other nearby cities. Their destination? The Demon''s Abode.


    us''s distress signal had been sent out to all the warriors with tracking watches, something they received when they first entered a forbidden zone as part of a team. Now, they were all heading toward the forbidden zone to help him.


    The journey would take a little over forty minutes, but they were moving as fast as they could. Every second counted. They knew us was strong, but no one could fight forever, not even him.


    Dave Arcadian, the leader of Arcadian City, was at the front of the charge, as always. He understood the stakes. His city, still under defensive construction, couldn''t withstand another attack, especially if the battle spilled over from the forbidden zone. That''s why he was racing toward the danger, his mind focused on both saving us and protecting the city.


    Alongside Dave, other Sages and powerful warriors moved with him. They knew the weight of what was happening. This wasn''t just about us. The entire Eastern Region could be affected if they didn''t stop whatever was happening in the Demon''s Abode.


    Across the region, warriors from various cities were heading toward the Forbidden Zone. Some were moving in armored vehicles, while others flew inbat helicopters. Those in the air had a clear advantage and would reach the Zone faster.


    But not everyone needed a vehicle. Some individuals were faster than jets, and one such person was the War Goddess Miriam.


    Far from the Demon''s Abode, she soared through the sky, moving faster than the wind could carry her. Her long ck hair flowed behind her as she sped toward the Zone. She wasing from Ross City, which is very far from the Demon''s Abode Forbidden Zone. But as soon as she received us''s distress signal, she didn''t hesitate¡ªshe rushed out, determined to reach him.


    "us, hold on. Big Sister ising," she muttered as she flew. Her mind drifted back to a painful memory¡ªthe Arcadian Mine Invasion. Back then, us had died in front of her, and she couldn''t save him in time. That moment had shattered her, leaving her filled with guilt and regret.


    us had been out for seventy-two days, and like everyone else, she had cried for him. It was strange for someone like her, known for being cold, ruthless, and emotionless. Yet, when us died, tears had fallen from her eyes. It was a rare sight, one that left everyone in shock, but no one judged or dare teased her.


    Now, as she sped toward us, she was determined not to let history repeat itself. She couldn''t bear to lose him again. Her heart wouldn''t survive another moment of failure, no matter how hard she tried to remain unmoved by us''s grins and shameless remarks. Deep down, he had found a way into her guarded heart.


    us had entered the deepest part of her heart. So she knew she wouldn''t be able to shake off the feeling of seeing him dead again in her arms.


    "Just hold on, us," she muttered again, pushing herself to fly even faster. She had to reach him in time this time around.

 Chapter 205: Hard Pressed

    Inside the meeting room for the Overlords, the Cold Expressionly Lady watched the screen disying us''s battle with the Zombie Kings. Her usual icy demeanor had softened, showing hints of shock, respect, and something else that couldn''t be pointed out.


    "This kid is something else," she muttered to herself.


    Suddenly, the door opened, and a redhead with a fiery gaze entered the room. Her eyes immediately locked on the screen¡ªor more precisely, on us, who was fighting within his ice domain.


    "What are you doing here, Nari? Shouldn''t you be off exploring the Ancient Ruin?" the Cold Lady asked her tone a mix of curiosity and slight annoyance.


    "Tsk, I can''t just leave without saying goodbye," Nari said with a teasing smirk. "But hey, who would''ve thought the mighty leader of the Overlords would turn out to be a stalker?"


    "Who''s a stalker? I just wanted to keep track of things," the Cold Lady replied, her voice firm, though the faintest hint of a smile touched her lips.


    Nari''s grin widened. "Uh-huh, ''keeping track'' looks a lot like watching us''s every move."


    The Cold Lady shook her head. "He''s in the middle of an important battle. It''s natural to monitor the situation."


    "Sure, sure," Nari teased, crossing her arms. "But still, you have to admit, us is holding his own out there. He''s growing stronger every day."


    The Cold Lady nodded slightly, her gaze still fixed on the screen. "He is. But the enemies he''s facing aren''t ordinary either. This battle could be his breaking point."


    "Or it could be what pushes him to the next level," Nari added. "He''s not the type to back down, not after everything he''s been through." Nari in her attempt to be a perfect wingman has researched a lot on us instead of doing her duty as an Overlord. They both are stalkers in a way


    The Cold Lady remained silent, her thoughts drifting. She had watched us from a distance for a while now, and though she wouldn''t admit it out loud, there was something about him that intrigued her.


    His determination, his strength, the way he faced impossible odds, and well, his handsomeness. There is just something about him she couldn''t quite ce her finger on.


    "Anyway, I''m heading out soon," Nari said, breaking the silence. "But before I go, you should probably admit it."


    "Admit what?" the Cold Lady asked, her voice cool.


    "That you care about the kid," Nari said with a wink.


    The Cold Lady''s expression hardened, but she said nothing. Nariughed and vanished from the room, leaving the Cold Lady to sigh in relief. She turned her attention back to the screen, where us was still fighting, hard-pressed but relentless in his killing.


    "Amazing," she muttered, watching him push forward despite the overwhelming odds.


    ======


    Back in the Demon''s Abode, us was doing everything he could to hold the Zombies at bay, but it was easier said than done. The waves of undead seemed endless, and he was beginning to feel the weight of the battle pressing down on him.


    If not for the Dragon, which was tearing through Zombies on its own, us knew he would have been forced to retreat long ago. The sight of the Dragon''s raw power made him wonder just how strong it could be if he poured more of his Star Qi into it.


    But he hesitated. He needed to be calcted in this fight. If he recklessly used his energy without restraint, he knew he''d regret itter. Every second, he could feel his Star Qi being drained, and the battle was far from over.


    "At this rate, I won''t make it until the ritual is over," us muttered under his breath. He could feel exhaustion creeping in, his body beginning to tire from the constant fighting. His only hope was that Miriam would arrive before he ran out of energy entirely.


    The Zombies pressed down on him from all sides, their sheer numbers threatening to overwhelm him. Yet us held firm, his sword cutting through them with precision. He had to survive. There was no other option.


    Meanwhile, inside the force field atop the Seven Pirs, the Zombie Kings and the Zombie Lady continue to watch the battle. Their gazes were locked on us, their fists clenched in frustration. Despite sending wave after wave of soldiers at him, us continued to fight, killing their forces with terrifying efficiency.


    The Zombie Lady''s eyes narrowed, her murderous intent clear. "He''s more resilient than I thought," she muttered.


    One of the Zombie Kings grunted in agreement. "But even he has limits. The ritual willplete soon, and when it does, he''ll be finished."


    They all held that wicked, dangerous, and Bloodthirsty look in their eyes as they watched the battle with no hope of joining anytime soon. But they knew they would soon be finished, and once that time came, not even the gods could save us.


    The red energying from all over the forest was being poured into the pirs and then absorbed into the bodies of the Zombies atop the Pirs. By the seconds, one could tell some changes were appearing in the Zombies, but for now, until the ritual was over, all they could do was watch.


    They all knew us couldn''t keep up this pace forever. But us, exhausted as he was, still fought with everything he had, hoping that his allies would arrive in time.


    Suddenly, a Zombie King managed to sneak into us''s blind spot, aiming to sever his head. But before it could strike, us swiftly directed the Void Piercing Needle, piercing the Zombie''s skull and spraying blood everywhere.


    "I''m losing too much Star Qi," us muttered, feeling the strain of the battle.


    He had activated three powerful skills: Ice Lotus Bloom, the Fire Dragon Spirit, and the Bell of Harrows. These were the only things holding the Zombies back for now.


    The Ice Lotus served as his shield, a defensive barrier that also enhanced his speed and strike power. Inside the icy domain created by the Lotus, us moved like a god.


    While he was physically weaker and slower than the Zombie Kings, within the domain, he had the advantage of manipting the elemental essence in the air. His Elemental Overlord Talent had made him highly attuned to these elements, allowing him to thrive in the chaos.


    The Bell of Harrows, on the other hand, was his secret weapon. Each ring sent out sonic and soul attacks, momentarily severing the Zombies'' connection to their defense. This briefpse in their defenses gave us just enough time tond fatal blows.


    But even with this edge, us could feel his energy slipping away. The constant drain on his Star Qi was bing more noticeable with each passing second. While he was able to recover some of it, the rate at which he was spending it far outpaced his recovery.


    The Fire Dragon was doing its part, its tail shing through the air and sending out waves of fiery arcs. Each strike obliterated groups of Zombies, but like the Ice Lotus and the Bell of Harrows, the Dragon was draining us''s Star Qi reserves at an rming rate.


    He gritted his teeth, pushing through the exhaustion. us knew he couldn''t sustain this much longer, but he had to hold out. The battle was far from over, and he needed to conserve whatever energy he had left.


    Suddenly, a wave of Zombie Kings broke through the ice domain, using some strange ability that us had never seen before. They surged toward him with terrifying speed. His heart turned cold as he counted them¡ªten Zombie Kings, all with weapons drawn, eyes gleaming with hunger for his blood.


    us gripped his sword tighter, knowing this could be it. The Zombie Kings approaching him were far more powerful than the regr Kings for some unknown reason. If they got too close, the odds would turn against him fast. His mind raced, calcting his next move, but before he could act, a sudden heat burst through the cold.


    Just when the Zombie Kings were about to reach him, a massive wave of fire exploded in front of him, engulfing the undead in a zing inferno. us blinked in shock, feeling the searing heat even within his icy domain.


    He quickly turned to the source of the fire and saw his me Dragon Spirit in action, hovering above the battlefield, spraying fire from its mouth. The mes roared like a living thing, consuming everything in their path, including the Zombie Kings who had dared toe close.


    "The fuck?" us muttered, half in relief and half in disbelief

 Chapter 206: Dragons Breath

    "The fuck?" us muttered, half in relief and half in disbelief. His me Dragon Spirit had just saved his life, but the sheer power it unleashed left him momentarily stunned.


    The Zombie Kings, appearing hungry for blood and danger, were now burning, their bodies twisted in agony as they tried to escape the firestorm. us couldn''t help but grin, though it was a tired grin. He''d forgotten for a moment just how powerful his Dragon Spirit was or more precisely, how lethal his Chaotic Nirvana me is.


    But there was no time to rest. More enemies wereing, and his Star Qi was still draining fast. He needed to think ahead, conserve energy, and keep the battle from spiraling out of control again.


    However, before us coulde up with a n, he noticed something strange. The fire particles that had engulfed the Zombie Kings were now being absorbed back into the dragon. In the next moment, like a raging torrent, another breath of me gushed out, turning the already burning Zombies into nothing but ash.


    "The fuck is going on?" us shouted in shock, his eyes wide as he watched the scene unfold.


    "Congrattions, brat, your Fire Dragon Spirit has awakened its second ability," a familiar senior voice echoed in his mind. us smiled but was still shocked.


    "Well, that''s great, then!" us replied, feeling a surge of excitement. Even though chaos surrounded him, he couldn''t help but feel a wave of happiness wash over him. But alongside that joy, a sense of concern crept in. The sudden change in his Dragon Spirit''s behavior wasn''t something he expected.


    "Senior, I''m not the one doing that. So how is the Dragon acting on its own? It just saved me from getting ganged up on. Does that mean it knows when I''m in danger? How does that make any sense?" us asked, clearly confused.


    "Brat, you should know by now that your fire element isn''t the same as it was a few days ago," the senior replied, his tone steady.


    "It''s not just a regr me anymore¡ªit''s a me spirit. A spirit can sense when you''re in danger because it''s now connected to your soul. No matter how calm you appear on the outside, your me spirit will always know when something threatens you."


    us processed the information, his mind racing. It strangely made sense. His connection to the me Dragon Spirit wasn''t just about control anymore¡ªit was deeper, something instinctual. The Dragon had acted on its own, sensing his situation, even if he hadn''t consciously felt it.


    "That''s... something," us muttered, feeling both impressed and a bit unnerved.


    "Don''t overthink it," the senior''s voice advised. "Your spirit and soul are intertwined now. You''ve be stronger because of it. Trust the bond."


    us nodded to himself, feeling the weight of his exhaustion but also a new sense of security. His me Dragon Spirit was more than just a weapon¡ªit was part of him.


    With that in mind, us continued his relentless ughter, though he kept a closer eye on the Dragon Spirit. It was either shing its fiery tail, releasing arcs of me, or unleashing another torrent of fire with its breath. The battlefield was a chaotic dance of ice and fire, with Zombies falling left and right.


    "Dragon Breath, not bad," us muttered as he cleaved through more Zombies, dodging attacks and fighting with as much focus as he could muster.


    He tried to stay optimistic. "If I finish these idiots off, I''ll reach level 8, and that''ll restore my stats and Star Qi," he reminded himself. But despite his best efforts to stay positive, things were going downhill.


    The more he killed, the more Zombies seemed to pour in. He and his Dragon Spirit had already taken down over a hundred, yet there were still hundreds moreing at them.


    Bang!


    us barely registered the impact before he was sent flying through the air. He coughed, spitting out blood. "Fuck," he growled, his vision swimming for a moment.


    His efficiency was dropping fast, and with it, his ability to kill at the same rapid pace. The Zombies were starting to press him harder now, and fatigue was creeping into his body, making every movement feel slower, heavier.


    "Die, idiot!" us shouted, forcing himself back up. He stabbed his sword into the head of the Zombie that had struck him with a massive club. At the same time, his Void Piercing Needle shot forward, taking out another Zombie charging at him with hunger in its dead eyes.


    But us could feel it¡ªhis strength was dropping fast. Every swing of his sword was getting harder, and the fatigue was setting in deeper with every passing second. He was running out of time and energy, and the Zombies were stilling.


    High above, the Six Zombie Kings and the Lady Zombie began to hover atop the pirs, their eyes shut now as a swirling mist of red energy wrapped around them like a cocoon. us could sense something was wrong¡ªsomething was changing.


    Looking closely, he saw that their bodies were mutating. On each of their foreheads, a pair of horns started to appear, twisting upward. Strange markings etched themselves across their faces and bodies, glowing faintly with the same red energy. Their grotesque forms were evolving, bing more demonic-human-like, but still terrifying.


    Their heights shot up to around 3.5 meters, their skin shifting from dark and decayed to a metallic, dark-gold sheen, giving their bodies the appearance of living metal. Four of the Zombie Kings sprouted wings¡ªgrotesque, bony, and dark¡ªgradually unfolding from their backs. Despite all these changes, one thing remained constant: their eyes, still glowing with a deep, menacing crimson.


    us narrowed his eyes, watching the transformation in disgust and disbelief. The red mist around them grew thicker, swirling faster, causing even more monstrous features to emerge. The more they changed, the stronger they looked.


    Looking away from the grotesque transformations happening on the pirs, us refocused on the battle at hand. The Zombies swarmed at him with terrifying swords and unyielding ferocity, each one a threat he had to take seriously. Time was running out¡ªhe had to end this in the next 15 minutes and level up.


    If not, he knew he''d be finished or worse, do something he never knew he would ever do, retreat and run away.


    The monstrous changes taking ce atop the pirs were anything but normal, even for someone as crazy as him. He needed every ounce of strength he could muster, but first, he had to cut down the smaller Zombies, who were far from simple fodder.


    us knew if the ritual atop the pirs finished and the six Zombie Kings along with the Lady Zombie joined the fight, his chances of surviving would plummet. Even with all his abilities, he wasn''t sure he could escape at that point. So, for now, he focused on holding on, battling furiously to keep the tide of undead at bay.


    He could''ve escaped and then called for reinforcements. But deep down, us knew that would only be sending soldiers to their deaths. Most of them wouldn''t make it, and even if they could turn the tide eventually, the cost would be too high. And there was another reason he stayed¡ªone he didn''t fully understand himself.


    A part of him wanted to fight. It wasn''t just about survival; it was about standing his ground in the face of overwhelming odds. Running wasn''t in his nature. If he had the audacity to insult a whole dark organization with unknown power, then, by his own reckless logic, he was crazy enough to take on an entire race of Zombies.


    "Luckily, these Zombies don''t have the same evolutions as humans," us muttered under his breath, gripping his sword tighter. "Otherwise, I''d be dead by now."


    He shed through another wave, sweat pouring down his face, fatigue gnawing at his limbs. But he wasn''t done yet. Not by a long shot.


    "Get away from me, you idiot!" us growled, shing his sword in a sharp arc, severing the wed hand of a Zombie lunging at him. The creature''s dark blood sprayed into the air as it screeched in pain, stumbling back.


    "Die!" us roared, his de shing again as he drove it through the Zombie''s chest, pinning it to the ground. Without wasting a second, he yanked his sword free and spun around, ready for the next wave of Zombies.

 Chapter 207: Eye Of Despair

    "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" us kept cursing as the Zombie Kings began gaining the upper hand in the battle. His killing speed had dropped considerably, so much so that the Void Piercing Needle was now doing most of the killing for him.


    He still hadn''t leveled up yet, and the fatigue weighed heavily on him, making it harder to keep swinging his sword. The retreat was an option, but it would feel like giving up, and us''s pride¡ªor maybe his ego¡ªwouldn''t allow that.


    "After this battle, I''m going on vacation. Battles suck," us muttered, forcing a smile despite the chaos around him.


    "Brat, you should focus on staying alive before thinking aboutdies," The senior said in a mocking tone.


    "Fuck, Senior! Are you reading my mind or something?" us cursed again, annoyed but somehow relieved by the familiar voice.


    "Tsk, who needs to read your mind to know what you''re thinking?" The senior''s tone dripped with sarcasm, but us couldn''t help but smile. That little bit of banter gave him the energy to behead two Zombies in quick session.


    "Senior, you wouldn''t happen to have anything that could help me hold on until reinforcements arrive, would you?" us asked, half-joking, though his desperation was real.


    "Well, I do, but you''d be dead before you could use it," the senior replied, making us frown.


    "Great, just great," us muttered under his breath. His arms felt heavier with each swing, but he wasn''t about to quit. The senior was right about one thing: he needed to focus on surviving first.


    Despite his bravado, us knew he was running out of time. His Star Qi reserves were nearly depleted, and every move felt like a monumental effort. Yet, in the back of his mind, the thought of the War Goddess on her waying kept fueling his resolve.


    For now, all he could do was fight, curse, and try to stay alive.


    BOOM!!!


    Suddenly, the seven pirs trembled, and us sensed a surge of overwhelming power from the seven Zombies hovering above them. His heart sank, especially as his gaze fell on the pir where the Zombie Lady stood. A swirling, chaotic red energy surrounded her, pulsing with a deadly intensity.


    "Senior, what''s happening?" us asked, feeling the creeping edge of mortal danger.


    "They''ve entered the final phase of the ritual," the senior''s voice echoed in his mind. "In ten minutes, it''ll be toote to stop it."


    "Fuck!" us cursed, his mind racing. "That means in ten minutes, seven abominations will be born, and I don''t have what it takes to stop them. Fuck!"


    He could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him. The Zombies'' transformations were nearingpletion, and when they finished, they wouldn''t be the same grotesque creatures he had been fighting. They''d be something far worse, something he had no power to defeat in his current state.


    us clenched his fists, trying to think of a n, but nothing came. Time was running out, and his energy was dangerously low. He was already pushing his limits just keeping the endless waves of regr Zombies at bay. The thought of facing seven fully transformed monsters made his stomach churn.


    "Do I even have ten minutes left in me?" us muttered bitterly. His eyes scanned the battlefield. The Zombies were relentless, and though he was still cutting them down, it was like trying to hold back the tide with a sword.


    "Senior, isn''t there anything I can do to disrupt the ritual?" us asked, desperation leaking into his voice.


    "There''s nothing you can do to stop it alone, kid," the senior replied bluntly. "Your best shot is to survive long enough for the reinforcements to get here, but even that might not be enough."


    us swallowed hard, knowing that his options were limited. Retreating was starting to sound more reasonable, but his pride kept him rooted in ce. He''d never run before, and he wasn''t about to start now, even if it meant facing the impossible.


    His mind raced. He had ten minutes, maybe less. If the ritual seeded, it would unleash seven creatures more powerful than anything he had ever faced. It wasn''t just his life on the line¡ªit was the lives of the reinforcementing.


    us gritted his teeth, his exhaustion mounting with every swing of his sword. He had already fought for what felt like an eternity, but the Zombie hordes were stilling. Worse, the ritual inside the force field was nearingpletion, and he could feel the power of the Zombie Kings intensifying with each passing moment.


    "Damn it," he growled, slicing through another wave of the undead. His body was on the edge of copse, but he refused to back down. "If I can''t stop them, I''ll at least make sure they don''t take me down without a fight."


    us muttered a few words under his breath, and suddenly, his dull, tired eyes ignited into a vibrant crimson hue. At the same time, the sky overhead darkened briefly before the entire area was bathed in a deep red glow. The oppressive energy seemed to pulse around him, charging the air with tension.


    "Brat, what are you doing?" The senior''s voice rang out sharply in his mind.


    "You know," us said, his voice strained but determined, "I''m not sure this force field has any defenses against soul attacks. So why not take out the big guns first?"


    He nced at the fire dragon that was still fighting at his side, breathing torrents of me onto the Zombie Kings, who were relentless in their attacks. It had been a good distraction so far, keeping some of the stronger Zombies upied while us handled the rest.


    "But you don''t have enough Star Qi left to use the Eye of Despair," the senior warned. "At best, you can only use it once, and that means you can only target one of them for maximum effect."


    us knew the senior was right. The Eye of Despair was a powerful technique, capable of devastating even the strongest opponents, but it drained an enormous amount of energy. In his current state, he barely had enough left to pull it off once. He''d have to make that one-shot count.


    "Then I''ll make sure I hit the right target," us muttered, his eyes locking onto the Zombie Lady. She was the center of the ritual, her red chaotic energy swirling around her with terrifying intensity. If he could take her out, it might just buy him enough time.


    The battlefield around him was still chaos, with Zombies attacking from every direction. us continued cutting them down, though his movements were bing slower with each strike. Every muscle in his body screamed for rest, but he couldn''t stop now. Not when the ritual was so close topletion.


    He focused his gaze on the Zombie Lady atop the pir, her surprisingly beautiful yet grotesque form radiating with dark energy. "I only get one shot at this," us muttered, tightening his grip on his sword.


    Summoning everyst ounce of his strength, us prepared to unleash the Eye of Despair. If he could disrupt the ritual by taking out the Lady, it might prevent the abominations from being born¡ªor at least weaken them enough for the reinforcements to stand a chance.


    "Here goes nothing," he muttered. Up in the air, the Eye of Despair snapped open and a beam of Red Light shot out aimed at the Zombie Lady.


    BOOM!!!

 Chapter 208: Unexpected but Welcomed [Bonus]

    "Here goes nothing," us muttered and the Eye of Despair snapped open above him. A beam of red light shot out from it, targeting the Zombie Lady atop the pir. The light was powerful, and us hoped it would break through the force field.


    BOOM


    The red beam struck the barrier, and the ground trembled violently. The pirs shook, and for a moment, us thought he had seeded. But then, as he feared, the force field held strong, blocking the attack entirely.


    "Fuck," us cursed, feeling his strength drop to dangerously low levels. He had put everything into that attack, but somehow, the force field had repelled it. His Lotus flower was draining thest of his energy reserves, and his fire dragon''s light was dimming.


    "Brat, what are you cursing about? Look around you," the senior''s voice echoed in his mind.


    us, struggling to keep his eyes open, looked up. What he saw stunned him. Over 90% of the Zombies were on the ground, growling, screaming, or writhing in pain. Whatever they were doing, it was clear that they were suffering.


    us''s eyes widened. "What?"


    "Your attack failed to pass through the force field, but it didn''t failpletely," the senior exined. "The force field seems to have repelled the soul attack, but instead of bouncing back harmlessly, it spread out and hit the Zombies. That''s what you''re seeing."


    A smile crept onto us''s face. He hadn''t expected this oue, but it was a wee surprise. Without wasting another second, he hurled the Ice Lotus flower forward, aiming for the center of the mass of Zombies.


    Though the flower contained little to no star qi, it was still stronger regardless. It moved with cold energy and exploded silently, however its icy force froze everything in its path.


    "This is my chance," us thought as he saw hundreds of Zombies immobilized by the explosion. Many were instantly killed by the ice, while others were still hanging on, barely moving.


    "My chance to get the upper hand," he muttered to himself, forcing his body to move. He surged forward, using everyst bit of his strength to finish off as many Zombies as he could.


    The battlefield was in chaos. Some of the Zombiesy dead, while others struggled to stay alive. us gritted his teeth, knowing that if he managed to kill thisst group, he would have reduced their numbers to just 50. The thought of getting the upper hand gave him a burst of adrenaline.


    He nced at his fire dragon, still roaring and fighting against the remaining Zombie Kings. "At least it doesn''t look like it''s dying anytime soon," us muttered. With the dragon holding off some of the threats, us could focus on cleaning up the rest.


    us was doing his best, but he could see the fire dragon starting to fade, its mes flickering weakly. His Star Qi wasn''t regenerating fast enough, and it was draining faster than he could handle. Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    "Just a few more kills and I''ll level up," he muttered, shattering and beheading frozen Zombies as they rushed him. Each kill took more out of him, leaving him more exhausted with every swing. But he held on, refusing to copse under the pressure.


    Then, it happened. "Oh no," us muttered, watching as the me dragon disappearedpletely. At the same time, he was done cutting down the remaining frozen Zombies. His primary sources of power¡ªthe dragon, the Ice Lotus, and the Bell of Harrows¡ªwere gone.


    "I guess it''s down to whether I can fight without depending on Star Qi," he sighed. He could still regenerate Star Qi, but it was so slow, barely enough to keep him going in a prolonged battle like this. His reserves were down to thest 5 percent.


    "Wait, this could work," us thought suddenly as another wave of Zombies approached. There were about 30 of them, but he noticed something¡ªthey weren''t as aggressive as before. The dragon''s chaotic mes must have left an impact. It wasn''t much, but it was enough for us to think of a new strategy.


    "Maybe I should try it," us muttered, now fighting without the support of his previous abilities. He moved with pure physical strength, dodging and countering as best he could, relying on instinct rather than Star Qi.


    Bang! Cough!


    A powerful kicknded on his back, sending him flying across the battlefield. The Zombies were closing in, taking advantage of his weakened state. They were ganging up on him, and he could feel himself slipping.


    But us didn''t let them gain the upper hand for long. "Not yet," he muttered, a determined glint in his eyes. Out of nowhere, small red needles appeared in the air around him. He had stopped using his Void Piercing Needle earlier, as the mental fatigue was bing unbearable, but now he summoned the Ten Thousand Soul Needles.


    This technique drained less Star Qi and was far more sustainable. Though weaker, it was just what us needed. He didn''t fully activate the Eye of Malevolence to conserve energy, so the attack power was low. But it was enough for his n.


    "Eat this, suckers," us grinned, sending the soul needles toward ten of the Zombies. They tried to sh at the needles with their weapons, but the attack didn''t aim to harm their bodies. Instead, the needles pierced their souls.


    The Zombies faltered, disoriented, and us smirked. "Die now," he whispered, rushing forward with renewed strength, ready to finish them off while they were weakened.


    us managed to cut down the ten Zombies, but the remaining twenty didn''t give him a moment to breathe. They descended on him like a swarm, their sheer numbers overwhelming him.


    "Five more minutes," us muttered, keeping track of the time before the ritual would bepleted. The pressure was mounting, and his body was already beyond its limits.


    "Just a few more kills for the EXP," he added, swinging his sword with whatever strength he had left. Each sh came with a cost¡ªhis muscles screamed, and blood sttered from his mouth as the Zombies pummeled him. He could feel the heavy toll on his body, but he couldn''t afford to stop.


    "I can use it again," us muttered after catching his breath for just a few seconds. He wasn''t using his Star Qi to channel the Moon sh because he needed it for something more strategic¡ªthe Ten Thousand Soul Needles.


    Ten more red needles materialized in the air, and he sent them toward ten of the remaining Zombies. The attack worked, giving him a brief opening, but his exhaustion held him back. us managed to kill only three of them before the others surrounded him again.


    "Come on!" us gritted his teeth as he summoned the Void Piercing Needle once more. The needles shot through the remaining Zombies, punching holes in them. He barely managed to kill the ten Zombies, but before he could regain his bnce, one of thest Zombie Kings sent him flying with a brutal strike.


    "Fuck!" us cursed as he crashed into the ground, his body aching and his Star Qi nearly depleted. His vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself back up. There were still ten more Zombie Kings left, and the clock was ticking. He couldn''t afford to stop now.


    "Three more minutes," us muttered under his breath, narrowing his gaze and tightening his grip on his sword. His body was battered and broken, but his mind was sharp. He focused on defense, waiting for the right moment to strike with the Void Piercing Needles again. Every second was precious.


    "Two minutes," he repeated, gritting his teeth as the Zombie Kings pressed their assault. It wasn''t easy¡ªevery attack came dangerously close to finishing him. But suddenly, the Void Piercing Needle shed out, punching holes in five of the Zombie Kings he had baited intoing closer.


    us had deliberately let them get near, using his own body as a shield to draw their attention to the sneak attack.


    He was trading injury for kills, and it worked. The needle pierced through their heads, killing them instantly. But the cost was high. His left arm hung limp, broken. His ribs were shattered, and his body was bruised and bloodied from the brutal strikes he had endured.


    "Die!" us roared, channeling thest bits of his Star Qi into his sword. He swung it with all his remaining strength, slicing through the neck of a Zombie that charged at him from the side.


    Before he could catch his breath, something unexpected happened. "What the fuck?" us gasped, leaping backward just as a dark arrow shot through the air. He wasn''t fast enough¡ªit pierced his left shoulder, the force of the blow sending him flying.


    "An assassin?" us hissed through clenched teeth his gaze cold,


    "The Dark Order"

 Chapter 209: The Dark Order Served some Exp Points [Bonus]

    Inside the meeting room, the Cold Lady, known as ''The Overlord,'' sat with her eyes glued to the screen, watching us battle against impossible odds. The sheer number of Zombies seemed endless, and many were far stronger than him. A Tier 3 warrior, battling thousands of Tier 7 Zombies? It was insane. Yet, there us was, holding his ground.


    Her usually cold expression flickered¡ªshock, awe, and other emotions crossed her face, some unreadable. What us was doing was beyond extraordinary. Genius? No. Monster? Not even that.


    us didn''t fit into any simple category. He was something else entirely, in a realm all his own.


    The strength he was disying on the battlefield was astounding, even for her. She kept her eyes fixed on him, analyzing every movement, trying to understand the depths of his power. But then something shifted in her mood.


    "They dare," she muttered, mming her hand down on the arm of her chair, cracking the handle. Her icy gaze darkened as she watched us get sent flying by a ck arrow.


    Without missing a beat, she pressed a button on her desk. "Prepare the Hawk Hunter," shemanded. "On my mark,unch five missiles." The other end of the line remained silent, but far above the Earth, a satellite moved into position, ready to unleash its devastating payload.


    But before she could give the order, she noticed something on the screen¡ªus, despite being knocked down, was smirking. Then, unexpectedly, he startedughing. The Cold Lady paused, her finger hovering over the button, sensing something was about to change.


    ========


    Back on the battlefield, us gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand. His body ached, and his energy was nearly depleted, but he wasn''t done yet.


    Summoning thest ounce of his mental strength, he used the Void Piercing Needle to finish off thest four Zombies. He didn''t even bother to nce at the Assassin lurking nearby.


    "That''s more like it," us muttered, taking in a cold breath. He still looked exhausted, but then he burst into a painfulugh, filled with all his anger. us was furious.


    "You couldn''t handle your failure, so you sent more after me," he said, ring at the assassin a dark clothes.


    "You will die, us. Your time ends today," the assassin replied coldly.


    "And what power are you going to use to kill me?" us sneered. He could sense the ritual was almost over, but right now, that didn''t matter. What mattered was his anger¡ªonce again, he''d been caught off guard by the Dark Order.


    "You think just five of you are enough to take me down?" us smirked, scanning the area. Suddenly, four more figures in dark clothes appeared.


    "You shouldn''t have angered the Dark Order. Now it''s personal," one of the assassins said. They only took contracts to kill people, us was just a contract, however, after they failed and us came back to life and insulted them, they took it personally.


    Now, everything they are doing is their own decision, not a contract, but vengeance. us has destroyed their reputation and they wanted nothing to do but kill him. However what they didn''t know was us also had the same n, to kill everyst one of them.


    "Oh, it''s personal, alright," us replied coldly. "I wouldn''t have already destroyed your safe house and killed all your operators in the eastern region if it wasn''t personal. Now, I''ll kill you five, then the next batch, and keep killing until everyst one of you is dead. So, are you going to attack, or what? I need a couple of Exp Points and you idiots showed up just in time"


    "Kill him!" the first assassin ordered. But before they could move, the space darkened. Then from the top of the seven pirs, a terrifying pressure descended. The pressure was so heavy that the Assassins instantly fell on their knees.


    "Well, we''re all screwed now," us muttered with a smirk. However, when he turned toward the assassins, he noticed they were on their knees making him smile wickedly. Assassins aren''t known for their physical strength, and the pressure was too much for them. us, though exhausted, was still standing.


    Just his physical strength and unyielding personality were enough to keep him standing.


    "I''m not usually one to take advantage of people," us said, "but today''s different. I need 100,000 EXP to level up, and the Dark Order seems generous enough to send you Sages. Don''t worry, you won''t be alone in hell."


    Before the assassins could react, a needle shot forward, piercing through their skulls in a sh. Their heads exploded, killing them instantly. At the same moment, us felt his strength return¡ªhis Star Qi was fully restored, and his body surged with energy.


    His wounds began to heal as well, making him narrow his gaze at the ritual that was nearlyplete. He considered stopping it, but before he could act, something caught his attention. He quickly sidestepped as a spear whizzed past him, striking the ground behind him.


    "A Great Sage," us muttered. Despite the heavy pressure, he didn''t seem concerned. In fact, he looked eager to face whoever had appeared. As expected, the spear flew back from the ground and stopped when itnded firmly in the grip of the masked figure.


    "Ady," us muttered again, eyeing the figure. She had an hourss figure, a heavy chest, slender legs, and a t stomach. His eyes narrowed as he assessed her.


    "You don''t want to do this," us said coldly. But deep inside, he couldn''t help but wonder, ''What kind of assassin uses a spear'' Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    The masked woman didn''t respond. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her grip tightening on the spear. us could feel the weight of her gaze behind the mask, cold and calcting. The air between them was thick with tension.


    us clenched his fists. "I''m not in the mood for games," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "But if you insist on fighting, I''ll make it quick."


    Without warning, the womanunched forward, her spear slicing through the air with deadly precision. us dodged to the side, feeling the wind whip past his face as the spear narrowly missed him again. Her speed was impressive¡ªmuch faster than the assassins he''d just killed.


    "Great Sage, huh? You''re fast," us said, smirking as he stepped back, putting some distance between them. "But speed won''t be enough to stop me."


    The woman said nothing, her silence unnerving. She attacked again, her movements fluid and relentless. Each strike of her spear was precise, forcing us to keep moving, his mind calcting each dodge. He could feel her strength and knew this wouldn''t be an easy fight.


    Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake, and us nced toward the seven pirs. The ritual was almostplete. Time was running out.


    "You''re really starting to get on my nerves," us muttered, his smirk fading. He raised his hand, summoning the Void Piercing Needle once more. The needle glowed faintly, vibrating with power as it hovered in the air between them. "You should have walked away when you had the chance."


    The woman didn''t flinch, her spear still poised to strike. But us wasn''t waiting any longer. With a flick of his wrist, the needle shot forward, aiming straight for her heart.


    BOOM!


    The needle whizzed through the air, aimed directly at her heart. But just as it was about to strike, the seven pirs exploded, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. The force knocked the woman off bnce saving her from the Needle. Suddenly a suffocating pressure descended from the sky like a crushing weight.


    us felt it immediately. The overwhelming force mmed into him, making his knees weaken, yet he never relented to kneel down. It was as if the heavens themselves were pressing down on the forest, and even with his renewed strength, us could barely breathe.


    "What... is this?" us muttered, his teeth gritted as he fought to stay conscious. His body trembled under the immense pressure, every movement feeling impossibly heavy.


    He looked up through the haze and saw the masked woman struggling to stand as well, her spear digging into the ground for support. Despite the chaos, she locked eyes with us, her expression unreadable behind the mask.


    ''This crazy woman, she still wants to kill me despite the danger we are in'' Fruity said inwardly


    us''s mind raced. Whatever had just been unleashed was beyond anything he had expected. The very air felt hostile, thick with the weight of some ancient, terrifying power.


    "I... have to move," us groaned, forcing himself to move, though his legs felt like they were made of lead. The ritual was over¡ªhe could feel it deep in his bones, an ominous chill that sent shivers through his entire body.


    He tried to stand, but before he could fully get on his feet, he sensed something closing in fast. Dangerous. Lethal.


    "Fuck"

 Chapter 210: Unexpected Team-up

    "Are you kidding me?" us cursed as he rolled sideways, narrowly evading another spear attack from the assassindy, who somehow managed to shake off the overwhelming pressure of the seven Zombies breaking free from their cocoons.


    With each passing moment, the pressure from the zombies weighed heavier on him. He didn''t need anyone to tell him¡ªthey wanted him dead. He had wiped out their entire army and killed everyst zombie in sight. Of course, they were out for revenge.


    "Listen to me,dy," us snapped, eyes darting between her and the approaching dangers. "Either you scram, or take a good look around. I hope you''re not blind enough to see we''re in serious danger here!"


    He cursed her under his breath for being such an idiot. Sure, she was here to kill him, but couldn''t she see the situation had changed? The weather itself seemed to shift with the ominous energy from the Zombie Kings, and instead of revising her n, she was still attacking him.


    ''Seriously? Taking advantage of me like I did with those first five zombies?'' us thought bitterly. He couldn''t help but smirk inwardly. ''Karma really is a bitch dressed in ck.''


    He cursed again as he blocked another attack from her, barely managing to dodge the deadly precision of her spear. But just as he regained his footing, something shifted. His body was locked in ce, stiff as a board, and his heart sank.


    From up ahead, a pair of zing red eyes stared him down¡ªone of the Zombie Kings who managed to get out of its cocoon had locked onto him, its gaze burning with rage.


    "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" us cursed out loud, struggling against the invisible force holding him down. The red eyes narrowed, and us knew things were about to get a lot worse.


    Suddenly, a burning sensation ignited on us''s back, snapping him out of the pressure holding him down. His eyes turned red, and his expression shifted coldly as he locked onto the Assassindy, who was preparing to strike again.


    "Die!" he shouted, his voice icy, as he dashed forward, aiming his sword at her heart. But just as his de came within 20 inches, he sensed a terrifying attack closing in. There was no time to dodge¡ªhe had been so focused on killing the Assassin that he momentarily ignored the danger ahead.


    Before he could make any attempt to react, a powerful kick mmed into his face, sending him flying backward. The iing attack thennded on the Assassindy''s shoulder instead, hurling her through the air. She has saved us, the same person she was trying to kill life.


    us crashed to the ground, rolling several times beforeing to a stop. He quickly looked up and saw one of the evolved Zombie Kings, now evolved into something even more sinister than a death daemon. Its once-red eyes now burned brighter, and crimson, bone-like wings pped menacingly behind it.


    "Human, die," the creature growled. But us ignored it, his gaze shifting to the Assassindy lying meters away. Confusion washed over him¡ªshe had just saved his life. But why?


    us shook his head, trying to focus. He didn''t have time to figure out the Assassindy''s motives. The evolved Zombie King was still up ahead, and it was a much bigger threat. However, he still couldn''t understand why the Assassindy had chosen to save him at the cost of injuring herself.


    "You don''t have what it takes to kill me" us muttered, wiping the blood from his mouth as he gazed at the Zombie ahead. He staggered to his feet, gripping his sword tightly. The exhaustion weighed heavy on his body, but his mind was sharper than ever.


    The Zombie King''s wings spread wide, and it lunged forward, faster than us expected. He barely managed to sidestep, the creature''s ws swiping past him, tearing into the ground where he''d just stood. us swung his sword in response, but the de barely scratched the creature''s tough, metallic skin.


    "Damn it," us cursed under his breath, realizing how tough this battle would be. He has leveled up, but he hasn''t distributed the points yet. Now, he knew where to put it. But he needed time to do that, seeing another Zombie King breaking free from the Cocoon that had appeared around them at some point.


    The Zombie King didn''t give him any more time to think, attacking again, this time with both ws extended. us braced himself, ready to take the hit, but just before impact, a shadow darted in between them.


    It was the Assassindy. She blocked the Zombie King''s strike with her daggers, gritting her teeth as the force of the attack pushed her back. us stared, stunned.


    "Why are you helping me?" us asked again, his voice low and hoarse.


    She didn''t look at him, her focus fixed on the creature ahead. "Ask meter¡ªif we survive, or if I don''t kill you before then."


    us didn''t bother responding. Whatever her reasons, they shared amon goal for now. He nodded slightly and adjusted his stance, preparing for the next strike. Still, trust wasn''t something us gave easily. He activated his Spirit Eye, linked with the Eye of Malevolence, to keep a watchful eye on her movements.


    Quickly, he allocated 400 points to his strength and readied the Void Piercing Needle. There was no need to worry about breaking the force field anymore. He was already in the thick of danger, and killing the Zombie King before the next threat showed up seemed like the best option.


    "You attack, I''ll defend," us said as he activated his Ice Lotus Flower and unleashed the Absolute Ice Domain. The freezing aura spread out, creating a cold, controlled battlefield around him.


    In response, the Assassin Lady melted into a shadow. When she reappeared in another shadow momentster, now holding a spear instead of her daggers.


    "Weird, but who cares," us thought with a smirk.


    The Zombie King let out a thunderous roar, its eyes burning with rage. Without hesitation, they charged together, ready to take it down.


    us swung his sword, unleashing a zing arc of fire that cut through the air toward the Zombie King. At the same moment, the Assassin Lady shed diagonally with her spear, her attack aimed at the creature''s chest.


    But the Zombie King responded with a deafening roar. A surge of energy exploded from its body, obliterating both of their attacks in an instant and sending shockwaves rippling through the air.


    "What?!" us shouted as the force hit him, flinging him backward. He tumbled across the ground, struggling to regain control.


    The Assassin Lady disappeared into a shadow, reappearing behind the Zombie King with deadly precision. She thrust her spear at its back, but the Zombie King reacted quickly, deflecting the blow with a loud ng. Seeing the creature focused on her, us seized the opportunity and unleashed the Void Piercing Needle.


    The needle tore through the air, aimed right at the Zombie King''s head. But just as it was about to strike, aser beam shot out of nowhere, disintegrating the needle into ash. Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    "What?!" us shouted, truly shocked this time. His eyes shot upward, and he spotted another Zombie King, flying toward him.


    "Looks like we''re going to have to split up,dy," us said, quickly sending his Ice Lotus toward the new threat.


    "Explode!" hemanded, and the lotus shattered mid-air, freezing the Zombie King in ce for a moment. The creature hung frozen in the air, unable to move as it began to fall.


    "Die!" us roared, unleashing another arc of fire from his sword, aiming to obliterate the Zombie King for good. But before the attack couldnd, a powerful blow exploded the fire arc, saving the falling creature. Another figure stepped into view.


    "The third one..." us groaned, feeling the weight of the situation intensify. A third Zombie King¡ªno, Zombie Prince¡ªhad arrived. ''Great, just what I needed'', he thought, sarcastically.


    While the Assassin Lady was barely managing to hold her own against one, he was now facing two Zombie Princes.


    And worse, the Zombie Queen might make her entrance soon. us could feel her rage ever since he had been ughtering her soldiers earlier. He knew he had no choice now¡ªhe''d have to use everything he had. The Fire Dragon, the Bell of Harrows, and the Eye of Despair¡ªall of his trump cards.


    He wasn''t aiming to kill them, just hold them off until Miriam arrived. She would be the one to take them down. "Ten more minutes," he muttered to himself, calcting how long until her arrival.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, just as us was preparing to unleash his full strength, an explosion rocked the ritual ground. The force field dropped, and us felt a suffocating pressure descend on him. But before he could react, he felt something stir deep within his soul sea.


    A strange energy awakened inside him.

 Chapter 211: Six Star Blood Moon Transformation

    Suddenly, a powerful red energy shot out from us, parting the clouds above. It created a force field around him, which blew away the approaching Zombie Princes, sending them flying several kilometers by the sheer chaos of the strange energy.


    The red moon, which had been fading, started glowing again, this time turning a deep crimson. The clouds overhead grew darker and more ominous.


    =======


    Back in the meeting room, the cold-lookingdy who had been watching the battle closely continued to observe as us killed the five assassins. Then, the Great Sage assassin appeared. She almost gave the order to fire the missile again, but when she saw us suddenly energized and fighting back, she hesitated.


    Then, the Zombie Kings, havingpleted the Blood Moon Ritual, began appearing one by one, pushing us into a corner.


    This time, she didn''t give any orders. Instead, she leaned back, watching the intense, out-of-his-league battle like it was a movie. She was secretly enjoying the spectacle when, suddenly, the screen went ck.


    She quickly pressed a button and started asking the person on the other end of the call questions.


    The voice on the other end crackled to life. "We''re experiencing interference, ma''am. Something''s disrupting the signal," they reported.


    The colddy narrowed her eyes, her fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest. "Interference from what? Find out," she ordered sharply.


    =========


    Back on the battlefield, us, enveloped by the chaotic red energy, began to rise into the air. His eyes were closed, his body floating as if controlled by some unseen force.


    Inside his soul sea, us stood before the Pentaface bead, which was now spinning rapidly. A red aura swirled around it, making it look dark and ominous.


    "Senior, what''s happening? What''s going on with me?" us asked, staring at the bead. He noticed a strange, foreign energy flowing into it, and something about it felt wrong.


    "It''s a transformation technique," the senior replied in a calm, almost indifferent tone. "A forbidden transformation technique."


    us''s eyes widened. The senior''s casual response to something so dangerous only made his anxiety worse. "Forbidden?" he repeated, feeling the intensity of the situation, but the senior didn''t seem concerned.


    "No need to be rmed, kid. This is actually a good thing," the senior said, his tone still casual. "You''ve been looking for a way to deal with the Zombies, right? Well, here''s your chance. It''s up to you now¡ªeither you handle it, or it''ll handle you."


    us felt a cold sweat trickle down his back. "So, you''re telling me I''m supposed to embrace this¡­ forbidden transformation?"


    The senior chuckled lightly. "Exactly. But remember, it''s not all sunshine and rainbows. You''ll gain immense power, but if you lose control, this energy will consume you."


    us clenched his fists, as he continued to gaze at the strange energy swirling around the spinning Pentaface Bead.


    "What''s the name of this technique, Senior?" us asked, his voice tense with anticipation.


    "It''s called the Six Star Blood Moon Transformation," the senior replied, his tone still unnervingly calm.


    "It draws power from the six Astra stars through the moon. When you activate it, you''ll be struck by six different emotions, each one tied to your personality. In exchange, you''ll gain a sixfold boost in power."


    us frowned. Six emotions, for sixfold power-up. "But there''s a catch, right?"


    "Exactly," the senior continued. "You''ll have to handle those emotions, keep them in check. If you lose control or let them take over, you''ll be consumed by them¡ªforever. This power will either make you stronger than ever or break you entirely. It''s up to you. All you have to do is ce your hand on the bead"


    us swallowed hard. He was about to gain six times his normal strength¡ªmore than enough to handle the Zombie Kings and even the Queen. But there was a catch: he''d be overwhelmed by six powerful emotions that could drag him into chaos while he fought to stay focused.


    It was a double-edged sword. The power could just as easily destroy him. It was risky¡ªtoo dangerous, even for him. But us didn''t dwell on it. He needed the strength, and the longer he hesitated, the more the Assassin Lady on the outside would suffer.


    With a heavy sigh, he stepped forward and ced his hand on the Bead. The moment he touched it, his mind went numb, and then chaos erupted inside him.


    Greed, Fear, Jealousy, Anger, Sadness, and Lust¡ªthese emotions hit him all at once, pulling him into a confused and disoriented state.


    Back on the battlefield, us''s suspended body started to radiate a terrifying aura. Then, he began to transform. His eyes, already red, stayed the same, but crimson lines appeared, running from his chest to just below his eyes.


    His white hair turned a fiery red and flowed like a river behind him. His grip on his sword tightened, a red aura briefly surrounding it. When the aura faded, the sword had transformed into a spear, two meters long.


    His armor darkened to a deep red, marked with glowing runes. Though his face still held his handsome features, red runes and lines now etched themselves across it. Slowly, he descended to the ground, and when he opened his eyes, six emotions shed through them in quick session.


    us, now something entirely different, clenched his fists for a moment before a small smirk curled his lips.


    "Such a small power-up, yet you demand such a high price," he chuckled. "Let''s see who gets the short end of the stick."


    He turned to where three Zombie Kings were ganging up on the Assassin Lady. Her body was bruised and cut all over¡ªshe was barely holding on.


    In an instant, us spun his spear and moved. Within a split second, he was in front of the Assassin Lady, blocking an attack aimed at her neck.


    BOOM!


    The force of his block sent the Zombie King flying, and us followed up with two more swift attacks, sending the other two Zombie Kings staggering backward. He then nced at the Assassin Lady, his grip tightening on his spear. At that moment, his emotions shifted¡ªgreed and anger surged through him. He wanted to kill her.


    And he almost did. us lunged at her, spear aimed to pierce her heart. But just as he was about to strike, he stopped and stabbed the spear into the ground instead.


    "You need to leave. Next time we meet, all debts will be settled. You saved my life, so I won''t kill you now. But be careful¡ªnext time, we won''t owe each other anything."


    With that, he dashed back into battle, shing with the Zombie Kings once more.


    The Assassin Lady stood still, watching us as he battled the Zombie Kings. Her mask concealed any expression on her face, hiding the emotions that flickered in her eyes. She didn''t speak or make a move. After a moment, she melded into the shadows and quietly left the battlefield.


    us, locked in a fierce fight with both his inner turmoil and three mutated Zombie Kings, barely noticed her departure. His mind was a whirlwind of chaos, so much so that he didn''t even realize when she left and appeared several meters away from the battlefield.


    "Bell of Harrows!" us shouted. The bell appeared, but instead of its usual golden glow, it was now red, pulsing with a chaotic aura.


    Ding.


    The bell rang, and a terrifying wave of energy surged out, making the three Zombie Kings roar in agony. Even us, the one who summoned it, felt his emotions intensify. Sadness washed over him, and he clenched his fist, fighting to keep it at bay.


    "Not today," he muttered, directing the bell toward the Zombie Kings again. The bell rang once more, hitting them hard¡ªboth mentally and within their souls. Seeing them falter, us smirked and turned his gaze toward one of the cocoons suspended in the air.


    A 24-meter-long needle, glowing with red energy, appeared in front of him. With a gesture using his fingers, it shot forward in a sh.


    In seconds, hundreds of holes riddled the cocoon, and blood began to drip from it. Just like that, one of the unborn Abominations has been killed.


    "No!" A painful cry erupted from one of the three untouched cocoons, shaking the entire space.


    A greedy look crossed us''s face as he muttered, "Why scream now? It''s just one of you. Wait until I kill all of you."


    Before he could finish, a sharp vine shot up from the ground, aiming straight for his heart. At the same time, two Zombie Kings burst out from thest of the three cocoons, and from the final one emerged a stunning beauty with demonic eyes.


    "Die, human!" she screamed, as hundreds of vines surged from the ground, all aimed at us, who stood there with a smile on his lips. He just stood there, his eyes locked on the Zombiedy that now look more like some Demonic beauty than a mere Zombie.


    The vine moved at a terrifying speed, But just as they were about to pierce him, the Bell of Harrows descended, ringing loudly. The vines were sted apart before they could even touch him, shattered by the sonic burst.

 Chapter 212: Blood Princes and Queen

    The vines shattered, exploding under the chaotic energy unleashed by the bell. us, now being covered by the bell, felt his mind clear of all emotions, returning him to his true self¡ªthe way he was before the Blood Moon Transformation.


    ''I need to finish this battle fast before I lose control,'' he thought, now fully aware of how deep he''d fallen into his emotions. He had been consumed by fear, sadness, greed, jealousy, and intense anger. The only emotion he hadn''t felt yet was lust, but he knew it wasing.


    He looked ahead and saw four of the five Zombie Kings, now transformed into Blood Princes, hovering in the air. Then on the ground, one stood gripping a jagged spiked mace. With his mind clear, us could finally sense the real danger.


    "Can I really kill them?" he wondered. Even though his power had increased sixfold, the Blood Princes¡ªand especially the Blood Queen, who was a Tier 8 zombie, a Sovereign by human standards¡ªwere no easy opponents.


    "Demon Piercing Vines!" Just as us was thinking about his next move, the Blood Queen attacked. Vines shot up from the ground, their sharp, piercing tips radiating with intense demonic energy.


    In response, us struck the side of the bell with his spear, making it ring out even louder this time. The vines shattered, but they kepting.


    However, the shockwave, containing both sonic and soul energy, crashed into the Blood Princes, sending them tumbling to the ground.


    "My turn," us muttered, shooting forward with his spear aimed at the Blood Queen. His movements were sharp and fast, but not fast enough. Before he could strike, a spiked mace came swinging toward his face.


    us blocked with his spear, shing against the mace, but before he could twist out of the way, a powerful kick mmed into his side, sending him flying.


    "Ice Beam!" us shouted, summoning his Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom. The first star on the first petal glowed, and a wave of ice shot out, striking a Blood Prince that was charging at him from behind.


    Using the shockwave from the impact, usnded on the ground, swinging his spear at another Blood Prince. But before his attack could hit, another Blood Prince lunged forward.


    "Shit!" us cursed as he felt vines wrapping around his leg. He didn''t have time to destroy them, so he shed with his spear, cutting the vines in half.


    "Come out!" us roared, and the air around him turned scorching hot. In the sky above, a majestic, blood-red dragon appeared, looking fierce and deadly.


    The dragon opened its mouth, and a torrent of fire shot toward a Blood Prince diving at us from above. The mes engulfed the prince''s wings, setting them aze.


    It roared in pain but managed to p its wings, putting out the fire. However, it didn''t have time to recover before a powerful arc of fire came shing down from the dragon, cutting into its body.


    us panted heavily, his mind consumed by jealous thoughts despite there being nothing there that could make him jealous. Maybe he wanted wings, but he wasn''t sure what he was jealous about. The Transformations didn''t exactlye with a manual.


    But despite the pain he was in, looking at his fire dragon and the burning Blood Prince that crashed to the ground, he felt happy, but for just a moment.


    ''I need to find a way to block these emotions'' us thought sensing without him inside the bell, he would keep falling into his emotions.


    He managed to kill two out of the seven Zombies, But there was no time to celebrate. The Blood Queen moved swiftly, her dark figure gliding toward him like a shadow. us raised his spear, prepared to strike, but she was too fast. In an instant, she was in front of him, her wed hand shing through the air.


    us barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind from her swipe brush against his face. He countered, swinging his spear upward, but the Blood Queen blocked it with a single hand, the force of her grip sending shockwaves up the weapon. Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    "You won''tst long, human," she hissed, her crimson eyes glowing with malice.


    "I''ve heard that before," us retorted, twisting his spear to break free of her hold. He jumped back, creating distance between them, but before he could recover, the Blood Princes surrounded him again. They were relentless, closing in with murderous intent.


    "Fuck," us cursed as his mind went numb. Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of lust flooded his body, clouding his thoughts. At the same time, the Blood Queen rushed at him with deadly intent, her movements oddly seductive. For some reason, he found himself distracted, unable to focus on anything but her body as she closed in on him.


    "This isn''t right... it''s all an illusion," he muttered, shaking his head as their weapons shed¡ªhis spear meeting the Blood Queen''s ws. The force of the impact sent them both flying back.


    "Trap!" us muttered, realizing the danger. He summoned the Bell of Harrows again, and with a loud crash, it fell onto the Blood Queen, trapping her within its sonic cage. us knew that as long as she was in the fight, he wouldn''t stand a chance against thest four Blood Princes. They were strong, but he had experience on his side.


    "Fuck," he muttered again, feeling the strain as the bell started draining his Star Qi rapidly. The clock was ticking, and he didn''t have much time.


    "I need to finish this now," he thought, but reality isn''t always as one wants it. He must first cut through four abominations and an oddly seductive queen.


    "Absolute Ice Domain," us muttered as the entire space around him turned bitterly cold. The temperature plummeted, frost creeping over the ground.


    He nced up and saw his fire dragon locked in a fierce battle with one of the winged Blood Princes. The other two of the three Blood Princes stared down at him, their eyes wild and crazed.


    The ice domain worked in his favor, boosting his speed and power, but he couldn''t fly¡ªunlike two of the Blood Princes, who hovered in the air with sharp ws ready to tear him apart. The third one, on the ground, wielded a jagged weapon gazing at him from the ground.


    Monsters and Zombies don''t evolve like humans. They don''t automatically gain the ability to fly when they be saints¡ªunless, of course, they have wings. For non-winged zombies or monsters to fly, they must evolve into Tyrant Monsters or Emperor Zombies.


    But there are exceptions. Mutated monsters or zombies that grow wings can fly, and these Blood Princes were exactly that¡ªmutants with wings. us knew that if the battle went into the air, he''d be at a severe disadvantage. He couldn''t fight effectively up there, so he was doing everything he could to keep the fight on the ground, where he had the advantage.


    "Let''s take it up a notch, shall we? While your ''Madam'' is trapped for now," us taunted, smirking as he nced at the bell still containing the Zombie Queen. His Star Qi was draining rapidly, but he wasn''t about toin. Trapping the Queen, even if just for a while, was worth it.


    "Demon Killing Circle," us muttered as he swung his spear in a wide arc. Instantly, the ground within his icy domain erupted, and a swirling circle of ice about a kilometer wide appeared. The Zombies in the air felt themselves being pulled down, trapped by the crushing force of the circle.


    "Now, we dance," us whispered, his voice low but filled with fury. His brain buzzed with anger, but a wicked smile yed on his lips as he shed with a Zombie wielding a spiked mace.


    Thanks to his past as Fruity, learning countless skills and techniques from the Soul Temple, us had a vast arsenal to draw from. Hundreds of abilities are at his disposal. But he realized that using even one drained a significant amount of Star Qi. So, he chose the only skill that could tip the scales in his favor.


    The Demon Killing Circle. It allowed him to control a defined space where he reigned supreme. us could have used this skill anywhere, but activating it within the Ice Domain¡ªwhere his affinity with the ice element was strongest¡ªgave him every possible advantage. And with only four minutes of total control, he had no intention of wasting a single second.


    "Moon sh!" he shouted, imbuing his spear with ice as he swung it forward. A sharp, crescent-shaped arc of ice shot out, mming hard into the spiked mace Zombie, cleaving through it like brittle wood.


    "Die, you dumb creatures!" us snarled, his anger surging. His mouth twisted into a bitter smirk as he started cursing the Zombies for obvious reasons.

 Chapter 213: Chaotic Battle

    "Die, you big dumb idiot!" us cursed, stabbing his spear at the Blood Prince. The creature snarled, raising its wed hand to block the attack. Sparks flew as steel met bone, the Prince''s grotesque ws barely managing to fend off the blow.


    "You will die, bastard," the Blood Prince growled, its voice dripping with venom. "I''ll tear you apart. I''ll kill you by cutting you piece by piece"


    us gritted his teeth, pushing harder against the Prince''s defense. His arms burned with effort, but he didn''t falter. "Not if I kill you first."


    us wasn''t concerned by the fact that the Zombie just spoke. He knew they could talk, but right now, that demonic tone didn''t faze him. His mind was drowning in anger, clouded by nothing but the burning hunger to kill the Zombies. And then kill some more.


    "Idiot, why are you running?!" us roared like a madman, charging forward with his spear aimed at the head of one of the winged Zombies. His muscles tensed as he closed in for the kill.


    But just before his spear could pierce its skull, he abruptly stopped. "Moon sh!" he yelled, swinging the spear back with precision, unleashing a crescent-shaped arc of ice toward another Zombie rushing in from the side.


    "Metal ws!" the Zombie bellowed, shing its ws forward. A massive spectral w ripped through the air, colliding with us''s ice arc. The impact was devastating, and the two attacks exploded in a sh of light and ice. The shockwave hit us hard, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    "Die, bitch!" us screamed in anger. He shed his spear forward unleashing another ice arc, but the spike mace wielder blocked the attack giving the other two enough time tounch their own attack.


    Red light shot from the eyes of one and a huge w made of metallic bones tore from the other aimed at us. us''s eyes narrowed as he stabbed his spear forward blocking the w but he was struck on the side by theser beam. He could have defended using the bell, but that would be setting the blood queen free.


    "I am not afraid," us muttered, though fear crept into his mind and heart as he rose from the ground once again. The emotions hit him unexpectedly. Now, with the pressure mounting, he felt fear¡ªsomething he hadn''t experienced since the start of the battle.


    "Two more minutes," us reminded himself. The Demon Killing Circle would deactivate in just two minutes. He had to end this fight before it was toote.


    Above him, the Blood Prince and the dragon were locked in fiercebat. us watched in awe, confused by the dragon''s overwhelming power. It wasn''t even a real dragon, yet it was handling the Zombie with frightening ease. The skill and strength it disyed put us to shame.


    The Zombie unleashed terrifying attacks, but every time, the dragon shattered them and countered with fiery assaults.


    Roar!


    The dragon bellowed, swinging its massive tail forward. A zing arc shot toward the heart of the Blood Prince. The Prince raised its ws, blocking the attack, but the force behind it caused a massive explosion. If us had seen it up close, he would have understood how devastating the blow was.


    From the explosion, fire particles filled the air. us realized the dragon was manipting those elemental particles, much like he did. But the dragon did it with a grace and style that us hadn''t mastered.


    The dragon, which had been several meters away from the Blood Prince, suddenly vanished and reappeared behind it in an instant. What followed was a torrent of fire that consumed the Blood Prince, setting its entire body aze. The Blood Prince screamed in agony as it began to fall from the sky, burning.


    At that same moment, us, whose mind had been assaulted by strange, lustful thoughts, snapped back to focus. He saw the Zombie falling and, without hesitation, unleashed the Soul Gaze from his Eye of Malevolence. A crimson glow surged from his eye, striking the Zombie directly in the chest.


    us didn''t need the system to tell him he had killed it. He knew the up-close attack had obliterated its soul. He could have used the Eye of Despair, but thanks to his awakening the Eye of Malevolence and that he was using it actively inbat now, and the fact that it has be 6 times more powerful, he knew he would just be wasting Star qi if he uses the Eye of Despair.


    "Three down, four more to go," us muttered to himself, steeling his resolve.


    But that moment of rity didn''tst long. A wave of jealousy crept into us''s mind. "Seriously, what is there to be jealous about with these idiots?" he muttered under his breath.


    While he appeared calm on the outside, inside, us was battling against six overwhelming emotions. He had found a way to deal with the anger¡ªby cursing at the Zombies, which oddly helped soothe him.


    But now, jealousy was gnawing at him, and he didn''t know whether tough or cry. Jealousy? Against Zombies? It felt absurd.


    Still, us knew the truth. He was, in fact, jealous¡ªnot of the Zombies themselves, but of their grotesque, powerful wings. As ridiculous as it seemed, the emotion gued his thoughts, distracting him from the battle.


    With no immediate way to calm himself, us realized he had to fight through it. He needed to kill his way across the battlefield and stay focused, or risk being consumed by the emotions clouding his mind.


    There were still four more enemies to kill. Thankfully, one had already been trapped in the Bell of Harrows. Despite her best efforts, the female Zombie couldn''t break free. Her powerful attacks only backfired, causing her more torment than she could bear, so she stood helplessly, watching us ughter her minions one by one.


    "Dragon''s Breath," usmanded coldly, halting his attack to make room for the dragon within the killing circle.


    The Blood Prince, prepared to defend against us''s spear, was caught off guard. The dragon unleashed a torrent of unholy fire, engulfing the Blood Prince in mes.


    "Moon sh," us whispered, his voice icy as he swung his spear, sending out a sharp arc of ice. At the same moment, his eyes glowed crimson as he used the Soul Gaze. A beam shot out from his gaze, striking the Zombie''s forehead.


    The ice arc tore through the air, slicing the Zombie clean in half, while the soul-crushing gaze finished what little remained of its existence.


    "It''d be best if you two just kill yourselves. My best bud is here with me now," us said shamelessly, ncing up at his Fire Spirit Dragon hovering above him. With the dragon around, he felt safe despite his star qi draining rapidly.


    "Human, die!" one of thest two Blood Princes shouted as it lunged at us with its ws. us just smirked and motioned forward. The dragon shed its tail, sending a powerful arc toward the Blood Prince.


    In response, the Blood Prince swiped with arge w, but us, despite his intense anger, didn''t falter. He stabbed his spear into the ground, and sharp ice shards shot toward the Blood Prince.


    The creature twisted its body slightly to dodge, but that was all us needed. His Void Piercing Needle shot forward, piercing one of the Blood Prince''s eyes.


    The zombie, with its demonic voice, screamed like a baby. But that wasn''t the end. Before it could regain focus, us directed the Void Piercing Needle again, stabbing its second eye.


    "Torture it as long as you want," us growled, anger clouding his mind, as he set the dragon on the now-blind Blood Prince. The dragonshed its tail, sending the zombie flying out of the killing circle.


    The dragon followed, leaving thest Blood Prince for us to handle. Outside the killing circle, the blinded zombie was engulfed in unholy chaotic mes, screaming for its life.


    Death¡ªthe thing everyone feared¡ªwould have been a blessing for it. But death seemed to be on holiday, leaving the Dragon to continue the torture, just as us wished. It was both brutal and necessary for us to feel something, something that would snap him back to reality.


    us looked at the Last Blood Prince, who held a spiked mace in his hand and smirked. "Die now," he muttered. He didn''t even need aplex technique this time. Tapping into the fire particles lingering in the air, despite his Ice Domain, us moved with lightning speed.


    In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the Zombie Prince, ready to strike. But just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, something unexpected happened. His mind went numb, a strange disorienting sensation washing over him.


    BOOM!


    The sound of the Bell of Harrows exploding rang out, reverberating through the battlefield. us immediately sensed mortal danger locking onto him from all sides. His instincts screamed, but before he could react, the Blood Prince saw its opportunity.


    The mace swung down with terrifying force. us, momentarily distracted, couldn''t dodge in time. The heavy weapon smashed into his side, sending him flying through the air, and crashing into the ground with a sickening thud.


    "Fuck..."

 Chapter 214: Falling Into Her Trap [Bonus]

    us cursed under his breath as his mind filled with lustful thoughts, far beyond anything he had ever experienced. He could feel his focus slipping away, reced by disturbing desires.


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    Images of the things he would do with none other than the Blood Queen, who had finally broken free from the Bell of Harrows, swirled in his mind.


    "What is wrong with me?" he wondered, struggling to regain control. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t shake off the overwhelming sensation of lust that clouded his judgment. His mind was numb, consumed by fantasies he didn''t want to entertain.


    "I refuse to believe I can''t ovee this," us muttered through clenched teeth, forcing himself to stand despite his body and mind working against him. He looked up and saw the Blood Queen lunging at him with terrifying speed. Without even thinking, his Lotus flower shot forward, exploding in her path.


    The impact sent the Blood Queen flying backward, but us didn''t have time to savor the moment. Thest Blood Prince charged at him from the side, swinging its spiked mace. Yet us barely registered its presence¡ªhis thoughts were entirely focused on the Blood Queen. He needed her. He wanted her. He desired her.


    His mind was in utter chaos, but somehow, he still held himself back from fully giving in to the lust. The Blood Prince''s attack came dangerously close, but us instinctively dodged. The dragon swooped in and took thatst Blood Prince away, the Bell of Harrows also activated to aid the dragon.


    The Bell of Harrows rang again, disorienting the Blood Prince further. us barely nced at it, knowing the dragon and the bell would handle the monster.


    "That should take care of it," he mumbled as he moved away, leaving the Blood Prince''s fate in the hands of his deadly summons.


    But now, his focus was entirely on the Blood Queen. He hated that his body reacted this way, yet part of him couldn''t resist the pull. As much as he knew she had to be killed, the desire to possess her battled with his will to end her life. us felt torn between two conflicting urges¡ªlust and murder.


    Standing before her, his mind went nk again. Despite having been around beautiful women many times before, the intensity of this feeling was unbearable. It was as if the Blood Queen''s presence alone magnified every carnal thought he had, and it was driving him mad.


    His mind raced as he tried to fight it off, working overtime to counter the lust, while his hands still moved to prepare for a killing blow. But the distraction was immense. He struggled to stay focused, feeling like his grip on sanity was slipping away.


    "Human, you killed all my people. Now, I will kill you," the Blood Queen said, her voice cold and dripping with malice.


    Her words cut through the fog in us''s mind, but even though he heard her threat, the sensation she invoked within him only intensified. He knew he had to kill her¡ªthere was no other choice¡ªbut his body seemed frozen in conflict, torn between the urge to destroy and the irrational desire that held him captive.


    us took a deep breath, forcing his thoughts into order. This was no ordinary battle; this was a war for control over his own mind.


    "At least Mom is more beautiful than her." us''s mind suddenly shed back to the moment he awakened his Eye of Malevolence and identally caught a glimpse of his mother. The memory hit him hard, opening a small space in his mind that felt both forbidden and strangelyforting.


    He didn''t need to dwell on how wrong it was to use those memories in this way. The guilt didn''t matter now; it was just too shameless. But it sparked a surge of urges within him. His mind began flooding with thoughts¡ªlustful thoughts that twisted and turned like a wild storm.


    This time, though, the images weren''t of the Blood Queen. Instead, they were of thedies in his life: Lucy, Ohema, Miriam, Nadia, Nia, Asha, Anna, Lily... All the women he had ever harbored lustful thoughts for came rushing back, overwhelming him with desire.


    Inside his soul sea, the Penface Bead, which had been glowing with red energy, began to dim. A golden aura started to surround it as if the energies were battling for dominance within him.


    Suddenly, the senior voice echoed through the space. "Shameless but effective. He seems to have found his way out."


    On the outside, us smiled as his mind reveled in the whirlwind of lustful desires. The chaos he felt earlier transformed into a more focused energy. With newfound determination, he turned his gaze back to the Blood Queen, who was shaking off the ice energy that had encased her.


    us felt a rush of power coursing through him, fueled by the fantasies swirling in his head. The momentary distraction from his lustful thoughts allowed him to regain some rity. He could sense the Blood Queen''s fury as she red at him, her eyes zing with vengeance.


    The desire to kill her remained, but now it was tempered with a strange sense of confidence. us knew he could use this moment to his advantage. Instead of sumbing to the chaos, he could harness it.


    "Moon sh!" us shouted as he shed his spear, sending a powerful ice arc toward the Blood Queen. He immediately dashed forward, aiming his spear at her heart.


    But the Blood Queen was faster¡ªmuch faster. She stepped back and twisted her body, avoiding his attack. A moment like this would have left him dazed before, but not this time. His mind was already focused on the battle, so he kicked out,nding a solid strike on her stomach.


    The force of the kick sent her flying back, and us quickly followed up with another ice arc, which connected squarely with her body.


    "Hunting Vines!" the Blood Queen shouted. From the ground, countless vine-like shards shot up, attacking us from all directions.


    Thinking quickly, us stabbed his spear into the ground, causing ice to burst out and freeze the iing shards. However, the attack didn''t stop. His spear was suddenly engulfed in mes as he swung it at the Blood Queen.


    In response, she mmed her hand on the ground, raising a wall of vines that blocked his fiery assault. The impact sent sparks flying, and us realized he needed to change his approach.


    "Not good," he muttered, feeling a sharp pain in his back. A shard of vine had pierced him, and he winced at the sudden sting. He couldn''t afford to be distracted now.


    With a swift motion, us yanked the shard out of his back, ignoring the blood trickling down. He couldn''t let her see any weakness. He focused on his surroundings, searching for a way to counter her attack.


    He needed to find a way out now that he was losing ground. The gap between him and the enemy was widening. He had received a sixfold power-up, but a Tier 8 mutated Zombie was no joke. So while he waited for the Dragon to finish off the Blood Prince, he could only hold on.


    Hisst attack would determine who would stand and who would fall. To unleash that attack, he needed the dragon to block her for a few moments.


    us didn''t know why his sword had turned into a spear when he transformed, but he was grateful. The length of the weapon allowed him to attack while keeping some distance between them.


    "Explode!" us called forth the Ice Lotus again, making it explode against the wall of vines. This froze the vines to some extent. It wasn''t enough to shatter them, but it would be enough for him to break through with his next attack.


    "Break!" he shouted as he lunged forward, stabbing his spear into the wall of vines. Boom! The wall exploded, and us was forced through it. However, immediately, he found himself on the other side, a cold chill running down his spine.


    "Die, Human!" the Blood Queen shouted as she stabbed her sword toward his chest. us didn''t know when the sword appeared in her hands since she had been fighting with her w all this while, but he knew he wouldn''t be able to defend against that attack at such a close range.


    The spear gave him some distance, but with the speed he used to destroy the vines, He found himself in a tight spot and knew that the moment the sword pierced his chest, he would die.


    His mind raced for a way out, but he couldn''t find one. He had fallen into her trap, and there was no way to break free.


    Suddenly, just as the sword was a few inches from his chest, his eyes glowed brightly, and then his blood sshed out as the sword Pierced his chest

 Chapter 215: Trading Death for Death [Bonus]

    The red moon, which was supposed to end 20 minutes ago, finally started to fade. The sky returned to normal, and the forest regained its natural colors. us, who had been thriving off the effects of the Blood Moon Transformation, began losing his power at the worst possible moment. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    Under normal circumstances, he wouldn''t have cared, but this time, he was in serious trouble. A sword had been stabbed through his chest, sticking out from his back¡ªcourtesy of the Blood Queen.


    us had intended to break her vine wall and overwhelm her with attacks while waiting for the Dragon to finish barbecuing thest of the Blood Princes. However, he had miscalcted. The wall wasn''t meant for defense at all.


    It was just a smokescreen for the real attack the Blood Queen had nned, and unfortunately, us fell for it. He broke through the wall as expected, but he paid the price with a sword through his chest.


    He hadn''t expected it at all. From the start of the battle until now, the Blood Queen hadn''t used a sword, so he assumed she didn''t wield one. But he was wrong, and the sword in his chest was proof of that.


    However, us wasn''t the only one impaled. Looking at the Blood Queen, us couldn''t help but smirk, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and his teeth stained red.


    "You didn''t see thising, did you?" us said, his voice strained, as he stared at the Blood Queen, who was turning pale from the spear now lodged in her chest.


    "You expected me to fall for your attack, but you failed to realize I knew you''d try something like that. You can always hide your trump cards, but you can''t hide a weapon from me. I tend to be a little sensitive to weapons you see," us added, coughing up more blood.


    In truth, the moment she retrieved her weapon, us sensed it. Thanks to the sixfold power-up from the Blood Moon Transformation, despite the overwhelming emotions and tormented thoughts, his connection to weapons never faltered.


    For the first time, us saw the potential of his ss¡ªthe Weapons Overlord. He realized just how powerful it could be.


    Throughout the battle, us had formed connections with all the weapons around him, though he couldn''t use them as easily as his Void Piercing Needle. Still, this didn''t stop him from altering the trajectory of some of the attacks.


    The spiked mace from the Blood Prince could have hit him many times, but us used his connection to slow the attacks or move them slightly, reducing the impact. Of course, each time he did this, it caused him mental strain, but it worked.


    So when he sensed the Blood Queen drawing her weapon, he knew he had to overwhelm her while he waited for the Dragon to finish off thest of the Blood Princes so he could put his final attack into action.


    But he failed to realize he was walking into a trap. Her attack came too quickly, and us struggled to adapt. He knew he wascking in that regard, quick reflexes.


    When she attacked and he was out of options to defend, he used his weapon control ability to alter the sword''s trajectory. He couldn''t move it much, but he shifted it enough to avoid a fatal blow to his heart.


    Yes, us could have moved it further away, but that would have caused him to miss his chance to stab her. And with the mental strain that followed each time he controlled a weapon with his mind, he knew missing that strike would have been dangerous.


    So he opted for the old-fashioned approach: you stab me, I stab you. In this case, though, us aimed to make his strike count. Unfortunately for the Blood Queen, she didn''t have us''s control over weapons, so his spear went straight through her heart. us added something extra¡ªa cold, icy essence that began freezing her from the inside.


    "You... you shouldn''t have done that," the Blood Queen gasped, coughing up blood, her gaze cold despite her life slowly draining away.


    "Oh? Do tell. What shouldn''t I have done?" us asked, not faring much better himself.


    "The entire Zombie race will hunt you down for eradicating the DarkBlood Demon Zombies," the Blood Queen said as she continued to turn into an ice statue.


    "I killed everyst Voltox Zombie and I''m still alive. I think it''s your so-called race that should be worried. And oh, before you threaten me with that Zombie Empress of yours, know that I don''t care," us replied, too exhausted to pull the spear from her chest.


    Being so close to her, staring at her twisted expression, he felt disgusted with himself for ever having lustful thoughts about her. The feeling alone made him want to vomit, but he was also sinking into darkness.


    The sword had missed his heart, but only slightly. It had grazed it, causing him to bleed internally.


    He needed to remove the sword so his Overlord Healing skill could activate, but he was too tired. Now that the Blood Moon Transformation had ended, his strength had diminished considerably.


    Suddenly, the Blood Queen frozepletely. Using everyst ounce of energy he had left, us twisted the spear, shattering the ice. The Blood Queen cracked and shattered, and us fell backward, hitting the ground hard.


    The sword was still lodged in his chest, and his eyes grew heavy. He looked sideways and saw the dragon dissipate, leaving a cooked Zombie corpse behind.


    "At least they''re all dead. I can take a nap now," us said with a weak smile as his eyes closed, drifting into unconsciousness. He no longer had the strength to pull the weapon from his chest.


    A few secondster, a powerful gust of wind swept through the silent battlefield, raising dust into the air. When it settled, Miriam, the War Goddess, appeared.


    "us!" she cried. The moment she saw him lying on the ground with a sword through his chest, she rushed to his side, instantly removing the de. She cradled him in her arms as tears began to fall.


    Once again, she was toote to save him. Just like in Arcadian City, she had arrived toote when he needed her most. Her tears flowed freely as she did everything she could to wake him up.


    Suddenly, nes and vehicles started arriving in the forest as the reinforcements us had called for forty minutes ago finally reached the battlefield.


    us had already killed everyst Zombie, leaving the War Goddess holding his cold body in the midst of the silent battlefield.


    The soldiers and warriors who had arrived stood silently, staring at the bloodied battlefield and us''s unconscious body in the War Goddess''s arms. No one made a sound. They simply stood there, watching.


    They hade to fight, but it was clear they had arrived toote. However, that wasn''t their main concern. What truly stunned them was the sight of us¡ªthe same us they knew¡ªhaving cleared a battlefield full of thousands of these terrifying Zombies, now lying dead and beheaded all around them.


    It was too shocking. They were all in a daze, just standing there, trying to process what they were seeing. The War Goddess''s tears continued to fall; she was clearly going through a lot.


    Suddenly, the sky cracked open, revealing a dark inner space. The whole army looked up at the sudden change, but before anyone could react, a woman they all instantly recognized appeared through the crack.


    She looked cold¡ªso cold that none of the warriors dared make eye contact with her. The moment she appeared, she vanished and reappeared beside Miriam. The crack in the sky closed behind her.


    "Stop crying, little sister. He''s not dead. He just needs time to heal," the woman said, cing her palm on us''s chest.


    With a flick of her wrist, space cracked open again, and before anyone could fully understand what was happening, the woman, Miriam, and us vanished, leaving behind only the dead Zombies and thousands of Zombie stones (cores).

 Chapter 216: Miriams Mental State

    "Fuck, that was a close one," us groaned as he forced his eyes open. He was lying in arge room with a huge,fortable bed. His chest was wrapped in bandages, and his vision was blurry. His eyes felt like they were the heaviest thing in the world.


    The pain in his chest and inside his body hit him hard as he slowly adjusted to the light in the room.


    "us," a weak voice suddenly called from beside the bed. us knew turning his head would hurt, but hearing such a soft tone from Miriam, the War Goddess, he had to look. Yes, us remembered every detail about everyone, no matter how small.


    His brain and his skills as a Universal Enigma made it impossible for him to forget. Even if he didn''t want to remember, his mind would hold onto everything. So when he heard her weak voice, he couldn''t ignore it. There she was¡ªMiriam, the emotionless, ruthless War Goddess, weeping like a baby.


    us didn''t know much about her, but like any curious guy, he had used the inte to learn a few things. From what he found out, Miriam didn''t like people.


    Not at all. She hated humans. She protected them, but she despised them. Nobody knew why, but that''s just the way she was. Ever since she started her rise to power, no one had ever gotten close to her.


    ording to rumors, she only liked one person¡ªthe Leader of the Overlords. Some even said they were sworn sisters, but aside from her, Miriam hated everyone.


    So, to see her showing emotions like this, us didn''t need to be a genius to know she had broken down. Her heart and mind were clearly in chaos. The look on her face said it all and us could tell she was in pain both mentally and emotionally.


    "Miriam, help me sit up," us said, trying to get her attention. As expected, Miriam moved quickly, climbing onto the bed to help him. Despite the searing pain in his body, us sat up with her help, though his body kept reminding him just how much it hurt.


    us looked around the room and immediately realized this wasn''t his. He leaned back, resting his head on the pillow behind him. Miriam, who had just helped him sit up, was about to move away when us gently grabbed her hand. She tried to pull free, but she felt powerless.


    You''d think someone with her strength could easily break us''s grip, but at that moment, all her strength seemed to vanish, and she just kept weeping.


    "You know, if people saw you like this, they''d start thinking you''ve been faking the whole emotionless, ruthless War Goddess act," us said, trying his best to lighten the mood. "Even I''m having a hard time believing it."


    But he was right¡ªMiriam didn''t stop crying. us was at a loss. He was far better at flirting with women thanforting them.


    "us... I''m useless," Miriam suddenly blurted out, her quiet weeping turning into full-on sobbing. us''s heart hurt for reasons he couldn''t quite understand when he heard those words.


    "Stop lying to yourself," he said softly. "Someone like you is far from useless. You''re the protector of this whole region. A useless person could never do that."


    us knew why she said it. He knew she was ming herself for not being able to save him¡ªtwice now¡ªwhen he had been on death''s door. It was too much for someone who imed to be his big sister. But...


    But us stopped himself from finishing that thought. There was no point in digging deeper into her pain right now. Instead, he sighed and held her hand a little tighter.


    "Miriam, you''ve done more than anyone could. I wouldn''t be alive right now if it weren''t for you. Twice, you saved me when no one else could. So don''t say you''re useless. You''re far from it. Just being here is more than enough"


    Miriam''s sobbing slowed, but tears still streamed down her face. She looked at us with red, swollen eyes, her lips trembling. "But I couldn''t stop it¡­ I couldn''t stop any of it," she whispered. "You almost died because of me. Twice. I am a failure."


    us shook his head, forcing a smile through the pain in his chest. "You didn''t fail. I''m still here, aren''t I? You got me out of there." Of course, he knew saying those words wouldn''t make much difference but he still has to say them.


    "Stop crying, Miriam. If anything, we should be happy I''m still alive. Who knows when I might try dying again," us joked, hoping to lift the mood. But Miriam wasn''t in any condition tough.


    "us¡­" she tried to speak, but the words wouldn''te out. Her mental state was too fragile. "I couldn''t do anything right. I couldn''t save you¡­ I couldn''t save Big Sister. Mom was right. I''m just¡­ I''m just a useless thing," she choked out, and the dam of tears burst again.


    us held her hand tightly, feeling that he was finally getting closer to the real source of her sorrow. But he didn''t push. He just let her feel his presence, hoping she would open up in her own time.


    He wouldn''t let go. us knew for her to be this devastated over his near-death experience, something deeper was going on. It had to be psychological.


    "us, do you think I''m useless?" she asked, her voice shaky, as she looked at him with eyes he would never forget. The pain in her gaze, the need for validation, and the overwhelming self-doubt were all too clear.


    ''What happened to her to make her feel like this?'' us''s heart ached, not from any lustful thought but from the sheer agony he saw in her eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had doubted themselves for a long time, someone carrying an immense burden of guilt.


    She looked broken, sad, andpletely unsure of herself. us could see it as in as day¡ªthe need for validation, the desperate search for eptance. There was no mistaking it. And in that moment, us understood that Miriam was in deep pain, far beyond anything she had ever let anyone see.


    "Miriam¡­" us started softly, choosing his words carefully. "You''re not useless. You''re far from it. Whatever happened in the past doesn''t define you, and it doesn''t make you less of the person you are today."


    He didn''t know the full story, but he knew he had to reassure her. Miriam wasn''t just some cold, emotionless goddess. She was human, with wounds of her own. And right now, she needed someone to remind her of that.


    "us, I''m not a good person. I''m not a good sister. I always let down the people that mattered the most. I''m the worst," she cried, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions.


    us tightened his grip on her hand and shook his head gently. "Hey, hey, stop that," he said softly but firmly. "You are not useless. And I''m not just saying that because I clearly want to steal your heart."


    Miriam paused for a second, still crying, but something about us''s words made her listen.


    "No, I mean it," he continued. "From what I''ve seen, someone who made my mom smile every day can''t be useless. I don''t care what anyone''s said or what you''ve been through, but know this¡ªyou''ll never be useless in my eyes. Far from it."


    us raised her hand to make sure she was focused on him. "So stop ming yourself and read my lips: you are not useless. You hear me?"


    Miriam stared at him through her tear-filled eyes, her breath hitching as she tried to process his words. The doubt was still there, but us could see a flicker of something else¡ªa spark of belief, or at least the hope for it.


    "I¡­ I don''t know¡­" she whispered, still uncertain.


    "You don''t have to know right now," us said gently. "But trust me on this. You''re worth more than you think."


    With the little strength he had left, us gently pulled Miriam closer, cing her head on his chest despite the pain that surged through him. His Overlord Healing was working overtime, but the ache still persisted. Even so, he didn''t care. Miriam needed this moment more than he needed relief.


    "Miriam," he whispered, "it''s okay."


    She wiped her tears, her breath still uneven. After a while, she muttered "us, I want to tell you a story,"

 Chapter 217: Past Wounds

    She wiped her tears, her breath still uneven. "us, I want to tell you a story," she said softly, her voice steadier now. us felt his heart skip a beat¡ªfinally, she was about to open up.


    He nodded, letting her take her time. "I''m listening," he said, his voice gentle and patient.


    Miriam closed her eyes for a moment as if gathering the strength to speak. She clutched his shirt a little tighter, and then, with a shaky breath, she began.


    "It''s about my sister¡­ and how I failed her," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The pain was still there, raw and deep. us stayed quiet, knowing this was the story she''d been holding inside for far too long.


    "I wasn''t always like this," she continued. "Cold, distant. I used to feel things¡ªhappiness, anger, sadness. I used to care. But something happened¡­ something I could never undo."


    us felt her body tremble slightly against his. He didn''t interrupt, just held her close, offering thefort she desperately needed.


    "She was everything to me, us. My sister... she was my light. But I wasn''t there when she needed me the most. I couldn''t protect her," Miriam''s voice broke, and she paused, struggling to keep her emotions in check.


    us''s chest tightened. He didn''t need to say anything; he knew this pain ran deep, deeper than any wound his gentle touch could heal.


    "What happened?" us finally asked, his voice low and tender, urging her to continue when she was ready.


    Miriam took another deep breath, her grip tightening. "She died. And it was my fault." us listened closely as she began telling her story.


    It turns out, she wasn''t always the cold and ruthless goddess everyone thought she was. In fact, she was far from it. What she revealed shocked us¡ªshe was the daughter of one of the five great ns on Earth.


    Yes, the five great ns. Besides the Legacy families, who rule the eight unions, and the great families that govern the cities, there are five other ns. From the little she shared, these ns are even more powerful and mysterious than the Legacies.


    Even before the apocalypse, they were incredibly powerful. The oil conglomerates, the energypanies, the mining moguls, and all the influential organizations on Earth¡ªthese are the great ns.


    Governments respected them greatly, and their influence was supreme. Miriam is the second daughter of the first wife of one of these great ns. She and her older sister were the only daughters of that first wife.


    Yes, before the apocalypse, the rich and powerful often had many wives. It was only after the apocalypse that ordinary warriors began following the same practice.


    Miriam loved her sister dearly, and she was the only one she truly cared about. However, because of their status as business moguls, they weren''t allowed to go out and y with their peers. But Miriam was a wild card.


    Despite the scolding and disappointment from her parents and even her step-siblings, she didn''t care. She would always sneak out to have fun. Sometimes, she''de homete, only to be protected by her sister, who always waited up to help her sneak back in.


    Though her sister hated doing it, they were sisters, so she always helped Miriam whenever she got into trouble. This continued for a while, until one day, Miriam guilt-tripped her sister into taking her to a swordpetition at a dojo far from home.


    Since her older sister had more privileges to go out, Miriam knew she was the best person to help her. So, after using some underhanded means, which she greatly regrettedter, her sister agreed to take her to thepetition. Even before the apocalypse, Miriam had been fascinated with swords.


    Long story short, after thepetition¡ªwhich she lost, by the way¡ªshe convinced her sister to take her out for ice cream. They could''ve gone home much earlier, but she didn''t want to. She did everything she could to spend more time with her sister, knowing she wouldn''t be able to go out on her ownter.


    However, while she was having the best moment of her life, the sky darkened, and the apocalypse descended. It happened so suddenly that before they could even understand what was going on, chaos erupted around them.


    She panicked, but before despair could take over, her sister started leading her away. They knew their father wouldn''t have let them go out without some kind of protection, but the chaos was overwhelming. By the time they reached their car, her sister was bleeding everywhere.


    Miriam could have stepped up and taken her to a hospital or done something, but she froze at the sight of all the blood and her sister struggling to breathe. Before she snapped back to reality, the parking lot was packed with people rushing to get into their cars.


    She could have acted, but instead, she just stood there, watching. That was when a car came out of nowhere and ran over her sister.


    Miriam stayed frozen in that spot for two whole hours, just staring at the space where her sister had been. Eventually, she passed out. When she woke up, she was back home. That was the day her family disowned her.


    "She looked right at me, us," Miriam said, her voice trembling. "She smiled at me, so warmly. She could have survived if I hadn''t been so useless." Tears streamed down her face like a flood.


    "They didn''t even let me say goodbye to her," she said, clenching her fist in anger and sorrow.


    "I killed her. I know I killed her. All she wanted was to go on a date, but I guilt-tripped her¡ªno, I ckmailed her¡ªinto taking me to some stupid swordpetition. And because of that, she died. I was useless, cruel, and emotionless to her feelings. I''m a bad person."


    us continued to listen as she began cursing herself, saying all kinds of hurtful things she could think of.


    "No, you''re not," us said finally. "You were just a kid who wanted to have some fun. Nobody knew this would turn out this way."


    Miriam shook her head, her expression filled with pain. "You don''t understand, us. If I hadn''t forced her to take me, she would still be alive. I keep reying that moment in my mind, wishing I could change it. I can''t escape it."


    us took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Miriam, we all make mistakes. You were just a child, and you didn''t know the world would turn upside down. ming yourself won''t bring her back."


    "But it feels like I should have known," she replied, her voice breaking. "I should have seen the signs. If only I hadn''t been so selfish¡­"


    "It wasn''t selfishness; it was just a desire to bond with your sister. Everyone has regrets, but you can''t let them consume you. You need to forgive yourself." us''s eyes softened as he looked at her. "She wouldn''t want you to live like this."


    Miriam paused, staring down at the bed as tears continued to fall. "How can I move on? How can I forgive myself for something like this?"


    us sighed. "You can start by honoring her memory. Live your life in a way that would make her proud. Turn this pain into something meaningful. Fight for others, help them, and be the person she believed you could be."


    Miriam''s expression softened, a hint of a smile breaking through the sorrow. "You really think so?"


    "Absolutely," us said, his voice steady and encouraging. "You''re not just some average person. You''re the goddess of war in this entire region. That''s a huge responsibility. You''re already honoring her by fighting for others. You''re strong, and you have the power to make a difference."


    "But what if I''m not enough?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.


    "Then you keep trying until you are," us replied. "No one is perfect. Everyone has doubts and fears. It''s what you do with those feelings that matter. You can''t change the past, but you can shape the future. Embrace the love she had for you.


    Let it guide you."


    Miriam nodded slowly, the flicker of hope in her eyes growing brighter. "I want to believe that. I really do."


    "Then believe it," us encouraged. "You''ve already taken the first step by acknowledging your pain. Now, let''s turn that pain into strength. Fight for the people who need you. Fight for her memory."


    "Thank you, us, I really needed to hear that," Miriam said softly after absorbing his words for a while.

 Chapter 218: Changing Bond [Bonus]

    Despite the pain wracking his body, us still held Miriam in his arms, making sure she was alright. His Overlord Healing passive ability was working in overdrive, but he could still feel the deep ache within. He didn''t know what was on the sword that stabbed him, but the pain was intense.


    Even with all the pain, he wasn''tining. He knew that what Miriam was going through was far worse. From what she had told him, us knew she had been ming herself for years. The events that led to her sister''s death were too heartbreaking for her not to feel crushed by it.


    us understood everything she was going through. Despite his own situation, he knew he had to let her vent for a while. So for the past four hours, the emotionless, ruthless, and bloodthirsty war goddess had turned vulnerable, pouring all her tears onto his chest.


    "Are we done crying?" us asked with a slight grin. After four hours, her tears finally stopped. Of course, he couldn''t handle another round, so he cracked a joke to lighten the mood.


    Miriam lifted her head slightly, her eyes puffy and red, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She gave us a yful shove, her strength still evident even in her weakened state.


    "Shut up," she muttered, though there was no anger behind her words. The heaviness in the air seemed to lift, even if just a little.


    us chuckled softly, though the movement made the pain in his chest re up again. He winced but didn''t let it show. "Hey, it worked, didn''t it?"


    Miriam wiped her face with the back of her hand, sniffling. "Yeah, yeah... don''t get used to it." She sighed, her expression bing more serious. "I''m sorry you got caught up in all this. I... I never meant for it to happen."


    us shook his head gently. "There''s nothing to be sorry about. We both have our scars, Miriam. What matters is that we keep moving forward."


    "You sound really old for someone your age," Miriam said, giving him a yful look, her smile returning.


    us raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Says the 60-year-old grandma. Wait, are you even 60? By my calctions, you should be over that, right?" He teased, ncing at her with a smirk. The apocalypse had started 50 years ago, and from her story, it was clear she had been a teenager when it all began.


    Miriam scoffed, crossing her arms. "Watch it, or you might not make it to 30," she shot back, though the warmth in her gaze betrayed her lightheartedness.


    "Touch¨¦," us chuckled. "Still, I can''t believe you''ve been kicking ass since before the world fell apart. Guess it exins why you''re a war goddess."


    Miriam rolled her eyes but didn''t deny it. "Age is just a number when you''ve lived through as much as I have," she said, her tone softening. "Besides, who''s counting?"


    us nodded. "True enough." He paused, then added with a sly grin, "But for the record, you don''t look a day over 20."


    Miriam let out a genuineugh, shaking her head. "You''re lucky you''re hurt, or I''d show you just how young I still am."


    Though the apocalypse was a terrible event, it did bring some unexpected benefits. One of humanity''s greatest dreams¡ªslowing down the aging process and extending life¡ªbecame a reality. While it''s not true immortality, those who cultivate don''t age as quickly as they used to. Every time they break through to a new level, they gain a boost, which extends their lifespan.


    For women, the benefits were even more pronounced, thanks to their yin qi. Yin qi is the essence every woman possesses, and research has shown it''s what helps them maintain their beauty. But that''s not all. Married women, especially those with active sex lives, improve their yin qi by absorbing the yang qi from their husbands.


    This process further enhances their beauty and youthfulness as they advance in cultivation. But even without absorbing yang qi, women still maintain their youthful appearance as they grow stronger. Miriam, for example, was over 60 years old, yet she looked no older than 20.


    "Still," us said with a grin, "to think I''m hereforting someone who could be my great-grandma... this is wild."


    Miriam shot him a re but couldn''t help the small smile that crept onto her face. "Watch it, or that ''great-grandma'' might just knock you out."


    usughed. "I''ll take my chances."


    After spending a great deal of time teasing her, us finally felt his pain easing. He decided to get out of bed and walked over to the window.


    "So, you brought me to Arcadian City? How thoughtful," us said with a smile. "I guess this is good¡ªmy mom won''t know I got hurt again."


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    Miriam, now lying on the bed, clearly exhausted from all the crying, replied, "Well, I wasn''t the one who brought you."


    us raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Huh? If not you, then who?"


    "It was the Leader of the Overlords," Miriam exined, her voice soft and tired. "She arrived just in time when you were dying. She used her energy to help heal the cut on your heart and brought us here."


    Miriam clearly wasn''t in a state to make any decisions when she found us lying there with the sword in his heart. If it hadn''t been for the Overlord, us might have died¡ªmaybe. She was grateful to the Overlord but couldn''t shake the feeling of me for so many things.


    "Well, I guess I''ll have to thank her when I meet her," us said before walking back to the bed.


    "You should probably sleep. You look tired," he suggested, lying down next to her. "But if you can''t, I wouldn''t mind giving you a massage. It might help you fall asleep faster," he added with a shameless grin.


    "Pervert," Miriam said, pulling the nket over herself.


    usughed softly, enjoying the yful banter. "What? I''m just trying to help you rx," he said, propping himself up on one elbow to look at her. "Besides, a massage isn''t a bad idea, is it?"


    Miriam peeked out from under the nket, her eyes narrowed yfully. "Are you sure that''s all you want to do?"


    "Absolutely! I''m just a gentleman offering a friendly service," us replied with mock innocence.


    Miriam rolled her eyes but couldn''t hide the smile on her lips. "Alright, Mr. Gentleman, but just so you know, if you try anything funny, I will end you."


    us raised his hands in mock surrender. "I promise to behave. Just close your eyes and rx. You deserve it."


    After a moment of hesitation, she nodded and settled back against the pillows, pulling the nket up to her chin. us moved closer, his hands gentle as he began to massage her shoulders.


    As his fingers worked their magic, Miriam let out a contented sigh. "You know, this isn''t so bad," she admitted, her tension slowly melting away.


    us smiled. "See? I knew I had a hidden talent."


    "You''re not half bad," she replied, her voice softer now. "Just don''t quit your day job."


    us chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through him as he continued. The atmosphere in the room shifted, bing morefortable as they shared this moment.


    As Miriam began to rx, her eyelids grew heavier. "us?" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.


    "Yeah?" he replied, ncing at her.


    "Thanks for being here. I... I really needed this," she said, a hint of vulnerability creeping into her words.


    us smiled to himself, wishing his mom could see how her dear son had bagged yet another fairy. But who was asking? He knew he still had a long way to go and wasn''t about to take advantage of Miriam while she was vulnerable. If he wanted to make his move, he would do it like a man¡ªwhen she was sound-minded and aware of her emotions.


    After a while, Miriam finally drifted off to sleep, thanks to us''s heavenly touch. He gently set her down, ensuring she wasfortable. Once that was taken care of, he sat back on the bed and decided to enter his soul sea. He had been unconscious for three days, and before falling asleep, he sensed something had changed within his soul sea. He figured it was the perfect time to investigate.


    With that thought in mind, us closed his eyes and focused, allowing himself to slip into his soul sea.

 Chapter 219: Terrifying Changes [Bonus]

    "What the fuck is going on here?" us shouted in shock as he suddenly appeared in his soul sea. Everything about his soul sea was now a surprise to him. If he hadn''t been there many times before, he would''ve thought this was some kind of prank. But it wasn''t. The senior''s response made that clear.


    "Brat, you''re finally here. Good. You came just in time, or things would''ve gotten bad," the senior said from behind the first door.


    "Senior, what is happening?" us asked, still confused. As usual, his soul sea was a swirl of multicolored energy, with nine imposing doors.


    But now, something had changed. The Pentaface Bead had been moved away from the door, and the Eye of Malevolence was in a new position too. And there is another thing new now in the soul sea.


    But it wasn''t just that the Pentaface Bead and the Eye of Malevolence had been moved. It was the strange changes happening to them. The Bead now had golden runes revolving around it like rings. The runes glowed brightly, exuding a power so immense that the Bead seemed unapproachable. Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    "Senior, what are those lines around the Bead?" us asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied the strange phenomenon.


    "Those runes... they''re ancient markings. Power seals. It looks like the Bead is trying to unlock something, but it''s not ready yet, so it''s created these barriers. Golden runes like those aren''tmon¡ªthey''re dangerous." The senior said


    "Dangerous?" us raised an eyebrow, feeling a wave of unease wash over him.


    "Yeah. That power isn''t something you can touch without proper preparation. If you try to use the Bead in its current state, it could backfire, and the energy will destroy you instead."


    us took a step back instinctively, keeping his distance from the glowing Bead. He thanked his lucky stars he didn''t use the bead after he woke up.


    "So, it''s unusable right now?"


    "Not exactly," the senior said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "The runes are there to stabilize the Bead, to make sure it doesn''t break under pressure. But that means you need to be cautious. If you try to force it or draw power from it without fully understanding how these seals work, you''re ying with fire."


    us frowned, feeling frustration build up inside him. He has relied on the Pentaface Bead in his recent battles, and now it was essentially locked down. "Is there any way I can use it safely?"


    "Not exactly," the senior replied. "But do you see the golden energy beneath it? If you manage to absorb it, your mind, body, and soul might be strong enough for when the Bead unlocks whatever it''s holding back."


    us sighed slightly, still eyeing the swirling golden energy. "What is this golden energy?"


    "It''s a powerful form of your Star Qi¡ªmany times stronger. But I''d rmend you don''t touch it until you reach the Grandmaster level."


    us''s curiosity sparked. "What happens if I do it now?"


    The senior sighed. "Well, you might explode, which is the easier way out. Or, the hard way¡ªyou survive, but your meridians explode, leaving you a mindless dummy for the rest of your life. Either way, it''s not advisable."


    "Damn, senior," us said, shaking his head with a small smile. "You didn''t have to go full-on viin with your speech. You could''ve toned it down a bit."


    The senior smirked, his tone lightening. "Well, I thought I''d make sure you really understood the risks. Don''t go thinking you''re invincible."


    us chuckled despite the tense situation, feeling a brief moment of levity. But he quickly refocused, ncing back at the golden energy. As tempting as it was, he knew better than to risk his life for a shortcut. He still had battles to fight, and now wasn''t the time for reckless decisions.


    "Alright, noted. I won''t touch the golden energy until I''m ready," us said, mentally shelving the thought forter.


    For now, us couldn''t use the Bell of Harrows or the Eye of Despair, but that wasn''t too bad. It gave him time to examine his other skills more thoroughly. The Fire Spirit Dragon and the Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom still needed intense study, and us intended to do just that.


    "By the way, senior," us said, his brow furrowing, "do you think I can let the Lotus Flower and the Dragon absorb this energy? It feels like too much for just me to take in."


    The senior paused for a moment before replying, "Well, you could try, but I can''t guarantee sess. There''s potential, though."


    us nodded thoughtfully. "Then I''ll get back to itter," he said, shifting his attention toward the Eye of Malevolence.


    "Please don''t tell me I can''t use this one either," us muttered, eyeing the glowing artifact. Like the Pentaface Bead, the Eye of Malevolence was also undergoing some kind of upgrade. Green runes now spiraled around it, just like the golden ones on the Bead.


    The circumstances surrounding the Eye of Malevolence''s awakening had always been strange. That time, us had felt like apletely different person. The moment the Eye appeared in its eerie green form, us had changed too.


    Of course, he knew that something or someone had taken control back then. But to this day, he still didn''t know who or what it was. It wasn''t Fruity, because he didn''t sense the usual calm, monk-like presence when he woke up.


    us had never mentioned it to the senior, and the senior hadn''t brought it up either, so us had shoved the unsettling mystery to the back of his mind.


    But he had never forgotten. Now, as he stared at the red Eye with its swirling green runes, a feeling crept over him¡ªsomething was happening. Whether it was good or bad, he couldn''t tell. But he knew it wasn''t normal.


    He turned to the senior, who still lingered behind the first door inside his soul sea, watching everything unfold.


    "Senior... what''s going on with the Eye?" us asked, his voice low, trying to mask his unease.


    The senior was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "The Eye of Malevolence is... evolving, like everything else in your soul sea. But it''s more unstable than the Bead. Whatever energy is driving it, you''ll need to be careful, brat. This isn''t the same Eye you''ve been using."


    us narrowed his eyes. "Unstable how?"


    The senior sighed, his tone grave. "The Eye is feeding on something deeper within you¡ªyour anger, your hate, even your fear. It thrives on negativity. If you''re not careful, it''ll turn that power against you. You could lose yourself like you almost did before."


    us''s heart skipped a beat. He had always known there was something dangerous about the Eye, but this confirmed his suspicions. "So what do I do with it? Just leave it alone?"


    "No, you do exactly the opposite. Resist the negativity and embrace the change. That way, you will have supreme control over it," the senior''s voice echoed in us''s mind,ced with warning. "You have to know, brat, the Eye of Malevolence is something you shouldn''t underestimate.


    You have no idea how powerful it is. So, man up and see if you leave here a sane man or an insane one."


    us gulped, but he didn''t panic. He stood still for a moment, steeling himself. Then, with determined steps, he moved forward until he was face-to-face with the terrifying red eye.


    Without hesitation, he reached out and gently touched it. The moment his hand made contact, a chilling numbness spread through his mind.


    He didn''t know how it happened, but as soon as the numbness took over, his personality shifted, just like the first time the Eye had awakened.


    A smirk curled at the edge of his lips. From his palm, a surge of red energy shot forth, wrapping itself around the Eye. It shuddered violently for a moment before settling. The green runes that had been swirling around the Eye turned blood-red, though they continued their eerie spiral.


    us''s smirk deepened into something darker, more sinister. His gaze shifted to the Pentaface Bead, and with the same twisted grin, he eyed it knowingly.


    Then, in an instant, he vanished from his soul sea and woke up back in the real world.


    The moment he regained consciousness, us broke out into a cold sweat. His heart pounded wildly, his breath shaky. He was terrified of something¡ªsomething he had felt deep inside. And he knew exactly what it was, but he couldn''t bring himself to fully acknowledge it.


    "I am my own fear," he thought to himself, the realization chilling him to his core.


    us reached into his space ring and pulled out a bottle of water, drinking deeply to calm his nerves. The cold liquid did little to wash away the lingering dread that clung to him.


    Still, he couldn''t ignore the changes in his soul sea. Steeling himself once again, he re-entered his inner world, ready to examine the Eye and whatever transformation it had undergone.

 Chapter 220: Soul Hook

    As soon as us re-entered his soul sea, he was greeted by the sight of a terrifying red eye with red runes spinning around it. The moment his gaze met the red eye, his vision blurred for a few moments before he regained rity.


    "What the fuck was that?" us muttered, shaking his head.


    "Seriously, why can''t anything in my soul sea show some care and gentleness when they''re trying to bless me with something?" Although heined, a small smile tugged at his lips.


    The ckout he had just experienced wasn''t a bad thing¡ªin fact, it was good. He had received a technique from the red eye, and judging by its nature, it was exactly what he desperately needed.


    During the battle with the zombies, us used the Eye of Despair along with his Eye of Malevolence tounch a soul attack that killed a Zombie Prince.


    But it wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows. The attack was powerful, but he paid a steep price for it. The severe headache and soul strain were the consequences he had to endure for using the Eye.


    The senior had already warned him not to use the Eye of Malevolence in that way until he reached the level of a Saint. Despite his vast soul sea, he still wasn''t strong enough to handle powerful soul attacks through his eye.


    The strain would be too much for him, and us knew that. But in such a terrifying battle, where the odds were against him, he couldn''t just sit back and not put everything on the line. He had to push hard, and luckily, he managed to win this time.


    However, us knew he wouldn''t make the same mistake again. Using the Eye of Malevolence like that was reckless. Now, he needed to prioritize, and the Eye of Malevolence had given him a new path forward. He no longer had to rely on the Eye of Despair every time he wanted tounch a soul attack with his Eye of Malevolence.


    Aside from being able to see all around him without even opening his eyes, he now had a way to deliver a soul attack that would benefit him in the long run. Yes, he had received a technique, but it wasn''t what most would think.


    The Soul Gaze ability of the Eye of Despair allowed him to deliver a devastating attack instantly upon locking eyes with a target. However, the new technique, called Soul Hook, was different¡ªits name said it all.


    All us had to do was use it. Once itnded on the target, it would create a hook that connected his soul to theirs in a one-way link. This link had a single purpose: to steal the soul strength of the target and add it to his own.


    Of course, it was temporary, but it was exactly what he needed right now. By linking another soul to his, us could strengthen his own soul, which in turn would allow him to use Soul Gaze without suffering as much bacsh.


    Additionally, this would let him use the Void Piercing Needle more effectively, as his soul would be charged with another''s energy. As long as he maintained the connection¡ªor multiple connections¡ªwithin a 60km radius, he wouldn''t run out of soul strength.


    This also meant he could now see everything within that 60km range. However, us usually limited himself to using a 4km radius when activating his skills, because within that range, his abilities had their maximum effect.


    The Bell of Harrows delivers a much stronger attack within that 4km radius, the Eye of Despair worked the same way, and although he could now control the Void Piercing Needle within a 20km range (up from the previous 10km), he still preferred the 4km range. At that distance, even the strongest targets would have difficulty dodging his Needle.


    But aside from using the Soul Hook to steal soul strength, us could also use it to empower others. But he wasn''t naive enough to believe he should just give away his soul power to help others. He would rather steal their strength and end the battle before risking both their lives.


    With the new upgrades, he could now see through illusions as if they weren''t there. No one could charm him anymore¡ªat least, no one he had alreadyid eyes on. Cynthia Ross had the strongest effect when it came to charming him, but with this upgrade, he could resist all forms of charm.


    Previously, without turning his eyes red, his control over the Eye of Malevolence was limited. Now, however, he could use it more effectively without needing to turn his golden eyes red.


    Of course, inbat, he would still use the red version since it allowed him to track his target''s movements much better.


    us also noticed that he could now see people''s intentions to some extent. While he could already sense someone''s intentions by paying attention to their aura, with the Eye of Malevolence, he could now get a glimpse of their thoughts just by locking eyes with them.


    This will allow him to see to some extent, a person''s darkest intention toward him. Of course, he would rather not in other to kill them with no record of their intentions which in tend would delete all forms of guilt, but us knew he had to be careful.


    This would require greater soul strength, but he knew he could do it. He wouldn''t always use this ability since it might make him look like a creep, but in situations where trust was needed, he could study people without them realizing what he was doing. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin


    The most important change, though, was his growth as a Spirit Master. During the battle in the Demon''s Abode, us had used his Soul and Mind control over weapons multiple times to change their trajectory or slow them down.


    He maintained a connection with the weapons throughout the battle, but his control was limited. He couldn''t fully influence weapons held by others¡ªlike stopping them from being used or destroying them.


    He still didn''t have the strength to destroy such weapons, but now, his control over changing their direction had improved. He could alter the trajectory of a weapon and even slow it down to reduce its impact.


    In the final moments of his battle with the Blood Queen, when he was caught in her trap, her sword was aimed at his heart. At thest second, us used every ounce of his soul and mental strength to change the sword''s path. Although it was a small adjustment, it missed his heart by a fraction, only cutting a small part of it.


    If it weren''t for thatst-minute advantage, he would have died. However, with this new advantage and control over weapons, he could now prevent identally falling into traps.


    As a Weapons Overlord, he is very sensitive to weapons. Whenever a weapon is drawn, he immediately notices which one is more dangerous to him. It''s even better than tracking someone''s movements. All he has to do is be within the 10 km, and if a weapon is drawn nearby, he will sense it.


    He doesn''t know much about his Weapons Overlord ss since it didn''te with a manual. But he knew he would soon see its effects as he grew stronger.


    This aspect of his ss is overpowered. us understands that as he gets stronger, his control over weapons will also improve. He can''t help but imagine how cool it would be to kill people with the weapons they are holding.


    "Now, that is something to look forward to," he muttered before turning to thest thing that appeared in his soul sea.


    "Senior, what is that?" us asked, looking at a red mark or more like a runerge enough to fill an entire bus, exuding a bloodthirsty aura. Just looking at it made us want to run off from his own soul sea. The rune is red and all around it, a red arcane form of energy keeps swirling around it.


    That portion of his soul looks like a ughterhouse, exuding a very potent bloodthirsty aura that us just couldn''t handle lightly.


    The senior voice echoed as he replied


    "That is a seal... it''s the Seal of ughter."

 Chapter 221: Seal Of Slaughter

    The moment us heard the name of the red rune, he knew it wasn''t something friendly. He wasn''t foolish enough to think anything called "ughter" was about rainbows and sunshine. He could tell this was dark, and the Senior''s next words confirmed his suspicions.


    "Brat, this Seal came from the Pentaface Bead when you activated the Nine Stars Blood Moon Transformation. I hope I don''t need to exin what that means¡ªyou should know not to take this lightly," the Senior said firmly.


    "I figured, Senior, but what exactly does it do? More importantly, what is the Seal of ughter?" us asked, curious despite the unsettling vibe inside the soul sea.


    The Senior chuckled. "Well, brat, you''re one lucky bastard."


    "Language, Senior! And why is this thing lucky? From where I''m standing, it looks more like a walking disaster," us replied, feeling a mix of excitement and doubt. The rune was practically seething with bloodlust, which didn''t sit well with him.


    "It depends on your perspective, but from my view, the Seal of ughter fits perfectly with your nature. You''re a Paragon, us. One thing about Paragons is that they walk outside the rules. You''ve never had it easy, and you never will, so getting an advantage is a big deal."


    us listened carefully, his skepticism still lingering, but he trusted the Senior''s wisdom.


    "This Seal," the Senior continued, "is something you''ll one day understand as Law. The universe is governed by manyws¡ªtime, space, magic, life, death, and more. These Laws dictate how everything works.


    The Seal of ughter gives you control over one suchw, the Law of ughter. The stronger you be, the more you''ll be able to tap into this power, but ites with a price. Like all great power, it can consume you if you''re not careful."


    us nodded, understanding the gravity of it now. "So, it''s both a blessing and a curse?"


    "I knew nothing good woulde from that Bead," us sighed, half-expecting something like this.


    "Hey, why are you so down? Do you even understand what the Law of ughter is? Or more importantly, what this Seal of ughter can really do?" the Senior asked, his tone serious.


    us, who had started sulking, raised an eyebrow at the Senior''s words. This was unusual. The Senior never took the initiative to exin things unless us specifically asked. For him to bring this up on his own meant there was something truly significant about the seal.


    He didn''t know much about the Pentaface Bead aside from it being one of the nine Forbidden Relics. Thest time he got curious about it, he nearly died, so he has been more cautious around it ever since.


    However, the Seal of ughter was different. The Senior knew something important, and for once, he was willing to share.


    "Tell me, brat, what do you know about Asura? I''m sure you''ve heard some fairy tales about them. So, tell me," the Senior said, his voice hinting at something deeper.


    us frowned. He has indeed heard some stories about that, but as the senior said, it was just a fairytale, a fiction. He didn''t expect it to be mentioned here.


    "Asura? Yeah, I''ve heard stories. They''re said to be fierce warriors, beings of pure rage and bloodlust. Supposedly, they thrive on battle and destruction. But those are just old legends, right?"


    The Senior chuckled. "Old legends, sure. But legends often hold a grain of truth. The Asura were real, and they were more than just warriors¡ªthey were the embodiment of ughter. The Seal of ughter taps into that same power. The Asura had mastered the Law of Killing, and this seal grants you a glimpse of that mastery."


    us''s eyes widened as the full weight of the situation hit him. "So... this seal is connected to the power of the Asura?"


    "No," the Senior corrected. "The seal is Asura¡ªthe Law of ughter, or as it''s now called by most, the Law of Killing."


    us gulped hard, his throat suddenly dry. He might be a school dropout, but he wasn''t clueless. Thanks to Fruity''s memories, he now understood the art of killing, the divine essence of ughter, the insatiable bloodlust, and all kinds of deadly knowledge.


    But knowing that something embodying the true essence of ughter was sitting inside his soul sea? That was something else entirely. He was blown away.


    "The Asura are the Law of ughter," us whispered to himself. Then, he asked, "So, Senior, does that mean there''s no such thing as the Asura race?"


    "There was a race," the Senior said, his tone more serious now.


    "But as far as I''m concerned, the true Asura race died off many, many years ago. I really shouldn''t be saying this because of the karma involved, but with a Forbidden Relic and this Forbidden Law Seal in your possession, I think you''ll manage just fine in your next tribtion."


    us couldn''t help but smile as he caught the teasing tone in the Senior''s voice. "You sound amused, Senior."


    "Maybe a little," the Senior chuckled. "To answer your question, the Asura race was wiped out eons ago. I won''t say who did it¡ªthat''s a whole other mess¡ªbut understand this: the Asura, or the Law of ughter, isn''t something to be taken lightly. It''s forbidden for a reason."


    us nodded, already knowing that he had stumbled into something far beyond his current understanding.


    "You''re still growing, and as you do, some of these things will start to make sense," the Senior continued. "Me saying too much now could actually be bad for you."


    us took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the Senior''s words settle on him. He had already figured out that nothing about his journey would be simple, but this? This was a whole new level of responsibility and danger. And yet, something about it excited him. If he could master this power, he would truly be unstoppable.


    us didn''t know where the excitement wasing from, but he craved the power, the bloodlust. He could feel the urge rising in him¡ªa deep desire to sink his teeth into battle, to taste blood.


    "Don''t get too excited, brat," the Senior''s voice suddenly cut through his thoughts, stern but amused. "As always, you''re far too weak to startprehending this Law. To even begin, you need to be a Saint. You''ll need a Star Core and the current you doesn''t have one."


    us''s excitement faded a little, but he was still curious. "So, I can''t use the Law of Killing yet?"


    "Not yet," the Senior confirmed. "However, this seal didn''te without benefits. Just having it in your soul sea will start showing its effects soon."


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    us perked up. "What kind of effects, Senior?"


    The Senior chuckled. "Well, for one, your battle instincts will sharpen. You''ll feel more connected to the weapons you use, more in tune with the bloodlust of the battlefield.


    The longer the seal stays in your soul sea, the more natural it will be for you to move, fight, and kill. It''ll also make you more resilient but don''t get toofortable. These are just minor benefits, teaserspared to what the Law can really do."


    us nodded, feeling a mix of anticipation and wariness. "So, it''s making me stronger without me even trying?"


    "Exactly. But don''t get cocky," the Senior warned. "The real test wille when you try to wield the Law itself. For now, take what you can get and keep training. You''re not ready for the full power of the Seal of ughter yet."


    "Thanks, Senior" us said clearly happy about his gain this time. The Seal is something he knew would open so many doors for him even if it''s forbidden. His existence is already forbidden meaning he wouldn''t be able to move forward with what the universe provides, he has to carve his own path.


    "Level up quickly and breakthrough to the grandmaster stage and start forming your Star Core, I have a feeling you will get a surprise on your next breakthrough"


    us smiled and then went about looking at the Pentaface bead for a while before leaving the soul sea.


    Because he didn''t want to wake Miriam up, he freshened up and left to take a stroll around Arcadian City.

 Chapter 222: Getting Stalked By An Assassin [Bonus]

    As soon as us left the room, he realized he was in the mansion of Dave Arcadian, the most secure ce in all of Arcadian City. Clearly, the Overlord who had brought him there didn''t want any danger reaching him.


    us was now a hotmodity. A day after he wiped out every Zombie in the Demon''s Abode, a video of his conquest was released to the world. Some parts had been edited out, but what remained was enough to set the inte on fire.


    While us slept, unaware of the buzz, the world had taken notice. His status on the City, Regional, and Union Charts skyrocketed. He was now ranked 6th on the City Chart and 26th on the Regional Chart.


    But the biggest shock came from the Union Chart, where his ranking jump was described as the highest in warrior history. us had leaped from the 900s to 120th ce in a single day. The whole world was stunned.


    us didn''t just prove he belonged on those charts¡ªhe made it clear he was a force to be reckoned with. Although he hadn''t yet cracked the World Chart, everyone knew it was only a matter of time.


    us was now a hotshot. Everyone wanted to get close to him. Of course, not all of them had good intentions¡ªsome harbored murderous thoughts toward him. Without even realizing it, he was constantly surrounded by both good and bad people. But did he care? Probably not.


    As he walked through the vast building, us used his senses to scan the ce. Suddenly, a voice called out to him making him halt his steps.


    "Brother us, you''re awake!" Just as us was trying to keep a low profile, a voice called out to him.


    "Brother Nathan, how have you been?" us immediately recognized the voice. It was Nathan Arcadian, thest son of Dave Arcadian. Nathan had once tried to recruit him when he had just be an Ascended warrior.


    Back then, us was thrilled to be earning so much money for an expedition into a Forbidden Zone. However, the expedition never took ce due to some unexpected problems.


    us never forgot about Nathan. They met again at the Felin Youth Ball and even exchanged numbers. He didn''t have a strong connection with Nathan, but he wasn''t the type to act arrogant toward just anyone. So, despite his efforts to slip away and explore the city, he stopped when Nathan called out to him.


    "Brother us, how are you doing? My father said you were injured again during the battle at the Demon''s Abode," Nathan said, walking closer to us.


    "Well, as you can see, I''m fine now," us replied with a smile. Nathan had never done anything to upset him, so us was as friendly as he could be around him. After all, Nathan wasn''t just anyone¡ªhe was the son of the richest man in the entire Eastern Region of the Northern Union.


    Nathan studied us for a moment, his eyes scanning him from head to toe as if checking for any signs of lingering injury. Satisfied, he nodded, his usual easygoing smile returning.


    "They said you went up against an entire army of Zombies and even defeated a Zombie Emperor. Is it true?" Of course, Nathan already knew it was true¡ªeveryone did. Videos of us''s battle and the aftermath were all over the inte. But Nathan had to ask, partly to make conversation and partly to strengthen their friendship.


    "Well, I just did what needed to be done to stop their n," us replied casually. "Any warrior would''ve done the same."


    Nathan shook his head with a smile. "Still, for a Master stage warrior to take down thousands of Zombie Kings¡ªthat''s unreal. I really envy you, Brother us. You''re both my inspiration and my worst nightmare."


    us chuckled at that, amused by Nathan''s honesty. "I wouldn''t go that far," he said. "I''ve still got a long way to go."


    Nathan''s grin widened. "Maybe. But if I were in your shoes, I''d be doing a victoryp right now."


    us smirked. "I''ll save that for the next battle."


    Nathan nodded, appreciating us''s humility even after such an incredible feat. us wasn''t like the other prodigies and so-called Legacies who thought they were above everyone else. us''s achievements were on a level those arrogant bastards couldn''t evenpare with, yet they still looked down on everyone.


    But us? He was different. Easygoing and friendly, approachable to anyone. Nathan really appreciated that, and he couldn''t help but wonder if he could maintain that kind of personality if he were in us''s shoes.


    Of course, he wouldn''t. Just months ago, Nathan had looked down on us when his sister made him go to Ross City to recruit him. He knew he would''ve been just as arrogant as the Legacies. But seeing how us remained reserved and kind, Nathan found his own personality changing without him even realizing it.


    "Oh, Brother us, will you be going to the Genius Gathering at Sinji Valley?" Nathan asked. "Every young warrior who passed the Regional Trials across the Northern Union will be there. It''s a week-long event."


    "Of course, I''ll go. If I don''t, who will stir up trouble among those legacy bastards?" us grinned, actually looking forward to the gathering. It was just a few months away, and he had a feeling something good woulde out of it. Of course, "good" depended on how much trouble he could cause.


    "That''s great to hear. By the way, my father said if you''re not busy, would you join us for dinner this evening?" Nathan finally brought up the real reason he was there. us knew this wasn''t just a casual run-in.


    "Tell him I''ll be there," us replied.


    "Good." Nathan smiled. Then, after a pause, he asked, "By the way, are you heading out somewhere?"


    "Yeah, just wanted to catch some fresh air and see the sights," us said.


    "Well, Arcadian City is huge and beautiful, so have fun." With that, us went on his way, leaving Nathan to watch him disappear into the distance.


    Shortly after, us left the Arcadian Mansion and started walking down a busy street. He wanted to stop by some local shops to see if he could get something for his mom and sister. He walked across the neatly paved road, not bothering to put on an air of grace despite his newfound fame.


    Instead, he wore a hoodie and sunsses, making sure his recognizable features were hidden. Nadia had always made sure to update his wardrobe with stylish yet discreet outfits so he could enjoy some peace when he went out.


    After walking for a few minutes, us found himself in a new part of the city, filled with painters. He froze as he saw the paintings¡ªalmost every canvas hanging in front of the stores featured him.


    "This is too embarrassing," he muttered to himself, staring at the art. Paintings of him fighting a lion, battling zombies, and even catching arrows made of snakes hung everywhere for him to see.


    But even so, he didn''t waste the chance to walk along the pavement and look at the paintings. After fifteen minutes of browsing, he left and headed to the jewelry section.


    He couldn''t take in what he was seeing any longer. It was just too embarrassing. Looking at an exaggerated version of yourself on a canvas can be quite a headache.


    As us walked through a part of the city, he suddenly stopped and sighed.


    "You know, some people call this stalking. So instead of hiding, why don''t youe out and let''s have a nice little chat?" us said, turning to a shadow not far from him.


    ***


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 Chapter 223: Having Coffee With My Assassin [Bonus]

    us stood there, staring at a shadow to his right. If anyone else were around, they might think he was drunk, unable to tell left from right. That is because he was just standing there looking to his right for no reason, however, he knew why he was staring there. He remained fixated on the shadow, waiting for something to happen.


    He stood like that for a whole minute, but nothing changed about the shadow. Still, us didn''t move.


    "Look, I''ve known you were there for a while. I even gave you time to make a move, but you didn''t. So it''s best if youe out and we talk. Maybe you''ll get a third chance to stab me," us said suddenly, smiling at the shadow.


    This time, after half a minute of waiting, the shadow shifted and began to transform. In an instant, a woman appeared. She had short dark hair, dark eyelids, and a refined bone structure. Some might think a woman with short hair couldn''tpare to a long-haired beauty, but thisdy wore her hair with confidence.


    us raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. Given what he knew, he wasn''t about to guess her age. Even though she looked like someone in her early twenties, she was a Great Sage. That alone is enough to tell him she wasn''t someone young.


    "That wasn''t hard, was it?" us said, eyeing thedy who held a dagger with an emotionless gaze. She wasn''t wearing her mask this time, clearly not in the mood to y games. After all, she was there to kill him.


    us, for some reason, didn''t know whether tough or take thedy seriously. She stood there, looking back at him with emotionless eyes. There wasn''t even the slightest hint of coldness; it was as if she had no presence at all.


    "Are you going to just stand there, or are we going to have a conversation?" he asked, crossing his arms. He didn''t mind staring at her all day; he was confident she wouldn''t be able to kill him.


    The woman tightened her grip on the dagger but remained silent. Her eyes stayed cold and devoid of emotion.


    "Look, you''ve already had two chances to kill me, and you failed both times. So I think it''s safe to say the third time won''t be any different. Besides, I don''t think you really want to kill me. After all, as an assassin, you shouldn''t let your target know who you are. Am I wrong?"


    He watched her closely, searching for a reaction. The tension between them hung in the air, thick and palpable.


    Suddenly, she spoke. "How did you notice my presence?" Her tone was t and matter-of-fact, sweet.


    "Good question. I don''t mind telling you, but before that, can you put that dagger away? If someone walks by and sees you holding it, they might get the wrong idea," us said, pointing at the dagger in her grip.


    She hesitated for a moment before dropping the dagger into her shadow, where it vanished from sight.


    "Fascinating," us said, mesmerized by how she handled the dagger. He looked back at her and smiled.


    "Although this may seem unorthodox, do you want to grab a drink or something? Standing here feels weird. We might as well find a nicer ce to talk before we go back to being hunter and prey."


    This time, thedy showed a reaction to hearing us''s request. She raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by his suggestion. "You want to have a drink with me?"


    us shrugged. "Why not? It''s not every day you get to chat with an assassin. Plus, I find it hard to believe you''re just a mindless killer. There''s got to be more to you than that. Plus, don''t you want to know me more in other to n your next assassination attempt, not that you will seed anyway"


    She studied him, her expression back to her unreadable state. "You think this is a game?"


    "Not a game, just a different approach to the situation," us replied. "Besides, if we''re going to continue this dance of hunter and prey, it might help to know each other a little better. I also want to have a drink or something so that helps too"


    After a moment of silence, she relented. "Fine."


    "Deal," us said, his smile widening. "There''s a caf¨¦ just down the street. They serve great coffee. We can talk there." He had already used his senses to pick the perfect spot for a drink with his assassin.


    Without saying much, they made their way to the coffee shop and sat down in a corner where the light was dim. us didn''t know what her talent was, but with her affinity for shadows, he guessed it had something to do with darkness. So, he chose a darker corner for their conversation.


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    A waiter soon arrived and served them a hot pot of coffee. us, being us, immediately took a gulp, not even ncing at the assassin who was now observing him with a curious gaze.


    She couldn''t believe her eyes. She hade to kill him, so how on earth had she ended up sitting across from each other, drinking coffee? It was unbelievable, yet here they were, and she couldn''t wrap her mind around it.


    "What are you doing?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.


    "Just enjoying my coffee," us replied, leaning back in his chair. "You should try it. It''s pretty good."


    "Is this some kind of strategy?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "You think this will distract me from my mission?"


    "Not at all," us said, shaking his head. "But why not enjoy a moment before we dive back into the serious stuff? Life''s too short to be all business."


    She stared at him, still unsure. "You''re very calm for someone who should be on high alert."


    us chuckled. "You''ve had two chances to kill me, and you didn''t take them. I think it''s safe to say I have a little time before I need to worry."


    She frowned, her curiosity growing. "So, what do you think will happen next?"


    "I''m hoping we can talk," us replied. "I want to know more about you. Why you do what you do, and maybe, just maybe, we can find somemon ground."


    She leaned forward, intrigued despite herself. "You really think we can findmon ground?"


    "Why not?" us said with a grin. "We''re both just trying to navigate this crazy world, right? Who knows? You might even find me interesting."


    Once again, she raised an eyebrow at us. Interesting. He really was intriguing. Not everyone would be bold¡ªor foolish¡ªenough to break bread with their assassin, yet the white-haired young man was doing just that.


    us''s behavior struck her as strange. She wanted to believe this wasn''t happening, but as she looked into his eyes behind the sunsses, she knew she wasn''t in a dream. This was reality.


    "Why are you so rxed?" She asked, her curiosity piqued. "Don''t you understand the danger you''re in?"


    us leaned back in his chair, a confident smile on his face. "I understand perfectly. But if I spend all my time worrying, I''ll miss moments like this. Besides, if you really wanted to kill me, you would have tried it by now."


    "So instead of dwelling on the danger I''m in, why don''t you tell me who ced their seal on you and turned you into their killing machine?" After gulping down a mouthful of coffee and savoring every vor, us suddenly asked.


    The Assassindy''s hands shook as she was about to reach for her coffee. Her gaze shifted, and she looked at us with wide eyes.


    "How¡­ How do you¡­ How do you¡­?" She tried to form a sentence, but she was so shocked that she didn''t know what to say. Her mind went nk, not knowing what to say in response.


    us smiled at her reaction. "Why don''t we do this another way? I am us Hanson, and you are¡­"

 Chapter 224: Luna [Bonus]

    us, still smiling, stared back at the Lady Assassin, who was looking at him with a mix of emotions ying in her eyes. He had just revealed something she never expected anyone to know. That was a bold move.


    When us first realized he was being followed, his instinct had been to kill her. And he could have done it easily. Even though he hadn''t unlocked the Darkness Element yet, he was still an Elemental Overlord. He has connections to the elements, just that his control is limited without him first unlocking them.


    us didn''t feel sympathy, especially not for an Assassin sent by the Dark Order to kill him. His first thought had been to eliminate her and be done with it. But just as he was making ns to kill her, the senior stopped him.


    That was the sole reason why he had spent over fifteen minutes browsing through paintings of himself earlier. He was actually talking with the Senior in his soul sea, and from their conversation, he learned that the Assassin had some kind of seal on her.


    It didn''t take long for us to figure out she was either being controlled or ckmailed into this kind of work. Of course, he wasn''t going to trust an Assassin so easily, but he decided to y along.


    That''s what led them to sit together over coffee, despite the danger surrounding them. us wanted to learn more about her, and if possible, turn her to his side. That would be a great advantage.


    "Well, you can tell me your name, or we can just sit here and stare at each other all day," us said, his voice calm but firm. He wasn''t about to go soft on an assassin, no matter her state of mind.


    "Luna. My name is Luna," she finally said, her voice tense. "And how did you know there''s a seal on me? Who are you?" She stared at him, her suspicion clear, but us just smiled.


    "Well, Luna, let''s not get ahead of ourselves," us replied smoothly. "If we''re going to be friends, we can start by putting away the hostility." His eyes flickered to the dagger she had pulled from her shadow and now held tightly in her grip.


    "We can start by putting away the dagger... again," he added, still smiling. Luna hesitated, unsure of what to think. She''d been stalking him for three days, ready to end his life, but now here he was, sitting in front of her¡ªcalm,posed, and strangely disarming. It didn''t make sense. This white-haired young man had said something that made her question everything.


    Slowly, she put the dagger away again, her eyes never leaving us. "How do you know there''s a seal on me?" she asked, her voice quieter now, almost wary.


    us leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Let''s just say I''ve dealt with people like you before. That seal on you¡ªit''s not hard to spot if you know what to look for. But that''s not really the point, is it?" He tilted his head slightly. "The real question is, why are you letting someone control you?"


    Of course, us couldn''t tell her the full truth¡ªthat he had a mysterious figure inside his soul sea who seemed fascinated by anything dark or dangerous. The senior had been especially interested in the seal when they talked during those brief ten minutes. He was more intrigued by the world us was in and how someone could craft such a powerful seal.


    The senior had casually mentioned that he could help us remove it easily, but he held back. First, he wanted to learn more¡ªspecifically, who had the power to turn a Great Sage into their obedient assassin.


    "Don''t worry," us said, his voice calm as he leaned back in his chair, "the person who put the seal on you won''t hear anything you say. So feel free to talk when you''re ready. I won''t judge."


    Luna''s eyes flickered with doubt, but she could sense no malice from him. Her grip on the chair tightened, torn between the urge to speak and the weight of her silence.


    "My mother... she was the one who ced the seal on me," Luna suddenly revealed.


    "Wait, what?" us jerked back in his seat, caughtpletely off guard. Of all the things he expected, hearing that a mother had sealed her own daughter to turn her into an assassin was not one of them.


    That was cold¡ªso cold that even us felt a chill run down his spine. In this apocalyptic era, most mothers fought desperately to protect their children. The idea of one doing the opposite, binding her own daughter as a tool for murder, was hard to grasp.


    "What kind of mother would ce a seal on their own daughter just to turn her into an obedient little assassin?" us muttered, still in disbelief. He shook his head. "That''s... beyond cruel."


    Luna''s eyes darkened, her expression unreadable. "She''s not like other mothers," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.


    us leaned forward, his voice softer now. "Tell me more. Why would she do that?"


    "Me and my twin sister... we awakened a rare kind of Talent and ss. It gave us great control over darkness and shadows," Luna began, her voice steady but distant. "Of course, nobody wants to be a tool for murder. I know I didn''t. But when you have a mother like mine, you don''t always get what you want."


    us listened carefully as she continued. "She ced a seal on both of us and trained us to be her killing weapons."


    us raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her words. "So, there''s a second you out there?" he asked, leaning forward.


    Luna nodded. "Yes. My twin sister. She''s still out there, under the same seal, doing my mother''s bidding. Just like me."


    us leaned back, processing the information. "So, tell me, what''s your rank in the organization you work for? I know you''re tied to the Dark Order. What''s your number? I''ve dealt with a few of their assassins, so I know they use a grading system."


    Luna shook her head slightly. "I''m not with the Dark Order. I work for Assassin Number 7¡ªmy mother. Both my sister and I answer directly to her. We''re not linked to the Dark Order itself."


    us raised an eyebrow again, surprised. "Wait, so your mother¡ªAssassin Number 7¡ªshe''s running her own operation?"


    Luna nodded. "Yes, she operates outside the Dark Order. She has her own agenda, and we follow her orders. Whatever ties she has to the Dark Order, they don''t involve us directly."


    us rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting. So, she''s got her own game going... but why use you and your sister as pawns in all of this?"


    Luna''s face hardened. "Because she can."


    us listened carefully to her answers but noticed something odd. Even though she was talking about how her mother had practically enved her and her sister, there was no hint of killing intent when she spoke about her. This intrigued him, so he quickly contacted the senior through their mental link.


    ''Senior, why does she seem so calm yet angry, but shows no killing intent toward her mother?'' he asked.


    ''That''s because showing any form of murderous intent toward her mother would bring her unimaginable pain,'' the senior exined. ''If I''m not mistaken, she''s been through so much torment that even the thought of finding ways to kill her mother has stopped crossing her mind.''


    ''That''s cold,'' us thought, once again feeling something unsettling¡ªsomething he didn''t know humans were capable of. A mother torturing her daughters for power. It was wild, and he didn''t want to dwell on it.


    ''Brat, do you really want to remove the seal?'' the senior offered. ''I can teach you a way to change it and take control over her. That would be much more convenient.''


    ''No, Senior, you heard her,'' us responded firmly. ''She clearly doesn''t want to be a killing machine, but she doesn''t have a choice. If I turned her into my ve, I''d be worse than her mother. I''ll try to reason with her. Worst-case scenario? I remove the seal, she tries to kill me, and like always, I will murder her before she could seed''


    ***


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 Chapter 225: Striking a Deal with My Assassin

    us studied Luna''s reactions for a while before continuing his questions. At first, he thought she was part of the Dark Order, but it turned out she was only a proxy for Assassin Number 7¡ªher mother. This meant she wasn''t useful if his goal was to infiltrate the organization at a deeper level.


    He needed someone with more influence, but since she didn''t have strong ties to the Dark Order, she was practically useless to him¡ªyet, at the moment, she was still his best asset.


    us, being only a Level 8 Master, had no business getting tangled with Sovereigns or even Transcendents. From what he''d learned from Cynthia Ross, Assassins Number 49 through 11 were all Great Sages, just like Luna.


    He knew he couldn''t underestimate them. Luna had nearly killed him back in the Demon''s Abode, and he understood that if there had been more than one of her, he would''ve been injured or worse, died.


    He thanked his lucky stars that the twins didn''te after her. A Great Sage who''s an assassin is no joke, and us knew that well.


    However, his real concern wasn''t with the Tier 3 level of the Dark Order''s assassin hierarchy. His worryy with Assassins Number 10 through 1, the Sovereigns. us had killed a Tier 8 Zombie before, a creatureparable to a human Sovereign, but he had help.


    If not for the Blood Moon Transformation, he wouldn''t have been able to deal with even the Tier 7 Blood Princes. He knew that for sure.


    So, he wasn''t foolish enough to go looking for trouble with Sovereigns, let alone fall into the grasp of a Transcendent, the leader of the Dark Order. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Right now, it was all spection. Nobody knew how powerful the leader of the organization was or if there was even just one Transcendent. There could be more. us wanted to tread carefully.


    With some preparation, he knew he could eventually take down a Sovereign, but he didn''t want to rush things. He nned to start small and work his way up.


    That''s where Luna came in. Her mother was Assassin Number 7 in the Northern Union. If he could get to her, he would be one step closer to achieving his goal of eradicating the Dark Order from the face of the earth. His hatred for them ran deep.


    "What can you tell me about the Dark Order, or more specifically, your mother?" us asked. He didn''t need to mention that he could help with the seal.


    Luna understood that for someone to notice something her mother had described as unnoticeable, he must have a way to remove it. So, she didn''t hold back anymore when he asked the question.


    "Well, she is a great but ruthless assassin. My sister and I are two of her little students in her School of Assassins. In the Dark Order, she''s known as the Mother of Death. I don''t know if you''ve heard of her, but she came close to killing a War God just a few weeks ago.


    But that wasn''t her greatest achievement. She has assassinated countless high-ranking officials, infiltrated many ces, and has no sympathy for anyone. And I know you''re wondering about this: yes, she was the one responsible for ensuring you were dead."


    "That''s cold," us said, raising an eyebrow.


    Luna looked at him with her usual expressionless face. "It''s true. She treats people like pawns in her game. To her, emotions are a weakness. I''ve seen her kill without hesitation, even those who were once her allies. She doesn''t have any weakness, not even us, her children."


    us crossed his arms, pondering her words. "It sounds like she has a firm grip on you and your sister. Have you tried to escape her control?"


    Luna sighed. "Multiple times but it was for nothing. She has eyes everywhere. Even if we ran, she would find us. She has connections in every dark corner of the world. The seal keeps us tied to her, ensuring we can''t betray her."


    "That is for sure," us said, not needing to be told twice.


    "So, let''s say I could hypothetically remove your seal. What would you do next, the moment it''s gone?" us asked.


    "I will find Nuna, my sister," Luna replied. For a moment, her emotions red. us noticed it but chose to keep his expression neutral.


    ''I guess under all that hard exterior, there''s still ady in there somewhere,'' he thought. Of course, he wasn''t about to get sentimental. After all, she had tried to kill him.


    "I''m not saying I will help you. I wouldn''t just help you out of the goodness of my heart." us said not bothering to sound more calming.


    "I know you can''t harbor any ill thoughts toward your mother because of the seal, but would you be okay bing my pawn in the game of darkness?"


    us paused before adding, "And yes, the game of darkness is the codename I gave to my operation to take down the Dark Order." He smiled evilly


    "Don''t even think about it¡ªyes, I will kill everyone, your mother included. So, do you want me to remove the seal, knowing you''ll be leading me to your mother''s death?"


    Luna, maintaining her straight expression, tapped the table twice. us smiled, knowing that although she couldn''t say it or even think it outright, she had to find a way tomunicate her desire somehow. God knows she and her sister had tried many times toe up with a n.


    "Good. But I''ll make myself very clear now. I am here, smiling and having a nice conversation with you. But know this: if you ever try to kill me again after I remove the seal, then no matter where you run, I, us, will hunt you down. And let me tell you, when I''m done with you, your mother will look like an angel of mercy in your eyes," us said coldly.


    Luna''s body shuddered as she looked into his eyes. us removed his shades, revealing his red eye of malevolence just for that moment. The look she saw sent chills down her spine. Clearly, the saying that you have to make a pact with the devil to kill an angel was true.


    us''s new look made her start reevaluating whether to get into business with this white-haired youth or return to being her mother''s pawn.


    us wasn''t worried about her running to her mother and revealing their arrangement. His main concern was her trying to kill him after he helped her. After all the suffering she endured from her mother, trusting others would be thest thing on her mind.


    Looking at her expression now, us realized he had made a strong impact. She would think twice before doing anything foolish.


    "I will be busy for a while. So, let''s say in a month,e find me in Ross City. You can use this time to search for your sister and bring her with you. Of course, I won''t have to tell you to behave as you usually do to avoid drawing suspicion. But know this: I will help you and your sister, and in return, I will need your help to reach your mother.


    After that, you will be free to live your life. I won''t use you as my murder weapon, nor will I ask you to work for me. All I need is a way to get to your mother, and the rest will depend on me. Am I clear on that?" us asked.


    "Yes," Luna nodded, clearly no longer underestimating us.


    "Good. I''ll leave a mark on how to reach meter in Ross City. I will leave first, and oh, thedy and the gentleman at table five are spying on us. You know what to do," us said before standing up and leaving the coffee shop.


    Luna sat there for a minute before getting up to leave. The two people us mentioned also stood up after finishing their coffee and began to follow her. They walked behind her until suddenly, they stopped.


    They looked down and were about to jump when something dragged them into the shadows, making them disappear instantly.


    "She is dangerous. Very dangerous," us said with a smile from 2 kilometers away before moving on, ready to explore Arcadian City to his heart''s content.

 Chapter 226: Dinner With The Arcadia Great Family

    "Where have you been?" Miriam asked as soon as us got back from his stroll across the vast Arcadian City. She had woken up hours ago, but us wasn''t there.


    "I went out for some sightseeing," us replied, jumping onto the bed. He had been out the whole day, returning only as night began to fall.


    Arcadian City was massive¡ªmuchrger than Ross City¡ªso even though he had only explored a small portion of it after his coffee with Luna the Assassin, he still felt like he had traveled many kilometers.


    However, he did see some cool sights and even managed to buy some things for his mom and sister, so overall, he had fun. Of course, he didn''t want to risk drawing anyone''s attention; that would ruin his whole outing, so he kept a low profile and refrained from entering ces that required ID.


    Hearing his exnation, Miriam raised an eyebrow. She knew us didn''t like going out, as he usually spent time with his mom, training, or hunting. It was rare to see him outside.


    Having now packed her things and settled down at us''s home, she started to know more about him.


    "I hope you didn''t go chasingdies out there in the name of sightseeing," Miriam said with a slight blush.


    "Cross my heart, Grandma, I only went out to catch some fresh air," us said with a grin.


    "Hey, who are you calling Grandma?" Miriam shot him a nce upon hearing him call her that. Well, she was over 60, so it was only natural to be called that.


    us smiled at her pout, enjoying her reactions. It seemed she had lightened up a bit after catching some sleep. Of course, he knew he was one of the few fortunate enough to witness such expressions from the mighty War Goddess.


    To the outside world, she would always remain the emotionless, ruthless, and bloodthirsty War Goddess who regarded no one. Her arrogance was even higher than us''s. But now, in the room with both of them sleeping on the same bed, us was blessed to see her true self¡ªthe one she tucked away before taking on her War Goddess persona.


    "By the way, I''ve been invited to dinner with the Arcadian Family. Wanna be my plus one?" us asked.


    "Ask nicely as I might consider," the War Goddess replied with a teasing smile. Well, she shouldn''t have done that. Who was us if not someone who thrived on shamelessness?


    She had fallen into his trap, and us was more than happy to indulge her.


    "My sweet, elegant, and poised War Goddess, would you perhaps, out of pity, apany this nobody, slum kid, to dinner? He would be very happy if your elegant self would join him and help him look cool among all these wealthy people.


    He doesn''t ask for much¡ªjust hold his hand, and if he gets tired, you can hug him to release his stress. He also promises to be on his best behavior," us said with a straight face.


    us''s yful words hung in the air, and he watched as a mix of surprise and amusement danced across Miriam''s face. She fought to suppress a smile, but her efforts were in vain. She burst intoughter making us raise an eyebrow.


    ''Sweetughter'' he said inwardly.


    "Are you really asking me to hold your hand like a child?" she teased, raising an eyebrow. Of course, the hugging part was there, but she knew us meant nothing good looking for a hug. Her chest area is rather heavy for any man to ignore.


    "Only if that child happens to be a very lucky slum kid in the presence of a magnificent War Goddess," us replied, maintaining his serious expression.


    Miriam rolled her eyes but couldn''t hide her grin. "You''re impossible, you know that?"


    "Impossible but charming," us shot back with a wink. "Besides, who wouldn''t want to show off their date to the Arcadian Family? Think of the prestige!"


    "Prestige? Is that what you think I am? A trophy to unt?" She crossed her arms, feigning indignation, but her yful tone betrayed her. "And who is your date?" She just couldn''t believe this white-haired kid.


    "Of course! You''re my secret weapon. Who could resist the allure of the War Goddess at their side?" usughed, "Plus having you by my side will make them less intimidating. You might not know, but rich people intimidate me"


    Miriam shook her head, a smile breaking through her teasing facade. "Alright, fine! I''ll apany you, but only because you asked nicely. Just remember, I''m not here to babysit you."


    "Deal!" us eximed, pumping his fist in victory. "And I promise to behave...mostly."


    "Mostly?" Miriam raised an eyebrow. She seems to be showing so many emotions after pouring her heart out to us.


    "Okay, okay! I promise to behave," us said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. Miriam looked at him for a moment before entering the bathroom. Of course, us wanted to ask if he should join her, but for once, he held back and decided to call his mom instead.


    A whileter, they were fully dressed and left their room. A maid was waiting outside and immediately took them to the main mansion where dinner would be held.


    "Brother us! d you could make it!" Nathan said as soon as us and Miriam entered the vast dining hall.


    "War Goddess," he said, stopping and bowing slightly when he noticed Miriam by us''s side.


    us wanted to respond for her knowing Miriam''s demeanor. However, before he could make any move, Miriam nodded slightly epting the bow with a neutral expression on her face.


    Her gesture took both us and Nathan aback, but neither of them dared to say anything. Who would even consider it? That woman could scare an entire army with her cold stare.


    "Brother Nathan, I hope we weren''tte," us said, trying to break the tension.


    "Not at all! Dinner is just about to start," Nathan replied, a friendly smile on his face. "Everyone is excited to see you both. The Arcadian Family is eager to meet the legendary War Goddess."


    us exchanged a nce with Miriam, who seemed unfazed by the attention.


    But then again, why did they want to meet the War Goddess? Wasn''t he the one they had invited? us couldn''t help but smile at the thought as they made their way toward the dinner table, where he could already see some people seated.


    There were four young men on one side of the table. From the looks of it, they were all older than Nathan, which meant they were his brothers. Then just to the right of the head chair, another man was seated.


    A single nce was enough for us to realize he was someone of great importance. He is a Sage, but us knew better than to underestimate him. He gave a slight nod, which the Sage also acknowledged with a nod.


    On the other side of the table sat ady who needed no introduction for us to recognize her as Nathan''s mother. She had a graceful, motherly aura that made us sigh inwardly.


    His own mother had the same presence. It''s clear she is a good person... well, us is biased when ites to mothers.


    He wouldn''t forgive Luna''s mother even if she begged him. He had dered that he would kill her, and that was final. No mother should treat her children like ves.


    us nodded toward the woman, and his gaze shifted to the youngdy sitting beside her. The moment his eyesnded on her, he felt a jolt in his soul for a split second.


    She had striking yellow-like eyes that made us instantly avert his gaze when their eyes met. Despite her beauty, there was something in her gaze that could stir deep feelings within anyone.


    "Careful, brat. That youngdy is one terrifying Soul Master. You would do well not to antagonize her, especially with your bead currently indispose," The senior voice warned in his mind.


    us gulped


    "Brother us, this is my big sister, Lulu," Nathan said, introducing her.

 Chapter 227: Lulu Arcadia

    "Nice to meet you, Lulu," us said, keeping his tone light and calm. However, in the back of his mind, he was wary of the youngdy before him. Matters of the soul are something he knew could be very dangerous.


    "Big Brother us, do you know Big Sister is an Inner Disciple at Celestial Mountain Academy?" Nathan, of course, had to continue the conversation.


    us, hearing how he suddenly started addressing him, didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    ''When did I turn from Brother us to Big Brother us?'' he thought inwardly, but on the outside, he maintained a small smile.


    "Oh, that is great! I guess after dinner, I''ll indulge Sister Lulu in telling me more about the Academy," us said with a smile.


    "Of course," Lulu replied, returning the smile.


    She is a Saint, a peak Saint to be precise, and from the look of things, she had a very strong foundation. us, however, didn''t want to pry, so he kept his golden eyes focused, not bothering to look any further. Things could change if she decided to do anything funny; after all, he still had the Eye of Malevolence.


    He wasn''t exactly defenseless.


    "Lulu, it looks like your prayer has been answered; us is finally here!" Just when their stare-off was starting to feel awkward, a voice spoke from one corner of the room. From that direction, Dave Arcadia walked toward the head chair.


    "Dad," Lulu said, hiding her face in her palm.


    us raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. So it''s an Aoi Hiroshi situation again. Back during the Regional Trial, when they were invited to the Hiroshi Mansion, he learned that it was Aoi Hiroshi who wanted to meet him, which led to the event being organized.


    Now, hearing Dave Arcadia speak, he couldn''t help but smile. It seemed his charm was more intense than he thought.


    "War Goddess, us, d you both could make it," Dave Arcadian said as he took his seat. Miriam nodded slightly in acknowledgment of his presence. Dave nodded back before turning to his daughter.


    "Lulu, you wouldn''t continue to hide your face for the rest of the night, would you? Your idol is here; don''t you want to look at him? I know for a fact he isn''t ugly, so you''ll be missing out if you keep hiding your face." Dave Arcadian teased his daughter again making his other children smile at the scene.


    "I hate you, Dad," Lulu said, still covering her face.


    "I love you too, dear," Dave replied before turning to the man on his right.


    "us, this is Hank Arcadian. He''s my brother and the Chief of Operations for the entire city and the region atrge. You didn''t see himst time during the invasion because he was away on business and couldn''t make it back in time," Dave exined.


    "Nice to meet you," us said to Hank.


    "Likewise. Thank you for helping defend the city and its people. On behalf of the people of Arcadian, I want to extend our apologies for the negligence that nearly cost you your life," Hank said, his expression sincere.


    "It''s nothing. idents happen, and I''m sorry to hear the assassin got to three other soldiers before reaching the weapon. I hope they rest in peace," us said as politely as possible, making everyone, except the War Goddess, nod in agreement.


    "By the way, how''s the rebuilding of the defenses going? Is there anything I can do to help?" us asked.


    "Everything''s underway, and thanks for offering, but we have it under control for now," Dave responded. us nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Anyway, you''ve already met Nathan and Lulu. This beautifuldy is my wife and the mother of my children, Rose Arcadia," Dave said, and us nodded in response.


    "These are Kaden, Smith, Andrew, and Tate. They''re my other children and the ones who manage the city''s day-to-day activities." us nodded toward them. He had caught glimpses of them during the invasion, but back then, he wasn''t aware they were Dave''s children.


    They were among the few who stayed until the final battle. Kaden and Smith are Sages, while Andrew and Tate are Saints, but they remained on the battlefield until it was over.


    "d to see you all are doing well," us said making sure they knew he noticed their presence on the battlefield.


    Andrew and Tate were injured during the final phase of the battle, so when he and his uncle unleashed thatst attack, they didn''t join the few who ganged up on the disoriented zombies. But us noticed everything.


    His Universal Enigma passive skill made it so he remember everything he sees.


    As expected, they all smiled. us realized he had be some kind of idol to many after the invasion, so he knew how important it was not to let people down. Even a small gesture like this could go a long way.


    "I would''ve been there, too, if I wasn''t away at the academy," Lulu suddenly said, drawing everyone''s attention.


    "We know, baby. We know you''re the genius who canmand weapons with unprecedented might," Dave teased with a mocking smile. Upon hearing that she couldmand weapons, us''s mood shifted. The War Goddess noticed this and smiled slightly.


    "Oh, so you''re a Spirit Master?" us already knew as the senior had warned him about her, but he yed along since she didn''t know he was aware.


    "Yes," Lulu said with a small smile.


    "What kind of weapons?" us asked, clearly intrigued. Around the table, everyone was listening with smiles.


    "Mostly projectile weapons¡ªlike needles, knives, light spears, and swords," Lulu said casually, trying not to make a big deal of it.


    "Don''t be fooled by her casual tone, Brother us. Sister Lulu canmand dozens, even hundreds, of swords with deadly precision," Nathan chimed in, revealing her strength with a grin, ruining her attempt at modesty.


    us chuckled at Nathan''s enthusiasm but kept his eyes on Lulu, intrigued by her abilities. "That''s quite impressive, Lulu," he said, his tone genuinely admiring.


    "Being able tomand so many weapons at once takes not only skill but immense mental strength."


    Lulu looked down shyly, brushing off thepliment. "It''s nothingpared to what you''ve done, Brother us. You saved the city."


    us waved his hand dismissively. "It was a team effort. Honestly, I wouldn''t have made it without the help of everyone who fought alongside me," he said, though deep down, his curiosity about Lulu was growing.


    "I''ll be staying here for a few more days. If you''re not busy, I''d like to pick up some pointers from Sister Lulu," us suddenly added, making Lulu smile¡ªif only for a brief moment.


    "Oh? I did not know you are also a Spirit Master," she said, a hint of surprise in her voice.


    "I dabble," us replied with a casual smile.


    Lulu raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by his response. "Dabble? You don''t strike me as the type to ''dabble'' in anything."


    us chuckled softly. "I''ve had some experience, but I wouldn''t call myself a spirit master. That''s why I''d like to learn from someone more experienced. Besides, it''ll give us some alone time to talk, since you''ve been expecting me for a while." Of course, us wouldn''t let the moment pass without slipping in a bit of yful flirting.


    As expected, Lulu blushed, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. The rest of the table couldn''t help but smile at her predicament


    "Alright, let''s not let the food get cold. Time to dig in," Dave said, breaking the moment with a chuckle.


    With that, everyone began eating. us, however, wasn''t one to hold back when it came to good food. While the others ate slowly and with the elegance one might expect from a family of wealth and power, us was in his own world. He devoured his meal with gusto, clearly enjoying every bite.


    Hank, Dave, his wife, and their children exchanged amused nces as they watched us eat with such enthusiasm.


    Even the cold, emotionless War Goddess shared a rare, small smile as she observed the white-haired brat tearing through his meal like there was no tomorrow. us, despite his battles and status, had a simple, down-to-earth side that couldn''t be hidden, and it was very refreshing.


    After a while, when they were all done eating and had dessert. us and the War Goddess left back to their room for the night. The next day, us met with Lulu to train as a spirit master.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 228: Training with Lulu (1)

    "You woke up early," Miriam said, looking at us sitting on the bed. us smiled back at her. He had woken up quite early and decided to chat with the senior. Since he couldn''t use the Bead for now, as it was suspended in the golden energy he had yet to absorb, he could only ask about the things he wanted to know.


    Having memories of one''s past is indeed valuable, and us was eager to learn more. The senior answered his questions to the best of his ability, though the karma involved in understanding some of these things was too much for us to bear at the moment.


    "So, what are your ns now that we won''t be going back to Ross City for a few more days?" Miriam asked her tone hinting that she was teasing him about his ns to train with Lulu.


    "You can always go back first if you want," us replied, refusing to give her the satisfaction.


    "Get dressed. I want to see how much you can learn as a Spirit Master," Miriam said, pushing him off the bed. us just smiled and got up to get dressed.


    He really needed this training. Ever since he awakened as a warrior, he hadn''t had the chance to train with anyone before, so this was a big deal for him.


    He wanted to see how well he could fare against Lulu, even after the senior had told him he wasn''t her match. Unlike us, who had only just started training as a Spirit Master, Lulu had been at it for years, so naturally, she was much better than him.


    Her mental strength was stronger, and her control was superior to his. us had already lost a duel to Aoi Hiroshi, making him realize how much wascking when the sword was put in question. Now, he wanted to measure his progress against Lulu who was stronger than him at the moment.


    "You''reing too?" us asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Of course. Why, are you scared I''ll spoil your game?" Miriam responded with a teasing smile. us knew she would go back to her emotionless self the moment they stepped out of the room. Still, seeing her like this made him smile slightly.


    "Just don''t get jealous," us said before running out of the room. Miriam smiled and followed him. Shortly after, they arrived at the training ground where Lulu was already doing some light stretches.


    "You couldn''t sleep, huh?" us, being us, couldn''t resist teasing her. As expected, she blushed lightly.


    "By the way, how are we going to do this? And for the record, I only use Needles, and currently, I can only control 64 Viper Piercing Needles," us said as he took out his needle set. The 64 needles immediately flew into the air, making us grit his teeth slightly.


    "Impressive. How long have you been practicing?" she asked, though she genuinely looked impressed.


    "A couple of weeks," us replied.


    Lulu raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "A couple of weeks and you can already control 64 needles? That''s remarkable," she said, though her tone carried a hint of yful doubt. "But you do know that control isn''t just about numbers, right? It''s about precision."


    us chuckled. "I''ll leave precision to you, Lulu. I''m more of a ''let''s see how many I can throw at once'' kind of guy."


    Lulu smiled as she brought out her own needles. They were five-inch-long needles, an inch longer than us''s Viper Piercing Needles.


    With a simple thought, 250 of her needles flew from their case, floating effortlessly in the air before her. us''s eyes widened in shock, making a few of his own needles fall to the ground from the distraction.


    "250?!" he muttered under his breath, disbelief creeping into his voice. She looked calm andposed, unlike him, who was already struggling to control just 64.


    ''That''s wild,'' he thought, his mind racing.


    ''How is she making it look so easy?''


    Lulu caught his expression and gave a small, knowing smile. "Control, us. It''s not about how many you can summon; it''s about how well you can handle them."


    us gritted his teeth, the 64 needles already having a huge impact on his mental capacity. He knew she was right, but it didn''t make the situation any less frustrating.


    Seeing hermand such a vast number of needles with ease made him realize just how much further he had to go. Still, he wasn''t about to back down.


    Even so, us knew that in anypetition they entered, he would lose¡ªand lose badly at that. Miriam, sitting a few meters away, smiled as she watched the expression on his face.


    ''Finally, something somebody is better at than him,'' she thought, amused. She couldn''t have asked for a better morning.


    "No need to feel weak. I''ve been practicing for almost two years now, so it''s only natural that I''ve developed the mental fortitude to handle this many needles," Lulu said, her needles swirling around her effortlessly.


    "You controlling 64 after just a couple of weeks is already a big deal."


    us let out a smallugh. "Still, I need to do better if I want to have a shot at mastering this Spirit Master thing."


    "Then you''d better hurry and get into the Academy. There are many avenues there that can help you train your mind to handle multiple tasks," Lulu advised.


    "I will," us replied, nodding in agreement.


    "Alright," Lulu continued, "let''s test your control. Show me how well you can manage those needles."


    She pressed a small button on the floor. From the ceiling, several small balls descended, projected into the air. They began to move. They were a mix of colors, their paths seemingly random.


    "Use your needles to destroy all the green balls. Let''s start at 1.2x speed," Lulu said, pressing another button. The balls began moving, weaving through the air with increasing speed.


    us took a deep breath and concentrated, his 64 needles hovering in the air, ready to move. This was a test of precision, and he knew that brute strength alone wouldn''t help him here. He focused on the green balls, watching their erratic movements closely.


    "Here goes nothing," he muttered under his breath as he sent his needles darting through the air toward the targets.


    The needles moved swiftly, popping the green balls almost instantly. us didn''t even seem stressed as he skillfully maneuvered the needles through the air. In just over a minute, all the green balls were destroyed, leaving nothing but silence in their wake.


    "Impressive," Lulu stated as she nced at the score. The screen showed that us had popped 720 green balls, along with 12 red and 10 yellow, in 1 minute and 24 seconds.


    "My first trial, I popped 720 green, 54 red, and 32 yellow in 4 minutes and 45 seconds," Lulu said, clearly impressed. "You''re something else, us."


    us grinned, his golden eyes gleaming with pride. Although he doesn''t show it, hearing she was far behind his score lightens his mood a bit


    "Guess I''m not as bad as I thought."


    Lulu smiled back, but there was a hint of challenge in her eyes. "You''ve got talent, no doubt, but don''t get toofortable. The next levels aren''t as easy."


    The pace doubled, and us went back to work.


    The balls were much faster now.


    He hadn''t really used the needles individually before; he always kept them in the Void Piercing Needle form. Because of this, he hadn''t mastered taking out multiple targets at once with them.


    If he had been using the Void Piercing Needle form, the green balls would have been destroyed in under 20 seconds. Still, he was doing well, popping the balls effortlessly. It was mentally exhausting, but he was managing.


    A little over two minutester, he had finished. All the green balls were popped, along with 20 red and 16 yellow ones. Although he wasn''t used to fighting with isted needles, after just two trials, he could feel his mind growing stronger.


    Lulu was genuinely impressed. But when us asked her to try it out, he witnessed just how terrifying a Spirit Master could be.

 Chapter 229: Training with Lulu (2)

    720 green balls popped in less than five seconds. The screen disyed Lulu''s score, leaving us staring at it in awe. He had asked her to take the test, and now he wished he hadn''t.


    Despite limiting herself to controlling only 64 needles, just like us, she managed to destroy all the green balls without even scratching the red or yellow ones¡ªand she did it all in under five seconds. That was wild, and us just stood there, staring at the screen with a bewildered expression.


    "Brat, you don''t have to feel bad. That youngdy has an extremely strong mind and far more experience than you," the senior said, trying tofort him.


    Even the War Goddess was impressed by Lulu''s disy. Spirit Masters are incredibly dangerous on the battlefield. To them, anything they can lift with their minds is a weapon. Even the weapons their enemies are holding be potential weapons.


    The ability to control virtually any weapon with just their mind is overpowered. us, who had used his Needle to kill thousands of Zombies, knew exactly how lethal it could be. So watching Lulu destroy hundreds of balls in less than five seconds made him truly grasp how terrifying a Spirit Master could be.


    "You''re impressive, Lulu," he said. us wasn''t jealous; he was just too shocked. But that shock only fueled his determination to improve. If he wanted the upper hand inbat, he had to do more and be better.


    He has Star Qi, which is far more powerful than Spiritual Qi, andbining that with his ability to wield flying weapons in battle would make him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.


    Of course, us first had to be better at controlling the weapons, and that required him to train his mind.


    "You''re impressive too, us. I can see you''re already making progress. So for today, focus on building your mental fortitude at double speed and see if you can add more needles to your control," Lulu said, and us nodded in agreement.


    He really wanted to increase the number of needles he could control while maintaining precise control. The next time he enteredbat, he wanted to have the upper hand, no exceptions.


    With that, us returned to popping more balls. He aimed for a perfect record: popping all 720 green balls without touching any of the red or yellow ones and doing it in under a minute. That was the target he set for himself on his first day.


    us might not show it, but he waspetitive. He knew he wouldn''t surpass Lulu anytime soon, but that didn''t mean he would fall far behind. No, he wanted to make great progress, so he set ambitious goals for himself.


    Thirty minutester, he managed to add two more needles to his original 64, bringing the total to 66. However, he didn''t use them just yet. He focused on mastering the 64 first, improving his mental capacity to handle them before adding more.


    Two hourster, he had developed enough mental strength to control 70 needles. Using the original 64, he finally managed to pop all 720 green balls without touching any of the red or yellow ones. However, it took him 2 minutes and 20 seconds toplete the task.


    But he wasn''t satisfied with that, so he went back to it. Using the 64 needles, he kept training, and two more hourster, he finally achieved his target. By the time thest needle popped the 720th ball in 58 seconds, he was exhausted.


    However, having achieved his goal, us was visibly happy. Lulu also looked impressed by his hard work.


    She had been pressuring her father for weeks to let use to Arcadian City after she heard he had woken up after the assassination attempt.


    Just like Lucy and the others who were already at the academy, they were allowed toe home to get their affairs in order because once they went back, it would be a year before they could return home. So, she wanted to meet him before leaving.


    She had been trying to meet him before she headed back again¡ªand now she had.


    She would have plenty to talk about with her friends once she returned to the academy. us had be every young warrior''s idol or nightmare; he was not only popr in the cities but equally renowned in the academy.


    It was rare for someone so young to achieve so many heaven-defying feats. She genuinely looked impressed watching us train for the past four hours nonstop.


    It became clear to her that the young man who appeared on the City, Regional, and Union Warrior Ranking Charts was no weak or an overhyped warrior. He was the real deal.


    "I guess that''s all my brain can take for today," us said, gulping down a chilled water.


    "You impressed me, Brother us," Lulu said.


    "You can just call me us. I should be the one impressed by your superior control. Thank you for the pointers," us replied with a small smile.


    "No need to be modest, us. I know that in just a few more weeks of training, you''ll surpass me. You''re a genius, and I really want you toe to the academy soon so you can show everyone what you''re made of," Lulu said, genuinely pleased.


    "I''ll do my best to pass the Union Trial and the World Trial so I can join. I hope by then we can train together some more," us said.


    "We still have a few more days; we can train as much as you want," Lulu replied.


    "Then I''ll make sure to wear you out over the next few days," us said before bidding her goodbye. He left with Miriam back to their room. After they left, Dave Arcadian appeared in the training room.


    "What do you think? Is he up to your standards?" he asked with a small smile.


    "He exceeded my expectations. What took me months to achieve, he aplished in just hours. This young man is a genius," Lulu said.


    "Well, well, well. I guess only us could make my little girl look genuinely flustered," Dave said. He had been watching their training on a screen the entire time so he knew what she was saying was true, but again hearing her daughter who doesn''t regard anyone as a worthy opponent praise us like that, he was taken aback.


    "Dad, I mean it. us is a monster. I wonder how those arrogant bastards back in the academy are going to feel when he steps in there," she said with a smile.


    On the other side, us, who had just reached his room, was so tired that he fell onto the bed. Miriam looked at him for a while before moving to remove his sweaty shirt. "You should learn to take care of your hygiene, Mr. You''re not the only one in the room."


    "Thank you for your concern, my dear, but a little massage would do wonders," us said in a tired voice.


    "Keep dreaming," Miriam replied.


    "I know you''re not romantic at all. I guess I''ll have to ask Lulu to help me next time," us said in a teasing tone. He was too exhausted to look at Miriam and read her expressions, so when he felt her touch on his back, he was taken aback.


    "Don''t say a word, or I''ll stop," Miriam warned.


    us smiled before using his Spirit eye to look at her expression. Watching the pink cheeks as she massaged his back, he knew the mighty War Goddess had fallen for the white-haired Paragon. Slowly he drifted into sleep under her careful touches.

 Chapter 230: Claiming His Reward

    us woke up the next day with renewed vigor. The night had been one of the best yet, thanks to Miriam using her spiritual qi to enhance the massage, making it far more effective than a regr one. us had had a hectic week, and though he hadn''t shown it, the War Goddess could see the fatigue in his eyes.


    While he drifted into sleep, she had spent a great deal of time massaging his muscles to the best of her ability. But while us was enjoying it in his sleep, Miriam couldn''t quite believe herself.


    The emotionless War Goddess, now a mere massage artist¡ªthat was just unbelievable. She definitely didn''t want anyone to hear about it or, worse, see her doing it. us had somehow managed to make her lower her standards, something she never thought possible.


    But again, as she nced at his handsome face, peacefully asleep on the bed during the massage, all her conflicted thoughts melted away, reced with something softer, something happier. She hadn''t wanted to be reduced to this state, but she wasn''t mad. Somehow, the white-haired brat had done it.


    When us woke up, he noticed Miriam still asleep beside him, lying closer than usual. He smiled, sat up on the bed, and entered his usual meditative state, waiting for her to wake. An hourter, she stirred.


    "Well, good morning, my little Massage Goddess. From how I feel, I can tell you really worked your magic on me," us said, his tone yful but grateful.


    Miriam, still half-asleep, groaned softly. "Don''t push your luck. That was a one-time thing," she mumbled, turning her face into the pillow to hide her slight blush.


    us chuckled. "You say that now, but I think you enjoyed it just as much as I did."


    "Keep talking, and you will start feeling pain instead," Miriam warned, though the warmth in her voice betrayed her.


    us stretched, feeling his musclespletely refreshed. "You''re incredible, you know that?"


    Miriam finally sat up, running a hand through her hair as she nced at him. "You just don''t know when to stop, do you?"


    "Nope," us said, smiling. "And I''m not apologizing either."


    "You..." Miriam started, wanting to smack us on the head, but her hands were caught in his firm grip before she could act. She tried to pull them back, but before she could muster her strength, us pulled her into his embrace.


    Once again, the overpowered War Goddess of the Eastern Region lost all her strength to wiggle out of his arms. She couldn''t believe how easily her defenses crumbled in his presence. us just smirked, watching her rx in his arms like a child, helpless against the overwhelming calm he brought her.


    "You look surprisingly beautiful this early in the morning for a grandma," us teased, running his fingers gently across her back. Miriam''s body tensed for a second, then melted under his touch. Her brain went nk, words failing her, despite his obvious teasing.


    "Once again, thank you for the massage," us continued, grinning. "But now that you''re mine, I suppose I''ll be getting one every evening before bed."


    "Keep dreaming," Miriam forced out, her voice unsteady. "And who says I''m yours?"


    "ying hard to get, huh? Why don''t you try breaking free from my arms?" us said in a sarcastic tone.


    "Can''t do it, can you? Admit it, Miriam¡ªyou have no resistance against me. And although you''re practically older than the universe, I don''t think you really know what this means. So, why don''t I spell it out?"


    us leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a soft murmur. "Miriam, War Goddess of the Eastern Region, you''ve fallen into my trap. But I think you already knew that, didn''t you?"


    Miriam''s heart raced as she tried to formte a response. She was the War Goddess¡ªunshakable, undefeated¡ªyet in his arms, she felt like apletely different person.


    A warmth filled her chest, and for the first time in ages, she didn''t want to fight back. Instead, she just let the moment wash over her, still not willing to admit defeat, but also not entirely rejecting the strange,forting hold us had over her.


    Without even realizing it, Miriam remained in us''s embrace, oblivious to the fact that he had already released his grip. She had indeed fallen for him, and the realization left her stunned.


    How had this happened? All she had wanted was a bloodthirsty, battle-crazed brother, yet she found herself wanting something entirely different now. It was both strange andforting.


    Thinking back, Miriam had always known deep down that this day woulde. When she epted his invitation to stay at his house, a part of her had sensed that this wasn''t just a sibling bond forming.


    Now, nestled in his arms, she realized she didn''t really want the brotherly rtionship she''d been telling herself she wanted. She wanted more¡ªsomething deeper.


    "Miriam dear, do you remember our bet during the City Selection Trials?" us''s voice broke through her thoughts.


    "Yes, what about it?" Miriam asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "I''m here to im my reward since I haven''t collected it yet," us said, a yful glint in his eyes.


    "What reward do you want?" she asked, already knowing where this was headed but ying along anyway.


    "You know¡­ this." us leaned in, and before she could react, their lips met in a light kiss. The moment their lips touched, Miriam''s entire world flipped upside down¡ªher soul felt like it left her body, her mind went nk, and her body turned to jelly.


    It wasn''t a long kiss, but us held it just long enough to make sure she felt it, to make sure she knew this was no ordinary im of a bet.


    When he finally pulled back, he gazed into her eyes, satisfaction written all over his face. He knew she wouldn''t be able to retreat back into her emotionless shell anytime soon. The deep blush spreading across her cheeks was proof of that.


    "Oh," us began, ready to tease her again, but before he could finish, Miriam leaned in herself. This time, their lips met in a deeper, more passionate kiss. us didn''t need to be told twice. She had epted it¡ªshe wanted more.


    Without hesitation, he slid his hands down to her hips, gently lifting her onto hisp as their kiss intensified. For several heated minutes, they remained locked in each other''s arms, lips entwined in a fierce exchange. When they finally broke apart, us leaned back, still grinning as he looked at the flustered expression on her face.


    us chuckled softly, watching Miriam''s blush deepen, her breath still uneven.


    "Once again, Young Master us for the win," he teased, his tone light but yful. Miriam couldn''t deny it anymore¡ªshe had fallen, and there was no turning back now.


    Her mind shed back to something us''s mother had told her not long ago: "You really shouldn''t fight it. From the moment that brat set his sights on you, you''d already fallen." us''s mother was like the perfect wingman, working behind the scenes even more than us himself.


    One could say she was even more shameless than her son, and it was probably true. Ever since she ascended, she had changed, and now, all she wanted was to ensure her son''s happiness¡ªso if being shameless was the way to make that happen, she was all in.


    us held Miriam''s hips in his arms, pulling her onto hisp, his gaze locking with hers. He couldn''t help but sneak a few nces at the "mountains" on her chest, a grin spreading across his face.


    ''Finally, those mountains are mine, he thought with a lovestruck grin.


    He was ready to lean in, hoping to finally bury his face between those soft curves while the moment was still ripe, but before he could, Miriam shifted when she felt something... unexpected.


    "us, what is that thing touching my thigh?" she asked but then froze the moment her hand brushed it.


    Without even blinking, she vanished from the bed, her cheeks flushed in shades of pink as she darted into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.


    Left on the bed, us couldn''t stop grinning despite his failed attempt to fulfill his dreams of snuggling into her chest. Hey there smiling like a lovestruck idiot.


    An hour passed and Miriam never left the bathroom, however, us never bothered her. He simply dressed up and left to go train with Lulu still smiling like a happy cat.

 Chapter 231: Progress After 5 Days of Training

    us arrived at the training ground with renewed energy. His morning had turned out better than expected, and he was ready to tackle the day''s training with a more upbeat attitude.


    "You look happy this morning," Lulu said, noticing his mood as soon as he arrived at the training ground.


    "Who wouldn''t be happy training with a fairy like you?" us said with a smile, causing Lulu to blush slightly.


    ''I really need to choose my words more carefully, or I''ll end up with beauties falling head over heels for me,'' us thought, noticing the pink tint on Lulu''s cheeks.


    ''You think?'' Suddenly, the Senior''s voice echoed in his mind.


    ''Hey Senior, are you reading my thoughts?'' us asked, but the Senior didn''t bother to reply. That just made him smile more as they resumed their second day of training.


    us managed to control all 64 needles andplete the task he had set for himself yesterday. He popped all 720 balls in under a minute with the 64 needles, though it had been a close call.


    So before setting new goals for the day, he decided to retry the previous day''s task. To his surprise, he popped all 720 green balls in under 50 seconds¡ªa significant improvement over yesterday''s record.


    With that out of the way, he set new goals. First, he increased the number of needles to 70 for the same task as yesterday. After three attempts, he sessfully popped all 720 balls in under 50 seconds.


    Next, Lulu increased the number of green balls to 1,020. It took him 17 attempts to pop them all. Then, he decided to focus on pushing his mental limits.


    Having trained under much harsher conditions herself, Lulu decided to increase the speed at which the balls moved to 2.5x,pared to 2x yesterday. us''s day quickly turned into a grueling challenge as he strained and sweated profusely, putting immense pressure on his mind toplete the task.


    The objective was to pop all 1,020 green balls without touching the red or yellow ones and to do it all in under a minute. On top of that, us aimed to increase the number of needles he could control from 70 to 80 by the end of the second day''s training.


    It was an incredibly grueling task for someone who hadn''t been training their mind for long. us was under so much pressure that it felt like his mind might split at any moment.


    Lulu, watching from the side, couldn''t believe her eyes. In the first hour, us managed to pop all 1,020 green balls in under three minutes¡ªsomething that had taken her 10 minutes after days of trying.


    ''This boy is just a monster'', she thought. But it didn''t stop there. In the second hour, us cut the time in half and added four more needles to his control.


    By the third hour, us was getting closer to his goal of popping all the green balls in under a minute. And by the fourth hour, he aplished that, adding another four needles. Before long, he reached the ten-needle increase he had set for himself that day, bringing the total to 80 needles under his control.


    Still, he wasn''t done. He continued training with all 80 needles, but it didn''t take long for him to realize that if he didn''t rest soon, his mind would suffer real damage.


    "You''re a monster," Lulu said, staring at him in disbelief.


    "I have a good teacher," us replied with a smile. Lulu smiled back.


    Once again, us had surprised her. Although she could achieve what he did now in under 20 seconds, she knew it was only because she had been training for years.


    us, on the other hand, had done something that would take even the strongest Spirit Masters weeks to aplish¡ªin under five hours. That was just too monstrous.


    "Same time tomorrow?" us asked. Lulu nodded, and with that, he left, exhausted, heading back to his quarters.


    When he got back, Miriam had juste out of the bathroom. She blushed immediately when us entered the room, but when she noticed how drained he looked, she led him to the bed and gave him a towel bath, gently wiping the sweat from his body like a caring wife.


    us, resting in Miriam''s gentle and caring embrace, drifted off to sleep. He was getting the kind of treatment any guy wouldn''t dare deny.


    The next day, he faced another grueling training session that left him exhausted once again. However, his suffering wasn''t in vain. He managed to increase the number of needles he could control to 90 after Lulu sped up the balls to three times their normal speed.


    It was an exhausting morning, but knowing the care he would receive back in his quarters made him more than happy to take on the challenge.


    On the fourth day, he pushed himself further, bringing 100 needles under his control. But this time, the strain was much worse. Lulu had increased the ball speed to four times the usual rate, making the training even harder. Despite the stress, us managed to pop all 1,020 balls.


    He asked for more balls, but Lulu exined that the training mechanism was already at full capacity. However, she mentioned that the speed could still be increased.


    us didn''t give it much thought, but by the end of the fourth day, the strain had been so intense that he passed out as soon as he got back to his room, leaving his safety in Miriam''s hands. Miriam, warming to the idea that she had indeed be us''s woman, started taking such good care of his body whenever he returned drained.


    By the end of the fifth day, us''s improvement shocked Lulu to the point she started questioning whether she was truly the genius people imed she was.


    us had managed to control 120 needles, and using them, he destroyed all 1,020 green balls in under 40 seconds at six times the normal speed. us realized that the more grueling the training, the faster he improved.


    It was a shocking level of progress, but us wasn''t surprised. He had already seen how Fruity managed to memorize hundreds of skills in under an hour, so he knew this was something he always had¡ªa brain that was stronger than most.


    "I''ve ordered the training mechanism for you. It''ll be installed before you get home," Lulu said. She already knew us wouldn''t stop training after he went back home.


    It was theirst day together, and although she enjoyed training with him, even if it meant just watching him train, it was bittersweet to see it end.


    "Thank you, Lulu," us said. "How about this¡ªsince you''ve helped me so much these past days, let me give you something in return."


    us pulled out a sheet of paper covered in strange writings and diagrams and handed it to her. "This is the least I can do," he said with a smile.


    Lulu took the sheet, and as soon as she saw the content, her jaw dropped. "This... this... I can''t ept this. It''s too valuable!" she protested, trying to hand the sheet back.


    "Keep it. This is my thanks to you," us insisted. He had originally wanted to use the method the senior taught him to transfer a soul technique he learned from Fruity''s memories.


    However, not trusting her enough for that, he decided to write it down instead, just as he had nned to do for his friends, with the senior''s guidance.


    The technique was a powerful soul attack. And since Lulu was a Saint, she would be able to learn and use it, unlike us, who still needed more time.


    "Thank you, us," Lulu said, smiling. She recognized the technique''s value, as she had seen simr ones at the academy. But unbeknownst to her, the technique us had given her was far beyond anything even the strongest soul technique at the academy couldpare to.


    After chatting for a while and making ns to grab coffeeter, us headed back to his quarters where he went straight into the caring arms of Miriam and drifted into sleep like a baby cat.

 Chapter 232: The Thought Of Slaughter

    us spent the next day in Arcadian City, marking his tenth day there before heading back to Ross City with Miriam. Dave and Hank Arcadia were generous enough to lend them a jet, reminding us of how much he needed to get his own. His obsession with jets only grew by the second.


    Miriam smiled when she noticed his obsessed look, She mentioned that she had her own jet, which could now be his. us just shrugged, saying he wanted one of his own, but for now, he was content to enjoy others'' jets while saving up for something better.


    Theynded at the Ross private runway, where Kofi was waiting to pick them up. us noticed that, despite most people being Saints with the ability to fly, he rarely saw them soaring through the skies as one might expect. He nned to ask Anna about it the next time he saw her.


    Speaking of Anna, a day ago, she and us''s other friends, including Hanna, returned from their weeks of training in three different forbidden zones. They informed him they were nearing level nine and would hold back until after the Union Trials.


    So, they entered seclusion to solidify their foundations. us wanted to provide them with some techniques, but the Senior said they wouldn''t be able to use them until after they became Saints.


    us was in the same situation. For now, they would have to rely solely on their own prowess to conquer the Union Trials.


    From Lulu, us learned that after passing the Union Trial, the 8,000 who made it to the academy would have six full months of nurturing before their final trial took ce.


    This period was designed to help those who might wash out receive guidance from the academy, which, ording to her, was better than what most academies offered their true Outer and Inner Disciples.


    The Union Trial would be highlypetitive, and us knew his friends felt the pressure toe out on top¡ªunlike him, who didn''t even pause to think about it.


    Right now, he was more focused on improving his mental strength, and thanks to Lulu, he had received a few suggestions for the next flying weapons he should buy.


    us already had ns in mind. He would train his mind and make sure that the next time he faced severe odds, it would feel like child''s y.


    "Mom, I''m home!" As always, he called out to his mother as soon as he arrived and ran into her embrace.


    "us, you''re a grown-up now; stop this child''s y," his mom said, though she was smiling as she wrapped her arms around him.


    "d to be home too, Mom," us replied, smiling back. She was happy he was home, and he was d to be back. As the saying goes, there''s no ce like home.


    "There''s something different about you, us¡ªsomething that makes me tense up just from looking at you," his mother said, looking at him in a particr way.


    "That''s because your son has made great progress in his training and hasn''t yet gotten things under control. I didn''t mean to scare you, Mom," us replied, resting his head on her shoulder.


    Miriam smiled at the sight and went to get herself a drink. The Mom and Son duo were always up for some mischief. They are a shameless pair.


    "Well, I''m not scared of you; I could never be scared of you. You''re my baby boy. But for the sake of your women, make sure to get things under control, especially before seeing any of them," she warned.


    Miriam didn''t say anything, but she felt the same when she saw us after he upgraded his Eye of Malevolence. Even without activating it, its effect was already palpable.


    "You know, Mom, these days I wonder if you''re really my mother. What kind of mom is okay with her son having multiple wives?" us joked, but his mom''s smile faltered at his words.


    She brushed her hand through his hair and said, "The kind that wants you to be happy. us, I was really scared when you nearly died a few months ago.


    I didn''t want to say this, but I would have killed myself if you had truly died. But now that you''re well and happy, I know that, no matter what, I will always want to keep a smile on your face.


    You are my son, and it''s my job to make sure you''re well and happy, so don''t think for a moment that I would want to take away what makes you happy. You deserve everything."


    us listened to his mother and couldn''t help but feel his heartbreak. He had caused her immense pain when he nearly died.


    But for us, it was even worse. When he was near death, he was sent down memoryne, reliving the experience of losing his mother instead. Though he appeared well and happy on the surface, inside, he couldn''t take it.


    Although it was his past self, he missed her deeply. So, just like his mother, he wanted what was best for her, and for now, he could only be there for her. This was one of the reasons he took Hanna as his sister. He had seen in his memories how much she loved his mother, and how his mother loved her.


    He didn''t fully grasp the concept of this reincarnation thing, but he knew that connection would always be there¡ªand he was right. His mother had be significantly happier with Hanna around.


    However, hearing his mother say she would have killed herself had he died from the assassination attempt, two thoughts surfaced in his mind.


    First, he vowed to never put her in that situation again. Second, he would unleash hell on the dark order. He wouldn''t be doing it because he wanted what was best for the world; he would do it because they made his mother worry. Nobody had the right to make her worry, cry, or hurt.


    ''I will kill everyst one of them¡ªeveryst one of them,'' he vowed inwardly.


    "us, are you alright? You''re bing cold," his mother suddenly said, snapping him out of his murderous thoughts.


    "Get a grip on it, kid; your mother isn''t like you," the Senior said from his soul sea, helping us calm himself down.


    Just now, his mind had gone into a state of ughter, which he immediately recognized had something to do with the Seal of ughter in his soul sea.


    "I''m fine, Mom. Sorry about that," us said with a smile.


    Standing at the entrance of the kitchen, Miriam clenched her fists upon hearing us''s mother confess her feelings. Just like us, she wanted nothing more than to kill everyst one of the dark order members until there wasn''t even an atom left.


    She had taken us''s mother as her own after her family had disowned her, so hearing how she felt made her realize that those responsible would have to pay.


    She joined them as they shifted the conversation to something more cheerful. Laughter filled the room as they chatted, enjoying their time together. Suddenly, Kofi walked in to inform them that they had some guests.


    us was surprised, as this was the first time Kofi had personallye to inform him of visitors. Usually, it was just the media trying to get an interview, which he always declined. For Kofi toe now meant these guests were important.


    "Take them to the meeting room. I''ll be there shortly," us said before running off to freshen up. A little whileter, he walked into the meeting room, where three men were waiting for him.

 Chapter 233: Getting Hired By Oracle Inc

    The moment us walked into the room, he met the gaze of three men who, from just a nce, he could tell were important figures yet somehow ordinary. It was a confusing sight


    Kofi hadn''t mentioned their identities, but the fact that he let them in told us all he needed to know¡ªthey were important and powerful people.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting," us said, sitting across from them at the table. Kofi, seated not far from him, remained silent. As the chief of security, he was always present.


    "No need for formalities, us Hanson. I''m Joon, this is Ryan and the handsome fellow over there is Logan. We''re the creators of Oracle," Joon said, making us''s eyes widen in surprise.


    "You mean the Oracle we''ve been using for the Trials was created by you three?" us asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Despite their apparent importance, the three men didn''t look like people who could have created something so powerful. It just didn''t seem to match. Joon was dressed in a loose shirt and singlet, his hair unkempt, though he was still somewhat handsome.


    Ryan looked like an average white guy, but his hair¡ªwhy was it always the hair¡ªwas neither wellbed nor properly trimmed.


    As for Logan, while undeniably handsome, his blond hair was just as messy as his friends''. So despite their aura of importance, us hadn''t expected them to be the masterminds behind Oracle.


    It was like meeting the creator of the universe, only to be greeted by someone with a bad haircut and unpolished appearance.


    "What, you don''t think we have what it takes to create an artificially intelligent virtual world?" Joon asked with a grin.


    "Honestly? No. You three don''t look like people with that kind of importance. No offense," us replied with a small smile.


    "Lucil was right, we really should start paying more attention to our image," Ryan said, chuckling.


    "Don''t bring that crazy woman into this. So what if we''re not dressed up? It''s what''s in the brain that counts," Joon replied, clearly still not over whatever had happened between him and Lucil five years ago.


    "No disrespect meant, Seniors. I was just speaking my mind," us said, smiling as well. He could tell these three weren''t the uptight or arrogant types. From their easy banter, he could see they were close friends¡ªlively ones at that.


    "Don''t sweat it, kid. You''re not the first to say this," Logan added with a grin.


    us rxed a little, realizing the conversation was far less formal than he had anticipated. Despite their unpolished appearance, it was clear that these men were brilliant in their own right. The Oracle had changed everything during the Trials, and knowing they were behind it piqued his interest.


    "So, what''s the real reason these seniors wanted to meet me?" us asked, leaning back in his chair. He knew they weren''t just here for a casual chat.


    Joon exchanged a look with Ryan and Logan before responding, "Straight to the point, huh? I like that. We''ve been watching you, us. You''ve done well in the Trials, far better than most people expected. But we''re not here to congratte you. We have an offer."


    us raised an eyebrow. "An offer?"


    "Yes, an offer," Ryan said, leaning forward slightly. "Tell me, us, what did you notice during the Trials? Anything stands out to you about your time inside Oracle?"


    us took a moment to think before answering. "Well, for starters, it''s an amazing ce to train. The fact that you can respawn after death is a huge advantage. I enjoyed using it. But, to be honest, it didn''t fully live up to the standard needed for more intense, realistic training."


    "How so?" Joon asked, his curiosity piqued.


    "I''m sure you''ve already watched my Trials and seen the footage from my recent battles. If youpare the two, you''ll notice something: the monsters in the real world have an imposing presence¡ªa will that affects the battlefield. That doesn''t exist inside Oracle."


    The three men exchanged nces as us continued.


    "Sure, you''ve probably added some form of Aura to the monsters in Oracle, but they don''t have the independence or the ability to exert their own will over their opponents. In Oracle, they act like machines running on predictable algorithms, moving in patterns. They don''t adapt or behave in an unpredictable, independent way."


    us paused, watching their reactions before adding, "I''m not trying to downy the system. But honestly, all I had to do was identify the patterns in their movements and exploit them. That was how I seeded in most of the trials."


    His words left the three creators momentarily speechless.


    "You sound like someone with a deep understanding of artificial intelligence and machine learning," Logan said, breaking the silence. "You wouldn''t happen to be a low-key genius, would you?"


    us smirked, though he was a bit taken aback by how easily those terms rolled off his tongue. "Well, I''m a fast learner, so anything''s possible," he said with a casual shrug.


    Inside, however, he was more surprised than he let on. Once again, he''d started speaking about things he hadn''t formally learned, but this time, he wasn''t as shocked. After all, he already has memories from his past life, nothing is new to him anymore.


    Ryan, Joon, and Logan all exchanged intrigued nces. "Fascinating," Joon finally said.


    "You''ve given us some valuable insights. It''s clear you''re not just going through the motions¡ªyou''re analyzing and thinking beyond what most participants do. That''s why we think you''d be perfect for what we''re working on next."


    us leaned forward, his curiosity returning. "What exactly is this new project you keep hinting at?"


    Logan smirked. "Let''s just say, it''s not just about improving Oracle. We''re aiming to create something that doesn''t just simte reality but actually influences it directly."


    "Influences it?" us asked, intrigued.


    "Yes," Logan continued. "As you pointed out, Oracle doesn''t quite replicate the intensity of real-world training. We''re looking to change that. We want to revamp Oracle, not just for 100% immersion, but to make it impactful¡ªsomething that can genuinely help build better warriors.


    It''s great for practice, sure, but we''re aiming for something more, something that prepares users for the unpredictability and pressure of realbat."


    Joon chimed in, "We could''ve released this updated version a while ago, but we didn''t want to rush it. Dropping a wed product onto the market is something we can''t afford to do. We''re perfectionists when ites to tech like this."


    us nodded. "That''s reassuring, but I''m guessing you''re not just here to get my feedback on the Trials, right? How exactly do I fit into all of this?" he asked, his gaze sharp. Your next chapter is on mvl


    Ryan smiled. "You''re right. We don''t just want your insights; we want you to be part of the testing process. You''re not just any participant, us. You''ve shown a level of analysis and adaptability that goes beyond the usual users.


    We need someone like you to push this new system to its limits, to break it if necessary, and help us fine-tune it for real-world application."


    us leaned back, absorbing what they were asking. "So, you want me to help test this new Oracle? To see how far it can go, where it breaks down?"


    "Exactly," Logan said. "We need someone who can exploit weaknesses, find loopholes, and offer genuine feedback. This system is going to change everything, us, and we want you at the forefront of it."


    us sat in silence for a moment, contemting the offer. Testing a system that could potentially blend virtual and real-worldbat wasn''t just intriguing¡ªit was an opportunity to shape the future of training and warfare.


    "What''s in it for me?" he finally asked. He needed more money for a jet y''all.


    Joon smiled, a glint of excitement in his eyes.


    "Let''s just say, if you help us perfect this, you''ll have ess to the most advanced training system in existence. And when it''s ready, you''ll be one of the few who can fully harness its potential."


    "Plus, you will be a co-creator and filthy rich if you ept our offer."

 Chapter 234: The Oracle

    The Oracle was a dream born in a dorm room 53 years ago when Joon, Logan, and Ryan were denied ess to a game party. The three had been friends for many years, having attended the same high school and reconnecting in college. Back then, technology was thriving.


    Games were yed in a hundred percent immersive mode, meaning that when yers entered the game, it felt as real as the outside world.


    All three friends wereputer science majors specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. One day, after being denied ess to a college party where their favorite video game was being yed, the frustrated trio decided to create something even bigger than the best games avable.


    Thus, after a night of frustration, Oracle was born. Initially, it was just an idea that waster transformed into algorithms and then code.


    However, they underestimated what it takes to create something as grand as a virtual world powered by AI and neuralworks. It was aplex process that required deep thinking. They struggled at first; however, things changed three yearster.


    Everything came to fruition 50 years ago when the apocalypse descended, ushering humanity into a new phase of evolution. With the ability to improve one''s intelligence by simply adding points, their n to create an entire virtual world began to take shape.


    Their vision was to create a world where, in addition to training and fighting monsters, people could meet and interact, buy and sell, and even engage in romantic activities. It was a n to establish apletely different realm, and they seeded.


    They created Oracle, a next-generation AI that has been trained for over 50 years to remodel the world they envisioned. They have been diligently building the system all these years.


    However, they didn''t dive into developing everything without first ensuring the needs of the people were met. So before creating new worlds ands in Oracle, they established training grounds and trials where warriors could train without the risk of injury or death.


    Your next chapter awaits on mvl


    Everything was functioning ording to their requirements until us appeared. After just two trials, they realized their creations weren''t quite what they had envisioned.


    Being nerds, they craved perfection. So, with a rmendation from the one they called their big brother, an overlord, they set out to approach us, believing he could help them solve their issues.


    Now, looking at us, who was also looking back at them, they didn''t know if their dream could finally be realized. If he rejected their offer, they would have to move on with their ws, knowing that the perfection they craved couldn''t be achieved.


    "Well, what do you think? Want to join us in making Oracle a better world for warriors and everyone?" Joon asked.


    "I would be d to help see ite to fruition. However, you should know that I don''t know anything aboutputers, so I might get annoying sometimes when the conversation isn''t flowing as you three might expect," us replied with a smile.


    He knew for a fact that the three men before him were nerds, while he was a school dropout who did not speak theirnguage. The conversation would likely be strange, especially when they started speaking in their nerdy tongue.


    "Don''t worry about that; I have a feeling you will fit right in," Logan said.


    "So, what is it going to be like?" us asked. He knew that although he would be abandoning his training for a while, he would benefit somehow. After all, he would be testing abat-ready environment inside the Oracle.


    If he yed his cards right, he would gain greatly, beyond just the money and fame he would receive in the end.


    "We will be going to the Oracle headquarters, where we will spend the next month working on fixing the issues. Of course, it will depend on how quickly you can help us identify the problems and how long it will take to fix them.


    However, since you have preparations to make for the next Trial in three months, we wouldn''t want to take up too much of your time¡ªone month at most," Ryan answered.


    "Don''t worry about that; let''s just make Oracle better," us said with a smile. Who were they kidding by polishing their words? He was ready for the Trial any day. The only thing he would have to put on pause now was his Spirit Master training.


    "Good. Then you can get your affairs in order. A week from today, a jet wille to pick you up," Joon added with a smile.


    "But before we leave, we need to meet your mom and make her aware of this arrangement. It''s only polite and the right thing to do," Logan stated.


    They left the meeting room and headed to the living room, where us''s mom and Miriam were spending some quality time together as mother-inw and daughter-inw.


    us knew his mom was very pleased with his choice, so he wasn''t surprised to see them spending time together. His mom was working on Miriam''s hair, which was a very normal sight for him.


    However, for the three Nerds who knew what kind of person Miriam was, this was a shock. But when they saw that she held no unfriendly expression upon seeing them, they rxed a bit. The war goddess of the Eastern Region''s reputation was well known.


    "Mom, these are our guests. They are the creators of Oracle, and they want me toe to work for them for a couple of weeks. This is Joon, Ryan, and Logan," us said, making his mom raise an eyebrow. Clearly, she was thinking the same thing he had when he first met them.


    Knowing that his mom had a tendency to work on everyone''s hair, us quickly moved forward with his next words to prevent her from catching them off guard and giving them an unexpected haircut.


    "This is my mother, and you''ve already met the war goddess of the Eastern Region, who has now moved into my home as if the ce belongs to her," us said with a smile. Miriam cast him a sidelong nce upon hearing what he said.


    us''s mom looked at the three nerds with a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with unknown thoughts. "It''s a pleasure to meet you all! I''ve heard so much about Oracle, but I didn''t expect to see its creators in my living room."


    Joon chuckled; he seemed to be the lively one. It was no wonder he was the only one among the three who had a girlfriend. "We''re just ordinary people trying to make a difference, but we appreciate the warm wee."


    us''s mom nodded, but her eyes were clearly scanning their hair. It was evident that she was not okay with their haircuts. Knowing that things were about to get out of hand again, us quickly intervened.


    "I will be leaving a week from today, so I just brought them to make you aware before they leave," us said, prompting his mom to nod. Since us had epted their offer, she wouldn''t deny him this chance to go out and have fun.


    "I will leave him in your care for all the weeks he will be there," she said with a smile.


    The three nerds nodded back, smiling. They were happy to have secured what they came for, and now all that was left was to make arrangements for when us arrived. They were indeed very pleased, but their joy was cut short when Miriam suddenly spoke.


    "It will be a long flight back to the headquarters, so why don''t you all have dinner before leaving?" she offered with a small, wicked smile. us knew what she was up to, but it was toote for him to stop it.


    That day, the three nerds¡ªhis new employers¡ªsat down and received a nice haircut. us could only stand and watch as his mom worked on them, smiling like an aplished Barber.

 Chapter 235: Going To Oracle Headquarters

    After Joon, Logan, and Ryan left¡ªnow looking sharp with freshly cut hair¡ªus was left with his mom and Miriam. Hanna was in seclusion, so she wasn''t around to enjoy the five days us nned to spend with his mom and Miriam before leaving.


    Ohema still hadn''t called for unknown reasons, which worried us a little, but his mom assured him that Ohema would call when she was less busy. They didn''t know much about her, but us knew she was someone important, so it was understandable that he hadn''t been able to reach her over the past few weeks.


    They talked, ate, and even went to catch a movie until, finally, the day for us to leave arrived. A jet came to pick him up at Oracle Inc.''s headquarters.


    "Take care of yourself, and don''t cause any trouble for those people," his mom said, brushing her hand through his hair.


    "Mom, I''m the most well-behaved person you''ll ever meet. No need to assume the worst of me," us replied with a grin.


    "Tsk," Miriam, who was standing beside him, chuckled. Who was he trying to fool? Wherever us went, trouble always seemed to follow. Of course, she was a little sad he was leaving, but she managed to hide it from us¡ªthough not from his mom.


    Miriam had opened up to his mom about her past, so she had be especially protective of her.


    "My dear Miriam, make sure you don''t miss me too much. Mom will keep youpany while I''m gone," us said with a teasing smile. Since she''d refused to move into his room for obvious reasons, us could only use this time to get a little affection before leaving.


    His mom stood beside him, smiling, as he nted a gentle kiss on the lips of the normally stoic war goddess. After a few more goodbyes, the jet took off, leaving Ross City behind.


    ===========


    Inside the same meeting room where the Overlords had gathered days ago, the cold, emotionless Overlord sat browsing the inte, her expression shifting subtly. Every now and then, one could almost swear she smiled between scrolls.


    "Well, well, well. Who would have thought? The mighty leader of the Overlords resorting to stalking a boy through the inte," a voice said suddenly, followed by the appearance of a red-haired woman.


    "What are you doing here, Nari?" the colddy asked, her gaze narrowing.


    "Jeez, can''t Ie to see my big sister whenever I want?" Nari replied, taking a seat with a yful smile.


    "What do you want?" the colddy asked again, her tone t.


    "I heard you went to save the kid a few days ago but ran off before he could wake up. Why? Were you too shy to meet him?" Nari teased, her smile widening. It was clear she enjoyed making her sister a little ufortable.


    "And?" the colddy asked, expressionless.


    "And, well, he''sing to Stone Valley. It seems those three nerds want to pick his brain on how to improve Oracle, and I heard he''ll be spending a whole month there. So, this is your chance to getid," Nari replied, a yful smile still on her face.


    "Nari, watch yournguage," the colddy said, her expression shifting to something unreadable.


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    "Oh, please. You''re over sixty; it''s not like you''ve never heard of sex before. But seriously, you need to go out and have some fun. A couple of nights together, and I''m sure us will straighten you out," Nari teased,ughing uncontrobly.


    "Think about yourself before butting into other people''s business," the colddy retorted.


    ""Tsk, what a cold-hearted woman. Just so you know, some vipers in Stone Valley will be all over him. It''s in your best interest to take a little vacation and do some sightseeing there. I would have helped you, but you gave us this stupid exploration mission," Nari said as she stood up to leave.


    "From one woman to another, even if you don''t want to be sent to the rainbow cloud just yet, at least go meet him. I hear he''s quite a lively person. You won''t regret it," she added before vanishing. However, onest sentence echoed through the room as she disappeared.


    "And be sure to wipe that cold expression off your face before meeting him. We don''t want him scared right off the bat."


    The colddy stared at the empty chair Nari had left behind and snorted. "What a bitch," she muttered.


    "I heard that," Nari''s voice echoed back into the room,ced with a hint of amusement.


    She returned to her phone, but this time, she didn''t scroll. A single image of us filled her screen. After staring at it for a few seconds, she pressed a button on the table and spoke the words that set everything in motion:


    "Jane, I''ll be away for a few days. Handle everything while I''m gone."


    "Atta girl!" Nari''s voice echoed again, her cheerful tone making her jaw clench in irritation. She wanted to strangle that firedy until she couldn''t breathe any longer.


    A few secondster, she too vanished from the room.


    =========


    Stone Valley, where Oracle Inc.''s headquarters is located, is a breathtaking ce. This valley has been developed into an elegant environment, showcasing artistic designs and architectural excellence.


    It''s called Stone Valley because it''s surrounded by stone mountains, with the main building perched atop one of these peaks, enhancing the beauty of the entire area. From a high vantage point, its splendor can truly be appreciated.


    The whole area is shaped like a zero within another zero.


    Now, standing on anding pad for jets, the three creators of Oracle¡ªJoon, Ryan, and Logan¡ªwaited with ady who seemed to be running out of patience.


    "Lucil, rx. The pilot said they''re almost here," Joon said, addressing her.


    "Bastard! Who are you telling to rx? Just because you got a haircut and somehow look handsome doesn''t mean everything''s fine. I only came here because of us Hanson," Lucil shot back, clearly still at odds with him.


    "Who wants you here? You''re just causing a scene, and I hate to break it to you, but this is Stone Valley, not your Daydream AI vige," Joon replied. They were there to wee us, who was en route. Of course, Lucil¡ªJoon''s ex-girlfriend¡ªwas only there for us; she was a huge fan.


    The tension hung in the air like a thick fog. Ryan leaned against the railing, trying to ease the mounting frustration.


    "Can we just chill for a second? us will be here any minute, and we don''t need this drama," he said, ncing at both of them.


    Lucil crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently.


    "Drama? You call this drama? I''m just here to meet someone who actually matters, unlike you three nerds," she retorted, shooting a pointed look at Joon and his friends, Ryan and Logan.


    The three exchanged amused nces. It was clear that, even after years apart, Lucil hadn''t changed one bit. She was still the same hot-tempered, brilliant beauty with dark hair, striking bone structure, and an athletic build.


    They knew better than to anger her; doing so would bring them more harm than good. Although they needed her there, they understood that provoking her was just asking for trouble¡ªshe was simply too unreasonable.


    "Thank God us ising. She seems eager to meet him. At least we''ll have some peace around here," Joon sighed inwardly.


    Just then, the jet appeared in the sky, slowly descending. As soon as us stepped out, Lucil rushed over to him, her excitement palpable.


    "us Hanson! I''m Lucil. Nice to meet you! I''m a huge fan!" she eximed, nearly jumping into his arms.


    "Nice to meet you too, Lucil," us replied, smiling as he caught the looks on the three nerds'' faces.


    They got into a car and headed to the main building, where us would spend the next few weeks working with the creators of Oracle.

 Chapter 236: Oracle Headquarters

    Inside the car, Lucil was enthusiastically talking about her achievements and proudly fangirling over us, who was subtly listening, but his mind was elsewhere. Using his heightened senses, he scanned the entire area, leaving no stone unturned in his examination of the surroundings.


    Through his senses, he could see far and wide, effortlessly identifying everything that made the ce secure, beautiful, and mesmerizing.


    He spotted several buildings along the way and quickly realized they were living quarters for the workers. A few of them housed data centers and other essential machinery for the facility''s operations.


    The ce even had its own power nt, and from his quick assessment, us it was being powered by Humium¡ªthe same mineral that had transformed the Zombies that attacked Arcadian City into Voltox Zombies.


    There were also market centers, bustling with activity, a clear sign that some of the workers lived there permanently. It wasn''t just a workce¡ªit was a thrivingmunity.


    us also noticed a few drones patrolling the area, and upon further examination with his senses, he discovered they were the primary security force.


    Although there were human guards and a few robotic mechas, the drones equipped with thermal imaging systems were the real sentinels. Nothing could escape those thermal cameras, ensuring that any potential threat was immediately detected.


    "We''ve got the whole ce under constant surveince with our state-of-the-art satellite, the Aegis-Eye," Joon said, noticing us was zoning out.


    "It uses color and thermal imagery to capture data in real-time, so nothing can escape its gaze. Those drones are synced to it, so even if a threat is moving 50 feet underground, we''ll catch it."


    Joon paused, "And even if, by some miracle, the Aegis-Eye misses something, our Terra Sentinel Ground Detection System can pick up anything moving underground¡ªup to 10,000 feet deep. So, rest easy, us, this is the safest ce on Earth."


    us gave a slight nod, but his mind was still running in overdrive, analyzing every detail. Safe or not, he knew that even the most secure ces had their weaknesses.


    And us knew that from the pictures people sneakily took of him at thending pad, it wouldn''t be long before word got out.


    If it hadn''t already, people would soon know he was in Stone Valley. The Dark Order would be among those first to know, and us was sure they''d try something reckless.


    But his thoughts might''ve been too ordinary. This ce was the most secure on Earth, and no matter how foolish someone was, infiltrating here would be impossible. Then again, the Dark Order was desperate. Every second us continued to breathe was another blow to their reputation.


    "That right there is the main building, where all the magic happens," Joon said, breaking us''s thoughts as a new structure came into view after a 20-minute drive.


    It was shaped like a circle inside another circle, and even from a distance, us could already tell it covered several square kilometers, with multiple segments indicating the floors. The ce exuded elegance.


    "It''s beautiful," us said with a small smile.


    "I came up with the design!" Lucil chimed in before he could even finish, shing a broad, proud smile.


    "That''s impressive, Lucil. I guess I''ll be learning a thing or two about design from you," us replied, his smile growing.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll teach you everything I know!" Lucil''s happiness was almost contagious, practically radiating from her.


    Joon smirked. "Put a leash on it, Lucil. You don''t want to scare us off," he quipped.


    Lucil shot him a look, but to everyone''s surprise, she didn''t hurl an insult at him. She simply let it slide.


    The three guys¡ªJoon, Ryan, and Logan¡ªshared a nce, instantly realizing why. She was holding back because she wanted to make a good impression on us. This, of course, felt like a breakthrough to them. Finally, they might have a few weeks of peace where they could fire back at her without suffering the usual bacsh.


    A few minutester, they arrived at the parking lot and made their way to an elevator. After a quick ascent, they emerged on the first floor.


    "This is the office space for the various departments, like marketing, human resources..." Joon exined as they walked through. "The first floor is for all of them."


    After briefly scanning the area, they moved up to the second floor, where Joon gestured toward the research department.


    "These guys are responsible for going around the world and recording everything they canndscapes, cultures, even the tiniest details. Even though the world''s a mess now, there are still relics from the past worth preserving."


    On the third floor, they found the design department. "They take the data from research and model it into designs for Oracle," Joon said, pointing out the different workstations filled with digital prototypes and blueprints.


    Then they hit the fourth floor¡ª the fictional design department. "This one''s a bit more creative," Joon said with a grin. "These guyse up with all the fantasy stuff. Fictional worlds,nguages, races¡ªanything you can imagine."


    Next was the fifth floor, thebat design department. "These guys design the arenas andbat trials that can be implemented as games in Oracle," Joon exined. The space was filled with holograms of intricate battlefields and various trials designed to test users. Your journey continues with mvl


    They didn''t linger much on the other departments as they passed through. Most were responsible for the technical side¡ªcoding, testing, and other behind-the-scenes work. One section caught us''s eye, though. It was dedicated to designing gadgets, both inside Oracle and outside the world.


    "These gadgets can be bought in and out of Oracle," Joon noted, as they passed by the workstations filled with prototype tech.


    us nodded, taking everything in. The ce was impressive, no doubt, but something about it made him wonder how far Oracle''s reach really extended.


    From what he had seen so far, us could tell that Oracle Inc, was an incredibly powerful organization, no doubt about it. However, something about it made him wonder just how far they could push their boundaries.


    He hadn''t gotten into the details yet, but he sensed that beyond creating a 100% immersive virtual world, they were aiming to achieve something much grander.


    But he held back from prying too much. He figured he''d learn more as he spent time there.


    "This is where we''ll be working," Joon announced as they reached the top floor after passing through several departments across dozens of levels. The space was designed for both work and rxation.


    us noticed a room with a gaming chair and helmet. Instantly, he knew that would be his spot. He would be spending a lot of time inside the game.


    "So, what will my schedule look like?" us asked, eager to understand how things would flow.


    "You''ll work for eight hours a day inside Oracle. Your job is to help us make it as realistic as possible," Joon exined. "You can take breaks between those eight hours to rx, but after the 8 hours, you''re free to do whatever you want."


    He continued, "There''s a training center on the roof, so you can spend some time there if you''d like. Plus, there''s a console in your room, giving you unrestricted ess to everything we''ve developed."


    Joon gestured around the space. "There''s also a model table here and in your room, so any designs or suggestions youe up with, you can try to model them."


    "And of course," Joon added with a smile, "if you find programming fascinating, we have a room full of books to help you out."


    "Wee to Oracle Inc., us Hanson!" Joon finished a gleam of excitement in his eyes.


    us couldn''t help but smile back. It felt like he was stepping into something muchrger than himself, and he was ready to dive in.

 Chapter 237: Settling In

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    us took in the whole space, making sure to observe everything there was to notice. The fact that he was joining something that he knew would be the future of warrior training and socialization made him feel giddy.


    "us, do you need some help learning about the Model Table?" Lucil asked, looking at him with an expression that screamed, ''Please ept, I want to spend all the time in the world with you.'' us read her expression and nodded.


    "I''ll definitely depend on you for that. I actually have some fictional ideas I want to crank out," us replied, smiling inwardly as he envisioned modeling an elegant monastery perched on a mountain, surrounded by an ethereal mist.


    His memories of the past felt like a cheat sheet full of ideas he could bring to Oracle. He had so much he could model within the walls of this ce.


    Lucil''s smile widened at his enthusiasm.


    "By the way, Lucil, what''s your job here? I''d like to know more," us began, nning to learn more about them and eventually figure out their true intentions. He figured Lucil would be the easiest to read.


    "Well, these three doofuses wanted someone to help theme up with a new trial for the Union Selection trial for the academy," Lucil replied, not bothering to mask her words, knowing us would be part of the test three months from now.


    "I shouldn''t learn about this; it''s like a spoiler alert," us said, realizing where the conversation was headed and trying to change the subject.


    "Oh, please! You''re literally here to help us make Oracle better, which will be reflected in the next trial. You''re basically the one creating the next trial¡ªno need to act modest. Plus, you''re not even going to wash out, knowing how monstrous you can be," Logan chimed in, clearly seeing what us was trying to do.


    us smiled, knowing full well that what Logan said was true.


    "Then I won''t try to be modest. But I''d appreciate it if I knew less about it," us replied, maintaining his smile. Even if he knew more, it wouldn''t change anything. He was monstrous, and he was confident that despite the challenges stacked against him, he would find a way to weave through them somehow.


    "Well, I''m a kind of game designer, and as you might have guessed, I was friends with these three nerds back in college. I was there when they came up with the crazy but brilliant idea," Lucil said.


    "So, why aren''t you part of the team?" us asked.


    "I started my own startup back in college and wanted to see it through. But I''ve never stepped away from this ce. So when I heard they needed my help, I came running," Lucil replied, her smile bright but her gaze directed at the three nerds, conveying a message that would echo in their dreams.


    Who was she kidding? She hade mainly because us was there. Although they couldn''t think of anyone better to help them with their design crisis, Lucil was just too unruly. But her brilliance was undeniable.


    "Then we''ll all count on you toe up with something entertaining for the trial," us said.


    "You mean challenging," Lucil shot back with a grin. She knew us was asking for a challenge and she nned to satisfy him with something that would keep him on his toes.


    "That would be jinxing it," usughed, smiling back. He craved the challenge, and he knew that if he worked things out well, the next trial would be the challenge he longed for.


    Inside Oracle, so much could be achieved. At the end of the day, it was all aboutputer programs, so anything the mind could conceive could be implemented. With him on board, us knew the next trial would be a wild one.


    A wicked smile appeared on his face, brimming with excitement at the possibilities ahead.


    "We''ll start work tomorrow, so spend today settling in. Lucil will be your guide while you''re here," Joon said to us before walking off with the others, leaving him with the overly-cheerful Lucil.


    "Follow me," she said with a smile, leading us to his room.


    "Everything''s indoors," she said, showing him around his ridiculouslyrge room. There was a massive bed, a gaming console to ess Oracle, and a modeling table where he could bring anything he wanted into virtual reality.


    "Aside from the training space on the roof, there''s also a pool where you can cool off after a long day," she added, wrapping up the tour after showing him everything.


    "Thanks, Lucil. If you don''t mind, can you show me how this modeling table works?" us asked.


    "No problem at all!" Lucil, who seemed more than happy to spend as much time with us as possible, eagerly epted. She''d already snapped about a million selfies with him by then.


    The modeling table was like aputer program made super simple. It had a custom build system that used AI and state-of-the-art image and concept generation software to model anything you could imagine.


    "It''s like drag-and-drop, but way more advanced. It can bring out anything your brain thinks of. There''s even a neural helmet that connects your thoughts to the system, so if you can''t physically model something, AI can pick up the concept straight from your mind," Lucil exined.


    us was blown away by how sophisticated yet user-friendly the system was. He already knew he was going to spend a lot of time using it. He had plenty of ideas to bring into Oracle, and he wanted to make sure when it went public, his spaces would be some of the most popr ones in Oracle.


    "Just so you know, you can create literally anything in there¡ªfrom estates and housingplexes topanies and whatever else you want. My personal favorite is making Easter eggs and scattering them all over Oracle."


    "Companies have even started buying spaces in Oracle where they''re nning to expand their businesses. You should probably use this time to build something too," Lucil added.


    "What are Easter eggs?" us, curious, was more interested in that than anything else.


    "In short, they''re like tokens¡ªor in my case, skills and techniques¡ªhidden in the virtual world. Whoever finds them gets whatever was ced inside," Lucil said proudly, shing a smile. That''s her own way of giving aback to society.


    "That''s pretty cool. I''ll have to think of something." A whileter, after she taught him everything about the modeling table, Lucil finally left.


    us didn''t touch anything. Instead, he sat down and slipped into a meditative state. After a while, he took out his Viper Piercing Needles set, and 120 needles flew out, circling around him. He didn''t have the practice balls around to pop, but he could still strengthen his mind by training without them.


    He''d be away for four whole weeks, so the least he could do was improve his control over the 120 needles he could currently manage. It would also give him some time to research other flying weapons.


    Before us realized it, he had slipped into a peaceful state, his mind as calm as an ocean. It wasn''t until after 4 a.m. that he finally came back to his senses.


    Putting the needles away, he headed to the roof to catch some fresh air until daybreak. Soon, he''d be spending eight hours in Oracle, battling monsters and figuring out ways to improve the realism of the monsters and Zombies they had modeled into the system.

 Chapter 238: Making Progress on The First Day

    After resting and catching some cold air, us went back to his room and got ready for his day at Oracle Inc.


    It felt like some ridiculous plot armor, but he was thrilled to dive into it. He would get to fight all kinds of monsters in the name of "testing the system." Honestly, he couldn''t ask for anything better.


    "Good morning, us! How was your night?" As soon as he stepped out of his room, Lucil was there to greet him. us wasn''t surprised by her presence¡ªhe''d sensed her standing there, so it wasn''t much of a shock.


    He figured since she was going to be in his hair for the next four weeks, he might as well get to know her and get used to having her around. That would make things a lot easier for him.


    "My night was great, and from the smile on your face, I''m guessing you had a good one too," us replied.


    "You have no idea," Lucil said with a grin, leading him to the workspace. What us didn''t know was that while he was meditating, Lucil had been online, hosting a Q&A session with a selected group of people called ''The Knights of House us.''


    They were die-hard us fans, infamous for leading the charge in any inte sh involving him. Lucil was the leader of this group, so she spent the whole night in a virtual meeting, answering every question they had about us.


    While us was nning to learn more about her and figure out Oracle, Lucil was busy getting to know more about him so she could arm the ''Knights of House us with all the ammunition they''d need to defend him in their next online battle.


    "Good morning, us," Joon said as soon as us and Lucil arrived at the workspace.


    "Good morning, everyone. Are we ready to start?" us asked.


    "We''re ready if you are," Joon replied.


    "Alright then, let''s do it," us said with a grin.


    "By the way, the first test will have you fighting monsters in an endless tide. It''s just like the regional trials, so use this chance to point out where we need to improve. Anything you say inside Oracle will be audible to us, so we''ll need every little detail," Joon exined.


    "You can hear us through this mic, so if we need anything, we''ll talk to you from the outside," he added. Even though one of them could enter Oracle with us to observe up close, it would defeat the purpose of the test, so they were sticking with this setup for now.


    "Got it," us said, heading into the room with the console. Lucil, ever eager to help, assisted him with the helmet, even though he could''ve done it himself. As soon as the helmet was on, his consciousness slipped away and was sucked into Oracle.


    He appeared in the weapon selection space, picking his sword and the set of Viper Piercing Needles. Once ready, he was transported to the battlefield.


    "I like what you guys have done with the ce," us said, taking in the scene. It looked like a proper battleground now, unlike before when it was just endless green fields.


    "That was my idea," Lucil chimed in, pressing a button to speak into the mic.


    "Well, Lucil, you''re a genius," us said from inside Oracle.


    us stood still for a few seconds before the monsters began materializing in the space. Just like during the regional trial, they poured in like a relentless tide. He waited until they were within 10 km of him before springing into action.


    The 120 needles floated around him, and with a flick of his fingers, they darted toward the approaching monsters. It took only a moment, but that was all the needles needed to reach the monsters and begin their deadly work.


    us stood with his hands behind his back, his senses spread across the battlefield. He controlled the needles with precision, watching closely as they tore through the creatures.


    "I hope you guys are paying attention. You see, right before the needles make contact, there should be a reaction¡ªsomething instinctive from the monsters. But here, they''re moving like blocks in a prenned pattern.


    "You need to give them some kind of response when something''s about to hit them. Even though the needles are silent, in real-worldbat, I noticed monsters still react instinctively. There''s always a split-second reaction when the danger gets close.


    "Focus on rebuilding their behavioral patterns. Give them an instinctive response¡ªlike an unmoving object suddenly being acted upon by an external force. They can still be focused on their target, but they need to move with a sense of rugged awareness, not like mindless drones."


    "Got it, us," Logan replied into the mic. After releasing it, he exchanged nces with Lucil and Ryan. Find your next adventure on §Þ??


    "Big Brother is spot on. He''s the guy we''ve needed all these years," Ryan said with a grin. What us had just exined was something they''d been trying to solve for years but couldn''t quite crack. Hearing itid out so simply made them see us in a new light.


    "us, how do we make the monsters react to your presence instinctively without making it too obvious?" Logan asked. "I think we tried something like that before, but it didn''t really achieve what we wanted."


    "Watch closely," us said.


    The Lotus Flower appeared, and within seconds, an ice mist spread across the 30 km battlefield. us vanished, using the ice mist to move faster, and reappeared in another spot a momentter.


    As the monsters started moving toward his previous location, us said, "See what just happened? After I moved, the monsters kept moving toward where I was. It took them a few seconds to adjust and figure out where I went. This is a virtual world, but to make it realistic, you need two things.


    "First, awareness. Instead of these monsters moving in fixed patterns, make them hyper-aware. They need to be aware of themselves and each other, so that when the target moves, they adapt quickly and change their path in real time.


    "Second, instinct. I know that soundsplicated, but it''s not impossible. If I were fighting a Zombie King right now, it should be able to adapt to the flow of battle faster than in reality. It should know when to use defense, when to go on offense, and in the case of Zombies, when to growl, roar, or even speak.


    "Their instinct doesn''t have to be perfect like a human''s, but it''s aputer system. I''m sure you guys cane up with something that mimics that instinctive reaction."


    "So, like, some kind of adaptability reprogramming?" Ryan asked.


    "I don''t know what that means, but yeah. Adaptability is the key here. The longer the fight drags on, the better they should adapt."


    "We can start slow. Pick a Zombie King and try that adaptability programming thing with it. I''ll fight a long battle with it, and you can start training it from there. These things are like machines, and even though I''m no tech geek, I know the more data you''ve got, the faster you can train your programs.


    Eight hours ofbat every day? That sounds like a lot of data to me," us said, his mind still controlling the Needles as he kept cutting down the monstersing at him.


    Dividing his attention to examining the monsters, controlling the Needles, and talking with the Nerds and Lucil seem like great mental training to him. us was loving it already.


    "He''s really smart," a voice suddenly said from across the room, making Joon, Ryan, Logan, and Lucil all turn to see who had spoken.


    "Big Sister Queenie! What are you doing here?" Lucil shouted, running into the speaker''s embrace.

 Chapter 239: Queenie

    The woman who spoke was a stunning beauty. She had long, silky silver-blue hair that flowed effortlessly behind her. Her eyes were a dreamy blend of white and blue. Her lips were a perfect rose-red¡ªnot too bright, not too dull. She had a youthful, face, though there was a hint of maturity beneath it.


    Her figure was breathtaking, with refined hips and a perky behind. Her chest was modest but perfectly proportioned. She wore a ck jacket and spaced trousers that weren''t too tight, yet not too loose¡ªjust enough to entuate her shape.


    "Why? You guys don''t want me here?" she replied with a small smile that seemed to brighten to dull room. If any of the Overlords were present, they''d wonder where this version of the Queenie had stashed their cold, emotionless leader. Experience tales at §Þ??


    The same cold woman was now smiling warmly as she hugged Lucil, who seemed to forget everything and just melted into her embrace.


    "How are you guys?" Queenie asked, ncing at the three nerds, who were staring back at her with smiles on their faces.


    They responded with a nod, clearly too happy¡ªor too enchanted by her beauty¡ªto form any words. She is just too beautiful. If not exaggerating it, one could say she is like an immortal sent down to the mortal realm.


    "You guys still there, right?" us suddenly chimed in from inside the Oracle, snapping them back to reality. He hadn''t heard anything from them so he asked especially since he was using their questions as reference.


    "Big Sister, this is us Hanson¡ªthe young prodigy shaking up the world. He''s helping us fix Oracle, which these idiots couldn''t manage for decades," Lucil said, holding onto Queenie''s arm as she led her closer to the screen.


    "Lucil, how many times have I told you not to use such vulgar words? You''re ady," Queenie scolded, tugging Lucil''s ear.


    "Sorry, Big Sister, I''ll behave from now on," Lucil replied with a guilty grin.


    "I think I''ll keep you away from Nari for a few years. She''s influencing you in all the wrong ways," Queenie sighed, turning her focus back to us, who was still controlling the Needles.


    A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes, but none of the four people in the room noticed.


    "He is awesome, right, big sister?" Lucil asks nudging Queenie slightly.


    "Indeed, he is a powerful Spirit Master," she replied with a small smile. Lucil noticed the smile on her face and also smiled, knowing she would have something new to discuss with the Knights of House us.


    "us, you can keep going for now; we need all the smallest details," Joon said.


    "Alright," us responded. For the next several hours, he stood there, killing the monsters with just the needles. At one point, he asked them to increase the rate at which the monsters poured in. Nevertheless, he never used his sword.


    However, he switched from using all the needles at some point to merging all 120 needles into a single 34-inch-long, thick Void Piercing Needle. The result was utter destruction, leaving Joon, Ryan, Logan, and Lucil in a state of shock.


    The new addition, Queenie, seemed to be taking it well, but part of her appeared impressed as she continued to watch us kill thousands of monsters.


    Eight hourster, us came out of the console with a slight headache. He had been using his mind to control the needles for hours, and the stress on his mind was overwhelming.


    Of course, Lucil was there with a ss of water. us gulped down the water and sat there for a few more minutes, calming the pain a bit. He hasn''t taken a break between the 8 hours he entered the Oracle so his mind was under stress the entire time.


    "us, there is somebody I want you to meet." As soon as Lucil noticed he was all right, she said this with a broad smile.


    She led us from the room. Despite the pain calming down, he still had some foggy feelings in his brain. However, as soon as they reappeared in the room and his eyes fell on Queenie, those pains washed away.


    us''s eyes scanned her, making his heart skip in all the good ways and the tense ways. On one side, thedy before him was like an angel, but on the other side, he sensed the air around her, and he knew she was not someone he could take on in a fight, not even in the slightest.


    "us, this is Big Sister Queenie. She is the leader of the Overlords. She is awesome, right?" Lucil beamed with a smile as she introduced them.


    us, who heard her name and title, tilted his head as if recalling something. A split secondter, he seemed to remember what he was thinking about.


    "Hi, I am us, and thank you for saving my life the other time," us said respectfully. Miriam told him it was the leader of the Overlords who saved his life back when he was stabbed by the Tier 8 Zombie that underwent the ritual and turned into a Blood Queen inside the Demon''s Abode.


    Queenie smiled slightly before responding. "Don''t worry about that. I should be the one thanking you for wiping out those insects. But you should really prioritize your life next time. I''m sure people are waiting for you back home, hoping you''ll alwayse back alive," she said, a small smile ying on her lips.


    us smiled back, but his heart was beating like crazy. The woman before him was just too stunning and enchanting.


    "I will keep that in mind." Nevertheless, us was not one to easily fall under charms. He was able to respond and even returned a smile.


    "Good! Well, you guys should get back to your work. I will be on the roof; we can catch up when you are done here," Queenie said before walking out of the room. us watched her leave with mixed feelings about something, but he didn''t get the chance to ponder them before Lucil''s voice entered his head.


    "us, what do you think? Big Sister is beautiful, right?" us wanted to smack the back of her head when she asked that question, but he just smiled and responded.


    "Very beautiful." He knew for a fact Queenie would be listening in on their conversation, so he responded without holding back. So what if she was the Overlord? When had he ever shied away from talking withdies?


    As expected, now sitting on the roof, Queenie smiled slightly before taking out her phone and opening the Controversial News channel to watch thetest gossip in the world.


    us and the nerds, alongside Lucil, started recapping their first day of testing. us knew he had to work faster so he could focus on his modeling project.


    After an hour of back and forth, they came up with what needed fixing. The first was to make the monsters hyper-aware of their surroundings. This would fix the dy in attacking and pinpointing their targets.


    The second was working on the instinctual processing or adaptability of the monsters. This would help them adapt as if they were thinking hyperrealistically. This would make them act more like real-life monsters than programmed creatures acting on a pattern.


    With Lucil''s help, us came up with a design for the zombie or the fighter they would be using as us''s opponent to capture data on the instinct and adaptability traits they wanted to create.


    In the end, the white-haired youngster and the overly cheerful Lucil developed a fighter model that us knew would sharpen his battle instincts and sword skills for the next four weeks.


    They created a battle monster¡ªsomething us would have fun with for the next few weeks.

 Chapter 240: First Battle With A Mecha Zombie

    After reviewing their training and discussing the next steps, us helped Lucil design the model of the zombie he would be fighting over theing weeks. He returned to his room and fell into a deep sleep, exhausted¡ªnot physically, but mentally. He knew that if he kept pushing for a few more days, his progress would begin to show.


    Using the mind continuously for eight hours straight has a much heavier effect on the brain than one might think.


    When he woke up, it was already the next day. With a refreshed and clear mind, he was ready to start day two of testing, which promised to be fun.


    "Good morning, us! I hope you had a good night''s sleep," Lucil greeted him at the door as he stepped out of his room.


    "I did," us replied.


    "Good! So, I stayed up all night yesterday working on the zombie for the test. Come on, let me show you what we''ll be working with today." us nodded and followed her. The look on her face said it all¡ªshe was proud of what she had created after their brainstorming session.


    "Hi, guys," us greeted Joon, Ryan, and Logan before heading to Lucil''s workspace. He noticed Queenie wasn''t around¡ªnot that he minded; he just wanted to get through the day so he could work on his side project.


    "So, before you ask, I named it Mecha Zombie. Yes, I''ve added some concepts from a game I''m developing, which makes it even more exciting to see what I came up with," Lucil said, pressing a button on the tablet she was holding. A projection appeared of a grotesque figure d in metal-like armor, wielding a terrifying dark broadsword.


    "Like you suggested, Ibined the Voltox Zombies and the Darkblood Demon Zombies. But I also added some extra features, like their skin armor and adaptable weapons. The sword can transform into a spear or even a dagger, depending on the situation.


    "Since we''re focusing on adaptability, I figured it should have a range of weapons. Besides that, it has both Ice and Fire elements, just like you. I''ve given it three Ice and three Fire-type skills to enhance its abilities.


    "I also increased its stats to be 20% higher than usual, and Logan will ensure the learning algorithm it runs on enables it to adapt quickly to your movements and techniques.


    "In other words, the longer you fight it, the faster it learns. We''re not sure exactly how rapid the learning process will be, but after an hour ofbat, you''ll have to start going all out. It''s a machine, so as it learns, it bes more formidable.


    "But for now, all you need to do is keep it engaged while we gather data on its instinctive responses." us was impressed with what she cooked up.


    Lucil went on about all the cool features she''d added, but to us, it was simply the perfect target he needed to sharpen hisbat training. It was as if he''d be training a version of himself, helping him refine his fighting skills.


    "When can we get started?" us asked after reviewing all there was to know about the Mecha Zombie.


    "We can start now." With that, Lucil led him to the console room, and soon, us stood on a battleground, wielding only his sword. He wouldn''t be using his Needles just yet.


    A split secondter, a 3-meter-tall, dark, metal-d zombie with a massive broadsword appeared across from him, its eyes filled with a battle-hungry intensity.


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    "It''scking that menacing presence that makes you feel real danger, but we''ll work on thatter," us said, getting into a battle stance.


    The Mecha Zombie nced at him and, with a sudden dash, charged, its sword radiating Ice Qi. us smirked, channeling Ice into his own sword before dashing forward to meet it head-on.


    The two swords shed, sending sparks flying. us''s eyes gleamed as he felt the force behind the impact, realizing he was in for a good fight. They separated, and within seconds, they exchanged dozens of blows, each aimed to kill.


    The broadsword in the zombie''s hands was slightly longer than us''s longsword, yet he held his ground. Though many strikes targeted his neck with lethal precision, us was always a step ahead with a counter.


    Suddenly, the zombie stomped on the floor, raising an ice ramp. It was high enough to run across and leap, and that was what it did aiming a stabbing strike down at us.


    In response, us stomped on the ground, raising an ice barrier. The zombie crashed into it, shattering the defense, but the barrier had sessfully blocked the attack. This move was called the Overhead Stab; it involved creating a ramp for a high, forward leap with a downward thrust.


    Lucil came up with that for a video game she was developing, so she implemented it into the Mecha Zombie.


    After a few more minutes of exchanging blows, the zombie tried the same pattern again, and us blocked it using the same tactic.


    The third time, the oue was the same, but us could see the zombie was adapting¡ªsmall improvements, but noticeable to him. This made him smile, knowing that within a few hours, this zombie would be a truly worthy opponent.


    Three hourster, the zombie started showing remarkable development. Its adaptability kicked in, and us noticed its sword attack patterns bing more refined. This prompted him to increase his own attack speed.


    Beyond that, the zombie was bing more attuned to the shifting dynamics of the battlefield. Its Overhead Stab skill had also improved; now, just before using it, it would unleash a skill called ''Lethal me sh''¡ªa fiery, destructive attack designed to break through us''s defenses before following up with the Overhead Stab.


    But us, being human, had adaptability as his natural advantage. He managed to stay a step ahead, always finding ways to counter the evolving tactics.


    Another three hours passed, and the zombie''sbat strength grew even more, showing significant progress. However, it still wasn''t enough to overwhelm us. Like the zombie, the longer us fought, the more he improved.


    "Okay, that''s a wrap for today," us said, shing his sword diagonally, sending a sharp fire arc that sliced the zombie in half.


    He sighed.


    us watched as the zombie tried to raise a defense but it detected his attack just a moment toote. Still, he saw the attempt, proof they were on the right track.


    The day us could fight toe-to-toe or even struggle against the zombie would mark the sess of their n to add realism to Oracle. As for the aura and the natural imposing will that monsters exude, Lucil had already found a fix for that.


    With only hyperawareness and adaptability left to perfect, they were making solid progress.


    The fire arc us sent sliced the zombie cleanly in two, causing it to dissipate into nothingness. He was ejected from the console, feeling less drowsy this time.


    After a quick recap with the Nerds on the day''s work, us headed to his room for some well-deserved sleep. Sleep was something he cherished more than anything.


    A few hourster, feeling refreshed, he climbed up to the roof to catch some cool air. Enjoying the fresh weather, he began to discuss with the senior his n to start using the Ice Lotus and Fire Dragon to absorb the golden energy from the Pentaface bead within his soul sea.


    Things were progressing well, but they took an unexpected turn when another presence appeared on the roof. Queenie materialized out of thin air, catching us off guard.


    "Hello, Big Sister Queenie," us greeted her with a small smile.

 Chapter 241: There is Something Familiar About Her

    Queenie looked in his direction with a small smile on her lips, as if she were sizing him up. us, meeting her gaze, knew she was somehow measuring his strength.


    Though his Eye of Malevolence wasn''t fully active, he felt every inch of her gaze and knew for a fact that the woman before him was dangerous. But for some reason, he wasn''t concerned about her learning anything about him.


    He didn''t know why he felt that way¡ªmaybe because she was the strongest being in the entire world, so who would she even tell his secrets to? But us knew that wasn''t the real reason. He just couldn''t put his finger on it.


    "You can just call me Queenie unless you want me to start calling you Big Brother us," Queenie said with a small giggle.


    Hearing that giggle, us didn''t know what to think. The woman in front of him was the leader of the Overlords, the person who led a group of six individuals to brave the apocalypse when even the government and military were struggling.


    The same person who fought against hundreds of thousands of monsters and Zombies to clear cities and save the innocent. The same person who made sure peace was maintained, and various countries worked in harmony to secure a better society.


    Now, that same person was standing before him, giggling. That was just too wild. ''I guess I''m the fortunate one,'' us thought, keeping a smile on the outside. Your next journey awaits at §Þ??


    "That would definitely sound weird. I guess Queenie it is. Wanna join me?" us quickly offered. He was sitting at the edge of the Tall Oracle Inc. building, overlooking the setting red sun. One could say the scene before him was just too beautiful, the kind you''d want to show your girlfriend on a date.


    "Why not?" Queenie took just a single step, and the next second, she was standing beside us. "That''s a long way down," she said, looking down.


    "Not afraid of heights, are you?" us asked with a smile. Queenie looked back at him with a look that said I''m terrified of heights, but us knew she''d be fine even if she fell headfirst.


    From what he learned from Miriam, it took them just a second to travel from the Demon''s Abode to Arcadian City. When he asked how it happened, she said Queenie had opened a space in the void and let them travel through. So us knew that even if she fell from space, she wouldn''t die.


    She wouldn''t even hit the floor¡ªafter all, she could literally walk in the air. The one in danger here was him, who couldn''t walk in the air just yet. But us knew this was just the waydies are, so being the polite and respectful gentleman he was... lol, he decided to act like one.


    "Come here, I''ll help you," us said, reaching for her hand. She hesitated for a second, but in the end, she reached for his grip and gently sat beside him. Of course, us was on cloud nine while Queenie giggled in her head. us''s expression said he was proud to have held her hand¡ªwhat guy wouldn''t be?


    She was the freaking leader of the Overlords, after all. No guy would mind having such a figure sitting beside him, watching the beautiful setting sun.


    "Beautiful," Queenie said, gazing at the sun dipping below the horizon.


    us smiled and continued to stare at the sunset. For some reason, he was captivated by it in a way he couldn''t quite understand. But he knew one thing for sure: he wasn''t going to miss the sunsets for the next few weeks, because he had a feeling Queenie was there for the same reason.


    "So how''s your work so far? Any progress?" Queenie suddenly asked.


    "Yes, we managed to detect the root problems, so we''ve started working to fix them," us answered. He and the Nerds were now in the process of turning Oracle into the world they envisioned 54 years ago.


    "That''s good. I guess your addition was a blessing to those four bookworms," Queenie said with a smile.


    "Uh, if you don''t mind me asking, what''s your rtionship with them?" us asked. He didn''t have to be a genius to know there was something deeper between Queenie and the Nerds¡ªsomething that felt like family.


    "Well, it''s kind of a weird thing, actually," Queenie said.


    "I love weird," us replied with a smile.


    "Okay, but be sure not tough, or you''re falling 150 feet," Queenie said, her smile teasing.


    "No promises," us said with a grin.


    "We''ll see. It''s like this, before the apocalypse, high schools and colleges were the liveliest ces for young people. That''s where you''d meet all kinds of groups: the party crowd, the Nerds, the rich brats, and the freaks.


    "I happened to be in one of those groups back in college. I was in charge of the studentmunication board. And before you ask, our job was to sh with other rival schools¡ªHarvard, to be precise.


    "Back then, we''d organize challenges with them, and every time it would turn into a chaotic inte rivalry. In the end, though, we always fell short. Whether it was a debate, tech fair, or even a hackathon, we struggled¡ªuntil those three weirdos and Lucil showed up.


    "We needed Nerds to help us win the brainy stuff, and those three stepped up. I wasn''t really close to them at first. You could say I only needed their brains to win those dumb rivalries, now that I think about it.


    "Let''s just say that after they appeared, our status started to rise, and before I knew it, I started getting influenced by those weirdos. So when they came to me with their Oracle idea, I was thrilled to help make it a reality.


    "But then the apocalypse descended, and here we are. I got stuck with them, and they''ve never stopped surprising me. You know, whenmunications went down during the start of the apocalypse, they were the ones who stood up and helped fix it.


    "Many might not hold them in high esteem, but in this apocalyptic world, we need the Nerds just as much as we need warriors," Queenie said with a broad, proud smile.


    "Well, I dropped out of school, so I never experienced something like that, but from the look on your face, I''m sure you had fun," us said with a smile, tilting his head.


    "us, remember when I said you might fall 150 feet if youugh? Do you believe me?" Queenie asked, a strange smile ying on her lips¡ªthe kind that made us smile innocently back at her.


    "You know, I''m just saying... but I could''ve sworn I sensed some Nerd traits in your voice just now," us teased, his grin yful. This made Queenie smile slightly. This brat didn''t care about her status as the Overlord at all¡ªhe was just casually chatting with her like they were equals.


    "Well, I went to MIT, and that''s a school for nerds," Queenie said, causing us''s smile to widen even more. He didn''t know much about the school system before the apocalypse, so the only image that came to mind was the three Nerds who were currently using the data from the Mecha Zombie to start fixing the problems in Oracle.


    "Well, Madam Queenie, you''re always wee to join us in theb. I''m sure your help would be greatly appreciated," us said, his smile widening further. He still couldn''t believe that, within just a few minutes, he was teasing a full-fledged Overlord. And not just any Overlord¡ªthe leader of the Overlords.


    He had to give himself a mental thumbs-up.


    ''There''s something familiar about her'', us thought, watching the smile on her face. He couldn''t shake the feeling¡ªthere was definitely something about Queenie that felt... familiar.

 Chapter 242: Unexpected Visitor

    us and Queenie returned to watch the sunset. After it finally dipped behind the horizon, us sighed, knowing their little moment wasing to an end. Still, he was happy¡ªhe had fun with Queenie, even if it was just for a few minutes.


    "I guess that''s it for today. Same time tomorrow?" us asked, standing up from the edge.


    "Sure," Queenie replied without overthinking it. But as soon as the word left her mouth, she realized us''s tone sounded a little... funny. She turned to him and, true to her realization, us was smiling back at her.


    "It''s a date then," us said, walking away.


    "Hey, who said anything about a date?" For some reason, Queenie forgot all about her status as an Overlord, reacting more like an ordinary woman being teased. You could almost swear there was a slight pout on her face.


    "Pic, then," us added,ughing as he made his way to his room, hisughter echoing in the air. His heart was racing, but he couldn''t stop himself from teasing her. It was just too damn awesome to have that much "rizz," even if it was risky.


    Queenie sighed as she watched us''s back disappear. She stood there for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face. But just as quickly as it came, it vanished, reced by a frown.


    "Nari, what are you doing here?" she asked, turning toward a particr direction. From that direction, Nari, the redheaded Overlord, emerged with a guilty smile on her face.


    "I was worried you''d flunk out, so I came to back you up. But I guess there''s nothing to worry about here. Who would''ve thought my cold-ass big sister would be smiling and giggling with a guy? The others need to hear this," Nari said with a teasing grin.


    "Nari, you remember when I said a disaster would soon descend?" Queenie asked, narrowing her gaze. "That disaster is your death." She shot Nari a dangerous look, the kind that could make someone wet themselves.


    "Big sister, you haven''t be a bully, have you? You''re scaring your little sister," Nari said with a pout, despite the terrifying re aimed at her.


    Queenie''s re intensified as Nari stood there, unfazed by the looming threat. Despite Queenie''s dangerous demeanor, Nari knew her big sister wouldn''t actually harm her¡ªat least, not seriously. But still, it was fun to push her buttons.


    She had always been the one able to push her buttons, well us now seemed to be getting close putting some pressure on those buttons.


    "Scaring you would require more effort than it''s worth," Queenie said dryly, crossing her arms. "But if you keep this up, don''t be surprised if your little redhead goes missing someday." Although she didn''t really mean that, it was still cold hearing it. However, Nari was too spoiled to realize that.


    She grinned mischievously. "So, what was that about? A ''date'' with us? It''s a good idea, right? This will give you some time to know him more and if you get lucky you might secure a second date. I am telling you Big Sister, this is good for you"


    Queenie''s eyes narrowed further. "There''s no ''something else,'' and it''s none of your business what I do. Besides, it wasn''t a date. He was just teasing." Her voice came out colder than intended, but Nari picked up on the subtle defensiveness.


    "Right... ''just teasing,''" Nari said, clearly unconvinced. "You know, it''s been a while since I''ve seen you talk to anyone like that. Maybe you should let yourself enjoy it for once. Could be fun."


    "I don''t have time for ''fun,''" Queenie retorted, turning her back to Nari and gazing out at the horizon where the sun had disappeared. "We''ve got more important things to deal with."


    Nari sighed, her teasing expression softening. "I know. But, Queenie... you''re not a robot. You''re allowed to have moments that aren''t all about saving the world. You deserve that, more than anyone.


    Even if you are not ready for a rtionship, you can at least enjoy these moments. us doesn''t seem like he will be asking you out anytime soon. You are still the Overlord after all"


    Queenie''s eyes flickered with something¡ªmaybe doubt, maybe something deeper¡ªbut she quickly masked it with her usual stoicism. "I know my responsibilities, Nari."


    Nari shook her head lightly. "Just don''t forget your own needs while you''re at it. Let yourself have some fun for a while."


    "By the way, you really shouldn''t threaten him by saying you''ll push him down 150 feet. That''s a deal breaker," Nari quickly struck again, knowing Queenie was still paying attention despite her cold exterior.


    "I really need to kill you; that''s the only way I can have some peace of mind," Queenie shot back, trying to maintain her serious demeanor, but the corner of her lips twitched in amusement.


    "He is awesome, right?" Nari said, moving closer and taking Queenie''s arm, a sly grin on her face. "He''s better than you could have expected, right?"


    Queenie rolled her eyes, a reluctant smile breaking through her tough facade. "I suppose he''s not entirely unbearable. But that doesn''t mean I''m looking for... whatever it is you''re suggesting."


    "Oh,e on! You can''t deny there''s something special about him. He held your hand, for goodness'' sake!" Nari teased, giving Queenie a gentle nudge.


    "You seem more into him than me," Queenie asked but she couldn''t deny it. When us reached for her hand, the thought of smacking him silly never even crossed her mind.


    "Well He''s strong, kind of funny, and he''s got that whole ''mysterious warrior'' vibe going for him. That''s like, a solid foundation for a potential rtionship." Nari smiled, "But don''t worry, I am not into him"


    "Enough with the rtionship talk," Queenie said, "There are more important things we have to focus on"


    "True, but wouldn''t it be nice to have someone to share the load with? You''ve been doing this for so long all on your own. Everyone needs someone, Queenie. Even the strongest Overlord."


    Queenie sighed. "I know that, but I''m not sure if I can afford distractions right now. The world isn''t going to save itself."


    "True," Nari replied. "But maybe you don''t have to be the savior all the time. You can share the burden with him¡ªjust think about it. After all, he is just a Master stage expert yet he started saving Cities already. I say that is the making of a powerhouse the world can rely on"


    With that, Nari gave Queenie''s arm a reassuring squeeze before turning to leave. "You know where to find me if you need some sisterly advice. And remember, Queenie, it''s okay to let your guard down sometimes."


    "Well, I''m going to see those nerds and my little sister," Nari added, ncing back with a smile.


    "Hey, what about the Ancient Ruin exploration?" Queenie suddenly asked, realizing Nari was supposed to be in the ruins they had discovered a few months back. Yet here she was, chatting away instead.


    "You know, you should try smiling more; you have no idea how enchanting it can be," Nari said, giggling as she lifted her hand in a yful wave and headed to theb, leaving Queenie puzzled.


    "Jeez, socialize more. I charmed Dharma into switching ces, so for the next few weeks, you''re stuck with me. And don''t worry; I''ll make sure you getid," Nari called back over her shoulder, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

 Chapter 243: Klaus vs. the Improved Mecha Zombie

    A week passed since us came to the Stone Valley. For the past week, he had only done two things: fight the Mecha Zombie for 8 hours a day and then watch the sunset with Queenie.


    It was the best part of his day, so after every training session, he would catch some rest and then climb to the roof to watch the sunset.


    A few days ago, he met Nari, and from their brief interactions, us knew Lucil got her overly cheerful and dirty-mouthed personality from her. So he wasn''t surprised when he found out she and Lucil were blood sisters.


    Nari spent most of her time in theb with them, unlike Queenie, who was always away¡ªat least for the past few days. Just two days ago, she starteding to theb to watch the nerds and us work. Well, she was really there to watch us battle the constantly improving Mecha Zombie.


    They battled for a whole week, and within those battles, us started to see great improvements. They were making headway, and for one, us was thrilled. It was moving faster than he thought.


    After 7 days of battles, the Mecha Zombie had risen to the stage where us could now have a true battle with it, the kind that could get his blood boiling. So waking up on the 8th day, us was more than happy to get into Oracle and start his daily battle.


    "Today, you will be going toe to toe with¡ªwait for it¡ªa new and improved Mecha Zombie 2.0. Huh, awesome, right?" Lucil said, showing off the new improvements she had made to the Mecha Zombie.


    "What is that disc thing hovering behind it?" us asked, noticing a new change. During the week-long training, Lucil has been working diligently to improve the Mecha making sure it has some improvement for the next day.


    "That is a razor disc. It''s a projectile weapon most Spirit Masters use. I thought that since we are starting the second phase of the testing, we could spice things up a bit."


    us examined the Razor Disc for a few more seconds before his eyes shifted to the Mecha Zombie''s. "Are those a special kind of eyes?" he asked.


    "Yes," Lucil responded with a smirk, "I call them the Omnipotent Gaze. They''re the primary focus of today''s training. We want to measure just how much it can capture as the fight unfolds around it."


    "Smart." us nodded in approval. "Alright, let''s get this party started." He walked into the console room, and with Lucil''s help, he ced the helmet on and entered Oracle in the next instant.


    He appeared in the same battle space as before, and before long, the Mecha Zombie materialized, this time exuding an air of dread and authority. The improvements were obvious, and us couldn''t help but feel a twinge of excitement. They''re really making progress.


    "Let''s begin," us said, making his Void Piercing Needle appear behind him. With a flick of his finger, the needle shot toward the Zombie at terrifying speed. But almost simultaneously, the Razor Disc behind the Mecha Zombie moved to intercept, meeting the Needle with a metallic ng.


    One might think a razor-sharp disc and a pointed needle wouldn''t have enough surface area to sh, yet the two-spirit weapons collided, and within seconds, they exchanged dozens of blows.


    "Impressive," us murmured, locking eyes with the Zombie, which returned his gaze, its mechanical expression somehow conveying awareness.


    "I guess this will be fun."


    Without another word, us dashed toward the Mecha Zombie, his longsword drawn. While one part of his mind was controlling the Void Piercing Needle, another engaged in closebat with the creature.


    Their swords met with a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves through the air. us felt the force reverberate through his arms, but his grin only widened. He followed up with a stab, aiming for the Zombie''s chest, but it twisted its body, evading the attack before countering with an overhead sh.


    us parried with a swift Moon sh, channeling his fire element to unleash a fiery arc. Yet he was already a step ahead, moving before the arc evennded.


    Another stab was aimed at the Zombie''s chest, but just as us was about tond the hit, the Razor Disc abruptly changed direction, aiming straight for the back of his head.


    He smirked, his mind split in perfect harmony. The Void Piercing Needle darted toward the Mecha Zombie while us abandoned his stab, spinning around to meet the disc with his sword.


    "Smart. Very smart." us''s happiness was palpable as he witnessed the Mecha Zombie''s impressive performance. It executed the attacks very well.


    The ng of metal rang out again and again as us kept pushing forward. Each attack from the Mecha Zombie was met with a calcted parry or a counterstrike.


    However, us noticed something¡ªthe Mecha Zombie was learning at a very fast pace too. Its movements became more fluid, more precise as if adapting to his every attack.


    "Lucil wasn''t kidding," us muttered under his breath, a hint of excitement in his voice. "This thing is no joke."


    The Razor Disc zipped around the battlefield like a predator, always circling, waiting for an opening. us had to keep an eye on it at all times, but the Mecha Zombie wasn''t making that easy.


    It lunged at him with abination of rapid shes, each oneing from a different angle, forcing him to rely on instinct as much as skill.


    us ducked under a high sh and sent a quick jab toward the Zombie''s midsection, but the moment his de made contact, the Zombie''s body shifted, dispersing the force of the blow. The Omnipotent Gaze red with a strange light, tracking every move he made with unnerving uracy.


    "Looks like I''ll have to take this up a notch," us muttered, and with a quickmand, the Void Piercing Needle shot forward again, but this time with an erratic, unpredictable pattern. He forced the Mecha Zombie to divide its focus between him and the Needle, hoping to exploit a crack in its defenses.


    The Mecha Zombie reacted instantly, its sword spinning in a blur to deflect the Needle, while the Razor Disc moved closer, angling for a deadly strike. us leaped back, narrowly avoiding the disc, feeling the sharp air slice near his face.


    His heart raced. He hadn''t had a fight like this in a while¡ªone where every move counted, where there was no room for error. The adrenaline was like a drug, coursing through his veins.


    ''I love this,'' He thought inwardly


    But he wasn''t about to let a machine outsmart him.


    us switched tactics. He feinted toward the Mecha Zombie with a low strike, and as the Razor Disc flew in to block, he turned his body sharply, allowing the Void Piercing Needle to weave through the air and strike from a blind spot.


    This time, the Zombie couldn''t react in time. The Needle pierced its shoulder joint, sending sparks flying.


    "Gotcha," us said with a grin. But his victory was short-lived. The Mecha Zombie staggered back, but then something changed¡ªthe Omnipotent Gaze flickered, and the Zombie''s movements became more erratic, and unpredictable.


    It lunged forward with a vicious speed, forcing us on the defensive. Its de came down in a powerful arc, and us barely managed to block it with his sword, the impact sending vibrations through his arms. But that wasn''t the worst of it.


    The Razor Disc, now fully integrated into the Zombie''s attack pattern, moved with terrifying precision. It sliced through the air, aiming directly for us''s side.


    He twisted his body just in time, deflecting it with the t of his sword, but the force of the impact sent him sliding back across the battlefield.


    "Not bad," us muttered, "But how long can you keep this up." Without him even knowing it, his mind was getting sucked into the battle stirring awake things he never thought he could feel.

 Chapter 244: Making Great Progress on Both Fronts.

    Inside theb, the Nerds, Lucil, Nari, and Queenie continued watching us''s intense battle with the Mecha Zombie, each with a different expression on their face.


    "That Mecha Zombie is developing faster than we anticipated," Joon said, his eyes glued to the streams of data pouring in every second.


    "You kids really outdid yourselves this time," Nari chimed in, leaning forward.


    "This is going to change everything when Oracle goes public." Her eyes followed the Mecha Zombie as it adapted to us''s attack patterns after only one or two repetitions.


    She knew us could end the fight whenever he wanted, but she couldn''t help being impressed by the machine''s rapid improvement.


    Lucil had already filled her in on the goals of the project. If this progress continued for a few more days, the results would exceed even their loftiest expectations.


    As an Overlord who had fought countless monsters and zombies, Nari understood the brutal dynamics of battle. The system us and the Nerds were creating aligned perfectly with her battlefield experiences, replicating the unpredictable nature of truebat.


    Queenie shared that same thought, though what truly shocked both of them was us''s keen ability to break down even the smallest details.


    Throughout his week-long training, he had highlighted subtle nuances they hadn''t even considered were something that could make a difference inbat.


    Even them who had been fighting zombies for fifty years hadn''t noticed some of the intricacies us pointed out.


    From us''s battling this single Mecha Zombie, they''d learned more than they thought possible. us wasn''t just fighting¡ªhe was analyzing, absorbing, and refining every element of the experience.


    His mind was like a machine picking up on even the smallest details.


    "At this rate, us is going to have to start getting serious if he wants to keep up with the Mecha Zombie learning regimen," Nari said, watching as the machine adapted once more.


    "Well, he''s training too, so I think he''s taking it step by step for now," Queenie added, her eyes narrowing in thought as usnded another precise strike on the Zombie''s leg.


    The Mecha Zombie countered immediately, a burst of mes erupting from its body as it tapped into its fire element, sending us skidding back across the battlefield.


    He smiled, and then without holding back, he shed his sword dozens of times, sending sharp crescent ice arcs at the Zombie. The arcs were sharp and lethal, yet the Zombie simply stood on the floor, raising an ice wall.


    In response, the disc flew at a terrifying angle, appearing at us from an unexpected direction. us smirked and sent the Void Piercing Needle to counter.


    The two weapons met with a resounding ng. Meanwhile, the Zombie defended against his fire arcs and now charged at him with its sword glowing red. us also channeled fire essence into his sword, meeting the Zombie''s attack and sending sparks flying.


    Six hourster, us began to see that the Zombie had improved greatly. For the next two hours, he cranked up the battle even more, putting about 80% of his strength into it.


    For thest 2 hours, the battle intensified to the point where us had to crank up his strength to 90 percent. By the time they were done, they had managed to gather enough data that they would need the next three days to work on.


    This meant there wouldn''t be any training for the next three days, and us was happy to hear that. At least after they were finished, he could have his first true battle, where he knew he would have to use all his focus and strength.


    "Let''s go grab a bite," Nari said after us came out of the console. He had been using it for 8 hours a day for the past week, so he had grown used to it. Though there was some pain here and there, he didn''t need that much rest now, especially with Queenie around.


    "Sounds good to me!" us replied, a grin spreading across his face. He was looking forward to some time away from training and the chance to unwind with friends¡ªspecifically, Queenie.


    "So us, what is your story?" Nari suddenly asked immediately they were seated and began eating.


    "Uhm, what do you mean?" us asked, puzzled.


    "You know, one moment the world was calm and peaceful, and the next, a white-haired young man appeared, and the whole world went wild. I want to hear your story," Nari looked around and then added, "We all do."


    Lucil was the first to nod. This was like a golden opportunity for her to gather close-up information on us for the Knights of House us. As a die-hard fan, moments like this were what she needed the most to learn more about the person she was fanning over.


    "Well, there''s not much to tell. I''m an only child. My dad went missing¡ªpossibly dead¡ªwhen I was ten, so my mom pretty much raised me. She is an amazing woman, by the way¡ªthe best mom. I dropped out of school and worked as a janitor at Ross Academy for a few years.


    "Pretty much everything I know about the world of cultivation and swordsmanship was learned from sneaking around and spying on lectures whenever I got the chance. Don''t tell anyone, by the way," he added with a grin.


    They allughed despite the heavy impact of us''s story.


    "Long story short, I awakened, and thankfully, I didn''t get a tomato ss and talent. From then on, I started working hard to make sure my mom and I never had to go through any hardship ever again.


    "Yeah, that about covers everything," us said, sensing that his story had dampened the mood, so he didn''t go into further details.


    "Lucil,e on, no need to cry!" us said, noticing that Lucil had already started welling up before he could even finish his narrative.


    "That is one hell of a story, but at least you''re making it right now; that''s all that matters," Nari said, but us could tell her previous enthusiastic nature had dampened a little.


    "If you guys are like this, I won''t hang out with you anymore," us said with a small smile, noticing their expressions.


    "Alright, alright, let''s talk about happy stuff," Nari said, bringing her carefree charm back again.


    "So, us, what do you think about Big Sister Queenie here? Do you think you can handle her?" Nari suddenly asked.


    Cough! Both us and Queenie, who were in the process of taking a sip of their drinks, coughed upon hearing that question.


    "Nari," Queenie said, gritting her teeth. What kind of shameless question was that?


    "What? Don''t act like I didn''t notice how you were sneaking nces at him," Nari said, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. Joon, Logan, Ryan, and Lucil looked on with smiles of their own.


    "Oh really? nces?" us quickly recovered and joined in with Nari to tease Queenie.


    us leaned back in his chair, a yful grin on his face. "I mean, can you me her? I''m a pretty impressive guy," he teased, shooting a wink in Queenie''s direction.


    Queenie crossed her arms, trying to maintain herposure, but a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. Very subtle, but it appeared alright


    "Please, us, don''t tter yourself too much. You''re not that charming," Queenie said, realizing she had no way to weave her way out of this.


    Well, she could have disappeared into thin air, but that would be cowardly. So for now, she could only thicken her skin and endure. Later, she would drag Nari into the Void and beat the shit out of her.


    "Charming or not, at least I managed to make the almighty Overlord of all Overlords blush, even if it''s just a slight one," us grinned, his smile infectious.


    Queenie shot a look at Nari, who was grinning at her predicament with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Lucil, on the other hand, was busy capturing the moment, knowing that when made public, it would cause the whole inte to explode.


    "We''re going back to theb now," Joon announced, standing up and leaving with Ryan and Logan.


    Lucil followed suit shortly after, and soon Nari also left, leaving only us and Queenie alone. The air around them thickened with awkwardness as they stared at each other.


    "Wanna model a monastery with me?" us asked, breaking the silence.


    "Yes," Queenie answered without even thinking about it.


    us''s eyes lit up. "Great! Let''s go"


    Anddies and gentlemen, that is how us picked the strongest person on earth into his room. That is badass.

 Chapter 245: Making Happy Memories

    us and Queenie made their way into his room where the modeling table was set up. Since he wouldn''t be training inside Oracle for a while, he figured he might as well get started on building the models that Joon promised would be put into Oracle.


    Of course, it was also a good excuse to spend more time with Queenie. us wasn''t aiming to woo her and make her his woman just yet.


    That would be ridiculous¡ªhe, a Master Stage expert, chasing after an Overlord? It was too absurd even to think about.


    Still, he wasn''tpletely ruling out the idea. He knew if he could leave an impression now, then when he became several times stronger, he''d make his move. For now, though, he had another mission¡ªa mission Nari gave him.


    She wanted us to keep Queenie happy. Nari noticed Queenie seemed more rxed and less cold around him, something rare for someone as driven and distant as Queenie.


    From what Nari had told him, Queenie was entirely focused on the safety of Earth, rarely allowing herself a moment to unwind.


    So us had been tasked with making a few memories with her before their month together was over. Of course, us was more than happy to help, even if it was just for a while. Queenie is a beautifuldy, and us is equally charming, a perfect pair.


    As they left theb and headed to us''s room, Nari could only smile, using her senses to watch them go.


    She''d given us the green light to make his move if he felt confident enough, but the white-haired brat seemed to want to keep it PG for now.


    "So, what are you nning to model?" Queenie asked as soon as they arrived in us''s room.


    "A monastery," us replied.


    "Huh," Queenie was taken aback by his choice.


    "Well, I kind of have a thing for monasteries, so I figured why not model one inside Oracle since I can''t really do that in the real world," us said, powering on the modeling system.


    "No need to look puzzled. It''s just a fun project. You can join in if you want¡ªtwo hands are better than one, and ady''s touch could make it even more stunning," us added, offering her the modeling pen.


    Queenie hesitated for a few seconds before taking the pen. With that, us pulled up his first project, naming it Mountain Forest Monastery.


    Lucil had already shown him how to use the modeling tools, and us, being a quick learner, quickly picked up on the mechanisms avable. He wanted to recreate the monastery from his past life as Fruity, so without further dy, he started building.


    Queenie stood by, watching as his hands moved across the modeling board. "I''ll let you add some designs once I''m done with the main structures," he said, focused on his task.


    us had a lot to aplish if he wanted to capture the full form of the monastery.


    "What''s that?" Queenie asked after an hour. By then, us had built a garden full of flowers and various types of butterflies.


    His first model was the garden he was brought to after waking up in the monastery. The ce had been his home for as long as he could remember, so without missing even the smallest details, us recreated the garden and the house he had stayed in.


    "It''s a garden and a house," he replied.


    "But why does it look like something out of one of those ancient Chinese dynasties?" Queenie asked, puzzled by theck of modern or futuristic elements in the house.


    "That''s because this is a traditional setting," us answered with a smile. "Not everything has to be modern or futuristic."


    us couldn''t just tell Queenie the design came from his past self. That would sound like lunacy. Who would believe him if he said he had memories from a previous life? So, to avoid any awkwardness, he kept his answers short and straight.


    Two more hours passed, and us managed to finish the garden and the house, leaving it for Queenie to add her designs. As expected, she was mostly ying around with the flowers, which us had predicted.


    His next task was to model the technique room¡ªa ce from his memories where he had first been handed the soul-calming mantra and tasked with fighting for inner peace, by his favorite Uncle Monk.


    us nned to include some of the techniques for achieving inner peace, but for now, he focused on creating the building and shelves. If he managed to bring all the knowledge stored in his head into Oracle, he''d be rich overnight.


    "You seem to know a lot about these ancient crafts. Mind sharing some with me?" Queenie asked, her eyes still on us as she worked to transform the garden into something even more beautiful, though it was already stunning.


    "Well, I don''t know that much, but I''ve got a few things I can share," us replied, mentally cursing his past self for being such a glutton¡ªalways chasing after food instead of soaking up all the incredible teachings in the monastery.


    Still, when Fruity''s days of carefree happiness were shattered by the awakening of the three forbidden Ice elements, he started to learn a few more things.


    Those fragments of wisdom now started toe back to him as he worked on recreating the technique room but also helped him in making conversation with Queenie.


    He might not know much, but Fruity did live with hundreds of monks, and although he wasn''t one to ask about ancient knowledge, his Uncle Monks made sure he knew a thing or two. Thanks to that, us managed to find something they could talk about.


    He took Queenie deep into some ancient mythology, and to his surprise, she was captivated by what she was hearing. us, of course, was happy to have found something that intrigued her.


    Luckily for him, the mythology of the God of Wine, as told to him by one of his Uncle Monks, was striking a chord deep within her.


    Who would have thought the teachings of monks would turn into pickup lines for us? But sure enough, he went deep into the mythology of the Wine God, Jhunipa. It was a long and detailed narrative, but after 7 hours, us managed to break down even the smallest details.


    Queenie, for her part, was one hundred percent focused on what he was saying, so she stopped designing the Monastery altogether.


    After those 7 hours, us had covered a lot: the garden, the house, the mountains, the technique room, the immortal caves, his tribtion ground¡ªor more precisely, Fruity''s tribtion ground.


    He''d managed to pull off a lot, but he still had more work to do. However, it had been 7 hours, the sun was setting, and they had their daily routine of watching it together.


    On the roof, Queenie asked, "us, I''m not going to ask where you learned all this, but do you have other mythologies besides this one?"


    us smiled, knowing he had made some headway. "Of course," he replied with a grin. He did not actually, but he secretly asked the senior inside his soul sea for a trade-off, and the senior was eager to ept the offer.


    Even though there was little karma involved, in other to impress a girl, us was more than willing to take on a few more lightning strikes if need be.


    "Then I''ll trouble you to tell me more," Queenie said, shing an enchanting smile. us nodded, beaming with joy inwardly. A few secondster, he noticed Queenie looking back at him with hungry eyes.


    "Wait, you don''t want me to tell you everything right now, do you?" us asked, but Queenie just smiled at him.


    "Well, I suppose you spending the night in my room will give us enough time to discuss everything. My bed is even big enough for the both of us," us said with a grin.


    "See you tomorrow, us." He wasn''t even done when Queenie vanished into thin air, a small blush on her face.


    us, witnessing that, smiled cheerfully as hey down on his back, gazing up at the sky. A few minutester, a face entered his view, blocking the starry night sky.

 Chapter 246: Arent You Scared

    Nari''s fiery yet cheerful gaze appeared in his view, blocking the sky that was just about to reveal a few stars. us could''ve sworn, that had it not been for her status as an Overlord, he would''ve kicked her off the building.


    He had been happily savoring his small victory of finally finding a way to Queenie''s heart and enjoying the sky''s beauty, yet here she was, blocking it all.


    And while Nari was a stunning beauty who could make any man drool, us just didn''t have the same vibe with her that would make him want to make a move. Strangely enough, Nari seemed to feel the same.


    She was like a spoiled little girl who craved joy and happiness all day long, despite her status as an Overlord.


    Long story short, despite her beauty, us wasn''t exactly thrilled to see her at that moment. But he knew, no matter what he did, she wasn''t going to walk away, so he might as well get it over with.


    "Nari, what are you doing here?" us asked. Nari had told him not to call her "Big Sister".


    "Aren''t you scared?" Nari asked, sitting beside us, who had now risen from the ground and was sitting at the edge of the building.


    "Scared of what?" us asked.


    "Aren''t you scared of Queenie? She''s an Overlord, after all. And let me tell you, the Overlords aren''t people you can currently measure up to. We are terrifying, to say the least. So aren''t you scared you might cross a line and make her mad?" Nari asked.


    us leaned back slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he gazed out at the horizon. He chuckled, more to himself than to Nari, before turning his head to look at her.


    "Nah, I''m not scared of her," us said, his tone casual butced with confidence. "Queenie might be an Overlord, but she''s still a person, right? I mean, she''s got feelings, preferences... just like everyone else."


    Nari raised an eyebrow, clearly amused but also curious. "That''s a bold stance to take, us. Do you even know what she''s capable of? How ruthless she can be?"


    "Look," us shrugged, "I get it. You Overlords are powerful, untouchable, and maybe even scary. But I don''t think Queenie''s the type to justsh out because someone crosses some invisible line. If she was, she wouldn''t have saved my life back there. Besides..." us paused, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought, "...I''m not stupid. I know how to handle myself."


    Nari tilted her head before her yful grin started to widen. "You''ve got guts. I''ll give you that. But don''t mistake Queenie''s kindness for weakness. She''s gotyers, you know? You might think you''ve got her all figured out, but trust me, there''s a lot more to her than you realize."


    us gave her a half-smile, not entirely disagreeing. "I''m sure there is. But that''s why I''m taking my time, learning what makes her tick. I''m not trying to rush into anything or force something that''s not there. I want to understand her, not just¡­ get on her good side."


    Nari stared at him for a moment, then burst outughing. "God, us, you sound like one of those cheesy romance novels. Maybe that''s why Queenie''s letting you hang around. You''re not like the usual guys trying to impress her but afraid to make a move."


    usughed along with her, shaking his head. "Well, I''m not trying to impress anyone. I''m just... being me. If that works, then great. If not, well, I''ve got other things to worry about."


    us''s words clearly touched Nari more than she let on, softening her expression as she watched him. It was rare for her to show such vulnerability, but his confidence had struck a chord.


    After all, Nari had always been the one keeping Queenie grounded. Without her, Queenie might have been apletely different person by now.


    "You''re different, us," Nari said quietly, her voice carrying a hint of admiration. "Most people would be terrified to get close to someone like Queenie, but you? You''re walking right into the storm without flinching."


    us grinned, "I don''t see it as a storm. I see it as an opportunity to win the heart of a rare beauty¡ªand the strongest powerhouse on Earth. I mean, if she bes my woman, I won''t have to worry about anything again, right?"


    Nari rolled her eyes and smacked the back of his head yfully, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Stupid head."


    "Hey, you can''t just smack your future brother-inw like that. Some might call it a deal breaker," us joked, shing a teasing smile.


    Nari scoffed but didn''t lose her smile. "Tsk, which brother-inw?"


    She leaned in closer and rested her head on us''s shoulder. The gesture took him by surprise, but he didn''t bother shaking her off. Nari was just too lively and carefree to resist.


    "You know, us, I''m not sure a few ancient mythologies will win her heart," Nari murmured.


    us smirked. "Oh, I think after she hears about a few more gods and immortals, she''ll be begging me to marry her."


    For a moment, they sat in silence, then burst intoughter, their voices echoing into the night. They lingered there a few more minutes before Nari excused herself and left, leaving us to return to his stargazing. It wasn''t long before the peaceful sky lulled him to sleep at the edge of the tall building.


    ---


    Elsewhere, inside a room at the Oracle Headquarters, Nari stood, her gaze fixed on Queenie, who was staring out arge window.


    "I hope you heard him," Nari said, breaking the silence. "That kid has more spine than any of us."


    Queenie didn''t turn around, her expression unreadable as she gazed at the night outside. "He''s still too young. He''s just saying those childish words."


    "Oh, please," Nari said with augh, plopping down on the bed. "You and I both know that brat is more than grown enough to know what he wants. You heard what he said¡ªhe''s not afraid. Not even in the slightest. If I were you, I''d start nning what to wear for your date night."


    Queenie''s lips twitched, though she remained facing the window.


    "And don''t forget, that brat somehow knows more about those ancient mythologies than anyone I''ve met. If I didn''t know better, I''d say the two of you are a match made in heaven... but then again, I know how much you hate the heavens." Nari smirked, stretching out on the bed, clearly amused.


    Queenie finally turned, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I don''t need a match. I have enough to handle without entertaining childish fantasies."


    Nari grinned, unfazed. "Keep telling yourself that. You have already fallen for him without you knowing it yet." After saying that, Nari vanished from the room leaving Queenie to think about things.


    "He is just a master stage expert, Is he even ready to enter this chaotic world" Queenie muttered.


    "He has already entered in deep. You are just holding yourself back for nothing. Lighten up and let that white-haired handsome send you to cloud nine" Queenie''s voice echoed in the room.


    "I have to kill her" Queenie sighed and vanished from the room.


    She appeared next to us''s sleeping body and with a wave, he vanished and appeared on his bed. She gazes at his sleeping face for a few more seconds before returning to her room.

 Chapter 247: The Immotal and the Thief [Bonus]

    The next day, us woke up refreshed. The previous night had been great. He finally started making progress on modeling the monastery. He still had two days to work on his side project before training and testing resumed.


    For now, his only tasks were to model the monastery, share ancient mythologies with Queenie, and watch the sunset with her. Basically, his entire day was going to be spent with the Leader of the Overlords.


    us had his priorities set, knowing he had to make the most of it. He knew for a fact that Queenie wouldn''t be bing his woman anytime soon, but he was enjoying the time he was spending with her, so he didn''t really care much.


    About an hour after he woke up, Queenie arrived for the monastery modeling session, but us knew she had something else in mind. Of course, he had spent thest hour arranging everything with the senior.


    us had expected to be told certain things verbally, but to his surprise, the information was transmitted to him by the senior. When us asked why, the senior simply said they were fairy tales, so there was no need to waste time narrating them.


    us knew the real reason¡ªit was about the Karma involved¡ªbut he wasn''t too concerned. He had seen how Fruity tanked the Tribtion, and he knew he had to do better. Even though the bead wasn''t yet active, he had the Lotus Flower, the me Dragon, and even the Tribtion Prison.


    And if that wasn''t enough, he also had 120 needles under his control. Those lightning monsters were just another battlefield waiting for him to clear.


    "Are you ready for another day?" us asked, turning on the modeling table. Queenie, for some reason, watched his actions quietly, making us turn to look at her.


    "You''re not here to cancel on me, are you?" us asked again.


    "No. And yes, I''m ready to get started," Queenie replied before walking back to the table.


    ''There''s something different about her today,'' us thought, noticing her sudden shift in demeanor. Queenie seemed more reserved, in a down-to-earth kind of way.


    us didn''t know what had happened, but he was sure something was on her mind. However, he wouldn''t pry until she felt it was okay to share with him.


    "By the way, thanks for moving me to my bed yesterday," us said with a smile.


    "It wasn''t me," Queenie replied.


    "Then extend my gratitude to whoever did. Tell them I said they''re the best," us smiled before pulling up the project he was working on.


    "What are we working on today?" Queenie asked.


    "I''ll be building a temple. You can just stay beautiful and watch me work," us said with a grin, knowing the next phase wouldn''t really need her expertise¡ªshe''d only be needed for the flowers.


    Queenie smiled slightly but didn''t say anything. us resumed his work, starting to build the Soul Temple where he had obtained the Nine Divine Soul Beads Art. He also nned to put some skills and techniques there¡ªfor sale, of course, but he had more ns in mind.


    "So, want to hear about the Immortal who came down from the Immortal Realm to hunt down a thief who stole her heart?" us asked with a yful smile.


    Queenie''s eyes perk hearing what he had just said. She nodded slightly ready to hear about this mysterious Immortal and the Thief who was bold enough to steal from her.


    us smiled and then began the epic tail.


    "Long ago, in the highest realm of immortals, there was an Immortal woman named ra. She was known for her beauty and unmatched strength on the battlefield. However, her heart was cold¡ªuntouched by love for centuries. No one could get close to her, not mortals, not gods.


    She ruled over the Immortal Realm with elegance, her dominion spreading far and wide. But there was one thing she kept hidden: a heart made of pure crystal, locked away in a temple, guarded by the fiercest of celestial beasts."


    us paused, ncing at Queenie to see if she was following, and she was. Her eyes were fixed on him, curious.


    "Enters the thief," us continued. "A man named Darion. He was a mortal, quick with his hands, quicker with his wit, and notorious for stealing treasures no one else dared to even look at. His reputation spread across realms, and soon enough, he heard about ra''s heart¡ªa prize unlike any other. The heart of an Immortal."


    He smiled, watching Queenie closely.


    "Of course, Darion didn''t know the full story. He thought it was just another priceless artifact, hidden away in a sacred temple. So, one moonless night, he slipped into the Immortal Realm. Avoiding the celestial guards, he broke into the temple, and there it was¡ªra''s heart, gleaming under the soft glow of the moonlight, encased in crystal."


    Queenie leaned in slightly, her interest piqued.


    "But as Darion touched the heart, something happened. The moment his fingers brushed against it, he felt an overwhelming warmth surge through him. It wasn''t just a treasure¡ªit was alive, pulsing with emotion, with life.


    However, in that instant, ra knew. She felt it, miles away in her pce. She felt a strange sensation she hadn''t felt in eons¡ªher heart, missing, her coldness melting."


    "Did he steal it?" Queenie asked softly, already invested.


    us grinned.


    "Oh, he did. He wrapped it in silk and fled the temple. But the moment he did, ra descended from the skies, her fury, unlike anything the realms had ever seen. She appeared before him, her silver hair flowing like a storm, eyes burning with rage.


    [Return what you''ve taken!] shemanded, her voice shaking the heavens."


    Queenie''s breath hitched slightly, absorbed in the story.


    "But Darion, ever the charmer, didn''t flinch. He looked at her, and for the first time, ra saw something different in his eyes¡ªsomething more than greed. He wasn''t afraid of her. And that confused her.


    [Why should I?] he asked with a smirk. [You never used it anyway.]"


    Queenie raised an eyebrow. "Bold."


    "Very," us agreed.


    "So what happened next" She asked


    "ra was furious. But instead of striking him down, she hesitated. For the first time in centuries, someone had spoken to her, not as a goddess, but as a woman. And Darion... well, he couldn''t help but be captivated by her beauty, her strength. He didn''t know what he was getting into."


    "And so began their chase. Darion ran, but ra was never far behind. Across mountains, oceans, and dimensions, she pursued him, demanding her heart back. But as the days passed, something changed between them.


    "Their chase became something more. ra, once cold and distant, began to smile¡ªat first, a small smile, then something warmer. And Darion, who once sought only riches, found himself more interested in ra herself.


    She was no longer just the Immortal whose heart he had stolen. She was ra, the woman he had somehow fallen for."


    "Did she ever get her heart back?" Queenie asked, her voice soft.


    us smiled, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.


    "That''s the thing. She didn''t need it back. Because Darion, without knowing it, had given her something else. He''d awakened feelings she''d long forgotten, a warmth she thought she''d never feel again. And as for Darion, well, he realized that the greatest treasure he''d ever stolen wasn''t her heart¡ªit was her love."


    Queenie blinked, clearly the story was having some impact on her. "So, what happened next?"


    us grinned.


    "They kept running. But this time, together. Darion still had her heart, but she didn''t mind anymore. They became partners in crime, slipping through the realms, outwitting gods and mortals alike.


    And as the legend goes, they were never caught¡ªnot because no one could catch them, but because they had finally found something worth running for."


    Queenie smiled, the hint of warmth in her expression unmistakable. "Not bad," she said softly. "Not bad at all."


    "d you enjoyed it," us replied, returning to his work, but not before giving her a wink. "Maybe one day I''ll tell you how it ends."


    "Wait, that Is not the ending" Queenie asked clearly hungry for more.


    "Oh my dear, there is more to just a mortal and an immortal running around stealing from demons and gods alike," us said with a grin.


    "I want to hear it, "Queenie said and for the first time, us saw some emotions in her eyes.


    "No can do my Overlord" But he wasn''t falling for that.


    "You..." Queenie pointed but us justughed as he focused on bringing out the finest details of the Soul Temple. Clearly, he had aplished yet another task.

 Chapter 248: Enlightenment [Bonus]

    "Hey, what are you doing?" us shouted, noticing Queenie ring at him for the past ten minutes.


    "Tell me the rest of the tale," she demanded.


    "No can do. I have to save some, or I''ll run out of stories to tell," us replied with a teasing smile, still working on modeling the Monastery. "We''ve got a whole month to ourselves, and I intend to spend every single day of it with you."


    "Why?" Queenie asked, genuinely puzzled.


    "How else am I going to find my way inside that heart of yours?" us joked, his smile widening.


    "Then tell me the rest of it," Queenie insisted again.


    "Nope," us said, shaking his head, fully aware that a single swing of her hand could end him. Still, he continued to tease her, knowing she wouldn''t really hurt him.


    Queenie wasn''t unreasonable. Yet, for us to be teasing her this much¡ªthe leader of the strongest people on Earth¡ªthat was bold. Too bold, even.


    But that was us¡ªalways daring, always pushing limits.


    Queenie crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at him, but there was a softness behind the re. us couldn''t help but smile to himself.


    She might be able to tear worlds apart with a thought, but right now, she was just Queenie¡ªcurious, a little frustrated, and maybe, just maybe, enjoying the game he was ying.


    us might not have noticed it, but the story he just told resonated deeply with Queenie. On one hand, there was the Immortal¡ªstrong, cold, and immensely powerful. On the other, the thief¡ªcunning, weak inparison, yet daring.


    And then there was her, Queenie, and there was us. The parallels between the story and their own dynamic weren''t random, and Queenie, paying closer attention now, couldn''t help but wonder.


    ''Was it just a coincidence, or had us nned it all along?''


    Either way, us had made more than just a minor impact. The story stirred something within her, something she hadn''t fully understood until now. As she processed what she had just learned, she realized that perhaps us wasn''t the only one waiting for the right time.


    Who knows¡ªmaybe the timeline us had set for himself, the one where he''d wait until he was strong enough, had just been fast-tracked. If it hadn''t already.


    "Tomorrow, you''re finishing the tale," Queenie said, taking the modeling pen and starting to design flowers on some of the trees us had modeled around the Soul Temple.


    "As you wish, mydy," us smiled, feeling both happy and aplished.


    A few hourster, the Soul Temple wasplete, and us began modeling streams and rivers around the Monastery. Throughout the process, aside from designing the flowers¡ªan area where us had given her free rein¡ªQueenie couldn''t help but be intrigued by the beauty and detail he put into the design.


    She wondered about many things, but couldn''t quite put her finger on it. The attention to detail, and the realism of the architecture, it was all too stunning for something created purely from imagination.


    Queenie loved ancient crafts¡ªadored them, even¡ªso seeing such meticulous care in the design left her wondering what went on in us''s mind.


    The kid was just full of wonders. He wasn''t only strong, intelligent, and charming, but was now also a great designer and storyteller. It was almost too much for one person, yet us was pulling it off effortlessly.


    "So far, how much have you aplished?" she decided to cut through with some questions.


    "About 45 percent," us answered.


    "45? And it''s already this stunning?" Queenie said, clearly taken aback by his answer.


    "Of course! I still have to add some statues, a stone tablet with some free mantras on it, the main temple, and the forbidden areas. I have a lot to add," us said, taking his mind back to the Monastery.


    Thanks to Fruity spending most of his dayszing around the Monastery, us managed to see a lot of things, and with his photographic memory, even without wanting to remember, the memories burned themselves into his brain.


    "You know mantras?" Queenie asked, intrigued.


    "I do," us answered without hesitation. If you''ve been around hundreds of monks and even became a monk yourself, you definitely know a few mantras.


    "Can I hear some?" Queenie asked.


    us stopped modeling for a minute and then looked at her.


    "Queenie dear, you don''t hear mantras; you recite them. I can teach you a few, but in return, I want to know more about Earth. And when I say Earth, I mean the hidden things you people don''t want the public to know."


    "Deal," Queenie answered instantly.


    "Wait, what?" us was taken aback by her answer. He expected some resistance, but it seemed there was none.


    Thanks to the inte, us hade across some conspiracy theories, and even though he knew most of them were just for clicks, he couldn''t help but believe a few. So, seeing someone with the authority to know these things, us was more than willing to try his luck.


    But he wasn''t sure she would take the bait; however, he underestimated how involved Queenie was with ancient knowledge.


    "Alright then, sit down and calm your heart. Then repeat after me," us said, waiting for her to get into position.


    "Soma Vira Shanti Hara," us said, reciting the string of words. Queenie repeated after him. He repeated it again and then added a few more words.


    Queenie followed him. Then he started saying more and more, and Queenie began to follow. Two minutester, us stopped saying the words, but Queenie kept mumbling them as she drifted into a state us just couldn''t understand.


    ''Senior, you won''t happen to know what is going on with her?'' us turned to the senior inside his soul sea.


    ''It''s called enlightenment. Unlike you, brat, some people are more in tune with their souls and the Laws, so it''s easy for them to enter this state. And before you ask, enlightenment is when someone reaches a deep understanding or self-awareness.


    This youngdy is now in a state where she isprehending something profound. It would be in your best interest not to disturb her or let anything interfere with her enlightenment. She is in a critical stage,'' the senior answered.


    ''So, can I also gain enlightenment?'' us asked.


    ''Focus on forming a Star Core first. You need to be a saint; only then can you start sensing thews of the elements. For now, there is nothing for you to get enlightened about.'' The senior''s voice almost sounded like he wanted tough at him.


    ''Okay, thanks, senior.'' us was happy becausetely, the senior had been teaching him more than he asked for.


    ''Just hurry up and break through to the Grandmaster stage so you can start cultivating the second stage of the Star Diagram.'' The senior''s voice faded.


    us smiled. Thanks to the first Star Diagram, he managed to be many times stronger due to his reckless action of transforming his energy source from spiritual qi to Star qi.


    He had asked the senior many times when he could start the second stage, but all he said was, he had to first be a saint. But it seemed that after his tribtions and training, he could now start that when he became a Grandmaster.


    He didn''t know what surprises the second stage would bring him, but he was certain it would be a good one. He took his phone and texted Lucil to inform Nari and the Nerds that he and Queenie wouldn''t being out for a while and that they shouldn''t worry about them for the time being.


    Of course, his text was as straightforward as it was typed, but Nari, who was now reading the message, held a smile that would haunt Queenie in the days toe.


    us went back to his modeling as he waited for Queenie to wake up.

 Chapter 249: Close Your Eyes [Bonus]

    Twenty-four hours passed in the blink of an eye, but Queenie was still not out of her enlightened state. us, of course, had also been modeling all night and day, not even stopping to take a break. The senior had told him not to do anything that would interfere with Queenie''s enlightenment.


    So, for the past 24 hours, he had modeled many things, managing to take the design from 45 percent to 70 percent. Now, he was in the process of modeling a few statues here and there while inscribing some mantras on them.


    Thanks to being grounded for a day, he managed to aplish more than he had anticipated.


    Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped to its lowest point. us stopped what he was doing and looked toward Queenie. The cold that settled in the room wasn''t just ice-cold; it was the chilling, bloodthirsty kind.


    ''Brat, pay attention to the mark floating above her head,'' the senior suddenly spoke from inside his soul sea.


    ''What is that, senior?'' us asked.


    ''You don''t need to know; just pay attention,'' the senior replied.


    us nodded and focused on the mark. It was an ''X'' with a sharp curve on the lower left line, glowing red and hovering above her head. He followed the senior''s instructions, watching as it slowly fell and merged with her forehead.


    As soon as it vanished into her forehead, Queenie''s eyes snapped open. For a second, within those bluish eyes, a red ''X'' mark appeared, glowing ominously. us''s back stiffened at the sight.


    ''That''s terrifying,'' he muttered. Queenie possessed a beautiful set of eyes, but when those marks appeared, she transformed from an immortal fairy to an immortal demon, even if it was just for a moment.


    "Are you okay?" Queenie''s soft voice suddenly reached his ears, snapping him back to his senses.


    "I am fine. How about you?'' us answered. Well, aside from being startled by her eyes for a bit, he was indeed okay.


    "Thank you," Queenie suddenly said.


    "About what?" us asked.


    "You have no idea what you''ve just helped me achieve. I owe you greatly, us, so thank you. I promise to tell you everything you want to know about the secrets of the Earth. But for now, I have to go away for a while. We probably won''t see each other for some time," Queenie said.


    "Oh," us muttered, clearly disappointed, but he held a smile on his face. However, Queenie knew he was disappointed. He had just helped her, and instead of repaying him, she was leaving. One might describe that as being cold.


    "I promise toe find you as soon as Ie out of seclusion, but for now, I really have to go. I''m truly sorry about how things turned out," Queenie apologized.


    "It''s alright. This seems to be important. Just don''t break your promise. I will be expecting to hear from you," us said with a smile, and Queenie smiled back.


    "Close your eyes," she said.


    "Uhm, why?" us asked.


    "Just close your eyes, us," Queenie said with a hasty smile. us sighed and then closed his eyes.


    ''Clearly, she didn''t want me looking at her when she vanished,'' us thought, but then he froze. His mind went nk.


    At that moment, a soft sensation touched his lips. His eyes suddenly snapped open, but nobody was in front of him. Queenie was long gone. However, she had left him with something.


    "I will take that as a win, but next time, you won''t get the chance to run," us muttered with a smile as he jumped onto his bed to catch some sleep while his mind was still fresh with the feeling of being kissed by an Overlord.


    =========


    Far away from Stone Valley, the space cracked open, tearing a rift in the air. From within the dark opening, twodies emerged, floating gracefully.


    One had fiery red hair and crimson eyes, while the other possessed long, whitish-blue hair and ocean-blue eyes. They each resembled fairies, exuding a beauty that would make any man yearn to witness them.


    "Big Sister, what happened? Why did you drag me away? I thought we would be spending the whole month with us and the Nerds," Nari asked, looking at Queenie.


    "He helped me, Nari. us has truly helped me," Queenie said, her eyes slightly emotional.


    "I know, sister. Congrattions on losing your virginity!" Nari suddenly eximed with a smile.


    "Stupid! What nonsense are you talking about? I meant to say us helped me break through to the final step," Queenie replied with a frown.


    "Wait, what?" Nari shouted, clearly taken aback. "You mean you can now make preparations and breakthrough?" she asked.


    "Yes! I can finally break through to the stage above Ascension," Queenie said with a smile. Nari''s eyes welled up with tears as she jumped into Queenie''s embrace, clearly ted. All the Overlords are at this Ascension stage, so getting the chance to breakthrough is a huge one for any of them


    After a few seconds, she broke the hug and wiped her tears. "So, you''re leaving, huh?" she asked.


    "Yes. Thatdy said when I am ready, I shoulde. You know, because of my special situation, if I attempt to break through here, it could cause damage to the world, if not destroy it," Queenie exined.


    "Big Sister, do you trust her? We don''t really know anything about her," Nari said, her gaze skeptical.


    "Well, she did mention that she has people she cares about in this world, so I''m sure she wouldn''t do anything bad to one of its strongest protectors. Right now, she is the only one I can count on to help me, so I have to leave. And you should return to the Triangle and ensure all operations are in order.


    I''m leaving my duties in your hands. Dharma and Mira will assist you. Also, make sure the arrangements are in ce for the new batch of disciplesing this year," Queenie instructed.


    "I will, Big Sister. Just promise me you''ll finish up there ande back quickly. I''m not one to follow the rules, so I might cause more damage than fix things," Nari replied.


    "That''s why Dharma and Mira will be assisting you," Queenie said with a smile.


    Nari returned the smile, clearly aware that Queenie was only leaving her a professional courtesy. Queeny knew Nari wouldn''t be able to keep things stable for long. So she is leaving Dharma and Mira, two of the other Overlords to assist, more like do her job.


    Nari was just too destructive. She wasn''t a fixer; she was more of a destroyer.


    "What about us? Aren''t you concerned about his situation with the Dark Order? He''s still too young to go against those idiots, you know," Nari asked, her expression filled with concern.


    "Don''t worry about him; he''s not as simple as you think. I know he''ll be fine. It''s the Dark Order we should be concerned about," Queenie said with a proud smile.


    "Look at you¡ªone kiss, and you''re already on cloud nine. Just wait until you''re back," Nari teased before vanishing as she always did. However, as always, she left one final remark echoing in the air.


    "You should probably prepare for your next meeting with him; I know it''s going to be wild." Queenie could only smile and wave her hand. The space cracked open again, and she stepped through, disappearing into the void.


    In a ce where the space seemed both unstable and stable, cracks tore open the Void. From within this void, Queenie emerged looking like she was in a shback. The color in the environment was a little faded.


    As soon as she appeared, her gaze fell upon ady with long silver-purple hair, whitish-purple eyes, and a figure that exuded both grace and strength.


    "You came faster than I expected," thedy said with a small smile.


    "I had some unexpected help," Queenie replied, returning the smile.


    "Good, let''s go." Thedy waved her hand, and a purple aura enveloped Queenie. Before she could react, they both vanished.

 Chapter 250: One True Opponent

    "us, are Big Sister Queenie and Nira are gone for good," Lucil asked.After three days of modeling, us finally came out of his room when Logan informed him that they were ready for the next testing and training phase.


    "Yes, something came up, so she had to leave," us said, knowing full well that Queenie wouldn''t have left unless something incredibly important had happened. Not that he wasining¡ªshe did leave him with a kiss, and that counted for something.


    "How are the preparations?" us asked, not wanting to dwell on Queenie''s issues any longer. One way or another, they would meet again.


    "Well, us, I guess today is the day you''ll be facing a real opponent," Joon chimed in.


    "The data we collected from yourst battle with the Mecha Zombie was more valuable than we initially thought. I can confidently say that if the Regional Trial were to be run again, the top 1,000 would be selected in under 30 minutes.


    "Although we haven''t yet gained the same battle experience one might acquire in the real world, we''re close¡ªabout 97% close. After today''s battle and testing, we''ll finally achieve what we''ve been striving for all these years. And it''s all thanks to you, us," Joon exined, his smile brimming with excitement.


    "It was a team effort," us brushed off the praise.


    However, he underestimated the joy he had brought to the Nerds. The realism us had helped them bring into Oracle was so profound that they wouldn''t have been able to achieve it without him.


    "Let me show you the new adjustments I made to the Mecha Zombie for today''s battle," Lucil said.


    Although her two big sisters were gone, she was happy that us was still there. After all, he was the main reason she had decided toe to Oracle for the month.


    They walked to her workstation, where she projected the new Mecha Zombie design. us was immediately taken aback by its appearance. It was still 3 meters tall, but now its build was both terrifying and dangerously elegant.


    "I''ve added two more Spirit Weapons. The first one is called ''Web Cuts.'' As the name suggests, they''re strings that can weave through the air. Without enhanced sight or senses, you could lose your head or legs without even knowing how it happened."


    "Wait, are those real Spirit Weapons?" us asked, his eyes lighting up.


    "Yes," Lucil confirmed, making us nod with a smile. ''I''m getting one of those the moment I leave this ce,'' he thought to himself.


    "What''s the other one called?" us asked.


    "''Pincer Bees Pole.'' Do you see those small markings on the pole? They''re actually tiny bees with pincers sharp enough to pierce deeper than a needle. And guess what¡ªthey''re poisonous. When they sting, the poison enters your system.


    "This is just a smaller version of the pole, so it only holds 270 bees in total, but the Mecha Zombie can deploy all 270 if needed," Lucil exined.


    ''I guess I''ll need to pay more attention to these Spirit Weapons,'' us thought, his curiosity piqued. He wanted nothing more than to get his hands on them. As a Weapons Overlord, us had a special connection to all weapons, making anything in his hands deadly.


    Of course, he hadn''t yet unlocked the full potential of his ss, but he was connected to every weapon he wielded, and with enough training, he knew he could be lethal even with a simple stick.


    ''How exciting,'' he cheered inwardly.


    "Alright, what else?" us asked.


    "Apart from the Spirit Weapons, I''ve added two more fire-based skills and two ice-based skills. So, expect some wild attacks from the Mecha this time. I''ve also strengthened its defenses.


    "Even though its stats are 20% higher than normal, now that the data has helped us fix most of the realism issues, you should prepare for a chaotic battle," Lucil said, already eager to record and share the amazing battles with the other executives of the Knights of House us.


    "Alright then, let''s get started," us said, eager to face this battle machine.


    While every warrior is required to hunt monsters to level up, the risk is incredibly high, especially when using those battles for training. That''s where Oraclees in¡ªallowing warriors to train and master their skills and techniques before facing real monsters.


    This would help minimize casualties when fighting real threats. Oracle simplifies and enhances training since you can adjust the strength of the monsters at will.


    Although Oracle doesn''t replicate the same rush of knowing a single death could end your warrior career, since you respawn after dying, it still prepares warriors for the brutal reality of the Forbidden Zones and Death Zones.


    After Lucil helped us put on the helmet, he entered Oracle. He quickly selected his sword and the Viper Piercing Needle, then readied himself for his opponent to appear.


    It didn''t take long for the Mecha Zombie to materialize. us smiled, sensing its imposing presence, now even more intense than before.


    He knew the tech nerds had finally fixed what had been weakening Oracle''s challenge, and he was eager for a real fight.


    "Alright, let''s see how long this canst," he said. With that, his sword shed forward, sending a sharp, crescent-shaped arc of fire toward the Mecha Zombie.


    In response, one of the spirit weapons¡ªthe razor disc¡ªshot forward, cutting the fire arc in half, destroying us''s test attack.


    "How exciting," he muttered.


    And with that, the real battle began. His Void Piercing Needle formed and darted toward the razor disc. At the same time, two more fire arcs shed out, cutting down two strings that had formed.


    us immediately realized he had to stay proactive in this fight; otherwise, he''d die before even understanding how it happened. Before attacking again, his eyes turned red, enhancing his awareness of everything around him.


    us dashed forward, ready to sh swords with the Mecha Zombie. But as soon as he moved, a spike made of ice appeared behind him. Before us could react, the spike shot forward, aimed directly at his spine.


    He twisted his body, shing his sword backward, coating it with fire essence. However, just as his two attacks were about to connect, us sensed a sharp cut headed toward him¡ªit was the Razor Disc.


    us had to act fast. He quickly directed the Void Piercing Needle to intercept the Razor Disc. But at the same moment, he heard a buzzing sound behind him. Without even turning his head, he sensed 270 bees rapidly closing in.


    "Wow, this is wild," us muttered, feeling the pressure for the first time in this training session. He knew he had to take control of the situation or he''d be overwhelmed.


    As a Tier 3 expert facing a Tier 7 target with its stats amplified by 20%, the odds were heavily stacked against him. But us wasn''t worried¡ªhe still had a few tricks up his sleeve.


    His sword met the ice spike shattering into into splinters.


    Now free from the spike''s sneak attack, us darted toward the Mecha Zombie, but not before addressing the bees. With a snap of his fingers, a small fireball appeared. With just a flick, the fireball shot toward the bees, exploding before they could get close. The swarm was neutralized.


    "Boom!" The two finally shed, their swords meeting with a thunderous impact.


    Chapter Enjoy:


    "Again!" us shouted, lunging at the Mecha Zombie once more.


    us and the Mecha Zombie exchanged sword strikes, the sound of metal ringing through the air. us swung his de, aiming for the Mecha''s chest, but it blocked the attack with ease. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the ground.


    The Mecha countered, shing down at us''s head. He sidestepped just in time, the de whistling past his ear. He retaliated with a swift upward strike, his sword glowing with fire essence. It connected, but only managed to graze the Mecha''s armored chest.


    They circled each other, both calcting their next move. The Mecha lunged, swinging its sword in a wide arc. us ducked under it and shed at its legs. Sparks flew as his de scraped against metal, but the Mecha barely flinched.


    "Excellent Awareness, adaptability, and great skills, how exciting" us muttered knowing he had a chaotic battle ahead of him.

 Chapter 251: Fighting Against The Algorithm

    One might think us was fighting a mere machine, which is partly true¡ªbut this Mecha Zombie is as real as it gets in Oracle. Normally, a machine like this wouldn''t tire or make mistakes.


    But that would defeat the purpose of what the Nerds were trying to achieve. They aren''t just building a virtual world where warriors can train against monsters and zombies¡ªthey''re creating a system that simtes real-lifebat scenarios.


    Yes, they''re designing a system that can mimic any form ofbat, whether it''s a battle of attrition, a fight of precision, or any other style. If your strategy is to wear down your opponent before going for the kill, Oracle is designed to amodate that.


    As you get tired, so will the monster you''re fighting. The Mecha Zombie has stamina points, just like you. It also has a pool of spiritual Qi, just like you. This means you won''t be fighting against an endless, tireless machine.


    However, since this is aputer-generated simtion, there will be some enhancements¡ªslight improvements in how the monsters coordinate their attacks or adapt to your strategies.


    Right now, us is battling a Mecha Zombie specifically designed forbat and data gathering. Essentially, it''s a sparring partner that collects data to help refine the system for this ambitious project.


    And with its enhancedbat prowess, us is now experiencing what truebat looks and feels like.


    us grinned, seeing the dent in the Mecha Zombie''s armor. He pressed the attack, swinging his sword in a wide arc, but the Mecha wasn''t done yet. It suddenly unleashed a burst of fire from its hand, forcing us to leap back.


    Before he could recover, the Mecha followed up with a sharp st of ice, freezing the ground in front of it. us slipped slightly but quickly regained his footing. He raised his sword, watching the Mecha carefully.


    The Mecha charged again, its de glowing red with fire energy. It shed down at us, sending a wave of mes with it. us twisted his body and dodged to the side, but the heat still scorched his arm. He winced but didn''t let up.


    us retaliated with his own fire-infused sh, aiming for the Mecha''s neck. Their swords met again, sparks flying. The Mecha countered immediately, releasing an icy wave that covered us''s de in frost, slowing him down.


    us gritted his teeth but a grin on his face. He swung his sword with all his might, shattering the ice around his de. The Mecha came at him again, alternating between fire and ice attacks. It would sh with a fiery sword one moment, then send shards of ice flying toward him the next.


    For a few minutes, the battlefield became a chaotic blend of fire and ice. us dodged, blocked, and countered as best he could.


    The Mecha suddenlyunched a massive fireball from its chest. us barely had time to react, raising his sword andcing it with fire essence to deflect the attack.


    The fireball exploded on impact, sending mes in all directions. us skidded back, smoke rising from his scorched boots.


    "This is exciting," us said with a grin as he shed his sword, fire essence surging through it. He unleashed a series of fiery arcs, each one aimed directly at the Mecha Zombie.


    In response, the Mecha''s sword shifted, transforming into a spear. It began spinning the spear rapidly, creating a shield of energy that deflected the fire arcs with ease. Each arc splintered on contact, sending sparks into the air.


    us narrowed his eyes. "A spear now? Alright, let''s see what you''ve got," he muttered, gripping his sword tighter.


    The dynamic weapon system was something Lucil implemented a few days into the training and testing sessions. It can switch from Sword to Spear and then to Dagger.


    And from the way the Zombie is using it, us knew the moment it changes weapon, it gains the expertise to use it. It''s kind of a knockoff of his Weapons Overlord ss.


    The Mecha didn''t waste time. It lunged forward, spinning the spear like a whirlwind, generating both fire and ice as it charged. us barely sidestepped the initial strike, feeling the heat from the fire and the chill from the ice as they grazed past him.


    The Mecha pivoted quickly, aiming another strike at us''s chest. He blocked the spear with his sword, but the force of the impact sent a shock through his arms. The Mecha spun again,unching an icy spearhead toward him.


    us reacted quickly, slicing through the ice spear with his de, shattering it mid-air. He leaped forward, aiming a powerful sh at the Mecha''s side. But the Mecha spun its spear again, this time releasing a fiery explosion that knocked us back once more.


    He rolled on the ground and sprang to his feet, his sword glowing with energy.


    "You''re getting tougher by the minute," us said, his eyes shimmering with excitement. "But it''s exciting!"


    us knew that if he summoned the Fire Dragon and the Ice Lotus, this battle would be over quickly, defeating the purpose of what they were trying to achieve. He needed to focus on his Moon sh skill, along with his fire and ice elements, and the Void Piercing Needle.


    The Mecha Zombie suddenly changed tactics again. Its spear transformed into a dagger, sleek and deadly. With a swift motion, it lunged at us, aiming for his midsection.


    us reacted quickly, ducking under the dagger''s thrust. He countered with a fire-infused sh, aiming for the Mecha''s arm. The de connected, leaving a mark but not enough to slow it down.


    The Mecha, undeterred, spun around and shed with the dagger, sending out a wave of ice toward us. He sidestepped just in time, feeling the cold rush past him.


    Not giving him a moment to breathe, the Mecha lunged again, this time with a series of quick, precise thrusts. us blocked each one, the sound of shing metal ringing in his ears.


    "What an eye-opening experience," us muttered, defending and countering the attacks as the Mecha switched between weapons. One moment it wielded a dagger, the next a spear, and then a sword. The fluidity was mesmerizing.


    As a Weapons Overlord, experiencing this was kind of a revtion. It made him crave more challenges. However, he could feel his energy waning. He knew the Zombie had to be tiring, too. Fighting an opponent four realms above him was exhausting.


    The Mecha Zombie swung its dagger again, aiming for us''s side. us blocked, but the force of the impact rattled him. Before he could regain his footing, the Mecha switched to its spear and thrust it forward. us rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp tip.


    Suddenly, the Mecha unleashed the Razor Disc, sending it spinning toward us. He reacted quickly, slicing through the disc with his sword, but the attack distracted him just long enough for the Mecha to close in again.


    With swift movements, the Mechaunched a series of strings, weaving them expertly in the air. The strings were almost invisible, making them hard to dodge. us felt one brush against his arm, freezing him slightly. He quickly shook it off and focused.


    Chapter Experience:


    He could see the 270 bees buzzing behind the Mecha, ready to strike. The Mechamanded them to swarm us, and he felt a wave of panic.


    "Interesting" he muttered, igniting his sword with fire essence. He swung it in a wide arc, creating a barrier of mes that pushed the bees back. The fire sizzled as it met the swarm, neutralizing several of the insects.


    The Mecha took this moment to throw the dagger, aiming directly at us''s heart. He ducked, narrowly avoiding it, but the dagger embedded itself into the ground behind him.


    us seized the opportunity to attack. He lunged forward, channeling his fire essence into a powerful sh. The Mecha quickly shifted to block with its spear, but us''s attack was strong.


    They collided with a loud crash, sending shockwaves through the air. us could see the tiredness in the Mecha''s movements. He pushed forward, using that to his advantage.


    The Mecha staggered back, its three spirit weapons swirling around it¡ªRazor Disc, ice strings, and the buzzing bees, all ready to defend. us smiles knowing he has finally found the One True Opponent, even if he is giving it handicaps.


    "Uhm us, we have collected all the needed data we needed, you can end the battle if you want" Just when us was about to attack again, Joons voice entered his head.


    "Oh, Alright" us smiled and with a flick, the Ice Lotus appeared

 Chapter 252: Leaving after A Month

    Immediately the Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom appeared, the entire battlefield froze, dropping the temperature to an extreme low.


    us didn''t waste any time. He quickly activated the Absolute Ice Domain, enveloping the Mecha Zombie. The Mecha reacted instantly, raising fire in defense, but us was faster.


    He activated the Ice Beam skill of the Ice Lotus, shooting a beam of ice that instantly froze the Mecha in ce. It was just a split second of freezing, but us countered quickly with a Moon sh, sending a crescent-shaped fire arc.


    Before the Mecha could break free from the ice bind, the fire arc connected, severing its sword-wielding arm. us aimed for its head, but the Zombie broke free at thest moment, shifting its body slightly.


    This showed that the awareness and adaptability they were working on, was a sess. Despite the quick attack from the moment the Ice Lotus appeared to us''s strike, the Mecha managed to adapt and nearly evade his attack.


    But with one arm gone, it was practically finished. Still, the Mecha didn''t give up. It retaliated by sending all its spirit weapons at us. But he was a step ahead. The Void Piercing Needle shed forward, striking through the Mecha''s head.


    It whipped through countless times, each strike drawing holes in its body. Within a second, hundreds of holes littered the Zombie''s form, making it dissipate into nothingness.


    us sighed, feeling his body ache from the battle. The fight had proven that he needed to take his mastery of both hand-to-hand weapons and spirit weapons seriously.


    Although the Mecha was programmed to use three spirit weapons, us knew it would be incredible if he could do something like that himself.


    He thought about Lulu Arcadia. She would definitely be able to pull off such impressive feats. Lulu''s mental strength was higher than his, but he was making progress.


    Feeling his body ache, us realized that if it hadn''t been for the Blood Moon Transformation during his fight against the Demon Zombies, he would have likely died.


    Although the Mecha Zombie was a blend of two of the strongest zombies he had faced, augmented with fictional adjustments, it was enough to remind him that he was not invincible.


    With a sigh, he exited the Oracle, waking up in the game chair.


    "us, we have gathered all the data for thest phase of the design. We will need at least a whole week to make the necessary adjustments. It''s all thanks to you." Lucil was there to wee him like always.


    "That''s great, I guess," us said with a smile. He had achieved what they wanted in just two weeks, which was a huge win for both of them.


    "So, will you leave now that you''ve fixed the problem?" Lucia asked, her voice soft. It was clear she wasn''t ready to say goodbye to him.


    "No, I''ll be staying for the next two weeks," us replied. "Even after fixing everything, I still need to test a few things. I can''t just leave yet. Plus, I''m not done with my other project, so I''ll finish that before I head out." His words made Lucil smile brightly.


    "Great! Then I''ll wrap up setting the next challenge for the Union Trial quickly, so I can join you and see more of what you''re working on," Lucil said, clearly excited.


    us nodded, then briefed the tech team on a few adjustments they needed to make before retiring to his room. He still had some modeling toplete to finish the Monastery, so he wasted no time getting back to work.


    A week passed quickly, marking us''s third week at Stone Valley. During this time, he achieved significant progress.


    He had managed to model about 98% of the Monastery, with the remaining 2% consisting of techniques he hadn''t added yet and some final details he nned to incorporate.


    He even went ahead and modeled the mysterious ce where he had received the Nine Divine Soul Beads. Naturally, he made that location private, essible only to him or those he granted permission to.


    us intended to fill it with valuable resources, so those granted ess would have a variety of options to choose from.


    Beyond that, us had also made strides in his Spirit Master training. Three weeks ago, he could only control 120 needles; now, he has increased that number to 130. Progress was slow due to theck of proper facilities for his mental training, but it was progress nheless.


    He also made headway in his attempts to use the Ice Lotus and me Dragon to absorb the golden energy within his soul sea.


    However, he hadn''t tried it yet, as the senior had warned him that any reckless attempt could result in injury or, worse, destroy his element entirely for an unknown period.


    Because of this, us had spent the past week observing and studying the golden energy, trying to understand it better.


    After careful analysis, he believed he had found a safe way to absorb it¡ªor at least, he hoped it was safe. He nned to attempt the absorption as soon as he returned home.


    Aside from the Monastery modeling, training his mind, and meditating, us never missed a day of watching the sunset. Even after Queenie left, he always made his way up to watch it. It was a deeply calming moment for him.


    It helps him calm down after a hard day of work.


    Then came the fourth and final week of his stay at Stone Valley. Early in that week, he once again battled the newly upgraded Mecha. After a hard and grueling fight, he managed to defeat it.


    He went on to test otherbat forms once the fixes were implemented, and after some adjustments, they managed toplete everything by the third day of the fourth week.


    us spent the remaining days adding the final details he wanted for the Monastery before handing it over to the Nerds, who were shocked when they saw it.


    The entire structure spanned several kilometers, and us made sure to include as much as he could remember. The Nerds, and of course, Lucil, were thrilled to see such an ancient design brought to life in the Oracle.


    They even promised us they''d send over a modeling table once he returned home, so he could continue adding features whenever he wanted.


    Before long, us''s final day in Stone Valley arrived. He finished everything he needed to and even took a quick tour around the area with Lucil as his guide. Once that was done, he made his way to thending pad, ready to get back to Ross City. Chapter Your:


    "Nice working with you, us. Without your help, we wouldn''t have been able to fix the issue anytime soon. Thank you," Joon said, extending his hand for a firm handshake as they stood near thending pad.


    us returned the handshake with a smile. "It was a team effort, but I''m d I could help," he replied.


    "Thanks again. Very soon, we''ll beunching to the general public. We''ll send you a helmet when everything''s ready, and you''ll get an invite to theunch as well.


    I know you''ll say it''s not necessary, but your name will be added as a co-creator, so be sure to attend theunch," Joon added with a grin.


    "I''ll keep my schedule open for that," us said.


    "Take care, Lucil, and give Joon a break¡ªhe''s a great guy," us said before boarding the jet. Before long, he was on his way back to Ross City, ready to spend the next month strengthening his me Dragon and Ice Lotus in preparation for the Genius Gathering at Sinji Valley.

 Chapter 253: The Twin Job

    Chapter Read:


    Liu Yang is a middle-aged man with an awful taste in music. His ylist is a disaster. It''s like he has no idea what he''s doing. One minute, it''s ear-splitting heavy metal, the next, it''s bubblegum pop, then some random folk song no one''s ever heard of.


    He skips tracks like he''s searching for treasure in a junkyard¡ªonly finding noise. His music is chaotic, an assault on the ears.


    Whenever he''s driving, the cars around him suffer. Drivers behind him honk like they''re begging for mercy, and anyone ahead speeds up, desperate to escape the madness. His music doesn''t just y¡ªit invades. It feels like it rattles the entire road.


    But Liu Yang doesn''t care. Does he hate the constant curses raining down on him? Probably. But he doesn''t have time for that.


    Aside from his terrible taste in music, Liu Yang is actually a brilliant ountant. His skill with money is so sharp that if the entire fortune of the world were handed to him, he could handle it with ease.


    He works for The Golden Lock National Bank in Kenshin City, located in the Northern Region of the Northern Union.


    As one of their top assistants, Liu Yang earns enough to afford luxurious cars, mansions, and even plenty to spend on beautiful, hot women.


    But does he really make that much from working at a bank? Probably not. And it''s true¡ªhe isn''t just an ountant for an ordinary bank. Liu Yang alsounders money for a notorious mafia group called One Eye de Mark.


    They are infamous for many things: extortion, drug trafficking, illegal weapons deals, and underground gambling rings. They control the ck market with an iron grip, and their assassins are feared across the region.


    They specialize in making people disappear without a trace. Rumor has it they even have connections to corrupt families andw enforcement.


    Anything bad happening in the Eastern Region has the One Eye de Mark''s name all over it. They''re a menace in that part of the world.


    However, Liu Yang doesn''t care. As an ountant for such a notorious mafia group, he earns more than enough to keep his mouth shut and do his job. He''s been working for them for the past 14 years.


    But every bad thing eventuallyes to an end. A rival group, long suppressed by the One Eye de Mark, discovered Liu Yang''s connection to them.


    They knew that to strike where it really hurt, they''d need to take out the person handling their money. So, in their ever-cautious approach, they hired assassins from an organization known for its lethal efficiency, a group even the One Eye de Mark wouldn''t dare retaliate against.


    They hired an assassin from the Dark Order.


    Today, Liu Yang is headed to a wedding for one of his cousins in a neighboring city, beaming with joy. However, his joy will be short-lived, as today will be hisst day alive.


    The assassin sent to kill him was also attending the same wedding, ready to carry out the hit. Liu Yang''s days of crime will end before he even realizes it.


    The wedding began as expected, filled with joy. Family and friends cheered, danced, and celebrated this beautiful day. Liu Yang was part of the festivities,pletely unaware of the danger looming over him.


    As the evening came and refreshments were served, Liu Yang stayed behind to chat with some close family members before leaving.


    "Liu Yang, you really should settle down and get married. You''re 32 already," an elderly woman¡ªprobably his grandmother¡ªremarked.


    Liu Yang smiled at herment. It wasn''t the first time he''d heard that. Every family gathering came with scoldings about settling down. But Liu Yang preferred the asional one-night stand and partying, with no intention of settling down anytime soon.


    "I will, Grandma. I just haven''t found the right one yet," Liu Yang replied with a small smile ying on his lips.


    "I''ve already told you not to worry about that. There are plenty ofdies¡ªsome of my friends'' daughters¡ªthat I can introduce you to. You just need to make yourself avable," another woman, younger than the first, spoke up.


    "Mom, I appreciate that, but I''m working on it. It won''t be long now until we''re meeting for my wedding," Liu Yang said reassuringly.


    "You''d better, or I''ll end up choosing someone for you," both his mother and grandmother chimed in. After a while, following various family conversations, Liu Yang excused himself and went to his room.


    The house was a massive mansion with numerous rooms, and Liu Yang had one all to himself. When he entered, he was greeted by the sight of arge bed. Without bothering to undress, he jumped onto the bed, exhausted.


    A short whileter, the flickering shadow of amp beside the bed shifted. From the shadow, a masked woman emerged, her eyes and nose concealed, a dagger clutched in her right hand.


    Without hesitation, she silently moved toward the bed, ready toplete the mission she''d been nning for a while. She had been observing Liu Yang for some time, and now was the moment to strike.


    However, just as she was about to deliver the fatal blow, three figures emerged from the bathroom. They moved with an eerie silence, their presence only bing apparent as they stepped into the room¡ªas if they had been lifeless bodies just moments before.


    "You really thought we wouldn''t know you''de for our ountant?" one of the three neers said, his aura ring, sealing off the room.


    "Those Green Silk Daemons are finished," another one added. Somehow, they had discovered that their rival mafia gang, the Green Silk Daemons, had hired the Dark Order to assassinate the One Eye de Mark''s ountant, Liu Yang.


    Of course, it was just spection at first, so the three who managed to find out this news wanted to find out first before going to their leader to report.


    They wanted to earn the credit of killing a Dark Order Assassin and protecting their asset. And So, they have been following Liu Yang always ready to act.


    The assassin, a masked woman, stared at them, momentarily unsure of how to proceed. She is a Great Sage, but so are the two of the three people standing before her. Two were Great Sages, and one was a Sage.


    As for Liu Yang, he had passed out from the overwhelming energy filling the room.


    With no way out, the assassin realized she was trapped. She couldn''t escape the way she came, but the window was on the opposite side of the room. Her only option now was to abandon the hit and face these new opponents.


    But just as she made up her mind to attack, she suddenly froze. Before she could move, a dagger emerged from the shadow of one of the Great Sages and slit his throat. At the same time, the Sage was pulled into his own shadow and disappeared without a trace.


    Thest remaining Great Sage reacted swiftly, lunging at the assassin with his sword drawn. She responded by raising her dagger. But before their weapons could sh, shadowy strings shot from the darkness, binding him instantly.


    The strings dragged him back, and as he was struggling to understand what was happening, a masked figure stepped out of the shadows and drove a dagger straight into his heart.


    But it didn''t end there. The strings snaked across the room and stabbed into Liu Yang''s head, killing him instantly in his sleep.


    Everything happened so fast that no one could make sense of who this new intruder was. As thest Great Sage''s body hit the floor with a heavy thud, a calm yet mocking voice came from the mysterious figure.


    "You''ve gotten sloppy, sister."

 Chapter 254: Absorbing The Fire Tulip

    As soon as us returned from Stone Valley, he went into seclusion to tackle something he had been putting off for too long. When he killed the Fire Horn Leopard in the Fire Region of the Demon''s Abode, he obtained a rare flower called the Fire Tulip.


    ording to the senior, absorbing it would enhance his control over fire and grant him a certain degree of fire resistance. us had either postponed it or, more truthfully, forgotten about it. The were many things he was dealing with.


    However, on his way back from Stone Valley, he remembered. So after spending a few hours with his mom and Miriam, he entered seclusion to finally consume it.


    Now, sitting in lotus posture inside his training room, us retrieved the Fire Tulip, and immediately, the temperature spiked.


    "It''s hot," us muttered.


    Despite having the fire element, powerful mes could still burn him. He hadn''t achieved full-fire immunity yet. Even someone like Nari, who had stronger control over the me element, still got burned when touching extremely powerful mes.


    "Okay, Senior, how do I absorb this?" us asked the senior inside his soul sea.


    "Eat it," the senior replied instantly.


    "Wait, what? Are you trying to kill me? You want me to eat this hot thing?" us was taken aback. The flower in his hand was already scorching, yet the senior expected him to put it in his mouth. That felt like a death wish.


    "How else are you going to absorb it? Eat it, and the full essence of the flower will be absorbed into your body," the senior replied, offering no other alternatives.


    us sighed, knowing he had no choice but to follow the senior''s instructions¡ªnot that he liked the idea one bit.


    Steeling himself, he opened his mouth and bit down on the entire tulip. He barely had time to chew before the flower dissolved in his mouth, instantly getting absorbed into his body.


    Hot smoke escaped from the corners of his lips as the fiery essence entered him. At the same time, us felt his body heating up rapidly.


    His skin started turning red as the me''s essence began to integrate into his body. His appearance is enough to tell one that he is enduring a lot of torture.


    us gritted his teeth as the heat inside his body intensified. His skin turned a deeper shade of red, and he could feel the fire essence spreading through his veins like moltenva. Every cell in his body seemed to burn, the heat bing almost unbearable.


    His breath came in ragged gasps as waves of fiery energy surged through him. He could feel the Fire Tulip''s essence merging with his core, but the pain was intense. Sweat poured from his body, evaporating almost as soon as it appeared.


    us forced himself to stay calm, knowing that resisting the process would only make things worse. He focused on controlling his breathing, trying to guide the energy flow within him. The heat in his chest built up, almost as if his heart was about to explode.


    Suddenly, a sharp burning sensation spread through his entire body. us clenched his fists, trying to stay grounded as the heat continued to rise. His muscles tensed, and he could feel the fire essence rushing to his fire element, where it began to settle.


    Slowly, the burning sensation started to fade, and his skin returned to its normal color. The fiery energy still lingered, but now it felt more manageable. His body was absorbing the essence, refining it, and us could sense his control over the fire element bing stronger.


    His body, though still hot, was no longer burning. The intense heat had reduced to a steady warmth, pulsing within him. The process was almostplete.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, us took a deep breath. The absorption was done. He had survived.


    At the same time, messages shed before us''s eyes.


    [You have absorbed arge amount of Pure Fire Essence.]


    [Your Fire Mastery has increased significantly.]


    [Your Fire Resistance has increased significantly.]


    "I didn''t know the system could do that," us muttered. The system interface that appeared after awakening had always been a mystery to everyone. Nobody fully understood it, and us was even more clueless.


    As someone who dropped out of school, us had always seen the system as nothing more than a screen that disyed his status and kills. Seeing these new messages felt like a wake-up call.


    He knew if he asked the senior about it, he''d just shrug it off, so instead, us decided to ask a question that was more pressing at the moment.


    "Senior, what are the stages of elemental mastery? You mentioned something about Elemental Laws too. Could you exin a bit more? At least give me something," us asked, hoping not to walk away empty-handed.


    "I can answer your first question, but as for the second... you know why I won''t say much," the senior replied, making us smile.


    "Elemental Mastery progresses through the following stages: D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, SSS+, SSE, and SE. Each stage reflects how much control you''ve gained over the elements you have an affinity for. To advance, you need to cultivate by absorbingrge amounts of elemental essence.


    A good example is the Fire Tulip you just absorbed. But that''s not all. Once you be a Saint and form a Star Core, you''ll begin to sense the Laws associated with your elements. And though I won''t go into detail, most people awaken the true form of their elements starting at the Saint stage."


    "Like my fire element?" us asked.


    "Yes. Although you''ve awakened it, you still don''t have ess to its full form. So, for now, you''re not even at the D stage," the senior rified.


    "How can I increase my mastery to reach that stage?" us asked, intrigued.


    "There are several ways. First, you can cultivate in extremely hot environments for fire elements, or in cold, freezing ces for ice.


    Another way is to practice manipting your elements in as many ways as you can think of. This can trigger changes that might help raise your mastery. You can try molding different shapes and forms and see if you can trigger a change.


    You can also fight others with simr elemental affinities. Battles can teach you new ways to control your element or reveal unknown strengths you didn''t know you had. Realizing something like that can improve your mastery.


    The easiest method is to kill more devils or high-level monsters and absorb their cores, as you''ve already started doing. I won''t go deep into it now, but there are other treasures out there that can help you immensely.


    As you grow stronger, you''ll discover more methods," the senior concluded.


    "Thank you. I guess I have to step up my game," us said. He had awakened nine different types of fire elements, and although he didn''t yet have mastery over even one, he had already seen significant improvement.


    He could use fire for attacks while the me dragon was also rampaging. So that alone gave him confidence that once he fully awakened all nine, his power would be formidable.


    In addition to that, us was also making ns to awaken the lightning element during his next tribtion. From what he had experienced in the Fire Region, unlocking the lightning element would make it easier for him to face the challenges of the tribtion.


    First, us intended to hunt some lightning-type monsters in preparation for his breakthrough. He was currently at Level 8, but with the number of cores given to him by Dave Arcadia, he knew he would soon bridge the remaining gap.


    Having made up his mind about his next course of action, us left the training room to rx for a while. He remembered Luna, the assassin who had tried to kill him in the Devil''s Abode, would be arriving soon. He had given her a month, and that month was already up.


    It was time for him to start making some bold moves; the Dark Order wouldn''t kill themselves, so somebody had to.

 Chapter 255: Getting a Visit From Your Past Self

    With Hanna still in seclusion, us only has to spend time with his mom and Miriam. His mom didn''t really need to go into seclusion. All she had to do was drink Mountain Dew, which Ohema made sure she had in abundance before bing unreachable.


    She asionally absorbed monster cores to raise her cultivation base. us didn''t understand how his mother, who hadn''t been able to level up for many years, had not only now leveled up but also broken through to the Ascended stage.


    He couldn''t wrap his mind around it. But he wasn''t too concerned¡ªhis mom was finally leveling up, which would increase her lifespan, something us dearly wanted for her.


    They spent the day doing all sorts of things. us knew that once he went into seclusion again, he wouldn''te out for a month, so he wanted to take care of a few things first.


    As the sun was about to set, us left to handle something outside,ing backter in the night. He had promised to meet up with Luna and her twin sister, so he went to leave a sign for them.


    When he came back, dinner was ready. They ate,ughed, and joked about many things. When it was time for bed, Miriam tried to slip off to her room, but us quickly pulled her into his room, and despite her strength, she didn''t bother to resist.


    Of course, us didn''t want to make her feel ufortable since this was their first night together, so after sharing a few kisses, they went to bed, cuddling together.


    us drifted off to sleep quickly, his face nestled between Miriam''s breasts only covered in her nightwear ¡ªa dream he had longed for. He had finally managed to fulfill it.


    A whileter, us felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He tried to ignore it, but after a bit, he felt another tap. Slowly, he gave in and opened his eyes.


    However, once his eyes were open, he couldn''t find anyone around¡ªjust Miriam quietly sleeping beside him. He wiped his eyes and decided to go back to sleep. But after a little while, he felt the tap again.


    This time, us opened his eyes immediately and even sat up in bed. He wanted to curse whoever was doing it, but before he could speak, a voice interrupted.


    "Tea?" us turned to see a familiar figure¡ªa Monk with violet hair, handsome features, and unusual eyes¡ªsitting in the air to the right of the bed, holding a teacup.


    us stared in shock. "Fruity, what are you doing here? And more importantly, what am I doing here?" he asked, narrowing his gaze.


    The fact that Miriam hadn''t woken up despite the stranger''s presence made us suspect he wasn''t in his room anymore. he was somewhere different.


    "What I''m doing here isn''t important. You should have some tea first," Fruity said.


    "I''m not drinking anything. Tell me, what am I doing here?" us asked again, his voice colder this time. Something felt off, and he didn''t like it one bit. He could sense something terrible was about to happen.


    "You tell me, why are you trying to forget your past?" Fruity asked.


    "Who said I''m trying to forget my past?" us responded, puzzled.


    "Then why aren''t you remembering the rest? You made sure you''d remember everything when you reincarnate, so why hold back?" Fruity asked again, twirling the tea in his cup.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," us said, clearly lost.


    "Then why don''t you want to drink the tea?" Fruity pressed.


    "That has nothing to do with anything. I''m just not ready yet," us replied, his tone growing slightly angry. He hadn''t finished processing the first memory, so he wasn''t keen on adding more.


    He already knew that uncovering those memories was leading somewhere dark, and for once, he understood that once those memories came back, his life would never be the same.


    "Well, us, you don''t have much time. Trust me, you need to remember, even if you''re not ready," Fruity said.


    "And what if I''m not ready to remember?" us shot back. He knew that drinking the tea would bring back the memories of his past, and if he didn''t drink it, he''d never remember.


    us expected Fruity to say something, but instead, he waved his hand, and the scene changed from the room to a new ce that us immediately recognized.


    It was arge castle, built from the rarest jade and gold. Everything about it felt graceful andforting. It had been his home in his past life as Haus¡ªor Fruity, or the renegade monk.


    "You remember when you were happy within these walls? How Mom made sure you had everything?" Fruity began.


    "Stop," us said, not liking where this was headed.


    "How Haniva used to take you on walks through the gardens."


    "I said stop," us repeated, his tone rising.


    "How you always had everything you ever wanted. How you''d cause trouble with the others and run to Mom for protection, love, and care."


    "I said stop it!" us snapped.


    But Fruity didn''t stop. He waved his hand, and the scene changed again. us now saw himself as a 7-year-old, standing inside a formation, looking back at his mother. It was the moment she sacrificed herself for him.


    "You want to forget, us, but you can''t. You need to remember. Even though it''s painful, this is who you are, and it''s what will shape you into who you''re meant to be."


    "You didn''t lock these memories away to move on with a clean te. You need them, us. They are a part of you. The sooner you remember, the closer you''ll get to understanding your true self and your purpose."


    "The memories are inside you. All you have to do is reach out and unlock them. I know it''s scary, but you made a promise to yourself. You have to fulfill that promise, or everything will be lost in the end. And trust me, you don''t want that,"


    The scene then shifted back to us''s room, with Miriam still sleeping beside him on the bed. us knew he was dreaming, but instead of enjoying the dream, it became more like a nightmare to him.


    Fruity set down the cup of tea and vanished, leaving one final sentence: "You need to remember, and do it fast, because you''re running out of time."


    us stared at the cup of tea, his thoughts swirling. He knew what had to be done, but he also knew he wasn''t ready¡ªor rather, he didn''t want to face what woulde next.


    Drinking the tea meant being pulled down another painful memoryne.


    "Ha, I guess he''s right... or more like I''m right. Damn, this past self thing is getting on my nerves," us muttered as he took the cup of tea holding his memories.


    "I must remember," he whispered to himself. Then, with a single gulp, he drank the tea and swallowed. He let out a sigh, waiting for his vision to darken. But after five minutes, nothing happened.


    He looked inside the cup¡ªit was empty. Puzzled, us wondered if he had done something wrong. Thest time, he felt dizzy and then cked out when he drank the tea, so he was expecting something simr. However, no matter how long he waited, that dizziness never happened.


    Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his chest. The moment it made contact, his vision darkened.


    When he regained his sight, he found himself back in his room, drenched in sweat, with Miriam holding onto him.


    "us, are you alright?" Miriam''s voice reached his ears.


    He raised an eyebrow in response.

 Chapter 256: Pleasures with a Goddess (1) [18+]

    us woke up from the dream, dazed. He was supposed to be knee-deep in his past memories by now. The tea was supposed to send him into aatose state where he would have to remember part of his past as Fruity.


    However, that didn''t happen. Instead, he woke up dripping in sweat. The process could take just an hour, a day, or even a week to recover years of memory; however, this time it didn''t happen. He woke up just fine.


    He turned and looked at Miriam, who was also looking back at him with a worried expression. The state he woke up in did indeed require attention. He was bathed in sweat, soaking the nket.


    "I am fine, Miriam," us said with a reassuring smile.


    "Were you having a nightmare?" Miriam asked.


    "Something like that," us replied with a small smile. He had encountered his past self in his dreams, which was a form of nightmare. A rather ssic form of scaring yourself.


    "You should probably take a bath," Miriam said, looking at him with a teasing smile. us smiled and jumped down from the bed.


    "Wanna join me?" he asked, grinning in a way that suggested he meant nothing good if she followed him into the bathroom.


    "I''ll pass on that," Miriam said, shaking her head. us just smiled and entered the bathroom. She blushed slightly and started to change the bedspread and pillows.


    A whileter, us walked back from the bathroom, looking calmer. Miriam had changed the bedspread and was now sitting on the bed, waiting for him. She had been very worried when she woke up to find us sweating and twitching in his sleep.


    So despite us now wearing only a tight short since his nightwear was soaked in sweat, she didn''t seem to notice the slight bulge printed in his pants.


    He climbed onto the bed andy down, cing his head on Miriam''sp. He directed his gaze to meet hers. "I am fine. It was just a dream. Nothing serious."


    Miriam looked at him, her heart racing. She brushed a hand through his hair. The warmth of his body against her made her feel electric. She could feel a flutter in her stomach as she gazed into those golden eyes.


    "Are you sure?" she asked softly. Her voice was barely above a whisper.


    us smiled at her, but she noticed something deeper in his eyes that caught her breath.


    Miriam hesitated for a moment, then leaned closer. Their lips met softly, with Miriam making the first move. The kiss lingered for a few seconds before they broke away.


    us could see the pink on her cheeks.


    Her face was now a little farther from his. He smiled slightly as he reached for her neck. He moved in slowly and nted another kiss on her lips. Miriam hesitated at first, but as the kiss deepened, she began to reciprocate.


    Soon, their tongues started to entangle as the kiss entered a new stage. us moved his body slightly and gently reached with both hands to hold Miriam''s head in ce.


    At first, it was just some light kisses, but as the kiss deepened, Miriam became more active. Their tongues were locked in a fierce battle.


    Miriam sucked on us''s tongue, and for someone who hadn''t been intimate before, it was mesmerizing how she pulled it off.


    "You seem hungry," us said with a smile when they finally broke the kiss.


    "Shut up and kiss me," Miriam said, blushing as she went in for another round. Of course, us didn''t hold back either; he went all in, and soon they were rolling on the bed, filling the room with the sounds of their kissing.


    From the start, us had been respectful, holding only her head in ce, but as the kissing intensified, their hands began to wander. He was careful not to get too aggressive right away, holding himself back from going wild.


    He would love nothing more than to grab those melons and squeeze them. He had been dreaming of a moment like this. Miriam''s body was to die for, and now that they were heading in the direction us had hoped for, he knew he had to tread carefully.


    She was his, but she was also one sneaky little devil. Miriam had been unsure of her feelings for a while. Even after she and us had taken the next step back in Arcadian City, she still wasn''t sure if she could handle the deeper level of intimacy.


    But now, here she was¡ªtongue deep in us''s mouth¡ªand loving every moment of it.


    us''s hands wandered, brushing past her melons as they found their way to her butt. He gently squeezed, not too aggressively, but not too subtle either. Miriam''s body tensed when she felt his hands on her backside.


    However, she didn''t pull away. us took that as a sign and broke from the kiss, making his way to her neck, and nting soft kisses along the way. He was determined to leave his mark before making any other moves.


    "Mmmh," Miriam let out a soft moan when his lips connected with her neck. us continued kissing his way down, slowly exploring her neck and shoulders with his lips. His hands, after exploring her curves and backside, moved back up to her shoulders.


    Miriam was wearing a gown-like nightwear, with delicate straps tied at her shoulders. His hand found the knot but didn''t release it right away.


    He kept kissing her while slowly untying the knots, knowing that once they were undone, he''d finally have the full view of the body he had been chasing for so long¡ªthe body of the Goddess of War, Miriam.


    A few minutester, the first knot came undone, but Miriam made no attempt to stop him. us didn''t hesitate, and soon after, the second knot fell off as well. The gown clung slightly to her body before slowly sliding off.


    us gently sped up the process without making it obvious. Eventually, the gown slipped offpletely, revealing her melons, snugly tucked away in a small, thin tank top. us pulled back for a moment to gaze at the magnificent sight calling for his attention.


    "Really?" Miriam asked, despite her flustered look.


    "Wait a moment, I''m just savoring this. You have no idea how long I''ve dreamed of this," us said with a smile, reaching for her thin top.


    "Oh, I know, you pervert," Miriam replied, blushing.


    "Well, I figured it''d take more than just my charm to win over a Goddess, so forgive me for being a little bit of a pervert," us said with a grin.


    From the first moment his gazended on the War Goddess at the Felin Youth Ball, he knew he would be tapping that. One could say aside from courting death by going after powerful monsters, us''s daring nature is something that can get him killed at any moment.


    Many people will be afraid to even look at someone that powerful in the eye, yet here he was undressing one on his bed. That is what most people call being OP.


    "Just get it off already before I change my mind," Miriam said, avoiding his gaze. She didn''t have the willpower to look him in the eye, and even less at herself.


    The emotionless, ruthless, and bloodthirsty Goddess of War was now blushing, at the mercy of a Master Stage expert¡ªsomeone she could easily kill at any moment. It was unbelievable, yet here she was.


    "Yes, my Goddess," us replied, still smiling as he removed the tank top, finally getting a full view of the heavy, upright melons he''d been dreaming of for so long. They stood firm, with pink nipples practically begging for his attention.


    "Damn," us muttered, swallowing hard at the sight in front of him. His hands moved and gently grabbed hold of the two melons.


    "Mmmh" She moaned, a little louder now.

 Chapter 257: Pleasures with a Goddess (2) [18+]

    us''s hands kneaded her soft breasts, drawing moans from Miriam. But he didn''t stop there. He began exploring, searching for the spot that would have the most effect. Soon, he found it¡ªher right nipple.


    Without wasting time, his lips made their way to it. The moment they connected, Miriam let out a moan that filled the room. That spot was what us wanted in the first ce. Someone with those melons would sure have a G spot there.


    us smiled as he started sucking on her nipple, while his left hand continued kneading her other breast. Shortly, the left hand left and started exploring more of her curves.


    us''s movements became more deliberate, his focus shifting entirely to Miriam''s reactions. Each time his tongue teased her nipple, her body trembled with pleasure. His left hand roamed across her body, feeling every curve, while his right hand remained firm, kneading her breast.


    Miriam''s breath grew heavier, her moans more frequent. She instinctively arched her back, pressing herself closer to him, craving more of his touch. us''s lips moved from her nipple to kiss a trail down her body, savoring every response he elicited from her.


    A short whileter, us felt a soft hand tracing across his body. He knew exactly where it was headed, but he was surprised that Miriam was finally making a move.


    Not that he minded¡ªhe craved her every touch. His life had been chaotic recently, and any distraction was wee.


    Miriam''s hands moved across us''s body as she tried to stifle her moans, keeping them soft. She remembered being there when us and Lucy had their moment. At first, it was normal for them to overhear a lot because the noise-cancelling feature wasn''t activated.


    But even after us activated it, they still managed to hear some things. It was mostly when Lucy''s moans got louder that they could overhear, but regardless, things slipped through.


    Miriam knew that, despite her best efforts to be subtle, their next-door neighbor would still hear something.


    Because of that, she was holding back her moans, trying to keep them from bing full-blown screams. Her hands moved lower, and soon, they were at us''s waist, brushing against his shorts.


    Her hands wandered around, but soon, her body tensed when she touched something all too familiar. Back in Arcadia City, she had identally touched us''s "little dragon". Back then, it wasn''t fully hard, yet she could still feel its thickness, even if just for a moment.


    Now, she was touching it again, but this time, it was almost fully hard and bulging in his pants. us''s "dragon" had long since responded to the situation, and when Miriam''s hand made contact, she felt its full thickness in her small hands.


    ''Very big,'' she thought to herself. But she didn''t let go. She started stroking it lightly as if debating whether to move forward or stop while things hadn''t yet escted.


    A momentter, she seemed to have made up her mind. Her hands gently gripped us''s shorts and began pulling them off. us, eager for her not to stop, made it easy for her to remove them.


    When the shorts finally came off, Miriam gulped.


    "You like what you see?" us teased, unable to help himself. Her cheeks flushed pink at his words. Not to exaggerate, but he has a prettyrge, long, and thick dragon that anydy will gulp and drool at.


    But instead of replying, she moved her hand and grabbed hold of us''s now fully awakened "dragon."


    Her hand tried to wrap around it like the hilt of her sword, but she couldn''t fully encase it.


    This made her back tense, but she didn''t let go. She hade this far; she might as well continue and enjoy herself.


    us, sensing that she wanted to spend some time with his "dragon," decided to hold back from touching her for now, giving her space to explore.


    Miriam''s hand stroked the "dragon," which stood hard, ready for action. She sized it up, her hand moving carefully as she sneakily wondered what to do next.


    At that moment, a conversation she had with us''s mother a few weeks ago popped into her mind, making her flush with embarrassment. She remembered awkwardly asking her mother-inw how to "be a woman," as her upbringing had left her uninformed.


    She had been just 14 when the apocalypse hit, and she hadn''t experienced the typical teenage years. While some curious kids her age might have known more, Miriam had always been focused on having fun and always up to some mischief.


    When her rtionship with us started to grow, she found herself clueless about what to do. And with Anna and the other girls in seclusion, the only person she could turn to was us''s mother.


    Her own mother had disowned her, so she had no one else. But to her surprise, us''s mother had been more than happy to teach her.


    During the conversation, Miriam had wondered who was more shameless¡ªthe son or the mother. But now, with us''s "dragon" in her hands, she realized that, shameless or not, her mother-inw''s advice had been helpful.


    With that thought, she slowly lowered her head until her lips made contact with the head of us''s "dragon."


    He felt his blood pumping as excitement surged through him. Miriam gently parted her lips and softly licked the tip of his dragon. Slowly, she began to take him in, swallowing as much of his length as she could manage.


    She couldn''t take the entire length¡ªshe wasn''t ready for that yet¡ªbut she moved steadily, measuring how much she could handle. After a while, she became more ustomed to his size for now, and she started moving her head back and forth, giving us incredible pleasure.


    Though she wasn''t the most experienced at giving head, the warmth of her mouth around him was enough to drive us wild with excitement. As Miriam moved her head back and forth, us was filled with waves of pleasure.


    Hearing his groans and moans, Miriam felt encouraged and decided to take it a step further. She reached out and gently cupped us''s balls with her hands.


    The moment her soft hands touched him, us was overwhelmed with pleasure. Combined with the motion of her head, he felt like he was on cloud nine.


    Miriam didn''t slow down. us continued to enjoy himself as his Star Juice built up, ready to explode at any moment.


    Soon, he felt his release nearing. He reached for her head, trying to pull back, but she didn''t budge. us didn''t need any sign to understand that she was ready to take his juice.


    As she kept moving her head, us''s waist began to tremble. Then, with a powerful burst, he fired the first shot, which sshed down her throat.


    The second shot followed, and before she could catch her breath, more of his Star Juice filled her mouth and throat.


    But Miriam didn''t stop. She kept swallowing, taking load after load as us continued to give her everything. Her dedication made the moment even more intense for him.


    While she knelt there, the War Goddess took it all in, enjoying every drop. But it wasn''t just her pleasure¡ªus, too, was lost in the moment, with her hands still gently kneading his balls, adding to his ecstasy.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, thest drop escaped him. us looked down at Miriam, who was licking her lips, clearly having enjoyed his gift. He smiled, knowing it was now his turn to return the favor.


    Without hesitation, he reached for her waist and flipped her onto her back. Before she could even let out a moan, his lips were already at her nipple. At the same time, she felt his hands gently sliding her pants off.

 Chapter 258: Pleasures with a Goddess (3) [18+]

    Shortly, her pants came off, and as they did, us was greeted by a delightful scent. The scent went into his nostril making his body jump In excitement for unknown reasons. He knew at that moment that Miriam was aroused, which meant his job would be much easier.


    Instead of moving his head toward her Nether Region right away, he continued to suck on her nipples while reaching down with his fingers. us seemed to find her breasts irresistible.


    His fingers traced along her skin, and when they reached the entrance of her Nether cave, he felt something sticky¡ª the War Goddess was wet.


    She moaned when his fingers made contact with her pussy. us started rubbing her gently, and her moans began to increase slowly. He didn''t do too much; from her bodynguage, he could tell she was now as docile as a dolphin.


    After a while, he let go of her nipples and kissed his way down her body. When he reached her beautifully shaved Nether Region, with its sticky pink lips inviting him in, us couldn''t help but gulp.


    He held her legs and parted them slightly, gently opening the entrance of her Nether cave for his tongue to explore.


    "Aaaahhhh!" Miriam''s moan grew louder as us''s tongue made contact. He licked her entrance, savoring her juice with excitement.


    us focused on her taste. He moved his tongue in slow circles, teasing her. Miriam squirmed beneath him, her breaths quickening. The pleasures assaulting her body were foreign to her yet it was the most joy she had ever felt in her life.


    us on the other hand was enjoying every sound she was making. Each moan urged him on. He slipped his tongue inside her, exploring deeper.


    Miriam''s body continues to respond eagerly. She arched her back and cried out when us''s tongue connected with her clit. This gingered him to explore more as he skillfully used his tongue to bring her over to the rainbow gardens.


    One might say as a Weapons Overlord, us is really leaving up to his title. With his tongue as the weapon, he was cutting all threads holding back Miriam making her continue to scream out in pleasure.


    He picked up the pace, licking and sucking. His tongue danced over her sensitive spots. Miriam''s moans became wild and desperate.


    A whileter, us could feel her close to the edge. He wanted to take her there. With every stroke, he brought her closer.


    "Aaaah! I''m¡­ I''m going to¡ª" Miriam gasped.


    us pressed his tongue deeper, urging her on. He felt her body tense. Then, like a dam, she burst out with a loud and pleasurable moan that threatened to rip the roof off.


    Warmth flooded us''s mouth as Miriam climaxed. He had been waiting for this moment, and he drank her juice with excitement. It tasted just like it smelled, making him want more. His tongue explored inside her, savoring every drop.


    This only made Miriam scream with pleasure as his tongue moved within her.


    After a moment, she copsed on the bed, gasping for air. us looked into her eyes, licking his lips¡ªa mirror of when she had swallowed his Star Juice earlier.


    "us, you are still¡ª" Miriam started to say but didn''t finish. Instead, she gestured toward us''s dragon, still standing hard, long, and ready.


    "Oh, my adorable goddess, we aren''t done yet. The best is yet toe," us said with a mischievous smile.


    Miriam gulped as she gazed at the thick dragon poised to enter her. She wanted it, but at the same time, fear washed over her. This was her first time, and she knew that after today, there would be no going back. The blowjob could be forgotten, but once she offered her purity to him, there was no turning back.


    For the past month, while us was away, she had envisioned this moment countless times. Each time, she shuddered at the thought.


    Never in her wildest dream had she dreamt she would be somebody''s woman and to a shameless bastard at that. She evenughed at herself sometimes.


    She didn''t know what to do, so she even went to her mother-inw, who asked her one simple question:


    "Picture yourself a thousand years from now. And ask yourself, do you want to be with that shameless bastard as his woman, or do you want to walk away and regret itter?"


    Of course, us''s mom was biased toward her son. She had be overprotective of his happiness and wanted to keep anything that could bring him sadness away from him. This question took Miriam a whole week to answer.


    And her answer was yes. She wanted to be beside us. She had never felt this way about anyone before. When she first saw us, she felt something special, something she couldn''t understand at that moment. But now, looking back, she knew the connection between them was more than a brother-sister bond.


    Good or bad, she wanted to stay with the bastard who she knew deep in her soul would be a terrifying powerhouse in the future. She wanted every part of him. So without even realizing how, her legs moved, parting to allow the dragon to enter her.


    "It will only hurt for a moment," us said in a caring tone as he positioned dick at the entrance of her cave.


    us''s dragonnded at the entrance to her nectar cave, and then he began to push in gently. Miriam closed her eyes as she clung to us''s arms.


    Perhaps because us''s dragon was a little too thick it made the movement a little too slow, but the lubrication from his tongue game had greatly reduced the friction. This allowed it to move as it parted her, creating room to amodate him.


    "Aaahh," Miriam let out a painful cry as a single tear dropped from her eye. At that moment, she knew she was now Miriam Hanson, us''s woman. us wiped the tear from her face and nted a kiss on her forehead.


    "I''ll move slowly so you can getfortable," us said. Miriam nodded as us began to move his waist slowly, now that he had broken through herst line of defense, only pleasure awaits.


    Gradually, us began iming his territory inside her. Meanwhile, Miriam was starting to forget the pain of having her walls torn down, her moans syncing with the rhythm of us''s gentle thrusts.


    "Mmmh, Aaahh!" Slowly, us began to increase the tempo, causing Miriam to heighten her cries of pleasure. us held her waist in ce, ensuring she felt every thrust. Miriam clung to his arms as she cried out, just as us wanted.


    Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah!


    The sound of skin hitting skin filled the room as us, the Paragon, continued to thrust, now a little faster. Miriam screamed, and this only fueled us''s desire to thrust more.


    The mighty War Goddess of the Eastern Region is now on her back, her waist raised slightly as a hot and hard dragon continues to thrust in and out of her making her scream her heart out. Nobody could envision that.


    us, as always, knew exactly what to do. He used his unknown skill to hit all the right spots, leaving Miriam at his mercy. A few minutester, Miriam came, making her cries even more pleasant, which meant more thrusting.


    us stopped holding back as he continued to thrust. Miriam could only moan as he kept hitting all the right spots. A whileter, she came again, flooding us''s dragon with her love juice.


    But us felt no climaxing anytime soon, so he could only continue to thrust more and more. Despite havinge twice since the second phase started, Miriam screamed just as before¡ªif not more¡ªas us moved her waist in ways that seemed to affect her as he continued to thrust.


    She came a third time, then a fourth. At this point, she felt as if her soul were exiting her body. us could also tell she was reaching the limit of her stamina, especially with sex as the focus. He was draining her.


    A whileter, us sensed he was nearing his climax, but with Miriam''s moans filling his head, he knew he had to make here for the fifth time before he rewarded her with his star juice.


    As expected, after thrusting a few more times, Miriam climaxed again. This time, he knew she had reached her limit. us raised her waist further as he reached his climax.


    With one loud groan, he fired his load inside her, painting her walls with his star juice. Miriam felt the hot liquid ssh inside her, making her smile weakly.


    She had finally be his and his alone. After offloading all his juice inside her, us gently copsed onto her, his face buried between her breasts.


    A few secondster, he felt something hoting from under her belly, causing him to smile.


    "Uhm us, something is happening to me" Miriam on the other hand panicked.


    "I know, dear. Just give it a few more seconds," us said in a caring tone, already aware of what was happening as he waited for the star to show.


    A whileter, the star tattoo appeared right above her pussy. us smiled, and knowing what to do, he formed a connection with her and then spoke telepathically.


    ''You look cute when scared.''


    Miriam''s eyes widened when his voice entered her head. Just like that, us had marked anotherdy as his own forever.

 Chapter 259: Finally Tamed

    "us, I can hear you inside my head," Miriam said in a loud voice, shock clear on her face.


    "Awesome, right?" us raised his head and pulled his dragon from her cave. Miriam quickly looked down and saw a small tattoo of a star just above herher area.


    "You don''t seem bothered. Wait, how can you talk to someone telepathically?" Miriam asked. Unlike Lucy, who doesn''t have much experience in cultivation, Miriam did, and she knew that at some point, maybe at the level of the Overlords, telepathicmunication is possible.


    There are even a few people with unique talents and sses that allow telepathicmunication, but they usually need to be very strong with a higher cultivation base to have the mental strength for it.


    So, hearing us''s voice inside her mind was shocking, but not entirely surprising. Still, she needed to know what was happening.


    "Why should I be bothered? It''s a unique mark my women get after our first time. It''s kind of a bond formed between us after our first sex, so there''s nothing strange here," us said with a smile. "Come on, try it. Tap into the link between us, and you can talk to me too," us added.


    "Wait, I can do that?" Miriam was taken aback.


    "Yes, you''re my woman now, Miriam. You and I are connected beyond anything you can imagine," us replied with a smile.


    Miriam didn''t say anything, but from the look on her face, it was clear she was searching for the link. A few secondster, us heard her voice in his mind, making him smile.


    ''Can you hear me?'' Miriam transmitted.


    ''Of course, my love,'' us replied.


    "How is this possible?" Miriam asked, her curiosity clear on her face.


    "Nothing to be rmed about. It''s just my way of marking my women," us replied with a proud smile. He didn''t really understand what was happening. Although he might be shameless, he wasn''t shameless enough to discuss this with the senior.


    First of all, he knew this had something to do with him being a Paragon. He came to this conclusion because of what happened when Lucy took the Stairway to Heaven test. So far, no one in the academy has been able toprehend her ster performance.


    At first, they thought there was something wrong with the Stairway to Heaven. So they made her take the test a second time. But just like before, she practically walked up the stairs, which shocked many.


    But that wasn''t all. Lucy kept using herself as a test subject to update us on what was happening to her. She had be much strongerpared to the average Saint, and surprisingly, her wood and ice elements had be several times more potent.


    Her spiritual qi had also be very pure and powerful, much stronger than it used to be. She always updated us on what was happening to her. The star mark was more than just for telepathicmunication.


    There was more to it. So us went ahead and disclosed everything to Miriam. Of course, he left out the parts about him being a Paragon and having a different source of energy known as Star Qi.


    "So you''re telling me that just by having sex with you, I can nowmunicate with you telepathically from anywhere on the and will even start to get stronger as I train and level up?" Miriam asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "There might be more to it, but so far, that''s all I know, thanks to Lucy," us answered, still smiling.


    "This is ridiculous. There''s nothing normal about you," Miriam said. Ever since she had met us, everything about him seemed unbelievable.


    Most people have sex to enjoy it, but with him, something as strange as telepathicmunication came out of it. That''s just asking for too much.


    "Wait until I can teleport you to my side, or teleport to yours, anytime I want," us said as he took hold of one of her breasts and began massaging her nipples.


    "So, does this mean I can also talk to Sister Lucy?" Miriam asked, making us raise an eyebrow.


    "I don''t know, but it can be arranged," us said. "Give me a few moments." He tapped into his connection with Lucy, and in less than a second, her voice echoed in his mind, making him smile.


    "us, what''s going on? It''s already 3 a.m. where you are. Did something happen?" She sounded worried, hearing his voice inside her head at this time of night.


    "Nothing bad, my love. I was just up, taking care of beauty," us said, his usual perverted nature getting the better of him. He knew Lucy wouldn''t be jealous. In fact, all the women around him were practically rooting for each other.


    Lucy wanted her sister to be with him already. But she also wanted Lily, Ohema, Nia, Asha, and now Miriam, who had finally taken the step. Even Aoi, Lulu, the Spirit Master girl, and surprisingly, her beautiful but business-focused friend, Nadia Ni.


    They were rooting for each other in ways us just couldn''t understand. They should be fighting orpeting against each other, but no, that''s not what happened. Instead, when they met, they secretly talked about ways to get him into bed.


    Talk about the shameless ones.


    "You pervert!" As expected, Lucy''s flustered voice entered his mind, making him smile. Miriam raised an eyebrow, frustration evident in her eyes. She couldn''t help but feel us was saying something shameless about her to Lucy¡ªand she was right.


    "I finally managed to tame the fiery goddess, my love. So I want to see if the two of you canmunicate," us transmitted to Lucy.


    "I think we can," Lucy''s voice suddenly entered his mind, making him raise an eyebrow.


    "You can? How?" he asked.


    "I''ve been exploring the link between us and the tattoo for a while, but I couldn''t make out anything concrete. However, I don''t have one answer, and you are the core here. Not surprising considering the tattoo came from you.


    "I think you''re like a source of energy that any woman you have sex with gets linked to. This means the more sex you have with these linked people, the more connected you be with them, and they with you.


    "Just now, I sensed a new connection forming with you, which was strange. But I guess the link between us is more than we thought. It''ll take some time to understand it, but with Sister Miriam now connected, if the two of us try, we can uncover more," Lucy exined.


    "I knew it! Having an Erudite as my woman is indeed great," us replied with his usual shameless remark.


    "Annoying," Lucy said but with a smile on her face. She knew us wouldn''t have time to get into something as exploring the link formed between them through sex, so she excluded him.


    If only she knew us had already made up his mind to have the conversation with the senior the next morning.


    "Tell Sister Miriam I''ll talk to herter. You two should enjoy your morning," Lucy said, and us could sense the embarrassment in her voice, imagining the look that might''ve appeared on her face.


    ''Me, shameless? These women are the shameless ones,'' us thought inwardly before turning to Miriam.


    "Good news! You two can chat anytime, any day. We don''t fully understand this new connection between us yet, so Lucy will contact youter. For now, she said we should continue enjoying ourselves to strengthen our bond," us said before rolling Miriam over and making her sit on him.


    "Pervert," Miriam said, noticing his mischievous smile. However, she didn''t wait for courtesy. She reached behind him and took hold of his already awakened dragon, ready for action.


    She stroked it for a few seconds before raising herself up. She then positioned herher cave over it and slowly lowered her waist, taking him in gently.


    Once she got ustomed to the position, she started riding him, filling the room with their moans. This continued until the first light of dawn crept in from the east.


    =======


    [A/N: We''vee a long way, and I''d truly appreciate it if you could leave an honest review of the story. Thank you!]


    [Note: Mass chapter releases this month!]


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 260: Paragon Mark

    us woke up a little after noon, having spent the entire night with the war goddess. They only stopped and fell asleep when the sun rose in the east. Though us knew the star yed a part in helping Miriam recover her stamina between sessions, he was still shocked at how intense things had gotten.


    Who would have thought that the cold, unloving, and arrogant Miriam had such a wild side? But then again, you can''t judge a book by its cover.


    us stretched his body and looked beside him. Miriam was still in a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking up soon. Smiling, he got up and took a bath. A few minutester, he left the room to find something to eat.


    As soon as he entered the living room, his eyes met his mother''s. She was looking at him with a mischievous grin.


    "Don''t start, Mom," us said quickly, knowing what she was about to say. But his mom just smiled and walked into the kitchen. A few secondster, she returned with arge tray of food.


    "You must be exhausted. Go ahead, eat, and regain your energy," she said with a smile, making us feel a bit embarrassed. He knew she was teasing him, but the idea of his mother overhearing something like that was too embarrassing.


    ''I need to buy a new house with more rooms,'' us thought to himself as he dug into his food. His mother sat beside him, gently brushing his hair with her hand.


    A whileter, after eating everything, us blurted out and fell into a chair, resting his head on his mom''sp. "Thanks for the food, Mom," he said.


    "No need," she replied.


    "By the way, has Hannae out of seclusion yet?" us asked, not wanting his mom to start teasing him again.


    "No," she replied. "Before entering seclusion, she said she was close to mastering something, so she won''te out until she masters it," she added.


    "That is good, then. I should get her a few skills," us said. Since none of his friends could use the skills he got from his past self just yet, he could only buy a few skills for her.


    Hanna was practically skillless. She didn''t awaken any skills as us did, so she could only use her lightning to fight, which was stressful, especially on her stamina.


    "That will be great," his mom said.


    "By the way, you''ve received a package from Oracle. Kofi and the guys ced it in your training room," she added. us nodded. It seemed Joon and the others had sent the modeling table faster than he anticipated.


    Feeling his mom''s hand brushing through his hair and cheeks, us didn''t even realize when he fell asleep again. He might be a tiger on the battlefield, but in his mom''s arms, he was just another innocent child who had no defenses around his mother.


    "He is now a big boy," his mom smiled, looking at the handsome face sleeping on herp.


    A whileter, us woke up in the chair, but his mother wasn''t there. After using his senses to do a quick scan, he located her sitting under a pavilion with Miriam. From the look on Miriam''s face, he knew he wasn''t wee there, so he quickly made his way to his training room and sat down.


    He then entered his soul sea to have a chat with the senior.


    "Looks like you are taking your training more seriously now. Your soul and Mental strength have increased, and even your sword qi seems to have gotten stronger." Immediately after he appeared inside his soul sea, the senior''s voice came from behind the first door.


    us raised an eyebrow. What training was he talking about? He hadn''t trained for a while, so where was all thising from? However, without even thinking about it, the answer entered his mind: Miriam.


    "I knew it," us said with a smile, clenching his fist.


    "Knew what?" the senior asked.


    "Uhm, Senior, I want to ask you a rather unusual question," us said with a small guilty smile.


    "Go ahead," the senior said.


    "Well, have you ever heard of a link forming between two people after they have sex?" us asked, feeling bashful. It was just too strange to ask someone he regarded as a senior this question.


    "A little more context will suffice. Of course, links form between sex partners, so why ask?" the senior replied, making us realize he had nothing to worry about.


    "Well, when I had sex with my women, a strange star tattoo appeared under their bellies, which allowed me tomunicate with them telepathically," us said, feeling a little clearer-headed now.


    "Is that all?" the senior strangely asked instead of responding directly.


    "What do you mean, Senior?" us replied, confused.


    "I mean, apart frommunicating with them telepathically, are there other effects?" the senior reiterated his question, making us immediately realize he hade to the right ce despite his hesitation.


    "No, aside from the telepathy, they also seem to get stronger as they level up and train," us answered.


    "I see. It seems it hasn''t fully awakened yet," the senior said with a sigh.


    "Uhm, what hasn''t awakened yet?" us asked. The senior didn''t reply immediately. It took a few minutes as if he were calcting his words, before he responded.


    "The mark, brat, is called the Paragon Mark. It links you to people you are close with, and when I say close, I mean intimate with. This mark creates a two-way link between you and the marked people.


    As for the use of this link, you have already discovered two of the many ways it can be utilized. Yes, there are many ways it can be used, but it will depend on you leveling up and breaking through realms. And no, they are not bing paragons," the senior exined.


    "So how do you exin the sudden increase in strength?" us asked. He knew they could never be paragons, but a boy could only hope.


    "That is because they are being affected by your Star Qi. You have a different source of energy, us. So despite being the weakest in cultivation base, your energy is potent¡ªmore potent than theirs. They are being influenced by your Star Qi."


    "Does this mean I will also be influenced by them in some way?" us asked.


    "Of course, you already have. Your ice element, though still small, has gotten stronger, which I suppose is a result of your nightly activities. And now, your soul strength has also be much stronger, which has affected your mind, so I guess this is due to anotherdy.


    Also, your sword qi has be stronger. All of this is as a result of the link between you and these people." The senior didn''t seem to care about us''s bedtime activities; he was much more concerned about us''s growth.


    "Well, that is also good," us said, more than happy to hear that. Now that he had be stronger just from having sex, wouldn''t that mean that when he became even stronger, the women around him would also be monsters?


    "You are a Paragon, us. The rules don''t apply to you, but of course, you will have to pay one way or another," the senior said. us just smirked; the heavens could go screw themselves for all he cared.


    "So, aside from telepathy and strengthening, what else can the Paragon Mark do?" us asked.


    "You will have to find that out yourself. The karma involved is not something you can carry right now. Just go and have fun, brat." His voice faded away.


    us stood inside his soul sea for a while until he decided to leave. However, just as he was about to exit his soul sea, something shot from the Pantaface Bead and entered his forehead. His vision immediately darkened, and then he faded away.


    When he woke up, he felt a terrible headache moving through his head like thunder. He walked to the fridge and drank a ss of water to calm down.


    After he felt some calm, he decided to check out his new upgrades. However, just as he was about to retrieve the Needles to test his soul and mental strength, he felt a new presence inside his mind.


    "Fruity," us muttered.

 Chapter 261: Meeting the Twins

    us took a moment to catch his breath before probing whatever was now in his mind.


    "It''s the memories," us muttered, quickly realizing what had entered his mind. He focused on it for a while and then let out a sigh.


    "I guess I can''t run from it anymore," us said softly.


    What had entered his mind were memories or rather another part of them. He didn''t dive into them immediately; he needed to clear his schedule first before going deeper into those memories.


    He set those thoughts aside and decided to test his new upgrades, thanks to his connection with Miriam. From this bond, us would benefit as much as she did.


    It took us four hours to fully review all the changes that had happened to him. First, his sword qi had be much more lethal. Although he hadn''t advanced to the next stage yet¡ªwhich the senior called the Adept stage¡ªhe could still feel the difference.


    us had seen how Miriam used her sword aura during her battle with the Zombie Emperor. She wielded it like he used his ice and fire elements. When he asked the senior about it, he learned that Miriam had already advanced past the Adept stage to the Enhanced Sword Aura/qi stage.


    The reason she could use it so fluidly was because of her awakened light element. It shared many simrities with sword aura, allowing her to wield it more naturally.


    us knew that if he could reach that stage, hisbat power would increase significantly. However, he first needed to master the small advancements he had made and hoped to reach the Adept stage soon.


    The second thing he tested was his mental strength. Thanks to the ball projection system he had trained with in Arcadian City, now installed in his training room, he could see his improvements firsthand.


    He increased his control from managing 130 needles to 150, and his control was fluid. It felt like his mind had opened up to a whole new world, giving him the mental rity to pop all 2,700 balls within 30 seconds, at six times the speed.


    Lulu had ordered a more advanced system for him. So, instead of 1,020 balls, he had 2,700, and he was able to pop all of them without hitting a single red or yellow ball.


    This shocked him greatly. He then triedbining all the needles to form the Void Piercing Needle, and the result was astonishing.


    It formed into a 45-inch long, thick, and pointy needle¡ªabout 3.7 feet, which was long enough to deal some heavy damage. us grinned evilly as he envisioned what the Needle would be doing soon.


    He also tested his soul-attacking skills and was pleased with the results. When everything was set, he left the training room to rx a little. He still had things to do, and one of those tasks came knocking just after sunset.


    us had left a marker for Luna to use to contact him when she and her sister were around. Right after 6, he received the signal.


    He left the house, making sure he was perfectly disguised to avoid prying eyes. He even moved erratically to lose anyone who might be following him before heading to the meeting point.


    It was somewhere in the slums, so the area wasn''t well-lit. us moved through the space and stopped behind an abandoned warehouse. It was one of the few ces the homeless used to crash at, but even they avoided it now.


    Because of the dangers in the slums, not even the homeless wanted to stay there.


    "Trust me, you might get hurt if you try anything stupid," us said, gazing at the lit Ross City in the distance.


    It wasn''t the first time he did that. Back when he was still in the slum, he would stand every evening and gaze at the beautiful city and then promise himself he would one day take his mom to live there.


    He then gently turned his gaze toward a certain direction, specifically a shadow.


    The shadow stayed still for a while before a figure in dark clothing appeared. She wore a mask and gripped a dark dagger.


    "I told you he''s different. Now, do you believe me?" Suddenly, another figure appeared from the shadows. She wasn''t wearing a mask but was dressed in the same ck attire as the first figure.


    "I can see that," the masked figure said, removing her mask. The face that greeted us was the same as Luna''s.


    "I am Nuna," she said, dropping her dagger into her shadow just like Luna had done when usst met her in Arcadian City.


    "I''m us, but I have a feeling you know more about me than I do," us said with a small smile. Despite being in the presence of two deadly assassins, he showed no sign of fear.


    He wasn''t afraid of either of them. Well, he knew he''d be in danger if they ganged up on him, but he was confident they wouldn''t be able to kill him.


    "Well, us, my sister told me everything, but I want to hear it from you. Even though I want nothing more than to be free, I want to know your ns and how they will affect me and my sister," Nuna said. From her tone, us could tell she was the elder sister, making her the one in charge of Luna.


    "Basically, I want to use you two to get to your mother, who I was told is high-ranking in the Dark Order. I''m not asking you to work for me or even help capture her. All I want is for you to lead me to her, and I''ll handle the rest.


    In return, I''ll break the seal your mother ced on you. Essentially, I want you to help me kill your mother. No hard feelings, I hope," us said with a smile.


    Nuna stood there for a few moments, scanning his expression, then tapped her foot on the floor. us smiled. It was simr to how Luna had responded to his proposal back in Arcadian City.


    "So, all we have to do is act as bait, and you won''t want anything from us ever again?" Nuna asked.


    "Yes," us responded.


    "When?" she asked.


    "Well, I''m not strong enough to catch a Sovereign yet, so maybe in a few months. But don''t worry, I''ll break your seals, which will free you from your mom''s influence," us replied.


    "What if she notices? And even if she doesn''t, what makes you think we won''t run away once the seal is broken?" Nuna asked again. us could tell she was being meticulous or perhaps overprotective of her sister.


    "You could run, but I doubt you will. You won''t ever be at peace as long as your mother is alive. So, I''m sure you''ll stick around. And as for whether your mother will notice if the seal is broken¡ªshe won''t. You can continue to act like you used to.


    I even have the perfect n for that. Since she wants me dead, you can keep pretending to try to kill me. That should be enough to maintain appearances."


    Nuna said nothing. She turned to look at her sister. After a few seconds of silentmunication, she turned back to us.


    "We''ll take the deal, us Hanson. But know this: after the deal is over, you must promise that the others won''te after us."


    us smiled when he heard that. They were worried the Overlords woulde after them, which was natural for people who had killed so many.


    "You have nothing to worry about. As long as I''m alive, nobody will hurt you two." Nuna and Luna nodded.


    "Then let''s begin," us muttered and started forming hand seals.

 Chapter 262: Breaking the Seal

    us continued forming hand seals, twisting his fingers intoplex patterns. Luna and Nuna watched closely, fascinated by what he was doing.


    The seals were something taught to him by the senior, who offered him many options to choose from. He even offered to teach us how to ce a ve mark on the twins, but for some reason, us hated that idea, which surprised him.


    The thought of turning someone into his ve didn''t sit well with him, no matter how practical the idea was. So he chose to use an old-fashioned seal called trust.


    Choosing to trust the twins seemed like a foolish idea, especially since they were assassins sent to kill him, but us wanted to trust someone. They seemed like the logical choice.


    If they turned out to be like their mother, he would rather kill them than make them his ves.


    After forming hundreds of seals, a purple runic diagram appeared on the ground, radiating a powerful aura.


    "You two should step inside," us said, and the twins moved inside the diagram.


    "What I''m about to say might be hard, but can you lower the defenses around your soul and mind? And don''t resist once the process begins," us said.


    Luna and Nuna exchanged nces for a few seconds before nodding. us smiled and quickly formed another seal. Shortly after, two identical runic symbols appeared in the air. With a gesture, the runes moved and entered their foreheads.


    As soon as the runes entered their foreheads, they both fell unconscious. us sighed and changed the hand seal. From the diagram on the ground, chains with sharp tips emerged and pierced the twins'' bodies as theyy passed out.


    After a while, the diagram faded, and us dropped to his knees, gasping for air. "I should have done it one by one," he muttered.


    Once he regained his breath, he moved to sit on a broken wall, waiting for the twins to wake up. In their current state, if he wanted to kill them, even his weakened self could do it easily.


    Luna was the first to wake up after an hour. Nuna followed a couple of secondster. As soon as they woke up, they got into a battle stance, drawing their daggers. However, when their gazended on us, who was sitting with his left fist supporting his chin, they calmed down a bit.


    "Is it done?" Nuna asked.


    "Yes. Go ahead, try thinking about something negative toward your mother," us replied. The twins exchanged looks, and with heavy hearts and focused minds, ready to endure the pain, they both thought of the various ways they wanted to kill their mother.


    They closed their eyes, bracing for the pain they usually felt whenever they thought of harming her. But after a minute, when no pain hit their brains, they opened their eyes.


    They looked at each other for a few seconds before jumping into each other''s arms, tears rolling down their cheeks. After decades of being suppressed by their own mother, they were finally free.


    us, sitting a few meters away, watched them with a smile. They had suffered for so long. But seeing their tears, his heart burned.


    For a moment, he wished their vile mother was already in his hands. The pain and torture he nned to put her through... us could only sigh and wait until the day he finally got hold of her.


    After five minutes of shedding tears in each other''s arms, they turned toward us. "Thank you," Nuna said with a slight bow.


    "No need, it was just business," us replied, standing up and walking toward them.


    "Just don''t do anything stupid that will draw your mom''s attention. For now,e up with an excuse that will keep you two away from her for the next four months or so. By then, I''ll be ready to act.


    You can take my offer and pretend to try to kill me whenever you think it''s best. That will show her you''re still on her side, under her control," us added.


    "Sorry us, but I lied" Luna suddenly said, "I wasn''t the only one sent to kill you. There are seven others," She added, her face down


    us just smiled, knowing he expected something like that. They didn''t fully trust him, so despite his offer to remove their seals, they were still skeptical. It was only natural for them to hold back.


    "I figured as much. But that''s actually good. Since convincing your mother that two Great Sages like yourself failed to kill a mere Master Stage warrior won''t work, why not create a situation where she''ll believe you?" us said.


    "You want us to kill the seven others?" Nuna asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Atta girl. Think about it: if the seven others, who I assume are also Great Sages, start dying, you can tell her I''m being protected by someone powerful. That way, you''ll need more time. If I were your mother, I''d believe that," us exined, making the twins engage in yet another nonverbal stare-off.


    After a few seconds, they nodded. "We will do it, but you should be careful too. The seven others are no weak assassins. One of them even has shape-shifting abilities," Luna warned.


    "If you had to estimate, what are your chances of killing these assassins?" us asked. It was always better to know thy enemy before striking.


    "We have an 80 percent chance of killing three of them individually and a 70 percent chance of killing thest four. But if we join forces, it''s a hundred percent guaranteed," Nuna replied confidently.


    "Then there''s nothing to worry about," us said. With Miriam staying with him, no sane assassin would dare break into their home¡ªshape-shifter or not. Miriam was meticulous with her senses and would detect any threat long before it arrived.


    "But you should know, once these assassins start dying, they''ll send more," Luna added.


    "I know, but don''t worry. It''s only for a few months. After that, the Dark Order wille begging me to stop," us said coldly.


    For now, his target was the Dark Order. As for the people who hired them, he would deal with themter. They had picked the wrong target this time, and it would cost them dearly.


    "Still, be careful out there," Luna said.


    "I will. You two should also be careful. I wouldn''t want to lose my guides who will lead me to a great massacre," us said with a smile.


    He handed his card to Nuna. "You can contact me through this number if you need anything. See youter." With that, us disappeared into the night.


    "He really did it," Nuna whispered, holding the golden card.


    "Yes, and he didn''t ask for anything huge in return. We''re lucky this time, sister. We really are," Luna said, hugging her sister.


    "Let''s make sure none of those scum get to him. He''s our benefactor now, and we have to protect him¡ªeven if he doesn''t need it," Luna said, looking into her sister''s eyes.


    "Okay, sister," Nuna replied. With that settled, they melted into the shadows and disappeared. They were more than happy to be free from the curse ced on them by their mother.


    For years, they had tried different ways to kill their mother, but after many failed attempts, they had given up and epted their fate. Now they were free, all thanks to us.


    It was the best day of their lives, and for that, they had us to thank. And what better way to thank him than by making sure no assassin so much as touched a hair on his head?


    us had just gained two deadly assassins as shadow guards, and for the next few months, he would be protected without having to worry much about a thing.


    When he got home, us took a bath and spent some quality time with his goddess before going to bed. The next day, he entered seclusion to ess his past memories¡ªsomething he couldn''t put off for much longer.

 Chapter 263: Surrounded Everywhere

    Fruity, who was knee-deep into his cultivation suddenly sensed the surroundings changing, which quickly snapped him out of his cultivation. He walked out of the immortal cave and saw a dome forming around the monastery.


    He hurried out of the cave and moved toward the grand temple. When he arrived, he saw all the monks in the monastery gathered, staring at the sky as the dome continued to form.


    When they saw Fruity, now a Saint, they smiled briefly before turning back to the phenomenon in the sky. Fruity quickly made his way inside the temple, where the Grandmaster and five Ancient Monks were seated, waiting for him.


    "You are here," one of the Ancient Monks said. "How is your progress?" he added.


    "I still couldn''t open the third face, but I managed to master most of the skills from the first two faces. I''ve also unlocked a few more that I''m starting to master," Fruity replied.


    "Good," the monks nodded.


    "Grandmaster, they''reing for me, aren''t they?" Fruity asked quickly.


    He wasn''t an idiot. He knew the weather was only changing because the bad guys were here. The only reason for them toe was that he had awakened the forbidden ice element¡ªthree out of the seven known forbidden ice elements.


    He had about two years to prepare, thanks to the Ice Princess managing the onset of his awakening. Even the elders from Lightning Valley were killed before they could reveal any information.


    But Fruity was a unique existence, even if he didn''t know it yet. As such, he was never truly safe from danger. Though the Ice Princess made sure he had time to grow stronger, the danger was bound to find him sooner orter.


    Fruity expected this, but seeing the battle-ready monks and realizing they might all die today, he couldn''t bear it. They were his family, and he didn''t want them dying for him.


    "No need to worry, child. This day was bound toe sooner rather thanter. We knew what we were signing up for when we took you in," the Grandmaster monk said with a smile.


    At that moment, a voice boomed across the monastery, "This is the Tenth Elder of Lightning Valley. Hand over the Forbidden Ice wielder, and this monastery might see the light of tomorrow''s sunrise."


    Inside the temple, Fruity shuddered at the threat. He quickly made up his mind about what to do next.


    "Hand me over, Grandmaster. I can''t let any of you die," he said. While not the strongest, he could sense their surroundings and knew they stood no chance.


    "Foolish child. Do you think we are cowards who would hand over a child to these monsters?" the Grandmaster responded.


    "You are a monk of this monastery, and we will protect you with our lives. Besides, no matter what we do today, they will not spare this monastery."


    "Do you remember what I told you about the Lightning Valley?" the Grandmaster asked.


    Fruity nodded. He remembered being told to never even consider joining them. ording to the instructions he was given, if he had to choose between death and peaceful life at Lightning Valley, he should choose death.


    "They are the worst kind of cultivators. But even if they hadn''te today, this monastery wouldn''t survive. We knew that. So we will fight and ensure your destiny is fulfilled."


    "But we''re no match for them. Fighting is pointless," Fruity said.


    "That''s true, but even though we''ve made peace with what will happen today, you''re not done with what you''re meant to do, who you''re meant to be," one of the ancient monks replied. "Our deaths will not be in vain."


    "But still..." Fruity, as naive as ever, couldn''t ept what they were nning.


    However, while he is skeptical, the monks are at peace. It was like they had been waiting for a day like this for a very long time, which in fact they had. A thousand years ago, they received a prophecy about this very day, so they knew what must be done.


    "This is the Nameless Token. It requires 10,000 peaceful souls to activate," the grandmaster said, bringing out a white token. "Take this. Once it lights up, inject your energy into it, and it will send you away somewhere."


    Fruity received the token but still didn''t know whether their sacrifice was really necessary. To him, handing him over was the easiest thing to do.


    But what he didn''t know was that, even if he had been long gone from the monastery, the karma surrounding and following him would have ensured this day came. The monastery was doomed the moment they epted him.


    His presence wasn''t needed for these people to eradicate the entire monastery, and everywhere he went, he would only bring death and destruction upon those around him.


    "10,000 souls... that''s about the life of every monk here," Fruity muttered, as tears started falling from his eyes.


    "No need to cry, child. This day was bound toe. What we have to do now is fight and ensure we reduce the number of enemies you''ll face in the future. This is also the will and wishes of our ancestors. You must at least respect that."


    Fruity nodded, but he hated the idea to his core. However, a part of him knew this would happen, even if he ran now. He had thought of this moment every single day, but each day, he knew running wasn''t the answer. Yet, epting this wasn''t something he could take lightly either.


    "Good," the grandmaster said before standing up. The other five ancient monks also stood and prepared to leave.


    Fruity wanted to follow them, but before he could move, arge golden cauldron fell on him, encasing him in ce.


    "You are not ready for this, child. Let your grandpas and uncles take care of it," the grandmaster monk said with a smile as arge chain of beads appeared around his neck. Then, he vanished from the room, leaving Fruity to his tears. Fruity began punching the cauldron, even though he knew his strength would do nothing.


    He clenched the token tightly in his hands, knowing that today would be thest day he would ever see any of them. He hated it. He didn''t want them dying for him; he wanted to fight for his life, yet he couldn''t. He was trapped.


    Fruity''s pain and anguish were so overwhelming that when his eyes changed color to dark, he didn''t even notice. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the monastery, and Fruity saw that the token had started to heat up.


    He didn''t know where he would be sent, but he knew one thing for sure¡ªhe wouldn''t go down without a fight.


    His body began to radiate destructive ice qi, his eyes dark as obsidian. He opened his palm, and dark gold ice began to exude from it.


    He ced his palm against the cauldron, and the ice started to spread around it.


    Outside the temple, the monks and intruders were locked in fiercebat. The battle quickly revealed its destructive nature. Hundreds began dying on both sides. Despite their peaceful nature, the monks fought fiercely, determined to take down as many enemies as they could.


    Both in the sky and on the ground, the battle raged on violently.


    "How naive, to think a little monastery could stop the Lightning Valley," a voice suddenly sneered. As the fierce battle continued, the space cracked, and from within, a massive hand¡ªroughly 300 meters in length¡ªdescended on the monastery.


    Some of the monks who weren''t strong enough instantly coughed up blood and then dropped dead. The hand was headed toward the temple where us was being held, forcing the monks to defend against it with everything they had.


    If the handnded on the temple, Fruity would be long dead. However, they underestimated its power. All forms of defense were mounted, but they were being destroyed.


    The grandmaster and the ancient monks were also blocked by dozens of fighters, making it impossible for them toe to aid.


    Nobody expected such an attack, especially one from such a powerful individual. The monks were being annihted by the second as the hand kept descending.


    However, just when it was only a few meters away from the temple, the grandmaster''s voice filled the space. His voice suddenly entered every monk''s head like a silent reminder.


    "Life and death is but a passage; let your inner light guide you in your..." He wasn''t finished when a cold, murderous voice cut him off, filling the space.


    "Chaotic Ice: Dangerous Explosion"

 Chapter 264: Fruitys Dominance

    BOOM!


    The temple exploded, sting the hand into nothingness and shaking the entire monastery. The explosion was so powerful that the ground and some buildings around were all reduced to rubble. However, not even a single monk was hurt.


    When the dust and icy mist settled, From the ruins of the temple, Fruity stood up, looking coldly at the chaos around him. His eyes are now dark, with a hint of icy mist exuding from them.


    "Devouring Ice: Demon Staff!"


    A powerful ice pir rose from the ground and when it was up in the air, it exploded. From the explosion, a 3-meter-tall staff hovered before Fruity. He grabbed it, and with his cold gaze, he muttered another spell.


    "Annihtion Devouring Chaos Ice: World in Ruin!" At once, the whole monastery froze, stopping all fights. The intruders were instantly restricted, stripping them of their strength to even move.


    Fruity looked toward the grandmaster monk and the Ancient monks and muttered,


    "Thank you for your sacrifice Grandpa''s, but fate and the heavens cannot dictate my life. I live and die on my own ord. So are the people I care about.


    Take care of my uncles for me; one day we will meet again."


    "Ice World: Open!" He jammed the staff into the ground again, and the space exploded. From the explosion, a door formed, and through the door, one can see a magnificent world made of crystal ice. Without saying anything, every monk vanished into the door, which closed when thest one entered.


    Fruity, with his now pale face, looked at the people around him. They all stared back at him with shock, fear, and anger, however, no matter what, they couldn''t move. It felt like their strength was being devoured whenever they tried to break free.


    He took out the Nameless Token and smiled. "Peaceful souls, huh... well, I hate peace; I want problems always." With that, he jammed the staff into the ground.


    "Devour!" In an instant, the thousands of warriors around him were reduced to nothingness. The white token in his hand suddenly turned ck instead of white, exuding a powerful aura.


    Fruity looked in a certain direction and muttered, "I will be back." With that, a dark portal opened and swallowed him, leaving the ruined monastery behind.


    ======


    Far from the monastery, atop an ice-filled mountain, two beautifuldies stood gazing back at it. On the face of the one with blue hair, tear marks that seemed to be frozen in ce could be seen.


    "Stop crying, Tasha. He is safe now," the silver-haireddy said,forting Tasha, or as Fruity calls her, the Ice Princess.


    "But sister, he has gone to that ce. I am not sure he can survive there," Tasha said, worry etched on her face. She and her sister Aurelia had been present from the beginning of the battle, ready to swoop in when things didn''t go as nned.


    They knew that showing themselves would only bring doom to those around them; however, for some reason, they didn''t want to see him dead. They had been secretly keeping an eye on him all those years he was in seclusion.


    Even without the monks knowing, the twodies had ensured the monastery stayed safe during the past two years while Fruity was in seclusion.


    "I know, but he has made his choice. You know how he is; he never listens to anyone, especially arrangements made by anyone aside from her," Aurelia said.


    "Plus, he said he would be back. We have to get ready for when he returns; after all, we don''t have much time," she added.


    "I know; it''s just that this is too painful. First, his mother and family, and now his second family. He must be devastated right now," Tasha said.


    "He was bound to remember someday, so it''s best he knows now. As for what happens next, at least he sent them to the Ice World; we can always check on them and ensure they are in good hands," Aurelia said.


    "Okay, sister, I will listen to you," Tasha replied before waving her hand. The two vanished, erasing their presence from that ce for good.


    ***


    A whileter, space cracked at the ruined monastery, and seven people with powerful auras walked out. The moment they appeared, the space, although in ruins, shimmered, turning rubble into dust.


    "How is this possible?" one of them said, looking at the destroyed ce. They could sense the residue of the energies present on the battlefield. The people who died left their energies, so without anyone telling them what happened, they knew their entire fleet had been annihted here.


    "It''s the Annihtion Ice," one of them said, picking up a small stone from the ground.


    "So he is still alive. How disappointing," one of them remarked. "We should have sent the others. Now things have beplicated, and we don''t even know where he has gone. I cannot sense his death qi at all," he added.


    "Maybe he has gone to the Ice Pce," one of them suggested.


    "I doubt that. That ce wouldn''t ept someone like him. He has awakened a forbidden Ice; nobody would ept him. Doing so would call cmity upon themselves."


    "You both are wrong," suddenly, a figure with no presence at all walked toward them. He was a middle-aged man with handsome features.


    "Who are you?" one of the seven individuals asked, their alertness rising. The fact that they couldn''t sense this man''s presence until he spoke was enough to tell them he was dangerous, and they had to be careful.


    "No need for hostility, Elders. I am Newman, Second Prince of the Ice Empire. I sensed three forbidden Ice used here and came to investigate."


    "What do you mean, three?" one of the elders asked, narrowing his eyes at Newman.


    "The Annihtion Ice you sensed is one of them," Newman exined, his tone steady and calm.


    "The other two are the Chaotic Frost/Ice and the Devouring Ice. Each of these forms of ice is forbidden for a reason; they bring about chaos and destruction."


    The three elders exchanged looks as if trying to validate what the man had said. He stood there, smiling at them.


    "Well, whatever, he is long gone now, so I guess all of us werete," one of the seven elders said, shaking his head.


    "I beg to differ," Newman replied.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, two portals were opened here¡ªone leading to the Ice World. From what I know, in the entire world, only two people could do that, and neither of them was present here. So it''s safe to say the forbidden Ice wielder was able to open it, but he didn''t enter."


    "Then where is he?" the elder asked.


    "Like I said, two portals. The second was a portal to thest ce anyone would want to go: the Tormented World," Newman exined, and the elders frowned.


    "The Tormented World?" the elder asked.


    "Yes, a world of darkness, pain, and suffering. From what I know, only demons go there. So either he entered there mistakenly or he chose to go there. Either way, if you want to catch or kill him, you can go there," Newman said before vanishing.


    The elders were left standing there with puzzled looks. They knew it was unlikely they would be able to get the Ice Princess or the Wood Queen to open the gate to the Ice World for them, so their best bet was to go to the demons.


    But the question was, were they brave enough to go to such a ce? After all, the Tormented World was said to house some of the most vile beings in the universe. After contemting things for a while, they opened a space rift and left, leaving the ruined monastery behind for good.

 Chapter 265: The Tormented World

    Somewhere, in a world that seemed to have lost some of its colors, a space rift opened in the air, and from within it, a figure emerged, falling to the ground. Hended atop a small mountain covered in a smoky haze, instantly slipping into an unconscious state.


    The sound of his fall was enough to draw some attention. All around him, monsters of different sizes and shapes began making their way toward the mountain.


    Suddenly, just as the first monster started to climb the mountain, a cold energy burst forth from the body of the unconscious figure, instantly freezing it in ce.


    The other monsters, upon seeing the first monster frozen, retreated, not daring toe closer to the mountain. The sight was too shocking, even for them.


    A day went by, and no monsters approached the mountain. However, they stood a few kilometers away, watching the figure remain unconscious on the mountain.


    For days, the figure remained atop the mountain, still unconscious. The monsters never left; they stayed there, watching as he slept until, half a yearter, his eyes snapped open, apanied by a terrifying wave of ice qi.


    The 100-kilometer radius was instantly turned to ice, and everything within that radius was devoured. Fruity slowly stood and sat up, his face pale.


    He immediately looked at his finger, and the space ring given to him by one of his uncle''s monks was still there. He took out a bamboo jug and opened it, pouring everyst drop of water down his throat.


    "I need food," Fruity muttered quietly. His face was as pale as paper; however, his gaze was as cold as that of a demon in a frenzied state.


    "Ice Empire, Lightning Valley, Druikard Empire, wait for me. One day, I will be sure to devour everyst one of you," Fruity said coldly as he gazed into the sky housing two moons.


    Back at the monastery, just as he was trying to break free from the cauldron the monks used to trap him for his own safety, something broke within him, and memories of his childhood and a small part of his past self poured into his mind.


    He remembered everything, his childhood, his parents and Haniva, his babysitter and friend. He also remembered their death. But aside from that, he remembered a part of his past self memories.


    It was true that he had managed to break free and used a forbidden technique to amplify himself, giving him the limited strength needed to save the monks and kill everyst one of the intruders.


    He remembered how his mother and Haniva sacrificed themselves so he could live. He also recalled a part of his past self, remembering that he had been many things, and one of them was a mage with mastery over both ice and lightning.


    The techniques and spells used during the invasion of the monastery came from that memory. Now, sitting down, he felt angry, sad, and drained.


    "Mom, Sister Hanvia, I will avenge you," he muttered quietly.


    "Uncles, I hope we meet again. But first, I must apologize. The peaceful ways you taught me will not hold much longer. To do what is necessary, I will have to be something else. So I apologize in advance, but you all shouldn''t worry.


    As long as I am alive, the name of Mountain Forest Monastery will never die, in the Grand Xhanti Kingdom and the rest of the world."


    He raised his body to a kneeling posture and bowed three times before sitting back up. His body was weak¡ªvery weak, in fact¡ªso weak that if a monster were to appear now, he would struggle to fight it.


    He had to recover first, but more importantly, Fruity, ever the glutton, felt his stomach calling; he had to find food.


    "Why does it have to be the devouring ice? Now all the monsters are dead and devoured, and I only receive a fraction of the energy obtained."


    With no energy to move forward, he began to cultivate, drawing energy from the air to recover. It was a very slow approachpared to simply absorbing monster cores and other treasures, but with the technique taught to him by the monks, he was able to start cultivating a little faster.


    A weekter, color returned to his face, indicating that he had somehow recovered. "30 percent recovered; that will do for now. I need to hunt for food," Fruity said as he stood up. From the ground, a staff appeared.


    He examined it for a while before shaking it slightly. The staff exuded a cold ice qi. Fruity nodded and then started moving away from the mountain.


    After crossing the ice dune he had subconsciously created, he came to a river. He quickly rushed toward it, and with a wave of the staff, the water moved, and chunks of ice began shooting out.


    Inside these chunks were fishes. Fruity quickly set a fire, and before long, he was chewing on bones and meat. His stomach was something he had always prioritized.


    After eating dozens of fish, Fruity belched, filled his bamboo jug with water, and finally sat down, feeling satisfied.


    He remained seated, making sure his senses were on high alert. A momentter, he muttered, "Alright, past me, you said I shoulde to this godforsaken world instead of going to paradise. So, what do you have for me?" He smiled, shifting into a meditative posture.


    The Nameless Token was supposed to send him to a world where things would have been easier. Instead, he found himself in the Tormented World, a ce of only danger and suffering¡ªsomething even the most insane person wouldn''t willingly choose.


    A whileter, he opened his eyes and smirked. "I guess I must''ve been a maniac in my past life to have suggested something this crazy. But it''s smart¡ªI needed something like this," he muttered, then stood up.


    "I need to awaken all seven forbidden ice elements. Thankfully, I''ve already awakened three, which means I only have to hunt down four of the seven demon monsters my past self wanted me to kill. Seriously, what kind of person was I to know all this and even have a map of this ce?" Fruity shook his head.


    "After awakening the remaining four ice elements, I''ll have to take the Tormented Trial to unlock my bloodline. Then, I''ll need to kill more demon monsters to strengthen my bloodline before bing a Great Sage.


    "Sounds easy enough¡­ for a maniac, that is." Fruity didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    He might have received a technique that would help him utilize the three ice elements he had already awakened, but he was still too weak to use them for extended periods or unleash their true strength.


    He needed to be a Great Sage before he could fully wield them. However, to achieve that, ording to his past self, he had to embark on a ughter, crossing many dangerous zones in the Tormented World.


    Thankfully, his past self had left a map of this ce, which would make things a little easier for him. But still, he had to kill four monsters that were several times stronger than him¡ªand he had to do all of that before reaching the Great Sage stage.


    "First task: I have to go to Illusion Mountain to retrieve an item but to get there, I need to pass through the Cmity Valley¡ªa ce filled with the most dangerous kinds of monsters. This is pure madness," Fruity muttered, looking in a certain direction.


    "Whatever is in that ce, it better be worth it," Fruity said. "Otherwise, as strange as it sounds, I''ll hate my past self for the rest of my life," he added with a smirk.


    With renewed focus, he started moving. He needed to be at his strongest, so his first goal was to hunt some monsters and absorb their cores now that he had eaten and was strong enough.


    A weekter, he was ready to begin his journey westward, where danger awaited.

 Chapter 266: Besieged by Hellhounds (1)

    The Cmity Valley, ording to what Fruity knew from his past self, is a region¡ªor more like an entire continent¡ªin the Tormented World, where various kinds of monsters live. In this world, the monsters are referred to as Demons.


    Although he doesn''t have all the knowledge, the little he does have is enough to inform him that the monsters in this world are more sentient than those in his own world.


    When they grow to a certain stage, they can take human form andmunicate as humans do. However, although they can take human form, they retain some of their monster features, making them distinguishable from humans.


    This also means they are intelligent creatures, and because Fruity knew the knowledge he had was probably outdated, he started his journey with his full strength restored. He had be a Saint, which meant he had formed his Star Core, but he still hadn''t saturated it enough to advance to the Sage Stage.


    He still needed a lot more resources to do that, so he knew he had to tread carefully. After two weeks of travel, he finally arrived at the borders of Cmity Valley.


    "This is going to be dangerous." Standing atop a mountain and overlooking the vast expanse of cmity lying in wait for him to traverse, Fruity could only smile before stepping into the air.


    He had be a Saint, so to a certain extent, he could walk in the air. Fruity had no experience in this field whatsoever, but if you have memories of your past self, you can do much more than just walk.


    After moving through the air for a few hours, he finally entered Cmity Valley, making him descend to the ground and continue on foot.


    It took him another week just to move through a grassy field. He encountered a few monsters, but they weren''t that strong, so he simply devoured them and continued his journey.


    His Devouring Ice allows him to consume anything and extract its essence energy, with a part absorbed into his Star Core and another part absorbed by the Devouring Ice.


    So far, his Devouring Ice is the strongest of the three because he has been using it ever since he woke up.


    However, that doesn''t mean the others aren''t powerful. He just doesn''t have to use them unless it''s necessary. He also knew that once he obtained Ice-type monsters, he could absorb their cores to strengthen the other types of ice.


    For a while, as he moved through the valley using theyout from the map he received from his past self, he never stopped killing.


    "I should be nearing the territory of the Single Horn me Lions." After a month of entering the valley, he began to approach a territory he recognized from the map.


    "They should be peaceful enough, ording to what my past self indicated." Fruity smiled and then started walking toward the region.


    He nned to pass through there to reach the Cracked Path, where, ording to the map, he would have to cross within a day, or more precisely, before sunset; otherwise, he was done for. He had to move fast, so without hesitation, he entered the territory of the Single Horn me Lions.


    A dayter, he appeared outside a camp manned by a few figures walking around the perimeter. Fruity activated his Eye of Despair and decided to investigate.


    However, just as he activated it, he sensed some figures approaching. Looking with his enhanced vision, he immediately recognized them as Hellhounds.


    He immediately took to his heels and dashed away. However, he was already discovered. The reason he ran was that the Hellhounds, true to their name, were a dangerous kind of dog-like monster that hunted for blood.


    They were me-type monsters specialized in hunting. They tracked their prey through scent and blood, making escape very difficult.


    Fruity spared no expense as he pushed his speed to the limit, but he had only been moving for a couple of minutes when he sensed more Hellhounds approaching from all directions.


    "Howe I didn''t notice them? I was being careful," Fruity muttered, extending his senses to look for an opening.


    "If I go east, I might be able to break through faster before their reinforcements arrive. Maybe I can escape by then," he muttered, running toward the east.


    He ran toward the east, knowing he had to go south if he wanted to continue his journey as nned. But he couldn''t do that. With thousands of Tier 5 and Tier 6 Hellhounds approaching, each exuding a powerful aura, he knew he had to escape first and then find a way to continue.


    "Almost there," he muttered, realizing that the only way out would be to fight and create an opening in the eastern section quickly to escape.


    When he was about a kilometer from the approaching Hellhounds, he raised his staff, and dark ice began exuding from it.


    "Annihtion Ice: Ground Frost Arrows!" He stopped and jammed the staff into the ground, instantly freezing the space around him.


    From the frozen ground, ice arrows began shooting up. The Hellhounds that came within range were instantly annihted. However, it didn''t stop there; when the icended on the monsters, it began to spread, creating a form of ground domain that would annihte any Hellhound that stepped on it.


    It was very powerful, but it required significant stamina and Qi. This meant Fruity could only use it for a limited amount of time.


    "Chaotic Ice: Icy Wind," Fruity activated another technique, and this time, as the monsters started to freeze, a powerful icy wind began to blow.


    There were no visible changes to the environment due to the ice; however, when the wind reached the approaching Hellhounds, it was as though their minds were taken over by something.


    The Tier 5 Hellhounds began to kill each other as if they had instantly lost their minds. The primary property of Chaotic Ice was chaos and disorder. Unlike the Annihtion Ice, which obliterates anything it touches, or the Devouring Ice, which consumes everything, Chaos Ice was more of a mental attack.


    It created chaos on the battlefield. Fruity knew that with such arge number of enemies, he could control the disorder and let some of the monsters kill each other. This, of course, only worked on the Tier 5 Hellhounds.


    His soul strength wasn''t strong enough to affect the higher-tiered monsters, so he could only target those in the same realm as him.


    "Unless, of course, something were to happen to weaken their souls, causing them to lose control for a moment," Fruity muttered with a smile, despite the chaos raging around him.


    With a sudden thought, the Pentaface Bead appeared behind him. Then he muttered something, and the first face turned forward. From that face, a bell appeared¡ªthe Bell of Harrows.


    Ding!


    After erging to a certain size, it rang, sending a shockwave of soul and sonic attacks across the entire battlefield. At the same time, Fruity repeated the Chaotic Ice technique. This time, when the skill was unleashed, both the Tier 5 and Tier 6 Hellhounds went into a frenzy, attacking each other.


    "All I needed was to think and strategize. Now I can kill them all and move through this section unimpeded," Fruity muttered as he prepared to unleash another attack.


    The soul attack from the Bell of Harrows had cracked the monsters'' soul defenses, allowing the Chaos Ice to infiltrate their minds and souls. The result was clear.


    "10% of my spiritual qi has been used up already. I need to end this quickly," he said, moving toward a certain direction. A whileter, he stopped, gripping the staff with both hands.


    "Annihtion Ice: Total Annihtion!" A wave of ice burst forth, creating a tsunami of ice that swept across the battlefield, destroying everything in its path. The attack was so powerful that even Fruity, who had activated it, was forced to use his staff to brace himself to avoid being blown away.


    The entire space suddenly fell silent. Fruity smiled, knowing that, for now, he had killed the thousands of Hellhounds pursuing him. By the time more arrived, he would be long gone.


    But before his smile could fully form, a powerful attack tore through the sky, aimed directly at him.


    "Human, die!" A cold voice reverberated across the space, shattering the ice that had spread everywhere. Fruity spun his staff, raising an ice wall, but it was instantly shattered as the attacknded, the shockwave sending him flying.


    Suddenly, a figure about 4 meters tall, muscr with jagged features, wielding arge rod, appeared in the sky. Before Fruity could register this new arrival, another fire attack came flying toward him.

 Chapter 267: Besieged by Hellhounds (2)

    ording to the map, Fruity should be crossing the domain of the Single Horn me Lions by now. Instead, he found himself blocked by an attack from a Tier 7 Devil.


    The Single Horn me Lions are demon monsters that don''t have sight, so they can only sense their surroundings using the horn mounted on their heads.


    Like the Hellhounds, they can also track their prey using blood and sound. But if none of these signals are present, they wouldn''t be able to do much, which means Fruity could have crossed their domain by moving quietly or even through the air.


    However, here he was, being attacked by Devil monsters.


    "I really didn''t want to waste spiritual essence, but I guess there''s no choice now." Despite the attack aimed at him, he wasn''t scared.


    "Devour." He raised his staff, forming an ice wall made from Dark Gold Ice. The moment the attack hit it, the ice wall absorbed the blow but shattered. Fruity quickly raised another ice wall, which prevented the shockwave from reaching him.


    "Human, why did you kill my soldiers?" the monster asked, perhaps noticing how easily its second attack had been absorbed.


    "Die." In response, arge Dark Ice spear appeared in the air and shot toward the monster. Without waiting to see the oue, Fruity immediately turned and started running. However, he hadn''t even covered a kilometer when four more powerful presences appeared, surrounding him.


    "Do you think you can run after killing our people?" A tall, dark figure said, appearing in the air.


    "It was self-defense. They attacked me, so I had to defend myself," Fruity replied, seeing no way out now.


    "Then defend yourself."


    Five attacks suddenly appeared in the air, all aimed at him. Fruity quickly muttered something, and the bell appeared, instantly covering him.


    Dang!


    The five attacks struck the bell, making it ring loudly. Powerful sonic and soul attacks burst out from the bell, instantly hitting the five figures.


    The figure who had already tanked one of Fruity''s attacks couldn''t defend against both the sonic and soul attacks, so its soul was immediately extinguished, causing it to drop from the sky. As for the other four, their weapons, along with their bodies, fell from the sky, hitting the ground with a thud.


    On the ground, they clutched their heads, blood oozing from their orifices. The sonic attack from the bell was just too much. Thanks to his two years in seclusion, Fruity had studied it extensively, allowing him to control the bell to increase the sonic output while reducing the soul attack.


    He knew his soul wasn''t strong enough to kill these monsters with soul attacks alone. However, the Sonic attack was a whole different story. If he yed his cards right, he could kill even stronger monsters with just the two attackbinations.


    However, the price was steep. From the look on Fruity''s face, one could tell he had used arge portion of his spiritual qi for that attack.


    "I need to leave this ce fast before something stronger shows up," he muttered, dismissing the bell, although the bead remained.


    "Devour," hemanded, waving his staff. Ice burst from the ground, wrapping around the monsters. He intended to devour them, but when his ice enveloped them, he felt his control being cut off.


    Sensing something ominous, Fruity immediately bolted without hesitation. This time, he managed to escape, leaving the four devil monsters on the ground, still enduring the torment in their brains.


    Whatever had severed his control over the ice was something he didn''t want to face right away. He was too drained. So, he ran, and for ten straight minutes, he didn''t stop.


    After thirty minutes and thousands of kilometers, he paused to catch his breath. He had run further east, deviating far from where he originally intended to go.


    He was supposed to cross the territory of the Single Horn me Lions, which now seemed to be upied by the Hellhounds. Then, he needed to traverse the Cracked Path, located south of his current location.


    After that, he would journey through the Weiling Trees Forest. From there, he only had to cross the Born Bridge over the ck River. He would then be greeted by Illusion Mountain, his intended destination.


    Roughly, he estimated it would take a year and a half to reach there, but now, with this newplication, he had to change his route. The new path would take him near the borders of the Medusa Bone Python Domain, a ce that, ording to the map in his mind, he should avoid at all costs.


    The Medusa Bone Python was an ancient serpent that could easily kill both people and monsters with a single gaze. Approaching that region was suicide. Even through his senses, the moment he met the snake''s gaze, he would turn to stone.


    And relying solely on his hearing to navigate such a dangerous region wasn''t an option. Now, he either had to return west, where he came from, and then circle through the north, where he''d have to cross the Silent Mountain.


    He knew nothing about that ce, as the map in his mind contained no information on it.


    "Ah, what a headache," Fruity muttered, frustration evident in his voice as he gazed back at the Hellhound domain he had barely escaped from.


    "It''ll take me another month to get to Silent Mountain, and since I know nothing about the ce, I''ll have to be extra careful. Judging by how things are going, it will take more than two months to cross it."


    And that''s if everything went smoothly. "I can''te back here ever again, at least not while I''m this weak." Fruity nced back at the domain of the Hellhounds.


    "Well, at least I managed to bridge the gap a little. After more killing, I''ll probably be able to break through to Sage within 6 months," he smiled, turning back toward the western road.


    He found a cave, and for the next week, he decided to rest and recover. The journey to the north would require all the strength he could muster.


    A weekter, Fruity was ready to start his journey to the north and eventually head east. During the past week, he had hunted monsters and stockpiled rations for the long trek ahead.


    He set off, and for weeks, he journeyed through dangerous terrains, battling and ying monsters as he pressed forward.


    Four days into the third week, the Silent Mountain came into view. Gazing at it from afar, Fruity wasn''t sure if he had made the right choiceing this way.


    On his way north, he had considered many ns. He could have stayed in the west, hunting more monsters. Once he became a Sage, he could have tried his luck passing through the Hellhound domain. But he quickly dismissed that idea.


    If he took that path, he would need at least half a year to fully saturate his Star Core before forming a Sage Core. Even then, he wasn''t sure if he could defeat whatever had driven him away from the Hellhound domain.


    But even if he seeded in killing it, he would still have to cross several other treacherous domains before reaching Illusion Mountain. Time wasn''t on his side, so the best option was to keep moving forward and take his chances.


    "I can''t turn back now. I might as well embrace this path and add new information to the map. Who knows when I might need it again?" Fruity muttered to himself. Steeling his resolve, he started toward the eerie Silent Mountain.


    A few hourster, he finally set foot on the mountain. Sensing no immediate danger, he ventured deeper into its depths.


    A week passed without incident, and Fruity began to feelfortable in the region. However, just as he was starting to rx, a voice, both familiar yet distant and menacing, echoed in his mind, freezing him in ce.


    "I have been waiting for your arrival, My Lord."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 268: Yuying

    Fruity immediately froze when the voice spoke. For some unexinable reason, the voice seemed to have a hold on him, like something he should remember, yet somehow, he didn''t. This made him freeze up.


    It wasn''t out of fear or terror. It was more like he should have been able to recognize that voice, but he couldn''t, and this brought a sense of pain to him. The kind one would feel from watching the face of the one they love but couldn''t feel anything.


    The voice spoke from behind him¡ªno killing intent or any form of energy could be sensed, meaning the voice meant him no harm.


    However, he just couldn''t muster the effort to turn and face the feminine voice that had spoken to him.


    "Master, you haven''t forgotten about me, have you?" the voice spoke again, this time softer than before. She had even changed his title from "My lord" to "Master," which further made Fruity believe he was in for a ride through his past self''s memories.


    He turned slightly toward the source of the sound. For a moment, he expected to see a human-like figure looking back at him, but when he turned, his gaze met that of a 2-meter-tall ck and white fox with a cute tail and a bone-like crown sitting on its head.


    Fruity''s brows furrowed. The voice was so natural and human that he had expected to see a person, but a fox? That was just too bizarre.


    "Oh, I see now." While Fruity was still staring at the fox, it transformed into a human form.


    Once the transformation wasplete, it became a woman in her mid-20s. She had an athletic frame, gray eyes that seemed to hold a hint of darkness, and beautifully sculpted features. Her ck and white hair was perfectly tied behind her.


    She was now d in dark leather armor that clung to her skin like a second skin. Fruity watched her transformation with fascination, though his mind raced with thoughts of how to escape the situation. Even without scanning thedy, he knew she was several times stronger than him.


    He couldn''t possibly kill her. However, a part of him also wanted to see where this went. So far, the beautifuldy had referred to him twice with a title that suggested she meant no harm.


    "It seems you haven''t awakened your memories yet, Master." While Fruity was examining her, she spoke again, this time with a slightly sad expression.


    "Who am I kidding? You still haven''t awakened your bloodline, your physiques, or even the true form of your element. No, you haven''t even awakened all the Forbidden Ice, and why... why are you only a Saint?


    Master, why are you this weak?" the foxdy said, starting to pace.


    "You are a Paragon, so why are you this weak? Even the Demon ying Staff hasn''t awakened yet, and oh, you''re still using Spiritual Qi. This is bad, this is really bad," she kept muttering, which only made Fruity''s brows furrow as he listened.


    ''What is this lunatic talking about?'' he thought inwardly.


    "Master, are you calling me a lunatic?" Suddenly, the foxdy stopped pacing and looked back at him.


    ''She can read my thoughts,'' Fruity thought, his grip tightening on the staff.


    "I''m sorry, Master, I shouldn''t have done that. It''s just... I was waiting for... well, a powerful version of you, but the current you is just too weak. What happened? Haven''t you awakened your past memories yet?"


    "I feel like we''re missing some critical exposition here, so why don''t we de-escte and take this another way? We can start with your name and a little about you," Fruity said, forgetting all the escape ns he had in mind. Thedy could read his thoughts, which meant all ten escape ns he''de up with were now obsolete.


    He had to respond to the situation as it was and focus on learning more about this foxdy and what she kept rambling on about.


    "Okay, Master," the foxdy said. "My name is Yuying. I am the 4th member of the Paragon Guards, created by you with only one purpose: to serve you for all of eternity." The foxdy, now identified as Yuying, finished her introduction, and that was about all Fruity could grasp.


    "I believe we''ve entered uncharted territory here. Yuying, nice meeting you. I''m Fruity," Fruity said.


    "Nice to meet you again, Master," Yuying replied.


    "I think calling me Fruity will suffice."


    "No, it is required of me to refer to my Master as Master or My Lord," Yuying said, and from her expression, Fruity knew she wouldn''t be changing her mind anytime soon.


    "Okay, Yuying, why don''t we start with why you think I am your master? I''m just a renegade monk led to this godforsaken world by a maniac. I don''t remember ever being a Master or a Lord," Fruity said.


    But inwardly, he knew this had something to do with his past.


    "No, Master is the 4th Paragon," Yuying said.


    "Let''s say I am. Care to tell me what a Paragon is?" Fruity asked.


    "Yes, a Paragon is the strongest being in the entire universe and beyond," Yuying said with a smile. Fruity had expected that answer, so he wasn''t shocked. But, like anyone, he wanted more details.


    "I can tell you I''m no stronger than an average human. But let''s say I am this Paragon. Care to tell me why you''re calling me your Master? Sorry, but I don''t recall taking in any guards," Fruity said.


    "You don''t remember yet, which is why you''re saying that. But I, along with eight others, were created by the First Paragon as guards and light-bearers tasked with locating the Paragon whenever you reincarnate," Yuying exined. Fruity raised his eyebrows upon hearing that.


    "So you''re saying I''m the reincarnation of the master you once served?" Fruity asked.


    "Yes, Master, you are the 4th incarnation, and so far, the weakest," Yuying said with a sigh.


    "Jeez, thanks for the encouragement. But I have to tell you, I don''t feel like a Paragon. I don''t even feel as strong as you''re making it out to be," Fruity said with a smile.


    "No, you are my Master. I have divined this moment and waited. There is no mistaking that," Yuying said confidently.


    "Alright, say I am this Master of yours. What proves I''m really this 4th Paragon?" Fruity asked.


    "That''s because you''ve already awakened three of the Forbidden Ice elements you created. Although they''re still weak and you haven''t yet fused with the Seven Star Forbidden Ice Diagram, there''s no mistaking it. Plus, you''re using the Demon ying Staff. I created that, by the way," Yuying said, and Fruity''s expression changed.


    "You''re saying I created the Forbidden Ice elements?" he asked.


    "Yes, Master," Yuying confirmed.


    "Why would I do something like that?" Fruity asked again.


    "That is because, as a Paragon, the heavens will never allow you to grow using their resources, so you''re forced to walk your own path. You created many things, always finding new ways to grow stronger," Yuying exined. "But fear not, Master. Even though you haven''t awakened your memories yet, I will help you be stronger quickly."


    Fruity calmed down a bit. He still didn''t know what it truly meant to be a Paragon, and even now, he didn''t see himself as one. However, the more Yuying spoke, the more his thinking began to shift. He could start piecing things together.


    First, he''d awakened strange memories that allowed him to unleash powerful attacks and save his uncles from total annihtion. Then, he followed a map that led him to a world full of danger.


    And now, he was standing face-to-face with the most powerful and beautiful person he''d ever met. But instead of running, he was here, with this powerful being, who was bitterly bowing at his feet. If that wasn''t something to reflect on, what else could it be?


    "Do you have a ce where we can talk?" Fruity suddenly asked. He needed to understand more about who he was¡ªor, more importantly, who he had been.


    Yuying nodded with a smile and waved her hand. Before Fruity could react, a strange energy enveloped him, and in an instant, he disappeared¡ªonly to reappear in an elegant garden.

 Chapter 269: Getting the Rich Kid Treatment (1)

    "So, let me recap this. You, along with eight others, were created by my past self as guardians of the Paragon Stars and light-bearers, tasked with locating me whenever I reincarnate and helping me start my next path toward the next reincarnation.


    "However, you don''t know why I am reincarnating, and because of karma, you cannot tell me about my past selves, thest three in particr. Also, you''re the only one who has awakened this time to guide and protect me. Does that about sum everything up?"


    Fruity said, biting into an apple that Yuying had served him when they appeared in the garden. He wasn''t one to reject food, after all.


    "Yes, that''s about it," Yuying replied, sitting opposite him.


    "Okay, I believe you now," Fruity suddenly said with a smile.


    "You do?" This time, Yuying was taken aback. For thest three hours, Fruity had been asking her a bunch of questions, clearly having a hard time believing her. So hearing his statement just now was a shock to her.


    "I do. I happen to know when someone is lying, and for the past few hours, I couldn''t sense a single lie from you. So, I guess you''re telling the truth." Fruity said.


    "Of course I was," Yuying sighed.


    She had been worried that Fruity wouldn''t believe her, and because of that, she was prepared to lock him up and convince him if necessary. After all, a thousand years in istion would be enough time to reflect and digest some things.


    "So where are the others? If there are nine of you, where are the other eight?" Fruity asked. He was shocked when Yuying said his past self, or more urately, his original self had created them. She didn''t say how he did it, but creating living beings was just insane to him.


    "They are still asleep, and when I say asleep, I mean they''re somewhere in the universe but haven''t recovered their memories yet," Yuying answered.


    "But you remembered, so how does it work?" Fruity asked. If the others don''t remember him, how could she?


    "With every reincarnation cycle, one of us awakens with our memories intact to search for you. As for the others, they will eventually remember, but the process will speed up the faster you grow. You''ll even start sensing them as you get much stronger. The current you is very weak, but we''ll fix that."


    "By the way, Master, where are you headed? I''ve been tracking you ever since you entered this world and saw you were headed somewhere but had to take a detour. So, where were you going?"


    "Illusion Mountain. That was my first destination in mind. But after I would have hunted down some monsters to awaken my other ice elements," Fruity replied.


    "That will take you two and a half years at your current strength," Yuying said bluntly, much to Fruity''s surprise. He had expected some directions or advice, but she spoke as if she had calcted it in her head without sugarcoating anything.


    "Well, I''ll get there eventually," Fruity could only smile, realizing his own calctions had been wrong.


    "Don''t worry, Master, I''ve made provisions to ensure your needs are met for the next five years," Yuying said, causing Fruity to raise an eyebrow.


    "What do you mean?" he asked. He knew exactly what she meant, but he feigned ignorance to see what kind of arrangements she had made.


    "You''ll need a vast amount of resources, Master. To be a Sage, and eventually a Great Sage, you''ll require an immense supply. I''ve already prepared a lot and am still working on gathering more. For the next five years, you will undergo intense training and tempering as you work toward bing a Sage."


    "And when you say you''ve prepared resources, how much are we talking about here?" Fruity asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Enough to make you a Sage. A powerful Sage," Yuying said, this time with a small smile.


    "Yuying, exactly how strong are you?" Fruity decided to ask. So far, Yuying had shown no signs of wanting to deceive him.


    But even if she had some nefarious thoughts, Fruity knew it was already toote for him. In simple terms, he was beyond saving. So, he figured he might as well stick with the Fox Lady and see where it took him.


    "I awakened 370 years ago, and thanks to my cultivation base being in hibernation rather than fully dormant, I was able to progress quickly through the stages. Currently, I''m in the Ascension stage for Body, Qi, Spirit and Mind cultivation."


    "It was a long road for anyone to walk, but thanks to you, I was able to walk it easily. But don''t worry, Master, the current me is strong enough to handle someone two or even three realms above me."


    Fruity looked at her with wide eyes. He knew what the Ascension realm was¡ªhe had read about it. He even learned from his uncle Monks that the five Ancient Monks had reached that stage.


    Even if he hadn''t known, the hand that emerged from the rift during the battle at the Monastery belonged to an Ascension stage expert.


    Seeing one right in front of him, both cute and surprisingly strong, Fruity simply couldn''t understand why such a being would refer to him as "Master." It was both shocking and oddlyforting.


    "What do you mean by hibernation?" Fruity asked. From her answer, it seemed her past self was even stronger, possibly beyond the Ascension stage. Did that mean his past self had reached even higher realms?


    "Master, although you may not remember yet, you were the type who didn''t tolerate weak people around you. You used to say, ''Weak people should just die so the strong can live their lives.''"


    "I would never say something like that, but go on," Fruity replied with a smile, thinking, ''What a maniac I was.''


    "Well, you did. Because of that, you ensured that every one of us pursuedplete cultivation. And when I say plete,'' I mean that, regardless of the talent or ss we awakened, we cultivated the body, mind, soul, and Qi.


    "This, of course, made us several times stronger than anyone else. As for hibernation, since we exist outside of fate and its rules. So when we enter Samsara to reincarnate, our cultivation base declines to the Master stage."


    "But once we awaken, we just need to gather resources to restore our strength. It''s easier if we awaken with our memories intact. But even without them, we still rise above others easily.


    "However, it''s not that simple. Despite having 370 years, I was only able to reach the peak of the Ascension stage.


    "But it was enough for me to go anywhere and prepare for your arrival. So fear not, Master, I''ve gathered all kinds of treasures for body, soul, mind, and Qi cultivation. You will be the strongest in just a few years, and then you can continue with your ns for this incarnation. Of course, I''ll be with you, as it was meant to be," Yuying finished with a smile.


    Fruity could only sigh. He knew there was a lot to digest, and from the looks of it, this was indeed the best path forward for him. Theing years would be dedicated to cultivation, thanks to his past self ensuring that fate wouldn''t get the best of him.


    Learning that he wasn''t connected to fate in the way he''d once believed, he knew using this advantage would make things easier. The heavens wanted him dead, so his past self had made sure that each reincarnation would help him grow stronger.


    He still didn''t fully understand what a Paragon was, but after hearing Yuying exin so much, he began to suspect that the Monks might have known¡ªand that this could be part of the reason they were willing to sacrifice themselves for him.


    Not everyone wanted a Paragon dead. Some actually revered them, and Fruity had just crossed paths with people who might fit that description. This realization only fueled his desire to be stronger and find a way back into the Ice World.


    After all, he had used his one chance to enter by sending his uncles there instead. Now, he needed more tokens, and fortunately, he already had an idea of where to start once he escaped this strange world.


    "Show me what you''ve got," Fruity said. Yuying waved her hand, and they were instantly transported to another ce¡ªa valley of some kind.

 Chapter 270: Getting the Rich Kid Treatment (2)

    As soon as they arrived in the valley, they were greeted by a lush yet formidablendscape. Powerful energies filled the air around them.


    "What is this ce?" Fruity asked.


    "This used to belong to the Blue Feather Hawk Demons, but I wiped them out and repurposed them for your training. It contains powerful treasures, thanks to those demons'' obsession with collecting anything rare and powerful," Yuying replied.


    "I''m guessing you learned that from my previous self too." Hearing how she casually referred to mass genocide as if it were nothing, Fruity just smiled. He knew he would soon bemitting simr atrocities¡ªhe had already started¡ªbut the teachings of the monks seemed to keep a part of his sanity in check.


    Yuying smiled and waved her hand, bringing them to a stop in front of a pond-like structure filled with a powerful kind of water.


    "This is Bone and Meridian Cleansing Essence. By tempering your body inside it, your bones will be cleansed, making them much stronger, and your meridians will also be cleansed, making it easier to channel your energies," Yuying exined, and Fruity nodded.


    They moved again and stopped in front of a cave-like abode. "This is the Hunting Cave. The deeper you go, the more pressure and pain you will feel in your mind. If you manage to endure, your mind will be stronger than ever."


    "How deep does it go?" Fruity asked.


    "It''s about 12 kilometers deep, but you don''t have to go all the way. I only managed to reach 4 kilometers, so you can take it slowly at first," Yuying said, and Fruity nodded.


    They moved again, stopping at the base of a small mountain with stairs winding up its side to the peak.


    "I call it Gravity Mountain. As the name suggests, as you climb those stairs, your body will be under constant pressure, which, theoretically, should improve your body''s tempering.


    "Of course, the current you wouldn''t be able to climb even two steps because you''re still just a Qi cultivator, but after going through all the body tempering processes I''ve prepared, you''ll be much stronger before taking on this challenge."


    Fruity nodded, and they moved to examine all the other resources Yuying had gathered over the years. In the end, Fruity was left with only one question on his mind: Just how many races of demon monsters has she decimated for these resources? But he sighed and moved on to thest location, about 20 miles away from where they currently stood.


    "Master, I know you don''t remember yet, but you''re someone who loves to fight¡ªa lot. So even though you''re just a Mage now, I''ve prepared hundreds of techniques and skills for you. This will help you learnbat techniques.


    I have served you for three generations now, so I''m confident that once you remember your past, you won''t be angry at me for not doing more. But even if you are, I''ll willingly ept my punishment withoutint," Yuying said, trying to hide the amusement on her face.


    "Don''t worry, Yuying, you''ve already outdone yourself. I''m sure only an idiot would be displeased with you," Fruity said, looking at the space containing various types of weapons, techniques, and training equipment.


    "Thank you, Master," Yuying smiled.


    "Since you''ve awakened this time as a Mage, you''ll be training to be a Combat Mage. This means that aside from using just the staff to activate skills and techniques, you''ll also be engaging in closebat with it.


    Of course, if you''re anything like your past reincarnations, you''ll probably choose more than one weapon. But for now, you can pick the techniques you want and the weapons you''ll be using."


    Fruity didn''t want to protest how Yuying keptparing him to his past selves, but hearing it was starting to eat away at his self-confidence. From her tone, it was clear that Yuying missed his past self. He knew it wasn''t his fault though¡ªhe had been living with monks who preferred peace above all else.


    They weren''t exactly the type to go to great lengths to secure all kinds of resources for him. The little they had, they gave to him, but it clearly wasn''t enough.


    He could only sigh and then move ahead to review the techniques she had prepared for him. From shelf to shelf, different kinds of techniques could be seen.


    Of course, he might not rival his past selves, but he had a sharp mind. So, he did what he had done back in the Soul Temple¡ªhe scanned the techniques, not by reading, but by simply watching for a few seconds, allowing them to imprint themselves in his mind.


    After an hour, he was done learning all the techniques and went ahead to pick one meant for spears and staff. Since he would be using the staff for skill activation, fighting with it seemed like a good idea.


    He could already visualize how to train it¡ªhis brain was like aputer in that regard. All he had to do now was practice, and he would be able to wlessly wield the staff inbat. The techniques all contained battle styles one could rely on to master their preferred weapon.


    "I''ll go with the Ten Thousand Demon Beating Staff technique for now, while I think about the next weapon to choose," Fruity said as he walked away from the techniques section.


    "Master, aren''t you going to take the technique?" Yuying asked, puzzled.


    "No, I''ve already learned it," Fruity replied with a smile, watching her expression. He knew that he had finally shown something that neither of his past incarnations possessed. That realization wasforting, as he had expected.


    "Does that mean you..." Yuying began to ask.


    "Yes, I''ve learned all the techniques. Now, all that''s left is to pick up the weapon and practice," Fruity answered, still smiling.


    "Interesting. Once you be a Great Sage, we can head to the Chaotic Region and learn all the techniques there. I''m sure, with just an hour, you''ll be able to learn everything," Yuying said before waving her hand, and as Fruity expected, they were transported to a new ce.


    "This will be your resting ce for the time you spend here." Fruity and Yuying appeared at a location with a building built into a mountain. All around, the ce looked like paradise.


    There were various kinds of fruits and other food items that Fruity immediately fell in love with. He had be the type of person who wouldn''tin the moment he saw food. Thest thing he wanted was to grumble about something he loved with his entire soul.


    "You can rest for the next few days before your training begins. I''ll be away for a few days, but when I return, we''ll start your training," Yuying said, and Fruity nodded.


    Finally, this was the "rich kid" treatment he had envisioned back when he and his uncle Monk were in Hammond City. He had seen the luxurious lives most of the youngsters there, who were also there to awaken their sses, were living.


    He had asked his uncle about their situation, but all his uncle said was, that as long as Fruity had food and a ce to live, he wasn''t poor. Fruity, of course, didn''t believe him¡ªnot even slightly. So, seeing this step up from his life back at the monastery, he was more than happy to spend the next few days rxing.


    Of course, he still had his priorities straight. For seven days, he rxed and calmed his thoughts. On the eighth day, when Yuying returned from wherever she had gone, they began his training, which wouldst for the next five years.

 Chapter 271: After five Years of cultivation

    "Master, that will be thest round of lightning. It''s the Lightning Tower containing nine levels, but at this stage, only the first level will be activated. Brace yourself, because it''s going to be a dangerous one. After all, the heavens want you dead," Yuying warned.


    Fruity, now standing with the Demon-ying Staff in his grip, looked up at the heavens, watching as the clouds churned and darkened.


    He couldn''t help but smirk as he watched the base of a tower, representing the first floor, slowly appear from the clouds. Suddenly, windows and doors littered around the first level swung open, and countless lightning monsters of different shapes and sizes began to pour out.


    He wasn''t scared in the least. After all, hisst five years of intense training and tempering hadn''t been for nothing.


    Five years ago, he began his training with body tempering. Yuying had prepared all kinds of resources for him, so for months, he spent his time going from one medicinal bath to another.


    He had tempered his body so much that after just seven months, he felt confident that with his bare hands alone, he could take on multiple Tier 7 devils.


    After that, they moved on to the next phase of body cultivation, where he began climbing Griviy Mountain. His first trial was enough to prove that all the time spent enduring the medicinal burns on his skin and bones hadn''t been in vain.


    On his first attempt, he was able to climb ten steps before the pressure became unbearable. However, he didn''t stop there. He adapted, using the pressure to temper his bones and muscles.


    Within a few days, he advanced to the 15th step, and that became his training for another five months until he managed to climb the first 100 steps.


    There were still 150 more to go before reaching the peak of the mountain, but he didn''t have all the time in the world, so he moved on to the next phase: mental training.


    He began by cultivating a secret technique called [Sage Mind]. ording to Yuying, it would allow him to increase his mental capacity tenfold if he managed to ovee all the natural obstacles of the mind.


    It took him just a month to break through these barriers, bringing his mental strength to a new level. Yuying then took him to the Hunting Cave. Fruity quickly entered, and for an entire year, he remained inside, pushing his mental capacity to its limit every single day.


    After a year, he managed to advance 10 kilometers out of the 12-kilometer distance, an achievement that left Yuying both startled and pleased. Finally, she could see her past Master awakening within his current incarnation.


    When he returned from the cave, his mental state was a bit unsettled, so Yuying gave him a break to rest and even taught him another technique called Unshakable Mind. This helped him develop mental fortitude that would be incredibly difficult to break.


    With three years remaining, Fruity entered another cave called the Soul Breaking Abode, where he trained for a full year. Yuying gave him just one technique, the [Soul Mending Pagoda]. ording to her, if Fruity managed to cultivate it to its peak, he would gain an incredibly powerful soul for both offense and defense.


    The technique had nine levels, but even after a year of cultivation, Fruity only managed to reach level three. Still, it was more than enough to make him several times stronger when considering the synergy between the soul and mind.


    With his body, mind, and soul tempered, Fruity moved on to the next stage: Qi cultivation. This stage required him to do two things: learn more techniques, skills, and spells, and choose from 69 different cultivation methods.


    It was a difficult decision, knowing that if he chose the wrong one, he would be bound to it forever. But Yuying reassured him that he didn''t need to worry. Unlike most people, he wasn''t bound by fate with the heavens, meaning he could change cultivation methods whenever he wished¡ªor even practice multiple methods simultaneously.


    She even bragged about how valuable the techniques were. Of course, Fruity didn''t ask where she got them from; he simply reviewed them all. After a full day of going through and memorizing everything, he made his choice.


    He chose the [''Nine Star Ice Body Art.''] It resonated with his affinity for the ice element, so he selected it, and for the next year and a half, he focused on cultivating it.


    By the end of the four and a half years, Fruity had be so powerful that he knew if he encountered the mysterious figure hidden within the domain of the Hellhounds, he would be able to take it down.


    He had mastered many skills, techniques, and spells, and he was certain that in his next battle, whether against a monster or a human, he wouldn''t need to worry.


    Of course, his rtionship with Yuying had also developed greatly over the years. When his soul became exceptionally powerful, Yuying suggested that he could house her within his soul sea, which he did. For some reason, Yuying preferred to remain there, guiding him as he progressed.


    With all that knowledge and power, he spent the remaining months before the five-year mark focusing on increasing his cultivation and breaking through to the Sage Stage.


    After just four months, he broke through, and now he was facing his tribtion, which wasn''t difficult at all. From the start of the tribtion, all he did was sit down and cover himself with the Bell of Harrows.


    Now, watching the lightning monsters escape from the tower, Fruity could only smile as he activated a technique he had mastered over the years.


    "Ice Pir: Dawn of a Thousand Arrows," he called out.


    Arge, towering pir of ice appeared, and from its body, thousands of arrows shot forth, each one destroying a monster before they could even get close to the bell.


    "I can feel my spiritual Qi bing stronger," Fruity muttered.


    "Of course it is. You are now sensing the Star Qi, which will fully unlock once you be a Great Sage," Yuying said from inside his soul sea.


    "What is Star Qi?" Fruity asked.


    "It''s another form of energy, but incredibly powerful. It''s from your core, the Paragon Star. It''s the only energy that the heavens don''t have control over," Yuying replied.


    "Let me guess, I created that," Fruity said.


    "Yes, Master. You haven''t just created us; you''ve created many things, even a whole race of..." Before Yuying could continue, the heavens roared, and a red lightning bolt shot toward Fruity. He immediately stood up and jammed the staff into the ground.


    "Eye of Despair: Void Eyes." The second face of the Pentaface Bead activated, and a huge dark eye snapped open just as the red lightning was about to hit Fruity.


    Like a ck hole, it swallowed the lightning, but Fruity coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    "I''m sorry Master. I was so excited that I forgot about your situation with the heavens," Yuying said in a sad, guilty tone. She had identally triggered divine punishment by revealing too much, nearly costing Fruity his life.


    "Don''t sweat it, Yuying. It was my fault for asking," Fruity said, but deep down, he was happy to have learned something forbidden about himself. Unknowingly, he had just unlocked a trait within himself that would forever push him to rise above any obstacle set by the heavens or anyone else.


    A short whileter, he was done with the tribtion, finally forming a Sage Core. Yuying emerged from his soul sea and congratted him. She then retrieved sevenrge cores, each exuding potent Ice Qi.


    "It''s now time to awaken the other four forbidden ice elements," she said with a smile.

 Chapter 272: Awakening Four Forbidden Ice Elements

    "Are those...?" Fruity raised an eyebrow, looking at the monster cores in her hands.


    "Yes, these belong to the Seven Forbidden Monsters you needed to kill to awaken the four other elements," Yuying answered with a smug smile.


    "I was bored in between your training, so I hunted them down and killed them. This will also make things faster for you," she added.


    Fruity could only smile. "How strong were they, and what makes them forbidden?" he asked.


    "Tier 9, and the reason they are forbidden is because they possess a type of ice the heavens don''t approve of. You see, although this kind of ice isn''t made by the heavens, it doesn''t mean others can''t awaken it. As long as it exists, it will eventually awaken in someone else," Yuying replied.


    Fruity nodded. He already knew as much. The reason the Lightning Valley came after him was because they feared the kind of person he would be.


    He was sure that, aside from them, other powerhouses would have made their move eventually; it was just that the Lightning Valley beat them to it.


    But now that he had a sure way to awaken the elements, he knew for a fact he wouldn''t be returning to the human world the same way he came.


    This time, he nned to make sure that once he was finally done, nobody would ever raise a weapon against anyone who awakened a forbidden element. After all, he was the progenitor of all forbidden elementals.


    "I''ll reward youter, Yuying. For now, let me awaken thest four elements to make it aplete set," Fruity said, forming a series of hand seals.


    A short whileter, a circr,plex diagram appeared on the ground. He sat down and ced the seven cores in the circle. He had already awakened Annihtion, Chaos, and Devouring Ice, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t make them stronger.


    He formed another set of hand seals, and the circle began to absorb the cores, transferring their energies into his body.


    The Annihtion Ice is known for its deadly nature. As its name suggests, anything it touches¡ªunless it''s exceptionally powerful¡ªwill be destroyed. This means that as Fruity''s control over it strengthens, his killing power will be several times more lethal.


    Then there''s the Chaotic Ice. This one deals more with the mind than with physical damage. Its main property is creating chaos, and what better way to create chaos than by messing with the brain? Fruity had seen firsthand what that was like.


    Lastly, there was the Devouring Ice, which Fruity had realized had more properties than just devouring. After his battles, the ice had grown much stronger by absorbing the essence of everything he killed.


    However, after chatting with Yuying, who seemed to know more about this forbidden ice, Fruity learned that the Devouring Ice is the nucleus of all the other types of ice. It can devour energy from anything and convert it into ice energy.


    At first, Fruity thought the energy devoured was only for the Devouring Ice, but now he knows that the energy can be distributed to the other ice elements. He can even stop the Devouring Ice from absorbing energy entirely and allocate it to the other elements instead.


    However, to aplish this, he must first awaken all seven ice elements. Now, he was working toward achieving that.


    Five hourster, the cores were devoured by the diagram, and Fruity began radiating an intense, chilling aura that instantly froze everything within a 10-kilometer radius around him.


    A whileter, a diamond-shaped tattoo appeared on his forehead and began to shine. Within seconds, Fruity experienced seven powerful bursts of ice energy each erupting from his body. When everything finally settled, the entire area where he had been cultivatingy in ruins.


    In front of him, seven diamond-shaped ice formations¡ªeach emanating a different type of ice energy and glowing in distinct colors¡ªhovered before him.


    The Annihtion Ice, with its dark hue; the red Chaotic Ice; the dark gold Devouring Ice¡ªand now, four more. The dark red Abyssal Ice, the deep green Hypnotic Ice, the white Immortal Ice, and the smoke-like Soul Eater Ice.


    "Congrattions, Master! You have finally awakened all the Ice elements. All that''s left is training them to their peak," Yuying said, looking incredibly happy as she watched the seven different ice forms floating before her Master, Fruity.


    "Thank you. But can you tell me more about these new additions? They didn''t exactlye with a manual," Fruity asked.


    "I can''t say much because of our neighbors up there, but I can tell you a little about their true nature, and from there, you cane up with a way to use them."


    Fruity nodded, knowing that understanding their nature would give him a solid foundation to work with. ''At least my past self left me with some techniques I can utilize for now as I work to unlock his memories,'' he thought.


    "The dark red one is Abyssal Ice, and as the name suggests, it has something to do with darkness and sinister forces. Essentially, it taps into a form of energy known as Abyssal Energy, whiches from a ce called the Abyss. This energy has no healing properties, so any beam or attack that is used from this ice is demonic and serves only one purpose: destruction.


    The deep green one is Hypnotic Ice. The reason I made you train your mind was because of this Ice. Yes, it''s used for hypnosis and illusions, and yes, it grows with your mental strength. When I say it grows with your mind, I mean that it bes stronger as your mind bes stronger.


    Basically, it amplifies your mental capacity many times over when in use. So, if you want to maximize its potential, you need to continue training your mind.


    The white one is Immortal Ice. Even from its appearance, you can tell it''s meant for healing. But you might wonder why something meant for healing is considered forbidden. The answer is simple: it''s not called Immortal Ice for nothing.


    If normal healing ice restores your health at a rate of 0.005% per second, Immortal Ice will do so at a rate of 0.5% per second. It''s incredibly powerful, and though I can''t exin why right now, it would be best to use Devouring Ice to strengthen it faster.


    Finally, there''s Soul Eater Ice. Among all your ice elements, this is the most dangerous. I won''t say much, as everything about it is highly sensitive, but imagine a battlefield filled with smoky ice that does two things: it eats away at the souls of your enemies and feeds their soul strength directly to you."


    "Now, that is what I call forbidden," Fruity said with a smile. He could only imagine the evil he could do with it.


    ''Inner peace,'' he sighed, realizing he was bing what Yuying had always described him as. He was a monk, yet in his mind, there was nothing peaceful. He remembered everything that happened when he, his mom, and Haniva fled from his kingdom.


    The pain and all the heartbreaking feelings were eating away at his resolve every second. The current him was more than ready to go berserk when he could no longer hold on.


    Almost half of the monks had died during their battle with the Lightning Valley. These monks were his uncles, so if anyone assumed he was too peaceful as a monk to seek revenge, they were mistaken.


    The only thing more dangerous than a bloodthirsty maniac is a peaceful monk who is grieving. Inner peace or not, Fruity was in pain, but for now, he was barely keeping it down.


    "So, what next, Master? Now that you''ve awakened the elements, what''s next?" Yuying asked, excited for what was toe.


    "What can you tell me about the Tormented Trial?" Fruity asked, and Yuying''s smile died down.


    =====


    [Author''s Note]: This month, I''ll be releasing 3¨C5 chapters per day. Bonus chapters will be added when the Power Stone threshold is met. Additionally, sending Golden Tickets will also unlock bonus chapters.


    For now:


    - 10 Golden Tickets = 1 bonus chapter


    - 50 Golden Tickets = 2 bonus chapters


    - 100 Golden Tickets = 4 bonus chapters


    To read thetest chapters as soon as they''re avable, consider purchasing a privilege. Wee to the month of November!

 Chapter 273: The Tormented Trial

    From his past self, Fruity knew that awakening his bloodline¡ªsomething Yuying said was necessary before bing a Great Sage¡ªwas crucial. This, of course, meant walking the path set by his maniacal past self, which involved taking a mysterious trial. He only knew its name and the direction to find it.


    However, after the incident with the mysterious map in his mind, which led him to the domain of the Hellhounds, he knew better than to trust it. Even if the map had been urate, he would still have asked Yuying, who seemed to know everything about the Tormented World.


    "Master, are you nning to enter the Tormented Trial? There are many¡ªso which one do you want to enter?" Yuying asked instead of answering directly.


    "I''m not really sure," Fruity replied. "But from what little I remember from my past self, I need to enter the Tormented Trial to awaken my bloodline. So, what can you tell me about it?"


    "Oh, so it''s the Tormented Bloodline Awakening Trial? That makes sense," Yuying said with a puzzled expression.


    "You don''t seem too pleased. Aren''t you the one who was always pushing for me to awaken my bloodline before reaching the Great Sage level?" Fruity asked, sensing her hesitation.


    "I know, Master, but of all the Tormented Trials in this world, the Bloodline Awakening Trial is the hardest to enter. You can easily ess the others, but that one... it''s just too difficult to get into."


    "But don''t worry Master, we can use other methods to help you awaken your bloodline," Yuying answered, though the look on her face made Fruity suspect she was hiding some worse details.


    "Yuying, why don''t you tell me what I need to know, and then I''ll decide whether I want to follow through or explore the other alternatives that I know you''ll be eager to explore with me," Fruity said with a reassuring smile.


    It seemed to have worked, as Yuying sighed and decided to let the information flow.


    "To be able to enter a Tormented Trial, you must first join a Witch Temple. But it''s easier said than done. To join a Witch Temple, you mustplete three impossible tasks, and even then, there''s no guarantee they will select you.


    Yes, afterpleting the three impossible tasks, there''s still no guarantee you''ll be selected. But if you''re lucky enough to be chosen, then you''ll have to work your way up from Witch Soldier to Witch General."


    "Wait a minute¡ªstart by telling me what a Witch Temple is first," Fruity interrupted, starting to understand why Yuying said the trial was hard to enter. However, he wasn''t dismissing the idea. So far, things had been rtively easy for him thanks to Yuying, so he felt like he needed a challenge.


    "In this world, a Witch Temple is like an organization that oversees various regions and powers. They function like kingdoms. There are five Witch Temples in this world, and they''re all located in the central region, which is the main continent of this world.


    They''re very powerful, and from what I know, they have ranks. For newly joined members, they start as Witch Soldiers.


    Then, there are ranks like Witch Masters, Witch Captains, Witch Generals, Witch Saints, and finally, Witch Sage¡ªthe highest authority, at least among the ranks I''m aware of," Yuying exined, making Fruity nod in eptance.


    "Continue," he said.


    "So, as I was saying, to join or be recognized by a Witch Temple, you mustplete three impossible tasks. Well, at least one can be achieved rtively easily," Yuying said, making Fruity raise an eyebrow.


    "Let me hear it," he said.


    "First task: You must eradicate an entire race of demons from their domain and obtain the Witch Hunter mark. This is earned after killing the leader and everyst one of its subordinates. This can be achieved since it doesn''t specify the strength level of the monsters you have to face.


    Second task: You must go to the northern part of this world and retrieve a treasure that can only be found in a region ruled by dragons known as the Dark me Chaos Dragons. This, of course, isn''t easy, but if you''re lucky, you won''t get roasted before you even step into their territory.


    For thest trial, you must seek out the Hunting Harrow, said to be from the darkest and hottest depths of the abyss. Your task is to pluck a single feather from its wings and present it at the Witch Temple.


    Thousands, if not millions, have died at this stage. So, Master, do you think you can handle it? I won''t be able to help you this time since it''s forbidden."


    "Sounds like fun," Fruity said, feeling excited for some unknown reason. Yuying looked at him and then decided to continue.


    "So, if you manage toplete these tasks and join a Witch Temple, you''ll have toplete more tasks to earn enough points to rank up. Once you be a Great Sage, you''ll be eligible to enter the trial. However, this will require you to hold your cultivation base at the Sage Stage.


    Seriously, Master, you can forget about this trial. Let''s hunt some stronger monsters and take their blood essence instead. We could even hunt down a few Angel Demons who are Said to possess some of the strongest bloodlines," Yuying suggested.


    Fruity smiled upon hearing her suggestions. He was curious to know more about the Angels, but he figured that could wait. For now, he wanted to understand why his past self had been so determined to join something that seemed nearly impossible.


    "Another question: how long would it take me to travel from my current location to the Northern Region?" Fruity asked, needing to know before making any further ns.


    "With your current speed, it would take you about 12 years. But if I were to take you, it would take a little over 2 years," Yuying answered, making Fruity smile.


    "And I suppose thest task is in the Central Region?" he asked.


    "Yes, it will take us another couple of months to get from the Northern Region to the Central Region. So, if you want to continue, you''ll have to keep your cultivation base at the Sage Stage for the next 10 years," Yuying exined.


    "But I suppose there''s a reason behind this heavy task. This trial wouldn''t just be some scam, right?" Fruity asked.


    "Of course not," Yuying replied. "Bloodlines are unique to everyone. Even two people with the same bloodline won''t necessarily have the same bloodline talents. So, people are particr about how they awaken their bloodlines.


    While some people naturally awaken their bloodlines, especially female cultivators when they awaken their constitutions, this trial is designed to awaken thetent bloodlines of a person or beast and elevate it to the highest grade."


    "What are these grades, and why are they important?" Fruity inquired.


    "In the bloodline system, there are different grades, starting from Common, Noble, Royal, King, Ancient, Divine, Immortal, and God. It''s simr to how there are different grades for weapons and techniques¡ªthe higher the grade, the more powerful it bes.


    For example, someone with a Noble-grade bloodline, even if they''re a realm lower than someone with a Common-grade bloodline, will be able to suppress them easily just with their bloodline pressure. But that''s not all. Bloodlines bestow many abilities to a wielder, so awakening a higher-grade bloodline means gaining more and stronger abilities," Yuying exined.


    "So, this trial ensures you awaken your dormant bloodline and upgrade it, correct?" Fruity asked, and Yuying nodded.


    "But there are other ways to awaken your dormant bloodline and even strengthen it using other bloodlines. You don''t really have to go through all the trouble of joining this trial," Yuying said, not wanting Fruity to waste his time. But the violet-haired monk had other ns.


    "I''ll use the trial to awaken my bloodline, and then we''ll use your method to make it even stronger. After all, my past self wanted this for me, so who am I to question myself... ha!" Fruity said, making Yuying smile slightly. Whether she liked it or not, her master had made up his mind, and she could only guide him through every step of the way.


    "Let me train for a few months, and then we can head to Illusion Mountain for the items I need there. But while we''re at it, what can you tell me about the Hellhounds?" Fruity asked with an evil smile.

 Chapter 274: Eradicating The Hellhounds

    Two months after Fruity became a Sage, he finally ended his training arc with satisfactory results. Thest two months were spent pushing his mind to the limit, trying to walk the entire 12km inside the hunting cave. But no matter how hard he pushed, he only managed to cover 10.5km.


    Still, it was a monstrous achievement for someone of his strength level. From what Yuying had told him, he should have only been able to walk 5km, and that was if he were a prodigy. So, 10.5km was more than enough for someone like him, someone said to defy the heavens¡ªa true paragon.


    Yet, Fruity still wanted toplete the full 12km, but he couldn''t waste all his time training. He needed to go to Illusion Mountain to retrieve the item left behind by his past self. To do that, he first had to pass through the Wailing Forest and cross the ck River using the Bone Bridge.


    However, before doing any of that, there was something else he needed to aplish¡ªsomething that, if sessful, would bring him one step closer to joining a Witch Temple, which was also a step closer to entering the Tormented Bloodline Awakening Trial.


    "We can just leave now and look for a weaker domain to subjugate, Master," Yuying said.


    Fruity had already told her he nned to eradicate the Hellhounds, which, ording to his reasoning, would earn him the Witch Mark¡ªone of the three tasks he needed toplete to join a Witch Temple.


    "Yuying, you were the one constantly telling me how weak I was, or rather, how weak I ampared to my past incarnation. Well, I''m not weak anymore. I literally have seven forbidden ice elements at my fingertips, along with a boatload of techniques, skills, and spells to choose from.


    Even if that weren''t enough, you''ve made sure I''ve masteredbat using the staff, sword, and bow. I''m sure that''s enough toplete the task," Fruity said.


    "I know, Master, but the strongest monster in that ce is a Pseudo-Deimos¡ªa peak Rank 8 Tyrant on the verge of bing a Deimos. That means it''s practically a Beast now, making it several times stronger," Yuying said, her expression filled with concern.


    "Still, I don''t know if I can kill it without fighting it. We can only hope it''s not a monster among monsters. But even if it''s stronger than me, you can always step in and kill it, making the task null. I can always try againter.


    But I believe in my abilities, so there''s no need to worry. And since we''ll be traveling together toplete even more dangerous tasks, I should get familiar with the danger level so we can cooperate better in the future."


    Fruity could sense that Yuying had be overprotective of his safety, which he knew was linked to something from his past self. Of course, he didn''t ask, since he knew she wouldn''t say anything that would add to his already boatload of Karma for just existing.


    Yuying nodded, and with everything in order, they left for the domain of the Hellhounds. Last time, Fruity had managed to kill many of their Tier 5 and 6 subordinates and even took down a Tier 7 devil. This time, he was going for the whole deal.


    With Yuying''s assistance, they reached the domain within the hour, showing just how powerful she truly was. Fruity didn''t waste a second announcing his presence.


    As expected, within moments, he was swarmed by thousands of Hellhounds charging at him. But this time, Fruity didn''t run. Instead, he stood his ground, waiting for them to get within 2km of him.


    When they were within range, he jammed his staff into the ground. With a cold tone that matched the aura exuding from him, he muttered:


    "Devour."


    This time, the ice mist that appeared was thicker and darker than before, drowning them in a way that not a single sound escaped from the Tier 5 and 6 monsters as they were enveloped within the icy domain.


    Within minutes, all the monsters charging at him had been devoured. Fruity wasted no time directing all the absorbed energy into the Immortal Ice. He knew that if the odds were stacked against him, he would need his healing ice more than anything.


    "Human, you dare return?" Suddenly, four powerful presences appeared on the battlefield, each ring coldly at Fruity. Last time, he had left them alive, failing to kill them.


    "Yes, I have returned to finish what I started thest time," Fruity said with a smile before turning toward a specific direction. "I know you''re watching, so why don''t youe out and see how I kill your four subordinates without even raising my staff?" he added.


    However, perhaps out of annoyance or because Fruity ignored them, the four Devils decided to attack¡ªsomething they shouldn''t have done.


    "Soul Eater Ice," Fruity muttered coldly. The four were only moments away when they suddenly felt their senses cut off, and then everything went ck. Their souls were extinguished in a split second.


    "Told you," he said with a smirk, turning toward the same spot.


    At that moment, Fruity sensed a powerful presence speeding toward him, a terrifying attack locked onto him.


    "Devour," Fruity muttered, feeling his mobility restricted. He used the Devouring Ice to absorb the pressure¡ªa technique he had learned while climbing the Gravity Mountain. It allowed him to break free just in time to dodge the powerful spear attack.


    Looking up, Fruity saw a three-meter-tall demi-human, a twisted fusion of Hellhound and demon. Its appearance aside, the energy it radiated was overwhelming¡ªso powerful that Fruity knew he was in for a real fight.


    However, just as he was about to assume a battle stance, he noticed something on the monster''s chest.


    ''That crystal... why is my Abyssal Ice reacting to it?'' Fruity wondered. Not knowing the full extent of the rules involved in these things, he decided not to risk asking Yuying. Instead, he trusted his gut instinct.


    He tapped into the connection between his Abyssal Ice and the crystal, and within seconds, he managed to discern its nature. A slight grin appeared on his face.


    ''I just need to hold it off for two minutes, and it''ll be over,'' Fruity thought. With that, he surrounded himself with Chaotic Ice, creating a 3 km-wide domain.


    Boom!


    His Demon ying staff shed with the monster''s spear, creating a sonic boom that caused the entire space around them to shake. Fruity smiled, realizing he was no match physically against the evolving monster.


    But that wasn''t something he needed to dwell on. He wanted to test his power, but he wasn''t going to go in recklessly. Using the Chaotic Ice element, he disrupted the monster''s concentration.


    He could have used Hypnotic Ice, which would have had a more potent effect, but he didn''t want to rely on too much of a handicap. Instead, he opted for the one that would only give him a slight edge. For the next two minutes, he and the pseudo-beast exchanged hundreds of attacks.


    Neither of them had used any techniques or skills, but the chaotic exchange allowed them to gauge each other''s strength. Of course, this was a deliberate misdirection on Fruity''s part, who knew exactly what he was doing.


    With the monster being both arrogant and prideful, Fruity knew it wouldn''t take him seriously¡ªits first mistake.


    "You shouldn''t underestimate your opponents in your next life," Fruity said after being pushed back a few meters.


    "What do you know..." the monster growled, preparing to pounce again. But before it could move, it sensed something amiss.


    Looking toward the spot where Fruity had pointed, the monster panicked. But it was toote.


    "I know this... Explode," Fruity snapped his fingers, and like fireworks, the crystal on the monster''s chest exploded, killing it instantly.


    "Easy enough," Fruity said with a smile.

 Chapter 275: The Wailing Forest

    "Congrattions, Master," Yuying immediately said after exiting his soul sea. Fruity had learned how to create a space for her, so the Fox Lady had been resting there whenever she wasn''t assisting him.


    Since she couldn''t interfere in Fruity''s task of killing everyst hellhound in their domain, she entered his soul sea as soon as they stepped foot inside the domain.


    Now, looking at the triangr mark that appeared like a tattoo on the back of his left arm, Fruity could only smile. "I was lucky this time," he said.


    "Luck is also a kind of your strength," Yuying replied, gazing at the monstrous body of the Peak Tier 8 Hellhound, which had reverted to its true form after death.


    "Still, I got lucky," Fruity insisted. The crystal on the monster''s chest was a result of its evolution to a Tier 9 monster. When a monster reaches Tier 8, it begins evolving into a Beast.


    Beasts are different from monsters. Monsters don''t resonate with the heavens, so they are much weaker than Beasts, who are recognized by the heavens and bestowed with unique skills and abilities. Beasts evolve into creatures more in tune with the heavens than monsters.


    Some creatures are even born as Beasts, with awakened bloodlines and constitutions, but monsters must rise to Tier 9 before they can be recognized as True Beasts.


    However, the evolution phase from Tier 8 to Tier 9 is a critical stage for them. It is during this phase that their bloodlines begin to awaken, determining the kind of energy they will harness¡ªor more precisely, the kind of energy they will resonate with.


    In the case of the Hellhound, it was awakening Abyssal Energy, which Fruity had some affinity for, thanks to his abyssal ice energy. So, he tapped into the crystal core, which, after evolving, would be a Beast core. He injected his ice abyssal Qi into it, and once it was filled up and under his control, he detonated it.


    So, while it was indeed luck on his side this time like he said, Yuying was also right said, that luck is also part of one''s strength. This time, thanks to his abyssal energy, he killed a peak Tier 8 Tyrant in less than three minutes.


    Something he wouldn''t have been able to do if it was the other way around.


    "Devour," he said, consuming the dead bodies of the monsters lying on the ground. Once he allocated the absorbed energy to the Immortal Ice, he turned toward the direction he needed to go.


    Yuying, who had been waiting as his guide and transport, quickly wrapped her energy around him. Before long, they were gone from the now unimed domain of the Hellhound, which would likely be imed within the next 12 hours, as it hadn''t truly belonged to the Hellhounds in the first ce.


    "In front is the Wailing Forest. From its name, you can get a fair idea of what goes on within those woods," Yuying said, making Fruity nod.


    "But I think you shouldn''t worry. Your mental capacity is stronger than most Sages, so you''ll be fine. The mental attacks won''t have much of an effect on you," Yuying added.


    The Wailing Forest is nothing like a normal forest. It''s home to a strange type of tree monster known as the Wailing Demon nts. They don''t attack like other tree monsters that use their branches and leaves. Instead, these monsters only attack mentally through the constant wailing one hears the moment they step inside the forest.


    The deeper you go, the more intense their mental attacks be.


    "I guess this will show me how much I''ve improved, and whether or not the months of mental torture were worth it," Fruity said with a smile.


    "If you can''t endure anymore, just let me know so I can teleport us away," Yuying said before entering her Master''s soul sea. Being beside him might provoke some powerful demon nts to attack, which would be bad for Fruity.


    He stepped into the forest, and the moment his foot touched the ground in the Wailing Forest, a torturous sound erupted in his mind.


    Fruity paused for a few seconds before nodding to himself. He could hear the wailing, but it wasn''t affecting him.


    With his mind bolstered by his intense training in the Sage Mind and Unshakable Mind techniques, he moved as if he were taking a stroll through a small garden.


    As he ventured deeper, the intensity of the wailing increased.


    "Master, you can use this time to further train your mind. Slowly lower the defenses around your mind and let the sounds affect you," Yuying said from within his soul sea.


    "Okay," Fruity replied. He did as she instructed, and immediately, he felt his mind being assaulted by different kinds of mental attacks.


    However, it wasn''t strong enough to overwhelm him. Still, he knew not to get ahead of himself bypletely lowering all his defenses. While his mind was stronger, enduring hundreds of mental attacks was not something he could handle easily¡ªif at all.


    For twelve hours, Fruity moved steadily through the forest, enduring the wailing that was strong enough to shatter the mind of any Sage. But thanks to his intense training, he was able to endure it, even increasing his mental strength to another level.


    "Alright, suckers, why don''t you pay back for all the torture you put me through," Fruity said with an evil grin as he emerged on the other side of the forest.


    Knowing that 99% of living things in this world were evil, Fruity didn''t care much about their survival. So, upon seeing such a thick forest brimming with soul energy, he knew what had to be done.


    Naturally, mind cultivators have stronger souls, and since he didn''t possess any ice techniques that could steal mental strength or energy, he went for the best option: the Soul Eater.


    ''I guess he never changes,'' Yuying thought inwardly, standing beside Fruity as he set his evil n in motion, a small smile ying on her lips.


    Fruity''s Soul Eater eyes spread across the forest, and like a massacre, the tree monsters began wailing again. But this time, it wasn''t due to mental attacks¡ªit was a cry of agony from deep within their souls. Fruity was devouring their souls to strengthen his own, which had already begun growing more powerful.


    "Human, what are you doing?" A thunderous voice suddenly boomed across the forest, hitting Fruity hard in the mind. But he just smiled, feeling his Sage Mind and Unshakable Mind techniques block a significant portion of the mental attack aimed at him.


    "What does it look like I''m doing?" Fruity responded, smiling at the clearly infuriated nt Demon that growled at him.


    Without a verbal reply from the monster, Fruity sensed another mental attack strike his mind. But just like before, his mental defenses blocked it, making him smile. Using a skill he had learned thanks to Yuying''s meticulous preparations, heunched his own mental attack.


    "Mind Shatter." Somewhere deep within the forest, a towering dark nt shuddered, and almost half of its leaves instantly began falling from its branches.


    At the same time, a powerful presence erupted from within the forest. Fruity, standing just outside, devouring the nts, instantly realized he was out of his league the moment that presence descended.


    "Yuying, we can leave now," Fruity said calmly. The Fox Lady smiled, and without a second thought, they were gone.


    The presence that had appeared was one even Yuying recognized¡ªa Deimos Monster, a Tier 9 being, specializing in mental cultivation. While Yuying herself was a Tier 10 existence, she knew that when it came to mental attacks, this creature excelled beyond her abilities. As the saying goes, a master of one skill is better than a jack of all trades.


    Facing off against it would have been unwise. So, the best n was to run, and that was exactly what Master and Servant did.


    Soon, they appeared in front of the Dark River, which could only be crossed using the Bone Bridge. However, Fruity had no intention of crossing it peacefully.

 Chapter 276: Devouring The Dark River

    The map Fruity got from his past self showed that he would have to cross the Dark River before reaching Illusion Mountain. The river was a mystery, even to Yuying, who had no concrete description of it.


    All she said was that the river had a guardian that lived within its depths, and from what she knew 50 years ago, it had been a Beginner Tyrant (Tier 8) back then.


    And 50 years was a long time, so she estimated it had likely be a Deimos (Tier 9) by now. Aside from that, there were river monsters that attacked using the water element.


    Fruity, of course, was prepared for a huge fight, knowing that the guardian wouldn''t attack unless provoked, ording to Yuying. He nned to cross the bridge quickly since flying wasn''t an option there.


    The ce had some strangew governing it, making it impossible to fly over the river. Fruity knew taking the bridge was his only option, but he didn''t expect that as soon as he appeared within the range of the river, not one but two of his ice elements would react excitedly to it.


    "It seems we should prepare for a fight soon. My Devouring and Abyssal Ice seem to have a liking for the river, so I''ll be devouring it," Fruity said, making Yuying nod with a smile.


    Finally, she would get to fight alongside thetest incarnation of her master¡ªa great honor and privilege she nned to use to tease herrades when they awakened and found their way to them.


    "How do you want to go about it, Master?" Yuying asked, taking out an elegant, thin sword from her space ring. Once again, Fruity was struck with yet another surprise.


    ''It seems this world is more than just a monster''s abode,'' he thought.


    From what he had seen so far, there was more to this Tormented World than anyone might think. Yuying had already shown him enough for him to realize that the world he had entered was civilized in some way.


    Of course, the monsters he had encountered so far were just bloodthirsty idiots, but seeing what Yuying was capable of, he knew there was a whole world out there waiting for him to explore.


    For one, he wanted to explore as many ces as possible and learn as much as he could before returning to his own world. He had never had the chance to explore his own world, so he would use this opportunity to do so.


    The only downside was that, no matter where he went, he would have to be extra careful. ording to Yuying, it was rare to meet a peaceful demon in this world. Every monster and beast would try to kill and devour him, so Fruity had started to live his life with that mindset. It would only make things easier for him in the long run.


    "Let me start devouring. I''m sure they''ll attack the moment they sense something is wrong. You won''t have to worry about the small fry¡ªjust be on the lookout for the Guardian you mentioned." Yuying nodded and spread her senses, covering the entire river.


    Fruity did the same, and with a gesture, the Devouring Ice and Abyssal Ice covered the entire river. Fruity instantly felt a surge of energy enter his body, making him smile.


    His focus was also drawn to what the Abyssal Ice was doing, and from what he could tell, there seemed to be traces of Abyssal energy within the water, which it was absorbing.


    "Here theye," Fruity said as soon as he sensed Tier 6 and above monsters charging toward the surface. He did not attempt to draw his weapons; instead, he activated his Hypnotic Ice, creating an illusion of calm for the monsters.


    He had learned a few tricks before leaving, so the illusion he crafted was of a serene Watend where life was peaceful, instantly drawing the water-dwelling monsters into it.


    Fruity''s mental capacity and soul strength were formidable, so even though the illusion was just a basic smokescreen, it was enough to prate the minds of thousands of monsters.


    He then moved to the next logical step¡ªactivating the Soul Eater Ice. In that instant, the entire river began to churn. The monsters trapped in the illusion had their souls devoured, but that wasn''t all; the Abyssal energy within them was also being absorbed. To make matters worse for them, their bodies were being devoured as well.


    Fruity knew he had to act decisively, so all the energy being devoured was fueling the Devouring Ice this time, making it stronger by the second.


    His soul was also growing stronger, allowing him to maintain control over the four Ice elements for as long as possible. Thousands of monsters appeared, but when they got within reach of the Hypnotic Ice, their minds became foggy, and they slipped into the unconscious domain of illusion.


    "Looks like Tier 7 monsters have stronger minds and souls," Fruity muttered, noticing some of the Tier 7 water devils struggling to break free. His mental strength was formidable, but not strong enough to trap hundreds, if not thousands, of Tier 7 devils.


    "But I came prepared," Fruity said, and with a flick, a red ice mist began to spread across the river.


    Since the Hypnotic Ice was struggling to hold the monsters, why not give them something else to resist?


    In an instant, chaotic thoughts spread into the monsters'' minds splitting their resistance and causing them to instantly sumb to the illusion.


    "Looks like the Chaotic Ice copied the wailing of the tree monsters," Fruity remarked, clearly amazed. He hadn''t expected that improvement.


    He had been searching for ways to make the Chaotic Ice more powerful, but it seemed his worries were unnecessary. The Ice seemed to copy anything chaotic on its own. This also meant that to gain more skills for it, he had to be around chaotic things¡ªmore specifically, things that possessed mind attacks.


    "I told you, Master, all you had to do was understand the nature of the element, and you coulde up with ways to use it," Yuying said with a smile. But deep down, she was shocked to her core by the sheer chaos her master was unleashing on the Dark River and its inhabitants.


    "I guess the Ice elements are stronger than we thought. I''ll have to get more creative next time. After retrieving the item from Illusion Mountain, on the way to the Northern Region, I''ll make a few quick stops to train and synchronize them properly so I can use them more effectively inbat," Fruity said with a smile.


    "That''s a great idea, Master," Yuying said, clearly excited. Knowing they would be leaving a trail of destruction, she was more than happy to go along with her master''s n.


    Although Fruity didn''t remember his past, he was getting closer, and soon, with the sheer destruction and power he would gain, he''d be a step closer to uncovering who he was and what he needed to do in his current incarnation.


    "Who dares intrude in my domain?" A powerful voice suddenly erupted from deep within the Dark River, sending shockwaves all around.


    The moment this presence emerged, the devouring of the river halted, freeing the monsters trapped in the illusions and chaotic thoughts.


    "Yuying, why do they always say that? They could juste straight at us and attack," Fruity asked, half-amused, recalling simr derations from the Hellhounds and the Tree Monsters.


    "It''s to make their presence known before they attack," Yuying replied with a straight face, unaware that Fruity was being sarcastic.


    Just as Fruity was about to respond, a powerful water spear shot up from the depths of the river, heading straight toward them.


    "Ice Cage!" Fruity quickly raised an ice barrier around himself and Yuying, defending against the water attack. Once the attack settled and he lowered the defense, they sensed two powerful presences appear in front of them.


    "Two guardians, and they''re Peak Tyrants," Fruity muttered with a slight grin.


    "I can take them both, Master," Yuying said, stepping forward.


    "I know, Yuying, you''re the best, the strongest. But why don''t we share? There are two of them and two of us," Fruity said, spinning the staff in his hand.


    Yuying nodded and, with a single step, she vanished. At the same time, the presence that had attacked also disappeared, reappearing 10 kilometers away from Fruity.


    "Looks like it''s just me and you now," Fruity said, pointing his Demon ying Staff at the demi-human-looking Fishman.


    "Want to attack first, or should I?" he asked.


    In response, the fishman charged forward, razor-sharp arm swinging. Fruity smirked and dashed forward to meet it.


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 Chapter 277: The Bridge Guardians Attacked

    Fruity and the Fishman shed, creating a loud explosion that instantly sent shockwaves all around. The Fishman had thick arms, ashy blue skin, arge shark-like head, and razor-sharp arms that could easily cut through the thickest defense.


    The sh was intense. Despite his body tempering, Fruity felt his arms go numb when their weapons met.


    "Water sh!" The Fishman immediately activated its first skill, shing its de-like arm. A powerful arc of water cut straight at Fruity, who spun his staff and raised a thick ice spear.


    The two attacks collided, exploding instantly. Fruity was pushed back, but so was the Fishman. It was strong, almost at the level of a Deimos, but Fruity wasn''t weak either. Five years ago, he might have struggled, but now, after learning hundreds of skills, techniques, and spells, he was no longer weak.


    "Ice Pir: Dawn of a Thousand Arrows!" Fruity instantly activated his second technique. A tall ice pir rose from the ground, towering behind him. From therge pir, thousands of ice arrows rained down on the Fishman.


    The Fishman immediately raised a water shield. This was easy for it, as they were fighting in its domain. It has an affinity for the water element so fighting beside a water body was an advantage for it.


    Fruity, seeing how his arrows bounced off the water shield, smirked. cing two fingers on his forehead, a powerful soul attack erupted, hitting the Fishman heavily.


    The shield shattered when the soul attacknded on the Fishman, but Fruity didn''t celebrate. He had only broken its defense¡ªthe true attack was yet toe. First, he needed to ensure the Fishman wouldn''t be able to defend itself.


    The soul attack was just the beginning, and from the result, Fruity knew he couldn''t drain its soul energy yet. He could only create more chaos and hope for the best.


    "Ice Pir: Doom''s Arrow," Fruity muttered, seeing the Fishman was about to activate an offensive skill. It was enraged by the sudden soul attack.


    The pir behind Fruity rose and transformed into a 30-meter-long, thick, and pointed arrow made of ice. One thing Fruity noticed was that he could naturally use the ice element¡ªnot any specific type, just normal ice. People would only recognize that he possessed Forbidden Ice once he activated them.


    For now, he was simply testing how well he could fare without using his special elements, and so far, he had exceeded his own expectations by a huge margin.


    "Go!"


    He pointed his staff forward, and like a bullet, the massive arrow sped toward the Fishman, bringing immense pressure with it. However, instead of raising a solid defense, the Fishman simply swung its hand, sending a sharp sh that instantly obliterated therge arrow.


    "What the..." Before Fruity could finish his sentence, the Fishman appeared right in front of him, stabbing its sharp arm toward his heart.


    Fruity quickly tapped into a technique he had learned, switching his position by using the ice as a conduit. Although he managed to dodge, the technique required a great deal of stamina, and he immediately felt his body growing tired.


    "That was one strange movement technique," Fruity thought, recognizing the movement the Fishman had used. He had learned a simr technique himself but hadn''t given it much thought when Yuying made him study it. In fact, he had learned dozens of such techniques but hadn''t taken the time to master them.


    Just as he freed himself from the sudden attack, he saw the Fishman stabbing a long spear made of water toward him. He wanted to ask how that was even possible, but before he could react, he felt a sudden attack from behind.


    He quickly raised an ice wall, then kicked back while thrusting his staff forward. The two attacks collided, creating an explosion.


    ''I can''t underestimate this Fishman, and since I didn''t bother to master the movement technique, I''ll have to use another method without resorting to the forbidden ice just yet. I have to kill it without using any of my trump cards,'' Fruity thought inwardly, knowing this was no time to joke.


    However, he also wanted to test himself. Having such powerful ice elements seemed great, but without them, he wanted to see what kind of person he truly was.


    "Round two," Fruity muttered, his staff transforming into a longsword.


    "Moon sh!" He swung the sword dozens of times, each swing sending sharp arcs of ice shaped like crescent moons.


    The Fishman raised its defenses, but the sudden consecutive attacks were too strong, breaking through its defense. Some of the ice arcs evennded on its body, dealing with ice damage.


    "One with the Sword: Moon Epic sh!" Fruity, having gained some advantage and momentarily disrupted the Fishman''s momentum, followed up with a new form of Moon sh. He raised his sword high, and like a current, Ice Qi surged into the de.


    He shed the sword diagonally, and like a sh, a sword light made of ice shot out, pulling the pressure around it and directing it toward the Fishman.


    In response, the Fishman''s de arms morphed into a pair ofrge hands. It brought them together as if about to pray, but after muttering something, arge shark¡ªabout 30 meters long and made entirely of water¡ªappeared and surged toward the ice arcing from Fruity.


    Boom!


    The two attacks connected, creating a liquid explosion.


    "Waterfall!" the Fishman said immediately after regaining its footing from the explosion. Instantly, a tsunami of water surged behind it.


    Pointing forward, the massive wave rose above the Fishman and started rushing toward Fruity.


    "Ice with Sword: Moon sh Kill!" Fruity, in response to the destructive attack, raised his sword again. This time, a wave of ice surged from all around him entering the sword in his hands. His eyes were closed as if sensing the iing attack.


    As expected, just when the tsunami was only a few meters from him, his sword fell in a vertical sh. A powerful ice arc cut forward, slicing the tsunami in half. But it didn''t stop there¡ªit moved forward, striking the Fishman and sending it flying like a ragdoll.


    The Fishman mmed hard into the soft ground.


    Fruity, realizing he had underestimated the Fishman, immediately followed up with another attack. However, just as the attack was about to connect, a powerful, bloodthirsty aura erupted from the Fishman, instantly slowing him down.


    ''This power...'' Fruity was startled, feeling his strength drop¡ªor more urately, feeling his body fail him, as though he were scared. But he knew he wasn''t afraid, not in the slightest. Yet, for some reason, that sensation lingered.


    To confirm his suspicion, the Fishman pped its hands together again, and anotherrge water shark surged forward. The fish surged forward with a terrifying pressure.


    Fruity, in the process of preparing another sword sh, immediately felt his reaction speed slow down, and worse, the rate at which he was channeling his ice Qi also faltered.


    "Devouring Ice: Absolute Wall," Instead of continuing with the sword attack, he muttered instead, raising a wall of Dark Gold Ice. The water shark mmed into it, creating an explosion that shattered the wall. However, the attack was also devoured.


    Fruity quickly started exuding his Devouring Ice over himself, instantly absorbing the pressure that was affecting him.


    ''I need to ask Yuying what that was, but first, I need to get payback,'' Fruity thought, immediately activating three more Ice Elements.


    "Hypnotic Ice."


    "Abyssal Ice."


    "Annihtion Ice."


    At once, three more types of ice joined with the Devouring Ice, creating a 2-kilometer domain of ice that instantly trapped the Monster Fishman within.


    "One with the Sword: Moon Epic sh!" Fruity didn''t waste a second, unleashing a powerful sword attack that mmed into the Fishman, who was struggling to defend its mind.


    "Abyssal Ice: Unbreakable Chains!" The Fishman, sent flying, was immediately ensnared in the air by thick, dark red ice chains. As soon as the chains locked onto it, the Fishman''s screams filled the space.


    "Mighty Cauldron Descent!" Fruity didn''t let up. He conjured arge cauldron made of thick Dark Annihtion Ice. It hurtled forward, and before the Fishman could recover, the massive cauldron mmed into its head, exploding it instantly.


    Its huge body dropped to the ground cementing his kill. He had just killed a Tyrant while just a Sage.


    But Fruity wasn''t happy for someone who had just killed a Peak Tyrant, not even in the slightest.

 Chapter 278: The Illusion Mountain

    From the moment Yuying vanished to face off against the other Fishman, it took her just two exchanges to chop off her opponent''s head.


    Without even bothering to collect its core, she turned her attention back to Fruity, who was facing the other Peach Tyrant¡ªthe second bridge guardian.


    At first, she was shocked by how Fruity was handling his opponent, not using any of his ice elements.


    However, she quickly calmed down when she saw how he was managing the fight. It took only a few exchanges for her to notice some discrepancies in her master''s attack patterns.


    She would tell him about themter, so he could fix them before his next battle. As long as her master hadn''t regained his memories, she would continue to be his teacher.


    Intrigued by the exchanges, she watched closely. Near the end of the battle, she noticed a change in Fruity''s expression. She wanted to step in and help, but before she could move, she saw Fruity get serious and activate his ice elements, killing the monster within seconds.


    Immediately, she moved and appeared beside her master.


    "That was its Aura."Yuying said "Just like soul, mind, qi, and body cultivation, there are other forms of cultivation, and one of them is Aura cultivation," she exined before Fruity could ask.


    "What is it?" Fruity asked.


    "It''s a form of pressure that, if cultivated to its peak, can be used to suppress your opponents or even kill them without raising a weapon.


    There are different forms of it. For example, there''s sword aura, which is achieved through sword mastery¡ªmost call it sword qi," Yuying exined as she drew her thin sword.


    As soon as she did, it began to glow golden. "This energy around the sword is sword qi. Using it amplifies any attack I unleash with this sword."


    Fruity nodded, examining the aura around the sword. He could sense something powerful behind it, but he didn''t fully understand it yet.


    "Of course, if you continue to cultivate it to the highest levels, you''ll be able to project just the sword aura and even craft weapons from it.


    At that stage, you''ll be nearly invincible as a swordsman," Yuying added, causing Fruity to raise an eyebrow.


    "So, was that what the Fishman used?" Fruity asked. "I feel like its aura was different somehow¡ªit didn''t look sharp like yours."


    "No," Yuying replied, "the Fishman cultivates a different form of aura. Its aura is one of ughter. Most people call it Death Aura, but its true name is Asura. It''s perhaps the strongest of all the auras known so far," she added with a small smile.


    Fruity, on the other hand, wore a shocked expression. "Aren''t you exaggerating a bit? The aura it unleashed wasn''t that strong¡ªI easily devoured it," Fruity said.


    His devouring ice could absorb almost anything, from cultivation pressure to bloodline suppression, so Fruity knew how powerful the aura was, but it hadn''t been strong enough to harm him. It was easily consumed.


    "That Fishman''s aura was a far cry from what true killing aura looks like," Yuying said, her tone carrying a hint of disdain as if she was irritated by the Fishman that Fruity had killed.


    "There are many types of auras, Master. True Killing Aura can be born from constant ughter and absorbing the blood essence of your opponents.


    That Fishman''s aura was born from ughter, but it seems it never learned how to absorb the blood essence of its targets¡ªor perhaps it didn''t know the right monsters to target to awaken its True Killing Aura or Asura Aura," Yuying exined.


    "Are you saying there are specific monsters that can awaken one''s Killing Aura?" Fruity asked.


    "Yes," Yuying nodded. "I once met a demon who possessed True Ice Killing Aura. From what I learned, it only hunted Ice-type monsters. Asura Aura requires a distinct race of monsters."


    "If you don''t mind, we can stop at a ce on our way to the Central Continent. If we''re lucky, we may be able to obtain the Aura Codex."


    "I assume we''ll have to kill the owner for it?" Fruity asked, and Yuying nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression.


    "That thieving lion won it after an intense auction battle 47 years ago. I promised to get it back, but I got upied. Now that you want to learn more about Aura cultivation, I will help you obtain theplete codex on aura awakening," Yuying said, making Fruity nod.


    "So, aside from sword aura, what other aura are you cultivating?" Fruity asked.


    "Chaotic Soul Aura. It''s essentially a soul cultivation method, but instead of using spiritual energy to unleash soul attacks, my aura can do that," Yuying replied. "And one thing about auras¡ªwith enough mastery, you can merge them inbat. So, imagine getting hit with soul attacks even after defending against a sword aura."


    "That does sound awesome. I guess there''s still a lot more for me to learn," Fruity said with a sigh. "We''d better get moving fast, then."


    Fruity spent the next 12 hours devouring the entire dark river and its inhabitants before crossing the bridge with Yuying. He wasn''t sure if the river would ever recover, but he didn''t care. After all, his elements had grown stronger by devouring everything, eradicating yet another race of water monster Demons.


    They spent the next few days traveling several miles before, on the 10th day, a very tall mountain came into view. As soon as they saw it, Fruity knew that was where he was meant to go.


    "That ce looks like a nightmare," Yuying said. "Even from three miles away, I can already feel the hypnotic effect hitting me."


    "I don''t feel anything, but my Hypnotic Ice is getting excited for some reason," Fruity said, gazing at the mountain, which seemed to touch the clouds.


    Of course, he knew it was merely an illusion. The mountain was called Illusion Mountain due to its bizarre effects on the mind. Many might not regard illusionists as true opponents, but a true illusionist is a very terrifying foe.


    Losing control of your senses and body while wandering in a fantasy world in the middle ofbat is something nobody wants to experience.


    There was a saying: a true team-up is one with a Soul Master and an Illusionist. In a dire situation, they can create miracles.


    Fruity knew the next task would require stronger mental and soul strength, but he also realized he needed to understand his Hypnotic Ice better before making any sudden moves.


    In truth, the mountain ahead wasn''t something he had enough confidence to climb, but based on what his past self had left him, he knew he had to take the next step, ready or not.


    "I assumed you''d be resting inside my soul space, seeing as you''re already feeling the effects," Fruity said, and Yuying didn''t hesitate to ept the offer. Though she was stronger in terms of cultivation, Fruity''s mind cultivation was superior.


    He quickly ced her in his soul space, and with sturdy steps, Fruity began making his way toward the strange mountain.


    "Master, if you feel like you can''t handle it, don''t force yourself. We can go back, train more, and return strongerter," Yuying said from inside his soul sea, clearly worried.


    Fruity just smiled and kept walking toward the mountain. When he got within 2 kilometers of the mountain''s base, his mind was struck by an illusion, but like a titanium wall, the Sage Mind and Unshakable Mind techniques he had cultivated shielded him from it.


    Fruity snorted and kept moving. Soon, he arrived at the base of the mountain and began climbing. As he ascended, his mind was repeatedly attacked by various illusions, but he continued onward.


    A whileter, after reaching nearly halfway up the mountain, he stopped and extended his hand. Immediately, green ice burst from his body, enveloping the entire mountain.

 Chapter 279 Hypnotic Ice Upgraded

    "Master, what is going on?" Yuying''s voice echoed from within Fruity''s Soul Sea as the energy burst out of him.


    "I don''t really know, but my Hypnotic Ice seems to be reacting to the illusions covering this mountain," Fruity replied, watching as the green ice continued to spread across the mountain. The more it spread, the more he sensed his Hypnotic Ice growing stronger.


    "This is interesting. It''s like the ice is absorbing the illusion surrounding the mountain," Yuying observed. "Have you located where the illusion ising from?"


    "No, but the ice hasn''t fully enveloped the mountain yet, so let''s wait," Fruity said. They resumed waiting as the ice slowly turned the mountain green.


    So far, the Hypnotic Ice hadn''t shown Fruity anything too impressive. Sure, it had helped him take down thousands of monsters, butpared to the Devouring Ice or the Soul Eater, it paled inparison.


    From his observation, the ice could only trap Tier 6 creatures and below. But Fruity didn''t have time to hunt such weak monsters; he needed to deal with the big guns. He needed to be using the hypnotic ice more actively.


    However, he didn''t know how to make it stronger. Sure, devouring monsters and treasures would allow him to add some energy to the Hypnotic Ice, but the progress would be slow. He needed something immediate.


    Something that could rival the wailing power of the Chaotic Ice. So when he sensed his Hypnotic Ice reacting to the mountain from miles away, he knew something great was about to happen. To his surprise, it was happening.


    The green ice continued to spread, and with every small advance, the ice grew stronger. Fruity, the owner of the ice, could also feel his strength rising¡ªor more specifically, his mental strength increasing.


    "Master, can Ie out?" Yuying suddenly asked. Fruity didn''t respond immediately. He slowly lowered his mental defenses, checking to see if the illusion would retaliate. After a while, he sighed.


    "Come out," he said, and Yuying appeared. As soon as she materialized, she began spreading her senses. After confirming there was no immediate danger, she sighed in relief.


    "This is going better than I expected," she said with a small smile.


    "Yuying, you''re traveling with someone wielding seven forbidden ice elements. Of course, things will unfold in unexpected ways," Fruity replied with a grin.


    After everything he''d seen, Fruity now understood why the seven ice elements he wielded were forbidden. Although he did not know what was creating the illusion on the mountain, he knew it wasn''t meant to be traversed the way he was doing it.


    The illusion was intended to temper the minds of those brave enough to climb it. However, Fruity wasn''t just resisting it¡ªhe was absorbing it.


    This wasn''t something normal ice should be able to do. But who was he if not someone with a huge grudge against the heavens? Yuying had already told him that his very existence was like a p in the face of the heavens, and they would do everything they could to limit his growth.


    Experience new stories on empire


    Because of this, Fruity had not only be power-hungry, but he had also stopped caring about things that others might consider bad. Of course, he wouldn''t harm innocents.


    But being surrounded by thousands of different races of demons who knew only one thing¡ªdestruction¡ªhe knew not to hesitate when it came down to doing what was necessary to grow stronger.


    The mountain was just an obstacle on his path to greatness, so naturally, he couldn''t resist when his ice started devouring its power.


    "It''s almost done absorbing everything," Yuying said, using her senses to follow the devouring process. She did not know what would happen if her senses went beyond the Hypnotic Ice, so she kept her pace slow, carefully watching the illusion get consumed.


    After 12 hours, the entire mountain turned green, signaling that the absorption wasplete. Fruity, sensing that his ice had absorbed everything, immediately deactivated it, revealing the mountain''s true form.


    It looked like the jagged remains of a colossal bone¡ªa veryrge bone, given its size and height. Although the illusion had made it appear even bigger and taller, after being devoured, the mountain still stood towering, though not quite as imposing as before.


    "It looks like the head of a very powerful beast," Yuying remarked, then asked, "Do you sense what you''re here for?"


    "Not yet, but I think my Hypnotic Ice is upgrading," Fruity replied, sitting down. "Guard the surroundings. I want to see what''s happening." He closed his eyes, and as if entering an illusion, his mind slipped into another space.


    As soon as he appeared in this new space, he was taken aback. "This is the monastery," Fruity said, looking at the familiar surroundings. He quickly began spreading his senses, and it didn''t take long for him to detect something.


    Before he could act, the presence he sensed appeared before him.


    "These are runic cards," Fruity immediately recognized the objects that appeared before him.


    "But why is there a ce like this? I don''t feel the same connection with the other elements." Just being in that space, he could sense his mind-expanding and slowly growing stronger.


    "I''ll have to ask Yuying once I''m out, but first, let''s see what these cards are about." Twelve cards hovered before him, each one nk. He reached out and touched the first one. As soon as he did, the card began to glow green, and before Fruity could blink, it transformed from nk into a card with patterns inscribed on it.


    "Illusion Domain." There was writing on it in the runguage, which he immediately recognized. As soon as he spoke the words, the runic text moved from the card and entered his forehead. Fruity blinked once or twice before sighing.


    "It''s a technique¡ªan illusion-type technique. How awesome." He smiled and then reached out to touch the second card. It, too, transformed, and once it settled into a card with a series of patterns on it, Fruity quickly read its name.


    "Giant Bone Mountain Descent." His mind filled with another technique, making him grin.


    "It seems the Hypnotic Ice has evolved to another stage," he said, looking at the remaining ten nk cards. He reached out and touched the third card, but nothing happened. It remained nk. He tried the others, but none of them changed.


    "Two out of twelve, huh? That''s more than enough." Since he was connected to the Ice, he knew just how powerful it had be. And now, with two new techniques, he had grown exponentially stronger. He took a moment to absorb the ce before snapping his fingers.


    The space shifted into a green cloud, and within that cloud, the twelve cards hovered in front of an ice chair. Fruity admired his creation with a smile before leaving the space and returning to the real world.


    "What just happened?" Fruity was immediately greeted with Yuying''s direct question as he opened his eyes. She looked incredibly pale.


    "What happened to you?" Fruity asked, concerned.


    "You tell me, Master. Why did you punish me by sending me into an illusion?" Yuying asked, pouting.


    "Say what?" Fruity replied, confused.


    "When did I do that? All I did was enter this strange space connected to the Hypnotic Ice and received¡ªwell, more like activated¡ªtwo techniques."


    "Wait, you entered an elemental space?" Yuying''s pale face immediately lit up with eagerness, a stark contrast to her earlier expression.


    "You knew what that was?" Fruity asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Of course, Master! Every element has its own space, but you shouldn''t have been able to ess it¡ªnot this early," Yuying said, her hand brushing her lips thoughtfully.


    "Unless... your element has already reached the Realm rank," she added suddenly.


    "And what''s that?" Fruity asked, clearly clueless about the concept. He knew he had to listen closely to his teacher for yet another crucial piece of information.


    "Condense the Hypnotic Ice let me see" She requested and Fruity promptly obeyed.

 Chapter 280 Heavenly Punishment

    "You... you really have upgraded your element to that rank," Yuying said, her eyes widening as she gazed at the crystallized green ice suspended in Fruity''s hands.


    This time, just from a mere gaze, she could start to feel the illusions affecting her mind.


    "It seems so, but what is this rank you keep mentioning?" Fruity asked. Although he had anticipated something like this happening sooner orter, he still wanted to know if he had made significant progress. Yuying tended to exaggerate at times, so he wanted a more in-depth exnation.


    "Basically, just like there are ranks and stages for realm cultivation, anything that can be cultivated also has ranks, stages, or levels. The elements are no different. However, cultivating an element isn''t something that can be aplished easily.


    The first stage, which all your other elements are currently in, is known as ''Common Rank.'' It''s the initial stage for all elements. The second stage is called ''Refined.'' It''s when you begin to understand thews that govern the elements.


    The third is ''Realm Rank.'' Afterprehending thews of the elements to a certain extent, you can open a space within the element, known as an elemental space or realm.


    This space willter help you to easilyprehend thews and further increase their power output." Yuying was trying her best not to go full-on bookworm, but Fruity was rather intrigued.


    "You once said thews govern many things and that they are the same thing that restricts a paragon. So, if that''s the case, would the samews apply to a forbidden element?"


    "Yes and no. Yes, because everything hasws governing it, and no, because if it''s forbidden, then you''re dealing with something entirely different," Yuying exined.


    "I don''t get it. Do the heavens determine my forbidden elements or not?" Fruity asked.


    "They don''t, but that doesn''t mean nothing is enforcing thesews. The reason you don''t feel restricted is because you have some level of supremacy over these elements," Yuying replied, trying her best to answer without invoking another heavenly punishment.


    "So, is there another heaven that determines what is forbidden?" Fruity pressed.


    "Yes and no," Yuying answered again.


    "Then what is yes, and what is no? I just jumped a whole rank to unlock an entirely new realm. I feel like there''s something here I need to understand," Fruity said, forgetting about Karma for a moment.


    "When I was inside the elemental space, I sensed something... something important, something I feel like I should know."


    "That will invoke Karma if I say something, Master," Yuying said in a light tone.


    "Come on Yuying, I need to know this" Fruity asked making Yuying sigh helplessly. She knew what was about to happen but she didn''t have the confidence to say no to her master.


    "Forbidden Heavens," Yuying said just two worlds, but it was enough to make the heavens roar and dark clouds form. The entire bone mountain shook and from within the clouds, a thick spear made of red lightning shot out, aimed directly at Yuying who immediately turned pale.


    "Abyssal Ice: Ice Wall"


    "Eye of Despair: Void Eyes


    "Bell of Harrows: Divine Bell"


    Fruity spared no effort, sacrificing 80 percent of his spiritual energy to raise three powerful defenses, covering both him and Yuying.


    BOOM


    The spear pierced the dark, huge eye, shattering it instantly. It then struck the massive dark-red wall, which crumbled after a few seconds. With a resounding bang that shook the entire Bone Mountain, the spear finally collided with the bell.


    It was a powerful impact, but the bell held, only cracking with a few lines before the spear dissipated. As the dust settled, Fruity copsed on his back, gasping.


    "That was close," he muttered, a small smile forming on his face. The smile came because when he heard those two words, another wave of memories from his third incarnation flooded into his mind. He now had a bit more rity on things.


    "So that bastard hid part of his memories in the realm of an element. What if I hadn''t been able to awaken that element?" Fruity muttered, reaching for the pale Yuying to help him sit up.


    Despite not being struck by the heavenly punishment, Yuying was still traumatized by the mental pressure she had received. It felt as if the heavens had looked down on her and spat in her face.


    "Sorry about that, Yuying. I''ll make it up to youter by helping you kill the Nine-Tail Fox to awaken your bloodline," Fruity said with a small smile, ncing at the Fox Lady who was trying to seem okay but failing miserably.


    Fruity sighed, He walked closer and cupped her cheeks in his hands. Looking right into her eyes, he said, "I am sorry Yuying, I never knew the heavens would react that aggressively."


    Yuying nodded but was still pale. Fruity nted a kiss on her forehead and then he let go.


    With a wave of his hand, a mist of green ice appeared, enveloping her. "Maybe a few hours inside this illusion will help," he said, feeling guilty for pressuring her into that situation.


    But he had no choice. The thing he sensed required her to say those words, so even though he knew what wasing, he had to know. Yuying, ever the good guide and servant, had decided to sacrifice something.


    Saying those words had surely been reason enough for the heavens to target her, but Fruity had anticipated that and was prepared. The heavens hated his existence but couldn''t outright kill him, so they were always listening for when he slipped up, ready to set him straight.


    Now, Fruity had once again unlocked part of his memories from his third incarnation. Although he still didn''t know exactly who he had been back then, he had more than enough now to know he had been someone very brilliant.


    "Hiding memories inside an elemental space¡ªthat was genius," Fruity thought, sitting in lotus posture as his Immortal Ice started healing his fatigue.


    The memories he received were more like pieces of information: cultivation techniques and locations of some treasures in the Tormented World. Fruity knew better than to fully trust the information.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t trust his past self. After all, that would be ridiculous. He trusted his past self, but he also knew that the information wasn''t safe to follow blindly.


    He had already tried that once and ended up in a den of Hellhounds.


    So he knew better than to charge in headfirst. With Yuying''s guidance, he would enter a witch''s temple and get the chance to partake in the Tormented Bloodline Awakening Trial. Once he awakened his bloodline, he could pursue those treasures¡ªafter all, he needed them for what was toe.


    After a few hours, Fruity had recovered 80% of his spiritual qi, so he stood up and began climbing to the peak of the mountain. Yuying still hadn''t woken from the illusion yet, so all he could do was go find what he hade for.


    At first, he wasn''t sure what that was, but after unlocking another section of his memory, he knew where to go. Even without the memories, though, he wouldn''t have wandered aimlessly for long.


    Upon reaching the peak of Bone Mountain, Fruity quickly moved to a particr spot where a stone statue stood. Without wasting any time, he jammed his staff into the statue, shattering it.


    The moment the statue broke apart, a palm-sized cylindrical object fell and hovered before him. Even though he knew what to do and where to go, he had no idea what the object in front of him was. Nevertheless, he grabbed it, stored it in his space ring, and began his descent down the mountain.


    A whileter, Yuying woke up from the illusion, looking much healthier.


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    "Thank you, Master," she said with a small smile, but Fruity could tell she was pretending. She was still shaken, but not wanting to make her lose confidence, he simply nodded and retrieved the disc-shaped item he had gotten from the peak of the mountain.


    "Do you know what this is?" Fruity asked, showing the disc to Yuying.


    Yuying''s eyes widened. "This... this is a soul item, but not just any soul item. It''s one of the Nine Forbidden Ancient Relics, the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram!"


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 281 The Seven-Star Forbidden Diagram

    "Ancient Forbidden Relics?" Fruity asked, puzzled. Deep down, he knew he knew something about it, but he just couldn''t recall what.


    "I''m sorry, Master, but I don''t know much. All I know is that this relic is one of the nine Ancient Forbidden Relics from the Primordial Era," Yuying answered. "But even though I don''t know much about it, I do know that if you manage to fuse with it, you will obtain the legendary Seven Divine Beasts Art," she added.


    "Now, that''s something to go on," Fruity smiled. The Seven Divine Beasts Art¡ªhe knew about it, or more like his past self knew about it. Conveniently, he also needed to know about it at this very moment.


    It was a powerful technique that, once cultivated, allowed one to transform any of their elements into a beast form. If Fruity managed to fuse with the relic, he would obtain the Seven Divine Beasts Art, which would allow his elements to transform into seven Divine Beasts said to have gone extinct after the Primordial Era.


    "It''s of no use then. The Seven Divine Primordial Beasts are long extinct. I would need at least a part of them to activate their spirits using the Forbidden Diagram," Fruity said. However, immediately when he said that, something seemed to click making him raise an eyebrow.


    "I''m sorry, Yuying. You''ll have to stand guard¡ªI need to meditate for a while."


    Yuying nodded, and Fruity assumed a lotus posture, closing his eyes and entering a meditative state.


    He had just remembered something he shouldn''t have, which made him wonder what else was hiding beneath the surface, waiting for him. As someone who cultivated two powerful mind techniques, Fruity knew when something was off in his mind. So, he entered meditation and remained seated, eyes closed, for the next two days.


    On the third day, he opened his eyes and sighed. "It''s of no use. Even with this relic and the technique, I still don''t have anything containing the essence of the Seven Divine Primordial Beasts."


    He went through his memories but couldn''t find anything that could help him. However, he dide across some information on the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram. But it all boiled down to whether he would be able to secure the essence of such primordial beasts.


    "Don''t worry, Master. I know someone who might be able to help with that. He''s some kind of collector of ancient artifacts, so if we can get to the Central Region, we should be able to learn something from him," Yuying said, noticing the defeated look on her Master''s face.


    "You said you were created during the Primordial Era, right?" Fruity asked. Although he still hadn''t epted the fact that he was the one who created her, he could at least pretend he wasn''t affected by it.


    "Yes, Master. All nine of us," she replied with a smile.


    "Then what can you tell me about the Seven Divine Primordial Beasts?" Fruity asked. "I have some knowledge, but it''s foggy."


    "It''s a long story, and I can''t share everything, but it''s said that during the Primordial Era, nine separate phenomena urred. Nine stars fell from the sky, birthing different beings or things. From one of these stars, seven eggs said to be divine in nature birthed seven Divine Beasts: the Diamond Horned Qilin, the Vermillion me Phoenix, the Celestial Thunder Serpent, the Abyssal Leviathan, the Jade Wind Tiger, the Golden-Eyed Abyss Dragon, and the Radiant Sr Lion.


    These seven Divine Beasts were the guardians of one of Hell''s Dark Dreadful Gates. I can''t say much more, but when I awakened the next generation, they were gone, along with the Primordial Era. Nobody knew where they had gone or whether or not they were still alive.


    However, I think you already know what happened, so there''s no need to speak it out," Yuying said.


    Fruity sighed. Indeed, the Primordial Era was destroyed. While some things from that time might have survived, many perished. So it was only natural to assume that the Seven Divine Beasts had also perished with them.


    "I guess I can''t have everything," Fruity said, cing the disc on the floor. "At least with this, I can somehow use my elements more efficiently." He sighed.


    "You should probably step back, Yuying," Fruity said, and Yuying moved back several meters.


    Taking a dagger from his soul ring, Fruity cut his palm and dripped his blood onto the disc, which immediately absorbed it. After a few more drops, it started to glow red, and with a subtle burst of energy, a huge diagram appeared beneath him.


    He then began to rise slowly from the ground along with the disc. After rising to about 20 meters, the disc started to release a wave of energy that forced Yuying to step back even further.


    After a while, the disc stopped spinning, but it reduced in size to a very small, thumb-sized die, which then moved and embedded itself in Fruity''s forehead.


    The moment the die entered his forehead, Fruity felt his entire body fill with a strange energy. His consciousness immediately fell into slumber while still hovering in the air.


    This process took a whole week before suddenly, a wave of powerful energy burst from his body, and a magnificent ring with seven stars inside it appeared behind him.


    The moment the ring appeared, he underwent some slight evolution that changed some aspects of his appearance. While his monk''s attire was still perfectly d around his body, it seemed to have undergone some modification that added ayer of security and finesse to it.


    It looks cooler when instead of it tied with a cloth around his waist, this time, a golden belt with some pattern on it appears to tie the robes well. But it wasn''t only his attire that went through the changes.


    He became more handsome, even for a monk, but I suppose he wasn''t a normal monk. His eyes were silver violet, reminiscent of his hair, which had now extended further behind him. His facial features had also enhanced, making him seriously handsome for a monk.


    His muscles became slightly refined, giving him the athletic warrior physique that, under normal circumstances, a 23-year-old shouldn''t have. Yet nature had been kind to him. He had be an incredibly eye-catching human.


    But appearance aside, Fruity sensed that his energy had be incredibly powerful and thicker.


    "It''s Star Qi, Master! You have unlocked Star Qi," Yuying said with an excited smile. She retrieved her sword and swung it in a wide arc, sending out a quick sword light that cut a chunk off the mountain.


    "Finally, I can use it again!" Yuying was more than happy.


    "What happened?" Fruity asked. He was the one who awakened Star Qi, so why was she happier than he was?


    "Master has awakened Star Qi. This means the Paragon Star has started to awaken, which also means all the Paragon Guards will start to awaken. And we can now use Star Qi, just like Master," Yuying said with a beaming smile.


    "Great, then. But why does it seem like yours is weaker than mine? I can sense it, and it''s not as strong as what is flowing through me," Fruity inquired. Besides his enhanced appearance and the unlocking of a new form of energy, he also felt a stronger connection with Yuying.


    "That''s because we are not the true owners of this energy; we are just tapping into yours, so automatically, we won''t have the real deal. But even if it''s only 60% of the true Star Qi, it''s still many times stronger than the strongest energy in the heavens," Yuying said, her shoulders high.


    "Good, then. We will need it for the journey to the North and Central Regions," Fruity said. "First, however, let''s head to the domain of the Quick Finger Ratmouse. I have something to im there."


    Fruity, along with his excited servant, guard, and teacher, left as they began their journey to the North, but first, they had to make one important stop.

 Chapter 282 Journey Toward The North

    When Fruity asked Yuying how long it would take him to travel from the Eastern part of the Tormented World to the Northern region, she said 12 years. However, if she carried him, it would take only 2 years¡ªafter all, she wasn''t an Ascendent for nothing.


    But everything changed when Fruity awakened his Star Qi. He had be stronger and faster, far beyond his expectations. This, of course, affected Yuying too, making her even stronger.


    Because of this, Fruity no longer wanted to travel the way they had initially nned. There were hundreds of domains between them and the Northern Region, and while the current Yuying could have made the journey in just 8 months, Fruity preferred the idea of going on a road trip.


    Thanks to the second memory he received, he now had a more updated map in his mind. So, instead of the 8-month journey, they embarked on a 1.5-year journey where Fruity nned to strengthen himself and his elements by devouring various things along the way.


    The first thing he devoured was a 200,000-year-old tree said to contain the vitality of the deceased Quick Finger Ratmouse. These demon monsters were known for their ruthlessness. When they appeared within a domain, they wouldn''t stop until they''d taken everything from it.


    Fruity, knowing this, was quick to repay them by stealing something they had cherished for many years. Using his hypnotic ice, the Ratmice didn''t even notice until he was long gone. He wanted to avoid causing more chaos for himself, so he decided to avoid conflict as much as possible.


    The year and a half they would spend traveling through the horrific Tormented World wasn''t for sightseeing. Fruity wanted to gain as much experience and mastery over his elements as possible before returning to the human world.


    So far, his strongest element was the Hypnotic Ice, which had broken through from Common Rank to Realm Rank. This made many things easier for Fruity, but he knew relying on just one element to solve all his problems wasn''t the answer.


    He needed to strengthen his other elements as well. Yuying, who, from what Fruity had observed, had already traveled the entire world, was incredibly helpful in identifying the best ces to pass for maximum rewards.


    Initially, Fruity wanted to simultaneously strengthen all his elements, but after seeing little to no improvement despite absorbingrge amounts of energy, he knew he had to change his approach. That''s when he decided to focus on one element at a time.


    He knew he couldn''t elevate all his elements to Realm Rank within just a year and a half, so his goal was to advance as many elements from Common Rank to Refined Rank as possible. This would allow him to use them more effectively and efficiently.


    For his first choice, he selected Devouring Ice. The reason was simple¡ªby strengthening Devouring Ice, he would be able to do more, devour more, and absorb energies more efficiently, which would, in turn, help him raise the strength of the other elements faster.


    So, for three months straight, he allocated all the energy he obtained from devouring anything containing qi to the Devouring Ice. Yuying ensured they always found the next thing to devour, and after three months of devouring thousands of monsters and treasures, the Devouring Ice ascended to Refined Rank.


    The moment its rank rose, Fruity selected the next element, Annihtion Ice. His choice wasn''t based on short-term goals; otherwise, he would have picked Soul Eater Ice. However, Fruity had now be something of a Combat Mage.


    This meant he could fight in closebat while also casting spells and magic. Because of this, he needed an ice element capable of dealing maximum damage. Annihtion Ice was perfect for that, so he wasted no time switching his focus to it.


    As he strengthened it, he also used it inbat, developing minor techniques to use it efficiently in bothbat and spellcasting. It took him four full months to push it to Refined Rank, and by then, they had traveled halfway to their destination.


    For the third element, he chose Chaotic Ice, which also took three months to push to the Refined Rank. But when Chaotic Ice rose to Refined Rank, something strange happened.


    Fruity received a mind-attack technique called Mind in Chaos. When the technique entered his mind, he was shocked beyond his senses. At first, he thought it was due to his immense mental strength or his past memories, but after reviewing the technique, he discovered it was linked to the Chaotic Ice.


    The technique allowed him to imprint chaotic thoughts into the minds of others. While its effectiveness depended on the power of his own mind, the chaotic ice would amplify the attack twofold every time he used it.


    The worst part? If the imprint stuck, it would begin to grow, burrowing into the deepest parts of the target''s mind. This would make them lose control of their awareness, which¡ªif it didn''t kill them¡ªwould give Fruity all the openings he needed to finish them off.


    After that, Fruity moved on to strengthening the Soul Eater Ice. For this, Yuying advised they should only target monsters with powerful soul strength. Although it would be extremely difficult to navigate, devouring the souls of stronger monsters meant the ice would be much stronger after breaking through.


    Three monthster, Soul Eater Ice also reached Refined Rank, and Fruity''s soul strength grew significantly during this time.


    Next was Abyssal Ice, which also took three months to push to Refined Rank, causing Fruity and Yuying to dy their travels by an extra month. But it was worth it. With one ice element at Realm Rank, five at Refined Rank, and thest at Common Rank, Fruity felt stronger than ever.


    He considered dying their journey by another two or three months to strengthen hisst element, but Yuying warned him that if they didn''t hurry, they might miss their transport to the Northern Region.


    When crossing from one region to another, they would encounter a spatial field that could only be traversed using a flying spatial boat. Yuying had already secured enough funds for the trip and even arranged a way for Fruity to blend in.


    Essentially, Fruity had to disguise himself as a demon. A human¡ªespecially a handsome one¡ªtraveling through the world of demons would attract far too much attention. The demons preferred human meat to their fellow demons'' meat.


    However, Fruity rejected Yuying''s method and used the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram to change his appearance. During their journey, he had collected many essence blood from demon monsters, so using one of the Diagram''s abilities, he transformed into a Blue Horn Hawk demon.


    It was one of the monsters he had practiced his targeting and reflexes on during their travels. From what he observed, Blue Horn Hawks were adept in both aerialbat and flight. The Forbidden Diagram didn''t just alter his appearance; it also gave him some of the traits of the monster he turned into.


    But since he was originally human, his demi-human form was even more eye-catching than the average Blue Horn Hawk. In short, he remained handsome, no matter what creature he transformed into.


    Additionally, the powers of the Forbidden Diagram ensured that no one could sense he was human, so Fruity felt confident in his disguise. Yuying, already a Demon Fox, simply retained her original appearance.


    On the 16th month after they had set out, they finally crossed into the Northern Region. Wasting no time, they began traveling to the domain of the Dark me Chaos Dragons, one of the overlords of that region. Yuying carefully avoided the domains of other monsters, so it took them an additional two weeks to reach the dragons'' territory.


    Once there, Fruity immediately put into motion the n he had been developing for 16 months. Knowing he was out of his league in terms of raw power, he relied on his sharp intellect to get what he wanted.

 Chapter 283 Entering the Dark Flame Chaos Dragon Region

    "Yuying, next time you want to convince me not to get into something dangerous and difficult, be sure to use all your weapons," Fruity said, hiding behind a thin tree with Yuying.


    When Yuying told him about the tasks he needed to perform in order to qualify to join a witch temple, Fruity never bothered to ask what he needed to do in the domain of the Dark me Chaos Dragons.


    It was only after they entered the Northern Region that she mentioned he would have to steal a dragon horn from their ancestral burial site. Essentially, in the domain of the Dark me Chaos Dragons, when a dragon dies, it sheds its horns.


    After they are buried, the horns are ced¡ªmore like nted¡ªon the grave as a sign of respect. This, of course, means the site is heavily protected.


    "Master, if it''s too hard, we can go back and look for other ways to awaken your bloodline," Yuying said. She didn''t want to admit it, but she was hoping her master would take up her offer. However, Fruity was unwilling to do that.


    Just like when he had forced her to say the word that resulted in heavenly punishment, he could sense that he needed to take this trial. Because of that, no matter the danger, he was determined to navigate it somehow.


    "Don''t worry, Yuying. Go inside my Soul Space. I will handle this easily," Fruity said, sending Yuying into his soul sea.


    "First, I need to blend in. Thankfully, the Forbidden Diagram can handle that. I just need to do a soul search to copy their memories." Since the Diagram can''t copy the memories of those Fruity transforms, he has to do that manually.


    He doesn''t know much about the Diagram, but so far, he has learned that he can either use the blood of monsters to change his appearance or fully transform into them. Because of this, he nned to hunt for blood first before moving forward with his other ns.


    With swift movements and zero presence, thanks to his Devouring Ice ability, Fruity entered deep into the territory of the demon dragons.


    A few hourster, he came to a stop when he sensed the presence of four Tier 6 Dark me Chaos Dragons. He got close, making sure his presence went unnoticed.


    "This hunt was a burst. We should head back. Maybe Kaldros and his team will get lucky this time," one of the dragons, in their demi-human form, said with a sigh. Continue reading stories on empire


    "He would love to rub it in our faces," another said.


    Fruity scanned him with his senses and decided that transforming into this one wouldn''t be a bad idea at all. Among the group, he was by far the most handsome.


    "Alright, let''s go. Whatever happens, happens," the one who seemed to be their leader said, prompting the four hunters to begin heading back.


    ''Although the Forbidden Diagram can change my realm to match the realm of any monster I turn into, having the same realm naturally offers some advantages. It will be easier to simte their traits,'' Fruity thought as he began circling around them.


    The four dragons, who were moving, suddenly felt their surroundings grow cold. This immediately put them on high alert, ready for battle. But before they could search for the source, a wave of dizziness hit them, causing them to copse and fall unconscious.


    "Sleep tight, teammates. Even Tier 7 or 8 would struggle to withstand my mental attacks," Fruity muttered as he stood beside the unconscious dragons. After refining the Chaos Ice, his mental strength had risen considerably.


    He quickly formed a hand seal, and a miniature pagoda appeared, entering the forehead of the handsome dragon. As soon as it did, the dragon''s memories began flowing into Fruity''s mind.


    He did the same for the other three, and with a gesture, the handsome fellow was devoured, leaving behind only a drop of his blood.


    Fruity gestured for the blood to flow to his forehead, where it was immediately devoured by a star-shaped tattoo that appeared on his forehead. A red mist surrounded him briefly. When it cleared, he had fully transformed into the handsome dragon.


    He quickly sheathed the weapons he had picked up earlier and made sure everything on him was intact. The Diagram was able to recreate his attire, so he didn''t need to remove them before killing his target.


    "This will do," Fruity muttered before lying down beside the three unconscious dragons. A whileter, someone tapped his hand, waking him up with a tired expression.


    "What happened?" he asked, noticing the other three were now standing, weapons in hand but looking exhausted.


    "It seems we were attacked, but by what?" the leader said with a frown.


    "We''re alive, so we should vacate this ce quickly," one of them suggested.


    "Drakthar is right, we should leave," Fruity, now in his demi-dragon form, said. The others nodded, and without overthinking it, they left and headed back to their sanctuary.


    From what Fruity had gathered from their memories, they were hunters from a part of the Dark me Chaos Dragon domain.


    In the Dark me Chaos Dragon Domain, there are various sections, each ruled by a Tyrant. From what Fruity gathered from their memories, there are five sections. The group he encountered was from the Chaos Section, ruled by a Tyrant-rank dragon called Morthrak, who is the third strongest Tyrant in the Chaos Section.


    There are two other Tyrants, one of whom is a Divine General currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to be a Deimos (Tier 9).


    Fruity, of course, wanted to infiltrate the Ancestral Burial site. He quickly found out that, to gain entry, he would have to be an Ancestral Guardian¡ªguards responsible for protecting the burial site.


    Fruity managed to identify three of these guards currently residing in the Chaos Section. All he needed to do was kill one, transform into him, and wait for his rotation to guard the site. When it was his turn, he could steal the horn and escape before the Demon Dragon King caught wind of it.


    After all, the strongest dragon in the Dark me Chaos Dragon Domain was a Tier 11 dragon, a realm higher than Yuying. If Fruity didn''t y his cards right, and the only Dreadnaught in the domain intervened, his bones wouldn''t even be left to bury.


    "Same time tomorrow, right?" Fruity asked his teammates as they arrived at therge wall protecting the Chaos Section,monly referred to as Chaos City. They nodded before retiring to their homes


    Fruity, who lived with his father, a cksmith, quickly went home and, like a good son, informed his father about their hunt. As expected, his father scolded him for being weak, something normal for demons who crave strength.


    Fruity, unfazed by his fake father''s scolding, went to bed. The next day, he followed the same routine for an entire week until the rotation for the Ancestral Guards came around.


    He found an excuse to skip the hunt that day, and under the cover of night, he followed the three Tier 7 dragons as they headed toward the Ancestral Burial Site. His n was simple: use the same tactics he employed against the Tier 6 dragons, but with a slight alteration.


    Fruity diligently followed them, transforming back into his Blue Horn Hawk form, which was faster than the dragon form he had taken before.


    "Guys, something''s not right," one of the three Tier 7 dragons suddenly said, stopping and drawing his weapon.


    "Velgorn, what seems to be the problem this time?" one of the others asked, addressing the dragon who had drawn his weapon. There was a frown on his face which meant they had been through this situation and a simr one before


    "The air feels strange like we''re walking through something," Velgorn said, ncing around cautiously.


    "You haven''t slept well this time either, huh? I feel fine, and Ghanorth seems fine too, so what''s wrong with you? Are you not feeling alright?" asked the second dragon, Vuithan.


    "Maybe you''re right. I haven''t had a good night''s sleep these days," Velgorn admitted, though he remained on high alert, his senses heightened.


    "Let''s go," Vuithan said. After a slight hesitation, they began moving again.


    A kilometer away, Fruity sighed. ''I guess I need to get closer for a quicker and maximum effect,'' he thought to himself.

 Chapter 284 Stealing a Dragon Horn

    Fruity moved closer to the three Tier 7 Dragons, who were considered among the strongest in the entire Chaos Dragon domain.


    He was using Hypnotic Ice alongside Chaos Ice to slowly put them to sleep, but he underestimated the awareness and mental strength of the dragon named Velgorn.


    He used Hypnotic Ice to create an illusion of their surroundings, making it appear as it had from the start. Then, using Chaos Ice, he subtly began to imprint suggestions on their minds. He applied minimal pressure, ensuring they wouldn''t notice his influence.


    However, Velgorn managed to sense something, forcing him to move closer. Now, just 400 meters away from them, Fruity amplified the effect of the ice, carefully masking his presence to avoid detection.


    After two hours, their minds still hadn''t sumbed to unconsciousness, but Fruity could sense their growing dizziness as they approached the ancestral site.


    After another 45 more minutes, the imprint finally settled into their minds, allowing Fruity to knock them out. Without holding back, he used Mind in Chaos to hammer their consciousness, knocking them out instantly.


    Fruity quickly devoured Velgorn, and two hourster, he sensed them waking up again. The two remaining dragons asked many questions, but seeing nothing unusual except being knocked out unexpectedly, they continued their journey now being on high alert.


    A few hourster, they arrived at the Ancestral Burial Site. Fruity subconsciously shuddered, feeling an immediate spiritual pressure emanating from the burial grounds. He knew he had to proceed with caution.


    That ce contains the residue soul energy of dead dragons and since he wasn''t a dragon, the pressure was pressing down on him more than it would with the true Dark me Chaos Dragons.


    "Vuithan, I will be guarding that damaged grave today. I need to clear my mind, and that ce seems quiet and cool enough for me to do so," Fruity, in his disguise, said with a weary expression.


    You have to give him credit¡ªthis violet-haired monk certainly knew how to act. His expressions and demeanor were so natural that Fruity couldn''t help but wonder where that trait came from.


    Yes, he inherited some traits from the monsters he transformed into; however, Velgorn wasn''t one to show much expression aside from his upright and brilliant nature. This meant those traits wereing from Fruity himself.


    After killing the dragon, Fruity felt a sense of loss. He saw his life sh before him and could tell that Velgorn was part of the 1 percent of good demons one could find in the Tormented World.


    Although 99 percent of demons are terrible, the 1 percent are decent. However, Fruity didn''t know this, and since Velgorn seemed more perceptive, he understood he had to proceed carefully to make things easier for himself. So he took out the variable to be safe.


    "Alright, just don''t stress yourself too much. We all know you''re the hardest worker," Vuithan said, tapping him on the shoulder.


    Velgorn went to inform theirmander in charge, and just like his friends, themander gave him the go-ahead to rx. This further confirmed to Fruity that he had killed the wrong demon, but it was already done¡ªno need for him to dwell on it.


    After leaving for his chosen destination, Fruity spent the rest of the day resting as he had intended. They would be on duty for a whole week, so all he could do now was y it safe and make his calctions carefully.


    During the seven days they would spend there, they would patrol the burial site three times¡ªon the second, fourth, and seventh days before they departed.


    Fruity nned meticulously, ensuring that the section he would patrol on the seventh day would be thest ce they would survey when the next batch arrived. By then, he would be long gone.


    Three days went by, and during that time, Fruity surveyed the area and picked his target. It was arge dark horn, which, upon examination, belonged to a Tier 10 monster dragon. He knew that if he wanted a chance to be selected to join a witch temple, he must surprise them.


    A horn belonging to an Argonaut (Tier 10) dragon seemed like the kind of thing that could cause significant chaos.


    Five more days passed, and during that time, Fruity diligently set many countermeasures in ce. It would take them three days to get back to Chaos City. He knew they would notice the horn was missing, so he was making sure he had a head start.


    The disappearance of a Tier 10 dragon''s horn would attract considerable attention, so he knew he had to make his ns and back them up with contingencies before stealing the horn.


    Eventually, the seventh day came, and Fruity resumed hisst shift with a determined look on his face. Gradually, around 3 in the afternoon, they were asked to conduct another sweep of the area before departing.


    "Vuithan, that section seemed okay thest time we went through it, but to make sure we didn''t miss anything, why don''t we divide and conquer so we can finish early and go back?" Fruity, in Velgorn''s disguise, suggested.


    "Great idea, Velgo! We should do that. Since you''re tired from all your hard work, take that section. Ghanorth and I will take the other two sections," Vuithan said with his usual smile.


    Over the past few days, Fruity examined the guards'' characters and noticed their behavior. One of his ns was to kill everyst one of them, including their Tier 8mander, but seeing how well they treated him, he decided to spare their lives.


    However, that didn''t mean he wouldn''t y mind games with them. Vuithan liked to talk butcked the self-confidence to make his own decisions. Because of this, Fruity made sure to always suggest ideas that Vuithan readily backed.


    As for Ghanorth, he, too, didn''t like talking, but he was the kind of person who valued friendship. Whatever Velgorn and Vuithan came up with, he nevermented; he just followed along.


    The three were like a package deal, so theirmander always paired them together. Of course, Fruity knew that once they discovered it was Velgorn who stole the horn, the two would be in trouble. But he didn''t feel guilty about that; after all, the two were anything but good people.


    Vuithan tended to flirt with people''s wives. He even went behind Velgorn''s back and slept with his wife, so his death would be justified.


    As for Ghanorth, let''s just say that after he died, thedies in Chaos City would finally find some much-needed peace and joy. Extracting their memories was the best thing Fruity could do to avoid making any foolish moves that could jeopardize his mission.


    Fruity left to make his rounds. Of course, he wasn''t actually making any rounds; he was stealing the horn. After an hour, they regrouped, andter that day, the next rotation came, and the three of them left.


    They had three days to get back home, and a monthter, they would go for another rotation. Fruity, who had made sure to buy himself some time, urged his friends to hurry back because he needed to see a healer somewhere in the mountains not far from Chaos City.


    Because of that, it took them two and a half days to return to Chaos City. This meant that if his illusion hadn''t been discovered, he would have another two days to flee from Chaos City.


    But luck wasn''t on his side. Three days after they left the burial site, the illusion broke, and the missing horn was discovered. They immediately sounded rms that reached the Dragon King, who issued a lockdown.


    Fruity, who had left the city and was now on his way toward the border, found himself blocked by twenty Tier 7 Dragons who had already received orders to stop anyone from crossing the border.


    "Stop there! Orders from the Dragon King: nobody is allowed to leave the domain until after the thief who stole the dragon horn is caught," one of the guards said.


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    Fruity smiled. "Well, gentlemen, I don''t suppose any of you anticipated dying today."

 Chapter 285 Narrowly Escaping Death

    Fruity''s n was simple. Since it would take three days to travel from the Ancestral Burial Site to Chaos City and another two days to cross the border, he aimed to put a half-a-day head start between himself and the Dark me Chaos Dragons. He set the illusion to break four days after he left the burial site.


    This meant that if hispanions hurried, as they did, allowing them to reach the city in two and a half days, Fruity would have crossed the border long before the news of the missing horn reached the border patrol.


    However, the illusion he set at the mine lost its power three days after he left, causing the situation to escte faster than he had anticipated. But this, too, was within his calctions.


    He had already dealt with any suspicion that might arise had the cksmith realized his son was missing, so the only thing left was to make sure his tracks were clean before leaving.


    This meant he couldn''t leave any witnesses behind, including the border patrol. He could have escaped by flying away in his Blue Horn Hawk demi-hawk form, but he knew it would only prolong the chase as long as there was information about his whereabouts.


    There were shamans and seers with divination abilities who could locate him if they caught sight of him. Of course, Fruity knew the chances of that happening were low, as he couldn''t be tracked while using the Forbidden Diagram to disguise himself.


    But he wasn''t willing to take any chances, so he decided to do the only logical thing¡ªmurder.


    He gazed at the twenty Tier 7 Dragons, all in their demi-dragon forms, an evil smile curling on his lips. Over the months spent traveling to the northern region, Fruity had killed so many monsters that his demeanor had started to change.


    He had be more evil than he realized. Yuying had noticed this, and she began trying her best to lighten his burdens, hoping that reducing his kills would help. But it didn''t change anything¡ªhis bloodlust had grown too chaotic.


    Of course, Yuying had already made ns to deal with that before he became a killing machine devoid of emotion.


    "Stand back and consent to a search. You can then remain here until the lockdown is lifted," the young man, who seemed to be the leader of the border guards, said, ignoring Fruity''s earlierment.


    "And what if I don''t consent?" Fruity asked.


    "Then we will use force," the leader replied.


    "That''s more like it. Why don''t we get straight to that, then?" Fruity smirked, and without even blinking, his disguise vanished, revealing his human form.


    "Sentient... Kill!" It took just a single nce for the leader of the dragon guards to give the order to kill him. The sight of Fruity''s true appearance had triggered something primal in them.


    What Fruity doesn''t know is that the Dark me Chaos Dragons have been defending their ancestral burial site for many years against various demon races attempting to steal their horns.


    The main reason they were made a target for trials to join a Witch Temple was due to their refusal to submit to the Witch Temples'' rule. Unlike most monster races that surrendered, the Dark me Chaos Dragons, along with some other demon races, chose to remain independent.


    This defiance led the Witch Temple to use them as pawns in their selection process for new members. In the Tormented World, although there are no humans, there is a demon race that resembles humans, known as Sentients.


    These Sentients are among the strongest races in the world and the key members of this Witch temples, and for years, they have gued the Dark me Chaos Dragons. To the dragons, Sentients are like a gue that must be eradicated.


    When Fruity revealed his human-like form, it triggered an immediate response. The dragons, seeing him as a Sentient, descended on him with weapons and attacks, all aimed to end his life.


    "Tsk..." Fruity smirked, and with a thought, a green mist of ice gushed out, covering a 1-kilometer radius. The twenty Tier 7 dragons attacking him were immediately devoured by the hypnotic ice.


    "Giant Bone Mountain Descent," Fruity muttered coldly, activating one of the skills he had gained after the hypnotic ice reached the Realm Rank.


    At once, a huge mountain of bone and ice descended upon the green mist, crashing down on the defenseless dragons who had fallen under his illusion.


    They were only Tier 7 dragons, not very powerful when their mental fortitude was taken into ount. Fruity, whose hypnotic ice has be more powerful than ever and whose mind and soul were stronger, easily subdued them.


    Of course, this wouldn''t have worked on someone like Velgorn, who possessed a powerful mind and soul. But because these Tier 7 dragons were mentally weak, their minds were instantly dragged into an illusion Fruity created.


    Inside the illusion, they believed they were ganging up on him and beating him senseless. This, of course, made it easy to take over their minds, as that was exactly what they had been hoping for¡ªto kill him.


    They hated Sentients so much that they wouldn''t hear reason the moment they saw one. Fruity just picked the right illusion trapping them in it.


    Before they could snap out of it, they had already been crushed by a huge boulder that drained arge sum of Fruity''s Star Qi. But it worked¡ªthey were ttened while lost in dreand.


    One thing about illusions is that once you fall into them, it bes difficult to break free. Inbat, even a second of vulnerability can cost you your life. Fruity had more than enough openings to kill them, and he didn''t waste any.


    Fruity, who hadn''t moved a single finger, simply gazed at the ttened bodies. With a sigh, the devouring me activated, consuming their remains and extracting the energy into the Immortal Ice¡ªthe only element he had yet to upgrade to the next rank.


    "It''ll take them at least five hours to get here. After all, there are six borders, and no one knows I came through this one," Fruity said before taking to the sky.


    Now that he was a sage, his speed had increased several times, even in the air, so he left hastily, leaving no trace behind.


    A whileter, ten Tier 8 dragons arrived at the border, but to their shock, there were no guards in sight. It was as if the ce had been abandoned for a long time. They searched for a while, but after finding nothing, they left.


    A dayter, they informed the king, who immediately issued an order to hunt down whoever was responsible. Men were deployed across the Tormented World to search for the stolen horn. News quickly spread throughout the Northern Region and soon reached the other regions. Continue your adventure at empire


    The horn that was stolen wasn''t just any ordinary horn¡ªit belonged to the king''s brother, who had died inbat while they were fighting the Witch Towers to maintain their independence.


    It had been a crazy and chaotic battle. At that time, the current king was a prince, and his brother¡ªwhose horn was just stolen by Fruity¡ªwas supposed to be the king. But to secure the future of their race, his brother fought bravely and died a hero''s death.


    So the theft of his horn was a huge insult to the Dark me Chaos race. The section of the burial site from which the horn was stolen was reserved for the dragons who fought in that battle.


    This enraged the Dark me Chaos Dragons. If the horn isn''t returned within a few years, they may dere war on the Witch Temple. After all, it had been 670 years since a horn was stolen from their Ancestral Land, and this time, it was the horn of a martyr.

 Chapter 286 Harrows Mountain

    "Master, you really did it," Yuying said, now flying beside Fruity as they sped away from the Northern Region. It had already been a week since he left the Domain of the Chaos Dragons, and he hadn''t stopped flying since then. He was back in his Demi-Hawk form.


    Yuying emerged from his soul sea once they finally left the Northern Region. Now flying beside her master, she couldn''t help but marvel. Fruity had just waltzed into the domain of one of the most powerful races of demon dragons, stolen a horn, and left, just like that.


    "Never doubt me, Yuying," Fruity said with a smirk.


    Truth be told before he acquired the Forbidden Diagram, he hadn''t been sure how he would infiltrate such a domain without facing harrowing battles.


    However, after discovering the many things he could do with the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram¡ªof which the perfect disguise was one¡ªhe knew exactly what had to be done.


    The disguise was so wless that no matter the realm of the person, they wouldn''t be able to see through it.


    "I never doubted you, Master," Yuying replied with a smile. Experience more tales on empire


    She had been worried sick when Fruity finally managed to enter the Ancestral Burial Site. She would be lying if she said she hadn''t thought about leaving the soul sea to help him.


    However, trusting her master, she waited as Fruity spent seven whole days nning and setting up measures before taking the horn.


    Now, Fruity had only one thing left to acquire: the feather of a Harrow. Yuying had already told him this would be the greatest danger he would face. Their next stop was the border of the Central Region to cross over.


    A monthter, they finally crossed into the Central Region. But before heading to Harrow Mountain, Fruity and Yuying decided to pay a visit to an old friend of Yuying''s.


    150 years ago, Yuying and a Lion Demon, spent an entire day in a bidding war over a book that no one else recognized its true value. At that time, only Yuying, a strange collector, and the Lion knew that the ancient book was a manual containing one of the most powerful cultivation methods¡ªAura Cultivation.


    In the end, the Lion won the bid taking home the manual.


    The Lion knew because he had a unique ability that allowed him to see the true value of things. As for the collector, he was hunting for something simr but one that focused on souls. Yuying, however, sought it because it was a manual written by her master many years ago.


    Yes, it was something written by us''s second incarnation. When Yuying awakened in the Tormented World with her past memories intact, she did everything she could to search for items connected to her master.


    That was the role of the Paragon Guards. They were born many years before their master with one purpose: to prepare a head start for him when he awakened.


    As a Paragon, us wouldn''t have opportunities handed to him¡ªhe had to fight for them. So, in his first life, he did the only logical thing: he cheated reincarnation.


    It was safe to say that us, or Fruity''s original self, was a genius who saw what needed to be done and did it even better than anyone could have imagined.


    A paragon wouldn''t get the heaven blessing, neither would they be recognized no matter how peaceful they lead their life. So in other to make sure he was always reincarnated well, he made sure he prepared something that wouldn''t necessarily interfere with the heavens, yet directly aid him.


    It took them three days to reach the remote dwelling of the Demon Lion. Fruity and Yuying spent another two days observing him, and after confirming he was just a Tier 9 demon, the Master and Servant duo ganged up on him and beat him senseless¡ªsomething Yuying had been wishing to do for many years.


    After retrieving the manual, which had taken all of Fruity''s mental strength to put the Lion Demon under an illusion, he ced a spell on him out of anger.


    Three dayster, the Lion, feeling unusually generous, decided to organize an in-house auction, giving away all his belongings to anyone with as little as ten Dark Stones.


    In the Tormented World, the currency used is known as Dark Stones, considered the basic currency. The second tier is Soul Stones, and the highest is Moon Stones. Fruity, of course, knew his servant was wealthy, so he did not attempt to make his own money.


    Two weekster, they arrived in the first city since entering the Central Region. It was a cityprising various races but ruled by Molten Demon Golems. They stayed there for two days before boarding a flying ship to another city known as Ginnix Rat City.


    ording to the map they had, they would be able to enter Harrow Mountain from there. Fruity would have to pluck a feather from a Harrow, a monster said toe from hell.


    Of course, this was an exaggeration. The Harrows were just monsters that lived deep inside underground volcanoes, and Harrow Mountain was one of the ces they frequented. So, they had to go.


    However, it wasn''t an exaggeration when they said the Harrows were twisted demons whose hundreds of demon monsters had died trying to pluck their feathers. They were extremely dangerous.


    Fruity had already obtained the horn and the Witch mark, so all that was left was to obtain the feather of a Tier 8 Harrow.


    Weaker Harrows didn''t likeing to the surface. Only Tier 8 and above came to hunt for food to feed their young below, so Fruity would have to face a Tier 8 Harrow if he wanted a feather. Of course, he could just purchase one, but it was extremely expensive.


    Despite Yuying''s suggestion to buy one, Fruity chose to reject it. His reason was simple: if he managed to kill an entire Harrow, they would be set for life. Yes, Fruity wanted to kill the whole thing; he wasn''t just after a feather.


    He knew it would take him a few more years to awaken his bloodline, and during those years, he would need wealth to secure most things. He now had an updated map in his mind and knew where to go to find some items left behind by his past self.


    But to do that, he needed resources. Even though Yuying had some wealth, it wouldn''t be enough for the two of them. However, even if it were sufficient, he knew that having extra cash would be the best step one could take.


    So he nned to kill an entire Harrow. After joining a witch temple, he would do what he did best: grow stronger while he rose through the ranks to be a Witch General. Then, from there, his revenge plot would begin.


    Yuying spent the next three days buying supplies that Fruity would need to lure the Harrow. After resting for a while, they set off¡ªmore precisely, Fruity entered the mountain while Yuying returned to his soul sea.


    Fruity expected the situation to be harrowing, but to his shock, when he summoned the Harrow by spreading certain chemicals Yuying had bought for him, the monster couldn''t do anything.


    Expecting a tense battle, he summoned the Pentaface bead. To his astonishment, when the bead appeared, the monsters froze and copsed. All he did was walk closer and drive his spear through its neck.


    It was a strange moment for him, but after a while, he realized it was due to the first face on the bead. After all, it had some corrtions to Harrows. The Bell of Harrows came from that face, so he chalked it up to that.


    Two monthster, he stood in front of one of the five witch temples known as the Dark Star Witch Temple. That day, when he presented his items for registration, the entire witch temple was in an uproar.


    The horn of the Dark me Chaos Dragon said to have been stolen months earlier, had appeared, and Fruity, who had brought it, was immediately epted as a Witch Captain¡ªjust one rank away from qualifying for the Bloodline Trial.


    It took him three years to be a Witch General. Then, a yearter, the opportunity to enter the Tormented Bloodline Trial came. It was also the day when the entire world of the Tormented experienced the awakening of a paragon: the first Master of the Blood Star.

 Chapter 287 Intense Bloodlust

    us, who had been meditating for seven days, opened his eyes. The moment he did, a powerful energy filled with bloodlust burst from his body, sending a violent force through his training room and, subsequently, the entire house.


    The force was so intense that huge cracks began forming throughout the building. All over the house, both the maids and the security personnel rushed to the living room, fearing that someone might have attacked their Master or, worse, his mother.


    However, upon reaching the living room and seeing us''s mother, Miriam, and Hanna standing there, equally shocked by what was happening, they became stunned. If it wasn''t an attack, what could have caused their home to be in such a dire state? Experience tales at empire


    Their questions were quickly answered when they realized their Master was not in the house. They knew whatever had happened was because of him. Yet, none of them moved. They stood still as if waiting for him to emerge.


    us, realizing he had woken up from his memory retrieval, quickly reined in the intense bloodlust surging through him. It was so overwhelming that, for a brief moment, all he wanted was to go on a killing spree.


    But he knew that would be a terrible idea, especially when he saw the damage he had done to the house.


    Chanting filled the air as he began reciting some of the calming mantras from his past life as Fruity. A few minutester, his heart calmed, bringing the bloodlust down a notch. After 20 minutes, he returned to normal, suppressing the bloodlust to a level no one could detect, though it still lingered just beneath the surface.


    He sighed and retrieved his phone.


    "Seven days, huh?" he muttered, looking at the date on the screen. He had decided to delve into the memories left by his past self seven days ago.


    He had witnessed years of training and killing¡ªso much killing that just going through the memories provoked such intense bloodlust. Of course, us was simr to Fruity in terms of killing. He had in his fair share of monsters, Zombies, and humans, so it felt somewhat normal.


    However, he hadn''t killed enough to provoke such a destructive burst of energy, one that nearly brought down his house. It was safe to assume that the memories had affected him more than he had anticipated.


    "I need to go for a walk," us said as he stood up. He wasn''t in the right mindset and needed some time to calm down. Getting some fresh air would help.


    For the past 20 minutes, the maids, security, Miriam, us''s mother, and his sister, Hanna, had been standing near the entrance to us''s training room, waiting anxiously. Suddenly, the door opened, and he walked out.


    The first thing us noticed were the huge cracks in the ceiling and the shattered ss. He immediately realized he must have frightened a few people.


    "Sorry, everyone. My training took a dangerous turn, but everything is fine now," us said with a reassuring smile. He knew the maids and guards were more concerned for his safety than anything else.


    And they had every reason to be. us had already helped about 20% of them be Sages, and the rest were either Saints or at the peak of Sainthood.


    Even Kofi was nearing the Great Sage realm. In just a few months, his Great Sage core would be formed, and he would face his tribtion.


    The maids and guards nodded, smiles on their faces, as they left to begin repairing some of the damage us had caused.


    "Are you alright?" his mother asked once they were gone, walking up to him and holding his hand.


    "I''m fine, Mom. It was just an unexpected reaction," us replied.


    However, what he did not realize was that, just like when his mother had somehow noticed his presence when he identally peeked at her months back, she had also sensed the intense bloodlust he had released moments earlier.


    Even now, holding his hand, she could feel it. This, of course, triggered her motherly instincts¡ªthe kind that knew when something wasn''t right with their children.


    "Seriously, Mom, I''m fine," us said, poking her cheek yfully. He knew she didn''t believe him, but he couldn''t just offload everything on her like that.


    That would be an awkward conversation. His past couldn''t be shared lightly, and he knew that much. Despite knowing some things about her own past, he could only endure and try toe to terms with his own struggles on his own.


    The current us is far from being fine. His mind is in turmoil from the flood of memories he has absorbed.


    First, it was the painful memory of his mother and Hanna''s deaths, followed by the tragic loss of half the monks who had nned to sacrifice their souls to activate a nameless token. This token was supposed to send Fruity to and brimming with resources.


    The monks didn''t know exactly where Fruity would end up, but they believed the sacrifice of 10,000 willing souls would send him somewhere valuable.


    However, Fruity couldn''t bear watching his uncles die for his sake, so at thest moment, his resurfacing memories allowed him to break the chain of fate and redirect them to the Ice World.


    In the aftermath, Fruity ughtered tens of thousands, taking their vengeful souls and using them to open a portal to the Tormented World. From there, his journey was filled with bloodshed, moving from the Eastern Region all the way to the Northern Region.


    Fruity''s excessive killing even started to worry his servant, Yuying. Upon joining the Witch Temple, he continued his ughter, driven by the desire to rank up and qualify for the Bloodline Trial.


    However, these weren''t his only aplishments. In the three years before entering the Trial, Fruity also retrieved the Manual on Aura Cultivation, setting him on the path to awakening the True Killing Aura, also known as the Asura Aura (ughter Aura), as Yuying referred to it.


    It took him two and a half years to awaken it, and back then, he had killed so much that he became numb to ughter. Thankfully, the memories stopped just as he entered the Trial.


    us knew the memories that followed would be filled with the ughter that would soon herald him to the world as the Renegade Monk¡ªone who walked in opposition to the teachings of monks.


    That being said, his brain is now f*cked up from all the ughter, and now, remembering everything, the past and current bloodlust started to resurface.


    "I''ll just take a walk outside for a few hours to clear my mind," Fruity said, kissing his mother on the cheek before leaving the house. After he left, the three women in the room sighed.


    "He was lying," his mother said.


    "I can tell he''s in so much pain, but it seems he didn''t want to share, not even with me." Her expression grew sad.


    "Mom, don''t be sad. He''ll open up when he''s ready. You just have to give him some time," Hanna said, holding her mother''s hand. Miriam also stepped closer, taking her other hand.


    Like us''s mother, the two women could sense the bloodlust in him, especially Miriam, who now shared an intimate connection with him.


    "Should I follow him?" Miriam asked, watching as us walked out of the house.


    "No, he wants to be alone, so we should give him his privacy," his mother said with a sigh. As a mother, it was only natural to worry. Thankfully, she had two amazing women by her side tofort her.


    us, having just exited his house, decided to walk in a certain direction. He did not have anywhere particr in mind, so he simply began walking. However, after a while, he found himself in the slums, heading toward the house where he and his mother used to live.


    When he arrived, he quickly sat on a stone beside the house. He gazed into the sky, and after a while, closed his eyes, clearly lost in deep thought. However, that didn''tst long. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and, in a cold, menacing tone, uttered:


    "I''m really not in the mood for any cat-and-mouse games. If you want to die today, thene out of the shadows. Otherwise, scram."


    As if to emphasize his words, a dense bloodlust burst from his body, blowing everything away, including the makeshift apartment they once lived in.


    But it wasn''t the only thing blown away. From the shadows, a figure dressed in ck emerged, holding his head and rolling on the ground.

 Chapter 288 The Slaughter Aura

    us stood up and began walking closer to the Assassin, who had emerged from the shadows and was now rolling on the ground. As us approached, he radiated an intense killing aura, so powerful that without even drawing his sword, the Assassin felt himself being pulled into the grip of death.


    "us, you have to calm down," the Senior''s voice echoed from his soul sea, causing us to halt. He was just a few steps away from the Assassin, who knew without a doubt that he wouldn''t live past the day.


    "Leave," us said in a cold tone, halting his steps. The Assassin, feeling a surge of relief, thanked his lucky stars and quickly ran off, forgetting how he had even arrived.


    us sighed and then left the area. A whileter, he found himself sitting in a coffee shop somewhere in Ross City.


    "Senior, what just happened?" us asked, using their connection to speak directly to the Senior.


    "You''re awakening an aura known as the ughter Aura, or more urately, the Asura Aura. It''s an aura born from ughter and is also the strongest aura in all of existence," the Senior replied, making us nod in acknowledgment.


    He already knew that, so the Senior''s confirmation showed that he was even more knowledgeable than us had realized.


    us hadn''t yet visited his soul sea, so he didn''t know what changes had urred there. But if he had, he would have seen the Seal of ughter beginning to leak an aura of bloodlust.


    It was the kind of aura that someone like Fruity shouldn''t have the willpower to endure. However, thanks to his past memories, the aura had begun to temper his will, turning him into the kind of warrior capable of wielding such power.


    "Is this bad?" us asked.


    "In a way, yes. The current you can be easily triggered, so for the next few weeks, don''t pick up your sword or even think about going on any hunts. Just rest and spend time with people who bring you peace," the Senior advised. "Once this settles, the ughter Aura will awaken naturally."


    "Okay, Senior." us didn''t need to be told what to do¡ªhis memories had already shown him the effect the awakening of the ughter Aura had on Fruity. Back then, Fruity had toy down his sword for five whole months to get his affairs in order.


    "Brat, you need to know this: awakening this aura means your path forward will be one of ughter," the Senior suddenly said.


    "It''s as if you''ve taken the first step toward walking the path of ughter and, eventually,prehending the Law of ughter.


    "I just hope you understand that walking this path will make you a renegade to thews. The Law of ughter hasn''t been practiced since the Asura Race was eradicated, so you must be cautious."


    "Renegade, huh," Fruity muttered with a small smile.


    "Senior, what can you tell me about the Law of ughter, or more importantly, the Asura People?" us asked. The idea of a people born with a singr purpose¡ªughter¡ªintrigued him.


    "In the universe, there are manyws. You might have already heard ofws like Fire, Space, Time, and others. Those are just names given to the various rules governing the flow of the universe.


    "Just like how, after you be a Saint, you can start exerting some resistance to gravity, allowing you to fly and walk in the air. Your next chapter awaits on empire


    "The otherws are the same. The Law of Space allows you to traverse space by using it to your advantage. You can travel long distances by opening rifts in space. The Law of Time can allow you to stop or slow time. The Fire Law can help youprehend the true essence of the me.


    "All of these are just basic concepts of thews. There are many things you can do when you understand thews and how they are applied.


    "However, when the Law of ughteres into question, all I can say is that it is the oldestw in the universe. And when I say it''s the oldest, the Laws of Creation, Life, and Death aren''t even close inparison.


    "It is said that during the Primordial Era, the Law of ughter was widely practiced, but after that era, it was boycotted for unknown reasons.


    "I don''t want to jinx it, but someone who practices the Law of ughter can be called an Absolute," the Senior said, a slightly amused tone in his voice.


    "An Absolute? So the Asura People are this Absolutes" us asked.


    "Yes, an Absolute. It''s someone who trumps everything else. The Law of ughter trumps all otherws. Of course, that will depend on your level ofprehension, but someone practicing the Law of ughter is essentially learning all the various ways to kill.


    "If the killing requires them to stop time, they can; if it means traveling through space, they can do that too. It''s called the Absolute for a reason. However, it''s difficult to walk this path, which is why I told you that choosing to walk it is a decision you can''t easily reverse," the Senior answered.


    "Well, I don''t n on walking down a path I''m not certain of. So difficult or not, I will traverse it to the best of my abilities." us already knew that, somewhere, somehow, he had walked down this path before. Deep down in his bones, he understood that it was the path he needed right now.


    For some unknown reason, he felt he was running out of time for something he didn''t yet understand. He knew he was weak¡ªvery weak¡ªso he had to hurry up and grow.


    "For the Asura people, don''t look too deeply into it. They were eradicated because of something I can''t disclose. So for now, focus on calming yourself down and awakening the ughter Aura. If you are meant to walk down the path of ughter, you will one day uncover all the buried secrets."


    "Thank you, Senior," us said before standing up and leaving the coffee shop. He went straight to the bank and requested the purchase of a new house¡ªa much bigger one.


    He was very rich now, so he didn''t hesitate to go for the most expensive option. With his family growing, he needed a muchrger space. Of course, that didn''t mean he would go for the biggest house; however, as he had expected, he received a 70% discount on histest purchase.


    The reason this time was that he had won a loyalty point that, after redeeming, was worth 7 billion gold coins. He smirked and added the remaining 3 billion to buy one of the most expensive houses they had.


    It had ten rooms (excluding one for the maid and guards), four training rooms, arge enough pool, a small waterfall, a space to park ten cars, and even anding pad for a jet. Of course, this reminded us that he needed to get a jet.


    When he left the bank, he went to visit Madam Fei, who had been very busy selling all the monster bodies us had been bringing her. He spent many hours there before heading back home.


    The next day, they moved to their new home. Following the Senior''s advice, us decided to rx for a while. This, of course, meant more time to spend with family.


    Six dayster, he received an invitation to attend theunching of Oracle, which would be held at Stone Valley. Four dayster, he, Hanna, his mom, and Miriam left for Stone Valley for the event.

 Chapter 289 Back to Stone Valley

    us and his mother, along with Miriam and Hanna, arrived at Stone Valley a day before theunch of Oracle. Lucil had arranged for them toe that day, so when theynded, she was there with Joon, Logan, and Ryan.


    "Nice to see you again, us, War Goddess, and Auntie," Joon was the first to speak as they alighted from the jet.


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    His gaze paused on Hanna. Thest time they were at they came to recruit us, Hanna was in seclusion cultivating so they never met her.


    "This is my sister, Hanna," us said, introducing her. Joon and the others nodded.


    "How have you all been?" us''s mom asked with a small smile.


    "We''re well, Auntie," Ryan replied this time. Thest time they had visited, they left with nice haircuts. However, from the way us''s mom was looking at them, it was clear they''d be getting fresh haircuts before the event.


    "Let''s go to the headquarters," Joon said, and soon they were in a car heading back to the headquarters building.


    "Your friends will arrive within the hour, so when they do, we have people who will bring them to the headquarters," Joon said as they arrived at therge building where us spent a whole month.


    Since us was listed as the co-creator of Oracle, his immediate friends were also invited.


    In the past few days, he had started modeling something new within Oracle. Since he wouldn''t be going on any hunts for the next few weeks, he decided to bring the Tormented World into Oracle. Yes, us began modeling the entire world within Oracle.


    Although he hadn''t made much progress, he had still incorporated many elements into Oracle. The Monastery was alreadypleted, so when Oracle went public, it would be one of the few locations avable for visitors.


    For now, it was set atop a mountain somewhere in Oracle, requiring visitors to go there for a sense of peace.


    With Lucil''s help, he managed to create a calm environment in the Monastery, ensuring that anyone present would feel a sense of tranquility wash over them.


    Since the goal was to make Oracle have some impact on the mind in the real world, us made sure the Monastery reflected that.


    Long story short, us had created one of the best spaces in Oracle, and he intended to share it with the rest of the world.


    A whileter, after us and his family had settled down, Lucil came to have a chat, but she didn''te alone; she brought anotherdy who, from a single nce, one could tell was us''s die-hard fan.


    "us, this is Olive. She helped me with the projects you gave me," Lucil said with a smile, introducing the petitedy.


    "Nice to meet you, Olive," us responded with a polite smile.


    "I have to say, I like how you''re wearing those jackets." Ever the extrovert, he decided to strike up a conversation.


    "I bought it from Ni Fashion Trend X," Olive said with a shy smile. What us didn''t know was that while he was out there fighting physical battles, Lucil and the Knights of House us were fighting his online battles.


    Lucil formed that group, making her theirmander, and Olive was the second inmand. She also worked with Lucil, so when she heard all about the amazing time Lucil had with us thest time they worked together, she also wanted to meet him.


    "Well, it looks good on you," us replied.


    "Thank you," Olive nodded like an obedient child who had just been awarded candy.


    "Let''s go so we can show you what we have aplished," Lucil said, leading us and Olive away. us had given her some ideas and designs to bring to life in Oracle for him.


    He needed some arenas and trials built for a project he had in mind, so while he knew he would be busy, he entrusted it to the next able person to help. Of course, Lucil was more than happy to assist.


    us spent the next few hours with Lucil and Olive, reviewing and making modifications. A whileter, as sunset approached, he left for the roof to watch the sunset as he had with Queenie thest time he was there.


    Shortly after, his mother, Miriam, Hanna, and his friends, who had arrived just an hour before, appeared on the roof.


    An hour ago when they arrived in Stone Valley, us had been busy with Lucil and Olive, so they didn''t want to disturb him.


    "You guys have be stronger," us said as soon as they arrived on the roof.


    "Compared to you, I think we arecking," Mark replied with a smile.


    "True," us responded with a smile. "That won''t be for long though," he added.


    "Oh, do you have something in mind?" Anna, who was more than happy toe out of seclusion to spend some time with us, asked.


    "I do, in fact, have something in mind, but you''ll all have to wait until after the Genius gathering at Senji Valley," us said.


    "Why not skip that gathering and get down to business fast?" Daniel, ever eager for action, suggested.


    "Trust me, you might want to spend the next two weeks well because the three weeks before the Union Trial will be hell for all of you," us said with a smile.


    However, perhaps because of the bloodlust he was trying to suppress, that smile appeared more sinister, sending chills down the spines of his friends.


    "us, stop scaring your friends," us''s mom said, wrapping her arms around Anna and Lily, who looked visibly shaken. Hanna seemed okay for some reason.


    "Sorry about that, but I do mean what I said. Prepare mentally because you''re going to need it."


    us refrained from any intimate actions with Miriam over the past few days. While the senior had said he shouldn''t hold any weapons until his bloodlust calmed down so he could awaken the Asura Aura, he knew that engaging in anything sexual would awaken primal desires he didn''t want to put his women through.


    They weren''t things he could just use to calm down, so despite Miriam''s willingness tofort him every night, us preferred a good night''s sleep in each other''s arms. He might be struggling now, but that didn''t mean he had to put her through anything immoral.


    "Miriam, you are included, so you can go with us to the Genius gathering or spend as much time as you can with Mom, because trust me, Sovereign or not, I am going to break you."


    Although he couldn''t wield weapons, it didn''t mean he couldn''t train others. With Lucil and Olives help, he had created many training spaces in Oracle that he believed would help him have some entertaining days before the Union Trial.


    By then, he knew he would be able to calm down enough to awaken the aura. After all, he had already gone through it before, so he had prior knowledge of the process.


    After scaring his friends for a while, he decided to ask how their training had gone. From what they said, it seemed that during their journeys through the Forbidden Zones, they had encountered a few Tier 7 Tyrants, which they were able to take down using teamwork.


    us was impressed, but he knew they could do better. Since they were going to be his friends for life, they should meet the standards suitable for walking beside a paragon.


    ''I guess Yuying was right; I do hate weak people... but I hate weak, arrogant people more,'' he thought inwardly.


    ''Yuying, I hope we meet again soon,'' he sighed.


    The next day, guests started arriving for the event of the century.

 Chapter 290 Oracle Gone Public

    "Everyone, both present here and watching from all over the world, wee to theunch of Oracle, your first 100% immersive virtual reality," Joon took to the stage to address the crowd and officiallyunch the much-anticipated VR, said to revolutionize warrior training, business, and entertainment.


    Although they had invited people to theunch at Stone Valley, only the top figures in the business world were present. Oracle was set to be the new norm in the worlds of business, warrior training, and entertainment.


    They had invited the most influential names in the business world to explore potential business opportunities. us, who had already been briefed on how the event would unfold, had prepared ordingly.


    Joon and the other developers had finally fixed the bug that had gued them for years, thanks to us stepping in to help. Because of this, they decided to introduce him to the world as a co-creator.


    "As you all know, Oracle has been in development for a very long time..." Joon paused, clearly happy their youth dream had been realized.


    It wasn''t just him, Ryan and Logan who were standing beside him all held a look that said they were indeed happy their dream had finally been realized.


    "As you all know, Oracle has been in development for a very long time. What started as an ambitious dream is now a reality, thanks to the tireless efforts of a brilliant team. Today, we are not justunching a product¡ªwe are opening the door to a new era.


    "Oracle is more than a virtual reality tform; it is a fully immersive experience designed to bridge the gap between reality and the digital world.


    "In Oracle, you''ll find endless possibilities. Whether you''re a warrior training to hone your skills, a business leader looking for the next frontier inmerce, or someone seeking cutting-edge entertainment, Oracle will redefine how you engage with the world.


    "This tform can simte intense warrior training, allowing for real-time, high-risk scenarios with zero physical danger. It offers a space for businesses to thrive in new ways¡ªbe it virtual offices, product showcases, or evenrge-scale digital trade fairs.


    And as for entertainment, I think you''ll be pleased to discover worlds that challenge your imagination.


    "Today, we invite you to witness what happens when technology meets purpose, and what happens when innovation is pushed beyond its limits. Oracle is not just for the elite or the warriors; it''s for everyone. We''ve built a world where creativity knows no boundaries, and where every individual can have a ce.


    "Without further ado, it''s my great honor to officially introduce you to the next phase of human experience¡ªOracle."


    The audience apuded as Joon gestured to a giant screen behind him, disying a breathtaking visual of Oracle''s virtual world.


    The cinematic disy of Oracle began, showcasing the breathtaking visuals Lucil had put together. us, sitting with his parents, held a smirk on his lips.


    One of the shots being disyed featured footage of his battle with the Mecha Zombie, a creation he and Lucil had designed as his challenger for the training and testing phase.


    Of course, the Zombie couldn''t defeat him, but us knew that if its stats had been cranked up a few notches, he might have lost. Nevertheless, as a Tier 3 human, he had been able to battle a perfectbatpanion that was four tiers above him, with stats boosted by 20%pared to the average Tier 7.


    The footage yed for a full five minutes, shocking everyone gathered. What they saw demonstrated all that Oracle could do, and for a moment, some held skeptical looks on their faces.


    However, after live footage of Oracle was shown, smiles spread across the room. As businessmen, they instantly recognized that their enterprises were about to expand.


    After a while, the footage ended, and Joon took the mic again. "As you all saw, Oracle is what we''ve all been waiting for. Of course, while we''d like to say it has been an easy road to get here, the truth is that without one particr individual, Oracle might have taken another decade or two before the world had the chance to use it."


    Both those present and those watching from home were filled with curiosity¡ªwho was this person who had helped bring this digital world to life?


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I present us Hanson, the young man who helped bring Oracle to reality," Joon said, and the whole world erupted. Everyone knew that something grand was about to happen whenever us''s name was mentioned.


    us stood up, smiling, and walked over to the nerds, shaking hands with them. He then stepped up to the mic to speak.


    us stepped up to the mic, shing his trademark smirk.


    "Well, Joon''s said pretty much everything, and let''s be real¡ªI''m no geek to add anything too technical."


    The crowd chuckled, "But what I can say is this: Oracle is about to change the way we train, do business, and, most importantly, procrastinate¡ªuh, I mean socialize."


    Theughter spread throughout the room as us continued,


    "I''ve seen firsthand the kind of change Oracle can bring to people''s lives. Trust me, from today onwards, humanity is going to enter a new age of evolution, thanks to oracle"


    "Warriors can train without the inconvenient side effect of, you know, death. Businesses can expand without leaving thefort of their overpriced office chairs. And friends? Well, they can connect from anywhere in the world, and it''ll feel like they''re sitting on your couch eating all your snacks."


    "Now, I know what some of you are thinking¡ª''Oh, Oracle''s just another VR tform.'' Well, listen closely, folks. Oracle isn''t just any VR world. It''s the one you''ve been waiting for. Seriously, you don''t want to be thest one to hop on this bandwagon, trust me. FOMO is real."


    us leaned in closer to the mic, his voice dropping conspiratorially.


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    "Because let''s be honest¡ªwho wouldn''t want to be part of a future where you can get stronger, smarter, richer... without even having to change out of your pajamas?"


    The room erupted inughter again, and us wrapped it up with a yful grin. "So yeah, my advice? Join the Oracle hype train. It''s leaving the station, and I promise you don''t want to miss it.


    With a wink and a wave, us stepped back, leaving the crowd roaring with apuse and excitement.


    It was safe to say us had a way with people. While many might see him as an arrogant bastard¡ªwhich he was by the way¡ªhe was also someone reliable and unexpectedly friendly. Those who knew him from the start saw it, and many more were beginning to notice it now.


    But in the end, did he care what people thought of him? Probably not. All he cared about was getting stronger, protecting his mom, and ensuring her smile never faltered.


    us returned to his seat.


    "Thank you, us Hanson," Joon said with an appreciative nce in us''s direction before turning back to the crowd.


    "When you log in to Oracle, be sure to visit the Mountain Forest Monastery. It''s one of the masterpieces us has graced us with, and trust me¡ªyou don''t want to miss it."


    Joon''s tone grew more formal as he continued,


    "With that being said, Oracle Inc., in coboration with the Overlords and Celestial Mountain Academy, would like to announce that two years from now, there will be a Warrior Tournament. Details of this tournament will be revealed during its officialunch two months from today."


    He paused, giving the crowd a moment to absorb the news. "Once again, thank you all for attending and watching from all around the world. May you find peace in Oracle."


    With that, Joon wrapped up the event, leaving the crowd buzzing with excitement about Oracle and the uing Warrior Tournament.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 291 Dharma, The Northern Overlord

    A day after theunch of Oracle, millions of orders flooded in for the Oracle Helmets. The long-awaited VR tform had finally gone public, sending everyone into a frenzy of excitement. Joon and his team had anticipated this massive demand and had prepared ordingly.


    They''d manufactured a vast stockpile of helmets for their first big sale, ensuring that despite the overwhelming number of orders, deliveries were running smoothly without a hitch.


    The excitement surrounding Oracle was palpable, with people eager to dive into the digital world Joon and his team had crafted. The buzz continued to grow as more users joined in, and Oracle''s influence was quickly bing undeniable.


    us and his friends, who decided to stay at Stone Valley for a few days before leaving for the Genius Gathering at Senji Valley, spent thest few hours exploring the Mountain Forest Monastery¡ªthe monastery us had modeled in Oracle.


    "This ce is beautiful," us''s mom said, admiring the Butterfly Garden that us and Queenie had designed. Perhaps because Queenie had gone a little extra with the flowers, the garden was indeed stunning.


    us smiled, but deep down, he felt a bit sad. This had been his home after his mother sacrificed herself to send him away from their pursuers. But now, after reviewing the second part of his past self''s memories, he knew the monastery had also been destroyed forever.


    He couldn''t endure all those emotions without thinking about killing. But despite the pain, he just smiled and led his friends through the vast and beautiful monastery.


    "There''s something strange about these statues," Miriam said as they stopped in front of one of therge statues.


    "Indeed," us replied with a smile. "I call this statue Master Kluitox, a Mental Sage. Just being near it or staring at it from a kilometer away will affect your mental state. Since Oracle is 100% immersive, the changes that happen here can affect your mind even outside this space," he added.


    "Are you saying this statue can strengthen our mental resilience?" Lily asked.


    "Exactly," us nodded. In truth, the past few days since he had awakened his memories had been spent adding these effects to various parts of the monastery.


    Thanks to Yuying''s teachings from the second part of his memories, he now understood more about the mind, soul, body, aura, and Qi cultivation. He had be something of an encyclopedia, filled with vast knowledge of different types of cultivation.


    He had imbued most of the statues with different types of effects, so anyone who neared them would need the strength to resist, or else, to a certain extent, they could die and be ejected from Oracle.


    "Mom, you probably shouldn''t get too close to any of the statues," us said, pulling his mom away. Among them all, she was the weakest, and he didn''t want her to get hurt over something like this.


    After a while exploring the rest of the monastery, us and his mother exited the space. Miriam and the others decided to stay and gain some rity from the strange, ancient things they had encountered.


    What none of them knew was that, since their helmets were neuro-linked, the effects happening inside Oracle would have the same impact on their minds in the real world.


    After exiting Oracle, us and his mom climbed to the top of the Oracle building to watch the sunset. A whileter, Lucil came to inform him that he had a guest.


    us was puzzled because he wasn''t expecting anyone, but he went to see who this mysterious guest was.


    Lucil led him to a meeting room. As soon as us entered, he sensed a powerful presence emanating from a man who looked like he was in histe 30s. The man had long dark hair, refined cheekbones, and a rather unusual set of pink eyes.


    The moment their gazes met, us felt as though his soul was being sucked out of his body.


    ''Brat, that man is a powerful soul master. It would be in your best interest not to antagonize him, or else you won''t even know how you died,'' the senior''s voice echoed in his mind from his soul sea.


    ''No kidding, genius,'' us replied, fully aware of the danger the man before him posed¡ªvery dangerous.


    ''But we''ll talk about those eyester,'' he added, cutting off the connection between them.


    "Nice to meet you, us. I am Dharma, the Overlord of the Northern Union, but you can call me Brother Dharma," the man said.


    Contrary to what us expected, when he approached the chair reserved for him, Dharma extended his hand for a firm handshake.


    "Well, you already know my name, but it''s nice to meet you too, Brother Dharma," us replied, shing a small smile. While those pink eyes radiated danger, he sensed no killing intent from Dharma, so it seemed safe to assume he wasn''t in immediate danger.


    Dharma smiled upon hearing us call him "Brother."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "So, what did I do to warrant a meeting with an Overlord?" us asked after sitting down.


    "Shall I list them? You''ve done more than enough to deserve a meeting with an Overlord," Dharma replied with the same charming smile.


    us was handsome, but the man before him was not only handsome, he exuded a dangerous yet calm presence that us couldn''t quite put his finger on.


    "Maybe we should get to the main point¡ªI have caused quite a bit of chaos, after all," us said with a hint of shamelessness. Dharma simply smiled and retrieved a space ring.


    "You managed toplete the quest set by the Overlords, so I''m here to reward you as per the rules of the quest." He handed the ring to us.


    "Full disclosure: I added something extra in there as a thank you for making my Union look good these past few months," Dharma added with a smirk.


    While there were many geniuses out there, what us had achieved was simply too grand. From the moment he awakened until now, he had aplished feats that even seasoned warriors couldn''t imagine attempting.


    He had killed the five devils in the Demons Abode which was a quest set by the Overlords. He knew his rewards woulde soon enough, so he wasn''t shocked to receive the space ring.


    "Thank you, Brother Dharma," us said, pocketing the ring. He wanted to check its contents immediately, but the look on Dharma''s face told him that the Overlord wasn''t finished with what he came to say.


    "us, I know about your situation with the Duncan Legacies, and though I would love nothing more than to help you resolve it, you''ll have to handle this on your own," Dharma said with a slightly regretful expression.


    He had wanted to assist us, but their leader had instructed him not to. us needed to solve his own problems, and if the Overlords or the academy stepped in, many would use him of receiving special treatment. Therefore, this was a challenge he had to face alone.


    "Don''t worry about that, Brother Dharma. Those idiots... the Legacies, won''t know what hit them," us replied with a smile. Truth be told, he didn''t want the Overlords'' help. He relished the mischief, and the Duncan Legacies had just walked onto his ying field.


    Dharma smiled and stood up. "Still, be careful. The Legacies are no easy targets. They have connections, and with the Dark Order hot on your trail, you don''t want to incur their wrath."


    "I''ll keep that in mind. And thank you for the gift," us said, shaking hands with Dharma before the Overlord vanished from the room. us sighed and leaned back in his chair.


    "Tsk, a bunch of arrogant rich bastards. When I''m done with them, even their shadows will be afraid of me," us muttered coldly.


    Somewhere far from the Oracle headquarters, Dharma smiled and shook his head. "I should probably give the War God in Union City a heads-up not to interfere in his business. us, I look forward to a good show."

 Chapter 292 Going to the Gathering of Geniuses [Bonus]

    us spent thest few days with his mother at Stone Valley before the day for the one-week gathering of geniuses at Sinji came. During their time at Stone Valley, Miriam and us''s friends explored Oracle. They preferred exploring the Mountain Forest Monastery that us had created.


    By this point, millions of people had already moved into Oracle, with some setting up businesses. Real estatepanies had begun selling homes, and, surprisingly, millions had already purchased one.


    Some people also started forming factions, and, as always, conflicts were beginning to arise, which only added to the intriguing nature of the virtual world.


    us, who preferred to brave the waking world, used the time to explore Stone Valley with his mother. Naturally, Lucil and Olive were more than happy to be their guides.


    Lucil had merged her gamepany with Oracle, making her an unofficial full-fledged employee of the Three Nerds. Her designs and world-building were exactly what Joon and the others needed, so even though she could be fiery at times, they began working with her.


    But that did not mean she didn''t have time for us, her idol. Images of us''s mother had already graced the inte, making everyone wonder where such a beautiful woman had been hiding all this time.


    But looking at her beauty, they quickly realized where us''s handsomeness came from. Without a shred of doubt, us''s mother, despite being only a Level 3 Ascended, could easily be considered one of the most striking beauties in the world.


    Lucil and Olive, who were always looking for content to fuel their creative projects, decided to spend everyst second with the mother-and-son duo. In the end, us''s mother enjoyed being around us''s friends, and more importantly, she loved doing their hair.


    us could only smile and let her have all the fun. He would be leaving for the gathering in a few days, so he made sure to spend as much time with her as possible before going. This also gave him a chance to calm down.


    In his past life''s memories, Yuying had often taken Fruity sightseeing to help calm him when he was awakening the ughter Aura.


    While one might assume that a ce like the Tormented World was nothing but terrifying, in reality, despite its horrors, it had some of the most breathtaking sights.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Fruity and Yuying had spent much of their time exploring those ces, which had helped him find peace. Now, us was doing the same¡ªspending time with his mother, who had a strangely calming aura around her, something us found very endearing.


    "We''ll see you in a week," us said to his mother after hugging her. He also kissed Miriam before boarding the jet Joon had arranged for their trip. It would drop them off and pick them up a weekter.


    Miriam decided to stay with us''s mother. This meant us was going to Sinji Valley with his two Vixens, his sister, and the five male friends.


    us hadn''t had any intimate affairs with Anna and Lily yet, but that didn''t mean they hadn''t shared a few make-out sessions, which only involved a few kisses and nothing more.


    us still didn''t understand what the twodies were aiming for. He wasn''t sure if they were hesitant to take the next step or if they were just deeply bonded. Anna and Lily have be something of an inseparable twins.


    They always like to spend time with him together. This made us wonder why they preferred that.


    Of course, the shameless yet innocent us decided to talk with Lucy to better understand what they wanted, though he had a vague idea, something he found quite amusing.


    "us, those three legacies will be there, you know?" Daniel suddenly spoke on their way in the jet, making everyone except us frown.


    "What? It has to be addressed. Max, Ethan, and E Duncan will cause trouble regardless of how calm us tries to be," Daniel said when he noticed the looks his friends were giving him.


    "No need to bring that up now. us said he doesn''t want trouble, so why ask something that could trigger him?" Lily red at Daniel.


    "But still, we have to be prepared. Those three are just too... hateful," Daniel said, clenching his fist.


    He knew the uing Trial, which would take ce in Union City, would be chaotic, especially since the so-called Legacies had banned us from entering the city unless he got down on his knees and apologized for insulting them.


    Of course, us would never do something like that, so they banned him. Despite the three being merely at the Master stage, their influence was surprisingly strong. Everyone knew it wouldn''t be easy to have the ban lifted, which was why Dharma wanted to intervene.


    But now that Dharma couldn''t do anything because of Queenie''smands, us would have to solve his own problem. us had informed his friends that he would be a pacifist for the next few weeks, which made them worry he might be forced to take extreme measures, especially since they were heading to a gathering full of adrenaline-fueled youth.


    The three Legacies would undoubtedly try to cause trouble, but what they didn''t know was that us had chosen not to wield his sword due to his bloodlust. But that didn''t mean he couldn''t use his other abilities¡ªafter all, he had just relived memories of his past.


    The knowledge he had absorbed was more than enough for him to destroy an entire army without lifting a finger.


    In the past few days since he woke from the memory, us had begun cultivating some of the techniques he learned from his past self.


    The [Sage Mind] and [Unshakable Mind] techniques had already been cultivated to a stage that even he found shocking. His current question was whether the memories he recalled were directly affecting him or not.


    The Sage Mind technique has three stages, and he had already cultivated the first stage in just a few days¡ªsomething that took Fruity months. As for the Unshakable Mind, he was currently cultivating the first of its five stages.


    In addition to these, he had also begun cultivating the [Soul Mending Pagoda], a soul technique Yuying had given him when he entered the Soul-Breaking Abode back in the tormented world.


    The technique had nine levels, and he had already cultivated the first two. In short, although us hadn''t shown any active training, he had been steadily training his mind and soul.


    The current us was far more terrifying. His mind was now much stronger, and his soul had be robust. If he wanted, he could take control of the minds of anyone below the Tier 6 (Sage) stage, and he could also destroy their souls before they even realized it.


    He had be a terror. So if the three Legacies wanted to provoke him, they could certainly try¡ªbut they would be in for a dangerous surprise. At worst, his sabbatical would be cut short by a few days, but the three of them would regret antagonizing him.


    "You guys should just focus on enjoying yourselves. As for me, I''m looking forward to seeing my dear friend Miguel again," us said with a smile, munching on an apple.


    His friends looked at him with puzzled expressions. For a moment, they felt a chill run down their spines at the sight of his smile. They instinctively knew that by the end of this one-week gathering, us would be walking away with even more enemies.


    ''Mercy on those Legacies,'' Anna sighed inwardly, knowing full well what her boyfriend was about to do.

 Chapter 293 Arriving at Senji Valley [Bonus]

    Sinji Valley was one of the many valleys Celestial Mountain Academy built many years ago. They took ordinary locations and transformed them into grand and beautiful retreats, perfect for a vacation away from the chaos of the apocalyptic world.


    Just like Stone Valley, which was primarily made of stone, Senji Valley is made of water. One could even say it resembled an ind, as it''s surrounded by water. However, with the mountains around it, the moniker "Valley" was well deserved.


    It''s a ce where many seek refuge from the harsh reality outside. People often say that the moment yound in Senji Valley, it feels like stepping into a whole new world.


    After flying for three and a half hours, us and his friends finally crossed the borders of the valley, and the sight that greeted them was nothing short of breathtaking.


    "This ce is beautiful," us muttered, staring at the picturesque scenery beneath them as they flew ahead.


    "Indeed," Hanna agreed, also gazing out the jet''s window.


    "It''s certainly stunning, but the waters are filled with monsters. Thankfully, defenses have been built, so we can even swim in the outer areas without any trouble," Anna added.


    "Then I''d love to dip my feet into those waters before we leave," us said with a smile. His quest to calm down and awaken the ughter Aura required enjoying as much rxation as possible.


    The valley looked perfect to us, and he knew he had to make good use of the few days they would be spending there to get his affairs in order. They flew for a few more minutes beforending somewhere in the eastern part of the valley.


    As soon as they disembarked from the jet, a car was waiting to pick them up. us was about to ask where the car came from since none of them had requested it, but thedy leading them to the vehicle quickly exined.


    "Wee to Senji Valley, everyone. As you may know, this ind is the property of Celestial Mountain Academy, so it''s only natural for future disciples to receive the warrior treatment."Thedy began


    us and his pals nodded with smiles. Indeed, without even spending a minute there, they already knew they were in for a treat.


    "The valley is divided into five sections, corresponding to the regions of the Northern Union. We''re heading to the eastern section, which is designated for warriors from the Eastern Region. This arrangement ensures you''ll be close to your regional allies.


    "Later on, everyone will gather for the opening ceremony of this year''s Genius Gathering. It''s going to be an eventful week, so settle in and get ready for the full Celestial Mountain Academy experience."


    They drove further east, and after a while, they arrived in front of a grand, elegant building. In front of this building, many youngsters could be seen moving into the numerous apartments.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At a nce, it was clear that each apartment housed only one person. Yet, every apartment looked as luxurious as a two-bedroom suite in a five-star hotel.


    Thedy led us and his friend to register and collect their key cards. us, eager to get some rest and explore the ceter, had already started using his senses to scan the environment.


    He made sure not to extend his senses beyond the building, which would have invaded other people''s apartments. Wanting to avoid any awkward situations today, he limited his scan to the hundreds of people present.


    Since the regional trial ended with only 1,000 people selected from each region, the Eastern Region now had 1,000 participants, and almost everyone was present. Some were yet to arrive, but it was well known that none would reject such a grand asion.


    Especially one organized to introduce the youngsters to the life they would live once they entered the academy¡ªeveryone would love to attend and witness such luxury, which, in some way, would motivate them to strive for greater sess.


    After registering and obtaining their key cards, they were led to their rooms. Strangely, they all got rooms¡ªor rather, apartments¡ªin the same section.


    us, in particr, received one of the best views one could ask for. His apartment was at the edge of therge building, offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. But that wasn''t all¡ªhe could see the vast expanse of sea surrounding them.


    After settling in, he called his mom to let her know they had arrived safely before jumping into bed. Later, they would attend the weing ceremony, where he knew for certain he would meet his nemesis, so he tried to calm himself as much as possible.


    But unlike us, who had all the time in the world to rest, the others, including his friends, did not waste a moment. With Oracle helmets in every room, they immediately jumped into training. Of course, they would be reminded to log out when it was time.


    Thedy had already exined everything they needed to do, so they all began training. Almost 97% of the participants present were using their helmets, either training or engaging in various activities.


    A whileter, the time for the weing ceremony arrived. us, now awake, dressed up and left with his friends.


    The venue for the event wasn''t far from their housing, so they casually walked there like everyone else. By the time they arrived, the ce was already buzzing with life as thousands of young men and women gathered for the opening event.


    us and his friends found a ce to sit, but as soon as they sat down, us felt a murderous gaze aimed at him. He turned to look and saw Max Duncan, the blonde-haired youngster with the bow tattoo on his forehead, ring daggers at him.


    us smirked and wanted to give him a thumbs down, but something else caught his attention, making him avert his gaze. This, of course, did not sit well with the handsome blonde, who looked as though he was about to explode.


    However, before he could cause a scene, a youngdy with beautiful features held his hand, and like hot metal in ice, Max calmed down almost instantly.


    "Don''t worry, Max. You''ll get your revenge soon enough. Just let it rest for now," E Duncan, the viper who had poisoned Max into challenging us in the first ce, said.


    Enjoy more content from empire


    Max took a deep breath and decided to heed her words¡ªfor now. From the anger in his eyes, it was clear he wouldn''t be able to hold back for long.


    Beside them, another handsome, dark-haired young man sat calmly, as though he wasn''t even present. Ethan turned to look at Max and smiled before saying, "Just don''t go overboard when you get your chance." He smiled again and turned away.


    The three were legacies and top geniuses of the Northern Union. However, when us surfaced, their importance and fame diminished drastically. This, of course, didn''t sit well with them, so E made sure Max challenged us in an attempt to humiliate him. But in the end, it was Max who had his face dragged through the mud.


    This, of course, caused them to hate us deeply, and now all they wanted was to get back at him, many times over.


    us, unaware of what the three legacies were nning, turned to see a familiar face staring back at him with mixed expressions.


    "Miguel, my friend, how have you been?" us said with a smile, looking at Miguel, his perhaps archenemy, who stared back at him with a look that screamed sinister intentions.


    us wanted to tease him again, but before he could say anything, the senior spoke.


    "Brat, I sense something on this ind that can help awaken your ughter Aura..."

 Chapter 294 Mad Berserker Red Tiger Core

    us had been looking forward to teasing Miguel for a while. Although he knew what he was doing was provocative, he just couldn''t stop himself. There was something about that guy that made it impossible for him to hold back whenever he saw him.


    However, today, for some reason, us was able to divert his gaze when he heard the senior speak from his soul sea.


    "Senior, what is it? I''ll retrieve it quickly so I can get this out of the way," us thought, eager to awaken the ughter Aura so he could finally kill without the worry of being overwhelmed by bloodlust.


    "Rx. Whatever it is, I''m not sure you can retrieve it easily. Just stay calm for now and keep observing," the senior said, causing us to sigh inwardly.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He had received quite the gift from Dharma, so he nned to awaken the ughter Aura first before diving into it.


    Even the senior had told him he needed to deal with the ughter Aura before leveling up, especially with the high-tier cores he had received from both Dharma and Dave Arcadia waiting to be absorbed.


    us returned to smiling at Miguel, who asionally cast sidelong nces at him. Miguel was a thick guy with arms strong enough to strangle the life out of us. But us knew that wouldn''t be possible.


    Unlike the arrogant Legacies who still believe us is beneath them, Miguel has already realized us is on an entirely different level, so was always striving to get stronger so he can defeat him someday.


    Unbeknownst to him, his willingness to keep training so he could defeat us was pushing him beyond his limit.


    A whileter, a figure entered therge hall. As soon as he did, an oppressive aura swept across the entire room, silencing everyone.


    "Wee, everyone," he spoke suddenly. "I am Cephas Tune, an Inner Disciple at Celestial Mountain Academy and your instructor for this year''s Genius Gathering." The moment he introduced himself, jaws dropped across the room.


    They had all assumed he was an instructor from the academy, but upon hearing he was just a disciple, everyone was shocked senseless. If a mere disciple had such an imposing aura, then what would the instructors be like?


    Instantly, everyone wanted to possess such an aura¡ªeveryone except us, who had already experienced far worse both in his current self and his past. Still, he had to admit the academy knew how to push people to their limits.


    It didn''t take a genius to realize that the young man before them wasn''t an elite of the academy. No institution would send their top students to babysit rookies in one of the most secure ces on earth.


    So if that was the case, it meant Cephas was part of the not-so-strong disciples who are at the bottom of the ranking. If only they knew Cephas was there on a mission and he would be paid for every single day he remained there.


    "I know you''re all eager to get things started, so I won''t waste time with unnecessary talk," Cephas continued. "In previous years, this event had three sections. The first is a series of lectures from selected instructors, which takes ce over the first three days.


    "The second is an early recruitment section, where various factions from the academy will present why you should join them when you pass the Union Trial and get to the academy.


    "Andstly, of course, there are thepetitions¡ªfriendly duels where you challenge each other. That''s the part most of you look forward to the most." Your journey continues with empire


    Everyone listening grew excited when they heard about the final event. They all wanted to showcase their prowess to the seniors who would being to showbiz their factions.


    Although they called it early recruitment, it was really an opportunity for rookies to disy their skills, hoping to catch the attention of the seniors.


    This could help them greatly when they finally entered the academy, so most used these duels to highlight their abilities.


    "However, this year''s event will be slightly different," Cephas suddenly said. "While all events will proceed as nned, the academy has decided to organize a regionalpetition this time.


    "Instead of fighting in a real-world arena, we''ll be taking it to Oracle. The first day will be dedicated to lectures, which I''m 100 percent sure will be very informative¡ªso don''t miss them," Cephas added with a smile.


    It wasn''t hard to understand what he was implying.


    "The second day will feature the exhibition of the various factions, which I highly rmend you attend. It''s important to know the kind of treatment you''ll receive before deciding to join any faction once you arrive at the academy."


    "As for the final event, which will take ce over thest three days, each region must select 100 warriors. You have two days to do this, after which the 100 selected from each region will represent their region in thepetition.


    "There should be 100 warriors from each region. These 100 from every region will enter thepetition, but in the end, only one person will emerge victorious. However, the entire winning region will be rewarded. This means that if someone from your region wins, you will all benefit.


    "And before anyone frowns, every participant will receive a vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew and two Devil Cores. Also for the 100 selected warriors from each region, you will receive an additional vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew and five Devil Cores.


    And to the ultimate winner, you will receive a Tier 7 Tyrant Core from a beast known as the Mad Berserker Red Tiger."


    Saying that Cephas retrieved a pulsating red core, about the size of half a basketball, radiating a bloodthirsty aura.


    Instantly, everyone in the room felt a bloodlust making their primal instincts screamed at them to seize the core and consume it.


    us was no exception; his gaze turned icy as he locked onto the core. He could see that what he had been after had finally appeared.


    "Brat, that core is what you need. It contains the essence of a bloodthirsty monster. Absorbing it will help awaken your ughter Aura. You must do whatever it takes to obtain it," the senior urged, and us nodded inwardly.


    Knowing this, us felt no reason to hold back. Once he got his hands on that core, he would be able to solve his problems and continue his grind.


    "That concludes everything. Use the next few days to select your 100 warriors and familiarize yourselves with each other''s strengths and weaknesses. Trust me, you''re going to need it for the uingpetition.


    And before you assume the Mountain Dew is the same as the ordinary ones you''ve received before¡ªthink again. That will be all," Cephas finished. Without taking another step, he vanished from the hall.


    The whole ce became chaotic as they all looked at each other. us, on the other hand, had his eyes closed, talking with the Senior in his soul sea.


    He knew the next few days would be fun; finally, he woulde face to face with his haters, Miguel, Lawrence, and the others who hadn''t been bold enough to speak up arrogantly at him during the Felin Youth Ball.


    The Eastern Region has 1,000 people, and they have to select 100 to represent them. Of course, nobody would want to be excluded from this group of 100. There are bound to be some problems considering the rewards on the line are just too enticing.


    "us, what are we going to do?" Suddenly, Anna tugged on us''s shirt and asked.


    "What else? Find a way to use your leadership skills to bring all of them together. We can continue from there," us said, knowing that the moment he made any move to step up, chaos would erupt.


    "But..." Anna wanted toin, but before she could speak, Miguel interjected, causing us to raise an eyebrow.


    "Fairy Anna, can you help with the leadership position? We have only four days to select the 100 participants."

 Chapter 295 The First Move

    The sudden request from Miguel took us aback. Of all people, he never expected Miguel to be the type who saw the bigger picture.


    us had expected him to use their misunderstanding to make things difficult, but strangely, Miguel seemed to see reason and offered the leadership position to Anna, the second ranker during the Regional Trial.


    Of course, Miguel wouldn''t choose us. While he might have been the bigger person for choosing Anna, he hated us far too much to appoint him, let alone take orders from him.


    Anna, who had been offered the leadership position, stood there in a daze. Managing a small group of warriors was one thing, but an entire 1,000 warriors¡ªeach a genius in their own right¡ªwas asking for too much. She wasn''t ready for something like that.


    "You''ll do fine. Just do what you do best and lead," us said with a reassuring smile. Anna sighed and then walked forward.


    "First, we need to find a ce where all 1,000 of us can meet and have a proper discussion before taking any immediate action," Anna said, her tonemanding, just like a leader should.


    "There''s a conference room in our resting area; we can use it," a youngdy suddenly spoke from behind, and everyone nodded in agreement.


    "Then let''s meet there after dinner today," Anna continued. "And please,e with an open mind. We want this meeting to go well, and more importantly, we have to do well and win this for our region¡ªand for our War Goddess." Everyone nodded at the mention of the War Goddess.


    us, who was sitting calmly watching Anna, smirked. He knew she was using Miriam''s authority to subtly warn anyone nning to cause trouble during the meeting. It was a brilliant move.


    While many might doubt her, the reality to many was that the War Goddess was us''s older sister, and Anna was us''s friend. So it wouldn''t be difficult to get Miriam involved, which everyone knew wouldn''t end well for them. That woman is just unreasonable.


    After issuing hermand, everyone dispersed to get a good look at the valley before the meeting. us, along with his friends, also left the building and decided to take a stroll around. However, they had just left the building when they were blocked by ten individuals.


    It only took a single nce to know they were minions of someone.


    "It would be best if the big dogs came out instead of sending theirckeys," us said, eyeing the ten youngsters before them.


    As expected, it didn''t take even a second for Ethan and Max to appear from behind the ten individuals.


    "If it isn''t the two Nobodies from nowhere," us said with a mocking smile, his words cutting deep. Calling Ethan and Max¡ªtwo of the most influential Legacies¡ª"nobodies" was a low blow, even for us.


    Truth be told, he has been expecting them the entire time. So now that he has them face to face, nothing is going to stop him from getting under their skin.


    As expected Max''s face flushed with anger, but us wasn''t finished.


    "Honestly, I''m surprised you two even bothered to show up. I thought you''d be too busy basking in your so-called ''legacy'' to mingle with us, mere mortals. Or is it that without your fancy titles, you''re just two overhyped disappointments looking for relevance?"


    Ethan''s eyes narrowed, but he stayed silent, his expression darkening with every word us uttered.


    It wasn''t just the two of them; the ten minions they brought along were all exuding killing intent toward us. However, he simply ignored them and focused on the two.


    Anna and the rest of us''s friends looked at the two legacies and theirckeys with mocking grins, especially Lily, who had be somewhat bold and slightly shameless after tasting us''s lips.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    us chuckled, taking a step closer. "Let me guess¡ªyou both thought bringing your backup would intimidate me, right? That''s cute. But here''s the thing: I don''t care how manyckeys you bring, or how many titles you throw around. At the end of the day, you''re still just a couple of spoiled brats, pretending to be important."


    Max finally snapped. "You think you''re better than us, us? You think just because you''ve gotten a little fame, you can walk all over us?"


    us tilted his head, his smile widening. Truth be told when he heard that the Mad Berserker Red Tiger could help awaken his ughter Aura, he became something of a menace, knowing he wouldn''t have to continue his monk lifestyle anymore.


    These two had clearlye at the worst time¡ªor perhaps the right time¡ªfor us.


    us continued to smile and said, "Better than you? No, Max. I don''t think I''m better than you. I know I am." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.


    "And deep down, you both know it too. That''s why you''re here¡ªdesperate for validation, trying to prove something to yourselves."


    Ethan, his voice low and seething, finally spoke. "You''re digging your own grave, us. You don''t get it, do you? We''ve got the power, the connections. You... you''re just a fluke."


    us raised an eyebrow, his amusement growing. "A fluke? Is that the best you''ve got?" He shook his head.


    "You can keep clinging to your little delusions, but here''s the truth: no amount of power, no amount of connections, will ever make up for what youck."


    He eyes them with a teasing grin. "Youck substance. Without all the noise and titles, you''re nothing. And that''s what scares you most."


    us wasn''t holding back with his words. He knew something was off.


    E Duncan wasn''t there¡ªbut he didn''t care. Since the two had decided to be his punching bags while she was off doing whatever she wanted, us would mentally dismantle them. In some way, it was a win-win-win-loss situation for them.


    "Just keep running your mouth, soon, you wille begging," Ethan said as lightning shed across his gaze clearly trying to intimate us.


    "Ethan, buddy, why is your skin glowing? You wouldn''t happen to have applied baby oil, would you?" us suddenly asked with a mocking smile.


    "It''s true! I heard he has a closet full of baby oil," Lily added, making us and his friends burst into resoundingughter. This further dug deep into Ethan''s heart, making him want to rip us''s head off his body right there.


    Max, seeing that Ethan, who had been the calmest at first, was about to lose it, quickly dragged him away along with their tenckeys.


    "We should probably head back to the resting area before these legacies pollute our people and make things difficult for Anna," us said after the two legacies and theirckeys were gone.


    He knew since they couldn''t openly fight, he could only use his big mouth to torture them. His words certainly made an impact.


    Since they were prohibited from fighting while in Sinji Valley, us knew people would start using underhanded tactics to get back at him¡ªand he was right.


    Max and Ethan, now sitting in the Central Region''s section, nced over at their sister, E Duncan.


    "Was it sessful?" Ethan asked.


    "Yes, I managed to pull the top leaders from the Western, Southern, and Northern regions to our side," E replied.


    "What about the Eastern Region?" Max asked.


    "Since that bitch Anna Ross is their leader, I sent people to the third-ranked individual, but he rejected the offer. Don''t worry, though¡ªI have my people working in the background. us Hanson will get what''sing to him soon enough."


    "Nice one, E. We need to prepare for our region, too. This time, we''ll show us Hanson who he has messed with," Ethan said, clenching his fist.

 Chapter 296 Eastern Region Meeting

    After roaming around the valley for a while, us and his friends returned to their resting area. They had dinner, and an hourter, all 1,000 young warriors from the Eastern Region gathered in arge conference room for their first meeting to discuss the possibility of working together for whatever the academy was nning.


    Anna walked to the front and began addressing the 1,000 youngsters, all eager to be part of the top 100 to represent their region.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I think we all know why we''re here, so I won''t say much. But for those who still don''t know, we''ve gathered today to decide how we''re going to select the top 100 who will represent the Eastern Region in thepetition organized by the Academy,"


    Anna said with a calm expression¡ªsomething she had learned from her sister, who was also known to be an excellent leader on the battlefield.


    And thanks to her affinity for the ice element, she didn''t need to do much to maintain that icy, calm demeanor.


    "Now, since this is an open discussion, I''ll allow every one of you to suggest how we should proceed," Anna said, prompting almost everyone to raise their hand¡ªus included.


    However, Anna knew us was just looking for trouble, so she didn''t call on him. Instead, she pointed to a youngdy sitting in the middle. "You, introduce yourself and share your suggestion," she added.


    "I''m Sophie Hanks," the youngdy introduced herself. "From my perspective, we should follow the list posted after the regional trial. The top 100 from that list should represent the Eastern Region," she suggested.


    Many nodded in agreement, mostly those who knew they were already on the list. Even Miguel seemed to support the idea, as they all wanted to rely on the elite rankings from the regional trial.


    "That would be unfair," a young man interjected. "The list is from three months ago, and some of us have made progress since then. I suggest we hold duels in an arena to select the top 100." He paused for a moment before adding, "By the way, I''m Teye Happy."


    His suggestion was met with many votes of approval. "Yes, some of us made mistakes during the regional trial, which is why we aren''t on the list.


    "So I suggest we organize a duel to determine who gets to be on the list of 100 representing us," another youngdy said. Soon, the idea of holding duels was weed by most of the group.


    However, it wasn''t the only suggestion made. After an hour of intense back-and-forth debate, three main proposals emerged.


    The first was to go by the list of the top 100 from the regional trial three months ago. About 80 people supported this idea, unsurprisingly, all of whom were already on that list.


    The second suggestion was to hold duels, giving everyone an equal chance to prove themselves and represent their region in dominating the others.


    This received the highest number of votes, as most agreed that they had grown stronger in the three months since the regional trial.


    Thest suggestion, though rather unusual, proposed numbering everyone from one to a thousand and drawing lots. Those who drew numbers from 1 to 100 would represent the region. Strangely, this idea also garnered quite a bit of support.


    But in the end, they would have to depend on their leader to make a solid decision. Anna knew that choosing any of the options would leave some people unhappy. For a moment, she felt at a loss, but then she noticed us still had his hand raised after the entire hour of debate.


    "Yes, us, what do you have?" she asked, crossing her fingers, hoping her white-haired boyfriend wasn''t up to any mischief.


    us stood up with a smile on his face. His gaze shifted to Miguel, and his smile widened, but he didn''t say anything to him directly.


    "I hope I don''t need any introductions," he began with a smirk, "but in fairness to our leader''s instructions, I am us Hanson."


    "From everything that''s been said, I think your suggestions are valid, but I also think they''re wed," us continued. "While going by the top 100 list may seem like a great idea, that list became irrelevant the first week after the regional trial.


    "As for the suggestion of duels, do any of you know how long it would take to organize them? We have less than four days, so we don''t have time on our hands here.


    "And for the third suggestion, relying ondy luck is a terrible idea. We all know the Eastern Region is considered the weakest ording to the records avable online. We have fewer resources, but that doesn''t mean we should face those pompous bastards relying on luck." us grinned, clearly enjoying himself.


    "Then what do you suggest?" Lin Zhou, one of the Zhou twins, asked with a t expression. "I assume you didn''t raise your hand just to insult our suggestions."


    "I know most of you already know I''m a co-creator at Oracle, which means I have some influence and authority there. And, as it happens, I contacted one of the creators and asked them to grant us ess to two Trial regions." us''s words caused a ripple of surprise among the crowd.


    Everyone had been using Oracle over the past few days, gaining valuable experience. Since death in Oracle wasn''t permanent, many had started taking risks and exploring dangerous areas.


    But trials were something rare. It''s not yet popr in Oracle¡ª so only the boldest ventures into zones where monster tides and other challenges could mimic real trials. So, hearing that us had arranged ess to actual trials was a game-changer.


    "No need to look so shocked," us continued with a grin. "The first trial was the City Selection trial, and the second was the Regional Trial. Since we''ve all improved over the past months, I believe our leader can make good use of these trials to help select the top 100."


    He finished his exnation, ncing at Anna, who stood in stunned silence. In truth, us already had ess to additional trials that he and Lucil had developed.


    Now, all he needed to do was add the names of the 1,000 warriors from the Eastern Region, and Lucil would handle the rest, ensuring they all had ess. Being a co-creator of one of the most revolutionary inventions of the century certainly had its perks, and us was thoroughly enjoying them.


    Oracle had be the premier training space, and us knew the value of embracing it, though he still valued real-world training. In fact, with his ughter Aura on the verge of awakening, he knew he''d need to hunt more to fully unlock its potential.


    Anna, now recovering from her initial surprise, addressed the group.


    "Then it''s settled. We''ll spend the next two days training inside the First Trial space. In three days, we''ll organize another trial within the Endless Tide trial. This should help us determine the top 100 warriors who will represent the Eastern Region."


    "Anyints or further suggestions?" Anna asked, scanning the room. But no one spoke up. Running the trials again was clearly the most logical and efficient solution needed to select the top 100.


    us smirked, knowing the uingpetition would be anything but straightforward. All they could hope for was that the top 100 selected from their region would be strong enough to face whatever challengesy ahead in thepetition.

 Chapter 297 Lecture on Monsters and Beasts

    After finalizing everything about how they would select the 100 individuals to represent the eastern region, everyone returned back to their training. With the First Trial open to them, they all eagerly began preparing.


    us, on the other hand, went back to his room to meditate. He didn''t really need the trial anymore. Although it wasn''t the same as the one used during the City Selection Trial, he had outgrown it. He had be much stronger on his own.


    The current version of Oracle was just like training in reality, with the only difference being that one doesn''t die permanently. Although the temporary death experienced there feels just as real, the knowledge that it isn''t permanent remains an obstacle.


    This can only truly be cleared through real-world life-and-death battles.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    us has had plenty of those battles by now. Currently, his focus is to cultivate his mind and soul to a powerful level before his next breakthrough. After all, he has a Sovereign to kidnap and torture, so he needed every weapon in his arsenal sharpened.


    He spent the night meditating. When morning came, he went to find his friends so they could attend the lectures together, but they were locked in Oracle training, so he left on his own.


    When he arrived at the lecture, there were only 15 people out of the 5,000 participants in the fire magic ss. us could only smile and sat through the session. Thankfully, the lecture was very engaging.


    Later, he attended another lecture about monsters and beasts. He wanted to understand the current state of the monster-beast system in the apocalyptic Earth.


    "As many of you might have already realized, as monsters grow stronger, they begin to gain intelligence simr to humans. This is especially true for Zombies and some rare monsters," the lecturer began. He was a peculiar-looking human male with short brown hair and deep ck eyes.


    us immediately sensed those eyes were his source of strength¡ªhe was a Spirit Master.


    "ording to our research, when a monster reaches the Tier 7 stage, they begin to evolve into what we call True Beasts. At this stage, they gain abilities as powerful as those of humans," the lecturer exined.


    us nodded. He already knew this, but from his past self''s experience, it was typically after they became Tyrants (Tier 8) that they began adapting and transforming into Beasts, usually starting at Tier 9 orte Tier 8.


    They don''t be full-fledged Beasts right away; first, they be something akin to Pseudo Beasts, and as they grow, they fully develop into True Beasts.


    However, it seemed that things had changed over the years. Now, that process appeared to begin as early as Tier 6. Your journey continues on empire


    "Now on Earth, starting from Tier 5 forbidden zones and upwards, you will begin to encounter some of these monsters¡ªor should I say beasts. They are very powerful and trust me, a Tier 7 evolving monsters or lets just say a beast is several times stronger than a Tier 7 normal monster.


    Recently, it was discovered that some zombies are even more terrifyingpared to humans. So, be careful out there," he added.


    "I know this is just an introductory lecture, which will be given again when you arrive at the academy, but since a few of you decided toe, I''ll make an exception and let you all ask some questions. I''ll do my best to answer them all," he said, and immediately, the 12 disciples who had made it to his ss raised their hands, us included.


    A few of them asked their questions, which he answered before calling on us to ask his.


    us stood up after being called and introduced himself. After a moment of thought, he asked, "You mentioned that Tier 7 beasts are several times stronger than Tier 7 monsters. What exactly makes them so much more dangerous? Is it their physical strength, abilities, or something else?"


    The lecturer smiled, he seemed pleased with the question. "Good question, us." He said before answering


    "The difference lies in abination of factors. First, beasts have a more refined control over their elemental energypared to monsters.


    While monsters often rely on brute strength and instinct, beasts¡ªespecially at higher tiers¡ªcan use advanced techniques, manipte their surroundings, and even evolve their bodies mid-battle.


    "Second, their physical resilience is on apletely different level. A Tier 7 monster might have tough skin or strong bones, but a Tier 7 beast has regenerative abilities, natural armor, and heightened senses. They''re not just strong; they adapt and learn quickly.


    "Lastly, many of these beasts have intelligence that rivals or even surpasses humans. This makes them cunning and strategic, unlike monsters that can be more easily baited or tricked. Combine all these factors, and you''ve got something that''s not just a threat but a true force of nature."


    The lecturer paused, letting the information sink in. us and the others present in the lecture held thoughtful looks on their face. He has faced most of said monsters in his past life so he knew that much.


    But even back then, they were Tier 9 and above. It''s only a few that started evolving from Tier 8. So hearing Tier 7 on earth is already this adaptive, he was taken aback. Of course, he had faced mutated Zombies before and knew just how intelligent monsters can be.


    "So can there be a situation where a monster can be born a True beast from the beginning" us suddenly asked another question, "For example, like how humans nowadays awaken stronger than those during the early days of the apocalypse?


    The lecturer''s eyes widened slightly at us''s unexpected follow-up question. He crossed his arms, thinking for a moment before responding.


    "That''s an insightful question, us," he said, his voice thoughtful. "In rare cases, yes, there are instances where a monster can be born as what we would ssify as a ''True Beast'' right from the start.


    These beings are usually the result of highly favorable conditions¡ªwhether that''s being born in a rich energy environment, or from a parent with an incredibly powerful bloodline.


    In such cases, these creatures possess traits that would take normal monsters years or even decades to develop, essentially skipping several evolutionary stages."


    He leaned against the podium, his gaze sweeping across the ss. Clearly, he was enjoying the ss due to how thoughtful but rather unusual questions us was asking.


    us of course knew the answers to these questions, but he just wanted to know the current state of monsters in this world. His knowledge is a little outdated, so he wanted to know the danger level now before making any moves.


    "Yourparison to humans awakening stronger now than during the early days of the apocalypse is spot on. Over time, as the world evolved and its energy grew more potent, the natural order itself changed.


    "Just like humans are now born with stronger potential, some monsters are born as True Beasts, meaning they already possess the intelligence, elemental mastery, and even regenerative capabilities of higher-tiered beasts.


    "So when facing a beast, especially a high-tier one, you can''t rely on strength alone. You need strategy, awareness, and often, a bit of luck toe out alive."


    us nodded thoughtfully. He had expected as much. When the apocalypse descended, humans, monsters, and even trees began evolving, but over time, the nature of that evolution started to change.


    Newborns are now born healthy, and once they awaken their Talents and sses, they be several times stronger. But the same is true for the monsters¡ªthey are also evolving, and their newborns are emerging as true Beasts. This, of course, has caused their danger level to rise rmingly high.


    us spent the next few hours asking questions, which the lecturer was happy to answer. Strangely, the others in the hall were also enjoying the lecture.


    After the long but informative session, he returned to his apartment to resume his meditation.

 Chapter 298 Selecting the Top 100

    A day after the informative lecture on beasts and monsters, which earned us a friend¡ªa lecturer/instructor who specialized in beast and monster anatomy¡ªus once again attended the exhibition of the various factions.


    Although there was a rule prohibiting recruitment until the rookies officially entered the academy, us still received several invitations. They all wanted him to join their factions. His legend was well-known both in the outside world and within the academy.


    However, us had already promised Aoi Hiroshi that he would join the Yin-Yang Pce. us, who always aimed to shine wherever he went, spent extra time at the booth set up by the Yin-Yang Faction, eager to learn more about them.


    In the end, he got what he was looking for, and it was as he had expected. They were ranked at the bottom andcked resources.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was perfect for him, as he believed that with his presence, he could rise through the ranks and face-p his haters, who he was sure would do everything they could to join the higher-ranking factions.


    He was more than happy with the situation Aoi''s faction was in and nned to tease her once he entered the Academy.


    Continue reading on empire


    Afterward, he spent more time meditating until the day arrived when the Eastern Region of the Northern Union would select their top 100 geniuses topete with the other regions.


    Despite his confidence in ranking at the top, us joined the trial like everyone else. The lecturer who had given the lecture on Beasts and Monsters came to spectate at us''s request. They had gotten along quite well.


    Strangely, us found himself fascinated by the anatomy of monsters. It was a bizarre moment for him, which made him reflect on many things. He was a monk, that much was true, but to be someone intrigued by the anatomy of monsters was a whole different vibe.


    He knew that trait came from one of his past incarnations.


    Thanks to everyone using Oracle for a while, they were familiar with the Oracle system used for the Regional Trial. The monsters there were nearly lifelike. If you cut them, blood would flow, and even better, the battlefield would be littered with the bodies of in monsters afterward.


    This enhancement made the experience even more realistic and intense. So, when the trial began, everyone fought with great ferocity.


    Each participant would receive a vial of Earth-grade Mountain Dew and a Tier 6 monster core. In addition, the top hundred would receive an extra vial of Earth-grade Mountain Dew and four devil cores.


    Aside from that, there was a grand prize for thest person toe out on top, along with another reward for the entire region, which everyone knew would be shared among the participants.


    So despite the tough nature of the trial, everyone pushed themselves hard, trying to hold on for as long as they could.


    It took a full two hours before the trial finally ended. The enhanced trial was much more difficult now with all the modifications that had been made.


    By the end of the day, the top hundred were selected. They all demonstrated exceptional fighting and killing abilities.


    As expected, us topped the chart, followed by Anna. And just like in the regional trial, Miguel came in third. Despite his bitter rivalry with us, hisbat power was undeniably brutal. He was a muscr fighter wielding a colossal double-ded axe called the Demon Axe.


    His killing power was devastating, but hecked speed. Had he been a bit faster, he might have surpassed Anna.


    Hanna, of course, maintained her position at fourth. Miriam had given her two skill books before she and us''s friends entered the forbidden zones for training, making her significantly more powerful.


    Surprisingly, Lily took fifth ce, with the Zhou twins, Lin and Zing, securing the 6th and 7th spots. Daniel came in 8th, while Mark ranked 9th this time.


    Danny and Kilian took 10th and 11th, respectively, with Lawrence, us''s other nemesis,nding in 12th. Omari Hackman, another of us''s rivals, ranked 13th.


    Surprisingly, someone who had ranked 302nd during the regional trial came 14th this time, shocking everyone. And it wasn''t just a one-off urrence. Of the top hundred from the regional trial, only 68 maintained their spots in the top hundred.


    New faces emerged, and frankly, no one was surprised. Failure had pushed Hanna to train more vigorously this time, so it was only natural to see others rise to this level as well.


    us thanked the instructor who had assisted with the selection trial before dispersing for the morning. Later, the top 100 gathered again to strategize. As expected, Anna, their leader, was the first to speak.


    "Everyone, I know many of you don''t see eye to eye, which is normal given our age and the rivalries we have. However, I don''t think I need to stress how important thispetition is for each of us.


    Most of use from wealthy backgrounds, and while many have already encountered and absorbed a couple of Devil cores, an Earth-Grade Mountain Dew is something none of us can im to have even seen before." Everyone nodded in agreement as she spoke.


    Indeed, they had all absorbed a few Devil cores, but Earth-Grade Mountain Dew was something entirely new to them.


    During the City Selection, they had been given Common-Grade Mountain Dew, which they treated as ordinary. During the regionals, they received Epic-Grade Mountain Dew, which, while far superior to the Common-Grade, still wasn''t considered extraordinary.


    Now, they were being offered Earth-Grade Mountain Dew, which, ording to what they had heard from their older siblings and friends already in the academy, had over 20 times the effect of Epic-Grade Mountain Dew and 100 times that of Common-Grade.


    They desperately wanted it, and since they had already secured a spot in the top 100, each of them would receive two vials.


    But the final prize, which would be awarded to the entire region, was something they all knew would benefit them collectively. Anna''s emphasis on it made perfect sense.


    "What I''m trying to say is this: we all have our differences, but right now, we need to put those aside and work together to achieve amon goal."


    From what Anna has said, everyone understood that she was addressing us, Miguel, Lawrence, and Omari Hackman.


    She couldn''t afford to have them fighting amongst themselves, especially now that they were all on the same side. Winning for the eastern region is something she wanted.


    Although, thanks to us, she and Miriam are practically like sisters, Anna still wants to impress her. Not only that, but she also wants to prove to herself whether she can be a good leader like her sister. The Ross sisters are known for their skill in controlling the battlefield, and this is especially true for Lucy, who wields the wood element.


    "Leader, don''t worry. My misunderstanding with us won''t interfere with this alliance," Miguel said with an expressionless face.


    "Good, and you can just call me Anna," she nodded.


    "Same here. We can go back to our rivalry after thispetition," Lawrence added, and Omari Hackman, the swordsman, nodded in agreement.


    "Good," Anna acknowledged, then turned toward us, who was sitting with a smile on his face.


    "I know when it''s business, Anna. Since the Legacies will likely try to cause trouble for us, I think I can hold off teasing Miguel for a few more days so we can crush them. After that, we can go back to our ''rivalry,''" us said with a small smile.


    "Then it''s settled," Anna dered, and everyone nodded in agreement.


    As much as us would love to stir up some mischief, he knew when to be serious. Now, knowing thepetition would be between him and the three Legacies, he had to step up, not just for himself but for his girlfriend Anna, who, though promising, was still too green to be a leader capable ofpeting against Legacies.

 Chapter 299 Journey To The South

    A day after the top 100 were selected, the time for thepetition finally arrived. The chosen 100 from each region gathered at a different building, where 100 sets of gaming chairs were prepared for each group. us and his friends made their way toward the room, but before they could enter, 15 people were standing at the entrance.


    "us Hanson, I hope you''re prepared. This time, I''ll crush you," Max Duncan, the Devil Archer, said, his fist clenched. Beside him stood E and Ethan Duncan, along with several others who Anna quickly recognized as the top contenders from the Western, Northern, and Southern regions.


    "Looks like the Doofus Legacies had to call in extra dogs just to face me," us said, mocking them. It didn''t take much for him to insult someone¡ªjust knowing they were against him was enough.


    As expected, the faces of the 12 others immediately darkened upon hearing his insult. us was too unpredictable, making it difficult to challenge him.


    "No matter," us added with a smirk, "I just hope you guys have something up your sleeves to make this exciting." He then gestured for his group to follow him inside.


    Since the rules prohibited physical fighting, he could only hope to encounter them early in thepetition so he could torture them in his own way.


    "Don''t worry, Max. us will understand what it feels like to cross us soon enough," E, clearly the mastermind of this enterprise, said, tapping her brother on the shoulder.


    Among the three Legacies, E was the strategist, the schemer, and the mastermind. Anything unruly came from her, and while many might say it didn''t suit her, she was undeniably good at what she does.


    As for the muscle, that was Ethan. Despite being just a Peak Master stage expert, he could unleash some powerful and terrifying fighting power. He was strong¡ªvery strong¡ªwhich was the main reason for his arrogance, especially for his age.


    Max, on the other hand, was more of a prodigy than an idiot among the three. He had awakened with a soul weapon, making him one of the top prodigies among the Legacies. However, he seemed to have a low IQ, so E always found a way to manipte him.


    Because of her, he had been disgraced in front of the whole world by us. But despite that, he still listened to her. And this time, they had cooked up something for us, who, after waking up from his trip down memoryne, would be in for a surprise.


    "Let''s go." Soon, they all appeared in therge hall where Instructor Cephas and some other instructors were already present to start thepetition¡ªthe first of its kind.


    "Wee, everyone," Cephas greeted. "As I announced four days ago, this year''spetition will be held based on region, and thankfully, it will take ce in Oracle. It''s the first of its kind, so be proud."


    Many smiled upon hearing that. Oracle had certainly made things simpler for everyone. Although only 500 of them were present now, the rest were watching from their resting areas.


    "Now, before I exin what thepetition will entail, I have a few things to announce. First, the leaders came together and decided to enhance the reward system. Initially, all 5000 of you were to be given two Devil Cores and a vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew. However, that has now changed.


    You will all receive a vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew and five Devil Cores instead."


    Everyone, whether present in the hall or watching on the big screens, smiled slightly upon hearing that. While some might act wealthy and im they had plenty, few could boast of casually acquiring Devil Cores to absorb. They were a valuablemodity.


    So, getting five for free was already a huge deal for many.


    "Then, for the 100 selected, you will receive an additional vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew and 3 Tier 6 cores Cores. But that''s not all. For every 12 hours you remain alive in thepetition, you will get another vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew and a Tier 6 monster Core.


    So, do your best to survive, as thepetition will take two and a half days toplete." Cephas scanned their happy faces and smiled.


    "As for the region that wins, all participants will receive an additional two vials of Mountain Dew, so strive to win. And to thest person standing, you will receive a Tier 7 Core and a vial of Gold-Grade Mountain Dew."


    At the mention of Gold-Grade Mountain Dew, everyone clenched their fists. Mountain Dew, something only avable at the Celestial Mountain Academy,es in various grades: Common, Epic, Earth, Gold, Heaven, Diamond, and Legendary.


    It''s something the academy holds dear because of its versatility. So, obtaining a vial of Gold-Grade Mountain Dew means one can experience explosive growth in cultivation once consumed. Enjoy new tales from empire


    "Now, to the main event," Cephas said, suddenly switching on a screen disying various views. "Thepetition is called Journey to the South, and as the name suggests, you will be traveling from a fixed starting point to a marked destination in the south.


    "The start will be at a random location, and you and your team will have to travel several miles, facing various challenges and dangers, to reach a point known as Alpha. There will be a single entrance there that will take you to the next stage of the journey.


    "The sooner you reach Alpha, the sooner you can enter. All of you will be traveling from different ces but will have to enter through this single door to advance. Of course, there will be a catch, which you will discover when the trial begins.


    "From Alpha, you may use any skills at your disposal to cross what we call the Fractured Mountain. It''s full of dangers, so be careful not to fall into traps set by us or your fellowpetitors.


    "After crossing the Fractured Mountain, you''ll need to traverse the Willow Forest, which is both dangerous and, some might say, fun," Cephas smiled before continuing.


    "From the Willow Forest, there''s one more obstacle to ovee before arriving at the southern destination. As for what thest obstacle will be, you''ll have to find that out on your own.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Once you reach the south, you''ll need to head to a ce called the Sage Eye. All you have to do is ce your hand on the eye to be dered the winner. If two or more of you survive, you can either fight it out or choose one person to ce their hand¡ªit will be up to you.


    "By our estimation, the trial will take two and a half days toplete. If, after that time, none of you manage to ce your hand on the eye, the trial will end with no dered winner.


    "So, do your best to clear the obstacles before time runs out."


    Everyone was both shocked by the nature of thepetition and pumped for some action. In reality, something like this couldn''t be arranged, but with Oracle, as long as you can imagine it, you can model it.


    With a quick gesture, everyone went to their side of the hall and sat in the gaming chairs. Max Duncan gave us a quick, murderous nce before putting his helmet on. us just shrugged and then put on his own Oracle helmet.


    Soon, he was standing in a field with 99 others around him. Since they were all starting from the same fixed point, equidistant from Alpha, he knew that the moment the bell rang, they would have to move. He turned to the 99 with him.


    "As you can see, the Central, Western, Northern, and Southern Regions have formed a cohort to wash us out¡ªspecifically me. But fear not. All we have to do is follow the strategies we came up with and adapt to the changes along the way.


    And, well, try to have some fun. I know I will," us said, and everyone nodded.


    "Wee to Journey to the South. The match starts in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... GO!"

 Chapter 300 Start of the Competition

    Immediately after the countdown stopped, everyone began to move. A map of the area appeared in front of them so they knew where to go. All five regions, moving from different starting points, were headed to Alpha, where they would pass through a door before continuing with the trial.


    Shortly after they moved toward Alpha, a thick forest greeted them. Without wasting any time, they dove in and started moving as quickly as they could.


    Before the start of the trial, us and his team had strategized and set ns based on everyone''s strengths.


    Anna, who had an affinity for both water and ice elements, would cooperate with the other mages to subtly cast all kinds of boons for their team. This was to ensure everyone moved at a suitable speed and that no one would be left behind.


    As soon as they started, Anna cast a stamina-recovery spell that immediately made everyone smile happily. Another mage cast a speed-enhancement spell that boosted everyone''s speed, even Miguel, Danny, Daniel, and the other brute fighters on the team.


    us and Lily, who were the fastest in their group, took the lead. Anna, their powerhouse for boons, was in the middle, protected by Kay, Kilian, Mark, and the Zhou Twins.


    The Zhou Twins were Earth Elemental wielders, so they could easily raise defenses to protect their core. On the other end, Hanna was made to stay at the rear for reasons that nobody stated, but us knew.


    He only told them she was a sharpshooter, so anything that tried to sneak up on them could easily be dealt with by her.


    Anna had given him the strategist role in their team. Nobody questioned hispetency, mainly due to his feats and the way he had demonstrated what a leader should be like during the Felin Youth Ball.


    He had proven he could devise strategies, so despite being the leader, Anna appointed him to handle strategy while she controlled the execution.


    Of course, us knew she just wanted to ensure his image looked good by carrying the team throughout the trial. So, despite her willingness to lead, she made her boyfriend take the helm this time.


    "We have iing." us and Lily suddenly stopped a few minutes into the forest. "All ice mages should move around the team and prepare to throw some ice bombs," us said, scanning their surroundings.


    A few secondster, hordes of monsters known as Lava Crawlers started to appear within reach. "Attack!" usmanded, and like snowfall in Canada, chilling bombs of ice descended upon them.


    "Don''t use too much essence on this; they are just Tier 4 monsters, which have weaker ice resistance," he said, noticing how the mages were unleashing powerful attacks.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Lava Crawlers were centipede-like creatures that burrowed beneath the ground, but not too deep¡ªjust a few inches. Earth Elemental wielders could have easily dealt with them, but that would require them using too much essence, so he decided to use the ice mages instead.


    Of course, he could easily kill them by using the Lotus Flower, but he wanted to see just how powerful the hundred from the Eastern Region were, and so far, they didn''t disappoint. Anna didn''t even have to do anything this time.


    A little over two minutester, they had killed all the Lava Crawlers and were on their way.


    About twenty minutester, us and his team stopped moving again. us scanned the area for a few seconds before smiling.


    "Archers, on my mark, shoot arrows at this point, that point, and that point," he said, pointing in several directions. Hanna and the other archers on the team stepped forward.


    On his mark, they shot the arrows, not knowing what they were meant to do. However, as soon as the arrows were released, their questions were answered.


    A trap was triggered, releasing hundreds of ming arrows¡ªenough to take out a few of them. Everyone tensed up when the trap was activated, but soon thanked their gods they were on us''s team.


    After the trap was neutralized, they moved again, pushing to gain some ground.


    ***


    The other teams also moved through the forest toward Alpha, and they all crossed paths with the Lava Crawlers without any casualties. However, when they reached the fire arrows trap, some teams incurred losses.


    Unlike us''s team, who had him with his superior senses, the other teams did not, which led them into the trap, triggering the fire arrows. In the Northern Region team, ten people died by the time they managed to pass through the trap.


    The Southern team also suffered 12 casualties, while the Western team lost 8 members. However, the Central team managed to trigger and destroy the trap, saving themselves from an early death. E Duncan, their leader and strategist, just like us, had her own way of sensing her surroundings.


    As a mage, she was able to cast a spell that enhanced her senses, allowing her to see and destroy the traps before they walked into them.


    After crossing the trap zone, they encountered another trap, which E sensed and destroyed quickly. After 8 hours, they came within reach of Alpha. However, as soon as they appeared within 12 kilometers of it, packs of Tier 5 Stone Wolves descended upon them.


    They immediately went intobat thatsted a whole hour. By the end of the battle, they had lost 4 people, which was a huge blow to E''s ego. She wanted to cross the first mark of twelve hours with a full team, but dealing with hundreds of Tier 5 wolves was more difficult than she had expected.


    Since she wasn''t about to exhaust herself before crossing paths with their mainpetitor, us, she didn''t unleash some of her more powerful spells.


    After clearing the monsters, they quickly made their way toward Alpha.


    us and his team also encountered the second trap and some minor obstacles that were quickly dealt with. When they came within 12 kilometers of Alpha, the wolves swarmed them, but us sensed them long before they appeared. This allowed him to n effectively.


    Miguel and the brute fighters were deployed to advance, with the archers and mages providing support. As for the swordsmen and spearmen, us let them handle the spillover.


    This strategy helped them clear that obstacle without any casualties or injuries. With Anna''s support, they were able to clear it even faster. us didn''t even have to lift a finger in the battle.


    If he had, they would have cleared it more quickly; however, he knew that would deny others the opportunity to fight as well. Since this wasn''t a real-world battle where one could earn experience points, he stepped back and let them have all the fun.


    They quickly advanced, and soon they arrived at Alpha, where a veryrge door stood open for anyone to pass through. Knowing they would be the first, us quickly led his team inside.


    "Anna, advance with them. I will stay behind to greet our rivals. Once I''m done here, I will meet you all at this point," he said, pointing at a specific location.


    "Take care," Anna said, trusting us wholeheartedly. She knew they had nothing to worry about, so she quickly led the team away.


    Discover more stories at empire


    us, on the other hand, stomped on the ground, and an ice chair appeared in front of the gate. He sat down, crossing his legs as he waited for the other regional teams to arrive.


    A whileter, E and her team appeared, only to be greeted by an evil grin from us.


    "Well, well, well, look what the cats dragged in," us muttered, shing a grin.

 Chapter 301 Battle at Alpha

    The n was simple: if us''s team made it to Alpha first, all of them would enter and continue to a point they had selected on the map. He, on the other hand, would stay behind and thin down the number of theirpetitors.


    The second part of the n was that if they weren''t the first to arrive, they would select their strongest members to fight while the weaker links tried to enter. It was the best strategy they could devise, knowing that the other regions would do whatever it took to stop us''s team.


    us knew that with 100 people traveling with them, he and his friends couldn''t run off as they pleased. They would have to function as a team, and so, as a cohesive unit, they moved at a pace that everyone could benefit from.


    But the first obstacle had to be dealt with. The next would depend on how capable they were. In truth, us wanted something bad to happen on the other side of the door so that some of the individuals trying to act bossy would straighten up.


    They needed to gain experience the hard way. So, despite the reasoning that since they were the first there, they should use the time to put some distance between themselves and thepetition, us just wanted to antagonize E''s team.


    His n was straightforward: he would show them that no matter the alliances they formed, he alone was enough to stop them.


    As soon as the Central Region team appeared, he smiled, knowing they were in for trouble.


    "us, what are you trying to do?" Max shouted, nocking an arrow in his bow.


    us leaned back in his ice chair, an amused grin stretching across his face as he observed the three legacies and the Central Region team. He could tell some of them were tired, probably due to the battle with the Stone Wolves.


    "What''s the matter, Max?" us taunted knowing Max was the weakest link. "Afraid you won''t be able to handle a littlepetition?"


    Max red at him, his grip tightening on the bowstring. "This isn''t a game, us. We all know what''s at stake. You''re putting your team at risk for what? A cheap thrill?"


    us chuckled, unfazed by Max''s anger. "Risk? It''s called strategy. While you''re busy worrying about me, my team is getting a head start. That''s what happens when you underestimate your opponents."


    The Central Region team shifted nervously, some ncing at E, their leader, while others eyed us warily. They had heard the rumors about him and seen what he could do, so seeing him so rxed, seemingly unbothered by the weight of thepetition, stirred something within them¡ªa mix of annoyance and fear.


    "Enough of your games!" E stepped forward, her voicemanding. "You think you can take us down? You''re outnumbered, us. We''re not just going to let you sit there and toy with us."


    us stood his mood shifting to coldness. "Outnumbered? That''s riching from you. Look around. How many of your team members are actuallypetent? You have a lot of bodies, but only a few true warriors."


    Hearing this, they all gritted their teeth in anger. Being called Ipetent sure struck a cord in their heart. us of course didn''t care about their expression.


    E''s eyes narrowed, clearly both angry and wary of what us might do. Yet a part of her hoped something favorable might happen. Fortunately for her, a minuteter, the Southern team, now reduced to 64 members, appeared.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Soon after, the Northern team arrived with 70 members, followed by the Western team with 72 members. Although their numbers had thinned, E was more than happy to have her reinforcements present.


    However, her happiness was short-lived when us muttered, "The door will close in the next 5 minutes, and since I''m standing in your way, it''s only logical to move me. So why don''t you alle? I promise to leave 50 members from each team to advance forward."


    Hearing this, their anger boiled to the highest degree, and without waiting for anymand, dozens from each team dashed forward, ready to take him down.


    But it only sped things up for us. A spear appeared in his hands instead of his sword, and without even stepping forward, he spun it, igniting it with mes. He gazed at them with a smile, then shed the spear forward.


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    A wide arc of me cut through the teams charging at him. us then stepped forward, dashing toward the Western team approaching from the side. Within a few swift movements, he killed a dozen before moving on to the next group.


    In just a few seconds, he had finished off about 30 people and returned to his original position. However, as soon as he appeared there, an arrow locked onto him. us smiled, knowing that Max had made his move.


    Without even turning towards him, us swung his spear, cutting the arrow in half. Max, seeing his arrow intercepted, was quickly reminded of his performance during their duel when us dodged, caught, and cut through all three attacks.


    This, of course, enraged Max. In a fit of anger, he unleashed a flurry of rapid shots, each aimed at us''s life. But none of them connected.


    us effortlessly defended himself, all while keeping an eye on the few who had yet to make a move. E and Ethan remained still, and from the other teams, their leaders hadn''t moved either.


    He knew they were saving their trump cards forter. This, of course, secretly pleased him for reasons unknown even to himself.


    Although they were powerful and he could kill them when it came down to it, doing so early would make the rest of the trial dull. So, in a way, he was doing them a favor by thinning down their numbers first.


    The quicker the weak ones were defeated, the more intense thepetition would be. us, however, wanted to instill in the minds of the legacies¡ªand everyone watching¡ªwhat he was truly capable of.


    While he didn''t mind entertaining them, us was more focused on life-and-death matters, not petty conflicts with his peers. Although it wasn''t technically apetition, someone of his danger level didn''t need to engage in trivial battles with children from the Legacy Families.


    He operated on a higher level¡ªdealing with Great Families, Legacy Families, and even the Five Great ns. E and her cohort were merely a bit of necessary fun while itsted.


    Two minutester, only 200 people remained¡ª50 from each team, just as us had promised. He smiled and said,


    "Use the next few hours to think about what you''ll do: continue the trial aspetitors, or chase me like a bunch of idiots with no understanding of the danger you''re ying with." He ran toward the door while effortlessly deflecting Max''s endless stream of arrows.


    "Later, losers!" he called out, disappearing through the door. E gritted her teeth, watching us''s handsome back vanish. Once again, she had lost to him.


    "Let''s go," she said, resigned. With the door closing in three minutes, all they could do was move forward.


    ***


    As soon as us emerged on the other side, he was greeted by the remnants of a recent battle. He scanned the area for a few minutes, probably waiting for the four teams on the other side. After five minutes passed and no one appeared, he sighed.


    "Looks like the Academy doesn''t want one team carrying another right after crossing an obstacle," he muttered. With that, he dashed forward, running to catch up with his team.

 Chapter 302 Ella Making Her Move

    "us sure knows how to antagonize his enemies," Cephas, the instructor, said to the other instructor back in the observation hall. The others around him, who were watching the various scenes on the screens showing thepetition, nodded.


    They all watched as us eliminated almost 200 people from the game when he could have taken his team and gotten a head start.


    "He and the Three Legacy heirs are not on good terms, so it''s only natural for him to get back at them. But that left his team vulnerable," one of the instructors said, watching a screen showing us''s team shing with a horde of Tier 6 monsters.


    "Well, they''re holding on, so if he hurries, he might be able to save them in time," Cephas said as he watched another screen showing us running after his team.


    The trial was designed in such a way that after crossing the gate at Alpha, each team would have to fight hordes of Tier 5 monsters before moving toward the Fractured Mountains. It was only after they crossed that obstacle that they entered the Fractured Mountains.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This also means that if they manage to survive the obstacle right after walking through the gate at Alpha, the real hunting can begin. The rest of the way would be a one-way path with different routes. If you want to reach the Willow Mountains quickly, it will depend on your cunning abilities as well as your strength.


    us''s team took the first step immediately after they arrived at the Fractured Mountains on one side. The others would also appear on their side, and once they started moving, their paths would either converge, provided they all chose the same route.


    After moving for a few minutes, us heard the sound of battle. He slowed down, quickly hid himself, and started watching Anna and the team fighting different kinds of Tier 6 monsters. Enjoy new chapters from empire


    Anna stood in the center, casting spells as she controlled the battlefield. Miguel, Danny, Daniel, and other heavy hitters were at the front, stopping most of the monsters.


    Hanna, Kay, and the other archers were shooting at the monsters from a distance, aiming to reduce the rate at which they approached as the team slowly kept moving.


    "Lily, go support Kilian and Omari," Anna ordered, prompting Lily to move quickly, like the wind, stopping only when she was within attacking range. Kilian, her brother, and Omari Hackman were locked in battle with a Tier 6 Demon-Face Dagger-Legs Spider.


    It was a huge spider with a twisted demon face and razor-sharp, twelve legs that could easily tear through armor. Thanks to Omari''s sharp sword attacks, empowered by his awakened sword aura, and Kilian''s lethal fire sword strikes, they were holding their ground and had even managed to cut off one of its legs.


    Lily quickly executed a series of shes, sending wind arcs that swiftly cut off two more legs, reducing the spider''s total to nine. With her joining the fight, the two swordsmen were able to rx a little.


    However, the battle wasn''t over. Lightning arrows streaked through the air, piercing the heads of monsters charging at the team.


    Hanna, who had improved greatly after months in seclusion, was using minimal essence and great strength with pinpoint uracy tond precise strikes on the monsters. She has improved greatly from how she was during the Regional trial.


    However, she wasn''t the most brutal on the battlefield¡ªthat spot was reserved for Danny, who brandished his huge axe with terrifying strikes.


    One thing about brute fighters is that most of their essence goes into enhancing their stamina, as they need full endurance for prolonged battles. Danny was swinging his axe, taking out monster after monster.


    Daniel, his sworn brother, wasn''t far behind either. He was swinging a massive hammer¡ªhuge, heavy, and with enough force behind each strike to burst skulls and shatter bones. He was swinging with all his might.


    Miguel was also doing everything he could to keep killing, all while avoiding the use of any active skills. us had already told them that when it came to battles with monsters from Tier 6 and below, his involvement would be minimal.


    He wanted them to understand that he wouldn''t carry the team¡ªthat would be boring for them. While his presence gave them an upper hand, they would have to do the work. He had already given them a head start; what they did with it depended on their own strengths.


    The initial ratio was 100 against 400, but after thinning down the number of the Legacy alliance to 200, the rest would depend on how well they yed their cards.


    us knew his presence in the team would put the others in danger, so while he provided extra support, they had to fight for their spot and the chance to win additional Mountain Dew and cores.


    ***


    Back in the observation hall, the instructors and those who had been eliminated were watching the screens showing the trial. Some were shocked when us chose to stay behind and watch his team battle the monsters.


    However, those who knew what us was capable of decided to ignore him and his team, opting instead to watch the other teams. The Northern, Southern, Western, and Central region teams, after crossing the door, shed with the Tier 5 monsters.


    Thankfully, none incurred any casualties, so they quickly advanced forward. However, just as they were about to enter the Fractured Mountains, another horde of monsters descended on them, forcing them to enterbat mode immediately.


    But not everyone engaged inbat. E, who was leading the Central team, used the messaging feature in Oracle to send messages to the other teams. Just like in the real world, you can call or send messages to anyone in Oracle.


    Immediately after receiving her message, the other teams followed E''s strategy. Half of her team went intobat mode, while the other half, led by her and Ethan, maneuvered around the horde and started advancing.


    Max took charge of the remaining half of the team, leading them into battle as they shed with the monsters. The other regional teams also adopted a simr tactic¡ªsending half of their members intobat while the rest bypassed the fight and proceeded into the Fractured Mountains.


    A little over an hourter, the Central team converged with the Southern, Northern, and Western teams at a location E had marked on the map and shared with them.


    Once the 100 participants gathered, E issued anothermand, dividing the teams into three groups again¡ªone led by her, the second by Ethan, and the third by an archer named Alvaro, who had topped the regional trial in the Northern region.


    "Ethan, your team should head toward the waterfall. My team will move around the river, and Alvaro''s team will take the normal route," E instructed.


    "This way, we can ambush them from both sides while they''re engaged with Alvaro''s team. If my calctions are correct, Max and the others will be behind them, so all we have to do is hold out for a while.


    Remember, don''t engage us directly. Eliminate his team first¡ªhis time wille soon enough."


    They nodded and headed their separate ways. This time, E wanted to be ahead of the game, as it should have been from the start. She liked being in control, and finally, she had taken the lead.

 Chapter 303 I Hate Traitors

    After half an hour ofbat, us''s team managed to clear the horde of monsters with no casualties. us watched as some struggled to fight through the hundreds of monsters, but in the end, with Anna''s impable control over the battlefield, they seeded.


    "Great teamwork, everyone" After Hanna''s arrow pierced thest monster, us walked toward his teammates.


    They all turned to look at him, some showing signs of wanting to say something, yet they held back. The way he said it made it clear that he had witnessed their battle but had chosen not to join in. If only they knew us had joined in without revealing himself.


    At thest moment, his Viper Piercing Needles did some work, stopping a few monsters that wereing at them. It was clear this obstacle was significant¡ªone that was meant to test their teamwork and skills.


    This begs the question: what happened to the other half of E''s team? And the ones who chose to divide their group further down to 25 members? If us''s team, using all 99 members, only managed to win after 30 minutes, what about the 25 who were holding back the monsters while the other half moved to intercept us and his teammates?


    They fought bravely, but in the end, many died, and the few who survived only ran when they saw an opening. The central team led by Max managed to escape with 12 members, while the southern and northern teams moved ahead with 10 members each. The Western team only advanced with 8 members.


    It was a chaotic battle¡ªone they couldn''t win since it wasn''t designed for more than a few people. But those who managed to flee are now behind us''s team, moving deeper into the fractured mountain.


    The ce wasn''t exactly a mountain; it was more like bits of mountains, each with different terrains. us led the team toward a specific waterfall where they nned to stop and strategize on how to cross the river right after the waterfall.


    However, just as they arrived at the waterfall, they were ambushed by attacks from the front, left, and right. us''s team quickly sprang into action as they shed with the 100-man team that E had led away from the battle at the mouth of the fractured mountain.


    us, who had been leading the team from the mouth of the mountain, was immediately swarmed from three different angles. E, Ethan, and Alvaro started attacking him¡ªa rather unusual tactic for those looking to disgrace him.


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    Well, that had been the n from the start. They wanted to humiliate him, but they soon realized he wasn''t the normal master-stage warrior they thought he was. us was a monster, and they now knew that, so they quickly intensified their attacks.


    Ethan charged at him, brandishing his spear crackling with lightning. E, who specialized in water magic, was on the left, casting spell after spell.


    When us defended against a water bomb, he felt his energy draining. When Max had challenged him, Lucy had given him a general rundown on their powers, and she mentioned that E possessed a unique water element called Annihtion Water.


    us, who had just experienced it, immediately recognized that her water was simr to his Annihtion Ice from when he was Fruity. Although the attack wasn''t aimed to kill him, he could tell it was very powerful¡ªsomething that fascinated him.


    As an Elemental Overlord, sensing something like that made him want to experience it more. However, Ethan and Alvaro weren''t making it easy for him.


    "Humans are indeed cunning," us chuckled. Had it been Zombies, he would have found it less annoying. Not that these opponents were giving him a hard time or more like they were overestimating themselves. Still, us wanted to entertain them.


    He knew not to underestimate anyone, something Miriam had told him repeatedly. E and Ethan were still holding back, and even Alvaro''s presence made him alert, knowing they were nning something.


    But he wasn''t worried about his friends. Just like the legacies, he was also nning something, and despite knowing they would be ambushed there, he led them there anyway. He wanted to check something, and soon, his answer came.


    A swordsman fighting beside Omari was shing with another from E''s team. But instead of going for the kill, they seem to be toying with each other.


    Suddenly, the two stopped and then lunged at one of us''s team members. Just like that, us lost his first member to an attack from a fellow team member.


    And it didn''t stop there; seven more of his members betrayed them, backstabbing their fellow teammates, making us''s team drop from 100 to 86. Seven traitors, seven dead.


    But us wasn''t bothered. He knew it was necessary. But that doesn''t mean he wouldn''t do something about it


    "Lin, Zing, do it!" us suddenlymanded, and the ground beneath the feet of the seven traitors copsed, burying them up to their necks.


    As for the legacy members fighting us''s team, the Void Piercing Needle shot forward, and before they could even blink, their heads were pierced through. They all died, their heads exploding.


    Now that us had started cultivating the Sage Mind and Unshakable Mind techniques, his mental strength had risen so high that he could control all 360 needles. But to take down these small fries, he used only 120 needles, which formed a thick enough Void Piercing Needle.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As soon as the Needle appeared, E issued the order for her team to retreat, but just as they were about to move, us spoke.


    "Since you chose to poke my people, why don''t you pay for the seven who died?"


    He had already killed 20 of the legacy members, but he wanted more, as the seven that died had been used by him to fish out the traitors. He could have used his Eye of Malevolence to discern their intentions and hopefully root them out, but that would reveal one of his trump cards.


    It wasn''t worth it.


    The Void Piercing Needle sliced through the air, and before 20 of E''s team members could scream, they all fell to their knees. us incapacitated them, their legs broken and arms pierced with holes.


    "You monsters!" Ethan screamed, channeling lightning into his spear as he charged forward. Watching 20 of his people being overwhelmed by us''s members was heartbreaking, even if they were hired muscle.


    us simply stood there with a smile on his face as Ethan was dragged away by E. Despite the defeat, she never faltered in hermands or control over her team. This, for some reason, intrigued us, though he was also a little concerned about what she still hadn''t shown.


    People who remain calm in chaotic situations are often regarded as the most dangerous foes.


    In the end, he had to kill the 20 he had incapacitated.


    After the Legacy alliance teams fled, us turned his attention to the seven people trapped in the ground. He walked toward them, surrounded by the remaining 80 members. Six had died in the sh, and while seven were backstabbed, the other seven turned out to be traitors.


    "us, please! They threatened us into betraying you. Please don''t kill us!" one of the traitors said, tears nearly flowing from his eyes. They were buried to their necks.


    us smiled and turned to Miguel. "How long has it been since we entered the trial?"


    Miguel knew us was just teasing him, but he went ahead and responded, "11 hours and 45 minutes."


    "Good. It still hasn''t been long enough for these traitors to earn any rewards for betraying their team," us said coldly.


    "us, please, have mercy! They forced us; that bitch forced us!" another shouted. But before he could finish, a thick needle shot forward, piercing through all seven heads.


    Everyone held their breath as us executed the seven members without even batting an eye.


    "I hate traitors." He muttered coldly.

 Chapter 304 Team Divided

    Silence...


    That was what fell over everyone as they stared at the spot where the seven traitors'' heads exploded. It was a bizarre sight for all of them, watching heads explode in rapid session.


    None of the 79 young warriors standing beside us had ever taken a human life before. They are all green when ites to that department.


    They are warriors, training to fight both internal battles¡ªagainst their fellow humans¡ªand external ones against the monsters and Zombies that have gued them since the apocalypse began.


    Yet, as it stood, none of them had killed a human before. Despitepeting in Oracle, where they battled other humans, seeing heads explode up close was simply too shocking.


    us had given them a chance to kill twenty opponents, but instead, they only beat them until us chose to kill them instead. The ones us had immobilized weren''t killed by his teammates either; the twenty surrendered to us''s attack before he expected the seven traitors.


    "You guys are too soft," us said, looking at them. Even in this virtual world, where death wasn''t permanent, they still hesitated to kill their opponents.


    They were too scared to move. Hearing us''s voice now, they felt fear run down their spines. And it wasn''t just them. Outside, the participants who had been washed out and those watching from their various resting areas wore frightened expressions.


    "This kid is ruthless," Cephas said with a slight smirk. "But it''s a good quality. At least he won''t chicken out when ites time to face his fellow humans," he added.


    The other instructors nodded. Despite humanity''s constant battle against monsters and Zombies, there were always those who sought to cause disharmony. For that, warriors would be needed to put them in their ce.


    When the timees, no one will ask who''s ever taken a human life¡ªthey''ll deploy everyone. So despite the reluctance most of them feel about killing their fellow humans, when the moment arrives, they''ll have to do it. It''s better to start now and get used to it.


    "However, this kid is something else. Look at his eyes¡ªthere isn''t a shred of mercy in them. For some reason, I''m even getting chills just looking at them," Cephas added. us''s gaze was beautifully icy right then.


    Back in Oracle


    us watched as, one by one, the 79 members of his team started to recover. After about 10 minutes, they had regained enough strength for him to put his next ns into motion.


    "We''re about halfway through the Fractured Mountains. If we take the straight route, we''ll converge with those idiots," us stated.


    "How do you know that?" Lawrence asked, not daring to meet us''s eyes.


    "Because while we were fighting them, Max and a second part of their team circled around us and headed that way," us answered, making everyone raise an eyebrow.


    "So the battle was a distraction?" Miguel asked.


    "Yes and no." us sighed, knowing he had to exin a few things. "While they truly ambushed us, it wasn''t just to distract us alone. Yes, it was a big distraction, but E wanted to use the opportunity to thin down our team, and she seeded¡ªbig time.


    "However, she also lost 40 members, so while her distraction worked, her losses were also huge. But the team led by Max has roughly 40 members, which means we''re stillcking in numbers," us exined. Readtest chapters on empire


    "All the more reason you shouldn''t have killed the seven from our team," Lawrence protested. The members us killed had been a significant blow to their numbers.


    "They were traitors, and as such, they deserved to die. I just did you all a favor," us replied with a smirk.


    "How so? How does killing your own teammates do us a favor?" Lawrence added, clearly not pleased with how us had handled the seven. "You could have banished them from the team, giving them a chance to at least cross the first 12-hour mark."


    "Doing so would have been mercy. I don''t show mercy to my enemies. But even if I decided to go soft, banishing them wouldn''t bring back the seven they stabbed in the back. So let this be your first lesson from me: if you get a chance to take out a traitor, do it without hesitation.


    At least when they''re dead, they won''t cause any more trouble for the team," us said coldly, as expected.


    "Still, you could have asked for our opinion before taking action. Acting on your own was disrespectful to us as your teammates. A leader should know when to consult the team," Lawrence replied, refusing to back down. He didn''t like what us did, even if it was necessary.


    "Oh, so you think you could have made a more ''sound'' decision?" us asked with an amused expression.


    "I know I wouldn''t have killed them without the collective decision of the team," Lawrence said, and for some reason, a few members began nodding in agreement. Clearly, they were siding with Lawrence.


    "Lawrence is right. You should have asked for our opinion before killing them," one youngster said.


    "I think so too. Killing them was a cruel move. At least you could have allowed them to cross the first 12 hours so they could earn more rewards," another added, and soon, a few more voices joined in.


    us wasn''t stupid. He knew exactly what was happening and, for once, he immediately came up with two ways to solve it as Anna''s voice was being drowned out.


    Miguel stood by, doing nothing¡ªno smile, no anger¡ªjust standing there.


    us looked at the members protesting and smiled. His first thought was to kill them all, but he quickly realized that was just the bloodlust talking. Even in the virtual world, he could still feel the thirst for blood.


    So he switched to the second method he hade up with.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It seems some of you don''t like the way I''m running the team. Why not form your own team and pick a leader to guide you the way you would have wanted?" us suggested.


    He knew Lawrence wanted to lead. He had seen it during the nning and strategizing a day before the trial started. So, us wasn''t surprised by this ruckus. It was also one of the reasons he had taken decision-making away from Anna¡ªshe wouldn''t have been able to handle Lawrence.


    "Very well," us sighed, seeing about 70 percent of the remaining 80 members move to Lawrence''s side. He wasn''t surprised.


    They had their reasons for leaving. The major one was his feud with the three Legacies. They didn''t want to get caught up in that conflict.


    The second reason was a promise Lawrence had made to them. He was quite wealthy, so some joined him for the money and resources he had offered.


    "Since you 64 are no longer part of my team, if we win in the end, the reward meant for the region won''t go to you 64. The same applies to us if you win," us said, making it clear they were no longer on the same side.


    "I''ll give you half an hour¡ªno, an hour grace period. Use that time to run off, because the next time we meet, I won''t hesitate to behead you all," us stated. Without any hesitation, Lawrence''s team fled.


    us turned to the 15 members still in his team. Miguel had stayed, along with the Zhou twins and Omari Hackman. Three others remained¡ªLucas, an archer, and two mages, Scarlet and Ruby.


    "Let''s go. We''ll take the left route," us said, and his team of 16 began moving again.

 Chapter 305 Twisted Hunting Vines

    "So, you stayed?" us asked, walking beside Miguel as they took the left path. From the waterfall where the team split, there were three routes¡ªleft, right, and center.


    The Legacy alliance took the central path, Lawrence''s team went right, and us''s small team chose left. All of them were heading toward Willow Forest, just through different routes.


    Miguel staying behind hade as a surprise to us.


    "I did stay," Miguel said, his face devoid of expression.


    "Why?" us asked. "I thought you and Lawrence were buddies."


    "I stayed because this is the team I signed up for, where you''re the strategist and Anna''s the leader. And Lawrence is not my buddy; we''re just from the same city," Miguel answered, picking up his pace to avoid walking side by side with the annoying white-haired bastard.


    us watched as the brute, double-ded axe fighter walked away with a smile on his face.


    ''I guess I didn''t misjudge him. He''s a good guy, just a dick who couldn''t take a loss,'' us thought to himself. This tension all boiled down to Anna. It seemed both Miguel and Omari Hackman had their eyes on her, but us swooped in and won her over.


    While that might have been reason enough for Miguel to jump on Lawrence''s bandwagon, he chose to stay. It was unusual behavior for someone who had a grudge against us.


    The same could be said for Omari, who us knew still hadn''t epted the fact that the Ice Princess had already been imed.


    What us didn''t know, however, was that E had already tried to recruit Miguel to join their crusade against him, but Miguel rejected it without a second thought.


    Although he disliked us, Miguel still had his integrity, something us respected in a person.


    The group quickly advanced. Hanna and Kay, along with the new archer Lucas, were now leading due to their enhanced eyesight. us stayed at the rear, using his superior senses to sweep the surroundings for any threats.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''My senses are getting restricted the deeper we go,'' us suddenly realized. He had started with a 40 km wide scanning range, but now it was down to 35 km. The deeper they ventured, the more confined his range became.


    By the time they had crossed 70% of the Fractured Mountain, his sensing range had shrunk to 15 km. This meant his team members were now only a few meters within his detection range.


    The archers, with their enhanced eyesight, could still see as far as 2 km, but even that range was dropping lower by the second.


    ''This trial was built well,'' us sighed inwardly.


    It had been 26 hours since they entered the trial. They had already passed through Alpha and were now 85% of the way through traversing the Fractured Mountain, crossing fractured terrains teeming with vicious monsters.


    They had fought and killed dozens of creatures. With their numbers reduced to just 16, Anna was able to manage the battlefield far more effectively¡ªsomething us knew was because they were all working cohesively as a single team now.


    They had each faced many harrowing monsters, some Tier 5 and even a few Tier 6, but they never faltered in their attacks.


    Thirty hours into the trial, they had crossed 95% of the Fractured Heavens. They took a brief rest to recover before pressing on. Oracle was just like the real world¡ªexcept death wasn''t permanent.


    "Ruby, watch out!" us shouted as a vine shot toward Ruby, one of the two mages who had stayed. Before she could dodge or defend, the vine was already upon her.


    But just as it was about to wrap around her, a sword shed forward, cutting off a few feet of the twisted vine.


    Although it didn''t stop the vine''s advance entirely, the severing gave Ruby a few crucial moments to move away.


    Lily had saved her in time, but there was no chance to celebrate. Vines were all around them now¡ªdozens of them, slithering and closing in.


    "Archers, move closer to me. Mages, cast barrier spells. Swordsmen, keep cutting them down. Lin and Zing, create defenses around us. us... do whatever you want," Anna quicklymanded, and everyone sprang into action.


    Hanna, Kay, and Lucas, unable to fight the vines with their bows and arrows, quickly moved closer to Anna, who, along with Ruby and Scarlet, managed to raise a few barriers that slowed down or stopped the advancing vines.


    Lily, Kilian, Omari, and Mark also sprang into action, cutting down the vines as they came. Although Mark was a spearman, he kept up with the flow, efficiently cutting down the vines.


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    Miguel, Danny, and Daniel brandished their heavy weapons, following up with attacks that cut and shattered the vines.


    "Keep moving," Anna urged, as the group advanced slowly while defending themselves.


    us kept swinging his sword, cutting down the vines that kepting at him. He scanned his mind for the type of vines these were, but he couldn''t identify them, so he asked.


    "Anna, what kind of vines are these?"


    "They''re called Twisted Hunting Vines. They attack using echoes and are highly resistant to ice and fire. So, the only way to avoid their attacks is to move out of their sensing range," she answered.


    "Thanks," us smirked and stored away his sword. With a flick of his hand, a ball of me appeared.


    "What are you nning, us? Fire can''t burn them," Anna said as she saw us holding the me.


    "Ordinary fire, maybe. My fire? I don''t think so." He moved forward and, with a quick throw, hurled the me ahead.


    Boom!


    An explosion erupted the moment the me hit the ground. Like a dragon unleashed, the fire roared and engulfed the forest in front of them.


    He quickly moved to the left and did the same, setting more of the forest aze.


    "us, what are you doing?" Anna asked, watching the fire burn furiously.


    "What do you mean, what am I doing? I''m burning the forest down. No trees, no vines, right?" us said, hurling another me to the right. Soon, fire surrounded them.


    Anna quickly cast an ice barrier, but it was too weak against the intense heat. It dissipated almost instantly, making everyone grimace. us smirked and then summoned the Ice Lotus, immediately activating the Absolute Ice Domain.


    Instantly, everyone was enclosed in a domain of ice that quickly extinguished the mes around them. The fire burned fiercely for a few minutes before calming down.


    However, in those few minutes, they had managed to destroy 4 kilometers of the forest. It was both bizarre and effective for what they were trying to achieve.


    "That worked better than I hoped," us said, watching as everything green had been reduced to ash.


    "Let''s go. We''re almost out of the Fractured Mountain. We need to hurry before the others beat us to the main goal," us said with a smile, despite the shocked expressions on his team''s faces.


    If only they knew it could have been worse if he had called forth the dragon instead¡ªbut who was asking? They quickly left the area, and soon, they exited the Fractured Mountains and stepped into the Willow Forest, where they were immediately greeted with a chilling surprise.

 Chapter 306 Into The Willow Forest

    "How far can you all sense now?" us asked as they entered the Willow Forest''s range. At a nce, it was clear this forest would be their toughest challenge yet.


    "I can only sense about a 200-meter radius, but it''s dwindling the further we advance," Anna sighed.


    "I can sense up to 500 meters, but if I focus in one direction, I can reach 700 meters," Hanna said. As an archer, her perception was slightly more enhanced than most.


    The others also shared their ranges, but aside from Miguel, who could sense as far as 600 meters around him, Lily also possessed a unique passive ability that let her sense through the wind around her. It was simr to how us used elemental particles to move.


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    "Then we have to be careful," us said. "This forest isn''t going to be simple at all. Stay close, and don''t cut anything unless it''s attacking. If you can dodge when something does attack, that would be even better."


    His own sensing range had dropped to 2 kilometers. But instead of panicking, he felt thrilled. Finally, he was walking on the edge of danger. It was an unusual feeling, but he could sense it¡ªhe craved the danger.


    They moved quickly forward, and before long, they entered the dense forest. As soon as they did, they all felt their senses cut in half. us smiled, now only he was able to sense within a 1-kilometer radius, though he knew it was bound to decrease even further.


    "us, do you think Lawrence and the others would betray us?" Scarlet, one of the mages who had stayed, asked as they moved.


    "Isn''t it obvious? E got to him, and I''m sure he took the deal. Not that I me him; that girl is more cunning than any of you give her credit for," us replied. The others exchanged looks.


    Lawrence betraying them was troubling, wasn''t it? They couldn''t imagine it happening, but as us had said, Lawrence had been approached¡ªand so had many of them. The offer had been tempting, enough that most had spent hours contemting their decision.


    Some were even rethinking their choice to stay even as they moved.


    E Duncan was an excellent strategist. It was just that she chose an unusual target this time, and that was her loss. us wasn''t an average warrior.


    "But don''t worry. If they make any move, I''ll handle them ordingly."


    At this point, us knew his team members were still too inexperienced for the harsher challenges. He had thought about letting them face real danger in this virtual world, but since it was only a trial, he decided against it.


    When their rivals'' swords came close to their necks, they would get a wake-up call. After all, they wouldn''t just stand there and let their enemies kill them.


    The deeper they went, the more restricted their sensing range became.


    "Anna cast a barrier spell," us suddenlymanded.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Anna didn''t need a secondmand; she followed his instructions immediately. Ruby and Scarlet reinforced it almost at once. They wondered why he had given the order, but the moment the barrier activated, a dense greenish mist struck it.


    "Poison."


    us had sensed them when they were within 500 meters, but the Voracious Bloomwood was fast. These nt monsters could move within a 2-kilometer radius by twisting their roots through the ground like snakes.


    Suddenly, twelve grotesque, flower-like nts with pistils resembling teeth sped toward them, their movements eerily simr to slithering snakes.


    "Might wanna reinforce the barrier more; those are Tier 6 nt monsters," us said. Anna and the other two mages quickly channeled more spiritual qi into the barrier.


    The nt monsters attacked with their sharp, monstrous teeth and emitted a toxic, misty poison. us examined them for a moment beforeing up with a risky strategy.


    "They''re weak against ice and fire, but lightning would make them scream. And the best part? That scream scares off other monsters, both nts and animals," us said, turning to Hanna.


    She immediately understood the task but wasn''t sure she could pull it off. After all, there were twelve tree monsters, and they would need to release the barrier for her to shoot her arrows.


    Just as the barrier prevented things from entering, it also blocked anything from going out.


    "Don''t worry, big sis, you can do it," us said encouragingly. "What''s the worst that could happen?" he added with a smirk.


    The others looked at him, half-expecting him to exin exactly what that might be.


    "Rx, everyone. You won''t die from a short exposure to the poison. But it''ll hurt like hell, so brace yourselves."


    Hanna nocked a lightning arrow in her bow, and as soon as us gave the signal, the barrier dropped, and an arrow shot forward. She quickly followed with another, releasing fourteen arrows within three seconds.


    Piercing, ear-splitting screams erupted from the nt monsters as the arrows hit their marks. She missed two attacks but immediately followed with two more making her shoot 14 instead of 12 lightning-infused arrows.


    "Nice work, Hanna, but next time don''t trust me blindly. What if the nts had sensed the attacks?" us said, making Hanna, who was wiping tears from her eyes, look down.


    The poison did hurt¡ªintensely. It also made them overly emotional, to the point where people could find themselvesughing or crying uncontrobly, even willing to jump from heights if it got worse.


    They''d only been exposed for a few seconds, but the effects were already hitting them. Well, all except us. He lookedpletely unaffected.


    "I''ll do better next time," Hanna said.


    "Good to hear," us replied, bringing out the Lotus flower, which immediately calmed the effects of the poison.


    "The next time you all encounter a Voracious Bloomwood, avoid using fire or ice unless you can deliver a quick, fatal blow. They''re weak to those elements, but they''re also highly reactive to them.


    "If you can''t kill them with a single ice or fire attack, make sure to have strong defenses and be ready to run. Once you''re beyond their 2-kilometer radius, they won''t be able to follow."


    Everyone nodded. After making sure they were okay, he deactivated the Lotus flower, and they continued forward. Just as us had said, the next few kilometers were eerily quiet¡ªthe screams of the Voracious Bloomwoods had driven everything else away.


    ***


    In the observation hall, the instructors nodded as they watched us''s team skillfully handle the Voracious Bloomwoods.


    "Instructor Simon, it looks like you''ve found yourself an expert in monsters," Cephas remarked, ncing at the instructor whose ss us had attended on Monsters and Beasts.


    "We''ve already met, and those few hours together broadened my perspective. This kid is full of surprises," Instructor Simon replied.


    "I guess he''s not only skilled with his weapons but also sharp with his mind," Cephas added.


    Observing the different teams, it became clear that knowing a monster''s nature beforehand made all the difference.


    E''s team of 100 lost 14 members before managing to take down the Voracious Bloomwoods. Lawrence''s team of 64 lost 4 members; it seemed he, too, had some knowledge of the Bloomwoods'' nature.


    "They''reing up on their first major obstacle. I wonder how many will make it through," Cephas said, watching as the three teams moved deeper into the forest.

 Chapter 307 Night Hunters

    Although the three teams are taking different routes, the obstacles set are the same for all of them. Of course, they could detour from the main path and try to use a different route, but there''s no telling what obstacles they might face.


    After facing the Voracious Bloomwoods, us and his team encountered some minor obstacles that were easily handled. However, the other teams, perhaps due to theirrger numbers, sustained some casualties.


    After traversing the dense, eerie forest for a while, they stopped in front of a cave. As soon as they arrived, a voice that sounded like Cephas spoke:


    "Wee to the hunting cave. Each of you will have to enter, but once you do, you''ll be transported to different locations where you''ll face a test. If you pass, you''ll be transported outside the Willow Forest, bringing you one step closer to the Sage Eye.


    "And yes, you''ll all be transported to the same ce after passing the test, so hurry up. You have just 60 minutes toplete the test, so speed will be a factor as well. Good luck."


    As soon as the voice ended, us turned to his team. "I''m not sure this is going to be an easy test, so you''d all better prepare."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With that, he gestured for them to enter. Lily went in first, followed by her brother Kilian, then Anna, Miguel, Danny, Scarlet, Ruby, Omari, Kay, Daniel, Lin, Zing, Mark, Hanna, and finally us himself.


    As soon as us entered the cave, he found himself in a gloomy, dark forest. The ce looked eerily simr to the Tormented World at nightfall. us quickly attempted to use his senses to scan the area but felt nothing.


    At that moment, Cephas''s voice spoke again:


    "Wee to the Hunting Forest. Your task is to kill the Night Hunters and their leader before time runs out. Oh, your senses have been cut off here, so rely on your instincts as a guide. Good luck."


    "Well, that was unexpected," us muttered, realizing this test was designed to thin their numbers. Fighting without senses¡ªthat was just too cruel. Every warrior depends on their senses to detect and predict their opponent''s attacks.


    Without one''s senses, it''s like being a piece of wood crossing a dangerous battlefield. Right now, all 149 warriors inside the Oracle felt like those pieces of wood¡ªwell, some, but not all of them.


    us quickly activated the Lotus Flower, and a mist began spreading everywhere. As soon as the mist appeared, his senses were restored and expanded along with the mist.


    Suddenly, four 24-inch Void Piercing Needles appeared, hovering in front of him. A small smirk appeared on his lips. With his hands behind his back, the four needles moved in four different directions.


    Soon, the monsters began to fall. They were spider-like creatures that only emerged at night to hunt. They had a nasty habit of wrapping their targets in silky webs before killing them.


    However, with us''s senses expanding by the second, he was able to detect them long before they detected him.


    ***


    "Well, that was unexpected. Looks like some of them still know how to handle the spiders," Instructor Simon remarked, watching the screens that disyed the various battles.


    Some warriors had begun to wash out due to their senses being cut off, but not all of them were helpless. us was a prime example; he was managing the situation quite well, shocking everyone.


    "That kid is one terrifying Spirit Master. At such a level, he can control weapons this effectively," Cephas said, observing us as he walked around with his hands behind him, skillfully maneuvering the needles.


    "It looks like the academy will get lively soon. I wonder what else he is hiding from us," another instructormented.


    They were all astonished by how us was handling what they deemed their first hardest obstacle. If only they knew he could have done even better if he chose to unleash the Dragon.


    Meanwhile, others weren''t faring as well. In one part of the Hunting Forest, Lily had the air around her swirling within a 30-meter radius. That was her sensing zone.


    Although small, her reaction speed was much faster. Despite how close the monsters were getting to her, she always managed to react quickly.


    Just like Anna, Lily also hadn''t awakened her wind element yet, but her control over it was much better. This allowed her to manipte the wind more effectively.


    However, it was draining her energy faster than usual. Still, with how quickly she was dispatching the monsters if she could hold on a little longer, she might just pass the test.


    Hanna, on the other hand, looked rather majestic on the battlefield. Her body was bathed in lightning, making her incredibly responsive to anything that came within a 40-meter radius.


    Miriam had given her two skills: one for forming lightning arrows and the other for wide-area attacks.


    The skill was called Lightning Land. Essentially, she would spread the lightning around an area, and the moment a target entered it, they would be electrocuted, either killing them or immobilizing them.


    However, since the spiders were on the trees and hanging from their webs, the lightning on the ground was utterly useless. But Hanna adapted; instead of coating the ground, she coated her body with lightning.


    Now, when a spider came within her range, the lightning acted like a beacon, summoning them. This allowed her to quickly release deadly shots, though it wasn''t as fast as how Lily was killing her targets.


    But she was also holding on, and she might just get through the test if she didn''t make any mistakes. After all, Tier 5 spiders were weak, but Tier 6 ones were on their way, and they would also have to kill their leader, which, no matter how they wanted to think about it, would be a Tier 7 monster spider.


    Anna, on the other hand, was doing something simr to Lily. She also had ice particles swirling around her. However, instead of swinging anything, ice shards were attacking the monsters that came within her range.


    Her speed in killing was much faster than Lily''s and Hanna''s. us''s male friends, with the exception of Danny and Daniel, were quick on their feet, as Kilian used swords and Mark used spears.


    Kay, the bowman, was having a hard time. His me arrows were lethal, but he didn''t have the same sensing ability as the others, so he was struggling. Daniel and Danny were in the same boat; they were having a tough time as well. Discover exclusive content at empire


    Miguel was also facing difficulties. The spiders were not the kind that could be easily smashed with brute force; they were much more nimble.


    Scarlet and Ruby also looked like they might not make it. They might be geniuses, but the test was a rather challenging one, so despite their prowess, they were just struggling.


    However, those struggling the most were the Zhou twins. As defense-type warriors, fighting such annoying and clingy monsters was outside their area of expertise.


    They had good defensive prowess, but theycked offensive capabilities. So, despite doing everything they could to hold on, the attacks from the spiders were just too much, especially with Tier 6 spidersing in.


    Thirty minutester, the number dropped from 149 to 40. us''s team lost the Zhou twins, Danny, Daniel, Scarlet, and Kay. Strangely, Ruby was holding on, albeit barely. The same went for Miguel, who just didn''t want to give in.


    Forty-five minutester, Miguel and Ruby also joined them.


    Then came the leader of the spiders¡ªa ratherrge, 16-legged spider with hide so thick that us''s Void Piercing Needle bounced off when it struck.


    It was a rather unusual and amusing thing, but in the end, us merged the four needles into one, forming a 64-inch thick needle that sent shivers down the spines of anyone who witnessed what us did to the Tier 7 Devil Spider.

 Chapter 308 Showdown At Sage Eye (1)

    In the end, Mark, Hanna, and Kilian couldn''t get past the Tier 7 grotesquely tough Devil Spider. Only us, Lily, Anna, and Omari managed to kill it.


    Surprisingly, Omari was a rather good swordsman¡ªactually, a great one. He defeated the Devil Spider by cutting off all 16 legs and delivering a lethal attack to its head, cutting it in half.


    Everyone who witnessed his battle with the spider was stunned. Some even apuded him. His finesse in handling the sword and how calm he appeared while fighting was truly eye-catching. He won himself some admirers after that disy.


    The next to disy simr finesse was Anna. Her battle was short due to a mistake made by the spider. Instead of using the trees, it stepped on the ground, which Anna had turned into water, making the soil muddy.


    The moment it stepped on it, the water solidified into ice, trapping the spider for a few seconds. Those few seconds were enough for her to summon dozens of sharp ice shards that pierced the spider''s rtively soft belly.


    It was both decisive and chilling, yet strangely alluring to many who witnessed it. Perhaps seeing a Tier 7 devil turned into a statue was enough to earn her apuse.


    Even those from the other regions apuded her.


    Then came Lily, the one who earned the nickname "One with the Wind." Her movement from the start of the battle to the end was silent. Her swings were also silent, but they were incredibly lethal.


    Those who witnessed her battle wondered just how a human at her level could move like that. She was silent and swift¡ªa lethalbination, to say the least.


    But they weren''t the only ones who got past the Tier 7 Devil Spider. The three Legacies also seeded. They all disyed prowess that left many stunned, especially Ethan, who harnessed lightning with great precision and finesse.


    He was like the god of lightning.


    Max was also lethal. It took him just 15 shots to kill the spider, and all of these shots urred within the span of 5 minutes.


    He went all out, just like everyone else. Well, E Duncan was rather unusual. Everyone watching saw that she was still holding back despite going against a Tier 7 devil. However, she struggled, which meant she hadn''t had it easy like us.


    They had all heard and seen what us was capable of, but only a few had witnessed him fight. So seeing him live like that was a shock to them.


    From the start of the battle to the end, his hands never left his back. Many spirit masters, especially inexperienced ones, use their hands to control the needles to reduce the stress on their minds and to add some force to the weapons. However, us merely used his mind to control the needles.


    In less than 10 seconds, the spider was riddled with countless holes. The Void Piercing Needle, after merging all 360 needles together, became thick and very pointed, so the spider stood no chance.


    The traitors us had killed broke into a cold sweat when they saw what he did to the spider. Subconsciously, they made a vow¡ªeven in a life-and-death situation, they would never betray theirrades again.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In the end, only four people survived from us''s team, ten from E''s team, and six from Lawrence''s team. us was the first to be transported outside of the Willow Forest. He appeared in front of a vast sea.


    Looking forward, he saw arge eye many kilometers out at sea. It was sorge that he could see it clearly from 42 kilometers away. However, a barrier separated him from the sea.


    A minuteter, Omari was also transported. He wasn''t shocked to see us there and quickly moved to stand beside him, gazing at the enormous eye.


    Soon, Alvaro, one of E''s lieutenants, appeared, followed by Anna and Ethan, along with another member of E''s team. Within four minutes, twenty people stood at the edge of the barrier.


    Four on us''s side, ten on E''s side, and six on Lawrence''s side.


    No one needed to be told what would happen next. But first, they had to know the details of the next trial, and as expected, Cephas''s voice filled the space.


    "Wee to thest phase of thepetition. Congrattions on making it this far. However, there is still one task left.


    "For thest trial, you must traverse the Sage Sea and ce your hand on the Sage Eye. Be aware that a Devil Sea Monster is guarding the eye. Good luck, and may the best person win."


    us turned to look at E, then at Lawrence, and smiled.


    "You don''t have to stand there; you can join her. I already knew you were a traitor. I never expected you to be a pathetic one."


    Lawrence''s face turned green as he heard us''s words. Indeed, he had been with E from the beginning but had never revealed himself like the seven us had executed. His job was to divide the Eastern Region team, and he had seeded.


    "I have to give it to you, E; you are very cunning. I really pity your future husband," us said, turning toward her with a smirk.


    E''s expression remained calm, but a flicker of annoyance crossed her face. us''s words were just too raw.


    "You think your words can get to me, us? I have heard worse"


    us chuckled lightly,


    "Oh, I''m sure you have. But it''s not about what I say. It''s about what you do next. You''ve managed to manipte everyone around you, but I wonder how long that willst once we hit the sea."


    "Oh, you won''t be getting the chance to take the next step, us. This is where you wash out," Ethan said from beside E. Lightning crackled around him.


    "And what power do you have to make that possible?" us asked.


    In response, the people around E began encircling him, Lawrence included. us watched as they created a circle around him and his team.


    However, instead of panicking, he held a small smile and turned to the three with him. "You guys can head out the moment the barrieres down. I will handle this first."


    "I can''t fly, us, so I will be sitting this one out. However, I would like to see how the top genius from the southern region handles his sword." Without even a moment''s thought, Omari lunged at a youngster also wielding a sword.


    us just smiled and turned to Lily and Anna. "Well,dies..."


    "You go handle those three idiots and their minions. I will handle Lawrence," Lily said before swinging her sword at Lawrence, taking him out of the equation.


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    Anna looked at a certain youngdy also holding a staff. Without saying anything, the ground beneath her gave in, and the youngdy sank into the earth. She died without even making a move.


    Then, like an ice princess, a blizzard of ice gushed out from the ground, encasing two more members of E''s side. Just like that, E''s team was five people short.


    us smiled and made a mental note to reward his two girlfriendster. He turned toward E, but before he could make a move, She spoke a spell...


    "Decipio Manus."

 Chapter 309 Showdown At Sage Eye (2)

    us, who was about to taunt E and her minions, suddenly felt his strength, stamina, and ess to his Star Qi drop by 70%. The drastic drop caught him by surprise, but instead of panicking, he felt strangely excited.


    Even if the entire 5000 who past the Triale against him, he has what it takes to kill them all. That is how powerful he is. The debuff may weaken an ordinary warrior but not him.


    "Hahaha¡­" us burst into a resoundingughter.


    E, expecting to see a frown or panic on us''s face, frowned instead as us burst intoughter.


    "What''s so funny? Your strength and Qi are down by 70% for the next 30 minutes, and you''re surrounded," E said, frowning.


    "What''s there to be concerned about? Even without my Qi, I could kill you all with my eyes closed," us replied, not even bothering to summon his sword or spear.


    "Attack..." Emanded, but before her minions could move, us raised a finger, halting them.


    "Just so we''re clear, are all of you choosing to side with E? I won''t attack if you step back now," us said, summoning his sword. His bloodlust was starting to surface. Strangely, the drop in his strength only made him feel more alive, more invigorated.


    After a few seconds, no one stepped back. us''s smile vanished, and in a cold tone, he spoke.


    "Since we''re all in agreement, don''t regret your decisionter," us said, turning as if facing a camera. "To those watching, I apologize for what you''re about to see."


    "Demon Killing Circle," us muttered, swinging his sword. Instantly, a red circle appeared around him and the eleven he was about to face.


    As the circle appeared, all eleven, E included, panicked. But when nothing seemed to happen, she smirked. "Wasted skill."


    "Wasted, yes, but it will prevent you eleven from logging out until I say so." Before any of them could process his words, us was upon his first target¡ªa spearman who froze in panic as us''s cold gaze met his.


    Moving quickly and without using any skill, us swung his sword, knocking the spear out of his opponent''s grip.


    Bang!


    An elbownded on the spearman''s face, sending him flying back. us didn''t stop there; he jumped, evading an attack from Max, andnded in water that immediately began eating away at his boots.


    "Tsk," us smirked, freezing the ground around him. Thanks to the water, he could do it without using much Ice Qi. E gritted her teeth, frustrated as she watched us effortlessly counter her attacks.


    Water against ice, really?


    us, unfazed, moved swiftly to his next target. Hended a kick, sending the opponent flying. Strangely, the spear that had fallen from the first opponent was now beside him.


    He nced at the spearman, whose weapon nowy at his feet. The guy''s nose was broken from the kick hended earlier, but the next attack was far more brutal.


    us kicked the blunt end of the spear, and before the spearman could even attempt to evade, his own weapon went through his head, splitting it in half.


    Gasps echoed across the battlefield and among those watching. They had all just witnessed us kill the spearman in a rather gory way. His head split in half¡ªa shockingly brutal disy. But us wasn''t done.


    He moved, evading a lightning strike from Ethan, who now seemed to be taking the fight seriously. Ethan was arrogant and initially saw us, stripped of 70% of his strength, as an easy target. But watching the spearman die was a wake-up call.


    Lightning filled the Killing Circle, sealing them in. For the next 15 minutes, nothing could enter or exit.


    Thanks to cultivating the [Soul Mending Pagoda], us''s soul has be very powerful now.


    Although he''d only cultivated the first two levels, it was enough to extend the Killing Circle''s duration to 15 minutes¡ªan improvement from the 5 minutes he could manage during his battle in the Demon''s Abode Forbidden Zone. This was a great boon for him, though bad news for his opponents.


    Max locked his gaze on us, using his [See True Dark Eyes] to calcte every possible move us could make to evade his shot.


    After picking his mark, he released the arrow, but just before it could pierce us''s chest, us shifted out of its path in an instant.


    The arrow moved, and before Max could shout at one of the mages with them, the arrow went through his shoulder. The mage staggered back, but just as he was about to fall, us appeared behind him, weapons at the ready. Experience more tales on empire


    The mage tried to defend himself with his staff-wielding arm, but before he could register what happened, his hand, along with the staff, was severed from his body.


    A chilling scream of pain shot through him.


    Under normal circumstances, this would be the moment to log out, as most Oracle users had set up an automatic exit option for such situations. Some didn''t want to experience the pain, so they made it so they could log out at thest moment.


    But today was different. The killing circle prevented him from leaving. The rules within the circle barred anyone, including us, from escaping unless they were dead.


    "Monster!" E shouted, waving her staff and sending a wave of water toward us.


    In response, his cold gaze unwavering, us stomped on the ground, freezing the water. With a swing of his sword, the ice shattered, sending shards flying at her.


    She raised her staff, summoning water as a defense. The shards struck the water melting away. us didn''t wait for her to counter. He had to take care of an annoying Spirit Master bug.


    The guy was hidden behind three others using his mind and sword to attack. A ratherughable fellow considering not even Sovereigns can prate us''s mind.


    But points to his determination though. He was doing quite well for a trapped puppy.


    However, when us attacked, their momentum was broken. He contemted using a soul or mental attack on the spirit master, but in the end, he decided against it¡ªthat would be letting him off too easy.


    Instead, usnded a punch to his chest and severed both legs, leaving him on the ground. His cries of pain filled the battlefield, causing the others, including E, to start panicking, their backs breaking into cold sweats.


    They now realized they had provoked a monster, and now they were paying for their foolishness. us moved through the battlefield, and for the next five minutes, he immobilized them one by one until only the three Legacies were left standing.


    Some lost their weapon-wielding arms, others their legs, but they all had one thing inmon: every single one had a broken nose. us spared none of them, male or female.


    "Monster! Can''t you even go easy on the females?" E growled, her frustration mounting over thest five minutes.


    Not only had us rendered her [Decipio Manus] spell useless, but he had also shown he didn''t need any fancy skills to take her down.


    The level of dominance us was disying was enough to traumatize her for weeks. The [Decipio Manus] was aplex spell, the kind only avable to the rich and powerful.


    Itsplexity and power had led her to expect it would hold us back long enough for her and her team to dismantle him. Instead, they had awakened a monster that knew no pain or sorrow. She had held that spell back for this moment, but s, it was all for nothing...


    The cries of the young warriors on the ground did nothing to faze him; if anything, his coldness only deepened.


    us watched E''s frustrated face and, in a chilling tone, replied, "I don''t discriminate, E. I''m an equal-opportunity ass-whooper."


    With that, eight 6-inch Void Piercing needles appeared, and the eight on the ground tensed. But before they could beg or even scream, the needles shed, piercing their bodies and sending them away in the most painful way.


    Turning to the three legacies, he smiled coldly and said, "Now, what to do with you three?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 310 Showdown At Sage Eye (3)

    All around¡ªwhether in the observation hall where the instructors were watching from, the test room where those who had washed out were also watching, or the various resting areas where others looked on¡ªeveryone was silent. An eerie hush fell over them as they witnessed us''s dominance and utter cruelty.


    "Isn''t he being a bit excessive?" one of the instructors remarked.


    "They had iting," Cephas replied, surprising everyone with hisck of sympathy for what us was dishing out to E and her team.


    "Oh? And why do you say that?" Instructor Simon asked.


    "Isn''t it obvious? These rich, entitled kids thought they could use their authority and wealth to suppress a ''nobody'' who suddenly took the world by storm. In my opinion, us isn''t even doing enough," Cephas answered.


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    "You think he''s going to toughen them up?" Instructor Simon continued.


    "Isn''t it obvious"


    "I don''t know if any of you have noticed, but us is holding back. The look in his eyes and the one he''s showing arepletely different. Honestly, someone who nearly died in an assassination attempt shouldn''t be provoked. These rich kids picked the wrong target this time, and it''s going to leave a mark on them."


    They all sighed, realizing us was doing this to send a message. Rivalries are supposed to foster growth among youngsters.


    But to assume that, just because you''re wealthy and hold authority, everyone else should bow to you¡ªthat''s just foolish and selfish. The three legacies had chosen a path that demanded everyone bow to them, but us was the wrong target this time.


    He gazed at the three legacies, who wanted nothing more than to log out of the Oracle. However, with the Demond killing circle overriding theirmands, they were stuck with him.


    "Here''s what I''m going to do to you three: over the next eight minutes, I''ll inflict the most agonizing pain imaginable before sending you all on your way. And believe me, if after today you three don''t change your ways, don''t me me when I cut your journey short¡ªfor good.


    Your titles and family mean nothing to me. If I want you dead, believe me, I''ll make it happen. So let this be a lesson."


    us executed a series of movement techniques as he closed in on Ethan, who was the only one capable of engaging him in closebat. us intended to take him out first, before going after Max and E supporting him from behind.


    "Lightning Burst!" Ethan channeled lightning into his spear and thrust it forward, sending a ball of lightning toward us.


    us shed forward, unleashing a wild arc of ice to meet the attack. Although his Qi was restricted by 70%, he could still use Moon sh. In fact, he could use all of his skills, but he simply didn''t want to go that far.


    The Moon sh alone was enough to handle them.


    The lightning ball split in half, exploding as bolts streaked across the battlefield. us stepped back, evading a water ropeunched by E to trap him. Just as hended, an arrow streaked past his ear, making him nce toward Max.


    A small smile appeared on his face as he moved again, shing with Ethan. In just a few exchanges, us smirked, and with a quick parry, struck Ethan''s knees.


    This forced Ethan to lower his body, which was exactly what us had anticipated. With a swift swing, his knee collided with Ethan''s face, sending him flying, blood streaming from his nose, his ears ringing with pain that even his mind was struggling to process.


    "Bastard!"


    E roared, casting a series of spells that began draining her energy. us merely smiled at her anger and frustration, slicing through her attacks as he closed in on Ethan, who was struggling to get back up.


    Bang!


    Before Ethan could rise to his feet, a kicknded on his ribs, breaking several of them. His scream, filled with pain and anger, echoed as us delivered a few more kicks before dodging Max''s arrow.


    "Life into water, water into life; Aqua Lion, summon!" E cast a spell, instantly paling as a 3-meter-tall lion made of water appeared and charged at us.


    Without even looking at it, us kicked Ethan''s fallen spear, guiding it with his mind to strike the lion''s head. The attacks collided, creating a brief stalemate before the spear pierced through, destroying the lion.


    E was stunned, but before she could gather her strength for another spell, pain shot through her bodying from her left shoulder. She hesitated to look, but due to the pain she was in, however, when she finally looked, her eyes rolled back in horror.


    "No, you''re not," us muttered,nding a kick to her face, and snapping her back to reality.


    Outside, everyone gasped as us kicked E''s face. They had assumed he''d go easier on her, but us seemed unfazed by gender, granting everyone the same ruthless treatment.


    Two arrows were aimed at us, but he parried them and then unleashed the Void Piercing Needle. Before Max realized what happened, his legs gave out¡ªthe needle had severed them at the knees, leaving countless punctures in its wake.


    His scream of agony filled the Demon Killing Circle. Yet, as if that wasn''t punishment enough, the Needle moved ahead, and within a minute, all three legaciesy on the ground, screaming, immobilized, their hands and feet rendered useless.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    us sighed looking rather bored. ''Maybe I should have yed with them for a few more minutes'' He thought.


    "Before I send you idiots on your way, there are some things you should know," us said standing over the immobilized Legacies.


    "First of all, I am better than you; I will always be better than you, so get used to it. Second, the next time you think about using your titles and family name to intimidate or suppress anyone, remember today and ask yourself, ''Would it be worth it?''"


    "You three might think that just because you''re wealthier, you can intimidate others. Honestly, I don''t entirely me you three. You probably had a poor upbringing. It tends to mess people up when their parents are useless."


    He paused, looking at them with an icy stare. "I''ll only say it onest time: there won''t be a next time."


    With a flick, a small me appeared in his hand.


    "Do well to remember the pain," he muttered coldly, then threw the me, setting the three aze.


    The mes quickly engulfed the three legacies, their screams piercing the silent battlefield as they struggled in vain against the searing heat.


    us watched with an unyielding expression, his gaze cold and unwavering, as if he were a judge overseeing an execution.


    The other spectators currently us on the battlefield, to the instructors then the young warriors watching, and those who had washed out of the trials, stared in shock, some in awe, others in horror.


    No one dared to speak, as if the weight of us''s presence and his merciless actions had cast a spell of silence over everyone watching.


    Shortly after, the three legacies were burned to a crisp.


    After the battlefield was cleared, us turned to those remaining¡ªAnna, Lily, and Omari. They seemed to have dealt with their targets and stood in fear as they gazed at him.


    Although Anna and Lily tried to suppress their feelings, us could see in their eyes and expressions that they were scared of him.


    ''Maybe I''ve gone too far. But it was necessary...'' he thought with a sigh.


    "I''ll be going, then." In the end, he didn''t want to say anything more to them.


    With E out of the picture, his qi and strength had been restored. So with a thought, the Ice lotus appeared, and the absolute domain activated; soon, the water started to freeze.


    He cast a sidelong nce at Anna and Lily before stepping onto the frozen water. Soon, he crossed many kilometers, moving closer to the Sage Eye.


    Just when he was a few meters from it, a powerful presence stirred beneath the water.

 Chapter 311 Maw of the Abyss

    The waves swayed, raising the water high into the air. us halted his advance and waited for the abomination hiding within the depths to make its appearance.


    He could sense it¡ªvery strong, veryrge¡ªand from the waves alone, he knew he was about to have a good fight.


    He was excited.


    The waters sshed, sending a shockwave that sted the ice coating the water. us was pushed back, but fortunately, he remained within the confines of the Ice Lotus.


    He stood his ground¡ªwell, more like he stood on his ice¡ªas he watched the colossal abomination emerge from beneath the surface.


    The first thing he noticed was the rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth lining the colossal maw of the crocodile''s head. There were countless teeth, intimidating to behold.


    us observed the crocodile''s head and frowned.


    ''It''s rising,'' he thought inwardly.


    The crocodile''s head began to rise above the raging surface of the water. Its colossal green neck followed, matching the head in size.


    Then a muscr frame appeared. The front legs that were supposed to allow it to crawl had transformed into hands, now ending in razor-sharp ws. It rose to waist level, and its roar sent torrents of waves crashing from its maw.


    "Maw of the Abyss," us muttered, frowning. His mind was instantly reinforced by the [Sage Mind] and [Unbreakable Min] techniques.


    He had fought this monster before, back in the Tormented World. He and Yuying had one time gone to kill a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox so Yuying could steal her bloodline.


    One of its guards had been a Maw of the Abyss. It was a demon back then, very powerful. However, he was also a Saint at that time, so the battle had been a quick and decisive one. Now, he is a mere Master stage expert


    If the monster before him was anything like the one he had fought before, he knew he was in trouble. That time, he had Yuying by his side.


    "Damn it¡­" us cursed, putting away his sword as a spear appeared in his hand.


    "No Annihtion Ice this time; gotta do it the old-fashioned way," he thought, his grip tightening on the two-meter spear.


    The monster rose higher, its massive waist now visible above the surface. At 2.5 meters tall, it was enormous, imposing, and undeniably threatening. us knew that well.


    When he fought it with Yuying, she had warned him that mind attacks were off-limits. The creature possessed a formidable mind and a berserker ability that activated if its mind was attacked. Using his Eye of Malevolence would be too risky, as even a mere gaze could provoke its mind.


    ''I don''t the lightning element just yet'' us muttered.


    He recalled Yuying had told him that lightning was one of its weaknesses. us would have to rely on the two elements he currently wielded: ice and fire. Discover hidden tales at empire


    ''I could just summon the dragon and finish this in a few strikes,'' he pondered, but then he noticed something that made him smile.


    "I will kill it with a single strike," us dered.


    His voice carried, cutting through the sea''s roar and the monster''s deafening roars, which served as a mental attack or to many, mental torture.


    ording to Yuying, its tongue contained an amplifier that intensified its roars, making it nearly impossible to hear anything else. One could get mad from hearing those roars and howls.


    us''s statement echoed across the battlefield. Thousands of young warriors and instructors watching heard him. Even E, Ethan, and Max, who had woken from Oracle with beaten expressions, caught his words.


    "I feel like we''re missing out on something¡­ maybe we should log out," Omari said. The two women beside him on the shore, still shaken by us''s disy just a few minutes ago, nodded. They haven''t exited the trial yet.


    A secondter, they exited Oracle and began watching therge screen, showing us facing the colossal monster. They remembered hearing its roar from 40 kilometers away while in Oracle.


    us made his move¡ªa ssic one.


    The monster had incredibly tough skin¡ªtough enough for the Void Piercing Needle to pierce, but it would require a strong mental push, which us preferred to avoid. So, he turned to his only move, knowing he didn''t yet have the lightning element.


    He spun the spear, coating it in ice, and hurled it into the air. The monster roared, opening its massive maw and unleashing torrents of shockwaves. But us was right on cue.


    Riding the shockwave, he leaped high into the air, cracking the ice beneath him. Then, with a powerful kick, he struck the blunt end of the spear, sending it flying with its pointed tip aimed directly at the monster.


    Its mouth was wide open, and in an instant, the spear pierced through. Just like that, us had killed the monster with a single attack. It fell backward, sshing into the sea and raising waves everywhere.


    He had put a lot into that kick, so by the time the monster registered the attack, it was already toote.


    "It actually worked," us sighed, gazing at the 5-meter body of the in beast. It was considerably taller from the waist up than below.


    Moving past it, us approached the Sage Eye and ced his hand on it. The moment his hand touched it, Cephas spoke.


    "Congrattions, Disciple us, you have emerged as the winner of this year''s Genius Gatheringpetition."


    us nodded, and then his vision darkened. The next second, he was back in the gaming chair, everyone staring at him.


    Awe, shock, anger¡ªand most of all, hatred¡ªfilled their eyes, though there were a few concerned looks from Hanna, Anna, and Lily.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    us sighed. "I''m okay," he said, not wanting to get into things yet.


    He''d already sensed the gaze of three people watching him from the other room. Only a ss wall separated them, but he could feel their killing intent aimed squarely at him.


    Clearly, E, Ethan, and Max hadn''t learned their lessons yet; they wanted more. us was fine with that. Killing them now would solve a lot of future problems.


    "Everyone, gather around!" Cephas''s voice suddenly cut through the crowd, granting the three Legacies another day to live. They could die tomorrow if they want.


    us''s mind wasn''t in the best ce right now; he needed to meditate.


    If not for the Mad Berserker Red Tiger Core, he wouldn''t have botheredpeting in this trial.


    Of course, he could have gone hunting for it himself, but that would''ve been a waste, so he decided to kill two birds with one stone.


    Cephas addressed the group, and five minutester, a case containing the core was handed to us under the jealous gaze of many. As for the other rewards, everyone would receive them the next day, which was also the final day.


    The trial had ended faster than most expected. us left with his friends, and soon he was back in his room, where he immediately entered a meditative state. For the next few hours, no one disturbed him.


    When night came, however, Anna and Lily entered his room. us was still meditating, so they didn''t interrupt. Three hourster, he opened his eyes.


    It was time for some apologies and damage control.

 Chapter 312 Having The Talk

    As us woke up from his meditation, he was greeted by the concerned faces of Anna and Lily. They gazed at him with sadness, a sight that made him curse his bloodthirsty side for going too far.


    He had indeed crossed a line in his battle with the three Legacies. He could have killed them quickly and been done with it, but us wanted to show them¡ªand everyone watching¡ªthat he wasn''t someone to be messed with. The message had been sent, loud and clear.


    Yet, in doing so, he had caused his friends and lovers to be wary of him. Well, everyone except Hanna, who, for some reason, seemed pleased with how he''d handled those brats.


    He''d find out whyter.


    For now, his focus was on the twodies in front of him. They looked sad, on edge, and strangely afraid of him, even though they were trying to hide it.


    "Come here," us said, motioning for them toe closer.


    They hesitated for a moment, then moved closer and fell into his arms¡ªa familiar gesture, though filled with an unusual concern. When it came toforting him, they seemed to offer no resistance.


    us nced at Anna on his right and Lily on his left and sighed.


    "Youdies shouldn''t worry too much. I''m still the us you know," he said.


    "We know that," Lily replied first. "It''s just¡­we''ve never seen you like that before. It was scary, you know¡ªseeing you so emotionless and cruel." Her cheeks flushed a little as she spoke.


    "Cruel¡­ that''s a first," us murmured with a sigh. Perhaps learning more about his past had its downsides, especially in how it affected others. But he knew it was necessary¡ªfor the person he has to be.


    As a Paragon, he must face the cruelty of the heavens. If he doesn''t be one himself, there''s no way he will make it to the top.


    Just as he has ensured his growth in every reincarnation would go smoothly, the heavens have also been working in the background to guarantee his progress doesn''t go unimpeded. Even if he wanted to be a goody-two-shoes for the rest of his life, the heavens wouldn''t allow it.


    Cruelty is the path, and he has just begun to manifest that Paragon aura¡ªthe kind that shows he is different from others.


    "I don''t know about cruelty, Lily, but I do know that if I did nothing, those three idiots would never stop getting in my way. I know I went too far, but do I regret it? Hell, no.


    I am a different person; I am not like everyone else. So if you two want to be with me as much as I want to be with you, then you''ll have to ept me as I am."


    us said without a shred of mercy in his words. He considered using softer words to calm them down but knew this issue woulde up again soon enough. Better to make them ept reality now and move on.


    As expected, the twodies turned pale, but us didn''t care. They were still too na?ve for the world they lived in.


    ''I should change that soon, or they''ll be a burden to humanity,'' he sighed.


    He let them have a moment. They needed time to process that the conversation they came for was far more intense than they''d anticipated. After a while, he felt a soft touch on his chest. He looked down and saw Anna gazing back at him.


    "us, we don''t hate you. I hope you know that, right?" she asked.


    "I know, yes."


    "Then you should know we wouldn''t leave you, no matter what you are or who you turn out to be. We love you very much, and the idea of walking away just because we can''t ept all of you is something we would never consider," she added, her mood lightening a bit.


    us nodded, thinking it would take them a while to fullye to terms with him. But he was wrong¡ªAnna''s next words made his eyes widen.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We want you to turn us into you. We want to be as ruthless as you."


    "Wait, what?" us was stunned. He had expected them to say something like, "We ept you for who you are and don''t want to be apart from you." Instead, they wanted to be more like him.


    That was thest thing he expected. But did he hate the idea? Definitely not. This was something he''d actually wanted. If the people around him were too soft, it would only bring him unnecessary trouble.


    us studied Anna''s face, looking for any hint of hesitation, but there was none. Her resolve was clear, and he felt an unexpected surge of admiration. Lily, sitting on his left, nodded firmly, echoing Anna''s determination.


    "So, you''re both serious about this?" us asked.


    Anna met his gaze without flinching. us could see the determination in those eyes and for some reason, a certain Ice Princess shed through his thoughts.


    "Yes, us. We don''t want to be left behind or be weaknesses you have to protect. We want to stand beside you, not just as bystanders but as equals who understand your world."


    Lily added, "We''ve seen enough to know what we''re asking for. But if it means we can be a true part of your life¡ªno matter how dark or dangerous¡ªthen it''s a price we''re willing to pay."


    us took a deep breath, feeling a sense of satisfaction he hadn''t anticipated. There was something freeing about knowing they wanted to share in his burdens, to face what he faced.


    Yet, he knew the transformation they sought wouldn''t be easy. It would demand everything from them¡ªtheir innocence, their beliefs, maybe even their own identities.


    They were raised to believe that a warrior is meant to fight monsters, but they didn''t realize that some of these monsters are their fellow humans. In fact, many of them are even viler than real monsters.


    "Alright," he finally said. "But just so you both know, I won''t go easy on you just because you''re my lover, so be prepared."


    The two nodded, cheeks flushed pink. us leaned in and kissed both of them, deepening their blushes. He watched them with an amused expression.


    A whileter, us felt two hands brushing across his chest. The two beauties now wore flustered expressions instead of the concerned looks they''d arrived with. us, of course, knew what they wanted, so being a good guy, he gave them what they sought.


    After all, they were his women, and though they hadn''t crossed the next line yet, that didn''t mean they couldn''t do some other things.


    It was only a few minutes, but us made sure they both enjoyed it very much. In the end, the three of them fell asleep half-dressed, stirring only a few hourster. When he woke up, Lily and Anna were gone. He washed up and went to meet them and his other friends¡ªit was theirst day before heading back, after all.

 Chapter 313 Last Day at Sinji Valley

    After heading out, us met up with his friends, who had decided to go out and have some fun. The Valley had many great spots for entertainment.


    Strangely, us noticed that his male friends didn''t seem shaken at all; they appeared fine, which made him suspect that Lily and Anna had done some damage control while he was asleep.


    The next few hours were spent enjoying all kinds of activities. Later, they decided to visit a particr restaurant for dinner before heading back.


    While they were eating, Miguel and Omari arrived along with the Zhou twins, and Scarlet and Ruby. us was, of course, very happy to see them, his best friend Miguel was there after all. Of course, he chose not to tease him today.


    He was quite surprised when Miguel and Omari chose to side with him during Lawrence''s scheme to split their team. As for the Zhou twins, he held no grudge against them, so their presence was normal, simr to Ruby and Scarlet.


    But Omari and Miguel were a different story. He and them don''t see eye to eye, so us was surprised when they choose to support him. For some reason, he felt happy about their decision, so he decided to give them something.


    "Miguel, my friend," us said with a grin.


    "Don''t start, us. I didn''te here to fight," Miguel cut in before us could throw in a few teases. us smiled and asked,


    "Then what brings you here?"


    "I was wondering if you could give me¡ªus¡ªess to the Endless Trial for the next three weeks. You can take it back after the Union Trial," Miguel said.


    It seemed he and the others hade to an agreement and wanted to ask for something. After all, they had sided with him, and the least he could do was give them something in return.


    "Done." us didn''t even bat an eye. Miguel and the others raised their eyebrows at how casually he epted their proposal.


    "Do you want to join us?" us asked.


    "I feel like you all should be with us." Before they could protest, us and his friends made way for them to sit. Although some of them were his rivals, us didn''t care; he had bigger fish to fry.


    They spent the next few minutes eating and chatting about random topics, most of which revolved around the legacies. us was surprised by some of the things he heard about the three legacies, but in the end, he didn''t care. If they didn''t want peace, then us would ensure they never had it.


    After dinner, they each went their separate ways. Kilian, however, decided to stay behind and have a few more "talks" with Scarlet, who had never taken her eyes off the me swordsman throughout their meal.


    The next day, they left and headed back to Stone Valley, where each would be departing for their various homes. On the way, us addressed his friends.


    "The Union Trial is just a few weeks away. Initially, I wanted us to go to a Tier 4 forbidden zone so you could all have a much steeper training regimen, but something came up, so I have to make some changes."


    He wanted them to train alongside Miriam, but that was when he was trying to calm down before due to his bloodlust. Now that he has the core, he doesn''t need to wait a few more weeks to attempt awakening the ughter Aura.


    This also meant he would have to go into seclusion for the next few weeks.


    "But don''t worry, I''ve made some arrangements in Oracle. Each of you will have a training region where you''ll spend the next three weeks training. Miriam will oversee your progress.


    "So, the moment you go, make sure to get your affairs in order and enter Oracle for your training. After the Union Trial, which I know you all will pass, we''ll go for some real-world training. Also, take this and make sure to put them to good use."


    us handed each of them a scroll containing a single skill. He intended to use these techniques as a way to evaluate their progress, after which he could provide them with the Martial techniques and cultivation techniques he had in mind for them.


    After going through the second memory of his past as Fruity, us now had hundreds of techniques he could use and even share with those he wanted.


    The first set of skills he obtained from the Soul Temple was meant for saints and above, so he hadn''t given any of them to his friends. Only a few could be used by them, but they weren''t suited to their skill sets, so he refrained from wasting their time.


    Now, however, thanks to Yuying, he had a plethora of techniques and spells he could offer his friends¡ªtechniques that could turn them into powerhouses.


    But first, he wanted to see how they performed with some of the basic skills and techniques he had. Once he evaluated their performance, he would provide each of them with cultivation techniques and a super-powerful martial technique.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After all, he possessed some of the most powerful techniques in existence, and he nned to master them gradually. Giving away a few wouldn''t hurt him in any way.


    His friends looked at the content of the techniques with widened eyes.


    ''As expected, even the basic ones are several times more powerful in their eyes,'' us smiled.


    "Great, this is amazing! I can finally use my hammer well," Daniel said with a grin. us had given him a skill that allowed him to triple the size of his hammer and make it ten times heavier.


    Of course, the hammer would feel the same weight in Daniel''s hands, but the one on the receiving end would feel the increased heft much more.


    Danny also received a simr technique, but with a slight modification: his axe would gain an extra sharpness when used.


    Kilian received a sword skill called [Cloning Sword Strike]. Whenever he used this technique, he would create two copies of himself¡ªtwo clones alongside the real him¡ªallowing him to shift between them.


    This would enable him tond a blow from three different angles. However, it required nimbleness, so his next few weeks would be focused on training his agility and flexibility.


    Lily received a simr skill, but hers would only create copies of her wind arcs. Just like Kilian''s technique, each arc could be the right one¡ªa very dangerous skill if used correctly.


    Kay received an arrow-molding skill called [Lion''s Roar Piercer]. When used, the arrow fired would transform into a lion''s head with a meter-long pointed horn that could bypass 30% of the target''s defense.


    As for his friend Mark, who wielded a spear, he received a summoning-type skill. When activated, his spear would vanish and then reappear, granting him a 20% enhancement in speed and a new spear¡ªan upgraded version that could bypass 40% of the target''s defense.


    He could use this skill for as long as he had stamina and Qi. But it drained a lot of stamina, so he would need to focus on that before the Union Trial.


    Hanna received an arrow-making skill called [Exploding Bolt Piercer]. When activated, the arrowhead would be coated with lightning. Upon impact, it would pierce the target and then explode, creating a field of electricity around those nearby.


    This of course would render them dizzy for a few seconds, and any good archer could make great use of those brief moments. Additionally, the arrow would gain a 20% enhancement in speed, making it even more deadly.


    us noticed the look on Anna''s face when E summoned the Water Lion, so he decided to give her a summoning spell for her ice element along with a control skill for the water element.


    An ice rhino would surely create chaos on the battlefield.


    A dayter, they all returned to their respective homes, ready to get down to business.


    Meanwhile, us had a surprise of his own¡ªhis uncles had finally returned.

 Chapter 314 Five Mad Uncles

    A week after the assassination attempt on us, his uncles went rogue and, for two solid weeks, they caused mayhem among those speaking ill of us.


    It was known that had it not been for us showing up when he did during the Arcadian Mine Invasion, the city would have suffered much greater losses.


    Many lives would have been lost¡ªthere was no doubt about it.


    So frustrated by their failure to save him in time and their inability to locate the dark order, his five uncles directed their anger toward his critics.


    Back then, many people panicked at the sheer brutality they unleashed. An entire mercenary team was wiped out simply because one of them said us got what he deserved.


    Panic escted when they killed a sage¡ªor, more precisely when Uncle Ziggy killed a sage who wasn''t even on the battlefield but was spouting all kinds of nonsense after the battle was over.


    That incident caused widespread chaos. This led the Great Family, to which the sage belonged, to send twenty-four more Saints and two sages to hunt them down.


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    None returned.


    It was a great loss on their part but also a wake-up call to many, showing that us''s uncles, like us himself, were no ordinary warriors. If a sage could be killed with a single lightning bullet, what did that tell them?


    They called on the War Goddess to intervene, but she was grieving back then so she paid no heed to their cries¡ªnot that she cared in the first ce.


    If it were up to her, every human would simply die so she could have peace of mind. Her hatred for humanity ran deep.


    However, two weeks before us woke up, the five uncles vanished and were never seen again. After us regained consciousness, he searched for them for a few days, but finding no trace, he decided to stop.


    He knew his uncles were abnormally strong; no one except perhaps sovereigns or Transcendents could pose a threat to them.


    However, after us and his sister returned from the genius gathering, he received news that his uncles were back. Without even changing his clothes, he rushed over to the tattoo parlor to meet them.


    "Kiddo, d to see you''re doing well," Uncle Xian said, patting him heavily on the shoulder. "Last time we saw you, you were dead," he added with a cheerful grin.


    "Thest time I saw you all, you were Saints. When did you be Sages?" us responded, his expression shocked.


    He was stunned upon arriving at the tattoo shop and finding that his uncles were now Sages. Thest time he''d seen them, they were Saints.


    Scratch that¡ªeven the first time he met them, they were Grandmasters. Then, just a few monthster, they became Saints, and now they were Sages. All this in less than a year. That wasn''t how cultivation typically worked, even for prodigies.


    "Brat, what are you trying to say? Don''t you think we''ve got the talent to be Sages?" Uncle Ziggy asked, a yful smile on his lips. The other uncles wore the same grin.


    "No, no, I didn''t mean it that way. It''s just shocking to see you all became Sages in less than a year after attaining Sainthood."


    To rise to the Sage stage, one must first saturate their Star Core. This can be achieved through manual cultivation, using a cultivation technique to absorb the qi in the air. It''s a rather slow process, so most people skip it.


    The next method is by absorbing resources rich in Spiritual qi; Mountain Dew is a typical example. This ismon among the wealthy, but then again, a good warrior is usually wealthy. Selling monster bodies and cores is certainly a way to generate considerable ie.


    If neither of these methods is applied, then there''s the old-fashioned way: hunting and killing. The more you kill, the more experience points you earn. Absorbing monster cores is also a fast way to level up, so most people hunt to speed up their progress.


    However, advancing from the Saint stage to the Sage stage typically takes at least six months for the hardworking and a full year for those who take it slow.


    Then there''s the tribtion they must prepare for. It''s no exaggeration to say even prodigies need time for that.


    For his uncles to move from Saint to Sage in under four months was just too wild. us simply couldn''t believe it.


    "We worked hard, kiddo," Uncle Xian said. "By the way, what have you been up totely?" he asked.


    us sighed, noting their change of topic. He decided to let it go; after all, he was a simr case. If it weren''t for the academy trials holding him back, he would have long attained Sainthood. His experience-point farming was hundreds of times faster than most.


    "Just hunting the bastards who tried to kill me," us shrugged. "Actually, I''ve killed quite a few already and am now nning to kidnap a Sovereign Assassin, so you know, the usual."


    This time, it was his uncles who were shocked. They had spent a great deal of time hunting the Dark Order but hade up empty, while us, a mere master stage expert, had already killed a few.


    Some might have called his bluff, but they knew he wasn''t bluffing. So, how did he do it?


    "How did you do it?" Uncle Jojo asked.


    us smiled and replied, "One of them came after me after I woke up, and, well, I got to him first and managed to break him. From there, I just followed the trail."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Don''t tell me you''re responsible for the disappearances of assassins in this region," Uncle Jojo asked, looking both skeptical and curious.


    "Let''s forget about those losers," us said with a smile. "The more important question is, where have you all been for the past few months? I''ve heard some things about your rampage."


    The five uncles just looked at him and smiled back. Clearly, their little brat had more revenge in him than they did¡ªsomething that brought them great joy.


    They seemed to relish it when us killed his enemies.


    Anyway, us spent the next few hours learning more about what they''d been up to over thest few months.


    It turned out that after their rampage across the eastern region and failing to locate the Dark Order, they had left for a Tier 6 Forbidden Zone somewhere in the Equatorial Union, previously known as Africa.


    They had spent thest few weeks there, hunting and absorbing the cores of the monsters they killed. From the way they described it, they caused quite a bit of chaos in that zone.


    After breaking through, they headed somewhere else they didn''t mention, but from the look on their faces, us could tell it was a dangerous ce they didn''t want him going anytime soon. He didn''t press them.


    When he asked how they managed to remain unnoticed even though many were looking for them.


    Uncle Mark activated a tattoo on his arm that transformed him into apletely different person. us immediately thought of his own tattoo, but since he didn''t fully understand how it worked, he held back from asking further questions.


    They gave him a few Devil cores, and, after making him promise to invite them when he went after the Sovereign, he left. The next day, he entered seclusion.


    It was time for him to awaken the ughter Aura.

 Chapter 315 Aura Of Slaughter

    After nearly destroying his house, us decided to buy a much bigger one. This time, he made sure some of the training rooms were far sturdier than the previous one. He didn''t want it crumbling the next time he unleashed a powerful energy.


    Today was one of those days. After returning from his five uncles, us decided to enter seclusion to awaken his ughter Aura.


    As he entered the training room, he sealed the door and made sure his family knew not to disturb him until he came out.


    He retrieved the Mad Berserker Red Tiger Core, and immediately, a bloodthirsty aura filled the room, making us''s blood boil.


    "This is one dangerous core. I wonder how powerful the monster this came from was," us muttered.


    "Don''t even think about it. With your current strength, it would crush you with just its aura," the senior said, his tone slightly amused, as if he''d just heard the joke of the century.


    "Have some confidence in me, Senior. I''m much more powerful now, you know," us replied with a smile.


    "Go ahead and absorb it. The longer it''s exposed, the more energy is wasted. I won''t continue toment once you begin, as this is a significant moment for you, and my remarks would only bring you more harm than good. So do your best not to get overwhelmed." The senior paused and then continued


    "That would be bad."


    us sighed and began absorbing the core. As soon as the first strand of bloodthirsty energy entered his body, the Seal of ughter within his soul sea trembled, releasing a dense bloodthirsty energy that immediately filled one portion of his soul sea.


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    On the other side, the Pentaface bead also started spinning, and the golden Star energy beneath it began to circte.


    us immediately felt his body bing overwhelmed with the urge for ughter. He could sense it in every fiber of his being, each inch screaming for bloodshed. Slowly, he began to be overtaken by the influence.


    ''This is a bit different from when I awakened it in the Tormented World,'' us thought to himself.


    ''But exciting, isn''t it?'' us said, then he froze, his eyes widening. The tone he''d spoken in was cold, sinister¡ªunsettling just to hear.


    ''I didn''t say that,'' he thought, a sudden fear gripping him. He didn''t know why, but hearing that voice¡ªan exact copy of his own¡ªterrified him with its icy undertone.


    "Chill, bro, Ie in peace." us''s eyes widened again, and then he blinked.


    The moment blinked, his gaze met the person who spoke. There he was¡ªa carbon copy of himself sitting right across from him.


    Silver-red hair, a perfectly chiseled face, an athletic build, neatly dressed, and with a familiar but unnervingly dark set of red eyes.


    ''Why is it always the eyes?" us thought, though still on edge.


    "The joke''s on you," the other him said with a smirk. "I fancy thedies already swooning over those golden eyes."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Not my fault you have ugly ones," us sighed. Yet again, he was visited by someone¡ªwell, by himself, his past self, uninvited. And he could read his thoughts, which wasn''t his first rodeo.


    The two stared into each other''s eyes for a full minute¡ªa rather awkward moment. Two people, the same person, looking at himself. A very awkward moment indeed.


    us sighed.


    "Who might you be? It would be helpful if you told me your name." us wasn''t happy about the whole situation, but he knew he needed it. He didn''t need a genius to tell him that the one responsible for subduing the Eye of Malevolence was the same person sitting in front of him.


    It was himself from one of his past incarnations¡ªthe third, to be precise, since Fruity was the fourth.


    ''Why am I scared of him?'' us thought. ''He is me, and I am him, so why am I scared?''


    "Chill, bruh. For now, you can just call me Number Three. As for why I''m here¡ªyou needed me, dummy. Without me, you would''ve exploded by now."


    us''s heartbeat slowed for a moment when he heard that.


    "What do you mean? I was just absorbing the core to awaken the Aura of ughter. I''ve done it before," us said.


    "Was the Seal of ughter and the Demon Bead present back then?" Number Three asked in a sarcastic tone. us, in a moment of rity, widened his eyes, his golden gaze gleaming.


    "Fuck, those eyes are immacte," Number Three said, peering closely at us''s eyes.


    "Dude, that''s weird," us said with a frown moving his face away from Number Three.


    "What do I have to do?" he asked.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know?" he said, forming a small orb in his hands. The moment us saw it, his frown deepened¡ªhe knew exactly what the orb was for.


    When he first met Fruity, it had been a cup of tea; now, it was an orb¡ªa sinister-looking red orb, the kind that held nothing good. He knew himself well enough to sense that nothing good woulde from the face staring back at him.


    "Chill, bruh. The current you is just too weak to know anything about me. You haven''t even opened the Demon Bead yet. Do you really think you''re ready to know anything about me?"


    us sighed, a small smile ying on his lips. He had dodged a bullet. The memories he already had were more than he could handle, so he truly wasn''t ready for any new ones. However, his relief soon vanished when something else echoed in his mind. Something Number Three just said.


    "What do you mean by not being able to open the Demon Bead?" us asked. "And more importantly, why are you calling the Pentaface Bead a Demon Bead?"


    Number Three sighed, then, without saying anything, pressed the orb against us''s forehead, their faces just inches apart.


    "You are still too soft, careful, and weak." Number Three didn''t say anything else; he simply flicked us''s forehead gently, sending him out of the realm he had just entered.


    Immediately, he was back, he found himself drawn into a thick red and golden mist. The entire training room reeks of bloodlust.


    He sighed then as if knowing what to do, he formed a series of hand seals. The orb Number Three pressed against his forehead contained what he needed to safely awaken the ughter Aura.


    A purple runic diagram appeared on the floor. At once, the golden and red mist began to swirl around him. In just a few moments, it formed an egg-shaped cocoon around him. Just like that, us was encased in a golden-red cocoon.


    A day passed, yet he remained in the cocoon, unchanged. The purple diagram was still active absorbing the natural energy in the air and feeding it to the cocoon.


    Inside his soul sea though, the golden energy beneath the Pentaface bead was still circting, releasing waves of potent energy that seemed to affect the first door.


    The energy seems to be affecting it. It began to open, though it was almost inconceivable due to how slow it was opening.


    Two days passed, and us was still inside the cocoon. However, within his soul sea, the door had opened slightly, revealing only a couple of inches of space inside. Looking closely, one could see arge red star in the distance.


    The third, fourth, and fifth days passed, but nothing changed aside from the door slowly opening and the red star bing more pronounced. The golden energy remained the same as before; it hadn''t receded by even an inch.


    On the sixth day, strange markings began to appear on the cocoon. By the seventh day, the cocoon started exuding a chaotic mix of bloodthirsty and sharp auras.


    By the eighth day, more markings appeared on the cocoon, and the aura emitting from it became more potent. The entire training room was filled with this powerful energy.


    A few more days passed until the fifteenth day when something strange happened in us''s soul sea.

 Chapter 316 Soul Weapon Awakening

    Inside us''s soul sea, the golden energy beneath the Pentaface Bead started to surge, a stark contrast to the gentle cirction from a few days ago.


    us remained immobile inside the cocoon, with no sign of awakening. Days went by, and the situation in his soul sea continued to change.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    On the fifteenth day, however, something remarkable happened. Suddenly, out of nowhere, us''s sword¡ªthe one left behind by his father¡ªappeared in his soul sea. The moment it manifested, the door that was halfway opened suddenly widened.


    Then, from within the door, the red star shed, and a wave of powerful energy surged through the door, pouring into the soul sea. The sword vibrated for a brief moment before shooting through the door, heading straight for the star.


    The moment it passed through the door, it shut behind it, bringing a sudden calm to the soul sea. The Seal of ughter settled, ceasing to release the red energy, and the golden energy also calmed.


    But this tranquilitysted only a few days.


    On the twenty-first day, the door swung open again, unleashing a sudden wave of terrifying energy that instantly enveloped the entire soul sea.


    Roar!


    A terrifying roar suddenly erupted from the Pentaface Bead. Afterward, it began to glow with a dark gold hue. At once, the energy pouring from the door started to be absorbed by the bead. This continued for a full twelve hours before it finally calmed down.


    By the end of the 14 hours, the beadpletely drained the energy that came from the door. The only thing left was the sword¡ªthe same sword that had entered us''s soul sea. It now features a dark red de adorned with intricate markings.


    It looked sharp, its edge capable of cutting through the toughest defenses. The hilt remainedfortable, but at the tang¡ªthe joint where the de connects with the hilt¡ªthere was now a golden gemstone shaped like a star embedded in.


    Then the star glowed, and the golden energy beneath the Pentaface Bead surged toward it. For twelve hours, the star absorbed a great deal of energy before it suddenly vanished from the soul sea. When it next appeared, it hovered before the golden-red cocoon on the outside.


    Crack.


    A few minutes after the sword appeared, a crack suddenly appeared in the cocoon. The moment it did, a potent energy seeped out and began entering the star gem embedded in the sword.


    Another crack appeared, releasing even more potent energy. Soon, many cracks formed, and then the firstyer fell away, revealing pure white hair flowing behind an incredibly handsome young man, his eyes closed.


    The sword hummed, and theyer of the cocoon that fell vaporized, absorbing into it. The otheryers soon followed suit.


    us was left seated with allyers of the cocoon now absorbed by the sword.


    A dayter he opened his eyes.


    Deep red eyes snapped open, apanied by a burst of bloodthirsty aura¡ªthe kind that carried the will of death.


    It spread through the training hall, even reaching beyond it and enveloping the entire training building. All the grasses around the training building immediately lost their color as the aura swept over them.


    Fortunately, there was nobody around; otherwise, they would have copsed from sheer terror contained within the aura. The aura continued to emanate from us for a few minutes before it finally calmed down.


    He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they had returned to their usual golden hue. An hourter, not a trace of the aura remained around him.


    His gaze then shifted to the sword hovering before him and smiled. "Looks like Dad has a few things to tell me once I find him."


    us immediately recognized the sword, its true name, and its nature. He could feel a bond now formed between them. Everything about the sword is now in his mind.


    "Celestial Requiem... A good name," us muttered with a smile. The sword seemed to respond to its name. It shrank and entered his forehead. A sword tattoo appeared for a few seconds before disappearing again.


    He took out his phone and looked at the time and date. "Ten more days to go." He put the phone away and closed his eyes again.


    In the next moment, he was back inside his soul sea, a shocked expression on his face.


    The soul sea had berger, and now, instead of nine closed doors, one was open. From within that door, us could feel a powerful energy emanating. The red star was now far back only showing as a small red dot.


    The Seal of ughter had also grown, filling arger portion of the sea. As for the Eye of Malevolence, some changes had started to appear. us could tell that these changes would soon be more pronounced.


    However, what shocked him even more was the Pentaface Bead; it had undergone whatever upgrade it was undergoing. The runes around it were no more. Just by looking at it, us could tell there was something different yet unrecognizable about it.


    He moved closer to it and gently touched it. The moment his handnded, he felt some information enter his mind. It took just a few seconds, but it left a smile on us''s face.


    "Three new skills huh, interesting." His smile widened.


    After withdrawing his hand, he immediately focused his attention on the door, contemting what to do next. A few secondster, he began moving toward it, but the senior''s voice stopped him.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you."


    us halted and then asked, "Why do you say that, senior?"


    "Your soul strength is still not strong enough to resist the pressure. It wasn''t supposed to open until after you began cultivating the Second Paragon Star Diagram. But due to some unforeseen circumstances, it opened ahead of time.


    "You can enter after you start cultivating the second Paragon Star Diagram."


    "I see. I guess I should stay away from there for now." us didn''t want to argue. Had it not been for his past self helping him awaken the ughter Aura, he would have indeed exploded.


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    The golden energy, along with the Seal of ughter, had influenced the awakening. Had he not received a secret absorption technique when he did, he would have indeed died. That scared the hell out of him.


    Suddenly, the fire dragon appeared inside his soul sea. It roared and circled around the soul sea for a few seconds beforeing to a stop in front of the Pentaface Bead.


    "Brat, have you figured out a way to make your dragon absorb the energy?" the senior asked.


    "Yes, senior. I can also use the same method to enhance the ughter Aura" us replied. "By the way, senior, is the Pentaface Bead also called the Demon Bead?" he asked.


    "I can''t answer that," the senior responded. us smiled slightly. He had to figure things out on his own, at least for now.


    Meeting his other self was like a wake-up call for him. He needed to get his affairs in order before the next visit. Although Number Three said he wasn''t ready for anything yet, us knew he had to be ready for anything, after all, there was more to Fruity he hadn''t learned yet.


    He formed a couple of hand seals. A diagram appeared beneath the dragon. The golden energy surged and began entering its body. Soon, the dragon was encased in a Golden Cocoon inside the soul sea.


    ''Too bad I still haven''t awakened the Forbidden Ice elements yet'' He sighed inwardly. Had he awakened them, he would have been able to use the golden energy to increase their strength and even the Ice Lotus.


    us waited a few more seconds, carefully watching the dragon. Seeing nothing wrong, he left the soul sea. On the outside, he formed another seal, and the golden energy soon started to be absorbed by him.


    For the next three days, he absorbed the energy. Then, a few hours into the third day, the dragon''s roar echoed across the soul sea.


    "Finally..." us smiled. He stood up and left the training hall.

 Chapter 317 Charmed [Bonus]

    us left the training ground with a smile on his face. At first, he had wanted to discuss more things with the senior, but something told him that doing so could be disastrous. It wasn''t that he didn''t trust the senior; he did.


    It was just that digging deeper would only add to his growing karma. He could already feel it¡ªhis next tribtion was going to be a hard one. Although he didn''t fully understand how everything worked, he first wanted to get the Grandmaster stage tribtion out of the way before piling up more Karma.


    What Number Three had said to him was like a wake-up call. He had indeed been soft and too cautious. However, now that he had awakened his aura, there was no need to be so careful anymore. He had to be more adventurous, even more than before.


    The only downside was that he still didn''t know how to open the Pentaface Bead as Number Three had mentioned. But, more importantly, he wanted to know why he had referred to it as the Demon Bead. It had always been the Pentaface Bead in his memories from Fruity, so where did that namee from?


    "I feel like I don''t know anything," us muttered as he walked toward the main building. The new house he''d bought had Five training rooms, though the main training room was about 2 km from the main building.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He didn''t want to scare anyone while he trained. Unleashing any sinister aura would terrify his mother, so he chose to distance himself from the main house.


    ''Why is everyone looking at me strangely?'' Along the way, us noticed the maids and security staff ncing at him oddly.


    Especially thedies¡ªthey had a pink tint on their cheeks as he passed by them. us was taken aback but chose to ignore them.


    However, he was truly surprised when he entered the house and found his mom, sister, and Miriam frozen, staring at him in shock.


    us stood there, unsure of what had caused them to react that way. He examined himself, confident he hadn''t unleashed his aura or used the Eye of Malevolence, which had now be several times stronger.


    So, what was the cause?


    He walked closer and waved his hand in front of his mother. The gesture seemed to snap them out of whatever hade over them.


    "You¡­ what happened to you?" his mother asked.


    "What do you mean, Mom?" us wondered. He had only gone into seclusion ande out several dayster, nothing unusual aside from being cocooned. Even that wasn''t the first time.


    However, when he thought of the aura awakening process, he realized something might have changed about him. To confirm, he walked over to a mirror in the room. What he saw even shocked him.


    "Damn, I look good," us said shamelessly, brushing his hair back. His hair had grown longer and be even whiter. For some reason, just looking at it made one want to bury their face in it.


    His height had also increased slightly, though he still hadn''t reached the long-awaited 6 feet¡ªhe was close, closer that it wouldn''t take a month to reach that.


    However, his appearance, especially his facial features, had be even more refined. If he could previously charm 6 out of 10dies, the current him could make anydy swoon, exining the expressions on even his mother''s face.


    ''Fuck you, Fruity, Fuck you, Number Three. Now who''s the handsome one?'' us thought, a smirk ying on his lips.


    Although he hadn''t quite reached the level of the two he had just insulted, if they were to walk side by side, no one would look down on him. Fruity and Number Three were exceptionally handsome, but he was getting there.


    He turned to the threedies. "Well,dies, you seem to have been charmed. Care to give this young master a massage?"


    "Tsk, just because you''ve be a little more handsome doesn''t mean you have what it takes to charm anyone. Isn''t that right,dies?" us''s mother said her expression back to the familiar one he knew.


    "Right," Hanna chimed in, strangely also back to her usual self. Readtest stories on empire


    "Miriam?" us''s mother added with an amused expression. Unlike her and Hanna, Miriam was indeed charmed. The pink flush in her cheeks gave away exactly what was on her mind.


    us''s Mother and daughter exchanged a smile and left the hall, giving the couple some privacy. us walked closer to Miriam, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her closer.


    Miriam didn''t protest the pull; she simply leaned in as us locked lips with her. It had been over a month since he had gotten intimate with her, so Miriam didn''t resist or even protest, even though they were still in the hall.


    A minuteter, their lips parted, and us looked into her eyes. "You seemed hungry," he said with a teasing smile.


    "I just missed you," Miriam replied.


    "You mean you missed my body. After all, it''s only been a few weeks since we werest intimate, and for someone who''s lived several decades, a few months shouldn''t be anything to you," us teased, making sure she was still in his grip.


    "You¡­" Miriam blushed. She wanted to protest, but when she felt us''s hands lower to her butt, her heart skipped a beat, and a wave of pleasure flooded her body.


    The Miriam from five months ago would never have dreamt of being in such a state or, even worse, allowing anyone to hold her hand.


    When us first held her hand after his duel with Max, she was overwhelmed with emotion which wasn''t like her. She was the ruthless and arrogant war goddess of the eastern region, so what happened?


    Her life changed since that day...


    As time went by, she started feeling things she never felt before. It began after us and Lucy had their first time, and Anna dragged her away to question Lucy. She couldn''t refuse their invitation, so she went along.


    Lucy, who wanted her nightmare to end, told them everything. At first, Miriam wasn''t interested in whatever had happened between Lucy and us, but as she continued to listen, she began to feel something.


    Since then, whenever thedies met and started gossiping about us, she was present.


    Gradually, she started developing feelings for him. It wasn''t immediate, but whenever us teased her, saying he wanted a hug, she would feel a jolt in her body, a feeling that made her want to ept his offer.


    Still, she never gave in, probably because she still felt guilty about what happened to her sister.


    However, after witnessing us''s near-death a second time, she couldn''t hold back anymore. She let her heart out, and when us epted her for all she was and is, she decided to give him her purity, finally bing his woman.


    Since then, she began to re-discover her true self¡ªthe young girl who only wanted to have fun and forget her worries. Now, in her eyes, us was her man, her everything. His family was now her family.


    She was happy and loved helping us relieve some stress. Now, after a month of not being intimate, she couldn''t help but feel excited when she felt us''s hands on her butt.


    "You''re different somehow. It''s like something has changed in you," Miriam said.


    "I know, right? I''ve be much stronger," us responded. "Want to experience just how much stronger?" he added, speaking closely into her ear.


    Miriam''s body tensed, and before she could regain control, us swept her off her feet and ran to his room, where the next few hours would be filled with cries of pleasure from the mighty War Goddess.

 Chapter 318 New Discovery [Bonus]

    "Mmmmh," us groaned, and Miriam''s moan cut across the room as us released his star juice into herher cave for the umpteenth time. Miriam''s body shook as the hot juice started filling her up.


    They had been going at it for the past few hours, and us, who hadn''t had any sex in weeks, was really stressed out. Miriam felt the same.


    The two had been embracing each other for hours. Finally, it seemed they had reached their limits¡ªor more urately, us had reached his limit.


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    Miriam, despite being a Sovereign, had barely been able to hold on until the end. us asked her several times if they should stop, but she said no. She could see us had been going through a lot in the past weeks, so she wanted him to release all his stress.


    After releasing everyst drop of his star juice, he pulled out his long, semi-hard, glistening dragon andy on top of Miriam. Soon, they both drifted into sleep, waking up hourster.


    Miriam was the first to wake up, but she didn''t wake us. Instead, she continued to watch his handsome face as he slept peacefully on her chest. The sight filled her with warmth.


    Later, us woke up feeling very satisfied and stress-free. He had indeed released a lot of pent-up stress, something he had been holding back for weeks.


    "We should wash up," Miriam said, and us nodded. Their bodies felt sticky from all the energy released during their intercourse.


    Soon, they were in the bath, with Miriam resting on us''s chest as he washed her body¡ªthough his hands rather seemed to focus primarily on her breasts. But who was toin? They were his to use as he pleased.


    Miriam wore a small smile on her lips. Minutester, she asked, "us, how do you n on handling the Legacies? The Union Trial is just around the corner"


    She sounded sad and worried. After all, although her supremacy was unquestioned in the eastern region, she didn''t have much power in the central region. So she was concerned about the ban ced on us.


    "Why are you worried? If those idiots didn''t learn their lesson, I guess I''ll just have to leave an impact next time," us said jokingly.


    "You don''t seem worried," Miriam observed.


    "Why should I be? They''re just a bunch of idiots trying to use their titles to suppress everyone. This time, they''ve picked the wrong target."


    Miriam could feel that he wasn''t worried at all, which made her very rxed a bit. After all, even though people didn''t know about her and us yet, she knew that once the truth came out, no one would look down on her.


    The brat she picked as her husband sure was daring and powerful. Many will bow before the legacies, but us doesn''t even have them in his eyes.


    "Just don''t cause too much trouble," Miriam said. us smiled and gently kneaded her breasts, squeezing her nipples slightly. This elicited a moan from her. She tilted her head slightly and asked,


    "us, when do you n to¡­ you know, do it with Anna and Lily?"


    us, half-expecting a question like that, raised an eyebrow at her question. He smiled faintly.


    He hade to ept that the women in his life had all reached some kind of understanding, one that seemed to involve helping each other get into his bed¡ªnot that he rejected the idea.


    It was just too shocking. Thedies who were supposed to bepeting were now helping each other.


    "They don''t seem to be ready to take that step just yet, so I''m holding back for as long as they need to prepare," us answered.


    He had shared some intimate moments with them, but each time, he could sense they weren''t ready for anything more, so he held back.


    When they were ready, he wouldn''t deny them anything.


    "By the way, why do you ask?" us inquired.


    "Well, it''s just that after our first time when we became connected, I started getting stronger, so I want them to be stronger too."


    us nodded. He expected as much. Lucy had already be a force to be reckoned with in the academy. Thest time they talked through their connection, she told him excitedly how she easily defeated the 21st ranker on the Inner Disciple Ranking chart.


    It was all possible because his star qi started affecting the women he became intimate with. Lucy and Miriam were now growing stronger, especially Miriam, who had been spending so many nights with him.


    "When they''re ready, I will link them up," us smiled.


    "Well, they better hurry. With Lucy not around, I feel like after your breakthrough and bing a Grandmaster, I wouldn''t be able to hold on for even an hour," Miriam joked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. us just smiled at her predicament.


    "I will be sure not to break you, my dear," us replied.


    "I won''t break easily. After all, I can feel that within the next six months, I''ll be ready to break through and be a Transcendent," Miriam said.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Well, good for you," us praised her. "By the way, I want to give you a Cultivation technique and a few martial techniques, but I don''t know anything about your Talent, ss, and other things."


    "Well, I guess it''s good we have this connection between us. I can transfer everything about my cultivation to you, or more like grant you ess" Miriam said with a proud smile.


    "You can do that?" us asked.


    "Yes, Lucy and I figured it out a few days ago¡ªwell, it''s more like she did; my contribution was minimal. She is very brilliant," Miriam said, her gaze full of admiration.


    "Hey, snap out of it! She is my woman, not yours," us joked, noticing the admiration in Miriam''s eyes. Even the Cold War goddess was pleased by Lucy''s intelligence, which was enough to convince him that she was indeed very awesome.


    "We are sisters now, so get used to it," Miriam pouted. us just smiled and requested the details about her status page.


    Immediately, he received the information. Strangely, it appeared like how when he essed his status screen. He could see her Talent, ss, stats, and other details, including her skills and techniques.


    uspared her stats to his and could only smile. His was nowhere near hers, but he knew those were just numbers. Although he couldn''t defeat Miriam inbat, True Great Sages wouldn''t be much of an issue.


    He knew that once he broke through to the Grandmaster stage, he would be able to take on multiple True Great Sages without any problems.


    Although every Tier 7 monster or Zombie wasparable to Great Sages, a true Tier 7, like the Blood Princes he fought in the Demon''s Abode, couldn''t be underestimated.


    Had it not been for the Blood Moon Transformation back then, he would have been overwhelmed. But now, he knew he was heading toward the stage where, without any enhancement, he would be able to take on multiple Tier 8 powerhouses at once.


    "ording to Lucy, if I level up, it will reflect on the screen for you to see at any time. Isn''t that awesome?" Miriam added.


    "Indeed," us nodded. "Do you want to see mine?" he asked.


    "No," Miriam answered without hesitation.


    "Why?" us inquired.


    "I feel like the moment I see it, I would start doubting myself as a warrior," Miriam replied.


    "Oh, and why is that?" he asked, amused.


    "us, you are a Tier 3 human who could take on thousands of Tier 6 and 7 monsters. Even if they are just ordinary, no Tier 3 should be able to do that. I''d rather save myself the trouble and move on," She exined, and us could only smile.


    "Your friends areing," Miriam said, and us nodded. He could sense them heading toward his house from kilometers away.


    "We should tidy up and go out before they arrive," Miriam suggested, raising herself. However, before she could get up, us turned her around. The next 30 minutes were spent in the bathtub, embracing each other.


    When they were done, they got dressed and went out to meet Anna and the others who had arrived so they could all head to Union City, where the Union Trial would take ce.

 Chapter 319 Progress Report

    "us, when did you be this handsome?" Mark asked, looking suspiciously close at him. He wasn''t the only one; his other male friends were doing the same. Luckily, Miriam, Lily, and Hanna were sitting with Anna and didn''t blush as deeply as Miriam did.


    us looked at his friends and smiled. The expressions on their faces were just funny.


    "I''m telling you, Danny, if we keep following us around, we''ll never get any beauties," Daniel said. us had indeed be very handsome, the kind that would make any guy jealous.


    With his looks, us could have anydy he wanted, and with his strength, no one below the Great Sage stage could threaten him. He was both handsome and dangerous¡ªa powerfulbination.


    "Rx, guys. With the beauties I have now, I won''t stand in your way," us said with a smile. "Friend to friend, though, if you stick around for a while, you''ll start swimming in beauties. I heard there are many at the academy," he added.


    But as soon as he spoke, three sets of eyes locked on him, making his back break into a cold sweat. He turned around with a guilty smile, meeting the gazes of Miriam, Lily, and Anna.


    "What I meant to say was, no beauty would daree closer with these amazing fairies by my side."


    Everyone burst intoughter at us''s antics. Although they all knew the white-haired rascal wouldn''t have to do much to win over thedies, they just decided to let the moment pass.


    us was just a wild one; his friends knew that. After all, he had managed to win over the War Goddess herself. If word got out, men would build churches and start worshipping him as their ultimate ''Rizz'' god.


    "By the way, Kilian, how''s Scarlet?" us asked. Before they''d left Sinji Valley, Kilian and Scarlet seemed close, so if he hadn''t messed things up, they''d probably be even closer by now.


    Kilian smiled and was about to answer when his sister, Lily, spoke up. "They''re practically married now."


    "Oh, really?" us raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes! Did you know Scarlet came to visit? For three whole weeks, they trained together," Lily added with a teasing smile.


    "My man," us said, giving a yful bow.


    "Hey, brat, are you encouraging him? Although they said they were training, I know they were up to other things," Lily red at us, making him feel like he was being scolded by his mother. us''s mother even gave her a thumbs-up.


    Unlike Miriam, who always chose to stay calm whenever us''s friends were around¡ªespecially his male friends¡ªLily is rather fiesty regardless of the settings they are in.


    us sensed the same in Anna, though she was suppressing hers. The two innocent-lookingdies, in his view, were low-key vipers who would surely give him trouble in the future.


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    us just smiled at her antics and turned to Kilian. "Good to see you''ve made progress in your love life buddy, but I hope you haven''t been cking off in your training," he said, pausing.


    "This goes for all of you¡ªhow has your training progressed so far?" us asked.


    Daniel was the first to speak. "Although when using the skill, the hammer retains its original form, it seems to have some effect on the mind. Right now, I can only make the hammer twice as big and five times heavier, but I know once I break through to the Grandmaster stage, I''ll be able to use the skill to its full power."


    "Impressive, Daniel, but you need to master the skill before you break through. Push yourself to master it fully before even thinking about leveling up," us advised before turning to Danny.


    "I''m at about the same level of progress as Daniel, but I''ve managed to enhance the sharpness to six times out of the possible eight," Danny reported.


    "The same goes for you, Danny¡ªno breakthrough to the Grandmaster stage until you''ve mastered the entire skill," usmented. "What about you, Mark?"


    "I''ve been training my stamina and agility over the past week, so currently, when I use the skill to summon the spear, I can wield it for an hour. That''s the maximum I can manage in chaotic battle conditions."


    "That''s impressive. In a one-on-one battle, you canst longer if you know what you''re doing," us said, making Mark smile. "But you can do better. Like Danny and Daniel, until you can use the skill for two hours in the endless trial, don''t even think about breaking through."


    Miriam nodded as she watched us assess his friends'' progress. His mother held a small smile on her face, her reason unknown. However, she was damn proud looking at her baby boy all grown up now.


    "Kay, your turn¡ªprogress report," us prompted.


    "Well, the Lion''s Roar Pierce skill consumes a lot of qi, so at first, I could only use it 120 times before running out. But after constant training, I''ve managed to push it up to 150 uses."


    "Good, but take it to 200 before breaking through," us advised. "You''re an archer, Kay, so you rely on arrows to fight. Make sure to enhance your fire elements more so you can use the skill for a longer time."


    "Okay," Kay nodded.


    "Don''t worry, after the trial, we''ll make arrangements to enter forbidden zones so you can all train more intensively," us said before turning to Kilian.


    "I can create the two clones alright, but I can only maintain them for a minute max. After 15 minutes, I can''t use the skill again," Kilian said with a slight sigh.


    "Impressive, that''s actually very good," us replied.


    "Really?" Kilian asked, looking shocked. He''d been frustrated by his limited progress, thinking a one-minute max was too short.


    "Yes. The skill requires great mental strength, so being able to divide your mind three ways as a Master-stage expert is already impressive," us exined. "Clearly, whatever you and Scarlet did wasn''t wasted at all. Nice work, buddy."


    "But you''ll need to push harder¡ªaim for at least two minutes before breaking through," he added. He then turned to Lily.


    "What about you, my dear?" us asked.


    "With my current stamina, I can only use the skill for a maximum of two hours," she replied, and us gave her an approving nod.


    She possessed the wind element, and her skill allowed her to create copies of her wind arc attacks. Each arc looked identical, so any of them could be the real one. However, that didn''t mean the clones were merely illusions.


    They contained 70% of the main wind arc''s attack power, so being able to maintain this skill for two straight hours was already impressive.


    "I''ll reward youter," us said with a wink. "And what about you, my Ice Princess?" he asked, turning his smile toward Anna, the strongest among his friends.


    "For my water element, the skill now allows me to trap arge quantity of Tier 5 monsters. However, if I limit the radius to a couple of meters, I can trap a weak Tier 6 and 7 monster for three seconds."


    "As for the Ice skill, with my current Qi level, I can summon three Ice Rhinos thatst for 15 minutes before I run out. If I summon two rhinos, I can keep them active for 45 minutes. And if I summon just one, I can hold it for an hour and 15 minutes."


    "Well, damn, looks like you went all out with this one!" us joked. "Nicely done, my dear. I''ll reward you tooter," he added with a smile.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Anna blushed.


    "And what about you, sis?" us turned to Hanna. She smiled, about to respond, when their mother interrupted.


    "Why don''t you show us instead in Oracle..."

 Chapter 320 A Loophole

    us didn''t object when his mother suggested that Hanna demonstrate what she had learned rather than just describing it like the others.


    His mother rarely showed interest in his cultivation, except to ensure his happiness, so seeing her enthusiastic about something rted to cultivation made us eager to see what it was.


    Like Kay, Hanna was also an archer, but with the lightning element. She hadn''t been the best and brightest like Lily and the others when she first awakened as a warrior, she was only average.


    With a single passive healing ability and no active skills, Hanna had to rely solely on her ss and talent to master her archery skills. She was ordinary at best.


    But everything changed when she met us. She started training harder, and although she hadn''t awakened any new skills or techniques, she was thriving with the ss and talent she had originally awakened.


    us was impressed when she ranked fourth in the regional trial. From then on, she continued to grow, thanks to the skills Miriam had given her. Miriam also provided her with resources, and us did the same.


    Like with his other friends, he gave her a skill called [Exploding Bolt Piercer]. This skill allows her to mold an arrow with an arrowhead coated in lightning.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The arrow also gains a 20% speed enhancement, so when released, it moves very fast. The chaos begins upon impact: when the arrow pierces a target, the arrowhead explodes, releasing a field of lightning that can stun or even kill those close to the explosion.


    us didn''t give them any overly powerful skills from the hundreds he had learned from his past self. He wanted to understand more about their abilities before making any decisions that would impact their lives permanently.


    Although he wasn''t about to spoon-feed them, he also didn''t want his friends to be subpar. He was already a dragon; the least he could do was turn his friends into tigers and lions.


    Now that Oracle was avable to the general public, every home had one. us, who was practically a co-creator, had more consoles than he could count. Hanna quickly slipped into one, and soon, she was in the endless trial.


    us and the others watched as she summoned her bow and waited for the monsters to arrive. Before long, the tides poured in.


    Hanna waited until they were within 1 km of her before a one-meter-long arrow, crackling with lightning, appeared in her bow. The pointed end¡ªthe arrowhead¡ªwas entirely made of lightning. us looked at it with a narrowed expression.


    ''It looks ordinary yet dangerous,'' us thought to himself.


    Although he hadn''t used 99% of the skills and techniques in his mind, Fruity was able to pick them up very fast and that was how he was able to have them now. So all he could rely on to determine their strength were the grades.


    The various grades were Common, Epic, King, Earth, Heaven, Legendary, Mystical, Ancient, Divine, and God grade. The skills he had given his friends were just Epic grade.


    They weren''t that powerful in his eyes. However, to his friends, these skills were the strongest in their arsenal at the moment.


    When he saw the ordinary-looking yet somehow dangerous arrow, he was a little puzzled. He couldn''t understand where that dangerous feeling wasing from.


    But he got his answer quicker than expected. Hanna let loose the arrow, which instantly began crackling with electricity as it exited the bow.


    It took only a moment for the arrow to reach its target; the 20% speed boost was highly effective. When the arrow pierced the monster it was aimed at, an explosion erupted, blowing it to bits.


    What followed was a 200-meter-wide lightning field that instantly consumed all the monsters within that radius. The skill worked as intended, but us could tell it wasn''t over.


    As expected, the next event confirmed his suspicions. The lightning field, which had spread 200 meters wide, began topress again. Watching closely, us saw that at some point, Hanna held a ball of lightning in her hands.


    The lightning field shrank to a diameter of 20 meters.


    Hanna suddenly crushed the lightning ball in her hands, causing the shrank field to explode outward. This time, the entire 2 km radius was consumed, wiping out all monsters from Tier 4 to Tier 6 on the battlefield.


    As for the Tier 7 monsters, some were paralyzed, some were injured and on the brink of death, only a few managed to withstand the lightning but were thrown back by the shock wave.


    Hanna smiled, ended the trial, and removed the helmet. us looked at her with a gaze that demanded an exnation.


    "Mom helped me unlock this hidden feature," Hanna said.


    "Wait, what?" us raised an eyebrow at her statement.


    "Hey, brat, don''t you think I have what it takes to help your sister?" us''s mother asked, pouting.


    "Do you want the truth, or should I lie?" us replied with a grin.


    "You bastard!" us didn''t know how, but despite his quick reaction to escape, his mom managed to grab hold of his ear.


    What followed was a twist that he knew would leave a mark. A few secondster, Hanna exined what happened.


    "The skill works as you described, but somehow, Mom found a way for me to harness the lightning field for a devastating wide-area attack. However, I can only use it once, or when I have over 90% of my qi left.


    The moment it drops below that, I can''t harness the field anymore. So, to use it, I have to start my attacks with it because once my qi drops below that threshold, I lose the ability. But I have a feeling that once I break through, I''ll be able to use it at least twice or three times."


    "That''s awesome, sis! I can''t wait to see you kick butt during the Union trial," us said with a smile, making his mom puff out her chest¡ªa gesture she probably shouldn''t have made, considering the ample asset standing firm on her chest.


    us narrowed his gaze at his male friends, who were suddenly looking elsewhere entirely.


    He smiled mischievously and turned to his mom. "Alright, Mom, now that you''re an expert in finding skill loopholes, what else are you hiding?"


    "Well, I discovered I''m an Angel of Death. Can you believe that?" his mom joked, shing him a smile.


    "Very funny, Mom. But I''d love to see your wings someday," us replied. "And please, put on a bit more clothing¡ªyou''re teasing my friends," he added.


    This time, he managed to escape, dashing off to his room. Miriam noticed Anna and Lily eyeing the direction us ran to and gave them a small smile.


    She could tell they wanted some alone time with him, but since she was around, they didn''t want to make the first move.


    What they didn''t know was that Miriam wanted nothing more than to see them take the final step. But, s, no one knew what the two of them talked about; they just weren''t ready to move that far yet.


    A whileter, Lily and Anna, like sneaky twins, ran off to us''s room, trying to be subtle. But Miriam saw them long before they even took a step.

 Chapter 321 Going to Union City

    "This is KKKickinIt with Controversial News! Folks, the day we''ve all been waiting for has finallye. I don''t know about y''all, but I am damn excited! Let me give a quick recap for those who don''t know what I''m talking about." Everyone had their devices active on social media as they watched their favorite gossip channel.


    For many who preferred to stay updated on thetest gossip in town, Controversial News was their go-to source. Even the leader of the Overlords was a fan.


    They had connections almost everywhere, so even the smallest details or rumors, no matter how blown out of proportion, always found their way to their front desk. Today, they decided to go big.


    "A couple of months ago, Max Duncan, the Devil Archer, challenged us Hanson to a duel, which, if y''all remember, was a total disgrace to a whole legacy. uspletely destroyed him."


    "However, when us was asked to say a few words, hisments went a little too far, insulting the legacies in the process. This enraged them greatly, and as legacies, they decided to use their titles to ban us from entering Union City, where the final trial for the Celestial Mountain Academy would be held.


    "They only demanded that us go down on his knees and apologize before they would lift the ban. But as always, us replied in an even more arrogant tone, calling them "clowns"¡ªhis word, not mine.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We all waited for any news on the event, but as it stands, aside from us kicking their asses a few weeks ago at the Genius Gathering in Sinji Valley, nothing else has been reported.


    "However, folks, us Hanson, the daring us, the handsome, has just made a post that sent the inte into yet another shockwave. In his post, us wrote only six words: "On my way to Union City."


    "Now, I don''t have to tell you what this means; I think you all have a fair idea. From the reports I''m receiving, it seems the situation in Union City is about to get heated. I want to see some blood; you want to see some blood.


    "So why don''t you stick around? The next few hours will be lively. Once again, this is KKKickinIt with Controversial News! I''m out!


    "Tsk, thisdy seems to exaggerate things, but I like her style," us said, putting his phone away.


    They had just taken off from the Ross Mansion a few minutes ago and were now headed to the one ce he wasn''t invited to.


    Max, Ethan, and E, despite the lesson us had put them through a few weeks ago, still didn''t seem to be taking the hint. In fact, us received a report from someone who called themselves The_5th_Knight.


    ording to the report, the airports were now under surveince, so the moment hended, the legacies would know and take action. us, of course, just shrugged off the report.


    Like always, he didn''t care. If they wanted to fight, he would be ready for them. Especially now that he had awakened the ughter Aura, he wanted to see its effect inbat.


    If they wanted to offer him some experience points, he would dly ept. Since the academy wouldn''t be helping to resolve the problem, he would take matters into his own hands.


    "us, aren''t you worried?" Anna asked, resting her head on his shoulder. Lily was on the other side. This scene, of course, made his friends envy him in ways they could never experience¡ªwell, maybe Kilian, who seemed to be doing fine.


    "Why should I be worried? They are just spoiled rich brats. When I''m done pping them silly, they''ll learn¡ªperhaps in their next lives," us said, smiling.


    "You do know you''re entering their domain right; they hold all the power there," Lily said. "We should have brought Sister Miriam."


    "Chill, my love. I''m not afraid of them. If anything, I actually want them to throw a tantrum so I can have an excuse to send them to the afterlife," us replied, his tone slightly cold.


    Lily shuddered a little upon hearing his words. Although they asked him to help them be like him, they still weren''t ready yet. Hearing his words filled with the coldness of death made her uneasy.


    "Don''t worry, dear. I won''t hurt you," us said, noticing the sudden shift in her demeanor. He spoke in a caring tone, brushing her neck tenderly.


    "You three should get a room," Hanna said, looking at the affectionate us and his two lovers.


    "No need to be jealous, sister. You can join in if you want," us said with a small smile.


    "Tsk, as if anyone would want to be with you," Hanna replied. She had be a little bold recently, something us saw as a positive development. ''At least she doesn''t feel inferior anymore,'' he thought.


    They allughed and decided to switch the conversation to something else.


    ***


    Somewhere in Union City, E, Ethan, and Max were seated in a garden having a drink. The atmosphere, although designed to look calm and collected, was thick with tension.


    "This bastard thinks that posting it online would change anything," Max growled, staring at his phone screen. "He''ll regreting here this time," he added, anger ring in his eyes.


    "Rx, Max. us won''t be leaving here the same way he came," E said, her gaze cold. The pain us had inflicted on them during the Genius Gathering still haunted them, each memory a bitter reminder of their humiliation.


    However, like in every viin arc, despite their nightmares, they weren''t about to sit idly by and let us have his way. They had made preparations; all that was left was for us to set foot in Union City.


    "Have you made provisions?" E asked, turning to Ethan.


    "Yes. The Triple Zero Mercenary Group will disguise themselves and blend in with the guards. If they get the chance, they''llnd a killing blow," Ethan responded, a hint of satisfaction in his tone.


    "Good. I don''t want any mistakes, so make sure the guards under big sister are ready" E said, her voice steady andmanding.


    The "big sister" she referred to was one of the legacies who had entered the academy alongside Lucy two years ago. During thest assessment, she had challenged Lucy to a duel but lost spectacrly, igniting a deep-seated hatred toward her rival.


    Now that Lucy was dating us, that animosity had extended to us. She wanted to thwart his progress using her sibling''s rivalry with him.


    E had ensured that her sister''s troops were deployed, each soldier sworn to protect their legacy''s interests. The legacies eachmanded their own soldiers, forming mini-armies loyal solely to them.


    Fueled by their collective hatred for us, they had mobilized all avable forces, even hiring additional mercenaries for this purpose.


    Clearly, they aimed to end us once and for all.


    "Let''s just sit back and watch as us Hansones crashing down," E said coldly, sipping her drink as a satisfied smirk spread across her face.


    ***


    The distance from Ross City to Union City was quite far, so it took us and his pals six hours to get there. As soon as they entered Union City, us''s friends tensed. The n was simple: they would stay in the jet while he dealt with their guest.


    As expected, the moment the jetnded and us stepped out, a voice spoke, sounding very disdainful.


    "us Hanson, you are not wee in Union City. Turn around and leave, or else we will be forced to use force." Find exclusive stories on empire


    "My, my, I am so scared," us smirked, making the hundreds of soldiers before him frown in anger. Killing intent immediately filled the air.

 Chapter 322 High Expectancy

    Somewhere inside Union City, atop a tall building, a man stood quietly, looking into the distance. Silence filled the air, broken only by the breeze ruffling his hair. He seems to be watching something in the far distance.


    Suddenly, another presence appeared atop the building.


    "Duncan, what are you doing here?" the first man asked without even turning to face the neer.


    The man called Duncan was rather short, due to his Great Sage cultivation base, he appeared slightly elegant and powerful.


    "War God, aren''t you going to step in and stop this conflict between my children and us? You know I can''t intervene directly¡ªthat would be interference. But you can," Duncan said, addressing the first man as War God.


    "I can''t. I''ve been ordered not to act. If the young ones want a small rivalry, that''s for them to settle on their own," the War God replied.


    Dharma, the Overlord for the Northern Union visited him a few days ago and ordered him not to interfere in the skirmish between the Legacies and us.


    He asked why, but he only said if he didn''t want the Leader of the Overlords knocking at his door, he would do as he was told. Who was he to disobey orders?


    "But I''m concerned about us Hanson''s safety. Although he disrespected the three legacies, he doesn''t deserve what they''ve nned for him. I fear they may harm him, and we all know how vital he is to this new world," Duncan said.


    He was the head of the Duncan Legacy family and the ruler of the entire Northern Union. In his family, when a legacy is born, they''re granted supreme authority to grow, with warriors bestowed upon them to serve as guards and soldiers.


    However, once those warriors are assigned, they answer solely to the legacy in question. So, even if Duncan wanted to recall the soldiers given to his children, they would no longer heed his orders; they now answer only to the three siblings.


    "Wait, you mean you came here because you''re worried about us, not your children?" the War God suddenly asked.


    "Why not? Each of them has a hundred Saints and fifty Sages at theirmand. us, although abnormally strong, wouldn''t be able to suppress them. Worse yet, their sister, who holds a grudge against Lucy¡ªus''s girlfriend¡ªhas also permitted them to use her guards, and among them are two Great Sages," Duncan said.


    The look on his face hinted that he was withholding something, but the War God simply shook his head and replied.


    "Although that''s overwhelming for someone like us, my hands are tied. I''ve received orders from the higher-ups not to interfere, and you would do well to stay out of it too. Let the youngsters settle their skirmishes."


    Duncan sighed, bowed slowly, and left. Though he was the ruler of the Northern Union, before the War God, he was insignificant.


    "Tsk, even at your age, you still resort to old, childish games to suppress a youth," the War God muttered, looking in the direction Duncan had gone.


    A few minutes after Duncan left, he appeared in front of a man in a secluded area. The man in question is a Great Sage and by the calm aura around him, nobody should tell he is an Assassin.


    "What did he say?" the man asked.


    "It seems the Overlords havemanded him not to interfere, so you have nothing to worry about. Just ensure that by the end of today, us Hanson is dead," Duncan replied.


    "Don''t worry; the Dark Order won''t fail this time," the man said before vanishing from sight.


    Duncan looked in the direction of an iing jet at a nearby airport. "us Hanson, I hope you don''te to regret your decision to disrespect the Legacy family," Duncan muttered coldly.


    ***


    "us Hanson, you are not wee in Union City. Turn around and leave, or we will be forced to use force," a voice filled with hatred said the moment us stepped out of the jet.


    He told his friends to stay inside for a while¡ªhe didn''t want them getting caught in the aftermath.


    us looked at the soldiers surrounding the area and smirked.


    "Oh my, I''m so scared," he said sarcastically. This immediately heightened the soldiers'' killing intent filling the entire airport. Any Master-stage expert would be on their knees by now, but us just stood there with a smile on his face.


    All around, drones could be seen flying overhead, capturing the moment live. One of these drones belonged to the Controversial News channel, which had already started providing live updates¡ªmore likementary.


    All over the world, people were watching closely. While many might not typically pay attention to a simple fight between young warriors, us Hanson had done enough that even he on a coffee outing could cause a trending topic.


    Many people had a fascination with content involving him, so numerous news and entertainment channels were eager to always have something new about him.


    Today, they were getting the best show one could ask for. us Hanson now stood facing hundreds of battle-ready soldiers acting under themand of three arrogant legacy heirs.


    Even inside the Overlords'' meeting room, Nari and the other Overlords were watching the Controversial News channel. It seemed that, after discovering their leader liked that channel, they all decided to check it out¡ªand had be hooked, especially Nari, the acting leader while Queenie was away.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Do you think us Hanson can wiggle his way out of this?" one of the Overlords asked.


    "Water Boy, you seem to care about him a lottely. I thought you didn''t like him before," Dharma, the pink-eyed Overlord, said.


    "First of all, my name is Tydor, not ''Water Boy,'' and second, I don''t hate him. I just thought he could tone it down a bit. But after learning more about him, I guess he deserves his arrogance. And, well, he''s very strong. I hate weak people," Tydor replied.


    He was the Overlord of the Water Race. They had emerged from beneath the sea years into the apocalypse and settled there. Although they looked human, they possessed an otherworldly aura and some alien features like their eyes and the small scales on their necks and other parts of their body.


    "Well, I can''t argue with that. But don''t worry¡ªus will pull through. Thest time I saw him, I could tell he was incredibly powerful. I''m sure he''ll give us a good show this time," Dharma said.


    "I just want him to wipe those fools out. If he wins, I''ll take him on a holiday to the Ice Union," a cold yet cheerful, beautifuldy added with a smile that spoke volumes. However, her smile faded when a certain red-haired beauty chimed in.


    "Sorrine, if you don''t want your people melting back into the ice, you''d do well not to have any flirtatious intentions toward Big Sister''s future husband," Nari said fiercely.


    "Chill, Nari. I just wanted to get to know him¡ªno need to assume the worst. Besides, you know my taste; you have nothing to worry about," Sorrine replied. Stay connected through empire


    "You better," Nari said, turning her gaze back to the screen. Like everyone else, she had been waiting for this moment for months. She hadn''t had any fun since Queenie left to make her breakthrough.


    So today was a big day for her. She wanted to see just how well the boy who had suddenly spurred her sister''s cultivation would fare against such terrible odds.


    ''You''d better win, us, and I promise I''ll help you get into my sister''s pants faster than you can imagine,'' she thought to herself.

 Chapter 323 Night Of Terror

    us stood there with his hands behind his back, a smile ying on his lips. Although hundreds of Saints, Sages, and even Great Sages stood blocking his path, us showed no signs of panic or fear.


    He looked awfully calm for someone who could be ganged up on at any moment.


    "What are you smiling about, bastard? Turn around and leave before we make you," a Sage soldier said, pointing his spear at us.


    "What is your name?" us asked, directing his question to the Sage.


    "My name is of no importance here," the Sage growled. "What matters is that you turn around and leave. You don''t want us to make you."


    "Oh, really?" us replied, still calm as ice.


    "Yes. You stand no chance against us, so turn and leave. That would be the best thing for you."


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that," us replied, still maintaining his smile. "I have some beauties waiting for me at the academy, you see, so missing this trial is a no-go," he added.


    The soldiers frowned, but all over the world, despite the tense situation, everyone watched with amused expressions. This was especially true for us''s mother, who had been following some of his conquests and was now watching him live, apanied by Miriam, the maid, and the guards.


    One might be shocked to see Miriam looking at us''s antics andughing while the maids were present. But this wasn''t new to them.


    Whenever she was around the house, she interacted with them in a friendly manner, so they were used to her cheerful demeanor, even though they knew she would revert to her cold self the moment she stepped outside.


    "Courting death!" a soldier shouted, his killing intent intensifying. This time, it was a Great Sage.


    "Dude, please. ''Courting death'' is outdated; find something else to say," us said with a mocking smile. For some reason, none of them were making any moves to attack; clearly, they were waiting for an order.


    The Great Sage wanted to fire back, but us spoke first.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "First of all, I will be entering the city with or without you losers standing in my way. You might wonder where all this confidence of mine ising from. Let''s just say I''m happy today.


    "Happy, you ask? Yes, I am indeed happy. Why? Because today, I will show the entire world that this young master is not to be messed with. But don''t worry; I won''t be killing all of you. I''m not a monster, after all.


    "But I will be killing some people today.


    "I know you''re wondering why I said I would be killing some people. Well, there are 730 of you here. 30 are Great Sages¡ªweak ones at that."


    The faces of the Great Sages turned green at hearing us refer to them as weak. They wanted nothing more than to break him, but us wasn''t done.


    "Then there are 250 Sages and 450 Saints. However, among this group, 130 are not true soldiers deployed by the three losers calling themselves legacies."


    "d you asked. The auraing from these 130 is that of decay and bloodlust. While this ismon among warriors due to the constant ughter of monsters, their auraes from the ughter of their fellow humans.


    "This means they are hired muscle tasked with killing people and today their target was me, unlike you lot, who are only here following orders.


    "These 130 will die today.


    "But 590 of you will live. However, after today, the idea of cultivating again won''t even cross your mind. I''m going to break you deep within your souls, and when I''m done, not a single one of you will want to continue down the path of cultivation.


    "But you should all be thankful; this Sage in front of you saves your lives," us said, pointing at the first person who hadmanded him to leave.


    The Sage held a curious look in his eyes when us said that. He wanted to ask why, but us would tell everyone anyway.


    "I know you''re a father with kids. I was a kid once, so I know that despite those ugly bracelets your kids made, you wear them anyway like any proud father would. So I will spare you, along with the other true soldiers who are just following orders."


    Memories of his father shed through his mind as he said that. He used to make those bracelets for him when he was still around, so he knew what he was saying.


    "But after today, it would be in your best interest to continue being a good father to your children. I will make sure you do.


    "Now, one might ask: 130 plus 590 equals 720. There are 730 of you here, so if I''m going to kill 130 mercenaries and break 590, what about the other ten?


    "Well, gentlemen, after destroying their safe house in Hiroshi City and killing 19 of their finest assassins in the eastern region, the Dark Order never learned from their mistakes. So, they sent ten more assassins to greet me again.


    "Can''t say I''m sad about that. The more they send, the faster it will be for me to eradicate them all."


    The moment us spoke, everyone present or watching from around the world tensed. us had just dered that he was the one who killed the assassins from the Dark Order. While this revtion was shocking, many spected about it.


    The Dark Order, an organization known for killing in the shadows, had made their move in broad daylight, which was simply unbelievable.


    Many wanted to call us''s bluff, but they couldn''t be sure of his capabilities. Although they wouldn''t voice their thoughts on us''s bold statement, many began trolling the Dark Order for their shamelessness.


    Despite his arrogance, us was just a Master Stage expert, yet they never stopped trying to kill him. Couldn''t they swallow their defeat and move on? This time, the whole inte turned against the Dark Order once again.


    us, however, maintained his usual smile and said.


    "It would be best if parents don''t let their children see what happens next." us narrowed his gaze at the soldiers.


    "I know most of you are just following the orders of some idiots, so I won''t kill you. However, after today, make sure you get some therapy because you are about to witness what real terror looks like."


    The backs of most of the soldiers broke into a cold sweat. However, those hired to kill him didn''t budge.


    Suddenly, us extended his hands and caught the neck of someone who had moved from the shadows and lunged at him from behind.


    "Pathetic," us muttered coldly before igniting his palm in me. The attack happened in under a second, but before the Sage Assassin could even shout, us engulfed his throat in fire, killing him instantly.


    It happened so fast that before any of the soldiers could blink, a sage was dead. At that very moment, the confident soldiers who hade after him all took a step back, even the hired muscles.


    However, to their despair, us took a step forward and smiled at them. "Sorry for the interruption; that bug couldn''t hold his anger back anymore, so I had to put him down." The soldiers shuddered at how casually he spoke about killing a sage.


    "Now, where was I? Oh, I was talking about how I would break and kill some of you. Well, gentlemen, enjoy the ride."


    us smiled faintly before muttering,


    "Eye of Despair: Night of Terror."


    At once, the entire area turned cold and darkened slightly. Then, up ahead, an 8-meterrge red eye appeared. The moment it appeared, the 729 soldiers around him stiffened, and with a menacing gaze, the eye snapped open.


    "Aaaarrrggghhhh!"


    The terror took effect.

 Chapter 324 The Three Skills Of Despair

    Immediately after the Eye of Despair appeared, cries of pain and horror erupted from the soldiers deployed by the three legacies to prevent us from entering the city.


    Their instructions were to use force if necessary to ensure he never entered. The humiliation us had put them through was too much for them to swallow, and they wanted nothing more than to see him gone.


    But while their men were tasked with beating him up and sending him away, they hired the Triple Zero Mercenary Group to do the killing. They wanted him eliminated, and if a mercenary did it, the me would fall on them.


    Of course, they never expected the Dark Order to make an appearance. However, when they heard what us said, they felt a sense of relief. They knew the dark order would kill him.


    Their happiness was cut short, though, when us casually killed the sage who had sneaked up to attack him.


    Their horror intensified when the Eye of Despair appeared in the air. us wasn''t holding back; he wanted to see the effect of the recent upgrade on the bead. With the upgrade, three skills were unlocked, and now us had activated the first one, "Night of Terror."


    The skill taps into the minds and souls of people and monsters, sending them down a path of horror so gory that after they are pulled out, their lives will never be the same. For many, they would prefer death over the horror contained in those eyes.


    us didn''t know how deep the skill''s effects would go, so since it used soul strength to operate, the first thing he did when he got down from the jet was activate the Soul Hook skill and link with all the Saints and Sages around him, slowly stealing their soul strength.


    He did not touch the souls of the Great Sages, fearing they might notice and ruin his setup. The time he spent talking with them was merely a dy tactic to steal more soul strength.


    When he had enough and knew it would be sufficient to consume them, he unleashed the eye. Now, under its gaze, us couldn''t help but smile evilly¡ªa smile that made those watching from their various homes shudder in their booths.


    The Saints and Sages were screaming from the horror they were experiencing, and us was more than happy with the results.


    However, he noticed that even though the Great Sages were struggling to focus on him due to the terror shing through their minds and souls, they seemed to be adapting.


    But us wouldn''t allow that to happen.


    "Looks like we have some strong minds and souls here. Fear not; I came prepared. You would each get your dose" us said with a smile, despite the painful cries surrounding him.


    He watched as the Great Sages struggled to lunge at him and smirked.


    "Night of Agony," he muttered coldly.


    Immediately after he said that the space that had darkened slightly began to turn red. From the eye in the air, a red mist started to exude and spread throughout the area.


    The moment the first person was enveloped by the mist, a cry that came deep from his soul erupted from his mouth, causing Anna and us''s friends, who were looking through the window of the jet, to break into a cold sweat.


    They exchanged uneasy nces, clearly shaken by what was happening outside.


    "Tsk, what are you guys thinking about? They deserve everything happening to them." Contrary to what Anna and the others were feeling, Hanna seemed to be okay with everything. In fact, she wished us would just kill everyone and be done with it.


    Although she didn''t understand why she was bing this way, she didn''t care. In her eyes, us was her family, and she wouldn''t flinch if she witnessed him doing anything sinister to his enemies.


    To her, they deserved everything that wasing to them. Anna and the others looked at her for a few seconds before returning their gaze to us, who stood there with his hands behind him.


    All over the world, everyone watching held a grim look on their faces¡ªsinister, too sinister. That was what was on their minds.


    Hundreds of soldiersy on the floor, screaming their souls out, while the one responsible stood there smiling at their agony.


    Many had seen videos of us fighting monsters and zombies; it was a mesmerizing disy to many. However, they had never seen this side of us before¡ªthe side that made them all quake in their booths.


    The side us was disying was simply too wicked in their eyes. This, of course, was the message us was trying to send, and from the looks on their faces, the message was received loud and clear.


    ''He is not someone anyone can just try to suppress. If he could take down hundreds of Saints, Sages, and Great Sages while he was just a Master stage expert, then what happens when he bes a Sovereign?''


    The message was clear.


    "I came here to kill only three people; however, they yed smart and sent you guys instead. Don''t me me¡ªme yourselves for choosing to work for some idiots," us said, looking at the agony in front of him.


    While the [Night of Terror] sent their minds and souls down a path of horror, the [Night of Agony] ensured the most painful torture was inflicted on their minds and souls. It was truly horrific.


    But us wasn''t done. He had received three new skills for the Eye of Despair and had only used two; one was still left.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Night of Retribution."


    Immediately after us spoke those words, the entire space turned quiet for a second before the painful cries erupted again.


    The third skill was a revenge-type ability. It plunged their minds into a chaotic whirlpool where their very beings would be under constant torture for something bad they had done in the past. The pain would be amplified manyfold,ing from the weight of their own deeds.


    "That''s more like it," us muttered with a smile, watching as all 729 soldiers wailed in pain and torture on the ground. He stood there for thirty full minutes before suddenly, the space cleared, and the eye was deactivated.


    "Now, to the 139 who wanted me down," us said, taking out all 360 Viper Piercing Needles. They floated around him for a few seconds before merging into a thick, 64-inch needle.


    "In your next lives, try to live a good life¡ªone where, instead of backstabbing your fellow humans, you would try to help them instead." The Void Piercing Needle shed forward, and soon, the scent of blood filled the air as heads began to burst apart.


    The needle moved so fast that within seconds, all 139 us had identified were dead. The Needles destroyed their heads.


    He managed to do this because, now that he had awakened the ughter Aura, he could sense the aura of most people. The first thing he noticed about those fools was their chaotic, murderous intent.


    As for the assassins, they had almost no aura around them¡ªsomething us had sensed from all the assassins he had killed before¡ªso they weren''t that hard to spot.


    us looked in a certain direction and said, "If you aren''t satisfied with these results, you can always find me."


    He walked back to the jet, leaving 590 soldiers behind, some passed out and others traumatized from the terror they had experienced, groaning on the ground. None of them had what it took to stand for the next five hours, so he left.


    "People are dead; we can leave now," us said as soon as he entered the jet. His friends straightened up and stood to follow him.


    All over the world, everyone watched as us and his friends entered a car arranged by Lily and left for a hotel she had booked for them.

 Chapter 325 Who is Klaus Hanson

    "What the hell just happened?" KKKickinIt of Controversial News asked her expression one of shock, awe, and disbelief. And it wasn''t just her¡ªeveryone who watched us''s one-sided dominance was left in a simr state. What happened was just too shocking.


    She stayed silent for a few seconds, and once she calmed down, she spoke.


    "There you have it, folks. us Hanson¡ªyes, our very own us Hanson¡ªnot only pped the legacies, but he also showed that, without even lifting a hand, he could take down hundreds of Saints, Sages, and Great Sages.


    "I don''t know about you folks, but this scares me. How could a mere Master-stage expert bring bona fide Great Sages to their knees? Makes me wonder what else he''s hiding. But hey, they asked for it, and he delivered. The only question left is, ''What will the legacies do next?''


    "Will they let this slide, or will they hit back hard again? Personally, I think they don''t have anything left in their arsenal, but if they do, I''d like to know fast.


    "Many of you might be wondering how a mere master stage expert could show such overwhelming power. The answer is, I don''t know, and nobody else does either. He''s a mystery at this point.


    "So, the only question is, ''Who is us Hanson?''


    "Once again, it''s KKKickinIt with Controversial News. Later, y''all!"


    The aftermath of us''s one-sided dominance left the entire world in shock. Such awe was usually reserved for when a Tier 8 or higher monster was defeated¡ªa feat typically achieved by a War God or Goddess.


    However, ever since us has awakened, things have changed. From the moment he ascended, his name has never stopped making waves, from braving hordes of zombies to exterminating an entire race of them.


    His legend never ceases to grow. And now, he has done it again, though this time, with astonishing ease. The legacies¡ªE, Max, and Ethan¡ªstared at their screens in a daze, unsure of what to do.


    They sent about 90% of their guards to stop us, but now, those guards have all been turned into traumatized warriors. They can no longer wield weapons after the horrors us has put them through.


    But while that loss was something they could manage, the real blow came with the realization that they hadn''t just lost their guards but also their power. Though they are still legacies, their influence has diminished considerably.


    With less than a couple of dozen guards left, they''re facing a major setback. And if that wasn''t enough, their sister had lent them her men, who have also been left as shattered shells, unable to ever return to their posts.


    They got the entire Triple Zero Mercenary Group killed, a devastating blow to their status as legacies. us made sure they felt the pain. Now, every Merceneray group would think a million times before taking up an offer from them


    While he could justify killing all 730 who came to stop him, part of the reason he held back was that he didn''t want his mother to witness such brutality. However, he couldn''t stop himself from killing the mercenaries.


    Although he could have turned them into dummies as he did with the other 590, he didn''t want more innocent blood spilled because of his leniency. Some might recover, perhaps after a few years, but the chances are slim.


    Even so, us wasn''t known for his leniency. He knew Fruity wasn''t, and Number Three had already told him he was being too cautious¡ªa point us acknowledged. He has been very careful, until now.


    This time, he wouldn''t hold back his punches, especially, against hateful people like the legacies and the dark order.


    Though the Great Sages he killed today weren''t the best or the brightest, us knew he had seeded by using the soul strength of the Saints and Sages to fuel his attack.


    He believed he could handle a Great Sage with his own soul strength. there was no need to rely on external sources. But he knew this disy would send a message, and it did.


    Now, everyone began to reevaluate us''s nature. The question that kept floating in everyone''s mind was, "Who is us Hanson?"


    ***


    "You know, I expected a battle where us would have to use all his tricks to wiggle his way out, but this... this is just too much," Dharma, the Pink-Eyed Overlord, said, watching reys of us''s dominance.


    "This us Hanson is scarier than we thought," another overlord added, sounding more impressed than he let on.


    Around the room, the seven legacies all wore expressions that showed they were both shocked and impressed by us''s overwhelming power.


    "A few more years, and even we wouldn''t be able to handle him," Sorrine, the Ice Union Overlord, remarked.


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself, Sori. We all know that once someone bes Transcendent and starts forming theirw, their power increases several-fold with each level-up," Dharma said with a sarcastic smile.


    "Although this kid is powerful, unless he somehow manages to start forming aw, taking on Transcendents isn''t something he can even dream of, let alone challenging us Ascendants."


    "But still, the kid is just too abnormal. I really need to meet him and find out more about his secrets," Sorrine said.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you," Nari interjected, narrowing her gaze at Sorrine.


    "Oh? And why shouldn''t I?" Sorrine challenged.


    "Because that''s big sister''s boyfriend, and she wouldn''t want him to be probed by an ice viper," Nari said, not bothering to hide her difort.


    "Oh, please, we both know you''re just making that up. The Leader would never date someone like him," Sorrine replied.


    The other four overlords, along with the unusually quiet fourthdy Overlord, nced at the Fire Queen and the Ice Queen but chose not to get involved.


    This was typical. One might expect the fourdy overlords to team up against the four male overlords, but Nari, the fire-type overlord, and Sorrine, the ice-type overlord, never seemed to see eye to eye.


    Though it wasn''t the kind of tension that would break their cooperation, they just didn''t agree on much of anything. As they say, fire and ice don''t mix.


    "Do whatever you want. Just don''t say I didn''t warn you," Nari replied, ending the conversation. As much as she''d like to keep sparring with the annoying Ice Queen, she knew Sorrine was only teasing her.


    "Don''t worry, my Fire Queen. I won''t steal the Leader''s boyfriend," Sorrine said, noticing that, for the first time in a while, Nari was genuinely serious about something.


    "Tsk, as if you could do anything. Big sister has already made her move, so although I''d love to see the disappointed look on your face when us rejects you, it''s best not to tempt him," Nari replied with a tone suggesting she was hiding something.


    "Nari, what are you hiding?" the otherdy overlord asked, drawing the attention of the others, who turned their gaze to Nari. She only smiled and disappeared.


    "Damn, that firedy¡­" Sorrine cursed, while the others gritted their teeth.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    One by one, they left the hall. us had surprised them, but instead of leaving in a cheerful mood, Nari had spoiled it by baiting them with something she had no intention of sharing.

 Chapter 326 Two Spoiled Vixens [18+]

    While the whole world was still reeling from us''s disy, the three legacies were in turmoil, and their confidence was shattered. They had lost abysmally this time. Meanwhile, the Dark Order was doing damage control, preparing to send out more assassins after us.


    As for us himself¡ªthe one who caused all this mayhem¡ªhe and his friends had just arrived at a luxurious five-star hotel. With the trial scheduled for the next day, they would be staying there for the night.


    They had no ns to go out, so as soon as they arrived, they were led to their suite. It was spacious, and they all enteredfortably.


    "Well, that worked out better than I had hoped," us said with a sigh.


    "Although it was more chaotic than we anticipated, at least now we know the Legacies are in cahoots with the Dark Order," Daniel said, pouring himself a drink. He definitely needed one¡ªthey all did.


    "As much as I''d love to use this as an excuse to take out those three fools, those assassins weren''t there just because of them," us said, pouring himself a drink.


    "Wait, you think someone else was involved?" Lily asked with a frown. us paused for a moment, then nodded.


    "Definitely. But given the nature of the situation, it''ll be hard to prove. No need to worry, though. If theye, I''ll handle them ordingly," us said. His friends nodded and then began nning their day.


    A whileter, they all retired to their rooms. us took a shower to calm his nerves and had just settled onto his bed when his door opened¡ªand two vixens walked in, looking rather... alluring.


    Anna and Lily were d in only thin nightwear¡ªso thin that it revealed their skin, including Anna''s light brown nipples and Lily''s pink ones. The fabric clung provocatively, hanging just below their buttocks and exposing their smooth thighs for us to see.


    "Well, what do we have here?" us asked, watching the twodies walk closer to him. Although he had shared some intimate sessions with them, he had never seen them so exposed before.


    His little brother immediately received the signal and started to respond to the call.


    Anna and Lily approached the bed and climbed onto it, maintaining eye contact with us. They crawled closer, gently pushing him down onto his back.


    Lily traced her finger along us''s exposed chest, while Anna brushed her hands through his hair before leaning in for a kiss. This kiss quickly deepened,sting for thirty seconds before they broke apart.


    Almost immediately, Lily leaned in for her turn. Of course, us didn''t deny her the affection she sought.


    "Not that I''mining, but weren''t you the samedies who said just yesterday that you weren''t ready for the next step yet?" us asked, just as Lily pulled away from the kiss.


    The twodies exchanged looks and smiled. "We did say that, and we are not here for that," Lily replied.


    "Well, again, not that I amining, but if you are not here for that, then what are you here for? I think this exposed good stuff is making me a little excited," us said with a smile.


    Lily and Anna giggled.


    "We are here to help you release some stress," Anna said in a bashful tone. Lily mirrored her expression.


    "Release stress, as in...?" us yed coy.


    "Yes, exactly what you are thinking," Lily said, acting boldly.


    "You little devils! Who taught you that?" us smiled, looking at the expressions on their faces.


    "What? Big sister Lucy and Miriam are not here, and although you are acting tough, we can see you are tired, so let us help you calm down," Anna said.


    "You two know you don''t have to do that if you''re notfortable yet. I can just sleep and wake up fine tomorrow," us said. Although they had kissed and snuggled together, they hadn''t done anything beyond that.


    So the fact that they were willing to take that step was just too shocking for him.


    "Just rx and let us take care of you," Anna said, then climbed on top of us, turning her back to him. "And no touching, especially down there," she warned with a yful smile on her face.


    us gulped when his eyesnded on the meat of her Nether Region outlined by her thin panties. A jolt of pleasure immediately washed over his body making his dragon respond strongly this time.


    At the same time, he felt their hands reaching for his dragon. Soon, the shorts he was wearing were gently removed. However, as soon as his dragon was freed, it sprang into action, startling the twodies.


    They both gulped, seeing the huge, hard, and long dragon they were about to y with. us, who managed to calm down¡ªelse he would have leaned toward Anna''sher regions¡ªwas now watching the shocked expressions on Lily and Anna''s faces as they stared at his dragon, seemingly contemting what to do.


    However, it didn''t take long before Anna raised herself slightly and nted a small kiss on the dragon. She then leaned in more, and the tip of the dragon entered her mouth.


    Thoughrger than her mouth, she still managed to push a couple of inches in and started bobbing her head back and forth.


    Anna started moving her head, making us moan slightly every time his dragon touched her throat. However, instead of gagging, Anna surprisingly worked well to ensure there was no difort on her end or us''s.


    "Damn," us groaned as he felt one of his balls enter something warm. Lily had taken action and started tending to his balls, one in her mouth and the other in her grip as she gently massaged them.


    As far as knowing what to do, they each yed their part well, something us didn''t mind at all. It was as if they had nned and trained for this moment.


    If only he knew how much they had invested in this. Miriam and Lucy were even part of this enterprise, so they were ying their roles exceptionally well.


    In fact, us, who was focused on Anna''s behind, didn''t seem to notice the wet outline that had appeared in her panties. he was too engrossed in pleasure he didn''t notice, something that would have made him giddy.


    A couple of minutester, Lily and Anna switched positions, with Anna now working on his dragon while Lily focused on his balls.


    A couple of dozen minutester, us felt his release approaching. He gently tapped Anna, who was back to working on his dragon.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Ladies, I''ming. You better move out of the way," us said, but instead of moving, Anna held his dragon with a firm grip and positioned her lips at the head.


    At the same time, Lily also leaned in, ready to receive the reward Lucy and Miriam had told them they couldn''t afford to miss.


    Soon, the first load entered Anna''s mouth, followed by the second. She moved aside, and Lily took her ce. Anna smiled faintly, looking up at us as she swallowed his load. She leaned in for more as Lily mirrored her, creating a sight that burned into us''s memory.


    A minuteter, thest of his release left him, making us sigh deeply, feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted.


    "You two spoiled vixens, where did you learn to do that?" us asked, staring at the twodies as they licked their lips, their eyes fixed on his dragon, which seemed ready for more.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know?" Lily teased before jumping onto his chest again. Anna giggled, and before us could react, his dragon was in Lily''s mouth, and it wouldn''t leave until it rewarded them seven times.


    "Aaahhh," us sighed after releasing his seventh load, his eyes heavy. Lily and Anna nced at each other and smiled; it seemed they had seeded in their mission.


    They were about to climb off the bed and leave the room when us grabbed hold of them and pulled them close.


    They eachnded on either side of him, and with a smile on his face, he drifted into sleep, leaving the two honeyeddies doing their best to hold back¡ªfor now.


    Their third partner wasn''t ready yet, but that was something us would discoverter.

 Chapter 327 Time with His Sister [Bonus]

    Around midnight, us woke up feeling refreshed, like a newborn baby. The day had been chaotic, but thankfully, his two cute vixens had helped him release that stress. He was grateful and very happy they had finally made progress in their rtionship.


    Although Anna and Lily had said they weren''t ready to take the final step, they still went out of their way to make him feel good after a long, stressful day.


    As they''d noted, he was indeed tired. Although he had managed to steal the soul strength of the Saints and Sages, the three skills he''d used required great mental strength.


    Even with his robust mental resilience, it had drained him quite a lot, so their care was actually a very sweet gesture.


    But because of the intense session, they''d shared, and since us had stopped them from leaving to do whatever they''d nned, he couldn''t help but smile, shaking his head as he looked at the twodies fast asleep, still soiled from releasing their essence while he''d slept.


    "They must have released themselves while I was asleep," us sighed. If only they had given him the go-ahead, he would have made them feel good any day.


    "If I didn''t know better, I''d say the heavens are looking out for me. But s, those bastards want me dead, so it must be my luck¡­ to have such amazing women around me," he mused.


    He gently pried Anna''s hand off his dragon, as he was still naked from when he fell asleep. Quietly, he left the bed and headed to the bathroom.


    A few minutester, he came out refreshed. He dressed in nightwear, but before leaving the room, he ced some clothes on the bed for when they woke up. It would be awkward if they woke up with him there.


    After leaving the room, us made his way to the bar in the suite. However, on the way, he noticed Hanna sitting on the balcony, staring at the moon.


    He changed direction and headed her way.


    "Can''t sleep, huh?" us said, settling down beside her. Without even asking for permission, he let his head fall onto herp.


    "You really shouldn''t be putting your head onps that don''t belong to your women," Hanna said with a smirk.


    "Oh, big sister, are you flustered?" us asked jokingly.


    "Tsk, who would be flustered by you?" Hanna replied with a weak smile. Her expression, however, held no hint of lust. She truly saw us as her brother and nothing more.


    "By the way, sis, what are you doing here?" us asked. Everyone was asleep by now, even though they were in enemy territory. So why was she still up?


    "I was just catching some air. The trial is only a few hours away," Hanna said.


    "You''re not feeling pressured, are you? Although I don''t know the full extent of your strength, I know you''ll do well. No need to stress yourself," us said reassuringly.


    "I know. I just don''t want to disappoint you and Mom," Hanna replied, brushing her hand through us''s hair, a gesture their mother used to do for both of them.


    "You won''t disappoint anyone, big sister. You''vee a long way, and thisst trial won''t change that. Just give it your best," us said.


    He didn''t ce much importance on the trial himself. To him, he just wanted to get it over with so he could break through.


    After all, after killing the mercenaries and the assassins, he had leveled up to level 9. Just a few more steps, and he could advance to the Grandmaster stage.


    "I guess you''re right. I''ll just give it my best," Hanna said.


    "Good. You do that."


    "Oh, if I''m here thinking about the trial, what are you here for? Shouldn''t you be sleeping too?" Hanna asked.


    "Just wanted to catch some fresh air," us said casually, making Hanna narrow her gaze.


    "You sure it has nothing to do with the two nicely dresseddies who entered your room a couple of hours ago?" Hanna asked with a knowing smile.


    us smiled, recognizing that his sneaky vixens weren''t sneaky enough. However, he wasn''t shy about this kind of thing. After all, Hanna had witnessed him many times making out with Miriam by the pool. They were well past any awkwardness about it.


    us had long since concluded that Hanna had no romantic feelings for him, which he reciprocated, so there was no need for shyness between them.


    "By the way, sis, do you think I have too many women around me?" us asked suddenly.


    "Oh, little bro, are you regretting your life choices and now reconsidering the title of ''yer us Hanson,'' the one who couldn''t let go of the next skirt?" Hanna teased.


    "Just answer the question," us demanded, giving her a pinch.


    "Fine, fine," Hannaughed, prying his fingers away. "Tell me, do you love thesedies, or are you just using them to release stress, or because they''re beautiful and you want to im them as trophies?"


    "Of course I love them. Every single one of them," us replied without hesitation.


    "Then there''s your answer. It doesn''t matter how many women you have; as long as you love them all and treat them well, there''s no need to worry. All you''d have to worry about is satisfying them all."


    "That, I can tell you, sister¡ªyou''re missing out," us said, receiving a smack from Hanna. She was indeed missing out on a lot. Right now, Miriam had gotten much stronger thanks to their constant nightly sessions, so us knew that when he did it with Anna and Lily, they would both inherit his blessings.


    They stayed there for two whole hours, talking about the kinds of things brothers and sisters talk about. After that, they left, each heading back to their rooms.


    The moment us got to his room, he found Anna and Lily sitting on the bed. When they saw him, they turned away, their cheeks turning red.


    "I''m always avable when you are," us said with a mischievous smile. He knew the two touched themselves to release some tension while he slept. He''d caught glimpses of their wet panties when they were taking care of him, so he knew what they did after he fell asleep.


    "By the way, you two shouldn''t be shy around me. After all, we''ve taken a major step in our rtionship, and soon it''ll go even further, so you don''t always have to act shy around me," us said, reaching for their waists as he got on the bed.


    They melted into his arms, making us smile.


    They had freshened up and changed into the clothes he''d left for them, so why were they still there when he got back? us wondered, but his answer came sooner than he expected.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Anna slipped her hand into his pants and began ying with his dragon, while Lily went in for a kiss.


    "We want to enjoy it a few more times before the trial," Lily whispered into his ear. us just smiled and loosened his trousers.


    Soon, his dragon was exposed, and for the next few hours, the three lovers wouldn''t have a moment of rest.


    The next morning, they got ready for the trial, the one that would determine which of them would make it to that academy in three months'' time.

 Chapter 328 Going to the Union Trial [Bonus]

    All over Union City, everyst youngster who came for the union trial was making their way to the designated trial location. There were five thousand of them, and by the end of today, only 2,000 would qualify for the academy.


    Those 2,000 would spend six months there, after which the final trial would take ce once they had all reached at least an intermediate Grandmaster level.


    After reaching the Grandmaster stage, advancing to the Saint stage would be the next priority. However, moving from the Grandmaster stage to the Saint stage requires forming a core¡ªa star core. This, of course, is what separates the prodigies from ordinary warriors.


    It can take as long as two years, depending on how quickly or slowly oneprehends the formation process. There are established methods, but it was always advised to find one''s own way, as that will be the foundation one relies on for the rest of one''s life as a warrior.


    "You guys look like dummies. Come on, lighten up and takefort in knowing that my charm and brilliance as the number one strongest Master-stage warrior will rub off on you," us said with a teasing smile as he looked at his friends.


    They were on their way to the trial location, but their expressions showed that the pressure was getting to them. us, of course, wasn''t worried, so he threw in a jab, and, as expected, his friends smirked at hisment.


    "We''re not like you, us. We''re human, so we can''t stay calm in a situation like this," Daniel said, and the others nodded.


    "Rx, you''ll all pass this trial with ease. I know you will," us reassured them.


    However, in the back of his mind, he hoped Lucil and the Nerds hadn''t gone overboard with thest trial. Thest time he''d helped them with Oracle, Lucil mentioned she was cooking up something big for the union trial.


    us had made sure she didn''t say anything more about it, but knowing Lucil¡ªand the fact that Oracle had be very realistic¡ªhe knew this would be a tough one.


    After driving for half an hour, they arrived at a location simr to where they''d taken the Regional and City trials.


    Thousands of youngsters were everywhere¡ªsome chatting with friends and acquaintances, while others just stood silently, the pressure getting to them.


    "It''s him, that''s us Hanson! Oh my god, I can''t believe I might be in the same ss as him if I pass today''s trial!" a youngdy eximed the moment us and his friends arrived.


    "Oh, my heart! I thought it was just filters that made him look so handsome when I watched him yesterday, but seeing him up close, he''s even more stunning," anotherdy said, almost drooling.


    "Keep it together, Alex. Unless you can make it into the top 10, don''t even think about him noticing you," her friend said, nudging her back to reality.


    "Tsk, what do you know? I''m as beautiful as thosedies with him," Alex replied. She is a dark-haired, well-endowed young woman with striking features, puffing out her chest¡ªa sight that certainly caught the attention of many guys nearby.


    "Keep deceiving yourself. Those three were all in the top ten during the regional trial, and, while it hurts to say, they''re all better-looking than us. We can only do our best and admire him from afar," her friend said with a defeated smile.


    It wasn''t just her¡ªmost of the girls felt the same way when us appeared. He had grown so handsome that it was beginning to affect some rtionships.


    The boys whose girlfriends had started watching us in all the wrong ways seethed with anger. If they could, they would cut him into pieces and dispose of each part in different locations.


    But s, they could only fume from afar, knowing they didn''t have the power to face him, especially after watching him kill Saints, Sages, and Great Sages as if they were nothing.


    As soon as us and his friends arrived, he scanned the area and spotted a few familiar faces. Lawrence was there, looking in his direction with all the jealousy he could muster. He wasn''t sure whether to me us for the bacsh he had been facingtely.


    Since the genius gathering, his credibility had taken a hit. After all, he had conspired against his team under their enemy''smand, causing the team to split. This had angered many, and after the gathering, some even began bashing him online.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This, of course, brought him endless pain whenever he read thements about him. Since he couldn''t take his anger out on everyone, he could only direct his hatred and frustration at the one person who made him feel this miserable¡ªus Hanson.


    There were also a few notable people us remembered from the trial back in Sinji Valley. Some were leaders from other regions who had allied with E Duncan and her team.


    Now, they watched us with frowns and wary looks as he made his way through the crowd, a smile ying on his lips as he headed toward thest person who wanted to see him¡ªMiguel.


    "Miguel, my friend, it''s only been a month, but it feels like we''ve been apart for a century. I hope you''re doing well," us said with a teasing smile as he approached.


    With him were Omari, the Zhou twins, Scarlet, Ruby, and Lucas, the archer who had chosen to stay with us during the trial. It seemed they had grown much closer since the events at Sinji Valley.


    "us, not now. Unlike you, some of us actually need to prepare for the trials," Miguel replied.


    "Oh please, you think I''d believe that? You''re all much stronger than thest time we met," us said with a knowing smile, showing he could read their strengths and weaknesses like a book.


    In reality, us''s Eye of Malevolence had grown so powerful that he could easily tell if someone was hiding their strength. This, of course, led him to notice quite a few people who were more than they seemed.


    Miguel just chuckled and went back to his quiet stance. us smiled as well and led his friends to find a spot to rx for now. Kilian, of course, had already be smitten with Scarlet.


    "Mark, my friend, it seems those twins have their sights on you. You might want to keep sharp on this one," us said, nudging him when they were a few meters from Miguel''s team.


    Mark and the others turned, and sure enough, they caught the Zhou twins, Lin and Zing, subtly watching the spearman in us''s group.


    "Better aim for the top 50. That would make things easier," us added.


    "I won''t let you down, us," Mark said with a determined look.


    "What the hell, I''m not the one in love with you! Why would I care if you let me down?" us replied with a smirk.


    "Right, I won''t ck off then," Mark said, scratching his head. His friends smiled, amused by the lovestruck fool who didn''t seem to know what to do.


    "Big sister, is it just me, or does that young fe seem to be looking at you with less-than-good intentions?" us gently nudged Hanna.


    "That''s Eden Jacobs, someone I n on killing as my first human," Hanna replied with a calm expression, though her clenched fist told a different story.


    us''s mood shifted at this, but before he could ask for rification, the doors to the trial building opened, and everyone began moving inside.

 Chapter 329 The Dark Tower [Bonus]

    us decided to put aside what Hanna said, but he knew for a fact that the youngster wouldn''t live to celebrate his next birthday. He didn''t know exactly why Hanna would say she wanted to kill him, but despite her calm expression, he knew she was very angry inside.


    As the gate to therge majestic building opened, they set their conversation aside and headed in. Along the way, us noticed three pairs of eyes watching him from a particr direction. Of course, he immediately knew who those eyes belonged to, so he turned and waved in their direction.


    This gesture almost made the three legacies bleed from all their openings. us just smirked and entered the building with his friends.


    Since they hadn''t done anything suspicious after the humiliation he put them through yesterday, he knew they''d been tamed for a while, but that didn''t mean they had given up oning after him.


    In the end, the only thing that could put an end to this was for us to kill them¡ªsomething he fully intended to do.


    A whileter, everyst one of the 5,000 souls taking the trial was in the building. They all looked eager to be among the 2,000 who would make it to the Academy. However, they also knew that the 3,000 who would be washing out could include them.


    "Wee, everyone, to the Union Trials." While they were all doing their best to stay calm, a voice suddenly spoke, apanied by a holographic projection of ady.


    Everyone quieted down as she spoke.


    "You''ve alle a long way, showing everyone that you are among the top geniuses of your generation. Be proud.


    "However, today, you should remember why you are here. Today is the day you battle to see whether you will be among the 2,000 advancing from this union to the Academy."


    Hearing her words, everyone exchanged looks filled with mixed emotions. Some knew they would be losing friends after the trial, as staying in touch once they entered the Academy would be difficult.


    Many also knew that if they did well, they would be able to stay together with their friends and loved ones in the Academy¡ªor at least for the first six months there.


    "Now, without wasting much time, I will exin the structure of today''s trial," thedy said, making everyone focus intently on her words.


    "The trial is called the Dark Tower, and it has 66 levels, each housing different types of monsters with varying strengths. Every level will have a distinct breed of monsters or zombies, requiring you to apply your knowledge of monsters to defeat them.


    "The trial is divided into five stages, each containing multiple levels. These stages will determine the Tier level of monsters you''ll be fighting. With each level you ascend, the number of monsters you must face will also increase.


    "Now that the overview isplete, let me exin the levels and other details. First, from level 1 to level 20, the monsters will be Tier 4. This range is designed to help you get acquainted with the trial and see how you perform under pressure.


    "From level 21 to level 40, the monsters will be in Tier 5. While many of you can handle this realm due to it being a virtual world and not the real one, you should know that the monsters are at least 98 percent simr to their real-world counterparts."


    "So it would be in your best interest to treat these levels with absolute care and not get reckless.


    "From level 41 to 56, the monsters will be Tier 6. This is the stage you all should aim to reach, as fighting three tiers above you at your current stage isn''t something you can easily handle. It will be a grueling trial for sure, but I believe you will all do your best.


    "From levels 57 to 65, the monsters will be Tier 7. I know many of you have already started frowning at this, but understand that aiming for higher levelses with extra rewards, which I will exinter. So straighten up and listen.


    "Those who manage to clear even a single level at this stage will surely smile aftering out of the trial.


    "Now, for level 66, there will be a single Tier 8 monster. If you manage to reach this stage, be sure to exchange a few blows with it. After all, death in Oracle is not permanent. So aim higher and don''t be afraid, because there is a huge reward for everyone afterward.


    "Now, let''s go over the rules and rewards."


    Everyone smiled upon hearing her words, although they knew that this trial would be grueling. Nevertheless, they all wanted to know the rules and their rewards.


    "First rule: every level is designed to run for a specific amount of time, which you will find out when you enter the trial. You must kill the monsters before the time runs out, or else you will be kicked out.


    "Second rule: after every level, you will have 5 minutes of rest before proceeding to the next level. Of course, you can choose to move forward without resting, in which case the 5 minutes you didn''t take will be added to your rest period in the next level.


    "Additionally, if you manage to clear a level before the designated time, the remaining time will be added to your rest period. So, it''s advisable to use your time wisely; you will need it.


    "Now, on to the rewards. First, all of you will receive a vial of Earth-grade Mountain Dew and 5 Tier 6 monster cores. This is a reward for everyone, regardless of your ranking.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Second, after passing the first stage, you will receive an additional Mountain Dew and 3 cores that have an affinity for your elements. Additionally, you will gain 100 Celestial points, which you will learn how to use when you get to the Academy.


    "Third, those who pass the second stage will receive another vial of Earth-grade Mountain Dew and 5 Tier 6 monster cores, along with 500 Celestial points.


    "Stage three will grant you two vials of Earth-grade Mountain Dew and 10 Tier 6 monster cores, plus 1,000 Celestial points."


    "Then for Stage Four, you will receive 4 vials of Earth-grade Mountain Dew, 10 Tier 6 monster cores, and 2 Tier 7 monster cores. You will also get an additional 2,000 Celestial points.


    "However, for those who make it to Level 66, which is thest stage, you will receive 10 vials of Earth-grade Mountain Dew, 20 Tier 6 monster cores, and 4 Devil cores. In addition, you will receive a whopping 10,000 Celestial points, and on top of that, you will also receive a vial of Gold-grade Mountain Dew."


    The moment everyone heard what she said, they all clenched their fists, us''s friends included. us, on the other hand, wore a small smile on his face. He had already received a Gold-grade Mountain Dew thanks to winning the Trial during the Genius Gathering.


    He also received quite a few from Dharma, the Pink Eye Overlord, and other things he nned to use right after the Union Trial. Although he hadn''t used them before, he knew they were bound to have some effect, so he was waiting until after the trial.


    Right now, what piqued us''s interest was the Celestial points. He knew nothing about them, which made it all the more reason for him to earn as many as possible now and find out moreter.


    "Alright, enter your console; the trial willmence in a few minutes," the announcer said, prompting everyone to start moving toward the open doors.


    "Good luck, guys," us said to his friends before walking through a door. The next second, he was in the game chair, and soon he appeared in Oracle, standing in front of a dark tower that loomed many meters tall.

 Chapter 330 The Trial Began

    us, like every one of the 5,000 participants who entered the trial, stood before the looming dark tower, which for some reason had a hypnotic effect just by looking at it.


    The tower stood tall and dark, with ravens circling it, creating an ominous environment and sensation.


    ''Nice one, Lucil,'' us smiled, nning to call her and praise her for a job well done after the trial. She had created something that conveyed a sense of weight even before the trial began.


    It was a smart move, considering the academy was looking for capable warriors to nurture.


    [Wee to the Dark Tower Trial. The trial begins once the gate opens. You are required to enter immediately when it opens to avoid being disqualified.]


    A voice spoke, and before any of the participants could react, the huge door at the base of the tower creaked open, creating a haunting effect. However, they didn''t need to be told twice¡ªthey immediately ran in.


    The moment us entered the gate, he found himself at the base of a tall mountain surrounded by leafless trees. He did not even need a second to prepare before sensing 30 monsters charging down the mountain.


    "Mountain wolves," us muttered.


    Without a second thought, all 360 Viper Piercing Needles appeared in front of him, hovering wlessly.


    As the 30 mountain wolves drew closer, 30 of the needles shot forward, and within a second, all 30 monstersy on the ground¡ªdead.


    "Easy enough," us muttered.


    He was far beyond hunting Tier 4 monsters. The first time he went hunting, he''d aimed for the highest tier, and now, after battling thousands of higher-tier monsters, these Tier 4 creatures felt like a joke.


    [Congrattions on clearing the first level of the Dark Tower in under 5 seconds. You are the first to aplish this. You have saved 9 minutes and 55 seconds.]


    [Does the participant wish to continue or rest for 14 minutes and 55 seconds?]


    "Continue," us said, and immediately, his surroundings shifted. He appeared in the same ce, but this time, the number of monsters running down the mountain had increased. Fifty came at him, yet it didn''t take him even ten seconds to dispose of them.


    The tower congratted him and once again offered the choice to continue or rest, and us chose to continue. He appeared in the same ce again, but this time, instead of 50 Tier 4 mountain wolves, 100 descended.


    "Looks like the number doubles after every level," us muttered, directing a hundred needles to take care of the monsters. In less than ten seconds, he had disposed of them and continued.


    Within a few seconds of entering the trial, us had cleared the first five levels. However, when he chose to continue this time, his environment changed, and he appeared in a different ce altogether.


    ***


    On the other side of the trial, the 5,000 youngsters braved the challenges from the start. us''s friends began on a positive note, showing they were well-prepared.


    Anna cleared the first level in under 20 seconds. Without even casting a spell, she simply jammed her staff into the ground, and ice shards impaled the monsters.


    She used the same approach for the next five levels, demonstrating that beyond her spells, she had excellent control over the ice element.


    In another tower, Lily was performing simrly with her wind element. Instead of wielding her sword, she extended her hand and created wind des. When she hurled them at the monsters. They moved with precision, slicing through them effortlessly.


    Although Lily is primarily a swordsman, Anna has been teaching her a thing or two about using her element more proactively. Anna is a genius in this regard, and her use of elemental power inspired Lily to start her assaults with wind des.


    As for Hanna, she began the trial with a single arrow that sted the monsters before they could even get within 4 km of her. Since she didn''t want to use the trick her mom helped her devise just yet, she started her assault with ordinary lightning arrows.


    Thanks to her use of Mountain Dew to enhance her strength and elemental control, she was able to deal greater damage with less effort, keeping her Qi above 90% for when she might need her secret technique.


    She doesn''t want to tap more into her essence from the beginning. Everyone was the same, they all wanted to conserve their energy for when they needed it.


    Danny also started with a bang. The heavy axe he wielded was more than enough to smash and slice through the monsters without requiring any special skills.


    Daniel was the same. His hammer was smashing the monsters into a paste. They stood no chance under his heavy smashing. Sometimes the shockwave alone was enough to kill those near the impact.


    Mark, meanwhile, was also using wind, but with his spear. Like Lily, he was sending wind cuts at the monsters, and, impressively, he could control them even after releasing them, making them curve back like a boomerang.


    Kay, like Hanna, was using ordinary fire arrows to deal with the Tier 4 mountain wolves, opting not to use any active skills.


    Kilian was also at it, casually shing his sword and unleashing fire arcs at the monsters. None of them wanted to exhaust themselves early, so they were starting slow.


    And it wasn''t just them; everyone was doing the same. They hadn''t unleashed any of their skills yet, knowing that more harrowing levels were ahead, so they were holding back their attacks.


    ***


    "It''s a good start so far," said thedy who made the announcement and read the rules. She was inside the observation room. Beside her were five others¡ªthree men and two women¡ªall focused on the 5,000 smaller screens disying the trials.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Do you think any of them will be able to reach the 66th level?" a young man asked. "This isn''t exactly like the straightforward battles they''ve fought," he added.


    "Well, the head instructors at the academy certainly hope so. I was instructed to observe their performance in various environments and send a detailed report afterward.


    "They also seem more interested in that young man making his way through the trial," thedy said, shaking her head as she watched us in the trial, effortlessly dispatching monsters.


    "Well, he''s very scary, I tell you. Even I''m afraid of him," anotherdy remarked with a small smile.


    "Our job is to evaluate him and send an even moreprehensive report by the end of the day, so scared or not, pay attention to him," the announcementdy said.


    "Also, keep a close eye on the Zhou twins; they have some potential. Additionally, focus more on Anna Ross, Hanna Kendrick, Lily Felin, Miguel O''Hara, E Duncan, Ethan Duncan, Max Duncan, and Omari Hackman," she added.


    "Okay, ma''am," the five replied, nodding in acknowledgment. They then returned to observing the various battles happening inside the trial.


    ***


    us appeared on level 6, and instead of arriving at the base of the mountain, he found himself in a shadowy forest with thick fog covering the ground, obscuring his vision.


    ''Interesting, very interesting,'' us said inwardly, scanning his surroundings with heightened senses. A few secondster, strange rustling sounds echoed around him.


    Then, from the darkness, deep red eyes lit up, piercing through the shadowy surroundings.

 Chapter 331 Shadows in the Forest

    The red eyes lit up in the darkness, transforming the shadowy setting into an eerie blend of red pointed lights and darkness. It could terrify any of them before the apocalypse, but now, it looked even more beautiful to some.


    "Tier 4 Gloom Rats," us immediately recognized the type of monsters he was about to face. The Gloom Rats wererge, shadowy rodents with glowing red eyes that moved and attacked in swarms.


    us understood the purpose of this level of the trial and what was expected of them. Precision and speed.


    He formted many solutions in his mind, but ultimately returned to his original n: using the Needles.


    "I count 50 Gloom Rats," he muttered, and without hesitation, the needles moved. What followed was a series of red lights going off as the needles dealt death blows to the 50 Gloom Rats.


    The trial aimed to use swarm tactics to test their precision and agility. The Gloom Rats were incredibly fast and did not attack individually, so the trial required them to be quick and precise in their attacks.


    Of course, for someone like Anna, a mage, she cast a wide area-of-effect attack that managed to slow down the monsters. Then, using ice shards, she quickly took care of them. It was the only way she could do it since she wasn''t like the archers or swordsmen who could unleash quick attacks.


    Hanna, like most of the archers, chose to switch to a crossbow, which allowed for even faster reloading and shooting. She could have used her bow, but that would have required much more energy.


    The crossbow didn''t require much energy, but just as it consumed less, its damage output was also lower. However, the Gloom Rats weren''t known for their tough defenses, so using the crossbow was the best option for her in that regard.


    The ones who struggled were the brute fighters. At first, Danny and his group of brute fighters wanted to take the Gloom Rats out one by one using brute strength; however, they soon noticed the monsters were faster than the axes and hammers they wielded.


    Some struggled, but after realizing the monsters had weak defenses, they simply created powerful shockwaves to deal with them. It took just a couple of strikes to kill the Gloom Rats, and then they moved on to level 7.


    At level 7, the Gloom Rats doubled in number, now totaling 100. But all the fighters needed to do was crank up a little from the 6th level to take care of them. This was also true for level 8. However, at level 9, they found themselves in a new ce.


    us arrived at level 9 after spending about two minutes clearing levels 6 to 8. He found himself in a barren, rocky wastnd. Sharp rocks jutted out of the ground, casting ominous shadows in the dim light.


    "Looks like these levels all have something to do with shadows," us muttered, looking around the tricky yet shadowy setting.


    Just as he was getting acquainted with the rocky environment, powerful steps began approaching him. He scanned with his senses and then smirked.


    "Ash Golems." He muttered picking up his next targets


    As if responding to their name, 2-meter-tall monsters made of hardened volcanic rock with moltenva veins that glowed fiercely charged at him¡ª50 of them.


    us immediately sprang into action, sending the needles flying. However, when the fire needle connected, it bounced off the rocky skin. The monsters have a rather rocky skin that acts as their natural defense.


    "Interesting," us smirked, merging the needles to form 50 Void Piercing Needles. They moved, and this time, they managed to pierce the tough skin of the monsters.


    The Ash Golems are creatures made of rock, specializing in strong defenses. They are also heavy hitters, so most warriors flee when they encounter higher-tier ones. They are hard to kill.


    However, Tier 4 ones aren''t that difficult to defeat. It only requires precise and powerful attacks, which of course favors the brute strength fighters. Danny and his group were on cloud nine through these levels.


    Level 10 was also popted by Ash Golems. us quickly made his way through them, killing only with his Void Piercing Needles.


    He had, like everyone else, racked up the time that was meant for them to use to rest. But unlike many who began to slow down as the levels progressed, us was moving through them with ease. His pace was as fast as it could be, so while many were still at Level 10, he was already at Level 15, speeding his way through.


    After battling the Ash Golems up to level 14, he found himself facing some rather interesting and icky-looking, zombie-like slime monsters called Bog Crawlers at level 15.


    He appeared in an endless marsnd filled with the stench of decay. Shallow, murky water covered the ground. us immediately realized that this ce was poisonous. However, he knew that to be infected, one would have to breathe in arge quantity of the poisoned air or¡ª


    getting hit by the Bog Crawlers'' acidic venom sprays. They lived in the mushy waters, so this time, us devised a different attack n.


    He first used the ice element to freeze the water, instantly encasing the monsters in ice. Then, with a heavy shatter, all 50 Bog Crawlers were reduced to nothing. He could have used the needles, but they wouldn''t have been ideal.


    By employing a wide area-of-effect attack pattern, he was able to clear levels 15 through 18 with ease. He chose to use the ice element more.


    us knew that although his ice element was stronger than most¡ªdespite still being unawakened. But he knew it was only a matter of time before it awakened.


    He had already witnessed the awakening of the seven Forbidden Ice elements in Fruity''s memories, and he knew that the moment he awakened them, his control over ice would be very strong.


    However, he first had to gather some resources which he had already made moves toward. The only downside was that after researching the resources he needed, he found that most of them could be found in the Ice or cial Union.


    So first, he wanted to get into the academy, and since Lucy told him that by joining the academy, he could pick missions in those regions, he knew he had to hurry.


    From level 19 to level 20, the monsters he battled were quite sneaky, Earth Lizards.


    Earth Lizards were monsters with a strong affinity for the earth element, attacking from the ground. If one was not fast enough, they would be caught off guard and fall into a sinkhole.


    However, with his enhanced senses, he was able to clear through it. After taking care of the 20th level, us managed to clear the first stage in under 10 minutes.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He quickly made his way to the second stage, which spanned from level 21 to 40. This stage also meant they would be fighting Tier 5 monsters. However, instead of the base number of monsters starting at 50, this time it started at 70, and it would double after that.


    us wasted no time before entering the second stage of the trial. Some of the others chose to rest for a while before diving in, while others headed straight in. us''s friends, of course, chose to go straight in, saving their resting time for when they needed it.


    However, the moment they entered the second stage, they could no longer ck off. The Tier 5 monsters posed a different kind of threat.

 Chapter 332 The Bridge of Wraiths

    "Really," us muttered, standing on a narrow bridge suspended 200 meters above the ground which was made ofva burning rather hot¡ªvery hot, in fact.


    However, while that was a shocking sight, what dumbfounded us was the creatures circling overhead.


    "Wraiths."


    One hundred of them to be exact each Tier 5. us had managed to weed through the trial from level 21 and was currently inside level 32. He had expected many things after going through so much already, but wraiths weren''t one of them. Clearly, Lucil did not hold back on this one.


    ***


    When he arrived at the 21st level, it was a scorching hot dune of sand withrge stones scattered everywhere. Tier 5 Sand Shades were waiting for him. These sand shades were phantom-like creatures that appeared only in the shadows cast by rocks and objects.


    us didn''t linger.


    He quickly disposed of them, making his way to the next level and then the one after that, all in simr environments. After pushing through that trial, he appeared in another one.


    It was an ice cavern with a frigid, chilling air. The moment he arrived, he felt like it was made for him. Every ice elemental wielder felt that way in this ce.


    Just as in reality, where someone in an environment sharing an affinity with their element would experience a boost when fighting there, the same was true inside Oracle. In fact, the only artificial aspect of Oracle was the respawn after death.


    So the moment us arrived there, he felt right at home. Of course, he couldn''t linger, so he immediately went into action.


    From level 24 to 27, he battled hundreds of Frost Bats, a rather unique set of monsters. Theserge, icy bats attacked using two skills. First, they screeched¡ªa form of ice sonic attack. Those with low mental strength and poor resistance to ice were doomed to fail at this level.


    Second, they emitted a freezing mist that slowed down their targets'' movements. From there, they would either freeze them in ice or use their pointed legs to scratch you until you couldn''t take it anymore.


    While they weren''t individually very powerful, when they swarmed¡ªas they often did inrge numbers¡ªit was easy to get overwhelmed.


    Of course, many struggled hard, but in the end, they all managed to pull through. Even Danny and the Brute Fighters. They somehow managed to wiggle their way through.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Throughout the trial, us found out it wasn''t only about having the strength to kill higher-tier monsters, it was more about having the intellect to know which approach to take when facing different situations.


    In that regard, the Dark Tower was doing exactly that. Everyone was using their brain along with their strength. So despite the frosty situation that was rather terrible for the fire wielders, none of the 5000 washed out.


    After which, from Level 29 to 31, it was a dense jungle with vines hanging everywhere. The air there was very hot and humid. The moment the disciples appeared there, they could hear something slithering through the thick foliage.


    Of course, almost all of them knew what they were the moment they heard the notice. They fought Jungle Serpents through from level 29 to level 31.


    The Jungle Serpents are massive, green-scaled snakes with venomous fangs and the ability to camouge among the vines.


    This trial of course was meant to test their reactions speed. The jungle serpents strike quickly from above, so this forces them to be quick on their feet to react to any situation.


    In this ce, too many struggled, but with the choice to rest a while after each level, some chose to use their minutes. However, not all of them stayed there. us was the first to appear at the 32 level.


    ***


    He looked at the wraiths, and a smile began to y on his lips¡ªa sight that left the instructors in the observation room dumbfounded as they watched over the trials.


    "How I wish I could see how Danny and the other heavy hitters would handle this level," us muttered, a wicked smile spreading across his face as he watched the 100 wraiths dash toward him.


    The three 23-inch Void Piercing Needles appeared, and before the wraiths could even reach attacking range, they were all obliterated.


    us didn''t move a single step. Below him was scorching hotva; above, he was surrounded by wraiths. It was the kind of trial that many were bound to wash out from.


    Not that they were weak¡ªit was just that the setup was almost unfair. The bridge was narrow and fragile. Although us didn''t know if it could break, he didn''t want to find out.


    Aside from that, the wraiths were incredibly fast, which meant that if you weren''t quick enough, you could be overwhelmed.


    Danny and the other brute fighters, especially those using heavy weapons, were bound to have a hard time. If you fell into theva, you were done for, and if you failed to kill the wraiths, that was just another problem.


    "On the other hand, Daniel has the fire element in his favor, and Miguel has lightning. Danny, on the other hand¡ªwell, I guess we''ll see how that goes after the trial... Hehe," us chuckled before moving on to level 33.


    The same pattern continued through to level 36. On Level 37 though, the scene changed.


    ***


    Inside the observation room, 5,000 screens with green outlines disyed the participants. Suddenly, one screen shed red, indicating the first person had washed out. On closer inspection, he could be seen falling into theva after failing to defend against a wraith attack.


    Shortly after, more screens began turning red, as more participants started washing out. The first person was eliminated at Level 35, where they were attacked by hundreds of wraiths.


    Before Level 37, over 500 participants had already been washed out. The narrow bridge and relentless assaults from the Tier 5 wraiths proved too much for many.


    Most of those who failed were people with a slower killing speed. They were required to disy quick reactions and adaptability but couldn''t handle the pressure, leading to their rapid elimination.


    Contrary to us''s expectations, Daniel and most of the brute fighters pushed through; even Danny managed to advance. It was a rather miraculous feat worth apuding.


    Danny has an unusual elemental affinity for his ss. While someone with his ss would typically possess elements like fire, lightning, ice, or even earth, Danny awakened the light element, which many considered useless.


    Even us couldn''t help butugh when he found out. However, one person thought differently.


    The senior within us''s Soul Sea said that Danny had a unique type of light element that, when awakened, would prove incredibly powerful.


    Of course, the senior wanted us to break through first and settle his Karma before adding any more karma to his resume. But he did say that if Danny ever managed to awaken his light element, his potential would skyrocket.


    For now, Danny could only rely on his axe for heavy hits. However, his ability to push through from level 32 to 36 caught the instructors'' attention. They recognized his potential with the axe and added his name to the list of candidates the academy intended to watch closely.


    ***


    Back inside Oracle, us, who had entered Level 38, was immediately hit by the scent of decay.


    "A graveyard," he muttered.

 Chapter 333 : The Graveyard

    "Wee to the Graveyard. Due to the unique nature of this challenge, levels 38 to 40 have been merged. You must clear both levels together by killing all monsters within 15 minutes.


    You can choose to rx now before entering the trial or rest afterward. Make your decision within the next 5 seconds."


    Immediately, us appeared on Level 38 as the system introduced the nature of the trial. He quickly took in his surroundings.


    Looking around, he knew many would be taken aback by how the next levels of the trial would progress, but us was more interested in the setting he had just found himself in.


    He found himself in a graveyard filled with crumbling tombstones and mausoleums. The tombstones looked ancient as if they had been crafted by a game designer. Lucil had clearly invested a lot into the Dark Tower trial, aiming to impress us.


    A cold wind howled, carrying ghostly whispers.


    "This ce feels icky," us muttered before opting to continue instead of resting. He wasn''t really tired; it was just that something about the current trial made him think it would be a good one.


    As expected, the moment he decided to continue, some of the tombstones started to move, and the area began to grow darker.


    "Spooky," us said, watching his surroundings with eagerness. Suddenly, from the shadows that seemed to have appeared within the area and beneath the tombstones, bony ghouls began to rise.


    "Grave Ghouls," us muttered.


    It was a game character he had learned about from Lucil during his time at Stone Valley. Back then, he didn''t understand why she was so keen on him learning the names of her game characters.


    But now, as he watched hundreds of skeletal creatures with elongated ws emerging from the ground to ambush him, he couldn''t help but smile. Lucil had made sure he wasn''t overwhelmed when heid eyes on the monsters.


    Of course, he hadn''t really paid much attention to her ramblings, but his brain was very good at picking things up, so he immediately knew he had to do just one thing.


    ''I have to look for the Death Mage,'' us said inwardly.


    From what he could remember, Lucil mentioned that she implemented these characters in one of her video games. She wanted to create a mage necromancer ss where the user could only summon Grave Ghouls.


    However, after some brainstorming, she came up with a better idea. Instead of just Grave Ghouls, she decided to add another monster with simr traits. This meant even a rabid dog could have some abilities of a Grave Ghoul.


    In essence, she aimed to create OP characters, ultimately putting theirmand in the hands of a sneaky character called the Death Mage. These Death Mages are darkness-type characters with great control over dark energies.


    However, they are cowards and prefer to hide, summoning their minions to do their bidding. Like necromancers, the monsters they summon are undead, meaning as long as the Death Mages are alive, the tide of undead will never cease.


    ''I better find that sneaky bastard before the other icky and spooky monsters pour in,'' us thought.


    He sprang into action. The Void Piercing Needles began their onught, and his senses activated, scanning the battlefield for the fiend.


    ***


    Far away in Stone Valley, Lucil, her friend, Olive, and the three nerds were seated, watching us''s trial with smiles on their faces.


    "Looks like he was paying attention when I spoke about the Dark Mages and the Grave Ghouls," Lucil said, smiling.


    "What did you expect?" Joon replied. "I remembered how you were bothering him with all your ''amazing'' character designs," he added.


    "Well, he didn''t go to school like every other kid, and he also never had ess to the inte until recently, so he never yed the Ghoul Ascendence game. If I hadn''t said anything to him, he would have chosen to fight these monsters until time ran out," Lucil exined.


    The three nerds nodded, knowing what she said was true. Unlike many who had ess to these games, us never did, so it was her way of educating him.


    "Then what about his sister? I researched her and found out she wasn''t really his sister by birth but rather an orphan he epted into his family. How would she manage that?" Ryan asked.


    Since us had been indirectly given a heads-up, what about his sister Hanna? Among the 5,000 taking the trial, they were the only two without any shy backgrounds. While other academies and families were guiding their youngsters through game trials and training, they weren''t as fortunate.


    "Who said she doesn''t know?" Lucil asked with a smirk. "Have you heard of the Female X Archers before? Specifically, Female Archer XX and Female Archer XI?" she asked again.


    "Of course, everybody knows those two gamers. However, nobody knows their true identities," Joon surprisingly answered. The question was rather unusual, something a nerd like him shouldn''t have known, but he did.


    Lucil smiled inwardly, understanding why he was aware of that. However, she chose to stay on topic.


    "Well, Female Archer XX is us''s sister. She and her friend formed that group when Ghoul Ascendenceunched four years ago and have been topping the charts ever since. So, I think among all 5,000 candidates that entered the trial, she was perhaps the most well-informed."


    "No way!" Joon eximed, his smile widening in shock.


    "You look like you''ve uncovered the identity of your idol," Lucil remarked, observing Joon''s expression.


    "That''s because he did. Joon is a huge fan of those two. He even has their posters in his room," Ryan ratted him out before he could deny anything.


    "He even offered to pay a million gold coins just to meet them at one point when their fame was skyrocketing."


    Lucil and the others burst into resoundingughter at what Ryan said. Joon could only hide his face as he observed us moving toward something.


    us moved through the graveyard, killing monsters left and right. His senses were on high alert, searching for the root cause of the horde.


    Five minutes passed, but he hadn''t found it. Then suddenly, he noticed a shift in one of the destroyed mausoleums. He quickly made his way there, killing the monsters along the way as if they were chickens.


    "Got ya!" us eximed the moment his senses picked up on the shadowy figure. Without wasting time, he summoned a sword and coated it in fire. Heshed forward, sending a clean, lethal fire arc that cut through the mausoleum.


    The attack destroyed it, creating a wide-open area for him to see the Death Mage. He quickly unleashed another fire arc thatnded in empty space. However, us just smiled as he watched the shadowy figure moving through the darkness, trying to escape.


    The Ice Lotus appeared, and before the shadowy figure could jump into its next hiding spot, an ice beamnded on it, freezing it in ce instantly. One thing about the Dark Mage: despite its ability to summon hundreds of Death Ghouls, they themselves weren''t that strong.


    So the ice beam was all it took to kill it. Its body froze for a few seconds before dissipating. Immediately it did, us was teleported to a ce where the system immediately asked if he wanted to rest or continue.


    Of course, he opted to continue.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Thus, us entered the third stage of the Trial leading everyone.

 Chapter 334 : Stage Three Calamities

    The third stage spanned from Level 41 to Level 56. This stage involved Tier 6 monsters, so it was bound to be tough. Of course, by the time everyone passed through stage three, only 2,212 participants remained, though the academy was looking to select just 2,000.


    These levels were grueling for many, as not only did the monster Tier rise from Tier 5 to Tier 6 but the environments they appeared in were also unique and challenging for most to handle. There were three distinct environments this time, each very difficult for most considering they were now battling Tier 6 monsters.


    From Level 41 to Level 44, participants found themselves in a vastbyrinth of mirrors. Everyone immediately knew what needed to be done upon arrival. Typically, when abyrinth appears in a trial, the objective is to navigate through it within a specific time frame.


    Since most of the mirrors serve to distract, those with low perception often struggle. In most trials, that would be the extent of the challenge.


    However, this time was different. Even us nearly washed out when he first arrived. Initially, he, like everyone else, assumed it was a typical trial, but he quickly realized this one was unique.


    Instead of simply walking through the mirrors to find the next exit and ignoring all the reflections, this time, as they moved through thebyrinth, creatures emerged from the mirrors to attack them.


    These monsters were known as Mirror Phantoms, recognizable to many from a popr game made by the Lucilpany. This familiarity caused several participants to give up before even taking a single step.


    From the trial''s beginning, the goal was to test various aspects a warrior should possess: reaction time, adaptability, reasoning, and many other skills they had already demonstrated. However, they soon realized the previous ones were merely lessons.


    The Mirror Labyrinth was perhaps the true test of reflex and quick decision-making. Enhanced senses did not matter here, as Mirror Phantoms had no detectable presence until they lunged.


    us, initially unaware of what the trial entailed, was almost caught off guard. It took him a few minutes to understand how to proceed, but not everyone managed to ovee this obstacle.


    Some participants were even eliminated at the graveyard before reaching the 41st level. After moving through Levels 41 to 44, the number of those who managed to make it through was 4,002, meaning 998 couldn''t reach Level 45.


    However, the nightmare didn''t end there. After thebyrinth, they found themselves in yet another mind-bending setting that left many questioning what exactly the academy wanted from them¡ªor, more importantly, whose twisted idea it was to design such a trial.


    This next stage was an open field, bordered by towering cliffs on either side with no ce to hide. Atop each cliff, what looked like a volcano on the verge of eruption loomed ominously. The ground was covered in fire residue, a major disadvantage for ice users.


    After the Oracle system gave some information about the trial, two things became clear: first, they would be fighting Tier 6 Hellhounds¡ªa fact that pleased us, as his former self, Fruity, had once had a grudge against them.


    Hellhounds are known as some of the most vicious monsters in the wild, infamous for their haunting nature. Their aggression made this a terrifying trial for many.


    But if that wasn''t daunting enough, the cliffs weren''t just for show¡ªthe volcanoes would erupt two minutes before the time limit expired. This required participants toplete the trial before time ran out, or they would be consumed byva.


    This stage also imed quite a few participants, with even Anna nearly washing out. Unlike us, who was exceptional¡ªeven managing to use ice in a fire-dominated area¡ªAnna wasn''t as fortunate.


    The fire in the area acted as a debuff for her and other ice-wielders. Although she wasn''t exactly struggling, she was holding back to conserve energy, which almost backfired.


    The Hellhounds were relentless, and if she hadn''t quickly recognized the need to switch tactics, she might have failed at Level 45. However, she managed to push through to Level 50 before the scene changed once again.


    From Level 51 to 56, they appeared on a vast battlefield littered with abandoned weapons and armor. Although the scene wasn''t real, it felt genuine from the moment they arrived, with intense pressure settling over the battlefield.


    If it had been real, they would have begun to see visions of the terrible battle that had scarred the battlefield. But rather than experiencing the battles of legends, they faced something worse¡ªfighting those legends themselves.


    Hundreds of knights rose once again for battle. Although it was a toned-down version of the real thing, many still felt the overwhelming pressure. At this point, everyone abandoned all caution and began a true massacre.


    This stage was where everyone started using their trump cards. Anna summoned a massive 4-meter Ice Rhino onto the battlefield, which brought utter devastation, leaving a trail of ice that froze everything in its path.


    Lily also became a force to be reckoned with as she tapped into the wind, moving across the battlefield like a storm. Whenever she shed her sword, multiple arcs of wind shot out, each hitting with precision and dealing damage.


    However, it became clear that only a few of these wind arcs were inflicting true damage. Even so, it was enough to handle most of the awakened knights.


    Kilian unleashed his clones¡ªa sight that made the instructors add his name to the list of genius for this year''s union trial in the Northern Union.


    Whenever he activated his clones, his movements became unpredictable, allowing him to inflict heavy damage on the knights, who were distracted by the multiple clones around them.


    Daniel also earned his ce on the list of geniuses. When his hammer struck the ground, it brought utter destruction, leaving the instructors wondering just what kind of technique he was using. And he wasn''t the only one.


    Hanna, who many had overlooked during the City Trial, aplished something remarkable. Throughout the trial, she hadn''t expended much Qi; in fact, she still had 94% of her Qi left by the time she arrived at level 51.


    When she unleashed the lightning technique she and us''s mother had helped her develop, the battlefield was cleared in an instant. However, she didn''t move on immediately.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Instead, Hanna rested for 20 minutes to recover before repeating the same tactic in the next stage, and the next, until she reached Level 56, where she had only ten minutes of rest time left.


    She was also one of thest few to clear the third stage. However, her dominance left a mark on all who watched her. In fact, after she finished the third stage, her screen was erged to the size of us''s, revealing that alongside us, there was another hidden dragon from the Northern Union.


    Of course, she was nowhere near us''s level of dominance. From the start of the trial, the only time he used a different weapon was during his run at the Graveyard.


    Aside from that, he relied solely on the Needles. In fact, he had developed significantly in the Labyrinth of Mirrors. While it was true he nearly died there, he learned from the experience, and throughout those levels, he focused on training his mind and mastering the Void Piercing Needle.


    Unlike many who were unleashing powerful skills, us was saving his for stages 4 and 5, where he would be battling Tier 7 monsters and possibly a Tier 8 monster.

 Chapter 335 : Battle of The True Geniuses

    "It seems they weren''t just friends with him; they are also quite impressive," the Announcement Lady said, watching Mark move across the battlefield with his upgraded spear, unleashing devastation in his wake.


    He also began using skills us had given him from the moment he appeared in the third stage of the trial.


    Now in the first level of the fourth stage, level 57, Mark and the others started to see where their limits could take them.


    Mark managed to get his name on the genius list too.


    "It would just beughable if his friends weren''t also impressive," ady said, watching another screen that showed Kay, whose every fire arrow unleashed from his bow turned into a ming lion head with a rather long, pointy ming horn. He managed to earn his name on the genius list.


    Wherever the arrowsnded, devastation was bound to happen. The monsters he was facing at the 57th level were Tier 7 Spike Tail Wolves. There were only five of them, but no Tier 3 human should have any business facing them; however, these kids were doing it.


    That is especially true for some of them who managed to clear Level 57 and head to Level 58. Although they are weaker than the monsters, the advantage they have lies in the skills and techniques they possess.


    However, not all of them were able to brave the danger. The reason almost all of them, except us, were able to face the monsters was that they knew this wasn''t the real world. Death here wasn''t permanent.


    At their current level, dominating a hundred Tier 4 monsters should be possible. Maybe defeating a dozen Tier 5 monsters would be usible; however, anything higher than that was just too much for them.


    Still, they took sce in knowing that by stepping into the fourth stage of the trial, their chances of being in the Top 2000 were high.


    And it was a bullseye. The moment the 2,212 participants entered the fourth stage, the number began to fall at a rapid pace. It took just a few seconds for the number to drop to 2,010. Then, before long, the number finally hit the 2,000 they were aiming for.


    However, that doesn''t mean the trial was over. The remaining part was what they all called the battle of the geniuses.


    us was at the very top, obviously.


    He wasn''t moving at their pace at all; his speed was several times faster. He cleared the 57th and 58th levels with just his needles, but when he reached level 59, he took out his sword.


    Thirty Tier 7 Spiked Wolves surrounded him, each oneparable to some of the Tier 7 monsters he had killed. However, he couldn''t afford to ck off.


    us moved with the Void Piercing Needle, choosing to multitask instead of just going for one-way ughter. The Needle was his killing tool, while his sword was the damage dealer.


    Although the monsters were faster and stronger than him, they didn''t seem to have any chance of attacking. Some came close, but us was always a step ahead.


    Hisbat strength had improved.


    Obviously, his past memories weren''t for show. Fruity started out as an Ice mage, but thanks to Yuying intervening in time, he learned to use a variety of weapons.


    The sword was one of them.


    The time he spent at the Witch Temple helped him train even more. Although he wasn''t the most skilled with the sword¡ªYuying was even better¡ªhe still managed to elevate his Sword Aura to quite a level and even developed his own swordy called Tormented Sword Sage.


    Basically, us, who was now using it, had only one objective: torture. Yes, while the Tormented Sword Sage allowed him to fight evenly with the most powerful sword masters, whenever he gained the advantage inbat, based on his swordy, the damage dealt wouldn''t immediately kill.


    Instead, it would inflict pain so agonizing that one might ask for death instead.


    us hasn''t really mastered it yet, but he was using it, and the results were instant. The wolves were not having it easy. However, he didn''t prolong the fight; instead, he always went for the kill.


    Not that he needed the time for anything¡ªhe had hours of resting time, but he never used any. us wasn''t tired at all. In fact, as the levels became more harrowing, his energy seemed to rise.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But his friends weren''t having it easy, especially true for Danny and Daniel, the brute fighters. Although they had the strongest bodies, their mental strength wasn''t as robust, so they began to feel sluggish.


    Still, they were pushing through¡ªmore like bulldozing ahead. They were using the skills us had given them. Danny, whose light element only provided some minor healing effects, was using it alongside the Axe skill.


    Daniel, on the other hand, held arge, heavy-looking hammer bathed in mes. He was using his element too, but the difference in strength was just too vast.


    But they were moving on, barely.


    Only 400 managed to make it to level 59.


    Miguel was one of those 400. So were the Zhou twins, Lin and Zing, who, despite their ss being that of defense, somehow managed to pass through the many disadvantageous levels and are now among the top 400.


    By level 60, it became the top 200. By level 61, it was in the top 100. Then, it was in the top 50 by the end of level 62. However, when they all entered level 63, it dropped drastically to the top 20.


    us was at the top, already at level 65, while the others were at level 63, facing fifty Tier 7 Spiked Wolves that had somehow be even stronger than when they appeared at level 57.


    However, contrary to what anyone would expect to be leading right after us, nobody anticipated a no-name who had only gained some fame recently.


    Yes, Hanna was sitting in the second position, telling everyone she was indeed us''s sister. Truth be told, she deserved that position more than anyone. She had been training harder than everyone, so being there was well-earned.


    But her position was very shaky because Anna was right below her, and from the look of their performance on the battlefield, she was closing in on the kill. They were both fighting at level 63.


    Hanna had already taken down 30 monsters, while Anna had done 28. They were both exhausted, but they weren''t giving up just yet.


    Miguel and Lily were switching between the 4th and 5th positions, but the 6th ce was still undetermined, though Ethan Duncan held that spot. Kilian was in 7th, Mark in 8th, E Duncan in 9th, Kay in 10th, and Daniel in the 11th position. Surprisingly, Danny was sitting in 12th ce, with Max Duncan following closely in 13th.


    Omari was in 14th ce, while Lin and Zing upied the 15th and 16th positions, respectively. varo, one of E''s lieutenants, was seated in 17th, and another contender named Rolin was in 18th.


    Surprisingly, Scarlet was in 19th, with the 20th position taken by Lucian, the other archer who remained in us''s team during the trial at Sinji Valley.


    In short, us''s friends proved they weren''t following him for nothing. Well, what would anyone expect? They all wanted to avoid looking dull. While everyone aimed for the top 2000, they were after the top 20, top 10, and even top 5. They all had their ambitions.


    In the end, they weren''t able to get past level 63. Well, Hanna and Anna got close, but s, Anna ended with 46 kills out of 50 monsters, while Hanna ended with 48 out of 50.


    Ultimately, Miguel took 4th ce, giving Lily the 5th position¡ªsomething nobody had expected. Everyone expected the three legacies to dominate the top 5, but it seemed that anyone us was close to if they weren''t spoiled brats, seemed to improve significantly.


    us on the other hand has finally cleared Level 65 and managed to climb to the 66th stage where a dear friend was waiting for him.

 Chapter 336 : Mecha Zombie, the Final Boss Fight

    Immediately, everyone was ejected from Oracle because they couldn''t hold on anymore. They quickly made their way to therge hall where a big screen was supposed to show the rankings.


    To their surprise, when they arrived, the screen was disying us taking down thest of seventy Tier 7 Spiked Wolves. They looked at the level, and when they saw Level 65, everyone''s jaws dropped.


    "This us¡ªwhat is he made of?" a youngdy asked, watching us take out the monsters as if he were some kind of god.


    "What? Are you shocked?" anotherdy replied. "Even my dad said they should have just offered him an inner disciple position and be done with it."


    "That would have been better. He is just too domineering. Just look at how he fights¡ªlike the monsters pose no threat to him."


    "I''m more excited about what''s on the 66th floor," someone beside the two girls chimed in.


    "Well, I envy him, though I know I will never reach his level of talent in this lifetime," another person added.


    Soon, everyone startedmenting on their feelings. Some were in awe, while others were just frustrated. us was simply too domineering. Those who hated him were struggling as they watched him aplish things they couldn''t.


    "Just wait. When we get to the academy, Big Brother and Big Sister will make your life a living hell," E said under her breath, gritting her teeth.


    Ethan and Max Duncan both wore the same look in their eyes, the kind that showed just how much they hated the white-haired bastard.


    But contrary to their feelings, us finally managed to bring down thest of the monsters, and without rest, he opted to continue.


    He appeared on the 66th level, expecting another ominous-looking space. However, to his shock, he found himself in a rather familiar setting. He was in the same arena where he had battled the Mecha Zombie many times while working with the Nerds and Lucil to make Oracle better.


    us smiled, but then his eyes fell on the 2.5-meter-tall metallic figure standing 50 meters away from him and his eyes narrowed. The figure had jagged metal skin that seemed to consist of some kind of alloy that absorbed the darkness around it.


    It wore a metallic helmet that revealed only its deep red eyes. In its hand was a long spear, and hovering behind it was a metallic ring¡ªthe same razor-sharp ring it had used during their training and testing.


    "Are you ready?" Before us could meticulously appraise the tall figure, it spoke in a robotic voice.


    "Born ready," us replied with a smile.


    His sword transformed into a spear, and the entire 64-inch length of the Void Piercing Needle appeared.


    His eyes also changed from gold to red, something that caught many off guard.


    Even from the screens, everyone who saw it broke into a cold sweat, instructors included. The announcementdy seemed unfazed, but she raised an eyebrow¡ªperhaps surprised by us''s red eyes or maybe because she hadn''t expected the final boss to be something this powerful.


    ''Can he kill this thing? Even I don''t think I could,'' she sighed.


    She was a Sage, but staring at the Tier 8 Mecha Zombie, she resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn''t be able to defeat it. In contrast, us seemed eager to fight. He was thrilled to finallyy his eyes on something that could give him a real challenge.


    BOOM


    The Mecha moved, cracking the ground as it appeared before us instantly.


    "Fast," us thought, swinging his spear to meet the attack aimed at him. Boom! The two spears collided, sending shockwaves through the air. us was pushed back a few meters, but he didn''t falter.


    He lunged forward again, this time using a movement technique he had learned from Yuying called Phantom Steps.


    When used, it made each step appear ghostly, making him hard to track. us appeared before the Mecha, but instead of attacking directly, he turned around and shed his spear backward. His spear met the razor-sharp ring as the Mechaunched a sneak attack with its spirit weapon.


    us''s back was exposed, but instead of taking advantage, the Mecha also turned and shed its spear backward, intercepting the advance of the Void Piercing Needle. us hadunched his own sneak attack.


    "Not bad, not bad at all," usughed wholeheartedly as he jumped into another exchange with the Mecha. He could feel it¡ªthis Mecha was different from before. It was more powerful than the one he trained with and, more importantly, stronger than us himself.


    He was fighting a losing battle, or at least that was how it should have been. But us didn''t see it that way. No, he saw it as a chance to test just how much he had developed.


    Right now, it was purely a battle of strength. No skills¡ªjust a good old-fashioned spear fight.


    us lunged forward, his spear slicing through the air with fierce precision. The Mecha met him head-on, its spear shing like silver lightning.


    Their weapons shed, sending sparks flying. The ground beneath them trembled with every impact.


    The Mecha was far stronger than us, so whenever they shed, us felt the force coursing through his body. But all of it only added to the thrill, the rush, the adrenaline. us was having fun, and without even realizing it, twenty minutes had passed.


    us twisted his body, dodging a fierce jab from the Mecha. He retaliated, thrusting his spear toward its core, but the Mecha blocked, twisting its own spear in a brutal counter. Metal scraped against metal, the sound echoing through the arena.


    Sweat ran down us''s face, but his eyes stayed sharp and focused.


    He shifted his stance, charging low, then springing up to aim a strike at the Mecha''s neck. The Mecha leaned back, its movements smooth, almost human.


    It swung its spear in a swift arc, nearly catching us off guard. He barely managed to parry, staggering under the force.


    The Void Piercing Needle was also intercepting the Razor Disc. Right now, the focus was more on hand-to-handbat, with only a strand of us''s consciousness controlling the disc.


    However, thanks to us''s enhanced mental strength, it was mere child''s y for him. His senses covered the arena, ensuring nothing escaped his gaze.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was a rather difficult feat, yet us was pulling it off with a surprisingly calm expression. But the battle¡ªmore like a duel between old friends¡ªwas far from over.


    They circled each other, both unyielding, eyes locked. us grinned, tightening his grip. He spun his spear in a rapid flourish,unching into a series of relentless attacks. Each strike was faster, sharper, and heavier than thest. The Mecha deflected them all, each block precise, unshaken.


    us saw an opening. He lunged, his spear striking toward the Mecha''s core¡ªbut the Mecha anticipated it, twisting aside and bringing its spear down in a deadly arc. us dodged, feeling the rush of air as the strike missed him by inches.


    They shed again, both refusing to relent. Each impact thundered through the arena. Neither side showed weakness. It was strength against strength, raw power in every move.


    us''s adrenaline was pumping so much that even after 40 minutes of pure, strength-based shes with an opponent five realms above him, he wanted more.


    He craved more.


    Suddenly, the Mecha swung its spear, and a me circle with a diameter of 400 meters appeared around them. The moment it appeared, us felt his strength drop by 20 percent.


    "We can''t have that now, can we?" us muttered before switching to his sword.


    "Demon Killing Circle," he muttered as he swung his sword. In an instant, the effect of the fire ring was canceled, making us''s grin widen.


    "To the trial of skills and techniques, then." His smile broadened as he activated his first skill¡ªor rather, one of the skills he''d been holding back.


    "Chaotic Nirvana me: Dragon Arm Guard."

 Chapter 337 Two Domineering Dragon Skills

    As soon as us activated the skill, his right arm¡ªholding his sword¡ªlit up in mes that burned fiercely for a second before calming. Once they settled, an armed guard made of orange-red fire with patterns of dragon scale appeared around his arm.


    "Much better," us muttered before shing his sword forward. This time, a fierce arc of fire cut through the air with intense energy.


    Boom!


    The Mecha, intending to use the me Circle to trap us, now found itself locked in ce by the powerful attack. Forced to defend with its spear, the Mecha lost its grip, and the weapon was blown away, pushing it back three meters.


    us grinned, then began bombarding the Mecha with more attacks.


    The skill he used was one of the two abilities the dragon had imparted to him when he used the golden energy to upgrade it.


    After awakening the ughter aura, us used the technique Number Three gave him to help the dragon absorb the golden energy and finally level up. It has undergone an upgrade.


    The golden energy was meant solely for us to absorb. However, after a near-fatal attempt to awaken the ughter Aura, us received a glimpse of his past, which enabled him to discover a method not only to awaken the aura but also to upgrade his fire element.


    When the Dragon underwent its first upgrade, us received two new skills. The dragon, meanwhile, not only had its existing skills upgraded but also gained two additional skills. us couldn''t wait to finish the trial so he could go on another hunt and explore them.


    The first skill he received, ording to the system interface, read:


    [Chaotic Nirvana me: Dragon Arm Guard: When activated, dragon scales made of the Chaotic Nirvana me will materialize around your arm, granting a 120% increase in all fire-type attacks unleashed with that arm.]


    [Consumption Rate: 10,000 Qi per second of activation.]


    [Note: This skill has no cooldown and can be used as long as you have sufficient Stamina and Qi.]


    As soon as us read the skill description, he instantly knew how to use it. His Moon sh skill allowed him to imbue his elemental Qi into any weapon he held, enabling him to unleash a crescent-shaped arc made from the chosen element.


    This was like instead of forming the element in his hands, he could just use his weapons for more direct and precise attacks.


    The first attack he unleashed was only a fraction of his current potential. But with a 120% power boost, the impact alone sent the Mecha staggering back. Still, it wasn''t enough to destroy the killing machine Lucil had devised.


    Thus, us began bombarding the Mecha with increasingly powerful fire attacks, using only 50% of his strength, which was amplified by the 120% power boost. By the time the timer hit 55 minutes, the Mecha had utilized about 90% of all the skills Lucil had given it.


    However, us never switched his attacks. The Mecha countered many times, but us was just too unreasonable¡ªhis attacks were simply too powerful.


    Yet us noticed something: although they had fixed Oracle, it still didn''t meet the standards of real-worldbat. The thrill of knowing that a single mistake could cost him his life¡ªpermanently¡ªwasn''t the same in Oracle.


    In his eyes, this made it 10% less effective, and somehow it led him to believe that to truly enjoy the thrill, he would need to venture into the wild. Of course, he knew that in the real world, a Tier 8 monster would be a different story.


    After all, in the real world, a Tier 8 monster is a Pseudo Beast. Battling one would be many times more dangerous than fighting in Oracle. Still, he didn''t see the need to pass up the chance to test his two skills.


    He knew people were watching, but he hadn''t even used a fraction of his skills yet. So no matter how much they wanted to learn about him, they were far from understanding his capabilities. Plus, watching him now would reveal one thing: just how many skills and techniques he had under his belt.


    ''Time for the second skill,'' he thought inwardly before raising his sword.


    "Chaotic Nirvana me: Fiery Dragon w!"


    A couple of meters above in the air, a fire circle resembling a spell circle appeared, about two meters in diameter. It looked elegant; however, what was contained within it was far too dangerous to admire when it wasing your way.


    us pointed his sword at the Mecha charging toward him.


    From the circle, arge, fierce w with menacing talons emerged. The moment it appeared, a great pressure descended on the arena, halting the Mecha in its tracks.


    The w moved, and before the Mecha could make any defensive maneuvers, a fire arc appeared, forcing it to split its defense between the w and the fire arc. It tried using the Razor Disc, but the Void Piercing Needle was in the way.


    Boom!


    The two attacks connected with the body of the Mecha, sending it flying. The wnded squarely on its body, propelling it backward. The fire arc struck the ice defense it had raised, cutting through beforending on its body too.


    "You can die now," us dered, swinging his sword several times.


    Wide arcs of me erupted, eachnding on the Mecha''s defenseless body, instantly vaporizing it under the sheer force of the attacks.


    Well, it was more like the Mecha had lost too much stamina to contend with us, who wasn''t even tired. Although there were some aches here and there, he felt fine.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Ha, in the end, the real world is still better than the virtual," us sighed, and then his vision darkened. The next second, he found himself back in the real world.


    ***


    At the same time, the rankings were immediately disyed, snapping the attention of the 1,999 viewers who had witnessed us''s sudden dominance over the Tier 8 Mecha Zombie back to reality. The rankings took precedence.


    Those who saw their names at the bottom fell silent. Those in the top 500 felt pleased, the top 200 began celebrating, and the top 100 were over the moon. As for the top 50, they became celebrities.


    Not to mention the real contenders¡ªthe top 20. However, not everyone ranked at the top was happy. This was especially true for those from the Central Region and the other regions.


    In the top twenty, 15 spots were upied by the Eastern Region. In fact, the top 50 had 35 individuals from the Eastern Region.


    Everyone was shocked.


    The reason was simple: the Eastern Region was the smallest among the five regions andcked resourcespared to the others. So While the other regions had always dominated the trials, this time it was different.


    The reason, of course, was us.


    His presencepelled them all to aim higher and perhaps hope to surpass him. This was particrly true for Miguel, who wanted nothing more than to grow stronger so he could get back at us for the humiliation he had put him through during the Felin Youth Ball.


    So instead of acting like the strongest simply because they were above-average Awakens, they all started pushing harder, and the results were outstanding.


    The Eastern Region entered with 1,000 disciples, and 575 made it into the academy.


    The look on the faces of the three Legacies said it all. Normally, the Legacies were among the top five, but this time, none of them made it into the top five. It was a huge blow to their egos, and what was even worse was that if us was the monster they all knew him to be¡ª


    Then who the hell was Hanna Kendrick, who took the second spot?

 Chapter 338 Instructor Constance

    Hate is a better teacher. Many might argue differently, but in this context, hate has proven advantageous.


    In the Eastern region, 90% of the awakened taking the Academy trial hated us¡ªand they still do. Some were angry because of the humiliation he had put them through. This was especially true for people like Omari, Miguel, and Lawrence.


    Some, however, hated him because of the possibility their girlfriends might leave them for him. Although the women around us were considered some of the best in the region, they were still wary.


    Just an image of us was enough to win the heart of Lucy, a top beauty, so their worries were justified. They indeed had reason to be concerned.


    However, this concern turned into hate, and many thrived on it. They all wanted to bridge the gap between them and us somehow. So they began training like animals.


    The men hated us because of his charm, and the women hated hispanions for having him all to themselves.


    And it paid off. Now, looking at the rankings, the Easterners couldn''t believe their eyes. However, no matter how one looks at it, the Eastern region has indeede out on top this time¡ªand the trend won''t stop there. It''s bound to continue.


    us woke up from the game chair, and with the next few steps, he was back inside therge hall, joining the 1,999 others already present.


    The moment he appeared, everyone noticed him. They all turned to look at him with varying expressions¡ªsome conveyed hate, anger, and even a desire to kill.


    However, many showed awe. But us wasn''t paying attention to them; his focus was on the rankings. When he saw his friends'' names in the top 20, he smiled and began moving toward them. Nobody dared to stand in his way.


    The guy had just killed a Tier 8 creature they''d never seen before, so it would be foolish to block his path.


    "Congrattions, guys," us said as he approached his friends.


    They all smiled, knowing that although some of them hadn''t made it into the top ten as they''d nned, their rankings were still impressive.


    Yes, his friends had met to strategize about breaking into the top ranks. However, they could only do much considering they are not monsters like us. Still, they hadn''t fallen far behind.


    "Big sister, looks like you wanted my spot," us said to Hanna, who smiled slightly. Truth be told, she was very shocked by the result herself.


    Of course, she had also aimed for a high ranking, maybe within the top ten, but never expected tond in the top two. That was beyond her expectations.


    "Nobody can take your ce, brother; you are undisputed," Hanna replied with a small smile.


    "Ladies," us said, reaching for the waists of Anna and Lily, whose faces began turning pink. Even us wasn''t holding back his affection in such a crowded ce.


    Well, he was us; when had he ever bothered with that? He pulled them closer, resting their heads on his shoulders.


    "Looks like I''ve got myself a pair of prodigies," he added, making their blush deepen.


    All around, both boys and girls were gritting their teeth in annoyance as they watched us''s actions. Everyone wanted to be in his ce. The boys wanted us''s spot¡ªsome of thedies, too. Without a doubt, Anna and Lily were heavenly beauties.


    They could charm both guys and girls without much effort. So, with us''s arm around their waists, it was as if he was daring others to take action. Some were very close to that point. Fortunately, before anyone could act on their feelings, a door opened, and seven people walked in.


    The one leading them was a mature woman, someone in herte thirties. She had short blue hair and blue eyes. Although she wasn''t the most beautiful, she could hold her own in a ballroom full ofdies.


    "Congrattions, everyone. You have finally made it to the Academy." The moment she said that everyone went wild. They had all been training diligently for this moment, so they were thrilled to have finally achieved something significant.


    "Now, before I continue, let me introduce myself. You can call me Instructor Constance. I will be your go-to instructor for the next three months before you finally head to the Academy. As your instructor, I''ll tell you a few things you should do and know before these three months are up.


    "First, all of you are required to break through to the Grandmaster stage within these three months. The reason is that, before leaving here today, the sect will give you a valuable elixir to help expand your qi sea after the breakthrough.


    "Let me exin. When you break through, your soul sea will expand, just as it did during your previous breakthroughs. However, this expansion will be different. This time, you will have the chance to determine howrge it expands.


    "This, of course, means that as you absorb Exp Points, cores, and other treasures, your qi sea will continue to expand. The reason we aim for arger soul sea is that it allows you to use more qi duringbat without worry.


    "However, this expansion ends 72 hours after your breakthrough, so it would be in your best interest to work quickly. As temporary disciples of the Academy, you will be given a treasure that extends this time by an additional 42 hours.


    "This is, of course, an advantage many would kill for, so be grateful. Use the time wisely, and right after expanding your soul sea, consume the Mountain Dew you won from the trial to stabilize and strengthen your foundations."


    Everyone nodded, even us, who already had a ratherrge soul sea. He couldn''t wait to watch it expand even more. The moment he broke through, he would also start cultivating the second paragon star diagram.


    "Before I continue, allow me to share a little something. Consider it my first official advice as your instructor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I know most of you are pretty impressive. You''re strong¡ªvery strong, in fact¡ªso you might think that because of this, you can afford to be arrogant and avoid pushing yourselves harder. Well, I''m here to burst that bubble, children.


    "None of you here has what it takes to take on any disciple currently in the Academy," Instructor Constance said.


    Everyone exchanged nces, some even looking toward us. The announcerdy nced at us with a pondering expression, but Instructor Constance''s expression remained firm. She meant every word.


    ''How exciting.'' While everyone seemed skeptical about what she said, us stood there with a neutral expression, but inwardly, he wasughing.


    If only they knew he hadn''t truly shown his true power. Perhaps he should invite them to his next tribtion, where he would be going toe to toe with the heavens. Maybe then, they would have a different opinion.


    "And I''m not saying this to break your spirit; I just want you all to be prepared. When you arrive at the Academy, those there will try to oppress you. While I''d love to tell you to fight back, it would be in your best interest to lie low for a while and build your strength.


    "The Academy will help with that since within these three months, you''ll start to sense your spiritual qi more closely. When this happens, it means you can begin forming your star core. However, it would be wise to hold off until you reach the Academy, so you can begin properly.


    "Once your star core starts forming, you will gain the strength to fight back." She didn''t waste much time. She immediately continued.


    "Now, let''s discuss what you need to know beforeing to the Academy."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 339 Unexpected Message [Bonus]

    Instructor Constance went on about the various things they should know before ending with the two most important.


    "The academy has eight factions. These factions are like different families vying for resources. While the academy will give you cultivation resources monthly, these factions also have their own resources they can spend on their members.


    "It''s the best way to grow together with those who have simr talents and sses as you. Now, I won''t advertise here, so all I can say is that you should all do your research on these factions when you get to the academy before joining.


    "Joining the wrong one would be to your loss, so take your time and figure out which suits you best before joining.


    "Lastly, the academy doesn''t use the same currency as the outside world. In the academy, we use something called Celestial Points, of which most of you have already received a few. But essentially, no matter how rich you are, your gold coins won''t do you any good there.


    "So when you join the academy, anything you need to spend on will require Celestial Points. That being said, there will be many ways for you to gain more points, so don''t worry much about it.


    "Now, you all have three months to prepare. When the timees, you will all gather here, and then we will leave for the academy.


    "But before I end, if any of you have any questions, now would be the time to ask."


    A young disciple raised his hand. "Instructor, can we join more than one faction at the same time?"


    Instructor Constance shook her head.


    "No. You can only join one faction. Each faction has its own rules and goals, and being loyal to one helps you grow faster. Plus, most people even struggle to get into their preferred factions, so be grateful if you manage to join one"


    Another disciple asked, "What if we don''t like the faction we choose? Can we switchter?"


    "You can," Instructor Constance replied, "but it''s not easy. Switching factions means starting over with new rules and losing the points you''ve earned in your previous faction. So choose carefully."


    One more disciple spoke up, "How can we earn Celestial Points besides what the academy gives us?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Good question," Constance nodded. "There are missions you can take on,petitions, and jobs within the academy. Each activity has a different point reward based on difficulty."


    A final question came from the back. "What about safety? Are there any dangers in the academy?"


    Experience tales at empire


    "There are strict rules about safety within the academy grounds. Most challenges are controlled to prevent serious harm. But remember, this is a ce to grow strong. Risks will be part of your journey.


    "While we strive for everyone toe out alive, there are some situations that can''t be controlled by us. That''s why we work to make sure you receive the best training so that when these situations arise, you can face them without fear."


    Nobody else asked any more questions.


    "Now, since there are no more questions, I will see you all here three months from now. And don''t forget to im your rewards before leaving."


    With that, Instructor Constance and the other six instructors turned and left. The students started moving to im their rewards. us and his friends were about to do the same when the Three Legacies blocked their path.


    "us, I hope you heard what the instructor said," E sneered. "Just because you''re some local hero doesn''t mean you''re the strongest. Just wait¡ªwhen we get to the academy, Big Sister and Big Brother will make your life a living hell," she said through gritted teeth.


    us looked at her, smirking.


    "The joke''s on you," he replied. "My girlfriend''s an inner disciple there, and from what I''ve heard, she''s been putting your Big Brother and Big Sister in their ce since day one. So, I think I''ll be just fine.


    "Oh, and you might want to stop making that face. No guy''s gonna want you looking like that."


    "You¡ª!" E''s face turned green, and she moved like a cat, about to attack us, but Ethan and Max held her back. With angry expressions, they dragged her away.


    "Shameless much?" Lily asked, looking at us''s proud smile as he bragged about Lucy.


    "What? I''m proud of my girlfriend," us said, walking away with his friends. A whileter, they finished collecting their rewards. The Celestial Points were given to them on small cards, which they could redeem once they arrived at the academy.


    On their way to their transport, they ran into Miguel''s team, who looked noticeably more rxed¡ªa stark contrast to their mood in the morning.


    After some conversation, they decided to join Miguel''s team for celebratory drinks, whichsted a couple of hours before they headed back to their hotels. Scarlet tagged along, and surprisingly, the Zhou Twins joined them as well¡ªthough mostly for Mark''s sake.


    The group parted ways after a few hours. Later, after dinner, us and his two lovers, Lily and Anna, retired to his room, where they helped him unwind and release some stress.


    "So, what are your ns next?" Anna asked, licking her lips. She and Lily had grown quite fond of us''s star juice after just a day of tasting it, so as Anna asked, Lily continued to caress and yfully tease him down there.


    "I still have a few levels to go before I can break through, so I''ll spend the next few weeks raising my cultivation base. I''ll break through when I''m ready," us replied.


    "Oh, so you won''t be joining us to hunt after we break through?" Anna asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.


    "Probably not, but don''t worry. I''ll have Miriam take you all to a Tier 5 Forbidden Zone and help you hunt stronger monsters," us assured her.


    "Really?" Anna''s eyes lit up at his reply.


    "Of course," us nodded. "It''ll also give you all a chance to bond with her. She''s actually quite sweet once you get to know her."


    "Great, thank you, us," Anna said with a smile, her assets partially visible to us to see.


    "You do realize I can see almost everything, right? That dress is way too thin for someone trying to keep me from devouring them," us said, eyeing the pointed outline of her nipples through the thin nightwear Anna was wearing.


    Although her assets weren''t as developed as her sister''s, she was getting there.


    "Don''t worry, us. The day we allow you to im us will be the day you get to touch everything. For now, you can just look¡ªno touching."


    "Tsk, what wicked torture," us said with a yful smile.


    "At least give me a reward for winning the Union trial," he joked.


    "Don''t worry, us. By the time we''re done, you won''t even be able to stand up," Anna teased. With that, she and Lily got to work, milking us dry. They went at it the whole night, stopping only when the sun was about to rise.


    They all fell into a deep sleep thatsted a few more hours. When us woke up, the two girls were nowhere to be found. He quickly freshened up, getting ready to meet his friends.


    Just as he was about to head out, his phone beeped with a message. He quickly retrieved it and read the text, only to be hit with a huge surprise.


    "Ohema is back..." he muttered with a smile.


    Soon, all their ns were canceled, and before long, they were on their way back to Ross City, where us was eager to see his dear sugar mommy, whom he had missed greatly.

 Chapter 340 Ohema is Back

    Ohema has been gone for months now. When us nearly died during the Arcadian Mine Invasion, she stayed with everyone, crying their eyes out for 72 days straight.


    However, after us woke up and she saw he was okay, she left abruptly, as if she were runningte for something incredibly important.


    us wanted her to stay a few more days so he could officially make her his woman. However, for some reason, Ohema wasn''t ready to take that step just yet. At first, us was a little concerned, but she told him she needed it more than he did.


    But the time wasn''t right at the moment.


    us epted her exnation, but after she left, all contact went dark. us, who doesn''t really know much about her, was puzzled whenmunication ceased.


    Thankfully, his mom was there tofort him, helping him worry less and simply wait for her toe back. Now, seeing her message congratting him for topping the union trial and telling him toe home soon, us wished the pilot could fly even faster.


    His friends were a little taken aback by the change of ns. Some had hot dates, but they had to bring them to Ross City because us wanted to leave, which was a very selfish move. Thankfully, none of thedies his friends picked were bad, so they agreed to continue in Ross City.


    Kofi was there to pick them up the moment theynded at Ross Mansion. Soon, they were back at us''s home, where, as soon as he got out of the car, a familiar face immediately jumped into his arms, nting a kiss in front of everyone.


    "I miss you, us," Ohema said, hugging us''s neck.


    "I miss you too, Ohema," us replied with a smile, wrapping his arms around her waist.


    Soon, they moved inside, where us quickly entered his bedroom with Ohema. His friends, who had been wondering why they left so early, now understood why.


    They could only smile and then left to go meet their dates, who would soon bending in the city.


    They all missed Ohema. Everyst one of them; even Miriam missed her. She was just so sweet and caring. Had it not been for her, Miriam would probably still be "figuring things out."


    Inside the room, us and Ohema engaged in an intimate kiss thatsted for several minutes. By the time they were done, us was in his shorts, and Ohema was only in her bra and panties.


    But while they all knew where things were headed, Ohema stopped before they could continue further. She sighed and decided to talk first


    Explore more stories with empire


    "us, I have to tell you something first before we continue," Ohema suddenly said, making us frown slightly.


    "Is everything alright?" he asked, concerned written on his face.


    "Everything is fine; it''s just that I have something difficult to say," Ohema replied. us nodded and sat up, facing her.


    "Go ahead; I am all ears."


    "Before I start, tell me, do you hate me?" she asked with a sad expression. "I left and promised to return a few weekster, but it has already been a few months. Clearly, you must hate me."


    "Stupid head, who said anything about hating you? I don''t hate you, Ohema. Although I don''t know much about you, I can tell you are someone very important. Going away for a long time means you were either busy or doing something significant. So, in my eyes, now that you are here, that is all that matters. No need to assume the worst."


    us already knew from the beginning that Ohema was no easy person. When he saved her, he was still a rookie who didn''t know much aboutbat. But as he grew, us could now see things more clearly.


    Her fight with the Demon Face Spider was not as it appeared. He could tell she had intentionally made most of the mistakes that nearly led to her death, which triggered him to save her. He realized he had been yed, though he wasn''t about toin.


    The person who yed him was the most beautiful woman aside from his mother he had ever met. His mother is always the most beautiful. No need to cry about it. Lol.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As he grew, he started putting all the clues together. From the situation with his bank to Nadia''s fashionpany suddenly having an anonymous investor, it all clicked.


    us soon realized that Ohema had been orchestrating things from the beginning, and now she seemed to want to pass some of the responsibility to him or more like let him in on some of her secrets.


    "I have a unique Heavenly body constitution that would make it unsafe for us to have sex," Ohema suddenly said, tears streaming down her face.


    "Say what now?" us asked, thinking he had heard wrong.


    "I have a unique constitution called Virgin Poison Body. It''s dormant now, which means I haven''t awakened it yet. However, from what I know, if I were to engage in sexual activity with a man, that person would die the moment he ims my virginity" she repeated, her tears still flowing.


    "Hehe, so that was why you ran away," us suddenlyughed upon hearing her reason. Ohema looked up at him with a frown, though her tears never stopped falling.


    "You... why are youughing? This is bad. I am your woman, yet I can''t give you what my other sisters can give you. Don''t you hate me?" she asked, slightly frustrated.


    "Hey, hey, you don''t have to keep crying. Although I have to say, you''re missing out on a lot, but your not being able to have sex with me changes nothing. I still love you and will never stop loving you.


    "I mean, I would be stupid to stop loving such a rich sugar mommy," us said with a teasing smile, making Ohema unsure of how to react.


    She had spent a whole month wondering how to tackle this conversation, yet when she finally made up her mind and gathered the courage to talk about it, her partner was nowughing and joking.


    "You don''t realize how serious this is. I can''t have sex with you, us, and as your woman, I should be able to do that with you." She repeated her words, but us just continued to smile at her.


    "Say something," Ohema said, frustration evident on her face.


    "What is there to say? You have a Virgin Poison Body that is preventing you from having sex with me. So all we have to do is break your poison virginity and awaken the True Poison Body, and then we can start having all the sex we want," us said, and Ohema gazed at him with wide eyes.


    "What? Are you surprised I knew about your situation?" us asked. Ohema continued to look at him with a shocked expression.


    "Well, don''t be. I once spent decades with a foxdy who seemed obsessed with Unique heavenly Constitutions and Physiques, so your situation is just something minor to me." us smiled, remembering all the torturous hours he endured from Yuying''s constant rambling about anything her mind could think of.


    ''I probably shouldn''t let her rest inside my soul sea the next time we meet,'' us thought inwardly, smiling.


    Still, Ohema couldn''t say anything, which only made us''s smile widen. He reached in and lifted her onto hisp.


    "Since you said if a man tried to have sex with you, they would die before they knew it, I suppose women would be fine then," us asked. This time, Ohema reacted, puzzled.


    Why would us ask such a question? However, her mind quickly connected the dots, making her instinctively nod.


    "Then we have no problem. Why don''t we blow off some steam before dealing with the Poison Body thing?"

 Chapter 341 Pleasuring Ohema [18+]

    "us, what are you doing?" Ohema asked, noticing us taking off her bra. She wanted to resist but didn''t. Instead, she asked why.


    "What does it look like,dy? We''re about to release some stress¡ªthe safe way, of course," us said with a grin. Ohema could only look at him with wide eyes.


    "And what if that too was unsafe?" she asked, but before she could hope for an answer, us''s lips sealed hers. She quickly forgot her question and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in for a passionate kiss.


    Truth be told, she had been longing for this moment but never had the chance. She was too scared of what would happen when us learned about her situation. But now, seeing his reaction, she began to worry less.


    However, she was still concerned. Her constitution was so lethal that the moment us''s "dragon" broke past her walls, the poison in her body would consume him, and he would die in agony. So, she wanted to y it safe.


    "I know you missed me a lot, so go ahead. I can see it in your eyes¡ªyou want this," us said after breaking the kiss.


    Ohema smiled, slid down his leg, and appeared at his waist, where his dragon had already awakened and was ready for action. A small smile appeared on her face as she reached for it. Within seconds, us''s long, hard "dragon" was free.


    She took it with both hands and without wasting a beat, she went down on it, wrapping her rosy lips around it.


    Her head moved back and forth as she began to pleasure us''s "dragon." Her tongue coiled around it, massaging it with each motion. us moaned, feeling the hot sensation as she wrapped her mouth around him, her tongue gliding smoothly over his skin.


    Saliva began to form, making it easier for her to take more of his dragon into her mouth, the added slickness allowing her to go deeper.


    "Mmmmh," us moaned as his "dragon" touched the back of her throat, sending jolts of pleasure down his body.


    The innocent Ohema was trying to take all of him in, despite her small mouth. us didn''tin and simply allowed her to continue. Soon, she began kneading his balls, adding to his pleasure.


    A whileter, us let her know his "Star Juice" wasing. Ohema, who had been craving it for some time, eagerly prepared and received all he had to offer, making sure to swallow every drop without letting any escape.


    When she finished, us looked at her and smiled. The look in her eyes told him she had been longing for this moment. He hadn''t realized it before, but now she did, Ohema was obsessed with his juice from the first time she tasted it, as all his women cherished it.


    Lucy often told him she wanted it and that he should hurry to the academy already. Miriam felt the same, craving it dearly. And the two vixens, Lily and Anna, were already addicted. Ohema, too, craved it deeply.


    "My turn," he said, gently pushing her onto her back. She looked like she wanted to say something, but before she could open her mouth, us had already started removing her panties.


    She managed to speak anyway, "If things start getting ugly, I''ll let you know." But us only smiled; he had no intention of tearing down her walls just yet.


    As her panties came off, us was greeted by a breathtaking sight. Herher region was perfectly groomed, smooth, and clean, and the pleasant scenting from her arousal was hard to ignore.


    "Just do your best not to scream too much; the walls are thin," us said, raising her waist and bringing her cave closer to his face.


    "Aaahhh!" A scream of pleasure escaped Ohema''s lips, filling the room and beyond, as us''s tongue made contact with herher cave.


    us did like the sound of that, so he began ying the tongue game, the kind that doesn''t require dip pration to achieve when he intended.


    us took his time, his tongue exploring every inch of her. He moved slowly, savoring her taste and the way her body reacted. Ohema gripped the sheets, her breathsing in short gasps.


    us wasn''t joking around. The taste of her essence was incredibly pleasant to him, and he wanted more. He started licking and flicking his tongue, making sure she felt every movement. Her body reacted intensely, shaking uncontrobly, almost like a massage chair in overdrive.


    He teased her, circling around her sensitive spots before pressing his tongue deeper. She moaned louder, her body trembling with each touch. us felt her legs tighten around him, urging him to go further.


    They encouraged him to go a little deeper, but not too deep for his own good. It would be funny and sad if he were to die while pleasuring herher cave. That would be too disappointing, so us wasn''t risking his pleasure on that.


    However, even without going deeper, Ohema was shouting so loudly that Miriam and the otherdies had to move from Miriam''s room to the hall, smiles on their faces.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ohema was making too much noise, something none of them expected from her. But us was just too intense. Miriam knew exactly what was happening, while Lily and Anna, who were still hesitant to take that extra step, remained oblivious.


    Truth be told, she shouted even louder thest time us went down on her. Fighting the impulse to break in and join, Miriam led the two vixens away. As for us''s mom and sister, they likely knew what wasing and were somewhere in Hanna''s training room.


    us continued his tongue game, making Ohema cry out in pure pleasure. If they couldn''t go all the way, he would use this method for now. At least it was both safe and enjoyable.


    Ohema''s back arched, and her hands found his hair, pulling him closer. Each flick of his tongue sent waves of pleasure through her, making her shudder. She could barely hold back, feeling herself reaching a peak.


    Finally, with a loud gasp, her body gave in, and she felt a rush of release pouring out, captivating us instantly. He swallowed it eagerly, going back for more. He didn''t know why, but the essence he was tasting was just too delicious.


    ''Does this have something to do with her constitution?'' he wondered. ''But if it did, shouldn''t I be tasting poison now?''


    ''This is just too tasty; I could get used to this,'' us thought as he licked herher cave dry.


    Ohema''s body shook so hard that us had to hold her firmly in ce as he extracted everyst drop of her essence, which was overflowing.


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    ''It must be due to her constitution,'' us concluded. ''But I''ll talk to the seniorter to confirm.''


    ''For now, I need more of this.'' us couldn''t stop himself. After a while, he managed to clean her dry beforeying her down on his chest.


    Her hand then went for his dragon, whichy between her legs. She began to stroke it gently, though it was clear she was exhausted from the pleasure trip she had just taken.


    "Should we go another round, or was one enough?" us whispered in her ear, making her blush slightly.


    With that, the next few hours alternated between Ohema seeking his "Star Juice" and us enjoying her tasty, creamy poison cave.

 Chapter 342 Poison Body [Bonus]

    "Aaaahhh,"


    Ohema''s moan filled the room, her waist trembling after releasing her essence for the umpteenth time since she and us had started their game of pleasure.


    She had been giving him head, and in return, us was also pleasuring her down there. Since they couldn''t go the extra mile yet, they had to make do with just that for now. However, us was certainly enjoying himself¡ªor more like enjoying Ohema''s essence.


    In the end, she was bound to be exhausted, so after releasing her essence who knew how many times, she copsed on the bed with a happy expression on her face.


    "You look happy," us said, looking at her blissful expression. Ohema had been enjoying herself so much that she didn''t know what hade over her, but she never wanted to stop. Had it not been for her stress, she would have loved to go on all day.


    "Of course I am happy. I finally get to take care of something that has been weighing on my chest for quite a while now," Ohema replied.


    "Your Poison Body, huh?" us asked, and Ohema nodded.


    "Although I never expected to fall in love with you this early, it happened, and when it did, I realized I couldn''t be there for you. So while many might expect me to be jealous, I was actually happy when I found out you had other women.


    "However, it was more painful than I initially thought. Not being able to pleasure my man mainly because my body wouldn''t allow it was just too damn frustrating," Ohema said with a sad expression.


    "Don''t worry about that. Although we can''t take things further just yet, we can take it slow. Once we fix your body issue, I promise to make you scream your heart out," us joked with a teasing smile.


    "And what makes you think we can do that? I''ve tried everything I could but couldn''t awaken it. It feels like I''m still missing something. It''s frustrating," Ohema said, slightly angry at the thought.


    She had been searching for a way to awaken her body for a long time, but no matter how hard she looked, the answer always seemed out of reach. She had tried many methods, even taking some dangerous roots after bing us''s woman, but she never seeded.


    Frustrating indeed.


    "Have some faith in your boyfriend, Ohema," us joked. "I know a way for us to awaken your body," he said.


    "Really?" Ohema turned and looked at his face.


    "Of course. I know what needs to be done, but we can''t do it just yet, as we don''t have the necessary resources," us said, and Ohema frowned.


    "What do we have to do?" she asked. "In case you don''t know, I''m pretty rich; I can get anything, provided it exists," she added.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Okay, rich woman, have you heard of this treasure¡ªthe Lava Crystal?" us asked, and Ohema frowned.


    "Lava Crystal? Are you serious?" she asked. "That crystal only appeared once, and it was at the start of the apocalypse. As far as I know, it was absorbed by one of the overlords, which literally transformed her into a peacock, almost turning her into a phoenix."


    "So, do you think you can get it?" us asked with a smile, but all Ohema could do was well up. The Lava Crystal was something us knew about from Yuying, who had exined a lot to him about constitutions and physiques.


    Though us often seemed unfocused when Yuying spoke about those things, his brain worked differently; even when he wasn''t paying attention, he absorbed everything.


    She had mentioned several methods that could awaken a constitution like Ohema''s. One of them was that if the person had sex with a man, it would automatically awaken their constitution.


    Currently, Ohema had a Virgin Poison Body, meaning the moment her walls were prated, she would no longer be a virgin. This of course would trigger the awakening.


    But, of course, that wasn''t an option Ohema would consider. She wouldn''t want to hurt us, nor would she allow another man to touch her. That left them with the next best option¡ªthe Lava Crystal.


    During the beginning of the apocalypse, when the world was changing, a mountain exploded, and from within it, a palm-sized crystal appeared, radiating intense heat. It was said that when it emerged, many warriors who tried to get close were reduced to ash.


    Nobody managed to get close¡ªnobody, until a certain youngdy seeded. Since then, her body has undergone tremendous changes, skyrocketing herbat prowess. This unique individual was Nari, the firedy among the overlords.


    "This is hopeless," Ohema sighed, knowing her only chance was taken 45 years ago.


    "Not true. All we have to do is find ava-infused mountain and dive in. I''m sure we can find one at the bottom," us said, recalling how Yuying mentioned that Lava Crystals could still be obtained.


    "Are you crazy? That''s just suicide," Ohema replied, giving us a look that showed she didn''t like the idea one bit.


    "Rx, I wasn''t nning on doing it myself. I don''t have nearly enough fire resistance to go swimming inva, but I do know someone who does," us smiled.


    "You mean Fire Queen Nari?" Ohema asked, and us raised an eyebrow. He wanted to ask how she knew every little thing, but he held back. Since she had opened up about her body issue, he knew she would one day reveal who she truly was.


    "Yes, Nari and I are practically best friends. If I ask for her help, she won''t hesitate," us said confidently. Nari would be delighted if he asked¡ªafter all, she wanted the boy her sister had fallen in love with, even if she didn''t know it yet, to be happy.


    One of his women''s suffering would make him sad, so Nari would help. Plus, she enjoyed a bit of mischief now and then. Swimming inva sounded just right up her alley.


    "What if she refuses?" Ohema asked.


    "Then she''d forever remain a peacock. Lol," us replied with a smile.


    "You have a way to help her be a True Phoenix?" Ohema was a little taken aback by what us said. When Nari first absorbed the crystal, her me element mutated, transforming her into a peacock.


    This transformation had boosted her power level several times over. However, over the years, she had tried many times to ascend to the stage that would make her a True Phoenix, but she''d never gotten lucky again.


    Yet us, who had absorbed all the knowledge Yuying could impart, knew more than enough. In fact, he knew five different ways to help her, one of which involved having her stay close to a Lava Crystal¡ªor more precisely, enteringva and remaining there for a while to trigger the transformation.


    If Nari wanted to be a Phoenix, which would undoubtedly allow her to break through from the Ascendent stage, she would have to ept his terms.


    "Are you sure this will work?" Ohema asked, a bit worried. "While I''m not giving up hope, I also don''t want to get my hopes up too high."


    "Rx, my love. In a couple of months, your poison body issue will be resolved. Then we can move on to the real game¡ªmaking you call my name in a hundred differentnguages," us said, pinching her nipples.


    "us... aaahh," Ohema moaned his name, making us''s smile widen. With that, he took her to cloud nine for another two rounds of tonguing before they fell asleep, only to wake up a few hourster. They freshened up and went to join the others.

 Chapter 343 Hannas Past Wounds [Bonus]

    us and Ohema left the room after hours of pleasure. They had truly missed each other. However, upon reaching the hall, us found his mother pacing back and forth, a sight that made him worry immediately.


    "Mom, what''s wrong?" us asked, reaching for her hand.


    "Your sister isn''t talking to me," she replied, clearly sad.


    "That''s ridiculous. Big sister Hanna adores you. If I didn''t know better, I''d say she''s even in love with you. Why would she suddenly stop talking to you?" us said.


    "I don''t know either. Since you returned from the trial, she''s locked herself in her training room and started crying. I tried reaching out, but she wouldn''t respond¡ªnot to me, or any of us," she said.


    Miriam, Anna, and Lily all nodded, showing that they had tried talking to Hanna as well, but she hadn''t responded. us frowned upon hearing that.


    "Is she still in her training room?" he asked.


    "Yes. us, baby, please try to get through to her. I can''t bear seeing her like that," his mother''s eyes were watering; she was clearly worried.


    "I will, Mom. Just give me some time," us said before heading toward Hanna''s training room. Soon, he stood in front of the door and could already hear her quiet sobs.


    "Big sister, are you alright?" us called, pushing the door open.


    ''Really, Mom? The door wasn''t even locked¡ªwhy exaggerate it?'' he thought with a sigh. His gaze fell on Hanna, who was sitting in a corner, crying.


    "Big sister, what''s wrong? Does this have something to do with that brat you wanted to kill?" us asked, walking closer to her.


    Hanna looked up as soon as he asked, nodding in response. us sighed; he''d figured as much. During their flight back from Union City, Hanna had been unusually quiet.


    He had wanted to ask why she was like that, even after ranking second in the trial, She should have been excited, but he''d been too excited instead to see Ohema again so he neglected her feelings.


    Now, seeing her like this, a pang of pain went through his chest.


    "Come here, let''s talk about it." us reached for her hand and guided her to sit on a chair.


    "Tell me everything. I''m all ears."


    Hanna took a few moments to calm herself. us could tell just from her expression that she was broken. He''d seen a simr look on Miriam''s face when she had shared her past with him.


    "Take your time, big sister," us said gently, not rushing her. After ten full minutes, she was ready to speak.


    "I already told you I lost my parents when I was seven, but I never told you how I grew up after they were gone," she began.


    "When my parents died, it wasn''t just them who passed away that day. Another person from our home died too¡ªour maid. She had a daughter, just a few months older than me. So, when they were gone, it was just me and her left in the house.


    "I was devastated when I found out that Mom and Dad had died, along with Auntie Love. But, surprisingly, Keni was moreposed. Her mother had prepared her for a moment like that. While I was shattered, she took it upon herself to care for me.


    "She stepped up, looking after me until I was able to recover. From then on, we took care of each other. For years, we did everything together. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that I wouldn''t be here now if it hadn''t been for Keni being there for me." Her tears began falling again.


    us took her hands, gently rubbing them. He could tell she was reliving emotions he couldn''t fully understand, so he did the only thing he could: he was simply there for her.


    "Keni... She was my... She was my everything. But because of those bastards, she left me. They took her away from me. I will kill everyst one of them," Hanna said, clenching her fist. Despite never having killed a human before, her killing intent was rather potent.


    "Rx, Big Sister. Tell me what happened," us said, sensing her mood.


    "Keni and I were supposed to awaken on the same day. We had already secured the drug a few months before we turned 16; well, Keni turned 16 before I did. So she was just waiting for my birthday so we could awaken together.


    On my birthday morning, she left to get me a cake, but instead of returning with one, she came home broken. I asked what happened, but she was too shattered, devastated, and ashamed to say anything.


    The next day, she took her life, leaving only a letter. In the letter, she told me everything. ''Little brother, those bastards, I want to kill everyst one of them. Please help me kill them. I can''t continue living as long as they are still alive.''"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    us''s heart ached as he listened to Hanna''s words. Her anguish was palpable, a storm of sorrow and fury that threatened to engulf them both. He reached out, taking her trembling hands in his, trying to convey his care through his grip.


    Ever since us remembered his past life, Hanna has be something of an important person in his life he cares about. And us is overprotective of those he cares about. Those bastards hurt her sister and naturally, he would never forgive them even if they''ve turned their ways and be monks.


    "I can''t even imagine what you''re feeling right now," us said softly, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "But we will make them pay for what they did to Keni."


    Hanna looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, a flicker of hope mingling with her despair. "You mean it? You''ll help me?"


    "Of course," he replied without hesitation. "You''re not alone in this. We''ll find them, and we''ll make sure they suffer."


    Hanna''s dam broke. us pulled her into a hug, allowing her to soak his chest with her tears. Just like Miriam, she couldn''t move past that incident. It felt like a haunting nightmare to her, and finally being able to open up made the wave of her suppressed emotions explode.


    She knew for a fact that us would help her, but hearing him say it made her feel more at peace, causing her to shed all the tears she had been holding back.


    us, of course, was thinking of all the ways he would torture the bastards who dared to make his sister cry. From what she said, it seemed that Keni meant a lot to her, so us wanted to ensure she got the revenge he knew she had been nning for a long time.


    After a while, Hanna calmed down, making us sigh. She had been wetting his chest for quite a while.


    "So, Keni, can you tell me more about her?" he asked. Hanna smiled and nodded.


    She began sharing everything she could about Keni¡ªquite a lot, actually. As us listened, his hunger to kill the bastards who hurt her sister rose with each passing moment.


    An hourter, they left the training room and headed back to the hall, where Hanna immediately ran into their mom''s arms. "I''m sorry for making you worry, Mom," she said.


    "Oh, silly, you never made me worry. I know you are one strongdy," us''s mom replied.


    "Really, Mom? You were practically crying just a few hours ago!" us couldn''t believe his mom''s shamelessness.


    "Watch your mouth, brat, before I choke you with a hug," his mom said with a smile.


    "That''s actually a good idea. I want to be choked to death!" us said, smiling. Miriam, who knew what he was thinking, smacked the back of his head, making everyone smile.


    "So, who wants to go on a few days'' vacation in Felin City?" us asked.

 Chapter 344 Going on Vacation

    The moment us suggested the vacation, everyone turned to look at him. Even Hanna, who knew why he said that, was still puzzled. She understood his reasoning for choosing Felin City for their getaway, but she hadn''t expected him to make up his mind so quickly.


    She had expected him to at least wait until they broke through to the Grandmaster stage before taking any action. However, us was no weakling; he wanted to get that out of the way.


    "Sounds like a good idea, sweetheart," us''s mom was the first to ept the vacation n. Soon, Miriam and Ohema joined in as well. As for Anna and Lily, they were more than happy to go wherever us went.


    His male friends were currently out with thedies they had managed to bag after the trial. Appearing in the top 20 had certainly given them some charisma.


    "Then it is decided; we leave tomorrow at sunset," us said before heading to his room to take care of something. Hanna stayed with her mom and the two vixens, while the two magnificently beautifuldies followed us.


    "Talk." As soon as they entered the room, Miriam asked, "I know you wanted to prepare for your breakthrough right after the trial, so why the sudden vacation?"


    "No hidden agenda here, my love. It''s just a normal vacation for a few days before I enter seclusion," us said with a small smile, looking at the twodies standing before him.


    "Liar. Spill it," Ohema said, narrowing her gaze at him. us observed them for a moment and then sighed.


    "Fine, I will tell you. Some bastards killed my sister''s girlfriend, so we are going for revenge," he said, and the twodies just smiled. They had expected as much.


    "Do you need any help?" Ohema asked.


    "A jet to take us there would do. You don''t happen to have one, do you?" us joked.


    "I do. Wanna see it?" Ohema replied, making us raise an eyebrow.


    "Of course you do. You are rich, after all," he said with a smile. Miriam walked forward and pushed him onto the bed.


    "Hey, you two are not trying to eat me up, are you?" us asked, a smile on his face.


    "Pervert. Just lie down; we only want to give you a massage," Ohema said, reaching for his shirt. Soon, us was under the gentle care of two fairies. Their touches are heavenly.


    "So, us, aside from us, Lucy, Anna, and Lily, who else is there?" Ohema asked, her hands brushing past his ribcage.


    "Nobody else, my lo¡ªOuch!" us cried, feeling something pinch his ribcage.


    "Wanna try again?" Ohema asked, her expression teasing. Miriam just smiled.


    "You wicked woman," us said, a smile ying on his lips. "Just so you know, my charm is pretty toxic. Wherever I go, fairies keep falling for me without me even trying, so don''t be surprised when more start popping up."


    "Pervert," Ohema said, shaking her head.


    "Nothing perverted here, my love. You can ask Miriam to narrate all the amazing nights we ha¡ªOuch!" us cried out again when something pinched his other rib.


    "That''s why I like Anna and Lily more; they are very gentle and caring, unlike you two demons." us, who was meant to be enjoying the massage, was now feeling more pain than pleasure.


    "By the way, us, Sister Ohema told me about her situation. Are you confident you can help her?" Miriam suddenly asked.


    "Of course! She is my woman; I would do everything I can to help her," us replied.


    "Good," Miriam smiled.


    us chuckled inwardly. ''Maybe it''s a paragon thing, but I think all my women are meant to back each other instead ofpete.''


    He couldn''t have asked for a better situation. The fact that they were all rooting for each other was more than enough. At least, he wouldn''t have to worry about them fighting each other in the future.


    "You should go see Sister Nadia when you are free," Miriam suggested.


    "And why is that? I don''t suppose I have any business with her anytime soon." us hadn''t modeled for months now, as Nadia had been busy with a new trend she was working on. So why would Miriam want him to go see her?


    "Just go see her," she said before channeling spiritual qi into his palm and then starting to massage him more intimately this time.


    Ohema did the same. Soon, us started feeling much better. All the pain was washed away, now reced by intense pleasure.


    ''Fuck you, Fruity. Fuck you, Number Three. Who is living the dream now?'' us cursed his past incarnations, who had made his life a little too chaotic recently.


    He just didn''t understand why his past incarnations didn''t appear like normal people. Thest time Fruity visited him, it was in a dreamlike state, and Number Three had scared the hell out of him during the aura awakening.


    ''If only they coulde to me like normal humans, I would be damn grateful,'' us thought inwardly. But he wasn''tining at the moment; Ohema and Miriam were surprisingly making him feel good.


    They made sure he felt all their love and care. us of course wasn''t one to deny that. He was living the warrior dream.


    After they were done, us rewarded them with a kiss and then started absorbing monster cores. Thanks to the massacre at Union City, he was able to level up to level 9. Just three more levels before the tribtion descends again so he could break through.


    The twodies watched him with proud smiles on their faces.


    While many would carefully absorb the cores, us was just crashing them with his palm before absorbing the energy, which took less than a minute for each core.


    On his back, Ohema and Miriam could see one of the nine stars glow whenever the energy entered his body. This puzzled them, but they didn''t want to disturb him, so they waited until he was done.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    us received quite arge sum of cores, so he wasn''t holding back. All the cores from the zombies he had massacred at the Demon''s Abode were given to him, and he also received more from Dave and Kane Arcadia.


    Then, aside from that, he received even more cores from Dharma, the overlord as a reward forpleting the quest when he killed the Five Fire Monsters from the fire region in the Demon''s Abode. He also obtained a few from the trial at Sinji Valley and the Union trial.


    So he was loaded. Four hourster, he broke through to level 10. But he didn''t stop; he continued for a few hours before stopping when it was time for dinner.


    He realized that the higher his levels progressed, the fewer experience points he received from the cores. It was a rather painful experience for him. However, knowing he wouldn''t be following the same leveling-up system after the breakthrough gave him something to hope for.


    After having dinner, they spent some time talking about random things. Later, us went to bed, but he had to spend a few hours with Lily and Anna, who helped him release some stress before he finally slept. The next day, they spent the morning as usual.


    Later that day, they boarded Ohema''s jet to Felin City, where us and Hanna would be spending some quality brother-sister time together amidst ughter and bloodshed.


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