“I can’t believe we’re finally leaving this place. It was nice and all... the food, especially,” Eirene said cheerfully, brushing a lock of violet hair behind her ear as she stood near the inland gate of Bitterhoney Port.Zane stood beside her, arms folded, his sharp gaze drifting across the crowd with mild interest, while Lancelot stood quietly to his side—his expression as composed as ever, offering only a subtle smile in agreement.Not far from them, Zion waited as well.He stood still and aloof, dressed in robes with silver-blue hems, his cold eyes resting on nothing in particular.To his right stood Ragar, broad-shouldered and armored in lightweight scale-plate that shimmered like condensed smoke.And on Zion’s left was Melven, the quiet lean member of Blood Letum—the same man who had been present when Oasis met Iris for the first time.All of them now stood gathered, waiting at the gates for the last of the brothers—Zenon—and his retainers to arrive.“We can finally go home now,

“Young master, why are you smiling?” Venak asked, peering at Oasis curiously.His lips had been curled in a soft, lingering smile ever since they passed the group of old man Jio.Oasis, still seated with ease atop his Equinore, eyes half-lidded in reminiscence, replied, “That old man… he treated us like a father would treat his son, watching him leave for war.""He spoke with the love of a parent—his words weren’t cautionary for the sake of fear, but of genuine care.” His voice was soft, reverent, like someone recalling a dream they didn’t want to wake from.“It’s fascinating that in this world of strength, chaos, and survival… people like that still exist.”He paused, the wind brushing against the loose strands of his dark messy hair. “And I’m certain… he knew who we were.”Du Shiye raised a brow. “Mmh, you say? So if he knew—and has heard the rumors about you, young master—doesn’t it mean he shouldn’t have needed to warn us about an A-rank mystic beast?""With your strength, you coul

The next few breaths were heavy with tension.The Solarclaw Tiger stood hunched over the corpse of the Sunspike Boar, its jaws slick with blood.Its powerful claws dug into the boar’s chest, tearing muscle and bone with ease. With a guttural snarl, it pried open the ribcage—and there it was.The core of the Sunspike Boar, pulsing and glimmering like a living flame, shimmered a brilliant crimson-orange, hovering amidst the remains like a jewel born of blood and fire.It cast flickering glows across the tiger’s molten-striped face, its amber eyes reflecting greed and instinctual hunger.Without hesitation, the Solarclaw Tiger lunged its head forward and swallowed the core whole. Its throat bulged for a second as the radiant orb vanished inside.BOOM!A violent pulse of golden-orange light surged from its body. The shimmering aura that had already cloaked the tiger suddenly intensified—flaring like a wildfire.Waves of mana rippled outward in rings, like shockwaves in molten air. The tre

The cut was shallow—barely more than a scratch just beneath the Solarclaw Tiger’s jaw—but even from atop his pillar, Oasis could tell."Too shallow... but if that strike had landed on someone in the same realm as Venak, they’d definitely be dead,” Oasis thought, his tone internally composed, yet impressed, as he sat atop his towering earth pillar.The air shimmered with heat, and the sky was veiled in faint crimson from the fire and solar mana saturating the forest.“I could only tell which one was real through my Serpent's Truth Eyes,” he mused, his eyes shimmering faintly with ethereal azure glow.“If not for that, I would’ve fallen for the illusion myself. All the phantoms carried the same weight, temperature, even scent… My senses were deceived.”Oasis's expression didn't shift much, but the edges of his lips tugged into a faint, curious smirk.“So... what do you plan to do next, Venak?” he thought, eyes fixed on the massive, fuming beast below.The Solarclaw Tiger, an apex A-rank

Then—up north, far beyond the scorched carnage of the Solarclaw Tiger in Verdantia…A group cut through the forest skies like mana arrows: the Bluemoon brothers—Zenon, Zion, and Zane—with their elite retainers: Lancelot, Eirene, Troy, Axel, Ragar, and Melven.They moved as a fluid formation, slipping through the towering emerald canopies of the Celestwood Highlands, trees so ancient and tall their crowns vanished into the heavens, their trunks wide as temples.They flew swiftly—a blur of mana distort, wind-wrapped silhouettes, and faint streaks of mana pulsing with each controlled step on the air.The forest wind howled around them, scattering leaves and branches in their wake, but the group remained focused, unaware of what lurked just behind.They were being hunted.But they didn’t know it yet.“We’ve been moving for hours already,” Zenon thought, blue eyes glancing sideways, though his expression was calm.He glanced over his shoulder briefly.His eyes fell on his youngest brother—