“So, is that your way of agreeing that you killed that person?” Amon’s voice carried a weight, testing Oasis, his gaze sharp like a seasoned merchant gauging a priceless artifact.“I said what I said, and nothing less and nothing more,” Oasis replied, his tone calm, his expression unbothered, like a mountain unmoved by storm.“But I’ll have to warn you,” Amon leaned back slightly, folding his arms, “the Booker family is one of the most dangerous families in this city. And that Iren’s master is no simple man.""You should look over your shoulders whenever you leave the city.” His warning was not just advice but an undercurrent of threat, a reminder of how tangled power ran in the City.Oasis’s lips curved faintly, though not into a smile.“So the tournament you’re holding,” his voice slow and deliberate, “it will be good in a way. They can’t pursue me openly—thinking their child superior in strength.""And even if something happens to him during an official tournament, they can’t take

Later that night, at the Booker estate, the main courtyard was bathed in moonlight, its silence broken only by the rustle of trees in the wind.Torches flickered against the tall stone pillars, casting long shadows across the marble floor where Iren knelt before his uncle.“You say Igi was killed without even anyone seeing a thing?” a man asked, his deep voice carrying authority.“Yes, Uncle,” Iren replied, his tone subdued but laced with frustration.“Who were the people you were having a quarrel with?” the man pressed.“I don’t know them… they are not from here. Just a kid at the Awakened Realm and some other brat. They are guests of the Woods family,” Iren said bitterly. “And that brat called himself Avarice.”“Avarice?” his uncle repeated aloud, frowning as if tasting the name.“Never heard of it. But an Awakened cannot kill a man outright… and an Enlightened like you failed to see a thing?On top of that, I am certain there were other masters in the merchant hall,” Duncan said, h

A man strode into the courtyard, his presence commanding the night air, accompanied by Vivian Woods.lamps glinted off his white robe, contrasted sharply by a black haori trimmed in pristine white lines.His long dark hair was tied at the back, with a few loose strands lingering along his shoulders and sides, giving him an aura both refined and untamed.This was Barrett Woods, the patriarch of the Woods family.Oasis’s eyes immediately tracked him, noting the raw current of aura radiating from the man.It was wild, almost primordial, a pulse of living mana that seemed rooted deep in the earth itself.Each step Barrett took stirred the air with subtle vibrations of energy—alive, beastly, and utterly untamed."This must be Vivi’s father," Oasis thought. "Dangerous."Barrett’s gaze swept the courtyard and fixed on Oasis.Every inch of the boy seemed to unfold before him, stripped bare by the piercing intensity of those eyes."These are Vivian’s guests… they are monsters. Especially that

Yawn…The sound was soft but carried through the dimly lit room of the inn. Morning sunlight streamed faintly through the wooden shutters, casting pale bars of light across the modest chamber.On the bed, a figure stirred, arms stretching weakly as his body protested against weeks of stillness.The air smelled faintly of herbs, dried poultices, and fresh morning dew drifting in from the open window.“About time you wake, Elder Yuri,” a calm but firm voice broke the silence.It was Zane, seated at the far end of the room, his posture relaxed but his sharp eyes fixed upon the man who had finally woken from the brink of death.Yuri slowly turned his head, recognition dawning, before looking down at himself.His upper body was bare save for the wrapping of bandages that covered him from chest to waist, leaving only his arms and shoulders visible. His lower half was clothed only in loose pants.The sight made him pause, and before speaking, he let out a heavy breath—an exhausted exhalation

Present…By now, Zane and Yuri had already left Tenshigawa city, their figures streaking southeast through the dense timberland of the Adachi zone.The forest was alive with noon light: beams lanced through high canopies, dancing across broad green leaves, while birds startled at their passing darted away in flurries of feathers.They moved as shadows, silhouettes leaping from branch to branch, speed so fluid that from an outsider’s perspective one might mistake them for father and son—or a master passing his skills to his disciple.Yuri trailed just behind, his movements controlled, his presence strangely calm."I’m not restrained, nor are my cores sealed," he thought, brow furrowing as he studied the young figure ahead. "Yet here I am, following this boy… and strangely, my being is at peace with all of it."His boots brushed the mossy bark of each branch as he glided effortlessly.Zane was sharp, focused, his gaze locked forward as though every leap carried him toward a destiny only