The old man settled more comfortably onto his meditation stone, like someone who knew that what he was about to explain could not be told in haste.“In an age so ancient that it predates the oldest civilizations whose names you have ever read in any history book, a certain presence appeared.”His voice dropped slightly, different from the way he spoke when teaching cultivation techniques or discussing things already familiar to Lein.“The Sovereign. No one knows where he came from or how he came to exist. Only one thing is known. When he appeared, the universe already existed before him. The planets, the life upon them, the civilizations that had flourished for millions of years—all of it was already there. He was not a creator. He was more like an overseer who arrived in a place that was already bustling and decided that he was the one most qualified to determine its future.”Lein listened without interrupting.“His ambition was not small. He divided a portion of his power and spread

The silence in the dining hall lasted for two seconds before everyone began speaking at once.Victoria was the first to find her voice.“H-how are you here?”“Isn’t it obvious?” Lein stood in the doorway that no longer had one of its hinges, his left hand resting at his side as he looked over the entire table like someone who had spent a long journey reaching this very moment. “I defeated the entire military force of the Varek Continent and the Supreme Leader’s entire army. There is nothing left that can stop me from getting here.”He lowered Jonathan from his shoulder and set him on the floor. Then his fingers pressed three points along the back of the man’s neck.Jonathan awoke like someone who had just been dragged out of deep water. His breathing came in ragged bursts, his eyes unfocused, his hands clawing at the floor in search of stability.Then his awareness fully returned, and his expression became something that required no explanation.Before he could process where he was, L

The sky above Corholt City was already dark when Lein landed outside the branch headquarters.He did not fly directly inside. He walked to the gate, placed his thumb on the same scanner as before, and waited.Green light.The door opened.The difference was that this time, what greeted him inside was not merely systems and protocols.A young agent who happened to be in the first corridor saw him enter, froze for half a second, and then shouted toward the interior of the building.Within thirty seconds, the main corridor—which had contained only a few people moments ago—became something that could only be described as bustling. Agents poured out of their offices, division chiefs abandoned unfinished reports, and staff members gathered along the sides of the corridor simply so they could later say that they had been there that night.The Demon of Destruction who had delivered victory to the Arcturus Continent had returned.They had to welcome him properly.Lein walked among them the sam

The first thing that caught Lein’s attention in this world was not the scenery, but the air.One breath was enough for him to feel the difference. It was like someone who had spent their entire life drinking ordinary water suddenly tasting something perfectly pure for the first time. The spiritual energy here was nothing like the spiritual energy on Earth. On Earth, spiritual energy was dispersed and had to be actively gathered, drawn inward and carefully retained to prevent leakage. Here, it existed within every particle of air—dense, abundant, and naturally flowing into the body with every breath, requiring no effort at all.His master had not exaggerated.In a place like this, cultivation could progress at a speed unlike anything he had ever experienced before.Lein stood among trees whose size defied any vocabulary he possessed for describing trees. Their trunks were as thick as four-story buildings, sections of their dark-brown bark peeling away to reveal lighter layers beneath.

The boy looked up."I'm fine."His hand was still pressed against his side, but his expression had already steadied. Then something changed in his eyes, and what entered his expression was not gratitude but something much closer to concern."But you're the one I should be worried about, traveler.""Why?""Those three men."The boy lowered his voice slightly, like someone accustomed to living in a world where conversations could be overheard from unexpected directions."They're from Demon Fang. The group that controls this area and the three settlements around it. Their people are strong, well-trained, and not in the habit of forgetting rejection."His eyes met Lein's directly."And the Sovereign has never forbidden anyone in Xollos from killing travelers. There's only one law here: the weak deserve to die. It applies to everyone, including tournament participants."Lein absorbed that.This world was harsher than he had imagined.But it was not something that made him want to retreat.