The panther breathed its last beneath his blade. Streams of gray energy rose from its body and shot toward him as if drawn by a magnet. By now, he was already skilled at handling the gray energy, so there was little reaction as he quietly suppressed its negative effects.Mattimeo pulled out his sword and began cutting open the beast's chest. He extracted its beast core and teeth before placing them inside the huge black bag he had stolen on his way here.Afterward, he raised the sword and admired it once more.It wasn't anything special, nor was it exceptionally fast, but it was incredibly durable and strong. A normal low Mortal Grade sword would have broken long ago after being struck repeatedly by aggressive beasts.He glanced at the panther's corpse.It had been a Level Four Spirit Beast.After two days of nonstop fighting and killing, Mattimeo had finally managed to defeat a Level Four Spirit Beast, despite not even being in the fourth level of the Energy Refinement Realm.He was

Mattimeo nearly lost control at the last moment.The cauldron lid shot into the air with a loud bang, and a sharp wave of pain exploded inside his head."Argh!"His vision blurred.The world spun.His legs gave out beneath him, and he crashed onto the ground, clutching his head as a terrible headache tore through his mind.The man reacted instantly.His hand shot into the air and caught something before it could fall.When he opened his palm, three pills rested there.His eyes widened.Three pills.Their smooth surface gleamed under the light, and their rich color was accompanied by a remarkable luster."Eighty percent purity..."His voice was barely above a whisper.For a pill this simple, he could also achieve eighty percent purity with superior materials. At his level, that wasn't difficult.But the materials Mattimeo had used were incomplete. Some ingredients had even been substituted with supplementary materials.Under those conditions, the highest purity Ezra had ever managed to

"That cripple had gone missing again. Always finding ways to waste clan resources," Edward muttered as he stood by the window, watching people rush back and forth across the clan grounds.Alfred sat quietly in a chair across from the table."Roland is going to the Great Fay Forest," he said."I hope he goes deeper and dies in there. Bastard."Alfred remained silent.A full minute passed before he finally spoke."Has there been any reply from the Second Prince?""No. But don't worry. I'm sure he's just being cautious right now and still hopes to win Roland over. Soon enough, he'll realize he has no choice but to come to me for help," Edward said confidently."Maybe he just thinks you're not capable," Alfred muttered under his breath.Edward heard him."What did you just say?"He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto Alfred."I'm not saying you're weak. I'm saying maybe that's what he thinks. Those are two different things.""Get out. Now! I'll tell you when I get a rep

"Gia, are you insinuating that he harmed me before?"Gia immediately started fidgeting. Her fingers tightened around her skirt as she tugged at it nervously before finally looking up at Mattimeo."I mean... he used to bully you sometimes, especially whenever your father, the Duke, was away from the mansion.""Is that so?"Mattimeo stood with his hands at his sides, staring directly into her eyes.Gia couldn't meet his gaze. Her eyes darted away, and she hurried back to the line almost immediately.Mattimeo shook his head and walked away.Confused by what had just happened, Mia quickly chased after him.It wasn't long before news of Mattimeo registering for the tournament spread throughout the entire Ravenshire clan mansion and even beyond its walls."Richard, I heard that the future Duke and clan leader of the Ravenshire clan has registered for your clan tournament."A young man dressed in flowing green robes spoke with a grin.The young man in purple robes frowned, setting down his w

They were surprised when they saw the red hair. He normally didn't leave the clan in the evening.Mattimeo left the clan and walked away. Shortly afterward, he pulled up the hood of his cloak, concealing himself from view.He wandered through the streets without any particular destination in mind, simply trying to clear his head while searching for a solution to his problems.He had two problems now. The first was finding a way to suppress his lust, which was growing stronger with each passing day. The second was finding a way to defeat Richard in the upcoming contest.Richard was a peak Tier Six Energy Refinement expert, after all. Mattimeo was still only at Level Three. The good thing, however, was that he could fight above his level.Suddenly, he stopped.A scent drifted into his nose.Turning his head, he saw several women standing by the roadside. They wore revealing clothes and heavy perfume that filled the air around them.A building stood not far away, and he watched them lead