Gerry pulled his body back into the shadows of the dark red velvet curtains on the V.I.P. balcony. Helena’s sharp, anxious gaze swept across every corner of the second floor, searching for the source of the invisible chill that seemed to pierce the back of her neck. However, all she found was empty darkness and rows of silent curtains.“What’s wrong, Helena?” asked one of the senior guards of the Sterling clan who stood nearby.“Nothing,” Helena replied, her voice trembling slightly amid the din of the auction hall. “I just... feel as though there are eyes watching me from up there. They’re so cold.”“It’s only your imagination, Young Miss,” the guard said, trying to reassure her. His eyes also glanced upward for a moment before returning to scanning their surroundings. “This hall is filled with thousands of people from various factions. It’s only natural for you to feel tense.”“Maybe you’re right,” Helena murmured, though her slender fingers tightened around the edge of her silk dre

"Are you sure about this, Gerry?" Magnus asked quietly as they stepped out from the shadows of the grand auction house. "The Upper World will be in an uproar if their main mining camp is attacked right after the auction ends."Gerry merely shot him a sharp glance from behind his leather mask. His footsteps were steady as he moved through the night fog beginning to blanket the stone streets of Azure-Gate City. "Shock is exactly what they need, Magnus. If Helena returns empty-handed and their mining camp is destroyed, the Sterling clan will start devouring itself from within.""We've recruited ten additional shadow cultivators through Edgar's contacts," Magnus reported, keeping his voice low. "They're already waiting at the meeting point in the outer forest. What are your orders?""Tell them to get ready," Gerry replied coldly. "Our target isn't simply to kill. We're going to cripple their economic foundation in this region. Take every piece of spiritual stone stored in that mining camp

The morning sun pierced through the red silk curtains of the luxurious Sterling clan residence in the border city, casting a pale glow across the cold marble floor. Inside the spacious main hall, Helena paced back and forth in hurried steps. Her white silk dress brushed softly against itself, creating a rustling sound that broke the tense silence of the morning. Her face was deathly pale, dark circles beneath her eyes from having spent the entire night without sleep. Her slender fingers continuously clenched a piece of brocade fabric, trembling violently as she struggled to contain the panic creeping into her chest."Where is Mark's personal guard?" Helena's voice rang sharply through the room as she turned toward the maid trembling near the door. "I ordered him to take that herbal sample to the testing chamber at dawn!""Y-Young Miss..." The maid bowed deeply, her voice catching in her throat. "Master Mark just returned from the testing chamber a few minutes ago. But... his condition

The sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling of the stone cave broke the silence of the night, creating a steady echo within the hidden underground shelter concealed deep behind the roots of a massive tree. Gerry sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, his eyes tightly shut. Before him, the pitch-black blade of Obsidian Fang floated slowly, emitting a low hum of energy that resonated directly with the beat of the young man's heart."Concentrate on the core of the artifact," Magnus whispered as he stood watch near the mouth of the cave, his voice careful not to disturb Gerry's focus. "That second compartment has never been opened by anyone from the Sterling clan for decades. The energy inside is unstable."Gerry gave no verbal response. Cold sweat poured down his forehead and streamed toward his temples. Within his consciousness, the holographic interface of the Vesper System flashed with a bright red emergency warning, indicating the extremely high danger level of the proces

Although Gerry's voice was not loud, the coldness in his tone instantly silenced every argument in the room. All eyes were now fixed on him, waiting for the final decision from the mysterious leader they knew as Lord Vane.Gerry stepped forward and stood directly in front of Kael, who was still kneeling. "You said you had no choice, Kael?""That's right, Lord Vane!" Kael replied quickly, a glimmer of hope appearing in his swollen eyes. "If I had another choice, I swear I would never have betrayed this alliance!""Everyone always has a choice," Gerry said coldly, his voice like a winter wind that froze everything in its path. "You chose to save your younger sister by sacrificing the lives of hundreds of people in this camp. That was your choice.""L-Lord..." The hope in Kael's eyes collapsed instantly, replaced by utter terror."Lord Vane," Boran tried to interrupt again, taking a step forward. "Please reconsider...""Boran," Gerry cut him off without turning toward the burly man. "If