《Obtaining 10x rewards! Reincarnated into a novel as a side-character!》


 Chapter 1: Reincarnation: The start of everything

    <h4>Chapter 1: Reincarnation: The start of everything</h4>


    Chapter 1


    "So big!"


    A girl eximed in shock as she saw the spectacle in front of her.


    Curious, her friends rushed over to see what had caught her attention. To their surprise, she was pointing at an enormous pizza, fresh out of the oven and covered in an outrageous amount of toppings.


    It was a pizza so big that it could easily feed the entire group.


    In the group of friends was a guy named Finn, who was also speechlessly looking at her.


    They were initially in the living room enjoying some music when they heard her.


    Considering their age, they all shared some dirty thoughts when they heard her words.


    They were here for the Christmas party and it wouldn''t be surprising if their friend was doing something suspicious in the kitchen alone.


    Fortunately, it was not the case or the remaining party would have be awkward.


    Finn was also relieved.


    He, along with others, returned to the living room, and the party resumed again.


    They enjoyed the food and drinks, with some music, the party was soon over.


    One by one, everyone started leaving, it was snowing outside and Finn had brought his umbre along.


    With a final goodbye to others, he also left.


    He was quite satisfied and full; it had been a great time for him. The scenery was also beautiful with all sorts of colorful lights around.


    People were still out and partying even atte night so the streets were lively.


    ''It''s snowing a lot...''


    Exhaling slightly, he thought... for some reason, the street lights were flickering a lot as he went by.


    It was quite dark and lights were flickering, but he still continued walking. He predicted that the snow won''t be stopping anytime soon and it was better to reach home as early as possible.


    Swish!


    He heard some rustling sounds as he crossed the dark road, narrowing his eyes, he looked over and in that instant, his life shed before his eyes as a massive truck sped towards him.


    The driver was out for some reason, maybe alcohol or something. A terrible carelessness.


    Unfortunately, Finn soon suffered the consequences of the driver''s inappropriate action as the truck rammed into him.


    A moment of pain before it all cked out for him.


    __________________________


    ''I died. Fuck!''


    He was shocked beyond belief. At the moment, he was unable to see anything or feel anything, it was as if he was nothing more than a ball of consciousness.


    He was unexpectedly calm which scared him. Usually, he should be panicking at the moment or even wailing in pain but he was unable to feel any intense emotions.


    Such calmness scared him but he was unable to do anything at all.


    Suddenly, he felt as if something was tugging at him.


    Initially, he didn''t feel much but soon the tug became stronger and stronger.


    It was as if someone was yanking him, trying to pull him somewhere.


    And with such strong force, he had no choice but to be pulled wherever he was being taken to...


    ________________________


    In a dimly lit room.


    Cries of a baby were the only sound that could be heard in the room.


    The room was simple, open space with straw mat flooring. Sliding doors made of paper screens separated the room from the outside. Inside, low wooden tables were ced on the floor, surrounded by cushions for seating. The room was well-lit with soft, natural light filtering through the thin screens.


    Pants of a woman echoed throughout the empty room¡ªafter all, the woman had just given birth.


    Murmurs of midwives filled the room as they shuffled around, tending to the woman and the baby.


    The cries of the baby slowly ceased as the infant opened his small eyes, the world before him blurry, getting used to the light.


    ''HUH!?''


    ''This... did I reincarnate?''


    The baby thought, an expression of curiosity mixed with shock on his tender face.


    He was an avid reader of fantasy novels, he was familiar with this kind of setting too, he was just surprised that this fantasy of his turned into a reality.


    He could not help but remember his family back in the previous life, and felt quite ufortable in his heart.


    He was keenly aware that he won''t be able to meet them again, and this saddened him greatly.


    ''They might be in too much of a shock...''


    He pondered, his mind going to his caring mother who was always worried about him, truth to be told, he was a disabled person and had some vision problems.


    But thanks to god''s grace, it was not too hard on him and he could still perform daily tasks.


    It was also because of this that he had to strain himself to spot the iing truck in the night.


    ''I hope they don''t feel sad too much... I would like to let them know that I am quite fine here.''


    He decided to not think much on this matter for now. Although he was sad, he also was excited about this scenario, he no longer felt his vision problems and this was a new world that he wanted to experience.


    He looked around the room and felt that this room resembled the old-Japanese design.


    As he was scanning his surroundings, his gaze fell on a designated alcove showcasing a piece of artwork.


    For some reason, he felt that the symbol etched on the wall behind was quite familiar.


    Before he could think of anything more, he felt himself being lifted by the midwives and handed to a woman lying on a bed.


    He observed her features and felt a chill.


    The woman before him had short ashen gray hair with a pair of piercing silver moon eyes, she had a gorgeous face, with soft looking pink lips and a button nose.


    But her expression at the moment was nonchnt and her gaze was cold as ice, he felt her eyes scanning him as if he was an object whose worth was being measured at the moment.


    He didn''t know why but he felt her eyes be colder and colder as seconds passed by, his heart stirred at the sight.


    Although he felt a feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when looking at her for some reason but at the moment, he did not think much of it.


    He heard her say something, a cold monotone voice was all that sounded in the room as she expressionlesslymented.


    "Useless."

 Chapter 2: World of demons and exorcists? Side-character?

    <h4>Chapter 2: World of demons and exorcists? Side-character?</h4>


    Chapter 2


    His heart was beating fast; this woman before him was supposed to be his mother.


    She was supposed to be a woman who had just experienced the pain ofbor and birthed a child...


    Yet, he felt that she had no particr emotion towards him; she didn''t even show an ounce of tiredness.


    She almost felt like an emotionless robot.


    "Useless."


    He heard her say; he could automatically understand her words for some reason.


    His heart sank as he heard the word ''useless''.


    ''Wait, I am not going to be killed, right? Just after I was born at that...?''


    He panicked; he didn''t want to be killed for being branded useless, that would be the most wasteful death he could experience.


    Of course, he didn''t care about the woman either; it was fine if she did not like him for some reason, he held no strong feelings either. He already had a mother in his past life and the thought of suddenly epting another woman as his mother was impossible.


    But the situation now was peculiar, he was experiencing a crisis, praying that he won''t be killed.


    He could not run away with his current state either.


    Knock Knock


    At the moment, a small knock disturbed the eerily calm room.


    "Speak."


    The gray-haired womanmanded; her tone was authoritative and even colder.


    "Madam, the n head wishes to know about young master..."


    It was a man behind the paper door; the mes of the candles reflected his shadow from the other side.


    His tone was respectful, tinged with a bit of fear.


    "Not worth it. Tell them."


    She responded, not moving her gaze from the baby in her hands.


    The man behind the door paused as if he was shocked before he solemnly replied.


    "As youmand, Madam Ophelia." With that, the man left.


    The room was once again returned to silence; the woman named Ophelia moved her head slightly, and he was taken away by a midwife, put into a wooden cradle, and covered with a thin sheet.


    His mind was in chaos; a single name was all he could hear inside.


    Ophelia.


    ''Now I remember why I felt she looked familiar... it seems that I have reincarnated into the novel "Divine Banishers," and not only that, as one of the children of the wife of the patriarch of Mystic Purge n.''


    He didn''t know whether to cry orugh; he was now a bit reassured that he wouldn''t be killed for being useless, but the n was a bit difficult...


    The novel called Divine Banishers was a hot serialized novel, and he was quite a fan of the work; he had invested money to support the Author as well for his work.


    The novel was about exorcists and evil beings called demons; the world was filled with demons since ancient times, and these demons feasted upon human souls and were tyrannically dominant.


    However, soon some selected humans rose and hunted down the demons; they used supernatural powers rivaling those of demons and killed them relentlessly, iming the world back slowly.


    These powerful humans called themselves exorcists!


    The world was soon thrown into chaos as it became a battleground for the exorcists and demons.


    The protagonist of the novel was a young exorcist who led others and annihted the demons, bringing the world to peace.


    It majorly focused on the protagonist''s journey and his challenges as he became stronger bit by bit.


    ording to his memories, the exorcists were mainly controlled by Five Major exorcist ns. These were the strongest ns consisting of some of the most powerful and terrifying exorcists.


    They were the major leaders of the world at the moment.


    The Mystic Purge n was one of the five great ns, having ancient roots.


    But... it was an extremely cruel n.


    For greater benefit, they were willing to use any extreme methods, going as far as to kill their ownrades to annihte the demons.


    Their methods were frowned upon by many, but no one dared to openly criticize them either; after all, each official exorcist from the n was a master.


    The n had also earned itself the title as the n that purged the most demons.


    ''This is troublesome now...''


    He was a bit helpless; the n was not only cruel to the demons but also to its members; their training was ruthless and inhuman, clearly not a ce for weaklings or soft-hearted people at all.


    It was a nightmarish ce, to be honest.


    But what bugged him more was that he had been branded ''Useless'' by Ophelia, his so-called mother in this life.


    Ophelia was one of the strongest female exorcists; she had multiple abilities and was feared by demons and humans alike.


    What made her even more terrifying was the fact that she barely showed any emotion to anything; she was just like an emotionless doll who ruthlessly ughtered her enemies.


    He didn''t dare doubt her words; if Ophelia had ssified him as useless, then it meant that he really was.


    She possessed a special pair of eyes that let her discern a person''s worth and their talents. It was one of the four special eyes after all.


    ''But what should I do now? I must not have any talent for being an exorcist. How am I going to live here?'' He was quite worried now that he was aware of his situation more clearly.


    ''Not only that but I am not even a special character, just a mob child of the n with no talent for being an exorcist. Howme.''


    He knew that the moment he stepped outside, he would either be killed by demons or would be kidnapped for his bloodline.


    ''Not only that, the Mystic Purge n is quite infamous in the exorcist circle, even in the novel, they had multiple shes with the protagonist for not sharing the same morals and beliefs.''


    Just as he felt all hope was lost, he heard a sound in his mind.


    [Ding...]

 Chapter 3: 10x binding system? Obtaining 10 times the benefits

    <h4>Chapter 3: 10x binding system? Obtaining 10 times the benefits</h4>


    Chapter 3


    [Ding! Conditions met. Binding System has been activated.]


    System?


    He froze for a second before bing overjoyed. His golden finger had arrived after all.


    He had initially nned to be that guy who uses his maniption skills and bes friends with all major characters for his safety.


    It was a troublesome choice, but he was nning to do that if he had nothing, but now it didn''t seem necessary.


    [The Binding System allows the host to bind himself to one character, and as they grow stronger and achieve a milestone in their progress, the host will receive ten times the result.]


    ''What the fuck!? This is so insane!'' He was shocked beyond words; the system was extremely powerful.


    But the next moment, he calmed down and focused on the words ''milestone'' and ''progress''.


    ''Hey, system...? Are you there? Can you borate further on what this means?'' He wanted to learn about the basic details; the words felt ambiguous.


    However, even after waiting a minute, he received no response and became aware that the system was not sentient.


    ''Well, this is also good. I don''t like those, anyways...''


    From what he could understand, the system would allow him to bind himself to a character, and as they trained and became stronger, he would receive ten times the benefits of their training and rewards.


    It was undoubtedly a cheat. But considering he could only bind himself to one person at a time, then his rate of growth would be limited to that person''s talent and hard work...


    ''Well... that wouldn''t be too big of a problem.''


    He remembered that there were many geniuses among geniuses in the novel; they were excellent exorcists despite being young and worked tirelessly daily to achieve greater heights.


    Of course, his goal was different.


    ''There is no better candidate for binding than the protagonist.''


    He could not help but smile as he remembered the monster the protagonist was. Not only in terms of talent, but also hard work; there were few who could dare to even keep up with the protagonist in the entire novel.


    For now, however, he had more pressing matters to attend to; not only was he useless, but he also believed that his treatment in the n would soon be worse.


    Although he did not like the sound of that, he could do nothing for the time being; he first must find a temporary candidate to bind to until he meets the protagonist.


    ''Mystic Purge n... huh.''


    Thinking about the n, a few suitable candidates popped up in his head; they were quite good and talented.


    He knew that if he did not bind someone soon, he might even suffer permanently.


    The n was infamous for its cruel nature exorcists. He knew they wouldn''t even care if he was killed by a demon or attacked someday.


    He needed strength to keep himself safe as long as he was in the n.


    ''Maybe I will do that... She''s suitable, surely.''


    He decided on a suitable candidate for as long as he was in the n.


    Nadia Mystic.


    The 4th young miss of the n. And an important character in the novel.


    She was born with the greatest talent in the n, inheriting the traits of both the Patriarch and Ophelia.


    She was the genius miss from the n, showing greater talent than any of her siblings; people oftenpared her to the founder of the n in terms of talent.


    The moment she was born, Ophelia showed intense expressions for the first time after many years.


    In the novel, Nadia was trained by the best exorcists in the n and had countless resources at her disposal since birth.


    She was a monster who could keep up with the protagonist of the generation.


    However, her personality was shit.


    Perhaps it was due to the presence of ruthless Ophelia and the cruel patriarch that she had a vicious personality upon growing up.


    Cold, ruthless, inhuman...


    These words could not do her justice. In the novel, exorcists from the other ns had given her a dark nickname for her inhuman tactics.


    ''Demon in a human''s skin.''


    A shameful nickname for any exorcist; to bepared to a demon, their worst enemies, it was the greatest taint an exorcist could experience.


    Yet, Nadia was uncaring throughout her time; she ughtered demons and hunted the humans who stood in her path.


    She was indifferent to everything. The rtionship between her and the protagonist of the novel was tonic and unclear to readers.


    Even the strong-willed protagonist failed to persuade her to change her beliefs. She was that staunch.


    ''Now I need to know if she had been born already... well, who am I even?''


    He thought helplessly, not even knowing his own name. There were many children, and he hoped that Nadia should be there already.


    He prayed that he be younger so he could quickly bind to Nadia... and start reaping benefits quickly.


    For now, all he could do was wait in the wooden baby cot, having nothing to do.


    He started to revise his knowledge about the novel that he would be needing in the near future.


    ''This should be the beginning stages of the novel considering the time; Ophelia had just birthed me, so there''s no doubt about it that the novel has yet to enter the main arcs.''


    ''The beginning arc was a bit nd aspared to other arcs; for now, the war between the demons and exorcists should be at a stalemate. The ns must be preparing their younglings for the future.''


    ''Then there will be the Academy arc where the main drama will begin... till then I need to get a good amount of strength.''


    The candle lights in the room flickered violently, and a dark aura was enveloping the entire household that night.


    Unknowingly, Ophelia had birthed an anomaly that she could not determine. An entity that was beyond herprehension and might.


    It was not clear what the future held for their n or even the world.


    But one thing was sure, demons and humans both would suffer the turbulence alike.


    It all depended on him now.

 Chapter 4: 5 years later…

    <h4>Chapter 4: 5 yearster...</h4>


    Chapter 4


    5 yearster.


    A little boy with short silver hair on his head and beautiful gem-like amethyst eyes was sitting on his knees quietly.


    In front of him was a middle-aged woman with a wrinkled face and stern expression.


    "Master Oliver, now solve this problem," she said, sliding a sheet containing a number of math problems towards the calm boy.


    The boy was none other than Finn. In the past 5 years, he had learned a lot about himself and his situation; he was born as the fourth son, Oliver.


    Which meant Nadia was his twin sister. This relieved him when he came to know about it; he was d that he didn''t need to wait a lot.


    Apparently, she was born just before a few days he was born.


    In the novel, Nadia was not supposed to have a twin sibling, but perhaps it was due to him that this changed.


    Nheless, it did not halt his ns.


    At the moment, he was being taught by a teacher hired specifically to educate the children of the n.


    No matter how pathetic his talent as an exorcist was, he still had the blood of the n, so he was also taught.


    The family only needed excellent children; the pathetic ones shall be discarded.


    Although he had not shown any talent in being an exorcist, he had shown brilliant academic brilliance.


    Which meant that he still had some worth as a schr and could probably aid as a strategist in the future.


    This was quite surprising to him; he had thought initially that he would be thrown out of the n soon, but unexpectedly, they still kept him and raised him normally.


    ''It seems they still care about their blood.'' Oliver felt happy that he was left alone and was not denied too much.


    Of course, he was still despised by the n members for being born weak.


    He was toozy to bother with them and focused on showing his academic talents.


    Naturally, he didn''t have any talents; it was just that the education for a 5-year-old was just too damn easy for him.


    In the field of technology, this world was not much different from his previous one.


    "Here." He calmly filled in the answers and returned the sheet.


    "Excellent, Master Oliver, as expected!" The teacher nodded and praised him upon seeing all sums were done correctly.


    She knew that the level of the problem was not something a 5-year-old should be able to solve, but here she was.


    It was a pity that Oliver didn''t have any talent for being an exorcist, or he could have achieved much greater heights.


    Whatever, she was here to teach, and she would do just that; she dared notment on him. In the end, he still belonged to the direct lineage of the Mystic Purge n.


    Oliver knew what she was thinking and didn''tment.


    He was quite excited today as he could finally meet his sister¡ªNadia.


    In the past 5 years, he was not permitted to leave his room much, but after persistent begging to the maids and the guards, he was finally permitted to roam in the household.


    He didn''t understand their logic of not letting him leave his room, but in the end, he seeded.


    In the past 5 years, he had shown terrifying brain and mental aptitude which earned him a bit of praise from others.


    And this was precisely why his persistent begging was paid heed to.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been allowed to get outside and stay in his room forever.


    ''Maybe they felt that I would shame them by showing my face to others... huh.''


    He had some guesses as to why he was under such harsh conditions.


    But he couldn''t care about that; he could finally meet Nadia and bind to her. After that, he didn''t care if they imprisoned him or whatever; he would automatically be strong.


    "Then, I will leave now," Oliver said to the teacher and left the study room; the whole house was made in a Japanese-style.


    From the houses to the roofs to the flooring, everything was made out of traditional materials. It gave him a grand and ancient feeling.


    He walked on the wooden flooring, his white socks rubbing against the floor; he was dressed in modest clothes at the moment, with a simple shirt and pants.


    He was searching for Nadia; he had asked around a few maids and knew about her whereabouts; the household was extremely humongous, and he lived in some isted corner.


    Whereas Nadia lived quite close to the center of the estate.


    So, he took some long routes and reached her courtyard shortly.


    ng!


    He heard some sounds as soon as he reached there; it was the sound of shing of weapons.


    Peeking from behind a rock, he saw her finally.


    There she was, in her training clothes, thrusting her sword and swinging at the metallic training statue.


    His eyes widened when he saw her; she was literally the same age as him, but the way she was swinging the sword and hammering the metal dummy was astonishing.


    Despite her mere age, she was monstrously powerful; the metal dummy shook with every impact of her swing, as if ready to fall apart at any moment.


    ''As expected of Nadia, the demoness.''


    Oliver sucked a cold breath; he was sure that one hit from her would send him to the afterlife.


    Nadia paused suddenly and twisted her body and stared at the rock where he was hiding behind.


    His scalp went numb when he was easily detected.


    ''Is she even human!?'' Oliver cursed, a bit worried now.


    "Show yourself," Nadia spoke, her voice as cold as ice.


    She didn''t have an ounce of fear; she knew it was the main estate of the household, and the person hiding was likely not an enemy.


    It was highly impossible for someone to infiltrate their main household where the strongest exorcists lived.


    "Uhh... hey?"

 Chapter 5: Nadia Mystic! The ruthless twin

    <h4>Chapter 5: Nadia Mystic! The ruthless twin</h4>


    Chapter 5


    "Uh... hey?"


    Oliver was unsure of how to interact with her and awkwardly waved at her aftering from behind the rock.


    Nadia narrowed her eyes, observing his features and feeling quite intrigued. He was terrifyingly simr to her, with silver hair and amethyst eyes.


    It was known throughout the n that she was the only one with amethyst eyes and silver hair. The amethyst eyes were something she had inherited from the patriarch of the n and held deep significance.


    She was aware that none of her siblings had amethyst eyes, as far as she was told. The eyes held a deeper meaning than just their beauty.


    The rest of the children mainly inherited some other features of their father, hair and all, and the rest was from their mother.


    But a person''s eyes held deep meaning in the exorcist world.


    After all, it was known to the world that the patriarch of the Mystic Purge n possessed one of the three special eyes.


    One of the powerful ones at that, so it was obvious she had also inherited them from him.


    It''s just that she had yet to awaken them, but nheless, her perception range was astonishing; she easily found Oliver hiding from a distance.


    But more importantly, she could not help but stare at him; her mind was filled with curiosity.


    She wondered who he was. Not only were their features almost simr, but she also felt a strong connection with him as well.


    ''He just needs a bit longer hair...'' She thought about how he would look exactly the same as her if he grew his hair a bit more.


    Being children, their faces carried traces of baby fat and feminine features, so it would be difficult to tell who was who if Oliver did that.


    "Who are you?" Nadia questioned. She had to know who he was and how he had the same eyes as her father.


    "I am Oliver, the fourth son..." He said, a bit unsure if she would believe him.


    Fourth son.


    These words resounded in her mind as she realized that there was actually another sibling she was unaware of, and not only that, he seemed to be her twin.


    She experienced aplex emotion at the moment, a pang of excitement and amusement...


    More or less, her other brothers and sisters were either all older than her or younger. She rarely met them face to face.


    But she suddenly remembered her mother''s words.


    ''Nadia, you are the heiress of the n, one of the five great ns. You must always behave ordingly. Don''t show too much emotion, don''t be dragged down by others. Be ruthless to those who are hostile and never trust anyone other than yourself and me.''


    She forcefully suppressed her excitement and went back to her cold face, she asked.


    "Why are you here? No one is allowed to enter here without my permission."


    "Um? I-I got lost and ended up here. Haha..." Oliver joked, which made Nadia''s expression even weirder.


    ''He got lost in his own house?''


    She didn''t believe that; she could easily remember every route in her memory.


    She was not aware that she had a strong memory, unlike Oliver, who came out for the first time.


    "Anyways! You are my sister, right? Man, they didn''t allow me to leave my courtyard, and only now did I manage to sneak into this area. But to think I will meet my sister!"


    Oliver faked enthusiasm. He had to maintain a good rtionship with her, plus he had to be in her presence or touch her once to bind with her.


    "Hey, what''s your name? I never knew that I had a twin. We even have the same features too. I am so happy; all the others won''t even talk to me."


    Oliver made up some things; it didn''t hurt to tell a little falsehood to establish a strong foundation. Plus, due to their shared bloodline and being twins, he felt a strong connection with her.


    "Nadia..." She replied, her voice a little low. For some reason, she also wanted to know him more.


    She felt a strong connection with him.


    No matter how much she tried to suppress herself, she was still a child, and there were some things that could not be helped.


    Her mind told her to follow her mother''s words, but her heart did not listen; this was the first time she had lost suchposure.


    She wanted to know why she was feeling the connection with him? If he was someone important... or if something else was the case.


    "Wow, Nadia, what a good name." Oliver praised. His tongue was quite good at pleasing others after 5 years of consistent begging to be allowed out.


    Well, it was a different matter since he was still not allowed toe near the central area and had intentionally sneaked there just to meet Nadia.


    It was just a small skill he had acquired and, coupled with his innocent childish looks, this worked like a charm.


    "Nadia, would youe with me? I will show you my secret hideout; we can y there."


    Oliver didn''t know how to spend some more time with her. He had to touch her once at least to bind, so he decided to sacrifice his hidden spot that he had found behind his courtyard. It was a good hiding spot where he usually was when he was not studying.


    "No... I cannot y... I am the heiress..."


    Her voice was low and small; she really wanted to deny him and continue training as per her mother''s instructions.


    Tug!


    She watched as Oliver took her hand in his small hands and tugged her.


    In the end, she let herself be dragged away to see what the ce he was talking about was.


    ''I-I need to know if there''s such a hidden location in the n... t-then I can report back to mother. That''s right...'' Nadia told herself and went with Oliver.


    [Ding! Nadia Mystic. Does the host wish to bind with the individual?]

 Chapter 6: First Target!

    <h4>Chapter 6: First Target!</h4>


    Chapter 6


    ''Yes!'' Oliver was overjoyed as he finally received the notification.


    [Binding... 1%... 69%... 100%... Sessful!]


    [Nadia Mystic is now the target.]


    ''Finally!'' Oliver mentally eximed as he led his cold sister to his hideout.


    He felt Nadia was too intelligent for her age and too stern. She needed to rx, or she would really grow up to be a killing machine.


    If possible, he would like to avoid such a dark future for her.


    He could see in her that she was born with plenty of emotions; it was just that her parents and upbringing had managed to kill off her emotions.


    He knew that he could not tamper with the plot too much. All he could do was let her experience some joy that she won''t forget and have a soft spot in her heart.


    Oliver led her to a ce covered by willow trees. Thend was cushioned by soft green grass, and sunlight filtered through the gaps between the trees, making a serene mix of light and shadows.


    asional rxing winds breezed through the trees, making the leaves rustle and keeping the spot warm and rxing. It was truly a wondrous spot that had somehowe under his courtyard identally.


    Nadia was bbergasted; her eyes trembled for some reason.


    The spot was simple yet exquisitely beautiful and peaceful to her. Her heart, which had been tense since forever, always under an invisible burden, suddenly rxed.


    "Ah..." She could not help but let out a sound. She was at a loss for words. She wanted to express something but didn''t know how to.


    For the past years, all she had done was train herself and study. She never knew about appreciating nature or taking a break.


    And it was understandable since she was the hope of her n''s future, and the world was under threat from vicious demons that she needed to exorcise.


    She didn''t have time for such silly things. Yet here she was now, a strong feeling of unwillingness surged in her heart as she saw the calm nature.


    As her eyes moved to the center, she looked at him, Oliver, a boy who suddenly barged into her daily life, iming to be her unknown brother from the same mother.


    She bit her lip and stopped herself from moistening her eyes at the moment. Crying was something only weak people would do.


    She had once cried but was scolded by her mother, and after that, her memories were a bit blurry. She could not remember the reason she had cried that time and what had happened afterward.


    But one thing she was sure of was that she never shed a tear after that.


    So why was she like this now?


    There was nothing to cry about here...


    It was just a normal ce with some ordinary trees and amon sibling of hers. She had many siblings and had seen many expensive artworks... then why...


    Why did she feel like crying now...?


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Tears fell from her eyes unintentionally. She felt her willpower was not enough to stop them.


    "Uh? Are you crying?"


    Oliver was busy admiring the ce. When he saw her shedding tears, he felt awkward. He was never good when it came to dealing with children...


    In fact, he didn''t even know what he had done to make this strong girl suddenly cry. In the novel, it was mentioned that she had been extremely strong-willed since childhood, and to think she could also cry.


    "No... I am not... crying..." She shook her head as she hurriedly wiped her tears only for more to keeping.


    Oliver felt a pang of sympathy, so he tried to console her in the way he considered good for a child.


    Patting her back, he said, "Hey, don''t feel sad, okay? You can alwayse here if you like this ce."


    He didn''t say too much, just a few words, and rubbed her back.


    Soon enough, sheposed herself. All that remained on her face was a heavy blush and some embarrassment.


    After a moment of silence, Oliver thought of something and said to her,


    "What do you think of this ce?"


    "Okay." She calmly replied, gaining back herposure with a light blush.


    "Oh, I don''t have any toys to y with... what should I do...?"


    He suddenly remembered that he never bothered asking for anything from his parents or maids, knowing he would be rejected. Not that he wanted any toys considering he was an adult inside.


    "No need. I don''t care for such things." She rejected the very notion herself.


    If anything, she would prefer to duel with him.


    ''But...''


    ncing at his frail body and undeveloped muscles, she knew he was not fit for any sort ofbat.


    ''Too weak.''


    She could not believe that a child of the main lineage of her n was this weak. All her siblings were quite good, although not at her level but still at a decent level for their age.


    So, why was he like this?


    There were too many unknowns about him.


    "Hey?"


    Oliver was taken aback. He forgot for a moment that she was still that Nadia from the novel, even though she had just cried like a little girl.


    But he felt it would be quite wasteful aftering this far and letting her leave already.


    ''I need to build a good rtionship with her. In the future, I could reap some extra benefits this way. Plus...'' He thought as he looked at her once again cold expression.


    ''She''s too pitiful.''


    He could not help but feel that she was quite alone. From the novel, he could tell that she had always been alone in her life.


    Always on guard against others, even against her own family members, ready for battle to the death, vicious schemes, politics, demons, and whatnot.


    He didn''t know if he as an adult felt that their parents had failed in their job in raising their kids.


    It was quite ironic how the two considered each other pitiful in their own way...

 Chapter 7: First Reward! Special Eyes!

    <h4>Chapter 7: First Reward! Special Eyes!</h4>


    Chapter 7


    Maybe it was the environment of war that they and their previous generation grew up in, witnessing the loss of their loved ones, that they were like this, but for once, he could not rte to them.


    He was a person who never experienced such cruel hardships, so he never med them. But still, he could not leave her alone.


    His mind told him it was not his business, and he agreed; he was not going to go out of his way to correct every action of theirs.


    That would be too hypocritical of him to impose his beliefs onto others.


    But Nadia was someone who he needed to grow strong, if possible, stronger than she was in the novel.


    So, he would try a little to notpletely ignore her now that his system has bound to her character.


    He was not so selfish to freeload off her. He had his own principles as a man.


    But for now, he should entertain her a little before sending her back.


    He had an idea as to what to do...


    "How about I tell you a story?"


    "Story?" She was curious. What story was he talking about, she doubted there was something that could interest her.


    His lips curled into a smile.


    "While I may look like this, I am quite smart, you know. Even the teachers praise me... Anyways, I have a few stories that might interest you."


    Oliver knew that although the world was as developed as his but the media and entertainment sectors were underdeveloped due to the wars and demons.


    It was like 10-15 yearscking behind his previous world.


    Without wasting time, he picked up a few popr children''s stories; there were many. One was about a hungry caterpir as it bes a butterfly after many hardships, one was about a clever mouse who saves a ship from sinking, another was about a bear who lived on a snow mountain.


    Nadia, who was initially not believing that he was good enough to entertain her, was fully immersed since his first story.


    Oliver also knew this; she was a kid, and all the stories he had selected were very popr among children.


    After an hour or so of continuous stories, he started to get a little worried.


    If someone came to check up on Nadia and saw her absent from her courtyard, it would stir a storm in the n, so he quickly wrapped up everything.


    Nadia was still in a daze when she heard him say it was finished for today.


    Unintentionally, she uttered, "So soon..."


    But the next moment, she realized her mistake and blushed again. She quickly got up from the grass she was seated on and dusted her clothes.


    "T-Then I will leave. A-And don''t sneak in my courtyard next time!"


    She loudly said to cover her embarrassment and left, leaving Oliver alone.


    Oliver''s lips twitched as he heard her arrogant tone. Who was the one that just said it was finished so soon...


    "Hah, she is still a kid. Don''t feel angry."


    He had gained a lot from the day, and now all he had to do was just wait in his room and wait for results.


    Nadia quickly returned to her courtyard and shut herself in her room.


    Her face was red, and she was panting a little; she dashed straight to her room.


    ''What have I done today!? Why did I act so weird in front of him?''


    She walked back and forth in her room, tugging at her short hair in frustration.


    She felt she had acted too shamelessly today.


    She was the pride of her n, and she lost herposure so badly today.


    She even cried in front of someone!


    Too much! This was too much for her to bear.


    She wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.


    ''Wait. Why am I being so conscious?''


    A sudden thought came to her mind. Practically, he was a stranger to her, and there was a chance that they would never meet again.


    So it should be alright, right?


    And if he dares to expose her, there was no proof on him plus no one would believe his words.


    She was the pride of her n after all.


    But still... a trace of unwillingness shed through her eyes.


    She was not willing to lose so much face in front of him.


    She was a prideful and strong woman while he was a weak man.


    She had to settle this matter somehow.


    And to do that...


    ''I must meet him again and settle scores!''


    She nodded at her intelligent decision; naturally, this was the optimal situation ording to her.


    Composing herself once again, she threw the weapon she was carrying to the side and crashed into her futon.


    She felt extra tired today and needed some good rest.


    Oliver resumed his daily routine; there was not much response from the system afterwards, which meant that Nadia had yet to reach a milestone in her training.


    His studies kept getting harder and harder as the tutors were impressed by his schrly aptitude.


    In the next half-year, he managed to earn the title of the smartest youth of the n.


    Even though the difficulty level was increased, to him, it was all child''s y.


    He was not only taught the basic subjects but also knowledge about the world, demons, and ns, which he pretty much knew already.


    He knew that he had shown some value to the n, and he won''t be abandoned now. He had pretty much secured himself a ce for the time being...


    And soon, he received the first-ever system notification of the reward.


    [Ding! Target has awakened one of the 4 mythical eyes after undergoing rigorous training. The Abyss eyes]


    [Ding! Obtaining 10x benefits. The Cosmic Void Gaze has been obtained!]


    [Eyes will be awakened in the host...]


    Oliver was justzing around in his courtyard when he received the notification. It was just too sudden; barefooted, he ran to his hidden spot in case of something unexpected happening.


    And just as he arrived in his hideout, a bone-crunching pain suddenly boomed through his head.


    "Aagh-!"

 Chapter 8: Evolving the Abyss Eyes by 10 times!

    <h4>Chapter 8: Evolving the Abyss Eyes by 10 times!</h4>


    Chapter 8


    "Arrgh-!"


    He clutched his eyes as if wanting to pull them out of their sockets to stop the terrifying pain, but to no avail.


    He cried hysterically; the pain was heart-wrenching, and he was unable to endure it without prior preparations.


    He rolled on the ground as his wails continued; tears soaked his fragile skin.


    No one came to check on him either; he lived pretty much alone, and only maids came to clean his house or deliver food. He was technically isted from the rest of the n.


    "Huff... Huff... Huff.."


    After what seemed to be hours of continuous pain, his cries finally dimmed down.


    He was sprawled on the grassy floor, not even having the strength to get up, and he felt extremely tired.


    He could not even open his eyes, and he didn''t know when, but he fell asleep.


    It was soon night, and he finally woke up and found himself stillying on the ground where he had fallen asleep.


    "Ugh..." he let out a groan as he mustered up some strength to get himself up.


    Slowly, he opened his eyes; the world before him was momentarily blurry before it started to clear.


    What he saw before him surprised him. Not only was his vision extremely clear, he found out that he could make out even minute details of his surroundings, from the veins on the leaves to the textures of tree branches even in the dark.


    ''More importantly, I can see it..''


    He thought as he saw numerous colorful particles in the air densely filling up the air; these particles were the source of an exorcist''s powers.


    Espera.


    The source of all supernatural power that exorcists and demons have inmon.


    Something that also determines the power of an exorcist. It is present everywhere, and those who could wield it could do anything.


    The more espera they have, the stronger they be.


    When Oliver was dered useless, it meant that he didn''t have the talent to properly harness or utilize espera.


    Of course, this did not also mean that he was just an ordinary human with nopatibility with it.


    That was not possible since the blood of Mystic Purge n flowed through his veins, so naturally, he was born with some espera.


    But when Ophelia said that he was useless, she meant that he was unable to satisfy even the minimum criteria to be qualified as an exorcist.


    He had a very poor aptitude for being an exorcist overall.


    "I can see why she said that I was useless now..." he thought as he looked at the countless espera particles revolving around him, but only a very tiny portion of them actually came to him.


    ''Haah... so useless.'' He shook his head in resignation.


    "Anyways, I will eventually get the talent too. I need to be patient."


    He felt excited as he obtained a 10x stronger version of the Abyss eyes.


    "In the novel, the Abyss eyes were one of the 4 mythical eyes and were extremely powerful. There were many benefits Nadia abused, such as,


    Providing dominion over the void and shadows, manipting darkness to create portals, induce fear, and drawing power from the abyss.


    It also gave some mysterious and formidable set of abilities tied to the darker elements in theter parts."


    Oliver recalled the events and thought speechlessly, he was already content if he just received the same abilities but now he had a 10x stronger version.


    "System, disy the ability obtained.''


    [The Cosmic Void Gaze]


    [Ability 1: Dominion over Cosmic Voids]


    [Description: Provides control over not only darkness but the vast void between cosmos. Superior form of darkness element¡ªVoid unlocked.]


    [Ability 2: Master of Interdimensional Portals]


    [Description: Possessor no longer limited to the same dimension anymore. Portals can be used for instantaneous transportation. Depends on the level of mastery.]


    [Ability 3: Enshrouding of Death]


    [Description: Has the power to induce overwhelming fear on a grand scale, affecting entire battlefields or even entire legions.


    Fear is no longer a psychological aspect anymore but a tangible force that weakens target and strengthens the possessor.]


    [Ability 4: Circuit of the Abyss]


    [Description: ???]


    [Ability 5: nar Imprisonment]


    [Description: ???]


    [Ability 7: ???]


    ...


    Oliver was quiet for a while after looking at the cheat.


    "Fuck." was all he could say.


    ''Calm down, me. Calm down.''


    Oliver wanted to shout that he had finally be a cheat character but forcefully suppressed it. If he made too much noise, he would draw the attention of the n guardians undoubtedly.


    "There are some abilities that have no description. It seems I would need to train this to unlock more information... and there are even more abilities."


    Oliver was riled up now; he finally had something to do while he spent his time alone. He was not allowed to leave the n at any cost, nor was he allowed to use the special training facilities.


    He was just too miserable in the n. His teachers wanted to nurture him into a battle-strategist and make him serve his siblings in the future, and it seemed the supervisors responsible for training the direct children of the n also agreed.


    While his other brothers and sisters were learning powerful weapon techniques and exorcism skills, here he was learning theory and schemes.


    ''Well, I have the system so I have noints.''


    Oliver got up and whistled as he made his way back to his courtyard.


    But he forgot one thing in this whole scenario.


    The awakening of mythical eyes always triggers a lot of disturbances. And he, who had awakened something 10 times stronger was bound to make a tremor.


    This meant that such an anomaly happening inside one of the strongest exorcist ns was hard to go unnoticed no matter what.


    It was one of the major ces in the world that no one dared to easily step into. A ce where the most crazy and insane exorcists of the generation lived and practiced their bloody techniques.


    And now, such a huge disturbance had urred.


    "What was that?"


    A figure in the dark eximed...

 Chapter 9: Someone was there...?

    <h4>Chapter 9: Someone was there...?</h4>


    Chapter 9


    "What was that?"


    A dark figure floating in the sky observed Oliver down below, who was going back to his courtyard.


    As moonlight fell upon the figure, the full body was revealed.


    It was not a human but a white-colored kitten.


    "I came here due to therge amount of espera disturbance, but this is..."


    The white kitten spoke humannguage perfectly. She nced at the spot where the boy had just been andnded there gracefully.


    "What was that ominous power just now? A demon? No, a demon''s espera cannot evenpare to this... what exactly was it, and why was iting from that boy?"


    The cat mumbled as she dazedly nced at particrly nowhere.


    But in fact, she was witnessing the espera particles in front of her being slowly disintegrating as dense ck and purple particles collided with them.


    She seemed to see even more details than what Oliver could see.


    After all, she was no ordinary kitten or cat...?


    She was the n guardian of the Mystic Purge n.


    Each of the five great ns had their own n guardians. These are the entities that their founding exorcists had formed contracts with, and these contracts were always changed whenever a new patriarch or matriarch assumed the throne of the n.


    "This is interesting. If I am not wrong, this is the one that the Ophelia girl said was useless at birth... it stirred a storm at that time that someone from our lineage could be born with no talent for exorcism."


    The cat stretched as she wondered.


    "And here we are, what has this boy awakened? It was ominous enough to make me on guard. Me, the great me? If I tell this to Ophelia, she would probably make a good expression. Hahaha."


    The catughed as she jumped on a nearby tree.


    "But unfortunately, both of them are out at the moment, or they would have reached here by now. Is it fate that this was not to be seen by them?"


    She had a questioning look in her eyes as she stared at the sky¡ªas if staring at strings of fate.


    After a moment, she shook her head. "I can''t see the fate; this boy''s fate seems tooplex for my level. Should I ask that person to read his fate? No, I better not, or it will create trouble... but still, what to do now?"


    She had a thoughtful look on her face as she calcted the next course of her actions.


    "Ah, I need to keep him under my supervision. Whatever the power he had awakened, it is not something he could handle at his level. Plus, I need to observe him and understand how did that Ophelia was unable to see his potential?"


    She jumped from one tree to another; her direction: Oliver''s courtyard.


    "That boy clearly has immense potential, more than that Nadia girl. If he is not put on the right path from the beginning, he might turn astray. Or who knows he might have already started bearing a grudge against the n... well, can''t me it on him either. The n has developed some weird policies,"


    Her speed was normal, just like that of a cat, and she was about to reach his courtyard.


    "I think I would need to take on the role of babysitter myself... I cannot trust anyone else with this."


    "Has it already been a few centuries since I had to raise someone?" A look of sadness shed through her eyes as she remembered something while jumping, but it disappeared as quickly as it arrived.


    "But that boy sure is phenomenal, to be able to conceal his emotions and expressions for so long and act soposed. This is indeed something for someone his age." She smirked.


    It was as if he had not awakened that terrifying power from before at all and was just a bystander.


    She did not know about Oliver being famous for being a genius for his age. She hardly paid attention to things that did not concern exorcism and demons.


    And not only her, most of the major figures in the n did not care about such things; Oliver, at most, was only a little famous among his maids or some servants.


    The n believed in power; intelligence is necessary but as a tool only. As long as you are intelligent enough to properly use your immense powers, you can crush someone who is extraordinarily smart easily.


    As long as one meets a certain threshold of intellect, they are enough. The rest depended on their power and exorcism skills.


    "As for the elders... It seems I would need to make up a story to satisfy them, huh. Well, they are just kids anyways." She mused as she thought about the worried elders of the n who had also sensed the ominous espera before, but she took the initiative to investigate.


    She did so because she knew that the sudden ominous espera was threatening enough for her to act. Sending the elders was not worth the effort. Albeit the ominous espera was only there momentarily, it still was something to worry about.


    But now that she knew about the cause, she had to handle it her own way.


    She cannot leave this matter to the current patriarch and his cold wife.


    "If I leave it to them, they will probably try to turn him into a killing machine like they are doing to Nadia. Haa, these brats won''t listen to my warnings."


    She thought about their nature and values; she did not know when but somehow she had neglected how the n head''s were being raised considering it petty things and before she knew, the n had turned like this.


    Considering this, she had also failed a bit as their guardian. Although it was not her duty to interfere in their way of parenting or raising their children, she should have paid attention asionally.


    But Oliver was an entirely different case; she cannot leave him to them at all. If he was raised wrongly, it would not only be harmful for the n but could even impact human society.


    Demons were cunning and vicious, and there were cases when powerful exorcists in the past had betrayed humanity for demon-kind and caused inhuman destruction.


    She had to observe Oliver herself; if he was bearing a grudge against his useless parents, she would try to help him and give care, but if she determines that he can no longer be corrected and has gone truly astray...


    ...Then she would have to kill him.

 Chapter 10: A stray cat? Suspicious

    <h4>Chapter 10: A stray cat? Suspicious</h4>


    Chapter 10


    It is easy to eliminate such a dangerous threat while it is still in its growing stage.


    Even earlier, when he was sleeping, she had this thought to finish him once and for all, but she refrained from doing so.


    She decides to take the risk; if she can nurture him properly, he might be the key to putting an end to this evesting war between exorcists and demons forever.


    Swish!


    She is finally at his courtyard.


    "Meow~! It''s time for some babysitting!"


    Unknowingly, Oliver, who thought he would just remain a side character forever and be strong silently, had attracted a notorious entity to him.


    ____________________________


    Oliver, who had just returned from an exhausting day, was about to crash into his bed for some sleep when he heard his paper door being scratched from outside, which made him flinch.


    He had just returned, and something was now scratching at his door. But he thought about it. His n was guarded by exorcists 24/7, so there can''t be an intruder.


    So who woulde at this time?


    He looked towards the paper door and saw a shadow beyond.


    His eyes focused, and he saw something wondrous as the shadow converged and countless ck lines solidified the figure hidden behind.


    And soon, a figure of a clearly-defined cat formed in front of him.


    "A cat? Did it sneak in somehow? How is that possible?"


    He cautiously moved towards the door and slowly opened it.


    A pristine white cat was at his feet.


    "Meow!" It affectionately meowed at him as it nudged against his clothes.


    ''Hehe, I will coax him with my cuteness.'' The cat thought, as she was quite confident in her cuteness.


    Unless he was an emotionless doll like his mother or sister, he would definitely take her in.


    Oliver stared at the nudging cat and then moved his hand from behind his back.


    BANG!


    "MEOW!?"


    ''What the fuck!?'' The cat eximed in shock as Oliver just tried to smash her with a broom.


    "Damn cat, I don''t have food. Fuck off!"


    He cursed as he once again attacked the cat with his broom.


    "Meow!" The n guardian ran as Oliver followed behind with his broom.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    He intended to drive away this stray cat from his yard; he didn''t like animals much since his past life.


    "Meow! Meow! Meow!"


    For some reason, the cat kept running away from him inside his courtyard only, not leaving.


    The darkness didn''t hinder him either thanks to his special eyes.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    "Get out, you little-! I don''t have food for stray animals like you!"


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Oliver kept swinging the broom as he chased the cat; he made sure not to directly hit the cat; he was no animal abuser, so he just swung the broom hard on the ground near the cat to drive it away.


    ''What is wrong with this kid!? Is he insane!? Hitting the n guardian with a broom!? No one has ever dared to disrespect me like that! This is animal abuse.''


    The cat thought while running away; she thought Oliver would ept her, considering she was pitiful and came to him in the cold night, but it seemed that the boy had no kindness towards her.


    People had begged her to grace them with her presence, offering her countless treasures in her life, but never had someone dared to so tantly chase her away with a broom.


    What was more shameful was that she was hit by the boy identally!?


    She was forcibly suppressing her speed and strength so as not to make a mess of his yard, but this boy was not stopping at all.


    She really wanted to beat some sense into this impudent brat.


    "MeoW!!"


    Another hit grazed through her butt as she cried out in shock.


    Bam!


    In her game of chase, she did not see that there was a wall in front of her and crashed into it.


    ''Ow! It hurts!''


    Oliver, who had been following closely behind, also looked at the cat speechlessly.


    Was this cat dumb? There was a huge wall in front of it, yet it still collided straight into it.


    Seeing as how he had her cornered, he did not hit her anymore.


    He felt that the cat was a bit pitiful,ying there pressing her forehead in pain.


    ''Huh? Doesn''t this cat act humane like? Normally, shouldn''t a cat lick their injuries so why is this dumb-looking cat pressing its head instead?''


    He puzzledly looked at the cat and felt something was odd.


    Stronger version of mythical eyes awakened. Check!


    A huge disturbance produced in the middle of the n! Check!


    Someone sent to investigate. Check!


    A weird cat came to him in the middle of the night. Check!


    All of this happened just after he awakened the special eyes. Check!


    The n guardian of the Mystic Purge n also has the form of a cat. Check!


    The n security is extremely tight that no animal could enter. Check!


    ''Hmm...''


    Oliver threw the broom away as he rubbed his hands.


    Indeed, he understood what was happening.


    Unexpectedly, he had been attacking the n guardian with his broom.


    Anyways, it was not his fault; the guardian should have assumed a proper form if it wasing to meet him.


    "Hey there, cute kitten, does it hurt? I remember that I still have some leftover fish from afternoon. I will feed it to you if you are hungry."


    Seeing the sudden shift in Oliver''s attitude, the cat felt suspicious. For some reason, it had a bad premonition. Why was the brat who was brutally beating her suddenly changing his manners?


    Did he finally feel pity for her after seeing her hit herself into the wall?


    So he was human after all... and here she was about to assume him to be some vicious demon instead.


    Seeing that the cat was looking at him suspiciously, he didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    He had indeed done something terrible just now; whether it was the n guardian or not, he still hit her with a broom.


    So, he went back inside and brought out some fish.


    Putting the fish in front of the cat, he didn''t say anything and just went back to sleep.


    If the n guardian wanted to keep an eye on him, then there was nothing much he could do with his current power.


    So, it was better to cooperate with the cat and make it fat andzy.

 Chapter 11: Exorcist’s source of power

    <h4>Chapter 11: Exorcist''s source of power</h4>


    Chapter 11


    He properly seasoned the fish before giving it to the cat also so that she won''t mind too much.


    How could he know that the n guardian had tasted delicacies that he could never imagine and he just gave her a leftover fish which was another great humiliation to the entity.


    But what could it do?


    Tell him about it and expose her secret? She hade in the disguise of a normal cat to observe Oliver more closely so she cannot do that.


    All she could do was ept the fish.


    It was surely not due to the fact that the fish looked quite delicious.


    ''Damn it! This kid is too much. Nom. Nom. If this fish was bad, I would have had him executed publicly.''


    The n guardian quietly munched off the fish and rested outside for the night, it would try again the next day.


    ________________


    Soon, it was morning and Oliver felt more refreshed than ever.


    His eyes were now rxed and he felt his sense of vision was amplified hundredfold.


    One thing to know was that he was visually-handicapped in his previous life so for him to see things so clearly was a pleasant experience.


    After taking a bath, he moved towards the mirror tob his short hair but he saw something wonderous instead.


    His eyes... their color had changed. They had mutated!


    Earlier, he had deep purple colored eyes but now the color had changedpletely, instead of just being a shade of amethyst, there were some other colors as well, red, ck, a bit white.


    And not only that, with his enhanced sight, he could see aplex pattern in the middle of his iris, he felt dizzy just ncing at the pattern.


    He dared not to stare at it too much lest it drained all his mental power. He believed it had something to do with the Cosmic Void Gaze.


    And not to mention, he felt a mysterious charm in those eyes, they were beautiful and awing to look at. It was as if he was looking at a piece of beautiful invaluable art.


    It was a dangerous feeling, he wanted to just keep staring in the mirror at himself...


    He shook his head to distract himself and quicklybed his hair and left his room.


    Outside, he saw the n guardian napping peacefully on a grassy patch.


    Perhaps sensing his presence, the cat woke up and ran up to him meowing at him pitifully.


    He scoffed, the n guardian was really good at acting.


    Did she think thatst night he had felt pity for her and let her stay?


    If so, then it was good. He no longer intended to offend her. She was an ancient monster that should not be provoked in the early stages of the plot.


    Despite her harmless appearance of a white cat, she was way darker than a demon inside.


    ''Looks can be deceiving indeed.'' Oliver nodded to himself, in the novel, there were many wolves in sheep''s skin that he had to be careful of in the future.


    "Do you want me to adopt you?" Oliver looked at her and asked the obvious.


    The cat furiously nodded, which made his expression weird.


    ''Do you not realize that by nodding your head, you''re technically telling me that you can understand human tongue and are definitely not an ordinary cat.''


    He felt that perhaps the n guardian had grown senile.


    Nevertheless, he had made some arrangements beforehand.


    "Alright, I will own you from now on."


    "Meow!" The cat jumped happily.


    ''Finally, I seeded.''


    "Then I will need a name for you. How does ''socks'' sound?"


    Oliver sucked at naming so whatever came to his mind, he spat.


    ''Socks? Are you kidding me!? I know that I have the same color as your socks but still how the fuck do I look like a sock!?''


    She growled at him making him rethink his decision.


    "Huh. This is tough. How about zippy?"


    He thought for a moment and remembered that a stray dog from his past life was also called zippy in the neighborhood so he said that.


    Seeing the cat was satisfied, he nodded.


    Now that everything was settled, he let the cat enter his house and took out a fluffy cushion.


    Zippy, the n guardian who had been named thought it was supposed to be her seat and was about to sit on it when she saw Oliver sit on it.


    "...."


    "Huh? What are you looking at? Is there a rat in the house?" He looked around confusedly but found nothing odd.


    After that, he ignored her and assumed a meditative posture, feeling the espera around him, he tried to draw in the espera towards him but the flow was pathetic.


    It was as if only 1 particle out of 200 entered him.


    ''It''s no use, unless I obtain an inherent talent from Nadia, I can not try this. And for that, I would need to wait for her to make a milestone in her espera training. Well, it should being soon if we follow the novel''s plot.''


    He grinned to himself not minding the weird stares of the cat.


    ''What is this kid doing? His flow is so pathetic... I can''t believe someone from our main lineage could be born thiscking... then what was that ominous power from before? It can''t be that I was mistaken. I can smell it on him.''


    Zippy was confused at him. She thought of some treasures that she had which might help him raise his potential slightly but they were too precious and there was no guarantee that he would obtain a great talent after consuming them.


    So she justid down and watched him do his things. If he really could not achieve anything in the end, she would feed it to him and then test out her doubts.


    Something was better than nothing after all plus she had no need for those treasures herself.


    Knock! Knock!


    "Young master, it is time for your lessons."


    A cold voice sounded from the other side of the door, it was his maid who often came to deliver food and recite his schedules.


    "Alright, send the teacher, I will be ready shortly."

 Chapter 12: Nurturing the target to get stronger! Finding treasures

    <h4>Chapter 12: Nurturing the target to get stronger! Finding treasures</h4>


    Chapter 12


    After taking his routine lessons, he was once again free, the cat had wandered off to somewhere so Oliver did not care much.


    "Now then..." Stretching his arms, he looked at the sky with a thoughtful gaze.


    "I should probably help Nadia achieve a milestone."


    Indeed, after much contemtion, he had arrived at the conclusion that the faster he would help her grow her strength, the stronger he would be as well.


    So instead ofzing around in the courtyard all day which was a bad habit, he decided to do what he could at the moment.


    Although, his scope of operations was limited to the Mystic Purge n, there were still some things hidden here and there in the n which he could potentially obtain.


    In the original novel, those items were usually obtained by some minor characters, so he thought that he might as well give them to Nadia to increase her power.


    Anyways, they were just some booster items he could spend on her for growth.


    He had decided that rather than just sitting idly, he would help the main characters grow so he can obtain more benefits.


    "If I know from the novel correctly, near the oak tree at the western area of the n, there should be a huge rock, and 29 steps away from it just beneath the ground should be something that could greatly benefit Nadia."


    He quickly finished his business and went out towards the western part of the n.


    The n was a huge ce, it was not an exaggeration to im that their n was no smaller than a city itself, just that it was secluded and not many people knew the exact location of this ce.


    The n had everything one could need, it was a self-functioning city in itself.


    The town was divided into regions; east, west, north, south and central parts.


    From tall and traditional styled houses to shops selling weapons and food, everything was properly arranged in the town.


    The central area was the ce where his father, mother and rest of the siblings lived, along with them, the important elders or the important individuals also resided there.


    His house was located in the east, just a little away from the central area, this was also probably why that most people were unaware of his existence.


    He sighed, the world was really cruel but his family was even more, he was mature by mind so he did not care but had it been a real child... to be isted like that from their family, it would have severely affected their psyche.


    Anyways, his goal for the day was the western area of the n.


    He quietly left his courtyard and after an hour of travelling, he directly reached the specified spot.


    He received a few strange gazes on his way, probably due to his symbolic white hair but he ignored them naturally.


    Pat Pat


    "It should be around here."


    He kicked the ground with his feet and measured exact 29 steps from the rock near the Oak tree, it was an unimpressive spot that no one really cared about.


    To think, there would be a treasure item hidden just beneath this ce.


    He shook his head and retrieved a shovel he had brought along him and started digging into the spot.


    It did not take him long before he felt some resistance.


    ng!


    "That''s it!"


    He threw the shovel away and used his hands to clean the dirt and soil away from the metallic box.


    It was a small and ordinary looking gray metal box, however, the box gave off an ancient vibe upon looking.


    "Body strengthening elixir... this is great stuff."


    His eyes shone as he inspected the contents of the metal box.


    Elixirs were potions that upon being consumed provided the person with a permanent advantage in their aspects.


    Elixirs were a rarity and countless alchemists worked daily to produce one. Yet, it was not an easy feat to be achieved.


    Only master alchemists with a fine control over espera and excellent dexterity could dare to produce them.


    And each Elixir once produced was sold at sky-high prices in the market. The art of potion-crafting was ancient and was strictly regted by the ns.


    Even in his n that had multiple strong Alchemists, an elixir was still a rare item to be obtained and people would send endlessly to get their hands on one.


    The advantage was too great after all, who would dare to reject a permanent boost in their abilities, if someone was lucky enough, they might even awaken new powers through consumption.


    In a world of demons and wars, for a hunter, such a things was priceless.


    Alchemists were highly respected for this reason alone, they were known for their ability to produce miracles.


    This potion in his hands was also probably the work of some ancient alchemist of the n who might have hidden it for some purpose or just leave it as an inheritance for their future generation.


    Unfortunately, their family either did not continue or this precious item was lost by them. Whatever it was, now it belonged to him.


    "No it belongs to Nadia."


    Heughed and went back with the box, it had been some time since hest met her and he was quite curious how she will react after seeing him.


    ''She should not attack me likest time probably, I made sure to leave a positive impression on herst time after all.''


    With that thought, he went back to his courtyard first and stored the metal box somewhere.


    The elixir was inside a long ss tube and was radiating a shiny and sparkly bluish color. It was quite beautiful to look at, one of the features of an elixir.


    He carefully stored the elixir in the pocket of Yukata.


    That''s right, the culture that his n followed seemed to be closely tied with the Japanese culture in his previous world...


    Although now that the world had be gued with wars and demons, the concept of countries and boundaries was now vague and everything where humans lived was considered a human territory that was under the rule of one of the 5 ns.

 Chapter 13: Meeting the other siblings. Cruel brats!

    <h4>Chapter 13: Meeting the other siblings. Cruel brats!</h4>


    Chapter 13


    He made a trip to the central area of the n once again, he was no longer restricted to his courtyard anymore and was allowed to move around.


    But when he entered the central area, he felt a chill on his back, it was as if he was being observed by countless eyes.


    He discreetly tried to look around and found that people were minding their own business, not exactly paying him attention.


    ''No they are definitely observing me through some means or it could be the hidden guards in the area watching me... earlier, when I visited the central area, I did not feel anything but now after awakening the special eyes, I can feel them.''


    He instinctively felt the urge to use his special eyes to counter but refrained, he dared not to show anything lest he was taken directly to his mother.


    He made up his mind and ignored the hidden gazes and moved along the street towards the courtyard of his sister, Nadia.


    It was still some distance away, it should take him around 20 minutes to reach by walking.


    He exhaled slightly, his entire body was tense from the feeling of someone constantly watching his every step, he could not help but lose focus again and again.


    It was very irritating, he wished that they could leave him alone.


    ''It is as if I am some sort of enemy of theirs that they must keep watch on...''


    Oliver annoyedly thought as he kept moving forward, he was already in the central area of the town, and all around of him were tall houses with entrances to the courtyards of important people of the n.


    As he walked deeper, the amount of people became less and less, signifying the importance level.


    "And that''s how I defeated them, brother...."


    Suddenly, Oliver''s ears picked some noises from ahead as he raised his head, and narrowed his eyes.


    There was a group of people walking his way, they all seemed to be older than him, all of them were wearing traditional Yukatas, from just one nce at their clothes, anyone could tell they werevish.


    They were much better than Oliver''s in cloth.


    ''No way, why do I keep encountering troubles...''


    Oliver''s mouth twitched.


    He quickly recognized them to be his older siblings, they were his two older brothers, the 2nd and 3rd oldest sons along with the 3rd oldest daughter of the family.


    They seemed to be walking out to somewhere and he just happened to bump into them.


    Although there was not much info about these side-characters, but from the nature of the n and their upbringing, he was sure that they all must be trash among trashes.


    ''Pretend I didn''t see them...''


    Oliver tried to lower his presence, as much as he could try to do so, he hoped that they will just ignore him as a passerby and he could reach his destination.


    Last time, he did not encounter any troubles at all but this time, he was met with all annoying things, from hidden guards to these siblings of his.


    "Hey, who are you?"


    A voice sounded from behind Oliver making him feel goosebumps all over his skin. He immediately turned around to see the 3rd oldest brother of his looking down at him.


    Just one moment ago, they were in front of him and now they were behind him.


    This level of speed was terrifying!


    "This area and beyond is only essible to direct family members of Mystic Purge n, don''t you know?" The older boymented in a in tone.


    ''There was something like this as well!?'' Oliver eximed. Sure enough, this seemed possible in such a huge n.


    "Hmm? Shane, look at his hair, why does he have the same hair color as mother?"


    The third miss of the n also came near and observed his features as she asked her twin brother, the one who had approached Oliver the first.


    Usually, white haired people were only the direct family members of the n, it was not that they all hair white hair.


    But since Ophelia had white hair and majority of children inherited her hair so they were known by their hair color throughout the n.


    "Now that you mention it... he does share the same hair color, but I can''t recognize him though?"


    The oldest of the three also came forward and now Oliver was surrounded by them.


    All 3 of them gave a strong pressure, it was as if he was surrounded by 3 ferocious beasts in the jungle.


    "I will ask again, who are you?"


    ''What do I say...? It''s better to be truthful here, it''s not like I did something offensive that they will hurt me, right?''


    With that thought in his mind, he calmly replied.


    "I am Oliver, Oliver Mystic, the fourth son..."


    Before he could continue, a powerful p connected to his right cheek, the force sent him throwing backwards.


    "Cough-!" Oliver coughed out blood, the inner skin of his cheek was peeled by the force as blood filled his mouth.


    "How dare you say yourself to be a Mystic with that miniscule amount of strength, are you looking to die?"


    The third miss was the one who had sent him throwing.


    She coldly looked down at him. For some reason, looking at his face reminded her of someone strong so she could not help but be pissed and attack him.


    She did not believe that he was their sibling at all, every single member bearing the blood of the Mystic n''s direct lineage was a living legend and so were their descendants.


    A weakling had no ce in their family and Oliver was the exact definition of weak.


    She could sense that he barely had any espera inside him, it could not be possible that he had so much espera in his body that she could not sense.


    After all, there were only two cases where either the person''s espera level was too high or too low that one cannot sense it.


    From the looks, Oliver was younger than them and therefore it was impossible for him to surpass them in espera quantity unless he was some exception genius which he clearly wasn''t or else they would have known of such a sibling.


    Impersonation of the direct family members of the Mystic n was a serious crime and demanded on spot execution.


    "Get up and exin yourself."


    A condescending voice echoes above Oliver as he slowly looked at them.

 Chapter 14: Getting beaten! But they retreat?

    <h4>Chapter 14: Getting beaten! But they retreat?</h4>


    Chapter 14


    "Get up."


    Shane also joined her and ordered him to stand back.


    "Who are you? And why are you here?"


    Oliver slowly raised his head as he tried to get up, only to receive a strong blow to his abdomen.


    Shane had just kicked him in the stomach.


    "Ugh-! Cough-!"


    Oliver once again crashed into the wall; he felt as if the air was sucked out of his lungs. The kick was very strong.


    "I- Cough! Cough-!"


    He was not even allowed to speak before he was thrown over again by her.


    Weakly, he looked at them only to see devious smirks on their faces. It was at that moment he realized something.


    They did not care whether he was genuine or not; they wanted to beat him to death for their fun.


    They were enjoying the process of beating him again and again as he tried to get up and exin.


    They were both sadists; no, the entire family was a bunch of cruel psychotic sadists.


    He realized this. In the novel, it was especially mentioned the n''s alignment and nature. The Mystic Purge n was dark, and people from this n harbored sadistic tendencies. It was due to the way they were raised since birth that their mental state was bent towards torture and death.


    He had not seen such a nature in Nadiast time and had ignored the fact as such. When he saw her cry pitifullyst time, he was ced under the illusion that all was good.


    Who knows that he might not have seen her true nature yet? She might not have shown her true selfst time...


    He frowned as he felt a sharp pain in his arm; it was as if his bone had been dislocated.


    They had not intended to listen to him since the beginning; he was already a target for them the moment they spotted him and saw his weakness.


    Bam! Bam!


    In the next few minutes, the quiet surroundings of the road were filled with bashing and mming sounds.


    It was as if someone was hitting a wall with iron pipes or using a punching sandbag.


    While this was the sound of Oliver being beaten, at the moment, his state was quite serious. He was bleeding from several areas of his body, and one of his arms was twisted backwards.


    His legs were bent, and his smooth and fair face was filled with scars and bruises.


    In front of him were Shane and his twin sister, the 3rd miss, as heid on the marbled ground.


    They both had flushed expressions and were panting slightly, as if aroused from the scene in front of them.


    Oliver, on the other hand, was miserable. He tried to squint his eyes but couldn''t; hot tears had filled his eyes, blurring his view as he looked at the clouds in the sky.


    Due to his condition, his mind didn''t eve think of using the special eyes to stop them... he had yet to get ustomed to his special eyes so that his brain could use them.


    The oldest of them had not moved from his spot since the beginning; he seemed uninterested and just observed from the side.


    He could not care less if a weakling or two died.


    "Finish your thing; we have somewhere we need to be, so don''t waste time."


    His cold voice served as a reminder for the two siblings as they nced at one another.


    "I will finish him off. Also, Shane, don''t forget to remind the guards to not let weaklings like him ever step foot in here."


    She said as she nced at thin air as if she could see all the hidden guards watching them.


    Shane just nodded as he watched excitedly his sister finish off the boy.


    Just as she was about tond the final blow, a chilling voice interrupted everyone.


    "What are you doing?"


    The voice was icy cold, seemingly devoid of any emotion at all.


    Everyone present felt the temperature drop by a few degrees instantly, and they could not help but look at the source of the voice.


    With silvery-white hair floating against the wind, cold amethyst eyes, and an emotionless expression on her face, Nadia was standing just a few meters away from them.


    But what shocked them the most was that none of them could sense her approaching.


    They all instantly recognized her, Nadia, the monstrous genius of the n and the possible next matriarch of the n.


    They all sucked in a cold breath when they saw her; she was famous for being a ruthless, cold-hearted witch.


    From excellent academics to near-perfect exorcism abilities, she was someone they could not hope to reach.


    At that moment when they were asked a question by her, none of them was able to speak a word.


    Finally, the oldest of them all mustered some confidence and moved forward to speak.


    "We were just... taking care of a pest that seemed to have sneaked in this haven... haha..."


    Even though he was older and stronger, he still felt plenty nervous at the moment.


    In terms of talent, Nadia far surpassed any of them.


    Nadia listened to them and nced at the almost broken Oliver; she looked at him for a moment, observing his injuries.


    She... felt nothing.


    For a moment, she seemed disappointed but nothing more.


    Then she nced at her siblings and saw their faces etched with silly and nervous smiles.


    This was indeed the reaction she expected from them. They were, after all, inferior.


    "Leave."


    One word was all she said, and the faces of the siblings changed instantly.


    They all understood what she meant; apart from Oliver, everyone was to scram right at this moment.


    Her word was like amand rather than a request.


    Shane and his twin sister were unsure; they did not dare to offend Nadia and waited for their older brother to decide.


    The older brother in question also had a flushed face; Nadia''smand was an insult to him. He was older than her but was treated as such.


    "Don''t go too far, Nadia. I am the older¡ª"


    He could not even finish his sentence before he retreated ten steps back quickly.


    His hand went to his face; a fresh cut was formed on his cheek that started leaking blood.


    His eyes had a trace of fear; he almost could not catch up to her movements, and she had already managed to harm him.


    This was the difference in their abilities.


    "I will leave."


    He quickly knew that any further confrontation would only be a disaster, so he tactfully surrendered.

 Chapter 15: Giving the elixir to Nadia. Complex emotions.

    <h4>Chapter 15: Giving the elixir to Nadia. Complex emotions.</h4>


    Chapter 15


    "I will leave."


    He quickly realized that any further confrontation would only result in disaster, so he tactfully surrendered.


    But before leaving, he nced at the half-dead Oliver with a fierce glint in his eyes.


    He had some thoughts at the moment that no one else knew about.


    After the trio left, Nadia slowly walked up to the unconscious Oliver and crouched down, observing his bruised face.


    She looked at the sky, and her eyes shone in a strange color. In the next moment, all the hidden eyes suddenly left their vicinity, leaving the two alone.


    This was her authority!


    "With this, we are even," Nadia said as she took out a small ss tube carrying a green liquid and slowly poured its contents into Oliver''s mouth.


    She watched as the injuries on his body quickly started to recover at a tremendous speed, and in a minute, he was fully back from his half-dead state from before.


    "Cough... Cough..."


    With a few coughs, he suddenly inhaled arge amount of air as his eyes opened wide.


    He quickly sat up and saw Nadia looking at him with no particr emotion.


    "We should be even with this," she said as she got up.


    "My injuries are all gone? Did she use a healing potion on me?" he wondered as he touched his face and felt his smooth skin once again, indicating a full recovery.


    "I am saved..." He felt weak from inside; he had never been beaten so badly in his two lifetimes.


    At the time he was being beaten, he felt death closely... he was scared... and powerless.


    Suddenly, a burst of rage surged from within him. He should have used his special eyes on them at that time.


    But upon further thought, he believed that it was a good decision that he did not use them; the entire area was surrounded by hidden guards making note of everything.


    Two, he still did not have the appropriate mastery over them... and third, he was beaten so fast that his brain could not process even to think of using them as a means to save himself.


    This all suggested that he still did not have enough experience in using his special eyes.


    He felt like a retard; even after having such great power in his hands, he still got beaten up?


    What was the use even after all this?


    He shifted his thoughts away as he saw Nadia walking away, back to her courtyard.


    He quickly followed after her.


    "What?" she paused and looked back, her eyes still cold as ice.


    "Wait a moment, Nadia. Originally, I came here to give you something, so take that before you leave."


    Oliver also did not want to stay there anymore; he quickly wanted to go back to his courtyard, form a revenge n, and rest.


    He had decided that the trio from before were as good as dead from this moment forth.


    Nadia furrowed her brows. He came here to give her something?


    Suddenly, her heart rate elerated as she watched him take out a blue ss tube from his pocket.


    An Elixir!


    A body-strengthening elixir!


    Her heartbeat suddenly quickened; she didn''t know why, but looking at him taking out a body-strengthening elixir made her feel itchy in the chest.


    No, it was not because of the body-strengthening elixir; she could have gotten one for herself if she had asked from the n.


    It was due to something else...


    It was because of the fact that he hade all the way here to give this elixir to her.


    Why?


    She opened her mouth, but no words seemed toe out at the moment; she seemed to want to say something but could not speak...


    ''Why can''t I speak?''


    She asked herself. She wanted to interrogate him about how he found this precious thing...


    She felt as if there was a lump in her throat prohibiting her from speaking.


    He hade here to give her an elixir and was almost beaten to death.


    She knew the rarity of an elixir; although she could easily get one from the n, it did not mean that they were not precious. She knew that even her siblings would need to spend many resources to obtain one of the elixirs.


    Logically speaking, if by any chance, he got his hands on an elixir, it should be obvious for him to use it on himself rather than give it to someone else.


    Wasn''t he much weaker than her?


    This was so foolish... she wanted to be disappointed at hisck of intellect but found it hard for some reason.


    Instead, her heart rate increased, and her face felt hot for some reason.


    She was feeling a sudden burst of unknown emotions; she did not know what was happening...


    ''Suppress.''


    She tried to suppress the loud beating of her heart; she did not want him to identally hear her loud heartbeat. It would be a great blow to her pride if that happened.


    She was shocked once again that she could not calm herself down.


    This feeling... it was the same as that time when she cried for the first time, and it happened in front of him at that time too.


    She had thought that she had grown up after that shameful incidentst time and has increased her mental resistance as well...


    She did not understand what he did that always made her lose herself; she would never act or behave like this whenever she was around others, but now...


    And why was it that it always was him?


    Didn''t her mother also provide her with extremely precious and rare resources all the time? So why did she not feel like this for her mother?


    This all felt too confusing for the little genius. For someone like her, who had been learning to discern people from a nce, felt conflicted with herself.


    "Here, take it quick. Don''t refuse; I am verycking in talent, and this won''t work much on me, so it''s better for you to use it and grow stronger."


    Oliver, who did not know what his expressionless sister was thinking, quickly stuffed the elixir into her hands; he did not want to stay in this ce any longer lest some more nuisances popped up.


    If someone annoying really dide this time, he did not think that he could restrain himself from using the special eyes like earlier, especially now that the guards were not there either.

 Chapter 16: Tenfold benefits of body-strengthening Elixir!

    <h4>Chapter 16: Tenfold benefits of body-strengthening Elixir!</h4>


    Chapter 16


    He had to n for his next steps and search for other treasures and opportunities for her if possible.


    Taking her hand in his hand, he put the elixir carefully and quickly left the scene.


    Nadia, who saw all this could not help but tremble a little after he left...


    She was shocked at herself... she actually let someone hold her hand?


    She, who would never let anyone be in 2 meter radius around her actually allowed this?


    No, more importantly, she realized that she was not on guard at all...


    She had always been trained to remain on her guard at all times, even against her own family, every second of the day...


    But now she did not even realize when he took her hand and put the elixir on it...


    "How can I be so careless?"


    She mumbled to herself as she stared at the elixir in her hand. She could still feel the warmth of his hand.


    Unexpectedly, she did not hate this...


    As she returned to her courtyard, she once again looked at the bluish glowing elixir and paused.


    Should she have someone verify it for poison?


    But when she thought of his face, she expelled the idea.


    For some reason, she did not think that he would try to poison her.


    "Have I gone crazy?"


    Was it due to their connection as twins that she felt this way?


    "What am I doing?"


    She touched her head, her eyes slowly widening.


    "Why am I behaving like this? It''s normal that I get it tested for poison so just why...? Just why am I hesitant?"


    She clutched her short hair in frustration, she had always been rational and always took the best decisions in every situation yet now she was acting so stupidly.


    A moment ago, she was thinking that he was foolish and now she was being even stupider than him.


    It frustrated her, never in her life had she felt frustrated over something yet she was like this now.


    It was all because of him!


    ''No... He surely can''t poison me... He should be aware of the consequences of it... I am the best weapon the n could polish, if something happened then he would too... he must know this, right?''


    Nadia thought of many reasons that this elixir was not poisoned by him, connecting her assumptions.


    But some part of her mind knew that she was just making up things to satisfy herself that she did not needed to get this tested for poison.


    After minutes of self contemtion, she made up her mind.


    "If this thing really carries a poison, then so be it. I will test myself through this, if I am weak, I will die and if not then I will survive. It will be my fault that I took this so it does not matter."


    Pop!


    She opened the lid of the tube and a rich and strong aroma spread in her courtyard.


    ''This elixir seems to have been preserved for a long time, this rich smell and thickness... it is definitely not the same as the ones that are made now.''


    She quickly analyzed the elixir, it was said that the more aged an elixir was, the more potent its effects be.


    And the one in her hands right now was very ancient, she could tell from the smell alone.


    Her amethyst eyes shone in a strange light as she looked at the elixir for a moment.


    It was as if she could see everything in the elixir at the moment. She was currently using the [Abyss Eyes] that she had awakened some time ago to see through the elixir.


    ''I stillck proper mastery... I should have been able to tell if it carried poison or not just by a look... I will train harder from now on...''


    Oliver could not have expected that just a simple action of him giving her a potion could help her steel her resolve even further. It seemed to fuel her more.


    Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.


    She drank the elixir in one ago and quickly circted the espera in her body to ready herself for the effect.


    Boom!


    __________________________


    [Ding! Target has consumed a rare body-strengthening elixir.]


    [Ding! 10x benefits obtained...]


    [Ding! Permanent 10x increase in Physical Strength!]


    Oliver paused, suddenly feeling a warm current flowing throughout his body, reaching every part of him.


    He sensed a strong surge of vitality and energy coursing through his veins.


    Every cell in his body felt recharged, brimming with energy.


    Crack!


    As he stretched, he heard the sound of his bones popping, as if they were adjusting to be morepact and stronger.


    sping his fists, he felt the growing strength, making him believe he could punch through metal.


    ''Status.''


    He muttered, having tried earlier without sess to see a panel. Nevertheless, he attempted once more, curious to see if his increased strength would reveal his status.


    He had experimented countless times before with the system, hoping for a full body analysis, but usually to no avail.


    Trying again, he wondered if there was a required trigger or if such a feature did not exist at all.


    Deciding to give it one final attempt...


    And he guessed correctly as a ck panel suddenly opened before his eyes.


    [Name: Oliver Mystic]


    [Race: Human]


    [Strength: Level 3]


    [Espera: Level 1]


    [Charisma: Level 3]


    [Luck: Level 2]


    A general overview of his body''s status appeared before him.


    Carefully observing the attributes, he had no clue what determined these levels.


    He wondered what the maximum limit for these levels could be and was greatly shocked by his strength.


    Even after obtaining [Cosmic Void Gaze] and increasing his strength tenfold, he was still evaluated as only level 3?


    Then how strong would level 10 be if he already felt capable of punching through metal?


    ''Damn, this feels both motivating and depressing at the same time.''


    Shaking his head, he only needed to wait for Nadia to quickly raise her strength, and he would naturally reap benefits.


    "But still... my esper talent is so pathetic."


    He couldn''t help but feel speechless; it was quite shocking that someone born from the genes of Ophelia and the n patriarch could be so weak!


    "More importantly, I need to deal with them..."

 Chapter 17: Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 17: Revenge</h4>


    Chapter 17


    He thought to himself, already forming a revenge n against the trio who had beaten him today.


    He was narrow-minded and could easily hold grudges when wronged.


    It was a mentality he had followed in his past life as well. He would never provoke others, but if provoked, he wouldn''t hold back.


    Although it was somewhat clich¨¦ that first he was beaten by them and then he sought revenge, what else could he do? He was furious; if not for Nadia''s healing elixir, he might have died there.


    He wanted to teach them a lesson for messing with him. He was almost dead if not for Nadia''s intervention; he couldn''t let them go easily.


    Of course, he couldn''t kill them under the watchful eyes of hidden guards surrounding them.


    It was outrageous that he wasn''t assigned any guards, considering hiscking abilities, but it granted him greater freedom and privacy than any of his siblings.


    Picking up a rock nearby, he slowly clenched his fist, and the rock soon broke into multiple pieces under the force of his hand.


    "Amazing..."


    He marveled at his strength; it was superhuman. He was quite sure that no normal person could do what he had just done, not in this world or his previous one.


    Noticing the absence of the n guardian, he wondered if the cat had gone to attend to some business.


    ''Well... all I can do now is wait and train some more.''


    Just like that, a day passed.


    Oliver had mostly adjusted to the newfound strength in his body by now.


    He felt like he had finally be a superhuman by the standards of his previous world, which made him quite excited and happy.


    As he meditated to train his special eyes, he suddenly heard discreet footsteps... He felt as if all his senses had been significantly enhanced.


    His hearing had improved by leaps and bounds; he could even hear the distant sounds of leaves rustling in the wind.


    He quickly sensed the approaching footsteps, folding his legs, Oliver observed from the paper door of his room, his eyes narrowing. Through the transparent wall, he could make out a distant ckish silhouette walking towards the courtyard gate.


    "Who could it be at this time?"


    He thought in confusion, slowly standing up and sliding open the door.


    And he quickly identified the visitor...


    It was the same second sibling who had watched him get beaten earlier!


    It was the same 2nd sibling who was earlier watching him get beaten...


    ...andterpeted with Nadia only to get embarrassed.


    But.. what was he doing at his ce?


    Oliver wore his sandals and looked at his surroundings...


    His eyes, which would automatically filter out the world for him whenever he looked around¡ªthe [Cosmic Void Gaze] was quite powerful, he could not see any hidden guards around as usual.


    His courtyard was usually not monitored by the hidden guards unless there was something needed from him so he did not feel surprised that there was an absence of hidden guards.


    "Why are you here?"


    Oliver asked, his tone was a bit cold, it was clear that he was not weing of this person.


    The 2nd elder sibling who saw that Oliver haspletely healed was surprised a little considering the serious wounds he suffered earlier.


    He proceeded to question first, ignoring Oliver''s previous question, "Where is your respect? I am your older brother."


    His tone was arrogant and condescending as if he was looking down on Oliver.


    Oliver cringed at the thick-skinned and shameless sibling of his.


    "An older sibling who watched his younger brother get beaten half to death and enjoyed the whole show without lifting a finger, from your reaction, I am assuming that you don''t care about what happens to me?"


    The 2nd sibling was silent for a moment upon listening to his sarcastic remarks of anger.


    "You are right, I did not feel anything, you should know that strength is everything, we, the Mystic Purge n, does not acknowledge the weak. If you are weak, then you are nothing."


    He calmly said, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.


    "As expected from you..." Oliver did not wanted to argue with him any more, he directly asked,


    "What do you want from me?"


    The 2nd brother of his paused and looked at Oliver''s handsome face for a bit, only now did he realize that his features were terrifyingly simr to Nadia...


    Earlier, he was too busy to look at his face and only now he realized this.


    Looking at his face, the image of Nadia''s face converged in his mind as he suddenly recalled the earlier incident where he experienced shame.


    His face turned ugly as he once again questioned in a superior tone,


    "Why are your injuries healed? It should have taken at least a week for your bones and skin to even start recovering¡ª"


    He abruptly stopped in the middle as he thought of something bizarre, his eyes widened at his own though as he asked in an impatient tone.


    "Don''t tell me... did Nadia use a healing elixir on a waste like you... it can''t be that... there''s no way that girl would ever-"


    Oliver looked at his supposed elder brother and felt amused by his expressions... indeed it was quite hard to ept the reality that the cold and ruthless Nadia had actually used an elixir on a talentless bastard.


    If this news were to spread, everyone in the n would feel shocked, but more so, his mother and father would immediately iste Nadia from everyone.


    Ophelia, his dangerous mother, wanted to cultivate Nadia into a perfect and superior existence, to her, emotions were an obstacle that would only get in the way of her daughter''s path to greatness.


    Oliver was very sure that if this brat snitched on them then his mother would do everything to kill Nadia''s emotions, and it may be as worse as torturing and killing him in front of her.


    He shivered a bit as he realized the seriousness, he really cannot allow this fake brother of his to leave easily now.


    "Well, I had a healing elixir with me that I used..."


    Even though he knew it was quite useless to lie in front


    of this guy, he still said a few words.


    And as he had expected, the 2nd brother flew into rage.

 Chapter 18: Gaze of the Cosmic Void: Godly Fear!

    <h4>Chapter 18: Gaze of the Cosmic Void: Godly Fear!</h4>


    Chapter 18


    And as expected, the 2nd brother was immediately furious as he said,


    "Do you take me for a fool!? Are you saying that a pathetic waste like you can own an elixir? I don''t think the n would waste any resources on you!"


    "It is up to you whether to believe it or not."


    Oliver did not say any more.


    "You-! Bastard, tell me what your rtionship is with Naida and why she stopped usst time. I expect honest answers. If you dare to y games, then expect to lose a limb or two."


    He threatened. It was quite clear that he wanted to know why Naida interferedst time. Even though they were twin siblings by blood, it did not mean anything in the n. Only strength was the norm.


    If possible, he wanted to gain an advantage over Naida, and he believed that Oliver may know something about it.


    Why else would she interfere? Oliver must have something important...


    "Do you think you are capable enough to make me say it?" Oliver chuckled, a hint of sarcasm evident in his words.


    He said, "A coward older brother who ran away hiding his tail between his legs when faced with his talented little sister? You still have the guts? Hahaha."


    Oliver naturally had no intentions of revealing anything to this unimportant character at all.


    Although it was quite true that he might as well have run away cowardly when facing the terrifying Naida, but he did not have to say it.


    When it came to provoking others, he knew a lot. The characters of the novels were all read by him once, and he knew what triggered them the most as well.


    He knew that the children from the Mystic Purge n despised being looked down upon by someone weaker than them the most.


    So he did just that to provoke this 2nd brother, and the results were quite good as well, as he saw veins popping on his forehead.


    "Just because I did not face Naida, a weakling like you thinks that he can talk to me? It seems that I was quite lenientst time. Do you believe that she wille to your rescue here?"


    The 2nd brother coldly sneered, "She is nicknamed ''the dark seedling''; blood and familial bond mean nothing to her! Today, I will teach you what true strength means!"


    He roared and directly attacked Oliver!


    He roared as he ended the sentence and threw a punch at Oliver. The speed of the punch was extraordinary, and the impact it could generate was enough to even break a tough metal boulder.


    However, to Oliver, the punch seemed to slow down considerably.


    Not to mention the permanent boost he received in his strengthst time that amplified his senses, but he was also the bearer of the upgraded version of one of the 4 mythical eyes.


    The punch was as slow as a sloth inching its way across a branch. Each instance felt agonizingly drawn out and easily anticipated by his heightened senses.


    His lips curled into a small smirk as he had achieved what he intended. He wanted this brother of his to admit that Naida was the cold and ruthless girl they imagined her to be.


    He did not even want to leave a shred of doubt in their minds. By angering him through embarrassing provocations, he did just that.


    Bang!


    The fist collided, but the result was not what the 2nd brother had been expecting. He was initially thinking that his punch would directly dislocate Oliver''s shoulders and might even break his arm.


    But what happened was that his punch was caught by Oliver''s small white hand.


    The 2nd brother''s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw what was happening in front of him. An impossible scene was happening at the moment.


    Just thest time when he saw Oliver getting brutally beaten, he could clearly tell that Oliver was definitely not this strong.


    From the way just light punches and kicks from his little siblings directly injured Oliver, it was bizarre that his punch, which was at least 5 times stronger than their punches, was stopped without any issue!


    He had seen Oliver''s skin and bones getting bruisedst time, so he was definitely not this robust and tough. So how did he be like this in just a single day!?


    The 2nd brother immediately retracted his fist...


    "What!?"


    At that moment, he felt as if his fist had been caught in an iron grip. No matter how much force he applied, he could not retract his fist back from Oliver''s hand.


    Looking at the unshakable jade-white hand in front of him, his heart suddenly palpitated. A strong uneasiness was starting to spread in his chest as the realization dawned upon him that things were not simple anymore.


    "Dear 2nd brother..." Oliver''s soft voice sounded, which drew his attention for a moment as he looked up at his face where their eyes met.


    What he saw in Oliver''s eyes at that moment was something terrifying....


    It was an abyss!


    A swirling abyss of darkness and death, an endless void devoid of light or hope, emitting a palpable aura of dread and despair.


    In those eyes, he saw his deepest fears magnified a thousandfold, his mind consumed by an overwhelming sense of doom.


    It was as if he was staring into the abyss itself, and it was staring back, ready to consume him whole, opening its ck cosmic maw.


    This was all happening because Oliver had used the 3rd ability of his special eyes, [Enshrouding of Death].


    "Ugk! Blegh!"


    The 2nd brother puked uncontrobly as tears flooded his eyes, but even then, he was unable to divert his eyes from Oliver''s.


    He kept puking uncontrobly; he almost felt like throwing his guts out at the moment. His heart stirred, and he felt it was going to stop at any moment.


    Death hade to his door.


    He slowly lost all his will... he was going to die!


    Oliver stopped at that moment and used his other hand to punch the other party''s stomach, and in the next instance, the 2nd brother fainted almost immediately.


    He knew that if he did not punch him, the other party wouldn''t be able to stop looking at his eyes, especially if the other person''s mental resistance was not too strong.


    So he delivered a physical stimulus. Given his turbulent strength, he directly knocked out his so-called 2nd brother.


    "That should be enough."

 Chapter 19: Elder’s Shock!

    <h4>Chapter 19: Elder''s Shock!</h4>


    Chapter 19


    "That should be enough."


    He mumbled as he lightly kicked the unconscious body of the 2nd brother of his.


    Although he felt that he has sessfully diverted the attention from Nadia but he still delivered a final blow just to seal this ordeal.


    He knew that he has fully conquered the 2nd brother''s mind with fear. He was quite sure that in the future, this brother of his won''t even dare to appear in front of him much less talk about him to anyone.


    The impact and fear he instilled was too strong!


    Well, Oliver would need to deliver him back to his courtyard first.


    ___________________________


    After somehow finishing the delivery, he finally returned back to his courtyard and saw Zippy strolling near the gate as if guarding the entrance.


    ''Looks like the n guardian finished the business she left for...''


    He came to his room and stopped behind the door as he thought about the previous day''s events, earlier he could clearly see the trajectory of the 2nd brother''s punch in slow motion but when he was getting beaten by them, he was having trouble.


    He realized that it must be due to the fact that the special eyes were too powerful for his weak body to adjust to...


    His nervous system has also been boosted in strength when he received the permanent strength boostst time.


    This probably allowed the special eyes to deliver the signals to his brain properly and also the reason he could see the fast punch in slow motion.


    He felt that even now, there was a great margin that he could work on and improve.


    If he had such strength earlier when facing the 3rd brother and sister, he might have been able to reduce his injuries significantly.


    Although he had the excuse that his espera talent was too pathetic, he should have focused on training physically then.


    He could not always wait for his target to make a breakthrough or achievement, he needs to train his body as well.


    He shivered as he realized that he might get left behind if he did not train just as much as the main characters, if that happens, his body might not be able to keep up with all the monstrous abilities that he might get in the future.


    Not to mention monstrous abilities, he would be receiving a tenfold version of those powers, if the vessel itself was weak then naturally it would break.


    He doubted that anything could save him then...


    He might even need to train harder than those main characters in the novels in the future if he wanted to be ready to receive great power.


    "I need to train hard..." He muttered as his eyes turned serious.


    Yawn...


    Oliver was also feeling a little tired after all the drama he has been facing since thest few days


    "Hah, I am tired!"


    He quickly went to his bed and slept for the rest of night not waking until afternoon next day.


    He was going to train harder to not die out of overdose of power.


    ___________________


    In the 2nd brother''s courtyard.


    A group of people were gathered outside his room, they all shared simr expressions of confusion, tension, and impatience.


    They were some of the elders of the Mystic Purge n....


    In the n, there were elders who favored one sibling over the others and provided them with preferential treatment sometimes.


    These elders were the caretakers of the 2nd son and daughter of the n head.


    After receiving news from the guards that the 2nd young master was found unconscious in his room by a maid, they quickly apprehended her and called for an audience.


    "You, servant, tell us what happened to him?" questioned one of the elder sternly, the atmosphere was thick with bloodlust and pressure.


    The young maid trembled, her eyes wide with fear as she stammered, "Please, I don''t know anything... I-I was simply going about my duties, serving tea to the young master, when I found him unconscious on the floor. I shook him, but he didn''t respond, so I immediately called for the guards... Please believe me..." Her voice trailed off in sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    The maid exined everything that she had witnessed truthfully.


    The elders also noticed this, they were experienced and skilled enough to tell from her bodynguage that she was not lying and was feeling genuine fear from them.


    And theirmon sense also told them that all the servants and guards selected to work in the Mystic Purge n were trained rigorously.


    Loyalty was ingrained into their brains the moment they stepped food into the boundaries of the n. It was impossible for any servant to even bear thoughts like this.


    So they just ignored her and discussed among themselves...


    "What happened to him suddenly? I met him just a few days ago, and he was looking absolutely fine!"


    "Wait for some time, the medics are evaluating his condition. We will know shortly..."


    They waited for a few more minutes in silence before being called inside by the doctors.


    "He is awake but well... his condition is a bit strange. For some reason, he won''t speak at all and would keep on shrieking from time to time. His mental condition looks worse, as if someone had attacked his brain."


    The medic gave his opinion.


    "For now, I have given him a few doses of mind-calming medicine. If this persists, then we will have to think of something else."


    "How can this happen so suddenly? It doesn''t make sense!"


    An elder could not help but shout.


    "Calm down, it''s highly unlikely that a high-ranking mind demon has infiltrated the n... Given the barrier, it seems almost impossible. But then, what other reasonable exnation could there be?"


    Another eldermented as she fell into thought.


    "A demon!? That''s absurd! Are you out of your mind!?"


    "Hmm..." Thest elder, who had been quiet since the beginning and had a profound aura, finally spoke.


    "We cannot make bold assumptions without any proof. This is a serious matter. A direct lineage member was attacked as such. ording to the hidden guards, he left the courtyard ordering them to stay back and to not follow him, which is strange. The next thing they know is that he suddenly appeared back in his room in that state."


    His words made sense to everyone.


    "I further asked for a report on his previous day''s actions and found something weird."

 Chapter 20: Who did this to you? The Elder’s dilemma.

    <h4>Chapter 20: Who did this to you? The Elder''s dilemma.</h4>


    Chapter 20


    "What did you find peculiar, elder?"


    The others questioned.


    He frowned and said, "Two days ago, he was with the 3rd pair of siblings, and they met the 4th son on their way. They got into a fight, and naturally, as you all are aware, the 4th son is a waste, so they did him quite the number. But in the middle of the fight, young Miss Naida intervened..."


    "What!? Unbelievable!"


    "Impossible!"


    The other two expressed surprise.


    Nadia!


    The most likely future n head.


    Not even the elders dared to be disrespectful to her, even though they were much above her in standing and power. They could, but none of them wanted to be on her bad side.


    She was called the dark seedling because of her deadly talent.


    Usually, every child born to the n''s direct lineage, to Mistress Ophelia, was highly talented.


    But¡ª Oliver was an exception!


    He was born just a few weeks after Nadia and was deemed utter trash. He had one of the worst inherent talents, truly not worthy of their n name.


    However, they suddenly felt something odd.


    Nadia, who was born just before him, was born with extreme talent, and he was borncking.


    It was as if... she had sucked all of his talents and abilities while they were in the womb of their mother!


    This led everyone to make rumors that she was a dark seedling who stole her twin''s talents, like a demoness.


    Of course, no one dared to say such a thing openly.


    "Why would Miss Nadia...?"


    One of the elders couldn''t help but be curious.


    "This is something I am not sure about... apparently she ordered the guards to leave the scene immediately after she made him leave in a somewhat shameful method..."


    "Sir, are you suggesting that the second young master sought revenge on herter, resulting in this? Did Miss Nadia really do that...?"


    "No way, but it does make sense. Miss Nadia is capable of such actions; she doesn''t care about anyone."


    Another elder said in a halfining, half-helpless tone.


    He was really helpless. He could not say anything to Nadia after all. She had the direct backing of the n head and Ophelia the great witch.


    And not to mention, she was a growing monster. Every week, she would progress significantly. Anyone sane won''t offend her considering she had a great future ahead.


    "Why would the second young master act so recklessly? It''s hard to believe he didn''t consider the consequences... He''s impulsive, but not foolish."


    "And why was the fourth son even there in the first ce? If I recall correctly, he''s not permitted to reside in the central area. This all seems rather perplexing..."


    The elders bickered among themselves for some time.


    At this moment, the senior-most of them, the one with a profound aura from earlier, spoke, making them all silent.


    "It is as you all know... we cannote to any conclusions like this. We have to get our answers from young master himself."


    He paused, looking at all the elders waiting for him.


    "Retrieve a healing elixir from the n resource center. Use my name; I have a few elixirs left."


    He said calmly, shocking all the ones present. The medics had eyes filled with envy.


    Getting even a single elixir was terrifyingly hard, but the senior elder had a few that he could spare to use!


    This showed how influential and powerful the senior elder was.


    "I''ll fetch it immediately!"


    The junior elder left directly. As long as they used a healing elixir, it was only a matter of time before they got to know everything.


    ______________________


    In just about 5 minutes, the elder who had gone to fetch the elixir returned, he was carrying along a bottle containing a pale green liquid with a lot of sparkles in it.


    Just looking at it made one want to have a sip of it... after all, it looked delectable and smelled good.


    "Feed it to him."


    The senior elder said as he nced at the 2nd young master who was tugging his hair so hard that they might just get uprooted, his eyes were widened and his pupils were dotted as a stream of tears kept going down.


    "Young master, please open your mouth..."


    The doctor quickly assisted, cing their hands on his chin, they gently pried open his sealed mouth while the nurses held him.


    Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Slowly the contents of the potent healing elixir were delivered in his mouth as everyone watched with patience as the tube carrying elixir slowly emptied.


    The doctors and other backed away after finishing the deed, allowing the young master to recover.


    They observed slowly as his eyes slowly started to rx, his trembling hands also calmed down as he let go of his iron grip on his hair.


    With shallow breaths, he fell back onto his bed, it was as if all strength had left his body.


    He could not and did not wanted to get up at all.


    "Young master, are you back."


    The elder asked in a calm tone as he saw their young master''s body jolt at being suddenly called out.


    "I-I- where am I? What happened?"


    He asked unsure of what was even happening, he opened his eyes and all he could feel hisck of strength and mental exhaustion.


    He tried to remember what had happened but all he could feel was fog in his memories, his brain hurt a lot as he tried to recall what happened.


    Hiss!


    He hissed in pain as he felt a ck wall blocking his ess to the events that transpired the previous week.


    Every time he tried to ess the ck wall in his memories, he would receive a sharp pain.


    "What happened? Why are elders gathered in my courtyard?"


    He puzzlingly questioned as he did not understand the situation but looking at the grave expression on their faces, he devised that something was wrong.


    "It seems he does not remember what has happened."

 Chapter 21: Exorcist Ranks! Visiting Clan Market for the first time.

    <h4>Chapter 21: Exorcist Ranks! Visiting n Market for the first time.</h4>


    Chapter 21


    "Should we wait for some more time for him to stabilize?"


    "We can, but looking at him, I doubt there would be any difference. I can sense his body and mind have healed perfectly..."


    "Then what should we do? We have already used an elixir, but if we don''t dig out the source of this all then we could not prevent such events in the future?"


    "Hmm. For now, tighten the security of the young master''s courtyard. Order the guards to be vignt at all times and not leave him alone even if he asks so. Dispatch a team of investigators to find clues, and one of you go and check the barrier to see if there''s something wrong with it."


    The elder paused, looking at the 2nd young master, he further added, "Exin what happened to him and see if there''s any reaction."


    With that, he left in a hurry, confusing the others.


    Aftering out of the room, he stroked his chin as he looked at the surroundings.


    He wondered to himself in a somewhat serious manner.


    ''What''s going on...? A healing elixir is something that can bring back a person from the brink of death, but why was he not able to remember what happened? How can an elixir be ineffective...''


    The elder pondered for some time, he had a bad premonition about something, some days ago, the n elites sensed a strange and ominous phenomena.


    It was so disturbing that the respected n guardian personally went to check on it which clearly meant that it was dangerous enough to be harmful to them...


    But then a few minutester, the strange phenomena suddenly vanished as if it never existed in the first ce.


    The n guardian also did not say anything much on the topic and asked everyone to ignore it.


    Many of the n members were unsettled by this and wanted to investigate it further.


    However, no one wanted to oppose the guardian.


    After the n head and their wife, the n guardian held the highest authority.


    She has been overseeing the n since ancient times, she''s powerful and has iprehensible powers.


    They did not doubt that she could not handle the strange phenomenon but for her to not discuss a word about it with any of them made the elites restless.


    And now this happened with the 2nd young master, something that cannot even be healed with a healing elixir!


    "This is making me feel stressed..."


    He muttered, as he pondered his actions, now that someone from the n was affected by something unknown, he can probably no longer obey the n guardian.


    "I would need to discuss it with others and do something, the n guardian must not know about this otherwise it would be a direct challenge to her."


    He had to do it, a power that can even defy the effects of elixir was not something one would seemonly... it was a sign of something big happening.


    His eyes shone and with a flick of his finger, he disappeared from the courtyard.


    ______________


    A few weekster


    Oliver was in his courtyard lifting weights, not only that, in the back of his house, there were many equipment machines for physical exercise and strength training.


    He had requested the n to provide him with these, they were just ordinary gym equipment he could think of from his previous world.


    This new world and hisst world were quite simr in many things, this world was advanced in some aspects as well backward in other aspectspared to hisst world.


    He was holding the weights in one hand while in his other hand, he was carrying a notebook with some notes scribbled on its neat white pages.


    "The power ranking system in this world is exactly as I remember it to be from the novel."


    He flipped a page as he scanned through the contents.


    "Exorcists are majorly categorized based on some crucial factors such as their espera level,bat skills, and purification techniques. Apart from that, there are factors like formal training and field experience that are given in specialized academies."


    Oliver put the weights in his hand down as he read further.


    "Exorcists could also be broadly ssified into 3 categories, first are those who rely on their espera, second are the ones who rely on their physical powers, and third are the ones who rely on artifacts and tools."


    He closed the notebook as he changed his clothes.


    "For now, I need to quickly rise through the ranks..."


    The exorcists are ranked into 7 levels.


    Rank 1 to Rank 7


    Rank 1 being considered the neers to the exorcist world, just beginning their training and having a basic amount of knowledge about spiritualbat and purification techniques.


    These exorcists have no particr exorcism style and typically work under the high-ranking exorcists.


    Rank 2 being the next step as they solidify their foundations on purification techniques andbat styles, they usually undergo rigorous training and this stage has always been considered tough for beginners. They can handle minor demons.


    Rank 3 exorcists are one step ahead, able to operate independently without the supervision of a high-ranking exorcist and handle low to mid-level demons.


    Rank 4 exorcists are even more advanced, capable of dealing with high-ranking demons.


    Rank 5 level exorcists are in charge of leading other exorcists in wars, missions, and dealing with catastrophic demons.


    Theter level exorcists are legendary beings.


    It was rumored that the n heads of the 5 ns belong to these stages... of course, it''s unknown how these levels operate and how many of such exorcists exist.


    Creak!


    "Zippy, I am going out to the market... I will bring you some meat."


    "Meow!"


    Oliver announced and left the courtyard, he had some things he wanted to purchase from the n''s market.


    His goal was quite simple.


    It was to use his special eyes to cheat through the market; in the novels he used to read, he was always fascinated by the protagonists who had special abilities to distinguish treasures among trash.


    Now that he had such means himself, there was no way he was going to be passing on such an opportunity.


    It was a great opportunity to collect some rare artifact to further ensure his future and if possible, look for something to fasten Nadia''s growth as well.

 Chapter 22: How the clan market works?

    <h4>Chapter 22: How the n market works?</h4>


    Chapter 22


    He knew that there was nock of treasures in this world; there were many things that were wasted or left unnoticed throughout the novel.


    It wouldn''t be a problem if he could find them and use them for his own benefits. He was inherently weak, and obtaining tools and artifacts should ensure his future safety.


    He didn''t even think about giving them to Nadia.


    It was more like he can''t give them to her even if he wanted to.


    The reason was simple yet had aplex exnation...


    Nadia would grow suspicious of him; first, he finds her a damn elixir out of nowhere and then provides her with all sorts of artifacts and techniques?


    She would not hesitate to either interrogate him herself or report to the n. It did not matter if he and she shared the same blood.


    At that time, he would be suspected of being a heretic or colluding with someone suspicious and would then be subjected to torture to spit everything he knows.


    So naturally, he cannot afford to provide her with anything he found.


    He can only keep it in moderation and take it slowly so he continues to maintain a smooth rtionship with her and grow stronger himself.


    "Also, I need to be selective of what I give her... I should focus on what aspect I want to improve on and then provide her with an aid in that area. This way I can obtain tenfold benefits."


    He grinned as he mused about the future.


    ________________________


    Under the heart of the n''s fortress, nestled this shady market where he was going to visit.


    Over time, the market became abyrinth, with countless shops and hidden corners. There were various kinds of goods, ranging from the mundane to the mystical.


    Forged weapons, enchanted tools for exorcism, scrolls containing various martial arts techniques, or even mysterious treasure maps¡ªone could find anything in this market if one had the eyes to find them.


    Merchants wander around the market, hoping to hawk their wares to the n members. Of course, among these treasures, there would be the asional fake or useless trinket, so buyers had to be cautious.


    The market was rooted deeply in the n and was specially managed by some of the top people of the n.


    It was huge! It was not an exaggeration to say it was like abyrinth itself.


    And why wouldn''t it be?


    The n had been established for centuries, generations after generations had gone by, leaving behind their marks.


    Not to mention, this was a n famous for its exorcists;


    ''Where there were exorcists, there were riches.''


    It was a famous line among the merchant circle, so it was no surprise that each n had its own extensivework of supplies.


    Merchants would have to avail themselves of a special pass to be able to enter the n and set up their business there, which involved a strict and tough background check.


    Oliver felt like it was quite simr to how the passport system worked in his previous world; well, at least hepared the two for his own ease of understanding.


    There were times when shady people would also get in to do business which was why Oliver referred to the market as a shady market.


    The n didn''t interfere in the market unless absolutely necessary.


    The things inside the market stayed inside the market! This was the n''s simple statement.


    As long as the n''s official activities were not hindered or bothered in any way, the market was free to operate as they wanted.


    Any hindrances would not be tolerated; the n followed a zero tolerance policy.


    As long as the market thrived and kept making the n a portion of profits, the n would ensure security and provide other services.


    Respecting the decades of rtionship n shared with the various people in the market, they allowed them to do things freely even if it was slightly illegal..


    But what goes inside the market had nothing to do with the n, so long as they don''t interfere with the n activities.


    His n was really money-hungry!


    ''Sigh, money works everywhere...''


    Two big open gates marked the entrance to this market; they were tall and imposing and had two guards in uniforms stationed there.


    Oliver looked at their uniform and immediately knew they were low-rank exorcists, either performing part-time missions or were helping their supervisors.


    The guards at the entrance of the market had stiff expressions and were keenly maintaining a view on the surroundings.


    They were assigned to maintain bnce, not let anyone cause too much trouble around.


    Although no one would dare to spread chaos in the n, there were still some idiots who would do stupid things against n rules from time to time.


    Oliver approached them with brisk steps; his temperament was great.


    The guards narrowed their eyes...


    White hair...


    Someone from the main family hade to visit the marketce.


    But they had a ringing question in their minds.


    ''Who is he?''


    They had never seen this young master before...?


    Still, they did not dare be negligent and immediately rushed to him.


    "Sir... Young master, greetings!"


    The guards bowed as they greeted him with respect; although they did not know who he was, his white hair was a symbol of respect.


    No one in the n who had white hair was ordinary; they all had extraordinary backgrounds and powers behind them.


    Oliver nodded simply...


    "I have some things to look for. Don''t mind me..."


    The two guards looked at each other with somewhatplicated expressions.


    How could they not mind?


    If something were to happen or someone were to offend him, then they would suffer grave consequences for not looking after him.


    Oliver understood this, so he said, "Don''t worry, I have my guards watching over. You two won''t be held responsible."


    He said this in order to not have anyone following after him secretly.


    If he left as it was, then there was no doubt that one of them woulde after him secretly, and he did not want anyone observing his findings and actions.


    Hearing this, the guards rxed as they nodded.


    "Alright, feel free to call us if you need something, young master!"


    They felt that this young master was quite smart and understood their worries.


    With that, he left towards the market.


    And no sooner did he enter, he heard a loud voice...


    "BUY 2 GET 1 FREE...."

 Chapter 23: Testing the special eyes! A book?

    <h4>Chapter 23: Testing the special eyes! A book?</h4>


    Chapter 23


    "Buy 2 get 1 free! Why stop at cluttering your life with just two unnecessary items when you can have a third for free, cluttering guaranteed!"


    "Scram! I refuse to be fooled; you are secretly trying to make me pay for the 3rd invisible item!?"


    The shops were lively with customers bickering with the shop owners.


    There were shops arranged neatly, as one would expect from a festive market in his previous world.


    Oliver also realized something while strolling around.


    Although the n was famous for its ruthless and crazy exorcists, in the end, it was still a n that had always stood up for humanity against the demons.


    The normal people inside were happy and healthy, proper sanitation was maintained throughout the ce.


    ''It looks like only those who belong to or are associated with the main family are the crazy ones...''


    He wondered; there was not much specification in the novel when he was reading it.


    It was just mentioned that the Mystic Purge n was extremely violent, ruthless, and vicious to their enemies, so much so they are feared even among humans.


    But looking at the lively market situated in the heart of the n made him doubt the words he had read.


    He sighed and focused on what his purpose of the visit was.


    In the next moment, his eyes changed; a mysterious glint passed through his amethyst eyes slowly shifting its color to something else.


    It shifted from a light greenish-blue to a bleached purple...


    The world in his eyes changed; everything became visible to him, whether hidden or not.


    He looked at a passerby, but what he saw was not a human but a walking skeleton.


    Oliver was able to vividly see all the 206 bones inside the person clearly; not only that, he could also see the amount of esper present inside the person''s body.


    Focusing more on his eyes, the scene once again changed, and although diluted, he was now seeing the person''s blood vessels, their muscles, flesh beneath the skin.


    Although the bony structure was no longer visible, he could see moreplex details.


    It was likeyers in a body.


    Suppose the atomic and cellr constitution of a person is consideredyer 0; thenes the skeletal and tissueyer above it, which could be said to beyer 1. Above that should be the muscr and vascr where organs, vessels, and other major human body parts be visible to him.


    He decided not to view theyer 0 for the moment as he could feel the eyes were quite exhausting to use and he had a lot to use them for so he took it slow.


    He did not have enough mastery and training to control the special eyes so he could onlypromise at the moment and use them frugally.


    For now, he limited himself to only see through when necessary, hopefully not needing him to use deeper thanyer 2.


    "Oh! Young man, would you like to buy something? I saw you standing here for some time."


    A voice interrupted his thoughts as he looked at the man besides him.


    It was a man with arge bushy brown beard covering his face; he had ck eyes and looked quite average.


    From his clothing style, Oliver realized he was a shopkeeper; his clothing style was foreign and did not align with the n''s traditional style of clothes.


    "That''s right. I was looking for some things casually."


    "Oh, then sir, would you like toe see my shop? I have plenty of good things for exorcists. From your refined attire, I am sure you are a distinguished exorcist yourself."


    The bearded man started buttering up as he praised Oliver''s style.


    "What do you sell? Show me."


    Since Oliver was here to buy some useful things, he decided to follow the man to his shop. There were many shop owners who woulde out to attract customers.


    Actually, after watching Nadia''s humungous talent and getting beaten by his siblings, Oliver felt he was quite vulnerable.


    Despite the system, he did not feel assured at all.


    The system only provided him with rewards at random times, which was not ideal. It would only provide the benefits when his target achieved a milestone in their training.


    He had to use his own strength to counter threats he might face. So he must be prepared. He has already received a tenfold strength boost so he should at least train himself ording to how an exorcist on the physical path would... for now at least.


    And apart from the system, the best strength he had was his knowledge from the novel which was the knowledge about the future of this world.


    What was the use of it all if he could not even use that knowledge to his advantage?


    I may be a side character, but I am not that useless.


    Creak.


    The man took him to a decent looking shop which was likely his shop. The interior was quite spacious and looked clean.


    "Here it is; buy anything you like. If you buy in bulk, I will even give you a good discount."


    Looking around, he saw many things.


    Firearms, cold weapons, medication, books, potions, exorcism tools, neatly arranged scrolls, and some random materials and substances ced in ss boxes.


    This was an all-purpose store.


    His pockets suddenly trembled a little...


    Although he was one of the young masters of the n, his budget was definitely not young master-like...


    Of course, he had asked for some money from the n a while ago and thus was allotted some amount by the supervising maid but he felt it was not enough at all.


    From his knowledge, all the young heirs of the n were showered in riches.


    And not to mention, Nadia, who could buy anything she wanted with just a word.


    ''Fuck! I feel like a beggar!''


    He could not help but exim.


    ''I need to prepare a source of money for myself soon... I can''t be dependent on the n always.''


    Oliver frowned; he had many ideas in his mind that he would be developing in the future, and many of his ideas required massive funds to even start.


    He needed money.


    The human world had adapted amon currency, which was called Neden.


    Forparisons, a loaf of bread costs around 1 Neden.


    ''Sigh... money is always the problem.''


    Oliver''s scanned the shop items for something he might be interested in.


    "What''s that book about?"


    He suddenly pointed at a book in a brownish cover.


    The shop owner looked over with keen eyes and told,


    "Ah, that book is a..."

 Chapter 24: Purchasing the book and Getting Robbed!

    <h4>Chapter 24: Purchasing the book and Getting Robbed!</h4>


    Chapter 24


    "Ah, that book is a martial arts book. It records a decent martial art technique focused on movements. It''s called [Six Thoughtful Steps of the Spirits]."


    ''So it was that...''


    Oliver raised a brow as he pretended to be in thought.


    In reality, the martial art technique focusing on movement was amon technique that could be found in multiple ces.


    There was nothing special about it in the eyes of normal exorcists.


    They could find copies of this martial art distributed around the human territories.


    It was a decent technique to learn and master, and undoubtedly, it helped many exorcists who mastered it.


    But what people didn''t know was that this was an iplete technique.


    In fact, this martial art technique was a part that belonged to an important technique in the story.


    The technique was called...


    The technique was called [Spirit Stretch].


    An unbelievably fast movement technique that spirits of the world use to travel.


    This technique needed to be joined with other parts of the main technique in order for all the conditions to be fulfilled.


    What was even more absurd was that someone was able toplete this due to a very strange reason.


    In the novel, a character in the academy arc was able to collect all the parts of this technique and received [Spirit Stretch] directly from the spirits.


    How was he able to achieve that?


    It was all thanks to his severe obsession with anything rted to spirits. It was borderline disgusting but in a world where wars and demons were rampant, no one cared for some exorcist''s weird fetishes.


    "I will take this."


    Oliver told the shop owner, getting [Spirit Stretch] would be extremely beneficial for him considering the character who had it in the novel was always able to escape whenever his ss fell in trouble with demons.


    "That''ll be 500 Neden."


    Oliver cursed the shopkeeper, this was so expensive.


    "What''s the discounted price?" He asked.


    "I won''t make much profit on it so this does not have a discount."


    "What? No, you must do something about it, otherwise, forget it."


    Oliver quickly applied the ''Going, Going, Gone'' tactic he had learned in his previous life while performing bargaining and negotiations.


    "This..."


    The man was speechless at this moment. He hadn''t made many sales since the morning and Oliver was his first customer that he had gone to bring himself.


    He couldn''t let Oliver leave without selling something.


    "Haah... Alright, I am willing to lower the price if you buy something else as well."


    It was not a bad deal.


    "Then give me that." Oliver pointed his finger to one of the ss boxes that had a material ced under it.


    A ck material that was somewhat transparent, and mirror-like.


    It was known to be very light, malleable in solid form. This substance had a waxy texture in solid form. This material''s melting point was one of the highest known. Not to mention it was superconductive.


    It was called Hypon.


    It was generally used to make tough esper specialized weapons.


    He had some use for it so he decided to purchase it.


    "Thank you for your purchase. Your total will be 2000 Neden after discount."


    "Here."


    Oliver quickly received a bag containing his items and paid the owner his amount. It was a lot but even a small quantity of Hypon was considered quite expensive as it was a rare material.


    With that, he left the shop.


    Back at the market, he purchased a few more things... until suddenly something happened...


    "No way... there''s no way..."


    Oliver widened his eyes as he looked at the bag containing his things.


    "WHERE THE FUCK IS MY WALLET!?"


    That''s right, he had been pickpocketed.


    "Someone actually dares to pickpocket... more importantly, I did not even realize it until now when I needed it."


    He could not help but mutter in utter disbelief.


    Someone dared to pickpocket one of the young masters of the n in broad daylight.


    The same n where they were walking right now belonged to his family.


    Yet they dare to rob someone from that family.


    He frowned as he realized that not everyone was aware that white-haired people were the members of the Mystic family.


    His n might be popr but the main people of the n were always shrouded in mystery.


    It was no wonder he got robbed.


    A normal young master of the n wouldn''t allow themselves to be pickpocketed, it was just that Oliver also had heightened senses but he was walking around like an idiot.


    He had never seen such magical items in his previous life, all of this felt new and mystical to him.


    Everything here was supernatural in his eyes, he was just so lost in exploring everything like a child in a candy store that his guard was lowered severely which resulted in this.


    The n market provided him with a sense of security and thus he unknowingly didn''t notice.


    Not to mention, no sane young master would walk around a market like him. His circumstances were different and he had to do it in order to buy resources for himself.


    ''I should have been careful...''


    His eyes turned mystical once again as he looked around... hoping to find the one who had pickpocketed him.


    But to no avail, he could not find the thief, it was quite evident that he had been robbed some time ago and by now the thief was probably quite far away.


    "Sigh..." His hands went to his pocket and retrieved a couple of notes, he barely had any Neden left now. Most of his money was in the wallet that had been now stolen.


    "This is so frustrating!"


    He shook his head, after thinking about it, he could not help but suddenly have dark ideas.


    He nced at the few near shops and the crowd of customers bargaining.


    "No! What am I thinking!?"


    He felt ridiculous, although it wouldn''t be an issue for him to rob these people secretly by taking advantage of the crowd, he felt it was just too low.


    He had read how protagonists would fall low after their reincarnations and transmigrations, and he felt it was understandable but right now his mind was not ready to rob the innocent ones who might be poorer than him.


    What difference would there be between him and the person who stole his wallet?


    "Instead..." His eyes narrowed, with [Cosmic Void Gaze], he could see quite far and there were a couple of presences that made him a little interested.

 Chapter 25: Auction? Abusing [Cosmic Void Gaze] for profit

    <h4>Chapter 25: Auction? Abusing [Cosmic Void Gaze] for profit</h4>


    Chapter 25


    He followed the path all the way there and noticed a group of people.


    Compared to others, they looked more refined and had better-looking clothes than the normal Joe.


    They were surrounded by exorcists who were probably serving as bodyguards.


    The exorcists were hired to be bodyguards because there would be times when intense fights would sometimes break out between fellow business owners.


    The n did not care about what happened inside the market area; if you die, then you die.


    As long as the n was not affected...


    Of course, this also applied to all the official members of the n. If you were going to enter the market and cause trouble andter get caught in trouble then...


    Naturally, no one dared to try that; everyone knew that official n members would be given immunity to such rules whatsoever so no one messed with them even in the market.


    Oliver blended in with the crowd that was gathering around them and asked someone about the situation.


    "Hey, what''s going on here?"


    "What!? You don''t know? One of the biggest auctions of the year is going to take ce soon. Those people over there are important guests invited by the n."


    Oliver was stunned.


    Auction?


    Indeed, there were auctions too that took ce all around the year, at different scales in different ces.


    It would seem that there was going to be an auction soon in the market and these people in expensive clothing were probably traders or merchants invited by the n to auction their items or buy items.


    Receiving an invitation from one of the 5 ns was no joke; these people must be really influential to get invited to the auction.


    Oliver''s eyes shone with intensity as the world around him shifted.


    From the special eyes, he was able to see that the important-looking person was not an exorcist but a normal human but...


    His body was glowing in multiple auras, espera was flowing through vital parts of his body such as his chest, shoulders, abdominal area...


    ''There are probably multiple artifacts on his body...''


    Oliver concluded quickly as there was no better exnation.


    He shifted his focus to the exorcists around them and his eyes immediately narrowed.


    They were... strong.


    Their bodies were leaking abundant espera; it was flowing out continuously, he could feel tense just seeing that amount of espera through.


    The vibrations in the air and the fluctuations around them were quite strong and erratic.


    "Hmm...?"


    One of the exorcists within the group suddenly looked around.


    He felt like he was being watched by something... and it was giving him chills for some reason.


    But upon looking around, all he could see were normal people.


    ''Imagination...?''


    He decided to leave it at that and focus on his job.


    In the distance, Oliver also left the crowd and went his own way.


    He now wanted to participate in the auction; there were always great items listed in auctions.


    He wanted to take part in the auction but he had no money; it would be useless to go there penniless.


    ''Is "penniless" the correct term even? Should I say "Neden-less" instead?''


    He wondered as he could not think of any normal way to earn cash.


    ''Robbing strangers, robbing shops, threatening the weak with my superior strength, abusing my status, begging, ckmailing weak exorcists...?''


    "Fuck! Why is my mind filled with such dark thoughts!? Could it be that I am a scumbag?"


    Oliver seriously wondered this... apart from shady ways that would definitelynd him in trouble sooner orter, he was not getting any ideas.


    ''If I must choose a shady method, then I should go with something that is the least shadiest... and won''tnd me into too much trouble.''


    He thought, a variety of dangerous ideas going in and out of his mind.


    "Ay, young man, how ''bout checking out some stuff? I got plenty of stuff over here for ya."


    Oliver looked to his side and saw a man with a small wooden stall at the corner of the road, talking to a customer.


    Although he barely had enough money left, he also went over to the shop.


    He was now thinking about selling some low-price artifacts at a higher price to make some profits.


    Auctions were rare and he didn''t want to miss one now that he knew about it.


    "Oh, hey there, another exorcist youngster! C''mon over, I''ve got loads of stuff you might dig!"


    The stall owner looked to be in his middle age with a bald head and a few yellow teeth missing.


    The stall owner did not care about Oliver''s height and child-like appearance, there were many exorcists roaming around with stopped growth or cursed bodies so it was not a surprise to see one in flesh, although it was quite rare.


    Ignoring him, Oliver looked at the items with his special eyes. He decided to start with this shop first and then move on to search more.


    ''All of them are fake and cheap replicas... hmm?''


    Just as he was scanning the items on the counter, his eyes caught something shining.


    It was a marble that was shining brightly; as he focused on the round marble, the colors became even more evident, a strong espera was flowing inside the ordinary-looking red marble.


    The marble was not ordinary at all.


    "How much for that sword?"


    Oliver concealed his excitement and asked in a low voice pointing at a random old sword which was also a cheap replica.


    "You got good eyes, young man. This sword used to be a possession of a great warrior in ancient times; I had to specially enter the ruins to get my hands on it. But for your cute face, I''ll sell it for 2000 Neden, how abo¡ª"


    "Forget it."


    Oliver cut him short and looked around pointing at a few more things but even before the stall owner couldplete their prices, he directly cut him off.


    The stall owner felt quite infuriated at this presumptuous nature.


    Finally, he pointed at the red round marble and asked in a somewhat colder tone.


    "How much for that marble?"


    "700 Neden."


    This time, the stall owner did not weave any bullshit story; he knew that Oliver was not a weak yer, he seemed quite experienced in bargaining.


    "50 Neden." He put up his own price.


    "Impossible! Are you trying to rob me!?" The stall owner protested immediately.


    "Then give a normal price, I know what you are doing here. Listen, I don''t have time for these scam games; put a good price or I''ll just leave."


    Oliver said in a bored tone.


    And as expected, the expression on the stall owner''s face changed.

 Chapter 26: Mysterious organization

    <h4>Chapter 26: Mysterious organization</h4>


    Chapter 26


    "Forget it. I will buy from others."


    The expression on the stall owner''s face changed when he heard that.


    This made the stall owner feel pressured; even he knew that what he had brought was all trash not worth selling. Oliver had already changed several options, and he felt that this time he might really leave.


    If this went on, then he would not be able to scam him.


    "Sigh, 150 Neden. Don''t bargain, this is the lowest I can do. I have a wife at home and two kid¡ªwait!?"


    He saw that Oliver began to leave without listening to his sad story.


    "Alright, I will do it for 70 Neden. Please, I beg."


    "Fine, here you go." Oliver paused and showed a smile as he handed over a 70 Neden bill.


    He felt quite proud that he directly had the seller reduce the price by 10 times!


    From 700 to 70 Neden, his skills were quite useful.


    In fact, this small marble that was now in his hands was probably an artifact of some sorts and could even fetch tens of thousands if sold carefully with negotiations.


    He could tell from the strong and turbulent espera flow inside it.


    "Haha..." Oliver felt funny, although he had basically just robbed the stall owner, he did not feel that bad.


    The owner of that stall reeked of cheap booze and had the eyes of a big scammer; who knows how many people he had scammed in the past.


    So it was only right for him to be scammed back.


    His eyes lit up! He knew that he might just be able to generate enough ie to at least get one item from the auction... probably.


    ''No... there will be ultra-rich individuals... it''s possible I might not get anything at all.''


    He quickly suppressed his emotions and looked straight at the various shops ahead.


    He still had some spare left.


    So he visited various stores at random, collecting anything that looked useful but was being sold at the wrong price.


    In the end, he managed to buy some things.


    A round red marble, an ivory rope, a broken shard, andst but not least, a shiny purple medal.


    And now he was officially broke with nothing in his pockets or savings at his home.


    "Haha..."


    He let out a nervousugh; he was a spender¡ªa dangerous one.


    It would be a terrible situation if no one bought what he had purchased just now...


    ''Now I have to sell all this...''


    He scratched his head, thinking, ''Otherwise, I won''t even be able to buy meat for Zippy.''


    ''Fortunately, there is a ce just right for that.''


    ck Codex Federation!


    An organization that was spread all across the exorcist world, single-handedlypeting with the top 5 ns in terms of wealth and resources.


    It was an organization that had a huge influence and dealt with all sorts of business.


    They had their stores in almost all major cities¡ªdominating all the businesses around them.


    ''In the novel, this organization dealt both in light and dark. On the surface, they were an influential merchant organization while in the dark, they did all sorts of shady business, from taking assassination requests to infiltration. They were so bold to even provoke the top ns sometimes during the multiple arcs.''


    Oliver recalled what he knew of the organization.


    Right now, he was heading straight to their established store that was also located in the n''s market.


    They had to provide the n with heavy resources and treasures for them to be even allowed to operate inside.


    ''In the novel, the ck Codex Federation had a neutral rtion with Mystic Purge n, both wary of the other. Even in the blood arc, they did not provoke the Mystic Purge n...''


    He thought as he reached before a humungous structure shadowing everything around.


    A tall, well-designed building¡ªa miracle of this world''s modern architecture.


    The building gave Oliver an intimidating vibe.


    He smiled wryly; just the guards stationed at the doors were full of espera.


    As he went near the gates, the guards did not stop him, nor did they perform a mandatory check they always performed on normal visitors.


    ''So they know my identity...''


    Oliver was not even surprised by this. If such a big organization did not have their guard memorize the important people of the ce where they operate, how could they be so sessful?


    It was not like in the clich¨¦ novels where the guards would stop the protagonist and treat him as a beggar only to be face-ppedter.


    After he entered the building, one of the guards took out a rectangr device.


    If Oliver was here, he would instantly recognize that as a smartphone.


    This world was just a few years backward from his previous world in terms of tech, so it was not a shock that they had started to develop smartphones. Not to mention, this world had some strange things thanks to the presence of espera and other magical elements.


    The guard pressed a button and said, "An unknown boy with white hair has entered the establishment. I did not stop him. I am not sure if he belongs to the main family or not..."


    The voice on the other end was silent for a moment before it said, "No problem, I will inform madam; you did good."


    With that, the call ended instantly.


    It was a mesmerizing sight, filled with gleaming gold and silver artifacts, precious gems, shimmering jewels, and relics and artifacts radiating ancient aura. The sun''s soft rays seeped in from the ss windows, casting a warm,fortable glow throughout the pavilion.


    It was an amazing architectural build with exquisite mastery and hard work of the designer.


    At the front was a reception counter and behind it was the receptionist.


    Oliver went up to her and asked, "I want to sell some things. Willing to take a look?"


    He made it short and crisp, no-nonsense talk.


    The receptionist stared at his face for a moment; even though Oliver was just a little kid, she recognized his white hair and amethyst eyes.


    He was definitely a member of the main family in her eyes.


    If some other random little kid had wandered in the store, she would have asked them to leave and not cause trouble for candy, but she could not ignore his presence.


    She had strict orders from above as well.


    "Very well, sir, please follow me..."

 Chapter 27: Receiving money and... Invitation?

    <h4>Chapter 27: Receiving money and... Invitation?</h4>


    Chapter 27


    "Very well, sir. Please follow me to the room behind, where I will appraise the item you wish to sell," she answered in a professional tone and led Oliver to another room. This room was rtively normal; it had two sofas facing each other and a table in between.


    The rest of the room was upied by various shelves and essories.


    "Well then, please show me what you wish to sell?" she asked him to take out his items, although she was not an expert appraiser but she still had her fair share of experience as an appraiser and was a little confident in evaluating the little young master''s materials.


    Oliver nced at her once and then withdrew, just one look from his eyes, he could tell she was not as strong as the guards outside; he could even overpower her with brute strength.


    But he still did not say anything, she might have extensive knowledge, or else she wouldn''t be the receptionist of the store belonging to ck Codex Federation.


    Tap


    He put his bag on the table and took a seatfortably, crossing his legs like an arrogant young master, he told her.


    "All the items in that bag. I want to know the price you could provide for them."


    The receptionist''s lips twitched slightly when she heard this, and her expression could not help but strain a bit.


    She was now wondering if this spoiled young master had onlye here to make some extra cash off them by selling his house furniture or something.


    If that was the case indeed and thenter he realizes that all he brought along were ordinary things worth nothing then it might not be good.


    This kid was someone from the main family of the n, one of the heirs probably so if she refused him or hurt his high ego, he might create trouble for their establishment.


    ''Sigh, what a troublesome brat...''


    She sighed internally and opened the bag to look at the items, no matter if the situation escted, her superior would be the one to handle him not her.


    She was here only to tell the honest review of the items.


    "Hmm??"


    Her eyes could not help but widen slightly when she took out the items one by one.


    "This... all of them are artifacts!?"


    She could not help but exim as she looked at Oliver''s mocking expression.


    It was as if he already knew what she was thinking and how she felt embarrassed now.


    She shyly lowered her head and began seriously inspecting the items one by one.


    Oliver was provided with a cup of coffee to drink while the receptionist did her work.


    ''This does not taste good... ugh!''


    He could not help but feel weird at the nd or in taste of the coffee.


    ___________________


    Half an hourter


    Oliver was sipping his nd coffee with a dull expression. The drink had sessfully managed to ruin his mood.


    ''I will definitely introduce some fine coffee to this world in the future.''


    He made a mental note as he finished the coffee.


    The receptionist was also done appraising everything, and she had a bbergasted look on her face.


    She coughed to clear the awkward atmosphere and said,


    "I''ve appraised all of the things except this."


    She said as she picked up the purple medal Oliver had picked up earlier from one of the old stalls he forgot about.


    He narrowed his eyes as he remembered that this was the thing that had costed him the most to purchase but since he saw the strong espera bursting out of it, he purchased it in the end.


    He did not expect her to not be able to appraise it.


    It was indeed a great treasure.


    "Is that so? Then what? Is this what your establishment is capable of?"


    His tone was superior despite being the smaller one in stature; if one looked closely, he barely reached her waist if he stood up.


    The receptionist frowned and quickly said, "Sir, please don''t think so low of us. We have experts with us; they will quickly assess the item for you. I am just an intern."


    "Alright then bring it to them and get it appraised."


    "Before that, would you like to know the total amount you will receive if you sell everything excluding the medal?"


    The receptionist questioned.


    "How much?"


    "It''ll be around 300,000 Neden, sir."


    Oliver could not maintain hisposure at the moment no matter what; she directly dropped a bomb on his head.


    He was not expecting his items to fetch so high.


    At maximum, he had expected around a 90-100k Neden but this was unexpected. Although being able to see the espera waves inside an an object was very difficult task even for an expert exorcist, he was able to achieve it quite easily.


    The receptionist could not help but show a smirk as she looked at him losing his arrogantposure.


    "W-Well then, take them away and give me the money. Also have the medal appraised quick."


    "As you say, please wait here while I prepare your amount."


    With that, the receptionist left the room, and he sighed.


    ''Damn, I shouldn''t act like this! I am sure 300,000 Neden is nothing to a young master of the n; I must maintain my dignity or else they will not take me seriously in the future.''


    He calmed down, and the receptionist returned shortly.


    She was carrying a silver tray, and on it, there was a ck metal card ced.


    It had the official symbol of the bank.


    "Sir, here is your amount, we have stored all 300,000 Neden in this card."


    Oliver picked up the card and put it in his pocket safely; he was not going to lose it this time.


    "As for the medal, actually, about that, I have something to tell you." The receptionist paused for a moment before she added.


    "My supervisor is directly appraising the medal and is very interested in the medal... she has invited young master to discuss something important, if you don''t mind, I will take you to meet my supervisor."


    She said in a calm tone.


    Oliver could not help but be puzzled, it was so good that they wanted to discuss it personally?


    "Alright." Seeing her expression, he agreed.


    With that, he followed her as he saw her enter a corridor and then take an elevator.


    Upon reaching the 4th floor, they stopped, and she exited the elevator followed by Oliver.


    They were now in front of a room as he saw her knock at the door a few times and say, "I have brought him, madam."


    "Enter."

 Chapter 28: The medal was appraised!

    <h4>Chapter 28: The medal was appraised!</h4>


    Chapter 28


    "Enter."


    Oliver heard a sharp feminine voice on the other side of the door as they entered the room.


    What greeted him was a normal room with carpeted floor, walls with a wooden finish, multiple shelves carrying various books and antiques ced in them...


    In the middle of the room was an office desk and behind it was a woman sitting.


    Oliver looked at her stunning appearance and could not help but shake his head secretly.


    In the novel, it was often mentioned how beautiful the people were; the beauty standards in this world were way ahead than his previous world. A supermodel from his previous world could be amoner on the streets, and no one would care.


    Only the most beautiful were looked up to and praised... He wondered if it was due to the presence of esper in this world that boosted people''s vitality and kept them young.


    ''Status.''


    __________________


    [Name: Oliver Mystic]


    [Race: Human]


    [Strength: Level 3]


    [Espera: Level 1]


    [Charisma: Level 3]


    [Luck: Level 2]


    ___________________


    ''My charm is level 3. This should be considered pretty high considering that even my tenfold increased strength is also at the same level.''


    Seeing that he could grow up to be handsome, he felt relieved as he focused back on the woman behind the desk.


    She had long raven-ck hair, she was tall and had an athletic build with proper curves. Her beady eyes were piercing ice blue. She had jade-white skin that looked smooth and beautiful.


    Her eyes looked cold and had a piercing gaze which would make others ufortable... the overall air around her reeked of superiority and power.


    She was wearing a stylish dress that further emphasized her curves.


    Her lips were painted with cherry-red lip gloss as she threw the receptionist a nce who quickly left the room leaving the two alone.


    Her cherry-red lips moved as she picked up a document and read it out.


    "Young master Oliver, the 4th son of the main family, not allowed to live with the main lineage despite sharing the same blood but no talent whatsoever¡ªpractically isted from your own family. First time in the market and you visit small stores and coincidentally pick artifacts out of trash?"


    She ced the documents back on the table as she once again met his eyes.


    "Little boy, being branded as talentless, and hiding such terrifying appraisal talent? What are your intentions exactly ining to us?"


    She sped her hands on the table and looked at him just how a noble would look at amoner.


    Oliver tried his best to maintain a poker face, while his heart was beating wildly. He didn''t expect her to be able to gather so much information about him in such a short duration.


    He didn''t believe that she even knew who he was before he stepped inside this establishment.


    ''What a terrifying informationwork!''


    He secretly eximed to himself; he had not expected her to even know about all his activities in the market as well.


    He looked at her as a glint passed through his eyes.


    In the next moment, his eyes widened, and a sharp headache followed afterward.


    "Ugh-!"


    He could not help but suddenly groan slightly.


    The woman tilted her head, a bit confused as to what happened to the little boy in front of her.


    In her perspective, he was just standing there trying to maintain a poker face to show his courage but suddenly his eyes widened and he pressed his forehead as if in pain.


    And this was understandable, [Cosmic Void Gaze] was an inherent ability that was literally undetectable unless Oliver intended to let others know about it.


    It could be seen that when he asked the 2nd brother to look into his eyes before, he intended to directly attack his mind so the 2nd brother was able to catch a glimpse of its power.


    Otherwise, it was not detectable at all.


    At most, others would feel someone was looking at them but that''s it... if someone was especially perceptive they might even feel threatened but since he was just in front of her, she didn''t feel any of the above.


    Also it was not a shock that she was able to see through his facade of trying to act nonchnt, she was a lot more experienced than Oliver and dealt with all sorts of people so she knew of such tactics.


    And not to mention, Oliver was just a kid in her eyes who was trying hard to keep his facial muscles rxed but was unable to do so in her presence.


    ''Fuck. What did I just see!?''


    On the other hand, his body was tingling as goosebumps made his hair stand to no end.


    Just now he had caught the glimpse of her power.


    He wanted to know what her level was and how strong she was actually.


    But when he saw her espera amount, his eyes almost got blinded.


    It was too strong!


    She was suppressing a massive amount of esper inside her body...


    Her esper was like a zing sun, radiating a brilliant glow that filled his entire vision. It was overwhelming despite not flowing out of her body.


    It was stronger than anything Oliver had ever seen. He knew the moment he saw that he was in the presence of a true powerhouse.


    He forcefully suppressed the anxiety in his heart, at the same time, his mind was filled with curiosity, he wanted to know what secrets she was carrying within her.


    Why was she in their n with such strength...?


    "It''s nothing." He smiled, a bit softly as he replied to her.


    "I just want to make a couple of Neden, since you already know my situation then you should know that I am not provided with a budget like my siblings and I have to survive on my own."


    He answered, carefully considering the situation at hand. What could she want from him?


    She wouldn''t call for him just to appraise an item, would she?


    He took a deep breath.


    "I heard you want to talk to me about the medal? Have you appraised it?" He couldn''t help but ask.


    The woman was silent observing his demeanor before she opened a drawer by her side and ced the purple medal on her desk.


    "It has been appraised sessfully, and I must say this is quite the thing you have stumbled upon."


    Her tone carried a hint of amusement.


    "This medal is not an ordinary exorcist artifact. It is the [Medal of Eternal Pain]."

 Chapter 29: Bargaining for price!

    <h4>Chapter 29: Bargaining for price!</h4>


    Chapter 29


    "This medal is not an ordinary exorcist artifact. It is called the [Medal of Eternal Pain]," she said to him.


    Oliver heard her, and for a moment, he stopped whatever he was thinking.


    Medal of Eternal Pain?


    ''Is this...?'' He nced at the medal ced on the wooden desk and could not help but be taken aback.


    He was taken aback not because he realized that it was a precious treasure but because he knew what exactly it was.


    ''Medal of Eternal pain? Wasn''t this supposed to be in the hands of Caiden Falcon, a minor antagonist in the early academy arc? What''s it doing here?''


    Oliver was a little surprised by this...


    ''In the novel, the Medal of Eternal Pain was supposed to be an opalescent orange color? But this is clearly different...? Does it change ording to its owner''s espera or something?''


    He quickly pretended not to know anything about it and curiously asked her, "What does it do?"


    "ording to me, [Medal of Eternal Pain] has two effects: Agony Infliction and Curse Endurance," she tapped the purple medal with her sharp fingernails.


    Oliver saw how she had painted her nails with silver-colored nail polish.


    "Agony Infliction allows the possessor of this artifact to send excruciating pain to a specified target upon physical contact. The level of pain depends on the espera of the user. Curse Endurance, on the other hand, ensures that the pain inflicted by the medal persists indefinitely until the owner of the artifact wills it to stop. Not to mention, it also provides some resistance to curses in general as well."


    The woman finished her exnation and looked back at Oliver.


    Her eyes held a strange glint as she eyed Oliver, in her eyes, he was clearly a little kid who has yet to step out of his n.


    Although she could not sense any espera from him, she was not much disappointed knowing that he was extremely talentless. She was more interested in how he was able to pick out such interesting artifacts on his first try.


    It was definitely not luck that he managed to do all of this. She knew it was impossible.


    "How about it? If you are interested in selling this medal, I''ll give you a really good price."


    She asked him, feeling greatly interested in this artifact, she needed this in order tomence her own ''ns.''


    "A good price? How much is that?" Oliver raised a brow and did not speak much.


    "Hmm... let me guess, how does a million Neden sound?" She said casually.


    ''A million Neden!'' Oliver hissed internally, he suddenly felt that this woman was very rich.


    ''But...''


    "It''s too low." He said, the slight moment of need in her eyes towards the artifact did not go unnoticed by him, aware that she wanted this artifact, he decided to take a little advantage.


    "Little? Look at your little body and brain. Do you know how the market works? What price do you think this would sell for then?"


    The woman had an intimidating andmanding aura as she leaned back and crossed her legs which were d in silk ck stockings.


    Looking at the pair of long and curvy legs, Oliver was not distracted, his mind was upied by benefits he could extract from her.


    "I know how the market works, 300,000 for all the artifacts I brought and this [Medal of Eternal Pain] which is quite clearly an ancient and powerful artifact, you aren''t fooling anyone here."


    He boldly told her as she watched him in surprise.


    There were only a few people who could act so casually in her presence once they get to know her real identity, her aura alone was enough to silence masses.


    ''Perhaps because he''s just a little kid.'' She shook her head, she didn''t expect Oliver to be able to sense even a glimpse of her strength.


    In her eyes, he didn''t have much espera inside his body which restricted him to feel her aura.


    ''Ignorance is bliss as they say.''


    She felt a little amused by his behavior, it''s been time since she was feeling the urge to y with someone.


    "Then how much do you suggest, little boy?"


    She had a smirk on her face as she said it, which Oliver felt like she did to provoke him.


    He remained calm against her silly acts and told her straight.


    "30 Million Neden."


    The woman almost choked when she heard him casually utter 30 million as if he was asking for 30 Neden.


    "Are you kidding? Little boy, do you even have the capacity to bring that much money back safely?"


    She felt he was intentionally asking such an outrageous sum of money.


    "3 million Neden."


    "25 million Neden."


    "5 million..."


    "20 million..."


    "10 million..."


    "15 million..."


    "13 million, a middle take. You ept it or leave."


    She firmly told him after a series of fierce negotiations.


    Oliver was also helpless, she was surely capable of giving him more but was stubborn and he could not just leave from here before selling the artifact.


    He admitted that she was quite strong when it came to making deals, but still, he did not feel that he made a loss.


    At least he made her increase her previous price by 13 times which was quite good.


    He knew that he might be able to sell the artifact for more but he was in a hurry to sell it before auction, and finding a buyer who could offer such a sum of money before that was very hard. Plus he did not want to be near this artifact for a reason.


    So, in the end, he just epted it.


    On the other hand, Oliver did not realize that the woman was thinking the same thing.


    ''He sure has a knack for business. If raised in the right way, he could make great profits in the future. Although he''scking and easily concedes, he can improve that growing up.''


    She was getting interested in this little boy in front of her who was carrying a bunch of secrets within himself.


    There was a reason why Oliver...

 Chapter 30: History of the Medal and an unexpected situation...

    <h4>Chapter 30: History of the Medal and an unexpected situation...</h4>


    Chapter 30


    "Deal."


    Oliver epted the money; he believed it should be enough to buy him at least one artifact from the auction.


    There was a particr reason he did not take the artifact for himself.


    Yes, one of the reasons for that was that he wanted to purchase something from the auction and did not currently need the medal.


    The second and most important reason was that he knew about the bad side-effects this medal had.


    [Medal of Eternal Pain], with such an ominous name, had a dark history associated with it, as exined briefly in the novel.


    It was told in the novel that this artifact was originally found by a camper when he visited an ancient forest with the intention to explore.


    At first, the camper was not sure about the forest; it was rumored to be famous for its notorious death rates and ghostly activities, as imed by the nearby residents.


    He wanted to prove everyone wrong and be famous. He knew of demons and exorcists yet refused to believe that something dangerous would be in the forest. He wanted to try something that no normal human had ever done before...


    But as he went forward, ironically towards the same direction where he found a broken skull, he started to encounter strange things. He didn''t think the skull belonged to a human; it could have been animal remains.


    His mind would sometimes hallucinate about things that shouldn''t exist in the world; very dark thoughts started to cloud his mind as he went on silently.


    He was unaware that he was being affected by something; his mind was distracted towards a particr direction.


    It became even worse when he started to find strange dead bodies one by one; all those corpses had signs of extreme torture being performed.


    The corpses were rotting, but their state was beyond tolerable for the camper; he puked blood, yet strangely enough, he wanted to keep going, and he did. It was as if all of this around him was just another imagination.


    The number of corpses he encountered started to increase, to the point that he could probably stack them up to form a small hill.


    All of them had expressions of pain; it was clear that none of them had received a peaceful death.


    The strange hallucinations in his mind intensified.


    Scenes of an unknown cannibalistic tribe shed through his mind one after another.


    A tribe that was savage, cruel, and inhuman; they were demons or humans, he didn''t know. They messed with something that they shouldn''t have and it spilled their doom.


    He soon reached a broken shrine, and in the middle of everything, he found the medal.


    Whispers in his ears prompted him to take the medal, and he did, quickly leaving the area. But s, he couldn''t even leave the forest as he slowly died.


    The medal wed at his soul as he kept walking, unbeknownst to him; he was in severe pain, but his legs refused to stop, and he died at the edge of the forest, where people saw him and retrieved his belongings.


    And thus, the medal was also brought out into the world.


    Wherever the medal went, it brought misfortune, pain, and death.


    It was cursed.


    The souls of humans were like fuel to the artifact.


    People would get intoxicated by the allure of its power only to die miserably in the end.


    If that was it, then there was no problem, but the real problem was that every person who once owned this artifact caused irreversible damage to their surroundings.


    Conducting mass murder, spreading blood, experimenting with torture... all sorts of inhuman acts were performed by the owners of this artifact.


    It was not until a group of people called for an expert exorcist to help them...


    The exorcist took the artifact in his hands and instantly felt the immense dark espera inside the thing.


    He foresaw the danger it posed to both normal humans and exorcists and thus decided to seal the artifact and keep it in his home.


    He didn''t destroy the artifact; he believed as long as someone used it limitedly without being consumed by the strange artifact, they could use it against demons in the war.


    The exorcist himself had participated in multiple wars and was thus not afraid of the curse within the artifact like normal humans.


    But unfortunately,ter the exorcist was killed by demons when they ambushed him in his home, destroying his vige alongside him.


    Since then, the sealed artifact was lost; it was nothing more than an ordinary medal to normal humans.


    The exorcist, in his time, had only recorded what uses the artifact had; he never thought to write down the dangers associated at that time.


    But over the centuries, those records became blurred and not believable.


    And thus, people now only knew about what powers this artifact carried, not what dangers it had.


    In fact, since most of them had never seen the artifact personally, no one believed it existed, and only thought it was just a hoax artifact crafted out of someone''s imagination.


    This was why Oliver wanted to trade this artifact for money; the risk associated was too great considering he was not even strong enough to handle a single use of this artifact.


    "Well then. You can collect the money from the reception; she will add it to your card. Oh wait, do you even have a bank ount to transfer the money?"


    She asked curiously, to which Oliver shook his head.


    "Then how are you going to ess the money?"


    She looked at him speechlessly.


    Actually, he himself had not thought of this matter; he thought that at the time he purchased something from the auction, he could directly hand them the card to deduct the amount.


    But having a personal ount should ease things in the future...


    He looked at the smirking woman and sighed.


    No, he''d rather do it himself than ask her; she was a terrifying person, and having less contact with her would be better.


    ''And I don''t even know her from the novel, so she must be a minor overpowered character.''


    Oliver was sure that he did not want to mess with her lest he fall into serious troubles.


    "I will see to it myself."


    He said as he started to leave the room.


    But before he could reach out to touch the door, his body froze.


    He realized that his body could not move, no matter how much force he used; it was frozen still in ce.


    "Did I allow you to leave?"

 Chapter 31: Nadia was suspected?

    <h4>Chapter 31: Nadia was suspected?</h4>


    Chapter 31


    "Did I allow you to leave?"


    A cold voice sounded from behind him.


    ''Fuck...''


    Oliver''s back was drenched in cold sweat as he realized what was going on.


    She was using her espera to lock him in his ce, and since he had almost close to none espera, he was unable to feel the flow.


    Fortunately for him, she was using a minimal amount of force so as not to crush him by ident.


    "What do you want?"


    He could not help but ask involuntarily, wanting to know the ursed reason why she was stopping him from leaving.


    "What do I want now?" She leaned on her desk, holding her chin in her hand as she observed his back.


    "Hmm..."


    To be honest, she was not sure herself about what she wanted from him either.


    It was more like an intuition of sorts of hers... it told her that she should not let Oliver leave.


    She had been in the world of business for many decades; she had a very sharp intuition whenever it came to deals that generated massive profits.


    And right now, it had been tingling in Oliver''s presence since he entered the room, but it became excessive when he casually took out the [Medal of Eternal Pain] so she just stopped him.


    She frowned when she could not think of a proper response. This made her a little irritated, given his small age and childish bearing; she was unsure of what to ask for. It was not often that she felt troubled.


    She could not keep him here for long either.


    This was a young master from the main lineage of the n; no matter how useless he was, he shared their reputation and name even if he had an insignificant contribution.


    There would beplications if he kept him here for no reason.


    Suddenly her eyes lit up, as she tapped on her desk slightly and Oliver''s body moved on its own as he came face to face in front of her.


    They both looked into each other''s eyes, Oliver felt she was quite beautiful but she was a devil so he didn''t care.


    The woman also felt that Oliver''s features were quite delicate and cute, especially his eyes; for some reason, they seemed to draw her towards them with a mysterious charm.


    ''Does he have some sort of special eyes?''


    She made a wild guess, that would exin to her how he was able to sort out artifacts from the trash.


    More importantly, she was quite immune to charm and mind-affecting techniques, but she felt a strong force of attraction to his eyes which made her feel she had guessed correctly.


    Or maybe he had a special constitution...


    ''As expected, he should be a perfect fit.'' She thought of something and her eyes once again focused on him.


    Her lips curled and she had an expression that made others feel that she was about to offer something great, she said,


    "Do you want to join the ck Codex Federation?"


    "No."


    ____________________________


    Far from the market in the central area of the n was Nadia''s courtyard.


    In the courtyard, there was a metal dummy ced; the metallic body resembled a human body.


    In front of the metal body, there she was standing with a calm expression.


    In her left hand, she was holding a long red rapier with a golden tip; it was an ordinary rapier but was made by a fine cksmith.


    It was no artifact, just a slightly strong rapier to use.


    She looked at the metallic dummy with a serene expression, her eyes devoid of any emotion.


    She gripped the rapier''s body and disappeared from her spot.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A loud series of banging sounds were heard before Nadia reappeared on her spot.


    She was still holding the rapier, and nothing had changed on her expression.


    However, in the next moment, the metal dummy, which was intact just a moment ago, suddenly broke down into pieces.


    The cuts were all made at weaker joints with fine precision and controlled strength showing her level of handling the weapon.


    She nced at the broken dummy and then to her rapier.


    ''I should be able to master this technique in a few weeks worth of time.''


    She thought and closed her eyes.


    This rapier technique was called [Press of the Liberty], and it was a powerful rapier technique that had the capability to pierce through tough metals and armors like paper.


    She was about to practice and revise another martial arts technique when she suddenly heard a small p.


    p!


    She froze and looked behind her instantly...


    Behind her was the most terrifying existence she had ever known.


    Her mother...


    Ophelia had appeared behind Nadia without her noticing anything. It was unknown for how long she had been behind her, concealing her presence.


    Nadia''s eyes shone in a strange light as she met her mother''s eyes. She unconsciously used her [Abyss Eyes] whenever in the presence of her mother¡ªit just showed that her body felt uneasiness and instinctively used means to protect itself.


    Ophelia was wearing a white kimono with ck design patterns; her graceful figure was properly emphasized by the dress.


    Her silver eyes was as cold as usual; it was unknown what was on her mind. She did not care about her daughter using special eyes knowing it could not pose her a threat.


    Although she was pping, there was not even a hint of happiness on her face. Her face, which resembled Nadia a lot, was a whole more expressionless.


    "Mother... since when..."


    Nadia said in a low voice, not bearing a hint of confidence she showed around others. At the same time, she also controlled herself and stopped using the special eyes.


    "You have improved." Ophelia spoke a few words, but to Nadia''s ears, it was the greatest praise. She did not even answer her question and directly ignored that.


    Nadia lowered her head as she nodded a little; she felt happy that her mother acknowledged her growth.


    Oliver''s face suddenly came to her mind, remembering the scene where he gave her the elixir, but she quickly shook away the thoughts.


    Ophelia narrowed her eyes watching her daughter''s antics. She felt that her daughter was showing too much emotion and that was not what she wanted.


    But she decided to let it be for the time being; Nadia had improved significantly aspared to thest time in killing her emotions.


    It was normal; she was a growing child and all sorts of emotions and feelings would course through her. It was good as long as she kept eliminating them as they appeared.


    Ophelia considered giving her special medicine to suppress the limbic system present in her brain.


    The limbic system in the human brain was responsible for regting emotions.


    The medicine was something she had concocted herself; it limited the effects of the limbic system in the human brain specifically targeting the emotions while boosting the prefrontal cortex, which was responsible for decision-making.


    The medicine had little to no side-effects, and it helped improve the memory as well. It would improve the person''s ability to take quick rational decisions in intense situations


    But she wanted to wait some more years before feeding it to Nadia again.


    Nadia was still a child, and taking the medicine too much would reduce the benefits, if anything.


    She had already fed her the medicine once so she must wait for the second round.


    Ophelia''s eyes shone in a silver light, just like Oliver''s special eyes, unlike him, she possessed a special constitution and it was one of her abilities.


    With that, she looked at Nadia. Her mastery over her eyes was far superior to Oliver''s mastery.


    Oliver was nothing in front of her.


    One instant was all it took for Ophelia to analyze as her eyes narrowed once again.


    She noticed something abnormal about her daughter''s body.


    She calmly looked at Nadia with a piercing gaze and then said in a cold voice...

 Chapter 32: Safe for now? Offered benefits?

    <h4>Chapter 32: Safe for now? Offered benefits?</h4>


    Chapter 32


    "Punch that metal puppet with your full strength," Ophelia said, her tone more of amand as she looked at another metallic puppet in the courtyard.


    Nadia also followed the direction and directly went towards it without any question.


    Her fists clenched as she punched the metallic puppet with all her strength.


    Boom!


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    In the next moment, cobweb-shaped cracks appeared on the ground where the puppet was standing just a second ago.


    In its ce was now nothing but tiny broken pieces of what was left of the metal.


    "Your physical strength has increased by arge margin unexpectedly," Ophelia''s calm voice sounded as she keenly observed her daughter who also looked at her expressionlessly, not saying anything.


    This sudden boost in her strength was out of her calctions.


    Was this really it? Was it really due to her talent that her strength had a boost?


    Or was it due to some other reason...?


    She felt suspicious.


    Nadia''s heart stirred for some reason; she felt proud that her mother had acknowledged her improvement but she didn''t know why but when her mother said thest line, she was asking her why?


    ''Why won''t I say that I received a body-strengthening elixir from him?'' She asked herself this question.


    She felt that if she said that, something that she didn''t want to happen would happen. Her mother would not sit still. The thought of what might happen made her heart clench suddenly.


    Looking at her daughter being silent, Ophelia didn''t ponder on it for the moment.


    Nadia has always been obedient to hermands and would provide her with a detailed report of her actions every time.


    So if there was something, she would know.


    "I want you to be prepared. Your first demon hunt will be soon. All the heirs of the n will be participating in the demon hunt, and I expect you to triumph over others," Ophelia said as a matter of fact. She made it clear that she would not ept anything but victory from her daughter.


    The demon hunt was apetition of sorts which was part of the training regimen all the young heirs of the n must go through.


    There were a total of 5 pairs of siblings in the main family as of the moment, and every single one of them would need to participate in that. It was mandatory.


    They must gain experience as they train so as to be prepared for the future war that could break out at any moment and not die early.


    Not to mention, the n would provide the children who perform excellently with some excellent rewards that could make anyone drool.


    "Yes, mother," Nadia replied in a tone devoid of any warmth; she was just like an emotionless robot who followed her mother''smands and replied when asked to.


    Ophelia did not stay any longer, and in front of her daughter''s eyes, her figure disappeared into thin air as if it was never there in the first ce.


    "Do you want to join the ck Codex Federation?"


    These words dropped like a thunderbolt in Oliver''s ears.


    He didn''t hesitate and directly declined her offer in the next moment.


    "No."


    He didn''t even need to think that this woman was plotting something devious and he was a part of her ns.


    He didn''t like to be controlled like this and be a pawn in someone''s ns.


    Although being a true member of the ck Codex Federation was something exorcists would kill for.


    Joining the ck Codex Federation as a true member was extremely difficult, and only through invites from already present members could one enter the ranks of the ck Codex Federation.


    Oliver felt like he was giving up too many benefits at the moment when he replied with a t ''No'', but he suppressed the feeling of loss.


    If he became involved with such a mysterious and powerful woman with unknown intentions, he wouldn''t know how it would affect his life.


    The woman who heard his instant rejection was stunned for a second before she asked.


    "You... are you aware what you declined? You must not, right?"


    She felt Oliver was being ridiculous, but considering his tender age andck of knowledge, she felt that he was just being oblivious.


    The ck Codex Federation was an extremely influential organization with its influence on par with the top 5 ns.


    It had nock of resources either for its members; artifacts one could only dream of or martial or exorcism techniques one had only heard legends of... everything was there.


    Not to mention, the unparalleled security the organization offered... half of your opponents would admit defeat if they knew you belonged to the ck Codex Federation.


    The organization was controlled by extremely powerful people rumored to be on par with elites of the top 5 ns.


    It was a superpower in its own league.


    "I know of the benefits; I have read various books about the organization, and I also know that you represent the organization, but I must decline the offer," Oliver refused with a bleeding heart.


    The woman looked at the little boy in front of her; she felt even more stubborn now, she now wanted to get him even more. If she decided on something then there were few who could stop her.


    "Your n treats you as air; your talents are not recognized by your own n. You are forced to live isted from others. Your existence is not known to many despite being one of the heirs."


    She put her hands down on her desk as she continued.


    "The ck Codex Federation will not neglect you like your n. Your talents will be polished, and you will be far above from where you are currently. Not only that, you will have ess to the organization''s massivework and resources."


    "And you still refuse? What is there that is stopping you? Are you afraid that your n won''t leave you if they be aware of your change in affiliations? If so, you don''t have to worry about that. Until you leave your n boundaries, there will be nothing that could rte you to us. I can guarantee that."


    She paused for a moment and added, "After leaving your n once, you can operate independently. If it''s still not enough to convince you to join then what is?"


    The woman folded her arms and crossed her legs as she looked at Oliver with a strict gaze that wanted answers.


    He opened his mouth but no words came out.


    ''Damn, she said so much... but all of this makes sense. She is so terrifying in negotiating...'' He could not help but suck a cold breath of air to calm his mind.


    She was too strong!


    He calmed down and thought for a moment.


    ''Joining the ck Codex Federation, if I...''

 Chapter 33: Things become clear! Secret room!

    <h4>Chapter 33: Things be clear! Secret room!</h4>


    Chapter 33


    ''But looking at it from a wider perspective, joining the ck Codex Federation is not a bad option either. Although I will be risking bing involved in her ns if I did join but will that even matter?''


    He seriously asked himself.


    ''I have the system and could grow stronger than anyone else if I remain patient. Getting too concerned with my security is not optimal here... Plus she''s right, the n does not provide me with resources I should have...''


    Oliver remembered how he had to beg for money and various permissions to enter the central area of the n through maids.


    Even some maids were better treated than him.


    He felt that he was already strong enough physically and should be allowed resources that would be provided to an exorcist who has taken the physical exorcism path.


    He didn''t have any weapon technique he could train, nor any martial art technique either. Neither did he have any espera techniques.


    He was really too miserable if not for the system.


    He had just purchased the [Six Thoughtful Steps of the Spirits] of his own money and it was just a movement technique for exorcists.


    Although now he finally had some cash but he knew it was temporary and all of it would most likely be used up in the auction.


    And finding artifacts that were treated as trash in the n market was not easy at all. There were appraisers everywhere and hardly would they leave an artifact alone.


    It was not as easy as it was depicted in the novels he used to read where the protagonist would keep finding artifacts every now and then.


    People of this world were not stupid.


    Looking at Oliver''s hesitant face, the woman secretly eximed that he was too cautious.


    Even after providing him with such strong arguments and benefits any exorcist would kill for, he still hesitated over his choice?


    She decided to give him a final push.


    "If you join right at the moment, I will allow you to choose a Rare-rank artifact for free."


    Oliver who was thinking about his life heard this and was stunned.


    He felt like he was hearing things...


    A Rare grade artifact for free?


    It wasmon knowledge to exorcists that artifacts also had grades that they were divided into.


    It was based on the power they possessed, their avability, their history if any, and some other factors.


    Artifacts were divided into 5 ranks in general.


    Common Artifacts


    Umon Artifacts


    Rare Artifacts


    Epic Artifacts


    Legendary Artifacts


    __________________


    Common artifacts included basic weapons with enchantment, essories with simple espera functions, or some cultural symbols.


    Umon artifacts were lessmon thanmon artifacts but still rtively essible. These included specialized weapons, espera talismans and other special weapons. These artifacts were often rted to history or had ties to being used by someone significant in the past.


    Rare Artifacts were highly sought after artifacts by exorcists. They possessed a great deal of power. Not only that they had significant historical importance in the world as well. These included powerful weapons with special abilities, relics with unique powers. Some of these artifacts even had ties to legendary or mythical creatures.


    Epic Artifacts were very rare to find. They were often legends that many had heard of but have not seen in person. Naturally they carried extraordinary amount of power and value, being capable of changing history of the world itself. These artifacts were had immense espera abilities, were tied to relics of ancient civilizations.


    Legendary Artifacts were the most powerful and revered of all. They were the crown jewels of any collection, had god-like powers and importance.


    No one knew much about them, how they were born, some assumed they were forged by gods as relics of creation and destruction while other believed they were formed by natural world-altering events.


    There were no clue if there was any legendary artifact in the world or not, these artifacts could alter reality itself.


    ________________


    Oliver heard that she was willing to give him a Rare rank artifact and was rather stunned.


    Did she really wanted him to join the organization so much? Or was it for everyone who joined the organization to receive an artifact or something else.


    One had to know that Rare rank artifacts were not easy to get hands onto, for reference, the [Medal of Eternal Pain] that he had sold to her before was an Epic rank artifact.


    "Alright, I will ept your invitation and join the ck Codex Federation."


    He decided to join the organization, in the novel, this organization was quite deep and had many mysteries. Not to mention there would be many events in the future where he could use his knowledge of the novel to extract enormous benefits.


    Not only that, he could also remain as a member of Mystic Purge n officially while also being a part of the ck Codex Federation.


    The ck Codex Federation has yed an important role in the world during many arcs, not to mention it also had a dark secret that he knew about...


    From his knowledge, he was sure that they would be more than happy to have a member that was also a part of the 5 great ns.


    It was akin to having a mole in another country''s government at a high level, many decisions could be influenced.


    The woman who heard him felt quite happy inside, she had finally gotten what she wanted and was deeply satisfied by her victory.


    Sure enough, she could make others bend to her will as long as she was rich, had many resources.


    But after calming down, she realized she was being too happy.


    She had to give him an artifact to convince him to join, who even does that!?


    People would beg just to be rted to the organization and he was being like this?


    She scolded herself for being too hasty and now she felt that she might have looked desperate to him.


    She won''t take back what she had said, she was a woman of her words.


    Shaking her head, she looked at the little boy in front of her who was also looking at her curiously.


    "I am Jenna. Jenna Sullivan and you will be under me from now on."


    She got up from her chair and Oliver got a view of her full body, she was lean and had proper curves of ady. She had long legs and thick thighs whose appeal was enhanced by her outfit.


    "Follow me." She ordered and went up to the bookshelf.


    And under Oliver''s excited gaze, she shifted one of the books and a secret passageway revealed itself from between the shelf.


    This was the dream life!


    Oliver had always wanted to experience something like this once in his previous life, entering through a secret tunnel located right beside him in ordinary ces.


    He quickly followed after his new boss as he saw her enter the stairway.


    Finally, they reached the secret room and he was amazed by what he saw!

 Chapter 34: Choosing an artifact! Youngest to join?

    <h4>Chapter 34: Choosing an artifact! Youngest to join?</h4>


    Chapter 34


    The stairway was not too long and they both soon came into a room with ck tiles.


    Oliver could not believe that there was such a space present in such a building and most likely this room was built using space maniption using espera.


    He felt all of his senses were blocked in this room; he could not even feel Jenna who was right in front of his eyes.


    "Take any one of the artifacts present in that area. All of them are Rare-ranked artifacts," Jenna simply said and pointed to a corner of the room where a bunch of instruments were ced in an orderly manner with name tags underneath or beside them.


    Oliver did not stand on ceremony and quickly went over to take a look and get an artifact for himself.


    "You have so many..." he could not help but say.


    Jenna, who heard his awe, crossed her hands under her chest as she said with a hint of arrogance, "Of course. Who do you think I am?"


    Looking at her, Oliver suddenly felt that she seemed somewhat gullible.


    Although she still had that aura of superiority and power around her, looking at her actions and listening to her words, he was not sure if she was gullible or he was a fool.


    Earlier, she offered him an artifact to join the ck Codex Federation, which made him feel she really wanted him there.


    But he could not understand why?


    Was it for his appraisal ability that she seemed to think he had?


    If so, then she shouldn''t have been like this; he knew how many great artifact makers and experts were a part of the ck Codex Federation.


    He was just a little kid.


    Not to mention, he had no clue about her from the novel, so it was likely that she was also some random side-character like him.


    A powerful side-character who belonged to a super organization but never met or interacted with the protagonists of the novel.


    ''And I also don''t have an impressive espera either... I would say my espera is as low as that of a normal human.''


    He thought that there was no way that she sensed he had an abnormal espera for his tender age either since he didn''t have any to boast and for her to sense.


    And although he had a great amount of physical strength, he had not done anything for her to know of it either.


    He knew that he would not receive the invitation to join such a big organization for no reason. There had to be a deeper reason.


    But since he had no clue about it, he was just rolling with the situation since joining the organization was in his good at the moment.


    There were many things in life that people had no control over and had to adjust ordingly.


    He also knew that not everything would ur as he wanted it to... there would be differences and he was preparing himself to be prepared to face those.


    He looked at the numerous Rare Rank Artifacts and used [Cosmic Void Gaze] and confirmed that all of them were 100% real.


    He looked at them one by one and their descriptions.


    A bronze-headed mace that dealt twice the damage than a normal one...


    A cloth keeper crop that was created for defense, looked quite old and had a long list of previous owners...


    A copper Scythe for practical use, has the ability to harvest espera from flora and fauna to a limited degree...


    A Marble-Headed War Hammer capable of shattering robust shields and bones with a stun effect...


    A Cursed Sickle that cannot be sheathed until it has killed, bloodthirsty and a dark artifact like that medal...


    ''I don''t need these... I want something that can be incorporated into my daily life so that others don''t even suspect it to be an artifact... these artifact weapons seem too big and shy.''


    He withdrew his gaze and looked more and sorted out the artifacts that could be used in daily life and look ordinary in appearance.


    After a full ten minutes of endless search, he finally managed to sort out 3 top choices that he could use.


    [The Wrap of Quantum Darkness], as the name suggests it allows the owner to manipte the element of darkness to conceal presence but use depends on the mastery of owner.


    [Energizing Sun Shoes], shoes that can absorb sr energy and grant the wearer an enhancement in speed and agility, further boost when exposed to sunlight. Movements be fluid and swift.


    Andstly, an Artifact named [Helm of Wings] which allowed its owner to fly for a short duration and some protection from projectiles providing defense in battles.


    ''Hmm...'' Oliver wanted all of them but knew he could not have all of them.


    After thinking hard for another minute, he looked at Jenna and then said while holding the artifact.


    "I want this."


    Jenna raised a brow at his choice of artifact.


    ___________________


    "Well then,e with me. Since now that you are an official member of the ck Codex Federation, there are some things you need to keep in mind."


    She said in her serious and strict tone, her ck hair flowing behind her back as she walked back upwards and sat down at her desk.


    He quietly followed her back to the office room. He couldn''t help but ask her once again.


    "Wouldn''t my age be a hindrance while joining the organization, Boss Su?"


    Oliver nicknamed her as "Boss Su," short for her surname Sullivan.


    Jenna who heard him dismissed his worry as she replied, "No. Age is just a number for us exorcists; we could extend our lives by hundreds of years easily and still maintain youth. The youngest to join the organization was as old as 13 years due to their ability. So you will be just a little younger."


    Oliver was speechless. Didn''t that mean that he has be the youngest ever to join the ck Codex Federation?


    He shook his head, she was indeed correct. Exorcists didn''t have ordinary lifespans of humans but could live as long as they continue to get stronger. The stronger an exorcist was, the greater their lifespan.

 Chapter 35: A syringe and a... chip? Exorcist Web!

    <h4>Chapter 35: A syringe and a... chip? Exorcist Web!</h4>


    Chapter 35


    Exorcists had pseudo-immortality in a sense. To normal humans, they were like deities walking in in sight, and that''s why exorcists were respected everywhere in the normal world of humans.


    Not to mention, humanity was being protected by exorcists, so they naturally shared a higher status in society overall.


    But there were strict rules set by the ns for exorcists not to meddle too much in normal human society unless it was for demons or something important.


    It was believed that exorcists and normal humans should live separate lives. There have been incidents where heretics would abuse the powers of exorcism to rule over a vige or small town of humans with tyranny.


    Of course, such heretics were quickly hunted down as soon as the news reached the ns or other organizations.


    Demons were already enough of an issue, so they could not afford to let their fellow species cause more trouble for them.


    Now that the war was at a stalemate for the time being, these heretics were being hunted down actively by other exorcists.


    Exorcists were also humans but at the same time, they were different from normal humans.


    It was best to draw a clear line between the two, as there have been since ancient times.


    Other than that, there were many rich normal humans who hired exorcists and whatnot. Firearms, technology, and everything was actively supplied to exorcist ns to make their lives and war easier.


    "Here. Take this." Jenna opened a locked door in her desk and retrieved a ck chip with a cursive letter ''C'' written on it in golden color.


    "A chip? What is it for?"


    "To inject it into your bloodstream," she said calmly.


    "What!?" He could not help but doubt her words.


    Inject the strange chip into his bloodstream?


    That sounded so ufortable and dangerous.


    Even in his previous world, no one ever dared to experiment with something this crazy on a human before.


    "Yes. You heard that right. Don''t be a kid... err... I mean¡ªa coward. This chip will directly register your blood signature into the organization''s main database and allow you ess to their virtualwork to connect to. Not only that, this chip would also serve as proof of your loyalty to the organization."


    She looked at his hesitant and ufortable face and knew that he was worried about something foreign entering his body.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not painful at all, just lightly press the chip against your skin for a few minutes, and it will automatically enter you."


    Oliver felt this was quite terrifying; the ck Codex Foundation sure lived up to its name as he had read in the novel.


    It was not that he was worried about the chip or anything, but he just felt ufortable letting something inside his body, something foreign like this chip.


    From the novel, he was aware that this chip just served as a connection between the individual and the ck Codex Federation''s main database. Almost all members of the organization were given one at their joining.


    Jenna probably said the words like loyalty and all to keep him aware that he must never betray the organization in the future as the chip would keep him in check.


    But he knew better. There were many ways he could hack into this chip and cheat the system. The chip did not have any monitoring function in it and was just a slightly advanced piece of machinery to maintain connection and authenticity.


    There were many unknown details, but he believed he could find them himself.


    Not to mention, the organization cared a lot for its true official members and won''t do them any injustice so long they don''t harbor any evil intentions towards the organization itself.


    Plus any exorcist would not ept the idea of being controlled by someone or being monitored, while the organization had guts, they were not bold enough to upset their own members.


    He remembered the faces of some of the characters with extremely erratic personalities but yet they were treated like elites in the organization.


    ''Well... anyways.''


    He decided to give it a try and pressed the chip against his left arm, holding it still for a minute before he felt a cool sensation around the area.


    He saw in excitement as the chip slowly started to assimte itself into his skin before turning invisible.


    Using [Cosmic Void Gaze], he could easily see the chip flowing through his arteries, slowly shrinking until it was as small as one-tenth of a fingernail.


    It might be done to prevent a member from trying to extract the chip through manual means.


    He could see how the small chip had mixed deeply in the blood, finding which was impossible.


    Oliver knew that this chip was very advanced technology that the ck Codex Federation''s best engineers have had developed.


    It was definitely prone to various medical analysis machines and wouldn''t be detected in them either.


    Well, he could still spot the chip through his special eyes. No big deal.


    "Great, you are now officially a true member of ck Codex Federation. I''ll provide you with the starting kit that all members receive upon joining."


    She said as she opened another drawer under her table and retrieved a ck box.


    Oliver curiously looked inside and found a variety of things inside the box.


    Firstly, there was a syringe containing a seaweed-green colored liquid.


    She looked at him and answered his curiosity.


    "This is an attribute awakening essence. It''s a potent essence extracted from a mysterious site. Upon injecting this, it will help you awaken a random attribute to your espera. All the members receive one."


    He heard her say and couldn''t help but ask, "What essence is this? Which attribute will it awaken?"


    "It''spletely random; the ce from where this essence was extracted and refined from is also unknown. It depends on your luck which attribute you can awaken when you inject it."


    She paused before adding, "The only thing that I can tell you is that this was refined by the most skilled alchemists of the ck Codex Federation. You can inject it when you go back."


    He nodded, looking at the other things.


    Jenna then picked up a device and handed it to him.


    "What''s this?" He asked.


    "A smartphone."


    "...."


    "I am aware of that. I wanted to ask what this thing is to be used for?" He rified. He wanted to know if this was just an ordinary smartphone or had to be used in specified circumstances only.


    ''Why do I feel like a spy...?''


    "This is a normal smartphone both in appearance and function, but I''ll provide you with an ess code that upon being used will allow you to enter the organization''s secure web as well as themon exorcist web of the world."


    Pulling out a piece of ivory paper, she wrote a special code onto it and gave it to him.

 Chapter 36: Forgot to buy meat!

    <h4>Chapter 36: Forgot to buy meat!</h4>


    Chapter 36


    "You can use it as you please; there are many things that are sold on the exorcist web. From online resources to specialized training modules. Of course, you can''t let anyone know of this. Memorize this code and destroy it afterward."


    She handed him the piece of paper.


    Oliver looked at the code, and it was indeed quite long andplex, but he was able to memorize it quickly. Maybe it was due to the presence of espera that his brain worked faster and much more efficiently.


    To be honest, he was quite shocked that he got the ess to not only the exorcist web but also the Codexwork so easily.


    Naturally, he knew of the exorcist web; it was thework that connected exorcists all around the world. This ce was primarily used for resource trading and information trade.


    A normal human with no background would never be able to ess this web through any means. It was not a ce where they would be allowed to mess.


    He had thought that he wouldn''t be able to ess the exorcist web until he joined the academy in the future or left the n considering how strictly the web was monitored and regted by the ns.


    But such an unexpected scenario urred, and not only did he get the ess to the exorcist web but also the entry to the Codex Web.


    Yes, the privatework of the ck Codex Federation...


    He memorized the code and input it at the same time to see if it was working properly, and indeed it was.


    He could see a search engine and a variety of forums with different topics, all rted to exorcists.


    He closed the phone and said, "This is quite convenient. As expected of the ck Codex Federation."


    Jenna looked at him and pondered about how he might be one of the youngest in the history to have ess to the exorcist web.


    She suddenly felt like she was that olddy who would give children candy and then take them to travel around the world in her van...


    No... this felt illegal for some reason.


    She shook her head of such thoughts.


    "That''s all, the rest of the stuff is some basic documentation. Feel free to burn them after reading it, or the ink will disappear on its own in a week."


    She handed him the ck leather box and exined simply.


    Crossing her legs, Jenna could not help but think if it was the right choice to let a kid like him inside the organization just due to a moment''s instinct.


    Was she being whimsical, or was there really something deep about this little boy?


    She had authority high enough in the organization to invite members, but expelling them required a series of discussions with other high-level members.


    So, in a sense, Oliver was more or less now a permanent member.


    It was one of those times where she felt indecisive in her life...


    But she could not help it; she felt a really strong intuition when she saw him casually bring out multiple artifacts and even an artifact of Epic rank as well. He was definitely not simple.


    "Alright then, I will leave."


    Oliver also bid her farewell; he had spent too much time in the marketce, way more than he had expected.


    He must get home quickly and start practicing the technique he had bought.


    ___________________


    "Zippy! I am back!"


    Oliver announced as he returned to his courtyard, and soon a beautiful and white cat came near him.


    He looked at her and was impressed!


    Her disguise technique was very terrifying... white fur; she looked just like a cloud in the form of a cat.


    He picked her up and went inside, but he suddenly froze.


    ''Fuck! I forgot to buy meat!''


    He looked at the white cat in hisp, and she also looked back at him.


    The cat was clearly making an expression that said, where''s the meat you promised?


    "Uh..." He suddenly felt tongue-tied, not knowing what to say to her.


    "We will have meat tomorrow. Today we must finish the leftovers from yesterday."


    "???" The n guardian.


    He coughed lightly and put her down and quickly excused himself to the kitchen.


    Hastily looking around, he searched for anything that had been left from before.


    Usually, it was the maid who cooked his meals, but he knew how to cook himself, albeit he was still a novice in cooking.


    Creak! Creak!


    He opened one shelf after another to look for ingredients he could use.


    The n guardian would definitely be suspicious if he didn''t feed her well.


    Over the days, he had got to know her personality a little bit. Although she was not a cat exactly, her behavior was easily that of a cat.


    As long as her belly was full and she was fed regrly on precise timings, she would remain calm and happy.


    If someday, due to his training or whatever reason, he forgets to feed her, she would act grumpy and even scratch him.


    "Sigh..." He suspected that the n guardian didn''t even require eating, yet this cat was quite demanding.


    ''Well, at least I don''t have to clean after her!''


    Oliver tried to think positively about having the n guardian as his cat.


    Ultimately he found some rice and uncooked fish.


    His eyes lit up!


    He could definitely coax her with this.


    He quickly cooked rice with vegetables and cooked the fish, not forgetting to season it ording to her taste.


    He made the rice for himself and fish for her.


    Soon, a strong aroma spread in all corners of the courtyard.


    The n guardian, who was earlier infuriated at being lied to about meat, was instantly attracted.


    "Meow!"


    She jumped over and quickly came near the table where Oliver ate his meals.


    A freshly made fish was soon ced in front of her; just smelling the aroma was enough to make her salivate...


    She had eaten countless delicacies in her lifetime prepared by the best of chefs in the n, but it has been a very very long time since she tasted this simple and good food.


    It gave her aforting feeling, and that''s also why she ate his cooking regrly.


    She felt that this life was not half bad!

 Chapter 37: Evolving the Press of Liberty by 10 times!

    <h4>Chapter 37: Evolving the Press of Liberty by 10 times!</h4>


    Chapter 37


    A few weekster...


    Oliver was behind his courtyard in the small secret area where he often hung out when he was alone.


    But at the moment, he was not there to rx but for an entirely different reason.


    Fifty marks were drawn on the ground, each some distance away from the other.


    These marks were in the form of different shapes: circles, triangles, squares, and so on...


    Since the time he had returned to his courtyard, he had been diligently practicing the [Six Thoughtful Steps of the Spirits.]


    ording to the movement technique, he must train his feet in such a way that they move with a grace that only spirits could exude, a fluidity that promotes his physical powers and espera alignment.


    Rooted in the principles of bnce, coordination, and intention, a calm mind serves as the core requirement.


    Feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, Oliver was in a state of focus. His feet rooted to the earth beneath him, stabilizing his core muscles to adjust his posture and align his spine, he gazed at the various marks in front of him.


    He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to center his focus and calm his mind.


    He suddenly moved!


    Swish! Swish!


    From one shape to another, he stepped on the center of each shape, his movements partially mindful and a hint of grace bing evident as he moved from one to another.


    Taking the support of the earth beneath him, his body transitioned between the shapes, a strong intent of fluidity taking form.


    If someone were to look at him at the moment, they would quickly notice that he was imitating gestures and flowing movements as inscribed in the technique scroll.


    Oliver narrowed his eyes; he could see that as he moved, the distance between the shapes widened...


    He had to move from one shape to the same shape distance away, meaning if he stepped on a circle, then he could only step on a circle next and then to another shape.


    In fact, there was no such absurd method mentioned in the [Six Thoughtful Steps of the Spirits] technique, but from his wide knowledge of the novel, he knew that the teacher of the protagonist who taught martial arts rmended this method to train in the beginning.


    ording to that teacher, when training in movement technique, this was one of the best methods to choose from if one did not have any equipment or materials to support.


    So, Oliver naturally adopted this method. He knew just how fast the protagonist became in the future.


    Swish!


    His pace quickened as he moved even faster, his eyes catching everything in his surroundings, nothing escaping his sight.


    Apart from training his physical strength, he always focused on [Cosmic Void Gaze], his trump card at the moment.


    And he could feel his mastery increasing gradually as days passed by.


    ''Fuck!''


    He eximed as he suddenly lost bnce and could not step on the next shape.


    ''Huff... I need to learn to coordinate my body with the line of sight...''


    He thought as he wiped his sweat with a towel and drank a few mouthfuls of water.


    ''But how do I achieve that...?''


    He wondered as he looked at the clear blue sky, his mind unable to help but wander to the scene he remembered from the novel.


    In that scene, when the war between demons and exorcists resumed, all hell broke loose.


    Countless lives were lost and formed, rivers of blood became asmon as water...


    The exorcists were unyielding, and demons were terrifying; the protagonist ughtered demons left and right without mercy.


    The ground cracked, and the area of the battlefield was described to have formed a crimson-ck sky.


    Both demons and exorcists brought out one artifact after another, massacring each other with no end.


    Many powerhouses were killed as if someone was plucking out cabbages from a field.


    Thousands of children lost their parents and vice-versa; it was one of the saddest periods of history.


    Whenever the war between the two parties intensified, the world would suffer and cry tears of blood.


    His mind went back as his eyes became focused again, and he saw the sky was still blue and beautiful.


    He sighed... it was still too early for him to worry about the war.


    There was a lot of time until then, and he knew all the ns would be dragged into the war no matter what.


    He had to prepare for that time to ensure that he didn''t die.


    Suddenly, he heard it!


    That familiar sound...


    [Ding! Target has mastered the rapier technique belonging to the Mystic Purge n after undergoing rigorous training. The Press of Liberty]


    [Ding! Obtaining 10x benefits. Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom has been obtained!]


    Just as the notification ended, a tornado of memories rushed into his mind, making him clutch his head in pain and close his eyes.


    "Kuh-!"


    His muscles and bones stirred as his body became adapted to ept the reward.


    A few minutester, he calmed down.


    Huff... Huff...


    Taking deep breaths, his body rxed as his tense forehead rxed.


    He clutched his hand, a strange yet familiar feeling spread through his body and mind.


    He wanted to hold a rapier at this moment very badly, but unfortunately, he didn''t have any.


    He looked around and saw trees everywhere; he got up and went to a nearby tree, slowly climbing it until he reached a branch.


    Twisting the whole branch from the tree, he jumped down.


    Using his bare hands, he started to tear apart bits from the wooden branch, trying to make something simr to a rapier.


    Although crude, he did make something simr to a rapier.


    Holding the branch, he swung it into the air, producing a strong series of vibrations... it was as if the air was acting as the string, and he was the musician ying those invisible strings as he swung.


    The [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom] was an extremely powerful rapier technique from the knowledge he had obtained.


    ording to the information, this technique was so strong that...

 Chapter 38: Honorable Stars Essence! Getting ready to meet Nadia again!

    <h4>Chapter 38: Honorable Stars Essence! Getting ready to meet Nadia again!</h4>


    Chapter 38


    The [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom] was an extraordinarily powerful rapier technique from the knowledge he had obtained.


    ording to the information, this technique was so strong that it could pierce through an army of armed soldiers when mastered to perfection!


    Not only that, but its name was derived from the [Press of Liberty.]


    The [Press of Liberty] was created by an ancient exorcist who excelled in rapierbat. He had no rivals when it came to using a rapier at that time, and he used his skills to fight against the tyranny of the lord of the kingdom where he lived and his army, ultimately freeing thousands of ves from the tyrant.


    Later, the exorcist fought against demons until hisst breath in order to let every single person on Earth be free of their fear of demons.


    This rapier technique at that time was not named by the exorcist but by the people who recorded his art and skills.


    Due to his admirable attitude of providing everyone freedom and liberty, this art of rapier waster called the [Press of Liberty] as it helped countless people achieve liberty.


    The ancient exorcists were unparalleled when it came to refining their arts and exorcism techniques.


    The [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom], a technique obtained after evolving the [Press of Liberty] tenfold, was undoubtedly better.


    Using this martial art could help him exorcise an entire legion of demons at its full power, which was terrifying.


    Of course, he must master this technique first for all that to happen.


    From Nadia, although he received tenfold rewards, the training experience he received, however, was also tenfold, but the requirements for the evolved techniques were also much higher than the normal ones.


    So, he must put in his own hard work to be able to master the technique, or else his own body would not be able to endure the burden of using such overpowered techniques in the future.


    He also felt it was reasonable; otherwise, it wouldn''t make any sense.


    "I found the answer to my earlier question..." He looked excited as he found out from the experience he gained from Nadia about how to properly control and coordinate his body and mind with his line of sight and strength.


    Holding onto the branch, he closed his eyes and focused in front of him. He slowly aligned the branch straight in line with his chest.


    A moment went by, and he stood still; the world around him was still at this moment in his mind, he was alone in this world, no one was there to disturb his calm.


    Suddenly, he opened his eyes and made a forward motion with the wooden branch.


    "Ha!"


    Boom!


    A strong shockwave sted through the trees, wrecking them.


    The branch he was holding onto was also destroyed, unable to bear the load.


    Oliver looked in front of him; just the shockwave produced from his strike was enough to graze through the toughness of these thick tree trunks.


    He could only imagine how strong an esper-infused strike of this technique would be.


    Looking at what was left of the branch in his hand, he felt satisfied. He should get himself a decent weapon soon.


    "But for now... it''s time to finally awaken an attribute."


    ____________________


    Oliver returned to his courtyard and got out the ck box that he had received from Jenna.


    Click!


    With a clicking sound, he opened the box and saw the syringe containing the seaweed-green colored liquid.


    He hadn''t forgotten about this mystical thing at all; instead, he had been reading the documents Jenna had given him, plus the exorcist web, to learn about this strange liquid.


    Although he could not find many clues about this syringe on the exorcist web, he was able to obtain information from the Codex web.


    This liquid in the syringe was called the Honorable Stars Essence, a mysterious essence that was concocted during a special phenomenon when thes were aligned in a certain order. It required many precious materials to be made, from the dew of stars to lunar lotus.


    Overall, this was a very rare and expensive potion that could not be bought with money alone. It required connections with expert alchemists.


    Oliver felt it was a waste to drink it on his own; he wanted to give it to Nadia and receive tenfold benefits, but over the past weeks, he could not get an opportunity to enter that area.


    Those brats had ordered guards not to let him enter... he knew the guards would obey their duty and wouldn''t dare to be careless.


    Plus, he was sure that even if the brats had not told the guards, the state he put his second brother into would definitely raise serious concern among his backers in the n, which would lead to tighter security of the area.


    Any unauthorized person would need to undergo a serious scan to enter the central area... and he was sure they would find the Honorable Stars Essence instantly if they scanned him.


    He was quite in a bind at the moment.


    Oliver, however, was not one to give up easily.


    He must make Nadia drink this no matter what. This was for his own benefit as well as hers.


    So, to counter the tight security measures in ce, he hade up with two ways.


    The first way was to use hiszy cat to secretly reach out to Nadia.


    What he meant by that was that he would have to let this cat of his carry the Honorable Stars Essence and give it to Nadia safely.


    Although it would involve the n guardian knowing about his affiliation with the ck Codex Federation, and he honestly had no idea how she would react to that, overall, it was a risky gamble that he wanted to avoid.


    So, he felt more inclined towards the second approach, which was to abuse his newfound powers that he had gained.


    It was now the moment for him to make use of some of his cards...

 Chapter 39: Using the artifact and some... aphrodisiac?

    <h4>Chapter 39: Using the artifact and some... aphrodisiac?</h4>


    Chapter 39


    First, he might have to create a strong disturbance or distractionrge enough to divert the guards'' attention for a short duration of time and utilize that moment to reach Nadia.


    After that, he could give the essence to her and return back and wait for the benefits.


    Although he knew that the Mystic Purge n must also have their own Honorable Stars Essence made by the best alchemists in the n.


    But he knew that Nadia would not be receiving them anytime soon.


    In the novel, Ophelia was an entric woman who followed her own ideologies and never respected themon sense of the world... and to her, Nadia was the most important person in the world.


    Not as a daughter, but as a tool, apparently. She was obsessed with the idea of creating the perfect being, the perfect exorcist to ever exist.


    And Nadia so far was the one among her other children who had the potential to reach that stage, so she was very careful with every aspect of her daughter''s growth.


    Oliver believed that his mother did not know that he had secretly fed Nadia a body-strengthening elixir or else he wouldn''t be in his courtyard chilling but instead somewhere dark...


    He shuddered, not daring to imagine the atrocities Ophelia hadmitted in the novel to achieve her goals.


    The guards and tight security would definitely pose a huge problem; he knew of their strength.


    They were way above an average exorcist in the world in skills.


    In such situations, usually typical novel protagonists would be aware of secret passageways or something simr to evade the guards, but he was not in such a situation.


    Usingmon sense, will a novel ever include the routes andyouts of a n that the protagonist didn''t even belong to? And let''s assume even if there was such a route oryout mentioned, would a normal reader ever bother with memorizing that?


    No, of course not if you are a normal reader; most of the normal readers would usually skip through such content.


    And Oliver was the same; there was no mention of any routes oryouts of the Mystic Purge n in the novel, and not only that, even if there was, he had most likely skipped that part when he was a reader.


    So, even if there was a hidden path right below his courtyard leading directly to the central area, he would never know!


    This was the reality as well!


    The world was not always run by clich¨¦s; he was facing harsh situations over in his new life.


    No matter, everything was connected.


    He had already made a n to slip through...


    He just needed the materials for the distraction.


    Afterward, he visited the n market once again and purchased some stuff from different shops. Although the thing he purchased was the same, since he was buying in mass, he had to make sure to purchase from different shops at a good distance from each other.


    In the worst case, if everything crashed, he could at least try to make sure that he won''t be traced back if he bought things like this.


    Not to mention, he was also wearing a cap to hide his hair color as well.


    Returning to his courtyard, he looked at the huge boxes of items. It was some thick smoke bombs and concentrated aphrodisiac that were enough to make even elephants unstable.


    He was going to use them to deter the guards, at least for a short duration. He knew these smoke capsules might not work for long against the guards, so he had especially purchased the aphrodisiac.


    The best way to attack an exorcist with esper as amon person or a person with lesser esper was to attack their mental state or make use of their emotions or urges.


    While he doubted that all of them would fall for it, it was enough; he could do well with that.


    "Phew, I am ready."


    He was slightly nervous for the stunt he was about to pull; never in his life had he expected that he would be doing something like this.


    Even in his previous life, he was a normal boy that rarely got into troubles with others, much less pulled any serious pranks.


    So, this was going to be a new experience for him.


    With that, he picked up the syringe and left the courtyard, not forgetting to leave some food for the sleeping cat.


    He knew the n guardian woulde in his use sooner orter, but probably now was not the time.


    __________________


    "And it''s done!" He said wiping sweat off his forehead.


    Oliver set the capsules at different spots and arranged them in a specific way.


    He made sure that it was close to the guards stationed to the central area.


    "This should release the smoke and aphrodisiac together at the same time in around 20 minutes as the stick burns fully. With this, nothing will be left behind once the smoke capsule activates."


    He thought to himself as he quickly went to the opposite side of the entrance, far away from this arrangement. He wouldn''t want to get caught up in smoke mixed with concentrated aphrodisiac.


    He secretly apologized to the oblivious guards in his mind.


    And then he finally took it out.


    A light-cream-colored cloak, a cloak that looked like a normal cloak a traveler would wear on their journey.


    But this was actually an artifact!


    At that time while at Jenna''s secret room, he had ultimately chosen the [Wrap of Quantum Darkness].


    An artifact that let him conceal his entire presence by letting the owner manipte the element of darkness to conceal presence but use depends on the mastery of the owner.


    For Oliver, this was the best choice indeed.


    If one can remember, he had the [Cosmic Void Gaze] and its first ability was [Dominion over Cosmic Voids.]


    It provides control over not only darkness but the vast void between cosmos. Superior form of the darkness element¡ªVoid.


    So naturally, the effect he would have on this artifact which utilized the darkness element would be amplified a lot considering he could directly use void element to...

 Chapter 40: Meeting Nadia again!

    <h4>Chapter 40: Meeting Nadia again!</h4>


    Chapter 40


    Awakening the [Cosmic Void Gaze] automatically gave him ess to the Void element itself.


    So, the [Wrap of Quantum Darkness] that would help its owner conceal their presence using the darkness element would have an enhanced effect.


    It would be something like having your entire existence shrouded for a short period of time.


    The void literally tranted to ''nothing'', so in a sense, upon using the artifact, he would be something akin to nothing.


    He would be very difficult to spot, but since the artifact itself was Rare Rank, it had limited capabilities and worked for a certain period of time.


    He must use that time to reach Nadia and make her drink the Honorable Stars Essence.


    He wanted to know what sort of effect it would have on his awakening... if she awakened an element.


    Oliver activated the artifact, and he turned invisible to the naked eye and went towards the gate of the central area.


    ___________________


    "Hey, what is that?"


    One of the guards patrolling the gates suddenly pointed in the distance and asked in a loud voice.


    Others also followed the direction and looked to see a huge and thick screen of smoke spreading towards them.


    "Divide into two groups; one of the groups will go and verify what is going on with that smoke. Just in case, prepare to battle and apprehend anyone nearby for interrogation."


    The guards coordinated well and quickly split into two groups. They all knew that doing anything funny or strange near the residential area of main members of the n was a serious offense.


    If the perpetrator had no good intentions, then the punishment could be as severe as execution.


    No matter who it was, they would be punished ording to the n rules.


    These were trained professionals, not fools who would easily get distracted. In the novels, it''s just that the plot armor of the main character simply reduces the IQ of other people to make things work, but it won''t work like that here.


    The first group of guards stayed there near the gates themselves, and the second group went over to the smoke to look for anomalies.


    They could not see through the smoke at all; it was quite thick, and their noses felt funny for some reason.


    On the other hand, the group that remained was also vignt.


    "Keep looking around; we wouldn''t want any unexpected individuals to sneak through in our presence!"


    The guard announced and kept a tight watch around his surroundings.


    ___________________


    Oliver managed to easily sneak past the guards while they were splitting up into groups, and now he was back in the central area.


    Some troublesome memories returned to him when he remembered the faces of his 3rd brother and sister.


    He would not forget them so easily; they were going to suffer a fate worse than the 2nd brother since they were the ones who had beaten him.


    For now, he silently moved towards Nadia''s courtyard.


    Upon arriving in the courtyard, he saw that it was empty; there were many metal puppets in her yard. Some of them were showing signs of wear and tear, while others were still in perfectly fine condition.


    She trained relentlessly.


    He looked around and could not see her.


    His expression turned weird.


    ''Could it be that she''s not here at the moment?''


    He had not considered the possibility of her not being avable at all; he just assumed that she was going to be there when he visited.


    He frowned and thought about what to do... he cannot stay for too long either.


    Nor could he trust that no one would visit her courtyard if he left behind the syringe in here with a note or something.


    It would be even worse if his mother decided toe in while he was still there.


    Not to mention someone else who might as well just take this for themselves. It was a really precious thing that exorcists would shed blood for if they knew.


    "What are you doing here again?"


    A chilling voice sounded behind him as he froze for a moment.


    He almost believed that his nightmare hade true and Ophelia was behind him, but although the voice was simr, he could tell who it was thanks to his keen memory.


    He turned around and saw Nadia standing behind him, her eyes expressionless and facial features stiff.


    He could not help but exim internally.


    She had grown quite strong in the short time; he could not sense her approaching him in the least. It''s a pity that this was not considered a milestone by the system, or else he would have gotten the respective benefits too.


    He was not using [Wrap of Quantum Darkness] at the moment, so it was not a shock that she came behind him without him knowing.


    Bypassing his senses with esper was very easy, and Nadia had abundant esper for her age.


    He envied having ess to so much esper, but he was not worried much.


    Sooner orter, she was going to make a breakthrough in her ranks.


    When an exorcist steps up in ranks, their esper increases significantly, and when Nadia finally bes a Rank-1 exorcist, he would naturally get ess to esper and a lot of that. His esper talent would directly be tenfold of hers.


    He was just waiting for her to make a breakthrough.


    He suddenly felt a chill as he looked at her staring at him coldly as if waiting for an answer, her patience wearing thin.


    "Oh... I was here to... err... give you something."


    He said awkwardly; he did not know why he always felt the need to act formally when she looked at him like that.


    Her presence was imposing, or maybe it was just that since she was a character from a novel whoter turned out to be quite cruel that he felt such a way.


    Nheless, he took out the Honorable Stars Essence in the syringe under her narrowed eyes.


    "Here."


    He wanted to give it to her quickly and leave, but something unexpected happened.


    "I don''t need this." She replied in a calm tone, her intent hard to know.


    "What... why?"


    He looked at her in surprise; did she think he was giving her something suspicious?


    Well, the color of the liquid was indeed a bit weird, but it was definitely not poison.


    "I don''t need your favors. I can grow strong on my own. I have told you before to note here again, but yet you do? Do you not take my words seriously?"


    She asked as her expression darkened. She did not know why, but she was feeling angry at him for some reason.


    Anger? Was that how her emotion could be defined?


    She was told by her mother to be always calm in every situation no matter what, never show happiness, never show anger. Your enemies must never figure you out. Always remain rational.


    For happiness, show satisfaction; for anger, show dissatisfaction. Nothing more.


    Yet she felt angry now that Oliver was in front of her...


    And her reason for anger?

 Chapter 41: Nadia’s mindset... what’s a sibling?

    <h4>Chapter 41: Nadia''s mindset... what''s a sibling?</h4>


    Chapter 41


    Yet she felt angry now that Oliver was in front of her...


    And her reason for anger?


    Was it really due to the fact that she thought he was looking down on her by giving her another precious medicine or elixir?


    Was it due to the fact that he had ignored her previous warnings to note here again and he ignored her and came again that made her feel he did not take her seriously?


    Or...


    Was it that she was angry because if he kept oning here again and again, their mother would find out...?


    Was it that she was angry because he kept giving her those precious potions, elixirs, and whatnot instead of using them himself, for his own strength?


    Why... just when she would feel she has finally be what her mother expected of her, she would againe at the starting point.


    It always was because of him...


    Did she feel angry because of this?


    She did not know... she was supposed to be the vessel for being the best exorcist, yet she could not even control herself.


    "Leave..."


    She did not want to be in his presence anymore, or she would just feel pressured.


    She could still remember how she had cried in front of him so shamefully.


    Oliver was silent as he saw herplicated expression; he was not a fool and understood her condition.


    He wanted to help her, but knowing his ownck of strength and his mother''s strong ambitions, he chose to remain silent for the moment.


    Plus, he was not sure how the plot would change; he had already made many changes, and he was sure that Nadia would definitely grow stronger than she was in the novel.


    He shook his head and felt her trouble; he also wanted to get her stronger as he could also rely on her and be stronger quicker.


    But she wouldn''t just take his help for reasons he was not sure about.


    "Will you really not take it? I had to go through many troubles just to acquire this."


    Oliver asked her in a small tone; he wanted her to know that this thing was not ordinary and could boost her strength significantly.


    Nadia raised her head and looked at the syringe containing the seaweed-green liquid.


    She knew nothing of it; she had not yet read about this medicine or elixir or whatever miraculous it was supposed to be.


    For a moment, a desire rose in her heart, the desire to take it and be stronger so she could stand proud in front of her mother and earn her praise more.


    But she suppressed herself and decided not to ept it.


    She had no doubt that if it was something that great, then her n would provide her with it someday when her mother deemed her worthy for it.


    She would not ept another favor from him; it felt embarrassing to her. She hadn''t even made it equal to him after the body-strengthening elixir she had received from himst time.


    Although she knew that she was definitely not inferior to him in terms of strength, she knew if she took things from him like this, then sooner orter, she might feel the opposite way due to her pride.


    She did not question him either on how he got his hands on such items. If possible, she wanted minimal interactions with him and know less of him.


    Otherwise, she might not be able to contain the budding curiosity in her heart about him.


    "Fine. If that''s how you want to be."


    Oliver was toozy to force her either; not to mention, he also didn''t like being treated like this again and again. Every time he met her, she would always want him to leave and note back.


    He knew of her circumstances a little, but even so, being told ''no'' repeatedly made him annoyed.


    He always told himself that he was mature and did this for the benefits of both of them.


    He looked at her once again, seeing her straight face, he knew that she was suppressing herself, he was never the best when dealing with people emotionally.


    He was also not a protagonist who could understand others feeling with a nce and a few words from him would directly make the female lead bring out of depression.


    He was just a side-character.


    He sighed, "Anyways, you don''t need to feel embarrassed in receiving things from me in the future. We are twins; I am your brother, and this is not a favor that I''m doing for you, but rather treat them as a gift from me to help you improve faster. There are no favors done here; this is how a normal sibling rtionship works."


    He further said, "Remember, there are no favors done between us; if you ever need help, you can always visit me. Well, I might be sounding ridiculous considering my meager strength, but trust me, not everything is solved by brute force."


    "Also, I am a very intelligent kid as my tutors say so..."


    Finally, he put the syringe back into his pocket as he left, "I''ll leave for now. Think about it with a calm mind; you should be able toe to a conclusion. I''ll visit some other time."


    With that, Oliver left under her somewhat shocked gaze. Although he had not seeded in giving her the essence this time, he believed he had given a valuable lesson that might help her understand others more in the future.


    He felt bitter about going through so much trouble only to be rejected, but he understood that this was life, the protagonist would give stuff to female lead and she would always ept?


    Ridiculous, those female leads were just poorly brought out with no personality of their own.


    ___________


    Nadia saw him silently leaving; his earlier words were still ringing in her ears.


    No favors. Only gifts?


    She had never thought of it this way; her mother had always taught her that she should never owe others no matter what.


    As the heiress of the Mystic Purge n, she could not fall so low as to ept others'' favors as it would only tarnish her image in front of others.


    So why did she feel such a strong emotion when he mentioned that there were no favors done between them? Her chest felt warm, and her eyes were fuzzy; overall, it was afortable feeling that she never experienced in her cold life.


    Normal sibling rtionship...


    She looked at the gates of her courtyard from where he had left and could not help but wonder if this was how twins behaved?


    Was this the feeling of being normal? Was it right for someone belonging to the Mystic Purge n to be normal?


    Was it normal for siblings to help each other like this? Did normal siblings really have no favors between them but just gifts? She didn''t know.


    But she felt that he might be right...


    She should focus on her growth and be stronger to find out if he was really right or not.


    She touched her heart to feel it beating fast; she feltfortable and wanted to remember this feeling if possible.


    A sibling... what was it?

 Chapter 42: Unlocking a new element!

    <h4>Chapter 42: Unlocking a new element!</h4>


    Chapter 42


    Oliver activated the [Wrap of Quantum Darkness] and turned invisible to leave the central area.


    He soon heard amotion as he neared the exit gates; he looked over only to see the guards panicking.


    "Sir! The situation seems to be getting out of control... the guards are losing control and engaging... uh among themselves."


    "They have gone insane. I will have to increase their training by twice. Such low self-control!"


    "I believe the preparator has mixed concentrated aphrodisiac in the smoke and before the team could realize what was happening, they had already inhaled it resulting in this."


    "The preparator must have an ulterior motive, I suppose. There''s no way anyone would pull out such a prank on the guards."


    "Go inside the central area, I have obtained elder''s permit and see if there are any suspicious individuals inside while we handle the restless guards, subdue them for the time being."


    Oliver, who heard everything, felt awkward; they were indeed talking about him.


    He could not help but feel pity for the guards who inhaled the potent aphrodisiac enough to make elephants go wild.


    He had not intended to be so excessive, but he didn''t want them to not be affected at all; he was not sure if their strength could help them evade the effects of the drug, so he put a huge amount of it inside the smoke capsule.


    In the end, he finally had his answer.


    Shaking his head slightly, he quickly left the area, leaving the guards oblivious.


    _______________


    In the end, he heard from the maids that since there was nothing suspicious found, the guards were forced to believe that all of this was just a prank by someone shady.


    Although they have announced to investigate properly and apprehend the person responsible.


    Oliver had no worries; he had ensured that they would not be able to trace back to him unless they spent a lot of resources, and he doubted they would go so far for something they thought was a prank.


    Nheless, he didn''t have anything to worry about for the moment.


    He looked at the white cat with a bulging belly sleeping like a log and felt speechless.


    The n guardian was so un-guardian-like?


    All the n guardian had done aftering to his courtyard was eat and sleep. He could not even feel a wink of responsibility from her bearings.


    He sighed; she was too useless.


    After throwing a nket over her, he silently left the room.


    He took out the syringe and went behind his courtyard to the secret spot to finally use it.


    Since Nadia was not going to ept it, he would have to use this himself.


    The [Honorable Stars Essence] was going to help his espera gain an elemental attribute.


    "Let''s begin."


    Pulling the syringe back, he rolled his sleeves and injected the seaweed-green liquid in.


    Swish!


    In the next instant, he felt his body heat up, his mind feeling a slight current as he sat down in a meditative position to maintain his bnce.


    Swish! Swish!


    Energy flooded into his body, and a foreign feeling engulfed him.


    His throat felt dry and thirsty, his eyes shook as he felt a turbulent force within him.


    This went on for a while before everything calmed down and returned to normal.


    He rxed and let out a breath of fresh air.


    "I awakened an element..."


    He mumbled, a certain excitement and eagerness in his eyes.


    Moving his left hand in front of him, he summoned his minuscule espera, which took a while, but he did manage to finally see his element up close.


    In front of him was a small orb of water floating just in front of his palm, clearly visible in the night.


    The water was crystal clear, reflecting the moonlight; Oliver felt as if he was holding a beautiful gem in his hand.


    Like a silver transparent round gem floating in the air.


    He clutched his palm, wanting to feel it, but it quickly burst, and water sshed around, wetting his palm.


    He smiled; he had awakened the water element attribute to his espera.


    It was just that he would need to train hard to be able to control his espera properly in order to use the elements.


    Earlier he had intended to benefit from Nadia; if she drank then he would obtain a tenfold boost, and it was also possible that she might have advanced to Rank-1 giving him the benefits.


    "It''s not useful to think of that. What''s done is done."


    He looked at the nket of stars covering the sky and felt it was beautiful.


    While his espera talent level was pathetically low, he might still be able to achieve some improvements through hard work and various elixirs.


    He was happy that he was able to obtain or awaken the water element attribute.


    "Haha, I should get back now... there are many things to prepare for... I should be prepared for the auction."


    Oliver huffed as he got on his feet and looked at the sky.


    _________


    Not far away from him, Zippy thezy cat who was supposed to be sleeping was not asleep.


    Instead, she had her eyes opened and was looking at the wall, the direction where Oliver had left.


    She watched the nk wall silently with calm eyes; after a while, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep as if nothing had happened.


    She let out a small smirk unconsciously; it was unclear what she was thinking at that moment.


    Had she seen what Oliver has been doing? Or was she just in the middle of a dream?


    A month went by just like that...


    In this time, Oliver remained low and focused on his training, casually leaving to buy out some resources to improve his body and espera.


    The auction was going to be held soon; the dates had not yet been announced so he had been keeping himself updated through the exorcist web.


    One more thing he got to know about was the ''Demon Hunt'' organized by his n.


    Something unexpected had happened...

 Chapter 43: Teaching the impudent clan guardian a lesson!

    <h4>Chapter 43: Teaching the impudent n guardian a lesson!</h4>


    Chapter 43


    He got to know about the ''Demon Hunt'' organized by his n.


    He was one day suddenly informed by his maid about it and how it was mandatory for him to participate in it as well.


    He argued about how he would not be able to contend given his strength but received a counter that stated that all the heirs of the n must participate, it has been a long tradition of his n to nurture the young heirs.


    And not to mention that the event would be supervised properly to ensure that no one dies by the elders themselves.


    All the n''s heirs were potential assets of that n so it would be extremely stupid to let them die out in hunt early on... when they could grow to be powerhouses in the future.


    Oliver felt confused by all of this. They clearly knew how talentless he was but still ordered him to participate.


    Not to mention, he had always lived in istion so suddenly calling out to him was a surprise to him.


    What was the reason?


    Was it just mismanagement on their side? Probably not.


    Was he supposed to be a bait and be eliminated for good during the hunt? Unlikely, considering they could dispose him anytime they want.


    Or...


    Were they aware of his recent increase in strength?


    That would definitely exin why they wanted him to also join the hunt, they must want to determine his worth at the hunting ground directly and possibly uncover his secret to the sudden growth.


    If this was so, then how did theye to know of it?


    Would they have not directly detained him the moment they realized that he had somehow gotten strong and had awakened strange powers?


    Normally, amon person with no talent or power suddenly bing strong one day would definitely arouse suspicion.


    The suspicion that they hade in contact with a demon and had formed a contract with them thus bing a heretic who had betrayed humanity and embraced demons.


    Such people would directly be taken by the ns for an interrogation and cleansing.


    Yes, cleansing, the ns were aware of how fickle-minded people were and how cunning demons were.


    The demons would approach them when they were at their lowest, offering countless benefits and allures, brainwashing their minds into thinking they were allies and forming contracts to enve their souls and control their bodies like puppets.


    Not only ordinary humans but even exorcists were victims of such tactics. Demons were skilled and cunning, they used emotions like anger, jealousy, lust and pride to establish control.


    Thus, the ns had special cleansing and purification techniques that helped the possessed heretics to be free from demon''s control and regain their senses.


    Once sessful, the demon was either eliminated by banishment or captured.


    Of course, the stronger the demonic presence, the harder it was.


    Overall, the silver lining was that he was not suspected of being a heretic which furtherplicated things for him to decipher.


    He could not understand what the n elites and elders were thinking about him? Were they aware of his special existence or not?


    Just as he was deep in thought, he heard a sound.


    "Meow..."


    He looked up and saw thezy white cat yawning while stretching her body.


    She looked at him and extended her paw as if demanding something.


    Her face showed what she wanted to say.


    It was clearly saying, ''It''s time, go and prepare my meal, what are you dozing off to?''


    "...."


    Oliver looked at her speechlessly, he finally understood the reason about why he was told to join the hunt as well.


    It was all this damn cat''s fault!


    She had probably used her authority to add his name in the list of candidates as well.


    "You..."


    He let out a strained smile as he controlled his facial expressions, he was super pissed at the moment.


    The n guardian must have used her authority or else there was no other way to exin the situation.


    His powers were not exposed and he was still required to join the demon hunt event?


    He would be a fool to not know why this happened now.


    And looking at her shamelessly extending her paw whileying on the mat further made him lose his mind.


    He took a deep breath to calm himself.


    "You want food, right? I will prepare a special treat for you today because of your good work."


    Oliver smiled in a strange manner and announced as he slowly got up.


    Zippy''s ears perked up when she heard of special treat as saliva started to form in her mouth, she had to admit that the meals this boy cooked were quite good.


    Although she did not understand what he meant by ''good work'', she didn''t care, her entire focus was on imagining what special treat was she going to get today.


    She was quite excited to try what he was preparing!


    Oliver went to the kitchen and started preparing something, he had no expression on his face at this moment. His eyes were dull as he chopped off a vegetable into two.


    It was quite scary how nonchntly he was cooking.


    "Zippy, you won''t mind a little spice, right?"


    He asked in a soft voice to which the cat replied with a soft meow as well.


    For some reason, the cat felt a strange chill in her heart that she quite didn''t understand.


    ''Are demons ready for war?'' She puzzlingly thought of why she was feeling this bad premonition in her heart but she soon discarded the notion of war taking ce anytime soon.


    Nheless, she looked at Oliver and gave her consent, she liked spicy things!


    Seeing the cat nodding like a human, he didn''t react and looked back at the dish.


    Besides him were two bottles of suspiciouslybeled sauces. It was unknown who had brought them and for what purpose.


    Oliver looked at those familiar bottles and his mind had shbacks of him bargaining with the shopkeeper for this and the warnings the shop owner repeatedly gave him to use it in very little amounts.


    He picked up the bottle and poured it on the dish without stopping, his eyes had no light as he prepared the dish.


    "It''s ready."


    He ced the dish and softly called for the cat who eagerly rushed.


    Sniff...


    The cat sniffed and felt the dish smelled funny for some reason but ncing up at Oliver''s smiling and peaceful face, she felt she was being too sensitive.


    ''Well then, let''s dig in~!''


    Crunch!


    She took a huge bite...


    In the very next instant, an explosion happened!

 Chapter 44: Why was he left alive...?

    <h4>Chapter 44: Why was he left alive...?</h4>


    Chapter 44


    ''Well then, let''s dig in~!''


    Crunch!


    She took a huge bite...


    In the very next instant, her mouth exploded in fire!


    "Meow-! Meow-! Meow-!"


    She cried out in shock, the dish tasted extremely horrible and disgusting, not to mention it was too spicy, it was as if someone had directly pouredva inside her mouth.


    "I am d you enjoyed."


    Oliver replied in a happy tone as he slowly got up and left the wailing cat behind.


    Aftering out in his courtyard, he looked at the trees and admired the scenery, he fell into thought.


    ''I can''t understand one thing...''


    He pondered about something that has been bugging him for a while.


    In his memories, the Mystic Purge n has always been cruel and indifferent to everything around them.


    This same principle was also applied to raising the heirs of the n as well.


    They only valued strength and did not even acknowledge the weak.


    If he, who had been born as a talentless child with no strength and potential then why were they raising him?


    He felt quite conflicted about this...


    They had already appraised him to be worthless at his birth but still decided to let him live, albeit in istion and bear the n''s name.


    This was a big deal, assuming the name of one of the top ns was no joking matter. It was extremely serious as it defined your affiliations.


    Why were they acknowledging him as part of the n despite his weakness?


    Knowing his mother''s cruel and maniac attitude, it was quite possible for her to dispose of him just after he was born.


    No one would have opposed her either, it would have been extremely simple and efficient.


    Although he was not provided any resources or privileges like other heirs, his overall life was much better and peaceful than themoners, it was befitting that of someone from noble heritage.


    He had a whole isted courtyard to himself, had multiple maids doing his chores, like cooking, washing, cleaning.


    Not only that, he also had a teacher who taught him regrly about academics and strategies of war.


    ''Is it because they pity me and wanted me to raise a strategist for the n''s future heirs? Or did they appraise my intellect level somehow after birth?''


    He felt that only these were the reasons they would keep him alive.


    His n was filled with cruel and psychotic bastards who wouldn''t even show kindness to a newborn in war. They would dlymit all sorts of war crimes to win. That''s how they were.


    ''Or is there a deeper reason for this whole situation...?''


    He felt a bit anxious when he thought of this.


    Ophelia, his mother, in the novel was portrayed to be very maniptive and ambitious.


    Even after feeling the minimal of emotions, she understood human psychology too well and was thus an expert when it came to influencing others through her actions.


    She always kept everything under her control, she would prepare deliberate and long-term ns and slowly make everything flow ording to it.


    He felt uneasy thinking that the only reason he was allowed to live and grow was to be used by her in one of her sinister ns.


    If this was the case then he felt that he had made a correct decision by joining the ''ck Codex Federation'' earlier.


    He must be independent fast, although there was no guarantee that he would bepletely free from her control if he left the n and severed all ties with her, it was still reasonably safer if he did that.


    "The world and its people areplex, I might not even realize before I get dragged into someone''s scheme."


    He should be cautious of who he associates with and build his own strength first and foremost before anything.


    Fortunately, he still had the backing of the ck Codex Federation so even if he left the n in the future, he could still be involved in world matters while also being safe.


    Oliver felt more inclined to believe that his existence was a part of Ophelia''s greater future n and the sole reason he was left alive and not bothered.


    But of course, he could not let her seed in whatever it was that she was nning.


    Tap Tap


    Two small knocks were made on the paper door of his room as he saw a feminine silhouette on the other side.


    "Young master, may Ie in?"


    The soft voice of a woman sounded as he replied with a simple word.


    "Enter."


    The paper door slid open and a woman dressed in maid clothing entered the room, in her hands, she was holding something long wrapped in a brown-colored cloth.


    He was calm as he saw his maid enter.


    He had ordered her to buy him something from the market earlier during the day, although he very rarely asked anything from the servants knowing his status, this time, however, he asked them.


    The thing she was holding was a rapier that he had asked one of the local cksmiths in the n market to prepare for him...


    It was when he had gone to the market to buy the smoke capsules and aphrodisiac to cause distractions among guards.


    He had also ordered for a rapier at that time that he could use to train and practice the [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom].


    He had paid for it beforehand and just asked the maid to visit the cksmith and fetch it for him.


    He was initially going to go himself but when he was informed of his mandatory participation in the hunt, he decided to give the n hints about his strength.


    Naturally, he could not just keep hiding his strength and then suddenly stand out on the day of the hunting event. That would put him under more suspicion.


    So he had decided to let his n believe that he had taken the path of a physical exorcist, training his strength and learning martial exorcism techniques.


    Being a physical exorcist was quite easier in general aspared to the other two¡ªespera based and tool-based.


    It was a known fact that a person with...

 Chapter 45: The auction is finally here!

    <h4>Chapter 45: The auction is finally here!</h4>


    Chapter 45


    Even a person with below-average espera talent level could eventually train physically daily and start on his path as a physical exorcist.


    The requirements for this type were quite minimal, and arge poption of exorcists were physical exorcists.


    Oliver felt that this was an appropriate action from his side; the maids reported all his actions to the higher-ups so naturally, such an anomaly in his daily actions would be reported quickly.


    This way, he would have to face less trouble once he reveals a portion of his strength.


    He knew there was no other choice than this; the n elders and his mother were not stupid.


    They were all veteran exorcists and could discern his capabilities at a nce if he slipped out even slightly.


    At that moment, he wouldn''t be able to handle the consequences for it, so he decided it was better to let them know beforehand that he was not entirely useless.


    Not to mention, he barely had any espera, and Nadia was not going to break through to be a Rank-1 exorcist any time soon, most probably. So even if they thoroughly sensed him, they would only find that he had slightly greater strength and nothing more.


    He unwrapped the brown cloth from the weapon anew, and a shiny rapier came into view.


    It had a silver body and a bluish handle to hold it. The rapier was beautifully designed and looked robust to some degree.


    He swung the rapier around and felt that it should be enough for him to freely practice the [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom] daily.


    He felt that the rapier was just an extension of his hand as he moved the weapon very gracefully with slow movements.


    The maid looked at him in a trance as she felt that the rapier was moving very beautifully. It was as if an expert was making the weapon dance.


    She got out of her daze when he stopped the movements and put it down.


    "You did good; you can leave now."


    Oliver said to her as he folded his hands.


    The maid understood that he wanted to be left alone and quickly got up.


    "Understood, if the young master wants anything else in the future, please call for me."


    She told him in a professional tone, indicating that if he did something like this again, he should inform them first.


    Naturally, he didn''t care what she meant or not. His purpose was fulfilled; he was now sure that soon his news would reach the ears of those who were interested.


    ''I might even receive slightly better treatment as well if all goes well in the future...''


    Oliver mused; strength was everything after all.


    He took out his smartphone from a hidden box and looked up to see updates about the auction, and sure enough, the date has been released. It''s in about a week from now.


    "Finally, it''s here..."


    ______________


    For the rest of the following week, all he did was train his special eyes, martial techniques, or his water element.


    He had be quite proficient in using the [Six Thoughtful Steps of the Spirits] technique.


    The shape training method was indeed very useful for a beginner like him.


    He had been slowly increasing the number of shapes every day as he improved, and now he could easily cross 150 shapes without breaking a sweat.


    His speed and strength were quite good now... although it was not much in this world''s standards, to him, who was once a normal person in an ordinary world, it was incredible!


    He has also been practicing [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom] daily this whole week, and he had to admit although he felt familiar the more he practiced, the technique was quite tough to master.


    It was ten times harder than [Press of Liberty], so while its impact was tenfold stronger, all the other requirements were also harder.


    ''Well, at least I still have the experience from Nadia''s training...''


    As for his water element, the progress was slow but it was there.


    He knew that unless he awakened a good espera talent, the speed would remain slow like this.


    The auction was today, and he was just getting ready to visit the market where it was going to be held.


    "Zippy, I''ll be going to the market, will probably bete; your food is on the table."


    Oliver shouted behind; the n guardian has been docile ever since the previous incident, which made him satisfied.


    By now, he had gotten used to living with the cat, considering the fact that the cat also had intellect, he treated her as a person and thus prepared her food before leaving.


    He was carrying a bag behind his back which had the rapier he had purchased a week ago.


    Of course, the auction house would not allow him to bring any weapons inside, so he intended to leave it outside.


    He had brought it just in case some situation developed.


    _______________


    Zip!


    He opened his bag and took out a ck summer cap and a in white mask which he quickly wore.


    The market was noisy today considering the special day it was.


    Rich and influential people from various ces hade to visit the n today in hopes of joining the auction.


    So the market was bustling with activities.


    Of course, this was entirely limited to the market.


    The ce where the auction was going to be held was quiet, and multiple exorcists in uniforms were patrolling the area around.


    Oliver could spot multiple people in fancy coats and gowns entering the extravagant auction house.


    His features were concealed, and unless someone deliberately removed his cap and mask, they wouldn''t easily recognize him.


    He went to the gates of the auction where he was stopped by the guards at the entrance who looked at him weirdly.


    After all, who wouldn''t feel weird upon seeing a small boy in ck, silk-made kimono with a weird full-face white mask and ck summer caping to them.


    They were, however, professionals, and since there was no formal dress code specified, the guests were free to dress however they wished.


    Plus, all the people here were very powerful and influential; the guards wouldn''t want to offend a powerful exorcist in disguise.


    "Guest, please show the ticket and verify your identity."

 Chapter 46: Countering all experts back! No restraint shown!

    <h4>Chapter 46: Countering all experts back! No restraint shown!</h4>


    Chapter 46


    "Guest, please show the tickets and verify your identity," the guards pointed towards a screen where Oliver scanned his smartphone.


    The auction had issued tickets months ago, and only those with the tickets were allowed to enter.


    After sessfully scanning the ticket, one of the guards politely pointed him towards a direction inside.


    Oliver was not too impressed by the scanning system; he had seen plenty in his previous life. These tickets had sensors embedded into them that would help authentication.


    Of course, there was a chance that someone would steal your ticket and impersonate you.


    There was no biometric information required to participate in the auction house to maintain their guests'' privacy and background.


    If you let your ticket get stolen, then you are simply not worthy enough to enter the auction house!


    Not to mention, the person who stole the ticket should also have enough wealth to even dare to dream to bargain in the auction.


    "Sir, please, this way." A woman called out to Oliver who walked towards the woman in staff clothing; she handed him a white metallic te with the number 69.


    She smiled and exined, "Sir, this is your ID number until you leave the auction house. If you wish to bid, then simply raise this te up or tap on it thrice. You will be allowed to bid the amount."


    He took the metallic ID te with the number 69 and asked, "Where can we store our belongings?"


    He wanted to store his bag outside since he knew he wouldn''t be allowed inside otherwise; the guards would look at every item the guests had brought along if they wished to bring it inside.


    "For that, you can use one of the lockers for public use, or you can pay to get a private locker. Thetter being more secure and spacious."


    He looked at her speechlessly; even in the auction house, they were trying to make profits.


    He sighed as he realized the rich big-shots would directly get themselves the private safe, but he decided otherwise.


    First of all, he didn''t intend to waste money on the private safe considering the public locker was just equally safer due to its location and the guards outside.


    Secondly, if there was an emergency, he could directly ess his public safe without needing a middleman to get to the private safe.


    "I''ll take the public locker."


    "Definitely, please follow me."


    After cing his bag inside the locker, he was finally ready.


    "Let''s begin."


    ______________


    The main hall was dark and spacious; there were multiple seats arranged in front of a huge stage.


    When Oliver reached the hall, there were already multiple people seated inside.


    Just as he stepped foot inside, his body felt a slight invisible pressure from all sides. He felt as if he was being pressed down by something invisible...


    He took a deep breath and slowly adjusted to the invisible pressure. He had already expected a room filled with strange and mysteriously powerful people to be like this.


    No sooner did he enter, he felt multiple gazes on him.


    In the dark, many exorcists were slightly curious about this new arrival with a strange mask and cap.


    The reason for their curiosity was simple; they were unable to feel his strength.


    Many openly sent espera waves to sense his level but in the end were puzzled when they were unable to feel anything from him.


    Some had a strange expression as they felt that this mysterious boy was stronger than them so they decisively withdrew their espera.


    Many followed the suite and withdrew their espera; it was a known knowledge that constantly trying to probe someone with espera was considered rude and offensive to the party as it was akin to viting their privacy.


    And none of them wanted trouble with someone stronger than them.


    Oliver also realized this thanks to his deep knowledge about the culture and other stuff from the novel, but he could still feel some lingering gazes.


    He followed the direction, and his focus fell onto the second floor of the hall; there were many small balconies over there that were hidden by darkness.


    Literal darkness... it was evident that they were using devices to harness darkness element to provide the cover before the auction begins.


    What a privilege!


    He could himself sense that all the gazes that mostly still remained on him were from up there.


    Those balconies were attached to private rooms behind and were specially assigned to VIPs.


    It could be seen that even among such a powerful gathering, there were VIPs which told about the strength and influence they had.


    He felt slightly annoyed by their persistent gazes.


    In the end, he directly used [Cosmic Void Gaze] and started looking towards each balcony one by one where he felt the gazes from.


    With the [Cosmic Void Gaze], he saw all hidden details, the other party was as clear as an elephant in a crowd of humans.


    ''Sure enough, they are VIPs... each of them is dangerously strong.''


    He felt goosebumps looking at the cluster of espera radiating from the individuals; it was wild and fierce, ready to w at the enemies. All these people were definitely expert exorcists.


    There might be exorcists as high as Rank-2 present today!


    This showed how precious items were going to be today!


    As Oliver looked at each person back with [Cosmic Void Gaze], he felt them swiftly retracting their gazes back. He was using the intimidation, albeit suppressing it significantly.


    He could not force too much or his energy will deplete quickly and he would be more vulnerable.


    It was how this world worked; unless you showed others your power, they would continue to bully you and think of you as a pushover.


    It did not mean that you have to directly jump into fights with others but to show them that you are capable of countering them and handling them if necessary!


    Hiding his strength always would not favor him in any way; he was not a coward but a cautious person with his safety as his first and foremost priority.


    As he looked at them one by one, they all withdrew their senses.


    Satisfied, he took his seat among the many others.


    Naturally, he was not allowed to have a private chamber to himself since he was not actually that strong nor was he a registered VIP in today''s auction.


    It was just that he could intimidate others easily with [Cosmic Void Gaze], nothing more nothing less.


    The VIPs who were all repelled by him earlier were stunned for a moment; they had been expecting him to be a distinguished individual like themselves but in the end, they saw him taking the seat on the floor below among the normal guests.


    What did this mean?


    Did this mean that they were countered by someone weaker than them?


    Of course not!


    It simply meant that he was a hidden expert!

 Chapter 47: Auction continues....

    <h4>Chapter 47: Auction continues....</h4>


    Chapter 47


    It simply meant that this person had a deep background and preferred to keep a low profile.


    He was most likely a hidden expert!


    Among the many people on the 2nd floor was a particr balcony and there was a woman with a very feminine and enticing silhouette sitting.


    She had great curves and was radiating no espera just like Oliver.


    Even Oliver did not look at her direction since he had not felt a gaze from her earlier.


    The woman in the dark face-palmed herself as she let out a sigh.


    "What is this little kid doing here?"


    This woman was none other than Jenna Sullivan!


    And right now, she was contemting about Oliver; initially, she hade to this auction upon being invited by the n and receiving some information about the various artifacts.


    There were going to be some special artifacts that she wanted to bid for.


    She arrived at the auction early, and out of nowhere, he also joined the auction hall.


    White mask, ck cap... he couldn''t look more suspicious!


    Although his get-up was so-so for his level, she was able to recognize him easily.


    Why?


    Because this silly kid forgot to change his clothes!


    He had worn the exact same kimono he had worn when they had met.


    She shook her head, if someone had seen him that day then they would easily recognize him.


    It was good that he was within his n boundaries so she didn''t have to look out for him as a superior.


    The worst that could happen was punishment from the n if he pulled any tricks.


    If he had done such a carelessness outside in the world where all sorts of individuals were rampant, they would not hesitate to behead him if he somehow offended them.


    ''Could he be any more stupid...?''


    She sighed, at least he was still wearing the [Wrap of Quantum Darkness] he had taken from herst time.


    "No... I won''t get into his matters."


    She had no intentions to get involved with this witty brat at all.


    No espera, openly challenging people stronger than him, bluffing his way out...


    It was better not to get involved with him or else she might also get dragged if he falls into trouble.


    She steeled her mind and looked at the stage where the auctioneer had finally arrived holding a microphone.


    The auctioneer was a young and attractive woman; she dressed boldly and her make-up was not bad. This was all done to keep the audience interested.


    "Wee,dies and gentlemen. As you may all know, this is the yearly auction that takes ce here around this time every year. The rules here are quite simple, just like any other auction, if you wish to buy an item, simply raise your bid with the specified amount."


    She paused and looked at the audience before continuing, "And of course, no disruptions will be tolerated, I am sure everyone experienced is already aware of this but for the neers, do note that you''re inside the boundaries of the Mystic Purge n so if you act out of order then be prepared to deal with the consequences. Rest you are all smart enough."


    "Then without dy, let''s begin the auction!"


    She said in a cheerful voice as she pressed a button and lights became focused on the stage.


    A man dressed in coat and pants entered the stage with a metallic trolley.


    He swiftly ced a ss box on the table ced at the center of the stage.


    "And our very first item is this Moonstone Pipe. An excellent choice if you''re in need of peace or need enhanced focus! The starting bid will be starting from 400,000 Neden!"


    "500,000..."


    "900,000!"


    "1,200,000!"


    "1,500,000...!"


    People started bidding immediately just as the auctioneer stopped.


    Oliver stroked his chin as he thought of the instrument.


    It could be said that the auction staff did not provide the details about the artifact; it was possible that the details would be disclosed after purchase or that only some items will be described properly.


    During the auction, the item would only be introduced briefly; the rest depended on the ability of the bidder to discern the true value of the item and bid for it against others who recognized the item.


    If he had not guessed wrongly, [The Moonlight Pipe] was an artifact rted to instrumental type, and probably has the ability to draw the moon''s energy to provide a calming effect to the person using it.


    "That''s it! The item has been purchased by number 33 for 4 million Neden! You can collect your items after the auction! Congrattions!"


    The auctioneer congratted the person and moved onto the next item.


    "The next item! It''s called [The Glow of The ve] and is a purification tool which is highly effective against medium-ranking demons! It has been crafted by one of the senior cksmiths from the Forging Association!"


    "The starting price will be 1 million Neden!"


    "1,300,000!"


    "1,400,000!"


    "1,700,000!"


    "1,950,000!"


    "2,500,000...!"


    The bids were raised fiercely; none of the guests present wanted to miss an exorcism tool crafted by a senior forger from the Forging association!


    Oliver was interested in the instrument but did not bid; he was waiting for something even better. Although these things were quite good, it was not something he wanted.


    The auction continued, and Oliver just waited; there were many great items, from precious herbs to mysterious weapons and artifacts, nothing wascking; he was even offered free refreshments as well.


    One more thing he noticed was that none of the people on the second floor had bid on anything yet, which meant that they probably either had simr thoughts as him or they had special advanced information about the items that were going to be disyed.


    "We will now be taking a short break, and the phase 2 of the auction will take ce afterwards."


    With that, some people slowly dispersed and left, while some stayed.


    It was clear that they knew the 2nd phase would be for the big shots and bids would be very pricey undoubtedly. So it was a waste of time to stay.


    He noticed that a good chunk of people on the lower floor had left and now it was quite sparse.


    The people on the upper floors in the balconies were still seated, obviously waiting for the second phase eagerly.


    He calmly rested his back against the chair and sighed; the true auction was about to start, the items were going to be terrifying. He was sure there would be excellent stuff that would make them drool.

 Chapter 48: So she’s that sort of person?

    <h4>Chapter 48: So she''s that sort of person?</h4>


    Chapter 48


    Oliver was just drinking green tea served by a waitress when he suddenly stopped and frowned.


    For some time, he could not help but feel a discreet gaze on him from time to time.


    He was extremely annoyed.


    One would ask why he wouldn''t just use [Cosmic Void Gaze] like before and repel the person again?


    He also wanted to do that but the problem was that the person who was looking at him from time to time was extremely clever and skilled.


    For him to be able to detect the gaze, he must use his own senses to find the direction but the problem was that the person who was watching him knew of this and thus was being extremely discreet.


    He tried many times but could not spot where the gaze wasing from; his senses were unable to detect the direction of the person, and thus he felt annoyed.


    This person was way stronger than him and was deliberately concealing things.


    ''Fuck! Are you a pervert!? Why are you peeping at me?''


    He cursed internally as he felt the gaze probing him once again.


    He shook his head and took a deep breath; he must do something about it or else he would remain conscious about it throughout the auction.


    He did not understand why this person was getting so interested in him.


    Did he do something to provoke them? Or was it just in curiosity of theirs?


    Nheless, he started to think of ns he could use to find the peeper.


    After thinking for a few minutes, he came up with a somewhat crude and brute approach.


    Since the person was so interested in him, he would let them watch him fully.


    At least, he would make them feel so.


    What he meant by that was that this was a part of his n.


    His n was simple; he was going to verify each balcony one by one until he spotted the peeper''s ce. It was definitely someone from the upper floor; his gut told him that.


    He would wait and secretly focus in the direction of each balcony, and if the person tries to peep at him, he would directly know who was doing it.


    Of course, there was a chance that the other party would realize what he was pulling but he could not think of other ways that could work in this hall.


    He didn''t intend to make a fuss here or gain attention.


    He could only try to be as discreet as he could so that the other party, who would be focused on him won''t notice.


    Soon he began executing his n; one by one, he started filtering the people on the upper floor, his senses at the moment were heightened and he was picking up on any signals directed towards him.


    He could tell the person was an expert and he wouldn''t know their location until they wanted him to...


    ''Should I really provoke such a person? Of course not but their gaze is unsettling and annoying. I will just let them know that I can see them and see how it goes...''


    Soon, he had filtered out most of the individuals; he could now somewhat tell where the person was, so instead of waiting for them to look at him, he directly looked at a particr balcony.


    He felt their eyes meet and the expert soon withdrew their gaze.


    He felt that he had implied his meaning and was satisfied that things didn''t escte for him.


    He once started sipping tea only to choke as he felt the person peep again.


    "What the-!?"


    He used [Cosmic Void Gaze] and looked at the person directly wanting to know who they were...


    ''No... wait, suppressing a huge amount of espers... I cannot mistake it...''


    His eyes widened as he recognized the woman in the balcony.


    ''It''s her!''


    He could not help but exim in shock. He was able to easily recognize her. She was none other than Jenna!


    ''What''s she doing here?''


    He felt it was stupid to think that, considering her power and influence, it was natural that she would also be invited over to attend the auction.


    But what he could not understand was why in the world did she keep throwing him nces?


    He had been quite bothered by her constant probing and felt weird.


    ''Wait, could it be that she is a...?''


    He suddenly had a bad premonition, he assumed a dark possibility that he did not want to admit.


    He suddenly thought about his past interactions with her and made some conclusions...


    He was a child? Check!


    She was desperate for him to join the organization? Check!


    She was so desperate that she gave an artifact for free? Check!


    She had been constantly probing him secretly? Check!


    He was feeling weird? Check!


    ''Surely she''s not into that sort of stuff, right?''


    He hesitantly asked himself, she looked dignified and had a superior aura and beauty.


    She was also an extremely powerful exorcist... she shouldn''t have such a dark side, right?


    He suddenly felt that things were making sense.


    Was she a trash who engaged into those activities?


    That''s right! Oliver was now suspicious of her true intentions behind making him join the ck Codex Federation.


    He had no idea who she was from the novel so it was possible that she was some erratic side character who liked to engage in such illegal activities.


    And he unknowingly became her target, it was possible that she was grooming him slowly andter ask for extreme stuff?


    It was likely that he might be her victim in the future as well!


    What other reason did she have to secretly look at him¡ªpeep on him instead of boldly disying her intent? She must have bad thoughts otherwise...


    ''No!''


    He shook his head, he was being too paranoid and was drawing too many conclusions but nheless, he still felt that Jenna was a suspicious person and he might be her victim if he was not careful enough.


    He weirdly nced at her direction with a sympathetic gaze, even after being such an exaggerated beauty, she still suffered from such mental disorders.


    What a pity!


    A healthy grown woman only to be like this?

 Chapter 49: Life-draining weapon? The auction is good!

    <h4>Chapter 49: Life-draining weapon? The auction is good!</h4>


    Chapter 49


    He suddenly felt her gaze turn intense for a moment as if she felt his sympathy.


    "Anyways, don''t bother me."


    He mouthed the words for her to understand, shifting his face mask slightly and used [Cosmic Void Gaze] to see her response.


    For some reason, he felt she was angry and her gaze was hostile, though she quickly calmed down soon.


    He read her mouth, "(I am not interested in your activities, don''t get me into trouble.)" and was speechless.


    He could not help but wonder if she was really not interested, if she was really not interested then why was she staring at him again and again earlier?


    Not to mention, she had the audacity to tell him to not create trouble for her? She was really bold!


    Nheless, he had told her what he wanted to and felt this should be enough for her to not bother him.


    He sighed, even though he was the child here, why did he feel as if she was the one who behaved like a little kid?


    He knew that she had probably already recognized him earlier and that''s why she kept looking at him. This was why he did not hesitate to shift his mask and reply to her for a moment.


    He thought about what gave away his identity? Did she recognize him by his height? His aura should be negligible for her to sense after all.


    Or did she see the [Wrap of Quantum Darkness] somehow under his clothes?


    As he thought of this, he felt she was indeed a pervert.


    __________________


    "Wee backdies and gentlemen! The phase two of the auction will now be beginning!"


    The auctioneer had changed, and her tone was more serious than before.


    Without wasting a second, she announced, "Bring in the first item!" as two men approached the stage, holding a brown leather box.


    Click!


    With a click, one of them slowly opened the box, unleashing a dark and sinister esper from the contents within¡ªit was a de!


    A fairly long, thin de made of ceramic, gripped by expensive ruby-red buffalo skin, greeted the audience. Its razor-sharp point made it a perfect choice for those wishing to puncture their enemies with ruthless speed.


    The de''s spiked, slightly warped cross-guard ensured an ideal weight bnce, facilitating smooth and urate swings. in coils adorned each side of the cross-guard, amon feature on many weapons.


    Arge pommel decorated with modest gems adorned the weapon; anything more extravagant would have seemed wasteful.


    Despite its simplicity, the de bore no markings or engravings; such embellishments were deemed too costly, even for demons.


    Engravings were magical and boosted a weapon''s strength by multiple times; some expert forgers could even add attributes to a weapon!


    "This de was once used by a high-ranking wraith monk in the demon army ording to our sources... the demon was exorcised by the n and its belongings were brought back."


    She paused, letting the information sink before continuing for the eager audience.


    "This de has the power to drain the life force of opponents to some degree and induce corruption to both body and soul using the darkness element. A very great weapon for the exorcists with darkness element!"


    The auctioneer smirked as she looked at the anticipated gazes of the exorcists in the audience.


    "The starting price for this would be 5 million Neden."


    "10 million!"


    "15 million!"


    "25 million!"


    "40 million...!"


    The bids were raised fiercely; no sooner did she stop speaking.


    It was evident that almost all of them wanted that de, a de once used by a high-ranking demon was extraordinary undoubtedly.


    Not to mention the life-draining effect; it could significantly boost the strength of an exorcist with darkness element.


    The auctioneer deliberately priced the weapon so low in order to provoke the ultra-rich present in the crowd.


    Oliver could only helplessly listen to the absurd amounts being raised without batting an eye by these people. Of course, he was also interested in buying that de but could not...


    The life-draining property was quite the rare find, it would help him a lot in the future if he managed to acquire that weapon somehow...


    It was basically a weapon that could grow to some potential in the future by draining life. Such growth-type weapons were extremely rare and he was surprised that this auction had managed to get one.


    And they were even willing to sell it instead of using it themselves?


    This was weird...


    Did that weapon carry only a limited potential?


    This was likely the case else no one would be stupid enough to sell it in an auction...


    He felt like he was a frog in the bottom of a well and was slightly embarrassed.


    Earlier he was quite happy and proud that he managed to earn 13 million Neden and felt it would help him buy something in the auction but now listening to these people raising tens to hundreds of millions like nothing, he fell into doubt.


    He felt that he might not even get a chance to purchase anything at all in this auction today...


    ''No matter, I should at least sit and look at the things they have...''


    In the end, he sighed and just shrunk back into his plush chair as he calmly listened to the excited voices of random exorcists.


    His hopes were crushed but he still stayed just to get a look at the things brought out today for them by the auction house.


    ''The Mystic Purge n is indeed extremely rich, just a casual weapon they put on the auction already raised so much money. As long as one had strength, making money was only a matter of time.''


    He wondered about the precious treasury of his n and felt that his siblings were truly lucky. If they trained hard and grew stronger, they would be nurtured by the best of resources in the n.


    Nadia was the prime example of this; he felt a bit better when he thought about how he would be receiving tenfold benefits from her in the future.


    "That''s it! The de of the Wraith Monk now belongs to number 42!"


    Oliver was brought back from his thoughts by the loud voice of the auctioneer.


    He didn''t hear clearly but apparently the de of the Wraith monk was sold for around a hundred million Neden.


    Oliverughed to himself as he heard her present the next item.


    "The next item is a powerful exorcism technique... it''s known by the bold name: [Predatory River Method], a technique highly rmended for exorcists specializing in using tools!"


    She sounded excited as she read the next part.


    "This technique has been developed from the teaching of Barcia Darbi, the famous battle exorcist! Some people say that she has left to look for challenges in the demon territory. Moving onto, this technique has..."


    Oliver''s ears perked up when he heard the name.


    ''Barcia Darbi... huh.''

 Chapter 50: A useless-looking stone? Or not...

    <h4>Chapter 50: A useless-looking stone? Or not...</h4>


    Chapter 50


    "A characteristic for this style is ''Taking a life is never to be done lightly,'' and in battles, it can be recognized by its distinctive footwork!"


    "This is best suited for those using a two-weapon fighting style. The starting price will begin at 20 million Neden!"


    "30 million Neden!"


    "35 million Neden!"


    "60 million Neden...!"


    The bids were once again raised; Oliver heard people from the upper floors also bidding for this.


    He fell into thought; ording to the auctioneer, this technique was developed by the teachings left behind by Barcia Darbi.


    In the novel, she was a side character who challenged the protagonist once due to her extreme battle tendencies but was defeated by the protagonist who at that time had grown significantly!


    She was quite strong and even had a dedicated martial school associated with her name. She served as a stepping-stone for the protagonist to grow further.


    From the battle, the protagonist learned a thing or two about her style and improved.


    That''s all the purpose she had served in the story in summary.


    He calmly looked ahead; the technique was indeed good for him at his level but unfortunately he did not have enough funds at the moment.


    In the end, it was sold for 120 million Neden.


    Oliver patiently waited as more and more items came and went; most of the items were purchased instantly by the rich but there were still some items that were either not purchased by anyone or that were bid very low for.


    These items were probably toocking for these people who remained and he could understand why. These items were eithercking in esper and looked ugly, or did not sound too useful.


    While the second phase of the auction was indeed way superior and better than the first phase, there were still things and items that were not worth it.


    Oliver was just eating free snacks when the next item was brought out and the auctioneer announced its details.


    "The next item we have on our list belonged to once-renowned exorcist family; it was said that the family fell to ruin after the war and their descendants are now living somewhere in seclusion. Present the item!"


    The male attendants quickly put the item on the disy table for all the audience to see.


    It was an ordinary-looking stone with some esper flowing out of it and giving the stone asional glows of light.


    "The person who put this on auction ims that this stone is a powerful artifact that could ''guide the lost through treacherous path ahead'' or so they said. Now audience, whether it''s true or false is up to you to decide!"


    The auctioneer said in enthusiasm but looking at the uninterested expressions disyed by the crowd, she felt slightly hesitant; even she could not feel anything out of the ordinary from this stone.


    From her colleagues, she heard the rumor that the Mystic Purge n apparently had some ties to that family in thest war and thus out of basic courtesy, they allowed this item to be prioritized in the second phase of the auction instead of the first.


    It all made sense to her that no one was interested; these people were all high-ss exorcists from distinguished and wealthy families, such an ordinary thing had no ce in their eyes.


    Nheless, it was still her job to try and sell the items.


    "Know that this once belonged to a famed exorcist family before their ruin; it might really be something extraordinary!"


    The crowd murmured as they heard this, feeling slight apprehension; what if the stone was really something extraordinary?


    "Hoho... they surely have no taste," An elderly voice rang out among the crowd; it was an old man in a white buttoned coat and pants, he had a long gray beard and a bald head.


    Adjusting his gold-rimmed sses slightly, he said, "This is just an umon rank artifact. I am sure the most it could do is help its owner walk at night by acting as an esper torch."


    Some people who looked at him could not help but exim.


    "It''s Mr. Tesshu! He''s also here! I can''t believe it!"


    "Who''s that?" Another person asked in curiosity.


    "Don''t you know him? He''s Sagara Tesshu, the retired junior artifact appraiser; he once worked with the Forging Association!"


    "Such an expert! It does make sense for him to attend this auction."


    The murmurs intensified as people bickered among themselves about the authenticity of the stone.


    Since an artifact appraiser had spoken, there was no scope left.


    The auctioneer red at the old man for ruining her pitch but refrained from speaking; she did not want to offend him because of a few words, plus he probably spoke the truth.


    She sighed as she looked at the disinterested faces.


    In the end, she could only start the bid. She had done what she could and it was now up to the people whether to buy this or not.


    "The starting price will be... 500,000 Neden."


    Hearing her low price, people could not help but form expressions of disdain; sure enough, this was not worth it.


    They all knew that every year, some people would either providerge sums of money or use their connections to supply some ordinary ranking artifacts into the auction.


    So it was not an umon sighting to spot some trash among treasures every now and then once in a while.


    These people simply had one motive and that was to be able to fool the crowd and earn big by scamming them.


    A risky act considering the status of people present every year, but these people were gamblers who yed such games; they were gambling addicts!


    Of course, there were cases every year where an exorcist would fall for this andter realize that the artifact that they had bid on was a fake or a low-ranking one.


    In the end, they would use their wealth and connections to hunt down the seller who might or might not be seen again.


    Despite such risk, there were always people willing to do that. As long as they used sufficient connections in the market and used enough money, they could slide one or two such items.


    Well, no one cared since it was their fault for not recognizing if the item was worthy or not.


    The hall was silent; not even the people from the upper floor were interested in bidding this time.


    Just as the auctioneer was about to move onto the next item and discard this one, a calm voice sounded in the silent hall, shocking everyone.


    "500,000 Neden."

 Chapter 51: Purchase Successful!

    <h4>Chapter 51: Purchase Sessful!</h4>


    Chapter 51


    "500,000 Neden."


    A calm andposed voice rang in the silent hall, stunning many.


    It was Oliver.


    Oliver had bid for the stone unexpectedly?


    People turned their heads to look at him and realized it was the same person with the suspicious outfit and mysterious powers from earlier.


    The auctioneer paused, giving Oliver a look before she quickly said,


    "500,000 Neden. Does anyone wish to counter?"


    "Hmph!"


    The old man from earlier sneered as he looked at the short Oliver with a gaze of disdain.


    "Young and naive, don''t know how to appreciate elders'' help? This generation is useless."


    Being the old block he was, his thinking naturally matched his age.


    Some short-sighted people also snickered at that; they felt that they had misjudged Oliver from the beginning.


    It seemed that the boy was just carrying some strength-concealing artifact or something to appear more mysterious.


    Some people in the audience could not help but feel disdain towards him.


    While the others contemted his reason for buying the artifact, they wondered if he was really naive and just wanted to stand out or if there was something deeper...?


    Oliver felt the once-familiar gaze probing him again; he looked towards Jenna and through his special eyes read what she was mouthing.


    She was asking him what he intended to do with that?


    Although it was not her business to know that, he did not say that. It couldn''t be that she was concerned about him either.


    A ruthless and clever woman showing concern for him all of a sudden? He would never believe that.


    It was possible that she wanted to know if he knew anything rted to the artifact or not.


    Naturally, he wouldn''t tell her anything or she''d directly ce a bid that he would not be able to match.


    He mouthed the words,


    ''I. Want. To. Stand. Out.''


    And then ignored her.


    _______________


    Jenna, who was far above, was stunned after hearing his reasoning.


    She knew that it was not this simple.


    This little kid, although he looked silly and naive, was very money-minded; he was aware of the rates, and his eyes were that of a growing merchant.


    He would not deal in loss, and that stone which everyone was thinking was going to cut a loss was suddenly bid by him?


    Had she not known him, she might also have thought of him as an attention-grabbing brat, but not now.


    She knew his personality from their interactionst time.


    He was a genius when it came to picking trash among treasures; his artifact appraising skills were too good!


    So good that she was willing to invite him to be a true member of the ck Codex Federation!


    He definitely saw something in that stone that she was not able to detect.


    She wondered if it was another epic-rank artifact in hiding?


    She suddenly had the strong urge to bid against him.


    With her wealth, he would not be able topete with her at all!


    And after purchasing the stone, she could just send it to the top appraisers in the ck Codex Federation to get it examined.


    She once again looked at him and then at the ordinary stone in the disy box ced on the stage.


    She sighed and shook her head.


    "I should have bid for it first..."


    She regretted not bidding for it first; now she decided not to bid for obvious reasons.


    Oliver and she now belonged to the same organization and in a way, he was her junior and a child.


    If she reallypeted against him, then not only would she worsen her ties with him in the future but also be indirectly or directly provoking him based on his thinking.


    He was too mysterious and was shrouded in a fog of secrets.


    His potential was unknown; she did not believe the Mystic Purge n''s evaluation of him being useless.


    She always thought of multiple scenarios at the same time.


    What if Oliver was extraordinary and the n simply did not want to leak the details about their best heirs to other people in the n, so they just termed him talentless?


    What if Oliver was hiding something that not even the great n was aware of?


    There were many scenarios revolving in her mind.


    If such a scenario indeed came true, then she would be making enemies with the wrong person.


    If she had bid before him, then he wouldn''t have had any reason to me her, but what''s done was done.


    She decided to ce more importance on human resources than materials this time.


    With her calm mind and wits, she had survived and dominated the business industries among exorcists; she knew what was more valuable to her at the moment.


    With a heavy heart, she calmly waited.


    Even though she had earlier been suspected by him for being creepy, she let it go.


    It was just that he didn''t know his limits and was thus so daring.


    How could she, a dignified woman, be a creep?


    If he knew her real strength, he wouldn''t even dare to look up at her.


    She shook her head and looked ahead with a straight face, secretly suppressing the intrusive thoughts to just bid a very high amount.


    ___________


    "Since there''s no one interested in bidding, the item now belongs to Number 69! Congrattions, number 69!"


    She pped lightly, heaving a sigh of relief that someone was willing to buy this piece of junk.


    There were always such junk materials that would asionally slip in; she had heard from her colleagues about how awkward they would feel when no one wanted to buy an item.


    She had never experienced such a situation before in her time here, and it was about to be like that, but fortunately, someone bought it. She felt grateful.


    She would get moremission now thanks to Oliver!


    Later, she would submit a report to the auction head and request that they don''t ept items through backdoor entries and get them appraised properly first.


    The crowd had mixed reactions as well.


    "Number 69 is a fool, haha."


    "It can''t be helped; there are always such attention-grabbers present in auctions every year."


    "You''re right; he even dared to ignore Mr. Tesshu''s advice, a junior expert appraiser, haha."


    "Sagara Tesshu was kind enough to let others know about this junk of a material, and yet this person number 69 didn''t know how to appreciate it."


    Another person shook his head.


    "Forget it; he''s either a spoilt child from some noble family or n or just spent his entire savings to buy this junk to look rich. If it''s thetter, then he will be regretting it soon enough."


    It was then that they suddenly felt a chill!

 Chapter 52: Stone of Sight! The power of future!

    <h4>Chapter 52: Stone of Sight! The power of future!</h4>


    Chapter 52


    They suddenly felt a chill behind and got ufortable all over.


    Looking over, the masked person was looking in their direction, and his eyes, for some reason, felt intimidating and overbearing.


    It was as if they were being stared down by the entire sky!


    They felt as insignificant as tiny ants under the mountainous intimidation from him.


    Just the gaze was so overbearing that they felt they were being stared down by the stars! Always beneath...


    It seemed that they shouldn''tment more or they would get into big trouble, so they quickly shut themselves.


    Oliver, on the other hand, focused back on the stage. He knew these sort of people.


    They were all bark but no bite. They would fear strong and bully the weak.


    He used only light intimidation and silenced them instantly.


    Calmly, he assessed the situation.


    He had purchased the artifact...


    The artifact everyone was considering useless and umon rank...


    An item that made others feel that he was trying to show off.


    Something that a junior expert appraiser from the forging association advised against... he bought it.


    Why? Just why would he purchase such trash?


    Simple, because it was not trash.


    But a gem in the covering of garbage that they could not see.


    This artifact was called [Stone of Sight] and was an item that was originally possessed by the high priestess of the Vasa family in the story''s original plotline.


    She was the futurepanion of the protagonist of the story.


    In the novel, they both worked as allies for some time before departing. She was someone who fought alongside the protagonist and helped exterminate demons who threatened the very concept of humanity.


    She was someone with the power to predict the future to some extent and the source of her powers originated from this [Stone of Sight].


    It was this artifact that helped her awaken hertent potential and rise above other exorcists. She could divine events that were going to happen at some point and change them.


    The [Stone of Sight] was the original family heirloom of the Vasa family, a once renowned family that participated in the great demon war as a vassal family for the Mystic Purge n.


    They were a family of seasoned exorcists, having multiple achievements and was also the ce that once birthed many powerhouses during the Dark War.


    They fell from grace when their acting patriarch at that time fell against the demons in the battlefield.


    Slowly, other families rose above and took their ce, chipping away at every prestige they once were proud of.


    This was how the world worked; if you were not powerful enough to defend yourself and your family, then you could only step down and let others rise above you.


    There were countless other families vying for the attention of the Mystic Purge n, wanting to earn the status of a vassal family, and they would do anything to rise above theirpetitors, schemes, plots, blood, whatever was possible.


    All for the mere attention and recognition of the great n!


    The Mystic Purge n, being the infamous n they had been, did not even bother looking back and moved forward with the newer and better vassal families.


    Time passed, and the Vasa Family slowly disappeared... at least from the public eye.


    While actually, they had just secluded themselves in the dense mountains of the north.


    The family was suffering badly during this time; theck of decent exorcists in their family was one of the major reasons.


    They could have directly migrated to the area with normal humans and could have lived a somewhat good life, but they did not.


    If an exorcist family decides to assimtepletely in the normal human cities, that would mean forever sealing their abilities and powers and live as normal humans.


    This was the greatest shame an exorcist n or family could suffer from; they would be forever killing their exorcist background to the root by doing that.


    Of course, the Vasa family refused to go down this way; the current patriarch was an average man at best, both in terms of abilities and management.


    No one in the exorcismmunity would be willing to live the small life of a normal human. This was how the world worked, no matter how it was...


    During this time, fortune finally shined on them as they gave birth to a talented daughter.


    She had above-average potential and was hardworking; she cared for her family and desired for her family to once again regain their lost respect.


    "She should be older than me..." Oliver thought; at this moment, she was already some years older than him.


    Upon seeing her family''s dire circumstances, she decided to do the ultimate.


    Without the notice of her parents, she secretly picked up some valuables from her family''s treasure vault. There were not many things, but she took what she considered to be seble.


    A reckless and stupid move, but she did it out of desperation; she was not able to see her parents suffering every day.


    She hated this; what was the use of treasures or heirlooms if they can''t be used when needed? If they can''t be used and were only serving as decorations, then it was better to earn something from them.


    The readers empathized with her decision to sell the artifacts seeing as it was an action out of love for her family and her desire to improve their situation, rather than a selfish or malicious act.


    She traveled all the way from her home to the Mystic Purge n and put the items up for auction.


    She was naive and had little knowledge of the world; she used her textbook knowledge and put the items up for auction in hopes of gaining funds that she could use to rebuild her family.


    Maybe this was why she was scammed multiple times after leaving the mountains; she truly acted like an oblivious and ignorant bumpkin.


    He wondered how his actions would affect the future since he had directly purchased the heirloom of the Vasa family.


    He didn''t know if she was even aware that the stone she had put up for auction was so important or not.


    "She didn''t just think it was some ordinary item, right?" He doubted.


    The [Stone of Sight], although appearingcking and useless, was not.


    This was just because this artifact had certain conditions that needed to be fulfilled first before it could grant the bearer [Future Sight].


    The only reason people never realized its true potential was because the first and foremost condition to activate this artifact was through a sacrifice.


    A sacrifice of one''s own sight to achieve the first condition.


    The artifact worked on simple reasons; for someone to be able to bear the powers of [Future Sight], they must be prepared to vassal that power inside their eyes.


    And the best way to achieve that was to have a nk te prepared; if used on a person with no sight, the chances for them to gain [Future Sight] increase highly.


    Otherwise, it was very difficult to handle the power of [Future Sight].


    In the novel, it was mentioned briefly that someone had purchased the artifact from the auction, andter the daughter of the Vasa family had to go through many things and situations before being able to retrieve the artifact back.


    He shook his head...


    It was time for thest item!

 Chapter 53: The last item. A demon!

    <h4>Chapter 53: Thest item. A demon!</h4>


    Chapter 53


    In the end, he had purchased the [Stone of Sight], and it was not for no reason either.


    It was not that he wanted to interfere in the plot and get involved with the high priestess of the Vasa family or anything like that.


    It''s just that he was more or less interested in obtaining [Future Sight] for himself.


    Now, he had no intentions to sacrifice his sight to gain that or anything.


    He had better ways to go around it.


    It was said that the vessel for [Future Sight] must have nk eyes to be able to adjust to the powers and divinity it brought along.


    But did he have to fear being unable to bear the load of [Future Sight] on him?


    Definitely not!


    He was someone with an evolved and upgraded version of one of the special eyes, the [Abyss Eyes], so it was a given that he could easily handle the load of such power himself.


    [Cosmic Void Gaze] was an unfathomable power, and something like [Future Sight] was very small in front of it.


    He could easily assimte the power to see the future into his eyes to some extent.


    Although he was quite sure that the effects he would have after that would be significantly reduced. He wouldn''t be able to predict the future as urately as a person with theplete version of it.


    But that was totally fine. He just wanted to add one more card or weapon in his arsenal. No matter how insignificant the effects of [Future Sight] might be, it would be better than having nothing at all!


    Not to mention, that he felt that he could also satisfy the other conditions as well.


    He calmly waited for the auction to be over.


    It was time for the final item of the auction, and his anticipations were quite high considering they were usually the best of the items.


    "Now then, moving onto the final item for this auction..." The auctioneer''s voice was filled with excitement as two men brought a huge thing covered with a white cloth onto the stage.


    The audience also held their breath; it was definitely worth looking at...


    "Take off the covers! Let the audience feast their eyes on this item!"


    Multiple gasps and exmations were heard as the cover was taken off.


    "What!?"


    "A demon!"


    "They have gotten an impressive find!"


    "Fuck! Didn''t expect this demon to be here!"


    "You''re seeing it right! It''s a demon! A rare Michi, to be specific. It''s an extremely rare demon and was very hard to subdue alive. As exorcists, you all must be familiar with this demon, so I will not say much. We all know how precious this is."


    The auctioneer stated as a tense atmosphere gripped the crowd; it was an extremely precious thing and most present knew its worth.


    But the problem was that this demon was going to be sold very high, and most probably all the VIPs on the second floor were going to fiercely bid for this.


    The people on the ground floor could only listen at this moment; interfering now would be useless and offensive.


    None of them wanted to offend the strong individuals above for this.


    "The bidding will start at 50 million Neden."


    "60 million."


    "80 million."


    "120 million."


    "150 million..."


    Terrifying amounts were raised without batting an eye by the VIPs present; they all knew what this demon was worth and wanted it.


    Oliver sat on his chair and looked at the demonic creature closely, observing its features with interest.


    The creature was taller than amppost and moved crouched and close to the ground. Its blistery skin looked melted onto its swollen muscles.


    Its body appeared to be covered in a foul-smelling liquid. It had 2 arms that were too long for its body and ended in hook-like teal talons.


    Two grotesque arms sprouted from its back like wings. Its face was bloated and bulbous. Its mouth gaped open with rows of saw-like teeth and a long ck tongue. It had a single ooze-secreting white dot for an eye.


    ''A Michi...''


    He knew of this demon from the novel; the reason the exorcists were so excited to see this demon was due to its special qualities.


    The demon possessed a poison brain. There were 17 different pathways inside the demon''s brains which could be used to extract and make 17 types of terrifying poisons.


    Capturing a Michi was very difficult as they usually lived in harsh environments and would rather die than be captured. That''s why a living Michi was a rarity.


    He was feeling a sense of awe; he had never seen a fantasy creature before. All he was familiar with was azy and fat cat at home so far.


    So seeing a demon for the first time in his life left him impressed.


    His lips curled into a small smile; he has always read about demons in the novel and heard about their grotesque appearances and terrifying powers.


    Looking at the demon''s appearance, he did indeed was feeling disgusted as a human.


    ''Wait, I won''t be termed a racist, right?''


    He felt it was possible that he could be called a racist by the demon heretics or followers in the human territories.


    Well, they would need toe out of hiding to call him that first.


    He heard the bidding was bing heated as seconds passed by.


    Looking at the people above spitting such great amounts, he felt the urge to unt a little as well.


    Throughout the auction, he had been feeling quite poor.


    "180 million."


    Taking a small gap, he quickly uttered an amount as well.


    "200 million."


    To poke some fun, he directly bid 200 million Neden knowing that they would not stop at that only and bid more.


    It was quite the risky joke, if it went wrong, he would forever be in debt! Only because he felt it was funny and safe did he ce the bet...


    However, to his shock, there was silence after he spoke which made his hair stood on end.


    ''No way, they will bid more, right?''


    He looked around and saw many people looking at him with strange expressions.


    ''What the fuck!? Was that a big amount to these people? They''re going to bid more, right?''


    Oliver heard the auctioneer suddenly announce.


    "200 million Neden, is no one willing to bid higher?"

 Chapter 54: Being followed?

    <h4>Chapter 54: Being followed?</h4>


    Chapter 54


    ''What the fuck!? Was that a big amount to these people? They''re going to bid more, right?''


    Oliver heard the auctioneer suddenly announce.


    "200 million Neden, is no one willing to bid higher?"


    His heart sank when he heard that; he couldn''t afford that at all nor did he intend to buy that ugly demon.


    "220 million."


    Fortunately for him, the bidding resumed as he heaved a sigh of relief and almost slumped back into the plump cushion of his chair.


    In fact, 200 million was indeed not too big of an amount for the people above; they all belonged to wealthy backgrounds.


    The reason that there was silence in the hall was due to the fact that someone like him who appeared to be nothing more than an attention-grabbing stupid brat dared to bid such an amount casually.


    Not to mention, him directly provoking the people on the floor above was also very brave of him.


    Some people could not help but secretly admire the thick skin of brainless young masters!


    Sure enough, the rich young masters didn''t care about the future; they lived in the present and offended people left and right without giving face to their status.


    "Cough.."


    Oliver coughed awkwardly as he remained silent and didn''t dare to joke around more.


    "240 million..."


    The bid had reached a great scale and now even the people on the second floor were hesitant to spend more, pondering if they should bid more or stop.


    It was at that moment when a cold feminine voice cut through every thought across the hall.


    "300 million Neden."


    A huge amount which directly extinguished any hesitance others had.


    Jenna Sullivan had ced her bid!


    The air was oppressive and no one dared to bid against her. They all were aware of how terrifying this woman was.


    Despite being in the territory of Mystic Purge n, she operated without fear and was ruthless; she belonged to the ck Codex Federation.


    One of the executives of that giant superpower!


    It was not their ce to even dream topete with her.


    They knew that unless you were someone from an equal background to her or greater, you practically had no chance to win against her in terms of money.


    And many people were aware that she was a narrow-minded woman and would attack them in other ways if they offended her in the future.


    It was better to not mess with her and get on bad terms with the ck Codex Federation for this demon.


    In a way, she was very simr to Oliver.


    The auctioneer saw this and directly announced.


    "The item now belongs to number 37! Congrattions!"


    "With this, the auction also ends. Buyers can collect their purchased items from behind the hallway. The servants will be attending to your needs and all transactions will take ce there. Thank you for attending the auction!"


    With that, the auctioneer left and the men also took the caged demon away.


    "Congrattions, sir, for your purchase. Pleasee this way... we will proceed with the transactions here. Your item is in this package."


    A polite man said to Oliver as he handed him a small ss box with the stone in it.


    "Alright, lead the way."


    He told the man as he looked around to see many of the guests inspecting their items and making payments to the staff.


    He had already checked using [Cosmic Void Gaze] and verified it was the real thing that the man had given him.


    Of course, he was still in his mask and cap.


    "Oh! Miss Sullivan, I am honored to be graced by your presence today!"


    A fat woman in a sparkling red dress said aloud, not caring about surroundings.


    Behind her were three exorcists serving as guards as well.


    It was evident that she was probably the manager of today''s event and has personallye to deliver items Jenna had purchased to her.


    Jenna was a superior person unlike the ordinary him so it was normal for her to be received by high-profiled people as well.


    "Don''t waste my time. Hurry up and bring the items."


    Jenna replied in a tone colder than ice, making the surrounding people gasp.


    The fat woman in the red dress could not help but pop a vein on her forehead in anger, but she still maintained a professional strained smile.


    "As you wish, they will be here shortly, well, if you''ll excuse me."


    The woman in red quickly left before suffering any further insult. She could not argue with Jenna; she was not in a position to in the first ce.


    Jenna''s status and power were way above hers, so she could only bear it.


    Oliver who was far and heard it could not help but exim secretly at her unfriendliness andck of IQ.


    With this sort of attitude, he could only imagine the number of people she must have offended in the past.


    No wonder, she was so cold!


    She must have no friends!


    Jenna, who was impatient, felt his gaze and turned her head to look at him. She felt he was again looking at her pitifully, which she didn''t like at all for some reason.


    She frowned and ignored him; she had made it clear that she did not want to be rted to him in the public or it''ll bring annoyances her way considering his special status.


    It was clear she wanted her rtionship with him to be strictly professional.


    Oliver saw this and did not look at her again.


    He took out the ck card and handed it to the polite staff to make the transaction.


    The man looked at the golden ''C'' engraved on the card and could not help but feel surprised.


    Someone else from the ck Codex Federation?


    Nheless, he quickly did the payment and escorted him out.


    _________________


    Aftering out of the auction, he heaved a breath of relief.


    Fortunately, he did not encounter troublesome things at the auction, and everything went smoothly.


    "I should get going now..."


    He walked towards the exit of the market but in the middle of his way, he suddenly turned around.


    He moved in random directions and stopped.


    ''I am being followed? Who is it?''


    He wondered; he could sense the other party tailing behind him trying to be discrete, but he was able to catch their movements.


    It indicated one thing!


    They were novices and didn''t know that he had already sensed them.


    Shaking his head, he decided to confront the person directly; he didn''t want someone to follow him back to his courtyard and bother him at night.


    He quietly led his follower towards a deste and silent area, somewhat far away from the bustling marketce.


    Suddenly he turned backward and rushed to the person in cloak!

 Chapter 55: Lucia Vasa!

    <h4>Chapter 55: Lucia Vasa!</h4>


    Chapter 55


    He turned around abruptly and, making use of his high speed, went directly towards a distant figure who was most likely following him¡ªcatching thetter off guard.


    Seeing him in high speed, the person in the cloak was shocked and quickly tried to flee, only to be tackled to the ground by him.


    Oliver got straight to the point; grabbing the throat of the cloaked person, he asked with cold eyes.


    "Who are you?" His voice was sharp and low.


    "Why were you following me?"


    He tightened his grip as the figure tried to shake off his hand and escape.


    He threatened, "If you move too much, I''ll directly crush your neck and kill you. Answer my questions and I''ll let you live. Who ordered you to follow me?"


    The iling figure stopped moving around when his words were heard.


    Seeing this, Oliver lessened his grip. Naturally, he had no intention to kill; he had never killed an animal, let alone a human before.


    It would be weird if he suddenly became a cold-blooded killer.


    He just threatened the person to make them stop; in this world, such killings weremon, so a smart person would know when to surrender.


    He said, "Let''s take off your hood; I would like to see your face."


    He used his other hand and directly removed the hood covering the person''s head.


    Wavy and shiny crystal blue hair emerged from underneath the hood...


    His eyes slowly widened behind his mask as he saw the face of the woman.


    [Ding! Lucia Vasa. Does the host wish to bind with the individual?]


    ''Lucia Vasa! What is she doing here!?"


    He was quite surprised seeing one of the major characters of the novel right in front of him.


    He swiftly declined the system and looked back at her.


    She had ink-blue colored eyes which were strained at the moment and ring at him; she had a small button nose and glossy pink lips, her skin was fair and devoid of blemishes.


    She said in a low voice, "Let me down. I''ll talk."


    Hearing this, he came back to his senses and calmly released his grip on her throat. He knew she must have something to say to him if she followed him for so long.


    Also, he did not feel good holding someone by their throat...


    "Speak," he said.


    He did not waver much and maintained a stoic persona while internally he was wondering if he should reveal himself or not.


    In the end, he decided not to do so...


    He was curious about her reason; why was she here and what was she doing here?


    He could understand that she was probably here for the auction to sell the things.


    "I-uhm, I am Lucia Vasa... Actually, the stone that you purchased, well, I am the one who put that on auction..."


    She said, her tone faltering slightly, disying herck of confidence and hesitance.


    "So what?"


    Oliver questioned; so what if she was the seller? He had purchased the artifact now and was the official owner of it.


    And not to mention, the auction house strictly forbade its sellers to directly approach its clients and demand things back.


    This action of hers could give her a permanent ban from the auction circle for a lifetime¡ªwith her merchant status getting revoked as well.


    She continued, "I am sorry, this may sound ridiculous and unrted to you, but please listen to me for a moment. I know I am being a bother right now, but this is very important to me that I let you know of this."


    Oliver calmly asked,


    "What is it?"


    Seeing that he was not leaving or attacking her again, Lucia was relieved; she told him,


    "Actually, the stone you are currently taking with you is the family heirloom of the Vasa Family, an exorcist family in seclusion. I am not sure if you have ever heard of our name, but my family was very prominent some decades ago."


    She paused before continuing, "But at the moment, although I feel ashamed to admit it, we have fallen and are now suffering to maintain our long-existing family. It has be a tenth of what it once used to be... the stone in your hands, I don''t know why, but it''s the heirloom that has been passed in my family from generation to generation..."


    Her eyes turned somewhat desperate and moist; clenching her fist, she lowered her head.


    "I beg of you... could you please return this to me."


    Her body trembled slightly, disying how difficult it must have been for a heiress to bow down to someone and beg for something.


    "Unfortunately, that cannot happen¡ª"


    "Please! I beg of you, please! I am willing to put anything on line in exchange for it." She cut him and pleaded.


    "Then why did you even put it up on the auction in the first ce if you had never intended to sell it?"


    He paused and asked something first.


    "That... It''s aplex story."


    She narrated the story of how she came from the mountains and how the thing and auction happened to now.


    So basically, to summarize, her father had realized that she had stolen artifacts from the household and was enraged and regretful.


    He could not juste to the Mystic Purge n suddenly now, and it would take him a considerable amount of time to even reach them.


    So, he used his connections and delivered her a message through which she came to know that the stone she had thought was useless and ordinary was actually her family heirloom.


    Initially, she was shocked, but she trusted her father and asked the auction staff to give the stone back; however, by then it was already toote.


    She felt that no one would buy that stone considering itscking look and uses; she had just picked it up at random from the treasure vault while leaving her house.


    Even she felt that the stone would not sell, but when she heard from her father that it was actually their family inheritance, she was shocked.


    The stone was definitely not ordinary and was directly tied to the secret of the past when her ancestors were great exorcists.


    She regretted ever auctioning the stone; at the same time, she was quite in awe that Oliver was keen enough to see through the special stone.


    "Why were you following me secretly like this then? Why didn''t you directly approach me?" He could not help but be curious.


    "That... it''s because of your suspicious get-up. You are dressed like a kidnapper... so..."


    She spoke in a somewhat straight tone, leaving Oliver speechless.


    Come to think of it, he was indeed dressed suspicious.


    A ck summer cap, a mask covering full face...


    He shook his head of such thoughts and looked at her oblivious face.


    ''Sigh, why is she so naive...? Had she told this to a viin character, then it would have remained a dream to even get the artifact back.''

 Chapter 56: She got scammed?

    <h4>Chapter 56: She got scammed?</h4>


    Chapter 56


    ''Sigh, why is she so naive...? Had she told this to a viin character, then it would have remained a dream to even get the artifact back.''


    She was recklessly following him thinking he wouldn''t notice, but he was smart and knew the person tailing him was a novice, and only then did he dare to attack.


    In fact, she seemed quite clueless at the moment. It might be due to the fact that she hade from the mountains and was still learning about the world. In the novel, she hadter be a more intelligent person than she was now.


    Seeing that the masked person was silent, Lucia felt anxious that he was not going to give it back to her. She would never be able to face her father again if she lost this...


    "Unfortunately, I¡ª"


    "PLEASE! Please reconsider it!"


    She bowed even deeper, sping her hands together and looking at him.


    "..."


    "Could you stop cutting me off? I will just leave if you keep doing that," he said annoyedly.


    "Oh... yes, please say."


    "What I was saying was that I cannot give this artifact to you now."


    Lucia felt depressed when she heard this, but her ears perked up slightly when she heard the word ''now''.


    Confusedly, she nced at him.


    "You heard that right, I cannot give this to you now, but I can give it to you in the future when I am done with using it."


    "Oh..."


    Oliver looked at her and nodded internally. It was better to be in contact with her in the future. He might be able to have a positive rtionship with the main protagonist in the future.


    "But what do you need this stone for? Do you know about it?" Lucia asked curiously.


    Even she did not know what this stone was used for. She had only heard her father emphasize its importance in the message. Never had she heard from him about it or its uses.


    So, now that someone seemed to know about the stone artifact, she naturally wanted to know.


    "It''s... nothing."


    He was about to say something but paused. She shoulde to know about this herself. If he told her about this, then it would only unnecessarilyplicate matters.


    "How could it be nothing? You were just about to tell something...? What is it?"


    The blue-haired girl asked with an expression of intensity. She felt that he clearly knew what the artifact was and its uses but decided not to inform her. It made her feel more interested to know what her family heirloom did exactly.


    "You will know in due time; ask your father about it, he will exin it to you better."


    Oliver calmly said, which made her eyes widen.


    "You know my father!?"


    She could not believe that the person who had purchased the stone even knew her father.


    This made her feel Oliver was definitely not a simple person.


    While their family has fallen now, her father still considered himself a proud exorcist and had a very limited circle. The people he was in contact with were also not simple, so she was inclined to believe that Oliver was also not ordinary.


    This somehow made her trust him more. Earlier, she was feeling uneasy that he might leave with her artifact and never return it, but now she felt that he might return it to her in the future.


    If he knew about the artifact that was her family''s heirloom, then it must mean he was close to either her father and mother, or else it was almost impossible to know such a deep secret about her family.


    "You can think of it that way. Anyways, you ask your fatherter," he told her.


    He thought for a moment as he stared at her deep eyes before saying, "I''ll return this stone to you in a few years. You don''t need to worry about how and why. And erm... if I am not wrong, you''ll be attending the academy at that time."


    Lucia was simply unable to speak anything at the moment. This person in the mask seems to have made a deep and long n already. He even told her that she would be attending the academy at the time he''ll return the stone back.


    She had nned to enroll in the academy indeed, but this news was something she had only discussed with a few people in her family. So for him to know that she''ll be going to the academy made her feel weird. Not to mention, she was not even sure that she would be epted into the institute of such talented exorcists.


    "Uhm, Sir... if I may, what''s your name? You seem to know my family deeply."


    She bent her neck a little and asked hesitantly. She felt that it was proper to address this person as sir; he was clearly a superior exorcist with great power.


    She could not sense even a hint of espera from him!


    "You don''t need to know. I''ll be taking my leave if that''s all. Remember to train hard; the times about toe will be difficult but you must persist."


    Oliver refrained from sharing anything with her at the moment. He encouraged her slightly to train harder so she could grow stronger faster and make the world peaceful with the protagonist quickly for him to live.


    "...Ah."


    Lucia seemed to want to say something more, but the words could note out of her mouth. She felt a heated feeling in her heart; an expert exorcist actually gave her encouragement personally?


    This was the same feeling she felt whenever her father personally supervised her training.


    She felt motivated and energized. If possible, in the future, she would definitely like to know who it was.


    She was a bit disappointed that she was not able to get his name considering she was thinking about asking her father about himter.


    She took a deep breath and went her own way to look for opportunities to grow stronger and reply to her father''s message about the current situation with the mysterious man.


    She returned back and contacted her father and told him about the details.


    ________________


    "A person I know took the [Stone of Sight] and said he''ll return it to her some yearster? He also seems to know what it''s used for? He even knew she will be enrolling in the academy in the future??"


    "???"


    Lucia''s father received the message from her daughter about the situation and was stunned!


    "She even said that he was a close friend of mine??"


    What''s going on?


    Why did he not remember anyone with a mask and cap on his friend list?


    Was this friendship supposed to be one-sided?


    "FUCK! She did not get scammed, right?"


    He could not help but curse in anger.


    The [Stone of Sight] was now in the hands of aplete stranger, and they had no clue who it was!


    The situation could not be any worse.


    "It''s over... my family is now over... father, grandfather... I could not keep the one thing that you entrusted me with so much importance... it''s over... all over..."


    Lucia''s father weakly fell onto the floor, his eyes unfocused and sunken...


    "Dear, please handle yourself!"


    His wife quickly supported him; right now, she was fuming with anger as well.


    That stupid daughter!

 Chapter 57: Truth about the stone

    <h4>Chapter 57: Truth about the stone</h4>


    Chapter 57


    "Dear, please handle yourself!"


    His wife quickly supported him. Right now, she was fuming with anger as well.


    Her daughter had finally done the unthinkable. She had always been an honest and sincere child, but now she showed such stupidity that invalidated all her past achievements.


    She actually dared to auction the family treasures so brazenly...


    "It''s all my fault. I failed to raise her properly..."


    "No, no, it''s not your fault alone. We have failed as parents..."


    "I don''t know what will be of our family now... the only hope I had was ced on the [Stone of Sight]. It was supposed to be used to awaken Lucia''s bloodline, and now it''s gone..."


    "D-Didn''t she say that she was confident that the stranger will return the artifact back in a few years? If so, then there''s still¡ª"


    "Are you crazy? Do you actually believe that? Lucia is naive and unreliable when ites to such matters. She''s only good when ites to talent; her social skills are limited just like her knowledge about the world..."


    The father reprimanded the mother.


    Hearing this, she fell silent. His words did seem to make sense after all.


    No matter how supportive she was, she knew her daughter well.


    He slowly got up, supporting himself with the help of his wife.


    "Where are you going now?"


    "I cannot trust Lucia... I need to go and find the artifact myself... or at least find a solution to this mess, or else we arepletely doomed," he said in a resolute tone.


    "What are you even going to do?" Lucia''s mother could not help but ask uncertainly.


    "I''ll try to see if I can find the stranger first by asking around first... if pushes to shove, I still have some connections with the Mystic Purge n..."


    "The n! You think they will help us? They had long moved forward. You''ll only be making a fool of yourself among those high-ss noble exorcists. We both know they detest low-ss powerless exorcists like us."


    She could not help but warn worriedly.


    "I know, but I must do something or I''ll never be able to live properly..." He said with eyes closed as he recalled some memories of the past.


    Taking a deep breath, he told his wife, "I''ll be leaving for the central area. I need to teach Lucia a lesson as well."


    With that, he left the room in a hurry, leaving behind a worried woman.


    ''Oh, Lucia, my child. What have you done... causing so much trouble to your father... I hope he won''t be too harsh on her.''


    It was clear that her father was a paranoid person.


    __________________


    "Zippy, I am back!"


    Oliver announced as usual and received azy ''meow'' in response back.


    The cat wasying in the courtyard on its back with its bloating belly upwards.


    She had just eaten and was nowying around inziness.


    "..."


    His lips could not help but twitch at the useless cat. Her antics were very undignified for a reputed n guardian.


    He directly ignored the cat and went inside.


    He ced the [Stone of Sight] in a secure box and rested by the side.


    ''I have now acquired the artifact; now I need two more things before I can awaken [Future Sight]...''


    He thought in aposed state.


    ''The first condition for this stated that the individual must sacrifice their sight in order to be a vessel capable enough to handle its power.''


    But naturally, he was not interested in doing that.


    With [Cosmic Void Gaze], he could easily bypass this condition. He was already a strong enough vessel.


    It would be more or less like adding an attribute of [Future Sight] to the [Cosmic Void Gaze].


    ''The second one is the difficult one to achieve at the moment.''


    He looked at the rapierying by his side and lightly brushed it with his fingers as he remembered the second condition Lucia had to undergo in order to awaken hertent potential.


    ''The Trial of Oracle.''


    ''It was a trial that one must undergo if they wished to use the [Stone of Sight] at any cost. It was a trial that was there conducted by the mysterious being Oracle in order to find people worthy to inherit the powers. Anyone seeding in the trial would directly be a Prophetic Kin.''


    ''But...''


    ''The trial was held in the Mountains of Mist which was a ce located quite far from the Mystic Purge n. Not to mention, the coordinates of the ce where the trial was supposed to be were hard to locate.''


    ''It was more or less like a test as soon as one stepped foot in the mountains; after all, a seer must be able to see all paths and find the correct one out of the many misleading ones.''


    ''If I seed in clearing the trial, I could awaken the bloodline that Lucia was able to obtain as well.''


    He pressed onto the rapier as he thought about it. He could not use Lucia as a medium to obtain tenfold benefits this time. First of all, he was already tied to Nadia at the moment and had no ns to switch targets. He didn''t know when Lucia was going to awaken the bloodline¡ªit would probably be quitete in the future.


    He didn''t have the patience to wait that long. By then, he might have already met with the main protagonist of the novel.


    Not only that, Lucia had little training benefits to offer aspared to Nadia.


    Nadia, being the rich miss of the n, had countless resources at her disposal so her growth rate was faster than Lucia''s, who belonged to a poor family with little resources to spare.


    Not to mention, that she was now on her own training by herself, which would slow her down even more. It was not worth it.


    ''The Vasa Family seems to believe that it was theirtent bloodline that was awakened by the [Stone of Sight] while in fact it was not entirely the case. Their ancestor was able to clear the trial of Oracle and was thus able to obtain the famed bloodline called [Tomorrow''s Path]...''


    ''However, since he married a weak woman afterwards, his children were not able to inherit the powerful blood in his veins... the [Stone of Sight] was something like a key that he had managed to obtain from the ce where the trial was held.''


    ''The artifact was a sort of key that helped the bearer bypass some difficult stages and advance. It was not clearly mentioned but only in brief... Lucia''s grandfather was thest person who knew of these things but unfortunately he died in the battlefield not able to clearly teach his son about this stuff.''


    Oliver could not help but shake his head when he realized this.

 Chapter 58: Preparations for the Demon Hunt!

    <h4>Chapter 58: Preparations for the Demon Hunt!</h4>


    Chapter 58


    ''But well, whatever it may be, fate or destiny, Lucia was able to somehow find the ce of trial and through a series of fights with her otherpanions, she cleared the Oracle''s trial and was thus rewarded with the awakening of [Tomorrow''s Path] bloodline!''


    "Haha... what a plot!"


    Oliver could not help but p lightly; this was very much fate or destiny for Lucia.


    He wanted to obtain the bloodline as well!


    [Tomorrow''s Path] was a powerful bloodline revolving around Oracle and Fate. He would be stupid to let this opportunity fly past him.


    ''I will need to leave the n... I need this bloodline before going to the academy...''


    Oliver thought with a serious look in his eyes.


    He felt it was better to train on his own. ording to his calctions, he wouldn''t be able to grow much if he remained in the n.


    His treatment in the n was not the best, and giving treasures to Nadia was bing difficult.


    She would not ept it and would strongly insist against him meeting her. With the way things were, it would be quite difficult for him to remain in much contact with her.


    She was not naive either; he could not trick her into using the treasures and artifacts to grow, as he had hoped.


    He realized that he had very little control in this situation; people were not as easy as depicted in the novels he was used to reading.


    He realized this, fortunately, and now he must n his growth ordingly.


    Staying in the n was not optimal; sure, Nadia could grow powerful over time, and so would he, but then what would be the use of him reincarnating in this fantasy world?


    He wanted to explore the world himself as well, see the various mystical things; if he waited until he got strong, then it would be a big waste.


    There would always be someone stronger than him, so did that mean he needed to wait until he became the strongest? How much time would that take? Some centuries? He was a normal human and did not have that level of patience.


    He could never spend centuries doing the same thing and following a single routine every day; he would die of boredom.


    He could not understand how the novel protagonists would suddenly be like ascetic monks after experiencing reincarnation. Being able to spend a thousand years in some random cave or being a janitor in some sect only toe out when enemies invaded?


    Maybe they were indeed extraordinary, but he sure was not, and nor did he intend to spend the majority of his life in one ce.


    Anyways, it was something he must do sooner orter.


    For now, it was impossible to leave the n; the demon hunt wasing up, and there was no way he could sneak out.


    ''Maybe I should ask for Jenna''s help?''


    He felt she might be able to help him somehow leave the n.


    ''Or should I let the n guardian help me with this one...?''


    He thought of the pristine white cat and felt she could take him out very easily.


    ''Or I could try to sneak out myself.''


    For now, he put his thoughts to rest. There was nothing much he could do in this for now. He should be focusing on growing stronger first.


    He was not even sure if leaving the n relying on his own was even possible and not to mention that after the demon hunt, how would the n react?


    Would his treatment be better than before? Would he still need to leave the n at that time?


    Would there be schemes involved revolving around him?


    He must wait patiently.


    The demon hunt was an important event, not from the novel''s perspective but from his n''s perspective.


    Basically, the contents were always different, but the main crux was that the heirs would be thrown between demons and would be asked to hunt them. The stronger the demon they were able to hunt down and bring back, the greater the chance of victory in the event!


    Oliver got up and clutched the rapier in his hand; he was going to train now.


    ________________


    Just like that, days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months...


    Oliver barely interacted with Nadia during this time; he had grown numb to her cold attitude by now.


    She would not even look at him if by chance they ever met face to face.


    Nheless, he tried not to mind her behavior and kept trying from time to time to tempt her with artifacts and elixirs.


    He had to say she had a strong mental fortitude for a 6-year-old...


    He doubted that exorcists outside would ever refuse a free elixir or artifact; well, they would even try to kill him to get it and here she was.


    He received some asional strength boosts from her during the following months. And his body status was now something like this:


    <strong>_______________</strong>


    [Name: Oliver Mystic]


    [Race: Human]


    [Strength: Level 4]


    [Espera: Level 1]


    [Charisma: Level 3]


    [Luck: Level 2]


    <strong>_______________</strong>


    "The demon Hunt will begin in a week..." Oliver muttered as he wiped off his sweat after an intense training session.


    In the good span of many months, he did not dare to ck at all; he received tenfold strength boosts during these months and thus trained as a physical exorcist.


    He decided to specialize so that he would not beckingpared to others of a sane level in strength.


    Although he did not get any techniques other than [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom] from Nadia, he paid that no heed and instead searched for new weapon techniques himself.


    The market was huge, and there were all sorts of mysterious sellers; it was hard to find good techniques, but he was persistent and was thus able to get some good stuff.


    "It''s only a week before I will be in the presence of the elders and the other heirs; I must prepare myself for this mentally as well."


    He looked at the various equipmentying around him: a rapier, a spear, a dagger, and an axe.


    Of course, he was someone from the modern world, and he knew just how useful versatility could be when it came to mastering weapons.


    He would naturally not limit himself to one or two weapons; mastering more weapons was better for him.


    In the future, if he bound himself to another target specializing in another weapon, style, and art, he would have difficulties adapting if he was already not ustomed.

 Chapter 59: Children from Vassal Families! Being talked about!

    <h4>Chapter 59: Children from Vassal Families! Being talked about!</h4>


    Chapter 59


    In the future, if he bound himself to another target specializing in another weapon, style, and art, he would have difficulties adapting to that if he were not already ustomed.


    Thus, it was important for him to learn these things himself and put some effort as well.


    He must utilize the system to the best of its capabilities rather than just waiting for the rewards all the time.


    He would be a useless person if he did that, which no one wanted.


    Plus, it would be too boring for him.


    The system only allocated the rewards when it was deemed so by the system''s standards. And waiting for that would be quite risky, so he had no other choice but to train hard like everyone else did.


    With this, he wouldn''t feel bad in the future either; he was like that; if he kept receiving rewards with no effort, he would feel ack of confidence when facing those who had put in efforts for the power.


    He made sure to train harder than others for the great power he gains.


    "The demon hunt is on the edge now; I can only wait to see what will happen there..."


    He had some concerns, from his sudden participation to the schemes the higher-ups have been cooking and how he might get dragged into unnecessary conflicts and troubles.


    He could only wait and see what would happen on the site of the trial itself instead of overthinking.


    It was time for others to know about him... the n was going to know about the hidden existence that they have all ignored so far...


    It was time...


    _______________________


    In the central area of the n


    A group of people were gathered in a ce some distance away from the residential area.


    The most noticeable feature in the group was the presence of many children.


    They were the children of the Mystic Purge n, specifically from the direct lineage of the family.


    There were a total of 20 children, 8 from the main family and the rest from the vassal families.


    What were the children from vassal families doing in there?


    It was an opportunity; a great opportunity for them to make their families climb higher in the hierarchy and maintain a closer bond with the main heirs of the n.


    Not only that, it was witnessed that the rewards for the event were always very extravagant and mouth-watering.


    Even experts and veterans would crave such rewards in the outside world that were being spent on growing children.


    The Mystic Purge n rewarded generously to those who had strength.


    Oliver reached the venue promptly, and no sooner did he reach, he received all sorts of stares from the present individuals.


    "Look over there, who''s he?"


    A child from a vessel family asked his neighbor.


    "He has white hair... is he from the main lineage?"


    "But I never knew about him? My dad informed me about all the heirs and I thoroughly learned about them... if it was someone familiar, I would have recognized?"


    "Uhh, I cannot sense any espera from him too. He''s not weak, is he?" Someone questioned.


    "I know, from my sources, he''s the isted one. I think his name is Oliver. The n has some rumors that he has no talent and was thus isted to save shame on the n''s name."


    A somewhat taller kid said as he looked at others, his voice had a hint of contempt. Naturally, they all have been raised to value strength and power above everything else and would look down on the weak.


    He did not seem to fear the consequences of belittling a main heir of the n, knowing Oliver''s meager status in the n, he believed that no one would say anything to him.


    The others who heard this were either shocked or seemed to be aware of it already.


    Immediately murmurs filled the group of children...


    "What a joke! To think there was someone like this in the main family of the n."


    "Seriously, why are they even letting him live in the n''s estate? Kick him out already."


    "My parents would have disowned me had I been born without any talent!"


    "Fucking bastard, enjoying n''s resources while being useless."


    "Haha, even so, he has some guts to be able to participate in the demon hunt event! Does he not fear death or is he simply stupid enough to believe that he could have a chance here?" A kid couldn''t help but be curious and ask.


    Another one sneered as he replied, "You''ve got it wrong. It''s not that he doesn''t fear death but it''s due to the n''s age-old tradition that all main heirs must participate in this event."


    The murmurs kept getting heated about him; they simply did not care whether Oliver could hear them or not.


    It was a rare opportunity that they got to trash talk about a main heir of the n. It must be the first time ever that the children from the vassal families were bold enough to even speak ill of a main heir.


    It was chilling!


    Some still chose to remain silent and just observe the situation, and it was evident that the silent ones were the ones who were more influential and powerful than the ones chattering loudly.


    Oliver ignored them just like he ignored poop on the streets.


    He slowly distanced himself towards an alienated corner waiting for the elders to arrive.


    "Ha? Look at this. Who do we have here?"


    Oliver paused as he heard a familiar voice behind him; his blood started to boil as he instantly recognized the cocky voice.


    It was the 3rd brother.


    The bastard who had beaten himst time.


    Oliver turned around and was now face-to-face against him.


    He calmed his nerves down; this was an opportunity that he had been waiting for a long time.


    This was the perfect ce to get his revenge forst time.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Oliver looked to the side where the feminine voice came from; it was the 3rd sister.


    Great, both of them were here.


    It would be easier to crush them together.


    "I asked, what are you looking at?"


    The 3rd sister directly grabbed his cor when she saw Oliver ignoring her presence.


    She felt as though she were being ignored by an ant.


    Oliver said nothing and just looked at her with cold eyes.

 Chapter 60: Too weak! Calm before the storm

    <h4>Chapter 60: Too weak! Calm before the storm</h4>


    Chapter 60


    Seeing his stare and gaze, she was bing more and more infuriated.


    "Was the lesson we taught youst time not good enough?"


    She pulled him closer and whispered slowly with a cruel smirk.


    Oliver''s hand trembled in anger as he had the urge to p the cheek close to him.


    He endured and did not lose his temper; going wild here was not the best considering the presence of so many witnesses.


    Whether he wants to ept it or not, these little bastards were supposed to be the elder siblings, and if he, a nobody acted wild against them, then not only will he face prejudice but also lose the advantage of hiding his powers from others so far.


    It was better to deal with them once the hunt started.


    Hearing no response from him, she felt that he was now scared of her.


    "Be grateful that we allowed you to live another day... know your ce and never look us in the eye again in the future."


    She pushed him back with some considerable force, intending to make him fall on the ground.


    But to her surprise, he just stepped back as if he did not even feel her push.


    And in fact, this was indeed the case, he did not even feel her push because of the great disparity in their overall strength.


    Noticing that Oliver was still looking at her right in the eye as if her previous words meant nothing, a vein popped on her forehead.


    Oliver looked at her and said, "That''s it? Too weak"


    He intentionally provoked her, letting the surrounding crowd hear them.


    "You-!"


    "Stop it, you''re causing a scene."


    Shane put his hand on her shoulder and stopped her from acting any further than this.


    She might not be aware but she was just making a fool of herself in front of the children of the vessel family.


    They were expected to be above them always and now Oliver''s clearck of respect even after a warning was just making it worse for them.


    If he wanted, he could have let his sister teach him a lesson and make an example out of him.


    But it would only make them look barbaric and unreasonable¡ªin the end, they might have lesser support than their other siblings.


    While they valued strength above everything, it did not mean they were barbarians, they were nobles who followed after strength.


    "Shane, let me be. I will make an example out of this bastard today...!" She gritted her teeth in anger.


    Oliver simply looked at her in the eyes as if giving a provocation, he would not attack her but if she did then he would resist and fight back.


    He was prepared to do so.


    Shane looked at his sister and whispered, "There are many people here, plus the elders would be arriving anytime now. We can deal with him during the hunt."


    His words seemed to reason with her as she calmed down and looked at Oliver with a cruel glint in her eyes, she would make sure that he would be a cripple after the hunt for sure.


    With that, he took her away from the crowd.


    Oliver sneered, he wanted to see what would she do? Let the hunt start first, then he would deal with them.


    Oliver also diverted his mind, his mood was now bad because of this encounter, although he appeared calm, his hand was trembling slightly in anger, he really wanted to pounce on them and beat them ten times worse than they did to him.


    He looked around and instinctively activated [Cosmic Void Gaze] and felt the espera of the children around, determining any potential opponents.


    Due to this, he found that all the children present here had a decent level of espera for their age. It was understandable as the vessel families sent their best kids out for this event after all.


    The age range was five to ten years old for this event and if he was not wrong he came in the youngest group.


    It was ridiculous to let children participate in such a terrifying game of hunting but this was not the world that could be understood bymon sense.


    This was the n of the best exorcists around the world and likewise, the children must also be the best among the best.


    Intellect, strength, influence, everything must be controlled since a young age.


    "Haha..."


    He let out augh as he felt a great amount of espera radiating from some of the children, these were definitely the cream of the crop even among the crowd.


    He even spotted the second brother of his as well in the corner and found his espera had increased aspared to before.


    Oliver suddenly felt his eyes narrow as he noticed a glowing lump of massive espera in the corner.


    Short white hair... emotionless expression...


    It was Nadia, she was also there.


    He deactivated the special eyes and walked towards her and found her standing alone.


    The other children did not dare toe too close to her and were maintaining a sort of invisible distance.


    "Hey?"


    He called out to her making her flinch slightly.


    She turned around, her expression as cold as it could get.


    And why not? She had warned him repeatedly to not even approach her. But this guy still dared to call out to her in this massive crowd. Was he stupid?


    She looked at him as if looking at an insect and her gaze was terrifying.


    ''Oh, fuck! She''s so scary!''


    His heart almost skipped a beat due to the strong intensity of the gaze, he felt slight chills on his back.


    "Oh my god! Look over there. This guy actually dared to call out to Miss Nadia."


    "He is done for. Is he really an idiot?"


    "Causally approaching Miss Naida, this idiot must be courting death for sure."


    The people around were shocked and whispered about this.


    "Even if he''s the twin sibling... he''s still being too bold."


    However, contrary to everyone''s expectation of him getting beaten up, something else happened.


    Nadia did not do anything and simply walked away.


    This scene shocked the onlookers a lot.


    "Uh? Did Miss Nadia just walk away?"


    "That''s it?"


    "What? I was expecting her to teach him his ce."


    "You''re all foolish, why would she beat someone just because they approached her?"


    A somewhat normal-brained girl asked which quickly shut them up.


    "...."


    "Right. Why would she...? Haha!"


    "O-Of course, why would she...? Only a brainless person would do something like that!"


    Another one said, not knowing that they were all expecting that to happen making them categorized as brainless.


    "She''s too generous and let him go."

 Chapter 61: Elder’s thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 61: Elder''s thoughts</h4>


    Chapter 61


    ''These people are too noisy.''


    Oliver couldn''t help but feel speechless at their stupidity. They had sharp tongues and liked to lick the boots of stronger people.


    Something you''d expect from the children of vessel families.


    It was not that he med them; they were children and were raised in that way.


    How could they know what was right and what was wrong? It was their parents'' fault that they raised them as such.


    Anyways, if they mess with him too much, he will simply teach them a lesson.


    "Look! The elders are here!"


    Oliver looked and saw a white-bearded man arrive at the scene.


    He had a straight back and sharp gaze; his aura was powerful and intimidating, truly worthy of being an elder of the Mystic Purge n.


    He subconsciously used [Cosmic Void Gaze] to observe deeper into the elder''s true powers and instantly was met with a strong and radiant light.


    He squinted his eyes; the espera the elder contained was enormous! He could not look without squinting at the direction.


    ''However...''


    It was still not as strong as Jenna''s espera, not by a close shot.


    Her espera was like a mountain, it was so bright and powerful that he could not even look in that direction without getting blinded.


    The elder frowned; no sooner did he arrive, he felt a very unpleasant sense of difort for some reason...


    He could not help but look at the little children looking at him in awe; however, he could not understand the sudden feeling.


    It was as if someone was observing him deeply, as if prying into his secrets.


    He neglected the feeling first as he was unable to sense any abnormality and focused on the children gathered before him; today was an auspicious day and any carelessness on his end would result in a heavy punishment.


    Even Miss Nadia was present to participate in the Demon hunt.


    "Greetings! Elder!" A lot of the children instantly bowed their heads.


    This elder was a powerhouse in this world of exorcists and demons; even their family heads would not dare to disrespect them.


    Seeing the obedience of the children, the elder was satisfied and nodded.


    "Raise your heads; you are the proud talent that the n raised. Show your worth and make us proud."


    He said a fewplimentary words; looking at the group, the heirs of the main family did not bow to him like others.


    His gaze narrowed as he saw a boy with white hair and beautiful gem-like eyes, sharing a deep resemnce to Nadia...


    Of course, he knew about Oliver; as a n elder, he was responsible to learn about every heir properly for the sake of the future.


    Unexpectedly, a waste was also born in the patriarch''s bloodline which shocked him and others quite a lot, but given Nadia''s dark title and huge talent, they did not pay him much attention.


    But suddenly, they were asked to invite him to the demon hunt as well... by someone very special.


    It was confusing and they were all quite appalled at the order from that entity.


    Of course, they did not refuse and instantly let the servants inform him too.


    Meanwhile, they put the capable ones to another task, gather every bit of information about Oliver since he was born.


    Information about what activities he had been doing recently, what sort of ys he has been into and what secrets he was carrying with him.


    The special entity who had ordered them was the n guardian herself!


    Why would the n guardian suddenly show interest in the unknown low-profiled boy?


    It couldn''t be that she just wanted to retain the tradition of the n alone.


    They refused to believe that. If they were so naive then they would not have been the members of the top five ns at the moment.


    They did question the guardian but she did not borate her ns or anything.


    Sure enough something was being cooked.


    They became sure of it after investigations results were out.


    The boy Oliver, he was changing every day, visiting the n market regrly, purchasing many strange items regrly.


    From the reports, it was said that he had purchased a variety of weapons from different cksmiths, in addition to that, he also purchased many martial art techniques.


    And from the maids, it was clear that he was training in his courtyard every day as well.


    From this, it did not take them long to join dots ande to realize that he had started to train on the path to be a physical exorcist.


    A bit surprising since they did not expect this turn of events but it was not too big of a deal.


    Everyone knew whether they wanted to agree or not that physical exorcists would always be inferior to spiritual or espera exorcists.


    Of course, there were many great exorcists in the physical path but not every exorcist following that path had the talent or dedication to be like that.


    Not only that, even espera exorcists could train in that path and gain double advantage in that aspect.


    In the end, they felt it was fine as long as Oliver was able to prove himself more useful to the n in the future.


    Looking at Oliver''s nk expression, the elder could not help but feel disappointed, no respect, no idea what was going on, lost in his own world.


    He felt that Oliver did not have a proper attitude fitting for an exorcist.


    It could be seen that he had a biased opinion; he did not care when the other main heirs refused to bow but he was particrly judgmental when Oliver was lost in his thoughts.


    Oliver himself was not aware of the elder''s state of mind and even if he knew about it, he wouldn''t care much.


    You were an elder, but what actions did you have to be acknowledged as one?


    Power? Sure. But the true respect one has towards an elderly person cannot be gained just by that.


    Did he personally guide him when he was isted by the n?


    Did he provide him with any resources when he needed them?


    Did he provide any techniques belonging to the n when he wanted to improve?


    Did they care for his growth before the n guardian announced his participation?


    No.


    So he had all the reason to not care about the elder''s opinions or reputation.

 Chapter 62 The demons! Secrets of past...

    Chapter 62 The demons! Secrets of past...


    Chapter 62


    "All the children are now here. I will now proceed to brief you all about the event. First of all, the event will be happening in a forest this year, a forest owned by the n."


    "After that, we will be assigning you with a sealing talisman specially made by our best experts; use that carefully to capture the demon¡­ once used, it would not be usable again. If you feel that you have defeated a strong demon, then use it. If you feel that you can do better then kill the demon and move forward."


    "The test duration would be 1 day. As soon as the time limit is over, you will be directly brought out of the forest no matter what. Onto the next matter,petition is good but threatening the life of others intentionally will lead to harsh punishments and disqualifications. Of course, if you try to kill another candidate, prepare for the worst."


    "You will all be supervised by elders of the n. Your performance will be assessed properly, so if you''re thinking of cheating in this then I advise that you better give up before getting demotion."


    He paused and looked at the dazed faces of the children before him; he further added.


    "The highest level of a demon that you would find in that forest would be a Minor-level demon."


    Hearing this, the crowd had mixed expressions.


    Whispering started again,


    "Minor-level? That''s it?"


    "Are they underestimating us? We belong to one of the five greatest ns."


    "This is humiliating! Just a Minor-level demon? They should be as easy as catching chickens!" A hot-blooded guy said.


    "Hey, maybe there''s a catch¡­"


    "What catch? I was expecting to face at least a Mid-level demon! I even bragged about it to my little brother¡­" A girl sneered and said.


    "Tch! I even brought my ancestor''s old sword that he used to use when he was a kid; the blood of a minor-demon would stain its reputation." Another dumb-looking child said.


    "¡­"


    "Who cares about your ancestor''s sword? I am fighting for my own pride! I want to be noticed by the main heirs! At that time, my family would directly soar to heavens if I am epted by a main heir."


    "That''s true¡­"


    Hearing the murmurs around him, Oliver realized that these kids were too naive.


    He wondered if they had even studied about demons or not?


    A minor-level demon was easy to hunt? It was making himugh.


    Did they really think that the n made this event without any prior research or experimentations? The elder clearly said that the highest-level demon that they could find in the forest would be a minor-level demon.


    This meant that even the demons weaker than that level would be difficult for them to handle on their own.


    They clearly did not understand how tough a demon could be.


    He had the knowledge from the novel and knew about the ss system that the demons followed very strictly.


    Minor Demon: These were the weakest of demons, often summoned by inexperienced summoners or urring naturally in areas with low espera. They possess minimal power and were easily dispatched by skilled exorcists.


    That''s right, these demons required a trained novice exorcist to deal with them.


    And they, mere children with no prior exorcism training were going to face that entity.


    A demon was a being with the ability to conduct espera as simple as breathing. They were born with more espera aspared to average humans.


    Ferocious and aggressive, they were depicted as cruel beings, feasting on the flesh and blood of humans, they endlessly devoured and grew strong in their life.


    These demons ate the flesh and drank the blood of humans and gained more strength. Every time, they consumed a human, they would grow stronger.


    If they killed an exorcist and devoured their bodies, they would grow even more powerful.


    Naturally, this was a great concern for the first generation of exorcists centuries ago¡­


    If they fought, there would be casualties and the demons would grow more powerful from the dead bodies of theirrades.


    Thus they came up with a solution and that was to disintegrate or destroy the bodies of their fellow exorcists.


    A painful thing to do¡­ expecting to destroy the body of arade that once fought alongside you was not easy for anyone.


    But it was for the survival of humanity¡­ At that time, it was either now or never.


    If they did not take this step then the very existence of humanity would be at extinction.


    With a heavy heart, they started to disintegrate the bodies of exorcists that fell in battle.


    And this proved quite useful too as the exorcists started to slowly push back against the demons.


    But it was getting harder and harder to achieve this as the demons also realized this strategy of theirs and started to hoard the corpses as soon as they killed a bunch.


    This led the exorcists to develop another cruel strategy for these clever demons¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With a ''certain'' technique, they started to develop themselves in such a way that their bodies soon turned into a lethal poison for the demons.


    Their blood, their flesh, their espera, all of it soon became a curse for the demons.


    As soon as the demons would dare to eat them after their deaths, the terrifying poison would immediately destroy them both physically and mentally.


    It would directly cripple them forever.


    And this poison method was so effective that till this date in the future, no demon was able to counter this.


    The exorcists kept the poison and the technique a strongly guarded secret, even among the exorcistmunity, very few were aware of the actual method and the rest were just fed the mild version of that poison.


    It was simple, the weaker the exorcist, the milder the dose, if the exorcist grew stronger, then they would naturally be told more things.


    It was reasonable since the weaker exorcists would provide less power to demons and thus were given a lesser dose.


    While the bodies of stronger exorcists would tremendously benefit the demonic being so they would need to be allocated more of the dosage.

 Chapter 63 The demonic familiar and the beginning of the test!

    Chapter 63 The demonic familiar and the beginning of the test!


    Chapter 63


    Nheless, this poison method worked well, and now humanity and demonic forces were on an almost equal standing for a very long period of time.


    Neither side was gaining an advantage¡­


    It was clear that the poison method worked very well, but the method to disintegrate the bodies of exorcists was still followed in some areas.


    It was now frowned upon slightly now that humanity has advanced so much.


    Of course, there were some stupid normal people who felt that this was immoral and protested in the normal human cities against this too.


    It was a pity¡­


    The strong ones of the past had created a peaceful time now and allowed them to livefortably without any worries.


    With exorcists acting as guard dogs at the borders and facing bloodthirsty and cruel demons on a daily basis, they enjoyed an easy life in the cities.


    They were oblivious and unaware, and barely any of them had deep knowledge about the past of human-demon wars.


    They had forgotten about the cruelty of demons and their tyranny.


    They had forgotten the bloody sacrifice their ancestors had given.


    Destroying the corpse of yourrade, destroying the body of your friend, disintegrating the body of your loved ones¡­ did they think that exorcists enjoyed doing such acts?


    The modern generation of normal humans had forgotten that even exorcists had a heart and wanted to live with peace, without risking their lives.


    Exorcists were also humans in the end¡­


    Some knew of this and respected that, but there were always those who didn''t know any better and termed this act of body disintegration as cruel and inhuman.


    Inhuman? Calling the people who helped them maintain the concept of humanity inhuman was ridiculous.


    Exorcists were beings with powers beyondprehension.


    They lived isted from normal humans knowing the conflict that would arise if mixed together.


    Jealousy, envy, and hatred were something easily gained by humans after all. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    And in the times they lived in, a conflict among themselves was thest thing anyone wanted.


    Not when they could gain an advantage over demons any moment or lose an advantage any moment.


    A Minor-level demon required a formally trained novice exorcist to deal with them at the least.


    Although they were the weakest among the demons, they were still iparably agile and stronger than normal humans.


    Their bodies were tough, and they were bloodthirsty, giving them a savage style of fighting. They would not hesitate to tear apart a weak human kid.


    And these children believed that they could subdue a demon of that level with their shy and expensive tools.


    It was a pity that they were not better than this.


    Oliver could tell that some of the quieter kids had a more serious expression¡ªpossibly aware of the threat as much as him.


    "Silence!"


    The elder announced, apanied by a light wave of his strong espera, shutting every bit of chatter in the crowd.


    The espera felt heavy upon the shoulders and was pressuring them into silence.


    Oliver felt the espera and was equally pressured as others, he felt strained just as others.


    From his side-view, he could see some of them being normal even under the burst of espera, thanks to their inherent abundant espera repelling the force.


    He was still doing better than many due to his superior physical powers.


    Feeling the absolute silence, the elder narrowed his eyes and said.


    "You fools, don''t dare to take a demon lightly ever in your lifetime, underestimate one and lose your life. You are future exorcists and must engrave it in your mind and heart that no matter how weak a demon may seem, never ever take it lightly!"


    The elder''s words resounded in the silent surroundings, making the children nod slowly while trembling a bit.


    They all felt a chill when the serious words fell into their ears.


    However, Oliver could still see unwillingness in the eyes of some kids, not wanting to ept the fact that they would not be able to handle a minor demon on their own.


    Even the elder spotted that but did not say anything, such children think were too arrogant and would learn their lesson soon in their field.


    "Anyways, that is that. I will now be taking you all to the forest, bear in mind that you will be all observed by the elites of the n. You must be on your best conduct in this event. If you perform well, an elder might consider taking you under their wing¡­ Or it''s also possible that you can directly serve under a main heir in the future based on your performance."


    Click!


    The elder clicked his fingers producing a short sound.


    As the elder clicked his fingers, a sharp sound pierced the air, prompting every onlooker to crane their necks skyward. A cacophonous screech tore through the atmosphere, heralding the arrival of a monstrous presence. A colossal shadow eclipsed the gathering, casting a pall over the crowd as they beheld the fearsome sight above.


    High above, a massive demonic bird loomed, its wings spanning the heavens like a dark omen. Its feathers, as ck as midnight, seemed to absorb the very light around them, imbuing the creature with an aura of dread. Crimson eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity, fixating on the mortals below with a hunger that chilled the soul.


    With each beat of its wings, the air thrummed with power, and the creature''s malformed beak parted, unleashing a roar akin to a roaring inferno,


    The sound of a roaring fire escapes the creature''s deformed nostrils set within a curved nose. From its curved nose, deformed nostrils expelled plumes of smoke, adding to the aura of menace that surrounded the demonic avian.


    The creature descended with an ominous grace, its presence casting a long shadow over thend below.


    The elder said looking at the fearful expressions,


    "This is my familiar, a demonic bird, it''s from a species called Ochre sh, I am sure that many of you have never heard of it. It''s a powerful demonic being with strong control over the fire element. And today, it''ll serve as our transport."


    With a cold voice, the elder directly climbed on top of the still bird and gazed below.


    Some of the strong-willed children did not dy and strode forward with tense steps, these children particrly included Nadia, the 2nd brother, Oliver, and a few from Vassal families.


    They did not ask for any help and climbed up the creature with a brave heart.


    The elder acknowledged them with a nod, he had not told them yet but the test had already begun.


    Those smart enough should be able to tell this.

 Chapter 64 Familiar? Entering the forest!

    Chapter 64 Familiar? Entering the forest!


    Chapter 64


    The first and foremost thing was for them to ovee their fear of demonic presence; the malicious espera induced fear in those with weaker hearts and minds.


    As the children from the proud n, they must not be influenced by this at all, or else they will barely be able to restrain themselves in a forest filled with demonic presence and malicious espera.


    Oliver assumed a seat in the middle, his heart was beating wildly with every second; he was brave only because of the assurance that the ominous bird would not attack them.


    The malicious espera was overwhelming and induced chills down his spine; not to mention the bloodthirsty eyes of this demonic creature.


    For him, someone used to a peaceful environment, this was a tough experience to say the very least.


    He thought with some astonishment, this bird was really feathery, its back was quite cushiony too, and he feltfortable.


    If he was not wrong, at the academy, they conducted familiar summoning too; he''ll make sure to get himself a wonderful familiar.


    The image of a fat white cat suddenly appeared in his mind; in the image, the cat was yawning and scratching its belly, looking really annoying.


    He shook his head and focused on the crowd at the ground.


    He looked down and saw the third sibling pair was still down, not daring to move much; they were still stunned by the presence of the demon.


    He sneered; it would be a pity if they get left behind.


    He could tell that the test must have already begun given the nonchnt expression on the elder''s face.


    The elder would have helped the children climb up by now had it not been for the test. This was also one of the reasons that he quickly climbed up to avoid being left out.


    If this went on, he felt that half of the children present would get eliminated in this step only¡ªnot even getting a chance to hunt.


    He looked down and also saw the kid who had brought his ancestor''s sword shivering in his boots and felt quite speechless.


    Just now, he was bragging about staining his ancestor''s sword with the blood of demons, and now he was quivering in his pants.


    He was not going to piss himself, was he?


    Oliver looked over suspiciously¡­ fortunately, it was not the case or it''ll turn into a cursed memory for the kid.


    Some minutes passed as more and more children mustered up the courage and walked up to them.


    In the end, out of 40 children, only 27 were able to sessfully climb up the demon bird.


    Not a bad number; this showed the courage and strength of the younger generation of the Mystic Purge n.


    The elder nced at the remaining children and disdainfully said,


    "Hmph, you all are disqualified from the hunt; you are not worthy enough to bear the name of our great n yet."


    He flicked his sleeves, and the demonic creatures screeched as it started to fly high in the sky, its wings generating powerful wind currents with every p.


    The current was strong, and they should have rolled down to the ground due to it, but unexpectedly, they remained seated in their positions, the wind seemingly not even affecting them.


    ''Is the elder''s doing?''


    He wondered, using the special eyes, he saw them enveloped in the elder''s espera¡ªcovering them like a nket in a dome shape.


    "Wow! Look below! We''re so high above the ground!"


    A kid could not help but exim in surprise.


    "I am having motion sickness¡­"


    "I-I¡­ This is nothing for me-! I even cleared the elder''s hidden test. I-I am smart and powerfu-UGH!"


    "¡­"


    The elder remained silent upon hearing such discussions.


    Sure enough, the younger generation was always the noisiest one.


    His earlier impression of them for being courageous decreased slightly.


    "Look-! The forest-!"


    After around ten minutes of high-speed travel, they had finally arrived at the site where the test was going to take ce.


    The demonic birdnded gracefully on the ground near the forest entrance, letting the children climb down one by one.


    They immediately noticed many other elders nearby observing them.


    In the presence of so many elites, it was natural that all of them felt some pressure on their shoulders.


    If they could prove themselves and their strength through this hunting event, then their future would be set on an easier path with more resources and influence.


    The elder who had been with the children so far looked at the others, and upon receiving the signal, he told the others.


    "Alright, here are your sealing talismans," He handed each one of them a paper with some runes inscribed on top of it.


    "Use them wisely; they are precious and would only work once. The sooner you use this, the sooner your hunt will be over."


    After making sure that everyone was equipped with one talisman and their respective weapons that they had brought over, he said,


    "On my signal, all of you will enter the forest! As soon as you step foot inside, your test and the hunt will begin. Beware the elites are watching so don''t try something that will cause you troubleter."


    "Yes, elder!"


    "Go!"


    The elder signaled, and instantly all of the present participants rushed inside the green forest ahead of them.


    Oliver was also among them, and the first thing he did was to separate himself from the other participating children.


    He knew the closer he was to others, the more his chances of catching a good demon as his prey would decrease.


    Not only that, but he might even get attacked by the other candidates. Sure, the elder had said that it was against the rules to try to kill each other, but he did not say anything about mutual fights and injuries. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Neither did he say about the scenario where one candidate might try to steal other''s talismans.


    It was quite ambiguous, so he would rather not take the risk and be alone.

 Chapter 65 Hunting the first ever demon!

    Chapter 65 Hunting the first ever demon!


    Chapter 65


    With some random twists and turns, he had already gained quite a distance between himself and the other participants.


    ZZZ¡­


    Unzipping his backpack, he retrieved his rapier out of it and held it in his left hand while he securely tied the bag on his back.


    ''First, I should do a warm-up¡­''


    He decided to first get used to a demon and its abilities; he was not sure what demons he might encounter and what their abilities would be, but one thing he was sure of was that they were all weak.


    They were all weaker than a minor-level demon¡­


    Fighting a demon would also help him realize his current stage, how well could he handle the demons, and what was his current power level.


    It would also provide him a general idea about how far he was from reaching Rank-1 on his own without Nadia''s help.


    He could not help but sigh; once he received her espera talent, he would not need to worry about such things and could have a pace of progress of his own too.


    Gripping the handle of the rapier tight, he strode forward with suppressed steps.


    He would need a ce to stay as well in case he was unable to hunt a strong demon quickly.


    And not to mention food; he could survive without food for a day, but water is a must thing.


    He didn''t want to be distracted while fighting due to thirst or starvation.


    The demon sealing talisman was in his inner pocket secured.


    Rustle!


    Just as he was searching for a demon, his senses picked up a rustling sound from a distance.


    He walked slowly towards the bushes where the sound originated from, and his eyes caught a fast-paced shadow.


    The shadow was quick and rushed towards him; it was full of hostility and murderous intent.


    ng!


    Oliver was sane and fast; he reacted in thest moment and used the rapier''s long body to block the attack from the shadow.


    He quickly dodged to the side and gained some distance between them for safety.


    "You''re¡­"


    He looked at the shadowy figure; the sunlight slowly revealed its features¡­


    A loud cry echoed through the chasm, hurting Oliver''s ears. Suddenly, he saw a scary little creatureing towards him. It had angry eyes and made another loud cry. Its head was covered in lots of sharp spikes, and its body looked tough with strange armor. It had six legs and a long tail with a sharp point that dripped something thick. Huge wings spread out from its back, made of glowing bones and mes. The creature seemed to get scarier with each moment.


    The two enraged eyes stared at him with infernal madness,


    Its massive head was scarred all over. A wheezing breath escaped the creature''s gnarled nostrils set within a pudgy nose.


    Upon closer look, he saw the skin on the demon was covered with dull looking scales¡ªperhaps acting as an armor of sorts for defense.


    The creature stepped closer to him; its six legs lumberingly carry its wicked body.


    Oliver remained vignt, especially of the de-like tail swirling behind it; the thick liquid dripping from the stinger on its tip was definitely poisonous for him.


    Juggling his memories for a second and he was able to identify the demon easily, he had studied properly beforeing to this forest.


    The demon was called Mgathor and was more inclined towards the fire element as evident from its eyes.


    The demon often uses its tail as a means to hypnotize the weaker prey before killing them.


    ng!


    Another strike from the demon, but he was able to parry it.


    The demon''s strength was not too bad, but he felt that he was stronger.


    Taking a step forward, he rushed straight to the demon who attacked in response to the human rushing towards it.


    Swish! ng!


    However, at thest moment when the demon''s poisonced sharp tail was about to meet him, he used the body of the rapier to block it and jump to the demon''s right¡ªcatching it off-guard.


    Without wasting a moment, he thrusted the sharp tip of the rapier with a good amount of force¡ªpiercing through the demon''s eyes.


    Screech-!


    The demon bellowed in anguish and pain as it hurriedly retreated a few steps backward, leaving Oliver surprised. He had thought that the demon was done for after being pierced in the head, but unexpectedly, it was still alive and kicking.


    ''Even after piercing through its eyes, the demon was able to sustain itself... it seems I have to hit the skull deeper...''


    He was feeling a sense of disgust from the moment he had pierced the creature; he was never good with lizards even in his past life, and seeing such arge and disgusting demon made him repulsed.


    The sounds of flesh churning when being torn and pierced were sickening.


    He had no intention to attack the lower body of the demon; the armored scales on its body were tough and hard to break through, it might even damage his expensive rapier.


    So he was aiming for the skull only...


    Swish!


    Not wanting to give the demon too much time to recover and stabilize, heunched a series of continuous attacks, mimicking different styles of the rapier engraved into his memories from Nadia.


    Naturally, the demon was agitated as it realized the helplessness it was facing against Oliver.


    Instincts went into frenzy as the demon''s eyes turned blood red, opting more aggression towards the enemy regardless of the weary state of the body.


    Oliver smiled; this was what he had expected, when cornered, the mindless demons turn aggressive and attack nheless.


    As he dodged the sharp tail attacks that were aimed to slice apart his limbs, he started to notice more and more open areas that the demon was vulnerable at.


    ng!


    The tail collided with the shiny body of the rapier as he twisted his body and slid towards the ferocious demon.


    Utilizing the demon''s confused state, he pointed the rapier up and used considerable to force to pierce the skull of the demon just above him in a gruesome manner.


    Gurgle... wheeze... N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The demon let out a low and painful moan as it took its final breath in this world as its body fell to the side.


    Thud!


    Oliver quickly got up and made some distance.


    "Ugh-!"


    He quickly put a hand over his mouth, preventing himself from puking in disgust.


    That was too disgusting, the smell, the unhygienic environment, the distorted insides of the demon, and the dark-colored blood...


    Suddenly experiencing this torment was a bit much for his brain that was used to cleanliness and hygiene offort at his n.


    It took him a moment to get himself mentally stable as he finally looked at the demon''s corpse.


    He now had to think about how he should deal with it.

 Chapter 66 Another demon and another battle

    Chapter 66 Another demon and another battle


    Chapter 66


    He narrowed his eyes as he closely observed the dead demon in detail.


    It was now bleeding a darker version of normal human''s red blood.


    It smelled pungent just like sulfur, the smell of rotten eggs to be specific.


    He moved closer and carefully eyed the dull-looking scales on its back.


    ''I would like to have them, but I don''t have the tools necessary for it to be extracted¡­''


    He pondered with a thoughtful look on his face; he was sure that there were some ces in the n market that bought and sold demon parts for a good price.


    If he managed to gather some of the demon parts, he couldter sell them and solve the money problem temporarily too.


    But unfortunately, he did not have any experience in butchering demons or extracting valuable parts¡­


    Neither did he have any tools for that purpose at the moment; his bag space was limited, and he didn''t want to be restricted at the test entrance for carrying too much stuff.


    He sighed and looked ahead at the dense bushes; if he did not handle the corpse of this demon soon, then the blood and smell would attract other predators nearby and that would turn into a huge problem for him too.


    "It''s a demon that is lower than a minor-rank demon, it''s weak and has not even formed a proper core, it''s useless in all aspects apart from its body parts."


    He said to himself as he started to drag the corpse to the side.


    "It''s a demon that is lower than a minor-rank demon, it''s weak and has not even formed a proper core, it''s useless in all aspects apart from its body parts."


    He said to himself as he started to drag the corpse to the side. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As for the blood, to cover the blood, he used nearby materials such as dirt, leaves, and rocks.


    He would have preferred if there were water or fire avable topletely erase, but for now, there was neither so he could only mask the scent using fragrant flora nearby and reduce the visibility.


    Now onto the corpse, he dragged the corpse with him to some considerable distance from the scene; he could dig a shallow grave for the demon, but it was too much effort and a waste of energy.


    Since burying the demon was out of options, he used the heavy rock debris and branches and leaves to camouge it and minimize the scent.


    This reduced the likelihood of attracting predators and demons to their vicinity.


    ''Fuck, I have the mind of a killer!''


    He could not help but secretly exim at how proficient he was for his first kill¡­


    His brain worked many ways out to hide the corpse and blood¡­ was he always this dark?


    He shook his head to rid of such thoughts and focused onto other things.


    It was time to hunt more and more demons.


    Oliver did not stop and went around carefully with his hand holding the rapier tightly; his senses were on alert for any potential sneak attacks from a demon or another contestant.


    He was vignt at the same time ambitious to hunt a good demon to get into ranking and obtain the fruitful reward from the n.


    The rewards were quite good, and he was tempted to get his hands on one.


    Screech!


    In the dim light of the forests, he saw another creature, malicious intent radiating openly, its form was small and wiry, hunched over as if burdened by its own existence.


    Its skin was colored in a sickly shade of gray, stretched taut over bony limbs, each joint protruding sharply like jagged rocks.


    Looking at the demon''s gaunt face, he felt the demon sneer, its lips curled back revealing rows of needle-like teeth, stained with the essence of its prey.


    Sunken eyes, glowing in the dark¡­ the gaze was filled with a hunger born of desperation.


    And to finish it off, there was a garden of twisted horns fixed on its head, small yet sharp.


    ''Infernal lineage¡­ a Ver.''


    Oliver pointed his rapier forward as he directly attacked the demon head-on.


    This demon although only had power only a fraction of its greater kin, it was a cunning but coward demon that would flee once it faced an opponent stronger than itself.


    Grr...


    With a snarl, the demon, though smaller and weaker than others of its kind, leaped at him with surprising speed.


    Its ws shone in the dim light but Oliver was unmoving and did not move, acting as an unbreakable fortress for the small demon¡ªintending to show the difference in power.


    The demon pounced; its ws were shing at air with ferocity.


    Oliver stepped back, narrowly avoiding the deadly attacks, aggravating the demon with annoyance.


    With a swift thrust, he aimed at the demon''s abdomen.


    Swish!


    His rapier sliced through the air like a viper striking forth.


    The demon twisted, narrowly avoiding the blow, but he had expected it.


    His movement was fluid as he kept attacking from all directions.


    As the demon lunged at him again, Oliver moved his body and bent, his body especially flexible after all the training.


    With a parry, he directed the demon''s attack toward itself¡ªleaving it off bnce and highly vulnerable.


    Crunch! Screech!


    Seizing the golden chance, he struck as his rapier hit the mark with a satisfying crunch.


    The demon howled in pain as it hurriedly recoiled, its form flickering in the dim light before slowly disappearing into a cloud of noxious ashes¡ªan indication of the demon''s infernal lineage.


    With a small grin on his face, he looked at the pile of ashes; it was convenient that he would not have to clean up the corpse and blood for this demon.


    He made sure to deliberately annoy the demon before so that it would not try to escape and keep attacking him and slowly used its own attacks to finish it off.


    Another battle won!


    The efforts he had put and the rewards from the system together were finally showing fruits.


    Handling demons of this level was easy for him; he felt more confident in fighting against a minor-level demon now.


    ''This demon''s ashes are used in making alchemical creations and should sell for some money in the n''s market... but where do I keep them?''


    He pondered as he looked at the small pile of ashes before him.

 Chapter 67 They are here!?

    Chapter 67 They are here!?


    Chapter 67


    "Well, no choice, I should just carry it in my bag."


    He collected the ashes and wrapped them in big leaves, storing them in his bag afterward.


    He spent the next hour searching for a ce to stay and rest; the forest was definitely big, and there were all sorts of natural spots and ces to hide.


    He wanted a ce closer to a water stream if possible so that he would not need to travel just to collect water.


    But there was, of course, the risk involved in getting entangled with other participants in this.


    Water is an important resource, and there were bound to be people vying for it; they must be thinking the same as him.


    He had awakened a water-attributed espera and could quench his thirst in dire need but not casually.


    He had a very minimal amount of esperapared to others, and using water-attributed techniques would consume a lot of it, thus tiring him.


    His main goal was to conserve as much energy as possible in order to be prepared for any unknown variables.


    He simply could not afford the luxury to use his espera for the simple purpose of quenching his thirst whenever he wanted at the moment.


    Having some espera reserves was necessary.


    Gurgle... Gurgle... n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was not long before his ears caught the sound of flowing water.


    He walked towards the sound''s direction, and with some rustling with the bushes, he soon found himself face to face with a flowing water stream.


    The water was clean and fresh; he neared the edge and drank a mouthful of fresh water.


    Feeling refreshed from the earlier bloodshed, he tried to locate a nearby shelter for him to spend the time.


    If possible, he wanted one that was not too far from the water stream.


    In the end, after spending another 30 minutes or so, he was able to locate an isted den made out of rocks.


    It was not too deep nor too wide; he could hide himself within it.


    He decided to make this his spot and brought somerger rocks from the surrounding area and shifted them towards the entrance to make it look more natural and discrete.


    Stuffing his loot inside the den, he went out to look for stronger and better demons roaming in the forest.


    His goal was to somehow enter the rankings that were eligible to receive a reward from the n.


    His cover was as good as blown; he knew the elders were already aware by now that he was training on the path of a physical exorcist so it would be foolish not to use this to his advantage and extort some rewards.


    With his thirst quenched and his spirits buoyed, Oliver set about gathering supplies for the time ahead. He filled his water sk to the brim, ensuring that he would have enough to sustain him during the long hours of the hunt. He also gathered edible nts and fruits, supplementing his meager rations with the bounty of the forest.


    It was a resourceful ce, no doubt.


    As he worked, Oliver couldn''t shake off the feeling of being watched. The sensation prickled at the back of his neck, raising the hairs on his arms in unease. ncing around warily, he scanned the surrounding foliage for any signs of movement, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.


    ''Am I being too sensitive...?''


    He wondered, considering the two demons he fought earlier really made him quite on edge¡ªso much so that he was even bothered by the continuous stter of water against rocks.


    Shaking off his paranoia, Oliver forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He couldn''t afford to let fear cloud his judgment, not when his life depended on his ability to stay one step ahead of the demons that roamed the forest.


    With his supplies gathered and his resolve steeled, Oliver set off once more into the depths of the forest, his footsteps echoing softly against the forest floor. The hunt was far from over.


    In the next few hours, he encountered multiple demons.


    There was a demon with a lush head of hair adorning its swollen head, which itself was as coarse as sandpaper. Its swollen head was fixed on top of a small ossified body.


    Another demon he encountered had multiple scars and still-open wounds covering its torso, suggesting that it was either being hunted by other participants or was being apanied by other demons.


    One demon had the build of a tiny organism of blood and smoke with two barren eyes and a cial malice. It had a bulbous head as thick as leather and a beak-like nose.


    He had a tough time killing that demon due to its small size and fast reactions.


    But in the end, he managed to finish it off.


    Thest demon could have been a good catch, and had he used the talisman to seal the demon inside, he could have been worry-free.


    But his mind was not ready to ept this demon; he believed that he could definitely do better than this.


    And not to mention... that tingling sensation of being watched hade once again...


    Earlier at the water stream, he felt it was his delusion and he believed so since the sensation disappeared when he left the water stream to hunt deeper into the forest, but now suddenly it was back.


    This time he did not think that it was due to the fact that he was on edge due to hunting demons.


    Someone was definitely watching him...


    And that someone was close...


    Without dying, he activated [Cosmic Void Gaze] and scanned the surroundings once more.


    This time, he made sure to be discreet about it and not let the watcher know that he was searching for them.


    He did not want to alert the observer or observers that he had felt their gazes on his back.


    They were already being quite stealthy with their gazes and had it not been for him bing stronger in the past couple of weeks, he might havepletely ignored it or missed it.


    But now, that was not the case.


    He pretended to act naturally and started to handle the corpse, while asionally looking around to see if there were any demons nearby, while instead, he was looking for the observers.


    And he finally saw it...


    ''...Ah.''


    His lips suddenly curled up into a sinister grin.


    ''They are finally here.''

 Chapter 68 His thoughts and unexpected... wariness?

    Chapter 68 His thoughts and unexpected... wariness?


    Chapter 68


    ''They are finally here.''


    He mused to himself as his smile couldn''t be any broader at the moment.


    He quickly hid his facial expression¡ªnot wanting to let the observers know his state of mind or expressions.


    ''I have been waiting for a long time for this moment..''


    He craned his neck as he slowly got up from his squatting position.


    He stretched his arms upwards and performed a basic set of exercises.


    His posture looked carefree and fearless, as if he were not even concerned about the vicious demons in the vicinity.


    A careless and improper attitude for an aspiring exorcist.


    _________________


    "Did you see that?" A boy asked his partner.


    "¡­."


    The other party, however, remained silent.


    "I stopped you earlier from engaging in a fight, now do you think that I did the right thing?"


    He once again asked, his toneced with a hint of sarcasm and anger.


    "I-" The other party wanted to say something but stopped.


    Rustle!


    The winds blew lightly as the sun rays fell on the duo, revealing their features and identities at the same time.


    It was the 3rd brother and 3rd sister¡­ the ones who had beaten Oliverst time.


    Ever since they had entered the forest, Shane had been constantly bothered by his sister about him stopping her earlier in front of so many people.


    She felt she had been insulted and wanted revenge.


    But he knew better, he was far more rational than her and knew how to hold their image in front of others.


    She was too impulsive in his opinion.


    Shane calmly looked at Oliver and the demonic corpse by his side as his mind went back to the time they had entered the forest together.


    ________


    They were initially intending to deal with Oliver as soon as they entered the forest, but unexpectedly that guy suddenly rushed in a random direction.


    This greatly confused him and his sister.


    Was he scared of them?


    He might have known that they would be targeting him and decided to escape from the crowd and took a random direction.


    If not, then this move was quite reckless.


    The forest was infested with demons and given his meager strength and espera, he was doomed either way.


    Either he met them or the demon, it was a supposed dead end for him.


    He did not give him a chase at that time because he knew that sooner orter, they would cross paths if he was still somehow in one piece.


    Instead, they focused on their hunts and he even helped his sister manage to seal a decent demon for thepetition.


    He could have also gotten a demon but she kept on insisting that they wait until they meet that Oliver.


    She wanted to get back at him for staring at her.


    He did not mind, they can always hunt another demon by the end of the hunt.


    So, they spent the rest of their time searching around for him while asionally dealing with demons.


    In the end, as they were near the water stream, they finally spotted him drinking water.


    His sister wanted to immediately rush and attack him but he stopped her.


    They discussed it and decided to observe him for some time.


    They were on the other end of the water stream and had concealed themselves pretty well considering their stealth abilities were their expertise.


    And good for them that they did this because instantly they saw him looking around in caution.


    This guy was able to feel that someone was watching him!?


    Even though they were so far and stealth.


    Shane felt good that they decided to stay low and observe him for some time.


    He wondered how he had survived for so many hours in the forest given hiscking abilities.


    From his earlier experience in teaching Oliver his ce¡­ he knew that Oliver was a weakling, a pathetic bastard sharing their n''s name.


    However, they once again lost him as he suddenly sped up deeper inside the forest. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Due to their great distance from him and the obstruction from the long water stream, they once again had lost him.


    His sister was excited that Oliver was still functioning and well¡ªshe was too enthusiastic to beat him.


    He also had a pang of excitement in his heart when he saw Oliver, his hands had been itching for a long time.


    While he had not shown his difort earlier, he was also quite pissed off at Oliver for daring to disrespect them like that.


    They quickly followed the stream and went to the other side of the water where Oliver was some time ago.


    Shane tried to look for traces he might have left behind while going deep into the forest but was unpleasantly surprised when he found nothing behind.


    How could Oliver be so vignt to not leave any traces behind? He was not an expert, should not have the knowledge of erasing traces, nor did he train in stealth techniques¡­


    They searched thoroughly and in the end his sister did start to find minor indications that he might have left behind, she was a genius when it came to using espera for stealth techniques.


    No-! They were sure that these traces could only have been from him.


    Sure enough, he was feeling weird for nothing.


    It must be due to the natural terrain of the forest and their inexperience that they did not manage to find much traces.


    After an hour or so, they finally found him.


    But the scene they came across was unexpected and stunning.


    He was standing by a demon''s corpse.


    And it was not a weak demon either, the corpse was torn apart as if sliced by a rapier or a de¡­


    Even they would have had some difficulty subduing that demon given its tiny frame and fast speed.


    Shane''s eyes shone as he looked at the corpse, it was worth it if he could seal the demon in his talisman.


    It was a good demon that could guarantee a spot for him in the top rankings.


    But one thing he was unable to understand, what was this guy Oliver doing next to the corpse¡­?


    It couldn''t be that he hunted that demon?


    No, it was impossible.


    He refused to believe as such. He still remained cautious.


    He saw him squatting by the demon inspecting the corpse perhaps.


    His heart stirred as he felt this demon was going to be sealed by Oliver''s talisman and not by his¡­

 Chapter 69 Obtaining 10x benefits! A martial arts technique!

    Chapter 69 Obtaining 10x benefits! A martial arts technique!


    Chapter 69


    "There he is¡­! Shane, this time, no one can stop me from breaking him. Do you have anything to say?"


    The voice of his twin sister brought him back to reality as he nced at Oliver with some wariness.


    ''Is this really going to be fine¡­? Why do I feel so uneasy¡­?'' Shane shivered slightly.


    He felt as if he was being stared by the entire sky at the moment. His back was covered in chills.


    "Shane!" His sister tugged at him as she saw him dazed, she wanted to hurry and teach Oliver a lesson he would never forget, but for some reason, her calm brother was acting weird for a while.


    ''I am feeling nervous? Of what? Of this weakling?''


    Shane gritted his teeth, why was he being like this!?


    Was he a coward?


    No!


    He belonged to one of the greatest exorcist ns in the entire world.


    His blood was divine, his arts were superior, and he was stronger than any of his peers!


    How could he be nervous of facing a pathetic bug they had crushed not long ago?


    Whether it was now or before, a bug was a bug.


    It cannotpare to someone like them.


    They were superior in every way imaginable.


    It was a typical trait that was found in all the children of the Mystic Purge n.


    Arrogance and Pride!


    They did not like to be looked down upon by others no matter what.


    They would be easily triggered by the tiniest of the details¡­


    They would use strength to establish dominance in all scenarios!


    Shane looked at Oliver''s back with keen eyes, there was still a hint of caution in his eyes but that was soon clouded by the anger and greed.


    He looked at his sister and finally said, "Alright, we will do as you say."


    The girl''s tender face broke into a wide smirk as she saw her brother agree finally.


    Crack!


    Cracking her knuckles, she looked down at their target and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Follow me, I will start."


    ___________________


    ''They moved¡­''


    Oliver did not stop looking at the nk air in front of him as he sensed the two move from their position drawing closer.


    Why did he not stop looking?


    Because instead of invisible air that was supposed to be in front of him was a ck floating screen. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    [Ding! The target has mastered the martial arts technique: Fading Single Deception Strike!]


    [Ding! Obtaining 10x benefits. Eternal Twelve Lies Palm has been obtained!]


    [Integrating...]


    A sharp pain assaulted his mind as his vision started to blur for a moment, his bnce shifting.


    He had a feeling of nausea, but he quickly adapted thanks to his prior experiences.


    A flood of dense information about the Eternal Twelve Lies Palm entered his mind, a series of moves and arts.


    He felt slightly dizzy as his muscles and nerves started to shift and adjust.


    Crack! Swish!


    Popping sounds started to ring in his ears as he felt his bone adjust to the experience that came along with it.


    This was all due to the terrifying amount of experience that he received.


    His muscr system, nervous system, and organs adjusted to bear the power of the technique.


    He felt slightly happy that he had been regrly training himself or this experience would have directly caused his mind to break in pain.


    He could not imagine how his weak untrained body would have managed to bear the sheer stress ced on it due to this technique¡ªhe would have directly copsed under this pressure.


    Nadia had somehow mastered Fading Single Deception Strike in the middle of the forest, it could be due to the fact that she was finally exposed to demons that her growth suddenly elerated.


    Fading Single Deception Strike... This technique allows the user to deliver a deceptive blow, appearing to fade from sight just as itnds. Its benefit lies in its ability to confuse opponents, making it difficult for them to predict the attacker''s movements and defend against the strike.


    On the other hand...


    Eternal Twelve Lies Palm, this is way more potent technique, an evolved version of the previous one.


    This allows the user to conjure twelve potent illusions with a single strike.


    Each illusion can be shaped into its own form as per the user''s will and movements¡ªconfusing the enemies with a multitude of deceptive moves.


    It''s so effective that it''s no longer a deception but a straight lie!


    Thus the name Twelve Lies!


    It overwhelm the enemies with a barrage of illusions, with a heightened versatility as it can deceive multiple opponents simultaneously.


    It has increased potency too since each illusion has the potential to strike independently, making it way more lethal!


    ''Haha...''


    ''What a great timing...! I just have the perfect targets to practice this on.''


    His eyes narrowed as he felt the two sneaky figures close up to him.


    They were now just behind him.


    He turned around and was now face to face against the two siblings.


    Memories of the past where they had brutally beaten him appeared making his blood boil slowly...


    "You''re here?"


    He looked at the two and said with a smile.


    Shane who looked at his unsurprised and calm expression had a burst of ominous feeling in his heart once again.


    ''Why is he so calm...? Was he expecting us? Was he aware of our presence... that can''t be...''


    His mind suddenly thought of countless possibilities but just as he was thinking about them, his impulsive sister spoke up.


    "OH? Look who we have here? It''s the little maggot who dared to be rebellious against his elder siblings earlier?" She said sarcastically.


    "Where are your manners? How about kneeling down and kowtowing to us for your rude behavior from earlier? Come on, show your respect!"


    She said as waves of espera escaped from her body targeting Oliver to make him feel a dose of her power.


    She was expecting him to be thrown back by this, he, a being with minuscule espera would not be able to contend against her with abundant espera.


    However, contrary to her arrogant expectations, the reality was far different.


    Oliver snorted and stood unmoving as he let the espera waves hit him.


    His body was tough and his strength level was 4, not something that could be thrown back with this girl''s little espera.


    Oliver stood unshakable, his gaze condescending as he looked at the puzzled and surprised face of the girl.


    "Respect? Do you deserve it?"

 Chapter 70 Whos the bug here, 3rd sister?

    Chapter 70 Who''s the bug here, 3rd sister?


    Chapter 70


    "Respect? Do you deserve it?"


    His words directly made her choke on her next words.


    She was really infuriated with him and threatened.


    "So it''s like this... then it''s our duty to instill manners into your thick brain, isn''t it?"


    "Are you capable enough to do that?"


    "I will allow you to lick my feet if you beg right now."


    Oliver directly provoked her. The one thing he was good at was provoking others, with an arrogantugh he look at her as if he was looking at an insect.


    Sure enough his sharp words had an effect as multiple veins popped on her forehead.


    Since her birth till now, she had never been looked down upon by anyone. Nor anyone had ever dared to speak to her in this manner.


    Such trash talk was really getting to her.


    This guy seemed to have forgotten the beating they had given him some time ago.


    "Good good!"


    She roared.


    She could not hold it any longer and lunged at him, her fingers curling into a fist.


    She was going to use her strength to subdue him now.


    Despite her tender age and weak frame, the presence of abundant espera in her body automatically had enhanced her powers.


    So her punch carried a strong force behind it and it was enough to hospitalize a normal adult male for several months.


    She really intended to cripple Oliver this time for good!


    What about the elder''s warnings before the hunt?


    That she did not care about too much since all the warning that the elder had given were about not killing each other in the demon hunt.


    There were no rules that stated no mutual fights can ur between two or more participants.


    There was also no guarantee that they cannot cripple each other either¡ªalthough it was heavily frowned upon by themunity.


    But who was she? She was one of the main heirs of the n.


    She did not care about the consequences of her actions. Strength rules supreme.


    He was a waste anyways, even if she crippled him to a vegetative state, no one would care too much.


    She rushed up to him and swung her fist at his abdomen.


    Oliver did not wait either, he was not careless this time around.


    If he was bold and took her punch directly, he was bound to get hurt.


    And he could not afford to take that risk given that Shane was also there with her.


    Naturally he was at a disadvantage against two espera users with very little espera of his own.


    Even if he took one of them by surprise like he did with the 2nd brother, the other one would be there to back up.


    He was serious and did not hesitate to block the attack using his own fist.


    He moved and threw a punch at her with a greater force.


    Bang!


    The two punches collided and a loud sound of bone hitting bone was produced.


    "Agh-! You bastard-! How dare you!?"


    The 3rd sister could not help but let out a painful groan as she felt the impact on her hand.


    A look of shock appeared in her once proudful eyes as she found it hard toprehend what was going on...


    She actually was hurt by a trash...?


    Oliver saw his chance as the 3rd sister recoiled from the force of his blow. He pressed his advantage,unching into a barrage of punches and kicks. His muscles strained with each strike, fueled by fire of revenge and adrenaline.


    But the 3rd sister was no pushover. Despite the pain shooting through her hand, she fought back fiercely, channeling her espera into swift and precise attacks. Bolts of energy crackled around her fists as she aimed for Oliver''s vulnerable spots.


    She had long realized that they had severely underestimated this guy.


    She didn''t knew how but somehow this guy had managed to be this strong since thest time they saw him...


    She was hit multiple times at various body parts and each hit from his fist felt as if someone was striking her with a hammer!


    It was very painful.


    Only she knew how hard it was for her to keep her bnce using almost all of her espera.


    She had never imagined being cornered so badly by a weakling¡ªif that''s what he was now.


    She was not even given the time to properly think before he attacked her, he was really ruthless in his attacks.


    She could tell at a nce that if she got a serious hit by him, she would directly have her bones broken.


    He intended to cripple her back!


    A burst of anger exploded in her heart when she realized this, she refused to be pushed back like this!


    Their movements became a blur as they exchanged blows, each refusing to yield an inch. Oliver''s strength was undeniable, but the 3rd sister''s espera gave her speed and agility beyond that of a normal fighter.


    Oliver for the first time realized the usefulness of espera.


    He, who had superior strength than her in every aspect was being equally matched by her as she implied espera into her moves!


    This was an eye-opener for him.


    It made him realize the difference between the physical exorcist and an exorcist with espera.


    However, Oliver''s thirst for revenge began to tip scales in his favor.


    He slowly started to anticipate her moves, dodging her strikes andnding his own with increasing uracy.


    He intentionally hit her spots where she was the least guarded and slowly slowed her down.


    "Agh-!"


    She cried out in severe pain, she could feel her bones crack under the intense pressure. It was very painful.


    With every punch, he felt the satisfaction of gaining ground against his opponent. It was addicting feeling as he felt his punches connect to her body.


    The scene of her getting bruised by each of his punch ovepped with his memory of him getting beaten half to death.


    Oliver aimed for a strong attack at her, intending to finish her off with it.


    Bang!


    Just as victory seemed within reach, a new presence entered the fray. Shane, the 3rd brother, stepped in between the two with a menacing grin. Oliver''s expression crumbled slightly as he realized he was outnumbered once again.


    He was so into fighting her that he even forgot about him for a second.


    It was almost night by now as moon had started to appear in the sky...


    Oliver quickly stepped back and made some distance between them in order to not get a surprise attack.


    He could feel the strength of Shane''s hand just a moment ago when he had interfered... N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He was not weak!


    Neither did heck espera nor physical power.


    Oliver rxed his stance unzipped his bag.


    He took out his rapier...


    This was going to get bloody!

 Chapter 71 Bringing out the Axe!

    Chapter 71 Bringing out the Axe!


    Chapter 71


    Shane cautiously looked at Oliver drawing out his rapier.


    He could not help but look at his twin sisterying in his arms, her whole body twitching in severe pain.


    There were multiple red and blue bruises at different body parts on her¡­


    He didn''t know how many of her bones must have been broken by this guy.


    He was too ruthless!


    He took a deep breath as he realized this.


    Had he not interfered in time and stopped Oliver''sst attack, it would have definitely crippled his sister.


    This guy was aiming to achieve that¡ªhe wanted to counter back by crippling her for life.


    He nced at Oliver and saw him looking back at him with a keen gaze, there was no way he was going to let them leave now.


    Shane could not help but feel a little regretful. Earlier when he had the ominous intuition, he should have trusted himself more and not engage with this guy at all.


    He knew at a nce now that he was an anomaly!


    How could he get so strong in just a span of a few months?


    There was something abnormal going behind the scenes that they were not aware of¡­


    It seemed that they had messed with wrong person.


    Sure enough, the blood of Mystic Purge n could never produce trash.


    He was a fool to believe that there was a trash among their siblings.


    And that too, the twin sibling of Nadia, the monster among monsters!


    He sighed as he gentlyid her sister''s groaning body by a tree nearby.


    He got up and faced Oliver, his eyes turning serious as well. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Oliver saw Shane making a wave using hands as a long de suddenly appeared in his hands.


    ''A space-attributed artifact¡­''


    He recognized the trick at a nce. These artifacts were quite expensive and an average exorcist had to save up to even dream of buying one.


    His gaze was drawn back to Shane''s stance as he readied himself too.


    Today was the day he would let them experience the feeling of being on the verge of death!


    Shane was unlike his sister who was impulsive and jumped straight at Oliver, he was more calm and rational.


    But the sadism was somethingmon among all the people of the Mystic Purge n, it was something that ran in their very blood apparently.


    Shane smirked, "You have really shown me a surprising sight today, I don''t think I will ever be forgetting this scene."


    Oliver did not reply, he knew there was no use in trying to provoke this guy, he was not a guy to be provoked by words easily.


    The moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting a ghostly glow upon their fierce battle.


    Oliver gripped the rapier tight, positioning it gracefully in front of him, while Shane brandished his own de with a confident flourish as well.


    They moved suddenly in the dark!


    Shane''s de sliced through the air with lethal precision. Oliver instincts kicked in, and he sidestepped the attack with a deft motion, easily avoiding the razor-sharp edge.


    He could tell that Shane had been trained by a professional master of de. But multiplied experience from Nadia who was trained by the best of best easily let Oliver dodge the attack.


    Oliver thrust his rapier forward, his aim was Shane''s chest.


    But Shane saw this and quickly reacted, parrying the strike with a practiced ease.


    ng!


    The sh of metal echoed in the silent forest as their des met, each one of them testing the other.


    Shane was not an easy guy, he did a swift counter and shed at Oliver''s exposed nk, drawing blood with a deep gush across his side.


    Oliver winced in pain but did not back down, using his superior strength instead, he pushed forward andunched multiple strikes and feints.


    Shane saw this and tried dodging but his speed was not fast enough as his body suffered multiple small cuts simultaneously,


    ''You little-!'' He could not help but grit his teeth as he sent a wave of espera towards Oliver pushing him backwards forcefully.


    He panted slightly as he looked at the simrly panting Oliver in the distance.


    He could not help but let out augh as he wiped sweat off his forehead.


    "I never expected to be pushed back like this today¡­ say, how about forgetting this ever happened? I am willing to let this matter rest, I will also let my sister not interfere with you in the future?"


    He offered in a raised voice.


    "Hmph. If you will let me puncture your limbs with my rapier right now and apologize while kowtowing then I might consider letting you two leave."


    Oliver sneered and replied, as he clutched the rapier in one hand while his other hand slowly reached his backpack as he drew out the axe he had brought along with him.


    Shane frowned when he heard this, naturally he was not willing to allow someone to puncture him.


    His gaze turned weird when he saw Oliver drawing out an axe in the middle of their fight. He was a bit confused at the moment.


    ''An Axe?''


    He could notprehend why Oliver, a person who has been using rapier, a light weapon would suddenly use an axe, a heavy and cumbersome weapon.


    Wasn''t this equivalent to putting oneself at disadvantage¡­?


    He felt that Oliver was not simple and had a n in his mind.


    He was not going give Oliver any time to adjust as he suddenly jumped forward, his de aiming for Oliver''s arm holding the axe.


    Oliver narrowed his eyes as he as could not help but feel that Shane was indeed quick-witted and smart, he saw an unknown variable and immediately acted to remove the variable as fast as he could.


    Indeed, he had brought out an axe, a weapon that was theplete opposite of a rapier in all aspects.


    A rapier had a long range while the axe had a short reach

 Chapter 72 Using Axe in a battle?

    Chapter 72 Using Axe in a battle?


    Chapter 72


    A rapier had a long range while the axe had a short reach¡­


    A rapier was light while an axe was heavy¡­


    It was inplete contrast, his choice of weapons was very weird but at the same time, his style of handling and the way he was holding the two weapons made a beautiful scene at the moment for any onlooker there.


    Thebination of grace and barbarism¡ªeachplimenting the other.


    Neither side trying to diminish the other''s presence but instead glorifying their user.


    But why would he chose an axe right now¡­?


    It was simple.


    An axe while it typically had shorter reach aspared to a sword or rapier, he could use this to his advantage whenever his rapier shed with Shane''s de.


    While an axe was heavy and cumbersome, it serves as a great defense, if he used it properly, he could use the broad head of the axe to deflect or block Shane''s strikes.


    Unlike a sword or rapier which typically had a single edge for cutting or thrusting, an axe has both a cutting edge and a blunt side. He could alternate between shing and bludgeoning alternatively.


    A good means to catch Shane off-bnce and unable to predict his next move.


    Despite an axe''s size, it could surprisingly work quickly in the hands of someone skilled. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Oliver realized this while training with it.


    Click!


    Shane had made the first move, his de came cutting through the air with a silken sound.


    Oliver was not easy as he immediately protected his side with a parry from his rapier.


    ng! ng!


    The sh of metal reverberated through the silent darkness of the night.


    Shane became a bit restless when his strike was blocked by Oliver, he had expected Oliver''s speed to be slowed down due to the heavy axe but astonishingly he was still able to block his strike with the same ease as before.


    He could not spot a difference at all from before!


    ''Fuck! How much strength does this guy have!?"


    He could not help but curse internally, this was the first time that someone had managed to give him this much trouble, it was even more humiliating that this someone was younger than him as well!


    Bang!


    Shane released a flurry of blurring moves using another de style he had learned hoping to gain an advantage.


    This did seem to work a little as it forced Oliver to retreat.


    With each sh, small sparks flew as their weapons met, the sound of metal on metal filled the air with a symphony ofbat making anyone hold their breath.


    Oliver was bleeding from multiple wounds, Shane was definitely no joke, managing to wound him so much in such a short interval just proved his skills.


    Shane was also the same, carrying an equal amount of wounds all over his body, but upon closer look, his wound were slightly deeper and forced. His face was now filled with multiple scratches from Oliver''s sharp rapier.


    Oliver jumped at Shane making thetter alert as he thrust his rapier forward towards Shane''s head.


    Shane bent back and quickly moved his de blocking the tip of his rapier. But Oliver was one step ahead as he swung his axe with force of a lumberjack''s blow.


    ng! Bang! Swish!


    "Gasp¡­!"


    Shane released a series of continuous gasps and grunts as his body exerted more and more espera in the heat of battle.


    His left shoulder was brutalized by Oliver''s axe, it was wounded badly and was now leaking blood like a fountain.


    He was in so much pain as the axe''s sharp edge tore apart his flesh with every swing, his de was already busy dealing with the deadly rapier.


    On top of it all, Oliver seemed to have infinite physical stamina and strength, despite fighting his sister and now him, he was not getting exhausted at all.


    Oliver on the other hand was also shocked by how resilient Shane was, he was proving tougher and tougher with every moment passing by¡­


    Despite his best efforts, Shane''s de was like dance of sharpness, its movements were fluid and quick!


    He was struggling to keep up as he strained his muscles with the effort of parrying blow after blow.


    Shane took a deep breath as he steadied himself, arge ball of brown colored espera gathered in front of him as heunched it repeatedly towards Oliver,


    This move consumed a lot of espera and he was still in the process of perfecting it but he knew that if he did not use it then he might getpletely cornered by Oliver.


    And in the next moment, he saw the results of this attack as well.


    Oliver dodged one, two but the continuous barrage got to him as he was directly thrown back crashing to a tree.


    "Cough¡­ cough¡­"


    He coughed up blood as he quickly ced a hand on his chest to steady himself, adjusting his breathing to minimize the pain from the impact.


    Shane let out a cruel smirk as he did not dare to give Oliver even a moment''s worth of rest and directly shed at him with his de.


    Oliver slid through the patch of grass nearby, dodging Shane''s sh in a narrow way.


    "Fucking bastard, why do you keep dodging. Just DIE!!"


    Shane''s rational face crumbled as it was reced by a livid expression.


    He could not tolerate it anymore, he was not able tond a proper sh at Oliver!


    His usual calm look could not keep up any longer!


    Oliver maintained a calm expression and a calm mind, he felt good to see such an expression on his enemy''s face.


    It made him satisfied.


    Shane just looked like an ugly moment right now.


    If he was given a mirror, he might even faint looking at himself.


    However, he did not dy and got into stance once again.


    He was not going to give Shane any more opportunities to use espera like before.


    He attacked once again.

 Chapter 73 No way...!?

    Chapter 73 No way...!?


    Chapter 73


    Shane moved his de from one angle to another.


    Just when it seemed like Shane had the upper hand, Oliver finally saw his opportunity.


    Crunch!


    With a swift feint, he drew Shane''s attention away from his axe, tossing it into the air before catching it mid-air by the handle and then brought it down with all his might, the de bit into Shane''s shoulder with a sickening thud.


    "AGHH-!!"


    Shane cried out in pain, staggering back as blood welled in massive amounts from the wound. He could even see something white beneath it.


    Was that his tissues or bones? He did not know but it pained very bad.


    Oliver maintained a neutral look as the moonlight reflected back from his rapier. Pressing to his advantage, his rapier darted forward with insane speed. With a final thrust, he pierced through Shane''s abdomen, the tip of his rapier finding its mark with lethal uracy.


    "Kuh-!"


    Shane directly spat blood onto the ground as his eyes felt the world tremble.


    He bit his lips to prevent losing consciousness as he backed down.


    "You forced me to use this." Shane spoke in a hoarse voice as blood kept spilling from his body.


    His eyes were filled with killing intent when he looked at Oliver''s expressionless face.


    It reminded him of Nadia''s face¡­ they resembled each other too much for his difort.


    Oliver became alert when he saw him doing some strange movements, he activated [Cosmic Void Gaze] and saw espera rapidly gathering around Shane rapidly and quickly realized that he was about to perform a secret art.


    "Just die, you bastard!" Shane mumbled as his eyes turned ignited into craziness and madness. He no longer cared about the rules, he just wanted to kill Oliver now.


    ''So be it.'' Oliver also realized that he was not in a state to simply dodge or counter without revealing any of his cards.


    Shane ced the de straight in front of his chest as he closed his eyes.


    "[Trip of the Seven Serpents]"


    He spoke aloud, his voice echoing in the forest.


    Oliver did not dy and got into a stance of his own in front of Shane''s eyes.


    He threw the axe to the side as he stretched the hand holding the rapier forward in a straight line pointing towards Shane.


    "[Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom]"


    It all happened in a split second, as both partiesunched their own secret attacks.


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    A series of terrifyingly loud booming sounds were produced in the silent forest sending an uproar among the nearby demons or humans.


    The explosion was deafening, shattering the serene silence of the forest and reverberating through the trees with a force that seemed to shake the very earth beneath their feet.


    The shockwave of the impact rippled through the air like a thunderp, echoing off the distant mountains and sending birds fleeing from their perches in a panicked frenzy¡­


    _________________


    The result of the aftermath soon turned clear as all the dust slowly cleared with the strong winds.


    Oliver was leaning against a tree¡ªusing it as a medium to support his body.


    In front of him was Shane, lying in a pool of blood as he barely let out a few breaths, struggling to even open his eyes.


    No part of his body was unharmed, the [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom] not only consumed Shane''s secret art but also annihted the trees behind with the force it generated.


    The ground beneath their feet was gouged and cratered, as if the very earth had been torn apart by some unseen force.


    The air was still thick with swirling dust and debris, obscuring vision and choking lungs with its gritty hold.


    Trees wereying splintered around and the once green canopy was now nothing more than a chaotic tangle of branches


    Oliver justughed as he looked at the broken rapier in his hand which could not handle the power of the technique full.


    A wave of satisfaction washed over him as he saw Shane in a state worse than he was in when they had beaten him.


    He supported himself back and got on his on two feet with some difficulty.


    He was currently panting hard from exhaustion and pain.


    "I should have purchased a healing potion¡­"


    "You should have."


    Oliver froze in his tracks as he heard a voice behind him, he knew the owner of the voice in an instant.


    It was the 3rd sister.


    Before he could even turn around, a sharp pain assaulted his chest.


    Ssh!


    "Agh-!"


    A stream of blood oozed out from his front as he coughed violently.


    He could see a ck sharp weapon extending behind him slightly.


    She had used a sword to pierce him in the center of his chest. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''H-How¡­?''


    He looked in disbelief as he turned around with great difficulty, he saw her looking at him with a cold and murderous expression.


    An expression of extreme hatred was etched on her face.


    But more importantly, the thing he noticed was that her injuries, although still there, seemed to be duller than before.


    He saw as she curled her fingers and punched at his face.


    She spat, "I don''t like the look in your eyes, this defiant look¡­ how vexing."


    One punch after another as she vented out her anger.


    "How did you change so much!?"


    "How did you gain such strength!?"


    "TELL ME!!"


    She used an espera-infused punch and sent him flying forward.


    "Ugh-!"


    Oliver groaned in pain, his mind and vision were getting dizzy.


    He had already realized that this girl had brought a healing potion along with her.


    It was no surprise, she was one of the main heirs of the n, she was showered with resources and should have a few potions.


    He quickly started to concentrate and calm himself, the pain was searing but fortunately, his vitals were safe for now.


    She did not look at Oliver right away and instead went up to her brother first.


    "Shane¡­"


    She whispered as she saw his bad state, a frown slowly made its way on her forehead.


    She was the one who knew him the most, she knew that Shane was very strong, stronger than the 2nd brother and this was the reason why she often listened to him.


    Seeing him in such a critical state made her feel mad.


    "I never expected that you would be beaten to such an extent by him¡­ you disappoint me."


    She scowled in a colder tone as her eyes had a look of disappointment in them.


    She did not like how he was also defeated by Oliver.


    That''s right, she was not mad because Oliver had beaten her brother to such a state but because Shane was defeated so badly by him.


    It made her lose her respect for him.


    She knew that even she was defeated by that Oliver but it was not this bad¡­ he was almost on death bed at the moment.


    "Tch."


    She clicked her tongue in annoyance and took out another healing potion from her pocket. It was a tube of liquid.


    Cupping his mouth in her hands, slowly pouring its contents into his panting mouth.

 Chapter 74 Fighting with wounds! Time to test that out...

    Chapter 74 Fighting with wounds! Time to test that out...


    Chapter 74


    Shane almost got choked by the sudden influx of warm liquid and tried to move away his head but was unable to.


    She saw this and did not care at all. It was his fault for being in this state.


    Should have been stronger¡­


    Yes, this was how the true mindset of Mystic Purge n''s little siblings worked, they did not harbor emotional attachment to one another but a sense of respect for the other''s strength, the benefits they could give them and their use.


    It was just that since they were always born in pairs of twins that they stuck together with their twin more but it was not a necessity.


    "Although I doubt that it will have much effect on you given your current state, but at least, it will save you from dying quickly."


    She said in a t tone as she slowly put his head down on the ground, allowing him to rest slowly as his breathing slowly started to stabilize.


    Her gaze turned towards Oliver who had now also stood back up.


    His chest was hurting a lot but he was still somehow managing¡­


    "Heh."


    He could not help but let out a shortugh even in this situation.


    He did not know if he had a screw loose or not, but in tense situations or scary situations, he would subconsciously smile orugh.


    Just like how his mind cracked up when he suddenly bid in the auction that time for absolutely no reason.


    And now¡­


    Looking at him smirking andughing as if making fun of her, she could not help but feel speechless.


    Was this guy really sane? He knew his wounds and his disadvantage against her but was still provoking her¡­?


    She even felt tired for getting angry anymore.


    She just wanted revenge now, for him daring to try and cripple her.


    She would make sure that he would not be able to move a finger for the rest of his life.


    Her ck colored sword was particrly ominous and Oliver suspected it had a special property associated with it.


    However, he did not retreat, there was no way he was going to let this girl off after what she did just now. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Come at me."


    He called out to her and she responded by rushing towards him with a cold face.


    This time she was going to finish him off for good, she had the advantage this time.


    Oliver used his axe and squatted down, avoiding her sh while he shed forward with the axe aiming to hurt her legs this time.


    But he was slower this time due to multiple injuries which she used to her advantage as she quickly used his head for her own support and jumped over him avoiding the axe by a narrow degree.


    Hiss!


    This guy was going to remove her legs with his axe!


    She angrily moved her sword backward aiming at Oliver''s back but Oliver was quick to dodge and barely managed to slide to his left.


    His chest was hurting bad due to the earlier attack, he did not believe that he could allow this to go on for more.


    He might get really crippled this time.


    She was using espera to not only enhance her speed of her movements but also the force behind her attacks.


    She was too vicious!


    He was not amused internally although he still had a small smirk etched on his lips.


    Was this the adrenaline rush from dangerous and life-threatening battles that was making him excited this much?


    He was not sure and neither did he have the time to contemte about it at the moment.


    ''It seems that I have to use that now''


    He frowned internally when he thought about how a group of elders might be watching their fight with keen interest.


    That''s right, he knew that the n would never let a promising candidate die in this demon hunt.


    A group of elders and elites were definitely watching each participant, monitoring everything.


    They would make sure to interfere if the life of a participant was threatened.


    One might wonder what the reason was that they had not interfered in Shane''s and Oliver''s previous fight so far?


    It was simple because Oliver had not intended to kill Shane in the first ce and the wounds that he gave to him were although serious but almost all of them were intended to cripple him rather than to kill him.


    Unlike Shane, Oliver took the big picture in his mind.


    He was obviously going to be severely punished by the n if he dared to kill someone. Not to mention he had no backing in the n so he would be at more disadvantagepared to the 3rd pair of siblings with their own factions behind them.


    Not only that, the elders of the n were extremely powerful, they could tell if Shane''s life was in danger or not. If they had not interfered then that meant he was not going to die anytime soon.


    As for getting crippled, while it was frowned upon, it was not against the rules of the hunt.


    If Shane did get crippled by Oliver then he could only me himself for being a weakling.


    They were not going to spoon-feed him here.


    The n had strict rules that even they were not allowed to bypass.


    They were very indifferent to such things, only strength and potential mattered in their eyes.


    Then again, wouldn''t Shane''s future and potential be ruined if he got crippled?


    As for that, the elders shared a simr thought¡­


    They would just feed him an elixir to help him recover backter.


    While indeed an elixir was an epic-rank item that was hard toe by, given the n''s rich history of centuries and the excellent alchemists working endlessly, they often produced a batch of elixirs every few years.


    And using one on a main heir was not a waste of resources, not only would he experience the feeling of fighting a near-death battle without actually dying but also realize not to be too arrogant.


    Oliver felt ufortable showing his cards like this but since the situation demanded so, he cannot back down.


    He did not use the [Cosmic Void Gaze] in case the elders behind the 2nd brother would quickly find the simrities and suspect him.


    At that time, he would definitely be asked about his sources of power and all sorts of questions which he would rather not answer at all.

 Chapter 75 Eternal Twelve Lies Palm! The 12 illusions!

    Chapter 75


    Not only that, but he also felt that using [Cosmic Void Gaze] would be too easy for them. It would be less painful for them if he directly attacked their minds and was done with it. He did not want to give them the same treatment he had given the 2nd brother.


    They were the ones who had actually beaten him, not the 2nd brother, and thus they deserved an equal amount of punishment from his hands, which had been itching for a while. Using [Cosmic Void Gaze] would be less painful for them; beating them with his own hands was far more satisfying given the treatment they had given him thest time.


    "Haha¡­"


    ng!


    Another sh of her sword against his axe. She could not help but grit her teeth when she saw how tenacious he was, even after being pierced by her sword. It was as if he was a wall she could not breach no matter what she did. He was strong.


    Her eyes widened with each failed attempt, a new sense of uneasiness gripping her heart with every move he deflected or dodged. He was too crazy! Even with such serious injuries, he was able to fight her. How much stamina and strength did he have!?


    Oliver realized that Level 4 Strength was no joke. Not only did he have excellent stamina and vitality, but also immense physical power even in this wounded state.


    "Fucking¡­" he grunted as she shed at his waist, making him retreat. Just as she rushed at him with a crazed look in her eyes, he clutched the handle of the axe and threw it straight at her face. She gasped at the sight of the flying axe, immediately rolling to the side to avoid the dangerous object.


    Did this guy want to kill her!?


    ''He lost his only weapon now¡­ fool,'' she thought, believing he did this to stop her advances and get a moment of respite. How could she know that Oliver had something else on his mind?


    Stretching back his hand, he exhaled and inhaled slowly, rxing his body as he got into a stance. With one leg back, his right hand stretched behind him while the left hand curled horizontally against his chest, he looked at her.


    She didn''t care about his weird stance at all and rushed at him with maddening speed, wanting to finally finish him off. However, it was at that moment she heard him say something.


    "[Eternal Twelve Lies Palm]."


    She didn''t understand what he said, but it was toote to back out now. Time seemed to slow down for both of them as they locked eyes. Oliver extended his palm towards her, meeting the tip of her sword. Everything seemed to slow down at that moment before their eyes.


    She kept looking at Oliver''s emotionless face while Oliver stared into her maniacal eyes. His palm and her sword connected. As her sword tip touched his palm, a shockwave of raw power exploded from the point of contact, rippling through the air and shaking the ground beneath them. It was as if the very sky was falling apart.


    In that instant, she felt a terrifying force erupt before her. Twelve beings appeared, each mimicking a different stance. All were as tall as mountains and as intimidating as the most terrifying demons. At that moment, all of them looked down at her with murderous intent.


    The twelve towering beings moved with synchronized grace, their eyes zing with an otherworldly fire that seemed to pierce through her soul. She felt as if she was being stared down by twelve godly beings. Her mind couldn''tprehend what was happening. One moment she was staring into Oliver''s eyes, and the next she was being looked down upon by twelve godly warriors.


    Her body froze, unable to move an inch as overwhelming fear engulfed her mind. She trembled uncontrobly, helplessly watching them move their hands in unison, delivering a tremendous blow. The air crackled with energy, the ground splintered, and a deafening roar filled her ears, drowning out her scream. Each of the twelve warriors struck with the power of a falling star, their blows converging into a single, devastating impact that shattered her defenses and hurled her backward, her body crumpling like a rag doll.


    The impact was like a thousand storms converging at once, shattering everything in its path.


    BOOM!


    Everything went white for her in the next instant. The sheer power of the [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm] obliterated her, leaving nothing but deafening silence in its wake.


    _______________


    "Huff¡­ Huff¡­" Olivery on the forest floor, his situation critical. His right hand was twisted backwards, his chest leaking blood, his abdomen and legs covered in sword shes. His forehead was smeared with blood.


    "Cough¡­" He coughed out more blood, weakly trying to look around but unable to. He waspletely exhausted, without even an ounce of stamina or power to move. He looked at the blood staining both his body and clothes. He did not know if this blood belonged to him or was from the siblings.


    Siblings? What happened to them?


    He painfully craned his neck and spotted the 3rd sister lying some distance away. Her eyes were open wide,pletely whitened, foam filling her mouth. Her body twitched from time to time as if deeply traumatized by something. He did not know what illusion she saw when he attacked her, but he knew it was terrifying.


    He could not make out the details while lying down. He rested on that spot for the next 20 minutes, unable to move an inch. He felt the cool breeze rustling the leaves, refreshing him for some reason. The thick bloody scent in the air made him anxious; it wouldn''t be long before demons were attracted to their location.


    He had yet to capture a demon; it would be a great loss if he couldn''t hunt even a single demon and bring it back. He wanted the rewards.


    "Ugh-!" He groaned in pain as he slowly but steadily crawled to the 3rd sister''s body. He had seen her bring out healing potions before and felt there might be more in her pocket. Somehow he managed to reach her, shuffling through her pocket until his hand felt something hard inside.

 Chapter 76 The elders appearance!

    Chapter 76


    Somehow, he managed to reach close to her and shuffled through her pocket before his hand felt something hard inside.


    It was a ss vial, a tube. He exerted some force and drew it out.


    It was indeed a healing potion. While not as miraculous as an elixir, it was quite effective for recovery and healing.


    He felt it was a necessary item for him. If he let the blood leak any longer, he might just die from blood loss.


    At least, his life would not be in any immediate danger.


    He quickly opened the cap and drank the potion, gulping it down quickly.


    The effect was instant as he felt his strength returning slowly.


    A warm feeling spread over the wounds on his body, and aforting sensation washed over him.


    "Haah¡­"


    He exhaled in relief andy down for another five minutes before slowly standing up.


    The scene before him was truly destructive.


    The trees were broken, branches and blood were scattered all around, and the moonlight reflected off the red blood, giving the scene a reddish shine.


    He looked around and saw his axe was nowhere to be seen in the dark.


    Even the sword in the third sister''s hand was damaged by the previous impact.


    He nced towards Shane, and his de was in the same condition.


    He shook his head and reached for his bag, intending to loot them.


    Shuffling through the third sister''s pocket, he retrieved her talisman and saw that one mark was missing from the inscribed runes on it when they received it.


    This meant that a demon was currently sealed inside the talisman.


    ''So she had already gotten a demon. Too bad, you''re not getting it back.''


    After making sure he had properly inspected her, he went towards Shane and did the same.


    In the end, he managed to find another healing potion and an unused talisman.


    ''Good!''


    He nodded to himself as he slowly started to leave. As for them?


    He was leaving them there. It was not his problem how they dealt with demons.


    It would be better if they got eaten by the demons, but he knew that was impossible.


    Sooner orter, an elder would definitelye to their rescue. The Mystic Purge n was known for its strict vignce over its members. He had to act fast before they arrived.


    He quickened his pace, the night air growing colder with each step. His instincts screamed at him to move faster.


    Swish!


    Suddenly, a strong wind assaulted his back as he looked behind. He spun around, his eyes focusing sharply.


    He saw a glowing figure floating in the sky.


    His eyes slightly narrowed. Sure enough, an elder hade.


    It was almost instant, as if they had been watching them for a long time and waited for him to be done before appearing.


    The elder''s sudden appearance sent a chill down his spine. It felt as if the elder had been observing, waiting for the precise moment to intervene. There was no doubt now¡ªhis every action had been monitored.


    He observed the elder''s features.


    The elder was an old man with a short white goatee and short silver hair. Not inherited but aged,cking in luster.


    A strange energy field surrounded the elder as he floated in the sky. His eyes were indifferent and cold as he looked down.


    It was as if a celestial was looking down on mortals.


    Despite the inhumane and bloody scene beneath, his gaze did not falter as he directly stared into Oliver''s eyes from above.


    Oliver suddenly felt a weird sensation in his body upon being probed by the elder. However, he did not resist. He knew the elder was curious about his secrets and the strength he disyed.


    The elder probably wanted to find out if they had missed something during his birth or if he was being controlled by a demonic being.


    Of course, since that was not the case and it was just his natural physical powers, the elder was unable to find anything out of the ordinary no matter how much he probed again and again.


    A look passed through the elder''s serene and aged eyes, carrying the wisdom of the past.


    He slowly descended from the sky and, instead ofnding near the siblings, hended in front of Oliver.


    Oliver couldn''t help but feel that the elder was quite graceful and elegant. Was it due to his age that his posture and moves felt refined, or was it just hisck of taste and power?


    In fact, Oliver was not wrong. The elder before him had persisted in the Mystic Purge n for centuries and could be counted among the strongest beings in the entire world.


    He was a sage that many exorcists aspired to even get a nce of, to receive words of guidance from¡ªan experienced teacher and a veteran exorcist.


    The elder had countless achievements associated with his name like the other elders. This was the case for all of the top five ns and their elites.


    Oliver felt an invisible pressure on his shoulders¡­


    No, it was not due to the elder releasing his power onto him, but just a natural pressure from such a being who had fought and ughtered countless demons over the years.


    The elder did not say anything for a moment and just stared at the youth in front of him.


    Oliver¡­ the isted child, the child born without any talent, the child who was denied the n''s name publicly, the only main heir mocked openly by the crowd, the child with all sorts of rumors associated with hisck of talent.


    The child who was said to have had his talent devoured by his twin during birth.


    The child of misfortune and shame.


    But what they all witnessed just now was definitely not something a child without any talent could achieve.


    Not only did he defeat one but two of the most talented kids from the main family lineage, but he also managed to crush them one-sidedly.


    Was he supposed to believe that he was still an untalented bastard?


    How could he, after what he just saw?

 Chapter 77 The elders advise.

    Chapter 77


    The elder finally spoke in a serene tone.


    "You are really ruthless, even to your own blood."


    It was not an insult, nor was it apliment.


    It was just a statement to Oliver''s ears. He was unable to discern the elder''s intentions from his tone or words.


    "So what?" Oliver muttered. His tone was neither rude nor provocative; he directly asked the elder what he wanted to say.


    For a moment, the forest was silent, the only sound was the faint rustling of leaves. Oliver felt the weight of the elder''s gaze, as if he was being seen for the first time.


    The elder looked at the young face and those eyes¡­


    Those eyes¡­ He felt something mysterious and deep within them but could not exactly tell what. This surprised him. It was the first time he couldn''tprehend something.


    He said, "Nothing. How do you feel?"


    Oliver frowned, feeling that the elder was being weird. If he wanted to say something, he should just spit it out. What was the point of moving around in circles?


    "What? Are you here to avenge them?" Oliver asked, his tone growing colder. If that was the case, it would be very hard to leave unscathed from here.


    His mind raced through possible escape routes, but he knew none would be fast enough if the elder decided to act.


    "No, not at all. I am not here to interfere."


    Contrary to his expectations, the elder simply shook his head and denied the notion.


    Oliver saw him ncing at the healing vial and the talisman he had looted earlier.


    "Want them back?" he smirked and asked yfully. He knew the elder was not allowed to interfere in the hunt and obstruct other participants. He was just testing the elder''s limits now.


    A mischievous glint appeared in Oliver''s eyes. He decided to test the boundaries of the elder''s patience.


    The inner devil in him wanted to abuse this situation for his benefit.


    The thrill of pushing limits, of dancing on the edge of danger, was intoxicating.


    He wanted to try provoking the elder. He had read in novels that protagonists would usually provoke and scam such elders with their arrogant words, and the elders, who had pride as high as mountains, would get furious and let the protagonist scam them.


    Of course, real life was much different from his willful imagination. The elder again shook his head.


    "You can keep them. It is their fault for not being strong enough to defend their possessions. I can see that you wish to provoke me like you did with the two siblings. I would advise you to not do such things in the future. As an elder, you will only make more enemies instead of allies if you act like this. Feel free to ignore my words. Good luck on your hunt."


    The elder''s calm demeanor was unshakeable, a testament to his centuries of experience. It was clear Oliver''s provocations were falling t.


    The elder spoke in a calm voice, not offended at all. He turned around and moved his fingers in the air as the two siblings disappeared from their positions.


    He was curious about the two powerful unknown techniques that the boy had utilized in the fight but did not ask. He knew those techniques were not used to their full potential but were already so destructive. He could imagine what the output would be if someone like him or above him used that technique.


    A great weapon against demons¡­


    Oliver couldn''t help but touch his neck awkwardly. The elder was correct; he was being immature. While some people get offended easily, this elder from the n seemed quite wise and calm. Oliver couldn''t help but respect him.


    He had expected a scenario like those in clich¨¦ novels where he offends a powerhouse and is then hunted down by the n and their forces. He felt relieved that it did not develop into that. He was not sure if he could live his life in hiding forever.


    Slowly, he left the scene, heading back to his hidden den near the water stream. He was thirsty and hungry.


    __________________


    "Gulp¡­ Gulp¡­ Haah~"


    He quenched his thirst by drinking mouthfuls of fresh, cold water. In the middle of the night, drinking chilled water was the best.


    Rumble¡­


    "Ugh, I am hungry¡­" His stomach rumbled. The previous fight had drained him too much. He needed to eat something urgently, or it would be difficult to fight and concentrate.


    He did not find anything to eat in their belongings, so he was in a bind.


    He could try to eat a demon, but there was a chance he would get poisoned since their flesh and blood were toxic to humans.


    He sighed. There was not much choice. He could only try to find some fruits in the forest.


    In the end, he mustered up hisst bit of power and used [Cosmic Void Gaze] to find some fruits that he ate quickly.


    It was better than nothing at least.


    The rest of the night, he spent resting in the den. He made sure to properly cover the den beforehand to avoid getting attacked by a demon.


    The early morning light filtered through the trees, casting a peaceful glow over his hidden den.


    He woke up early in the morning, mostly recovered. His wounds had healed to a great extent.


    "Woah! My body feels as good as new!" he eximed excitedly as he did arm stretches. Although his body was still sore, he was no longer exhausted or seriously wounded.


    After that, he went out and searched for a suitable demonic presence around him.


    He had the talisman of the third sister with him, but he didn''t know which demon was inside. If it was something weak, he would rank lower. He didn''t want to bet on this.


    It was a risky bet after all.


    He saw a few demons, but they were all handled quickly. Not much effort.


    He had time until the afternoon before the demon hunt event ended, so he needed to get a demon before the deadline.


    Now that the elders had seen his strength, it was not mandatory for him to keep hiding it. If he did, he would only turn out more suspicious instead.


    He might as well get something out of it.

 Chapter 78 Nadia spotted. Minor-level demons!

    Chapter 78 Nadia spotted. Minor-level demons!


    Chapter 78


    "Hmm¡­?"


    Oliver craned his neck as he sensed someone nearby. He had been continuously hunting demons for two hours, but so far, he was not able to find a good demon. He felt the forest was too easy! At least, to him¡­


    What he didn''t know was that if the other children heard him, they would not hesitate to beat him ck and blue for saying something so outrageous. They had been struggling to fight these bloodthirsty creatures. Demons were tough opponents for them, and they were the same age as Oliver too.


    Rustle¡­


    Suddenly, he heard something as he neared the water stream. The sound wasn''t close by, but his keen ears picked it up. He felt time was running out, and he had yet to hunt something good.


    He could almost feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. As he neared the sounds, he could somehow make out the sounds, it was as if someone was fighting.


    He decided to follow the sound and moved toward its direction. It took him a few minutes to cover the distance and reach the exact location¡­


    He saw an unexpected scene. It was Nadia. And she was engaged inbat with two demons alone. Sensing the feeling of dread, Oliver quickly realized these demons were the real deal.


    Minor-level demons!


    He immediately remembered the elder''s words. He looked towards her, still some distance away, hiding in the bushes. He doubted she sensed him, especially while fighting two minor-level demons at once.


    Screeech!


    He looked at the demons¡­


    One shrieked, jangling chains, a short being of sickness and thunder. Two vicious eyes red at her with absolute darkness. Another shriek resonated from its crooked mouth as Nadia brutally stabbed its side.


    He looked at the other demon¡­ A lush head of hair adorned its inted head, almost bark-like. Constant snoring escaped the creature''s sinuous nostrils set within a bony nose. Its head sat atop a thick, stringy body. Runes or emblems, each glowing brightly, covered parts of its torso.


    ''That¡­''


    The creature rushed forward, its two legs gracelessly carrying its wicked body with frightful energy. A muscr tail snaked behind it, electric energies pulsing with every movement.


    ''A thunder-attributed demon¡­''


    The creature''s eyes were still fixed on her. Oliver just observed from afar. It seemed she was having trouble dealing with two minor-level demons on her own.


    While she was not injured, and the demons were bleeding, she was still unable to subdue them properly. If he was not wrong, she wanted to seal a living demon in her talisman by weakening it. She didn''t expect another demon to ambush them as well. Now, the two demons tactically worked together to suppress her and would probablyter duel to see who would eat her.


    Oliver saw the demon roar and lunge at Nadia, bits of thunder and electricity crackling around its body. Nadia, who still had to awaken her elemental attribute, dodged and shed its back. The demon was furious that its prey had once again dodged and it couldn''t feed.


    Even among minor-level demons, a demon with an espera attribute was rare, so it was unfortunate for Nadia to encounter one. The second demon took this chance and attacked her from behind with its muscr, veiny arms. Nadia dodged by a hair''s breadth, jumping over the demon. She was extremely flexible and strong, not easily defeated by the two.


    Oliver''s mind raced. "Should I intervene? Would she appreciate the help or see it as interference?" He knew that stepping in could change everything. But watching her struggle stirred something inside him.


    He had some guesses why she was in such a situation.


    _______________


    Bam!


    Nadia dodged the tail attack by a narrow margin. The demons in front of her were ferocious and really wanted to kill her. It was the first time she experienced such killing intent. It made her realize many things. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Demons were cruel and would not hesitate to tear you apart.


    They were clever and liked to y tricks.


    Never trust them. Kill them mercilessly whenever the opportunity presents itself.


    She didn''t want to ruin this situation by killing the two demons. If a living demon was sealed, she might be recognized more since it was harder to seal a live demon than a dead one. She had to weaken them to the point where they couldn''t resist and then use her talisman to seal them.


    But she found it hard to do. She wondered which demon she should kill. Not to mention, the thunder was annoying to deal with. It was agile and numbing, slowing her speed whenever she took a direct hit.


    Every attack she dodged took a toll on her energy. "I can''t keep this up forever," she thought, her frustration mounting. Sweat dripped down her forehead, stinging her eyes.


    This demon was tougher than all the weaker demons she had killed so far. She coldly snorted and sent a wave of espera towards the demon¡ªpushing it back. She wanted to control everything without using any secret techniques or too much espera. She was superior to these demons. Minor-level demons were nothing to her.


    But even as she reassured herself, doubt crept in. "Am I really strong enough?" The thought was fleeting, but it stung.


    The pressure of living up to her mother''s expectations weighed heavily on her.


    She had to prove this to her mother. She was watching her. She had to show that even without using precious n techniques, she could deal with these minor threats on her own. If she did that, then perhaps her mother would praise her.


    Rustle¡­ Rustle¡­


    She suddenly heard some movement behind her and sensed a human presence. Her expression turned a little ugly. It was already tough dealing with two demons, but now someone else wasing. If that person turned out to be hostile, she might be in serious trouble. She was confident but not overconfident; facing three enemies at once would be very difficult.


    Her eyes darted around, searching for the source of the sound.

 Chapter 79 Sealing the demon!

    Chapter 79 Sealing the demon!


    Chapter 79


    Rustle¡­


    She warily looked in the direction of the sound and saw someone familiar.


    "You again!?" she eximed, unable to hide her surprise. It seemed like this guy was always around, no matter where she went.


    No matter how hard she tried to avoid him, fate seemed to push them together.


    Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a strange, familial feeling surged in her heart whenever she saw him.


    She couldn''t quite figure out why.


    "Hey?" Oliver waved.


    The demons'' attention was quickly drawn to the new prey that had entered the scene. Their eyes gleamed with ferocity as they moved slowly yet cautiously, sizing him up.


    "Here to help!" he shouted, retrieving thest weapon he had on him¡ªa pair of daggers.


    He hadn''t used them before because hecked control over them, but with his other weapons out ofmission, he had no choice but to resort to them. Despite not being needed here, the presence of two minor-rank demons spurred him to join the fight.


    "YO! DEMONS, COME AT ME!" he yelled, causing the two demons to flinch and then turn even more aggressive.


    Growl¡­


    One demon, with muscr arms and a tail, charged at him with angry eyes and a salivating mouth.


    Oliver remained calm. Instead of dodging, he waited for the demon to get closer. As it neared, he pressed down on the ground beneath his feet with force, propelling himself into the air. His body formed an arc as he threw one of his daggers straight at the demon''s eye.


    ROAR!


    The demon wailed in agony and pain as the sharp metal lodged itself in its eye. Olivernded gracefully behind the demon and, taking advantage of its disoriented state, rushed forward to stab its back with his other dagger. But the dagger couldn''t prate the demon''s tough skin. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He silently marveled at the demon''s tough hide, realizing it could fetch a high price.


    The muscr demon grew even more aggressive, almost berserk, as it charged madly at anything nearby. Oliver continued his attacks, but they were less effective than against weaker demons.


    Just then, he heard Nadia''s voice from afar.


    "You''re using a low-quality weapon against a demon. It''s ineffective!"


    Oliver knew she was right. His cheap weapons were no match for the demon''s muscr body. He looked into the demon''s ck eyes, seamlessly activating his [Cosmic Void Gaze] ability.


    [Enshrouding of Death]


    A frightened cry escaped the demon''s mouth as its eyes began to lose focus. Oliver appeared in front of the demon, and before it could faint from fear, he stabbed his dagger through its face. Simultaneously, he extracted the dagger from its eye and plunged it into the demon''s chest with all his strength.


    The power of Level-4 strength showed as his entire hand sank inside the demon''s body due to the terrible force. The demon was killed instantly.


    This all happened in less than a moment. Oliver used [Cosmic Void Gaze] while rushing toward the berserk demon. He activated it so quickly that no one couldprehend what was happening, drawing attention to the act of his hand sinking into the demon''s thick skin.


    He had sessfully hunted the demon.


    Even if someone from the outside, including the elders, saw this scene, they would not find anything abnormal. And even if someone keenly sensed something amiss, there would be no proof, as he had killed the source of information¡ªthe demon. They wouldn''t be able to extract any information.


    At best, they could only harbor suspicions about why the demon had suddenly be docile and unstable, allowing Oliver to attack it. He could easily deflect such questions by iming he was too quick and took the demon off-guard in its berserk state.


    Swish!


    He retrieved his talisman and pped it against the demon.


    Vrrr¡­


    A vibration was produced before a gray light shone from the talisman, slowly enveloping the demon and sealing it inside.


    With this, it could be said that he had sessfullypleted the demon hunt.


    Boom!


    He heard a booming sound and turned around to see Nadia throwing the thunder demon against a nearby tree. She moved fast, not letting the demon get back up before stabbing her sword through its abdomen.


    The demon screeched in pain¡ªa wail of pure misery.


    She was ruthless, quickly using her talisman and throwing it against the demon''s body. A light shone as the demon struggled and resisted, but after a futile struggle of a severely wounded demon, it was sealed for good.


    She had managed to seal a live demon!


    "Good work!" Oliver congratted her from afar. She looked at him with a serene expression.


    She hadn''t expected to meet him here, let alone see him draw a demon towards himself.


    Did he think she needed help?


    The thought made her a bit pissed off. She was not weak.


    She felt a twinge of anxiety¡ªsurely he didn''t think she was weak, right? It wasn''t that she couldn''t handle the two demons on her own; she was simply adamant about capturing and sealing the demon alive by weakening it.


    It was nothing more than that.


    She worried Oliver might think she was weak and had intervened to help her.


    But she was more powerful than he might realize.


    In fact, she had strategically chosen to weaken the demon before sealing it, ensuring a sessful capture. She wasn''t struggling¡ªshe was being methodical and precise.


    Still, the idea that Oliver might see her as incapable gnawed at her pride. She wanted to prove herself, to show that she could handle whatever came her way without anyone''s help... Her mother...


    Oliver, oblivious to her internal struggle, approached her. "You did great out there," he said with a smile.


    She calmly looked at him without any fluctuations in her expression, trying to mask her irritation. "I had it under control."


    "I know you did," he responded, his tone was calm. "But it never hurts to have a backup, right?"


    She nodded, but the words didn''t quite alleviate her frustration. She didn''t need a backup. She needed to prove her strength.


    As they prepared to leave, the memory of the fight lingered in her mind. The adrenaline, the rush ofbat, and the satisfaction of sealing a demon were still fresh. Yet, amidst all that, the shadow of doubt persisted.


    ''How did he be this strong¡­?''


    ''And what was that¡­ the demon¡­''


    She silently nced at Oliver''s back¡­

 Chapter 80: Demon Hunt is Over!

    Chapter 80: Demon Hunt is Over!


    She was more powerful than him. She really did not want him to think of her as someone weak. She had once cried in front of him too. That was the most embarrassing moment in her entire life¡­ she still couldn''t get over it.


    If Oliver actually thought that she was just a crybaby, she had to show him her powers. Somewhere in the corner of her mind, she didn''t want to lose the respect of her twin... She had never cared about such things before, but for some reason, she did not want this now¡ªespecially not with him.


    But at the same time, she felt angry at herself. Why did she have to exin anything to him? She was not liable to give anyone any exnation about her powers except her mother!


    ''Ugh!''


    She felt a burst of frustration in her mind, so she couldn''t help but re at him. How could she know that at that moment, Oliver was just stunned at how ruthless a child could be? He had first-hand witnessed the ruthlessness of a future powerhouse today.


    He felt that she was so strong to handle two demons alone. Even if he had not helped, she might have subdued them on her own sooner orter, especially if she had used those powerful secret techniques from the n and her special eyes.


    He saw her ring at him and was suddenly puzzled.


    ''Wait! She''s not angry with me because I stole her prey, right?''


    He felt a bit anxious. He didn''t want to worsen his rtionship with this cold doll. He had seen how, at such times when the protagonist helped them, they would rather fight the protagonist for stealing their prey.


    But she had such aplex mind that he often found it hard to do things that sat well with her.


    He shook his head and didn''t think much but calmly picked up his talisman. Since they had used up their talismans, they were allowed to exit the forest if they wanted to.


    He saw Nadia give him one more angry look before turning around and picking up her own talisman. She looked towards the sky for a moment, then back at him.


    "Hmph."


    She soon left the scene, possibly going back to the starting entrance. She didn''t want to think about it; she was more curious about something else.


    Earlier, she had seen the demon suddenly freeze in its spot as Oliver rushed towards it. From the sounds it made, the demon had definitely been stunned or dazed to even react. Did he perform some sort of hypnosis on the demon?


    Not only that, but his strength... what had happened to him?


    Thest time she saw him, he was not even strong enough to fight the siblings back, but now he was manhandling a minor-level demon on his own? This was not something that could change overnight.


    She fell into some thoughts. Perhaps he had once again gotten his hands on another body-strengthening elixir and used it himself. This did seem to make sense. Last time he hade to her courtyard, he was carrying a ck box too and intended to give it to her, but she had decisively refused it at that time. So there was a chance he had used the elixir in the box himself.


    She had some guesses but decided not to dwell on it. She was totally not interested in his business!


    ________________


    Oliver also fell into thought. What should he do now? His hunt was pretty much over anyway.


    Should he go and rob others? Oliver was amused when he thought about it but decided against it. He didn''t have that much energy left. It would be too petty, and he doubted they had anything worthwhile on them in this forest.


    He too went towards the starting point. It was in the east direction, so he only had to follow that path, and sooner orter he would be there.


    On his way back, he met other participants too. The time for the hunt was almost over, and now everyone was returning to the exit. The demons nearby didn''t daree closer to the crowd of children, sensing the huge quantity of espera radiating from the group. So overall, it was an easy trip back.


    ________________


    "The demon hunt is now officially over. Those who are still inside will be brought back, and the rest of you will now showcase the demons you have caught to the elders."


    The same elder from before, with a demonic bird as a familiar, appeared once again. He kindly instructed the children.


    These were all the cream of the crop in the n and had great potential. He might even consider taking in one of them as his personal student after discussing it with their families or them.


    His eyes couldn''t help but wander to a white-haired head in the crowd, the distinct sign of royalty in the group. He was among the other elders and had seen the stunt of this little guy at that time. He was ruthless and didn''t hesitate to cripple the two siblings either.


    After they were brought out of the forest, a team of medics who were on standby immediately examined their conditions. They both had been crippled badly, and if not provided with a healing elixir, they would remain that way forever. He had directly crushed their talents and potentials.


    He could feel that there was an inside story between the two parties. It was as if they had known each other from before this demon hunt. From their actions, it could be rted to the small conflict that happened during the gathering before the hunting event or a matter of revenge between the two. Their eyes were filled with hatred for one another.


    It was a small matter, but what he was more interested in was Oliver''s abilities. He had clearly felt it, but Oliver was just an ordinary child with less than average espera quantity in his body. It was impossible to believe that he could pull off those two unknown powerful techniques. Those techniques had potential to develop into even more fearsome abilitiester on.


    How in the world did he manage to obtain those techniques? And who created those fearsome techniques in the first ce?

 Chapter 81: Display the talisman! Confused children.

    Chapter 81: Disy the talisman! Confused children.


    Had he not witnessed it firsthand, he would have never believed that a feeble novice exorcist candidate like Oliver could aplish such a feat!


    What exactly were those two martial arts techniques?


    Who had imparted them to him?


    Was there someone involved in this scenario?


    Was Mistress Ophelia wrong about his initial evaluation at his birth? Unlikely, but now he was even more curious about this child.


    What was going on then¡­?


    He couldn''t resist probing him once more, only to yield the same results as before.


    Barely any espera worth noting.


    He shook his head and ushered the group of children towards the judges.


    They would determine the course of action and wielded greater authority than him.


    He was also keen to observe their reaction to Oliver, given that they all bore witness to his earlier actions in the forest.


    With haste, he directed them to another area while the other guards escorted the children still within the forest.


    Oliver spotted some chairs, and a few people were seated upon them.


    These chairs were arranged on a raised tform or stage of sorts.


    The judges sat with an air of authority, their eyes scanning the group of children with keen interest. They had details about each of them, a full-detailed profile.


    The children congregated, the air was thick with tension as they took out their talismans.


    Oliver nced around, and suddenly, his gaze locked with the second brother''s, who appeared to be casually scanning the surroundings.


    The second brother, upon seeing Oliver, inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine, causing his hand to tremble¡­


    Was he experiencing fear?


    Swiftly, he averted his gaze, focusing straight ahead. Sweat began to form on his brow, bewildered by the sensation engulfing him. His mind recoiled from even ncing in Oliver''s direction.


    As he attempted to recall where he had encountered him before, a sharp pain seared through his head. Dizziness washed over him, dissuading any further contemtion.


    Whatever the cause, whether instinctual or otherwise, it vehemently advised him to steer clear of Oliver at all costs.


    Observing this reaction, Oliver felt a sense of satisfaction. This was the consequence one faced for crossing him.


    "Approach! One by one! ce your talisman on the altar to unseal the demon. The judges will then assess it."


    The first child approached, trembling slightly, and positioned his talisman on the altar.


    He was among those who failed to exit the forest on time and thus was escorted out by guards.


    The altar hummed to life as the talisman glowed.


    A small, pathetic-looking demon corpse emerged out in front of the altar, eliciting a mixture of relief and disappointment from the audience.


    The judges conferred briefly, their interest seemingly minimal.


    Well, Oliver mused, it was challenging to pique their interest; these demons hardly warranted a nce from them.


    Next was a confident girl, previously a favorite to win. Oliver had noticed her at the outset, surrounded by a retinue of followers.


    It was evident her family lineage was exceptional, the vassal family enjoying a higher status than others.


    She unsealed her talisman, revealing a fierce and imposing demon corpse.


    The judges nodded approvingly, and she stepped back, a satisfied smile adorning her face.


    After her was the kid who had brought his ancestor''s sword with him, earlier at the beginning he was quite arrogant and confident but now he seemed more humbled and subdued.


    Even his face was covered in dirt and his clothes were also torn from here and there.


    It was apparent the demons he had underestimated had imparted a valuable lesson.


    The demon he presented was mediocre at best.


    Children came and went by. The process continued.


    Finally, it was the second brother''s turn. He unveiled his talisman before the audience.


    "Look at that!"


    "Isn''t that a minor-level demon!?"


    "As expected from the main lineage, they are born different." A boy could not help but shake his head, his demon was at best a 5 out of 10 rating.


    "He''s so handsome as well, I want to join under him¡­" A girl gushed, admiring his appearance.


    The crowd buzzed with conversation.


    "Not bad," one of the judges calmly remarked, jotting down notes.


    Oliver also looked at the demon corpse, the demon had a bald head and wide teeth with arge belly. It was indeed a minor-level demon.


    The rotations continued until finally, it was his turn!


    "Hey, it''s his turn¡­"


    "Tch, did he even capture one?"


    "Seems impossible. Maybe it''s an empty talisman haha."


    "Haha. It''s a shame the main lineage''s esteemed reputation might suffer due to him."


    Finally his name was called. He stepped forward, his heart pounding slightly, it was the moment where his cover was going to get blown away.


    He had been trying to hide his powers but unfortunately since that was no longer feasible, it was time to reveal it.


    Although his cover had long been blown away considering they all were watching them, but it was still a different story doing it in front of so many people.


    He calmly went up to the altar and slowly ced his talisman onto the circr tform.


    Whirr¡­


    A light shone as the audience waited for the spectacle, some were eagerly waiting for the drama that was going to unfold once Oliver revealed his pathetic talent.


    The elders remainedposed, their eyes betraying a knowingness. They were well aware of each child''s aplishments. The judging process merely served to establish a hierarchy among them.


    They ought to discern theirpetition and select the appropriate figure to follow.


    The cadaver of a robust and imposing demon gradually materialized before the crowd.


    Silence nketed the audience as they gawked at the demon in disbelief.


    "Umm¡­ hey, isn''t this a minor-level demon?" someone finally spoke, their tone hesitant.


    "A minor-level demon! He actually captured one!?"


    "What!? How''s this possible? I still can''t feel any noticeable espera from him!?"


    "What''s going on!?"


    Nadia calmly observed the situation from a distance, her eyes had a certain glint to them as she watched.

 Chapter 82: Nadia reveals her demon

    Chapter 82: Nadia reveals her demon


    Another girl thought aloud, "Could it be that his espera level is too high for us to sense? Is that why we were unable to feel anything?"


    "Huh¡­ wait, this does sound logical¡­" Another kid also had a thoughtful look.


    "In the first ce, wasn''t it someone else who said that Young Master Oliver was isted due to his ipetent talent since birth?"


    "Y-You''re right. But where''s that guy?"


    "I think I saw him get eliminated at the beginning when he was unable to climb the elder''s familiar."


    "Fuck! That bastard dared to trick us!" someone raged out.


    "Actually, we are the fools here. How could a person from the main lineageck talent? Their blood is divine."


    "I am ashamed that I thought like this¡­ To think I dared to disrespect one of the main heirs just due to myck of knowledge. M-My father is going to beat me up if he finds out." A boy said in fear.


    Hearing this, many others showed anxious faces, especially those who had openly bad-mouthed him since the beginning. They disrespected a main heir thinking he was talentless and weak just because someone said so, and now they saw this scene of him casually showcasing a minor-level demon.


    They had also been in the forest, and the demons were not easy to hunt. Not to mention the minor-level ones; even the weaker ones were very troubling and ferocious. Just facing them alone was extremely stressful. They could only imagine how tough a minor-level demon was.


    To be able to kill that demon and seal it¡­ he was definitely not weak.


    As for cheating? They did not even have such a thought. The whole event was being monitored by the n elders, who were impartial. Any sort of cheating would immediately result in disqualification and punishment.


    Their parents had repeatedly informed them to maintain the best possible ties with the main heirs.


    They had specifically told them one thing:


    "If you cannot maintain a good tie, then don''t get on their bad side no matter what."


    Those who had jabbed at him earlier were secretly cursing themselves for being too talkative. They had done this to impress the pair of third siblings and get their favor, but who would have expected they would actually offend such a monster instead?


    They could still bootlick the third pair of siblings and get under their wing to have some ground, but¡­


    Where were they?


    Wait, they could not find the pair of siblings anywhere?


    "???"


    "Respected elder, uhm, where are the third young master and young miss?" A guy could not help but ask. He was one of the people who had quite actively berated Oliver, so he was more anxious than others.


    "They have been disqualified."


    The elder nced at the kid and coldly said.


    As if a thunderbolt had struck their minds, they all looked at the elder with confusion and anxiety.


    Disqualified?


    What happened? Did they cheat?


    Their faces turned pale upon hearing the elder''s words. The elder did not exin anything further and simply walked away from this annoying bunch of children.


    "Hmm. Not bad, young master¡­"


    One of the judgesmented with a certain look in his eyes. He wanted to ask more but could not do so. Oliver still had the status of being one of the main heirs, so he couldn''t casually ask him about his secrets¡ªespecially not when he was not even rted to Oliver''s faction.


    The head judge leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "This is a rare find," he said, his voice tinged with both contemtion and serenity. "Where did you capture this demon, Oliver?"


    "In the forest."


    "¡­"


    Oliver nonchntly replied, making the judges speechless. Upon second thought, they all felt that Oliver was indeed not wrong, so why did they feel offended?


    The judges exchanged nces, their expressions unreadable.


    Afterward, they sent him back and called out the rest of the participants.


    It was almost the end, and now it was Nadia''s turn.


    She was called out, and the noisy crowd instantly quieted down.


    The air was filled with unexpected anticipation.


    Everyone had a look of eagerness in their eyes as they watched her reach the altar and ce her talisman upon it.


    She was the most likely candidate to be the future matriarch of the n. There was not a single person in the crowd who did not want to be her subordinate and join her faction.


    But of course, they all knew that only the best of the best would even get a chance to serve her.


    They all wanted to see what sort of demon she had captured. It would be a show of her strength for the first time in public.


    Nadia had no interest in her eyes. She had an expressionless face at the moment, and the world did not seem to affect her at all.


    The light on the talisman shone, and a demon emerged out of the altar.


    Before anyone could respond, the demon hissed out, its voice echoing through the silent surroundings.


    Hiss!


    The onlookers could not help but be stunned.


    The demon was alive!?


    How did she manage to seal it then?


    Even the judges had a look of interest upon seeing the demon.


    A thunder-attributed demon was definitely harder to fightpared to non-attributed demons. And to seal one alive at their level? This task was almost impossible to achieve.


    They could not help but have a sense of respect for Nadia. She was indeed the most talented in the main lineage. Not even a Rank-1 exorcist and still able to seal a minor-level demon alive? She was definitely not normal.


    Chaos erupted as the crowd reacted. The judges struggled to regain control.


    In the end, the head judge raised his hand for silence.


    "This is unexpected," he said, looking at Nadia with a mix of curiosity and interest.


    "A rare find, as expected of Miss Nadia." A judge pped lightly as he congratted her.


    The crowd could not help but be envious. The judges did not even react when it was their turn, but now they were going as far as to congratte her and p for her.

 Chapter 83: Celestial Flame Lotus! Waiting for 10x benefits!

    Chapter 83: Celestial me Lotus! Waiting for 10x benefits!


    The crowd could not help but be envious. The judges did not even react when it was their turn, but now they were even going as far as to congratte her and p for her. This just showed her influence and how strong she would grow in the future. It was a fitting show of power.


    Ignoring everything around, Nadia could not help but nce sideways secretly, trying to find out how Oliver reacted. In the end, she saw him pping for her as well and felt satisfied. Her lips wanted to curl up, but she restrained herself. Her mother might also be watching.


    Oliver nced as the elder clicked his fingers, and the demon was instantly sliced into two halves and quickly assimted into nothingness.


    That was an exorcism technique¡­ only exorcists with espera could use that.


    The head judge stood and called for silence once more. "We have reached our decision. The rankings are as follows¡­"


    [1st: Nadia Mystic]


    [2nd: Oliver Mystic]


    [3rd: Violet Mitchell]


    [4th: ¡­]


    As he announced the names and ranks, there were gasps and murmurs of surprise. Some of the expected top contenders were ranked lower than anticipated, while others who had been overlooked rose to prominence.


    When Oliver''s name was called, he was ced among the highest ranks, but the judges gave him a look that promised further scrutiny for some reason.


    Good, I ced second. The reward should be good.


    He felt happy that he ced second. Actually, he was more d that Nadia ced first, which meant that she was going to receive a better reward, and he would enjoy the tenfold benefits too.


    Seeing Oliverughing weirdly to himself, the others didn''t know what to say. In the end, they just ignored him and went to rest. The previous night had taken a toll on them mentally and physically.


    "The winners stay while the rest leave. We will distribute the rewards," the elder announced as he guided the rest of the participants away.


    The group of rankers were also taken to a chamber with the judges and other n elites present as well. Oliver was quite surprised when he heard that the second brother was not the runner-up but instead some unknown girl. Nheless, the judges had their own criteria, and he did not care.


    After they were led to the chamber, the head judge informed them. "For the 3rd rank, you will receive a secret martial arts technique from the n. You have three choices, select one of them wisely."


    He said to Violet and presented three notebooks with the technique name written on the cover. She took a moment and carefully analyzed herpatibility. All the techniques were top-notch for their level and foundation. In the end, she selected a technique called [Purple Snap of the Hateful Snakes]. It seemed to focus on hand-to-handbat.


    "Good, you can leave now if you want or wait for other participants," he told her, and she decided to stay and wait.


    "For the second rank, the reward is a choice between these two metals." He pped as two ss boxes with some sort of radiating metal ced inside appeared on the table. There were twobels on the boxes: one was Terrorgold of Spirits, and the second was Hellish nt Meteor. He was supposed to select one.


    "This one." Oliver wanted both, but he knew that it was impossible, so he picked one as per his needs.


    The elder nodded and gave the box to Oliver and told him about it. "Hellish nt Meteor. This metal is extremely precious. If you give it to a skilled cksmith, you can get yourself a wonderful weapon or even an artifact. It depends on the skill of the crafter in the end. Many exorcists try their best to get a piece of it, but it''s not something to be obtained easily. This metal could only be extracted from demonic territory and thus is very hard to mine."


    Oliver nodded slightly. He was aware of this and thus chose it. He had already collected some metals prior to this, and with this, he was one step closer to implementing his n. There was something that he wanted to be crafted, so he had been collecting the metal necessary for it.


    "Now for the 1st ranker, Miss Nadia, you will receive a truly unique reward," the head judge announced, his voice resonating with pride and anticipation. "As the first-ce winner, you will be granted the Celestial me Lotus, an ancient artifact passed down through our n for generations."


    He gestured towards a pedestal at the center of the chamber, where a delicate lotus flower made of shimmering, translucent material sat. It radiated a soft, otherworldly glow, and the air around it seemed to ripple with energy.


    "The Celestial me Lotus is not just a symbol of our n''s heritage; it possesses incredible power. When bonded with its owner, it can enhance your espera, amplify your martial arts abilities, and provide protection against dark espera. However, it requires great skill and dedication to fully unlock its potential."


    Nadia looked at the artifact with eagerness. She had heard about it, and this was what she had been aiming for when she participated in the first ce.


    The head judge continued, "This artifact chooses its master. You must meditate and form a bond with it. Only then will it reveal its true abilities to you. Use it wisely; it will be a great weapon in times of great need."


    Nadia nodded solemnly. She didn''t underestimate the head judge. Rather, she was not a person to underestimate others based on their strength; she was wary of everyone, be it friend or enemy.


    Suddenly, Oliver''s image came to her mind as she thought about the artifact, but she quickly shook her head. She had a great responsibility on her shoulders and thus could not be held back.


    She gently picked up the Celestial me Lotus, feeling its warmth and energy resonate with her own. "You may stay and meditate here to form your bond," the head judge said. "Take all the time you need. This is an honor that few have achieved."


    As Nadia found a quiet corner to begin her meditation, the room buzzed with a mix of admiration and envy from the other participants. Even some elders could not help but sigh. This artifact was something that even they would have wanted in their prime.


    Oliver watched curiously. He was brimming with curiosity as he wondered what abilities she was going to awaken and how much profit he would gain. He turned towards the head judge and suddenly called out.


    "Elder, I have something to ask¡­"

 Chapter 84: Obtaining 10x benefits! Holy Flames?

    Chapter 84: Obtaining 10x benefits! Holy mes?


    "Elder, I have something to ask..." Oliver called out to the elder, who was looking over at Nadia.


    "What is it, young master?" The elder turned around and asked calmly.


    "Well, I wanted to ask if I can have the corpse of the demon I hunted?"


    "Hmm?" The elder narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard Oliver. But he quickly replied with a calm look. "You can... but may I know the reason behind it? The demon corpse isn''t something worth collecting either."


    "Oh, well, I was thinking of selling it to earn some money," Oliver simply replied. There was nothing to hide considering they could know it either way.


    Hearing this, all the people in the room were stunned, and then they once again looked at the young man. They had forgotten earlier that this guy was actually the isted one; the n had minimal interactions with him, and he didn''t have most of the privileges that the other young heirs had.


    So naturally, that also involved the monthly expenses he received, which must be minimal too.


    The third ce winner could not help but look at Oliver in pity. Such a strong person, and he was being treated like this. She couldn''t help but shudder, imagining herself in his ce. Her family had always showered her with resources and wealth, so she never had to care about something as trivial as money.


    But looking at how he was so poor that he even wanted to sell the demon corpse to get some money made her feel inferior. If she were one day thrown out into the wild with minimal money, how would she survive? She mentally made a note to herself to be more frugal after returning back to her family home.


    The elders who heard him had weird expressions as well. A young master of the n was actually so poor that he had to live by selling corpses in the market? If others heard about it, they would be reduced to aughing stock. It was not only a matter of pride but also to respect the strength that this young man showed.


    No matter what, he definitely had potential. Being able to hunt a minor-level demon after fighting two heirs was no easy feat for his age.


    The head judge''s expression did not falter a bit as he listened to his reasoning. "No need for that. You will be allocated funds from the n treasury from now on."


    He turned toward an elder and waved his hand. "Increase his funds to be double of what the third siblings get per month. Also,pensate him with the money for all the six years that he had received less than others. It should not be a Neden less."


    "Yes, elder." The other elder quickly cupped his hands and nodded, swiftly leaving the chamber to get the money. Since the head judge had ordered it, there was no need to further discuss about it.


    Oliver was astonished after hearing this. This waspletely out of his expectations. He never imagined that not only would he be allocated twice the pocket money of the siblings but also getpensated with six years worth of funds that he had missed.


    He thought the n would simply ignore this matter, usually in the novels, even if the protagonist happens to showcase his powers, the n still does not treat him well and instead try to bring him down, but it turns out that his n indeed stood firm to its beliefs of respecting strength.


    In fact, he was not short of money or anything after meeting Jenna; he had millions in his card. It was just that he had been a calctive person and had a habit of saving money since his previous life. He always believed the more money, the better. So his decision to sell the demon corpse was definitely not influenced by hisck of sufficient funds.


    He just felt it would be a great opportunity to sell the skin of a minor-level demon. He didn''t expect the others to feel pity for him and this to happen.


    But now he could not ask for the demon corpse, or it would be rude to the head judge who had already told him that there was no need. Anyway, there would be more opportunities in the future as he fought more demons.


    For now, he was satisfied with the unexpected profit.


    Now, he just waited for Nadia to finish bonding with the artifact while his money arrived.


    ______________________


    [Ding! The target has formed a bond with Celestial me Lotus and awakened the Demon Banishing mes.]


    [Obtaining 10x benefits...]


    [Host has obtained Holy me of Nightmares.]


    In that very instant, Oliver felt a warm feeling inside his body, as if his entire body was slowly getting hotter and hotter with every moment. The heat was bing unbearable; it felt as if he had been thrown into a boiling volcano.


    He breathed in and out slowly, trying not to draw attention to himself but found it harder to concentrate.


    Fortunately, Nadia also reacted at the same time as a strong espera started leaking out of her body, drawing others'' attention. Oliver took the chance and quietly left the chamber.


    "Umm..."


    He huffed slightly as he went into the bushes. The heat was bing unbearable slowly; he wanted to bathe in ice-cold water. He rolled on the cold grass to calm himself. After a minute of agitation, the feeling died down slowly.


    Hezily opened his eyes and extended his hand towards the sky.


    Swoosh!


    A brilliant golden-colored me emerged from his hand. The me was zing hot, as if he was holding a piece of the sun. The surroundings started to be affected just from its mere presence. The size of the me was not too big, perhaps due to his Level-1 espera, but it still felt terrifying. Strangely, he was not affected by the me at all.


    He exhaled slightly as he slowly strained his body to stand back up. Nadia should also have awakened the Demon Banishing mes by now. So before elders or others present noticed his absence, he should get back.


    The demon sealing mes that Nadia had awakened were very powerful exorcism mes. These mes were highly effective against demons. Banishing demons to oblivion was the sole purpose of exorcism, and these mes did exactly that. In the novel, it was mentioned that during the war, she was directly able to burn battalions of demons to ashes with her mes.


    He could only imagine how much deadlier his mes would be!


    Just as he was about to leave, something else drew his attention once again.


    [Ding! Target has achieved a massive amount of espera, thus breaking through...]

 Chapter 85: 10x Espera Talent! Rank-1 Exorcist!

    Chapter 85: 10x Espera Talent! Rank-1 Exorcist!


    [Ding! Target has achieved a massive amount of espera, thus breaking through!]


    [Target has be a Rank-1 exorcist!]


    [Obtaining 10x benefits¡­]


    [Permanent boost in Strength¡­]


    [Permanent boost in Espera¡­]


    [Obtained 10x Espera talent!]


    [Host has achieved breakthrough!]


    [Rank-1 obtained!]


    Suddenly, a rush of espera flooded inside Oliver''s body. He felt all the nerves inside his body crackling with joy as the sudden influx of espera filled them.


    His entire aura started to transform, more and more espera kept filling his insides. His organs, his brain, his bones, nothing was left untouched.


    He showered in espera.


    Oliver exhaled, the sensation was too rxing andforting.


    ''So this is how people feel after a breakthrough¡­''


    He could not help but want to indulge in the feeling even more, but sadly, it soon stopped.


    He clenched his fist, feeling the force and power behind it. He might even be able to punch a hole through a grown tree as he was now.


    There was not a trace of exhaustion present in his eyes anymore. Earlier, he had been drained both physically and mentally in the forest after fighting the twins and the demons. But now he felt as good as new. His strength was replenished, and his body was overflowing with never-before-seen espera.


    It was as if he had drunk an elixir.


    He calmly looked ahead and viewed his body status. He was sure there were going to be significant improvements now.


    ___________


    [Name: Oliver Mystic]


    [Race: Human]


    [Status: Rank-1]


    [Strength: Level 5]


    [Espera: Level 4]


    [Charisma: Level 3]


    [Luck: Level 2]


    ____________


    ''That''s such a terrifying improvement!''


    He could not help but exim. His espera level had directly jumped from one to four in an instant.


    He could understand this. He directly obtained 10 times the espera Nadia had.


    Like a tsunami, espera flooded out of his body, exuding a strong pressure.


    Crack! Crack!


    His body stretched as he felt energized like never before.


    He had long been waiting to awaken a talent for espera, and now it was finally there.


    Nadia managed to break through and be a Rank-1 exorcist.


    Which meant that she had a breakthrough in both her physical strength and espera too.


    The stirring of espera directly linked to her talent, the system detected it, and he was rewarded with 10x greater talent than her.


    Not to mention, now that she was a Rank-1 exorcist, he too became a Rank-1 exorcist.


    He already had good strength worthy of a Rank-1 exorcist. He could have been called a Rank-1 exorcist before just with his physical strength, considering he was currently acting as a physical exorcist. For exorcists on that path, their strength was the factor that determined the ranks.


    But now he was a full-fledged Rank-1 exorcist after breaking through in his espera level and amount as well!


    Not only that, he had obtained around ten times the espera a genius like Nadia would have at Rank-1.


    So it could be said that he was a Rank-1 exorcist with around ten times more espera than normal Rank-1 exorcists.


    He felt that if he was now faced against the twins once again, he was capable enough to handle them both in a minute without using any of the secret techniques.


    He could now also start proper meditations to increase his rank and espera amount on his own.


    Earlier, due to his poor espera talent, he was not able to gather or collect the espera present in his surroundings despite clearly seeing them with his special eyes.


    But now, he could suck in all the espera in his surroundings into his body with no problem.


    It was a great obstacle for him that has now been cleared.


    A lot of possibilities had opened up for him now.


    [Ding! Cosmic Void Gaze has cleared the conditions for espera. Unlocking Circuit of Abyss]


    In the very next instant, he felt every ounce of his strength suddenly leave his body.


    ''Huh?''


    He immediately fell to the ground, his body turning immobile¡­


    Not a secondter, a terrible pain shot up from his eyes, slowly traveling through his entire body, consuming everything.


    Oliver felt immense pain as he suffered, but he was not even able to scream a word.


    ''Agh! My eyes! SO PAINFUL!'' He screamed internally.


    Boom!


    Dark clouds instantly gathered in the sky, covering the entirety of the Mystic Purge n.


    ____________


    "Meow?"


    In his courtyard, the fat n guardian, who was just chomping on a fish that Oliver had left behind, suddenly jolted.


    She furiously turned her head around and almost blinked out toward the courtyard, her speed tremendous.


    She gravely looked at the pitch-ck clouds, giving an ominous feeling. Her hair stood to no end as she looked at those ominous clouds.


    Thump! Thump!


    Her heart started to thump wildly as she observed the clouds of void.


    They were not normal thunderclouds¡­ she knew it. She was sure of it.


    Her expression was grave and serious as she observed the pitch-ck cloudy atmosphere that enveloped the entire n all of a sudden.


    She could sense the element of void present all around.


    One of the most terrifying elements in existence. It was one of the primordial elements and was extremely rare.


    But right now, the entire n was covered in a nket of this element.


    Her eyes turned sharp as she tried to see through the nket of clouds but found it impossible.


    She was not as strong as she used to be. She could not pierce through it. It was as if all her senses had been absorbed by the clouds.


    The sky was so eerie that she could not help but shudder. It was as if the clouds had devoured the sky.


    She remembered this ominous feeling¡­ it was the same when she had first found out about the boy.


    ''What an unpleasant feeling...''


    Her heart sank when she realized that something was going on with that boy in the trial.


    Without wasting a second, she disappeared from her spot. If she waste, then who knows what would happen.


    She had spent a lot of time with Oliver and knew that he was not a bad kid, he was kind and was obedient, although he would asionally put things in her food, he was a normal child.


    She did not what had happened for the sky to turn like this.


    She knew if something or someone interfered wrongly, the entire n could suffer.


    This phenomenon was too big and too terrifying. It would inevitably draw the attention of many, not just in the n but outside too.


    Not to mention, the Death Witch was also present in the n.


    The n guardian could not help but want to curse. She shouldn''t have allowed him to participate in the demon hunt.


    Things were about to get troublesome.


    The cat groaned as a headache came to her.


    "Meow¡­"


    If the cloud started to rain, then the n would suffer irreversible damage.


    These were the void clouds, not some normal clouds they could easily remove.

 Chapter 86: Circuit of Abyss!

    Chapter 86: Circuit of Abyss!


    Oliver was still suffering while the cat was searching for him.


    His body twitched and convulsed from time to time. His expression, however, was neutral; his facial muscles were stiff¡ªrefusing to even move.


    It was as if someone was performing surgery on every piece of his body while he was conscious and alive without any anesthetics.


    He could only bear the pain as his very nerves and tissues were bearing severe pain, but he told himself to endure it as it was for his own good.


    A sinking feeling appeared in his mind; it was as if he was slowly sinking into darkness.


    He looked around himself, but all he could feel and see was void. His mind and body were connected with the Abyss now¡­ he was drowning in the very depths of the Abyss.


    Just for a very short instance, he felt as if he saw the worst monstrosities in existence as he kept sinking¡­


    His body trembled just gazing at them for less than a second, his heart felt cold¡­


    It was as if something was changing within his body, mind, and heart as he kept sinking¡­


    He dared not imagine just how monstrous those terrifying beings could be¡­


    Those monsters were definitely beyond the scope of humans or demons alike. They were true Evil!


    Just their existence alone was a corruption to the universe. He felt that way as he continued sinking¡­ yet for some strange reason, he was starting to feel a familiar feeling welling inside him.


    Was he getting corrupted too?


    He did not know, and all he could do was just wait and wait¡­


    His body kept reforming, bing a true circuit of the abyss!


    ______________


    [The Cosmic Void Gaze]


    [Ability 1: Dominion over Cosmic Voids]


    [Description: Provides control over not only darkness but the vast void between cosmos. Superior form of darkness element¡ªVoid unlocked.]


    [Ability 2: Master of Interdimensional Portals]


    [Description: Possessor no longer limited to the same dimension anymore. Portals can be used for instantaneous transportation. Depends on the level of mastery.]


    [Ability 3: Enshrouding of Death]


    [Description: Has the power to induce overwhelming fear on a grand scale, affecting entire battlefields or even entire legions.


    Fear is no longer a psychological aspect anymore but a tangible force that weakens targets and strengthens the possessor.]


    [Ability 4: Circuit of the Abyss]


    [Description: The user''s body has now opened up and be an abyssal circuit. Abyss is infinite, so is the user. Allows the user to conduct the powers from Abyss, the body has be a circuit allowing the energy of the abyss to flow through it. User bes directly connected to the Abyss, the End of Everything.]


    [Ability 5: nar Imprisonment]


    [Description: ???]


    [Ability 6: Inverted Anti-Hole]


    [Description: ???]


    [Ability 7: White Area]


    [Description: ???]


    ______________


    While Oliver was unconscious, there was a great turmoil happening in various ces.


    The first ce being the chamber where the head judge and others were waiting for Nadia.


    They had been there as Nadia was awakening new powers and doing a breakthrough to Rank-1.


    The elders and the head judge were quite impressed and shocked by her progressing speed.


    She was only 7 years old and was already a Rank-1 Exorcist!


    They did not reach the realm of Rank-1 until their twenties!


    It could be seen how much of a monster she was.


    She was probably one of the youngest ever to reach Rank-1.


    And not only that, her espera was quite strong; she was born with great espera talent, so it was natural she was way above other geniuses.


    Among her siblings, she definitely had the greatest talent.


    They all wanted her as a disciple, but s, she was ''special.''


    At that moment, all of them suddenly shuddered.


    The head judge frowned as he felt goosebumps over his skin; he instantly disappeared from his spot, appearing outside the chamber.


    His eyes gradually widened as his blood ran cold¡­


    He looked at the sky, and it was pitch ck; he could feel a tremendous amount of Void element in the sky.


    His hands shook as he imagined these clouds raining; the rain would contain properties of Void, an element that was known as the second name of destruction!


    He felt an immense sense of dread and frantically covered the chamber with his espera, quickly forming a protective barrier over it.


    Miss Nadia was still inside going through her breakthrough, and at this moment, she must not be disturbed at all.


    He immediately contacted the elders, and they were all equally surprised by the sudden phenomenon.


    Some even suspected the demons hadunched arge-scale attack specifically targeting the Mystic Purge n.


    The head judge was also a normal elder, so he could only listen helplessly as he heard his superiors forming theories.


    They were not in contact with the Patriarch at the moment since he was away for some work.


    "Calm down, activate the barrier formation first. We will decide our next course of action properly."


    "Ask Sir Kyle to lead a team of exorcists and inspect every corner of the n and apprehend anyone they suspect who might be associated with the phenomenon or demon."


    "Yes, elder!" One of the elders on the other side of themunication device quickly obeyed.


    Another elder chimed in as she said, "I believe it''s not rted to demons. With the level of security we have, only a catastrophe-level demon would dare to enter this ce."


    Hearing her, others also nodded.


    "She''s right, even a catastrophic ss demon would be hesitant to enter; this ce filled with the best exorcists could easily threaten its life. I think we should investigate it more deeply."


    "Hmm, now that I remember, some years ago, didn''t something this ominous happen too? At that time, the respected guardian of the n went personally to solve it, I did not hear anything about it from her afterwards."


    "Neither did I¡­ what could have happened?"


    "I believe we should directly ask the n guardian about this!" someone suggested.

 Chapter 87: She noticed! Impending threat?

    Chapter 87: She noticed! Impending threat?


    "This seems rted to that incident¡­ Can we contact the n guardian and ask for her pointers on this situation? While I respect her decision, she might have her own circumstances for not informing us, but now that it hase to the safety of the whole n, I suggest we ask her straight."


    "You''re right." Some of them agreed.


    As for the thought that the n guardian might be colluding with demons to harm them?


    It did not even cross their minds; the n guardian had been there since the founding. She had devoted her entire being to the n.


    Centuries of loyalty was not something that could be doubted.


    Not to mention, she was a spiritual entity, and demons were something she hated.


    Not only that, even the patriarch respected her.


    They wouldn''t dare to doubt her. Not only was she older than them, but her powers were also not widely known.


    "I will try to contact her." The female elder nodded and informed the others.


    They quickly coordinated and divided the tasks among themselves.


    At this moment, they quickly came to a decision and activated the n barrier using the array formation.


    Even if the clouds were still and unmoving, no one dared to be careless.


    This level of phenomenon could cause widespread destruction. Even a single drop of void could directly destroy a fertilend forever.


    _____________


    In another ce, a woman dressed in a flower-patterned white kimono was sitting in a courtyard under an umbre.


    Her eyes were a beautiful shade of silver, and her face was nothing but a piece of art.


    She was also looking at the pitch-ck sky; however, her expression was calm and unmoving, unlike the other elders.


    It was as if she was not affected by it at all. There was not an ounce of fear or tension on her beautiful face.


    What was on her face was extreme coldness. An aura of death filled her surroundings.


    She calmly observed the clouds, her eyes shining with a mysterious light.


    It was as if she could see through the clouds and beyond what even the n guardian was unable to.


    Her eyes moved and looked in the direction where Oliver and the other children were.


    It was as if she could directly see what was happening there.


    Her eyes flickered for a moment as if she saw something unexpected.


    "Interesting¡­ did I calcte it wrong?"


    She asked to no one in particr. Although her voice was gentle and honey-like, her tone was chilling cold and grave.


    She slowly got up and picked up her umbre.


    Her body slowly turned into countless fine particles as she slowly disappeared from her spot.


    Her eyes had a certain glint to them as she kept looking towards the ce where Oliver and others were.


    _________________


    The head judge had a headache as he looked at the unmoving clouds, his senses felt suffocated due to the presence of Void.


    He was calmly guarding the chambers while he informed the other elders inside to be with the children and not let them out.


    If any of them got hurt, he would not be able to show his face to others.


    These were the cream of the crop, the best among the best. They had a huge potential that had to be polished. Even if he perished today, he must ensure their safety.


    Those three were too precious to be left unguarded.


    Three?


    The head judge froze. He suddenly remembered that Oliver was also in the three he counted.


    Earlier, due to the sudden phenomenon and the elder''s call, he forgot about the fact that earlier Oliver was not there when he looked around.


    At that time, he was more focused on Nadia due to her breakthrough and thought he might have gone to freshen up or something.


    But he was still not there when the clouds suddenly appeared outside.


    He frowned heavily. If something happened, then the responsibility would fall on his shoulders for not taking extra steps to maintain their safety.


    He wanted to go and search around, but he was afraid that if something were to happen with the ominous void clouds above, he might not be able to protect this chamber behind him.


    He could only wait for reinforcements now as he quickly sent a short message to his subordinates to reach where he was.


    He wondered if the others were able to get in contact with the n guardian or not?


    _______________


    The n guardian, meanwhile, had already sensed the situation. She sped through the corridors, her feline form a blur of motion. The atmosphere grew heavier with each passing second as she neared the source of the disturbance.


    She was keenly aware of the chambers where the rewards were supposed to be distributed.


    He and others should be there by now.


    Her heart pounded as she remembered the boy¡ªOliver. The strange phenomenon that surrounded him seemed to be repeating itself, only this time it was far more intense.


    Far more intense.


    She instantly reached the chambers and looked around. She could see an old man guarding the chambers, but Oliver was not inside when she sensed in.


    Her senses expanded, covering more of the area before she quickly located him.


    She found him lying on the ground, his body convulsing and eyes shut tight. The pitch-ck clouds swirling above were an ominous sign.


    "Oliver!" she hissed, trying to rouse him from his state. She could feel the void energy seeping into him, changing him.


    As she tried to sense his condition, the void clouds began to stir ominously, crackling withtent power. She knew that if she did not act quickly, the entire n could be in grave danger.


    "He needs to be stabilized," she muttered, focusing her own powers to create a protective barrier around him.


    She channeled her espera, hoping to contain the void''s influence.


    As she did this, the void clouds trembled as if they would rain at any moment.


    The onlookers could not help but shudder, feeling the ominous aura above them.


    A feeling of dread was present inside the hearts of every person at this moment.


    The only sense of relief was the n barrier over their heads.


    The oblivious ones who could not feel the true nature of the threat merely considered the clouds as thunderclouds that were darker than usual and continued with their lives as usual.


    However, those with heightened senses knew better. They watched the clouds with bated breath, knowing that the slightest disturbance could unleash untold destruction.


    As the n guardian poured her power into stabilizing Oliver, she could feel the void energy resisting her efforts. It was as if the very essence of the void was alive, pushing back against her control.


    "Hold on, Oliver," she whispered, her voice filled with determination. "You must endure this."


    She was aware that if Oliver didn''t wake up in time, it might be toote. At that time, she might have to take the extreme measures which she absolutely wanted to avoid no matter what.


    Oliver''s convulsions began to slow, his body gradually calming as the void energy was contained. The clouds above started to dissipate, their ominous presence fading slowly.


    ''He''s gaining control,'' she looked at him, ''it''s finally happening.''


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Olivery still, the void energy contained within him.


    The n guardian sighed in relief, her body sagging with exhaustion. "It''s over, for now."


    But even as she said those words, she knew that this was only a temporary reprieve. The power within Oliver was something unprecedented, and they would need to be vignt in the days toe.


    ''He needs to learn to control this or else, in the future, I cannot imagine what might happen...''


    She was serious when she thought about it.For now, she was d that the cloud were slowly fading too.


    As she walked around his unconscious body, she couldn''t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something far greater and more dangerous.

 Chapter 88: He is awake

    Chapter 88: He is awake


    Oliver was still in his mindscape, he was experiencing the vagueness of being in Abyss but he was unable to clearly feel anything.


    He would shudder from time to time whenever a monster-like entity would be seen by him.


    Creatures with shadowy hair as thick as leather, otherworldly faces bulging from the skin, and horrifying specifics that he was unable to see in the void.


    As he kept falling more and more, the creatures became more and more menacing.


    Suddenly as if something clicked, he felt an even deeper sense of connection with the Abyss.


    He felt his body anew, as if he was now in a different body, he could feel power rushing from every corner of his body.


    Unknown knowledge about many things suddenly rushed into his mind, he was unable toprehended some while other pieces of the information were just as equallyplex or disturbing in nature.


    Information regarding his new self entered his mind, it seemed that he had be a creature of Abyss.


    Or something more¡­


    He was unable to tell.


    The abyss energy, he could feel it inside his veins¡­ flowing naturally as blood.


    He was unable to understand many things but he felt himself calm.


    It was an eerie calm, as if he was not much affected by things happening around him.


    Oliver¡­.


    Oliver.


    Oliver.


    "OLIVER!"


    He started hearing his name being called out, slowly drawing him out of the void.


    "Umm¡­"


    He groaned slightly confused, slowly opening his eyes, there was no pain in his body anymore.


    A bright light assaulted his eyes as he slowly opened them.


    ''Beautiful¡­''


    He said looking at the ck sky, well, not exactly the void clouds but the countless colorful particles floating in the atmosphere all around.


    Those were the espera particles, he could clearly see them, more defined and more detailed.


    From the different colored particles, he could tell their attributes and other stuff, he could define the particles even better than before.


    Not only that, he felt the surroundings also felt more detailed than usual.


    "Oliver-!"


    He heard a feminine sound and slowly got up and sat down, he looked around but found no one.


    Who called his name just now?


    Tug.


    Feeling a tug on his clothes, he looked below to see a pristine white cat.


    "Zippy¡­?"


    He picked her up slowly and looked her seriously in the eyes.


    The n guardian also looked back into his eyes but was momentarily stunned, his eyes¡­ seemed to have changed for some reason.


    She could feel a deepness into them.


    Eyes were the windows to one''s soul and could tell a lot about the person.


    For an expert like her who could even read fate and future from the stars, she was naturally able to feel the immense deepness in his eyes.


    ''Something had definitely changed in him.''


    She thought with a pondering look, for some reason, she felt an invisible pressure as she continued to look into his eyes.


    Those eyes felt dark¡­ for some reason.


    She had fought countless demons in her lifetime, and knew what was dread.


    She could feel an evil presence inside him¡­ an inherent evilness.


    ''No, this shouldn''t be the case? Why am I feeling this?'' She shook her head.


    The inherent evil aura that she was thinking of was something that was present in the most gruesome and fearsome entities of the world. It was not something that could be present in a child.


    Especially considering he was a kind-hearted boy to begin with.


    She was unable to pinpoint what was causing it and what exactly was it but she knew it had something to do with the phenomenon above and his mysterious power from before.


    "Did you just speak now?" Oliver looked at the n guardian curiously.


    He felt that the n guardian forgot that currently she was acting as his pet¡ªa normal pet!


    "Meow?" she shook her head and replied.


    "¡­"


    ''You are shaking your head, this means you understand me, right?''


    He could tell that the n guardian was quite stupid at acting and her skills were below average so he did not mind her and just patted her head.


    "How can that be?" he said. "I must have misunderstood."


    The cat also nced at his body and was momentarily stunned.


    ''He''s already Rank-1?'' she was shocked.


    ''What''s with this ridiculous amount of espera,'' she found it hard to believe, ''this is definitely not the espera level of a Rank-1.''


    She could obviously feel the espera radiating out of Oliver''s body, he had broke through Rank-1 for some reason.


    ''But how¡­!?''


    He was a normal talentless boy with barely any espera and now suddenly he not only had abundant espera but also way more espera than any genius she had seen so far.


    It would be hard to believe that this kid was the same kid who had barely any espera just a day ago.


    If someone sensed through him, they would feel he was nothing but a genius among geniuses.


    He put her down as he slowly got up.


    He knew things were not simple looking at those fading clouds filled with those hollow particles.


    And for the n guardian toe here, he must be the cause of this.


    ''It seems she has helped me this time.''


    He ced his hand over his chest as he felt the tremendous abyssal energy flowing inside him.


    And looking over at her, he felt that she was not able to sense this.


    In the novel, there was never been the mention of the Abyss or Abyssal energy so he was able to conclude that she was not aware of it.


    Even though this was aplete mystery, he did not intend to tell her about it. He doubted that she had any clues about it either.


    He knew things were about to turn troublesome, with all the disturbances and Nadia and other girl in the chamber with the elders, reinforcements should be arriving soon.


    They might also be searching for him.


    He looked at himself, he was drenched in sweat and his espera was leaking out.


    He frowned, he could not go out like this.


    If he suddenly showed espera ten times greater than Nadia, the n genius, he would directly be sent to aboratory where a group of people in white coat would operate on him.

 Chapter 89: Using Abyss Energy for the first time! Did she see it?

    Chapter 89: Using Abyss Energy for the first time! Did she see it?


    If Oliver went out with his new Rank-1 status, the n would not let him leave without getting information out of him.


    He felt the espera running through him, a warm, pulsating energy that seemed to resonate with his very core.


    He fell into thought about how he could hide his espera or somehow suppress it to not be on the level of Rank-1.


    It was fine to reveal that he had a good amount of espera, but suddenly showing himself as Rank-1 would be too reckless.


    And also dangerous¡­ The n might see him as a threat or a pawn to be used, neither of which he could afford.


    ''Hmm¡­''


    He calmly thought about various things. He remembered how the n guardian had no reaction to the Abyss energy.


    ''Abyss energy is closely rted to the void element¡­''


    He looked up at the fading pitch-ck clouds with a knowing nce.


    A normal exorcist would find their senses blocked due to the presence of the void element.


    ''I should try doing that¡­''


    The n guardian observed him from the side. She suddenly saw him looking at the void clouds, and afterward, he did something unexpected.


    He started to suppress his espera by drawing in all the espera that was being released from his body back into himself.


    Her eyes widened as she saw that the espera slowly entering his body was suddenly disappearing¡­


    No, disappearing would be the wrong word. Espera cannot disappear like that; he was blocking her probing through some means.


    She realized he was either employing an advanced technique, or something beyond ordinary suppression.


    She increased her force to look into him, but the results remained the same. It was as if he had a wall inside him and all the espera was on the other side of the wall.


    She was only able to sense the bits and pieces of espera left outside the wall, or the amount he most probably left outside for others to feel intentionally in order to cheat his rank.


    Right now, she felt that he was no longer a Rank-1 exorcist but instead had slightly above-average espera like others.


    ''What did he do?'' she wondered.


    She felt that he was definitely not using an espera-suppressing technique or another concealing technique; it would not have been able to escape her brute force.


    He was using something else, and given the earlier phenomenon, she was sure that it had something to do with the void element.


    This should be the reason why her senses were unable to breach it.


    She felt that this guy was really clever. She had some thoughts about hiding his unnatural espera using artifacts or something, but it seemed unnecessary for her to worry about it in the first ce.


    She was really curious about his abilities after breaking through to Rank-1¡­ What other secrets could he be hiding?


    She fell into thought, it seemed that she would need to arrange something to know more details.


    ''It might be a risky move but if it works, not only will I get an overview but also provide him an opportunity to get stronger¡­''


    Oliver, who used the Abyss energy to coat the espera overflowing from his body, was satisfied when he felt his espera reduced to almost an average level.


    It would still be a shock to others that he was able to have a boost in espera given his low talent, but it was still somewhat digestible.


    Afterpletely covering himself with Abyss energy, he was sure that he had sessfully concealed every bit of his leaking espera.


    As he thought about it, he found that there were many things he was now able to do thanks to the unknown knowledge he received.


    He looked at the cat, who was staring at him with her big eyes and nk expression.


    He nodded; it was no problem if the n guardian came to know about it. She was already aware of many things and was also aware of his earlier breakthrough.


    He was also grateful to her since she arrived in time and rescued him. He secretly made a mental note to feed her expensive meat and fish after going back.


    Their bond, forged through shared secrets and mutual respect, had grown stronger somewhat.


    Both did not know the other''s true intention but still went through together.


    His trust in her increased by some points.


    He said as he patted her tiny head, "I am now going to the chamber ahead. You go back, Zippy."


    After he said this, he directly left without looking back. He didn''t care if she followed him or not. It was not like he could force her to stop.


    From the bushes, he was able to see the head-judge standing guard, continuously observing the sky with a rxed expression.


    It seemed that he was quite stressed out due to the sudden phenomenon, and now that the clouds were slowly fading away, he was more than relieved and seemed delighted.


    Oliver noted the shift, wondering how much the head-judge truly understood about what had just happened. Did he know about the cause or what were his spections about this incident.


    He shook his head and slowly went up to the elder who was engrossed in his own world.


    He moved to the side and passed by the elder, who was busy staring at the clouds.


    Creak!


    Opening the door slowly, he entered the chambers. The head-judge seemed to be extremely busy looking at the sky and did not even notice him passing by his side.


    Or did he?


    It was not that the head-judge was not paying attention; instead, his senses were all around, and he was on guard.


    Earlier, the void clouds had blocked his senses, and now that they were fading, his senses were quickly getting restored as well.


    While this was happening, Oliver happened to coat himself with the Abyss energy earlier, which made his presence close to nil.


    If not for the little bit of espera that he was emitting from his body, he might have truly turned invisible.


    Thanks to these circumstances, Oliver easily avoided being detected by the elder.


    As he entered the chambers, he saw others present as well, and they also looked at him entering¡­


    The few lower-ranking elders did not ask him much as he quickly stood to the side. They all assumed that the head-judge must have let him in after discussing the situation.


    Oliver also saw that Nadia was still meditating in the corner. She was stabilizing her espera after the breakthrough to Rank-1 earlier.


    He admired her focus and discipline, she was indeed the most talented in the n. To be able to break through at such a tender age¡­


    Soon enough, she also opened her eyes and looked around before her eyesnded on Oliver.


    Her eyes narrowed; for some reason, in her eyes, he seemed filled with some sort of familiar aura, a nket of sorts.


    She blinked a few times and confirmed that she was not seeing things.


    Not only that, but the aura seemed overflowing and dreading, but to her, it gave off a familiar feeling. She wracked her brain, trying to recall where she had sensed such an aura before.


    What was it?

 Chapter 90: Ophelia! Shes here!

    Chapter 90: Ophelia! She''s here!


    Oliver heard amotion outside followed by multiple footsteps and tremors.


    The head-judge entered the chambers after a moment.


    He looked at the children and heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, everything was fine.


    "Reinforcements are here, we are now going to look for Olive¡ª"


    He trailed off as he looked at the silver-haired boy who was standing with a nonchnt expression.


    "You!" the head-judge was stunned. "How did you get here?"


    "Me?" Oliver pointed at himself. "I just got here."


    "What? How''s that possible? I had been guarding outside¡­" He stopped in the middle of his sentence


    A sudden gust of wind blew through, causing some leaves outside to flutter.


    He paused for a moment. Now that he thought about it, he was too engrossed in the void clouds to be on guard.


    It was probably then that he sneaked past him. He was too careless.


    Nheless, he let the matter rest for now.


    He nced at Violet, the girl who ced third, and called out to her.


    "Miss Violet, your family butler hase to pick you up. It seems your family is worried about you given the situation outside. You should leave; if there''s anything, we''ll let you know."


    "Yes, elder." The girl bowed and quickly left.


    Now only Oliver and Nadia were left in the chambers along with two elders.


    The head-judge nced at the two elders and said, "We''re currently investigating the cause of the earlier phenomenon. You should go and help out with the investigation. There are soon going to be inquiries from other ns. The phenomenon was just that big, so you will probably be assigned to deal with them."


    The two elders nodded and quickly dispersed as well.


    The head-judge sighed and looked at the two kids left.


    He observed and felt that they were indeed twins. They were very identical; if not for their gender, they might be impossible to differentiate between.


    He smiled, "Today has been quite the day, no?"


    "Was it?" Oliver spoke as if he didn''t know anything.


    The elder''s lips could not help but twitch. This brat dared to look oblivious when he had just returned from outside.


    "Forget it. I will drop you two at your courtyards. There might be intruders in the n, so I suggest that you both don''t wander around too much until an announcement is made. There will be increased security near your residences too."


    He turned around and dispersed the reinforcements as well. Now that Oliver was here, there was no need to look around.


    "Good, now follow m¡ª"


    At that moment, the three of them suddenly felt a terrifying pressure on their shoulders.


    Oliver and Nadia could not help but shiver. An aura of death suddenly filled the air.


    Thud!


    The weight of the pressure felt like an invisible hammer striking their bodies.


    The atmosphere turned suffocating instantly, as if someone was holding a sword just before their necks.


    Nadia, who had been expressionless, suddenly showed a great change in her expression as she quickly recognized the familiar espera around.


    "Mother..." she whispered in a strained tone.


    For some reason, she had a bad feeling in her heart. She looked at Oliver at her side and her heart shrank more.


    She forced herself to calm down. Her heart was beating like a drum and she felt her blood run cold.


    No, her mother would not know about her meetings with Oliver. It must be due to the phenomenon outside that the elder was talking about that she came here.


    She knew that her mother would ensure her safety no matter what. It was impossible for anyone in the n to harm her.


    Her mother had said to her that she was the greatest weapon the n had produced in generations and that she was going to sharpen her and make her the strongest.


    The strongest ever, no matter what.


    The head-judge, who felt this terrifying pressure on himself, felt himself losing his bearings. This pressure was as huge as a mountain.


    He was quite a strong exorcist, but even he was feeling stressed under this terrifying pressure.


    He knew that this sort of pressure and espera was only exerted by a select few in the entire n.


    The ones sitting in the supreme positions.


    He quickly went down on one knee and bowed.


    Someone from the main lineage had arrived here.


    Tap Tap Tap


    The tapping of heels against the wooden floor was heard as a woman slowly entered the chambers.


    Her figure was ethereal and her movements were extremely graceful.


    She had long silver hair and ashen gray eyes. In one hand, she was holding a pale-colored paper umbre and was dressed in a in flower-patterned kimono.


    Oliver, who was also feeling the suffocation, saw her and his scalp went numb.


    Ophelia!


    Why was she here?


    He instantly connected the dots. The earlier phenomenon¡ªit was caused by him.


    Did she know of it too?


    He felt his heart clench at that thought. If Ophelia knew about it and realized that he was not useless anymore,


    She would definitely not leave him alone.


    In the first ce, he did not even know why he was left alive at birth when they found him useless. That was something he could not guess at all. There had to be a reason; he was sure of it.


    But forget about that. Now that he disyed a good show to the crowd, ranking second in the demon hunt, his strength was already revealed.


    If she were to probe him now, she would realize many things.


    He did not know what she would do then.


    Ophelia ignored the kneeling elder, who did not even dare to look up at her, and walked toward him.


    Nadia saw this and her fist unconsciously clenched. She didn''t know why her mother wasing his way rather than to her.


    She wanted to go between them but felt her feet frozen on the spot.


    She was¡­ scared.


    It was an instinctual reaction. Whenever she was in her mother''s presence, she had to be the best version of herself.


    She must always be obedient and never question her decisions.


    She must ept everything.


    So far, she had never felt anything about it. As long as she followed whatever her mother said, she would one day gain her recognition and praise. And also be stronger.


    But she did not know why, but her mind and heart were rebelling at the moment. For the first time, she did not want to just stand and observe.


    She slowly nced at Oliver, whose eyes were also fixed on her mother.


    Oliver looked at her, he could see her emotionless eyes, the same eyes he had seen for the first time when he came into this world.


    There was not a single change in them, as cold as ever, not a single emotion or change inside them.


    Those eyes gave him a feeling of dread for some reason.

 Chapter 91: Ophelias thoughts and suspicion

    Chapter 91: Ophelia''s thoughts and suspicion


    Ophelia was now in front of him, her cold and emotionless gray eyes looking into his deep amethyst eyes.


    They remained fixed in that position for an unknown amount of time, their eyes trying to look into each other as if wanting to discover something inside.


    Oliver could not bear her emotionless eyes.


    His heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by something. Fear?


    She was beautiful, but he felt her expression looked like that of a psychotic serial killer.


    Her eyes were dead, or he felt as if they were dead; she looked too scary for some reason.


    Her head did not even move an inch as she kept staring into him, making him think she was a true psychopath.


    He nced at Nadia, who was also frozen in her spot, and her expression was also unnatural at the moment. He knew that she was also scared and could not muster up her courage.


    He gathered some will and finally spoke, his tone stuttering slightly due to the sudden pressure.


    "M-Mother?" he said, looking at her eyes, trying to let out a smile, but it crooked up in the end due to the pressure.


    The word ''Mother'' felt foreign to him. It had been years since he used it, and even now, he did not feel anything emotional from it.


    Instead, he felt like he was calling a stranger his mother due to the circumstances.


    Ophelia blinked her eyes as she heard him. She was not expecting him to even be able to look at her properly.


    "You have grown up."


    Her cold voice rang in his ears, and he felt that even her words carried a presence of their own. His spine tingled for some reason when she spoke.


    She could determine just from looking at him that he had matured more than he looked.


    Oliver nodded. For some reason, he felt even more pressure on his shoulders than before.


    He knew that she had increased the pressure on him.


    Her gray eyes shone as she looked at her struggling son.


    In an instant, he felt as if he had turned naked, as if all his secrets wereid bare in front of her.


    He felt helpless as he could only stand and watch.


    But in the next moment, he saw her eyes showing a sharp glint as she seemed to increase her focus.


    ''Is she also unable to see through the Abyss energy?''


    This thought came to his mind, and he sneered at her probing. This was good; she wouldn''t be able to breach him if that was the case.


    He was a bit disappointed as there was not much change in her reaction. She didn''t show surprise, nor did she show anger or curiosity.


    ''Is she even human at this point?''


    Oliver wondered as he looked at her emotionless eyes. He felt that she was a being without a soul.


    A soulless being¡­


    ''Ugh-!''


    It seemed that she could not ept the reality that she was not able to breach the defenses of a Rank-1 exorcist.


    She was not satisfied with the average amount of espera that Oliver was emitting. Unlike the elders, she knew there was something deeper to this all.


    After all, she was the one who had seen him the closest when he was born. She was sure that she could never miscalcte or make a mistake in such a matter.


    Something definitely happened after that.


    She did not trust anything in her life, nor did she believe what she was seeing with her eyes.


    Oliver could not help but exim at how keen this woman''s insight was. She was indeed very cautious.


    She was clearly able to sense that he had only a so-so amount of espera but still insisted on probing him deeper.


    But what made him angry was that she kept applying more and more pressure on him.


    It was as if she was toying with him, as if she was experimenting on him.


    She was trying to test how much more pressure he would be able to take before he gave in and let her enter inside him. Her senses were constantly trying to prate deeper and deeper but could not get past the Abyss energy.


    She did not think that there was anything he could use to resist her power; she was simply just too strong.


    But looking at his struggling expression, a sharp glint passed through her eyes as she slowly increased the pressure even more.


    The air turned suffocating and cold, and almost all the pressure was now focused mostly on Oliver in the room.


    Nadia looked at him and closed her eyes. If her mother wanted something from him, then there was no one who could stop her.


    She simply felt relieved that at least he was not going to be killed. Had her mother wanted him to disappear, there was nothing stopping her.


    Oliver, who was now facing the tremendous pressure, felt helpless. Even after his breakthrough and the boost, he was still not able to withstand this pressure.


    He felt that if she increased the pressure some more, he might get crushed into the ground itself.


    While Oliver was struggling, he did not dare to give in to her attempts. He knew that he must not let her know his true rank; otherwise, there was no way he could avoid getting involved in her schemes.


    Not only that, he also feared that she might as well brainwash him and make him into her puppet.


    She wanted a weapon, not a child. He did not know about her end goal, but he was sure of a single thing: she wanted to make the strongest exorcist in the world, be it herself or someone she could control.


    He must avoid letting any information be known. At least he would try his best; the rest depended on the situation and circumstances.


    Ophelia, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes. What Oliver and Nadia did not know was that the amount of pressure she was currently releasing was not something any novice exorcist candidate could bear and stand still.


    The pressure was past the limit of what Oliver should have been able to endure, given the amount of espera he was showing to the world.


    She was purposefully releasing enough pressure that only a Rank-1 exorcist could bear.


    Today had been quite the day.


    First was the phenomenon. She had clearly sensed the gathering of energies being focused near this ce.


    She had sensed the presence of both Nadia and Oliver together at this ce. There was no way such a massive phenomenon would ur for no reason, after all.


    Why was it more concentrated at this ce, at this point where the two of them were?


    And now that she was there, the energies dissipated out of existence or were concealed by someone.


    Outside the chambers, she sensed Nadia''s presence along with another familiar presence she knew from some years ago.


    What surprised her was his current state.


    Not only had his physique improved to that of a Rank-1 exorcist, but also his eyes¡­ she felt something weird about them.


    And now when she was trying to sense what was happening inside him through her senses, she was unable to find anything out of ordinary. Her senses could not pass through, something inside him was definitely interfering.


    She was not sure about it but there was no other exnation to how he was able to withstand her pressure.


    She was someone who had long passed through the realms of a normal exorcist, there were things that she could see and others not. Not to mention, the experience she had far surpassed most.


    Thus she was able to conclude that the reason why she couldn''t sense anything extraordinary from him was not that he actually had nothing going on but instead he was hiding something.


    Not to mention, he might not have noticed this but his presence was dimmer than an ordinary child. It was nothing significant but it was there¡­.


    No matter what, it was going to be revealed soon.

 Chapter 92: Intense moment interrupted!

    Chapter 92: Intense moment interrupted!


    It was just her hunch, but there was definitely something going on behind the scenes.


    She would soon find out. She just had to prate him with her senses, and she could know it all¡ªhis brain, his body, his espera¡ªnothing would escape her eyes.


    Every bit of information would soon be in front of her.


    Whether there was really something special about this son of hers or not¡­


    Whether she had indeed made a mistake at his birth or not¡­


    It would soon be clear.


    She would devise her next course of actions based on that information¡­


    She knew the moment sheid her eyes on him.


    To peel off his coverings, she tried to probe him, but contrary to her expectations, she was quite puzzled when she could not sense past him.


    All she could feel around him was a slightly above-average amount of espera and heightened physical strength.


    ''But how?'' she could not help but ponder.


    This boy was the ''useless'' one when he was born, but today not only did he have espera but also raw strength.


    She applied more pressure and continued to probe him.


    But to her puzzlement, he was doing well under the pressure for a Rank-1 exorcist.


    How was this even possible?


    She thought for a moment that perhaps his physical strength had crossed the threshold of a Rank-1 exorcist, so he was able to endure the pressure.


    But still, something did not make sense in the back of her mind.


    She continuously kept increasing the pressure, but he was still able to stand normally and speak.


    It got to the point where the pressure she was focusing on him was way past the threshold of a newly made Rank-1 exorcist''s limits.


    It was well beyond that point. She knew that Nadia had broken through and simrly released only that much amount of pressure initially to test her out.


    But at this point, her main focus was Oliver. The pressure alone was enough to make almost any Rank-1 copse to their knees.


    Yet he was still able to maintain his stance.


    ''He''s hiding something.''


    Her eyes turned even colder when she realized this.


    He was a creation of hers, and he had no right to hide anything from her. If she had not intended it, he wouldn''t have been born.


    So, he must obey her and never hide anything from her.


    This was the reality and should be thew for them.


    She has to teach him who he was and where he stands.


    Oliver''s eyes widened as the pressure suddenly became too much for him. From Ophelia''s face, he could not discern a single emotion; it seemed nothing had changed on her face.


    Why was she so focused on forcing him?


    Why was she not satisfied after sensing what he was showing?


    He cursed under his breath, feeling his blood rush to his head as his legs started to shake slightly.


    His eyes narrowed, and anger welled up in his heart. If push came to shove, he wouldn''t care and would use every power he had if necessary.


    And¡­ he also had ''that'' if he wanted to escape far away from this ce.


    Just as she was about to give the final push and crush himpletely, an unexpected voice rang out in the chambers.


    "Meow~"


    _______________________


    Everyone present in the chambers paused and turned to look at the new arrival.


    It was a beautiful, pristine white cat.


    She was calmly sitting at the entrance, looking at their faces.


    The head-judge, who had been kneeling all this while without even daring to move, also looked up.


    ''n guardian!? Why''s she here? Did something happen?''


    His eyes shot open as he saw her. She was an existence that barely showed herself in public¡­


    Half of the n elders had only ever heard about her and never personally met her.


    It was said that she was a divine existence and could bring fortune to those who received her favor and blessings.


    He was aware of her identity because he had the fortune to meet her a few times in the past when he was young. Their meetings had always been short, and he had always been apanied by a group of elders of very high standing and seniority whenever he met her.


    He had heard rumors that she could read fate by observing the stars in the sky.


    She was always apanied by the elites, the founding pirs of the n whenever he had seen her.


    She enjoyed a very noble status in the n.


    For her to suddenly appear here, what was the reason?


    It was apparent that she hade for a purpose. Greeting the n guardian and being in her presence was an honor for him.


    However¡­


    He still did not move from his spot, not an inch.


    Mistress Ophelia was here. If the n guardian enjoyed a noble status, then Mistress Ophelia had a royal status.


    He was not allowed to move unless she ordered him to.


    Ophelia did not turn around to face the cat.


    Her eyes were still fixated on her son, Oliver.


    But when the meow sounded out, Oliver felt the pressure on him lessen significantly. He huffed slightly in relief.


    "Meow!"


    The cat jumped over andnded directly in front of Oliver¡ªin between the mother and the son.


    Nadia, on the other hand, was utterly confused at the moment.


    A white cat?


    What was a cat doing here? She had read about cats but never seen one in real life, so it was also her first time seeing one so close in person and not in pictures and books.


    But how did a cat enter the n?


    The n had a barrier that repelled or prevented the entry of anything unauthorized inside.


    So it puzzled her how this cat appeared.


    She did not find it abnormal that a cat could jump so high andnd so carefully and precisely between her brother and mother.


    She believed it might be how cats were, nothing more, nothing less.


    She assumed many theories in an instant.


    It was possible that a merchant had brought her from outside using special permissions to be sold in the n market.


    Or it was possible that an alchemist asked for the cat to experiment on¡­


    There were many possibilities.


    But her heart could not thump any louder when she realized that her mother had been interrupted.


    She felt nothing as she thought about how the cat was going to die.


    If possible, she would have liked to touch it before its death, but she could do it after it died as well.


    The main thing right now was what her mother wanted from Oliver, for some reason, her heart was not calm at all when she saw him quivering earlier.


    She had hoped that their mother would let him leave now that she had been interrupted by the cat.


    If the cat could be sacrificed to divert her mother''s attention, then so be it.


    Unknowingly, Nadia had already marked the n guardian as good as dead. In her eyes, she felt that the best use for the cat would be to be a sacrifice so that Oliver could leave from here.

 Chapter 93: Rewarding the good cat!

    Chapter 93: Rewarding the good cat!


    "Meow¡­"


    The cat meowed at Ophelia, whose focus had now shifted from Oliver to the cat instead.


    She narrowed her eyes as she calmly observed the cat, who was waving her tiny paws at her and then at Oliver, as if indicating something.


    "¡­."


    Oliver looked at the n guardian and felt speechless. What was she trying to say?


    Ophelia observed the cat. She was naturally aware of her identity.


    She nced back at him, her eyes flickering briefly as if she were contemting many things.


    A look ofprehension spread across her face, as if she had just pieced together a hidden puzzle.


    A sinister glint flickered in her eyes, unnoticed by anyone except the n guardian.


    What could Ophelia be plotting now? Her mind raced with possibilities, each more chilling than thest.


    The cat knew that gaze. Ophelia was scheming something terrible.


    Her heart could not help but sink. She knew now Ophelia was already developing ns involving Oliver.


    The n guardian had seen countless schemers and politicians, but none could evenpete with this emotionless woman.


    Even she herself could never understand her actions. But one thing the cat knew was that every action of Ophelia brought cruelty.


    One crueler than the other.


    She was that dangerous, but unfortunately, as the n guardian, she did not have the power or authority to oppose her.


    Ophelia was way stronger than her, after all.


    Was protecting Oliver worth the potential bacsh? The n guardian pondered, weighing her loyalty against the situation.


    She was already going beyond her bounds by shielding Oliver here. It might even risk her dearly in the future too.


    Whatever it was, now that she has decided, she cannot back off.


    But she had no choice. Oliver''s case was just that special and sensitive. She could not allow Ophelia''s shadow to fall on him.


    Otherwise, with his powers, he might be the worst threat to this world under Ophelia''s influence.


    "Meow¡ª"


    The cat meowed and looked at Ophelia in her eyes.


    Her actions conveyed a simple message to her.


    ''He''s under my protection. Leave now.''


    Of course, Ophelia was not obligated to follow the n guardian''s words, but in that moment, she did something unexpected.


    She looked over at Nadia and called out, "Follow me."


    After throwing a nce in her son''s direction, she left the chamber.


    What did that final nce mean? Oliver couldn''t shake off the feeling that it was a silent warning.


    The n guardian had expected Ophelia to ignore her and use force, but, as always, Ophelia was unpredictable.


    Ophelia knew that since the n guardian had so, this meant that his abnormal growth and the mysterious incident was all being watched by the n guardian.


    ''She''s definitely going to n something. It seems that I need to rush my n before something happens.''


    Zippy sighed as she thought of the risky n in her mind.


    ''It cannot be dyed now.''


    Just as she was in her thoughts, Oliver picked her up from behind.


    "Zippy, why did youe here? Didn''t I ask you to go home and wait for food?" he asked with a smile.


    The n guardian had proven herself to be quite useful today.


    He had always thought that she was there for his rations, but unexpectedly, she had helped him not once but twice today.


    The head judge looked at him, his eyes popping out of his sockets as he saw this kid casually pick up the esteemed n guardian and pet her.


    This level of disrespect¡­


    But he seemed to know the cat, and the n guardian also did not seem to mind. More like, she did not even reveal her identity here.


    A thought crossed his mind as he wondered if the n guardian did not wish for her identity to be exposed.


    He was quite confused.


    First, it was Mistress Ophelia who was pressuring this kid for some reason, but then the n guardian arrived, and for some reason, Mistress Ophelia left directly.


    What was up with this kid?


    Things were definitely not simple.


    For two of the n''s supreme existences to arrive at a single ce and meet a single kid, and that too right after that earlier phenomenon in the sky.


    ''Was that rted to him¡­?''


    He remembered how Oliver had disappeared just before the incident and how he returned just after the phenomenon was over.


    Could Oliver be linked to the mysterious event? The head judge''s curiosity grew more.


    He secretly made a note to investigate moreter.


    _______________


    After everyone left, Oliver said to the cat, "Today, I will make something delicious. I remember purchasing meat."


    The worried cat''s ears perked up when she heard this, and her eyes started to twinkle.


    She pounced on him, and Oliver caught her and left the chambers as well.


    He needed some time to familiarize himself with his newfound powers and the things he was now able to do.


    He was relieved that he saved himself from getting his cover blown fully in front of her.


    She would have one hundred percent brainwashed him into an emotionless, lifeless, colorless killing machine had she realized his true potential now.


    He knew that if that happened, there would be no point in living a life.


    Upon arriving at his courtyard, he directly headed to the kitchen. The cat deserved a treat!


    Setting aside training for a while, he was quite hungry as all he ate in the forest was some fruits and seeds. It did not satisfy him at all.


    He used the meat avable on the shelves. The world had different sorts of meats that he was initially not familiar with, but after some time, he started to like the taste of the fantasy meat.


    Each cut of meat seemed to hold its own elegance, vors waiting to be discovered. Oliver''s knife moved with practiced ease, slicing through the interesting textures.


    But since he was hungry, he focused on preparing a small meal first for himself and the cat.


    Over the months, his cooking skills had improved significantly as he cooked for himself rather than relying on the maids.


    Soon, a small meat-based meal suitable for two was prepared. It was an afternoon meal.


    It was stewed rump eaten with nd bread. The rump was naturally strong in vor, it was just barely seasoned with strong oils, and eaten with fish.


    The fish was properly seasoned with herbs and salts. It was just the right amount.


    "Meow!"


    The cat jumped up and down as the aroma filled the room. This was the best time.


    Due to Oliver''s participation in the demon hunt, she had not tasted this cooking for a long time. Now she was ready to devour it all!


    Good treat!

 Chapter 94: Mind space! A spy?

    Chapter 94: Mind space! A spy?


    Just like that, a few weeks passed as everyone settled back into their lives.


    The phenomenon was roughly rounded up as well since no one was able to find the cause or reason for it.


    The n guardian was questioned by a group of worried elders, but she didn''t tell anything useful and only dropped vague sentences.


    The head-judge, who had some clues that it was regarding Oliver, also investigated more, but in the end, after a few months of continuous investigation, he could not find anything.


    He knew that Mistress Ophelia surely knew something as well, but he did not dare to tell the other elders about that.


    He wouldn''t even know how he died the next day; Mistress Ophelia kept her private affairs private. No one was allowed to talk about her and any action she took unless provided permission by her personally.


    He could only drink his frustrations and silently observe Oliver. He didn''t dare get too close to him either; the n guardian was with him, and he didn''t want to offend her.


    _______________


    In one of the courtyards.


    Oliver was sitting cross-legged, and in front of him were multiple empty vials that once contained various expensive potions.


    From vitality-enhancing potions to espera-strengthening potions.


    He had gulped down all of them.


    He was getting used to handling therge amount of espera.


    ''So this is Abyss energy¡­''


    He thought in his head as his hand was suddenly coated in a dark ckish-red hue.


    The energy was potent and pulsing with dread and power.


    ''It is stronger than espera¡­''


    On his other hand, a colorless energy flowed out. It was gentle andpletely still.


    It was his espera. He had already managed topletely stabilize it thanks to the enhanced talent he now had.


    Not to mention, after his monthly allowance had increased twofold, he was able to spend his time in luxury as well.


    He could buy any potion he wanted in the n market without batting an eye or get any weapon he had wanted without worrying about the cost.


    With the help of multiple potions, he was able to suppress his espera and coordinate his increased physical strength as well.


    His body was also now full of energy.


    He gazed at his now improved body analysis.


    _______________


    [Name: Oliver Mystic]


    [Race: Human]


    [Status: Rank-1]


    [Strength: Level 5]


    [Espera: Level 4]


    [Abyss Energy: Level 3]


    [Charisma: Level 3]


    [Luck: Level 4]


    ______________


    In the weeks he had been sorting out the unknown knowledge he had received when his body became an Abyss circuit.


    He had managed to make two clusters in his mind, one that he had some idea about, and the other cluster carried the knowledge that was tooplex for his current level to evenprehend.


    It seemed that he had now be a creature of Abyss, thus gaining resistance against any sort of divinities.


    He smiled. Although this meant that he might never be able to ess divine energy, it was good because he had Abyss energy, something very difficult to obtain.


    He closed his eyes, and the next moment he opened them, he was in a pitch-ck space.


    Everything here was pitch ck.


    It was his mind space.


    Something he was able to ess after he became a circuit of Abyss.


    He gazed down at himself, and his entire body had turned white. In the whole dark space, he alone was the whitest thing.


    His whole body had turned featureless, and he was like a being with nothing but a white-colored form. No face, nothing¡­


    From head to toe, everything was featureless and pure white.


    The space was quiterge and wide. It was unknown where it ended, but he could sense it was limited.


    From the knowledge he had acquired, he knew that as long as he grew stronger, it should expand likewise. The Abyss energy was low in quantity, but it was quite potent nheless.


    His gaze wandered in the ck space beforending on some weapons that were casually lying around.


    With the advantage of having a mind space, he had canceled the need to have a storage ring as he could directly store his belongings in the mind space, which was countless times safer than any storage ring.


    Of course, he still purchased a storage ring in order to let others know that he was not an abnormality and used the storage ring to get his items.


    ''The n is indeed generous when they recognize you.''


    He thought as he gently touched the ring on his finger. These rings were very expensive, and even with his monthly allowance, he was hesitant to buy one.


    But fortunately, the n gifted him one a few days after that incident. He suspected that the head-judge was involved in him receiving this ring, considering how he was the sole witness to what happened in the chambers and had authority over other elders for such tasks.


    No matter what, the ring was empty, and everything from the good quality weapons that he had purchased to potions was now all stored inside his mind space.


    He came out of his mind space and got up.


    He could finally feel the espera, an overflowing energy.


    His water element had never been more active. He could feel its force and effect increase multiple times as well.


    ''I can start to get creative with the element now¡­''


    Earlier, it had been pretty much difficult for him to utilize the water element for anything other than a small water ball, but now things were no longer the same.


    He stood up. At the moment, he was in the secret spot behind his courtyard surrounded by trees.


    It was a hot day, and he was sweating buckets, so he packed things up and went back to the courtyard.


    Upon reaching the courtyard, he was greeted by an unexpected voice that was not there before and he was not used to.


    "Wee back, young master." A woman in a maid uniform bowed as she used a towel to quickly help him wipe the sweat.


    He stopped her and did it on his own as he nced at the woman.


    This woman was a spy.

 Chapter 95: Joint-training? A program?

    Chapter 95: Joint-training? A program?


    She was the new personal maid assigned to him after the event. He felt that the main reason she was here was to spy on him.


    The head-judge must be quite anxious after seeing the n guardian, so he directly called out to one of his subordinates to keep an eye on him.


    ''I cannot sense her rank at all.''


    Oliver secretly shook his head. This woman was clearly a strong exorcist but was now role-ying as a maid.


    The head-judge truly was meticulous in his preparations.


    The woman had long ck hair and champagne-colored eyes. She was tall and beautiful, and her expression was professional.


    For the week since she hade to serve under him as a personal maid, his chores were directly eliminated. Fromundry to cooking to shopping, she did everything before he even had the need to.


    He eximed when he was going to cook, but the maid stopped him from doing that, stating it was below him as the young master of the n to do chores like that.


    He could not help but snicker at that time. Where was this dignity when he was alone?


    The behavior of others has also improved considerably since the demon hunt event''s news spread out.


    They no longer ignored him and even treated him with respect. His courtyard, which had earlier been ignored, was now tended to regrly by a team of gardeners and servants.


    Not to mention, there were now guards stationed around the area.


    ''This feels more like a restriction than a privilege to me.''


    He could not help it. After all, he was used to living alone with a lot of freedom.


    But there were some advantages to the situation as well since he was able to ess the ces in the central area which he was previously not allowed entry to.


    "Young master, your clothes have been prepared and the bath water has been prepared as per your preferences."


    The maid said in a calm tone. Her name was Sesha.


    Sesha Bureh.


    Oliver could not help but feel that the surname ''Bureh'' was familiar to him, but he could not remember where he had heard of it.


    ''It was definitely in the novel, but where¡­?'' He pressed his head as he thought about it, but nothing rang a bell.


    It had been years since he read that novel. He had a good memory thanks to being born with the blood of strong exorcists and the espera in the atmosphere making his brain more functional.


    But still, he was not able to tell when this name was mentioned.


    Since he could not remember it, he had been keeping a distance from her.


    He was not sure if the name was associated with demonic forces or exorcists. Nheless, she was dangerous, and he was wary of her.


    He nodded at her and went inside to bathe.


    Today was a somewhat special day.


    He was going to meet with children from the other five ns for the first time!


    Not only that, he was going to leave the n for the first time in his life!


    He suddenly recalled the brief meeting he had with an elder from the n after the demon hunt some days ago.


    __________________


    "Say again?"


    "You!" The elder''s eyelids twitched fiercely when he heard the boy''s words. He had just exined everything, but this brat was still asking for him to repeat everything again.


    He could not help but be frustrated.


    "Calm down, elder. It was just an expression," the boy smiled gleefully, looking at the frustrated elder.


    "So basically, to summarize, the five great ns have agreed to familiarize their children with each other and train under a joint program for the ones with potential together due to the looming threat of demons that could start a war at any moment?"


    The boy summarized what he heard.


    "That''s right," the elder nodded, "you finally get it."


    "Of course," the boy smiled. "And among the children selected, my name was also chosen due to the results of the demon hunt?"


    The elder paused briefly and exined.


    "Out of the n''s main heirs, you and Miss Nadia have been selected for this¡­ your age and talent match the best with the other candidates selected by the other five ns."


    "It''s a great honor! Be respectful that the higher-ups considered you in the first ce!" The elder''s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when he saw the ungrateful expression the boy was making.


    He almost had the urge to beat him up, but he refrained.


    The boy who was sitting opposite the elder stretched his hands and folded them back behind his head as a pondering look appeared on his face.


    His silver hair flowed against the wind as he stared at the sky.


    "What a coincidence. From all the five pairs of twins, how is it possible that Nadia and I were the ones selected? I don''t think the third brother and sister are much older than us?"


    The elder could not endure it and stood up, saying in a loud tone.


    "You bastard-! Do you think we deliberately put your name forward! Do you dare believe that I won''t break your legs here right now for doubting the supreme elders!"


    The elder, who clearly had a short temper, looked at thezy boy with anger as he further added,


    "After what you did to the third pair of siblings. Do you still believe they are worthy enough to join this program? Those useless brats who couldn''t even handle a single brat with no espera!? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?"


    The boy hurriedly corrected his posture and put his hands forward as he said in a calm tone.


    "Whoa, elder! Calm down, I never said I doubted the decision of your superiors."


    "I am a proud heir of the Mystic Purge n. How can I be so ungrateful, right?" His eyes curved into a smile.


    "If you have thought about it, then there must be a reason why I was selected. I will honor the wishes of my esteemed elders and definitely participate and establish dominance in front of the other children from the other ns."


    The elder visibly calmed down as he heard the boy''s words.


    It seemed he was the one being more flustered. The elder sighed and looked at theid-back boy, he still could not understand why he was suddenly selected either.

 Chapter 96: The taste of luxury

    Chapter 96: The taste of luxury


    "If you have thought about it, then there must be a reason why I was selected. I will honor the wishes of my esteemed elders and definitely participate and establish dominance in front of the other children from the other ns."


    The elder visibly calmed down as he heard the boy''s words.


    It seemed he had been too impatient and misjudged the boy earlier.


    "By the way, elder, I was curious about something¡­" he looked the elder in the eyes, "¡­did mother agree to this as well?"


    The elder narrowed his eyes when he mentioned the word ''mother''.


    "Of course, Mistress Ophelia gave us permission. That''s why I said this was a big honor to be a part of this."


    The boy nodded with a solemn expression and asked, "What preparations do I need to make?"


    "Nothing for now. We will tell you the date when we will be leaving. The first meeting will be a brief introduction between you kids to familiarize yourselves with each other and gain an understanding of your rivals."


    "You will be trained personally by professionals¡­ Establish the dominance of the n. Miss Nadia has already been informed. You only need to support her and help her establish the n''s dominance."


    He informed the kid, who calmly nodded.


    "Then I''ll be waiting for the day."


    With that, the boy was left alone.


    After the elder left, he could not help butugh to himself.


    "Finally, I can leave this n for once, hahaha!"


    The boy was naturally none other than Oliver.


    _____________


    After taking aforting bath in his private pool, he quickly dressed up.


    He wore a designer kimono specifically tailored for him. It was ck in color¡ªa contrast to his silver hair.


    Not only that, but these clothes were quite expensive as they were made of rare materials. After all, he was supposed to meet others from the five great ns that had been there since the Mystic Purge n was founded.


    The clothes he wore even had a special property to remain fragrant.


    He came out of his courtyard and looked at the fat cat lying inside after eating two servings ofrge meals. He sighed; this cat was sozy.


    She seemed to be getting fat slowly, as he had expected.


    He could not help but wonder about the program that the elder had mentioned to him.


    There was no such program or details about training in such a way in the novel. He wondered if it was a behind-the-scenes thing but discarded that notion too.


    He felt suspicious of this fat cat in front of him too. Howe his name was selected out of all of his siblings?


    Surely, it couldn''t be due to the fact that they were twins that they were selected.


    ''If I remember correctly, the first pair of siblings should be in the institute right now, so it''s understandable that they weren''t selected.''


    Oliver shook his head. He threw onest nce toward thezy cat. He might be thinking too much in the end.


    How could this fat cat be behind his name getting selected?


    She should be smart enough not to repeat herself after thest incident, no?


    He nodded to himself as he looked at the cat who woke up from her sleep and looked at him withzy eyes.


    She waved her paw at him as if saying goodbye.


    "¡­"


    Oliver ignored her and left toward the exit of his courtyard, where his personal maid in uniform was standing.


    Behind her was a car, a modern invention of this world, mainly used for transportation.


    The car had a sleek and aerodynamic shape with an organic, almost living appearance. The design on the car was carefully made as well.


    The car had an intricatettice of vines and leaves etched on its surface that glowed from time to time, suggesting its connection to natural elements.


    It had fourrge crystalline wheels. These wheels glowed with a soft light and could adapt their shape to provide optimal traction on any terrain.


    The engine was nothing but a core powered using fire-attributed espera, ensuring great speed and a smooth experience.


    He could not help but take a deep breath as he gazed at the luxurious car. He knew from a nce that it was far better than those ordinary cars used in normal human cities.


    This car definitely showed the wealth and power of one of the five great ns. He knew that it must belong to the elder who was going along with them.


    The maid looked at his stunned face and elegantly bowed with a stoic expression, as if the car behind her was not worth her attention.


    "Young master, the car is ready, please¡­" she said as she slowly opened the door for him to enter.


    Oliver quickly entered the car and was again pleasantly surprised. The interior was way more spacious than it looked from outside.


    He could notice some glowing runes carved inside that were most likely used to expand the space within.


    The seats inside were made out of special leather, making them incredibly soft and magically adjustable to provide perfectfort and support to the upant.


    Not to mention, the interior was also lined with Luminous Moss that provided a soft amber light, giving a warm and natural feeling.


    Tomunicate and issuemands to the driver, there was a dashboard made out of a crystal orb to work as the central unit that helped disy information and drive using the thoughts of the driver with espera.


    His head was filled with the thought of owning such a car in the future. It was way better than any car he had ever sat inside.


    Not only that, in his previous life, due to his eye problems, he was very limited in driving. But now, he could drive freely and as much as he wanted to.


    He looked at the corner and saw an elder sitting in front of the dashboard, probablymunicating with the driver.


    He did not speak much and quietly sat in one corner of the car. His maid soon followed inside.


    ''She''s also tagging along?''


    His eyes narrowed as he saw her sitting in front of him.


    "Young master, if you need anything, do let me know," she said, looking at him.


    He nodded and shifted his focus to the runes.


    Although he was not able toprehend these runes, he knew there were many of them all around the car, serving different functions and features.


    Some of them must be for shielding purposes as well in case someone tried to attack the moving car.


    The car moved. If not for the windows, he wouldn''t even have realized it was moving due to how smooth it was.


    A few minutester, from the window, he saw the car stopping near a familiar courtyard.


    It was Nadia''s courtyard.


    Soon enough, she emerged out wearing a in but elegant kimono, she was brimming with a heavy aura around her possibly due to the fact that she had stabilized herself after the recent breakthrough to Rank-1.


    The espera around her was calm and still and her expression was also serene.


    Coupled with that outfit, she looked like a princess truly.


    The door opened as she too got inside only to pause in her tracks when she noticed the unfamiliar individual.

 Chapter 97: She lost control! Abyssal being?

    Chapter 97: She lost control! Abyssal being?


    "Wee, young miss."


    The maid opened the door for her as she got in, and the elder also greeted her politely.


    "Hey?"


    He waved at her. She was wearing a pale red-colored kimono and looked like a truedy from a rich n.


    She raised her brow, ignoring Oliver. Her eyes went up to the new woman.


    ''Who is she?''


    She narrowed her eyes as she tried to gauge the woman. She had maid clothes¡­


    Oliver saw this and quickly interrupted, introducing them to each other,


    "She''s Sesha, my new personal maid. The elders were feeling generous and decided to assign her to me."


    The calm maid also looked at Nadia for a moment and bowed.


    "Greetings, young miss. I am Sesha Bureh, young master Oliver''s personal maid and attendant. Feel free to ask for my assistance. I''ll do my best to aid you."


    Nadia''s eyes didn''t stop looking at the woman.


    In that very instant, her eyes shone with a mysterious glint. As her eyes darkened, she activated her special vision.


    ''She''s strong¡­''


    That''s what she quickly concluded after seeing the tremendous amount of espera radiating out of her.


    ''Hmm¡­?''


    However, her eyes did not stop as she started to see an extremely dark red aura inside the car.


    She moved her head, following the trail of energy, and as her eyesnded on Oliver, they could not help but tremble.


    Right beside her, he was sitting calmly while looking at her with curious eyes.


    But what she was seeing waspletely different in that instant.


    At that moment, instead of the normalzy Oliver, she saw something else¡­ something dreadful.


    Instead of the normal Oliver that she was used to seeing, there was no trace of him¡­ or his humane self.


    But rather, what was in front of her eyes was a pitch-ck being oozing with a very darkish red energy¡­


    The figure seemed to absorb all light around it, creating a void of absolute darkness. The pitch-ck body had no discernible features, only an endless abyss that made her feel as if she was staring into the depths of a nightmare.


    This sinister presence was so intense that it felt as if the very air was being sucked into the ckness, leaving a vacuum of suffocating dread around him.


    The dark red energy pouring out of him was not just a glow but a thick, pulsating essence that seemed alive.


    It oozed from every inch of his form, flowing like a malignant fog. This energy was a deep, repulsive crimson, swirling with malevolence and dread. It moved with a slow, menacing life of its own, creating a vile miasma that threatened to consume everything in its path.


    The espera did not even dare to approach the thick miasma as if fearing getting consumed by it.


    It was as if the world itself refused to acknowledge his existence, a sinister void that repelled all life and light.


    The sight was overwhelmingly terrifying. A raw, primal fear gripped her chest. The dark red energy seemed to seep into her very soul, filling her with a paralyzing horror that made it difficult to even think.


    The once-familiar face of Oliver was gone, reced by this featureless, pitch-ck figure that radiated nothing but malice and despair.


    The being was the definition of primal fear.


    The sight of him, the feel of that dark energy, made her feel as if she was teetering on the edge of an endless abyss, one wrong step away from being swallowed whole by the darkness.


    Nadia could feel her heart racing uncontrobly, the blood pounding in her ears as she struggled to maintain herposure.


    Every instinct screamed at her to run, to get away from this nightmarish being, but she was frozen in ce, trapped by the sheer terror of the sight before her.


    Her eyes were starting to turn misty...


    Oliver, on the other hand, looked at her confusedly, wondering what she was staring at so intensely. He felt awkward as he saw her dead serious eyes as if she was boring a hole into him.


    Just as he was about to say something to lift up the suddenly heavy atmosphere, he saw a sh of silver right before his eyes.


    His hand moved automatically due to the constant training with weapons he had been doing and his new strength worked into action as he blocked.


    His hand caught the body of a sharp silver sword that was aimed at his head. His instincts were sharper than before.


    His eyes widened suddenly as he saw Nadia attacking him out of nowhere with her sword. Had he not reacted in time, she would have already shed off his head.


    Hiss!


    He winced in pain as he could feel the sharpness of the high-quality sword slowly cutting through his hand like slicing through butter.


    He quickly looked at her and noticed that her eyes seemed to have lost focus for some reason.


    Before he could guess what was even happening, his hand started to burn in pain as the sword cut through his flesh.


    "Agh-!"


    Before he could push her away, the maid in front of them reacted and dragged Nadia away from Oliver.


    She had a surprised look on her face when she saw how young Miss Nadia nearly tried to kill her young master in an instant for no reason.


    It was too out of the blue. She narrowed her eyes as Nadia resisted her grip, but she still maintained it nheless. Due to the difference in strength, she was able to suppress her easily.


    Oliver gasped in relief and quickly retrieved a healing potion from his mind space, starting to quickly gulp it down.


    The pain in his hand started to dull as his skin began to mend itself back to how it was before.


    He looked at her struggling expression and realized her problem. Just now, she must have used her special eyes to look through them.


    But because of the presence of Abyss energy, she lost her focus and attacked him due to the instinctive fear.


    He frowned. She was able to see through it, and it had such an adverse effect on her. These special eyes of hers were called Abyss eyes, so it seemed that they had the capability to see his abyss energy.


    Due to him bing a circuit of Abyss, he was sure his body had turned into something inhuman, some sort of abomination.


    This could exin her exaggerated reaction as well.


    But now the problem was how to get her back to normal?

 Chapter 98: Suppressing her! Arriving at the destination!

    Chapter 98: Suppressing her! Arriving at the destination!


    Due to him bing a circuit of Abyss, he was sure his body had turned into something inhuman, some sort of abomination.


    He shuddered at the thought, feeling the cold, creeping dread of the Abyss still lingering on his skin.


    He himself had witnessed the creatures of Abyss, albeit for a very short moment, but all of them were extremely repulsive and deadly.


    Their twisted forms and piercing gazes haunted his thoughts, leaving him with a deep-seated revulsion that he couldn''t shake off.


    He was not able to sleep well for some days due to nightmares.


    He could understand that she must have seen something simr instead of his humane self.


    He realized the fear she must have felt, seeing him as one of those grotesque beings rather than the guy she knew.


    Those grotesque beings served him a reminder of the Abyss he now belonged to.


    It was no wonder she recoiled...


    He looked at her and activated [Cosmic Void Gaze], looking at her seriously, as if trying to suppress her with his aura alone.


    His eyes met hers, a palpable tension filled the air, as if the very fabric of reality trembled under the weight of his gaze


    The effect was instant as she slowly stopped struggling, and her eyes seemed to be gaining rity back.


    The fog of confusion lifted slowly, reced by a flicker of recognition and uncertainty.


    Oliver''s eyes were an evolved version of hers, so naturally, he was able to do this.


    Although it was just a try, he did not expect it to work in first try, was this also associated with the Luck level?


    As Nadia slowly gained rity, her eyes turned confused as she looked around and behind at the maid who was now holding her arms.


    "You guys! Be quiet and let me focus!" the elder shouted from the front as the haziness in her mind slowly cleared.


    She yanked her hand away, and the maid let her go after noticing the shift in her behavior.


    She knew something strange had happened just now. At one instance, she was attacking him, and now after Oliver looked at her once, she calmed down.


    But she could not tell what¡­


    Nadia looked around, and confusion was visible on her face. What happened and why was she being held by the maid like this?


    She could not remember it.


    ''What happened just now?'' she strained her mind but could not recall.


    "Are you good?" A concerned voice sounded beside her.


    She turned her head around and looked at Oliver when a sharp pain assaulted her head as she started to remember the bits and pieces of the incident that had transpired just a moment prior.


    She looked at the sword thrown beside her, and there were droplets of red blood coating the shiny body of the weapon. The metallic scent of blood mixed within the fresh earthy air lingered near her.


    Her mood turned sour. Not only had she attacked him so suddenly like this despite him not doing anything, but she also showed such irrational behavior in front of him.


    She looked at him with a sullen face and distanced herself away, sitting in the corner opposite to him.


    A heavy silence enveloped them, she seemed to be feeling guilty, the weight of her regret could be felt through air.


    He sighed. Just earlier, he almost didn''t see the sudden swording toward his head. Had his instincts not worked at the correct time, he could have suffered very serious injuries.


    It was his luck that he managed to avoid it.


    He secretly praised the power of level 4 Luck in his mind. He was lucky that his instincts and hands moved at the correct time to prevent a fatal injury.


    Luck or fate, he wasn''t sure, but the narrow escape left his heart pounding in his chest, it was still beating wildly.


    He looked at Nadia. He did not know what to do as he saw her ncing at him from time to time with a mix of wariness and curiosity evident in her expressions.


    She was definitely wondering right now about what she saw and if it was right, then how was it possible, and all sorts of questions.


    Oliver refrained from talking to her for the moment since he did not have answers for her.


    Instead, he looked at his maid who was also observing him.


    ''So she''s strong enough to subdue Nadia without any problems.''


    Oliver knew he couldn''t be careless with this maid.


    He was mostly conspicuous with his activities, but who knows when she might be watching him.


    The elder driving the car seemed to have not noticed the smallmotion from before.


    Or even if he did, he intentionally ignored it.


    He looked at his clothes, and fortunately, they were not stained with blood, or else it would have put a bad impression on others considering this was his first meeting.


    The rest of the journey was in silence as Nadia did not speak, and Oliver, who did not want to be questioned, did not take the initiative either.


    The maid¡­ well, she was quite interested in knowing what had happened and the reason why Nadia attacked him.


    But she was role-ying as a maid at the moment, and a mere maid was not in authority to know about things her master had not permitted her to ask.


    She was sure that something was amiss there. The always calm andposed genius Nadia would not suddenly attack someone like this, after all.


    Oliver was also aware that she could not see them using special eyes on each other, and he did not intend to tell her either.


    "We''re here."


    These words suddenly cut through the tension, drawing their focus to the windows.


    The elder announced in a serene tone, prompting the attention of the upants of the car.


    Oliver felt a small tremble as the car stopped.


    The maid was quick to react and opened the door for him.


    "Woah¡­"


    What he saw in front of him was a lush green forest¡ªno, they were inside a dense green forest.


    The elder who also got out said, "This is where the young heirs of the five ns will be meeting. This is a secluded sanctuary made by the ns. It is impossible to locate without prior information. Not only that, this sanctuary is protected by a powerful barrier."


    The elder pointed at the towering ancient trees and the lush greenery as he further added, "This ce is quite old and not used as much as it used to be before. The ns shifted their meeting locations long ago, but it still exists and used to be the ce where powerful exorcists of the past would meet and discuss important matters."


    Oliver looked at the trees, and they did seem quite ancient. They were tall and almost covering his view of the sky.


    "So this ce serves as a neutral spot for the ns?" he questioned.


    "That''s right. Although it is now not the official meeting ce anymore, it is still regrly maintained by the guardian spirits."


    ''Guardian spirits?'' Oliver''s ears perked up. He had heard of them before but did not expect this ce to have them.


    "Now, follow me. I will be leading you to the meeting spot."


    Oliver could not help but feel excited as he walked behind... it was finally time to meet them.

 Chapter 99: Meeting the main-protagonist for the first time!

    Chapter 99: Meeting the main-protagonist for the first time!


    "Now, follow me. I will be leading you to the meeting spot."


    The trio followed behind the elder as he took some turns, and in a few minutes, they could finally see the ce.


    It was like the heart of this forest, a clearing surrounded by the towering trees whose intertwined branches formed a natural canopy above.


    The air felt charged with an ancient energy, as if the forest itself was alive and watching them.


    Ancient-looking stones carved with runes of unknown origin were ced strategically, forming a round table and chairs.


    Further behind the table, they could also see moss-covered altars and statues, remnants of the past when this ce was used frequently.


    Oliver''s eyes were drawn towards the table and chairs. It was a gathering grove.


    The soft glow of bioluminescent flora and the melodic chirping of unseen birds gave the atmosphere a touch of tranquility and peace.


    His eyes wandered as he spotted others already seated around the table.


    ''So we''re thest to arrive.''


    He noticed the respective elders who had brought the heirs with them in the corner.


    ''The meeting is not simple.''


    He knew this beforehand. First of all, there was the main goal of the meeting, which was some joint training program.


    It was said that due to the demons'' increasing activities, they wanted to quickly nurture the talents in the younger generation and produce more powerhouses for the future war.


    They all knew that the war was going to happen sooner orter. There was no stopping it, and this war was going to be more violent than the previous one.


    So they decided that it was best to prepare their talented youths faster.


    But Oliver knew that for the meeting to happen so suddenly, the other ns must be curious about the void cloud phenomenon that happened some time ago.


    The elder must havee here in order to make deals for information or rify matters.


    He nced at Nadia from the corner of his eye as she was also looking at the other children with an emotionless gaze.


    She walked up to the gathering grove as he followed behind her.


    He could feel all the gazes on him and her.


    "Hey?"


    He waved at the other children since he didn''t know how to interact with them for the first time. They all had varying personalities.


    He soon received a curt response.


    First was a guy with short dark blue hair and blue eyes. He put a hand over his chest as he greeted back.


    "Good morning, Sir Oliver. I am Alphonso Jadesins from the Fallen Heart n. You can call me Alphonso."


    His tone was polite, and his behavior was proper like a noble. He was taught well and had good etiquette, not to mention he was dressed in a formal suit for this meeting.


    "Pleased to meet you. You can call me Oliver too!"


    Oliver also told him. Since the other party was willing to have informal rtions with him, who was he to reject?


    He couldn''t help butpare this little gentleman to a thoughtful schr.


    He then heard another voice. This time it was a kid dressed in a simple shirt and pants, "I am from Sacred Swords n. You can call me Daniel."


    Oliver nced at the boy and noticed his features.


    His body was notably sleek. He had shoulder-length, wavy hair of ck color. His droopy eyes were the color of golden jewels.


    He nodded and also told him to be informal with him.


    Afterwards, it was a girl with narrow eyes of olive green color. She had long ankle-length, apple-green hair, her physique was athletic, and she had a pouting mouth.


    "I am Amber from the Blue Crown n," she briefly said, somewhating off as aloof.


    Oliver did not mind. He could understand that she might be awkward with others.


    He gave her a reassuring smile, hoping to ease her difort.


    And finally¡­


    His gaze automatically went towards thest upants.


    What a coincidence it was that the other party was also twins.


    His eyes focused sharply as he observed one of the two girls in front of him.


    ''The protagonist has finally appeared¡­''


    His heart pumped blood in excitement. He was finally meeting the main protagonist of this world!


    He was face-to-face with her!


    "Greetings! I am Be, and here''s my little sister Evelyn! We''re from the Celestial Paradox n!"


    The girl introduced herself and her little sister. She had tinum blonde hair falling to her shoulders like a cascading waterfall and a very confident aura.


    Thedy reminded him of the famous character he had read in the novel.


    He knew her by her nickname from the novel.


    The unstoppable machine!


    She had nted gray eyes that were like two silver coins. Her fine, wavy, baster hair was medium-length, and she wore a hairpin that was not actually a hairpin but a destructive artifact disguised as a hairpin.


    She had a cream-colored healthy skin tone and a tall, athletic build. She was the tallest in the group of children too.


    Of course, she was not the main protagonist.


    Her little sister was.


    Oliver was immediately drawn to her, considering her radiant appearance and features.


    Her long golden locks cascaded down her back like streams of sunlight, each strand catching the light and radiating with a brilliance that seemed holy.


    Her hair danced around her like a halo, framing her delicate features with an ethereal glow.


    But¡­


    It was her eyes¡­


    It was her eyes that truly caught everyone''s attention. Her eyes were a shade of velvet, like the color of a deep, velvety rose in full bloom.


    They were glowing with an inner light, a warm aura surrounding her.


    It was as if her very soul radiated purity and strength


    It was those same eyes that drew demons to her like moths to a me only to perish.


    Coupled with her golden hair, she truly had the main-protagonist aura to her.


    An attractive appearance like any other protagonist.


    She had a healthy, milky white skin tone and was dressed in a coat of midnight blue over a pristine white shirt. She looked like an aristocrat.


    Despite her tender age, she had the air of an elegantdy.


    A beacon of light in a world consumed by darkness¡­


    ''Haha¡­''


    Oliver could not help but feel extremely excited. No matter what, he was going to bond with her.


    She was the main protagonist who had yet to achieve considerable strength. There was no way he was going to miss this opportunity.

 Chapter 100: Alphonsos doubt

    Chapter 100: Alphonso''s doubt


    Looking at the awkward girl, he couldn''t help but think about the childhood of the protagonist mentioned in the novel.


    She was a normal rich heiress in her childhood and lived in the shadow of her big sister, always behind her back.


    But all it took was a devastating incident, and everything changed for her forever.


    The main reason why she bore the unlimited hatred towards demons rooted from that incident.


    He sighed and shook his head. Looking at the excited yet stoic faces of the children, he knew half of them would not be the same in the future.


    "Oliver, right?"


    The elder sister of the protagonist, named Be, called out.


    "Yes, Miss Be?"


    "Ah, you don''t need to use titles with me or my sister. You can talk to us normally too. We are here to get to know each other after all," she said.


    Oliver nodded, "Alright, I will call you Be from now on and¡­" he looked at the quiet girl, "Evelyn."


    The girl turned her head and looked at him.


    As he saw her staring at him with those red eyes, he could not help but tremble slightly. For some reason, those red eyes were quite intimidating.


    ''She should have awakened her special eyes already, huh. What a pity.''


    Oliver knew the talent of the protagonist was extraordinary. He could feel an intensity behind that stare.


    "Right, right."


    Be nodded. She was quite sociable and asked others to do the same.


    Oliver also helped Nadia to get acquainted although she barely said a word and kept her indifferent expression.


    "So, do you have any idea what''s with this sudden meeting? I heard it was for some joint training program or something," Be asked everyone, wanting to lighten the atmosphere and make everyonefortable.


    Oliver could not help but nod. This was a true extrovert, eager to getfortable with others and take charge.


    "I heard the same. I am not aware of the sudden reason behind it. The elders of my n suddenly summoned me," Alphonso also informed.


    Daniel ced his hands on the table as he pondered, "If I had to guess, it might be rted to the recent increased activity of demons at the borders."


    "That sounds about right," Oliver added. He noticed that Daniel was carrying a sword dangling by his waist.


    "Too simple," Amber casually said, much to Daniel''s displeasure as his brows furrowed a bit.


    "What?" he questioned, looking at her.


    Amber, however, ignored him and looked at Oliver and Nadia with a deep gaze as she asked, "Your n recently had an anomalous phenomenon, right? What was it about?" she questioned with a sly smile.


    ''The others did not know about this. It seems that she got the information from her n.''


    Oliver looked at her thoughtfully. He had to phrase his words in a way that didn''t give any confidential information out, lest he got reprimanded by the elderter.


    "It was actually¡ª" Just as he started to exin, he heard a loud banging sound from a corner.


    Bang!


    "Are you ignoring me!?" Daniel asked in a slightly louder tone as his eyes locked onto Amber, and his hand, which had turned into a fist, was ced on the table.


    "Hmph." Amber scoffed and turned towards him, "Did I ask you?"


    "OH? You¡­? I don''t really fight with women, but you''re provoking me," he spat.


    "Umm, calm down, you two," Oliver tried to maintain the peace, but¡­


    "You don''t fight with women? Why? Are you scared of getting beaten?" Amber taunted him, further pushing him.


    "You! I can handle you even with my hands tied, haha. I am scared of none."


    "Really? I am sure I can put you in your ce even with my eyes closed."


    The argument was slowly getting out of hand.


    "Remember, guys, we are here to get to know each other¡­"


    He tried to speak, but his voice only got drowned out by their loud heated talk.


    He turned to Be and saw her serious eyes. She stood up, and he thought that she was finally going to be a true leader who calmed the crowd.


    "How about a duel then?" she suddenly said.


    The two stopped and looked at her at the same time and asked, "Duel?"


    She smiled and replied, "That''s right. Instead, how about we all duel with each other? Isn''t it a great way to connect and familiarize ourselves with each other? We can develop a strong bond too by knowing each other''s skills!"


    Oliver stood up and said in a hurried tone, "Hey, hey, what are you saying? Why all of us? Just let these two fight it out."


    He suddenly felt a little regretful. She was indeed the unstoppable machine; he should have predicted this oue given her nature.


    "Don''t worry, Oliver," Be looked at him, "It''s going to be a friendly match."


    She paused for a moment and thought of something, "If you are worried, then we can ask one of the elders to oversee. I believe they will be good to judge."


    "But why exaggerate¡ª" Once again, he got cut off in the middle of his sentence when Alphonso interrupted with ament.


    "I do not mind. I believe we noble exorcists must recognize each other''s skills if we truly intend to get to know each other." He looked at others before adding, "We will be the future of our ns and humanity at the same time. Someone weak would only drag us down. Of course, I am not implying that any of you here is weak. Neither am I trying to disrespect your respective ns. However, personally, I will never believe someone whose skills have not been seen by me."


    He nced at Oliver as he said this. It seemed that he doubted Oliver.


    Ever since he had arrived here, he had seen otherse one by one.


    He didn''t tell this to anyone, but he was carrying an artifact with him that helped him measure the strength¡ªoverall esper¡ªof those around him to some degree.


    The artifact buzzed constantly in the presence of the two girls from the Celestial Paradox n, informing him of their superior strength.


    He was able to acknowledge them through this alone and their n''s reputation.


    So was the case with the other two ns as well, so he had no problems whatsoever.


    He had always been a person who did thorough research on both his allies and enemies beforehand.


    And there was a reason why he was feeling doubtful...

 Chapter 101: The artifact did not work?

    Chapter 101: The artifact did not work?


    Alphonso had always been a person who did thorough research on both his allies and enemies beforehand.


    No matter how strong he waspared to his peers, he had always remained vignt.


    So naturally, he had researched the people he was going to meet today as well.


    Of course, gathering information on the heirs of five major ns was no joke. He had specifically asked his elders to obtain it for him.


    They had to spend a huge amount of resources to gain some brief insights.


    The people from the Celestial Paradox n had always been the strongest for generations, and the two girls were exceptional prodigies from the n.


    Daniel from the Sacred Swords n was a sword prodigy. The Sacred Swords n was famous for producing the strongest physical exorcists and tool masters. From his information, he knew that this guy was hot-headed.


    This was why he did not talk with him from the beginning either. He was not used to interacting with such types of people.


    Not only that, he also knew that although this guy seemed hot-tempered, he was actually quite clever and a sword prodigy at that.


    On the other hand, Amber from the Blue Crown n was also quite talented and had a knack for talismans and other exorcism tools.


    She was a clever person, and he did not mind dealing with her.


    Thest to arrive were the ones from the Mystic Purge n.


    It was also a n with a lot of mystery... and the worst reputation among exorcists.


    They were quite infamous for their cruelty and inhuman behavior even towards their fellow exorcists.


    While he did find information about Nadia, it was severely limited. Even the elders were powerless about it.


    From the limited knowledge, he was aware that Nadia was an extraordinary genius even among her siblings. As per the rumors, she was also the most likely person to be the next matriarch of the n.


    Obviously, he was very interested in making connections with her due to this sole reason and those two girls from the Celestial Paradox n.


    But what made him perplexed was the guy behind Nadia.


    He introduced himself as Oliver and was the twin sibling of Nadia, but...


    He was not mentioned in the information.


    He suddenly came out of nowhere... and what was even more disturbing was that he could not sense much espera from his body.


    Not only that, the artifact that he was carrying was buzzing when it was in Nadia''s presence, the intensity simr to the two sisters from the Celestial Paradox n.


    But when he tried to use the artifact on Oliver, the artifact did not produce even the slightest bit of reaction.


    Nothing, absolutely nothing.


    Was the artifact not working?


    It was as if Oliver was not even worth noting.


    He even tried to sense it himself, but all he found was merely above average espera from him.


    He became suspicious of his strength.


    And then, to confirm his suspicions, Oliver just now backed off from a duel as if hesitant to even face off against them.


    Did he know that he was weak and thus did not want to fight them?


    If this was indeed the case, then he must be removed first from their group. He had read about it countless times in countless books.


    Having someone inept in a team was more lethal than being surrounded by a horde of demons.


    If they were going to familiarize themselves with each other and form a possible group or alliance of sorts, then Oliver should be removed beforehand.


    The suggestion by Be was the best way and was at the best time as well.


    He could not get a better opportunity than this to test out Oliver and his skills.


    He could confirm his doubts and at the same time show him the difference between them.


    He did not feel any particr hatred towards him, but he could not afford a weakpanion in the future if they were going to be together more.


    And it was good for Oliver too. His life would be saved from any danger they might be facing in the future.


    So he cut him off and agreed on his behalf as well.


    Oliver looked at Alphonso with a dumbfounded expression. He didn''t expect this noble-looking guy to be a brute as well.


    He had always felt that bonding through fighting was not correct. Rather than bonding, in most cases, it was more of a matter of establishing a hierarchy.


    Looking at Nadia from the corner of his eye, he could see her expressionless look, but he could feel a hint of anger in her eyes for some reason.


    Was it his imagination?


    What he didn''t realize just now was that the anger in her eyes was for him.


    Earlier, while he had been cut off, he did not think much of it and ignored it, but she saw how he was cut off not once but twice in a row.


    First was that girl called Be, and then this dumb-looking guy.


    This was clearly disrespectful, not to him alone but to the n as well.


    If they were here as the representatives of their respective ns, then being interrupted while speaking simply equate to the opinion of their n being ignored?


    While she herself was not interested in chatting with this bunch of dumb kids, she did not mind Oliver talking on her behalf as well. But seeing him being cut off like this made her feel disrespected too.


    The n must not be disrespected; this was the main motive for her in this meeting.


    She was here to establish her dominance over these people.


    Plus, for some reason, she hated the way that Be was talking so casually with Oliver.


    A bunch of useless people.


    She was not going to let it slide.


    "Then it''s decided. I will call an elder over and we should start right away, how about it? We will draw lots and match the two. Since Amber and Daniel are in an argument, they can duel it out. The rest of us will draw," Be suggested.


    All the others agreed, so Oliver had to as well in the end.

 Chapter 102: Nadia takes revenge on his behalf

    Chapter 102: Nadia takes revenge on his behalf


    ''FUCK!''


    Oliver cursed internally as he looked at the opponent''s name on the paper slip.


    He nced toward Be and weakly nodded.


    His expression was grim as he saw his energetic opponent.


    He did not want to fight her¡­


    She was a crazy girl.


    "Don''t worry, it''s a friendly match! Just show me your skills and let''s get along well," Be said in a reassuring tone, which did notfort him at all. Rather, he felt exhausted.


    The matching order was as follows:


    Nadia - Alphonso


    Oliver - Be


    Daniel - Amber


    As for Evelyn, well, since there was no one to match her against, she was the odd one left out.


    Oliver offered to exchange ces with her, but Be strongly insisted on fighting with him rather than her sister, whom she was used to. She said she wanted to see how children from other nspared to herself.


    He heard the elder''s call and went to him with the others.


    "Well then, this is just a friendly duel to know each other''s skills. You all are going to be together in the future, so try to bond better. You are smart and should know that anything excessive is forbidden. I will be watching over and will intervene if I feel so."


    He nced at Daniel and Amber as he said this, silently warning them beforehand.


    Having unsettled grudges was not good for a team, and it was best to resolve them as soon as possible lest they interfereter in critical moments.


    The two, feeling the elder''s cold gaze, shrank slightly. This duel was the best way.


    The elder knew it was best for them to establish a hierarchy so they could all remainpetitive and disciplined in the long run.


    All the other elders also had no objections to this duel since putting up an objection would only mean that their n was weaker than the others.


    The first match was between Nadia and Alphonso.


    Alphonso wanted to fight Oliver himself to properly assess his skills, but he was matched against Nadia.


    But he did not mind this since he trusted that watching the duel between Be and Oliver would be quite good too. Be was stronger than any of them and should easily help him evaluate.


    "Well then, we should get started too," he said, looking at Nadia. For some reason, he felt cold. Was the stare in her gaze indifferent and cold?


    Nheless, the duel started normally at first.


    But as it went on, the people around started to realize something. It seemed that Alphonso was being ruthlessly beaten.


    "¡­."


    The fight had suddenly turned one-sided, with Nadia continuously beating Alphonso.


    Boom!


    "Wait¡ªpfft!" As Alphonso tried to say something, a hard fistnded on his face, sending him flying.


    Nadia did not allow him to speak a word as she mercilessly and humiliatingly crushed him.


    The face of the elder from the Fallen Heart n was worth watching. He was red with shame.


    Seeing the heir he had brought so proudly being brutally beaten one-sidedly was a great shame.


    The other elders had amused expressions, watching Nadia beat the heir of the Fallen Heart n like that. This clearly showed the superior talent the Mystic Purge n had raised.


    Meanwhile, the one getting beaten felt like crying. He could feel Nadia exacting some sort of revenge against him.


    "Cough, cough¡­"


    He coughed out spit as another kick connected straight to his abdomen with great force.


    "I-I conce¡ªUgh!"


    Before he could surrender, Nadia made a leg swing directly under his chin, rendering him unconscious.


    "Miss Nadia is the victor."


    There was a deferential silence in the surroundings as no one reacted for a while.


    Looking at the bruised and swollen Alphonso, they could not help but feel pity.


    Damn! So brutal!


    Oliver eximed in his heart, looking at Nadia in a new light. He could never be this ruthless in a friendly duel.


    He could only imagine how she would have tortured him had it been a duel of life and death.


    The elder from the Fallen Heart n quickly poured a healing potion into Alphonso''s mouth as he shot a re toward the girl.


    Nadia, however, was unfazed and looked at them emotionlessly.


    Well, to Oliver, this result was quite obvious considering that Nadia was already a Rank-1 exorcist.


    Be and Evelyn had a small frown as they looked at the scene. They did not feelfortable. Nadia should have allowed her opponent to surrender if he wanted to.


    "Huff¡­ Huff¡­" Alphonso huffed as he looked at Nadia with a hint of fear. He would never approach her in his life.


    Who knows, after today he might get gynophobia.


    He quickly went to the corner with the elder.


    _____________


    "Next up, Young Miss Be and Young Master Oliver, pleasee forward," the elder spoke to them.


    Oliver looked at Be, and she appeared calm, but her expression hid a hint of excitement.


    "You can start," the elder said simply as he went back to watch.


    "Well then, do you want to get the first attack?" Be asked curiously, seemingly aware of his earlier hesitation andck of confidence. So she offered.


    "Can we decide the victor with rock, paper, and scissors instead?" Oliver asked back.


    Be smiled slightly as she said, "Then I will start first."


    As she said this, she almost vanished from her spot, appearing behind the dazed Oliver who was still looking at the previous spot where she was standing.


    ''You are wide open.''


    Her hand turned into a chop as she aimed for his back, intending tond a blow.


    However, what happened next waspletely out of her expectations.


    Oliver blurred from his spot, and her eyes widened. She was just about to connect her hit when he dodged from his previous spot, making her chop hit nothing but air.


    She almost lost her bnce for a second, and in that very second, she felt him behind her.


    Twisting her body with force, she blocked an iing fist to her face with a fist of her own.


    She knew how fast she reacted in that instant. Even a moment''s dy would have cost her dearly.


    She had unconsciously used a great deal of force behind the fist that she used to counter him. It was all due to her instinct warning her of the danger.


    ''Oh no, I used too much force¡ª''


    Bang!

 Chapter 103: Bella Vs. Oliver

    Chapter 103: Be Vs. Oliver


    Chapter 103


    ''Oh no, I used too much force¡ª''


    Bang!


    The fists collided, and both were flung backward due to the sheer impact of the collision.


    ''Urk!''


    Be''s expression shifted as she inspected her fingers in surprise. It was an expected reaction, after all.


    ''They are numb.''


    Moments ago, she had exerted a significant amount of force unintentionally due to the sudden situation. She intended to apologize, but who would have expected that he would not only counter her but emerge unscathed?


    And since her fingers felt this way, didn''t that indicate the force behind his counter was equal to or greater than hers?


    Oliver appeared as calm as before, as if he did not even feel any pain or numbness from the previous collision.


    ''This guy¡­''


    Be''s face broke into a wide smile. She could tell from his expression that he did not feel anything from the previous impact, but her fist was burning as if she had hit a heavy boulder.


    ''He is not weak at all.''


    She had to admit this one thing.


    Earlier, when she tried to gauge his strength, his espera was barely above average, so she had underestimated him a little. Despite being taught not to disrespect her opponents, she still did it inadvertently.


    And she paid the price. Had he wanted to, he could have easily injured her with her guard lowered.


    She had not given it her all and held back in case she might injure him identally.


    She had just witnessed his sister''s strength, and it was her mistake to underestimate him even after that.


    Was she bing arrogant due to her background? She should not forget that the person in front of her was not of any inferior background either. Just in terms of background alone, he was on par with her.


    She let out augh while looking at him, "I am sorry for underestimating you earlier. I will not hold back anymore."


    Oliver stared at her with calm eyes. He didn''t understand why was she apologizing.


    Be cracked her knuckles as she rushed forward, but this time with greater speed and strength.


    Oliver parried her with ease, his eyes showing a calmness like never before. After practicing continuously and having obtained a ten times stronger espera talent, he was naturally not worried about being defeated.


    This was why practicing skills was always important. It was good that he had never cked off his training just because of the presence of a system.


    He would never have gained this confidence if he hadn''t put in the effort.


    Strength and achievements you never worked hard for would never give you the confidence a person who toiled to obtain them would have.


    He knew this very well.


    Those main protagonists would suffer from an inferiorityplex every moment of their life and always be doubtful of themselves just because they knew they never worked hard for their power.


    He was the same, but he felt that he deserved it after putting in all that effort since the beginning.


    Bam!


    Bam! Swish!


    Oliver repeatedly blocked all of Be''s strikes. He could feel the force behind them, butpared to his Level-5 strength, she was definitelycking.


    Be became more and more desperate with each move that was getting blocked by him.


    She could not understand¡­


    She could not understand how she was not able tond even a single hit on him!


    It felt as if she was hitting a wall. Her hands had a numbness to them that was not there before. She felt that his skin was as tough as metal.


    Of course, she was not using her espera since she could tell that Oliver had not used his either.


    This was frustrating her. Looking at him, he was as calm as water, as if her attacks couldn''t even cause a ripple in his emotions.


    And what infuriated her even more was the fact that he had not attacked her even once. He was simply blocking her swings or dodging.


    Gritting her teeth, she asked, "Why are you not attacking back¡­?"


    Oliver blinked. He was busy thinking about her fighting style. From the beginning, he had been observing her stance, trying to decipher the martial arts she was using, but it seemed that he was not skilled enough to do that.


    The Celestial Paradox n had great techniques, and Be''s movements were all unpredictable to him.


    However, when she was close enough, he could still dodge or block her. He had to admit that she was consuming a lot of his energy to keep up.


    Had he been a normal Rank-1 exorcist who had just broken through, he might not have been able to keep up with her.


    In the novel, it was mentioned that the sister of the main protagonist was very talented as well. She was justter overshadowed by the main protagonist and her achievements, but the fact remained unchanged that she also had the same blood as that of the protagonist running through her veins.


    Oliver''s eyes honed as he saw another punching towards him. He dodged, but it turned out that it was a feint attack.


    He hurriedly turned around and jumped to the side, dodging the kick to his side by a hair''s breadth.


    His left ear felt a ringing sensation as the wind generated by the kick went past him.


    He looked at the opponent and saw she had a frown on her forehead.


    He did not indulge her any longer. It was time to finish this. Since he knew if he stalled her any longer, she might truly get pissed off.


    The only reason he had been dying this was to get some hints about her martial art technique.


    He didn''t want her to awaken some broken ability in the middle of the fight due to him.


    Be looked at him and saw his eyes suddenly turn sharp. She knew that he was going to attack for the first time now.


    So, instead of rushing at him, she quickly assumed a defensive stance.


    There was an eerie silence around them except for the rhythmic tapping of Oliver''s footsteps as he walked towards her like he was taking a stroll in the park.


    Tap Tap Tap


    Be tensed. She was expecting him to surprise her again with his blinding speed. She was keeping an eye on him while also being ready to counter if he sneaked up behind her.


    Her heart pounded in her chest, the sound almost deafening in the silent arena. The anticipation was like a coiled spring inside her, ready to snap at any moment. She knew better than to underestimate him again, and the stillness around them only heightened the tension.


    But contrary to her expectations, he did not do that. Rather, he was simply walking up to her.


    His movements were unhurried, almost casual, yet every step he took seemed to echo with purpose. He appeared to be full of openings that even a kid could attack him, but Be knew better.


    He was a walking bait, enticing his opponents to pounce on him only to realize that he was the predator in bait''s disguise.


    Tap Tap Tap


    The distance between them closed, and Be could see the minute details of his face, the slight narrowing of his eyes, the controlled breath, each signifying an underlying strength.


    Not to mention, she found his eyes quite beautiful... they looked magical and hypnotic.


    Oliver was now very close to Be. The distance between them was minimal. She was still in a defensive stance, not moving an inch.


    Oliver stretched his hand back, and under Be''s narrowed gaze, at an insane speed, attacked her directly.


    Be was amazed at the speed, but she was prepared.


    BANG!


    ''Ugh-!''

 Chapter 104: Did she win...?

    Chapter 104: Did she win...?


    Chapter 104


    BANG!


    "Ugh-!" she groaned as she experienced the strength of a ten-times enhanced Rank-1 exorcist. Her eyes could not help but widen as she resisted the force behind the blow.


    "Huff¡­" she managed to resist, but her arms felt numb due to the impact.


    ''No choice but to use espera.''


    She thought as a glint passed through her eyes.


    Her body started to glow in a white hue as she looked at Oliver with determined eyes.


    Swish!


    Oliver suddenly felt a great force striking his back.


    Gasp!


    He clutched his back in pain; he didn''t see her move behind him.


    It seemed using espera turned her into apletely different person.


    It was understandable, considering she was never a physical exorcist like he was.


    Her skills with using espera were far superior to ordinary children, so it was not a shock that she was able to corner him.


    However, Oliver was not weak either. He immediately used espera as well, a burst of powerful espera radiated from his body.


    It was not particrly tremendous, but it was enough to increase his agility and strength a bit.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    The next scene was nothing but a flurry of strikes and moves, both sides dodging and attacking continuously.


    Be could feel his strength; it was not inferior to hers. Rather, she would say it was greater than hers¡­


    It was a surprise. She had always listened to her elders saying that she was the most talented in her generation and stood at the pinnaclepared to her peers on the same level.


    But now, meeting someone smaller than her with even greater strength¡­


    She did not know what to feel, but it did induce a bitter feeling inside her, followed by a strong determination to ovee him and be the strongest.


    The fight intensified as the spectators could only watch in amazement as the two youngsters fought elegantly.


    Be was formidable, and her attacks were agile and powerful. However, Oliver remained unfazed and dodged her attacks without getting hit much; he even found openings from time to time to attack her weak points.


    ''It''s time to end this.''


    Oliver looked at the slightly panting girl with a smile as she gritted her teeth and flexed her muscles, channeling power in her fist as she again blurred from her spot, only to attack him from the front.


    This time he did not dodge but instead made a surprised face as if he had been caught off guard, which looked quite natural too, considering the dust clouds around them obscuring the vision.


    Be pushed forward, aiming at his chest.


    BANG!


    "Ahh-!"


    Oliver let out a painful shriek as he flung his body backward, followed by a crash into nearby trees.


    "Cough-!" he coughed up and fell to the ground, clutching his chest.


    He was wless in his act as the dust clouds around them slowly settled down.


    All the spectators saw was Oliver lying on the ground clutching his chest and a stunned Be who still had her fingers curled into a fist, paused mid-air.


    The elder was not surprised and announced, "Miss Be is the victor."


    However, instead of theughter from the elders that was there at the time when Alphonso was beaten and defeated, there was instead a calm atmosphere without much noise.


    While the children might not have been able to see it, the elders with their advanced senses were able to peer into the details. The way Oliver fought was like he was handling a child.


    He was easily able to counter Be in every way possible. Not only that, but his speed and strength were also clearly superior to hers.


    Except for his above-average espera, which made them confused, how could a genius like him have such a level of espera?


    Moreover, some of them even had suspicions that he lost on purpose, they did not understand why but they still remained silent and observed.


    Was he a true genius in physical exorcism?


    They were caught up in the fight between these two young kids. While it was not too splendid, they still saw the sh of two geniuses.


    No one dared to mock at this moment. It would be stupid to offend such a genius when he couldter grow up to be a powerhouse.


    The elder from the Mystic Purge n did not move from his spot. Oliver was not too injured, so he did not have to go and give him healing potions.


    He was busy observing the youngdy from the Celestial Paradox n. As the rumors had suggested, she indeed had a knack for both martial arts and espera techniques.


    He could see how smoothly espera was flowing inside her body. It was very smooth and without any blockages, as if it was natural.


    Such flow indicated her talent as an exorcist.


    Alphonso was also silent at this point. He had already learned his lesson. Never in his life was he going to underestimate anyone from the Mystic Purge n from this moment forth.


    He swore it in his heart.


    He could tell that Oliver was a seriously talented guy, even more so than him to some extent.


    He had to admit it painfully. He doubted that he couldst even a minute under that sort of monstrous strength and energy.


    He was able to console himself, thinking how he was still ahead of him in espera and the amount of espera they had.


    The only thing he could feel somewhat proud of¡­


    He also felt relieved that he did not outright belittle him earlier based on his suspicions alone.


    Everyone around them was praising the good fight.


    Meanwhile, Be remained silent. She was standing still on her spot alone, her eyes dazed as she was in deep thought.


    Thest scene of the fight repeated in her mind.


    Just when she was about to deliver her punch, for a split second, she felt as if she saw him move and press his palm against her iing fist, producing a feeling of impact. The next thing she knew, he was already flung back, crashing directly into a tree.


    And not to mention her fist was now entirely numb. She was barely able to feel her fingers after that impact.


    ''Did I really defeat him¡­?''


    She frowned, this was not eptable.

 Chapter 105: Nadias Wrath! Bellas Reluctance!

    Chapter 105: Nadia''s Wrath! Be''s Reluctance!


    ''Did I really defeat him¡­?''


    She looked conflicted; she knew it was impossible.


    She had already prepared herself in some corner of her mind that today she was going to suffer the first defeat of her life at the hands of this silver-haired, frail-looking boy.


    But contrary to this, she somehow was able to win even after all that.


    What was that supposed to mean?


    Did he expect her to believe that?


    Did he think she would ept this?


    Why did he do this?


    What was the reason?


    Questions clouded her brain, making her overthink, a bad habit she had since she was born.


    ''No¡­ I refuse to believe this. He definitely did something at thest moment.''


    She was more willing to believe that he was so insanely fast that she was not able to even catch a glimpse of his movement at the end than to believe that she won against someone who had been parrying her moves from the beginning without effort.


    She slowly walked up to him, who was still clutching his chest in pain and acting like he was really hit badly by her.


    She didn''t care as she bent down and grabbed his cor.


    She roughly pulled him up and mmed him back against the tree.


    Oliver, who was enjoying the reactions of those around him, was stunned by the sudden grab on his cor and the m.


    "???"


    He looked at her in confusion.


    Didn''t you win? What happened?


    Instead of a gloating expression, what he saw was entirely the opposite. She was ring at him with fierce eyes as she snarled.


    "What did you do in the end?"


    Her eyes met his at that moment.


    "Stop acting. I know you cannot be beaten by that attack. Not of that level. Why did you get thrown like this!? Answer me!"


    She yelled at him, drawing the attention of the audience who looked at her with equally confused eyes as Oliver.


    The expression of the elder from the Celestial Paradox n changed greatly at this time. He knew that the elder young miss was somewhat battle-crazed, but he did not know it was this serious.


    However, he still did not move, since the other elders were watching. He did not take any action, especially when the one from the Mystic Purge n was also looking at the duo with an unreadable expression.


    Oliver could not help but curse.


    He thought he had been quite fast at the end and would have surely evaded her senses, but did she actually catch him doing the fake act?


    Looking at her desperate and angry expression, he went silent.


    Indeed, he had intentionally lost, but so what?


    He wanted to do so and did it. Be was the role model of her younger sister, the main protagonist.


    In the eyes of her sister, she had always been the best. She was undefeated and the most powerful¡­


    She was necessary for Evelyn to be stronger¡­ she could not be defeated in front of her little sister.


    If he defeated her now, he would be¡­


    He would be¡­ what?


    Why did he not defeat her? Why didn''t he care about his own dignity?


    Was it as simple as something for the sake of the plot?


    He was not sure why¡­


    But he didn''t want to defeat her earlier. For some reason, he wanted her to maintain the image she had presented in front of her sister so far.


    His mind could not help but go back to a scene from his previous life where he was with his elder sister.


    Although he was a disabled kid in his previous life, his sister had always acted as a shield in front of him¡­


    She was excellent both in academics and sports, a role model for him and her peers.


    But something tragic happened when she got into an unfortunate ident and lost her ability to walk.


    She was quickly dered to never be able to walk by the doctors, and the wheelchair became a permanentpanion in her life.


    He was able to witness how her life changed right before his eyes.


    How the always bright and cheerful girl turned into a shadow of her former self.


    Their parents did support them however they were able to, but with both of their kids being disabled now, they were also distressed.


    He was there when he noticed this shift in his sister at that time. Before losing her legs, she was the best sister he could ever ask for.


    He noticed how her once so-called ''best friends'' slowly cut off contact with her, leaving her alone.


    Of course, he was still there for her. Even if his eyes were not the best, he still helped her in every way possible. But he knew that she was cutting herself off from everyone slowly.


    He was also helpless too¡­ He wanted to¡­


    He was drawn out of his thoughts when Be shook him slightly, asking him the reason.


    She saw how he was still silent even after being asked and could not help but feel even more frustrated.


    "You don''t have even a bit of sweat on you. Are you even tired from the duel earlier¡­ or is this a joke?"


    She eyed his hand still pressing against his chest where he was supposed to have been hit.


    She removed her hand holding him against the tree and gripped his hand on the chest, trying to pull it away to see if he was really as injured as he was supposed to be.


    Just when she was about to pull his hand away, another hand suddenly intervened and gripped her wrist in a forceful manner.


    A chilling cold voice sounded in the silent area.


    "What do you think you are doing?"


    The voice was cold, and an overwhelming tension suddenly filled the air.


    It was Nadia. Her hand was now tightly gripping Be''s hand that was holding Oliver''s hand.


    At this moment, her eyes were extremely cold, and her facial expressions could not be any more devoid of emotions.


    Be felt the tight grip on her hand. The strength behind it was enough to crush the bones of a normal human.


    Nadia really intended to break her hand.


    "Sister¡­" Evelyn also went up to Be and said anxiously.


    She had never seen her sister lose herposure like this before. To her, Be had always been a calm and noble person.


    She was always the first to go to her opponent and see to their injuries after a duel.


    So, she didn''t understand the situation when her sister was trying to bully an already defeated opponent.


    Be ignored Evelyn and met Nadia''s cold eyes. There was still a trace of unwillingness in her eyes.


    She wanted to know if Oliver was actually defeated or¡­


    The cold voice rang again, but this time, there was a hint of murderous intent in the atmosphere.


    "Move your hand."

 Chapter 106: What did Bella do?

    Chapter 106: What did Be do?


    "Move your hand."


    Nadia''s eyes zed with an intensity that made those around her step back, sensing the storm brewing within her.


    Even Evelyn felt intimidated by the air.


    Nadia said again as she forcefully tore Be''s hand that was still gripping Oliver''s.


    She could not express this moment, but when she saw earlier Oliver getting defeated even after hiding that dark power and strength to defeat a minor-level demon, her mood had soured and was a little disdainful as well.


    She could not believe that he still got defeated by that girl.


    However, when she saw her moving up to him even after defeating him and roughing him up, her blood started to boil.


    She could not control the sudden urge in her mind to kill Be at that moment. It was an overbearing urge that almost made her lose her temper.


    Before she knew it, she was there, stopping her hand.


    She didn''t know why¡­


    __________________


    Be, whose hand had been yanked away, also jerked up.


    A ripple of shock passed through the onlookers, everyone holding their breath as the tension crackled in the air.


    Her eyes, which had been full of anger, also trembled.


    She looked at Oliver, who was also speechlessly looking at this new drama unfolding.


    "¡­."


    His eyelids could not help but twitch wildly.


    He was currently experiencing the feeling of a heroine in a TV show for some reason.


    "I¡­ I am sorry," Be instantly bowed down to him, "Please forgive me for my earlier misconduct¡­ I don''t know what got into me that made me do that to you¡­even though you were already injured¡­"


    Her eyes could not help but moisten up slightly; she was feeling like trash right now.


    "Umm," Oliver also felt bad for making her feel like this because of his fake act.


    In the end, she was still a little girl, he sighed, "It''s fine. I am not angry."


    He chuckled softly, "Instead, I can understand the feeling of not being able to fight to your heart''s content with a rival, haha."


    "I apologize for not being up to your expectation hahaha."


    He lightly waved his hand and diffused the tense atmosphere.


    Be also nodded weakly, she was about to cry in front of so many people!


    If she had done that, she would not have any face left in the future. Her expression was as red as a tomato.


    While everyone heaved a sigh of relief that the situation did not escte much, Nadia was still holding onto his kimono.


    Oliver looked at her with question marks on his face as he whispered.


    "Ahem, thanks, Nadia. Thanks for helping me."


    Hearing his gratitude, she slowly released his clothes and went back without looking at anyone.


    Oliver shook his head and retrieved a healing potion from his mind space and drank its contents to show others that he was really injured just now.


    Why had he lost on purpose? Maybe he just wanted her to maintain an image in front of her sister, or maybe he did not want to get involved in the plot early?


    It could be anything, but he did what his heart wanted at that moment.


    Perhaps, in the future, he should not act like this in front of her¡­


    The little incident was foiled quickly, and the next duel was between Amber and Daniel, the root cause of everything.


    The match was intense. Daniel, being the sword prodigy he was, used a variety of sword moves and impressive sword arts as well.


    Oliver was tempted to get those techniques, but the system did not detect him as a binding character.


    Well, anyways, he could just get them from the Sacred Sword n in the future.


    Amber, on the other hand, was an exorcist specializing in tools and was using all sorts of weird-looking tools Oliver had never ever seen before.


    Of course, he was interested as they were helping her to stop Daniel very effectively.


    He might consider buying them from her in the future if the chance arises.


    The duel was a bit longer, and neither side was winning; both were looking exhausted but still kept their opponent at bay.


    This was what a duel between the young heirs of five major ns should look like ideally, but well, the first duel ended up in crushing defeat of Alphonso and the second one was also quite weird, they still did not know the reason for Be''s sudden outbreak.


    Seeing the state of the two, the elder finally stepped forward without wasting more of anyone''s time and announced in a clear voice.


    "This duel is now being dered as a draw between the two."


    After the elder''s words, both of them copsed on their spots in exhaustion; they were equally matched with one another.


    Both had a newfound glint in their eyes. Daniel got up and walked up to Amber as he extended his hand to her.


    "I am sorry for before, I lost temper too suddenly¡­ You are indeed quite skilled; there has never been a fight where I have not been able to reach my opponent close."


    Amber looked at his hand and caught it as she slowly stood up.


    "I am sorry too, I was rude in the beginning, it was my fault for ignoring you." she looked at him with apologetic eyes and an embarrassed look.


    "No, well, I was also at fault for being partial towards women¡­ I-I shouldn''t have said that."


    In the end, they managed to patch up things under the watchful eyes of the crowd.


    "I believe you guys must be familiar with each other through this."


    One of the elders came forward and said as he looked at the children present one by one.


    "Now we will be having you quiet down for a bit and tell you all about some of the ns we have for your future."


    The crowd quickly settled in order.


    "You all should know about the purpose of today''s meeting; it was a joint-training program, but you should know what the end goal of this is? Why did we even n this?"


    He asked as Alphonso added, "Isn''t it to make us stronger for the future?"


    "Indeed that is one of the reasons behind this, but there''s another major reason behind this, the end goal of this program is to make you all strong enough to participate in The Perpetual ne."


    Perpetual ne!

 Chapter 107: Perpetual Plane?

    Chapter 107: Perpetual ne?


    Perpetual ne!


    Oliver''s eyes couldn''t help but flicker fiercely.


    Memories from the novel refreshed in his mind as he realized where this was going¡­


    The Perpetual ne was an entirely detached space built by the legends of the past, where the strong exorcists from the ancient era poured their resources together and formed this isted space.


    The main purpose for the creation of this ne was to serve as a trial to the young and promising children and give them opportunities to grow stronger.


    Just so that only the ones worthy would get the opportunity, the ne was filled with obstacles and deadly beasts captured and released into that isted space.


    It was an important ce in ancient times when the war was heavy and promising youth died young due to the terror spread by the demonic forces.


    There was no peaceful ce for them to grow before the demons invaded and killed them.


    So the council of decision-makers at that time resorted to this method. With the help of multiple exorcists, they were able to develop and manage this wide-scaled space.


    Over time, this tradition was continued by the ns and the Perpetual ne just kept getting richer in resources and even bigger but at the same time dangerous too.


    The beasts inside mutated to grow even stronger by consuming resources and dense espera, so it was since then that the n only sent highly trained younglings inside who would emerge out to be more powerful and with ancient treasures.


    There was a strict restriction ced to limit the eligibility criteria to being till Rank-3, which was the cap limit.


    It was not possible for anyone stronger to enter, forceful means might even distort the coordinates of the Perpetual ne making it lost in the boundless space.


    Of course, no one was willing to take such a risk considering the amount of secret ancient treasures still inside the realm; who knows there might be epic-rank artifacts inside.


    Overall, the Perpetual ne was an excellent opportunity that only a few would ever obtain in their lifetime.


    It would not only make them stronger but also provide a scope for them to get life-changing treasures inside.


    "Elder, what is Perpetual ne?" Amber asked, she didn''t know about it.


    "The Perpetual ne is a secret space that is opened once every century and is a ce filled with unknown ancient treasures and dangers from the past. It is a dangerous ce, but for someone strong, it''s a ce filled with opportunities."


    The elder briefed her about it.


    Her eyes shone as she heard the words ''treasures'' and ''unknown opportunities''.


    And it was not just her but the others also had their eyes shining in excitement.


    After all, who among them was not ambitious enough, they all wanted to be strong and get many treasures.


    However, one of them had a pale expression at the moment.


    It was none other than Oliver, his expression was abnormal at the moment and didn''t look good.


    ''No way, the Perpetual ne¡­ in the novel, it was definitely mentioned that only the protagonist and Nadia were able to enter the ne, as for the rest of the heirs, there was not even a mention of them.''


    Oliver panicked now. In the novel, it was around the time when the Perpetual ne was opened, however, only Nadia and Evelyn were the ones to actually enter the ne.


    There was not even a mention of the other heirs at all.


    Oliver realized he was thinking too much in an instant so he gradually calmed himself; it was not the time to overthink but instead calmly analyze the situation before him with a clear and sharp mind.


    ''Did this mean that something happened during the joint-training program that made them unable to enter¡­ did they all die? What exactly happened?''


    He was not sure but he could tell that there was definitely something that had happened during the joint-training program that rendered everyone except the two unable to enter the Perpetual ne.


    He was calm, at least, this helped him know that something would happen during this joint-training period and it would not pass peacefully.


    He had to be on guard as well.


    "Elder, what will be doing in this joint-training?" Alphonso questioned.


    "You will be learning under an expert together; after your training, you will be familiarized with the job of an exorcist where you''ll be led to deal with actual terrors and problems of the world, of course, ording to your level, it will be adjusted."


    They nodded in understanding.


    "Who will we be under? I assume it''s someone noteworthy considering our standings."


    Daniel said, proud of his background and bloodline.


    The elder nced at him, under the gaze of the elder, he could not help but quieten down and shrink.


    "The expert is a veteran exorcist who retired from the battlefield a long time ago, he is someone who was the bane of demons in his time, he ughtered countless demons and stood at the front. Now he has been especially invited by the ns to teach you kids so you better be respectful to him."


    One of the standing elders cautioned them to not do something disrespectful, the man they had invited was not someone to be taken lightly after all.


    "Who is it?" Oliver asked.


    "Dennis Rivera," the elder mentioned his name finally, but all he received were confused looks from the crowd.


    He sighed, it was a reaction he was already expecting, he didn''t expect them to know about every valiant exorcist in the past.


    While the person they invited was special, there were countless ancient exorcists famous for their exorcism and fame. So it was natural for those with lesser fame to be suppressed in the meantime.


    Oliver also pursed his lips, he also had no idea who this man was supposed to be.


    It was most likely a side-character since he was not mentioned in the story or if he was, then it was so insignificant that he didn''t bother to remember his name.


    "So, are we going to be meeting him today?"


    "No, today was just arranged for you all to be familiar with one another. That''s all. We will be leaving after a meeting so do whatever you want in the meantime."


    With that, the group of elders left the children alone and went to discuss some important topics that definitely involved the void cloud phenomenon that happened in the Mystic Purge n.

 Chapter 108: Once-in-a-lifetime offer or...?

    Chapter 108: Once-in-a-lifetime offer or...?


    Oliver hung out with the other children as the elders continued their meeting.


    Everyone discussed the strange phenomenon that had urred in his n some time ago.


    He wanted to avoid talking about the Void Cloud Phenomenon, which had happened a while back. But Amber cornered him and started bugging him about it. Oliver tried to change the subject, but Amber kept nagging him about it.


    Finally, Oliver told her to leave him alone and walked away.


    He knew he was not a tolerant person, so before he was further tested, he decided to just walk away and leave the rest to Nadia.


    He informed the maid that he was going to wander the forest and asked her to let the elder know once he''s back and about to leave.


    It was better to be in this beautiful forest alone and appreciate the surroundings. He had always liked greenery; even behind his courtyard, there was a ce filled with trees that he had made his secret spot offort.


    The forest was silent except for the asional melodious chirping sounds.


    He sat against a tree and rested as he enjoyed the shade¡­


    Unknowingly, he fell asleep in the calm and peaceful atmosphere. He was in the embrace of nature and surrounded by tall ancient trees. The smell of wooden bark and the gentle rustle of winds against his skin made him particrly rxed.


    Some time passed, it was a silent and rxing sleep¡­ until he felt some sort of uneasiness in his heart as he quickly opened his eyes.


    He realized that he was no longer in the forest¡­ but instead, he seemed to be in another unfamiliar ce.


    The surroundings had shifted from lush green to barrennd filled with dried-out trees,pletely opposite the previous lush green scenery.


    He confusedly looked around, where was he?


    He was just taking a rxing nap for a moment, and the next thing he knew was that he was here.


    Damn!


    He cursed under his breath, he couldn''t even get a moment''s worth of relief, he really could not let his guard down in this world, even in something as peaceful as this forest.


    This was such a harmless-looking forest and now this happened.


    He should have been more careful when the surroundings were this silent.


    ''Fuck, but where am I?''


    He looked around and as far as his eyes could travel. all he saw was barrennd and dying trees.


    He still felt it would not be toote before the elders noticed his absence. He had an inkling that he was still in the same forest for some reason.


    Swish!


    He heard a whistling sound behind him and turned back only to see something unexpected.


    Particles made out of light were slowly gathering in one spot as soon as a figure made purely out of bright light emerged or more like formed in front of his eyes.


    He narrowed his eyes, properly examining this thing.


    "Who are you?"


    He looked at the creature with a humanoid build and undefined features; he wanted to know if the thing ahead understood what he said.


    He heard a deep voice in his ears as he asked this, it most likely belonged to the thing.


    "I am a spirit." The thing''s face started to turn more defined as he further spoke, "I am one of the guardians of this forest, a forest spirit."


    The face of the spirit turned fully clear as an old man''s face was formed with a long beard.


    "Why did you bring me here?" he suppressed his shock and asked the main thing first.


    "Do you see the barrennd in front of you?" The old spirit with a sad look in his eyes asked.


    "No."


    "¡­."


    The spirit''s form flickered for a moment as he looked back at the nonchnt Oliver again.


    In return, Oliver also red at the old spirit, his intent was clear.


    What was the reason he was brought out here and where he was?


    The old spirit shook his head and answered.


    "This is a separate space that belongs to me exclusively; the scenery in front of your eyes right now is the future of this forest. In some years, the demons would wage a war and the mes of war will consume this beautifulnd, plundering it of resources and nature''s wealth."


    The old spirit took a deep breath as he continued,


    "I had brought you here after sensing a great power coiling inside your body. I am sure you have never seen a spirit before, my child."


    A kind look appeared on the old man''s face as he continued, "I really hope that you can help me protect this beautifulnd which had been there for a few centuries now."


    "This here is the future of thisnd, this beautiful forest that I am showing you¡­ don''t you feel sad? Looking at these beautiful and green trees turning dead¡­"


    "I don''t."


    "¡­"


    This guy was really outrageous!


    The old spirit could not help but twitch violently after hearing him.


    Looking at the angry old man, Oliver sighed as he finally said.


    "Why did you bring me here? And even if I feel bad about it, what help do you want from me?"


    The restless spirit beamed when he heard Oliver.


    "It''s really simple; you just need to form a contract with me."


    Before Oliver could again reject him, the old man quickly quoted his benefits.


    "It''s really beneficial for you too! You will gain enormous strength if you form a contract with me."


    The old man excitedly continued, "Not only will this forest be a ce where you will gain an advantage, but you will also be able to use my powers as a spirit as per the contract. The only thing is that I would need from you is half of your espera as a payment."


    "Also, this is very normal; some spirits even exchange all your espera to form a contract. I am desperate, and that''s why I am willing to sacrifice."


    The old man looked pitiful as if he was making a huge loss.


    He quickly added, "You don''t need to think much, such asions are very rare; spirits rarely interact with the material world. You might never meet a spirit your whole life. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you!"

 Chapter 109: How did the ghost end up in this forest?

    Chapter 109: How did the ghost end up in this forest?


    "You are a young exorcist, forming a contract with me would definitely put you ahead of your fellow peers! Your elders must have taught you, right? Power is everything; I can see from your eyes that you also want this," the old spirit eagerly spoke.


    "We should not waste any more time and quickly form a contra¡ª"


    "What? Why would I form a contract with you?"


    Oliver interrupted as he sneered at the old spirit.


    Looking at his eyes which carried endless disdain, the old man was stunned.


    He again asked, "What do you mean? Don''t you understand the benefits? Should I repeat them for you?"


    "I heard you loud and clear. No need to repeat that all."


    "Then why!?" the old man cried out.


    "First of all, there''s no way I am going to form a contract with an old man such as yourself. Had it been a beautiful spirit, I might have considered, but there''s no way I am going to make one with you."


    "What the fuck! That''s Ageist!" The old man rebelled.


    "¡­." Oliver


    "Anyways, I am not going to do it. Call me what you want, the second reason is you underestimating for an oblivious fool."


    "What does that mean?" the old man frowned.


    "Exactly what it sounds like. You want half of my espera as payment? Are you kidding me? A spirit never asks anything in return for forming a contract."


    Oliver scoffed as he pointed at the man.


    "You are no spirit. At least not anymore. You are a deception. A ghost specifically trying to imitate a spirit, but too bad, the foul scenery ahead; no spirit would ever do that when offering a contract."


    "You thought that I was naive and weak who had never seen a spirit before. But too bad for you, your cheap act of imitating a spirit was not even close to how a real spirit would be, hahaha."


    Oliverughed out aloud in the eerie silence.


    "When did you realize this?" the old man asked in a low voice as the scenery behind started to flicker slowly.


    "Humph. The moment you sensed the so-called great power within me. I am the weakest person among my peers. I don''t know how a demonic being like you entered this forest but you made a huge mistake targeting this ce as this shall be your grave."


    Listening to Oliver''s arrogant words, the old ghost slowly turned angrier.


    The old ghost''s eyes went back to recall how he had ended up in this ursed forest.


    ______________


    The old ghost was actually not a messy small ghost but instead a powerful demonic ghost.


    He had been assigned at the borders to ughter exorcists, but he was surrounded and gravely wounded by some pesky exorcists.


    He somehow used every bit of his remaining espera to escape. However, he could only enter the territory of exorcists due to being surrounded.


    The exorcists were persistent and followed behind him. They chased after him madly.


    Using their annoying exorcism methods, they somehow figured out his traces and pursued him like mad dogs.


    He was not even given a moment''s worth of rest to recover.


    Being in an unfamiliar enemy territory with a group of dangerous exorcists following behind. He was given a run for his life.


    He, who would eat two exorcists for breakfast daily, was now being hunted down by the same exorcists and he was powerless.


    He needed to recover some of his espera if he even wanted to counter them or escape from this ce infested by bugs called humans.


    As he continuously ran around, he somehow found this rich and dense forest with tall ancient trees. Without thinking much, he entered inside.


    Not because it was a good spot to hide but because he was smelling the presence of real spirits inside this forest; if he could somehow get his hands on one and eat it, not only would he recover back to his peak but might also have a breakthrough.


    Spirits were one of the best nutrition for demons such as himself.


    However, when he reached the ce inside the forest where the smell was originating from, he was frustrated to find that the spirit was sealed behind an ancient statue.


    And the statue was guarded by a strange array restriction that he dared not approach due to ominous espera nearby.


    He needed a physical body if he wanted to try and decipher the espera and break inside.


    He had to possess a body for that.


    But how could he even find a human body in this ce, not to mention how would he even control the human given his weak espera at the moment that was still recovering.


    It was then that he sensed multiple powerful presences near the forest entrance.


    He cursed as he feared that his pursuers have found him and reached here.


    But upon closer look, these people were different. He could tell from their aura.


    They were a bunch of old humans with some children.


    Those old humans were extremely strong; he would not survive if he fought with them or if they sensed him.


    The forest was a good ce for blocking senses; he was quite far from them too. Using a good concealment technique special to ghosts like him, he was able to hide himself from their senses for the moment.


    He eyed the children and he had to admit that they smelled delicious. His mouth was salivating as he sensed them.


    If only he could devour them and possess one of them to break the array.


    The spirit inside the statue was dormant; he could easily consume it.


    After that, not only would he kill those pursuers of his but also devour this forest and its resources.


    But those children were constantly under the watch of those old powerful humans; he dared not approach them in case they sensed him and exorcised him.


    For the time being, he could only wait patiently for them to separate and find a chanceter to possess one of them.


    As he waited, he noticed them mingling with each other and fighting.


    Looking at these childish battles, he could not help but feel disdain; these human children were nothing in front of their demon youngling with powerful bloodlines.


    They could easily kill them with a few punches.


    He patiently waited as they finished up with their things one by one.

 Chapter 110: Turning tables! Why are you scared now?

    Chapter 110: Turning tables! Why are you scared now?


    It was getting frustrating for him when they didn''t move away. He was considering leaving the forest for now to gain some distance from his pursuers, but it was at that moment when one of the children walked away from the herd.


    He could not help but gloat seeing that.


    Now all he had to do was possess this foolish human child and break the array in this forest.


    He knew that humans were lofty creatures, ves to their desires. As long as he stirred enough emotions in this human, he should be easily able to gain control.


    Who knows that the human might even surrender willingly?


    Although for some reason, he was not able to gauge the power inside the kid, he assumed that the human was too weak¡ªjust like a bug.


    So he used his power to create a faint illusion and slowly brought the sleeping kid into it.


    He knew that as long as he presented a pitiful act and used this forest to draw out his sympathy, the human would fall for it.


    He was aware that spirits were creatures that rarely interacted with these humans, so he doubted that a child would have ever met or seen one.


    Not only that, but to be more genuine, he even offered power to the human for forming a contract.


    He had just sensed that this human child barely had any noteworthy espera, so he should be greedy enough for more power and fame.


    Of course, there was no power since he would be possessing the kid and killing him internally.


    So, he quickly presented his act to the kid.


    For some reason, this brat was quite arrogant and was pissing him off from time to time, but he endured it for the sake of devouring himter.


    He would make sure to give him a painful death at that time.


    However, even after all that, the human rejected him and his offer.


    He could not understand why?


    He asked for an exnation and upon hearing his first reason, his eyes could not help but turn bloodshot!


    This brat wanted a beautiful woman instead of an old man to offer him the contract?


    He would only sign a contract with a beautiful spirit?


    What logic was that?


    Didn''t power reign supreme? Since when did these humans start to follow the religion of lust over power?


    Was he in his right mind?


    This was clearly a disrespect to him and his powers¡­ this human was tantly discriminating against spirits!


    So bold!


    But after hearing his second reason, he realized that he had been caught¡­


    And the reason he was caught was that he mentioned that this human child had a great power within?


    He could not help but curse. Looks like, in his injured state, he had lost his brain to be caught by a child of bugs.


    _______________


    "SO YOU KNEW! HAHAHA"


    The old ghostughed manically, he was truly enraged by this whole situation.


    "NO MATTER WHAT! TODAY YOU WILL BECOME A SACRIFICE!" the old ghost yelled, his figure turning distorted and blurry in front of Oliver''s keen eyes.


    "WHETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT¡­ YOUR BODY NOW BELONGS TO ME!"


    The ghost literally screamed as he madly dashed into Oliver''s body.


    In his spiritual form, he entered inside Oliver''s body.


    If the human was not going toply on his own, then he would use force and turn the human into his vessel.


    Although he was tired and wounded, he didn''t think that a weak bug could resist his power and force.


    Oliver gasped as he felt the ghost enter into his chest.


    He felt a chilling cold sensation on his chest as his breathing quickened.


    However, if one were to notice, his reaction remained passive, and his expression was unreadable at the moment.


    He did not resist at all and let the ghost enter his body.


    It was only after a minute when a shriek sounded out inside him.


    It was a miserable, agonizing shriek of a pig being ughtered.


    "What is this!? This foul thing¡­ how can this be!? Y-You are not human!?"


    The old ghost, who was trying to forcefully possess Oliver a moment ago, was now viciously struggling as a strange dark reddish energy tried to devour him instead.


    The energy was foul and corrupted, it was not espera but something even deadlier.


    Oliver smiled in a saintly way as he innocently asked, "What''s the matter? Aren''t you going to possess me?"


    "SHUT UP! Who are you!? You are not human! AAGH-! It hurts! It hurts!"


    The old ghost sounded as if he was being tortured alive; his cries were agonizing and painful.


    Oliver sighed as he took a look inside, and he saw the reason for those shrieks.


    The Abyss energy, which was naturally flowing inside him, had captured the ghost.


    It was slowly eating away the parts of the ghost, limb from limb, and as a result of being corrupted by this, the old ghost was experiencing the feeling of being skinned alive.


    A disturbing energy that could corrupt even the demons.


    The Abyss was unfathomable, and the ghost also realized his situation painfully.


    He had just entered this human in order to possess him, but what he was met with was infinite depth, a true darkness with no seeming end.


    He traveled as much as he could, but he was unable to move past the darkness; he could not ess the core of this human child.


    It was as if he was sinking into an abyss with no finite end.


    He felt like drowning, and before he knew it, a sharp pain assaulted his very being.


    It was as if something was forcefully trying to consume him bit by bit.


    The old ghost finally experienced the worst pain of his life if he could express it.


    No matter how much he tried to resist that force, he could not ovee it.


    He was shocked beyond belief; no matter how wounded or weak he was, he was still a powerful demonic ghost. How could a mere human child with no noticeable power be able to restrict him?


    This kid was no human! He was something else¡­ something forbidden¡­


    And when this realization settled within him, he restlessly adopted the only approach that could save his life.


    He started begging the human kid to spare him.

 Chapter 111: Are You Even Human? The Helplessness of a Ghost

    Chapter 111: Are You Even Human? The Helplessness of a Ghost


    "Help! Please save me! I don''t want to die!"


    A humiliated voice of the ghost sounded within Oliver as he paused.


    The Abyss energy wing away at the ghost''s body also paused momentarily.


    Oliver had full control over the Abyss energy, and he stopped the torture for a moment.


    Seeing his pleadings had some effect, the ghost was overjoyed. He quickly begged the human child to release him.


    "Child, if you let me leave for now, I will give you all my treasures that will make people drool. Please, just let me out this once. I was wrong when I tried to use force earlier. I have realized my wrongdoings and swear to never dare to look back and will repent my actions."


    "Enough of that. Tell me how you sneaked into human territory and state your purpose in doing so," Oliver stopped him from speaking further and interrogated.


    "Y-You know I am from the demonnds!?"


    The old ghost was shocked. He had not revealed this to the human yet; it was almost impossible for a child like him to know about his real identity.


    At best, even if he was knowledgeable for his age, he should still not have directly suspected him to belong to the demonds.


    It could also be that he was a leftover remanent of spirit instead of a demonic entity however this kid did not even hesitate and pointed out or concluded that he was a demon from the demonic territory,


    He was in a spiritual form, and it was quite hard to point out differences between him and an actual spirit in general.


    He could not help but feel it was impossible for a human this young to identify him.


    He suspected that Oliver was actually carrying a high-rank identification artifact to be able to guess this.


    ''So, I have been the fool this whole time¡­?''


    He could not help but regret hisck of foresight ever since he entered the forest.


    He knew that he was usually not this easy, but perhaps the situation and desperation has led him to be like this.


    He was very vulnerable and weak at the moment, his defense artifacts were all used up or destroyed by those pesky exorcists and he didn''t even have the time to activate the ones with longer duration.


    There was so much going on that he had be like this, to get caught by a mere human child.


    Had he been influenced by the air these humans breathe?


    He could not help but feel helpless.


    Before the torment resumed, he exined to the kid his purpose and what had led him to this point.


    This child was really dangerous, this unknown energy that he had never felt or seen before was making his heart beat faster and faster.


    He did not dare to lie, fearing the child might even have a lie-detector artifact with him.


    It was better to truly confess everything. He was already on the verge of death, and it was better not to try tricks against this strange kid and the strange corrupted energy he had never seen before.


    The pain he felt was directly transferred to his very soul, it was nerve-wrecking and extremely painful.


    He thought that even this human child did not realize just how much pain it was. The magnitude was very high.


    He could not help but groan in a mix of fear and frustration, he had always thought that the demons were the ones who were cruel and sadistic but now he was having second thoughts.


    If the child alone was this twisted, he could only imagine how twisted his parents would be.


    He rarely had such close and long encounters with any humans, usually the ones he encountered would cower before him in fear before getting killed and devoured by him.


    His knowledge about humans was limited to the information recorded by others, but what he had always read was humans were emotional fools and could be easily manipted by their primitive instincts or their feelings.


    Soon, he finished exining everything from the start to how he ended up in this forest.


    "Hmm."


    Oliver hummed in response after listening to the old ghost''s exnations; it did not seem that he was lying either.


    His eyes glinted with a sharp, calcting look, as if weighing the truth in the ghost''s words. The hesitation was brief, but it made the ghost''s form tremble in uncertainty.


    Anyway, he really did not care much whether the ghost had snuck in intentionally or not or whatever his purpose was.


    He demanded, "Hand over all the treasures you have on you."


    "¡­."


    The old ghost could not help but curse internally. The treasures he had were very precious, collected over his long life.


    It provided him some relief that he did not carry all of them with him. As long as he could get back to his home base, he could stock them again.


    He reluctantly took out a space bracelet from somewhere and held it out in front of him.


    "Here it is. This is all I have; you can search me."


    He held out the bracelet and said aloud, fearing that Oliver would not be able to hear him or something else.


    He wondered how it was going to be taken outside to the strange human kid.


    However, in the next moment, his questions were answered when the same terrifying energy pulsed upwards and covered the bracelet, slowly making it vanish into nothing but darkness.


    "Alright, now tell me why you were hiding in the forest."


    Oliver nodded, satisfied with his finds. He would inspect the gainster.


    "I know there are spirits present in this old forest. You must know of it too, right? Considering you are a demonic ghost yourself. So the reason must have something to do with it too," he added.


    The old ghost shook his head. He hadpletely given up any hope by now.


    He waspletely at the whims of this human child; his survival was on the line here.


    How ironic it was that he wasparing the children of the demon n just a moment ago to these human brats and was feeling gloating over how powerful they were, but now he was captured by the same human brats.


    This kid was ruthless and scheming; he wouldn''tckpared to them at all¡­ he was simply a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    "It is as you say. There is a dormant spirit inside one of the ancient statues, but it is guarded by a powerful array, and I needed a physical body to decipher the array properly."


    The old ghost''s voice trailed off for a moment as he said in a low voice, "If you''re willing to lend me your body for a bit, I can break the array for you, then you will be able to¡­ AGH-!"


    He could not even finish his sentence as the Abyss energy wed at his body once again, making him regret even suggesting that.


    "I understand I was wrong! I was wrong! Please stop this!"


    He cried out as he kept pleading when the torment stopped.


    "So, what use do you have for me now?"


    Oliver questioned in a heavy tone.


    The old ghost''s face could not be any paler at the moment as he anxiously said, "What do you mean? I have given you all of my treasures. You should let me leave. Please¡­"


    Oliver''s expression remained unmoved, a mask of cold indifference. Inside, however, he weighed the potential benefits of keeping the ghost around versus the risks. His hand twitched slightly, as if suppressing an urge to further test the ghost''s limits.


    The old ghost knew the chances were slim. He had been stalling for time to gather more and more espera to attack this human child.


    After catching him off-guard, he would escape. He had no ns to possess this strange kid anymore, fearing what unknown dangers might be waiting for him inside.


    "Hmm?" Oliver just hummed as he pondered the various uses he might have for this old ghost. Given his current standing and power, he could not think of much.


    "I can''t think of anything worth it."


    As soon as the ghost heard it, he frantically shook his head as he said loudly, "Wait, I can give you information!"


    "Information?" Oliver raised a brow upon hearing the ghost speak, he could already feel the rising panic inside the old ghost''s voice. It was natural to feel that way when you were suddenly captured and surrounded by the corrupt Abyss energy from all sides.


    Not knowing when it might attack and eat away your existence. Even the demons would fear being tormented in such a way.


    "Information about the demon territories, the military strategies, and many other things. You humans must want these secrets, right? As long as you are willing to spare my life, I will tell you everything I know."


    The old ghost was panicking inside. He still had not gathered enough espera tounch a surprise attack and escape. He had to stall for time.

 Chapter 112: What do you think? Elders question!

    Chapter 112: What do you think? Elder''s question!


    The old ghost was panicking inside; he still had not gathered enough espera tounch a surprise attack and escape. He had to stall for time.


    What he had just said meant he was turning traitor to the demon race. But to him, his life mattered the most; he was an intelligent life form.


    Only great and powerful demons had the privilege of gaining sentience and intellect. He was not willing to go down like this in such a filthy forest.


    So he had to stall for as much time as he possibly could.


    He knew that these human exorcists would be willing to pay any price to learn the tactics or attack patterns from the demon territory.


    Not only that, they would definitely reward this young kid if he went to them with this information. Not only would this kid receive fame, but also fortune.


    Being human, such things were naturally desired by them since they were born. If he could just take even the slightest advantage of this, he would be able to escape from here.


    But Oliver''s next words made his scalp go numb.


    "Information? I don''t need it."


    "WHAT!? Are you not aware of how much the humans could benefit if you reveal such information to them? They will even reward you handsomely for this! You will receive fame like no one¡ª"


    "Quiet."


    Oliver bellowed, instantly silencing the ghost.


    "Two reasons," he started as he went up to a tree, lightly scratching the ky bark, feeling the rough texture. He said, "There are two reasons that I don''t need it. I will tell you¡­"


    "The first: I don''t like fame. I could be famous if I wanted to right now."


    "The second: I already know everything you want to tell."


    The old ghost could not help but feel a chill when he heard the second reason. For some reason, he felt that Oliver was not joking with him.


    No sane human would refuse an offer to obtain secret intel about the demon territory; he had seen many in his lifetime.


    But how was that even possible?


    He already knows what he was going to tell him? Was this a bluff?


    The ghost didn''t have the time to think as he felt the corrupted energy rapidly covering him.


    The torture resumed as he experienced the worst pain of his life in hundreds of years; his eyes burned in agony.


    He was going to die!


    "DIE¨CAAGH!" the ghost cried out as he released a burst of espera intending to harm Oliver. It was the one he had been saving until now.


    However, something unexpected happened in front of his eyes. The corrupted energy didn''t even let the espera flow out. It consumed everything; even the espera was not spared.


    The old ghost had never seen something this bizarre in his lifetime.


    In his final moment, all he heard was Oliver''s faint voice as he mocked.


    "Did you think that I would not know about your little trick? Bold of you to think that you couldunch a sneak attack while gathering espera inside my own body without my notice. Hahaha."


    The ghost was fully consumed by the Abyss energy, no trace of his existence left behind.


    Oliver felt a stir as the Abyss energy seemed more powerful from the currents flowing inside his body.


    Observing the body analysis panel, he saw the following changes:


    ___________


    [Name: Oliver Mystic]


    [Race: Human]


    [Status: Rank-1]


    [Strength: Level 5]


    [Espera: Level 4]


    [Abyss Energy: Level 4]


    [Charisma: Level 3]


    [Luck: Level 4]


    _______________


    His Abyss Energy had increased.


    He didn''t think that there was actually a way to grow the Abyss energy, but it seemed that devouring ghosts had an effect on the increment.


    Unexpectedly, that old ghost was indeed quite powerful, or else he would not have seen such an increase.


    He wondered if he was lucky that he found the old ghost in such an injured and sorry state that he was able to devour it.


    He looked at the storage bracelet in his hand for a while. He could see a dark inscription on its surface.


    The storage bracelet was secured by a barrier-category rune.


    He would need to find a runesmith or a forger to remove this restriction.


    Since this rune was clearly the technique of demons, he would need to be careful. He could not easily reveal that he got this storage bracelet from an old ghost.


    If he did that, this thing would be directly confiscated by the authorities.


    He would have to be careful in finding a cksmith who was willing to do that for him or better just learn the ropes himself.


    He didn''t like to be dependent on others after all.


    ________________


    Oliver shortly returned to the gathering. In the end, he did not get to rx at all.


    He cursed that dead ghost in his mind and these useless elders who could not sense a demonic ghost being present and hiding inside this big forest.


    He wondered if they had gone senile.


    "Hey, Oliver, where did you go?" Be smiled and asked him politely; she had forgotten the previous incident after gaining his forgiveness.


    "Umm¡­" he looked at her before replying, "Nothing, I was just taking a stroll¡­"


    "Oh! I just asked the elders, and it seems we could begin training soon! We could duel with each other as much as we want during that. I can''t wait for it!"


    She chirped excitedly as Oliver let out a wry smile.


    She was barely 9 years old and was already showing traits of being a battle junkie.


    He saw Evelyn was also looking at him with an eager look.


    He could guess the reason as well. She had always looked up to Be, so since her sister was so excited to spar with him¡ªsomeone of the same age as her, she was naturally curious about his skills too.


    Her thinking went along the lines of, "Since my sister defeated him, I must be able to at least get an upper hand over him," or so.


    He looked at Nadia, and she averted her gaze, giving him a cold shoulder.


    "¡­."


    This girl¡­


    After that, they left one by one, back to their respective ns.


    While they were in the car, the elder driving suddenly asked him,


    "What do you think about the older twin from the Celestial Paradox n?"

 Chapter 113: Exorcist Web! Using features!

    Chapter 113: Exorcist Web! Using features!


    While they were in the car, the elder driving suddenly asked him, "What do you think about the twins from the Celestial Paradox n?"


    Oliver, who was about to doze off, heard him and frowned. Why was he being asked this?


    "They were both talented. The older one is quite powerful for her age, and the younger one¡­ she seemed harmless, but the air around her said otherwise. I personally wouldn''t underestimate her either."


    "Hmm¡­" The elder just hummed as he kept driving.


    "What are your opinions on the Celestial Paradox n, then? After fighting her, you should have some realizations."


    ''Again? What does this old man intend?''


    He answered nheless. "The n is a mystery of its own. I would say they are quite enigmatic. The martial arts technique that she was using was really intricate and powerful. I really liked that."


    "So you liked it¡­"


    "Yes, are you going to get it for me?"


    "¡­."


    The elder went silent after that and drove in silence until they reached the n.


    ______________


    Upon reaching the n, Oliver didn''t do much except revise his self-training to train his special eyes and other weapon techniques.


    He was interested in the joint-training program and how they were going to be trained. It should be challenging nheless.


    There was a limit to how much he could train himself without proper guidance from someone with a great deal of expertise about the field beforehand. It was both time-saving and more efficient.


    He grinned as he thrust a spear he had bought some time ago in front of him. Well, the maid had purchased it for him.


    While leaving the forest, the maid was curious about where he had gone off to but did not suspect anything since he returned shortly, perfectly presenting an excuse that he was just there for a stroll.


    Practicing daily had now be a routine for him.


    Since he had nothing to do for the time being, he took out the smartphone he had received from Jenna.


    The n didn''t provide inte facilities to him. Well, in the first ce, the connections were made using espera signals in this world. The process was not exined in the novel, but it just happened to be done that way. The connectivity and speed were exceptional.


    ''Wee to Exorcist Web!''


    Oliver raised a brow when he saw the interactive design and familiar message. The words shifted and changed into another after the introduction.


    ''Please input amand for voice recognition.''


    Oliver had set up voice recognitionst time when he got the smartphone; it was necessary to make this more secure.


    "Open," he said in a calm tone.


    A ck scanner suddenly lit on the screen before new words appeared.


    ''Voice Recognition has been sessful.''


    ''User Oliver confirmed!''


    ''Proceed with a username? Yes/No''


    He paused for a moment. Last time, he was in a hurry and just went in without a proper username, but now that he was free and could explore it properly, he decided to have a username.


    "Yes."


    A small keyboard appeared with an empty name box instantly.


    He thought for a moment and then went through all sorts of names circting inside his mind.


    ''Winter Dragon''


    He came up with this name as his alias. From the novel, he knew that the security of thework was very high and his identity would not be revealed at all under normal circumstances, even if he used his real name.


    But he still felt it was better to use a pseudonym.


    ''The Username is avable.''


    ''The username has been selected!''


    ''To change the username, it will cost 10 billion Neden for the first time. The price will increase exponentially with the number of tries.''


    Oliver looked at the text with a nonchnt expression. He felt that they were quite outrageous. After a certain number of tries, it would be impossible to change the username.


    [Profile:


    [Name: Oliver Mystic]


    [Age: 8 years]


    [Race: Human]


    [Affiliation(s): ck Codex Federation]


    Oliver''s eyes narrowed. The information was too precise. It seemed that Jenna had already filled in details on his behalf before she gave the smartphone to him. Or maybe it was something else entirely.


    However, this was not the end. The loading was still active before he noticed an alphabet appearing at the corner of his profile. It was the alphabet ''C''.


    He clicked on the alphabet as information popped up next to it.


    [C-Tier Exorcist ount]


    ''A C-Tier ount? Not bad.''


    Oliver nodded to himself. The ounts were divided into different grades, and each grade had different privileges associated with them that were better as the tiers went up.


    After closing the prompt, he looked at the various other options avable to him now.


    [Profile]


    [Exorcist Web]


    [ck Codex Web]


    [Bank]


    [Data]


    ''Whoa¡­ just selecting a username enabled so many featurespared to before.''


    He eximed in a pleasant tone when he noticed the options that were not there before when he essed itst time. He suspected that it was rted to the previous method of selecting a username that he had not done before.


    Nheless, he started to select options to see what exactly they were and their purpose.


    [Bank]


    [Total Bnce: 20 million Neden]


    ''Did Jenna make this ount on my behalf? Well, that''s a perk of being rted to an organization, I think.''


    Oliver mused as he looked at the 20,000,000 figure with interest.


    ''It seems she added all the amount from before when I sold her the artifacts. Efficient.''


    He nodded and closed the function.


    Next, he went up to the exorcist web to search for stuff that would interest him.


    He searched up the ''Metals'' category to see if the material he was looking for was avable or not.


    "It''s there!"


    He stood up as his eyes widened in shock. He didn''t expect to find it so easily.


    [Non-mmable Geoloril]


    [Current Price: 4 million Neden]


    [Time left: 4 months 3 days]


    [Bid? Yes/No]


    "But it''s on auction¡­ and the time limit is quite a lot. Nheless, I must bid it here. If the amount increases more, then I should prepare more funds in advance."


    He knew that the material was extremely rare and he might even have to go through a lot to obtain it in the future. If he could, he must buy it when it was avable.


    [Bid ced! Thank you for participating. The notifications will be directly sent to your inbox.]


    He directly bid 5 million Neden. He didn''t fear getting scammed since he was aware that the Exorcist Web was highly secure and maintained proper regtions.


    Not only did the identity of its users remain private, but the transactions were really authentic.

 Chapter 114: Heretics! The bracelet?

    Chapter 114: Heretics! The bracelet?


    He didn''t fear getting scammed since he was aware that the Exorcist Web was highly secure and maintained proper regtions. This was the exorcist web not his local market where scams were rampant.


    Not only did the identity of its users remain private, but the transactions were strictly monitored. If the other party somehow managed to scam someone, there would be serious consequences, and all the money would be refunded to the victim.


    After cing the bid, he put the phone in his mindspace and went back to his courtyard.


    In fact, he wanted to explore more, but he was a little scared about his impulsiveness. He had already spent 5 million Neden in one go just because he saw something he wanted for the future. Who knew how many other things might be there that he could not resist spending money on?


    So, he didn''t dare to explore further and paused until he had more money in the future.


    He soon reached his courtyard.


    "Yawn¡­"


    The first thing he saw upon entering was a white fat cat yawning.


    Ignoring the cat, he called the maid and asked her to prepare food and a bath.


    ______________


    In a ce far away from the Mystic Purge n, a group of shady individuals dressed in pitch-ck robes with hoods covering their faces were gathered around a table as they conversed.


    They had an ominous dark aura surrounding them, and an eerie feeling filled the air.


    One of them spoke in a hoarse tone, "I have received instructions from the higher-ups that one of the demonic ghosts entrusted to the border was surrounded by exorcists."


    The others listened silently, but there was a hint of tension in the air when they heard him.


    "Fortunately, the demonic ghost was an expert who managed to escape. However¡­" he paused as he cast a gaze at all the people present inside the room, "¡­it seems that he identally entered human territory due to the situation."


    "What!?"


    "Here of all ces?"


    Shocked voices could be heard as the expressions of the individuals who had been silent so far turned grim.


    One of them immediately questioned, "Is he alive or has he been exorcised already?"


    There were murmurs in the group as they wondered how the demonic ghost made such a careless move to enter the lion''s den.


    The human territory was the worst ce for any demons. There were powerful and dangerous exorcists active throughout thends, roaming everywhere. One slight mishap would directly lead to a painful exorcism by one such exorcist.


    The one who had started this all spoke again, "ording to the information I receivedst time, he should still be alive, or maybe not, in the worst case."


    The others quieted down when the man spoke, waiting for him to exin the purpose of the meeting.


    If the demonic ghost was not alive, then what was the point of calling this meeting today? They could not help but be confused.


    "However, what matters is not his life but the thing he has with him. The higher-ups left something very important with him due to some confidential reasons, and we have to get him back if he is still alive. If not, then¡­ the item should be retrieved no matter what."


    It took a moment for his words to sink in before someone reacted.


    "What!? That''s a literal suicide mission!"


    "That''s right! We don''t even know where he is at the moment¡­"


    "Not only that, but what if the exorcists have already exorcised him and seized his belongings? Do we have to jump in the middle of those crazy exorcists to get that thing back!?"


    "That''s a tough one¡­ but master, you must have some leads on it, right?"


    One of them asked in a hesitant tone to the person who had informed them of this suicidal mission.


    The man looked at his subordinates without saying anything. Feeling an invisible pressure in the air, all of them slowly went silent one after another, eagerly waiting for his word.


    "You are correct, I have a way. It was given by the higher-ups. The storage bracelet the old demon ghost was carrying has a location tracking rune embedded inside it. As long as the rune is not discovered, we will be able to find him and retrieve the item."


    The others eased up a bit after hearing that. It was still a doable task. They only needed to follow the location and get it back safely.


    "Then, Master, where is it located right now¡ª"


    "Mystic Purge n."


    "¡­"


    The other men present could not help but feel cold after hearing the location.


    Knowing the location now reverted the situation back; the mission once again turned suicidal.


    The Mystic Purge n was infamously known as the righteous ughterhouse. Both exorcists and demons avoided that ce like the gue.


    Entering that ce alone was extremely difficult for them. No, it was close to impossible. Not to mention the crazy-minded people of that n. If they even get a whiff of them, the torture that awaited them would be unimaginable.


    "Master¡­ that''s¡­"


    They could not help but ask hesitantly, looking at their leader.


    Even he should know about the danger of the Mystic Purge n.


    Although their faces were covered with hoods, all of their expressions were identical at that moment.


    They heard him speak again, but this time they could hear a hint of solemness in his tone.


    "I am aware of what you all are thinking. However, we cannot refuse the order from the higher-ups. They are our gods!"


    His tone turned maniacal in the end as he chanted his beliefs aloud. Yet no one in the room stopped but rather looked at him with reverent eyes.


    They were a group of demon heretics, as termed by the exorcist ns, and they worshipped demons religiously as their gods. They were the servants of demons.


    The demonic heretics often had a belief: they should have been born as demons but instead were born as humans. They hated being humans and aspired to be demons and be recognized as such.


    While this was a twisted belief and psychotic thinking, they were offered the chance to be the servants of demons and thus turned traitors to their own race.

 Chapter 115: Disaster beasts? Further plan?

    Chapter 115: Disaster beasts? Further n?


    The demonic heretics often had a belief: they should have been born as demons but instead were born as humans. They hated being humans and aspired to be demons and be recognized as such.


    To them, demons were more of a superior life-form than humans were.


    While this was a twisted belief and psychotic thinking, they were offered the chance to be the servants of demons and thus turned traitors to their own race.


    The humans who shunned them and isted them did not deserve them ording to them. They were loyal to their demonic masters and helped them annihte humanity.


    For a demon, infiltration into a human-popted area was quite difficult due to their differing features. However, these individuals were different; they were humans in the first ce and thus served as spies when needed.


    They spread havoc when ordered and eliminated when told.


    In exchange for all this, they were rewarded with superior power resembling and exclusive to their demonic owners.


    Those who performed very well were even promised a chance to be a demon!


    No one was sure how the process worked, however.


    But their faith was unshakable.


    "Master, what is this item that the higher-ups are so desperate to retrieve no matter what?"


    There was a momentary silence in the room before the man finally answered.


    "It is an egg belonging to a special disaster beast."


    "A disaster beast!?"


    "WHAT!?"


    "Impossible! How did they find something like that!?"


    "NO, the more important question is why did they leave it with the demon ghost if he was going to the borders!?"


    They stood up in shock; the news was too astonishing after all.


    Disaster beasts were the rarest beasts to ever exist in this world, especially the special disaster breed.


    Throughout history, these disaster beasts could be counted manually.


    It was said that there were fewer than 40 such disaster beasts in the whole of history that had ever been seen or discovered.


    These beasts had always been found or born in extremely harsh environments and were very hard to detect.


    They were born weak, extremely weak¡ªbut their growth rate was almost unbelievable.


    There was a difference between these disaster beasts and normal beasts.


    While beasts were born out of an excess of espera and harsh environments, they were not hard to find. The beasts were basically a product of excess of espera and the harsh environment they grew up in slowly shaping their existence.


    Humans and demons both had them and usually formed contracts with such beasts.


    Beasts were low in intelligence until contracted most of the time. After forming a familiar contract, these beasts would be loyal familiars to their contractors.


    Therge demonic beast that the elder used to transport children for the demon hunt event was an example for such beasts.


    There were many uses for beasts, such as forbor, transport, wars and whatnot.


    However, disaster beasts were apletely different breed of such beasts.


    They were ancient and extremely rare. They were named "disaster" for a reason.


    They could bring disaster to the world if they were properly cultivated and allowed to grow with their mystical abilities and powers.


    However, the world was fair, and thus despite giving these disaster beasts unbelievable abilities, they were required to survive until adulthood. Born weak at birth, they were hunted by those around them.


    It was extremely rare for a disaster beast to grow up to adulthood. They were just like any ordinary beasts until they started to actually grow.


    It was then that they would start to awaken their true abilities. And because of these reasons, finding just a single one was nigh impossible, not to mention controlling them.


    The only way to establish control over them was when they were born just from their eggs, at the very first instance.


    It could be seen how much value this egg had for the demons.


    "Then we really have no option but to do it¡­ but it''s still suicide. How can we even enter the Mystic Purge n without getting detected?"


    One of them said in an agitated tone.


    "Calm down," the boss of the meeting said as he looked at them, "From the surveince so far, I believe that it is in the hands of a casual exorcist from the n. I don''t know how or why, but it looks like that person has not shared the news with the n. Perhaps greed? Or ignorance."


    "The tracker points to a remote and isted corner of the n, so I am sure of it. What we will be doing is simple. We will not be entering the n; that is close to impossible. Rather, we will keep a watch on the n and wait until the person leaves the n. Then we will ambush and retrieve the storage bracelet."


    "What if he leaves the storage bracelet behind before leaving?"


    "I doubt the person will do that, given the precious contents inside. But if ites to that, then we will have only one choice, which will be to infiltrate."


    "What of the demonic ghost? Is he alive or not?"


    "I am not sure about that. The rune only detects the location of the storage bracelet and not the owner itself. It could be possible that the ghost has already been exorcised or that he is still hiding, away from the bracelet."


    "Then what should we do about him?"


    "For now, nothing. Not until we are given specific orders from above. Our top priority at the moment is to get the storage bracelet back and the egg inside it at any cost."


    There was again a heavy silence in the room before one of them nodded.


    "Master, if you don''t mind me asking, do you happen to know which disaster beast is in the egg?"


    "No, I was not told about that."


    Actually, he knew, but he did not want to tell them. He did not trust them enough even with the binding marks; the disaster beast was a really big deal.


    If he told them what it actually was, they might be greedy.


    Even he could not resist himself when he heard whose egg it was suspected to be from the higher-ups, but thanks to his binding mark, he remained faithful to his gods.


    "I understand. I presume we get into action right away."


    The others also agreed; they had no options on this matter. It was a job that had to bepleted one way or another.


    "Indeed. You three will keep an eye on the n. I will give you the detector to track the location at all times. The rest of you will be on standby and continue with the preparations for the ritual as we have been doing before."


    ""Yes, Master!""


    The cloaked men bowed and left the room, leaving the man who was their boss alone.


    He fell into deep thought.


    ''I can''t shake off this ominous feeling that something bad is going to happen¡­ No! I must obtain the storage artifact no matter what, or else I will die for sure.''


    His eyes turned cold and an overbearing pressure descended into the room.


    He would personally make sure to oversee everything and retrieve that artifact no matter the cost.

 Chapter 116: The elders revenge!

    Chapter 116: The elder''s revenge!


    It had been some days since then, and it was finally time for the joint-training program tomence.


    Today, they would be gathering again to meet Dennis Rivera, the one who had been chosen to be their instructor.


    Oliver was somewhat excited. Last time, he had missed the opportunity to bond with Evelyn due to the ghost incident, but this time, he would make sure to connect with her.


    Well, there would be plenty of opportunities after all. They would be meeting frequently now that the program had been initiated.


    Oliver was picked up by the elder from before in that same luxurious car, along with Nadia and the maid.


    He sighed at the wealthy elder; the car was too impressive. He wondered if he would be allowed to drive it if he asked politely.


    ''Maybe I would require a driver''s license first, hahaha.''


    He curled his lips into a smirk as he imagined himself driving such a car in the future.


    Nadia looked at him smiling to himself and felt he was as silly as ever.


    This time, they were taken somewhere else instead of the forest.


    He could see a huge mountain in the distance.


    It was on a mountain covered in mist. There was a fortress located at the top of the mountain, shrouded in that white mist.


    It was an ancient-looking fortress built atop a secluded mountain range surrounded by diversendscapes such as forests, smaller hills, rugged areas, and ins.


    It was the perfect ce for any type of training.


    As the sun set and the sky grew darker, the car arrived at the foot of the mountain and stopped in front of a dpidated hall, which was most likely the entrance to the mountain and the fortress at the top.


    He watched as the elder parked the car and asked them to follow him.


    As soon as they entered the ancient-looking hall, Oliver smelled a strong scent of moist earth, nts, and damp rocks. It was a pleasant smell.


    He gazed at the insides of the hall carefully. The hall was a little deste, with weeds growing in the corners.


    It was quite spacious, and there was a courtyard between the gate and the main hall.


    In the entrance of the hall was a statue of a figure in the middle whose face could not be seen clearly.


    There were murals on both sides of the hall, but they seemed to be worn and falling off. There was a lot of burnt charcoal on the ground in front of the statue, probably left by passing travelers.


    The elder asked them to wait, and soon enough, Oliver saw all the familiar faces from before.


    They hade with their elders from the n as well.


    He narrowed his eyes when one of the elders, the one from the Blue Crown n, took out a ck elongated pen and started to draw some seals with the burnt charcoal present on the ground.


    He watched with interest. Amber, who saw this, went up to him and whispered.


    "The elder is drawing seals for exorcising evil spirits and setting up an early warning measure around this mountain hall. This is a necessary precaution when spending the night in the wild or unfamiliar ces. Otherwise, those lonely ghosts and mountain beasts woulde at night to hunt."


    "You know of ghosts?" Oliver cocked an eyebrow at her, surprised that she had some knowledge about the subject.


    "What? Did you think I would not know about such a simple thing? Our n is known for producing the best tool-based exorcists out there. With the variety of tools and artifacts I have grown up with, I am naturally familiar with these things."


    Amber frowned as she said this. She did not expect Oliver to have such a low opinion of her.


    "Ah, you are right. It''s my fault, haha," Oliver replied in a joking tone. He realized that his earlier wording might have been a little insulting to this noble girl, even though he had not intended it.


    Amber only nodded and stayed silent.


    She felt a little conflicted. Her mind wandered to the past event when she and Daniel had argued and then fought over it.


    Maybe that was the reason Oliver had a lower opinion of her¡­


    She went into her own world of troubled thoughts as Oliver approached the elder and stared at the runes with some interest.


    He would very much love to learn them, but he knew there would eventuallye a time for this too.


    He went back and stood beside Be. Tapping her shoulder, he asked, "Why is the elder forming seals to ward off ghosts or beasts? Aren''t they powerful enough to just deter them with their presence?"


    Be paused and nced at Oliver with some confusion in her eyes.


    "Are you not aware?" she asked, her tone slightly unsure.


    Oliver blinked. What was it?


    Was there something special that he should have known?


    Seeing his nk expression, Be chuckled slightly, guessing he did not know.


    "The elders will be leaving from here soon."


    "What?" Oliver thought he had heard it wrong.


    "The elders will be leaving us alone under the care of our new teacher for a few months."


    She said it calmly. It was the first time she was staying so far away from her n and could not help but feel a little nostalgic and experience some strong emotions.


    "The elders will be leaving us alone? For a few months? When did this happen?"


    He could not help but blurt out as he looked at her with confusion and shock.


    "Didn''t the elder from your n inform you of this? I think everyone knows about it," Be replied and looked at the others, who seemed to be prepared as well.


    Oliver groaned in his heart; he really had no clue this was happening.


    No wonder, just the travel here consumed a few good hours to even reach the mountain''s foot.


    He red at the useless elder from the Mystic Purge n, his n. Had the old coot finally gone senile? Or was his age taking effect on him that he forgot to inform such an important piece of information.


    The elder, seemingly feeling a strong gaze boring a hole in his back, looked back and met Oliver''s angry eyes.


    He was confused for a moment before realization dawned upon him.


    He gave him a knowing smile and showed him the middle finger.


    ''Fuck!''


    Oliver cursed as his eyes almost bulged out. The elder seemed to have intentionally hidden this information from him.

 Chapter 117: Tall mountain! Who is at the top?

    Chapter 117: Tall mountain! Who is at the top?


    ''Fuck!'' Oliver cursed as his eyes almost bulged out. The elder seemed to have intentionally hidden this information from him. It was clear that he was exacting revenge forst time.


    Oliver took a deep breath and calmed himself. There was surging hostility in his chest. He really wanted to beat this old bastard at the moment. But looking at the glowing espera of the other party, he decided not to.


    ''I have some junk food stored inside, so it shouldn''t be a problem for a few days. It''s not like the new teacher would not give us food. As for clothes, I always keep a few sets of them prepared with me all the time. As for elixirs, fortunately, I had recently purchased a stock using the n''s money, so it''s not going to run out anytime soon. I also have a batch of weapons with me as well.''


    Oliver sighed in relief as he rubbed his forehead.


    ''Looking at it from an outer perspective, I am fully equipped and ready to survive in the wilderness, and this is not even the wilderness. So I should not suffer too much. It was just¡­ more of a surprise element to say.''


    He calmed down and quickly got into his character again. He was thrown off-guard just now due to the dirty tricks of an old senile bastard, but he was still good thanks to the mindspace.


    He could not help but be grateful for the mindspace he had obtained. He could always be prepared for unforeseen incidents such as this one.


    His storage ring was almost empty, after all, since he had developed the habit of storing stuff in the mindspace rather than the storage ring.


    Nheless, he made a quick note to himself toter exact revenge on this elder for sure.


    The elders bickered for a moment, exchanging some insights rted to their espera and progress.


    Just as the children were waiting eagerly for the elders to finish up their business, a voice interrupted their chatter in the huge hall.


    "Hello there, are all of you gathered?"


    The elders paused and looked at the owner of the voice. It was an old man with a hunched back and short height. His face was seriously wrinkled, and he was using a cane to support himself as he walked.


    "These are all of them," one of the elders pointed at the kids.


    The hunched old man looked at them and let out a crooked smile as he introduced himself.


    "Wee, children. You all can call me Sigfor, and I will be the one looking after your needs while you stay here."


    His tone was raspy when he spoke, as if he had not cleared his throat in decades.


    It felt particrly irritating in Oliver''s ears; he had great senses, so the voice was quite clear and loud.


    He unconsciously clenched his fists.


    The elders nodded. "This here is Sigfor. He was once an importantrade and is also the attendant of your soon-to-be teacher. Make sure to respect him."


    "Yes, elder!"


    "Greetings, Sir Sigfor. I am Be. My sister Evelyn and I belong to the Celestial Paradox n. We will be in your care."


    Be came forward and politely bowed to the hunched man in white robes. She was the first to step forward.


    "What a sensible girl!" the old manughed heartily as he patted her head.


    Soon, she was followed by others as well. Oliver also went up to say his greetings to the old man and helped Nadia with her introduction as well.


    Maybe it was his imagination, but he felt the old man seemed to be colder to him aspared to others.


    "Well then, say our greetings to their ''teacher.'' We will be leaving."


    For some reason, the elder sounded funny, and the way he emphasized the word "teacher" was awfully suspicious.


    Oliver could see Sigfor frowning as well. It seemed that he also suspected something; however, he shifted his focus to the children soon.


    The elders left one by one, and soon it was only them and Sigfor.


    "Hmm¡­ never mind them. Children, follow me."


    Sigfor motioned for the children to follow him as he left the main hall, taking them to the back exit.


    Just like that, they reached the base of the mountain. Oliver could see a roughly made path leading toward the top.


    His heart suddenly started to beat faster as he began to feel what the old man was about to say.


    And he was right when the old man started speaking.


    "I will introduce you to your first task. Your training will begin from now on. Every moment you spend in this ce will be counted as your training. For the very first task, you all need to climb this mountain and reach the top. That is where you will meet my master and your teacher."


    "WHAT!?"


    Alphonso''s eyes bulged out as he stared at the hunched old man and then at the towering mountain. His body could not help but tremble at the sight of the terrifyingly tall mountain.


    How did he expect children like them to even climb this thing!?


    Oliver''s face also darkened as he looked at the fog-covered mountain top. He could not tell how tall it was actually. Did they really have to climb this? He was strong and had a good amount of stamina, but even that was not enough to give him the confidence to climb the mountain.


    His eyes shone for a moment in an amethyst glint as he stared past the clouds of fog at the mountain top.


    He could roughly see the mountain top and calcte the height.


    It was around ten thousand feet (around 3,000 meters tall), as tall as any average mountain.


    To be given a more realistic measurement, it was about 2 million times as wide as a strand of Spaghetti!


    Oliver thought about how long it would even take them toplete half the distance.


    Oliver sucked in a deep breath, not because of the height of the mountain but because, from the [Cosmic Void Gaze], he was able to see a figure standing on the very top of the mountain, at the very edge.


    And that figure was currently staring directly at them.


    From the blurry features, he was not able to clearly see their face, but the figure had long hair, so he assumed it was a woman.


    What was that figure doing there?


    And who was it?

 Chapter 118: Sigfors shift! Impossible task?

    Chapter 118: Sigfor''s shift! Impossible task?


    From the indistinct features, he was not able to correctly see their face, but the figure had long hair, so he assumed it was a woman.


    As far as he could remember, the teacher they were supposed to meet, Dennis Rivera, was a male. So who was she?


    For a moment, he even felt the woman staring directly into his eyes.


    Their eyes met for a moment, and Oliver could feel an unseen pressure covering him for some reason.


    There''s no way she can exert her pressure or espera from that height. Am I being overly sensitive?


    Oliver had a serious look as he kept watching the woman before she averted her gaze and disappeared into the dense fog.


    He also stopped looking at the fog and focused on the situation at hand.


    "Are you kidding me? You expect mere children to climb thousands of meters? Not to mention how impossible this is, but it''s a waste of our time! How long would it take for us to climb that giant?"


    Sigfor was calm as he observed their dramatic reaction.


    He huffed, "What brats! At your age, I could climb this mountain twice and still fight!"


    He spat near Daniel''s foot.


    "You!" Daniel was infuriated at how quickly this old man was turning around his attitude.


    He backed away from the area where the old man had spat, really disgusted by this sort of behavior.


    Alphonso was even more so. He almost had the urge to puke at this behavior. He had always been a gentleman and behaved properly in the n. All the people he had ever met were high-ss and sophisticated, so seeing such crude behavior gave him shivers.


    Oliver observed this and felt it was going nowhere. The old man was grumpy and difficult, which he could attribute to old age, and the other party was not any better; they were spoiled children from high and mighty ns.


    He had to ask on their behalf.


    Oliver intervened, "Sir Sigfor, there must be a catch, if I am not wrong? You are a wise man, and I feel that you are aware of our capabilities better than we are ourselves. With your keen insight and decades of experience, you should have already made a n for us, isn''t that right?"


    He slowly started to coax the old man, he was familiar with such people with inted ego and pride, who used to think that their younger generation could never be right or never trusted their young ones in matters.


    While such people were annoying, they were easy to control and manipte.


    "Humph! You are one clever brat!" Sigfor sneered as he looked at the silver-haired boy. For some unknown reason that he could not pinpoint, this kid had been giving him a strange feeling ever since he entered the mountain. It was as if ants were crawling on his back.


    Nheless, he told them in a calm tone, "He is right. This mountain is special. The master has covered the entire mountain in a special array. The higher you climb, the more difficult it bes to progress."


    "Given how weak you pathetic little brats are, I will be kind and generous. You only have to keep climbing the mountain until your being gives out. The ce where you give out will determine the best course of training for you."


    "So it''s like this." Oliver wiped imaginary sweat as he understood the task.


    "That''s right. It''s just that. You brats are just exaggerating these little things," the old man snorted.


    Isn''t that because you didn''t make yourself clear from the beginning!?


    Both Alphonso and Daniel wanted to argue but didn''t say anything in the end.


    "However, one thing you must note is that the higher you climb, the more benefits you will have during the entire training period. This involves but is not limited to food, clothing, shelter, and other things."


    Amber frowned when she heard this. She was not too confident in her physical strength. So she asked, "Can we use tools or artifacts?"


    The old man spared her a nce and said, "You can, however, you better not. This is a test to determine your proper level. Using tools or artifacts is a necessary part of an exorcist''s life. If you are confident in being able to do better with them, then be my guest."


    "I agree." Be nodded and secretly gave Oliver a thumbs up. He had handled the situation well.


    "Hmm." Amber had no intention to listen to them. She was a tool exorcist; her specialization was that if there were no tools, then there was no her.


    "What are you looking at me for? Start moving!"


    The old man Sigfor yelled at the bunch, making them jerk and start running up the mountain while secretly cursing this old man internally who yelled at them.


    After all of them had left, his expression softened. He slowly said to himself,


    "They are talented, too talented. I have never seen a bunch as bright as them before. Master will really be happy to see the future generation. I am sure all of you can exceed her expectations and fill that empty hole in master''s heart."


    The old man looked sad for a moment as he reminisced about the past. The memories he had were not all pleasant, and there was darkness in the distance.


    Heter shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts.


    "Especially those two kids. That boy is too strange, and that girl is like a hidden dragon waiting to be unleashed upon the world. Master should tune them into shape, sharpen their talents."


    He could not help but remember but that boy''s deep eyes, he was not able to see past them. He felt a sense of threat from that little kid who had not even grow into adulthood.


    The Mystic Purge n had really birthed something extraordinary this generation, he was sure of this thing. That boy was too strange, he was able to sense that golden-haired girl''s immense talent at a nce.


    But when he tried probing that boy, he felt himself looking at a nk page. He was not able to sense through him at all.


    Maybe it was an artifact that he had or something else entirely... he did not know but he was sure that his master would cultivate these bunch of kids into something far better.


    Sigfor nced onest time at the mountain top and returned to the hall where they had gathered initially to do his own work.


    He had high hopes for the children to climb high both on this mountain and in the future.


    He could not help but ce his hopes on them to end this long, never-ending war with demons.


    "Now then¡­ why did those old men act so funny when they dropped by here?"


    Sigfor frowned upon remembering their expressions earlier. He had known them since he was young and could tell they were up to something.


    Even after bing elders of such reputed ns, they still dared to act and y tricks.


    He quickly inspected the runes they inscribed to find something out of the ordinary, but they seemed to be normal.


    Did they tell the children something I am not aware of?


    He looked back, but all of them were already gone, climbing toward the mountain top.


    He only hoped that they wouldn''t offend his master or else¡­

 Chapter 119: Daniels struggle

    Chapter 119: Daniel''s struggle


    "Pant¡­ Pant¡­ Damn it! How much have I covered so far!?"


    Daniel groaned as he looked down, only to see fog clouding his vision.


    He couldn''t help but feel frustrated. He had been climbing for a while now but still couldn''t see the mountain top.


    Not only that, the view below had also be obscured, making him feel chilly.


    One wrong step and it would be all over for him.


    His heart pounded in his chest as he contemted the situation he was currently facing.


    He shivered as he imagined his body turning into a bloody pudding.


    A gust of wind whipped around him, threatening to throw him off bnce.


    "That old man¡­ he is a snake!" he could not help but curse that man again.


    He was really resentful of the old man who was responsible for their current predicament. While this was said to be part of training to determine their standing and base, he still felt there must be better ways to measure these things.


    Why did it always have to be the hard way? Was there no other path to greatness?


    He was also skeptical when the old man said he could climb two such mountains in a row at their age.


    Surely, that was impossible?


    He clenched his fists, determination battling with doubt.


    That''s what he had been telling himself.


    He looked up and frowned. Despite being fast and strong, he was still almost at the end.


    Each step felt heavier than thest, the weight of failure pressing down on him.


    To be specific, he was the secondst in line among the other children.


    He looked above with narrowed eyes. Just above him was Amber; after her was Evelyn, then Oliver, and finally Nadia and Be, who had been climbing non-stop.


    ''Am I this weak?''


    His face darkened. He had been conserving his energy while climbing but still did not expect to be at the end of the line.


    He had initially thought that being someone from the Sacred Swords n, specializing in producing the best physical exorcists, he would be stronger than all of them.


    But reality said otherwise. Even Amber, who had tied with him, was above him.


    He could overtake them, but then he would be using a lot of stamina and energy. Using espera was also bing difficult as he felt an invisible pressure slowly pressing him down as he climbed further up.


    His muscles burned with the effort, sweat pouring down his face.


    And while it was not a big deal to use espera to strengthen the body, using espera while others were not would be a strike to his dignity, so he did not use it.


    He was sure he could climb on his own.


    This thought made him more confident. Looking up at Amber, he was sure she was using some sort of tool or artifact to aid herself; otherwise, they would have been at the same level of climbing.


    He smirked to himself, feeling a small surge of confidence.


    And looking below him at some distance, he spotted Alphonso as well.


    It gave him some relief that he was not thest in line, at least.


    He still had some pride.


    But¡­ looking at the figures of Nadia and Be, he felt bitter.


    Why did they make it look so easy? Was he really that far behind?


    Those two girls were extremely strong¡ªstronger than him, at least. He could tell by their speed and power.


    What surprised him the most was Evelyn. Clearly, she was the same age as them and not older like Be, but she was also above him.


    A flicker of envy sparked in his chest, quickly reced by resolve.


    He had not seen her fight during theirst meeting, so it was surprising to see her climbing way above him.


    Did that not mean that even she was stronger than he was?


    He could not help but feel more annoyed.


    She was almost on the same level as that guy called Oliver.


    Of course, he could not forget about Oliver.


    That guy Oliver¡­ was strong.


    He had witnessed his fight earlier with Be, and he fought toe-to-toe with such an opponent. He was undoubtedly worthy as his rival.


    If Oliver could climb faster, then so should he.


    He gritted his teeth, pushing his body to its limits.


    A burst of energy filled him as his eyes turned more focused and his speed increased slightly.


    He made a small note to reach up to Oliver first and then aim for Be and Nadia.


    ____________


    Alphonso, who was panting, looked at Daniel, who was above him, increasing his speed and cursed inwardly. Of course, he did not use a vulgar term, being the gentleman he was.


    He had been disheartened ever since he started to climb. He was given a big reality check.


    It turned out he was the weakest in the entire group of children.


    Being thest in line of all the other heirs while climbing towards the mountain top and not being able to match up to any of them, he felt truly pathetic. He was far from even the secondst person in the line, Daniel too.


    At this moment, he wanted to scoff at his previous self during the meeting.


    How bold he was at that time, thinking about bncing the team and eliminating the weaklings who would be nothing more than weeds among the cream of the crop.


    Now, he felt the sting of his own arrogance.


    How audacious he was when he dered Oliver to be the weakest and most useless one of all¡­


    The memory of Oliver''s distant figure way up seared in his mind, he was printing that sight into his memory, to prevent him from underestimating others again.


    How shameful it was for him to even think of removing Oliver from the picture just because he was weak.


    Now that the situation was in front of him, he was in thest spot. Did that not mean he was the weed in the field?


    Did that not mean he should be eliminated from the group?


    It was obvious. If he followed his own logic and thinking, he was a burden to the team.


    In the future, he might drag others down with him, given hisck of strength.


    He was truly repentant for harboring such thoughts now.


    Once this was all over, he vowed to train harder than before.


    He had always been the best talent in his n. He had always been respected by others and praised for being so talented.


    But those praises felt hollow now, echoes of a time when he thought he was invincible.


    He realized that he was just a big fish in a small pond.


    And now that he was exposed to the ocean, he realized he was nothing more than a small fish in a vast ocean.


    There were people out there way more powerful and talented than him despite being the same age.


    He had to catch up to them in the future if he really intended to keep up with them.


    The road ahead was long and arduous, but he would not falter. If he did then he would not be a gentleman.

 Chapter 120: It should have been an easy victory

    Chapter 120: It should have been an easy victory


    Oliver looked at the dense fog and felt dumbfounded.


    A normal person would not be able to see anything in front of them.


    Thanks to his special abilities, he was able to navigate these roughly made stairs of rocks.


    He could feel a pressure bearing down on him. As he climbed higher, the pressure slowly increased.


    Was this some sort of tempering of the body or mind?


    He thought deeply; he had read about such things but never thought he would experience one in his life.


    It felt like the gravitational pull was increasing with each step he took upward.


    He deliberately allowed Be and Nadia to overtake him and followed behind, just next to Evelyn.


    Right now, they had to reach the top ideally. But naturally, it looked almost impossible to achieve, considering they were not even halfway up.


    "This is long¡­" he muttered as he racked his brain to think of a way out but couldn''t find anything useful.


    Just like that, he sped up behind the two girls, trying to catch up.


    Thanks to his level 5 strength, he had not felt exhausted or sore even under the pressure so far.


    He knew, however, that mental fortitude would be as crucial as physical strength in the journey ahead


    _____________


    On the other hand, Evelyn, who was also climbing the mountain just behind Oliver, could not help but stare at his moving back intensely.


    Her eyes were deep as she remembered her experiences so far and how she got to this stage.


    She could not help but reflect on how she had reached here¡­


    The memories of her rigorous training sessions shed before her eyes.


    She had been working hard since the time she could remember.


    Her goal was to be a strong exorcist to help those in need, providing a ce where everyone could livefortably without worrying about their lives.


    She had heard of the terror demons always spread¡ªkilling children,mitting all sorts of taboos one could think of. They were the worst beings alive.


    She disliked them and wanted them to disappear.


    She wanted every child to live infort without worrying about demons, to never live in fear of their lives.


    She had always wished to see a future where they could live in peace without any wars or bloodshed.


    Of course, she knew such a thing was impossible as of now.


    Her parents had taught her from their experiences that being an exorcist was not easy. She didn''t believe everything could change on its own.


    Exorcists are people who live on the boundary between life and death every day.


    They have hearts of steel and wills of stone.


    It was only through the great efforts of ancient exorcists that humanity had the peace they were enjoying now¡­


    Otherwise, thends would have long been consumed and destroyed by demons, and humans would have gone extinct.


    She wanted to be strong and achieve a stage where she could make changes that would bring peace to every part of this world.


    If people in ancient times could do it, then what was stopping her?


    Talent? She had it all.


    Resources? She had them all.


    Encouragement? She had it.


    There was nothing shecked, and thus she devoted herself to following the footsteps of her parents. Her mother was her greatest motivation.


    In the future she dreamed of, she wanted to be on a level where she could work together with her mother, restoring the peace everyone longed for.


    Next to her mother was her older sister, whom she admired the most.


    She was strong, talented, extroverted, and smart¡ªeverything a role model could be.


    Be was the role model for her. The first step to rising above was to catch up to her sister.


    If she could not even do that, then how could she dream of helping her n?


    She worked harder than anyone, learning from her sister and following her everywhere.


    If Be was training, so was she. As Be grew stronger, the difference always persisted.


    She often wondered if she would ever be able to close that gap.


    She could never defeat her sister in a proper duel or basic spar.


    Her sister always thought two steps ahead of her. It was always a surprise when she learned something from her sister''s actions.


    There was a calmness Be always maintained no matter the situation or the pressure she faced.


    She had never seen her sister being impulsive despite her craze for strength.


    Be was not a muscle-headed maniac. People often misunderstood her as such, but she knew better, observing her daily and practicing with her.


    She was someone who maintained an equilibrium that seemed almost unattainable.


    Be was definitely her role model as well as her rival¡­ she didn''t think anyone among her peers could match her sister¡­


    That was until they were invited to meet the heirs of the other five major ns.


    Honestly, she was not expecting much other than some formal pleasantries that she was used to when she got to the location.


    And things were going as she had expected. No one spoke much and just observed the others. There was an eerie atmosphere around the table.


    Then came the people from the infamous Mystic Purge n.


    She was secretly expecting the heirs to be cold and sharp, representing the nature of their n.


    However, she was once again taken off guard when she saw theid-back guy in front of her.


    He did not look like someone from the deadly Mystic Purge n. He seemed quite rxed and¡­ normal?


    His casual demeanor was disarming, a stark contrast to the crazed reputation that followed his n.


    She watched as he quickly started the conversation and easily assimted with others.


    To some extent, he felt like her sister¡ªextroverted and cheerful.


    He felt mature for his age to her¡ªthe way he talked, the way he carried himself.


    Not only that, when she observed his features, his face, the one thing that stood out the most to her was his eyes.


    They were charming, intimidating and mysterious¡­ she could not point it out, but they were captivating. She liked them.


    She felt depth in those eyes.


    On the other hand, his twin sister was a more urate description of someone from the Mystic Purge n.


    A word she could describe her with was¡­


    Cold.


    However, she did not speak to her much.


    Afterward, things went from a peaceful meeting to slightly aggressive, where they decided to have a duel to familiarize themselves with each other.


    But she was left behind since the participants were an odd number, so she just observed others. A bit disappointed, but nothing much.


    She would see how others would do, being the heirs of major ns in the world.


    She observed each match intently, analyzing strengths and weaknesses, storing away knowledge for future encounters in case it was required.


    Nadia won one-sidedly. She was strong.


    But what truly interested her was her sister''s match.


    It was against that silver-haired guy, Oliver.


    Be was the oldest among the bunch by age, so it was understandable for her to be the strongest given her talent.


    It should have been an easy win¡­

 Chapter 121: Motivation to grow more! She must become strong!

    Chapter 121: Motivation to grow more! She must be strong!


    Chapter 121


    It should have been an easy victory without a doubt.


    Oliver should not have stood a chance against her sister.


    To be honest, she was imagining a scenario simr to how Nadia''s and Alphonso''s match concluded.


    A one-sided victory where her sister would easily overpower him in a matter of seconds.


    But what happened next was contrary to her expectations. It was a scene that made her doubt herself and her training she had been undergoing so far.


    That guy called Oliver was easily able to keep up with her sister''s every move!


    Not only that, as the fight progressed, she was able to notice how her sister was finding it difficult to evennd a single blow on him.


    He was able to parry each and every move. It was almost as if he was predicting her mind and technique.


    She didn''t believe that he had the knowledge of the secret martial arts techniques that they had been using from the Celestial Paradox n. That was impossible.


    After all, it was one of the heavily guarded secrets of the n.


    So, he was actually able to decipher her moves in that fight alone, in that short period of time.


    Although he was dodging or parrying by a hair''s breadth, it was extraordinarily impressive to her.


    Her sister, whom she could never stop despite knowing about the martial techniques, was being countered by an unknown guy.


    She could not even believe it after seeing the fight with her own eyes.


    She didn''t know when, but her hands subconsciously curled into fists. She was finding it hard to understand.


    Secretly, she was hoping that her sister could at leastnd a single blow on the guy who was so flexible he could dodge everything thrown at him.


    She wanted her sister to at leastnd one attack on him, but why?


    Was it because she would feel bad that her sister, who was a genius, was losing to this guy?


    Or¡­


    Was it for her own self-assurance?


    Was it because she did not want to ept that someone of the same age as her could be on par with her sister while she could not?


    Was it to satisfy her pride?


    Would she feel that her achievements up to this point in life would not be worth it and she was a frog at the bottom of a well?


    She didn''t want to ept it, did she? Her ineptitude, that was.


    She would feel good if Oliver got defeated easily just like she would when matched against Be, would she not?


    She could lie to herself then, saying, ''Look! Even the heirs from other great ns could not stand up to her sister! How could she, then?''


    But as she kept watching the fight go on and on, and seeing the expression of struggle in her sister''s eyes and Oliver''s calm demeanor as if he was not bothered in the slightest by the fight, something awakened within her.


    This guy was strong. Either stronger than her sister or on the same level as her.


    She felt a strong surge of emotion at this realization. Biting her lip, she pondered what she had been doing so far.


    Why was she not able to stand on equal grounds with her sister? She herself knew best that she did notck talent, resources, or anything.


    Was it because she was cking off?


    If so, then why were her dreams so big?


    Did she not want to provide afortable life to others? How could she do that if she cked off? It would be better to not dream this big when she was not able to put in the effort required for it.


    She experienced all sorts of emotions in that moment.


    Grief, for being like this.


    Envy, for Oliver''s calmness and strength.


    Anger, at herself for being so pitiful to even think about dragging others down instead of moving up herself. For harboring such a toxic mindset.


    And¡­ some joy?


    Joy? She felt some sort of happiness as well¡­ why? Was it because she realized this when she still had the time to change herself?


    She felt a newfound relief. She was relieved that she was able to understand this in time and have the opportunity to further correct herself in the future.


    To strive for more in the future, to not think about dragging others down to her level just because she could not reach their level.


    She wondered what this guy, who was currently fighting, would have done if he was in her shoes?


    Would he have also thought about wanting to put others down to satisfy his ego? Would he have also harbored this toxic mindset like her if he was in her situation? Or would he have never borne such thoughts in the first ce?


    Maybe he might have gotten more motivated instead of feeling down?


    She was curious to know, but s it was not something that she could know just because she wanted to.


    Just a small duel between her sister and this guy from the Mystic Purge n was able to leave her with such insights.


    Looking at their fight in a new light, she wondered if the reason that this clicked within her was because of Oliver''s strength?


    Why did she think so?


    Maybe it was because no matter how much she desperately wished for him to get hit even once, he did not.


    It was as if there was a wide gap between her and his level that could not be breached just because she wished for it to crack.


    It was because no matter how much losers try to wish, curse, or hope, a genius would not even notice them and keep reaching higher and higher.


    And it would get to the point where the loser would either be numb to the sess of the genius, ept the reality, and give up, or be influenced by the genius, trying to follow the same path.


    Maybe she did be numb when, despite her hopes, Oliver managed to counter her sister''s every move repeatedly.


    Her sister was her role model, but despite seeing her struggle, she did not feel as bad as she thought she would before.


    Now she felt a surging me glowing inside her, bing brighter and brighter.


    Unknowingly, Oliver had established a ce in her mind, serving as a goal that she must obtain!

 Chapter 122: He will climb the highest!

    Chapter 122: He will climb the highest!


    Chapter 122


    Her sister was her role model, but despite seeing her struggle, she did not feel as bad as she thought she would before.


    Now she felt a zing me glowing inside her, bing brighter and brighter, making her more motivated.


    She watched intently, wanting to obtain more insight from their fight if possible.


    However, the fight did notst as long as others had expected.


    There were clouds of dust everywhere due to themotion from before, and the moment they peered into it after the dust clouds settled, they saw a shocking view. It was too sudden.


    Oliver was lying with his back against a tree, clutching his chest and groaning in pain.


    What happened? How did he lose?


    All they heard was a strong bang, and the next moment Oliver was lying down, defeated.


    Did Be finally win?


    She looked at her sister and noticed her eyes had a trace of surprise as well.


    She felt it was understandable that Be won. Her sister was the oldest of the bunch and equally talented; her losing to someone with less experience and training would be hard to believe.


    But what transpired next made her perception of her sister crumble.


    She, who boasted that she knew her sister the best, was now dumbfounded by the scene unfolding before her eyes.


    Be, her sister, who had always been calm andposed even in the toughest situations, no matter how high the pressure, lost herposure for the first time.


    She watched as her sister went up to the guy and grabbed his cor roughly.


    So disrespectful!


    She could not help but look at her older sister in shock. What was she doing in front of so many people and elders?


    And why was she doing this?


    She heard her sister yelling at the guy.


    Purposefully? Intentionally?


    She heard those words but couldn''t hear the full sentence from afar.


    Her eyes widened even further when her sister tried to forcefully stop his hand from clutching his injury.


    She hurriedly went up to her to stop her since the elders were not intervening for some reason.


    However, before she could, someone else reached him first.


    It was Nadia! His sister.


    She could feel a very heavy tension filling the atmosphere at that moment.


    Her heart palpitated in anxiety when she heard Nadia''s cold threat. She could feel the air around them was filled with a strong and dark intent solely aimed at her sister.


    The smell of gunpowder was evident in the situation, and even the slightest action could lead to an explosion.


    She could feel the strong aura oozing out of Nadia; it was overwhelming, on par with her sister''s aura.


    Nadia was definitely angry, and she had the right to be.


    Her sister was being too much at the moment, tormenting her opponent even after winning.


    This was confusing given her sister''s nature.


    Even though she had not seen it with her own eyes, she put the matter behind her mind and quickly stopped her sister from acting further.


    She could see a hint of madness in Be''s eyes, as if she was unwilling to ept the oue.


    She made a mental note to herself toter question her about it and the duel.


    After a small incident where her sister almost cried, the event was quickly wrapped up.


    After reaching back home, back to their n, she tried asking her sister on multiple asions about the oue of the duel and what she was unwilling about, but all those times, her sister either avoided the topic or did not reply to her.


    It was as if she did not want to talk about it at all.


    All she heard from her was that there would be more opportunities in the future and that she should be more patient.


    And it was now when they were meeting again at the base of the mountain shortly after a few days.


    The elders had left them behind to train under the guidance of a renowned exorcist, a veteran of war.


    However, to meet their new teacher, they were supposed to climb up a mountain where the higher they climbed, the more pressure it would put on their shoulders to test them if they were worthy enough to reach the top.


    It was, in a way, tempering their bodies and will with each step.


    At the top was where their teacher awaited them.


    Who knows, he might even be monitoring them right as they were climbing slowly, ensuring their safety and assessing their skills and standings.


    She was able to surpass most of the heirs from other ns, except for the ones from the Mystic Purge n.


    No matter how hard she tried to reach up to him, he would maintain a fixed distance between them.


    It was as if he was ''deliberately'' doing this, trying to challenge her or show her who was superior with how easily he was keeping the distance fixed between them.


    If she moved up two stairs, then so would he.


    It should have been difficult for him too as he climbed upwards since each stair had an increased amount of pressure, but he was still able to maintain the gap.


    However, instead of feeling down or angry this time, she was feeling more excited and motivated as she climbed more and more.


    Her sister and his sister, Be and Nadia, werepeting among themselves at the top. They were quite far from them at the moment.


    She wondered if all the older sisters were like this.


    Nevertheless, she could not help but secretly feel that the guy whose back was facing her was a milestone that she must reach and surpass.


    __________________


    Oliver, who had been jogging up without knowing anything, could have never expected that Evelyn was thinking this much.


    In fact, if he was asked, he would say that this matter was not that deep.


    At least not to him.


    ''For some reason, I am feeling a strong gaze on my back for a while¡­''


    Oliver sweated slightly as he kept walking upwards. He could guess who was behind this intense stare.


    He was slightly confused as to why she was looking at him.


    Is she mad that he was ahead of her?


    Well, it could not be helped.


    He was nning to surpass all of them at the moment.

 Chapter 123: Overtaking everyone! No help given?

    Chapter 123: Overtaking everyone! No help given?


    Chapter 123


    A few hourster


    "Pant¡­ Pant¡­"


    Evelyn was heavily panting, her cheeks flushed red as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, drenching her youthful face.


    She staggered and almost fell on the stair she was currently on.


    It had been hours since then, and they had all climbed quite far and high by now.


    She was not sure where they were right now, but they had climbed a considerable distance.


    It had been a long time since she had been using her espera to strengthen her body internally to help counter the increasing pressure.


    At this moment, the pressure on her shoulders was at least ten times stronger than it was initially. It was extremely difficult for her to even take another step upwards.


    She knew that if she fell now, she would lose all her strength and would not be able to climb any higher.


    ncing back, she could see almost all of them had broken down in exhaustion on their respective steps.


    Alphonso, Daniel, Amber¡­ all of them had stopped climbing further and were lying weakly on their respective stairs, not moving an inch.


    She gritted her teeth and thought, ''I cannot move more¡­ I feel like falling down.''


    The help that Elder Sigfor had promised at the beginning of the climb was not here. She could not help but feel a bit concerned for them. The pressure was still pressing onto them, rendering them unable to move up or down.


    ''No, they should be fine. This is not a trial of death. I am sure they will intervene if things be excessive for any of them.''


    She calmed down as she thought about this and looked upwards.


    Her eyes narrowed as she tried to see the figures above.


    The figures of her sister and Naida were now visible to her clearly. Their speed had slowed down significantly, and they were taking one step at a time.


    It was clear from their posture that the pressure above was bing harder for them.


    However, a lone figure was still climbing non-stop¡­


    Her heart fiercely started to beat in excitement as she watched him reach close to the two girls who were above.


    Tap Tap Tap


    He was climbing up like there was no pressure on him, moving up as if he was climbing a casual stairway.


    Slowly, she saw him pass the two girls who were equally surprised as she was when they saw him overtaking them.


    Evelyn smiled, gritted her teeth, and took another step.


    Boom!


    The pressure on her shoulders increased significantly, and she could not help but sit down.


    ''So this is my limit currently¡­''


    She thought to herself as she felt the dense pressure. Even using espera was now bing tougher. A sense of suffocation was evident in the air.


    She leaned against a rock and watched as Nadia also paused at one point.


    Soon enough, she was followed by Be, who was just a few steps above her and fell down on that step as well.


    But¡­


    Oliver¡­ He was still moving upwards.


    She could not believe how this guy was doing it.


    Was the pressure not affecting him at all?


    Even if it was, he did not seem to be affected much by it for some reason.


    __________________


    Oliver kept moving upwards, one stair after another. He went on non-stop. He could feel the immense pressure descending on him.


    He was using his turbulent espera to reinforce his body and move upwards. Coupled with his super strength and on top of that, the reinforcement from espera, he was able to keep climbing non-stop.


    While the pressure was overbearing, there was a strange sensation in his body as he kept moving upwards, his espera although subtly was bing more concentrated. This was probably due to the gravitational force pressing them.


    He noticed Be and Nadia on his way but still kept moving upwards.


    Being the person with tenfold the talent of someone like Nadia, he was naturally able to overtake them.


    He wanted to know what his limit waspared to others.


    It was fine if they were suspicious of his strength. He was here to train, so they might as well see his true strengthter.


    It was not like they would be jealous and try to kill him as soon as possible to eliminate some growing threat. Although they were not developed deeply in the novel, he knew they did not have that sort of personality.


    It was not like he could do much about it, considering he was about to spend months or maybe even years with them.


    It was better to be like this if they were supposed to be working together as a team in the future at some point.


    As he kept stepping up, his legs started to wobble slowly.


    "This is¡­" he panted slightly as he strained himself, "¡­getting tough."


    He could still spot the mountain top through the fog and knew that it was still far from their location. In fact, he was not even close to covering half the surface.


    The track of time was now blurry to everyone; he did not know how much time had passed since the start of all this.


    He had been taking breaks from time to time while climbing; however, for the past few hours, he had been going up non-stop.


    He felt that if he dared to rest for a moment, his body would truly fall down, and he would not be able to continue any longer¡ªboth mentally and physically.


    Looking back, he could not help but narrow his eyes, and now even the figures of Nadia and Be were distant from where he was. Had it not been for his extraordinary senses and their rtive distance, he might have not been able to see their shadows at all either.


    ''It seems this is as far as I go?''


    He thought to himself internally, wondering how strong he would have to be to even close half the distance.


    In the end, he decided to climb one more step, ast step, and then stop. That was as far as he could muster up his will.


    Click!


    He ced his foot on the next stair and instantly felt an even stronger pressure than before raining down on him, threatening him to stop climbing. The sound of rocky stairs grinding against his feet was as clear as day in his ears.


    He persisted, slowly climbed over, and instantly crashed to the ground. He reacted in time and quickly leaned against the rock to prevent any damage to himself.


    He had reached his limit too. He sighed as he looked at the dense white fog surrounding him.


    He could not keep using [Cosmic Void Gaze]; they were extremely draining. Not to mention, he was already mentally exhausted¡ªunable to even try using it.


    All he could see was white fog filling his vision.


    "Now, who will get us out of here?"


    __________________


    "Hey! Is anyone there!?"


    Daniel yelled at the white fog around him. He had been here for some significant amount of time now.


    He could no longer spot Nadia, Oliver, Evelyn, Be at all. It was either that they had gone way above, or the fog had be dense with time.


    "Ugh! I am getting annoyed by all this!"


    Suddenly, another voice came out, resonating in his ears.

 Chapter 124: Dennis? What happened?

    Chapter 124: Dennis? What happened?


    Chapter 124


    "Ugh! I am getting annoyed by all this!"


    He heard a feminine shout and focused on a shadow just a few steps above him. He was sure that it was Amber''s vague figure.


    It seemed she was also getting frustrated at being stuck like that.


    "Hey, Amber!" Daniel shouted in her direction, "Are you there? It''s me, Daniel!"


    "Daniel, is that you? The fog seems to be getting thicker and thicker!"


    "I noticed it too. Maybe it''s about time that someone picks us up from here!"


    "I do hope that your guess is right and someone reallyes to our aid, or I am going to go crazy here!"


    Daniel chuckled despite the tension, "Hang in there, Amber. Just a bit longer."


    At that moment, they suddenly heard a sweet feminine voice echoing around them. It was neither too loud nor too soft, just right.


    "Well done, kids. You all have managed to climb so far. Be proud of being born into your ns and having such prestigious blood running through you."


    The arrogance in the woman''s tone was hidden but still present.


    "Now that all of you have reached your limit, it is time to start your real training. Don''t be disheartened for not reaching the top. You will have plenty of opportunities in the future."


    The children listened attentively to her words.


    They did not miss when she said ''all of you.'' Being born with intelligence, they could tell that all their fellow mates had finally stopped climbing.


    The ones at the bottom could not help but wonder how much they had climbed so far, given the hours of difference between them.


    Just as they were thinking about it, they all felt their bodies bing lighter as the scene in front of them blurred and shifted into something else entirely.


    Instead of the dense white fog, they were now facing a tall building built like a traditional Japanese house.


    The roof of the house was steeply pitched and curvy, with deep eaves extending far to provide shade and protection from the elements.


    They noticed that the windows were made of wooden frames filled with translucent paper, allowing diffused light to enter the rooms.


    Overall, the house was mainly constructed using wood and looked beautiful.


    Daniel whistled in awe, "This ce is straight out of a storybook."


    They were quite high up in the altitude, the blue sky above them was beautiful and behind them as far as they could see was the same white mist or clouds, they were definitely at the mountain peak.


    Oliver was also looking at the traditional house in front of him with keen eyes before looking beside him. He had just finished drinking a vitality potion to restore his espera and stamina.


    All the others who had joined were also there just next to him.


    However, what caught everybody''s attention was not the massive mansion but the stunning woman standing before them.


    The woman gave the impression of a proud lion. She had slitted ck eyes. Her thick, curvy, medium-length hair was the color of charcoal, styled in an exquisite way that was not practical for everyday activities.


    She had a curvy build with the charm of a mature woman, and her skin was brown and tanned.


    With thin eyebrows, upturned eyes, and full lips, her face was devoid of blemishes.


    She was wearing a dress with abination of purple and blue colors. Overall, from her youthful appearance and voice, she didn''t seem older than 30 years old.


    However, her dense aura was unmistakable and revealed her hidden depth and age. She was much older than she appeared.


    "I am Alisa, Alisa Velez. Your newly appointed teacher. I will be responsible for training you all during your stay here and ensuring you all grow into something much better than your current selves."


    She spoke in an enthusiastic voice, addressing all those present, mainly the children.


    There was a brief, stunned silence before Alphonso broke it.


    "What? You are the teacher?"


    Alphonso muttered, seemingly confused by this.


    Alisa frowned, "What? Do you have a problem¡ª"


    "The heck!? Was our teacher not supposed to be a man?" Daniel''s confusion quickly turned into incredulity. "A veteran exorcist from battlefields? I was told that he was the most masculine man ever. I was so excited to meet him! What is a jade beauty doing here?"


    Daniel eximed unintentionally, interrupting the woman. He was probably so shocked that he let out his thoughts aloud for everyone to hear, forgetting that he was not alone.


    The children around him exchanged nervous nces, sensing the tension rising. After all, he sounded disrespectful...


    Maybe climbing and waiting on the mountain had taken a toll on his brain, making him restless.


    "Damn! Where is Sir Dennis? Is this another joke!? I am seriously not in the mood right now¡ªPfft!"


    Before he couldplete his sentence, he was flung backward by a sudden burst of terrifying aura emanating from the woman called Alisa.


    "Did I allow you to speak? How dare you interrupt me¡­"


    A frown was etched on her forehead, and there was a hint of anger in her eyes. Her long hair fluttered behind her with the sudden gust of wind.


    "A man, you say¡­ huh? Sir Dennis? Dennis Rivera, if I am not wrong¡­"


    She whispered in a tone that carried hatred.


    The pressure around her multiplied significantly as all the children present had their expressions change.


    Oliver felt his knees buckle slightly, the weight of her aura pressing down on him like an unseen hand.


    ''Ugh-!''


    Oliver looked at her. The pressure was as heavy as what he faced on the mountain. It was as if someone was trying to press him to the ground.


    Bam!


    He heard a noise and saw Alphonso copse under the pressure, unable to withstand it.


    Amber was gritting her teeth, trying to endure it with all her might. Her hand was holding a gem ball that pulsed with light from time to time. He was sure it was an artifact she was using to support herself.


    Oliver closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to do something, or they might all copse.


    "M-Miss Alisa, may I know why you are angry?"


    He said and instantly regretted it. The woman paused and looked at him. Suddenly, all the pressure disappeared from the atmosphere as if it was never there.


    However, the next instant, all of it was directly focused on him as she stared at him intently.


    "Why, you ask?"


    "The name ''Dennis Rivera.'' Whom did you hear it from?"


    Oliver had a dark expression at the moment. The pressure on him was terrifyingly huge, far greater than what he felt on the mountain.


    "I heard it from the n elder," he said, his voice steady despite the weight pressing down on him. "Why does that name anger you so much?"


    He looked at the woman with a frown. Why was she venting her anger on him?


    Even so, if he bent down here, what respect would he have left? His mind raced as he sorted out the ways to stop this pressure bearing down on him.


    He moved his head and looked directly at the woman who was the source of all this.

 Chapter 125: He fell off the mountain!?

    Chapter 125: He fell off the mountain!?


    Chapter 125


    Now that his espera had recovered, he didn''t hesitate to use it again to fortify himself instantly against the pressure.


    The woman showed a hint of surprise; through her senses, she could tell that this boy did not have this much espera when she was assessing them.


    But now, all of a sudden, more and more espera was flowing out from his body like a smooth waterfall. Where was this espera from then if not from him?


    Did she make a mistake when analyzing them? The chances of that happening were slim but not zero.


    And for some strange reason, she felt that she could not properly analyze this little kid. Either he had an artifact strong enough to counter her, or something else...


    Nheless, the pressure that was directed towards him was quite a lot for his level, and he was doing fine against it.


    While she was angry, there was a part of her mind that was shocked by his resilience.


    ''Hmm...?''


    She narrowed her eyes when she saw him looking at her.


    Shiver!


    Suddenly, a cold chill went up her spine as she instinctively put her hand in front of her, preparing to block an iing strike.


    However, the anticipated strike did note.


    She was sure that just now she felt that he was going to attack her with something deadly.


    She could feel it in her guts; just a moment ago when she looked into his eyes, something definitely happened.


    It was an instinct. She was a veteran who had lived close to death during her prime days on the battlefield.


    There was no doubt about it. If she dared to instinctively block an intent directed by him towards her, then it was unmistakably something dreadful.


    To make her be on guard against him?


    He, who was barely a Rank-1 exorcist?


    If she told someone that a Rank-1 exorcist was able to make her be on her guard, her colleagues and friends would never believe her.


    She let out an amused smirk, as the previous anger slowly dissipated, and so did the pressure that was being exerted on Oliver.


    Oliver felt relieved that the pressure was now gone.


    He was really pissed off at her for suddenly targeting him when he did not even do anything to her.


    The only thing he did was to defuse the situation before tensions escted.


    Just now he had to use suppressed [Enshrouding of Death] on her to bring her back to her senses.


    What sort of teacher was she!?


    If she was able to lose her temper over a verbal thing, then she was not sane at all.


    Leaving children like them with her was madness.


    Looking at the angry expression Oliver was making, Alisa could not help butugh.


    "Now, now, I apologize for my outburst. It was childish of me to behave as such with mere children. I am sure you guys are the clueless bunch here," she softly smiled at him as she added, "In fact, it should be those bunch of old men who instigated this whole thing now that I think about it¡­ My gosh, such scheming people to use children as bait just to get at me."


    "And here I was thinking why they left so suddenly without meeting me personally. I thought at that time they might have n duties, but now I am sure why they were in a hurry to leave... or escape?"


    Oliver heard this but still did not feel any better. It could not change that she did behave rudely with him alone.


    Perhaps sensing his emotions and train of thought, she said, "Alright, don''t be like that. I did apologize already, no? I will give you a gift, so let''s forget about it."


    Hearing her mention ''gift'' made his ears perk up. Well, if the gift was worth it, then he was willing to let it off.


    "You are not joking, are you?" he looked at her suspiciously. Despite being old, Oliver never had a decent experience with aged people of this world. One might think you mature as you age, but all the old people were behaving this way.


    "Of course, I never go back on my words," she trailed off as she looked at his suspicious stare, "You... don''t believe my words, do you?"


    Oliver did not say anything and just went back. He would see if she would keep her word in the future or not.


    "Miss Alison, well, but what happened? Why were you so angry just now?"


    Be asked in a curious and alert tone. Just now, they were almost crushed by her pressure alone.


    Alison''s face twitched for a second before she shook her head, "Forget it, it''s a long story. I will tell you some other time. For now, we should proceed further."


    "Oh..." Be didn''t pursue the matter anymore. She could see Alison was ufortable with this.


    "So, let''s start from the beginning. From now on, I will be your teacher, so refer to me as such, or you can call me ''Master'' too, just like Sigfor if you want." Alison went back to herposed expression as she continued.


    "While you were all climbing, I made some analysis by observing you lot and will devise different training ns for each one of you. Not only that, I have recorded the steps you have climbed."


    She pped her hands, and a ckboard emerged out of nowhere and started floating to her right.


    It was probably retrieved from her storage artifact that she might have been carrying on her.


    On the ckboard, there was something written in bold and big words.


    It was a leaderboard of sorts, written by her.


    "This here is the leaderboard that I made, your future¡ª"


    "Excuse me, Miss Alison!" Alphonso suddenly interrupted by raising his hand.


    "What is it?" she frowned in displeasure at being interrupted once again.


    Once again?


    "Umm, well, the thing is Daniel is still not here after you ''pushed'' him out some time ago..."


    "..."


    It was only then that others also realized that they had continued without Daniel.


    It''s true. He was still not here.


    It couldn''t be that she threw him off the mountain, right?

 Chapter 126: Leaderboard! Whos at the top!?

    Chapter 126: Leaderboard! Who''s at the top!?


    Chapter 126


    Alison did not notice the bewildered expressions on their faces and disappeared from her spot, only to reappear a momentter with a boy having messy hair and fog leaving his mouth.


    It was Daniel, and he was unconscious, perhaps from the impact earlier that sent him out.


    A vial appeared in Alison''s hand carrying a strawberry-red liquid as she slowly poured the contents into Daniel''s mouth.


    "Cough¡­" he slowly woke up and looked around in confusion before looking at the person holding him.


    His face paled as he looked at her with a look of horror. Just now, when he was thrown back by her, hended among some strange vines that bit him in multiple ces, making his vision blurry and his surroundings strange, and after that, he cked out.


    Only now did he wake up and realize those vines were definitely poisonous.


    This was a terrifying woman¡­ he didn''t want to be held by her.


    "Hey there, it''s my fault for earlier, haha. I will give you a gift too¡­ let''s pretend nothing happened."


    She put him down and patted his back as if nothing had happened, then took him to stand beside the others.


    This time, he was subdued and did not speak much for fear of offending this woman again.


    As for having a masculine teacher with big and strong muscles? He put that matter aside for now.


    ______________


    "So, here''s the ranking leaderboard!"


    [Ranking board:


    [1st: White-haired kid ¡ª 8438 steps]


    [2nd: Girl with tinum hair ¡ª 6975 steps]


    [3rd: Girl with no expressions ¡ª 6897 steps]


    [4th: Golden-haired girl ¡ª 5493 steps]


    [5th: Tool-using girl ¡ª 3482 steps]


    [6th: Muscle-headed kid ¡ª 3395 steps]


    [7th: Weak-looking kid ¡ª 2987 steps]


    _____________


    "¡­."


    They looked at the peculiar nicknames they had been assigned by their new ''teacher'' and could not help but have nk expressions.


    "Huh? What''s with the look? Did you not understand something this simple?" she looked at them confusedly.


    "Miss Alison, I demand that you change my name!" Alphonso raised his hand again andined, "Why am I the only one written with such a demeaning name?"


    "That''s because you were thest and weakest of the bunch. I don''t know your names either. So on that note, start introducing yourselves one by one."


    The others remained silent unlike him, their eyes were fixated on the first rank, that was now assigned to Oliver, all of them had a strong expression in their eyes.


    Especially Be, whose eyes were burning with determination and spirit, she was burning this sight in her memory, she could not believe that there was such wide gap between her and him.


    He was younger than her and despite this was able to cross her with such a huge gap, she was really unwilling. She remembered the scene of her duel with him and how effortlessly he had dodged each one of her strikes.


    Oliver was definitely a guy with many secrets, she was equally curious about what was he hiding and how strong was he actually, his powers, his espera, his rank as an exorcist, she wanted to know them andpare.


    ''I will defeat you sooner orter¡­'' she thought with an intense glint passing through her eyes.


    Oliver suddenly felt goosebumps crawling all over his skin as he looked around.


    He noticed Nadia staring at him with her usual cold eyes.


    He could guess that she was probably wondering how he managed to overtake her by such a margin.


    He smiled wryly, this result made him aware of his current standing. It was neither good nor bad. Decent at most in his opinion. He felt he could do more if he used Abyss energy as well.


    Such was the case with Daniel and Amber as well, despite getting thrown off, he still felt that Oliver was indeed a worthy opponent.


    Not to mention, it was definitely a surprise for him, he had expected Be to top the rankings considering how she defeated Oliver in their duel but it was opposite now.


    He clutched the handle of his sword hard, he would really like to test Oliver''s sword skills too and see if he was better than him in that aspect or not.


    If he was, then¡­


    An unreadable glint shed past his dark eyes.


    Amber, on the other hand, was also looking at the board with narrowed eyes. She had expected this result.


    That''s right, to her this was not an unexpected result unlike others who were predicting Be to rank at top.


    While others might not have thought or noticed, she did see it during his fight with Be, her entire focus was on Oliver¡ªmore specifically his nonchnt expression during the whole fight.


    It did not look to her that he was struggling a bit at all.


    If anything, he had a calcting look in his eyes at that time, she had seen that sort of look many times so she was familiar with it. It was a look she often had when analyzing her tools or artifacts, determining their structure or use.


    Perhaps this was also why she had been more interested in talking with him since the beginning. She could feel that he and her were simr to some degree.


    Alphonso wanted to argue more but could not. He remembered what happened to Daniel and shut his mouth. He was having a hard time swallowing such humiliation for the first time ever. If he spoke more then he would only look like a loser having hard time epting his position.


    After everyone introduced themselves, the teacher nodded and pointed towards the house in the back.


    "Since all of you are tired now, I will start the proper training from tomorrow. For now, all of you can choose a room on the first floor for yourself."


    "As for Oliver and Daniel, I will prepare gifts for you boyster."


    She said this as she left in a hurry.


    "Well, fuck! She finally left!"


    Daniel fell to his knees as he happily shouted. He was really relieved now.


    "Damn, where did you even fly to?"


    Oliver could not help but ask curiously, making Daniel shudder.


    "I-I¡­ forget it¡­"


    He didn''t borate and simply walked up to the huge mansion or dormitory for them.


    "We should also quickly get ourselves a room too and rest."


    Be asked the others, and they too soon entered the house.


    Oliver picked a room in the farthest corner possible to avoid being near any of them. The others saw this and did not intrude or take a room close to him.


    It was basic courtesy that since the other party did not want to share too much space, they should not insist either.


    They all had their pride to uphold as well.


    The day was uneventful as all of them rested in their rooms and set up their belongings. The whole house had polished wooden flooring and looked quite simple and peaceful inside.

 Chapter 127: Element awakening ceremony! Alphonsos turn!

    Chapter 127: Element awakening ceremony! Alphonso''s turn!


    Chapter 127


    Oliver was feeling nostalgic. His home was also like this, so it gave him a familiar feeling.


    The next day, all of them gathered in the huge room on the ground floor just close to the entrance.


    Alison was sitting before them with her legs crossed as she scrutinized each one of them intently.


    "Let us begin now. First of all, I noticed that some of you have yet to awaken your elements while some of you have done this already. So for those who have not yet awakened their element, we will be doing that first," she said and added,


    "The first course of training will involve honing your elemental espera and the associated maniption training over your element."


    There was a hint of excitement in their eyes when they heard this. They were going to witness the process of others awakening their element.


    They were really curious about what element their peers were about to awaken.


    "This here is a vial carrying Honorable Stars'' Essence, the very thing that will serve as a catalyst to help you awaken your element."


    She instructed as she got up from the chair she was sitting on. Her hand was suddenly carrying a vial containing a greenish-colored glowing liquid, which was most likely the Honorable Stars'' Essence.


    "This is Honorable Stars'' Essence, and it will act as a catalyst to stir your espera and awaken an attribute to it. Know that the attribute could be purely random or might not match with your parents'' either. Although that happening is rare, it is not impossible. There have been several cases where individuals awaken very different elements in contrast to their parents'' elements. However, usually, it is the same element."


    She paused before continuing,


    "You all might be aware of this potion to some extent. Know that this is a priceless thing and not anyone can get their hands on this. You all are fortunate and thus were able to get this chance so easily. However, themon exorcist out there might need to pour their life savings just to get one if they had the connections to buy one."


    She gazed at the three kids who were going to awaken their elements and told them,


    "Alright,e forward when I call your name. I will provide you with one bottle of Honorable Stars'' Essence and help you awaken an element. Those who have already awakened, stand to the side and watch quietly."


    "This Honorable Stars'' Essence was made from extracts obtained from harsh environments by very skilled alchemists out there using starlight as a catalyst. You can guess how precious it is. Each vial contains the distilled essence of starlight."


    She looked at their fascinated expressions and further said, "It''s a coveted treasure that even myself had to wait to obtain one. Be grateful to your ns for arranging them for you lot."


    "Now,e one by one, Alphonso."


    She gazed at the properly dressed kid with neatlybed hair, "Youe first."


    Alphonso realized that he was the first one. He did not hesitate and walked up to her. He was also curious about what element he was going to awaken.


    He did have some hypotheses in his mind that predicted what element he might awaken but was not too sure.


    Those assumptions of his were solely based on what elements his parents and grandparents had.


    If it was going to be a random element, then his guesses would be useless.


    "I am ready, teacher Alison!"


    He was eager to awaken a new element.


    "Drink this and sit down in front of me. Also, keep yourself focused during this whole time."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    He politely nodded and gracefully sat on the straw mat with his legs folded.


    He slowly started to gulp down the potion that was given to him. A burst of energy followed after it inside his body, and he closed his eyes and directed his focus to channeling the overflowing power inside.


    As the essence coursed through him, Alphonso felt a surge of warmth in his core and focused all his concentration on the awakening process.


    Everyone watched with anticipation.


    Oliver nced at Evelyn and Be beside him and Daniel next to them. It seemed only they had awakened their elements beforehand.


    The rest, Amber, Alphonso, and Nadia, would be undergoing this ritual or process of sorts to awaken their elements.


    He felt lucky to not hastily try to bind the target to Evelyn. He had to find an opportunity to get in physical contact with her too for some moments.


    He observed the change in Alphonso''s reactions and remembered his own past experience. By now, he should have awakened the element already.


    He had earlier offered Nadia the Honorable Stars'' Essence that he had received from the ck Codex Federation. However, at that time, she had refused his reasons due to her personal conflicts and dignity.


    She would have long awakened a water element had she drunk that Honorable Stars'' Essence he had given her in the past.


    But this was also not a problem now since she no longer had any reason to refuse such a potion from the teacher they had now.


    He could not help but feel a bit d since Nadia was now going to awaken an element too. He was also going to reap the benefits now since awakening an element was a major thing.


    What Alison had not told them was that there was a chance of failure as well, to be not able to awaken anything. But she did not tell them for obvious reasons.


    Each one of them present here had extraordinary backgrounds and bloodlines. There was no chance that they were not going to awaken anything at all.


    Had he already targeted Evelyn earlier, he would have missed this good opportunity¡­


    One thing he was feeling curious about was what reward he was about to obtain.


    He felt a bit perplexed since what would be tenfold of an elemental attribute?


    Wouldn''t that also be an element itself?


    Or maybe it was more of a thing rted to maniption and mastery? Unlikely but possible nheless.


    "Uhmm¡­"


    Oliver heard Alphonso release a grunt as he exhaled and opened his eyes.


    "I seeded! Teacher, I have awakened an element!"


    He excitedly said to her.


    "Hmm. Show it then," Alison calmly said.


    "Yes, here it is¡­"


    With a triumphant grin, Alphonso demonstrated his newfound element with excitement.


    He concentrated as a huge gust of wind started blowing out from the direction of his stretched-out hand. The tip of his fingertip had a strong air current gathering non-stop.


    "Air element, great. You could specialize in your speed and sharpness. The Fallen Heart n patriarch doesn''t have the air element, and neither should your mother have it as far as I remember, so it''s a random element. Wait with the others while the restplete their awakening ceremony."


    She pointed for him to stand to the side, which he did as he went up to the others. He was congratted.


    "Congrattions! Your element is awesome!" Be sincerely praised him, which he epted graciously by thanking her.


    Be''s sincere praise lifted Alphonso''s spirits even higher. He nodded gratefully, he had been quite down since some days¡ªespecially aftering atst ce.

 Chapter 128: Obtaining 10x rewards! A body constitution!

    Chapter 128: Obtaining 10x rewards! A body constitution!


    "Congrattions! Your element is awesome!" Be sincerely praised him, which he epted graciously by thanking her.


    Oliver also gave his set of praises and let Daniel finish.


    "Woah, dude! I can''t wait to spar with you!"


    "Next, Amber,e forward," Alisa said as Amber stepped forward, drank the potion just like Alphonso did, and started meditating with crossed legs.


    Soon, she also managed to awaken her own element.


    "I did it! It''s the earth element! A great match for me, hahaha."


    She cheered joyfully as she, a tool exorcist, was best suited with the earth element for crafting and forging techniques as per her n''s nature.


    "Earth element is indeed suitable for you. Get in line now. We will prepare for it ordingly."


    Again, she was cheered up by Be and Evelyn. Oliver also added a few perfunctory words.


    But he failed to notice Amber''s disappointed look as she heard his superficial praise. She silently gritted her teeth; it seemed she was still not worth anything in his eyes.


    She did not understand why, but she was determined to see a hint of seriousness for herself in his eyes. She had not felt better ever since the mountain climb challenge either.


    She had been overthinking that Oliver was probably looking down on her due to her using tools to aid her climb and not her own strength while he was far above everyone.


    Was she seeking validation? She did not know, but she wanted him to acknowledge her seriously.


    ''Just you wait¡­''


    In fact, Oliver did not even know what she was thinking about; his only focus so far had been mostly on Evelyn or Nadia.


    He was quite busy thinking about his future ns here with Alison and what sort of training they might be undergoing.


    There were too many things; he did not even bother thinking about Amber at all. He never looked down on any one of them either.


    It was something she was making up on her own and deceiving herself with it.


    She did not realize this, and neither did Oliver, who was now intently looking at Nadia, whose turn was next.


    "Next, Nadia,e here and repeat what others did," Alison said as she handed her the Honorable Stars'' Essence. Nadia narrowed her eyes; she remembered this seaweed green-colored potion.


    It was the exact same thing Oliver had wanted to give her when he visited herst time in her courtyard.


    At that time, she did think it was a rare potion given its glow and shine, but she could have never expected him to get his hands on an essence as rare as this one.


    She had some questions in her mind as to how he got his hands on something like this and stuff, but she was too cold to ask him face to face. She could only remain curious.


    She could not help but feel her heart pumping faster; he wanted to give her such a precious potion at that time even after knowing its benefits and uses?


    She did not know why, but her throat felt as if there was a lump in it; she could not turn her head and look at him for some reason.


    ''No, I must not think about such trivial things. I need to grow stronger.''


    Her eyes turned sharp as she gracefully sat down, opened the vial, and slowly drank its contents with a slow and steady gulp.


    Oliver noticed everyone''s attention was focused on her, so he nudged Daniel slightly.


    "Hmm? What is it?" Daniel asked curiously; this was the first time that Oliver spoke to him.


    "I have got nature''s call iing, so I need to leave momentarily. The teacher is busy right now, so if she asks, tell her this. I will try to be back as soon as possible. Thanks."


    Oliver did not give a chance to speak and directly rushed back towards his room with silent footsteps.


    "¡­." Daniel was truly speechless. He shook his head and focused on Nadia instead; he wanted to know what this powerful girl was going to awaken as her element.


    Be also sensed movement behind her and saw him leave silently. She frowned. Where was Oliver going at this moment?


    Did he not want to see his sister''s element?


    ____________


    "Huff¡­ huff¡­"


    Oliver quickly entered his room, closing the door shut, as he quickly assumed a meditative pose. It was about time.


    [Ding! Target has awakened an espera element after drinking Honorable Stars'' Essence! The Ice Element.]


    [Ding! Obtaining 10x benefits. The Eternal Winter Physique obtained!]


    [Constitution will be awakened in the host¡­]


    "Kuh-!"


    Oliver bit his lips as a strong and chilling sensation spread right in his heart, quickly spreading and reaching every part of his body.


    His brain felt numb due to the sudden coldness that exploded inside him.


    He felt his body temperature drop significantly; it was as if he was slowly freezing¡ªslowly freezing into an ice sculpture.


    The chill produced was terrifyingly cold; he was experiencing frostbite in every part of his body.


    The pain was maddening, and he would have already gone crazy had it not been for his Level 5 strength that his physique and body were improved, and he was able to endure it.


    This did not mean he waspletely fine. In fact, if it was possible, he would have screamed out his lungs.


    But he knew better than to do it actually, given Alison was just below with the others.


    His chest felt particrly cold and numb, and he could feel that his heartbeat had slowed down significantly as if he was in a cryogenic chamber.


    The ultra-cold sensation had spread through every bit of his body right now.


    The freezing sensation was literally prating into his skin, inflicting a painful experience.


    But Oliver remained steadfast and endured all of it slowly.


    He could feel it calming down and a new icy-cold sensation flowing through his body¡­


    ___________


    [Eternal Winter Physique]


    [Description: The superior form of the ice element! You now have the special body constitution! The ability to plunge entire regions into deep freeze, create and manipte icebergs, and generate blizzards is just the tip of the iceberg.


    Upon greater mastery of the element, you can even manipte the temperature to absolute zero, and once gaining absolute control over the element, it is possible to create ice creatures.]


    ____________


    "Phew¡­" he exhaled a long breath as his eyes opened slowly.


    No sooner did they open, he was met with an extremely strange scene in front of him.

 Chapter 129: She saw it!

    Chapter 129: She saw it!


    Chapter 129


    "Phew¡­" he exhaled a long breath as his eyes opened slowly.


    No sooner did they open than he was met with an extremely bizarre scene in front of him.


    His surroundings, his room, were covered inyers of frost and visibly transparent ice.


    His bed, cupboard, and desk were frozen in crystalline ice.


    The floor in front of him had white snow particles gathered, forming a cluster of snow.


    And the door behind him also had some ice coating on it along with the walls.


    "¡­."


    He finally understood that he had awakened a special physique as the tenfold reward for the target awakening an element.


    He didn''t expect that the reward would be a whole physique for an attribute element.


    This was a delightful surprise.


    In this world, there were some lucky individuals who were born with or awakened special constitutions in the span of their lives.


    These special physiques or constitutions were widely sought after in this world, by both demons and humans.


    People born with such constitutions were highly sought after by various factions and ns. No matter how minor a body constitution was, someone always paid attention to their powers.


    In this world, there were bloodlines as well that originated from deep roots and highly superior beings to their descendants.


    The more powerful a bloodline someone had, the more potential they had to unlock more innate abilities exclusive to their blood and family ancestors.


    This was also one of the reasons why the five major ns have been able to persist so long and keep their dominance over other smaller orrger ns and misceneous organizations for centuries.


    Their bloodlines were extremely dense and thick. Not to mention, the demons coveted the blood of such people badly. Especially if they were descendants of the five major ns or someone as great.


    It was known that devouring such exorcists granted a very huge boost to these demons, so they were quite crazed about them and even offered tremendous prices to anyone who brought them that blood or even the person itself.


    Of course, Oliver also had the direct blood from none other than the patriarch and matriarch of the Mystic Purge n. His blood was extremely precious.


    But, had it been the case, he would have been born talented or with some talent at least due to the blood. However, he did not.


    That was most likely due to the fact that his bloodline was not dense or rather was not able to bnce the power of the two powerful bloodlines into one, and thus his bloodline was weaker than his siblings.


    This was quite strange, how did his body was the only one to be messed up out of all siblings?


    It was a really worrisome matter to not have a potent bloodline despite being the heir of a major n.


    But Oliver, who knew about this, was not all that worried about such stuff at all.


    He could feel that after bing the Circuit of Abyss, his very being had undergone a significant change.


    His bloodline hadpletely transformed into something else as well. It was not a simple matter.


    He could tell this much from the unknown knowledge he had received in his mind when he became connected to the Abyss.


    He had been slowly trying to decipher and understand bit by bit of what the information was all about everyday.


    It would be soon when he manages to obtain some clues about the changes in his body.


    Even in the novel he read, there was no explicit mention of Abyss and anything rted to such¡­


    Either way, there were countless mysterious things that he was not aware of and had to focus on.


    For now, it was better to be strong enough first.


    He was already quite strong for being a Rank-1 exorcist.


    Right now, his main focus was to stabilize the power and train his elemental abilities along as well.


    __________


    Exhaling slightly, he could feel a chilly sensation spreading throughout his body.


    Crack¡­ Crack¡­


    He slowly tried to stand up, and small cracking sounds were heard as he felt the thin iceyer beneath him shatter when he stood up.


    ''How do I clean up this icy mess?''


    He was just wondering when he heard footsteps closing in followed by a series of knocking sounds.


    Knock! Knock!


    "Oliver, are you fine? Teacher Alison is almost finished with awakening Nadia''s element. You are going to miss it."


    He heard the feminine soft voice and instantly recognized the owner.


    It was Be.


    She was here to get him?


    He frowned. Had it already been long enough for someone toe looking for him?


    He did ask Daniel to be a proxy for him in case someone asked, but he did not expect Be to suddenlye up.


    "Oliver, are you there?"


    Be''s voice once again sounded out as he contemted whether to reply to her or not.


    ''Would she leave if I don''t speak?''


    He decided to remain quiet and wait for her to leave on her own after being ignored.


    And as he had expected, she soon stopped calling out.


    Just as he heaved a sigh of relief, he once again heard her voice.


    "I aming inside, please excuse me¡ª"


    She pushed the door open as it slowly creaked open.


    Oliver froze in his tracks. She actually entered his room like that?


    He looked in shock as he watched her face while she also met his eyes.


    Both of them had a face of shock with surprise written all over their expressions.


    Oliver was partly shocked by the fact that this girl really dared to enter his room just like that. He didn''t expect someone like her, who used to maintain a proper sense of manners and discipline, toe in just like that.


    Where did all those manners go? Isn''t itmon sense not to enter someone''s room if they are not there? Why did she enter then?


    ''And not to mention, these doors seriously require locks!''


    He looked at the wooden door in frustration. There was no lock there. How would they maintain their privacy like this?


    Not to mention, Be literally brute-forced the door. There was still a thinyer of ice covering the door, but she had just opened it, directly ripping off the ice sticking to the door frame.


    But on second thought, when he remembered how high up on the mountain they were and how isted this house was, there was not really a need for installing locks on individual rooms.


    Especially not when someone dangerous like Alison was living there alone. Who would dare intrude in such a ce guarded by a strong veteran exorcist?


    Definitely someone with a death wish¡­


    He shook his head and focused on the girl in front of him.


    The room was still frozen and Be was gawking at him and the room with a shocked look.


    His eyes turned sharp, he was feeling really displeased at her abrupt entry.


    She really intended to barge in his room... if she had not intended to do so then she would have left when she was met with resistance from the frozen door hinges, yet she pushed open the door.

 Chapter 130: Removing the ice from the room!

    Chapter 130: Removing the ice from the room!


    Chapter 130


    He had always wondered how perverts in anime were able to barge inside any room and have incidents. Why did they not lock the door beforehand? Was this the same situation? Or something simr to that?


    He sighed internally. He had to do something about this problem in the future.


    However, now that he was seen by Be, he did not feel flustered as he had expected to initially. On the contrary, his heart remained calm.


    ''Is this rted to the Eternal Winter Physique?'' he thought about how the new physique would affect his body and mind from now on.


    He gazed at Be, who was looking at his face in surprise before her eyes wandered to the room covered in ice and frost.


    "T-This¡­?" she mumbled, her tone carrying a hint of astonishment.


    "What happened to this room?"


    Finally, she could no longer help but question the guy at the center of it all.


    "Before that, Be¡­ why did you enter my room?"


    Oliver replied to her with a question rather than an answer. It was an age-old mind tactic where to divert someone''s attention from a particr topic, the party would answer with a question rather than a reply.


    And it was effective as Be flinched when she remembered this discourtesy of hers.


    "I-" she spoke, "I am sorry, I saw that you were not there and your sister was about to awaken her element for the first time. I did not want you to miss such a precious moment, and you were noting back, so I was worried if you were in some situation."


    She paused as she met his eyes with a hint of seriousness. It was true when she said that she came here because of this.


    But when she did not receive any response, she could not control her curiosity to see what he was doing to miss such a moment and entered his room like that.


    She was aware of how disrespectful this action was, for her to barge into someone else''s room.


    But she really could not control her curiosity and wanted to know what he was up to.


    Oliver looked at her determined eyes and was speechless. Any onlooker would think that he had done something wrong if they did not know the situation beforehand.


    He forced himself not to facepalm. So much for being a sophisticated heir of major ns.


    "Fine, leave now. I willeter."


    He shook his head and asked her to leave. He had to remove the icyyer.


    "But-" she stopped. She wanted to say something but in the end did not speak, "¡ªwell¡­e quickly. Nadia is stabilizing the element, so it should not be toote."


    Saying so, she silently closed the door and left. She knew that she should not pry too much into his matters. She could already feel that Oliver did look disappointed.


    The scene of the room shed through her mind. When she opened the door, she clearly felt the chilly temperature in the room. It was very cold, and she could feel it on her skin.


    It was as if the room was experiencing a different season¡ªa cold winter.


    She wanted to know what that was. Even his skin had frost coverings on it as if someone had frozen him, but she did not ask him.


    Everyone had their own secrets, and it was probably his secret. If he did not feelfortable sharing it, then she should not interfere.


    ''Haah¡­ what is happening? Where is theposure that I had been maintaining so far? I have been losing control of myself more often nowadays.''


    In the end, she returned downstairs.


    __________


    Oliver looked at the ice coatings and stretched out his hand. With just his will alone, the ice and frost in the room started to quiver before cracking and popping sounds started to echo in the room.


    Crunch!


    Like ss shattering, all the icyyers broke into thin and small pieces.


    His finger moved and made an upward motion as a strong current of espera released from the tip of his finger.


    The countless shattered small ice pieces started to float above the ground, as they suddenly started to gather at a single point.


    Crackle! Crackle!


    More and more ice pieces followed and started to merge together before a small ice sphere started to take shape.


    It was a small transparent crystalline ice ball.


    Oliver beckoned the ice ball toward himself. The floating crystal sphere levitated towards him beforending in his hand.


    He felt the freezing temperature on his skin as he held the ice ball.


    Tap Tap Tap


    He moved towards the only window in the room and opened the sash using the handles.


    He held out the crystal ice ball. In the very next instant, the ball of ice started to churn and deform before turning into cold water and flowing down his palm.


    He already had some mastery over the water element, which was his first awakened element, so it was not a big deal that he was able to convert ice back to water.


    After making sure that everything was normal, he went downstairs as well, where he saw Nadia almost finished doing everything.


    He reached just in time. She opened her eyes and looked around. Their eyes met as Oliver gave her a thumbs up.


    She stood up and looked at Alison.


    "So which is it?" she questioned in interest.


    "Ice element."


    "That''s a great one¡ªa hybrid element is often more powerful in both offense and defensepared to basic elements." Her eyes lit up when she said this. She looked around. "It is no secret, and you all don''t need to make such faces. ept the truth."


    She said as she side-nced at Alphonso and Amber, who were making difficult faces. She smiled as she further added,


    "However, it alles down to the person themselves. With enough mastery, even the least offensive element could turn into a deadly weapon if sharpened enough. Be hardworking and don''t be disappointed."


    Hearing this, their expressions eased up slightly, albeit slightly stiff nheless.


    "Now that you all have managed to awaken your elements, it is time to start for real."

 Chapter 131: Elemental Chambers! Chamber of Fire!

    Chapter 131: Elemental Chambers! Chamber of Fire!


    Chapter 131


    "Now that you all have managed to awaken your elements, it is time to start for real."


    "The first phase of your training will focus on your elements. This will be to improve your elemental mastery over your awakened element."


    Alison got up from the chair she was sitting on and said, "Follow me."


    The children followed her as she led them outside the huge house, heading towards a small stone tform.


    Oliver noticed a huge array carved on the ground with manyplex runic symbols drawn on its surface.


    Just looking at those symbols made his mind blurred.


    "Get on the array, we are moving to our first location," Alison said in a in tone as everyone gathered inside the array.


    Alison moved her hand in a strange gesture before a gentle light enveloped all of them.


    Oliver felt his head shaking and a sudden urge to vomit. Everything looked blurry, and his head felt nauseous.


    "Ugh-!"


    He heard Daniel almost puke but in the end, controlled himself.


    All of them showed unpleasant expressions as they stabilized themselves by sitting down.


    "Oops! Is this your first time using a space transportation array? It is normal to feel dizzy initially. Don''t worry, it''s nothing serious. You will be fine in a minute or so."


    She had expected them to be used to such space arrays given their n background and lineage.


    Nheless, after they settled down, they saw they were in an entirely different ce. The crisp mountain air filled their lungs, carrying a faint scent of pine and earth.


    In front of them were multiple cuboidal-shaped buildings¡ªor more like chambers.


    Alison''s voice sounded out as she exined, "These are elemental houses, and each chamber here is designed to target one particr element. For all of you with your elements, you will be training inside these."


    "Woah!" Amber''s eyes sparkled as she looked at the structure in front of her. Being someone who was raised in the presence of all sorts of tools, she was very familiar with these things.


    She had heard of their existence but had never seen them personally.


    These elemental houses were specially prepared ces where a specific environment was artificially created through the use of various high-end tools, runic symbols, andplex arrays.


    The main purpose of these elemental houses was to gain mastery over the element associated with your espera.


    And it has been evident since ancient times that the best way to quickly improve your elemental mastery and attribute was to be in a ce rich in that attribute.


    Suppose you have the fire element and want to improve your control over it and increase the potency of the element. The best ce for you would be a location rich in fire element.


    A ce rich in fire-attributed espera.


    Such ces could typically be found in areas near volcanoes or simr environments. However, not everyone could casually go to such harsh ces as they wished.


    So, these elemental houses were made to imitate such ces, and they were quite effective for training.


    However, the amount of resources consumed to keep these elemental houses running was quite exorbitant and pricey, so only a select few would ever get an opportunity to enter such a ce.


    But here they were, the rich heirs of the five major ns. To them, these resources were worth nothing.


    "I assume you all are aware of what these elemental houses are for? Briefly speaking, each one of them has a replicated environment best suited for your element, and for the next few days, you will be frequenting this ce."


    Alison calmly said as she watched them looking at the scene in awe.


    The elemental houses were constructed at a ce on the mountain top. There were some trees behind the elemental houses, and beyond them was endless white fog, so not much was visible to the naked eye.


    However, the scene was still just as enchanting.


    Oliver took a deep breath. The air was slightly cold and fresh.


    He could not wait to enter one of these chambers.


    "Let me give you all a small tour of the elemental houses first."


    She told them to follow her as she led them into the first chamber.


    "This here is the fire-attributed element chamber," she slowly pushed apart the heavy metal door.


    Instantly, a heat wave swept past the whole crowd of children standing behind her.


    She easily entered inside the gate, prompting the others behind her to slowly follow.


    The moment they stepped inside, a zing hot air assaulted their faces instantly.


    Oliver could not help but close his eyes momentarily. Narrowing his eyes, his brows furrowed as he looked at the scenery in front of him.


    In front of him was a pond of terrifyingly hotva, its molten surface bubbling and churning with a menacing glow. The ground beneath their feet was charred and cracked, ckened coal scattered like the remnants of a forgotten inferno. The oppressive heat seemed to pulse from the very air around them, making it hard to breathe.


    It was as if they were standing on the surface of a volcano at the moment. He could feel the heat from the ground through his expensive shoes.


    He was sure that if he stepped inside barefoot, he would burn his soles immediately.


    Not only that, but just the normal temperature in the room was very hot, and he was already starting to feel ufortable just being present inside.


    "Agh-! It burns my face!" Amber cried out as she ran back to the exit, leaving the room at once.


    "Tsk, tsk, she can''t even handle this level of heat. Well, it should be expected given her endurance," Alison shook her head as she said this.


    Alphonso heaved a heavy sigh, wiping off the sweat that streamed down his face like a river. Each breath felt like inhaling fire, his lungs protesting against the scorching air. His clothes clung to his skin, drenched in sweat, as he desperately tried to find some relief from the relentless heat.


    It was as if he was inside a literal volcano. He was relieved that he was not the first one to escape the room.


    "I¡ªexcuse me, but I cannot stand here anymore¡­ my skin is burning¡­" he said after a few more seconds passed.


    In the end, Alphonso also spoke up. He could not tolerate it either.

 Chapter 132: Bellas element! The teachers shock!

    Chapter 132: Be''s element! The teacher''s shock!


    Chapter 132


    "I¡ªexcuse me, but I cannot stand here anymore¡­ my skin is burning¡­" Alphonso said after a few more seconds passed by. He couldn''t shake off the burning sensation on his skin. He nced at the others, seeking reassurance, but found only shared difort etched on their faces.


    In the end, Alphonso also spoke up.


    "Hahaha, well, we are all leaving now," Alison said as she nced at the faces of the others. She could see Daniel and Evelyn having a tough time as well.


    "It looks like you all are too weak to be here."


    Hearing her words, they couldn''t help but lower their heads in embarrassment. After all, it was true that they were really having a tough time just being at the entrance of the chamber.


    The oppressive heat of the chamber seemed to be getting heavier with each second, beads of sweat forming on their brows and trickling down, leaving dark patches on their clothes.


    What if they were asked to go deeper? They really had no endurance.


    "You all don''t need to make such faces. It''s natural that you would feel such difficulty being in an environment that does not align with your element. But still, I want you all to at least be able to hold your ground even if the situation is not in your favor in the future. This is just the beginning, and most people are like this initially."


    Alison said in a soft voice as she asked them to leave one by one.


    "Remember, true strength isn''t just about thriving infort¡ªit''s about enduring through the challenges," she added, her voice firm yet encouraging.


    She did notice one thing, however¡­


    And that was Oliver''s resistance. She could see all the other children were drenched in sweat and had terrible expressions.


    But he¡­


    He remained unbothered¡­ she could not see a drop of sweat on him amidst the furnace-like heat, his eyes steady and breaths even, contrasting starkly with the others'' evident struggles.


    ''Is he more resistant to the fire element? What''s his element?''


    She wondered this as she looked at the others. Even Nadia had a frown on her face while leaving; she had awakened the ice element, so naturally, she was in a ce pr opposite to her inherent attribute. She was at a natural disadvantage there.


    She decided to ask them their elements once they were out. If her guess was correct, then Oliver might have an element close to the fire element or aligning with the fire element family branch.


    How could she know that after obtaining a special physique, his body constitution had changed a lot?


    With the [Eternal Winter Physique], even in disadvantageous surroundings, he would still be resistant to a very high degree.


    His natural body temperature alone was now way lower than a normal human would have in the first ce. So normal heat had little to no effect on his naturally cold body now.


    The [Eternal Winter Physique] not only protected him but seemed to exude a faint aura of frost, subtly cooling the air around him.


    While an individual with an ice element might suffer, someone like him, whose entire body constitution was based on evolved ice, naturally would not be at a serious disadvantage in such a ce.


    After exiting the fire element chamber, Alison swiftly closed the heavy metal door with a bam.


    She turned around and couldn''t help but question, "Right, I forgot to ask, but what are your elements?"


    Her eyes scanned the group with keen interest, awaiting their responses.


    She eyed Oliver, Be, Daniel, and Evelyn when she asked this question.


    "I have the Thunder element," Daniel spoke up first, seemingly proud of his attribute nature. The Thunder element was a branch variant of themon element and was extremely potent.


    "Oh, you have inherited your n''s signature element. Not bad."


    Alison had a hint of surprise. The Thunder element was notmon and was quite rare in general.


    Individuals with the Thunder element had a lot of potential, given that it provided both speed and attack power.


    Not to mention, the Sacred Sword n''s main family had many thunder-attributed individuals. Many of their sword techniques and exorcism techniques were based on the Thunder element as well.


    Each technique of their n was quite destructive in nature, and on the battlefield, they always made the demons regret being their opponents.


    It was an impressive element overall.


    "I have the Light element, teacher," Evelyn spoke up next, her eyes shining with a strange glint.


    With her golden shiny hair and deep red eyes, she already had a holy look, but coupled with her Light element, she could easily be termed a saint.


    Her appearance and her element really matched each other.


    "A Light element? That''s very rare," Alisonmented, again surprised.


    The Light element was one of the rarest elements, and not only that, it was the most effective element against demons.


    Just a small attack from the Light element could easily obliterate a demon.


    The exorcism techniques based on the Light element were the absolute weapon against any demon.


    It was noted in textbooks that ancient exorcists with Light elements were one of the major reasons that humanity was able to stand against demons in the first ce.


    As long as you awakened the Light element, you were guaranteed a special spot in any ce in human territory.


    Even the major ns and top organizations would pay attention to an individual with the Light element and nurture them with plenty of resources.


    Alison was genuinely surprised that someone from the Celestial Paradox n''s main family lineage was able to awaken the Light element.


    It could be said that with their potent bloodline and Light element, Evelyn was destined to be a powerhouse in the future. She was a valuable asset to humanity.


    Her eyes couldn''t help but shine. She was going to make sure that Evelyn would be able to utilize her element to the best of her capability.


    She was feeling excited after a long time seeing so much potential¡­


    Be was next as she said in a calm voice, "Teacher, I have maism as my awakened element."


    "¡­"


    Alison felt numb for some reason. The Light element was already so rare, but maism¡­


    That element was very rare. She had hardly ever heard of individuals awakening maism as their element, even in her long life of hundreds of years.


    She could count people with maism as their primary element on one hand.


    But one thing that wasmon among them all was¡­


    They were all powerhouses in their own league!


    She felt a littleplicated inside. Both these sisters had immense potential, and she was the one to nurture them to enter the vast world out there.


    The thought of training someone with such a unique element sent a thrill of challenge through her seasoned veins.


    But the element maism, she did not think that there was an elemental chamber dedicated to that element in these elemental houses.


    The element was extremely rare¡ªeven more so than some known rare elements like light.


    Individuals awakening such elements were one in million, so making an elemental chamber that consumed so much resources for such a small percentage was not very feasible.


    Plus it was not even guaranteed that if they prepared such a chamber, it will ever be used in the future. Who knows that a person with maism as the element would evere under them or not?


    Of course, that was not the only factor, if one were to ignore this in favor of their potential and the future of such individuals for humanity, the main issue was the mystery surrounding the maism element.


    Not only was it not researched in depth, there were manyplexities revolving its true nature, power and method of training.


    The exorcists dedicated to such researches were still not able toprehend the element of maism in as much depth as other elements so far.


    First of all, finding individuals with maism as their element was already very hard, not to mention, convincing them to agree to take part in research was another chore.


    Most of the people would not allow others to research on them or their body¡ªespecially when it might cost them their lives too.


    So Alison''s worry was justified, she would need to delve deeper into this matter and prepare conditions suitable for Be to train her maism element in.


    Of course, she could do much more before that. While finding exorcism techniques and setting up a proper environment for maism might beplex.


    However, she could still train Be in the basic way, all elements followed the simr technique in the beginning stages.


    Maism was a hybrid element and a very mysterious and powerful one at that, control over electromaism, radio waves and even light to some extent. This was just the gist of mastering maism. Not to mention the control over metals it provided.


    It was only untilter that the elements start to have much higher requirements for these.

 Chapter 133: Elemental chambers! Wind, Water, Earth, Ice!

    Chapter 133: Elemental chambers! Wind, Water, Earth, Ice!


    Chapter 133


    It was onlyter that the elements started to have much higher requirements.


    The most that could affect Be was theck of an elemental chamber like others, but it was no matter if she couldpensate for that in other areas and aspects.


    Now it was her duty to train this girl for the future.


    ''I should get in contact with them¡­''


    A fleeting thought passed through her mind as she remembered something.


    She calmed down as she looked at Oliver and asked, "What about you?"


    She was curious about it; this was the main reason why she even asked them in the first ce.


    It all stemmed from her curiosity about his element, and she was surprised by so many answers.


    "Water element," he calmly replied.


    "¡­Ah."


    She did not know why, but she felt slightly disappointed or less excited.


    Perhaps she was expecting something even rarer than the previous answer, so when she received the answer that it was one of the basic elements, she could not muster up that same level of excitement as before.


    She quicklyposed herself as she looked at him. The water element was also great, but she could not understand his previous resistance to heat then.


    She could sense there was something unique about Oliver, something that set him apart from the others. Hisposure and resilience hinted at a deeper power yet to be fully realized. This group, with their diverse elements and extraordinary potential, was unlike any she had trained before.


    The prospect of unlocking theirtent abilities excited her more than she cared to admit.


    The water element was inherently the pr opposite of the fire element, so speaking logically, he should have suffered the most in that environment.


    Shaking her head, she decided to let the matter rest for now. She had more important things to focus on.


    Evelyn, Be¡­ these two sisters needed special attention given their elements.


    "Let''s move on to other chambers. I will show you all of them."


    She announced and led them to the next chamber in high spirits.


    "This here is the earth element chamber."


    They reached another thick metal door as she easily pushed it open.


    Inside, they saw apletely different scenerypared to outside.


    The terrain was rocky with cliffs, boulders, and caves everywhere.


    Uneven ground with a multitude of rocks of varying magnitudes.


    In the distance, there were soil and sand pits scattered around¡ªpossibly for maniption training for the earth element.


    They could even see dense forests withrge trees and massive roots all over the area.


    It was the heart of nature in a sense.


    "Absolutely crazy!" Amber could not help but exim in joy. She was reallypatible with such terrain after awakening the earth element.


    "Well, this is indeed a very beneficial ce for you. Not to mention, these chambers allow the person to manipte some conditions as per choice as well, but you need not bother with them as I will be adjusting those things."


    She rified as she further added, "Now, you can stay here and start using your element while I introduce the other elemental chambers, or you could follow us. I will guide you one by one."


    She asked the others to follow her to get familiar with other chambers.


    Amber decided to follow her since she was also curious about the other element chambers.


    Next was the wind element chamber.


    It was quite simple, with open ins and tall grasses¡­


    High-altitude tforms were built all around in the distance, with strong gusts flowing past them.


    In one corner, they could even see floating bridges in the sky.


    ''They must have utilized space arrays and runes to build this ce¡­'' Oliver thought, amazed.


    The space inside was really vast. One could never tell how big the chamber was just from looking at it from outside.


    The difference was very huge!


    Just from being present near the entrance of the room, they could feel the turbulent and cold winds messing up their hair.


    The wind was already quite fast at the entrance, much less in the deeper area of the room where it was akin to a windy tornado.


    Daniel could not help but look at Alphonso in pity as he went up to him and patted his shoulder.


    "It''s hard out there, man. Don''t get blown away."


    Alphonso''s face turned ugly when he heard Daniel''s remark as he casually swatted away his hand from his shoulder.


    "Humph!" he scoffed. "This is nothing for me. Wind is my domain from now onwards, and this is just the beginning."


    His words, though confident, couldn''t hide the slight tremor in his voice.


    Although he said it, looking at the sharp wind currents and the terrifying speed, he could not help but fall into doubt.


    What if he really gets blown away?


    That would be a terrible oue.


    Daniel smiled slyly as he went back. He wanted to get a reaction out of Alphonso, and he did.


    Next, they went up to the water element chamber.


    The first thing that came to their mind when the door to the chamber opened was¡­


    Blue.


    The surroundings, as far as the eye could see, were filled with the color blue.


    There were vastkes with varying depths, waterfalls with strong water currents and flow, and artificial rivers and streams flowing all around in the distance¡ªeach connected to the other, forming an interconnectedwork.


    The noise of water falling was quite loud in the room. It was as if they were standing near a dam.


    Oliver could not help but reach near ake; it was a clear, transparentke.


    The water was light blue and very clean. He was able to see inside theke clearly.


    Underneath, he saw aquatic nts growing at the bottom of theke, at the bed. The aquatic nts swayed gently with the currents, creating a serene underwater ballet.


    Not to mention¡­


    ''Is that an underwater cave?'' His eyes narrowed when he noticed the mouth of a cave in the depths of theke.


    ''A submerged cave? Is this also rted to this chamber?'' He pondered before quickly going back to the group as they were already leaving.


    He still wanted to see other chambers. He could investigate the caveter.


    After the water chamber was the ice chamber.


    The grounds of the chamber were covered with snow, and icebergs were present all around the ce.


    Frozenkes and icicle formations were present in the distance, with cold mist covering the entire room.


    The group could not help but feel a chill. The temperature was definitely below freezing.


    Not to mention, the cold was directly biting on their skin even at the entrance of the chamber.


    Amber looked down at her fingers and frowned. They were already feeling numb and stiff.


    She nced at Nadia and wondered how she was going to survive in such a ce. The cold was relentlessly seeping throughyers of clothing and chilling them to the bone.


    Be gazed into the distance, and her eyes could not help but widen slightly.


    "Is that a snowstorm!?" She pointed her finger in the distance, and the others followed her lead.


    "It is a snowstorm!" Daniel eximed in shock. He shuddered in the cold atmosphere.


    The chamber was just as deadly as the fire chamber¡ªmaybe even more so since they did not see a firestorm.


    "Nadia, if you are going to stay here, I advise you not to enter deep until I allow you to. It is seriously dangerous in there, so refrain from having even the thought about it until you have enough control over the ice element," she warned her.


    She was already aware that Nadia was not interested in following the group to see other chambers, so she issued her a warning beforehand.


    The safety of her students was paramount, and she wouldn''t allow reckless behavior.


    "I wille hereter to issue you further instructions, so if you want to train until then, you can experiment." Alison turned her head towards Oliver, who looked quitefortable despite the chilling temperature. "Also, Oliver, you have the water element, right? So you can alsoe here to train. It would be beneficial for you to focus on this as well. Same goes for you too, Nadia; you can also use the water chamber to practice control. Ice is a hybrid element from water family."


    "Yes, teacher." Oliver nodded.


    He was feeling quitefortable in this atmosphere. He could feel his body adapting to this ce as if it was his home.


    Just being here alone was making him feel changes. The Eternal Winter Physique was absorbing the ice-attributed espera from the surroundings already.


    He could feel the energy invigorating his body, strengthening him from within.


    He would visit this chamber more often in the future to train his physique here.


    After that, they left to move on to the next chamber. Nadia naturally stayed behind in the ice element chamber, not interested in seeing other chambers, and directly started training.


    Next was the thunder element chamber.


    "This...!"

 Chapter 134: Water Chamber! Fill the cup?

    Chapter 134: Water Chamber! Fill the cup?


    Chapter 134


    Snap! BANG!!


    As soon as Alison opened the thick chamber door, a roaring sound of lightning rang in their ears. The sound was thunderous and terrifyingly loud. The group instinctively flinched at the intensity.


    As soon as the environment came into view of the group, they saw a dark stormy sky with ck clouds covering the entirety of the sky. The air felt charged, almost as if the storm itself was alive and pulsating with energy.


    Constant lightning coursed through those thick clouds, asionally raining down on the ground. Each bolt seemed to crackle with a life of its own, splitting the darkness with blinding light.


    In the distance, there were metal rods rooted into the ground and conductive surfaces spread like sheets in various areas. They covered the floor like patches, and electric current was constantly rampaging through those sheets. The ground itself seemed to tremble with each sh of lightning, proving to the raw power within the chamber.


    The wind was stormy under those dark clouds, and everything was just very destructive in the chamber in general.


    ''This¡­ is not a torture chamber, right?'' Oliver paused as he nced at Daniel, who was dazedly looking at the thunder in the sky. His eyes held a hint of pity when he thought about the little boy that was going to be electrocuted very soon.


    "Well then, let''s move on to thest chamber."


    Alison''s calm voice sounded amidst the roaring thunder as she led them out. Daniel remained back inside the chamber¡ªtoo excited to care about other things anymore.


    Alison did issue him a strict warning as well, to not venture deep into the chamber early on or he would suffer severe consequences.


    It was finally thest chamber that Alison was going to show them.


    "This here is the chamber of the Light element. It was made after extensive research on the element and it consumes way more resources than any other chamber so far," she briefly introduced the chamber and its history.


    Her voice held a note of pride as she spoke, indicating the significance of this particr chamber.


    The history was simple: humanity had always considered individuals with the Light element to be divine missionaries sent from the heavens to aid them in their war against demonic beings and entities.


    The light was seen as a symbol of hope and purity, a beacon in the darkness.


    Exorcists did not believe in such superstitious rumors, but there were many organizations and ns dedicated to worshiping Light element users as their holy beings or messengers of heaven.


    These groups would go to great lengths to protect and venerate those with the Light element, often forming entiremunities around their presence.


    These were so-called fanatics, all controlled by a single big organization in the novel, which was revealed muchter. This organization operated from the shadows, pulling strings and manipting events to maintain their power and influence over the centuries.


    Even he as the reader did not have much information about that part; he was not able to read the novel to that extent, so he was just as clueless as others.


    But he knew that the organization behind it was just as powerful as the ck Codex Federation or even more so¡­


    These elemental chambers were specially requested to be added by such people, donating their research and resources to nurture individuals with the Light element.


    Swish!


    Alison opened the metallic door to the chamber and instantly a bright light enveloped the field of vision of the group.


    Swish!


    Narrowing his eyes, Oliver observed the interior of the chamber of Light.


    It was a bright, open space with varying light intensities.


    The room was filled with bright light of varying intensities, illuminating every corner of the room. There was not an inch of darkness anywhere.


    There were multiple reflective surfaces like mirrors and crystals etched all around the room.


    The group was able to see their reflections at almost all the ces instantly.


    In the distance, there were pirs emitting beams of light and rainbows.


    There was an unmistakable warmth in the room, and the group was able to rx under such warmth.


    It was a calm ce with a bright atmosphere.


    If he was not mistaken, those lights emerging from the pirs were not ordinary by any means. He could sense a huge amount of espera concentrated over those tip points.


    He dared not use [Cosmic Void Gaze] or he was sure he would be shed right in the eyes.


    It would be akin to seeing the sun directly with the naked eye on a bright sunny day.


    He refrained from doing something that reckless.


    "This ce looks amazingly mystical!"


    The group was in awe of the chamber of Light; it was really beautiful after all. Evelyn could not help but feel a little special inside to have awakened the Light element and how all the others in the group were amazed by this.


    "Well then, that''s that for you lot. Now get to the chambers of your respective elements. I will visit you one by one and impart techniques and maniption of your element."


    "Yes, teacher!"


    Slowly, they started to leave for their respective chambers one after the other.


    "Umm¡­" Be suddenly interrupted Alison as she said, "What about me, teacher¡­?"


    She sounded hesitant as all her friends were assigned to chambers of their elements, but she was not.


    She had some inkling as to why that was. Her family had constantly emphasized and praised how rare maism as an awakened element was.


    Nheless, she still felt a little ufortable inside being isted like this while others had something to do and train.


    "Hmm? Don''t worry, girl. We are going to train in a different way." Alison patted her head and asked her to wait outside for a while.


    "Now then, I should get moving too."


    ___________


    Oliver approached the entrance of the Water Chamber, a shiver of anticipation running down his spine.


    The metallic-looking door, made of smooth, translucent blue crystal, shimmered with a soft light, refracting into a spectrum of colors.


    Taking a deep breath, Oliver pressed his hand against the door, which swung open with a gentle whispering sound. The moment he stepped inside, he felt a sense of tranquility wash over him.


    The chamber was illuminated by a bright light from the bioluminescent nts and algae lining the walls and theke. The soft glow created an ethereal atmosphere, making the chamber feel like a hidden oasis.


    He heard the gentle sshing of waterfalls, the soft patter of droplets, and the distant echo of the strong water current. To him, this was not bothersome at all¡ªmore so, it sounded like a peaceful melody.


    It was as if the water was singing a calming luby, inviting him to connect with it.


    The air was filled with the fresh scent of rain, mixed with the earthy aroma of moss and wet stone. There was also a faint, pleasant smell of aquatic nts and flowers blooming along the water''s edge.


    Thebination of scents was refreshing and invigorating.


    He did not wait long before the door behind him opened once more as Alison entered the chamber too.


    She handed him a small, florid cup made of polished stone and pointed to a distant pedestal in the center of theke, where a single water lily floated.


    "Your first task is to fill this cup with water from theke without touching the water physically," she said, her voice as soothing as the chamber itself. "You must connect with the element and draw the water to you if you want to fill this, literally."


    Oliver paused as he looked towards the area where she had pointed¡­


    The distance was quiterge. The water lily was directly in the middle of theke, and he had to draw water from that distance to fill his cup.


    He could control water nearby with some ease, but he had never tried to move water overrger distances than his arm''s length ever.


    This was going to be his first time.


    Holding the cup in front of him, he closed his eyes and tried to feel the water''s presence. He visualized the water rising and filling the cup, but when he opened his eyes, the water remained still.


    Not surprising, considering he was about 10 meters, around as much as the size of a city bus, away from theke.


    He attempted again, this time using more espera to control the water to obey him and fall into the cup. He focused on the sensation of the water, trying to pull it towards him like a string.


    It did not work again.


    He tried again, this time, just trying to effectively push the water at theke''s edge and create some disturbances towards him and then draw out water. He envisioned small ripples forming and moving towards him.


    But again, this method also did not work.


    He kept attempting and trying different methods that came to his mind, trying to create all sorts of disturbances in the water, waves, or anything to pull out the water from theke.


    He only got more determined to seed with each try.


    He did notck espera and used all the espera without constraint. He experimented as much as he wanted without getting tired.


    He was non-stop and kept trying, but the end output was not satisfactory andcking. Despite his efforts, the water remained stubbornly out of reach.


    ''It''s really testing my patience...'' he thought with a forced smile as he pointed his hand towards the water lily once more.

 Chapter 135: Training elements!

    Chapter 135: Training elements!


    Chapter 135


    ''It''s really testing my patience¡­'' he thought with a forced smile as he pointed his hand toward the water lily once more.


    The water in theke remained stubbornly still, defying his attempts to draw it toward him.


    Frustration simmered within him¡ªhow could he have so much espera and still fail to control the water? He tightened his focus, trying to force the water to obey, but it only seemed to resist more.


    Was his technique the problem then? He could not feel that it was the case, he had been doing as per the instructions and his instincts.


    If the technique was really the problem then he would not have been able to even cause the slightest changes or fluctuations in the water in the first ce much less move anything.


    But since that was not the case then he was sure it was not that the technique he was using to be changed.


    He''d been at this task for what felt like hours, with no sess.


    The more he focused on trying to force the water to move, the less responsive it seemed.


    ''Hmm...'' he pondered. Was the approach correct? Should he try something different?


    A devious idea came to his mind at the moment...


    ''Should I just go and fill the cup with water from theke?''


    But in the next moment, heughed it off. This was foolish, Alison would definitely not believe till he showed her a practical demonstration in front of her own eyes.


    Not to mention, it was also his loss if tried to fool her. In the future, he would have to rely on himself only after all.


    It had been some time since he was busy with this task without any oue. He heard the sound of doors moving and Alison entering.


    His concentration wavered, and he felt the cool dampness of the chamber starting to seep into his bones.


    Creak!


    The creak of the door broke his concentration, and he nced up to see Alison entering, her calm presence reminded him to take a breath.


    Alison approached him, her eyes looking in the still-empty cup with a hint of curiosity. "Show me what you''ve been doing," she asked gently.


    Oliver nodded, demonstrating his methods with a practiced but weary hand. Alison watched, her brow furrowing slightly, and then she ced a gentle hand on his shoulder to stop him.


    She was quite surprised internally, given how many methods he had already shown her and used before hering back. He must have consumed a lot of espera and was still able to keep going without a break.


    ''Did he drink a potion?'' she wondered, as this was the only reasonable exnation for his stamina so far.


    "You''re trying to control the water too forcefully," she observed.


    "Water is fluid and adaptable. It responds best to harmony and flow. Feel its rhythm, be one with its movement. Let ite to you naturally. Give your mind some rest and think about what I said."


    Oliver sighed, was he really forceful? She might have seen something that he had missed. He closed his eyes and focused on the cool, tranquil aura around him.


    While Oliver was alone in the Water Chamber, his friends in the nearby chambers were undergoing their own training.


    In the high teau Wind Chamber, Alphonso struggled to control the powerful gusts of wind. His task was to create a gentle breeze to move a feather from one side of the chamber to a specific point located far away amidst the raging winds.


    However, each attempt resulted in either too much force, sending the feather flying uncontrobly, or too little, leaving it motionless.


    Alison''s advice echoed in his mind: "Be one with the wind''s natural flow. Don''t resist it."


    Alison had given him the advice to be one with the wind''s natural flow and not resist it, which he seemed to be doing.


    Sweat trickled down Alphonso''s temple as he tried again, inhaling deeply and exhaling with a soft, controlled breath. The feather fluttered, then slowly drifted toward its target, carried by a breeze as gentle as a sigh.


    Meanwhile, Amber was deep in the rocky formations and underground tunnels, struggling to shape a small boulder into a smooth sphere. Her initial efforts resulted in jagged, uneven shapes, her annoyance growing with each failure.


    Her efforts seemed to crumble literally.


    She was also prohibited from using any tools to aid herself, which made her quite annoyed. To her, tools were something akin to a body part of hers.


    Alison had told her to connect with the earth''s patience and persistence, to mold it with steady hands and a calm mind.


    She sat down, closing her eyes and cing her hands on the boulder. Slowly, she let the earth''s steady energy flow through her, her movements bing more deliberate and patient. Gradually, the boulder began to take a smoother shape.


    In the stormy Thunder Chamber, Daniel''s task was to summon a controlled bolt of lightning to strike a designated target.


    His struggles were intense; the lightning often veered off course or dissipated too quickly.


    Sometimes, he would even almost bolt himself. He was overexcited to control lightning, after all.


    His excitement often resulted in wild, uncontrolled bursts of energy, which resulted in the above oues.


    Alison had to remind him to harness his emotions, to channel his intense energy into focused power rather than letting it scatter.


    ording to her, it was not good to go against their inherent personality. Daniel was an aggressive and hot-headed boy¡ªhis nature was like that.


    So doing something that went against that nature of his was a waste of power, ording to her.


    She believed that it was instead better to use those intense emotions and energy for something more productive.


    That was to convert the intensity into power.


    Given that his awakened element was thunder, an already raging and turbulent attribute, she felt it was better that he use his over-the-top energy and transfer that to his maniption of his element.


    Alison had told him to harness his emotions¡ªto channel his intense energy into focused power rather than letting it scatter.


    And this was the most difficult thing for Daniel.


    While it might sound advantageous that he could use his intense energy and emotions without restraining himself, to do that, he needed just as much focus and concentration.


    He was required to have a calm mind to be able to achieve that. He had to achieve this through concentration, which was contrary to his hot-blooded nature.


    He clenched his fists, feeling the crackling energy within him. With a deep breath, he focused, letting his emotions fuel the lightning. A bolt shot forth, striking the target dead center, and Daniel grinned, his eyes alight with triumph.


    "Easy peasy...!"


    ________________


    In the cial cavern in the Ice Chamber, Nadia had to create an detailed ice sculpture using her abilities. Her initial attempts were crude, with the ice either shattering or forming into unrecognizable shapes.


    Alison''s advice was clear: "Shape the ice with delicate finesse, not brute force."


    Alison had taught her the importance of precision and control, to shape the ice with delicate finesse rather than brute force, which she seemed to be doing.


    However, something that separated Nadia from others was her persistence andck of interest in anything other than power and strength.


    She was relentless, like an emotionless doll set to work tirelessly and infinitely. She would take feedback from her mentor and incorporate the teachings into her technique seamlessly.


    She would fail, take input, repeat, and keep training, using ice to form a finely sculpted structure.


    It was as if someone did not tell her to stop, she would keep on going until she fainted, so Alison had to ask her to pause in between.


    Alison was particrly impressed with Nadia''s tenacity and espera. So far, only Oliver and the two sisters had proven to be capable of having as much espera as her.


    As for the sisters...


    In the sunlit Light chamber, Evelyn''s task was to manipte light beams to create a specific pattern on a wall.


    Her initial attempts resulted in scattered, unfocused light that failed to form the desired shapes. Alison guided her to focus her inner light, to control its intensity and direction with rity and intent.


    Evelyn closed her eyes, centering herself. She imagined the pattern clearly, feeling the light within her pulse in response. Opening her eyes, she directed the beams with absolute control, and the desired shape gradually took form on the wall.


    _____________________


    Alison transported them all back to the dormitory using the array.


    As the day drew to a close, the group reconvened in the dormitory, exhaustion etched on their faces.


    Back in the cozy dormitory, Oliver joined his friends as they unwound from the day''s events. All of them had exhaustion written on their faces at the moment.


    Alison had promised them a meal, and they gathered around therge wooden dining table, anticipation mingling with their fatigue as they waited for her.

 Chapter 136: A special dinner?

    "Haha¡­ then did you know, I used too much force and almost burnt my whole arm! The thunder bolts are no joke¡ªvery sharp and precise!" Daniel eximed, his eyes wide with the memory.


    "Pfft-! That''s it? I was almost about to fall off a steep cliff due to the strong wind! Teacher came in the nick of the moment and saved me! I was almost dead otherwise!" Alphonso recounted, a shiver running through him.


    They shared stories,ughed about their mishaps, and made fun of others. The sense ofmunity and support filled Oliver with some warmth. He liked this sort of atmosphere.


    "Alright! The food is ready, you lot! Let''s have a st!"


    A cheerful voice belonging to Alison sounded as she entered the dining area with a steel pot in her hands.


    Suddenly, Oliver had an ominous feeling when he observed the brownish fumes wafting from the steel container.


    ''Don''t tell me this is one of those scenarios where the teacher would force us to eat her trash cooking?''


    His stomach churned at the sight, and he instinctively took a step back, eyes widening in disbelief.


    A look of horror shed past his eyes when Alison put down the contained on the table for them to see.


    And he was right!


    The pot was nothing but a brown mess of something between liquid and solid¡ªsomething unidentifiable entirely.


    "Huh? What''s this?" Daniel who was sitting a bit far came over curiously, The pungent smell hit him, and he recoiled, pinching his nose as nausea overtook him.


    ''What the fuck is this!?''


    He instantly pinched his nose with his fingers, closing the entrance before he inhaled any more of this smell and puked on the table.


    His face turned green, and he staggered back, desperately trying to hold his breath. The stench was overwhelming, invading his senses with an intensity that left him dizzy.


    He looked at the brown content with a disgusted gaze, before his eyes wandered to the others sitting on the table and he could see they all mirrored a simr expression to his.


    ''Fuck!'' Daniel cursed internally, he didn''t want to think that way but looking at the contents, his mind could not help but wander to that direction, as it wandered to the worst possible thought


    ''Isn''t this basically someone''s sh*t!?''


    His eyes turned into saucers as his brain no longer restrained and thought all the worst things imaginable.


    "Ueakkh-!"


    Unable to hold it in, Daniel fell to his knees and puked.


    The sight of Daniel vomiting on the ground coupled with the smelly brown food and foul smell, all those present felt their hunger disappear automatically. The scene made their hunger vanish!


    "What happened to you? Already breaking out on the first day of training?" Alison looked at him confused.


    She seemed to be genuinely clueless why he was behaving in such a way.


    "Woah! Teacher, it seems he is having a tough time enduring the stress, allow me to take him back to his room! He needs immediate attention and medical care!" Oliver rushed over, hoping to escape the impending meal.


    Oliver walked over hurriedly, ready to take Daniel to his room and never return.


    However his scheme was cut short when another voice sounded out.


    "Wait, let me do it! My room is just next to Daniel, it would be more efficient for me to take him back!" Alphonso said in a panicked tone.


    "W-What are you saying!? How is this rted to rooms being next to each other? I-I will do it, this way I can make up to him for my mistakest time!" Amber interjected, also desperate to avoid the meal.


    Amber jumped in too ready to drag Daniel back with her.


    Nadia, Evelyn just watched the drama from sidelines, watching them fight among themselves on who would take him to his room.


    They both also did not want to eat this abomination of a dinner either but they could not act like them.


    "Stop." Alison said in a loud voice making the trio who were bickering among themselves on who would take Daniel back to his room.


    "I will do it. You guys in the meantime eat the food."


    Alison stated as she picked up the kneeling Daniel with one hand.


    "This isn''t too severe; he just needs rest," she muttered to herself.


    She was thinking if it would be better to directly feed him a health potion or not but looking at it, it did not seem to be something too severe so she decided to let him rest.


    "This¡­"


    Looking at Alison''s back, they did not know what to say, they nned to take him and then not return back to eat this food but now the n would not work.


    ncing at the boiling brown food, they all felt a wave of disgust.


    "No human should have to eat this¡­" Amber whispered, worried.


    "What do we do?"


    Amber asked in a worried tone as she looked towards the other two.


    "I really don''t want to eat this," Alphonso said, on the verge of tears. "I''ve never eaten anything less than a full-course meal, and now this¡­"


    Alphonso looked like he was about to cry, if it was his n, then he would have simply ordered the cooks to make something else for him.


    He was a picky eater and never ate anything less than a full course fancy meal in his lifetime and now suddenly being asked to try this alchemical creation of their teacher.


    He was one hundred percent sure that he would never be able to eat this thing.


    He turned his head over to Oliver who was now his only hope out of this situation.


    Being stared by two pairs of expectant eyes, he felt a little helpless.


    Nheless, he had to do something or he was sure that he might not ever see the sun again.


    "Teacher has gone up to put Daniel back to his room, it should take her a minute or two to diagnose him and then return. In the meantime, the best I could think of is to destroy this¡­ thing," he gazed at the bubbling hot brown-ish food, "we need to get it done before shees back. Dispose of this food."


    They exchanged hurried nces, a silent agreement forming. The clock was ticking, and Alison could return any moment.


    Alphonso and Amber looked at him and were ready to follow what he spoke.


    "Should we throw it outside?" Alphonso suggested with a frown.


    "No, are you stupid? Teacher would definitely know if we do that!" Amber immediately retorted.


    "Then what?" Alphonso asked.


    Oliver sighed, "You all have storage artifacts, right? Someone just store it inside."


    "Oh!"


    Their eyes lit up. "Indeed, that''s the best way!" Amber said excitedly.


    Amber excitedly said, if they stowed away this in their storage artifacts then there was no way their teacher was ever going to find it unless they showed it to her themselves.


    "Great, absolutely genius! Hurry up, we should do it right now!" Alphonso excitedly said to them.


    "I am not storing that stuff in my artifact," Oliver stated firmly. There was no way he was putting that abomination in his space. Either Alphonso or Amber had to do it.


    "I don''t want to stain my storage space either." Amber said and pouted at him and then looked at Alphonso.


    Oliver also looked at him.


    "Ugh!" Seeing the two of them corner him so quickly, he didn''t have any way out.


    He nced around desperately, searching for any possible excuse to avoid the task, but found none. Resigned, he let out a heavy sigh.


    He groaned, realizing he had no escape. He nced at the two silent girls at the table, still observing the scene.


    No! He could not ask twodies to do it for him! How ungentlemanly would that be.


    In the end, he had no choice but to put the food in his storage space.


    ''It''s going to be a mess inside, how would I clean it.''


    He sighed again, contemting how to store the contents without contaminating his entire storage space.


    "Hey, you guys, please help me out, I don''t want to make a mess inside my storage space. You should know that there are potions and pills inside, if this toxic liquid touched those things, I would never be able to consume them¡­"


    He asked in a bitted tone to the two in front of him.


    "Well¡­" Oliver and Amber exchanged nces, realizing Alphonso had a point. Sacrificing his valuable items just to avoid eating the food wasn''t fair.


    They could not sacrifice his stuff just for this. Not only would it be too selfish on their behalf but also a huge waste of such precious resources.


    "I have an idea."


    Suddenly a voice sounded out, making both Alphonso and Amber startle from their deep thoughts as they pondered about what should be done.


    They turned their heads towards the source of the voice and looked with wide eyes.

 Chapter 137 Let him cook?

    Chapter 137 Let him cook?


    Chapter 137


    They looked with widened eyes towards the person who said it out, unable to help but feel a little emotional when they saw him speak again.


    It was Oliver who once again had an idea about the situation, he was really their go-to problem solver, who once again had an idea.


    Both of them felt a surge of gratitude that he was present today with them, or else they might have seriously offended Alison already.


    Oliver was the linchpin in their n to avoid eating the alchemical disaster masquerading as dinner. No one wanted to risk their lives with that concoction. They needed to dispose of it discreetly, without arousing Alison''s suspicion or causing a mess in their storage artifacts.


    So getting rid of this thing was important for them, and they had to do it cleanly so they don''t make Alison suspicious of them and their activities but also not start a mess in their storage artifacts either.


    Time was of the essence. They had to act before their mentor returned from settling Daniel upstairs. The two couldn''t help but silently curse Daniel''s luck in avoiding this mess due to his condition.


    The two could not help but silently curse Daniel about how lucky he was to escape this whole situation just because of his condition.


    "I have an idea." Oliver said as he nced towards Nadia who met his gaze, "however, I would need some help¡­"


    Nadia met his gaze, a flicker of confusion crossing her otherwise emotionless stare.


    "Just hurry up! The teacher would be down any moment now." Amber urged.


    "Alright, I will use my element and concentrate this food in a cluster and then Nadia, could you freeze it for me? This way, Alphonso should be able to store it sessfully in his storage artifact without messing around."


    When they heard this, all of them had a hint of realization. Indeed, that was definitely possible.


    All three of them turned their heads to the only girl with the ice element.


    Nadia frowned, but on second thought, if she did not help then¡­


    She nced at the ''food'' and decided to just aid them for the time being.


    Deciding it was better to help than to face the consequences, she nodded.


    Oliver quickly got to work¡­


    In fact, he could do both these things himself quickly, considering he had the control over both water element and ice element. Even though he had not trained the ice element much, he was confident in freezing some liquid on his own without any external help.


    But they did not need to know about this, at least not right now. He had just awakened his ice element and had not trained at all in that element either.


    Plus, awakening two elements despite being under 10 years of age was an inhumane achievement in this world. ording to thews and principles of the world, a human would not be able to awaken more than a one element after drinking honorable stars'' essence¡ªnot until their bodies fully assimted the awakened element they primarily had awakened.


    If there were no such restrictions around, what was stopping the major ns to drown their heirs in honorable stars'' essence since birth and let them awaken all elements in the world.


    Not only the human''s affinity to a particr element mattered but also the how well they would be able to manage the power of more than one element inside their bodies.


    A child''s body was considered not strong enough to coordinate two elements internally so no matter what, no exorcist was stupid enough to do this stunt especially when the child could just die to due to imbnce of elements in the body.


    If someone did not have the affinity with a particr element, then no matter how many vials of essence they devoured, they would not be able to awaken that element.


    Simrly, the stronger the element someone primarily awakens, the lesser their chances get to awaken more potent elements in the future,


    It was believed by the expert exorcists specialized in this field that a stronger primary element establishes a hardcore dominance inside the body of the individual, and further does not allow other weaker elements to exist...


    Suppose someone managed to awaken a powerful hybrid element like the Thunder element that Daniel had awakened, then their chances would be lesser aspared to Alphonso, someone who had awakened wind element to hope to awaken a second element.


    This was why that individuals with multiple elements were notmon. He felt it was better to have some secret cards exclusive to his knowledge only.


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    __________


    Oliver got to work, stretching out his hand towards the ''food'', he closed his eyes and focused. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The rhythm of the water resonated within him as the liquid inside the steel contained stirred slowly moving into circles as a small vortex formed at the center and in front of everyone''s eyes, the liquid gathered and concentrated into a liquid ball, it was a brown-colored ball of floating liquid.


    "Nadia¡­" he called out to her.


    Nadia looked at the spherical ball and her eyes narrowed, his control over water element was surprisingly good.


    She could tell this, she would require a lot of concentration to be able to maintain this shape for a long time using liquid ice.


    Nheless, she pointed her finger towards the floating liquid ball as frost started covering the liquid, slowly freezing the entire ball until it turned into a crystalline ball of brown ice.


    "It''s done."


    Oliver caught the ball in his hand mid-air before it crashed into the ground and threw it towards Alphonso who caught it in the end moment with some fumbling.


    "So cold!" Alphonso winced, quickly storing the ball in his ring. He looked at Oliver in surprise; the ice was unnaturally cold.


    It was weird, the ice was chilling cold, way colder than some normal ice yet he was fine and he had such a reaction? Was he that weakpared to Oliver?


    He almost believed that he might have gotten a frostbite had he held the ball longer.


    "Finally, it''s disposed of¡­" Amber chuckled as she slumped down at her chair. She was already very tired and now after this stunt, she did not even have the energy to bother around anymore.


    Simply too exhausted.


    It looked like she would be sleeping empty-stomach, she regretted not storing some food supplies before leaving the n.


    Her eyes trailed to Oliver who was wiping his hands with a towel. She wondered if he had any arrangements or if he would be sleeping hungry too.


    Before she could ask if he had any food, footsteps echoed from the staircase. Alison wasing down.


    They quickly settled back into their seats asAlison entered shortly.


    She noticed the empty steel container and raised a brow as she looked at the group.


    "You guys already finished it?" she questioned.


    "Ah! Teacher, it was a decent meal! We were so hungry that we ate it all. Hahaha." Amber said politely,ughing.


    "Y-Yes ma''am, sorry for theck of decorum," Alphonso added in support.


    "Hmm¡­" Alison hummed and looked at the other three who just remained silent.


    "Well, it''s good that you liked the food." she smiled and said.


    "Now get back to your room and prepare for tomorrow''s training."


    With that, she left the room leaving the group in silence.


    Growl¡­ Rumble¡­


    A rumbling noise of stomach sounded in the silence¡ªit was true that all of them were hungry.


    But now what?


    "Ahem, does anyone know how to cook?" Alphonso questioned.


    "My sister does¡­" Evelyn spoke but Be was not there at the moment so it was not helpful.


    "Are you kidding me? How do you expect literal kids like us to know how to cook?" Amber frowned, crossing her arms against her chest.


    "Well¡­ Be does, but she is not here haha." Alphonsoughed lightly but he was really hungry.


    Oliver sighed as he looked at the them, "I can cook."


    "Really!?" Alphonso''s expression changed as his face lit up in delight, he stared at Oliver with anticipation.


    Amber also stared at him with surprise, she did not expect him of all people to be familiar with such a skill.


    "Can you please make us something?" Alphonso blushed a little, "Sorry, if I sound weird¡­"


    He knew that Oliver was equally tired as them but he could not help but ask in hope. He did not want to sleep hungry. He was exceptionally courteous when he asked.


    "Cook with what? Do you have the ingredients?" Oliver questioned, looking at Alphonso as if he were a clown. How did he expect to make food without ingredients?


    "¡­Ah!"


    This realization instantly hit them hard, washing their dreams with a bucket of cold water.


    "However¡­"


    Oliver let out a smile as he looked at the disappointed group of people.


    "I do remember storing some food before leaving my n."


    _______________

 Chapter 138 Getting skilled in using element! Practical training begins!

    Chapter 138 Getting skilled in using element! Practical training begins!


    Chapter 138


    "I do remember storing some food before leaving my n."


    It took a moment for the group to let his words sink in. When they finally registered what Oliver said, their expressions lit up.


    Alphonso sprang from his chair, excitement written all over his face. "You have food with you!? Why didn''t you say so earlier!?"


    Amber''sposure shattered. "Right! Oliver, we''ve been starving here!"


    "Hey Oliver, man we¡­" Alphonso looked at him expectant.


    "Of course, I can share some with all of you, but¡­" Oliver paused, ncing at the pack of hungry wolves before him. He continued, "¡­you need to pay."


    He rubbed his hands while eyeing them as potential customers.


    "Pay? Pay what?" Evelyn could not help but ask.


    "Well, it could be anything¡­ you all must have brought some treasures and resources, right? How about sharing some of it?"


    "What¡­?" Amber''s mouth dropped open. She looked at him in shock. Trading simple food for treasures? It was outrageous! This was daylight robbery!


    He wanted to trade simple food with treasures! How ridiculous was that? This was literal robbery!


    She didn''t think anyone would agree to this idea at all.


    She expected everyone to balk at the idea, but reality surprised her.


    Alphonso was the first to speak, his eyes carried a determined expression as he said, "Indeed, you are right. I, the heir of Fallen Heart n, am not shameless enough to just take your supplies without any payment."


    He looked at Oliver and added, "How about one vitality-strengthening potion? Is that enough for one day''s worth of food?"


    Oliver hadn''t expected him to agree so quickly. He was ready for resistance and would have given them the food anyway, but their willingness to trade stunned him. ''As expected of rich n heirs,'' he thought, eyes shining with newfound insight.


    Indeed these people were the children of richest exorcists, they did notck resources.


    They were great customers!


    "Of course!"


    "Then, here you go." Alphonso produced a ss bottle containing a blue liquid and handed it over to Oliver.


    "Pleasure doing business!" Oliver said, passing some food in return.


    "The pleasure is all mine. Then pardon me¡­"


    Alphonso went back to his chair and started eating the food elegantly.


    Looking at him eating and hearing the sounds of eating, the sound of him chewing the food made them gulp subconsciously.


    "I will give you one vitality strengthening pill." Evelyn approached him and gave him a shiny crystal green pill.


    Oliver exchanged the supplies, and she joined Alphonso at the table, eating quietly.


    Nadia came up to him and stared into his eyes. He looked back, her eyes were serious.


    "You can have it for free¡ª" he started, but she cut him off, producing a scroll.


    She gave it to him and looked at him with a sharp look.


    "Umm¡­ here." he did not open the scroll but first gave her food.


    He was intending to give it to her for free anyways so it did not matter what she wanted to trade it with.


    He stored the scroll away forter inspection.


    Only Amber was left, her expression a mix of difficulty and unwillingness. Oliver shrugged. He wasn''t going to give her special privileges; if everyone else paid, she must too. Anyway, his supplies were limited, and it was better for him if she didn''t take any.


    ''Well, the food supplies will run out eventually, I should start arranging ingredients to cook in the future.''


    He took out something to eat for himself too¡ªit was a simple in sandwich.


    Crunch!


    Hearing the crispiness of the sandwich Oliver was eating, Amber''s mouth watered despite her efforts to control herself. Gritting her teeth, in the end, she also offered him a potion and filled her stomach with his food supplies.


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    ______________


    Days flowed by in a steady rhythm, each one filled with the hum of intense training. Oliver stood by theke, his brow furrowed in concentration. He extended his hand over the water, feeling the cool, fluid energy beneath his fingers. Gradually, a thin stream of water rose, shimmering in the sunlight as it obeyed his will, twisting and turning in the air.


    With a determined expression, he focused, his movements bing more fluid as he manipted the water to fill a nearby cup. The liquid obeyed, sshing gently into the vessel until it was brimming. A small smile tugged at Oliver''s lips¡ªhe was getting the hang of it.


    He was bing adept at using the water element, controlling it with increasing ease.


    He was able to sessfully fill the cup by manipting the water from theke as well.


    asionally, the solitude of the water chamber was broken by the arrival of his friends. Daniel would burst in, his eyes sparking with energy, eager to share histest triumph with thunder. "Check this out, Oliver! I can summon lightning with just a snap now!" he''d exim, demonstrating with a crackling burst of electricity.


    Alphonso, everposed, would stroll in, exchanging quiet advice and solutions. "Try visualizing the water as an extension of yourself," he suggested one afternoon, watching as Oliver practiced. "It''s all about the connection. I am starting to realize it with my wind element too slowly, it''s a wonderful feeling. "


    Over the days, their bonds also strengthened, the group was slowly knitting together one way or other, either by sharing their experience or thinking ways to avoid Alison''s cooking.


    In the evenings, they would gathered in the dormitory after a long day of training, theirughter echoing through the halls had be amon urrence.


    Time flew by...


    He was tasked with various things day after day, One day, he was tasked with forming a straight water de, given that its edge should be sharp. He stood by theke, his hand outstretched, eyes narrowed in concentration. The de wavered at first, but then it solidified, glistening with a faint blue glow.


    Another day, he plunged into the depths of theke, staying submerged for as long as possible, the water enveloping him in a serene, silent embrace. He focused on his breathing, feeling the water flow through his lungs naturally, as if he belonged there.


    Having water element, breathing underwater was quite simple and natural to him. He was shocked the first time he tried it.


    One of the toughest challenges came when Alison tasked him to meditate beneath a roaring waterfall. The force constantly pounded against his shoulders, but he sat with eyes closed, legs crossed, bncing his mind amid the chaos.


    She had told him that it was necessary to nurture a calm mind and develop an extraordinary temperament as one should expect from a heir of a major n.


    Water was often rted to calm, so an individual with water attributed espera must be calm when using it. At least that was what she believed and taught.


    At first, his muscles screamed in protest, but gradually, he grew ustomed to the pressure, his body and mind bing one with the torrent.


    He found a certain peace in the water, a sense of belonging that grew stronger with each passing day. The water chamber slowly turned into his sanctuary where he would push himself to limits everyday and discover the true depth of his abilities. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    _______________


    "It''s been 2 months now, you kids have made significant progress in this time span. I am impressed by you and your potential."


    Alison was standing before the group of children seated in front of her.


    Except for Be.


    When they questioned where she was, all they got as a reply was that she was training somewhere else due to her element''s uniqueness and situation.


    "Now then, it''s been a long while since you lot have been training your elements continuously, so from now on, we will be moving on to a practical course of training." she stated.


    "Practical course?"


    "That''s correct, it''s time you put your elements to use and not just keep on training, it''s better for you kids to start gaining experience and learn about realbat. The earlier it is, the better!" Alison said.


    The group listened to her intently.


    "Teacher, how are we going to do that?"


    Alison looked at Amber who had asked and said in a light tone, "For this, elder Sigfor will be going to help you all."


    ''That geezer?'' Daniel frowned. He had unpleasant memories with that old man.


    "Mhm. Elder Sigfor, you see has a special element. It''s called illusion, the element of illusion. And he is the one who will be helping you with it."


    "Well then, he will fetch you guys soon, I have something to do so I will probably see you allter. Ah, right, Be will be joining your practical training soon."


    She said while leaving the bewildered group of children.


    "I don''t want that old bastard to be the the one teaching us. I fucking hate that two-faced snake." Daniel groaned.


    "He''s very crude and ill-mannered." Alphonso alsomented lightly.


    "Whatever, it''s not like you guys can do anything about it." Amber scoffed.


    "Do what?"


    Suddenly, an old and hoarse voice sounded behind them, making everyone flinch in shock.

 Chapter 139 The unsettling grip in the elders heart!

    Chapter 139 The unsettling grip in the elder''s heart!


    Chapter 139


    "Do what?"


    Suddenly, an old and rasping voice sounded behind them, making all of them flinch in shock.


    "W-What!?" Amber spun around, eyes wide, and there stood Sigfor, hands sped behind his back, wearing a simple red robe. "S-Sir Sigfor! When did you get behind us!?"


    All of them looked at him in shock; they did not sense him approaching at all.


    "I just arrived," he said, his tone t.


    "Oh..."


    Hearing this, all of them heaved a sigh of relief. If Sigfor had overheard Daniel, they all knew there would be consequences."Anyways, follow me, I will take you to your new training area."


    Sigfor said as he clicked his tongue and left, with the group following behind him.


    They followed him to an array formation. Sigfor activated it, and they were transported to a new location.


    By now, they were ustomed to the teleportation arrays and the odd sensations they induced. The initial nausea and disorientation had be minor inconveniences, easily brushed off. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Be it nausea or something else, they eventually got used to that feeling in the end, so it did not bother them as much as it used to in the past.


    They were once again back to the familiar hall they were in at the beginning, meaning they were at the base of the mountain, the very bottom where they all started.


    "Alright, let''s not waste time. We begin now," Sigfor announced.


    "Sir Sigfor, what are we be doing first?" Evelyn asked.


    "The first thing I want you to focus on is improving your teamwork. By now, you all must be aware that you will be entering the Perpetual ne from your ns. While that ce is and of opportunities, it is anything but simple. The dangers there are just as terrifying for your level," he paused, allowing the gravity of his words to sink in. "Nothing is free¡ªespecially treasures and resources. To gain power, you must face trials."


    A silence enveloped the group as they listened.


    "So the most appropriate approach for you lot is to travel in a group or team when you enter that ce. Not only will it increase your chances of survival out there, but you will also have more probability of chancing upon great treasures."


    "Which is why I will help you coordinate with each other and improve your teamwork as well. With varying elements, it is going to be difficult initially but nothing close to impossible," he told them in a calm voice.


    "How will that work?" Daniel asked, curiosity in his eyes.


    The old man cast him a side nce, remembering the dumb boy from before, his antics still the same.


    "We will be using some talismans for that," he replied in a light tone.


    "Talismans?" Daniel looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    "Each of you kids will be infusing your elemental espera in these talismans, first learning how to control the flow of your espera and supply it into a delicate talisman¡ªmaking sure not to destroy it in the process."


    "The circuit inside the talisman is aplex thing, and learning the flow of your espera to control it and guide it inside is necessary to maintain its stability if you ever want to use it."


    Sigfor exined. He snapped his fingers, and a wooden box appeared in his hands. Inside were talismans with intricate engravings and runes.


    There were a bunch of talismans withplex engravings and different runes etched into them, making them look like a collection.


    He put the box down for the group to see.


    "Sir Sigfor, these talismans look of great quality," Amber said with interest as she looked at the talismans. "If I remember the patterns properly, one of them should be for creating barriers, and this one here should be for summoning elemental constructs orunching an elemental attack."


    Hearing her speak as if she was familiar with the talismans, Oliver had a certain light in his eyes. It seemed she was genuinely knowledgeable about such things.


    He couldter ask her for references or see if she knew how to make them.


    Sigfor''s eyes gleamed with approval.


    "Good kid, what was your name?" Sigfor had a pleasant expression on his face.


    "You can call me Amber," she said, thinking of something before introducing a bit more about her background, "I am from the Blue Crown n."


    "No wonder! Now I see why you are aware of this stuff. Your n is unparalleled in this field, hahaha!" Sigforughed as he traced a hand over his beard. "Still, for a mere kid, you were able to recognize the patterns. It''s quite impressive, I must say. The n heir is indeed talented."


    Amber did not say anything and just listened to his rare praise. Her lips couldn''t help but curl slightly. She secretly cast a nce in Oliver''s direction only to see him lost in his own thoughts while staring at the talismans.


    He waspletely oblivious to the praise.


    ''He is not even listening...'' she thought with a frown.


    "Damn! This old man actually praised her?" Daniel whispered to Alphonso, who nodded solemnly. They both clearly did not expect this old man to praise them ever. They were surprised by Sigfor''spliment


    To them, the old man had a ck heart.


    "You brats! What are you whispering amongst yourselves! Say it out loud if you have something to speak!" Sigfor barked, his eyes sharp as he turned his head around to look at the two brats acting weirdly and whispering to each other.


    Were they ignoring him?


    "No, no, Sir Sigfor," Alphonso stammered. "We were just curious about how the talismans will help with our teamwork."


    Sigfor looked at him and shook his head. "It''s simple," he said, taking out a talisman with a rune etched on its papery surface. "You will first learn to control your elemental flow, and once you all have achieved some level of control, I will assign you into pairs, two of you in one team."


    He grazed his thumb over the smooth texture of the paper as he looked at them.


    "I will be dividing your little group into teams of two. The two team members would then be tasked with filling the talisman¡ªa nk rune talisman designed for elements."


    "Your task will be tobine elements with your teammate and generate abination attack, a mix of the two elements. I will be judging the output your team is able to generate in the end ording to my standards. The more synergy between your team, the better." Sigfor paused, "And... the winning team will get a reward too."


    The group suddenly turned excited. Not only was this incredibly interesting to do, but they might also even win a reward if they performed well enough.


    "Note that this isn''t easy. Carelessness can lead to injury. Matching your partner''s elemental flow is crucial," Sigfor warned.


    "Anyways, for now, work individually. Take a talisman from the box, but don''t touch the purple ones; they are off-limits for now. After taking a talisman, take a seat at a desk behind and start channeling your espera into it. If you damage it, then take a new one. Most of them are dummy talismans, so feel free to use them."


    Sigfor said as he summoned a chair from his storage ring and put it in front of them, calmly sitting on it.


    Oliver turned around and saw a bunch of wooden desks and chairs behind him. The open hall gave a view of the outside to some extent, so it was a refreshing scene in general.


    He picked a talisman and sat at a desk, gently channeling his water-attributed espera into it. The others followed suit, focused on their task.


    The rest of the group followed suit and picked up a talisman for their own use.


    Sigfor carefully observed them. He was able to see who had more control over their espera while they filled the talisman with it.


    Sigfor watched closely, noting those with exceptional control. ''That white-haired kid¡­ His control is frighteningly sharp. And the golden-haired girl¡­ Equally impressive.''


    He could not help but feel they were too good for their age.


    However, his gaze lingered on Oliver. An inexplicable difort stirred in his heart whenever he looked at the boy


    His brows furrowed whenever his eyes scanned Oliver. It was not because he could not believe that a child his age could have such superior control over their espera, but something entirely different.


    It was just his intuition, an unsettling intuition that he could not shake. It was as if his heart was being suffocated by an invisible grip that he could not pinpoint even with his sharp senses.


    Not to mention, he had gotten used to searching or scanning those weaker than him.


    But earlier, when he first met Oliver at the mountain''s base, he probed him only to be met with a blockage or a strong force messing with his senses the moment he tried to probe inside his body.


    It was incredulous how he was not able to map the true extent of the boy''s abilities at all.

 Chapter 140 Unexpected Team Up?

    Chapter 140 Unexpected Team Up?


    Chapter 140


    He was sure that despite his withering age, he was countless times more powerful than this bunch of kids, yet he was not able to perform a task as simple as probing. He could easily sense the other children and their levels properly, but for some reason, he was sure that what Oliver was showing was not his true level.


    Of course, he had no proof; it was just an intuition of his that made him believe that or think in that direction. Only a gut feeling.


    Either Oliver was using an artifact beyond his years, or Sigfor''s age was dulling his senses¡ªa thought that both frustrated and concerned him.


    If it was the artifact then it was too powerful for his own good.


    Sigfor had spent decades battling demons, patrolling borders, and dealing with the deadliest foes. He had spent a major portion of life battling disasters of mankind, he was all too aware of what was and could be ssified a danger.


    He was familiar with the sensations when he fought such deadly demons at that time¡ªit was still vivid in his heart.


    And it was a sensation simr to that whenever he tried to probe into Oliver¡­ a strange risk that he felt in his life that was subtle but present.


    ''Did Master not notice this?'' he wondered, as he was sure that his master above the mountains must have felt this abnormality in the boy too.


    Or maybe she was not obstructed like he was? He might have to ask her about itter to confirm his rising doubts and suspicions.


    For now, he had to focus on training these kids and preparing them for a future covered with darkness. It took some days, but the group slowly got used to controlling their espera flow in the end.


    The kids would often fail in their attempts, sometimes destroying the talisman, sting it, or just doing something silly at the end step and having to do it all again.


    All of them were seriously dedicated and never gave up trying.


    "Alright, now I will split you all into groups of two. The serious things would start from now onwards. Try toplement your teammate. It will take time, but it will help you all the wayter. In the battlefield, any human could be your teammate, so it bes mandatory for you to learn to adapt to your team when your life is on the line."


    Sigfor said in a very serious and eerie tone.


    Oliver knew about this; in the battlefield against demons, any human you find bes your ally automatically in the fight. The more allies you have on the field, the better your chances of survival.


    "So, here''s the match-up:


    Daniel goes with Nadia.


    Alphonso will go with Amber.


    Andstly, Evelyn goes with Oliver."


    He said sternly.


    There was a momentary silence after Sigfor announced the line-up before Daniel could not help but burst out.


    "What sort of terrible line-up is this?" he looked with widened eyes around before his eyesnded on the emotionless girl. He pointed at her as he said, "How did you even think that thunder and ice elements could ever bebined together?"


    He turned to Sigfor, "Elder, have you finally lost it¡ª"


    Smack!


    A loud smack resounded in the air as Daniel was sent flying backward, crashing into the desks.


    "Pfft-!"


    "¡­"


    Oliver looked at Sigfor, who was red with anger and embarrassment.


    He secretly eximed at how bold Daniel was. He could really provoke anyone under any circumstances without caring about the consequences.


    This was the shamelessness one should strive for. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Stupid little brat! You dare question me!?" Sigfor spat in anger. He roared, "You think I have gone senile!? I am still decades young before going crazy due to old age! Stop being ageist!"


    Oliver blinked, somehow he found those words quite familiar.


    He had to give it to Daniel this time. Although he interrupted and was disrespectful, his initial question was valid nheless.


    Had he asked this more politely, perhaps Sigfor would have exined it deeply as well.


    s, his tongue was loose and his mind was dense, so it could not be helped that Sigfor was furious.


    After calming down, Sigfor stroked his beard once again, a force of habit now, as he keenly looked at the group with his sharp gaze.


    "You don''t need to think about it. The team I have assigned are correct; you just need to do it. There''s no other way around it. Believe in yourself, you can do it. Also, if you act foolishly, you will suffer like that brat over there."


    Sigfor harrumphed and left the group alone. He did not forget to leave them with some talismans, however.


    These talismans were the real deal, waiting to be filled with the espera of an elemental attribute.


    "Well¡­" Oliver looked at the lying Daniel and then at Nadia, "He should be waking up in a few minutes. You can think of what to do¡­"


    Nadia had a cold look in her eyes as she gazed at the lying ck-haired boy. She hated weaklings like him the most.


    She preferred to do it alone, not with anyone; she was more than capable of doing it.


    Her eyes turned frosty. This was all slowly turning pointless. She would rather have it that she was sent back to the ice chamber to hone her element more or just back to her n.


    But she did not want to be the first toin or else¡­


    She cast a nce towards Oliver, who had his back facing her as he was walking up to Evelyn.


    She did not want him to have any thoughts. Not only was she older than him but also stronger; she could not act like that.


    She felt a pang of hatred toward the old man for not pairing her with him instead.


    Water and ice elements were alike; they were basically one element. The ice element was a hybrid element of the water element family.


    She was a hundred percent sure that herpatibility with his element and hispatibility with her element was better than anyone present here in this group with them.


    She was confident that as long as Oliver followed her lead, she could easily generate a very deadly attack. Using his element to enhance her own element''s offensiveness, she could easily overpower everyone present with minimal difficulty.


    But they were not paired together.


    She turned around and left as well.


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    ___________


    "Hey, Evelyn¡­"


    Oliver reached out to the girl standing next to the pile of talismans, looking at him.


    "We''re teamed up," she smiled.


    "Yes. Combining our elements for an attack will be challenging," Oliver admitted, considering how the light element wasn''t inherently offensive. His water element didn''t seem a perfect match.


    The light element was basically not an offensive element by its nature. At least not until the bearer of the element developed itter into killing arts.


    For now, Evelyn was not in that league, so her light element was basically quite docile in nature, with healing capabilities, blinding effects, defense, and all.


    Stuff like that with his water element, he was not sure what to make of it.


    Nheless, his main goal was not to win the challenge set by Elder Sigfor but rather to shift his target to Evelyn from Nadia.


    This was the best opportunity he could have gotten so far. He just needed to be in physical contact with her for some time before the system message appeared.


    He just needed to somehow get in contact with her; he already had a n to achieve that.


    "Let''s start by coordinating our espera. Then we can think about attackbinations. How about it?" he suggested.


    "Sounds good. Let''s get in tune with our espera first," she agreed, picking up a talisman and cing it on the desk.


    "How should we do it? Hmm¡­" Oliver started as he said, "First, we should channel our espera into the talisman one by one and see if we can bnce it out. If it does not work like that, then we can try it at once."


    "Alright, will you go first?"


    "Hmm. I will supply the talisman with water-attributed espera and fill it halfway. The rest will then be for you to fill. Not only that, but since you are going to be the second to fill it, you will need to bnce out the already filled espera on your own."


    He added, "Basically, you will be doing everything in this try individually. All I will be doing is just filling it up with my espera. In the next try, I will do it all, and you will just have to fill it with your light-attributed espera instead."


    He finished with his little lecture and looked at her for a response.


    Evelyn listened to his exnations and nodded, "I got it. Then fill it up with your espera. I will then maintain the bnce afterward."

 Chapter 141 Balancing Water and Light element!

    Chapter 141 Bncing Water and Light element!


    Chapter 141 n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Evelyn listened to his exnations and nodded, "I got it. Then fill it up with your espera. I will try to maintain the bnce afterwards."


    Oliver nodded back and ced his hand against the smooth surface of the white-colored talisman. Slowly, his hand started to channel his water-attributed espera into the paper beneath.


    A warm current flowed from his hand to the paper talisman as he filled it halfway.


    After making sure it was filled halfway, he retreated his hand and looked at Evelyn, who was beside him.


    Noticing his signal, she went up to the talisman and ced her palm above the paper.


    Closing her eyes, she moved the light-attributed espera inside her body into the paper talisman, slowly filling the already half-filled talisman.


    She could sense the circuits inside the talisman as she filled it with her espera. Her light-attributed espera had already started to react with the espera present from earlier.


    The task required a delicate bnce of focus and control, a harmony between the elements that was difficult to achieve. She could feel the subtle push and pull of energies within the talisman, like trying to bnce on a tightrope where the slightest misstep could result in failure.


    She did her best to control the amount she was channeling and how properly the circuit was being filled. An overdose of her espera might just destroy everything on the talisman, after all.


    Her brows knitted in concentration as a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. This was far more challenging than she had anticipated. She tried to stir her espera within the talisman, calcting a way topletely fill it without causing a reaction.


    She could feel that the water element was especially sensitive and would react turbulently to external changes or any stimulus provided.


    She was actually stuck. She had already filled the espera as much as she could without disturbing the already present water espera too much.


    But now she felt that if she sent any more inside, it would cause a huge reaction. Thus, she was slowly trying to stir her espera that she had already sent into the talisman.


    By moving them in the circuits, she was trying to calcte a way for her topletely fill the talisman without breaking it or causing it to react adversely with the water element.


    Looking at her frowning while closing her eyes, Oliver could somewhat guess her struggle, understanding the difficulty.


    Even he was aware of how difficult the task Sigfor gave them was. It would be a miracle if someone managed toplete it in a single try.


    Evelyn stillcked the proper control of her espera; there was no way she could do it in one day.


    Not to mention, she was dealing with the water element espera. The water-attributed espera was especially sensitive among the basicmon elements.


    Wind and water were notably more sensitivepared to earth and fire elements.


    Even the slightest change would cause a huge reaction. He could understand her situation at the moment without her telling him anything.


    Had she been paired up with someone who had a robust element like Amber or Daniel, or maybe Nadia as well, she might have had an easier time trying to bnce it out.


    But with her light-attributed espera, which was already quite a potent element in essence, his water-attributed espera would serve as a tough obstacle in her course.


    The light element would definitely try to establish dominance immediately over the basic elements, so her main task was to control the potency and stop it from immediately trying to overpower the water element.


    Trying to make a hybrid element coexist with a basic element was quite difficult. It was an evident fact that no exorcist could deny.


    So it would take her some time to even think of figuring this out on her own and applying it in person.


    Oliver was already aware of the theory and logic behind this. He could just tell her and help her when implementing it physically. It would not only hasten up the process by a whole lot but also help them get more time to decide on an elemental attack as well.


    But he had no such intentions. In fact, he wanted her to spend as much time as she wanted to figure out the solution on her own instead.


    This would help her develop her critical thinking skills as well as give him more time to get in contact with her.


    It was simply killing two birds with one stone.


    Also, if he kept helping her like this every now and then, he would only be hindering her own self-growth in the end and messing things up more than they already were.


    Crack!


    A sharp cracking sound echoed as the talisman she was applying espera to started to show signs of cracks. The paper had started to develop visible cracks as if it were a rock fracturing slowly.


    "Oh no!" Evelyn panicked a little as she lost control over the talisman. Before she could do anything, arge thunderous sound sted through the surroundings as the talisman released all its stored energy.


    Boom!


    The talisman released all the excessive energy inside and burst out with a hot wave of espera, forcing her to retreat backward due to the sheer force.


    Her face would have charred ck normally due to the sudden explosion and closeness of the st before her face.


    However, as the smoke started to settle down, she slowly opened her eyes only to see a giant water wall floating in front of her face.


    Tilting her face sideways, she noticed Oliver with his palm facing her direction.


    ''He used the water barrier¡­'' she thought as she nced back at the water shield, a wall of water in front of her face. It was shimmering blue.


    This water wall had saved her face from getting ckened. She looked at the water wall slowly shifting in form, wiggling as if it was having difficulty maintaining the shape of the wall of water.


    She watched as it crumbled before dripping down on the ground in front of her after absorbing the impact from the little st.


    "Thanks¡­" she whispered, feeling a little shy now that she had made the blunder.


    Her face heated up as a red blush crept up to her cheeks.


    She did not expect to directly detonate the talisman and lose control.


    She was expecting the control over the talisman to be as easy as it was when she was doing it individually.


    However, she had thought it wrong. It seemed that earlier it was easy only because she was supplying purely light-attributed espera towards the talisman, and it was not having any obstruction in the circuits.


    But in the end, the difference when it came to applying and bncing the espera was huge!


    So huge that she could not believe it. Despite all her efforts, she was not able to control the flow and in the end lost it, leading to such changes.


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    "Haah¡­ it was honestly hard. Be careful, you are next." She shook her head and warned him.


    Taking out another talisman, she started to fill it halfway with her light-attributed espera.


    After double-checking the talisman, she handed it over to Oliver, who was sitting beside her watching her fill it.


    "Here you go!"


    He received the talisman and observed it without doing anything.


    It went on for a minute, so she could not help but ask curiously, albeit a little confused as well.


    "What are you doing?" she paused before adding, "You have been staring at it."


    "Oh, it was nothing. I will start right now."


    Oliver quickly shrugged it off as nothing and went to work directly. He started to channel his water-attributed espera inside the circuits of the talisman in a steady flow, fluently controlling the element.


    His flow was steady and controlled. Secretly, he was using [Cosmic Void Gaze] to observe the talisman''s intricate circuits.


    With its help, he was able to very minutely observe the intricacies of theplex circuit to the very bottom.


    He was using the [Cosmic Void Gaze] on a suppressed level just to graze off the details.


    Oliver began channeling his water espera into the talisman''s circuits, his flow steady and controlled. Secretly, he was using [Cosmic Void Gaze] to observe the talisman''s intricate circuits.


    This ability allowed him to see theplex patterns in detail, giving him a significant advantage. He used it discreetly, the same way he did in the n market while buying supplies.


    The [Cosmic Void Gaze] provided an extremely detailed map of the talisman''s circuits, allowing him to channel his espera precisely.


    The intricate designs of the talisman unfolded before his eyes, each line and curve revealing the secrets of its construction. The knowledge he gained from this sight was invaluable, giving him insights that would otherwise take a significant amount of time for someone to normally master.


    It was at the same level he used to survey the n market while buying useful stuff for himself.


    The level he used to see through was enough to give him an extremely detailed map of the circuits in an instant.


    ''I can really do well with talismans using the special eyes. I will definitely have an edge over others,'' he thought, a small smile ying on his lips as he worked.

 Chapter 142 Someone is impatient?

    Chapter 142 Someone is impatient?


    Chapter 142


    ''I can really do well with talismans using the special eyes. I will definitely have an edge over others,'' he thought, a small smile ying on his lips as he worked. His fingers moved with precision, tracing the intricate patterns on the talisman.


    He thought to himself while slowly filling it with his water-attributed espera.


    The cool, blue energy flowed from his fingertips, intertwining with the delicate lines of the talisman.


    He was able to easily coordinate with the light-attributed espera on his first try.


    A soft glow emanated from the talisman, the two energies merging seamlessly.


    He pondered for a moment as he saw the esperabining with the two attributes bncing out.


    The light and water danced together, a harmonious blend that filled him with satisfaction.


    ''He is doing good¡­'' Evelyn sensed the flow and felt it was more controlled; he was doing better than her while manipting the talisman. She watched, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she analyzed the smooth movements of his espera. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She had a bewildered expression as she noticed his wless control. He did not rank first during the mountain climb test for nothing, after all.


    "Hmm?" she noticed as he suddenly let go of the flow. The talisman''s glow flickered, the delicate bnce disrupted.


    ''What?''


    Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the abrupt loss of control he suddenly disyed. Her brow furrowed, confusion etched across her face.


    Why did he suddenly lose control?


    It was too sudden. One moment prior, he was masterfully manipting the espera flow, and the next instant, he abruptly lost it! Her heart skipped a beat at the abrupt change, she was keenly observing his control, she was lost in memorizing his movements.


    It would have made more sense had he tried to bnce it and slowly lost control, but¡­ it was just too abrupt!


    Swish! Crack!


    The talisman again started to show cracks simr to how it happened in her case.Tiny fissures snaked across the surface, the glow dimming


    However, this time, Oliver stopped applying any more espera before it burst like before and put them in danger of injury like before.


    He released a breath he didn''t realize he was holding, his hands steady as he withdrew his energy.


    "Ah, the control is reallyplex. I felt it was going quite well, but then all of a sudden, I felt a strong turbulence and was caught off guard, hahaha," heughed as he narrated his experience. He rubbed his head as if wiping non-existent sweat.


    Hisugh was forced, the tension in his shoulders betraying his casual demeanor, at least to her.


    In reality, this was not at all true, but aplete facade.


    He was already able to grasp the correct way to control the espera flow the moment he first started to apply espera in the circuits present in the talisman. . The patterns and pathways of the espera were clear in his mind, each line a map he could follow with ease.


    He even had a way prepared to maintain and coordinate the bnce between the two elements on his own.


    With [Cosmic Void Gaze], he was directly able to observe in which line his espera was going and how the other espera was reacting towards it¡ªthe ces where it would react more, the ces where it would react less.


    His eyes glowed faintly, the world around him shifting into sharp focus as the cosmic energy revealed the hidden flows of nature.


    He was able to notice everything with ease.


    Had he tried a little more, he would have definitely seeded in bncing it out.


    It would have beenpleted on his first try alone.


    ''Well, the tenfold espera talent from Nadia is not for nothing, I guess,'' he inwardly thought to himself as he felt the wonders of the high espera talent. A sense of pride welled up inside him, the potent energy humming beneath his skin.


    Now that he experienced it in person practically, he could clearly say that this talent was not just for show; it was too easy for him!


    He looked at the girl staring at him with aplex gaze. He still had to increase his rtiveness with her, so if he had alreadypleted it on his first try, the distance between them might grow further.


    If he wanted to bond with her, he had to make it as natural as possible and achieve it swiftly.


    He could now discuss with her how they should proceed and what tactics they should employ to control the elemental espera.


    More time gave more opportunities to him.


    "Why did you suddenly¡­? Like¡­ I could sense that you were doing it extremely well, so¡­ the sudden imbnce and loss of control¡­ I am a bit confused." Evelyn could not help but ask him. Her voice was hesitant, a mix of curiosity and concern.


    "Same. I was totally not expecting that in the end. I could tell that I was doing it correctly until it suddenly happened, and for some reason, I just could not maintain it. Maybe a few more tries, and I might get the hang of the entire process?" he replied, feigning disbelief at the situation.


    His eyes met hers briefly before looking away, adding to the illusion of his confusion.


    Looking at him being appalled at this situation as well, Evelyn nodded. She did feel it was odd, but there could be many reasons. Maybe it was the circuit that was the problem?


    She fell into thoughts of her own. What if she supplied espera in an instant and controlled it afterward? Her mind raced with possibilities, each scenario ying out in her head.


    Or if she should gather the espera and iste it from the other elemental espera instead?


    Then she could slowly try to assimte the two elements without worrying about filling it in the process?


    Or¡­


    Soon enough, she was consumed by her own thoughts as she pondered on ways to improve the process, finding different ways and experimenting in her head. Her fingers traced invisible patterns in the air, mimicking the pathways she envisioned.


    Looking at her engrossed in her own world of thoughts, Oliver nodded to himself. A small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips.


    The protagonist right now was in the process of decoding the situation. Given her intellect, it should not take her long either to figure out the entire process and achieve it practically too.


    He just had to wait now for some time and implement his own ns.


    Eventually, they became busy thinking up ways to achieve the result they desired.


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    ___________


    On the other hand, the others did not sit idly either and were busy with their own strategies.


    "Come on! This is the fourth time you are messing up!"


    A frustrated groan from a girl sounded out as she scrutinized the boy in front of her. Her hands were on her hips, her eyes ring daggers at him.


    It was none other than Amber, who was currently reprimanding Alphonso for not being able toplete the process. Her cheeks flushed with irritation, her foot tapping impatiently against the floor.


    Their approach was different from the others, with them dividing the roles between each other. Some portions of the circuit were supposed to be filled by Amber, while the rest would be Alphonso''s responsibility.


    Being proficient with tools and belonging to the lineage of genius tool exorcists, she did not hesitate and quickly got the hang of the methods and the talisman''s overall structural creation.


    In her opinion, they had the best chance of winning this small yet meaningful challenge undoubtedly.


    She was confident in this because she was able to grasp how to coordinate with the talisman and bnce the wind element Alphonso had.


    Her earth element was robust and easily able to suppress and control the wind element¡ªshe was able to expertly tune the wind-attributed espera as she wanted to and bnce it out. The earthy brown energy swirled around her, solid and unwavering, as it intertwined with the airy tendrils of Alphonso''s wind element.


    Then what was the problem if she could already do this?


    The main issue was with Alphonso. He was still having difficulty grasping the technique and control to bnce out her earth-attributed espera in the talisman¡ªalways messing it up. His brow furrowed in concentration, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he struggled to maintain the flow.


    However, unlike Oliver and Evelyn, who were causing mini explosions again and again, Amber did not let such a situation happen.


    Whenever she sensed him losing the grip on the talisman, she would directly intervene and control the situation on her own, preventing the explosion from taking ce. Her quick reflexes and sharp intuition kept them safe, her hands steady as she took over the flow the moment he even showed the signs of imbnce.


    "Come on, Alphonso! What are you even doing!?" An agitated voice scolded in a high pitched tone.


    _________________

 Chapter 143 Ambers frustration! Nadias confusion!

    Chapter 143 Amber''s frustration! Nadia''s confusion!


    Chapter 143


    "Alphonso, you need to keep your mind focused," Amber advised, her tone firm and agitated. She could not help it. Her eyes shed with irritation, her fingers tapping impatiently on the table.


    He nodded, trying once more but failing again. "I''m trying, Amber. It''s just not working," he admitted, frustration seeping into his voice as well. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. It was not easy for him either.


    She sighed, "Maybe we should move on to the next step ande back to thister?" Her shoulders slumped slightly, a weary look crossing her face.


    She had said this before too¡­


    "No," he said sharply, shaking his head. "I need to get this right." His voice was resolute, his eyes narrowing in determination, he had no ns to follow her as is and leave this crucial step behind.


    She felt frustrated. Because of this, everything was significantly slowed down, even though she was able to control and bnce the two elements and espera. A storm of emotions was churning inside her.


    "Look, if you want to understand the principle and method behind this, I can teach you," she offered, trying to keep her cool. Her voice was tinged with exasperation, her patience now wearing thin.


    Since she had already managed to understand it herself, she would not mind exining it to her teammate as well, since this would give them a huge advantage over the other two teams.


    "I said no," Alphonso replied, more sharply this time. "I need to figure this out on my own." His jaw tightened, a flicker of pride in his eyes.


    "Why are you so insistent on doing it by yourself!?" she demanded, her frustration bubbling over.


    She threw her hands up in exasperation, her voice rising.


    "It''s my noble pride as a gentleman," he replied, his jaw set stubbornly, his eyes defiant as he refused her help. "If I can''t figure out something like this on my own, I''m not worthy to lead my n."


    But he still had a calm in his tone despite all this, he always used a proper tone whenever talking with women. He did not get angry at Amber''s hastiness.


    He told her that Sigfor had devised this challenge for them to be able to gain a higher degree of control over their espera and get in tune with a stranger''s espera when necessary.


    In his opinion, if he did not manage to do that on his own, then he would not be worthy enough for his n and to lead his n in the future. As an heir, it was his responsibility to win fair and square.


    So despite her constant efforts, he never listened to her and continued trying again and again.


    He wanted to be able to achieve the technique to bnce the espera himself as well.


    While she understood where he wasing from and felt that he was right to some extent, it could not suppress her annoyance at him either. Her fists clenched at her sides, a vein throbbing on her temple.


    She was pissed.


    "You''re slowing us down, Alphonso!" Amber snapped, her fists clenched at her sides, her teeth grinding in frustration. Her voice echoed in the room, drawing the attention of others.


    The attention was short-lived as they resumed what they were doing.


    "I know," he said quietly, "but this is something I have to do."


    His eyes softened momentarily, a hint of apology in his tone.


    Although it was not his fault, he still felt a that due to hisck of ability, he was slowing her down. Had elder Sigfor permitted them to work individually, he would have dly let Amber move forward without dragging her down.


    Amber pinched her forehead.


    She really wanted to win this challenge.


    She wanted to show everyone her ability, especially to a certain someone who never seemed to acknowledge her. Her eyes nced briefly toward the figure in the shadows, her expression hardening.


    Meanwhile, Daniel and Nadia were busy with their own tasks.


    Nadia barely spoke to him and just focused on controlling the elements and espera within the talisman. Her eyes were cold and calcting, her movements precise and controlled.


    Daniel, however, tried several times to initiate a conversation with her, but she ignored him like an insect.


    He could not help but feel a weird sense of difort at being ignored constantly. However, since she was a girl, he did not say anything to her and kept trying to talk to her.


    His attempts at small talk were met with icy silence, his words hanging awkwardly in the air.


    She was Oliver''s older sister and on par with him and Be. She was also an obstacle that he had to surpass one day in the future.


    More importantly, she belonged to the infamous Mystic Purge n. He somewhat admired the n, to be honest, despite all the bad rumors associated with their name and standings.


    The reason was simple.


    He admired the n''s freedom and spirit; they did not care about anyone''s opinion and did whatever they wanted without fearing anyone.


    They were powerful, killed their enemies without showing a shred of mercy, and were ruthless even to their own kin.


    Their ruthless efficiency and unyielding resolve struck a chord with him.


    A n based on merit, if you turned out to be strong and talented, you would be valued the most by the n no matter what.


    Potential was never wasted in the n.


    As a hot-blooded male himself, he felt a strong sense of resemnce with such a n. He often resonated with their means and tactics.


    He aspired to be an exorcist one day that could slice apart anything with a swing of his sword.


    That was also why he did not feel offended by Nadia''s cold shoulder and indifferent behavior toward him.


    He could understand her upbringing; in a situation where siblings target each other''s throats to stand at the top, it was natural that she was this cold and indifferent to them. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Perhaps only Oliver and she had some level of intimacy as twin siblings rted by the same blood, but he rarely saw them talk with each other, much less interact.


    Nheless, he kept filling the talismans with thunder-attributed espera and gave them to her so that she could bnce them.


    The talismans crackled with energy, the thunder espera coursing through them like a live wire.


    And he had to admit that her control was wless; she was already grasping the theory behind it.


    He had earlier noticed how Oliver and Evelyn had been causing continuous explosions, unable to bnce out.


    However, Nadia was different; she directly froze the entire talisman with her ice element before it could even have a single chance of releasing the excessive amount of energy and exploding in their faces.


    The talisman glowed with a frosty sheen, the ice element locking the energy in ce.


    While she would not reply to his questions or talks, whenever he asked her for a talisman half-filled with her ice-attributed espera, she would throw a bunch towards him asionally.


    Her throws were precise, the talismansnding neatly in front of him.


    This was more than enough for him to practice on his own as well.


    "So? I can see why you are so strong, but do you happen to know how Oliver became so strong?" Daniel asked another question to the emotionless doll sitting next to him.


    He watched her carefully, hoping for a flicker of response.


    "¡­"


    She once again did not reply to his bothersome questions and ignored him.


    Her silence was deafening, a wall between them.


    But in fact, in her mind, she was also pondering this question.


    How exactly did Oliver be so strong in such a short span of time?


    She remembered how brutally he was beaten by the third pair of siblings that day, and unless she had protected him, he would have died right there alone.


    But in just a few months, his strength rose so much that he was able to handle and kill minor-level demons alone on his own.


    This was something that had been bugging her for some time. She could not deduce a reasonable exnation for this exponential growth in strength.


    It just did not make any sense.


    She had thought before that he might have signed a contract with a demonic entity for temporary strength in exchange for his soul, but that was highly unlikely.


    Finding a demon inside a n was next to impossible¡ªespecially where he lived.


    And secondly, if he had signed a contract with a demon and turned into a heretic, their mother would have surely and instantly noticed that.


    But since she did not say anything of it, then surely that was not the case either.


    But then what was that dark malevolent energy radiating from inside him when she used her special eyes to see through him in the car that day?


    It was so ominous that her heart almost burst out right there, and she identallyunched an attack to kill him, which was unexpectedly stopped by his bare hands as well.


    The memory sent a shiver down her spine, her fingers twitching involuntarily.


    All of this situation was quiteplex in her opinion, but she was too cold to ask him about it directly.


    ''Why does he not tell me about it directly on his own without asking?''


    She wondered a ridiculous thought, not even knowing what that meant.

 Chapter 144 Ready to bind? Second Target?

    Chapter 144 Ready to bind? Second Target?


    Chapter 144


    All of this situation was quiteplex in her opinion, but she was too cold to ask him about it directly.


    ''Why does he not tell me about it directly?'' she thought as a flicker of confusion passed through her indifferent eyes. Her expression softened momentarily, the mask slipping just a little.


    If someone listened to her right now, they would definitely feel speechless.


    Girl, why would he tell you about his guarded secrets for no reason? Talk with some sense?


    Of course, Nadia''s mentality worked differentlypared to normal people, so she was not at fault either.


    "Damn, ignored again!"


    Daniel said to himself as he filled up another talisman and passed it to her.


    "Another word, and I will cut off your tongue," Nadia threatened in a chilling cold voice, as her hand turned straight. Her eyes were icy, her tone leaving no room for doubt.


    Gulp.


    Daniel felt the raw killing intent and shut his mouth immediately. He did not dare to bother her and provoke her anymore after this.


    He nced around nervously, the cold sweat on his brow glistening under the light.


    She might really cut off his tongue!


    Although he could heal it afterward using an elixir, that would be very painful, and he was not loaded with elixirs either. He only had one elixir for emergencies.


    Not to mention, he remembered how she tortured Alphonso during the duel.


    ''Poor guy, he still might have a fear of women.''


    He nced in his direction, and indeed his thoughts were confirmed when he saw him sitting two desks away from Amber, quietly filling up talismans.


    A hint of pity shed in his eyes towards Alphonso.


    Alphonso, who was busy coordinating elements, sensed a gaze on him and looked up to see Daniel looking at him with a sympathetic gaze.


    "???"


    He confusedly looked at the guy, not knowing what thetter wanted from him. His brow furrowed, and he tilted his head slightly, questioning.


    Upon seeing no change, he too ignored Daniel and went back to work on the talisman. He was close to finding out the principles to bnce out the espera of two different elements.


    He confusedly looked at the guy, not knowing what thetter wanted from him. His brow furrowed, and he tilted his head slightly, questioning.


    Upon seeing no change, he too ignored Daniel and went back to work on the talisman. He was close to finding out the principles to bnce out the espera of two different elements.


    It was unknown what was in his mind, after all.


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    ____________


    ''Hmm, they are not doing bad, instead, quite decent. Especially the level and progress they are making while training and coordination. Impressive. As expected from geniuses of the five major ns.''


    Sigfor quietly observed everything from the sidelines; he was especially impressed by their ability to grow during training. His eyes scanned the room, taking in each student''s progress with a keen interest.


    It was quite clear to him that all of them were properly trying to learn and understand the concept and theory behind this rather than forcing it or not bothering with the methods.


    If he had to say, it was probably one of the few things that separated a genius from amon person.


    Alphonso had also made him quite satisfied with his determination when he straight up refused to learn the technique and method from Amber, who had already grasped it. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Amber''s talent in tools was probably the highest among the bunch of kids in the group.


    Then there was that dumb-looking brat with a foul mouth and the girl from Mystic Purge n; they seemed to be doing well too.


    While they did not coordinate much together, they both were on a decent pace and would probably grasp the concept of bnce soon.


    Then there was Evelyn, the golden-haired girl with the legendary light element. She was a genius; each try she took, she would improve significantly and was very close to doing it perfectly.


    He could not help but notice another anomaly in the group, which was again that white-haired kid called Oliver.


    He would control his espera like an expert and easily bnce out the espera too, but just in the end when it was extremely close topletion, he would decimate everything and lose bnce.


    Each time, his movements were graceful and precise until the veryst moment.


    ''He is doing this purposefully¡­''


    Sigfor was no fool. He could tell that Oliver was kidding around and had already grasped the concept well enough to bnce it.


    It was no coincidence either that he was doing this.


    Had it happened once, he would have believed it.


    Had it happened twice, he would have believed it.


    Had it happened thrice, he would have still believed it.


    But upon seeing the same thing happen over and over for the nth number of times by now, Sigfor was a hundred percent sure that this white-haired kid was most probably fooling around.


    Fooling around either with that golden-haired girl or just passing time with no care.


    Whatever it was, one thing was clear,


    Oliver had also managed to grasp the true concept behind this.


    "Hey, look, Oliver! I managed toplete it!"


    Evelyn called out to the guy snoozing next to her.


    Oliver woke up due to the sudden noise. Just now, he was quite bored, so he fell asleep after giving her a heads-up and filling multiple talismans with his water-attributed espera.


    His eyes fluttered open, a slight smile ying on his lips.


    As for his own training?


    He already managed to find the solution to it and showed it to her.


    Dropping a few hints, he went to sleep only to be woken up by her excited shout as she managed to achieve a bnce too.


    "Great," he pped lightly, "You finally did it too."


    "Well then, would you like to rest for some time before we decide on what to make of thebination of our elements?"


    "Actually," she said as a tired look appeared in her eyes, "I think I will just rest for a while." Her shoulders sagged, and she rubbed her eyes, dark circles visible underneath.


    She had evident dark circles under her eyes and her hair was not in the best state either. She looked disheveled and untidy now that she was finally done.


    It was quite clear that she did not stop once and kept forcing herself to achieve the desired result.


    Oliver nodded and leaned against the desk, staring at the ceiling. The cool surface of the desk pressed against his back, offering a momentary relief.


    They had been at it for more than 30 hours by now without any breaks or pauses whatsoever.


    Evelyn was extremely hard-working; she did not deter from doing the task until it waspleted.


    She was not the main protagonist for nothing. Her concentration was amazing.


    He nced around to see the others but found none.


    They were probably sleeping by now in rooms arranged by the elder called Sigfor.


    They would rest ande and then go back and rest.


    asionally, Daniel or Alphonso would take him out to get some air, but he still stayed with Evelyn.


    He felt a hint of pity at the thought of her working alone without anyone by her side.


    The image of her solitary struggle tugged at his heartstrings.


    Whether she appreciated his effort or not, it was his choice to stay by her side and give her support.


    ''Well then, it''s about time to implement the final step,'' he thought to himself as he looked at the tired girl who was now slumped onto the desk.


    After an hour or two, she woke up on her own and looked around with momentary confusion before realization dawned on her mind.


    She quickly remembered where she was and what they had been doing. Her eyes widened briefly before settling back into focus.


    She turned around and saw Oliver also looking at her.


    He smiled slightly and raised his hand holding a talisman.


    "Ready now?" he asked with a hint of amusement.


    "Hmm. I am. Now we need to think of abination to impress Elder Sigfor," she nodded and said.


    "But before that¡­" he started.


    "Yes?"


    "Can you give me your hand for a moment?" he said while looking at her in a serious manner.


    "My hand?" She looked confused upon such an unexpected request. Her brows furrowed, her gaze questioning.


    "Yes, your hand. I was thinking that since we are going to coordinate anyways, how about we do it after getting a better feel of each other''s espera? Doing this would definitely benefit us in the future." He paused before adding, "How about it? I will let you inject your espera into me, and so will I too."


    "Of course, if you are ufortable about it then you do not need to do it. It''s just a suggestion on my end. But I feel it would be better if we do that."


    Evelyn opened her mouth but could not say anything. This was indeed logical. She too felt if they wanted a better grasp over each other''s espera and form a synergy between themselves, it was necessary.


    She stretched forward her hand towards him and smiled, "Sure! Let''s try it. I am also curious."

 Chapter 145 Second Target! Two Paths!

    Chapter 145 Second Target! Two Paths!


    Chapter 145


    Oliver nodded and ced her hand between his palms as he started to channel his espera into her. A faint glow surrounded their hands, the energy flowing smoothly between them. The warmth of his espera pulsed gently, intertwining with hers.


    This was all, of course, for the sake of binding with her. It was not that he wanted to do this for synergy between them or anything like that, but since he had said so, he had to at least channel his espera into her.


    The thing he was doing right now was considered quite bold and frowned upon in the exorcist world because it was akin to prying into the secrets of the other party using their espera.


    He could feel the weight of the taboo action, a slight thrill apanying the risk.


    However, since Evelyn had also agreed to this idea, it was not an issue, and she too was going to pry into him, so this was all a fair deal.


    Once inside, he could instantly kill her or cripple her if he intends to, that was how vulnerable this act was. Of course, he had no such intentions. He merely wanted to have some form of physical contact with her to fill in the system''s condition.


    Feeling the dense and potent espera invading her nerves, she could not help but feel surprised. His espera was so powerful and pure. She could feel the sheer difference in quality.


    It surged through her veins like liquid fire, making her heart race.


    Did he drink an elixir to refine his espera?


    She could not help but feel a tingling sensation crawling under her skin, but she endured and closed her eyes to guide his espera.


    Her breath hitched slightly, focusing intently on the task at hand.


    Oliver smiled as he stared in front of him, at the nk air before him.


    He was not crazy but instead was looking at a familiar floating ck screen with golden words.


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    _____________


    [Ding! Evelyn Starborn. Does the host wish to bind with the individual?]


    [Ding! Evelyn Starborn. Does the host wish to bind with the individual?]


    ''Yes!'' Oliver was overjoyed as he finally received the notification.


    [Binding¡­ 1%¡­ 69%¡­ 100%¡­ Sessful!]


    [Evelyn Starborn is now the target.]


    [Binding¡­ 1%¡­ 69%¡­ 100%¡­ Sessful!]


    [Evelyn Starborn is now the target.]


    [Notice: ERROR]


    ________


    ''This is¡­?'' he stopped midway. Before he could get a chance to celebrate binding with the main protagonist, the system suddenly showed an unexpected error.


    ''What is this supposed to mean?'' he frowned, looking at the system screen with a hint of caution and apprehension written all over his face.


    His fingers tightened around Evelyn''s hand reflexively.


    [Ding! Detected the interference of Abyss¡­]


    ''Abyss!?'' Oliver''s eyes suddenly shot wide, disbelief clouding his expression. His heart pounded in his chest, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.


    He never expected that Abyss would be able to intervene and affect him.


    Was Abyss this omnipotent!?


    He had a shuddering feeling inside his chest when he read the screen.


    But for some reason, his heart was calm as if it knew what was happening.


    An eerie sense of eptance settled over him.


    [Ding! Analyzing the cause¡­]


    [Detected! Evelyn Starborn associated with the Divinity! Ipatible target for circuit of Abyss!]


    [Ding! Creating Alternatives¡­]


    [Alternative found!]


    _____________


    Bzzt-!


    A buzzing sound resonated in his head as a strange change seemed to take ce within him. It was an unidentifiable feeling; he could not clearly express it, but he was aware that something was happening and changing inside his mind.


    His vision blurred momentarily, the world spinning around him.


    [Host must select a path:


    [Path of Divinity]


    [Path of Abyss]


    [Note: An affiliation is mandatory; Abyss and Heavens cannot coexist. A choice must be made.]


    A flood of knowledge poured into his brain directly as he took a deep breath.


    It was information about what was going to happen in case he chose a specific path.


    If he decided to choose the Path of Heavens and Divinity, his body would undergo another transformation.


    The circuit of Abyss would be forcefully removed from inside his body by the divinity. His soul itself, which had been filled with Abyss energy and be one with Abyss, would be reshaped.


    His soul harboring the corrupt energy inside would be baptized by the divine energy from Heavens, cleansing it of anything rted to Abyss in the first ce.


    Not only that, but this whole process had very low chances of even seeding, as per the information he received.


    Abyss was not something that could be understood; the divine energy could only try to remove the influence. It was all too dangerous a process that he would have to undergo if he decided to be one with Heavens.


    However, on the other hand, if he decided to choose the Path of Abyss, nothing would happen, and he would continue progressing as he had been.


    But then what about binding with Evelyn, the main protagonist?


    Oliver could never let go of the fruitful golden opportunities she would stumble upon in the future. He was a hundred percent sure that many of them were significant milestones, and if he received tenfold of such power, it was just unimaginable.


    So the system derived another alternative for this situation.


    If he binds with Evelyn right now and still chooses the Path of Abyss to continue, then anything Evelyn achieves to further her progress rted to anything divine would be converted and transformed in a way suitable for him, who was on the Path of Abyss.


    At the time when he became a circuit of Abyss, he received some iprehensible knowledge, most of which was still not deciphered by him.


    If he selected the Path of Abyss, the unknown knowledge in his mind imparted by Abyss would start bing avable to beprehended by him.


    Every time Evelyn achieved a significant milestone, as per the system''s standards, a portion of the unknown knowledge would be revealed to him or entirely new knowledge would be given depending on the situation.


    All to make him progress on the Path of Abyss!


    Oliver was now calmer than before as he took a deep breath and exhaled. The decision weighed heavily on him, but his resolve was firm.


    He was still holding Evelyn''s wrist in his hand.


    He smiled as he let go of her hand finally.


    He had made his choice already; it was not something he needed to think about.


    The moment he became a circuit of Abyss, a conduit of Abyss, he knew the path he was going to walk on.


    He had already started to progress on that path; his Abyss energy was ever-growing.


    Corrupt? Well, that was a term used to describe that energy.


    But to him, it did not feel that way. He felt a familiar andfortable feeling with Abyss energy, nothing corrupt.


    He smiled as he dered his choice.


    ''[Path of Abyss]''


    He was not going to switch to Heavens now that he has already be one with Abyss.


    He doubted if divine energy could provide him the same power he desired in the future. Would divine energy allow him to kill without remorse?


    Would divine energy help him devour his enemies without restraint?


    Were Heavens just and fair to all? No, or else everyone would have been born equal.


    But everyone die in the end. Does that make Abyss fair to all? He did not know, it was a mystery of its own. He might find an answer to it in the future perhaps.


    Heavens were just one side of a coin; there was nothing good or evil. It was all a sense of perception established in the world.


    What humans considered good might not always be good for other races, and such was the case for others too. This was also the root cause of any conflict.


    Nheless, he had made his choice; there was no stopping it anymore.


    [Ding! Path of Abyss! Heavens discarded!]


    [Binding¡­ 1%¡­ 69%¡­ 100%¡­ Sessful!]


    [Evelyn Starborn is now the target.]


    He had sessfully shifted the target from Nadia to Evelyn now without any issues.


    "So, how was it?" Evelyn''s voice brought him out of his thoughts.


    He looked at her with calm eyes, "It was eye-opening. I feel that we can coordinate better now," he said. His smile was genuine, hiding the turmoil within.


    "Is that so?" She raised a brow at that.


    "That''s right, your espera was blindingly radiant and pure. It had a sense of warmth to it. The light-attributed espera is amazing," he praised her.


    "T-Thanks!"


    Evelyn smiled awkwardly at that. She did not know how to reply to that. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.


    "W-Well, should I try it too¡­? Of course, if you are fine with it¡­" She fidgeted a little when she said this in a low tone. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was evident that she was weak to ttery.


    Oliver was amused. In the future, she was going to be immune to any level of ttery. She would have gotten so used to the tons of ttering words she would hear from the mouths of the people she was going to save.


    But right now, she was still inexperienced and shy when praised.


    "Sure, why not?" he said as he extended his right hand to her, and she ced his hand between her palms as he did.

 Chapter 146 Light was devoured!

    Chapter 146 Light was devoured!


    Chapter 146 n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Sure, why not?" he said as he extended his right hand to her. His eyes met hers, a reassuring smile on his face.


    She ced his hand between her palms as he did.


    She focused and started to channel her espera into him. The energy was cool and soothing, like a gentle breeze on a summer day.


    A soft glow enveloped their joined hands, pulsing with a rhythmic flow.


    Oliver experienced the sensation of ants crawling under his skin. His nerves were tense too.


    He took a deep breath, steadying himself against the unfamiliar intrusion.


    If Evelyn messed up here, he would undoubtedly suffer a serious injury. He immediately supplied his own espera to guide her inside.


    The mingling energies created a delicate bnce, a dance of light and shadow within him.


    He could not back out either, as it would be unfair to her since she allowed him to pry into her and have a deeper view of her espera, so it was natural that he would let her do the same.


    If Evelyn was not the protagonist of the world, he would never have let someone her age let their espera flow into his body.


    The risk was too great, but the potential reward was worth it. If they could be in more synergy in the future, it would benefit them both equally.


    It was simply too risky. Evelyn was a genius among geniuses, so he was able to guide her into it.


    On the other hand, while Oliver was thinking about all this, Evelyn was in a world of her own.


    Through her senses, she could see what she was feeling to some extent. Right now, while she was inside Oliver getting familiar with his espera, she felt like she was standing in the middle of an ocean.


    The vast expanse of energy around her was both overwhelming and awe-inspiring.


    The ocean was endlessly vast, with no visible end. Its depth was unknown and invisible, going as deep as the eye could see.


    The espera she was experiencing was countless times more potent than any espera she had experienced this closely.


    At least in terms of purity, she was sure that even her sister was not his match. He was simply leagues ahead. Her respect for Oliver''s power grew, mingling with a sense of curiosity and admiration.


    The surface of the ocean seemed calm, as if the ocean was dead, with minimal to no waves or tides. This showcased how terrifying his control over his element and espera was.


    Every ripple in the water seemed deliberate, showing his mastery over it.


    Everywhere she looked was the brightest of colors; it was truly a mystical sight.


    She got so lost in him and feeling his espera that she lost track of time, wandering her senses inside him. She experienced a newfound sense of freedom in that enclosed yet vast world of its own.


    "Umm¡­ Evelyn, I think it''s been a long time already."


    Suddenly a maic voice drew her attention. She was still unfocused and dazed; the maic voice seemed like a tune to her ears.


    But suddenly, she felt a strong pull on her body.


    ''What''s happening?'' she wondered, her eyes feeling sluggish. She seemed to want to stay in this ce more and more.


    The enchanting tranquility of the ocean called to her, urging her to remain.


    Subconsciously, she started to resist the pull outwards and stubbornly maintained herself in that ce, clearly unwilling to leave this beautiful and magical ce so quickly and suddenly.


    While this was happening inside, the situation outside was much different.


    Oliver had a dark expression on his face as he tried to take his hand back, but Evelyn was tightly clutching his hand between her palms, not letting go even for an instant.


    Her strength was terribly strong for a frail girl. If Oliver was not mistaken, in his terms, she might be close to Level 4 in strength alone.


    Her raw power was something else entirely.


    He marveled at her unexpected physical prowess, this showed hertent potential as the protagonist, with such strength for her age was nothing but impressive.


    He could easily overpower her with his raw strength alone but hesitated.


    He did not dare to be too rough or he might injure himself. An internal injury was way worse than an external wound and took much longer to recover.


    Even with the help of potions, internal injuries required a lot of care inparison to external ones.


    He did not want to waste his potions on such a silly thing, and he did not have any elixirs on him either at the moment. Well, he doubted any of them did either.


    He tried to pull his hand slowly, but it was of no use.


    He called out to her multiple times, but she did not even respond.


    He was getting impatient and curious. What was it that she was seeing inside that she was not waking up or answering his calls? Was she fine inside or not?


    He worried both for himself and her. He had to shake off his hand somehow from her firm grasp without messing up.


    "EVELYN! WAKE UP!" he yelled near her ear.


    She frowned but still did not respond. He yelled a few more times while also trying to pull his hand back, but the most she would do was frown and then go back to how she was.


    She was crazy!


    Frustrated, he had no choice but to resort to something else.


    Since he couldn''t wake her up externally, the only way left was to do something internally.


    And he had a great idea of what to do.


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    He was going to use Abyss energy to push her out.


    He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. The abyss energy inside his body moved, creeping its way towards where Evelyn''s espera was concentrated the most.


    The dark tendrils of energy slithered with purpose, their destination clear.


    It soon reached that point. The corrupted energy extended tendrils toward the concentration of espera, slowly breaking it down and assimting it into itself.


    ''The Abyss energy really is breaking it down so easily¡­'' he had a surprised expression. The Abyss energy had devouring properties; he was aware of it after his fight with the old ghost. However, he was still surprised when he saw the espera breaking down instantly under the influence of the corrupted Abyss energy.


    It did not even put up a fight, which showed just how potent the abyss energy was.


    He carefully channeled the Abyss energy, extending tendrils of corruption towards the pure light-attributed espera¡ªinstantly tainting it pitch ck and absorbing it.


    The merging energies created a stark contrast, darkness enveloping light slowly.


    He had to be extremely careful doing this. He did not want to harm Evelyn unintentionally while doing this either. She was the main protagonist; if he somehow injured her, it might even affect her future.


    He was quite sure that Evelyn was not doing this all on her own. Either she was affected by his espera or something else, she was not the type to act like this.


    Had it been Be instead of her, Oliver might have considered that she was doing it intentionally out of her own curiosity. But Evelyn was more mannered and humble than her crazy older sister.


    He believed that even she was unaware of what was happening.


    If he let the Abyss energy roam free and drown the concentrated light-attributed espera inside, Evelyn might even lose her life.


    At the moment, while he was vulnerable with her espera inside him, she too was very vulnerable. Her entire focus and concentration were in there.


    If the Abyss energy acted, it might just destroy her will and mind instantly.


    He slowly surrounded the concentrated espera from all sides and started to apply pressure on it.


    The darkness pressed in, constricting the light with an almost unshakable force.


    Evelyn, who was fully immersed in the ocean world, was suddenly jerked.


    She looked around and noticed the sky was getting pitch ck.


    A creepy sense of difort enveloped her chest as she gazed at that ckness. It was oddly disgusting to her; a feeling of hatred arose in her heart when she looked at it. It was utterly ominous and dreadful.


    The serene ocean began to churn, reacting to her turmoil.


    Evelyn could not help but start to feel suffocated as the foul energy covered the sky. It was as if she was getting trapped in a bubble that was shrinking slowly.


    A golden aura burst forth from her body instinctively. She used her light-attributed espera towards the extending dark sky, intending to erase it, cleanse it, remove it from existence itself.


    The golden light shed with the darkness, illuminating the sky with a fierce brilliance.


    However, a cold bucket of water poured on her when her expectations were not met. The light only touched the ck sky before getting sucked into it and disappearingpletely.


    _______________

 Chapter 147 Evelyns despair! Reveal it to him?

    Chapter 147 Evelyn''s despair! Reveal it to him?


    Chapter 147


    What she wanted to do with the dark energy happened to her instead.


    The pull on her body intensified, as if forcefully trying to drag her outward. Meanwhile, the dark, ominous sky began to descend on the beautiful and serene ocean.


    The once tranquil waters now churned violently under the oppressive darkness.


    Evelyn''s heart throbbed when she saw the foul and corrupted power tainting the beautiful and calm ocean. The sight filled her with an unexpected sense of loss and despair.


    The pristine blue waters turned murky, reflecting her growing helplessness.


    An unfamiliar sense of anger rose within her at that moment. Her eyes were fierce; she could not bear to see the ocean being covered in pitch-ck darkness. It hurt her. Her fists clenched, a fiery determination igniting within her.


    Just as the strong pull on her body reached its limit, she was forcefully dragged out of the mystical ce that was slowly being ruined. Her eyes could not move away from the scene of destruction.


    Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes as she was torn away from the dismal sight.


    The darkness consumed thest vestiges of light, leaving the ocean inplete turmoil.


    The image burned into her mind, a cruel reminder of the overwhelming corruption, a horrifying view.


    She wanted to protect the ce, but she was powerless to do so as the force finally pulled her outside.


    Her spirit felt battered and bruised as a deep sense of failure washed over her.


    Her heart ached with helplessness.


    "Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Huff¡­"


    She panted heavily as her consciousness was pulled out of Daniel''s body and returned to her own.


    Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her chest heaving.


    Her eyes were wide, and she clutched her chest while she panted.


    The room around her spun, her legs feeling weak and unsteady.


    She looked as if she had just awoken from a nightmare.


    She took a minute to calm herself and slowly steadied her breathing. Her hands trembled slightly as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.


    Her mind could still recall the ominous waves of corrupt energy that feasted on her espera as if chewing candy.


    She felt¡­ powerless.


    She felt¡­ powerless.


    Powerless against that ominous ck energy.


    She felt a true sense of fear and rage.


    But more importantly, what exactly had happened?


    She looked at Oliver, who was sipping water while calmly watching her. His demeanor was rxed, almost as if nothing unusual had urred.


    Then she realized what they had been doing.


    She could not help but ask, "What happened?"


    Oliver ced the cup down and said, "You were noting out. I tried to shake you out, but you didn''t budge an inch."


    His voice was calm, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes. He wondered if she had sustained any serious mental wounds or not.


    "So I had to force you out."


    Evelyn''s face instantly shifted from confusion to embarrassment. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she looked down, avoiding his gaze.


    She hadpletely forgotten when she was inside the calm ocean of espera. She had be too engrossed in that view, and her mind nked out.


    She could only imagine how much Oliver must have tried to wake her up or shake her off, but she resisted and did not leave.


    This was so impolite. The situation could easily be misunderstood as her trying to pry deep into his secrets and body now that she had unrestricted ess to it.


    And Oliver could do nothing about it. He had voluntarily allowed her will inside, but forcing her out carelessly might have caused him to suffer greatly and affect his espera. In the worst case, he might even have been crippled if she had tried to make things difficult for him.


    However, she really did not have such intentions. She herself did not know how she lost control, but something about that calm ocean and bountiful espera made her get lost in it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I am sorry! Please forgive me for my actions. I-I can assure you that I really did not have any ill intentions at that time. All of it happened without me realizing," she stood up and bowed to Oliver while apologizing profusely. She looked back at him with guilty eyes. "Please trust me, I did not have any bad intentions."


    Her voice wavered, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.


    She felt really guilty. Due to her carelessness andck of discipline, this happened.


    Had her mind been stronger enough than it was now, she would have been able to resist the temptation and could have even resisted that ck energy from before.


    To her, Oliver had no reason to trust her either. For all he knew, she might have already seen more than she should have been allowed to.


    It was impossible to tell. Of course, she had not done anything of that sort, but convincing him with her words alone was the best she could do since she had no concrete proof that she did not pry deep into him.


    Now, she felt really anxious. If Oliver did not trust her, things might escte.


    Although it was his idea to try this whole thing, it did not lessen her responsibility.


    She did not know what to do. If things turned messy, their n''s rtions might also be affected because of her mistake.


    Looking at the guilt-ridden girl, Oliver sighed. He was aware that she was clueless about what happened inside and did not do it intentionally. He rubbed the back of his neck, contemting his next words.


    "It''s fine. I trust you," he said.


    "Really?" she looked back at him in surprise. Oliver was exceptionally calm about this.


    It was natural, after all. He did not worry about her seeing his secrets, thanks to Abyss energy.


    If even someone like Ophelia was not able to pry through him, Evelyn could never do it. He was confident.


    The Abyss energy was impossible for them to prate.


    Evelyn heaved a sigh of relief as she slumped back into the chair. She looked at him with a serious face and asked,


    "How can I make it up to you?" she added. "I know this is not a simple matter, and for you to believe my words so easily, I have to show my sincerity as well."


    Her determination shone through her eyes as her earlier fear was slowly reced by resolve.


    Looking at her determined face, Oliver pondered. While he knew Evelyn did not intend the previous incident, she still wanted to make up for it.


    With that serious face, he knew she would not back down easily, not that he intended to waste energy on persuasion.


    "Well, I can''t think of anything right now. I will let you know in the future if I need something from you," he said.


    He gave her a reassuring smile, trying to ease her anxiety a little.


    Evelyn thought about it for a moment and nodded. It was not like she could ask him to find something right away. She bit her lip, feeling a bit more at ease but still wanting to prove her sincerity.


    After settling down, she recalled what happened inside his body.


    "What was that foul ck energy?"


    This time, her tone was deeper and serious. She had a sliver of rage when she mentioned that ominous energy.


    Oliver looked at her. Seeing her frown and hidden anger, he knew she was really associated with divinity.


    It did not take a genius to guess that the Abyss and Heavens were pr opposites, ipatible existences.


    It was natural for someone affiliated with divinity to feel loathing or negative emotions upon encountering Abyss energy.


    Evelyn, despite being weak, still had a strong tie to the heavens. The Abyss energy was the literal opposite of divinity.


    However, he had expected her to ask about it after witnessing it.


    "ck energy? What are you talking about?"


    Oliver looked at her and raised a brow in confusion.


    "What!? It''s that corrupt thing that was slowly covering the sky! The thing that was extending tendrils of darkness all over the space!" she mmed the desk as she stood up and looked at him.


    Her voice trembled with urgency and frustration.


    "Sky? What are you even talking about? I have no idea about any tendrils," Oliver had a nk expression on his face. He looked innocently clueless.


    "Tell me you are joking..." she mumbled.


    "What?" Oliver tilted his head at her as if he did not hear what she just said.


    "Y-You don''t know what that was!? How was it inside you then!? What''s going on?" Evelyn muttered aloud as she saw his cluelessness. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of his ignorance.


    Was he really clueless or¡­?


    "Umm¡­"


    "Seriously¡­" she had an incredulous look on her face when she realized that Oliver did not have a clue about the ominous thing rooted inside his body.


    "You¡­" she paused and fell into thought. She contemted whether to tell him about it or not.

 Chapter 148 Deciding on element combinations!

    Chapter 148 Deciding on elementbinations!


    Chapter 148


    In the end, after some thinking, she decided not to worry him. She was not sure whether that thing was real or just a fragment of her imagination experienced while being pulled out of a mystical environment.


    Perhaps her mind deluded itself into imagining that thing and rting it to the force pulling her will out of Oliver''s espera.


    But she seriously doubted that. She had experienced that energy so closely it could not be fake or imaginary. The memory of its malevolent presence lingered, too vivid to dismiss.


    She had felt her espera being devoured raw easily. The strong sense of corruption and disgust, that primal ominousness, was too horrific to be imagination.


    She had seen demons before when her n''s exorcists would hunt or sometimes seal them and bring them back to study.


    They reeked of dread and danger, but evenpared to that, that ck energy was terribly malevolent and unsettling; it gave off a feeling of death.


    It was a darkness that seemed to swallow light itself, far more menacing than any demon.


    She wondered what could be darker than a literal demon¡­ and that too inside him, a human being.


    She thought about what to do. Should she consult her mother?


    Her mother had a friend who was a highly skilled exorcist, just like her, someone with a light element. She was far more knowledgeable about such matters than Evelyn was.


    She should consult her mother and ask for advice. Perhaps they could tell the difference, whether it was her imagination or real.


    If Oliver was really unaware of such a thing inside his body, this was a serious issue. He might be in danger.


    That energy, no, that thing, could very well be a threat to his life.


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a sense of urgency gripped her heart as she realized the potential danger Oliver was in. Her resolve hardened, knowing she had to act quickly and decisively.


    She had to prevent that scenario from ever arising. Despite being friends for only a few months, they had developed a strong bond. Their shared experiences had forged a connection she couldn''t ignore.


    They were her very first friends; she could not let such an impending danger loom over him and threaten his life in the future.


    She had made up her mind to consult about itter or find a clue regarding that.


    "Oliver, I know this may sound stupid or even weird¡­ but please listen. Right now, I cannot tell you about this; I have to be sure about it myself first. But¡­" she paused before continuing, "¡­if you ever feel something odd happening within you, something dark or ominous, I want you to contact me first no matter what."


    Her eyes bore into his, filled with earnestness and worry.


    She spoke in a deadly serious tone, her voice did not carry even the slightest sense of childishness that should have been there.


    ''¡­Ah, it''s the ssic protagonist dialogue. Not sure about it but still willing to put everything into helping their friends. Cannot tell the victim about it, cannot discuss the future, cannot warn the victim. Just trust the protagonist.''


    Oliver''s lips curled up slightly; he found it amusing and quite interesting that Evelyn was willing to help him with a problem that did not even exist.


    He admired her determination, even if it was based on a misunderstanding.


    Yet he had no intention of stopping her from doing this. By the time she even got a clue about it, he would have already made sufficient preparations.


    "Now that it''s over, how about wee up with a suitable attack for our elements together?"


    "Haah¡­ you are right, let''s not divert from the main topic of this whole thing." She sighed deeply, her shoulders rxing as she let go of the intense emotions from earlier.


    Evelyn could not help but sigh; the past few moments had been quite intense for her, and her mind felt exhausted.


    "Hmm¡­ I have some ideas about possiblebinations. You can listen to them and decide if we should go with them or make up something new," he suggested, to which she nodded her head.


    His eyes lit up with excitement as he began to exin his thoughts.


    Anyways, she was too tired to think much; it was better to let him decide, and she would see if they could be implemented by her or not.


    Oliver had no intention of winning the challenge set by Sigfor; he was just going with the flow.


    If he and Evelyn happened to win, then it would be unintentional on his part.


    The main thing to be learned from all this was team coordination and synergy improvement, after all.


    And for him, he had sessfully managed to bond with Evelyn as well, which had been his main goal since the start.


    As for the elementalbinations, it was not too hard.


    He, someone with modern knowledge about light and water properties, along with the creativity from various fantasy books he used to read, could easilye up with a fewbinations and techniques of his own.


    What was light basically?


    ''Theoretically speaking, light is essentiallyposed of discrete packets of energy called photons,'' he pondered.


    His mind raced through various possibilities, each more exciting than thest.


    ''And photons have energy, and therefore, light also has energy. Since light consists of not one but many photons, light beams could be said to be filled with energy.''


    ''Water also has a lot of energy in various forms too. Kic, potential¡­ and so on.''


    ''It''s not an imagination to create something destructive if theybine their elements together.''


    People of this world often associated the water element with defense and rarely with offense.


    So was the case with the light element in the initial stages.


    It was just that the element is so rare and important to humanity that people revere it.


    But if utilized properly, even the water element could unleash a destructive force, in the initial stages at that.


    "How about this¡­"


    He looked at her and narrated the idea he had on his mind. Evelyn''s eyes narrowed the more she heard about the idea.


    Her expression shifted from curiosity to excitement as she grasped the potential of his n.


    ____________________


    "Hmm¡­"


    The next day, Sigfor was once again observing the children carefully. However, he noticed that the white-haired kid and the golden-haired girl were no longer practicing with talismans anymore.


    ''Have they finally achieved synergy?'' he wondered.


    He leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued.


    If that was the case, then he had to say that he was quite impressed by their talents and coordination skills.


    Water and light were two very sensitive elements, not to mention the light element was inherently dominant over other elements due to its nature as a hybrid element.


    Maintaining or forming a bnce with two such sensitive elements was iparably hard for someone their age.


    He was not expecting them to achieve it so fast and quickly.


    They had immense talent. To achieve such a feat at this age was too impressive. He had seen countless individuals, and among them, hardly a few could have done this at such a young age.


    He looked around; they were not the first ones to achieve synergy among themselves.


    His gaze turned towards another table where Amber and Alphonso were engrossed in a sheet of paper, both scribbling down something.


    She had ultimately forced Alphonso to follow her advice and give him hints. Of course, he had tried to stubbornly refuse, but she was so frustrated that she directly yelled all the hints and methods out in his ears.


    Her voice had echoed in the room, leaving Alphonso stunned and speechless.


    He could only look at her dumbfounded with disbelief at how crudely she had told him about it.


    He was so shocked that he was not able to utter a single word at that time.


    But somehow they had managed to sort it out with each otherter and had been working on a possiblebination since then, nning extensively.


    "Elder Sigfor¡­"


    A voice called out to him. He looked at the source of the voice, and it was the young girl called Evelyn.


    Behind her was Oliver, who had a poker face while looking at him.


    His expression was unreadable, but his eyes gleamed with anticipation.


    "What is it?"


    "Well, the thing is¡­ we wanted to practice our elementbination and if we do that here¡­" she turned around and looked at others, busy with concentration.


    Her voice trailed off, concern for her fellow mates in case they created another massive explosion affecting their concentration.


    "Hmm? You already thought of something?" he asked in a surprised tone. It had not even been a day since she and Oliver managed to achieve synergy with their espera.


    And they had already managed to think of a possiblebination? n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He was quite amused and interested.


    He wondered what he should say.

 Chapter 149 First team comes forward!

    Chapter 149 First teames forward!


    Chapter 149


    "You can use the backyard for practical implementation."


    "Thank you, elder!" Evelyn beamed and nodded.


    Her enthusiasm was infectious, spreading a smile across Sigfor''s face.


    The fog hung thick in the air, muting the world in shades of gray.


    He nodded, and they left through the back exit, which led to a wide-open ground. It was foggy and dark, with moss covering the walls, evidence that it had not been maintained much over time.


    The ground squelched under their feet, leaving imprints that quickly filled with water.


    The damp air was thick with the scent of earth and decay. Evelyn shivered, not from the cold, but from a strange mix of excitement and anticipation.


    "Let''s get right into it!" Evelyn eximed excitedly.


    Oliver smiled at that. He had to exin many things to her for her to understand his idea.


    But once she understood, she was so excited that she kept making possiblebinations from the branches of theory he taught her.


    Her eyes sparkled with every new idea, her energy seemingly boundless.


    "It has been a few weeks now, and I have observed that almost everyone has reached a certain level of synergy and coordination with their teammates and elements."


    "So it''s time I see what you have prepared," Sigfor said as he stood up and looked at the group of children.


    His gaze was sharp, appraising each child with a mix of curiosity and expectation.


    "Come one by one with your partner and demonstrate thebination you havee up with."


    "We will go first!" Amber announced as she dragged Alphonso behind her.


    "What are you doing!? We should wait and observe others first!" He looked at her in disbelief and whispered desperately.


    His voice was a hiss, barely audible over the murmur of the other children.


    Never in his life had he seen such a reckless girl. They should have waited first and let others show their moves; then they could have made adjustments to their own elementalbinations.


    He felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach, but her confidence was unyielding.


    But here she was, charging in recklessly.


    She looked at him and assured him, "Don''t worry, with what we have prepared, I doubt anyone can do better than us."


    Alphonso was still skeptical; she was too hasty to think things through.


    Her certainty both irritated and inspired him.


    He shook his head and left everything to fate. Whatever happens was going to happen anyway; it was just a simple challenge in the end.


    "Are you ready?" Sigfor asked.


    "Yes, elder, we are both ready!" she said proudly.


    Her voice echoed with determination, filling the silent courtyard.


    "Alright, then show it to me."


    Sigfor made a gesture with his hand, and a runic symbol-filled paper floated in the air in front of him. Soon enough, a translucent barrier covered the walls and the surroundings.


    The air hummed with the energy of the barrier, a faint blue shimmer outlining its edges.


    It was done to prevent the shockwaves or impact any of the elements might have on the surroundings.


    "Alphonso, start!"


    Amber called out to him as she sped her hands together in a praying form, with her eyes closed as she focused on something.


    "Here you go."


    Alphonso put both of his hands forward, twisting them slightly, forming some gestures.


    The sound of nearby winds slowly started to intensify in the area before him.


    The noise kept rising as wind started to gather in front of him. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Soon enough, everyone could see and feel it.


    The wind in front of Alphonso was starting to rotate in a spiral form.


    Before they knew it, a mini wind cyclone was taking birth.


    The speed of the wind kept increasing as time passed by, Alphonso was channeling his espera continuously.


    He non-stop poured espera into the cyclone, watering it like a nt as the cyclone only kept getting bigger and bigger.


    On the other hand, Amber was doing something different.


    Her hands, which had been sped together, moved as she pulled one of her palms upwards, just at the height of her forehead.


    The ground before her started to turn mushy, losing its form as if someone had turned the rock into y.


    The moment she pulled her hand upwards, multiple pieces of rockynd, which had now been reduced to nothing but a yey form, started to rise from the earth.


    Her brow furrowed with concentration, every movement precise and deliberate.


    Each piece of y was a chunk extracted from the ground, leaving the t surface with multiple holes.


    She once again did something; her hand, which had still not moved from the praying gesture, turned as she stretched her palm towards the y balls that were slowly rising from the ground.


    Her eyes were determined and her focus was sharp; she slowly started to close her outstretched palm.


    As her fingers neared the center of her palm, the y balls shook as if someone was sending shockwaves through them.


    In front of everyone, the balls made of rocky y started to deform once again, their shape changing slowly under the enormous espera focused on them.


    The y balls stretched, slowly turning into long lines, hardening at the same time under the effects of her earth-attributed espera.


    The group could see the y turning into something akin to a stick.


    Amber focused, her brows knitted together as she opened her eyes and stared at the sticks.


    Her hand closed; the moment her fingers touched the base of her palm, the sticks started to float and shook violently.


    The size of those rocky sticks was slowly shrinking.


    No, it was more urate to say Amber waspressing those sticks, reducing their size and increasing their density.


    The sticks made out of rocks trembled as theypressed to the point where they were nothing more than extremely sharp and thin needles.


    One nce at them and anyone could tell they were quite sharp.


    Amber used the hand still above the level of her forehead, moving it down, and the needles followed her direction.


    She pointed towards the raging cyclone that seemed to be slowly enveloping the surroundings. One could see strong wind currents making the clothes of the other children flutter.


    Amber''s own hair whipped around her face, yet she stood resolute.


    However, somehow Alphonso''s clothes were intact, unmoving and normal. It was as if the wind was not even reaching him, much less having an effect on him.


    His focus was unwavering, the wind obeying his everymand.


    It was a testament to his control over the wind element; he was properly controlling the winds around him to cancel any strong currentsing his way.


    The needles flew directly into the cyclone.


    It was at that moment when Amber''s and Alphonso''s eyes met. They seemed to be in sync, as if they knew what was happening with the other''s espera.


    Their movement slowly turned into coordination, flowing smoothly and unifying as one.


    "Move!"


    Both of them said at the same time.


    BOOM!


    It was at that moment when the mini cyclone exploded with force and power as it spun at a crazy fast speed, destructing everything in its trail, even the earth below was not spared.


    A shockwave rippled out, causing the children to stumble back, shielding their faces.


    Oliver narrowed his eyes at the spectacle. Through his special eyes, he was able to perceive the extremely fast-moving, densely packed needles roaring inside the tornado.


    It was so fast that the movements of the needles had long turned blurry to the normal naked eye.


    They had merged with the wind as one!


    It was a terrifying sight.


    Anything in direct contact was destroyed by the force and punctured by the sharpness of the needles.


    The metal dummy on the ground was torn apart the moment it came in contact with the raging cyclone of windbined with the robust energy and power of the earth element.


    It was a destructive sight; had they been stronger, it would have been enough to obliterate a battalion or group of demons at once.


    The offense-rted spell was just that powerful!


    Amber had properly used her element''s destructive nature, and Alphonso had skillfully incorporated the element into his calm but sharp wind element.


    They both managed to pull this through despite the opposing nature of their elements.


    It was not bad for their age and talent level.


    Sigfor pped.


    "Impressive," he said as he looked at the moving cyclone.


    "Very creative of you two toe up with this. The needles are quite strong for an unarmed body, and coupled with the raging winds and their sharp nature, it fits perfectly well."


    Sigfor analyzed the cyclone with interest. He nodded approvingly, a rare sign of genuine praise.


    Amber and Alphonso looked at each other with smiles; they were quite happy to have been acknowledged for their efforts.


    Amber''s eyes subconsciously wandered towards a certain person.

 Chapter 150 Daniel and Nadia!

    Chapter 150 Daniel and Nadia!


    Chapter 150


    She saw him staring at the raging cyclone. She seemed quite proud at the moment, but it was not long before she saw his neutral and uninterested eyes.


    Her excitement waned like a me doused by water.


    She could not help but stare intently at him, wondering what was wrong with him and whether he could see the spectacle clearly.


    Hisck of reaction gnawed at her confidence.


    Her heart sank slightly, a shadow of doubt creeping in.


    Alphonso, who was initially listening to Sigfor''s praise, turned his head in her direction and saw her looking somewhere else.


    His brows furrowed as he followed her gaze.


    Following her gaze, he looked up to see her staring at Oliver and Evelyn, who were standing side by side.


    He frowned for a moment, observing her closely. He could tell she was more focused on Oliver for some reason.


    His body turned stiff for a moment as he harbored a thought. A flicker of understanding crossed his mind.


    ''Could it be that she is¡­?'' he thought with a stoic face, not knowing what to make of the situation.


    Here was Sigfor showering them with praise and tips, but she was not even listening; her attention was diverted to the guy behind.


    His frustration mounted, feeling the sting of her disregard.


    Should this be the behavior of a proper heiress, ady? To ignore an elder''s words and fool around?


    Was she not realizing the importance of proper manners? He felt a little ufortable.


    Just as he was looking at Amber with a hardened gaze, she turned back to him.


    "What?" she frowned and questioned.


    "You¡­" he started before pausing for a moment. He thought about it and then continued, "It''s nothing."


    He turned back towards Sigfor and continued listening to his words. Amber nced at him weirdly before shrugging her shoulders.


    ____________


    "Next, who wille?"


    "ME! ME! ME! ELDER SIGFOR!"


    A loud voice eximed, disturbing the calm and peaceful surroundings instantly.


    "ELDER! ELDER! WE WANT TO GO NEXT!! ELDER!"


    "Shut up!"


    Sigfor roared, stunning the person behind the loud voice.


    "You stupid brat! I can hear you once, why are you shouting here? I have not gone senile yet!"


    The elder yelled at the boy who instantly shut up.


    "Noisy brat¡­" Sigfor sneered, his eyes holding a hint of anger and irritation. He rubbed his temples, trying to keep hisposure.


    After all, this was the stupidest kid he had ever taught or mentored in his life. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His patience could not keep up with that loud kid.


    Of course, the kid in question was none other than Daniel.


    His boisterous nature was a constant test of Sigfor''s patience.


    He was so excited by the previous disy of elements by Alphonso and Amber that he could no longer control himself.


    He had to show his elementalbination; he could not wait anymore.


    His body practically vibrated with eagerness.


    He was bubbling with energy and adrenaline after witnessing such a disy.


    Sigfor frowned; Daniel was too ill-mannered. It was quite clear they were opposites in personality. Yet, there was a raw potential in the boy that Sigfor couldn''t ignore.


    He had to teach Daniel to be more patient and calm.


    "Come forward."


    Sigfor snapped his fingers, and the still raging tornado instantly dispersed.


    Seeing him disperse theirbination attack so easily, both Amber and Alphonso felt a little dull.


    They exchanged a nce, both humbled by his effortless disy of power.


    Sigfor was indeed unfathomable.


    "Alright! Come on, Nadia!"


    He urged as he excitedly got up and went to the space where they were supposed to demonstrate.


    He almost jumped over when he was finally called.


    Nadia was still expressionless; she did not care about such things. She would go when she was called.


    It did not matter to her whether it was first orst.


    Her calm demeanor was aplete contrast to Daniel''s enthusiasm.


    "Show me."


    Moving forward, they performed just as spectacrly as the previous duo had done.


    Nadia stepped forward, her face calm, but her eyes held no expression.


    She extended her hand, and the air around her seemed to shiver. A sharp, glistening icicle began to form, growing longer and thicker, its surface covered in frosty patterns. It floated menacingly in mid-air, the tip pointed outward, ready to strike.


    Nadia had created a sharp and long icicle. It was thick and frosty, looking deadly as it floated in mid-air, aiming at the surroundings.


    The cold radiated from it, making the nearby air chill noticeably.


    Daniel moved closer, his presence crackling with energy. He raised his hand, and tiny arcs of electricity danced between his fingers. With a focused look, he directed his power toward the icicle. Lightning surged through the air, striking the ice. The effect was immediate and astonishing. The icicle began to pulse with electric energy, a deadlybination of ice and thunder.


    Daniel had used his thunder element to charge the icicle with lightning. The end result was quite surprising; the ice pulsed with thunder as it levitated in the air.


    The hum of electricity filled the air, creating a tense, charged atmosphere.


    The area filled with a low hum, the charged air vibrating with potential.


    The icicle, now a lethal weapon, hovered menacingly, glowing with an eerie light. It was clear that if anyone were struck by this creation, their fate would be sealed.


    The power radiating from it was palpable, strong enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone watching.


    Daniel had a wide grin on his face as he looked at the terrifying creation of his; just one shot of this was enough to annihte all his future enemies.


    He looked towards Nadia as he made a thumbs-up gesture to her, but she ignored him, solely focused on the ice levitating in front of her.


    "Quite destructive, hmm," Sigformented while stroking his beard. He felt it was quite good for children their age.


    He doubted anyone around their age was capable of achieving a synergy with their elements to this level.


    Ice and Thunder were elements of destruction by nature. Being hybrid elements, they had more potency than normal elements.


    It was no surprise they managed to make this powerful attack.


    As he assessed the icicle charged with thunder, he felt the power behind the attack. It should be strong enough to obstruct a Rank-2 exorcist for some moments.


    ''Not bad at all. While this dumb brat is annoying, he has the skills.''


    The elder''s eyes shone with a certain light as he looked at the floating icicle.


    ''As expected from the heiress of the Mystic Purge n. That icicle is far from ordinary,'' he thought to himself.


    The icicle radiated a certain frost, chilling the air around as if trying to freeze the air itself.


    Normal ice was not this potent. It was obvious she was special.


    He imagined them growing; with their potential, he had a feeling they might even catch up to their older generation¡ªhis generation¡ªin terms of power and skills if they kept training hard.


    "Elder, how do you like my¡ªour specialbination?" Daniel asked, the elder lost in his own thoughts.


    "It is¡­" Sigfor looked at Daniel, who was looking at him with excitement, waiting to be praised, "¡­not bad."


    Daniel''s expression soured when he heard thecking remark.


    He retorted, "What do you mean by ''not bad,'' elder?"


    "Is it great or not? Give a definite answer, please," he frowned and demanded.


    Sigfor sighed; this kid would definitely getcent in the future.


    The elder''s patience was wearing thin.


    "You both worked hard. The elementalbination has a certain destructive power that is rare toe by at your level of attacks. If you could pour more espera, it might even resist a Rank-2 exorcist''s force for some time as well," Sigfor told them.


    "However, don''t be too excited; this is all there is. Both of you still have room for a lot of improvement in the future. It''s better that you don''t be arrogant and look down on others. The world is vast, and there are geniuses everywhere," he added.


    To make his words sound more effective, he pointed his finger towards the floating icicle.


    The next moment, a short beam of gray light shot out from the tip of his finger, directly colliding with the icicle and destroying it as if it were ss hit with a hammer.


    Not only that, the gray light pierced through the ice and smashed into the barrier, producing a strong ripple in it.


    "¡­"


    Daniel was looking at the scene with his jaw dropped. He turned his head from the ripple back to where the icicle was destroyed.


    The small ice shards on the ground,ced with electricity, were proof of how powerful the thing Sigfor just did was.


    Just a single small move from Sigforpletely destroyed theirbined elemental construct as if it were nothing.


    Daniel looked at the scene with a dumbfounded expression.

 Chapter 151 Its finally their turn!

    Chapter 151 It''s finally their turn!


    Chapter 151


    Daniel could not help but feel a little overwhelmed as he stared at the elder, who was looking at both of them with a calm expression.


    The air seemed heavier under Sigfor''s gaze, each second stretching into an eternity.


    His mind worked, trying toprehend the vast difference in their powers.


    Every fiber of his being was trying to understand the chasm that separated them.


    He gulped, realizing how rude he might have been to such a powerful person.


    However, on second thought, the elder was indeed quite annoying, so he quickly discarded the growing admiration.


    He shook his head slightly, pushing away the fleeting respect.


    He asked the elder, "Elder, what was that move just now?"


    "It was an exorcism technique focused on destruction and offense."


    "Could you teach it to me!?" Daniel, who heard the elder''s words, instantly threw everything to the back of his mind and asked with a pleading expression.


    His voice wavered, a mix of eagerness and desperation.


    His eyes shone with desperate hope.


    If he could learn something this powerful, then¡­


    Just imagining it made him clench his fists.


    "No."


    However, Sigfor''s t rejection instantly shattered his wild imaginings.


    "WHAT!? Why though?" He could not understand. His fists unclenched, frustration etched on his face.


    His face flushed with anger and confusion.


    "The technique is not suitable for your rank right now. You would need to have at least five times the espera you currently have to even dare to think of using this technique. It''s just this demanding and destructive. Not to mention the extreme control it requires. Given your bearings, I would not be surprised if you blow yourself up the moment you try."


    Sigfor inlymented, making Daniel grit his teeth. He was determined to learn this in the future. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Also, your n should have a more suitable version of this technique, so ask them when you return. My element does not work simrly to yours," he added further.


    "I understand. Can I ask the name of this technique?"


    "Crane Beam. Now go back to your position."


    Sigfor dismissed him quickly. His tone was final, leaving no room for argument.


    Daniel, having learned the name of the technique, made a note to himself to ask his father to teach it to himter on. Determination burned in his eyes as he returned to his ce.


    His mind was already nning the next steps, each one bringing him closer to his goal.


    ___________


    "Next, Evelyn and Oliver, it''s your turn now."


    Sigfor called out to them.


    Oliver and Evelyn soon reced Daniel and Nadia by taking their ce.


    "Show your elemental construct," Sigfor said as he folded his arms and looked at them keenly. His eyes narrowed slightly, curiosity piqued.


    He was curious what they hade up with¡­


    And how could he not be?


    Both of them were exceptional talents.


    However, their elements were not reallypatible ording to him.


    Light and water elements were not exactly the most destructive elements.


    At least not until the individual progressed to higher levels and had more mastery over their elements.


    At their level, being Rank-1 exorcists, they did not have that level of control and mastery yet.


    So he did not have much hope for them toe up with something powerful and destructive like the previous two duos.


    In most cases, they could eithere up with something rted to healing or defense.


    It was understandable. Both water and light elements, if used properly and effectively, could create some of the most powerful healing techniques known to mankind or some extremely sturdy and creative barriers.


    He wanted to see what these two exceptional kids hade up with. His fingers tapped lightly against his arm, a subtle sign of his anticipation.


    "I am ready." Evelyn motioned towards Oliver as she signaled for him to start.


    Oliver nodded and stretched out his hand in front of him, his palm facing the ground.


    Espera started to channel through his fingers as puddles of water began to form in front of him, near his feet.


    He did not stop and kept his hand in the same position as more and more puddles of water started to appear on the ground in front of him.


    A momentter, the ground was filled with multiple puddles of water. Using moisture as a medium in the damp environment where they were, he was easily able to form so many puddles.


    The glistening puddles reflected the faint light, creating a shimmering effect.


    Was it a coincidence that they were in a damp environment to begin with, or was this the effect of his level-4 luck?


    There was always some level of moisture or water vapor present in the air at all times. It was not difficult for him to gather them and use espera to give them proper shape or expand them.


    Just when everyone was watching curiously, wondering what the water puddles were for, Oliver did something again.


    His palm, facing towards the puddles, clenched into a fist as the water beneath shook violently.


    The water puddles shook and started to float above the ground, rising in the air in front of him.


    Now the water puddles were at his eye level, in wobbly shapes and sizes. His eyes turned sharp as he kept his fist towards them.


    Swish!


    He suddenly opened the clenched fist and tremendous espera began to ooze out of it. The espera flowed as if a dam had broken loose; it was almost leaking!


    The air buzzed with energy, making the hair on their arms stand up.


    Every single person present in that area felt the tremendous amount of esperaing out of his body.


    Sigfor''s expression hardened as his eyes shook slightly. He could feel it.


    The overflowing esperaing out of the body of the kid barely Rank-1¡­


    The espera was dense and powerful, overpowering everything around. The most striking thing was the overwhelming amount of it radiating out of his body.


    Was this supposed to be the amount of espera a Rank-1 exorcist should have?


    Sigfor questioned himself but he knew the answer better than anyone else present.


    No.


    The espera was way stronger and more potent than any Rank-1 could muster.


    The sheer quantity radiating out of Oliver''s body was way, way higher than any Rank-1 he had ever met or seen in his decades of experience.


    ''Twice? Thrice?''


    He calcted the number of times his espera amount was whenpared to an ordinary Rank-1.


    ''No¡­ it''s close to seven times!''


    The moment he realized this, Sigfor''s body stiffened up.


    He could notprehend what was taking ce in front of him.


    How could a kid with barely above-average espera suddenly radiate seven times the amount of espera?


    His mind raced, considering and discarding exnations.


    Was this the y of an artifact?


    It was possible if the kid was using an artifact that held the capability to store and release espera at will.


    But he could not see any such artifacts on him. His senses were sharp; he was confident he would have been able to locate an artifact easily unless he hid it really well and deep with another stealth artifact, which he clearly did not do.


    So it was his natural espera. The realization sent a chill down Sigfor''s spine.


    Sigfor''s fingers trembled as he felt the iparably dense espera. He had to admit that Oliver was definitely an anomaly.


    He took a deep breath as he kept his mind focused on what they were going to show. His heart could not help but beat faster in excitement. The thrill of witnessing such potential was undeniable.


    He patiently watched them perform. He looked at the barrier he had erected using a special barrier talisman. There were some visible changes happening to the barrier too, not visible to the naked, inexperienced eye.


    At the top edge of the barrier, he could see it ripple continuously, clearly being affected by the tremendous espera gathering and interfering with it from inside.


    He shook his head. The barrier talisman that he had used was at best suited for Rank-2 exorcists, yet seeing it ripple in such a way made his heart haveplex emotions.


    He did not expect that someone among them would be able to interfere with his barrier.


    He pointed his finger at the ripples and in the next moment, they paused as the barrier seemed to have be strengthenedpared to before since Oliver''s espera was no longer interfering with it.


    Oliver''s brows aligned as he keenly gazed at the wobbly water puddles in front of him slowly changing their shapes.


    The espera focused on the water started to act and reshape the puddles, turning them into spherical forms, ttening their surfaces. The water glistened, reflecting the light in mesmerizing patterns.


    The whole air was filled with multiple spherical water balls and mirror-like surfaces.


    The water was polished and still as the espera kept them stabilized in the air.

 Chapter 152 Gamma Rays! Cage of Radiation

    Chapter 152 Gamma Rays! Cage of Radiation


    Chapter 152


    Evelyn, who was watching this, could not help but take a deep breath. The sight was breathtaking, each sphere a testament to Oliver''s control. The shimmering spheres hovered like celestial bodies, radiating a serene yet powerful aura.


    The moment Oliver released his espera, her breath hitched, and her heart almost leaped into her throat.


    She had never seen any of her peers with such a sheer quantity of espera.


    No, she had never felt this pressured before. The gap between them was so wide, she was starting to realize it now.


    She could finally see it.


    The gap between her and him, it was vast, extremely vast.


    She looked down at her hand; it was trembling slightly from being exposed to the overwhelming esperaing from him.


    ''If he had this much espera since the beginning, then it made sense how he reached so high up during the mountain climb¡­''


    She inhaled deeply to calm her nerves. Fortunately, she had already practiced with him multiple times beforehand, or else she might not have been able to keep herposure.


    The first time they tried it, she almost fell uponing in contact with that sheer amount of espera.


    "Huff¡­"


    Evelyn''s eyes narrowed as she sped her hands together. Closing her eyes, she focused as she channeled the light within her to move forward.


    In the next moment, a bright ray of light emerged from her body. It was blinding, making any onlooker close their eyes.


    However, she concentrated, and soon the blinding white light dimmed slowly, turning into a single focused ray¡ªa dense, potent white ray of light focused in front of her.


    "Go!"


    She opened her eyes and, with a powerful burst of espera,unched the ray of light towards Oliver¡ªmore specifically, towards the cage of water spheres and constructs.


    She did not rx and immediately conjured another blinding light,pressing it to a dense white ray, and threw it towards the water cage.


    She repeated this, one ray of light after another, each filled with energy and momentum.


    Her face was set in determined concentration, her movements precise and unwavering.


    Oliver used [Cosmic Void Gaze] as he saw the iing lights; all of them were slowed down in his vision as they moved and entered the cage of water spheres.


    He stretched forward his hand and snapped his fingers.


    In an instant, the water bodies moved, amodating the rays of light.


    Something happened: the light that should have passed through the water puddles was instead reflected backward!


    Not refracted?


    Reflection is the process where light bounces back from a surface rather than passing through it.


    This phenomenon urs prominently when the water surface is calm and undisturbed. Under these conditions, the water can act like a mirror, reflecting light rays in a manner simr to a t, smooth surface.


    However, that was not only it.


    Reflection is noticeable primarily when an appropriate angle is made when the light strikes the water, a low angle close to horizontal.


    Like when it happens during sunrise or sunset.


    Instead of refracting out of the water, the light is entirely reflected back into the water.


    But the moremon phenomenon was ''refraction''; usually, it was expected for light to pass directly through the water into the air. And the angle requirement is pretty suitable for it to happen as well.


    Both reflection and refraction happen naturally in water, but refraction is way moremon in general.


    Oliver adjusted the water constructs at such a position and angle that all the light rays reflected perfectly from one surface to another.


    Soon, the multiple light beams entered the sort-of water cage that Oliver had perfectly and precisely angled and moved.


    What happened was the light beams, instead of dying down and disappearing, did not dull but instead kept getting reflected faster and faster in that cage of water constructs.


    Now, here''s the theory that Oliver had proposed.


    Thews and physics of this world were not simr to those of his previous world so far as he had noticed already. While a lot of concepts were simr, due to the presence of an energy called ''espera,'' many things were different or did not exist at all.


    It meant that the water in these constructs was not ordinary water but instead a form of "shiny water" that possessed unique energy-storing properties. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The constructs of water were made using his tremendous espera, and not to mention, he was continuously supplying espera into them as well.


    These shiny water constructs could absorb and storerge amounts of energy from the environment or an external source.


    The external source being him and the light beams.


    When light beams (photons) were directed into the cage of shiny water constructs, the interaction between the light and the water surfaces was designed to allow for perfect reflection.


    Perfect reflection means that the photons do not lose energy during reflection but can instead gain energy from the water constructs.


    He was using his espera to make the shiny water constructs have the ability to transfer energy to the photons through a process akin to stimted emission, where the photons gain additional energy from the water molecules.


    Each reflection within the cage increased the energy of the photons incrementally, turning them into high-energy photons.


    The shiny water spheres acted as micro-lenses, ensuring minimal energy loss and maximum energy transfer.


    While the t water surfaces acted as perfect mirrors, reflecting the light beams without scattering, maintaining the coherence and directionality of the light.


    Screech!


    As the light beams reflected multiple times within the cage, they continuously gained energy, eventually reaching destructive levels.


    A sharp, high-pitched screeching sound was heard from time to time.


    The air seemed to vibrate with the intensity of the charged photons.


    These high-energy light beams were nothing simple; they were potent ionizing rays with extreme destructive potential.


    Ionizing radiation includes particles or electromaic waves with enough energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons.


    Basically, they have enough energy to remove the tightly bound electrons from atoms, capable of splitting atoms into ions!


    It includes alpha particles, beta particles, neutrons, and high-energy photons (X-rays and gamma rays).


    It was an instant death if someone dared to step into a zone of high-dose ionized radiation.


    The cage, at the moment, was something simr. It was a cage containing high levels of these gamma rays.


    It was a cage of death!


    One step into it, and getting cancer was the least of worries; it was almost impossible to escape death without special protection.


    Gamma rays at extreme doses cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system; they directly lead to CNS failure¡ªdirectly attacking the brain and nerves and killing the entity.


    In a typical nuclear ident or disaster, the estimated dose was around 10-30 Sv (a unit to measure the level), which was as good as a guaranteed death.


    Typically, that should have been the case. However, Oliver and Evelyn were not at that level yet, nor did they intend to reach that level themselves for this demonstration.


    It was very natural for them to surpass this threshold and reach extremely destructive levels if they continued to grow their espera in the future and be higher-ranking exorcists.


    But for now, this small practical demonstration had basically put up a foundation for a much deadlier weapon of mass destruction for the future.


    Right now, Oliver''s entire focus was drawn to the water cage. His entire concentration was on maintaining the bnce and adjusting the positions of the water constructs repeatedly and continuously to amodate the light rays.


    The radiation level forming inside the water cage was not too high either. But it was still dangerous for a human body.


    His eyes shone as he once again adjusted the water constructs. He was continuously using [Cosmic Void Gaze] on top of supplying espera to the cage of water. It was draining his mental energy as well as espera too much.


    He could already feel a sense of fatigue in his body.


    Of course, it was as simple as minor fatigue. He still had Abyss energy inside him to support and sustain him. Even if his espera was depleted down to zero, he would not die.


    Nheless, it was too draining and gave an ufortable feeling to him. He wanted it to be over as soon as possible.


    However, Oliver''s gaze shifted as he said, "Evelyn, it''s ready."


    To which, Evelyn moved quickly. She went up to the metallic training dummy in the corner.


    With a deep breath, she tightened her grip around the gnarled roots of the dummy, feeling the rough texture bite into her palms.


    She heaved, the muscles in her arms straining as she pulled with all her might. There was a moment of resistance.


    Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears.


    Snap!


    Then, with a loud snapping sound, the roots of the dummy gave way, a cascade of soil crumbling around its legs.


    She stumbled back, the now-liberated metallic dummy clutched in her hands, its legs that were rooted into the earth beneath dangling and dripping with dirt.


    She looked at the dummy in her hands before gazing back at Oliver, who nodded at her.

 Chapter 153 Getting out of control? Sigfor steps in!

    Chapter 153 Getting out of control? Sigfor steps in!


    Chapter 153


    Evelyn looked at the dummy in her hands before gazing back at Oliver, who nodded at her. Her fingers tightened around the dummy, feeling the weight of what they were about to demonstrate.


    She pulled her hand back and, with force, threw the dummy into the air, aiming towards the floating water cage in front of Oliver.


    The dummy flew in an arc straight towards the intended location,nding directly into the cage of water constructs. The surroundings fell silent, all eyes following the dummy''s trajectory.


    The moment the dummynded inside the cage, a reaction urred, visible to everyone present.


    Swish! Swish!


    With a swift gesture, the beams of light that were continuously reflecting inside the cage collided with the surface of the metal, immediately distorting its in surface, slowly breaking it¡ªmelting it down as the ionized radiations passed through it.


    The metal hissed and bubbled, its form warping under the intense energy.


    Every single person watching this could not help but hold their breath. It was too terrifying¡ªbeautifully so.


    The sight of a cage of water reflecting lights and melting literal metal¡ªfor some reason, the scene looked unreal.


    Light and water, the two most sensitive and docile elements known¡­


    The two elements known for being used mainly in defense and healing¡­


    Yet, what were they seeing right now?


    The same two humble elements were showcasing a destructive might that was far greater than any other elements. The water shimmered, refracting the light into lethal beams, while the light itself seemed to pulse with raw power.


    Suddenly, all of them felt that theirbinations so far were as good as mud in front of this.


    Was this how it was supposed to be?


    Should they not have shown something rted to healing or barrier arts?


    What was this even?


    How was light even able to pierce through metal? And damage it too?


    And what was the water even doing other than bouncing off lights?


    There were many questions that their childish brains could not understand.


    However, one person was able to grasp everything and see it thoroughly.


    ''Maddening! Absolutely maddening!''


    Sigfor''s mental state was in turmoil. Everything he had seen so far had lost any sense to him.


    He was staring at the demonstration by the two kids with eyes as wide as saucers; he could not take his eyes off this genius spectacle at all.


    His hands trembled slightly, barely containing his astonishment.


    His body was shaking; he was in self-disbelief at what he was witnessing.


    Two mere kids yet to cross the age of ten had managed to pull off something even veteran exorcists would never be able to achieve.


    He really meant what he thought.


    To be able to figure out the properties of light and water at their age and then implement them practically was nothing but genius!


    He could not understand how they were able to deduce these things to such an extent.


    To be able to skim through things that researchers dedicated their lifetimes to in a matter of days, how smart were they both!?


    Leaving the matter of theory aside for a second, to be able to implement it practically was what truly set them apart from others.


    He had met a few light exorcists in his life, but even after having a thorough understanding of their element, implementing such a thing was impossible for them.


    Not only would one need to be able to adjust the reflecting surfaces, but at the same time, they would be required to have a keen control over their espera.


    A vast amount of espera needed to be continuously supplied to the reflecting objects or surfaces, and at the same time, someone skilled enough to keep track of all light rays in that moment.


    Finding such a person who could do that was extremely difficult, one with such a level of coordination with the light element.


    How was Oliver able to keep up with these light beams?


    Sigfor narrowed his eyes, espera radiating from his vision; he was still not able to keep track of all those multiple light rays no matter how much he focused.


    How could he? They were moving at the speed of light. He would be inhuman if he could keep track of them all.


    But then how was Oliver able to do that?


    He reasoned that if he was not wrong, then perhaps, Oliver was also not able to see these light rays at all but instead was depending on his instincts to adjust the water constructs to amodate light.


    Well, but then how was he so urate? Not a single light beam escaped the water matrix.


    For that, Sigfor believed it was thanks to his high level of synergy with Evelyn.


    Unknowingly, both of them had managed to achieve a ridiculously high synergy with each other, making him able to connect with her and feel the flow of light.


    Otherwise, there was no logical reason that could exin how he was able to perfectly manipte the water constructs.


    There was no way his eyes could keep up with the speed of light, right?


    Sigfor shook his head. There was definitely no way that was possible.


    He had heard of cases where two people would achieve a crazy synergy with one another, but the majority of them were from people who held strong emotions for the other person¡ªbasically couples in love.


    ''Well, it''s not like that is definite. Both of them are geniuses among geniuses, so they might have been able to reach that state,'' he thought.


    "Umm¡­"


    Suddenly, a small voice drew his attention.


    He looked at Oliver, who was making aplex face. Just as he was wondering what was wrong, he heard him say.


    "Elder, I am not able to dismiss it¡­"


    Sigfor''s eyes trembled when he heard this.


    If Oliver stopped now, the water constructs would instantly turn back into liquid form, and the light inside, which was currently a high-energy beam, would explode out.


    The realization hit him like a cold ssh of water.


    He did not worry about the other children thanks to the barrier he had faith in.


    But he was not so sure about the two kids inside. They might not be unharmed if that happened.


    "What are you doing!? Did you guys not practice this beforeing here!?" Sigfor asked in a loud voice, a hint of agitation in his tone.


    "Well, the thing is¡­ we did not do it to this degree. Whenever the light would get a little powerful, we would cancel it immediately¡­"


    Evelyn said in a small voice. She was also looking at the cage with distress. She was far away; the one who would get hurt the most would be Oliver if it exploded.


    "You what!?"


    Sigfor was so angry at this moment that he wanted to beat these two. The previous admiration for their talents and intellect was quickly consumed by the rage he felt for their careless behavior.


    His hands clenched at his sides, knuckles turning white.


    It was simply life-threatening for them!


    To act without knowing about the proper consequences and not care about anything, not only were they risking their lives but also the lives of theirrades.


    He could not help but grit his teeth in irritation.


    This was a really risky situation. Both of them might not realize this, but he did.


    "Step aside!" he yelled at Evelyn, making her flinch. She looked at him with conflict; she did not want to leave Oliver behind.


    Should she try and control those light rays inside? It seemed to be quite difficult, but she would not allow someone close to her to get harmed because of her abilities. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She trembled as she started to put her hand forward towards the light. When it seemed that she was about to try it despite the warnings, a loud voice interrupted her unstable thoughts.


    "JUST DO IT!" Sigfor could not take her indecisiveness any longer and roared furiously. She was just wasting time.


    The boy might have tremendous espera, but it was not infinite. He would run out of it sooner orter, and from the looks of it, he seemed close to it.


    The moment he lost control, the explosion would happen. Before something unthinkable happened to either of them, he had to intervene.


    His voice was so loud thanks to espera that all of them had a ringing sensation in their ears.


    "Yes¡­" she said weakly before ncing in Oliver''s direction onest time and making her way towards the edge of the barrier, quietly exiting it.


    Sigfor waved his hand and sealed off the barrier, allowing no one to enter anymore.


    He solemnly looked at the water cage with deep eyes. He could forcibly try to push it down, but he might hurt the kid in the process.


    He had no choice but to enter the barrier himself.


    A sense of urgency pushed him forward.

 Chapter 154 Sigfors might! Olivers stunt!

    Chapter 154 Sigfor''s might! Oliver''s stunt!


    Chapter 154


    Sigfor wasted no time, and made a quick hand gesture, bringing his index and middle fingers together, positioning them together in the front of his chest as he applied espera.


    A slit opening instantly appeared in the barrier, allowing him to enter.


    Without dy, he moved through the opening in the barrier before sealing it behind him.


    Now, he was very close to the boy and his water construct cage. The heat from the ionized rays brushed against his skin, a dangerous reminder of the impending threat.


    Now that he was this close to the cage of water, Sigfor truly felt the danger that was emanating from the box.


    Even someone of his caliber, who was way above them, could sense its potential destructiveness. He wouldn''t dare imagine just what sort of havoc it could wreak once they had reached higher levels.


    Sigfor exhaled slowly, his eyes turning sharp with focus. He readied himself, channeling all his energy into the task at hand. The weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders, driving his resolve.


    "The moment I say back off, run towards the edge of the barrier without even looking back. Don''t bother with anything, just leave," he instructed Oliver in a solemn, unwavering voice.


    He was absolutely serious, there was no room for any slips. His tone left no room for doubt, the gravity of the situation was clear.


    Oliver looked at the elder who had entered and nodded.


    His seemingly unworried demeanor infuriated the elder even more.


    ''This kid has no idea how dangerous this stunt is!''


    That was what the elder thought, but how could he know what Oliver was thinking?


    To be clear, Oliver really didn''t fear the explosion. If it happened, he could easily suppress the oue with Abyss energy.


    Not only that, he was confident that he could very well protect himself and his body using the Abyss energy too.


    However, it was just that he couldn''t use it in front of others, lest theybeled him a heretic or some demonic being.


    Nheless, he had tested it beforehand and was confident that the elder should be able to suppress it.


    Seeing Oliver nod, Sigfor focused and closed his hand towards the water cage, gathering a massive amount of espera, hundreds of times higher than Oliver''s, in front of his fist.


    After a moment of tense silence, the elder shouted.


    "Leave!"


    Oliver didn''t hesitate; using the water elemental espera, he threw the cage towards the elder and ran back.


    Seeing this, Sigfor''s pupils contracted. He had only told the boy to leave without doing anything, yet this little bastard had actually thrown the entire cage towards him.


    Did he want to kill him? And that was even when he was there to save this brat!


    Too outrageous!


    Sigfor knew that he didn''t have the time to get angry as the massive water cage hurled in his direction, the water constructs disintegrating from its former shape, turning into nothing more than simple liquids.


    The high-energy lights shot towards him all at once.


    Even with all this happening, Sigfor remainedposed and pointed his w at the light beam. The massive espera quickly collided with the beam, engulfing it entirely.


    BOOM!


    Oliver barely made it out of the barrier in the nick of time before a massive explosion erupted behind him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The shockwave from the st propelled him forward, but hended smoothly before trying to catch his breath.


    He had thrown the water cage towards Sigfor so that he could get more time to escape.


    ''It seems that the elder handled it well,'' he thought, observing the barrier with calm eyes that shone with a certain light.


    Although the whole barrier''s interior was shrouded in clouds of smoke, Oliver could see things clearly thanks to [Cosmic Void Gaze], through which he spotted a distant figure standing amidst the smoke.


    He blinked and stopped using his special eyes; he was already mentally drained and any more effort might cause him to faint. He could already feel thest vestiges of his strength slipping away.


    All the children present held their breaths as they watched the barrier crack slowly before crumbling like broken ss and vanishing.


    The smoke had begun to clear out thanks to the wind and Alphonso sped up the wind waves, quickly dissipating it. A collective sigh of relief was felt as the air cleared.


    They all saw Elder Sigfor''s figure. His clothes were charred ck, burnt from the sides, and his sleeves were ripped. He looked like a beggar.


    Miraculously, his body did not seem to have even an inch of a wound. It was tough and unscathed.


    His stern expression, however, spoke volumes.


    "This¡­"


    Daniel was at a loss for words. He had just witnessed something extremely incredible. He nced towards Evelyn and Oliver with literal stars in his eyes, his admiration for the duo growing boundlessly.


    His body itched to recreate something simr to the previous stunt with them.


    Just the thought of thunder in that cage of death made him shiver in excitement, almost causing him to hallucinate.


    Moreover, the sight of the annoying old man, who would always act arrogantly towards them turning into a beggar added another sense of satisfaction to Daniel''s mind. He couldn''t help but silently cheer the duo for making Sigfor taste dust.


    "That was he awesome, you guys! I CAN''T WAIT TO DO IT WITH YOU TWO!!"


    Daniel almost screamed, praising them andpletely ignoring Sigfor, who was ring at him with a dead gaze.


    The others tactically chose to remain silent, noticing Sigfor''s stare at the chattering Daniel.


    ''Damn, he''s so obliviously bold!''


    All the others shared the same thought as they watched him chattering non-stop, praising the duo for thatbination from before and expressing his desire to do something simr with them.


    ''He''s done for.''


    Oliver silently sent his best wishes to Daniel, who was cluelesslyughing with Sigfor right behind him.


    "Great, let me teach you how to do that."


    Sigfor''s deep voice rang in Daniel''s ears as a hand sped his left shoulder, making him freeze.


    A chill ran down Daniel''s spine and his smile soon faltered.


    For some reason, Daniel''s instincts screamed at him about the disaster that was about to befall him.


    s, it was already toote.


    In the end, the silent hall reverberated with the painful shrieks of a boy.

 Chapter 155 Unexpected winners?

    Chapter 155 Unexpected winners?


    Chapter 155


    After that incident, both Oliver and Evelyn were severely reprimanded by the old Sigfor, who made sure that they had it engraved into their brains that safety and tests were important before pulling any such stunts.


    The stern lecture echoed in their minds, leaving asting impression.


    And after getting some punishments, they moved on to the challenge winner being announced.


    "So, the winner is¡­" A tense hush fell over the group, anticipation hanging in the air.


    "So, all of you did some pretty greatbinations, some even took it a ''step further'' and did something even more ''amazing'' too."


    He jabbed and looked at the trio, Oliver, Evelyn, andstly Daniel, who for some reason had a swollen face. The silent usation in his gaze was unmistakable.


    "Now, I am going to dere the winners. It''s based solely on my judgment about various aspects of your elementalbinations and other stuff such as your level of synergy."


    He said in a calm voice as he looked at the group.


    "The winners are Amber and Alphonso."


    His words came off as an unexpected announcement as everyone looked at him with surprise visible in their eyes, clearly not expecting the oue¡ªeven the winners were confused and incredulous.


    Amber looked at Alphonso, then back at Sigfor. She clearly did not expect them to win in the end.


    But soon, the confusion was reced by a smug expression as she red up her chest high, clearly looking happy. Her triumphant grin spoke volumes of her satisfaction.


    She nced around only to see everyone looking confused except for him.


    Even after all this, his expression was one of utter uninterested, he did not seem to be bothered by the oue at all, a bored expression in his eyes as he watched the scene.


    His indifference was in clear contrast to the excitement around him


    Alphonso could not bear the silence any longer and questioned, "This¡­ Elder Sigfor, are you really sure about this¡­?"


    His voice sounded hesitant. What he was doing was basically dering that he did not think his team was worthy of winning the challenge and that Sigfor probably had made a mistake.


    While Alphonso had a streak in him to win and be strong, his pride as a gentleman did not allow him to win by cheating or misunderstandings.


    "It is as you have heard. You both are the winners of this challenge and will receive the deserving rewards for it. There''s no scope for mistake; I have thoroughly judged it." He paused, his eyes wandering off to a certain duo before he added further.


    "And I clearly did not just judge it based on your ''destructive'' power at all."


    His words had a hint of sarcasm to them as he said that sentence.


    Alphonso had a realization dawn on him. He felt that he was now able to understand what the elder meant and why they were dered the winners instead.


    It was quite evident that Sigfor was really angry with Evelyn and Oliver this time. They both carelessly acted and neglected the safety of those around them; it was basically a death sentence had they been on a battlefield, which they surely would be in the future.


    Sigfor''s way to dere them the winners was a method to teach both Oliver and Evelyn, the duo who were better than Amber and Alphonso in everything, be it their synergy to the overall destructive power of their elementalbination, that ensuring the safety of theirrades and themselves was more important than anything else.


    To have yourrades die due to your mistake was one of the worst things ever on a battlefield with demons.


    He was conveying this to them.


    Alphonso''s heart felt conflicted at this thought. He knew that he and Amber did not deserve to be the victors at all; they were simply being used to set an example for them.


    But on the other hand, he felt that Sigfor could have also used Daniel and Nadia''s team as well to demonstrate this and set an example but instead chose theirs. Didn''t that mean that he still sincerely evaluated them?


    He wondered if he should really ept this honor and refuse to acknowledge this.


    His mind churned with conflicting thoughts, each one weighing heavily on him.


    Just as he was in conflict, Amber''s voice rang out close to him.


    "Don''t be an overthinker. Elder Sigfor has insight that we won''t be able to understand. If he has said that we are the winners, then there must be something behind that as well. I know what you are thinking, but you need to trust the elder. He''s basically our mentor," she said in a t tone, clearly not impressed that Alphonso was being such a wimp about such a small matter.


    Alphonso became silent as he heard her words. He considered her advice, and it did make sense. He was probably being too concerned over such a trivial matter.


    Her pragmatism cut through his doubts, grounding him.


    At least they would be getting a reward now for being victorious in the challenge.


    "You are right, haha. I am thinking too much," he apologized and looked back at the elder.


    "You two,e and collect it afterwards in the evening. All of you are dismissed now."


    Sigfor waved his hand and left the children after telling them to dismiss.


    "Hah! That old bastard! I bet you both will get double training as a reward from him," Daniel scoffed the moment Sigfor left, his voice seeming muffled due to the beatings that made his cheeks swollen.


    His swollen face twisted into a grimace as he spoke.


    He hated the old man even more so now.


    Nadia was calm. She was still looking at Oliver''s back discreetly.


    Her eyes held no trace of emotion as she recalled Sigfor''s words. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Pathetic.''


    She thought when she heard him preach about danger and safety like a saint.


    She knew all too well how many of hisrades he must have killed or sacrificed to have survived so far from the battlefields.


    He had no right to tell them about it. She felt it was very pathetic and cowardly of that old man to even utter a word about safety standards.


    Her disdain for him grew, solidifying her resolve to use that weapon that Oliver had disyed in some way or another.


    She could not care less about a withering old man.

 Chapter 156 Heretics arrive!

    Chapter 156 Heretics arrive!


    Chapter 156


    In her eyes, the spectacle that Oliver had just shown her was nothing more than a powerful weapon they could use in the future to ughter demons. A dangerous tool in the ongoing war against their enemies.


    If only they somehow managed to ovee theck of espera with a huge amount of espera and some minor changes, they could conduct this samebination on a massive scale, a way bigger experiment.


    Just the level of destruction they could bring to their enemy''s homnd was unthinkable. It was definitely a weapon worth polishing. The potential was immense, and the thought of it brought a cold aura around her.


    She had to try something of a simr level with her ice element as well.


    Her eyes turned deadly cold at that moment¡­


    In the end, everyone left withplicated emotions. Undoubtedly, they all knew who the actual winners and deserving ones were, but no one said it out loud.


    The unspoken truth hung heavy in the air, a silent acknowledgment of their real abilities.


    Later, Amber and Alphonso went to collect their rewards, which were some rune booklets and a tool for exorcism.


    Their expressions were a mix of pride and uncertainty, still processing the day''s events.


    ______________


    Outside, some distance away from the base of the mountain, a group of cloaked individuals was standing.


    All of them were dressed in dark robes, their faces hidden in shrouds as they faced the base of the mountain.


    "I did not expect the exorcist from the Mystic Purge n to leave the n so soon."


    One of the cloaked individuals said in a heavy tone, his body bulging with muscles, making him appear muchrger than the others.


    His presence was imposing, a silent threat to anyone nearby.


    "This definitely means that the exorcist is not aware of the thing they are carrying with them. They are most likely unaware of the egg of the disaster beast."


    Another figure said. From her feminine tone and high-pitched voice, it was evident she was a woman.


    Her voice carried a note of excitement, barely concealed under her cloak.


    "Shh, don''t utter that word. It is impossible to know when someone might hear our talk," a man of short stature said in a wary tone.


    "Come on, you are worrying too much. We are in the middle of nowhere. No one''s going to hear us. Toughen up!" the woman said in a sly voice.


    The man could not refute her words since what she said was true. The mountain in the distance was the only thing here. It was weird that such a huge mountain was located in the middle of nowhere.


    The destendscape added to their sense of security.


    It might have been an old ruin.


    "The signals areing strongly from the base of the mountain¡­ the target is there."


    Suddenly, a fourth person spoke. His dark ck robe was designed with a certain pattern, different from hispanions.


    He was exuding a powerful and sinister aura, much denser than the others. He was clearly their superior.


    Not to mention, all of them quieted down and listened to his words seriously.


    "We are close. The exorcist is oblivious to the precious treasure. However, I can sense a strong presence at the base of the mountain. It''s dangerous."


    He spoke in a static voice, making the others frown. After all, no matter how much they tried, they were not able to sense any strong presences from the mountain base.


    But since their leader could feel it, this could only mean that the individual present there was stronger than them.


    If so, they could not act and attack carelessly. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A misstep could cost them everything.


    They needed to know the situation a bit more.


    "What are your orders, leader?" the woman asked in a polite tone.


    The leader in question remained silent for a moment, thinking through this and deciding on a solution.


    "Scatter around and map out the terrain. Find the break points. The mountain is covered in a special barrier. It''s not an easy one. Locate the weak spot. We will infiltrate the mountain first. Hide your presences using the tools given to you. Don''t dare to let yourself be revealed even slightly if you don''t want to die," he finally said.


    His voice carried a finality that brooked no argument.


    It was simple: if they got exposed, the powerful exorcist inside would directly kill them. The leader would not step in to save them if that happened. They would be on their own.


    This showed just how strong the person inside was for their leader to be cautious of them as well.


    The leader they were with was a special individual selected by the supreme master of the cult just for this task.


    They all had heard about his extraordinary strength and killing techniques. He was ruthless and had ughtered countless exorcists so far.


    Usually, with him present, they would have directly barged inside, killed the exorcists present inside, and retrieved the egg.


    But for a presence inside to make their leader wary of them meant it was not going to be a simple mission.


    However, all of them were specially selected for this mission to retrieve the egg of the disaster beast. They all had abilities to back themselves.


    It was not for nothing that they were here in the first ce.


    The exorcist who had the egg belonged to the Mystic Purge n. It would be stupid for them to assume he would be weak.


    This was why they were here: to hunt him down and get the treasure back!


    Of course, that would mean making enemies with one of the five major ns. However, since the orders were from their masters, they would not hesitate in doing what was told.


    Heretics like them often avoided exorcists from the major ns not only because they were quite strong and annoying to deal with but also because if one of their exorcists were targeted, the whole n would hunt them down.


    Escaping the Mystic Purge n''s reach in human territory was close to impossible. This was how influential a major n was.


    "Leader, can I ughter the exorcists inside if I am careful enough?" the burly man asked for permission in his heavy masculine tone. His eyes gleamed with bloodlust.


    The leader''s expression was indifferent. He had pale skin and ck irises. He gazed at the burly man for a moment before shifting his focus back to the mountain.

 Chapter 157 Weapon selection!

    Chapter 157 Weapon selection!


    Chapter 157


    The leader''s expression was indifferent. He had pale skin and ck irises. He gazed at the burly man for a moment before shifting his focus back to the mountain.


    "Do whatever you like."


    The burly man with brown skin smiled wickedly at that, his hands itching for blood and flesh. He was going to kill everyone inside and drink their blood.


    "Leader, what about you?" the man with short stature questioned with respect.


    "I will do nothing."


    "¡­."


    The group looked at him with nk expressions. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "This¡­ Leader, are you sure?" the woman hesitated and wondered.


    "I will be making preparations for a killer array in advance. Once we manage to pass through the barrier, I will engage with the expert present inside while you retrieve the egg."


    He spoke in a dark tone, making others tremble.


    His words carried an unspoken threat, a promise of what was toe.


    Killer Array!


    It was one of the demons'' inventions, designed to deal with the pesky, troublesome exorcists.


    The array consisted of extremely destructive and violent runes. Just one array was enough to eliminate a plethora of exorcists with a single activation.


    Basically, it was a death trap for any exorcist who would be caught inside.


    For their leader to activate such an expensive andplex array, they all knew that the situation was dire. The expert inside must have been a high-ranking exorcist since he was forced to use such an array.


    "Ah¡­"


    All of them had their eyes sparkling with lights of revtion.


    "That''s great, leader!"


    "As expected of our leader!"


    They praised him like a group of bootlickers around a young master.


    The leader nodded, his eyes glistening with a sinister glow in them as he ordered them to disperse and create an opening in the barrier. Considering the barrier''s sturdiness, it might take them weeks to do so, but it was worth it.


    They would not get a chance better than this one. If the exorcist returned to the Mystic Purge n, then it would be impossible to reach them.


    This was their best opportunity, and they would never let this pass by!


    _____________


    It was soon the next day.


    Sigfor summoned the group of children, this time, all of them were seated on their desks while he was in front of them.


    "Now, you have two choices."


    He said as he summoned a thick old book and a spear. He then looked at them and continued, "Either we start with weapon training or runic studies. Discuss it and we will proceed with what you decide."


    As soon as Sigfor finished, Daniel stood up from his desk and looked at others, "You guys have to choose weapon training!"


    His tone had excitement as if he was ready to defend his point to the very end.


    Alphonso looked at Evelyn, who was next to him and asked, "What do you think?"


    "Well, I am fine with either of the two. Both are going to be useful to us. I will follow what you guys decide," she replied with a smile.


    "Isn''t runic knowledge more important¡­? Weapon training is going to be exhausting honestly," Amber said as she stretched her back.


    "That''s true as well¡­" Alphonso muttered with a nod.


    "You guys can''t be serious, right!? Amber, Alphonso, just think about how much fun it would be to train together! We can spar with that old ma¡ªcough, elder Sigfor as much as we want! Don''t you all want to know about his powers and we can also duel with each other! You guys, please¡­!" Daniel pleaded as he looked at the two.


    "You brat, you are still a hundred years early to dare to think about fighting me," Sigfor frowned.


    "Hmm¡­" Amber leaned forward on the desk, supporting her chin with her hand, she turned to look at Oliver and asked.


    "Oliver, what about you? What do you want to do?"


    "Me? I am fine with either. But since Daniel is requesting all of us, we should consider him too," he thought aloud.


    "Oliver, my dude! I love you!"


    "Stop being so cringe, Daniel," Amber scolded, making a disgusted face at his words.


    "Well¡­" Alphonso smiled wryly before ncing at Nadia, who had an icy aura surrounding her. He didn''t dare approach her, and given her stance, she probably did not care either way.


    He coughed twice and said, "Since it''s like this, then Amber, I think we should take the weapon training first, we can always learn about runester."


    "Sure, if everyone is fine with it. I just mentioned it since I like runes more," Amber shrugged.


    "Haha¡­" Alphonsoughed and nodded at Daniel.


    "Elder Sigfor! We want you to teach us weapon training first!" he shouted, making sure that the elder had heard him clearly.


    Seeing the brat yell, Sigfor frowned, it seemed like this brat hadn''t learned his lesson even after getting beaten up.


    "Alright then," he said, and the book vanished from his hand and returned back to his storage artifact. He then tapped the spear against the floor, producing a thud.


    "We will start with weapon training first!"


    "We will start with weapon training first!"


    Just as Sigfor announced, Daniel jumped in joy and made noises only to be silenced by the elder''s anger.


    "First, we shall see what weapons you kids feel the mostfortable with. If you already have a preference with the weapons you arefortable with, then find it; otherwise, I will help you get one," he said as he waved his hand and the next moment numerous training weapons appeared on the table before him.


    "I will use a sword!"


    Daniel leapt over and picked up a sleek sword, he then waved it in the air with swift and precise strikes.


    ''Not bad.''


    Sigfor thought as he observed the kid''s short movement and instantly recognized that Daniel was very familiar with his weapon¡ªthe sword.


    ''As expected from the Sacred Swords n, they must have nurtured him with weapon techniques and training extensively.

 Chapter 158 Olivers choice

    Chapter 158 Oliver''s choice


    Chapter 158


    Sigfor knew how terrifying the Sacred Swords n''s prowess was when it came to the handling of weapons¡ªespecially swords. They were second to none in swordsmanship.


    They were the best among all when it came to using and handling swords.


    It did note as a surprise that their heir turned out to be a genius in this regard.


    "I will have the spear," Alphonso said as he picked up a spear from the assortment of weapons. He was used to spears and with his wind element, it was quite a suitable choice for him.


    "Elder, I am not sure about weapons¡­" Amber said as she looked at the array of weapons with interest, wondering just which weapon would best suit her.


    Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she imagined herself wielding each one.


    "Hmm, which one of them attracts your eye the most?"


    "Well, if I had to say, then the hammer, greatsword, and gauntlets seem rather appealing," she muttered with fascination.


    She wanted to use her own tools but knew that it wasn''t allowed. She was much morefortable using artifacts and her diverse exorcism tools.


    "Then give each of them a try. We will go with the one that suits you the best," Sigfor said calmly.


    "Does this mean that I can choose multiple weapons?" she asked curiously.


    "Of course, there''s no rule saying you can only select a single weapon for training," he replied.


    "Albeit, mastering a single weapon could be more fruitful for the future, but if you feel you can handle it, then be my guest and have a go with them," he added.


    "I understand, elder." Amber nodded and picked up the weapons. The weight of each one felt right in her hands, and she wondered which would be her favorite.


    "Wait, elder, then can I also have the bow as well?" Alphonso asked in a low voice, a little flustered. His eyes had been drawn to the bow alongside the spear as well.


    Since they could give it a try, he wanted to try using a bow once too. He might be morepatible with it in the long run after all.


    "Sure. Take it." Sigfor nodded. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hmm! I think I will have this." Evelyn came forward and picked up a weapon.


    It was a sword¡ªa katana, to be specific. She twisted her wrist and moved the katana in the air; it felt very familiar to her.


    Her hand clutched the weapon tight as her eyes were drawn to the long de. It could properly conduct her light element and channel her espera to it as well.


    Oliver followed behind her and picked up a katana as well. It was an exotic weapon, different from the traditional ones.


    Evelyn saw this and made a surprised face. She asked, "You are also interested in a katana?"


    She was curious. Did Oliver also feel the same way as her about the weapon?


    "Something like that," he smiled and said.


    He could not tell her that since she was about to start practicing with the katana, he would automatically gain knowledge and experience about it as well sooner orter.


    Sheughed and patted his shoulder. "Then it looks like we will spar a lot in the future."


    "Looks like that." He tilted his head andughed a little.


    Amber, who was observing from the side, narrowed her eyes. She did not know when, but her grip on the hammer tightened a bit for some reason.


    Last was Nadia. She looked at the array of weapons with disinterest.


    Her mother had already selected the perfect weapon for her back at the n. After this was over, she was going to perform a ritual of selection with the weapon her mother had chosen once she returned to the n.


    She did not need these weapons.


    But in the end, she still had to choose, so she picked up a longsword, a scythe, and some throwing weapons.


    "It seems everyone has made their choice." Sigfor looked around and nodded. The weapons disappeared from the table back into his storage space.


    "Now then, I will teach you how to improve your form. While my primary weapon might be different than yours, with my experience alone, I can help you all."


    Sigfor said as he waved the spear in his hand. The air around the spear trembled before an illusionary dragonfly appeared at the tip of the spear.


    The dragonfly flew over their heads before scattering into countless light particles and disappearing.


    They looked at it in awe.


    "Now then, get your weapons ready! All of youe at me!"


    Sigfor announced in a loud tone, suddenly making all the desks and chairs disappear.


    All that was left in the dpidated hall was him and the kids.


    "FINE BY ME!"


    Daniel did not hesitate and swung his sword at Sigfor, his eyes fierce as if he wanted to actually sh him.


    "Humph."


    Sigfor easily parried his strike, pushing him back like nothing.


    Swing!


    Daniel did not back down and the next moment threw himself towards Sigfor again, only to be thrown backwards as their weapons collided.


    ng!


    ng!


    Daniel kept charging at Sigfor, his movements irregr and hurried.


    Oliver noticed this. While his moves looked irregr and reckless, he could feel a calcted and proper form behind them.


    ''He knows what he is doing.'' Oliver thought as he observed the spar carefully. Daniel was constantly switching his form, wanting to take Sigfor by surprise but losing to him miserably after every turn.


    He felt that Daniel should focus more on one form first if he wanted to improve. Right now, it looked more like he wanted to defeat the elder at any cost and not actually learn and improve his form.


    Oliver was thinking when the elder''s voice rang again.


    "What are you all waiting for? Did I not say toe at me at once? Come forward!" he said.


    "But sir, a spar should take ce between the two parties only¡­ It would be rude of us to cross the line and group together against you. It will be equal to cheating¡­" Alphonso said in a conflicted tone.


    p!


    The sound echoed in the hall, silencing everyone.

 Chapter 159 Sparring with elder! Alphonsos decision!

    Chapter 159 Sparring with elder! Alphonso''s decision!


    Chapter 159


    p!


    Amber pped his back, her face carrying a heavy frown.


    "Ouch! What was that for, Amber?" he asked as he winced in pain.


    "Are you kidding me!? Do you expect demons to follow your so-called morals and etiquette during a battle of life and death?" she snarled.


    "Do you think they will say, ''Oh, it''s Mister Alphonso, the human noble! We can''t fight him in groups! Let''s fight him one by one!'' Do you even have a brain!?"


    Amber voiced out, clearly pissed off at such a pathetic excuse on his end.


    "I-I never thought like that!" Alphonso flushed red while he denied her usations.


    "T-That is different, h-here we are conducting a proper spar with the elder!" he tried to reason, but Amber only made a face that was too bored to listen to him.


    "Do whatever you want. If you want to die so badly, then go and jump off the mountain cliff. I don''t care."


    She said as she picked up gauntlets, wearing them. Her fingers tightened around the leather straps, knuckles turning white. She too went to fight the elder, who easily parried her sluggish punches with ease.


    Evelyn also came forward. She brandished her katana as she concentrated on the elder''s open spots, striking with her sword.


    Swish!


    ng!


    However, Sigfor didn''t even move and blocked her with his spear.


    Suddenly, Oliver jumped onto him from behind while he was blocking Evelyn''s sword. He aimed for Sigfor''s head.


    Sigfor sensed him and bent his head backwards, making Oliver''s sword pass by him by just a hair''s distance.


    ''Damn brat! He is reallying to get the kill!'' Sigfor smirked. He liked that sort of decisiveness and ruthlessness.


    A sharp dagger came flying towards the back of his neck.


    Sigfor moved his free hand behind his back and caught the dagger with two fingers.


    ''Not bad,'' he thought as he threw the dagger away and looked at Nadia standing some distance away, her eyes without expression.


    ''As expected from the heirs of the Mystic Purge n, always so ruthless and indifferent.''


    ''Not bad,'' he thought as he threw the dagger away and looked at Nadia standing some distance away, her eyes without expression.


    ''As expected from the heirs of the Mystic Purge n, always so ruthless and indifferent.''


    He liked that trait of this n. They never hesitated to kill their enemies. While his principles did not align well with the Mystic Purge n''s principles, he still held some level of admiration for thetter.


    It was obvious that he hated how they would even sacrifice their allies andrades to achieve victory, but their decisiveness in situations and tactics were top-notch.


    Daniel attacked him again. This time, Sigfor kicked his stomach, throwing him back. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Pfft!" Daniel coughed up some spit as the air in his lungs almost vanished with that kick.


    He took continuous deep breaths to steady himself. He felt disappointed at having such a gap in their abilities and power, but he knew it made sense. Otherwise, how would Sigfor have been qualified to tutor them in the first ce?


    He heard Sigfor say, "Focus on one technique at a time. Don''t act smart and use all of them at once. You cannot defeat me as you are right now. So push that thought out of your mind and focus on improving yourself."


    Daniel gritted his teeth. He had to ept that he really could not touch the old man. He had to focus on improving his techniques first. The elder was right when he said that.


    "Remember, this is not just about attacking. Learn to read your opponent, understand their movements, and adapt. Now,e!"


    "Haah!" He weakly got up and flexed his muscles as energy filled his core. He was now using espera to try andbat the old man.


    However, in the end, it did not matter at all. The old elder, who looked weak from the front, was not weak at all. He easily countered it with his spear and threw him back again.


    It was very frustrating to be wrapped up so easily.


    The others did not stop either for Daniel andunched attacks of their own while Sigfor blocked them and parried back.


    Sweat poured down their faces, mixing with the dirt and blood from minor cuts. Each failed attempt only fueled their determination.


    Only Alphonso was the odd one out, watching from the side ufortably.


    Amber''s words kept ringing in his ears continuously. Maybe he wanted to deny that she was right.


    Biting his lip, he watched them train under Sigfor''s guidance, despite the unfair advantage they were having in a spar with the old elder.


    He clutched the spear in his hand tightly, his knuckles turning pale. He watched every second pass by with conflicted emotions.


    One part of his mind said to jump in and join his friends, while his heart remained stubborn and refused to follow such a crude way of training.


    It was then that Sigfor''s voice, as calm as water, sounded as he addressed him.


    "There''s nothing to think about. If you believe that I will be defeated by the likes of you brats, then I would not be a veteran from the borders for nothing. If you actually think that, then you are quite foolish. It''s not etiquette but rudeness to underestimate your opponent during a battle."


    "Did I ask for your opinion, boy?" he asked, wondering when Alphonso had heard him ask for his opinion.


    ng!


    Sigfor blocked Evelyn''s katana as he finished saying what he wanted to. If even after all this, Alphonso was not able to realize that the opportunity was right in front of him, then he would not help him.


    He was a n heir. Despite his age, there were things that he should be able to deduce on his own. There was no need for him to intervene. This was the simple logical thought process that he needed to build.


    The weight of the spear grew heavier in Alphonso''s hand. He stared at his reflection in the polished de, searching for the courage he needed.


    In the end, Alphonso still did not move and listened to his heart. He quietly left the area and went to a corner to train on his own.


    Sigfor could not help but feel disappointed in him. Nheless, he was not there to babysit him.


    If this was what he had decided, then so be it.

 Chapter 160 Summoning spirits for weapons?

    Chapter 160 Summoning spirits for weapons?


    Chapter 160


    Sigfor continued to polish the kids over the next few days, making them realize improvements through constant spars.


    Sweat dripped from their brows as they lunged and parried, each sh of metal echoing through the training yard.


    They were geniuses, quickly learning from their mistakes and correcting them in the next attack.


    Each sparring session became a dance of precision and skill, their movements growing more fluid with every bout.


    It was a fun experience nheless. Laughter and shouts of encouragement filled the air, the camaraderie between the kids growing stronger with each passing day.


    They were still not able to hit him though.


    Sigfor moved like a shadow, effortlessly dodging their strikes, his eyes gleaming with a certain pride. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The most notorious ones in his eyes were Oliver and Daniel when it came to wielding weapons.


    Their strikes were fierce, their eyes focused, every swing of their des driven by a calm and calcted force.


    Both of them used weapons as if they were using their limbs, their movements always precise and calcted, making him feel a hidden intent.


    Sigfor could sense their resolve, the fire in their hearts pushing them to surpass their limits


    They might be the closest ones to hitting him once. So he was extra careful with the two of them.


    He watched them with a keen eye, noting their progress and silently cheering their growth.


    After two weeks of continuous day and night training, he gathered them again in the hall.


    "We have trained quite a lot, and you all have shown considerable improvements too. It''s not easy to improve so much in such a short span of time."


    "You all are quite good." His voice was steady, but the pride in his eyes was unmistakable. After all, they were his unofficial students in a way and watching them grow strong made him feel satisfied.


    He sighed as he said this. No matter how talented or powerful seniors like him were, the juniors would surpass them one day.


    "Now we should move forward and learn how to fight using spirits," Sigfor said, something unexpected.


    "Spirits? Does that mean¡­?" Evelyn muttered. She was heard by Sigfor clearly.


    "That''s right. We will be summoning spirits for you to fight with or inside your weapons."


    His words dropped like a bomb on the group''s head. Gasps and murmurs filled the room as the kids exchanged excited nces.


    "SPIRITS!? REALLY!? THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME!"


    Daniel was overjoyed as he blurted out. He was craving some adrenaline, and this was the perfect opportunity. He could not wait to try summoning a spirit. His fists pumped in the air, his eyes shining with excitement.


    "Umm¡­ elder, isn''t it quite difficult to summon a spirit? As far as I have read in books, it is said that you are required to have strong espera and concentration to even connect to the spirit realm. ording to the texts, it''s mentioned that spirits don''t even bother responding to weak individuals," Alphonso said, adjusting his sleeves slightly.


    His voice was calm, but a hint of worry was present in his eyes.


    "What!? Is that true!? I was so ready for it," Daniel frowned and looked at him, wondering if it was true. While he didn''t doubt himself, he was merely a Rank-1 exorcist, which was just the beginning of the path of an exorcist.


    Sigfor finally broke the silence. He looked around at their anxious faces, a reassuring smile forming on his lips.


    "It''s indeed true. However, that is only limited to permanent spirit summoning when forming contracts. Instead, we will perform a partial summoning to temporarily borrow the strength of a spirit. This is rtively easy, and even kids like you should be able to do it to some extent," he paused for a moment as he looked at them.


    All of them were geniuses. Normally, a kid would not be able to do it. However, they were not normal kids either. He had confidence that they could do it.


    "Of course, it will not be as effective and potent as a permanent contract with a spirit. It will be far paler inparison to that. But for dire situations, even borrowing the strength of a spirit temporarily could change the tides," he added.


    "Spirits are not physical beings. They exist in spiritual form only. Their own strength is not noteworthy. However, we as exorcists bear the potential to bring out the most of their powers, and thus we form contracts with them."


    He tapped his desk as he continued, "Spirits have always loathed demons and ghosts. This is also one of the reasons that ancient spirits were willing toe out of their realms and help humans push them back, even if it meant forming a contract."


    "Spirits are beings closest to elements. There are spirits belonging to each element in existence. The bearer of the element will find themselves more drawn towards the spirits affiliated with their element than others."


    "However, don''t get excited just yet. Spirits are beings who are able to see through things most humans can''t, which is your inner self," he said, stroking his long beard.


    "Inner self? What''s that?" Amber questioned.


    "Inner self is the true essence of who you are," he exined. "It''s your thoughts, feelings, and the core of your being that make you unique. While we often hide our true selves from others, spirits can see this inner self clearly. They understand your true nature, your strengths, weaknesses, and even your hidden desires."


    "Damn! That''s a breach of my privacy!" Daniel eximed in shock.


    The room erupted inughter, the tension easing slightly.


    "¡­"


    "Anyways, as I was saying, spirits are very picky beings, so match your pace to them while interacting if you happen to find an intelligent spirit, which is very rare," he said simply.


    "Elder, I can''t wait anymore. Can we start already?" Daniel groaned and asked.


    "Be patient, brat. We are going to start." Sigfor''s stern look made Daniel shrink back, muttering under his breath.


    Sigfor frowned and berated him sternly, making thetter shrink in his seat.


    "Follow me," he said, leading the group of children behind him to the entrance of the old mountain hall, the very ce where they were when they had just arrived.


    Sigfor bent down and stretched out his finger towards the ground, specifically towards a runic array drawn with nk ink on the floor.

 Chapter 161 Spirit Summoning Array!

    Chapter 161 Spirit Summoning Array!


    Chapter 161


    Oliver''s eyes narrowed at that, memories of their arrival flooding back.


    "Isn''t that the same array that the elder from the ns had drawn before leaving us here?" he muttered.


    "You are right," Sigformented as he continued tracing his finger down the boundaries of the array.


    One could clearly see that the moment or portion where Sigfor''s finger passed by was lighting up in a strange dim color. The glow pulsed softly, casting an eerie yetforting light on the surroundings.


    A mellow orange color soon covered the whole array.


    "Elder, what is this?" Oliver could not help but be curious. He was very interested when the elder first drew these arrays. However, at that time, he was forced to forget about it due to the nonsensical stunts that his n elder had pulled on him.


    And afterward, with all that mountain climbing and training elements, he hadpletely forgotten about these arrays. But now that Sigfor was using them, he could not help but be curious.


    "It is a spirit summoning array," he answered. "The array is used for those who cannot connect to the spirit realm on their own."


    "Then that means¡­" Oliver paused.


    "That''s right, it''s for you kids to be able to summon spirits temporarily and borrow their powers for some time. You all can''t connect to the spirit realm as you are now." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "¡­Ah, did the elders already know about it?" he further asked.


    "Hmm, that''s obvious, how could they not know?" Sigfor said in a straight tone.


    It now made sense for them to draw these arrays beforehand.


    He turned towards Amber and asked, "Did you also know about these arrays?"


    She shook her head. "I did not know either; I only recognized the ghost repelling array over there."


    Her finger pointed to a barely visible set of symbols etched into the ground, glowing faintly in the corner.


    She pointed to an array in the corner and said, "But now it''s making sense. I was initially confused why they were preparing a ghost repelling array in this ce when a veteran exorcist like Elder Sigfor was here. But since there''s a spirit array nearby, it could attract ghosts from far away as well¡ªdisturbing the summoning."


    Oliver agreed with her hypothesis; it all fit into ce now. He nodded, piecing together the logic behind their preparations.


    The ghost repelling arraypletely blocked off any demonic ghosts with ill intent.


    And the spirit summoning array worked in a way that connected the individual to the realm of spirits. It was a metaphysical ce, after all.


    The air around them seemed to whiz with energy, anticipation building among the group.


    "Once you are connected to the realm of spirits, you will try to attract the spirits of your elements by releasing your espera outwards. It should work fine. Remember not to get lost and try attracting other elemental spirits; you can''t handle two elements right now."


    Sigfor issued the instructions in a serious voice.


    "Especially you, noisy brat," he looked towards Daniel and said, making him jerk his head.


    Daniel''s cheeks flushed as the group chuckled softly.


    "W-What!? I am not noisy!" he quickly denied the false allegations with a flushed face.


    "Also, why are you only saying this to me!?" he pointed at others and asked.


    Hearing his words, Sigfor sighed, "Listen, brat, if you continue to be like this, then I will exclude you from summoning spirits."


    At that, Daniel had no choice but to shut up. He mumbled under his breath, but the glint of excitement in his eyes didn''t fade.


    Sigfor then looked at the others. Amber suppressed augh. He said, "This applies to all of you. Don''t be overconfident and try to attract more than what you can handle. Understand?"


    "Yes, elder!" they nodded and replied in unison. Their voices rang out strong and clear, determination evident on their faces.


    "Better. Nowe one by one; I will help you," he said.


    Daniel, being the guy he was, strode first. He looked fearless and excited. His steps were almost a skip as he moved forward, his eagerness quite evident.


    "I am here!"


    "You are the first?" Sigfor gave him a look.


    "W-What''s with that look, elder?" Daniel frowned and asked.


    "Hurry up and get inside." Sigfor waved his hand, and Daniel''s body was pulled into the array on its own.


    The force was gentle yet insistent, like an invisible hand guiding him into ce.


    "Now close your eyes and focus. Don''t think about other things."


    Once he was properly positioned, Sigfor told him to close his eyes as he channeled espera into the array, thus activating it.


    A low hum filled the air, the energy of the array responding to Sigfor''smand.


    Swish!


    A smooth sound was heard as Daniel was soon enveloped in a light as he concentrated.


    The light shimmered around him, creating a cocoon of energy.


    Time ticked by as everyone waited for Daniel, watching him from time to time. No one talked much for fear of distracting him and ruining his summoning, although that was unnecessary since, ording to the elder, he was already in the spirit realm trying to attract a spirit.


    Fwoosh!


    Suddenly, the array reacted as the orange light grew brighter and brighter with each passing second.


    "Haah¡­" Daniel exhaled as he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes held a hint of energy.


    A faint smile tugged at his lips, the light in his eyes reflecting the power he now held.


    In the next instant, a strong crackling sound was heard just beside him as a streak of lightning buzzed. It was a blue streak that was barely visible due to its speed. It was continuously circling his body, making it look as if Daniel was crackling with thunder.


    The energy danced around him, vibrant and alive, filling the air with a sharp, electric scent.


    He got up, looking at the others, and grinned broadly.


    "I managed to summon a spirit!"

 Chapter 162 Evelyns turn

    Chapter 162 Evelyn''s turn


    Chapter 162


    He took out his sword, and the roaming thunder streak merged with the de.


    The sword seemed to vibrate with strong power, glowing with a fierce, electric blue.


    He swung the sword, and a wave of lightning thunder traveled from it, directly sting apart the wooden chair he aimed for.


    "This is power! Hahaha!"


    Heughed as he swung his sword a few more times, properly adapting to the power of the spirit. Each swing felt more natural, the sword bing an extension of his own arm.


    Each swing sent arcs of lightning through the air, hisughter mingling with the crackle of electricity.


    "Alright, brat, get back. Next one,e forward." Sigfor nodded and called for the next person to step up.


    He was internally satisfied that Daniel managed to summon a thunder spirit, matching his attribute. While it was an unranked spirit, it was still impressive for his age.


    In this world, except for children born with a contracted spirit, very few could summon one before the age of ten.


    And while Daniel was swinging his sword, Sigfor managed to glimpse something more from his body.


    A faint glow pulsed around Daniel, indicating a deeper connection to the thunder element than he had initially thought.


    If his guess was correct, Daniel was most probably born with a special constitution. It was likely rted to the thunder element itself, given how effectively he could conduct the spirit.


    Amber went next. The same thing happened, and in the end, she managed to summon an Earth spirit.


    A small, glowing figure of rock and soil danced around her fingers, responding to her everymand.


    Tiny pebbles floated around her hand, creating a delicate and intricate orbit.


    Next was Alphonso, who, after some difficulty, managed to summon a Wind Spirit. He took almost five whole hours to summon the spirit.


    The air around him swirled gently, lifting his hair as a faint whisper of wind echoed in the hall. Each breath he took seemed lighter, as if he was in sync with the very air itself.


    After he was done, Nadia went forward, and within minutes, a chilling ice spirit was at the tips of her fingers. It was still and controlled¡ªfully obedient to her.


    A tiny figure of frosty light clung to her hand, the air around her cooling noticeably. A thinyer of frost spread from her fingertips, glistening like morning dew.


    Sigfor praised her; she was definitely extremely talented to be able to summon a spirit so quickly.


    "Next."


    It was the protagonist''s turn!


    It was Evelyn that went up next. The moment she stepped in, the array began to work on its own without any input from Sigfor, making him surprised.


    ''She can already connect to the spirit realm at her age!? Impossible!''


    His eyes went wide when he saw her effectively activate the array without doing anything. His body shook slightly; he had never seen such a genius before.


    ''This girl is a true monster!'' he deduced instantly, his heart racing wildly as he imagined the boundless potential of the girl. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''The Celestial Paradox n has produced a true monster this generation!''


    Evelyn was already plenty talented. With her light element, Sigfor knew that there would be few who could stand against her in the future.


    Not even a minute had passed before a blinding white light covered the entire array. It was so bright that people felt it was akin to staring at the sun!


    The light radiated warmth, filling the room with a serene,forting glow.


    As the light slowly started to dull, they all saw Evelyn standing, and in front of her was a floating ball of light.


    "T-This is an intelligent spirit!?" Sigfor muttered in absolute shock as he immediately went forward, standing next to her, observing the ball of light.


    "Elder, can you exin what you meant?" Oliver asked from behind, making hime out of his trance.


    He coughed twice as he cleared his throat.


    "While this should not be of use to you, now that the situation demands it, I will tell you, spirits are ssified into ranks depending on their rarity, power, and abilities."


    "What rank?" Amber wondered.


    "Spirits are ssified by the exorcists'' union from D-rank to S-rank. The higher the rank a spirit is ssified into, the stronger it is. S-rank being the strongest and D-rank being the weakest."


    "Woah! What rank is my spirit, elder?" Daniel asked.


    "Your spirit has no rank; it''s not a true spirit in the first ce but just a fragment of a true spirit without any intellect."


    "What¡­?" Disappointment flickered across Daniel''s face, but he quickly masked it with a determined expression.


    "But this is not something to be disappointed about. Just managing to summon a partial spirit alone is very hard for children like you. Only true geniuses with great affinity to their elements ever manage to summon spirits at such an age."


    Hearing Sigfor''s words lifted his spirits a little.


    Oliver asked, "Then what about her spirit?"


    He pointed at the floating light ball.


    "It''s a spirit close to the peak of D-rank."


    Sigfor''s words sent the kids into an uproar as they quickly surrounded Evelyn, or more likely the light spirit floating aloof. The light spirit seemed to shimmer with pride, basking in their admiration.


    Feeling the gazes of so many children, Oliver felt the spirit puff up slightly, turning into a slightly bigger ball.


    ''Amazing¡­'' His eyes were fixed on the spirit. The next moment, his eyes shone with a certain purple glint as he used [Cosmic Void Gaze].


    The spirit was radiating a potent and pure light-attributed esper¡ªa very dense one at that.


    Not to mention, he could feel a warm and fuzzy feeling just being near the spirit.


    It was truly a spirit of light.


    "Well done, Evelyn," Sigfor patted her shoulder as he congratted her.


    "Thank you, elder," she bowed and thanked him. Turning around, she smiled and looked at Oliver, "It''s your turn now."


    Oliver smiled as well. He did not know what he was going to summon.


    ''It might be quite interesting¡­'' he smirked as he slowly stepped inside the array. He was eager to see what he could summon.

 Chapter 163 No spirits! Summon from Abyss?

    Chapter 163 No spirits! Summon from Abyss?


    Chapter 163


    "Now close your eyes and focus."


    Sigfor''s voice came out as Oliver closed his eyes and started to concentrate.


    The air around him seemed to hum with energy as his surroundings blurred and transformed. A sensation of weightlessness enveloped him, and he knew he had entered the spirit realm.


    The moment Oliver closed his eyes, his surroundings changed. He was instantly connected to the spirit realm¡ªmatching the speed Evelyn had disyed earlier, maybe a bit faster.


    A faint hum resonated in his ears, the energy of the spirit realm enveloping him.


    "Is this the spirit realm?" he opened his eyes and thought.


    Opening his eyes, he was met with a mesmerizing sight. Countless colorful lights floated in the hazy expanse, each one pulsating with a life of its own. ''Are they spirits?'' he wondered, feeling a mix of awe and trepidation.


    He wondered.


    ''Should I reach out to them?''


    Hesitation gripped him for a moment, but curiosity and determination pushed it aside.


    He looked at the countless lights, he was not sure how to attract them towards him, the elder said to do what he felt was right.


    He stretched his hand towards the brilliant lights and he paused as a huge blue colored ball was speeding towards him.


    No¡­ not one but¡­


    But a tsunami of blue colored balls of light were speeding towards him.


    A massive blue orb hurtled towards him, followed by a wave of simr orbs.


    His eyes widened as he subconsciously took a step back.


    Was this the normal setting?


    Wait, was it even safe in the first ce.


    As he felt the countless balls of blue lights approaching him, he weighted his choices to whether run away from them or stay still and let them approach him.


    In the end, he stood rooted on the spot and let the spirits approach him.


    However, something unexpected happened as soon as they came in one meter radius of him.


    To his surprise, the blue lights halted just before reaching him, then scattered as if repelled.


    "???"


    He looked at the scene confusedly, wondering what was wrong with these spirits?


    Weren''t they quite excited to approach him a second ago, so why were they running away now as if they had seen a ghost?


    He looked around but there seemed to be nothing around.


    ''What''s going on?'' he thought as he walked up to the nearest cluster of colorful brilliant lights.


    He observed closely as he walked towards the cluster of lights, he could see it shifting away¡ªbacking out from him as soon as he was close to them.


    "What¡­?" he let out a small voice as he reached up to more clusters but the result remained the same.


    He tried approaching spirits of ice element, but still the same result.


    He even tried reaching out to the other elemental spirits but the end output remained simr¡ªall of them backed away as soon as he neared them.


    A vein popped on his forehead as took in the disrespect from these balls of light.


    Confusion clouded his mind. ''Why are they avoiding me?'' he thought, approaching another cluster, only to watch them retreat as well.


    If this continued, wouldn''t he have to return without summoning a spirit?


    No, he can''t have that.


    If they won''te to him then he would go to them.


    If they won''t follow him obediently then he could only resort to force.


    "So be it¡­!"


    He said as he sped up towards a nearby cluster, the cluster of balls seemingly afraid of something tried to run away too however it was toote, Oliver had already reached up to them using his enhanced speed.


    He instantly stretched out his hand up to the spirits, grasping them within his palms.


    However, the spirits simply slipped through his fingers like water taking him off guard.


    ''How do I catch them!?'' he groaned and thought, frustration was welling up inside him.


    His eyes narrowed; it looked like he should use ''that.''


    A dark thought crossed his mind. ''If I can''t summon them, I''ll force them.''


    He grabbed onto another fleeting energy as a reddish-ck aura began to ooze from his hand. Instantly, all the spirits in proximity trembled as the abyssal energy was released.


    The air around him grew colder, the very essence of darkness seeping into the atmosphere.


    He felt the spirit in his grasp struggle frantically, trying to escape, but the abyssal energy held it firmly. It struggled in vain, and soon it waspletely devoured by the darkness. A faint, echoing scream was swallowed by the abyss, leaving only silence in its wake. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As he wondered what might change, something happened when he finished devouring the spirit. It was as if the spirit was a trigger¡­


    An influx of unknown knowledge that he could not decode revealed itself, disying a torrent of information.


    Symbols and ancient runes shed before his eyes, each one burning into his mind with searing rity.


    He stood motionless, eyes fixed on the ceiling, as he processed the new insights. Time seemed to stretch endlessly until, finally, he tilted his head back and looked down at his hand.


    The reddish-ck aura still lingered, pulsing gently like a heartbeat.


    "So it''s like this," he muttered.


    ording to the information he had received, he would not be able to summon a spirit ever due to being the circuit of Abyss.


    Spirits were nothing but nourishment for him at this point.


    But something else had also unlocked for him in exchange for not being able to summon spirits.


    Anti-spirits!


    Anti-spirits are entities born from the Abyss, designed to counter and destroy regr spirits. They are manifestations of dark energy¡ªa representation of death.


    Their forms were shadows, flickering and shifting, filled with a cold, consuming hunger.


    Unlike regr spirits, anti-spirits are tethered to his will, making them extensions of his power.

 Chapter 164 Devouring Spirits! Nourishing Abyss energy!

    Chapter 164 Devouring Spirits! Nourishing Abyss energy!


    Chapter 164


    Unlike regr spirits, anti-spirits are tethered to his will, making them extensions of his power.


    Which basically means that unlike regr spirits, which might have their own consciousness or require a contract, anti-spirits are extensions of the summoner''s power and obey hismands without question. They are bound to his will and cannot act independently.


    This connection ensured that the summoner hasplete control over their actions and abilities.


    Just as there is matter in the universe, with its opposing force being anti-matter, there are spirits, ethereal beings of light and energy, countered by anti-spirits, dark entities born from the Abyss. While spirits embody harmony and life, anti-spirits are manifestations of chaos and death.


    They are the shadows cast by the light, existing to counterbnce and consume the energies of their brighter counterparts. Where spirits thrive on purity and connection, anti-spirits draw power from the void, tethered to the summoner''s will and feeding on the essence of the spirits they devour.


    He could feel the dark energy thrumming through his veins, a part of him now more than ever.


    If spirits were affiliated with the heavens, then anti-spirits were associated with the Abyss.


    The more spirits he consumes, the stronger his anti-spirits be. This creates a continuous cycle of power, as each defeated spirit enhances his abyssal spirit''s abilities.


    However, summoning themes at a cost. Prolonged use can strain the summoner''s body and mind, leading to physical and mental fatigue.


    His head throbbed slightly, a reminder of the toll this power could take.


    In a fight, he would have to be cautious not to harm himself unintentionally instead.


    "However, now that I am here¡­" he paused, ncing around at the countless clusters of light, "Why don''t I make use of it?" His voice was calm, but his eyes gleamed with a dark determination.


    His eyes turned cold as a storm of Abyss energy started to brew behind him.


    The space trembled, trying to hold onto the manifestation of the abyss. A low, ominous rumble echoed through the realm, the very fabric of reality seeming to stretch and twist.


    The spirit clusters burst, scattering in a direction as far as possible from him.


    Panic rippled through the spirits, their once serene forms now flickering with fear.


    He did not stand by and followed after as many spirits as he saw. His movements were swift, precise, the abyssal energy trailing behind him like a shadow.


    Swish!


    What transpired next was a mass of reddish-ck energy devouring countless colorful balls of light. Each spirit he consumed added to the growing storm of power around him, the reddish darkness bing more intense with every passing moment.


    Time flowed by, and he lost track of time as he hunted down any spirits he saw. It was a pity that this ce only held the partial spirits; he would have loved to try against a true spirit.


    However, the abundance of the partial spirits made up for that.


    Just like that, more and more time passed, and in the end, he finally stopped. His breath came in ragged gasps, the exertion of his power taking its toll.


    "Hmm¡­"


    As far as he could see, all he could see now was pitch-ck darkness. The earlier space, which was filled with countless bright lights, was now a ck realm devoid of light.


    The oppressive silence now heavy on his shoulders, the once vibrant realm now eerily still.


    "I can''t go on anymore like this."


    He frowned and muttered to himself. This was as far as he could go; all the spirits in this space had mostly been devoured by him, while some of them escaped far away, so he did not chase them too far.


    Plus, he felt a restriction on him when he reached a certain point. No matter what, it seemed that he was unable to cross a specific point.


    An invisible barrier pulsed at the edge of his consciousness, warning him of the limits of his current power.


    It was as if the ce, the realm, was able to recognize his abilities and stopped him from going any further.


    He did not push it either; he was not overconfident in his abilities. He had only devoured the partial spirits, after all. He could feel the growth in his Abyss energy too.


    What Oliver did not know was that these partial spirits were quite powerful, and no normal kid would be able to hunt them down as he was doing. In fact, even proper exorcists would find it difficult to capture spirits.


    After making sure there was nothing else to do anymore, he simply focused inside himself and started to leave the spirit realm.


    He could not summon an Abyssal creature into this world; not only would it be extremely dangerous, but it could also get him into a lot of trouble with his body and others.


    The thought of the chaos and destruction such a creature could cause made him shudder.


    Soon, his body disappeared, and he opened his eyes back in the mountain hall. But something was strange; except for the elder, there was no one else present.


    The hall was eerily quiet, the faint light casting long shadows of the pirs across the room.


    "Damn brat, finally finished?"


    Sigfor said in a heavy voice. Oliver looked at him confusedly, "Elder, what do you mean? Where''s everyone?"


    "I dismissed them since you were taking so long."


    "Long? Wait, what does that even mean?"


    "How long do you think you have been in the spirit realm?" Sigfor questioned him instead of answering.


    The elder''s eyes were tired, a hint of impatience in his tone.


    "Well, maybe two hours?"


    "Haah? Two hours, seriously?" Sigfor pinched his brows in frustration.


    "It''s been over five days."


    "What!? HOW?" Oliver lost hisposure and asked wide-eyed. He could not believe that he had spent five whole days in that ce!


    His mind reeled, trying to grasp the enormity of lost time.


    What''s going on?


    "H-How can it be five days¡­?"


    He could not believe that hunting spirits would take so much time. In that dark realm, he really lost the sense of time.


    "How would I know?" Sigfor snorted and then asked, "Did you manage to get a spirit?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 165 Sparring with each other!

    Chapter 165 Sparring with each other!


    Chapter 165


    "Did you manage to get a spirit?"


    He looked seriously annoyed; after all, he had not moved from his position in the past five days, carefully watching over him so as to ensure that nothing dangerous would happen. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Well¡­ I did not." Oliver scratched the back of his head and said, a little embarrassed.


    Sigfor shook his head and sighed, "I expected as much. It does not take such a long time for anyone to summon a partial spirit."


    "Forget it, looks like even geniuses have their limits."


    "Haha¡­" Oliverughed dryly.


    "I will leave then. You rest and join the others for training afterward. They have been training all this time, so make sure to catch up to them."


    "Thank you elder for your patience." Oliver bowed and thanked Sigfor, no matter how grumpy the old elder was, he still waited and watched over for him patiently for five whole days.


    Sigfor waved his hand and left the room. He was tired too from continuously being on guard for him.


    "Damn, that''s a lot of time. I should be more careful of spirit realms next time. The perception of time and distortion is not proportional to this," he mumbled to himself as he stared at his hand. The faint traces of abyssal energy still lingered, a reminder of the power and the cost.


    ''Hmm¡­''


    For some reason, a sudden ominous feeling filled his heart. It was as if something bad was about to happen.


    He quickly got out of the array and looked at the entrance of the mountain hall.


    The heavy doors loomed before him, casting long shadows in the dim light.


    His heart could not help but suddenly beat faster.


    ''What is this bad feeling?''


    He frowned. The hall was wide open, with grass yards around on all three sides except the back, which led to another deeper space.


    This hall was basically the entrance to the mountain base.


    But they were in the middle of nowhere at the moment, so why was he feeling this sinking feeling?


    He took a deep breath. The surroundings were eerily quiet.


    Even the usual chirping of birds and rustling of leaves seemed absent, adding to the sense of unease.


    He waited. A few minutes passed, but nothing happened. However, the feeling never left his chest. He went forward, nearing the entrance of the hall, which led to the outside.


    Stepping outside, he saw the familiar stone statues and a huge iron gate. Beyond that was vast and emptynd covered in fog.


    The fog swirledzily, obscuring the path and giving the area an otherworldly appearance.


    ''Is this feeling my imagination or what?'' he pondered as he surveyed the area.


    Upon finding nothing for the next few minutes, he exhaled and went back inside.


    The tension in his shoulders eased slightly, but the unease still lingered.


    Whatever it was that he was feeling, they were safe inside this hall as long as Sigfor was with them.


    Although Alison was not present at the moment, Sigfor was a veteran exorcist himself, so he should be able to keep them safe in case they were in danger.


    Not to mention, how could someone be in this ce? This ce had an array of illusions surrounding it, and unless someone knew the direct route to the mountain, they would not be able toe to this ce at all.


    ''Most likely a stray beast or maybe a stray ghost.'' Oliver thought about how it might be that.


    He shook his head, trying to dispel the lingering sense of dread.


    They could end up near this ce by chance; it would not be surprising.


    For the time being, he returned to the dorm to rest.


    _____________


    In the uing few weeks, they trained harder than ever.


    Sigfor would have them spar with each other continuously, and sometimes he would take them all on himself at once.


    While Oliver might not have the advantage of a spirit, he was still capable of being their equal with his monstrous strength. This revtion hit some of them quite hard.


    Alphonso, who had been thinking that he might finally get an edge over Oliver, was extremely disheartened when Oliver was able to maintain an upper hand throughout their spar.


    Not to mention hitting him once, Alphonso was not even able to touch him despite having his speed increased by the wind element and spirit.


    Amber was also not faring well. She could clearly feel the vast gap she had to cross if she desired to be at his level and make herself more recognizable.


    Her frustration was evident, but it also fueled her determination to improve.


    She also got serious in her training. Slowly but surely, her thinking was also changing. Instead of relying on her tools, she was starting to be independent with her own power, using various weapons.


    From gauntlets to great swords, she continued switching weapons, alternating between the two as she liked them the most so far.


    Her defense was pretty highpared to others, thanks to the earth element and her summoned spirit.


    Even Oliver had a hard time breaching her defenses.


    Nadia and Oliver were pretty much on equal terms now. While Oliver had a great advantage in strength, stamina, and speed, Nadia effectively used the ice element to counter his inhuman body powers.


    His water elemental attacks would instantly turn into ice the moment they reached her surroundings.


    The ground around her would often be covered in a thinyer of frost, a signal to her growing control over her element.


    The most growth someone showed was none other than Evelyn. She was literally besting everyone else with her light attribute and spirit.


    Oliver was also starting to take her seriously. Both of them used katanas, but her skills with the katana were far better than his. Her strikes were fluid and precise, each one carrying the force of her intense training.


    He was also avoiding depending on his espera, all he was doing was using his strength only.

 Chapter 166 Oliver vs. Daniel!

    Chapter 166 Oliver vs. Daniel!


    Chapter 166


    He had yet to get any rewards rted to katanas or simr weapons, so he was using it as much as he knew about a rapier.


    He and she were fighting toe-to-toe.


    Next was Daniel, and Oliver had to admit that he was the best and most skilled with weapons. Despite not being on their level, he was able to contend with all of them.


    And with his thunder spirit, his speed and power were unparalleled now, even more so than Alphonso with his wind spirit!


    ng!


    Oliver blocked an iing sword strike towards his chest.


    ng!


    He pressed forward, pushing the sword away from him and attacking the opponent. His movements were swift and calcted, each strike delivered with precision.


    It was Daniel whom he was sparring with. The usual mischief on his face was reced by a certain seriousness as he swung his weapon. The intensity in his eyes was unmistakable, a fierce determination driving his every move.


    Oliver could not help but secretly exim at the change on this guy''s face. He rarely saw such an expression on his face.


    "You''re wide open!"


    Daniel said as he swung the hilt of his sword at Oliver''s blind spot, near his hip.


    "Ugh-!"


    Oliver retreated. So far, only Daniel had ever managed to hit him, other than Be and Nadia.


    He smiled, "You''re indeed interesting. I rarely ever see you with such seriousness."


    Daniel''s expression did not falter as he readied his sword once again. He said, "Focus on the spar. I know you are holding back, and it is making me angry."


    His eyes glinted fiercely, the grip on the sword in his hands tightening. The air around them seemed to vibrate with the intensity of their confrontation, each poised for the next move.


    "Give me your all. I don''t care what happens next, I want it! I want to experience the strength of someone way above me in talent despite being my peer."


    He lunged forward, again aiming for Oliver''s blind spot. However, this time, Oliver twisted his hand and parried the strike without even moving from his spot.


    He smiled wryly as he looked at Daniel''s angry look. Daniel wanted him to give his all. How should he tell him that if he really went all out, he might not survive for even a second? n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    That would truly break his spirit if he said that. He had been refraining from using espera or any artifact; all he was relying on was his brute strength.


    "Don''t insult me!" Daniel roared as he saw him smiling wryly. He wildly swung his sword, wanting Oliver to be more serious with him. However, he was unable to hit him even once.


    It almost looked like the earlier hit he had given him was through a stroke of luck or Oliver''s deliberate approach to get hit once.


    His eyes were slowly turning bloodshot. He really hated it when others underestimated him. It felt disrespectful to him.


    Gritting his teeth, his sword moved like a python, flexible and agile, wanting to strike the target, but thetter was just like a wall. No matter how or where he was hit, there was no effect!


    Amber, who was watching this duel from the side, could not help but clench the bottle of water in her hand.


    "He''s doing this again..." she whispered to herself in a strained voice.


    She could barely keep up with their movements using her eyes.


    But seeing Daniel''s struggling expression, his bloodshot eyes, and his remarks, she felt a resonance with him.


    Was he feeling the same way as her?


    Was Oliver like this to others too?


    While he spoke to them normally and praised their abilities, his eyes never held even a flicker of interest or curiosity towards them and their abilities.


    She could see it, hisck of interest, that boredom whenever he sparred with them. He did not feel the same way as them.


    She considered herself a good judge of others'' intentions. She knew she was just a kid and was getting ahead of herself by iming to be experienced in such things, but she really was.


    At least she considered herself to be. However immature she may be to others, but to herself, she was someone who could tell how the other person was feeling towards her.


    Even if she was wrong, continuous interactions with Oliver and her keen observation of him and his eyes made her more sure about her conclusions.


    She had sparred with others too, but never once had she seen them make such an expression.


    She loathed this side of Oliver.


    "OLIVER!!"


    A voice yelled.


    Oliver paused as he looked ahead. Daniel was sweating profusely, his eyes were red, cheeks flushed as he panted.


    "GIVE ME YOUR BEST FOR ONCE!" he roared again.


    "If you are my friend, from this moment forth, you will give your all." Daniel gave the ultimatum, his tone was heavy as he poured out his emotions.


    He no longer cared. He considered Oliver his close pal; they had gone through a lot together. He wanted to be serious with him no matter what.


    He brought his sword close to his chest as he aligned the sword in a vertical pose. It looked as if he was going to use a sword art.


    "I will now be using a sword technique I cherish. If you really consider me your friend, reply to me with your sword."


    Oliver looked at this scene and sighed. He knew Daniel was not the type to care about anything. He only cared about swords, duels, and power. He was a simple-minded individual.


    "Fine..." Oliver lowered his katana, his eyes turned serious, "Come at me."


    Daniel, who saw this, could not help but smile. His grip on the sword turned stronger.


    ''Finally.'' His eyes focused as he recited the movements of the sword art he cherished

 Chapter 167 Using the most basic footwork!

    Chapter 167 Using the most basic footwork!


    Chapter 167


    He took a deep breath and exhaled.


    In the next instant, he moved, slowly at first, to his right but then back to his left.


    His movements were slow and easy to see.


    ''A footwork?'' Oliver narrowed his eyes as he saw Daniel moving in an unrecognizable pattern.


    Oliver tightened his grip on his katana, readying himself for the next attack. The air between them grew thick with tension.


    He observed how his speed started to increase as he kept moving from one position to another.


    ''Interesting¡­''


    Even with his enhanced senses, he was starting to get confused by Daniel''s movements as Daniel sped up.


    Of course, he was not using his special eyes at the moment but normal vision.


    Soon, it started to be harder and harder to keep up with his movements.


    "This technique is called [A Thousand Provisions]; it gives the opponent a taste of a thousand sword moves all instilled in a single strike," Daniel''s voice came out as he moved faster and faster.


    "Get ready to have a taste of my favorite sword art."


    Oliver''s eyes wavered slightly. The name of the technique sent a shiver of excite down his spine, but he remained focused, every muscle in his body taut with anticipation.


    Daniel circled around Oliver, who was watching closer than ever. His steps were unordered and weird as he ran in circles around him.


    ''No¡­ can''t find the pattern at all.''


    Oliver had a thoughtful look on his face as he could not find a specific pattern in Daniel''s movement to exploit an opening.


    ''It won''t work like that.''


    He calmed down, rxing his posture. He straightened his slightly hunched back.


    A faint smile tugged at the corner of Oliver''s lips, a rare show of confidence.


    Daniel, who was waiting to find a spot to attack, narrowed his eyes as he saw the sudden rxed posture Oliver had taken. He was a bit confused about what thetter was doing in such a critical moment.


    It was then he heard Oliver say something.


    "Do you know? I happen to have a footwork technique as well."


    Daniel''s brows furrowed when he heard that.


    ''So this guy had been hiding a footwork technique too. Just how much is he holding back!?''


    Oliver, on the other hand, looked at the running figure in circles as he took a stance as well.


    He was going to use a technique he had mastered a long time ago.


    While iplete, he had enough mastery over it to make up for it at the moment¡ªat least for this duel.


    The memories of countless hours of training shed through Oliver''s mind, grounding him.


    Daniel''s frown deepened when he saw Oliver moving in a familiar foot pattern.


    ''[Six Thoughtful Steps of the Spirits],'' he was instantly able to recognize the familiar footwork given the number of techniques he had learned since he was able to walk.


    ''Why is he using that basic foot technique right now? Does he think he can best me with such a basic technique?''


    Daniel observed deeply while maintaining his own movements and speed.


    ''My technique is clearly superior, so why¡­ why is his figure turning distant?'' Daniel pondered as his heart raced.


    The world seemed to blur around Daniel as he struggled to keep his focus solely on Oliver. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    With every moment passing by, Oliver''s figure turned into a blur until it finally vanished from the spot.


    ''What!? Where did he go!?''


    He panicked, and his eyes darted around, trying to immediately search for him.


    ''Where is he?''


    The moment he thought that, a familiar voice echoed in his ears from behind.


    "Are you looking for me?"


    ng!!


    Daniel heard the voice and did not hesitate; he swung his sword down, a tremendous force behind that strike.


    He utilized all his power to execute the [Thousand Provisions] technique.


    However, contrary to his high expectations, what happened next shook him to the core.


    Oliver did not dodge it but blocked his strike with his katana.


    The impact reverberated through the air, the sheer force of it making the ground beneath them tremble, spewing dust cloud all over.


    "Crazy¡­" His voice leaked out subconsciously, impressed by what he saw.


    The force behind that strike was extraordinary. It specifically brought out his body''s inner strength in that move.


    Oliver had to be at least thrice as strong as him physically to even dare to block that attack.


    ''Just how strong are you¡­?''


    He looked into Oliver''s calm eyes and felt his own eyes tremble.


    They were as calm as water and as deep as an ocean. At this moment, Oliver truly felt like a mountain stretching towards the heavens.


    ''I have to surpass him.''


    However, even in the face of that realization, Daniel''s resolve stood unshaken. He was going to do whatever it required to surpass that mountain reaching the heavens!


    "Arrrgh-!" Daniel groaned and forced himself as he swung down the sword again.


    This time Oliver did not dy any longer but instead directly punched Daniel in the stomach.


    "Kuh-!"


    Daniel coughed hard as he was sent flying back.


    Bam!


    He crashed straight into the stone wall behind them before he fell down.


    Oliver had won. However, at this moment, he was looking down at his wrist; it was trembling hard.


    His gaze trailed up to the fallen boy who had caused this, and a smile appeared on his face.


    ''Not bad.''


    He had never felt like this. At that moment, his heart felt excited as he took Daniel''s sword attack.


    It was a feeling he had not felt since he had fought with the pair of siblings back then.


    ''He has a lot of potential.''


    Oliver made a note.


    ''If he is allowed to grow stronger, he could be quite useful in fighting against demons in the future. Perhaps Evelyn might not have to suffer as much as she did alone?''


    An array of possibilities opened up in his mind as he imagined such a future.


    But for that to happen, they would need to survive the perpetual ne. Only then would they have a chance.


    ___________________

 Chapter 168 Daniels enlightenment!

    Chapter 168 Daniel''s enlightenment!


    Chapter 168


    He shook his head and went up to the guy fallen on the ground, breathing heavily.


    "It was a great match," said Oliver as he extended his hand forward. "Here, take it."


    Daniel chuckled painfully, "Fuck yes. It was the most awesome match I ever had."


    He took Oliver''s hand as he got up with some difficulty.


    "You are crazy, dude." Daniel said as his smile broadened. "Never ever have I seen someone directly receive the strike from [Thousand Provisions] head on."


    "Is that so?" Oliver nodded.


    "You don''t think? My father, who has mastered this technique, yed ten thousand demons with one move of his using this same technique."


    Oliver shivered slightly as he imagined the full power of such a terrifying strike.


    He was really tempted to bind with Daniel however the system did not recognize him as a suitable target.


    It was highly likely due to the fact that Daniel had originally died in the perpetual ne.


    Maybe changing that future might change this situation too?


    If possible, he would really like to have a strong weapon technique from the Sacred Swords n, the master of weapons.


    After all, they had some of the best weapon techniques in the whole world.


    Oliver helped Daniel back to the chairs to rest.


    He could feel the others looking at him dazedly, he could only shake his head.


    "Oliver, was that [Six Thoughtful Steps of Spirit]?"


    Evelyn came to him and asked, she was curious.


    "I am curious about it too!" Daniel could not help but add, he was amazed how proficient Oliver


    "That footwork? That''s right, it was that." he replied simply. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What!? How is that possible!? I also have learned that footwork, it''s just amon and basic footwork, how can it be so powerful to match up with [Thousand Provisions] technique?"


    Daniel almost would have stood up if he could but his body barely responded at the moment.


    Seeing his surprised face, Oliver pondered whether he should tell him how wrong he was about the footwork or not.


    The [Six Thoughtful Steps of Spirit] was an iplete footwork technique, the original footwork was extremely power, literally giving insane speeds to the individual.


    Nheless, it was not a trash technique at all. But he still had to say something.


    He looked towards the eager Daniel and said in a serious tone.


    "Daniel," he started, "No technique in this world is weak, it''s the user who is weak due to which the technique can not realize its full potential."


    "T-That''s what my father said too!" Daniel stuttered as his eyes widened in disbelief.


    "So from now on, I am your dad."


    "Huh, what!?" Daniel asked as he could not justprehend what was said.


    "Nothing." Oliverughed and dismissed it.


    "But still, thanks to you, I have now realized my mistakes. Thank you very much, Oliver!" Daniel bowed deeply as he gave a heartfelt thanks.


    "Hmm? What did you understand?" Oliver asked, curious that if Daniel had enlightenment, he might hear it as well, it mighte in handy at some time.


    "No technique is inherently weak; it is we, the practitioner where the true fault actually lies within. I heard the same thing from my father, but I had forgotten about it, however, after hearing from you, I have now realized how important this was."


    Daniel looked at his longsword as he said this while seemingly lost in deep thought.


    "As practitioners, it is our responsibility to master the technique to its full potential. If the technique seems weak, then it simply means that we are not looking at it correctly."


    ''Umm? That''s not what it should mean¡­" Oliver looked at him, speechless at how he had concluded this from his words.


    However, Daniel wasn''t finished yet.


    "If we aren''t able to bring out the technique''s true potential, we simply need to improve the technique itself!" Daniel concluded in a resolute tone.


    "Ah, that does sound like a great point, Daniel." Evelyn nodded in understanding.


    "I know, right? From now on, I will never forget any advice I hear from my father!"


    "What a filial son!" Oliver patted his friend''s shoulder and nodded.


    "¡­"


    "Anyways, I''ll go rest now. Alphonso, mind escorting him back to his room? I don''t think he has any energy left to walk his way out," Oliver turned to look at Alphonso, who was reading a thin booklet about runes.


    Apparently, it was something he had been rewarded by Sigfor back then.


    "Sure, leave it to me."


    "Thanks, dude," Daniel thanked him from afar.


    Alphonso closed the book and stored it back into his storage ring and gave Daniel his shoulder, leaving the room with him.


    "Hey Nadia, how about we spar again? I really like your techniques and tactics!" Evelyn approached Nadia, who was sitting alone in a corner with an emotionless expression on her face.


    "¡­" Nadia nced at her, contemting.


    "Nadia, you should! Your control over the ice element is beautiful! I want to observe it again too," Amber joined them from behind, encouraging her.


    "Fine," Nadia said just one word before getting up and walking towards the stage.


    Oliver sighed. Over the few days, he had tried his best to let other girls approach Nadia and be familiar with her.


    She really deserved friends, and despite her cold demeanor, he believed that with the help of gradual interactions with others, she might change slightly.


    To be honest, he could already see some changes. Earlier, she wouldn''t talk with others for even a moment, but now she would at least reply to them and engage with them for a few moments.


    Although it wasn''t too big of an improvement, it was still better. Part of him also wanted to show his previous disy of strength to motivate Nadia to work harder.


    As they were instructed by the n elder, Nadia needed to establish her dominance over the other n heirs, but her indifferent attitude made that naturally impossible.


    And it was far better for her to make friends rather than make subordinates.


    He feared that if she was left alone, Nadia''s mental state might turn into something worse.

 Chapter 169 The Calm before Storm!

    Chapter 169 The Calm before Storm!


    Chapter 169


    Oliver was worried that if she was left alone, Nadia''s mental state might turn into something worse.


    Just the image of his mother, Ophelia, was enough to shake him.


    Ophelia had long abandoned her human psyche and had adopted an inhume mentality, as far as he knew.


    He could not let a little girl like Nadia be something like that.


    Of course, preventing that from happening was still a far-fetched idea. He knew he wasn''t capable enough to stop Ophelia from tampering with Nadia right now.


    But nting some seeds of humanity in her mind was still better than nothing. The future was unpredictable, after all.


    It changed continuously. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    __________


    He soon returned to his room and took out the potions he had stored in his mind space.


    He then started drinking them one by one to temper his espera and refine it further.


    "I am almost out of potions now. Apart from a few healing potions, I don''t have anything left," he thought.


    Oliver had been continuously stocking his supplies by exchanging pills and potions with others in exchange for food.


    Of course, his rations had long run out of stock, but thanks to Sigfor, he could sustain.


    Sigfor had told them to cook for themselves if they wanted to eat something, but since the old man didn''t know how to cook despite being as old as a tree, he would eat with Oliver.


    Not to mention the fact that he rarely felt hungry and didn''t mind living without food, unlike them.


    Oliver had a functioning kitchen in his area along with the fresh ingredients Sigfor had brought to use or eat raw to be specific.


    Initially, Sigfor intended for them to consume raw fruits and vegetables to sate their hunger, however, how could the posh n heirs be able to live such a life?


    They were used to delicate, full-course meals every day. There was no way that they could sustain a raw diet every day.


    But everyone knew that Oliver could cook, so no matter how it was, all the chores automatically fell to him.


    Thus, he took on the role of being the group''s cook¡ªtheir personal chef.


    However, since he couldn''t do it for free, he would charge them something in return for meals every day since they ate the food he would make.


    It worked well for some months, but now they were also running out of potions and pills to trade. After all, even if they might have stocked for themselves, who would have expected that it would be shared with Oliver in the end?


    Anything else that remained in their storage artifacts was too precious to be traded for mere food.


    So even Oliver was helpless and just cooked for them asionally without asking anything in return. No matter how mature they thought and acted, in the end, they were still kids.


    Also, they were his friends, right?


    Right¡­?


    "Do I really consider them as my friends?" Oliver thought as hey on his bed, staring at the wooden ceiling, lost in thought.


    He never really considered them as friends if he had to say it honestly, at most, he considered them as useful human resources that could help out humanity in the future war against demons.


    He helped Nadia in order for her to be stronger than she could as she was in the novel.


    So, was it right for him to call them his friends.


    "Haah¡­ it''s tooplex, I will think about itter."


    He yawned and closed his eyes, he was going to sleep for some time.


    ___________________


    "We are ready, leader."


    "Have you located the barrier''s weak spot?"


    "Yes, we have found it, and it should now be easy to infiltrate."


    "Well done."


    Outside, far from the mountain hall, stood a man dressed in pitch-ck robes. He was standing idle, talking to his subordinates. He was none other than the leader of the heretic group who hade to retrieve the egg of the disaster beast.


    He was behind the group, preparing a killer array to engage Sigfor, whose presence he had faintly felt. To further confirm his suspicions about the expert inside the mountain hall, he had his subordinates check on it discreetly over the weeks.


    Being so close to the barrier, there was no way any of them would miss sensing the presence of such an entity. They were all carrying stealth artifacts they had received from the sect¡ªeven a Rank-3 expert might not be able to sense their presence!


    "Alright then, the moment I attack the barrier and draw out the experts, you will infiltrate the hall and get the egg of the disaster beast. Remember, either you seed or don''te back," he said in a chilling voice. There was a momentary silence on the other side of the phone before a voice responded.


    "Yes, leader!"


    He put themunicator down and looked in front of him. On the ground just next to his feet was arge runic array pulsing with a very dark aura. It was suffocating to look at, and all sorts of extremelyplex runes were etched onto its surface. There was an asional sh of bloody red light in the various runes, indicating its deadly nature.


    No doubt this was an extremely dangerous array. Just the amount of aura gathering near it was terrifyingly huge. Even he, who was as strong as a Rank-3 exorcist, had to wait for weeks to prepare the array and supply it with the necessary aura.


    "From my observations, the expert exorcist inside should also be Rank-3, but just in case, I prepared this array if they turn out to be more powerful than expected. As long as they are not a Rank-4 exorcist, they will definitely be wounded badly," the man spoke sinisterly as his eyes gleamed with ck aura.


    He was able to observe the massive barrier surrounding the whole mountain. "Whoever cast this barrier is definitely a high-level expert in array formations," he thought as he looked at the barrier deeply from outside.

 Chapter 170 Heretics Attack!

    Chapter 170 Heretics Attack!


    Chapter 170


    ''It might be someone from the Forging Association or one of the five major ns. Other than them, there''s hardly anyone with such a level of barrier-making skills. It might be a talisman master.''


    The ck-robed leader judged keenly as the array behind him pulsed more terribly. He took out a talisman from his pocket.


    The talisman was made out of ck paper; it had something written on it with red ink, which was not really ink but blood!


    "It''s time we im what belongs to us. May there be eternal glory for demons!" His eyes turned maniacal as he incited the espera into action, activating the ck talisman.


    The talisman trembled violently before an eerie espera leaked out from it like ck ink from a fountain pen. The talisman vibrated and instantly headed toward the direction of the barrier.


    The air around the leader seemed to shimmer with dark energy, his expression growing more twisted with anticipation.


    All the while, the leader''s eyes did not waver as he looked at the flying talisman with sinister eyes.


    "It''s been a while since I killed a high-ranking exorcist. My hands thirst for your potent blood," he said in a monotonic voice as he watched the scene.


    "Are you kidding me, you old ma¡ªI mean elder, I clearly scored the victory here!"


    Daniel said disdainfully as he was dered the loser again. They had been gathered together and were ying chess; however, Sigfor had dered his move foul and directly eliminated him.


    Not only had Daniel moved his king piece despite it being under check, but he had also been trying to draw out a stalemate against his opponent.


    "You brat! Today, I will teach you a lesson and correct your foul tongue!"


    Sigfor also rolled up his sleeves as he was ready to teach this cheating little brat a lesson for good.


    Daniel clearly did not know how to y chess and yet dared to question him, who knew all the rules?


    "Ah, elder, please calm down. D-Daniel, quick! Apologize!"


    Alphonso tried to soothe things out as he panicked at the situation.


    "Humph! What did I do wrong!? If a king can be stopped like this, then how is it still a king? It''s so useless. You tell me, why is that? Also, isn''t this pawn behind another pawn practically useless too? Always getting sacrificed for hisrade?"


    "Get aside, or else I will beat you too!"


    "No, please, elder! Calm your anger. Daniel is just ignorant!"


    "What!? Why am I being called ignorant!? Who even made this game?" Daniel frowned and pestered Alphonso.


    Oliver was watching the drama unfold while chewing on a piece of apple. However, his expression was not too good. The bad feeling in his chest had intensified a lot, but he could not point it out. Everything was going so smoothly, so why was he feeling this way?


    Theughter and chatter around him felt distant, like an echo from another world, as his instincts screamed of impending danger.


    The girls were also watching with interest.


    "As I keep saying, you brats are¡ª"


    Sigfor suddenly paused in the middle of what he was speaking. He turned his head abruptly in the direction of the mountain hall. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His expression changed drastically.


    A terrifying aura emerged from his body, stunning everyone in the group.


    "Get back to your dorms. There''s someone attacking the barrier."


    His extremely serious words rang in the ears of the shocked group.


    They watched with confused and shocked gazes as Sigfor disappeared from his spot after leaving them with his serious words.


    Just a moment ago, they were ying peacefully, and all of a sudden, he became serious and left.


    Oliver, who heard this, had a heavy frown on his forehead.


    ''As I thought, that ominous feeling was not for nothing.''


    He knew it was serious just by looking at Sigfor''s attitude.


    Not only that, he was also aware of how isted this mountain was and how hidden they were from the world.


    For someone to locate this ce andunch an attack, what did this mean?


    Even a child could understand the situation.


    But what was nagging him the most was the thought of who could be the attacker.


    For Sigfor to personally leave them alone and go outside to deal with it simply meant that the attacker was a dangerous element that could or held the means to bypass the strong barrier ced on the entire mountain.


    And for someone to deliberately target the mountain with such a strong barrier at this time when Alison was away meant that they had nned this thoroughly.


    ''Is it a coincidence that the attack happened while we were here or¡­'' Oliver thought deeply.


    ''Or is this a plot to eliminate the potential heirs of the five major ns at once?''


    Oliver''s mind raced wildly as he considered many possibilities.


    ''Did someone in the n do this? Was there a traitor among the elders who gave away the information?'' he thought with a frown.


    The bad feeling inside his chest was his instincts warning him repeatedly of the danger. That only meant that this matter was not so simple.


    ''Why would someone attack from the front so openly if they wanted to assassinate us?''


    ''Sigfor immediately went outside, then it could only mean they had done something huge that drew his attention to the extent that he was forced to leave personally rather than ensuring our safety first.''


    ''And that''s probably what the enemy wanted as well,'' he thought deeply.


    All his conclusions and deductions so far pointed to one thing only.


    ''The enemies have already infiltrated inside through the barrier!''


    _________________

 Chapter 171 Realization and Panic!

    Chapter 171 Realization and Panic!


    Chapter 171


    ''The enemies have already infiltrated inside through the barrier!''


    His heart sank as the realization settled in.


    The room felt colder, the walls seeming to close in as he absorbed the full weight of the situation.


    The enemy was undoubtedly powerful, and they were most likely the targets.


    Either it was a kidnapping to threaten the five major ns or simply a move to eliminate them all once and for all.


    Whatever it was, nothing good was going to happen.


    He turned around quickly and surveyed the hall.


    It was empty.


    Eerily empty aside from them.


    "Everyone, let''s get inside. The hall is not safe. It is likely that the enemy has already entered the barrier surrounding the mountain and is heading right where we are."


    "What!?" Amber eximed in panic.


    "We can''t waste time; we need to go as deep inside as possible, possibly around the mountains, to make the enemy detection as difficult as possible."


    Before they could ask any questions, Evelyn cut in with an equally serious voice.


    "Guys, no time for questions, we should just do as he says. Oliver seems sure of it, right, Oliver?" she asked.


    "Right, hurry up now!"


    "Fuck!"


    The group quickly entered through the door, locking it behind them.


    Amber quickly activated the special lock on the door. It was the only entry to enter the mountains from the hall.


    They quickly started running inside as fast as they could without even stopping or looking back for a second.


    The sound of their hurried footsteps echoed ominously through the narrow corridor, adding to the tension.


    "Wait!" Amber shouted, making the group pause.


    "What happened?" Daniel asked her.


    They were close to exiting into the back mountains.


    "Let me set up a special array here," she said.


    "We don''t have time for that," Oliver urged.


    "Don''t worry, it won''t take long. It''s already been inscribed onto scrolls. Just a few moments."


    Amber quickly kneeled down and took out a special scroll. With some modifications to it, the scroll started to glow in a bright color before a translucent array formed on the ground and then disappeared.


    "It''s a special trap array. If the enemies follow us, it will automatically activate and stop them."


    With that, they quickly escaped back into the mountains.


    Oliver didn''t lead them towards the dorms at all. The dorms were very close to the hall, and it was a risky option.


    BOOM!


    They heard a loud booming sound behind them.


    The group''s expressions paled as this was most likely the arrays they had set on the door locks.


    The enemies were already behind them.


    ''Fuck! How do they know where we are going?'' Oliver cursed as he used [Cosmic Void Gaze] to see something terrifying in the distance.


    There were three individuals emitting a terrifying ck espera following the path they had used to escape.


    They were following the exact same path as they did, almost as if they were somehow tracking them.


    ''Did they put a tracking mark on any of us beforeing here?'' he thought darkly. This was the only possible scenario.


    Just the amount of espera radiating from their bodies alone was overbearing. He didn''t think that they would be a match for those three individuals following after them.


    "Amber." He called out to the girl who looked towards him. "Do you know how to activate a teleportation array?"


    She was the only one among them with some prior knowledge about arrays and runes.


    Her eyes trembled slightly as she understood what he was expecting from her. However, she could only shake her head in defeat.


    "I don''t. It''s a very high-level andplex array. I only know a little about basic arrays."


    ''This is almost a dead end,'' Oliver thought severely.


    "How many life-saving treasures do you guys have? Does any of you have a space-attribute or rted life-saving artifact?" Oliver questioned the group.


    He knew such rare artifacts existed in this world that could save the lives of their users by teleporting them far away from danger.


    "I have one but it requires to be charged and I did not bother filling it with espera." Amber shook her head, she never expected their situation to be so worse.


    Clearly their ns hadn''t thought about it either, Sigfor and Alison held a great deal of influence and reputation in the exorcist world, it felt natural for the ns to entrust them with their security.


    The fact that Alison was a neutral party and did not have a biased opinion towards any n further let the ns trust her more.


    Otherwise, no matter how friendly two ns were, they would never leave their heirs alone with the other without proper security.


    With Alison being in the center, it assured ns that the other ns would not be able to interfere with their heir''s training and influence things and everything will be under supervision of Sigfor and Alison.


    However, Alison was not present on the mountain at the moment, she had gone with Be to train her special element.


    There was a silence in the group as they looked at each other. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "None of you have it?" Oliver sighed. It was understandable. However, he did not lose hope, there were many things he could do.


    "It doesn''t look like any of us have them. I have heard of such artifacts from my mother. I am sure our ns could have never expected that we would be attacked in such a ce and that too under the eyes of Elder Sigfor and Teacher Alison," Amber said with a wry smile.


    "Listen¡­ the enemy cannot be avoided. The elder is busy with the enemies from outside, and we can only depend on ourselves. Don''t hesitate to use whatever artifacts you have. We are going to face them head-on."


    The gravity of Oliver''s words settled heavily on everyone, their faces set with grim determination.


    "Do you have a n?" Evelyn asked with determined eyes. She was ready to fight.


    "Fuck yes! I ain''t scared of no one! Count me in," Daniel smirked and said.


    "Alright then, I don''t really call it a n, but we will be taking them on prepared. Assuming there are three intruders, we will engage them together in pairs."


    "Wait, what if there are more than three? Why only three?" Alphonso suddenly asked.


    Oliver''s brow furrowed as he answered "If there are more than three, we''ll have to adapt. For now, let''s focus on the immediate threat. We can reassess if needed."


    ___________________

 Chapter 172 Leader of heretic group! Sigfor knows?

    Chapter 172 Leader of heretic group! Sigfor knows?


    Chapter 172


    "Also, I am just assuming, it''s likely that their numbers are around just this much. Otherwise, the elder would have long been alerted if so many intruders were trying to breach his barrier. And since we have already worked together in teams, we all know how it''s going to work."


    "Hmm." Alphonso nodded and nced at Amber, who also nodded her head in agreement.


    "Alright then, let''s scatter," he said before they all turned to leave in different directions while Alphonso went along with Evelyn.


    ____________


    "A lock array?"


    The woman in dark robes from before remarked, amused, as she examined the broken door before her. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Humph, do they really think that such cheap tactics could deter us from pursuing them?" the burly man said arrogantly.


    "Childish behavior,"mented the man with a short height while he inspected the broken door and searched for any hidden traps but found none.


    "I can sense them already. They are not far from us," said the short man.


    "Around six individuals¡ªlikely around Rank-1 at best from their auras," the woman said slyly as she licked her lips in excitement.


    "With the three of us working together, even sixty Rank-1 exorcists are nothing!" the burly man dered in a deep voice.


    "Follow them."


    The woman took out apass and began locating where the exorcist with the disaster beast egg was and started following the directions.


    "Wait a moment."


    The short man in dark robes suddenly stopped them, halting everyone along.


    "What happened?" The burly man couldn''t help but frown, he had never held an appreciation for the short fellow, not only was this man too cowardly but also tended to think about things a bit too much.


    He was always on guard and never fought head-on like real men.


    He disdained this man.


    "There is a strange-looking array ahead of us. It''s been concealed well; I would have almost missed it had it not been for the sloppy setup. It looks like a trap set up by the exorcists, but due tock of time, they weren''t able to fix it up properly."


    The short man concluded his analysis.


    "This¡­" the woman paused and waved her hand, sending dark espera towards the point where the hidden array was supposed to be. "It''s indeed a trap."


    And sure enough, the dark espera quickly revealed the hidden array that was drawn on the floor.


    "Humph! So what if it''s a trap? In front of brute strength, this is nothing but a childish trick!"


    Not wanting to admit that the short man was right this time as well, the burly man walked right to the array.


    "What are you doing? Stop!"


    The duo''s expression changed when they saw the burly man approach the array without a care.


    While they did not doubt his strength, it was simply a foolish thought to just walk right into a trap when they could avoid it or destroy it from afar.


    "Shut up! Be a man like me. Such tricks are useless against me."


    However, just as the burly man confidently stepped inside the array, ready to break it apart with his brute force, something no one had expected happened.


    The instant his feetnded on the array, it buzzed to life and was instantly activated.


    The next moment a dense green light started surrounding the man.


    "Hmm?" The burly man nced around in confusion for a moment before a strong wave of dizziness washed over him.


    Bang!


    He then instantly copsed to the ground like a lifeless body.


    "Fuck! This muscle-headed idiot! Did he die?"


    The short man cursed, despite having been warned beforehand and even after locating the trap, one of them was captured even before they could do anything.


    What sort of idiotic team was this?


    "How did he get into the mission?" the woman asked in a dark voice. She couldn''t fathom how such a foolish man had managed to get selected for such an important mission.


    "I don''t know!"


    "The green light is blocking my senses. I can''t tell whether this bastard is dead or just unconscious. This fucker has made the mission more difficult."


    "What do we do now?" the woman questioned.


    "I suggest we destroy the array first," the short man said.


    "Hmm. Indeed. Even if he''s alive right now, when the array is destroyed, he will die. We can''t leave anything behind. Or¡­" the woman paused before adding.


    "We deal with exorcists inside first, get the egg and then see if he still remains in this state. And even if by then he is still like this, we kill him," she suggested.


    "Such a waste of the sect''s resources," the other man snorted in disdain.


    While this burly man had very few equals when it came to brute physical force, he was as weak as an ant against poison or spells.


    But since the muscle-headed man was braindead due to the excessive amount of muscles in his brain, he did not realize this and would have anyhow died a pitiful death.


    Truly an orc-mentality.


    The man thought this and shook his head.


    "Let''s enter. We have to wrap this up as soon as possible. They are close yet scattered all around." The woman said, her robes flickering in the wind.


    "The one with the disaster beast egg is on the right. I will handle him. You go and kill the others. We can''t leave behind any witnesses only for the Mystic Purge n to track uster on," she said before quickly heading to the east¡ªthe direction where Oliver was supposed to be.


    "Tch, fucking bitch, always deciding on her own." the man snorted and headed west to eliminate all the others.


    ________________


    "Who are you?"


    Sigfor asked in a calm, deep voice, the air behind him was trembling under his espera.


    Right now, he was facing a man whose face and body were entirely covered in a dark cloak with strange patterns.


    "Judging from your unsightly espera and those patterns, I assume you belong to the Unholy Sun Sect?"


    The ck hooded man slowly took off his hood revealing his facial features to Sigfor.


    Sigfor''s pupils dted as he recognized the man and a surge of hatred burst out from his heart.


    He didn''t even need a moment to recognize the man!


    ________________

 Chapter 173 Sigfor vs. Leader of Heretics!

    Chapter 173 Sigfor vs. Leader of Heretics!


    Chapter 173


    The ck hooded man slowly took off his hood revealing his facial features to Sigfor.


    "You are indeed right. I am Jetia, one of the twelve saints of the Unholy Sun Sect."


    "Jetia!" Sigfor''s body trembled with rage; he recognized the name very well.


    Not only him, in fact, but most of the exorcists would be aware of him.


    Among the exorcists, the list of the twelve saints of the famous heretic sects was quite infamous.


    Among all the heretic groups, the Unholy Sun Sect was particrly infamous for its dangerous deeds and the sins they hadmitted.


    The number of exorcists that had died at their hands was in the tens of thousands, and the innocent civilians and normal humans sacrificed by them had long surpassed the hundred thousand mark.


    The Exorcist Union had already issued warrants for them, and every single saint had an enormous bounty ced on their heads. The bounty was not only limited to money but also included various treasures.


    The Unholy Sun Sect had very dark and strict requirements for selecting the saints from numerous other heretics.


    They usually had the saint candidatespete; the more terrible a sin onemits or the more damage one causes to humanity, the more likely they were to be a saint.


    Jetia, the man in front of him, was the youngest person to ever be the saint of the Unholy Sun Sect.


    He was infamous for nning mass genocides; over twelve towns were sacrificed by him to the demons in one night.


    He had killed many potential exorcists and caused a lot of damage. In particr, he was known to hunt down and ughter specific high-ranking targets, most of which were either exorcists or rted to them.


    The atrocities that Jetia hadmitted were numerous, and he was to be killed on sight; all exorcists from the Union were ordered as such.


    He was a heretic that had to be exorcised on sight!


    There was no redemption for him.


    He was one of the most wanted criminals of humanity. Sigfor had personally heard of hisrades suffering at the hands of Jetia.


    The death of hisrades'' beloved families and his friends further fueled his rage.


    "Very well, Jetia, I have been looking all over for you. To think you will deliver yourself to me. Today, I will collect your head and use it to set an example for all heretics!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Sigfor stated firmly as the aura behind him exploded.


    Jetia, on the other hand, looked at him mockingly and asked, "I can see you have a great deal of hatred towards me. Is it revenge that you seek? Did I kill your family or maybe your lover?"


    "Bastard, don''t dare mention them with your soiled tongue!"


    Sigfor waved his hand, and a gray-colored spear made out of esperaunched toward Jetia at a terrifyingly fast speed.


    Jetia saw this with narrowed eyes and used his dark espera to counter the iing spear, making it disperse with a loud booming sound.


    The ground beneath them shook from the impact, dust rising into the air like a storm cloud.


    "I don''t really remember my victims. Too bad for you that the killer of your rtives doesn''t even remember their names. Hahaha."


    Sigfor did not say anything; his heart was beating with anger. He sped his hands together, and the next moment, twenty talismans floated in front of him.


    Each talisman was inscribed with unknown runes that were pulsing with life and espera.


    Jetia frowned when he saw that. Although he didn''t know what the talismans were for, one thing he knew was that the attack was going to be quite dangerous.


    He had already sensed thetter''s strength and concluded Sigfor to be at the peak of Rank-3¡ªextremely close to breaking through to Rank-4.


    He could not afford to be careless with this old man, or his head would really be sent flying.


    ''I have to get him into the array without him noticing¡­'' he thought deeply. Other than that, there was no other way to deter Sigfor for an extended period of time.


    Sigfor was already using his powerful moves right from the start. The espera gathering in those talismans was abundantly terrifying.


    The talismans glowed in a bright red color as ten red beams of espera emerged from them.


    Sigfor made a hand gesture, his eyes focused and killing intent visible in them.


    "Go!"


    He directly controlled those destructive red streaks with his fingers. All of them were aimed at Jetia.


    "Humph!"


    Jetia sneered, as he made a hand gesture himself, and soon a huge hexagonal surface emerged behind his back. The red streaks, when close to him, were suddenly diverted and sucked into the hexagonal surface behind.


    Sigfor was not surprised. He instead took out a huge wooden board from his storage artifact and channeled his espera into it.


    The wooden board floated in the air, and characters made out of ck ink started appearing on the board.


    The board let out a whizzing sound as the hexagonal silhouette reacted to the board.


    It trembled before cracks started appearing in it, and soon it crumbled like broken ss.


    Sigfor did not allow Jetia to react and attacked him barehanded.


    His fists moved with the speed of a striking serpent, each blow aimed with deadly precision.


    Jetia quickly dodged the iing fast punch, but Sigfor did not stop and kept attacking.


    Soon the two of them were locked in a deadly hand-to-handbat.


    Jetia would retreat back with every attack from Sigfor; he could feel Sigfor''s explosive strength. His bones were starting to sting in pain.


    He had long realized that Sigfor was stronger than him, and to truly be able to kill Sigfor, he had been subtly luring thetter towards the hidden killer array!


    Sigfor had a furious look on his face. He was radiating a very strong killing intent towards Jetia, wanting to tear him apart as soon as possible.


    He was in so much rage that he didn''t even realize when they had moved far away from the mountain that he was supposed to guard and the children he was tasked to protect.


    A cold, calcting look flickered briefly in Jetia''s eyes as he nced at the ground beneath them, ensuring they were close to the array''s activation point.


    "Die!" Sigfor''s fist this time did not miss and connected with the man''s chest, throwing Jetia back and crashing into the rocky ground.

 Chapter 174 Killer Array! Sigfor trapped!

    Chapter 174 Killer Array! Sigfor trapped!


    Chapter 174


    He coughed up but quickly made some distance. Blood speckled the ground where he stood moments before, his breaths ragged and shallow. The attack just now had damaged him, and his internal organs were not in good shape.


    Sigfor was extremely close to bing a Rank-4 exorcist, while Jetia was still in Rank-3 in terms of strength.


    Not only that, Sigfor was most likely a physical exorcist, which exined why his punches were so powerful and terrifying.


    But he did not show a hint of worry now.


    They were already inside the killer array!


    "Haha, I have no words, impressive, you are a very skilled exorcist," Jetia praised, but Sigfor had no mood to listen to him. Just as he was about tounch another attack, he froze in his tracks.


    He instantly focused down below on the ground, his expression changing drastically as he saw an array drawn in blood below him appear.


    The sight of crimson lines, pulsating with a sinister glow, made his heart skip a beat.


    It was then he heard Jetia''s voice, "I truly might have died today at your hands if not for the killer array I specially prepared in case of emergency. And now look, it dide in handy."


    Sigfor''s anger skyrocketed as he released a dense espera to destroy the array. However, the moment his espera was released, the array sucked all of it quickly, and in return, dark red chains suddenly pierced through his body.


    "Kuh-!" Sigfor grunted as he looked at the red chains with a difficult expression.


    The chains, cold and unyielding, snaked through his flesh, leaving trails of agony in their wake. They were leaking out a dark espera while they invaded his defenses, slowly trying to corrupt his pure espera. It was clear that if he let this continue, he would be killed in the end.


    He exerted a lot of force, and the chains started to rumble. More and more chains rose from the array, binding him down. But he kept moving, forcefully starting to tear the chains apart, with no care for his own body.


    Jetia chuckled darkly, "Enjoy the power of my killer array. Even if you manage to escape the array, you will no longer be in a state to be my match. Wait here for me to return after I finish my mission."


    ''Mission?'' Sigfor''s brows furrowed as he heard the word.


    ''They are targeting the heirs!'' He didn''t need to think long before he realized what they were nning.


    "Oh? Looks like you have realized our grand n too? How do you feel now?" Jetia asked in a mocking voice, enjoying Sigfor''s expressions.


    "JETIA! Don''t you dare touch the kids!" Sigfor roared in anger.


    ''Kids?''


    However, Jetia frowned. What did he mean by that?


    Sigfor yelled at him, "Don''t darey your hands on the kids. Are you prepared to face the wrath of the five major ns at once!?"


    Hearing Sigfor''s words, Jetia could not help but shudder slightly.


    Wrath of five major ns all at once?


    What was going on?


    The sect master had informed him how the exorcist was rted to the Mystic Purge n and that they were going to great lengths to obtain the egg.


    So why would all the five major ns be angry if they only mess with one n?


    Whatever he thought clearly did not make any sense. It was clear to him that neither the ns nor the exorcist with the bracelet of the demonic ghost were aware of the egg.


    If they had been aware, then they would not have let the egg leave the n''s boundaries in the first ce.


    "What do you mean?" Jetia asked in a deep voice this time.


    Sigfor menacingly struggled with the snake-like grip of the red chains as they too struggled to pierce his tougher-than-steel body.


    "Don''t y dumb, you bastard! The heirs of the n cannot be touched by anyone unless they want to be hunted to the ends of the world!"


    ''Heirs?'' Jetia''s ears twitched as he heard it. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''Heirs¡­ kids¡­ the egg¡­''


    It did not take long for Jetia to put two and two together, and he soon connected all the dots.


    "Pfft-! HAHAHA! Who could have thought that things will turn so interesting!? HAHAHA!"


    "To think that the heir of the Mystic Purge n would be the one we were after. So amusing, so very amusing."


    Jetia pulled at his hair as his eyes turned crazed, hisughter echoing maniacally.


    Not only was the heir of the Mystic Purge n there, but along with that, there were heirs from other major ns as well!


    All of them in one single ce!? It could not be any better than this!


    If he really killed them all, then his fame and name would skyrocket all around the world, not just in human territories but also in demonds too!


    He might finally be the first to be born as a demon by the grace of the higher-up¡­


    Even if he did not kill those kids, he could still kidnap them and threaten the n for anything.


    Of course, it was incredibly risky to attack an heir. Not only were they guarded extremely well, but they also had all sorts of weird artifacts with them.


    But looking at Sigfor''s deadly expression, he was sure that those kids were not under supervision at the moment or were helpless right now.


    He had hit a jackpot this time!


    To think that the heir of the Mystic Purge n woulde into the possession of the egg of the disaster beast?


    How did that even happen?


    He didn''t know, but he could always interrogate such detailster.


    "Well then, I bid you farewell. We might never meet after this¡­" Jetia said as his eyes turned sinister, "Since you will be dead by then!"


    "STOP RIGHT THERE AND FIGHT ME!" Sigfor could not contain his rage at that and tried to dy the situation.


    "I wonder if they have already killed them or not¡­" Jetia casually wondered. His subordinates did not know about the identities of the exorcists. It would be a pity if they had killed them already.


    A cold sweat broke out across his forehead as dread settled in his stomach. Sigfor''s expression turned ashen when he heard this. He realized that enemies had already infiltrated the barrier without him noticing.


    He felt so pathetic at the moment that he could not express it. Despite having strength, he let anger cloud his judgment, leading to such a situation.


    If something happened, the ns would not spare him and his master. Even their lives would not be worth it to satisfy the damage.


    Jetia soon left Sigfor alone and headed towards the mountain.


    Sigfor could only frustratedly tear off the chains as more and more of them kepting out.


    Due to him not being able to use espera, he could not take out his artifacts either. He kept roaring in anger.


    He had to break out of this killer array and reach back to the kids as soon as possible.


    His master was not present at the moment. It was a truly dangerous situation!


    Oliver looked with bated breath at the figure of the woman closing up to him.


    His heart raced, and he could feel each thud against his ribs as if it were a drumbeat in the still air. He was using [Cosmic Void Gaze] to see hering towards him.


    He sighed. The woman was too urate. It was likely that either he and Evelyn had something on them that allowed her to locate them so quickly.


    She soon reached up to them, and now they were face to face.


    He observed her features. The woman had dark hair and ck pupils, she had thick lips and a chubby face, and she was exuding a sinister aura.


    "Little kids?" she looked at the two in surprise and then back at thepass in her hand.


    The needle quivered, pointing directly at them with unwavering certainty.


    "Say, boy with white hair, you are from the Mystic Purge n, right?" she asked in a sly tone.


    "That''s right. What business do you have in chasing after us?" Oliver paused and asked. He needed more information about the whole situation.


    "Well, little boy, you seem to have picked something identally that belongs to us. We hold it quite dear to our hearts," she replied with a smile.


    "Huh?"


    It was Oliver''s turn to be confused as he looked at her. He did not remember taking anything belonging to these heretics.


    And what was that weird lookingpass in her hands, she seemed to be looking at thepass and then back at them two before her gaze finally settled on him with a sharp focus.


    Oliver looked back at her, he could not understand what was this situation.


    He should be able to remember if he had picked something significant for these heretics to follow after them and track them down.


    So what was she talking about?

 Chapter 175 Cornered?

    Chapter 175 Cornered?


    Chapter 175


    So what was she talking about?


    ''Given thepass in her hand, it seems that one of my possessions indeed has a connection to them. They must have a tracking rune embedded onto it that I might have missed.''


    Oliver frowned and scanned through his belongings. The items he had received from the other n heirs were mostly pills and potions, which he had already consumed, so it could not be that.


    It was likely that the thing was still with him.


    "What thing might you be referring to?" he asked in a low voice, contemting something.


    "Hmm?" The woman put a finger under her chin as she smiled. "Well, it''s no use telling you about it. You will not know of its existence after all. I will just have to kill you and search your belongings, simple." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A cold sweat formed at the nape of his neck, trickling down his spine. Oliver felt a chill as he heard her casual words. It did not look like she was joking.


    "If you can tell me what I have that belongs to you, then I can return it to you and we can settle this matter without bloodshed," he suggested.


    "I am afraid that you would need to die since you already saw my face. After all, we can''t leave any witnesses alive."


    She shook her head.


    "It seems negotiations have broken down." He sighed, and in the next moment, Evelyn lunged at the woman from behind, her katana glowing brightly.


    The woman turned in an instant, blocking Evelyn''s katana with a folding metal fan.


    She eximed, "What a surprise! I got totally fooled!"


    The corners of her lips curled into a sardonic grin, her eyes gleaming with malice. Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm as she remarked on their obvious strategy.


    Evelyn, however, did not stop there. While the woman''s metal fan was blocking her katana, a wave of bright light shot from her hand, directly colliding with the woman.


    A loud hissing voice resounded in the quiet surroundings.


    As the dust settled, the woman had a dark expression as she stared at Evelyn with a mix of shock and anger.


    "A light element user? What luck I have? We, the loyal followers of demons, loathe the light element the most. We kill any person with a light attribute no matter what," she said in a deep voice.


    Her skin that was hit by Evelyn''s light had a small red burning wound.


    The woman opened up her folding fan and moved towards Evelyn at a terrifying speed, appearing in front of the little girl in the blink of an eye.


    Evelyn barely had time to defend herself before the woman''s fan hit against her sword.


    ng!


    A loud ringing sound reverberated through the air as Evelyn was sent flying back with a terrible force, making her crash against a nearby rock.


    "Uck-!" She coughed up as pain shot from her spine to the rest of her body. The impact was too strong and sudden.


    The world spun around her, and she struggled to keep her eyes open, her vision swimming in and out of focus. Her vision blurred momentarily as she saw the woman approaching her.


    However, before the woman could take any further action, she dodged to her side, barely missing a sharp and air-cutting strike from another katana.


    "My, my¡­ such impatience. Little boy, how about you wait for your turn? This aunt will thoroughly y with you after I take ''care'' of your little girlfriend over there."


    Oliver automatically ignored her words. Naturally, he had no intention of following her words.


    The katana in his hand moved again. This time, he used his espera and three times the physical force than before.


    The woman casually blocked his strike with her small metal fan once again.


    Her eyes held a flicker of interest as she said, "Impressive. How are you so strong? Are you a physical exorcist? Just at Rank-1, you already have such strength."


    Oliver ignored what she said and aimed at her again, with four times the strength, making the woman narrow her eyes.


    This time she had to apply some force to prevent her wrist from dislocating as well.


    "Your strength increased? What is happening?" she frowned and asked.


    Oliver did not reply and sent a spear conjured out of water towards her.


    The woman clicked her fingers as a de made of darkness crashed against the water spear, consuming thetter and still flying towards Oliver at a high speed.


    He used [Six Thoughtful Steps of Spirits] and swiftly dodged.


    "This basic footwork? You seem to have mastered it as well. Who are you? So young and talented, the Mystic Purge n indeed has some talented exorcists under them," she remarked.


    The words slid off him like rain on a slick surface, his focus unbroken. The basic footwork was being used so seamlessly that she thought he had mastered that thing to perfection.


    She was very curious about the identity of the boy in front of her. Just now, the strength he had exerted was not something a Rank-1 exorcist should have.


    Even if he was a physical exorcist, it did not make sense.


    She too was a physical exorcist and thus knew the limit to which a Rank-1 could persist and exert strength.


    However, earlier, she almost felt her joint dislocate under the tremendous force.


    "It seems you don''t want to talk? Don''t worry, your lovely aunt here will make you spill out every little bit of information," she smiled evilly.


    "I don''t remember having such an ugly aunt." he said smoothly and the woman''s expression darkened hearing his words.


    A chilling aura emanating from her body directed towards Oliver.


    The very air around her seemed to darken, her anger palpable. Oliver was calm. He retrieved a longsword from his mind space that he had stored beforeing to this ce and leaped into the air, aiming for her head.


    He grabbed the hilt of the sword and raised his right hand, flicking two fingers. A burst of espera condensed into a blue water sword shot out, instantly striking the woman and piercing through her body.


    Just as he tried to move his sword down on her head, he found he could not lift the sword at all.


    An invisible force had fixed his sword in ce, causing hisplexion to drastically change.


    He leaped away fiercely, abandoning the sword there. Midair, his hands moved swiftly, preparing an elemental attack.


    A rain of sharp water needles enveloped him and shot up into the sky. His right hand pointed towards the clouds, and the water needles followed the direction of his fingertips to quicklybine into a colossal water needle, twenty feet in length (about half the length of a telephone pole).


    He used his palm to clutch therge water needle as if it were a sword, throwing it towards the woman in ck robes.


    The giant water needle crashed down like heavenly judgment, striking the woman in robes.


    The mountain trembled as the water elemental espera spilled out in every direction, like wind des rampaging across thendscapes, the tremendous pressure even uprooting some of the weaker trees.


    Evelyn, who was watching all this from her ce, narrowed her eyes when suddenly her pupils dted as she saw Oliver''s expression bing pale.


    The water needle that was supposed to hit the woman badly was now nothing but a puddle floating before her, unable to fall.


    The woman in ck robes slowly lifted her head, showing a ghostly expression on her chubby face. Her skin was as pale as a person close to death. It was eerie.


    Suddenly, something appeared in her hands. It was a long red whip. She twisted her hand, and the whip started to tremble violently, wiggling from one side to another.


    An intense killing intent leaked out from her body as Oliver felt a huge pressure descending upon his shoulders, almost trying to crush him to the ground.


    He quickly retreated back, water elemental espera gathering around his body like a shield.


    His speed increased three-fold as he rapidly disappeared to the other side of the mountain, while the woman in ck robes floated up in the air, her eyes as still as dead water.


    In the next moment, she too vanished from her spot.


    Evelyn was left alone, her body aching badly in multiple ces. It was clear she had broken bones and had sustained injuries internally.


    ''I have to hurry up¡­ and help Oliver.'' she could not help but think how he might have been against that heretic, a surge of inexplicable anger rose from the depths of her heart, she felt a strong hatred towards those demonic followers.


    Everything was so peaceful and yet they ruined everything for her and her friends.


    With great difficulty and pain, she reached out to her storage artifact, a small brooch, and retrieved a healing potion, starting to take small gulps of it.


    Her body started to heal slowly. She knew it would take some time before she could move again and prayed that Oliver could keep up until then.

 Chapter 176 Destroying her! Gaze of Death!

    Chapter 176 Destroying her! Gaze of Death!


    Chapter 176


    Oliver soon lured the woman in ck robes far from Evelyn. He could not fight properly in front of her.


    Each step he took was measured, careful, as he led her deeper into the forest, away from his injuredpanion. He could feel the tension in the air, every rustle of leaves heightening his senses.


    Under his watchful eye, the high and mighty woman descended, which suggested that standing in the air, though cool, was quite draining.


    "Who are you?"


    The woman stared intently at Olivier and asked in a deep voice. This time, there was no slyness or yfulness in her tone.


    Her eyes burned with a desire for answers, reflecting the moonlight that barely pierced through the dense canopy.


    Oliver''s strength and elemental attacks were different from any Rank-1 exorcists she had seen before, even surpassing most exorcists in Rank-1 alone. She couldn''t see through Oliver''s identity at the moment. When she had earlier tried to sense him in depth, she was surprised that she could not see through his real strength at all.


    It was as if he was shrouded in a veil of mystery, concealingyers uponyers of hidden power.


    She was not a fool to believe that the espera he was radiating outside was all he had; he was deliberately concealing his true powers.


    The sheer force behind Oliver''s attacks left her in disbelief. How could someone so young possess such devastating power? Oliver raised his rapier and said, "Shouldn''t one introduce oneself first before inquiring about the identities of others?"


    Hearing this, the woman in dark robes showed a cold smile and said, "Then let me see what makes you dare to resist!"


    She was not one topromise¡ªat least not with someone weaker than her.


    The woman tilted the whip in her hand slightly as it extended rapidly towards Oliver''s direction. It was undoubtedly a special tool for exorcists.


    Oliver dodged the iing whip by a hair''s breadth as it smashed into the rocks behind him, shattering them into countless pieces.


    ''Quite destructive¡­'' He looked at the rocks and then back at the red whip vibrating violently. He could feel the shockwaves through the ground, resonating with the whip''s raw power.


    He noted the pulverized rocks, a grim reminder of the whip''s power.


    The woman whipped in his direction again, intending to immobilize him first and then interrogate him.


    Oliver once again dodged. With Level-5 strength and his footwork technique, he could somehow keep up with her moves. It was all thanks to his high amount of espera aspared to ordinary Rank-1 exorcists, Nadia was already a genius but he who had tenfold espera was a monster in the same stage.


    This time, the woman made a hand gesture as a ck talisman flew from her end and floated ominously in the sky.


    Oliver saw the talisman and had a bad feeling in his heart. However, he did not wait for her to activate the talisman and instead attacked her head-on.


    Putting the rapier in front of his chest, his eyes turned cold. The air around him seemed to freeze, and his determination was palpable.


    The woman in dark robes narrowed her eyes at his stance, wondering what he was doing.


    Oliver used the move he was familiar with without hesitation.


    The woman''s eyes instantly widened.


    Danger!


    The sound of air tearing apart rang in her ears as a purple talisman suddenly emerged in front of her and a dark shield materialized.


    BANG!


    Crack! Crack!


    The woman''s heart pounded in her chest as she saw the defensive talisman she had been given crumpling under the force of the boy''s attack. Her breath hitched as she witnessed the unimaginable strength he wielded.


    The shield splintered like ss, shards of dark energy dissipating into the air.


    It was something that could not be torn apart so easily by a mere Rank-1 exorcist.


    So what was that attack just now?


    She felt a true sense of danger from that move earlier, and had it not been for her activating the talisman in time, she would not have been able to dodge it at all.


    "You blocked that?"


    She then heard a voice; it was the voice of that white-haired boy.


    She looked up and met his eyes and was instantly stunned.


    Death!


    Her heart trembled violently as she looked into those eyes as deep as the abyss boring into her. The very essence of terror seemed to radiate from his gaze, chilling her to the bone.


    A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, her body paralyzed by an unshakable dread.


    Those eyes seemed to be staring right through her soul. She felt naked, as if all her secrets had been revealed under his gaze.


    Frozen in her ce, she could not move her body; it was as if she had been pinned by the world.


    A strong sense of fear had gripped her mind and heart. Her eyes turned misty as tears started to stream down uncontrobly.


    Her nose started to bleed, her hands shook, yet despite all that, she could not gather the courage to move an inch.


    The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the trees and shadows witnesses to the life-and-death struggle unfolding. Every instinct screamed at her to flee, but her legs felt like lead, rooted to the spot by the oppressive weight of his presence.


    It was as if two giant eyes were staring down at her from the vast sky, her fate, her destiny, her life¡ªeverything in control of those eyes.


    The more she kept staring into those eyes of death, the more pain she suffered. Her mind felt like it could explode any moment now.


    The unprecedented sense of fear¡­ this boundless power¡­ this malevolent closeness to death¡­


    She felt as if death was in front of her!


    However, the ck talisman that had been floating in the sky for some time suddenly started to emit a crunching sound.


    A ck ray of light left the talisman, aiming for Oliver.


    Oliver sensed the danger behind the ck beam and reluctantly withdrew his gaze.


    His expression turned fierce; the ck beam heading his way was life-threatening.


    This heretic really wanted to kill him. No kidnapping, just straight-up assassination. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Oliver jumped backward and instantly made considerable distance, but the ck beam did not crash into the ground. Instead, it bent at an unrealistic angle and traveled towards him.


    His eyes narrowed. So that''s how it was going to be.


    ''Come, I have not tested this yet. Let''s see how powerful these are,'' he thought with cold eyes.


    His hand moved in front of him, and the next second, a pitch-ck me materialized at the tip of his fingers. The ck me didn''t stop but kept getting bigger and bigger by the moment.


    It grew to be sorge that it almost covered his torso behind it.


    Holy mes of Nightmare!


    He joined two fingers together, and the pitch-ck mes moved forward like a super-fast methrower towards the ck beaming at him!


    BOOM!


    The ck beam and the holy mes of nightmare collided, and the impact made the mountainnds tremble. Its sound was so deafening, almost as if a fighter jet was passing above their heads.


    The nearby rocks and grass were instantly destroyed by the collision. It was that massive.


    Oliver''s clothes fluttered in the generated impact. However, he stood rooted to his spot, his eyes shining as he observed through the smoke.


    His heart thudded in his chest, exhration and tension warring within him. His lips curled up into a smirk as he saw the destruction the mes had caused.


    Not only had the mes instantly dposed the ck beam, but furthermore, it was not extinguished even after that and started to dpose the surrounding flora.


    He released the finger seal he was using to control the mes, and instantly the mes vanished as if they never existed, leaving behind a scene of decay and dread.


    Truly nightmarish!


    He wasn''t merely fighting an enemy; he was asserting his dominance, making it clear that he was a force she can''t afford to ywith. The rity of his purpose was frighteningly evident, and it was this rity that made him so formidable.


    "Haah¡­ Haah¡­"


    The woman in dark robes sucked in deep breaths as she panted heavily. Her eyes had dried-up tears, and her lips were smeared with her own blood.


    She panted heavily as she tried to calm herself and her mind that was on the verge of getting destroyed.


    She was so close to death that her mind was in dismay. Her emotions were in a terrible state as she was having a hard time controlling her mental state.


    Dark, corrupted thoughts were constantly trying to cloud her mind, wanting to consume her as a whole.


    Her sensitive ears picked up the noise of footsteps as a pair of white sneakers appeared in her vision.


    She weakly turned her head up, and the very next moment, started vomiting.


    What she saw was a horrifying sight¡­

 Chapter 177 The second heretic!

    Chapter 177 The second heretic!


    Chapter 177


    Instead of the human face of the small boy she was expecting to see, she saw something sinister¡­ something corrupt.


    A dark being with no features or expressions was looking down at her with a gaze that sent shivers down her spine.


    Its very presence seemed to warp the air around it, shadows dancing unnaturally at its feet. His entire body radiated a corrupt energy she had never felt before, and just being in the presence of that ''thing'' made her want to kill herself.


    A torrent of negative, evil, and loathing feelings kept assaulting her brain, all of which were trying to convince her tomit suicide right in front of the being standing before her.


    Shivering, she lowered her head to his feet, touching the ground with her forehead.


    "P-Please¡­" she choked out; her voice could not be any worse at the moment.


    She regretted evering to this ce, she regretted ever choosing to go east over west, she regretted attacking those kids¡­


    She did not need to think anymore, she could feel it inside, that she was no match for the power before her. He was not a simple kid, not an ordinary exorcist, she knew it. Just the overwhelming power radiating from him was enough to make her realize where she stood as things were.


    She should have nevere to this ce, no, she should have never joined the sect.


    Had she never joined the sect and turned heretic, she would have nevere across this being of corruption.


    Her thoughts were turning against the very sect she belonged to. She had realized that other than begging for her life, there were no other options left. And even if there were, she could not think about anything at the moment.


    She begged, drawing out as much of a voice as she could, "P-Please¡­ please¡­ s-spare¡­ my life¡­"


    Oliver looked down at her, his eyes holding a trace of surprise at the current state of the woman.


    Just before, he had used [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom] intending to take her down by surprise, but she was able to counter him in the nick of time.


    But he already had other ns, and the moment she looked back at him, he had activated the third ability of the [Cosmic Void Gaze] in that second.


    [Enshrouding of Death] instilled a deep fear directly into her mind, prating all her mental defenses.


    This time, he had used the ability to a deeper and higher extent ever since he had acquired these special eyes.


    Even when he fought his second brother, he had barely used it in case he killed him, but this time, since the opponent was a heretic whose intention was to kill him, he did not hesitate and used it properly on her.


    If he had dared to care about not killing her, then he could have died instead. Thus, he dared not take any risks and used the ability to the proper extent.


    His mind was also feeling quite exhausted after using the ability. He would need to give himself some peace of mind to use this ability again. It was just too draining!


    He looked down at the woman with cold eyes. He wanted to know what their intentions were and what he had that they used to track him down.


    He bent down slowly, crouching to the woman''s level as he asked, "If you tell me what thing you all are after, then I will spare you."


    While he had said it in a normal voice, to the woman''s ears, it was as if someone was shouting inside her mind, trying to shatter her will.


    She trembled even more. The voice¡ªit was as if countless ants were crawling on her back with each word the being spoke, making her extremely ufortable physically.


    "E-Egg¡­" she choked out, wanting to hold onto the hope to live. The being had promised her that he would spare her if she told him.


    If she told him everything, then he would let her live. If she revealed everything, then she could live. If she sold out herrades and sect, then perhaps she could even get the being''s grace.


    The desperation in her voice was palpable, each word dripping with frantic hope. It could be seen how affected she was that she did not even care about anything anymore. She was willing to sacrifice herrades, sell her n out, and reveal everything just to obtain a sliver of his grace. The will to live overshadowed everything for her at this moment.


    She did not care about her sect, nor about her loyalty, or turning into a traitor.


    "Egg?" Oliver asked further, making the woman''s spine crawl as she shifted ufortably hearing the voice in her ears. It was as if someone was scraping at her brain the more she heard his voice.


    "B-Beast e-egg¡­" she said in broken phrases, making him frown.


    "D-Disaster¡­ G-Ghost¡­"


    She kept stammering, her words incoherent as she seemed unable to even formte normal sentences on her own.


    However, Oliver, who processed her words, suddenly widened his eyes the moment he heard the word ''Ghost.''


    How could he not know about the old demonic ghost he had exorcisedst time in the forest using Abyss energy?


    ''Fuck!''


    He immediately retrieved the storage bracelet from his undercoat and quickly threw it in his mind space, cutting off any or all connections it had or carried to the outside world, disabling all tracking marks or anything associated with it.


    ''So they were tracking using the ghost''s storage artifact, some sort of beast egg inside the bracelet they are after? What is it?''


    He thought about what sort of egg it was for them to be so desperate about it.


    ''Is it the egg of a disaster beast?'' he joined her words and naturally arrived at the conclusion.


    ''Damn, how did the ghost even manage to get his hands on such an egg?''


    Oliver could not help but exim internally about the absurdity of the situation. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He knew how rare and terrifying a disaster beast was from the novel.


    A certain face shed through his mind when he thought about disaster beasts.


    He shook his head, dispelling the intrusive thoughts and refocusing on the task at hand. He decided to think about itter. He had pressing matters to deal with at the moment.


    Since they hade personally to such a ce, taking a huge risk, then it could only mean that the thing he possessed was of very high importance to these heretics and their sect.


    They could not have attacked him inside the Mystic Purge n unless they had a death wish, so they chose to wait. And when they realized he hade far from the n to the mountains to train, they took action.


    He did not know what the woman who was shivering beneath him was seeing or feeling, but for a moment he felt that it was a scene simr to when Nadia had lost control in the car when she used her special eyes to see him.


    Although he was curious to know what it was and how it was affecting her, he did not have the time to inquire. Evelyn would be here soon, and there was another man who was chasing after others.


    ''Wait, weren''t there three of them? So why have only two of theme?'' he frowned as he thought about the third heretic.


    It looked like he was guarding the entrance to prevent or stop Sigfor in case he returned.


    Then he had to hurry up.


    He looked at the woman trembling under his gaze. His eyes were cold. He had no intentions to spare her after she had tried to kill him.


    He could not hesitate. His morals had long changed ever since he came to this world, shaped by this world''s cruel customs. If he wanted to live, then he could not spare his enemies.


    A red spear appeared in his hand. He was about to strike when he suddenly jumped backward and dodged a terrifyingly fast flying sword that grazed past his head.


    Drip.


    Blood dripped as Oliver slowly touched his forehead. He had just dodged a deadly attack from the flying sword, and he realized that his forehead was starting to bleed from the small contact.


    His skin, which was as tough as stone, was almost sliced like that, and so easily? Had he been a momentte, his head would have been sent flying.


    He turned his head towards his right, where he heard footsteps from.


    His eyes widened as he saw a short man in dark robes walking towards him. The man had a wrinkled face and gray beard, looking quite old. However, his eyes were sharp and vigorous.


    The old man wielded a gleaming silver sword, its de inscribed with ancient runes that seemed to pulse with a faint, ominous light.


    It was not that Oliver was looking at the man''s aged face, but what he had in his hands.

 Chapter 178 Ruthless Traitor?

    Chapter 178 Ruthless Traitor?


    Chapter 178


    It was not that Oliver was looking at the man''s aged face, but at what he had in his hands.


    In his right hand was Alphonso, who was being dragged by his neck, and in his left hand was Amber, who was being dragged along by her hair.


    Oliver''s heart sank, his mind racing as he took in their brutalized forms. Oliver''s pupils shook slightly as his heart raced faster and faster with every passing second, looking at their state.


    They were riddled with deep wounds all over their bodies. Their hands and legs were covered in purple bruises, and Alphonso''s face was almost ruined with deep gashes.


    Alphonso was unconscious while Amber was letting out pitiful sobs, being dragged along by the man who held her by her hair tightly.


    The man, looking at Oliver''s face, grinned as he stretched his hand, pulling Amber''s hair more tightly, making her cry out loud.


    The man''s grin widened, reveling in her pain, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. He seemed to be enjoying her cries as he didn''t loosen his grip in the slightest.


    "How''s it? What do you feel? Are you angry?" the old man raised his head and asked.


    Oliver remained calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil, raging with intense emotions.


    "Tch, tch¡­ not a sliver of change?" the short man said, "Are all of you lot from Mystic Purge n born without a heart?"


    Oliver did not say anything; he knew better than to ask the man to stop. The short man would only do it more and worse the more he tried to ask or threaten him, so he did not say anything and maintained a poker face.


    "Here is your friend screaming out her lungs, and yet you look so heartless. Not a change in expression? I say this: you all from the Mystic Purge n do not care about anything other than power? Quite the demons you are yourselves, yet calling yourselves exorcists? What a joke!"


    The manughed as he mocked the n. Oliver could feel that this man did not care about the ns at all and bore particr hatred towards his n.


    "Here this old man was expecting to see great expressions on your face using your friends here, but it seems I made a mistake¡­ even their children are just as insane as them, huh." The man clicked his tongue.


    Oliver maintained his calm eyes as he looked at Amber crying more and more while the old man kept adjusting his grip on her hair, torturing her more and more.


    He noticed how she was having difficulty raising her arms, suspecting that he had broken them or paralyzed her.


    She tried to adjust her position to lessen the pain somehow, but the old man didn''t give her any leeway.


    Oliver''s eyes turned deadly when he saw the smile on the old man''s face. However, the old man had yet to notice this change.


    "So? Did I take her with me for nothing then? Is she nothing more than a tool for you, heir of Mystic Purge n?" the old man questioned with a bold smile and wide eyes.


    Oliver maintained an expressionless face as he replied in a calm tone, "Indeed, she''s nothing but a resource. Her life or death does not affect me or my ns. Kill her if you want."


    Amber''s sobs halted, her eyes widening in disbelief at his cold deration. The smile on the old man''s face widened as Amber, who was weakly struggling in his grasp, slowly looked his way.


    He avoided her gaze as if she didn''t matter or exist and kept his focus on the old man.


    Amber''s eyes had a look of absolute betrayal in them as she looked at the guy whom she once considered a friend.


    She saw how he was not even bothered to meet her gaze, signifying her worth in his eyes.


    A mix of despair and rage washed over her, her spirit breaking further with each passing second. A look of despair and hatred enveloped her as she looked at him before putting her head down, mumbling in a hushed tone.


    "Bastard¡­"


    However, she kept the tone to herself, not letting anyone hear her. Her head low as she didn''t bother anymore.


    "Impressive, bravo¡­ such ruthlessness and decisiveness at this age. I can not imagine how you will turn out to be in the future."


    Oliver did not speak; he had said those harsh words intentionally. He knew if he showed even a moment''s worth of weakness, the clever old man would definitely use the two of them as bait to threaten him.


    He had told him to kill Amber if he wanted because he wanted to make the old manpletely lose interest in her. After all, if he was not going to be intimidated by hostages, then there was not really much of a point for the old man in killing the two.


    The short-heighted old man must have already interrogated the two about their identities, and both of them being the heirs of the two major ns definitely put him under pressure.


    It would not be much advantageous for him to kill the two heirs when he could have his sect or whoever his superior was exchange their lives for ransom and the lives of their capturedrades. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Plus, if he were to really kill them, then he could only wait for his death being chased by the forces of the two major ns.


    They would not let him rest at all and definitely capture him even if he ran to the end of the world.


    What would wait for him then would be endless torture or a painful exorcism.


    So, the man had not much of an incentive to take their lives. Oliver did not mind ying his character.


    The old man shivered as he muttered to himself. It was then his gaze traveled to the woman in ck robes kneeling with her head touching the ground.


    He shook his head, "This bitch had always been too arrogant, always looking down on others, and see what she hase to?"


    The old man clicked his tongue before adding, "However, she had some skills, at least enough to not be defeated by a Rank-1 exorcist at all. For her to be reduced to this state¡­"


    His gaze hardened, suspicion evident as he studied Oliver''sposed demeanor. His eyes turned sinister as he gazed at the calm Oliver and asked, "What did you do to her, boy?"


    Oliver seemed unfazed by the dense killing intent that emerged from the old man towards him.


    Instead, he spoke something else,pletely unrted to anything.


    "You seem to have some history with the Mystic Purge n."


    The old man''s mocking expression crumpled when he heard his words before the grin on his face disappeared.


    Seeing this, Oliver further said, "Did the exorcists of my n beat your old bones to death?"


    The old man''s eyes contained a ferocious glint when he heard this.


    But before he could say anything, Oliver further added, as if saying to himself.


    "Doubtful. Had you encountered an official n member, with your measly strength, you would not have escaped to live."


    At this moment, the old man''s eyes were bloodshot as he heard Oliver''s provocative sentences.


    "Then this could only mean that you were defeated by a trainee, an unofficial member, one of the weakest in the n." Oliver finally concluded and nced at the old man, only to see thetter shaking in anger with red, angry eyes.


    "This condescending tone¡­ with that expressionless face, you are indeed the heir of the Mystic Purge n. Indeed, long ago, I was humiliated by one of your kin. But today, I will pay back the humiliation tenfold!"


    The old man threw Amber and Alphonso with force, sending them crashing to the sides, which made Oliver heave a sigh of relief secretly.


    He had managed to distract the old manpletely from the two.


    Now they were face-to-face. He could tell that the old man was stronger than the woman but was very cautious; he was hiding his aura as much as he could.


    "Today, I will cut off your head, take it out, and sacrifice your blood to demons. Only then will my revenge be consideredplete."


    The old man said in a hoarse voice as he drew out a thin and sharp sword from his storage bracelet.


    Oliver became alert as he felt a sense of danger from the old man, but upon closer look, he found out that the old man had a few openings in his stance.


    Yet a heavy, inexplicable sense of foreboding settled in his chest. He could easily exploit those openings if they shed, but for some reason, his chest grew heavy.


    ''So then what is this sense of crisis?''


    He could not help but feel suspicious about the confidence the old man had when facing him with his level of sword skills.

 Chapter 179 Poison?

    Chapter 179 Poison?


    Chapter 179


    ''So then what is this sense of crisis?''


    He could not help but feel suspicious about the confidence the old man had when facing him with his level of sword skills.


    "Cough-!" He suddenly started coughing blood.


    "Hahahaha¡­" the old man''s eerieughter rang out in the silent mountains as he disappeared from his previous spot and reappeared in front of him.


    Swish! Bang!


    "Ugh!"


    The old man swung his sword, slicing at Oliver''s arm. He tried to dodge, but in the next instant, a fierce and strong kick connected with his abdomen, sending him flying backward.


    Crack!


    Agony shot through his chest as he crashed into the ground, feeling his ribs snap under the force. His ribs hurt as he groaned, his vision suddenly bing blurry too.


    ''Poison? Did he poison me?''


    Oliver quickly realized this, his mind instantly going to the small gash on his forehead that the old man had inflicted upon him with that flying sword.


    ''That sword was coated with hidden poison!''


    Oliver realized this, albeitte. The poison had paralyzing properties, his body was starting to turn numb to sensations, everything feeling foreign to him.


    He had earlier seen with his eyes that both Amber and Alphonso were immobile and barely twitching. He should have suspected it at that moment only that the old man was using dirty tricks.


    "Haah¡­ Haah¡­" He started to take deep breaths to calm his nerves. Now was not the time, he had to destroy the poison first. He could justify that sense of crisis from before now.


    He was not allowed to think much as the old man was now directly in front of him, looking down at his miserable state.


    "What a view. I wish I could record the moment, but sadly this old man forgot his device back at the headquarters. Ah, what a pity!"


    The old man stomped his foot directly on his chest, further making blood splutter from his mouth.


    "I wonder how your n would react seeing their heir in such a miserable sta¡ª"


    The old man instantly backed off as a huge icicle crashed directly where he was standing, obliterating the rocks and making a deep hole in the ground.


    He turned his head and saw, on a nearby rocky cliff, a girl with short silvery white hair standing, looking at him expressionlessly.


    ng!


    The old man twisted his body and blocked a swording from behind him.


    He saw a ck-haired boy looking into his eyes with anger.


    "How dare you hurt my pal?"


    Daniel''s voice was low and dangerous, his eyes burning with fury as he held his ground. The boy said in a scary tone as he parried the old man''s sword away.


    "Now who are you, brat?" the old man asked in an annoyed tone. He was so close to killing that arrogant bastard, and now out of nowhere, another brat appeared.


    "I am Daniel, the one who will defeat you!"


    Daniel yelled as he jumped onto the old man, pushing the old man back momentarily before the old man swung his sword forward with force, throwing him back.


    "Uck!" Daniel clenched his teeth. Just now, the force from that old man''s strike made his wrist hurt badly.


    ''This old man is definitely higher-ranked than us all¡­''


    Daniel''s aura grew, as a fighting spirit ignited in his eyes, a broad grin on his face as thunder started to crackle all around him.


    "Let me test my full power," he said and instantly disappeared from his spot with a speed so fast that the old man had to narrow his eyes to look around.


    He could only catch the silhouette of the brat from time to time, making him angry.


    How could he, a Rank-2, not be able to keep up with the movements of a Rank-1?


    This was absurd!


    While the old man had reached the limit of his talent, he was not so terrible to be unable to keep up with a Rank-1 exorcist¡­


    He smashed his foot into the ground, making the ground close to him tremble.


    Daniel did not dy and appeared right next to the old man, swinging his sword as if it was an extension of his hand.


    ng!


    The old man parried back in the moment, making Daniel quickly back away and appear on the other side of the old man.


    ng!


    ng!


    ng!


    The old heretic, d in a white shirt, was as fast as a specter with his sword gleaming coldly under the night sky, while Daniel, like a crane, seemed slower than the old man but always managed to evade his attacks with ease.


    It was as if Daniel was able to read all the old man''s moves instantly and find openings to strike at the old man, making thetter more furious.


    As Oliver had said before, the old man had subpar sword skills and his stance had many openings. With suchcking talent, there was no way he could just brute force his way through everything.


    Faced with Daniel, a sword prodigy, it was natural that his attacks were easily readable.


    "Damn it!"


    The old man cursed and in the next instant, he took out a ck bag with some liquid inside it.


    A terrible stench covered the surroundings as soon as the bag was taken out.


    "I did not want to use this, but I am short on time¡­" he looked towards Daniel and smiled coldly.


    "Did you think that my main weapon was a sword? If so, then you are wrong. Poison, my specialty is poison. I am an alchemist, not a fighter, having concocted some of the deadliest poisons of the Unholy Sun Sect. The moment I use this, you can only beg for death."


    The old man chuckled darkly.


    "Fuck! Old bastard, are you going to y dirty!?" Daniel eximed in anger.


    "Dirty?" The old man scoffed as he said, "There''s nothing dirty about it, brat. I am an alchemist, and this is how we fight. It''s your fault for being so pathetic to be fooled."


    Daniel gritted his teeth as he spat at the old man''s tricks.


    "Fucking old bastard! ALL OF YOU OLD BASTARDS ARE SO HATEFUL!!" Daniel said, as his experience with old people had been the worst.


    "I don''t know what you are bbering. It looks like the fear of death has made you go crazy, hahaha."


    The old man ignored Daniel and looked at the short cliff. The girl was not there; he suspected that she wasing down to help.


    He was not going to wait and kill these two here, retrieve the egg, and then finish the rest.


    He would kidnap the others and have the ns fight with each other and ensure chaos.


    He threw the ck bag towards where Daniel was standing, and in a second, a huge ck smoke exploded from the bag, as a ckish fluid covered the ground, instantly melting the rocks.


    The acrid stench of burning rock filled the air, the poison eating away at thendscape like acid. Daniel jumped backward and started to get away from the ck fog that was quickly spreading outwards, his speed slower as the fog approached him from behind.


    "Now that''s one taken care of, let''s resume where we were."


    Stter!


    A fountain of blood erupted.


    Before the old man could turn around and face, a sharp pain assaulted his chest. He slowly looked down below before turning around.


    His vision blurred as the world tilted, darkness closing in from the edges. He had an expression of disbelief as darkness overtook his sight, even while dying he could only mutter one word.


    "How¡­?"


    Behind him stood Oliver, who currently wore an expressionless facade, not a single trace of the poison from before visible on his body or face.


    "A dead man doesn''t need to know."


    Oliver said in a cold voice as he twisted his sword in the old man''s heart, finishing him in a single strike.


    He watched as the old man fell to the ground like a puppet with strings cut.


    He bent down and picked up the man''s storage bracelet. This time, he stored the bracelet in his mindspace in case someone came after him again.


    He sighed as he looked ahead at the ck mist covering the sky. He did not seem too troubled by the poisonous fog.


    His eyes scanned the area, calcting his next move with precise focus. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He sighed as he looked ahead at the ck mist covering the sky, he did not look to be too troubled by the poisonous fog.


    And he had the reason to be.


    With Abyss energy residing inside him, how can ordinary poison of some old maniac hurt him?


    Earlier when he had realized that he had been poisoned, he immediately used Abyss energy and devoured the whole poison quickly, making him free of any ailments or negative effects.


    However, his ribs still hurt from the impact so he consumed a health potion while he watched Daniel battle the old heretic.

 Chapter 180 Where were Evelyn and Nadia?

    180 Where were Evelyn and Nadia?


    Chapter 180


    He was quite impressed with Daniel''s talent with swords. Despite the enemy being a Rank-2, he did not fear him and kept fighting, exploiting thetter''s blind spots.


    Swish!


    A pitch-ck me emerged from his left hand as he pointed a finger toward the ck smog, shooting a small firence toward the screen of poison.


    Thence cut through the air, a streak of darkness against the dense fog. The poison was mmable, and the fire instantly spread out, consuming the fog within seconds.


    When he saw the fog waspletely gone, he cut off his espera, and the ck mes disappeared, leaving behind a barren and destroyednd.


    He didn''t stop and walked up to the old man''s dead body. He could see a trace of dark espera, which did not belong to humans, leaking out of his dead body.


    If he let the dead body stay longer, it might give birth to demonic beasts in the ecosystem of this mountain, contaminating the environment.


    This was also why exorcists had a duty to deal with the dead bodies of these heretics after the fight, to prevent any unforeseeable events in the future.


    Oliver ced his palm against the old man''s chest, and reddish-ck energy erupted from his hand, instantly enveloping the old man.


    Within seconds, the old man''s body disappeared from the face of the earth forever.


    A strange warmth surged through his veins, a faint pulse of power igniting within him. A warm feeling surged in his heart as he felt a burst of power in his body. Clenching his fists, he felt as if his strength had increased again.


    He saw Daniel lying far away and reached up to him. Upon closer inspection, it did not seem like he was affected much by the poison; he must have evaded the fog by a hair''s breadth, rendering him unconscious.


    Oliver picked him up, ced him underneath some leaves and bushes, and went ahead to carry Alphonso and Amber as well.


    BOOM!


    Just as he was settling them, he heard a loud banging sound from the opposite direction.


    He instantly moved in the direction of the sound. In the distance, he could see another terrible scene.


    Evelyn and Nadia were both kneeling and bleeding, and in front of them was a burly man with red patches all over his face. He looked repulsive and sinister.


    The man''s eyes gleamed with malice, his twisted smile revealing a set of yellowed teeth. The man was barehanded and had an ugly expression on his face. Oliver could see the man''s arms burned with ice piercing his legs.


    ''So they were here.''


    He had been wondering where they had gone and why it took them so long, and here they were, engaging with the third heretic.


    Oliver furrowed his brows. The burly man had a powerful aura, and murderous intent filled his surroundings as he walked.


    In a second, the man disappeared from his spot and reappeared behind Evelyn, his fist connecting with her back as she screamed in pain.


    Oliver did not wait and closed in on their location.


    Another sword appeared in his hand as he jumped down.


    Tap.


    The burly man turned around as he heard the sound of tapping.


    He saw Oliver standing with a sword.


    "Oliver!" Evelyn''s eyes widened. She could not help but feel regretful; not only had she been stopped by this heretic and was almost losing, but since he hade here alone, did it mean that the woman was dealt with?


    She could only suppress her doubts in her mind and focus on the man.


    "Oliver, watch out! This man has unnatural strength. Stay back and attack from a distance¡ªengaging him up close would be too risky." she warned.


    Oliver, who heard her, nodded. He had already expected as much. When he used his special eyes to scan the burly man, he found that the man had very low esperapared to the other two heretics¡­


    It was likely he was also a physical exorcist but didn''t focus on training his espera, only on his brute force.


    This, along with the bulging body of the man, was enough to make him aware of his strength.


    The burly man furrowed his brows and said, "When we entered, there were supposed to be six of you detestable exorcists. Now there are three of you here, but where are the two who came along with me? They should have finished while I was sleeping."


    Hearing his words, Oliver raised a brow as he remembered the trap array Amber had set up. It looked like the man was trapped in the array formation and was asleep.


    Oliver put one hand behind his back as he looked at the towering man.


    He spoke, "If you are searching for your two heretic teammates, then you shouldn''t. They have already been exorcised, and you''re next."


    The man''s face darkened, his fists clenching at the news.


    The man''s eyes narrowed as he heard the words of the kid before him. He did not doubt his words; they were nowhere to be seen, and he was unable to detect them either.


    Were they actually exorcised by these exorcist brats!?


    Fumes started to rise from his head as his face turned even redder than it already was. He looked extremely angry at that moment.


    "Keep scowling like that, and your face might just get stuck that way. Though, I doubt anyone would notice the difference." Oliver said calmly, but his words sounded extremely provocative to the burly man''s ears.


    Like a bull, he charged straight at Oliver, no longer caring about anything. He did not care about the old man at all.


    But that woman, she was supposed to be his in the future, and now this white-haired brat said that she was exorcised? He did not hold back as a flood of anger clouded his mind instantly.


    Oliver took a deep breath, seeing the man charging right at him. If he was hit by the man, even he did not know how many bones he would break in his body.


    However, he had no intention of taking him head-on.


    "What''s wrong? All those muscles slowing you down? Or are you just too heavy to keep up?"


    Oliver snickered as he provoked the charging bull even more while he himself ran further and further from Evelyn and Nadia, drawing the man out of range.


    With his agility, he did not face much issue keeping a minimal distance between them.


    Looking back, he nearly cursed when he saw the burly man closing in.


    Damn! Even with his level 5 strength, he couldn''t keep up! Was this the true gap between the strength of a Rank-1 and Rank-2 exorcist?


    Oliver doubted. These heretics were just handymen; they were partial Ranks, not true Rank exorcists.


    The power between the two was iparable. It was only because of this that he was able to exorcise the two heretics higher-ranked than him with some effort.


    Otherwise, if heretics truly started to achieve the power of true Ranks like exorcists, wouldn''t the demons easily cause humanity too much damage?


    The fact that dark espera was notpatible with the espera training methods of humans was already widely known, and this was also why the major ns didn''t pay too much attention to the pesky sects, given their hands were already full with demons.


    "You''re dead forying a hand on her!"


    The man roared behind him, sending tremors through his ears.


    "She''s his? That woman?"


    Oliver thought of the woman. He had not exorcised her; he was interrupted by the old man before that, so he did not know where the woman went.


    Given her mental state, Oliver was not worried that she would cause more trouble for himter.


    He could search for her after dealing with all these heretics.


    "That woman? I exorcised her myself. You should''ve seen her face¡ªbegging for your revenge, but it was toote."


    Oliver did not really know the actual rtionship between the two of them, but since the man said she was his woman, he assumed they were lovers or something.


    "Face me, you spineless coward!" the man yelled from behind. He was further outraged when he heard his words.


    Did that mean that she also harbored the same feelings for him as he did for her?


    If so, why would she always avoid him before?


    His orcish mind could not understand, but since he had marked her as his woman in his mind, he would ughter all those present.


    He would give the brat running ahead of him the most brutal and painful death ever for hurting his woman. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, just as he was chasing Oliver, he saw the kid suddenly stop ahead of him.


    He did not stop and sped up, charging right toward Oliver, intending to destroy him.


    A predatory grin spread across his face, sensing victory was near.

 Chapter 181 Showing superiority! Dominating the battle!

    Chapter 181 Showing superiority! Dominating the battle!


    Chapter 181


    On the other hand, Oliver, who saw the man rushing at him, had a cold glint in his eyes as he assumed a quick stance, with one leg stretched behind and one hand closely aligned with his chest.


    His breath steadied, every fiber of his being focused on the impending strike.


    He lunged forward!


    His palmshed out at a terrifying speed, colliding with the man''s frenzied charge.


    The power of the [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm], previously held back due to insufficient espera, now surged forth with full force!


    The man''s eyes widened as his instincts suddenly screamed at him to dodge; however, it was already toote. Lost in madness, he could only try to defend.


    BOOM!


    "Ark-!"


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The burly man clenched his jaw tightly as his vision suddenly darkened. For a moment, he found himself in a dark space all alone before twelve illusionary giant figures appeared before him.


    Their forms were towering and ominous, each one exuding an aura of pure malice. The shadows of the figures loomedrge, each one more imposing than thest, suffocating him with their sheer presence.


    His body red up as the danger reached its peak. He saw all twelve of those giants looking down at him before they moved. All of them, in unison, struck out their palms in his direction, crushing him from all sides.


    Their forms remained unwavering; to them, he was nothing more than an insect, a mere pest to be crushed by their overwhelming might.


    "ARGH-!!" The man roared as his eyes turned bloodshot. He exerted his body''s strength, every muscle contracting as he endured the impact.


    BANG!!


    The man was thrown backward into the air, crashing far into the mountainous rocks!


    Spit!


    A glob of blood was all he could manage to spit as even the air seemed to struggle in his lungs.


    His mind raced, desperately trying to make sense of the overwhelming force that had just hit him.


    The impact was too powerful!


    Even someone as powerful as him was left reeling. He could only imagine how brutally hisrades had been vanquished by this kid.


    He was no ordinary kid; the two girls from before were nothing in front of him. He could tell since he had just suppressed them both.


    One of them was even a light element awakened individual. He could understand if she had this much power; however, this boy, who clearly had no rtion to the light attribute, disyed such power. It surprised him.


    How could someone so young possess such devastating strength? It defied all logic.


    He was only Rank-1, and the difference was already this much?


    Moreover, the boy did not seem too worried from the beginning. It was as if he had calcted everything beforehand and their existence was not a threat in his mind.


    The realization that they had been underestimated from the start gnawed at him, deepening his despair. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The burly man gritted his teeth as cracks appeared in the heavy body armor he was wearing, which was also an artifact he had been given by the sect.


    ''My artifact broke!? Just how terrifying was this impact¡­''


    His eyes, which were earlier aze with fighting spirit, were now reced with a hint of fear and wariness.


    It was an Umon-rank artifact, and it was not something that would break so easily, given it was a defensive artifact.


    For it to break meant that the opponent was too powerful for him.


    But how could this be even possible?


    Was it truly power, or was there something more sinister lurking behind those strikes?


    That kid was clearly a Rank-1 exorcist from his espera; he had felt it earlier. So how could his artifact break from the impact generated by him?


    He could only imagine what would have happened had he received a direct blow from that terrifying palm move.


    ''Fuck! The Mystic Purge n are all monsters, even their kids are monsters. We should not have messed with them.''


    He suddenly felt regretful that he had volunteered for this mission.


    Their leader was still nowhere to be seen¡ªprobably still engaged with the expert from outside¡ªand his tworades had already been exorcised, leaving him alone.


    Alone and outmatched, the weight of his earlier bravado now felt like a death sentence.


    He did not dare imagine what would be of him if he returned to the sect empty-handed.


    He could not flee; either way, it was a do-or-die situation for him too.


    ''I can only put my life on the line.''


    The burly man slowly rose to his feet, his eyes turning fierce.


    "Ancient lords of the darkness, I offer my soul as tribute. Grant me strength beyond mortal limits, even if it costs my very essence."


    The burly man began an incantation in a gutturalnguage, his eyes losing their luster until only a void remained.


    Then, a transformation began¡ªhis eyes ckenedpletely, as if consumed by darkness itself.


    It was then that he heard a familiar tapping sound, and there stood the white-haired boy, unperturbed,nding in front of him with a practiced ease.


    "Survived, did you? Impressive."


    Oliver''s lips curled into a smirk. "I was hoping you''d be carrying something worthwhile, but it seems you''ve got nothing but your desperation. How... unfortunate."


    "So, there''s nothing worth taking from you after all."


    Oliver mocked as he looked disdainfully at the man who was earlier so arrogant but now had all the nerves in his body shriveled up just from the impact of the strike.


    The mastery of [Eternal Lies Twelve Palms] had indeed not disappointed him in the least.


    He felt quite good overpowering an opponent a Rank above him like this¡ªit was only possible due to the enemy being hollow inside. These heretics only had borrowed strengths from demons, it was not unheard of them being exorcised by lower ranking exorcists.


    He curled his fingers into a fist as his gaze gradually became colder.


    He felt no pity for the man, only a cold detachment. He did not feel any regret or hard feelings when he earlier killed the old heretic. To him, they were nothing and had intended to kill him; he simply exorcised them from this world.


    "Your eyes?" Oliver paused, looking the man in his eyes, causing the man to take a step back. Under his gaze, the burly man felt as if his body was cut open and his soul was present naked before the kid.


    "Die!"


    Without responding further, the burly man''s left hand started to glow as dark espera began to gather in his left palm. The tremors in the air surrounding the man grew more intense as the dark espera filled in.


    A huge arrow, condensed from dark espera, emerged in the man''s hand as his eyes turned deadly. He struck forward, intending to sweep Oliver, the force behind the attack significantly faster and more powerful than what he had shown earlier.


    The very ground seemed to shake under the weight of the man''s desperation-fueled attack.


    Oliver drew out an axe from his mind space and immediately swung it forward, a blue streak of light appearing forth, shing directly with the ck power.


    The impact of the dark espera gradually lessened, but it started to absorb the water espera that was contained behind that axe strike.


    Oliver twisted his hand and threw the axe toward the man. The rapid speed made the man quickly put his hands forward as more of the dark espera began to release from his body, blocking the strong axe flying forward.


    "A Sacrifice of Servitude... You''ve truly lost all hope." Oliver remarked, eyeing the man''s grotesque form.


    The man''s demonic eyes widened in disbelief as he unintentionally asked, "You knew¡­?"


    Oliver''s eyes shed with a knowing gleam, though he offered no exnation. The man, who saw the white-haired boy readying his fist again, felt a true sense of fear as he quickly scurried backward, stumbling over his feet.


    For the first time, he realized that death was closer than he had ever imagined.


    Oliver''s eyes narrowed, and suddenly he leaped off the spot he was standing on, like a streak of ck light, sweeping across the sky. In the blink of an eye, Oliver was in front of the huge man, and the wolf-headed demons along the path burst apart sequentially.


    Oliver sneered andunched his attack before the burly man could even react.


    Too fast!


    The burly man''s pupils dted as he instinctively thrust his palm toward Oliver.


    "A-AAH!"


    Lost in fear and madness, the man lunged at him, throwing a strike at him. Oliver dodged and hit the man right in his sr plexus.


    The moment of impact was swift, leaving the man breathless and broken.


    Oliver''s fist was faster as it punched straight through the burly man''s abdomen. The terrifying force of the punch continued onward, shattering a series of rocky mountains in its path, and the fierce winds lifted all the rocks on the cliff into the air.


    With a boom!


    The azure light curtain in the attack forcefully surrounded the man, and together with the overwhelming power of the [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm], the man''s bones and organs were shattered.


    Bang!


    Another powerful impact, and the man''s body went limp as he crashed back into the rocks.


    "Time to face your exorcism."

 Chapter 182 Jetia arrives! Olivers attitude!

    Chapter 182 Jetia arrives! Oliver''s attitude!


    Chapter 182


    "Your end is now."


    Oliver''s fingers moved in a deliberate gesture, and ck mes erupted, consuming the man, erasing him from existence. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Oliver sat down on the ground afterward and slowlyy back, heaving slightly. His muscles quivered with fatigue, every breathbored, as if the battle''s weight still lingered.


    The silence that followed was almost surreal, the echoes of the battle fading into nothingness.


    The calm after the storm was unsettling, as though the world itself held its breath, waiting for something more.


    Espera gathered around him as he guided it through his body, filling his now depleted reserves.


    He closed his eyes and rested for a bit. A moment of peace in the midst of chaos, however brief, was a luxury he rarely afforded himself.


    The battle had been taxing, but the relief of victory was fleeting, like a shadow slipping through his fingers. Victory''s taste was always bitter,ced with a cost that could not be ignored


    He began gathering espera at a fast pace, thanks to his high talent. It would not take long before he was back to his peak again. Yet, the urgency to recover quickly gnawed at him; he knew there was no time to waste.


    Just as he was settling down, his instincts started to warn him again. This time, a very heavy feeling settled on his mind. It was as if the air itself had thickened, suffocating under the weight of something dark.


    A cold shiver ran down his spine, the air thickening with an ominous presence that couldn''t be ignored.


    His heart skipped a beat, the instinctual dread creeping into his bones like an unwee guest.


    He instantly got up and looked back, hisplexion not too great.


    ''Ah, don''t tell me Sigfor did not manage to win?''


    His mind raced through the possibilities. The thought of Sigfor''s defeat didn''t just unsettle him¡ªit terrified him.


    Sigfor was their anchor; without him, everything could unravel.


    The eerie silence was broken only by the faint rustle of leaves in the wind, a sound that now seemed far too ominous. Oliver could feel it, a disturbance in the air.


    His senses sharpened, picking up the faintest hint of a presence approaching¡ªone that was neither friend nor foe, but something else entirely.


    He clenched his fists, his body still aching from the previous battle, but he knew there would be no time to rest. Rest was a luxury he could not afford; survival demanded every ounce of strength he had left.


    His heart pounded in his chest as he strained to listen, every muscle tensing as he prepared for what was toe.


    If another powerful enemy was approaching, it meant things were far moreplicated than he had anticipated.


    The situation was spiraling out of control, and he knew he was running out of options.


    He cursed at the uselessness of the old man; what kind of veteran was he, then? A veteran who couldn''t win when it mattered most was more of a liability than an asset.


    His eyes changed colors as the world before him shifted, changing into nothing but a transparent detailed view¡­ The familiar sight of his enhanced vision brought rity, but also dread. What he saw confirmed his worst fears.


    ''This¡­''


    He frowned as a swirling mass of ck energy drew near their location. It was massive¡ªfar more massive than any of the hereticsbined.


    He could feel goosebumps just from seeing it closing in.


    ''What in the world is that?''


    Oliver knew the answer to his question: it was likely that the heretic heading their way was the leader of the earlier group of three heretics.


    He did not have the confidence to fight against that swirling ck energy at all. The mere thought of confronting such a force sent a chill through his veins.


    He had to escape with the others before the person arrived. Fighting was no longer an option; survival was the only priority now.


    Well, escape was the first thing that came to his mind!


    ''I¡­'' he wondered about possible scenarios he could create to escape. His mind raced, calcting every possible route, every possible oue, but each seemed more dire than thest.


    He still had some cards up his sleeve, confident that he could escape if the worst came to the worst, but what about the others? His escape might be assured, but abandoning the others was not an option. The guilt would be unbearable.


    His main concern was ensuring the safety of the others. They were the future hope of humanity, and he could not let them die in a ce like this. The burden and responsibilities on his shoulders would be immense if he acted alone. The weight of their lives pressed down on him, making the air feel even heavier.


    "Wait, what if I do that¡­" Oliver murmured as his eyes shone with a clever glint. He walked towards the ce where Nadia and Evelyn were supposed to be and saw them healing their injuries while meditating.


    A n began to take shape in his mind, a risky one, but the only one that might work.


    "I apologize, but what is about toe is too dangerous, and I fear that I won''t be able to hide my abilities any further in front of the entity. So you two must sleep."


    With a thought, his figure blurred, his speed even faster than what he had disyed against the heretics, as he appeared behind the two girls stealthily.


    Before they could even realize his presence, a swift blow to their necks sent them unconscious. He could not help but feel a little awkward; he had used more force than he had anticipated.


    After all, he did not know where the pressure point was to knock them out, so he could only depend on force to render them senseless.


    Hisck of finesse was regrettable, but there was no time to dwell on it.


    Fortunately, he was careful enough not to break their necks.


    He picked them both up and carried them to where the rest of the group was.


    Laying them in a discreet spot, reddish-ck energy started to swirl around him as the air seemed to crackle with tension the moment the energy was released.


    The power he unleashed was raw and primal, a force that bent the very fabric of space even.


    He noticed the frown on Evelyn''s face and shook his head. The reddish-ck energy flowed as gently as water despite its chaotic nature under his control and slowly enveloped the five of them like a big dark cocoon.


    The cocoon of energy was their shield, a fragile barrier between life and death.


    After finishing the process, he looked at the dark covering enveloping the group and smiled. They should be undetectable for the time being.


    A small victory in the face of overwhelming odds, but he knew it wouldn''tst long.


    He looked at the entrance of the mountain with keen eyes and jumped down the rocks, slowly descending.


    He could tell the enemy was almost here.


    Creak!


    The door to the mountain entrance creaked open, and a tall man with long hair entered with calm steps.


    As soon as the man entered, his gaze was locked onto Oliver, examining him with interest. The intensity of the man''s gaze was unsettling, as though he were dissecting Oliver with his eyes alone.


    Oliver, feeling the man''s gaze, felt an unpleasant sensation spreading throughout his body. It was as if the man''s very presence was a poison, seeping into his veins and clouding his thoughts.


    "Are you the heir of the Mystic Purge n, kid?" the man questioned in a calm, unbothered tone.


    "State your name."


    Hearing Oliver''s words, Jetia raised a brow. Why did he feel that the kid before him was exceptionally calm and bold?


    It did not seem like he feared him at all.


    Did he not realize who he was and the aura behind him?


    To make sure he understood, Jetia released a torrent of his dark espera, enveloping the entire mountain base in an instant.


    "Now tell me, are you the one from the Mystic Purge n or not?" Jetia asked, this time his tone more overbearing.


    He already knew that the kid was from the Mystic Purge n, given his white hair shining distinctively, but he wanted to hear it from the kid''s mouth.


    He wanted to crush that arrogance from before.


    However, a calm voice rang out again amidst the terrifying pressure.


    "Did I stutter?" the voice asked.


    "Introduce yourself."


    Jetia''s head snapped up to look at Oliver, his eyes showing a surprised expression, clearly not expecting him to be able to endure his espera.


    His expression twisted momentarily before he regained hisposure.


    "I am Jetia, one of the twelve saints of the Unholy Sun Sect."


    "You seem quite skilled for a Rank-1 exorcist," Jetia smirked. He added, "Now tell me, are you the one?"


    "You are not worthy enough to know."


    "You¡­" Jetia''s smile crooked.


    ______________________

 Chapter 183 Abyss energy unleashed for the first time!

    Chapter 183 Abyss energy unleashed for the first time!


    Chapter 183


    "Where are my subordinates?" He narrowed his eyes and tried to sense their presence, but he could not detect anything. His frustration grew, a sharp edge of anxiety creeping into his thoughts.


    "They have been exorcised," Oliver stated calmly, making Jetia pause his search. Before thetter could say anything, Oliver added, "You don''t need to search for them, for you will be joining them soon."


    Those arrogant words made Jetia look at Oliver as if he were viewing a fool. The idea that this boy could defeat his subordinates wasughable, and yet¡­ there was something unsettling about the calmness in Oliver''s tone, a conviction that gnawed at Jetia''s confidence.


    "I didn''t know that the heir of the Mystic Purge n was this delusional. It looks like your n has finally lost itsst working screws." Jetia sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. Yet beneath the mockery, a flicker of doubt lingered.


    Jetia''s aura intensified as he said, "I don''t know how you managed to pull off that stunt you im. But you will soon be answering me for everything anyway."


    A pitch-ck shadow emerged from behind Jetia, around 7 feet tall and wide. It was like a ghost.


    "First, let''s capture you."


    Jetia looked at Oliver in a sinister fashion and waved his hand as the giant ghost behind him moved at tremendous speed, aiming for Oliver.


    It was upon Oliver in the blink of an eye; however, Oliver was unfazed. His expression remained unreadable, as if he was merely observing an insignificant event.


    Waving his hand, a huge tide of blue espera crashed against the ghost, immediately pushing it back. The sh of energies was explosive, sending shockwaves through the air.


    "Such espera!"


    Jetia''s eyes turned keen as he sensed the espera that could not belong to a mere Rank-1 at all. He concluded that Oliver was using a Unique-rank artifact to conceal his strength and aura.


    Otherwise, he would have seen through it instantly. The realization struck Jetia like a hammer, shaking the certainty he had held moments before.


    But this revtion only stoked the fire of his curiosity.


    ''So the confidence stems from this?''


    Jetiaughed to himself; he had not expected such a clever kid. But hisughter was hollow, masking the unease brewing within him.


    Indeed, if this was the case, then he might surely have been able to exorcise those three together with the others. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Hmm¡­ I can''t sense the auras of the others either?" Jetia looked around.


    "Did they really get killed or what?" He grinned and mocked, but the confidence in his voice wavered slightly. For the first time, doubt began to gnaw at him.


    Oliver did not respond, which further made Jetia believe this was the case.


    "Such a pity," he shook his head and looked at Oliver. "The ns are surely going to go crazy after this. I was nning to ughter everyone on my own, but it seems that my useless subordinates did the work for me. Turns out they were not entirely useless after all."


    Jetia did not show a hint of care or regret about the fact that his heretic subordinates had died, and this was normal. For heretics, other than their extreme fanatic intent towards worshipping demons, very few things mattered.


    To him, the loss was negligible, showing the insignificance of the three.


    "Enough yapping," Oliver said in a low tone, his voice cutting through Jetia''s taunts like a de through mist.


    "Since you want to die so badly, then die!" Jetia was really furious; this was the third time he had been provoked by Oliver.


    He could not take it lying down. Today would be a day where all the five major ns would mourn.


    His fame would skyrocket after he dealt with thest remaining heir!


    Jetia''s body suddenly released powerful dark espera, suppressing everything.


    A huge gori phantom figure materialized in front of Jetia, as the tall ghost from before converged into the phantom.


    Jetia''s eyes shone with luster as he scornfully looked down at Oliver. He spoke, "Behold! Before you die, I will let you witness the true might of Jetia, the one this world knows! The sight of victims instilled with fear is something I can get drunk on. HAHAHA!"


    Oliver''s expression remained unfazed, though a cold glint shed through his eyes. His calm demeanor only seemed to agitate Jetia further, the saint''s amusement beginning to sour.


    "It''s a pity¡­"


    Jetia paused as he nced at the boy looking at him with calm eyes, clearly not the expression of someone afraid of death at such a moment.


    That calmness unsettled him, even if he refused to acknowledge it.


    Oliver slightly raised his hand, his fingers stretched out as he made a waving motion towards Jetia.


    "What did you sa¡ª?"


    Before Jetia could ask what he wanted, his pupils dted as an overbearing sense of dread enveloped his mind. His instincts literally screamed at him to escape; however, it was toote. He did not know why or what, but the hand sign Oliver showed made him feel goosebumps all over.


    All he saw was a sh of red streaking towards him at a speed he could not keep up with before everything went ck.


    "Huff¡­" Oliver huffed slightly as he retracted his hand. Just that one move had consumed almost ny percent of his Abyss energy.


    His breath was ragged, the exertion taking its toll, yet his expression remained steely.


    He did not hesitate to use his trump card instantly, even if the opponent before him was a heretic with borrowed strength from demons. The gap between the ranks was quite vast.


    He did not know what rank the person was at, but he could not care less about it.


    The enemy was extremely powerful for his current level. If he had any chance to take down the enemy, it was to do so in one attack.


    Of course, he had to attack sneakily in a way that the enemy''s guard was not high; otherwise, there was a chance that the other party could defend themselves, which would not have ended well afterward.


    And he did exactly that. Using more Abyss energy than necessary, he channeled and put forth everything in his single attack to strike Jetia earlier, intending to finish him off in one move.


    No one was more aware than himself that using that much of his Abyss energy was unnecessary, but he was too cautious and did it anyway in the end.


    If he had to say, only forty percent would have been enough to defeat Jetia, but he had never experimented with it before, so he fumbled slightly and used too much.


    Not to mention, Jetia''s move just now gave him too dangerous of a feeling, so he did not hesitate to use almost all of it.


    Now he was drained of both espera and Abyss energy at the moment.


    His espera was still recovering, but his Abyss energy was not, for some reason.


    ''What''s happening?'' He frowned and thought for a moment. He had no clue how to refill Abyss energy again, nor had he ever needed to.


    ''There must be a special method or technique to gain it back. I will have to think about it in the future as soon as this is over.''


    He shook his head tiredly. He did not feel regretful for using all his reserves; if someone as strong as Jetia could be killed, then it was all worth it.


    He could feel the weight of exhaustion settling into his bones, but it was a small price to pay.


    His life was naturally more important than anything.


    "Now what to do?"


    He looked ahead, and not even a piece of Jetia remained anymore. The Abyss energy had consumed everything.


    Only the lingering traces of dark espera gave any indication of the battle that had just taken ce.


    "Well, I am sure they will handle it on their own."


    Oliver shook his head and gazed into the distance, his eyes turning a strange light for an instant before returning to normal.


    "I should go with the others."


    Oliver disappeared from his spot, reappearing where a dome of Abyss energy was enveloping some kids.


    Touching the abyssal dome, the Abyss energy retracted back into his body as the energy shield disappeared.


    Making some space, hey down between them and closed his eyes as well. The fatigue of battle finally catching up to him.


    And as he had expected, soon enough, loud thunderous sounds erupted all around the mountain.


    Alison, with a bunch of people, stormed inside the mountain hall, destroying the barrier and formations in the process.


    Her eyes were cold as she extended her senses, covering the entire mountain in a single breath, her presence as enormous as the mountain itself.


    The individuals beside her were not ordinary either; all of them carried an extraordinary presence of their own.


    ___________

 Chapter 184 Alison returns!

    Chapter 184 Alison returns!


    Chapter 184


    She was notified the moment the barrier on the mountain was attacked. Since she was the one who had set up the barrier, even minute changes to it were felt by her.


    The subtle shift in the air alerted her like a whisper of danger.


    Seeing someone attack the mountain in her absence made her immediately return from whatever she was doing.


    Her return was swift and purposeful, the urgency clear in her every movement.


    In fact, she had gone to fetch Be back from her training. The individuals beside her were the ones who had been responsible for helping Be with her element. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Their presence brought a reassuring strength to the situation.


    She knew something was up since Sigfor had not informed her of anything. Her instincts, honed by years of experience, told her that this was more than a simple disturbance.


    It was most definitely a nned attack targeting the heirs of the major ns in her absence.


    The audacity of such a maneuver was not lost on her; it spoke of desperation or bold overconfidence.


    "Where are the kids?" one of the figures asked in a deep voice as he headed towards the dorms. His voice carried a note of concern, echoing the tension in the air.


    "Hmm, I sense Sigfor''s espera. I will go to him."


    "Teacher¡­"


    Suddenly, a girl with tinum blonde hair jumped down and approached Alison, who had her eyes closed, searching the mountains.


    "Found them," Alison whispered to herself and vanished from her previous spot, appearing in front of a strange sight.


    Her brows furrowed as she observed the kids sleeping peacefully before her, arranged in a neat row¡ªas if ced intentionally.


    The eerie calmness unsettled her, as if they were part of arger puzzle yet to be solved.


    She made a hand gesture to see if it was an illusion or trap but found none.


    She walked up to them, and before she could say anything, Oliver suddenly jumped up, startling her.


    His abrupt movement was a stark contrast to the serene setting.


    "Whoa! Where am I!? Huh! Teacher Alison, what are you doing here?"


    He looked at Alison with confused eyes and asked cluelessly.


    "Before that¡­" Alison took a deep breath and asked him, "What are you all doing here? What exactly happened?" Her tone was gentle but firm, seeking the truth amidst the chaos.


    "¡­Ah, about that¡­"


    Oliver recounted his experiences quickly, naturally omitting the scene where he exorcised the heretics on his own.


    "¡­And then a man with a white faceless mask suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I thought he was also going to attack us, but instead, he knocked all of us out. Thest thing I saw was him and the heretics being hostile to one another."


    He paused and watched Alison''s reaction keenly. She had a deep frown on her face as she pondered his words.


    Her mind raced, connecting dots that didn''t quite align.


    She couldn''t understand how the situation had turned out.


    Theyers of the mystery seemed to deepen with each revtion.


    A group of heretics decided to target the kids and were then intercepted by an unknown man.


    Something was odd about this whole thing that she couldn''t quiteprehend.


    The pieces were scattered, and the picture remained iplete.


    How could so many people infiltrate through her barrier?


    The breach was not just physical but also a blow to her pride.


    "Well, good job. Because of my negligence, you kids had to suffer." Her words were tinged with regret, a silent vow to do better.


    She patted Oliver''s head and smiled, while thetter smiled wryly.


    "Oliver!"


    He suddenly heard a familiar voice and turned to look behind him, only to see the girl who was the most sensible among all the kids.


    "Be!? You''re back?"


    He waved at her as she came running up to him.


    "What happened? Why are Evelyn and the others lying down?"


    She looked worriedly at her sister and the others and went up to them.


    Oliver also followed behind, briefing her about the situation that urred some time ago.


    "What¡­ so much happened?"


    Be looked sad as she gently stroked Evelyn''s hair, retrieving a green shining liquid in a vial and starting to pour it into Evelyn''s mouth.


    "Oliver, help your friends. Here."


    Alison handed him a few more tubes of healing potion as she went back to gather more details and investigate. She would have to prepare a proper exnation for the ns too.


    She believed it might be possible that the person who rescued the kids and dealt with the heretics was someone from the five major ns sent undercover to protect them.


    The thought of a guardian in disguise was both reassuring and intriguing.


    ''Still, if it''s someone skilled enough to remain undetected by me, then it should be possible for the masked man to be strong enough to deal with the heretics alone.''


    She wondered what would happen now that this had transpired.


    The Unholy Sun Sect could now be considered as good as gone once she informed the ns about their deep involvement in this matter rted to their heirs.


    She hoped they would rify things more properly.


    For now, she needed to see Sigfor and discuss this with him.


    ___________


    "Alphonso, you okay?"


    Oliver asked as he helped him drink the potion. Alphonso slowly opened his eyes and sat up against the grass.


    "I-I¡­ what happened to the heretics?" he asked, looking around hurriedly.


    "Calm down, they have all been dealt with. Teacher Alison has returned with reinforcements too."


    His words were a balm to Alphonso''s frayed nerves.


    He didn''t exin about the masked man and other details but simply told a few things to temporarily keep him calm from asking more questions.


    The color, which had drained from his face earlier, slowly returned as he epted the news with a heavy heart. He could still vividly recall the scene of torture in his mind.


    Oliver noted this and decided toter ask Alison to send Alphonso for some psychiatric therapy. No matter what, for a child to go through so much, it was understandable that their minds would still be unstable.


    "Rest well. I''ll go wake the others."


    He then woke up Daniel, who started coughing violently.


    _____________

 Chapter 185 Ambers anger! Finally back to clan!

    Chapter 185 Amber''s anger! Finally back to n!


    Chapter 185


    "Rest well. I''ll go wake the others." Oliver''s voice carried a gentle assurance as he moved to rouse hispanions.


    He then woke up Daniel, who started coughing violently. The sound was jarring, breaking the calm that had settled momentarily.


    "What the fuck! Don''t spit on me!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Oliver quickly stepped back as Daniel spat everywhere.


    "O-Oliver, dude!? What happened!? Where is that poison bastard?" Daniel asked angrily as he stood up.


    His eyes darted around, still half-caught in the nightmare they''d just escaped.


    "He''s been exorcised. Teacher Alison has arrived and will handle the rest," Oliver calmly briefed the agitated Daniel before turning his attention to Amber.


    Be had already woken up Nadia and Evelyn, leaving only Amber.


    Each of them bore the marks of their ordeal, but relief washed over their faces as they regained consciousness.


    "Sister, you must listen to me. They were really powerful!" Evelyn chattered non-stop now that she was reunited with her sister. Be listened attentively, gathering details to report back to the n.


    Her sister''s words tumbled out, a mixture of fear and excitement.


    Oliver slid open the vial and began to slowly pour the potion into Amber''s mouth as she began to stir awake.


    "Hey, Amber¡­" Oliver''s voice was soft, coaxing her back to the waking world.


    p!


    Suddenly, the group froze as the sound of a p echoed through the surroundings. They all turned toward the source of the sound to see Amber looking hatefully at a guy facing away with a red handprint on his cheek.


    "Don''t talk to me, you scum!" Amber yelled in anger, her eyes filled with hatred.


    The words cut through the air, sharp and unforgiving.


    The air thickened with tension.


    "¡­"


    He touched his cheek where the p hadnded but felt nothing. His hand lingered, as if trying to understand the sting that wasn''t there.


    With his toughened body, all he felt was a small itch from the earlier impact.


    The physical pain was absent, but the sting of her words remained.


    Oliver was momentarily stunned before realizing the reason for her outburst. It seemed she genuinely believed it was him.


    "If you''re angry over that then¡ª"


    Before Oliver could exin further, Amber stood up and looked down at him, repeating, "I. Said. Don''t. Talk. To. Me."


    With that, she left the scene, refusing to exin or listen to anyone.


    "Amber, wait!" Alphonso quickly hurried after her, nodding once at the others.


    His steps were quick, propelled by a need to mend the rift that had formed.


    Oliver pressed his hand to his forehead, wondering how to handle this situation.


    "She¡­" Nadia narrowed her eyes at Amber''s earlier disy and was about to go teach her a lesson for disrespecting her n.


    Her temper red, a spark ready to ignite into a ze.


    She was confident Oliver had saved Amber from the heretics, and Amber had the nerve to be so ungrateful.


    "Nadia, wait. Don''t be impulsive!" Evelyn quickly got in her way, exining how her hasty actions might cause a rift between the two major ns.


    Her words were a plea for reason, a shield against escting tensions.


    "Either she apologizes, or I throw her to the demons," Nadia stated simply yet coldly, troubling Evelyn.


    Be sighed as she approached Oliver. Patting his shoulder, she said, "Stand up. Let''s talk to Teacher Alison."


    Oliver also sighed deeply as he stood and followed her out, knowing Amber wasn''t interested in listening to him. Resignation settled over him, a silent eptance of the path ahead.


    It was better to leave her alone for now; he didn''t have the energy to deal with her tantrums.


    Looking back, he felt that working solo was the right approach for him.


    Later, they saw Alison with Sigfor, whose clothes were bloodied and riddled with holes.


    It looked like Sigfor had also suffered while the heretics attacked them.


    Sigfor saw them and quickly rushed over to apologize, and soon the matter was resolved. It was decided that everyone would be sent back to the n, and the training would end early.


    No one objected, and soon their escorts arrived to transport them back to the n.


    Regardless, Oliver still felt it was worth it; he was better at using the water element and his weapon skills had improved.


    In the end, he exchanged pleasantries with the others before leaving. There was not much talk between him and Amber, even then.


    _________________


    Back at the n, he finally returned to his courtyard after almost a year.


    "Zippy!"


    He called out as he saw a fat white cat running toward him.


    The sight brought a rare smile to his face, a reminder of simpler times.


    "¡­."


    Oliver looked down, astonished. The cat had be much fatter than before.


    "This¡­ how did you get so fat?" He turned to his personal maid as if to ask her the question.


    "Sesha, what have you been feeding her?" he questioned.


    "Meat, young master," she replied in a light tone.


    "Huh? That''s it? What about exercise?"


    "That¡­" Sesha''s expression turnedplicated, "Young master, Zippy doesn''t like it."


    "What?" Oliver had a bewildered expression on his face.


    "You¡­" He looked down at the fat cat rolling at his feetzily and picked it up with some effort.


    "Meow¡­" The cat''s soft protest was half-hearted, as if resigned to its fate.


    "Do you want to eat meat?" he asked.


    "Meow!" the cat eagerly nodded.


    Zippy nodded but suddenly paused. A glimmer of suspicion flickered in her eyes.


    Wait a moment! Something doesn''t seem right...


    Despite being away from Oliver for almost a year, she still knew him better than others.


    When he asked in such a sweet tone that sounded too good to be true, it was usually a trap!


    Zippy suddenly became alert and vigorously shook her head.


    "Oh? You don''t want meat? How can that be?"


    Oliver smiled darkly as the cat attempted to escape, but his grip was too strong.


    "From now on, you will be on a strict diet. You will also exercise daily to get back into a shape that resembles a cat instead of a potato."


    His words were firm, a decree of tough love. Like a thunderbolt, his words struck the cat deeply.


    Zippy sweated upon hearing his words, not daring to imagine life without meat.


    But looking at Oliver''s stern expression, she knew there was no scope to argue or emotionally ckmail him.


    "Sesha, take this fat log for some exercise."


    Oliver quickly found an excuse to save himself from Sesha''s scrutiny and told her to take the n guardian away.


    "I''ll do as you say, young master." Sesha nodded and carried the despairing fat cat away.


    "Now then... it''s been a long time since I met Jenna. I should go see her. It''s about time I paid some attention to the matters of the organization I joined long ago."

 Chapter 186 Meeting Jenna! Rank Hierarchy!

    186 Meeting Jenna! Rank Hierarchy!


    Chapter 186


    "Now then... it''s been a long time since I met Jenna. I should go see her. It''s about time I paid some attention to the matters of the organization I joined long ago."


    His eyes turned serious as he contemted his next course of action. Earlier, he had been hesitant to make a move, but now he felt confident in his abilities to act.


    He needed to restore his abyss energy, and for that, he would have to venture outside the n. He might as well seek Jenna''s assistance in the meantime.


    ________________


    "So... you have finally decided to show up?"


    In a luxurious room, a woman with great curves sat cross-legged, her arms folded under her ample chest as she looked at the little boy who had grown since thest time she saw him.


    Oliver saw her piercing eyes and shook his head. She was as strong as ever; her espera glowed like a miniature sun, as vast as a mountain. The sheer intensity of her aura pressed down on him, like standing in the shadow of a giant.


    She was probably on par with Alison or even stronger than her, at least in terms of espera.


    This observation stirred a mix of respect and caution in Oliver.


    He was always curious what such a person was doing in the Mystic Purge n and how they had allowed such a powerful outsider to remain with them for so long. Did she act behind the scenes?


    Jenna noticed his nk expression and smirked. She had naturally been informed by her subordinates about his departure and untimely return.


    Her smirk was a knowing one, reflecting the information she had gleaned about recent events.


    Just a bit of digging allowed her to learn some interesting details about how he and the other heirs from the major ns had shed with the heretics of the Unholy Sun Sect.


    "Why would heretics from the Unholy Sun Sect target you kids? As far as I know, they aren''t ones to actively seek death by offending five major ns at once." Her question hung in the air, demanding an answer Oliver wasn''t sure he had.


    She stroked her chin as she asked him with keen eyes, "There must be something they desperately wanted from you kids. Hmm?"


    Oliver was secretly impressed by her sharp intuition. To be able to deduce such a thing among so many possibilities, he had to admire her ability.


    Jenna looked at him for a moment before letting out a mysterious smile. "Intuition, maybe?"


    "Haha..." Oliverughed nervously. "Perhaps. I''m not sure of their ns either way."


    "Is that so?" She raised a brow at his behavior and leaned back in her chair.


    "Putting that aside, are you interested in improving your rank within the organization now?" She picked up a document as she asked him.


    "That''s right. I was hoping to leave the n for a while and focus on my position, starting now," he nodded. His voice was steady, masking the inner turmoil of his decision.


    "Why the sudden interest?" she asked without looking up. Her tone was casual, but Oliver sensed the underlying curiosity. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Well, I just feel that being in the n won''t benefit me at the moment. Despite being allocated resources, it feels like it''s not enough right now."


    "Do you think so? After all, we''re talking about one of the five major ns. You could try to improve your n rank too. With the resources and natural advantage you have as an heir, you''re bound to grow stronger either way."


    Jenna said as she flipped through the documents one by one.


    "Ah, well, I feel more inclined toward this right now, so I want to proceed with that." Oliver didn''t exin much and simply told her.


    Jenna finally put down the documents on her desk and looked at him seriously.


    "I don''t mind. As your superior, I should normally be encouraging you to take missions. However, your circumstances are special, and that''s why I need proper rifications beforehand. But since you''ve made up your mind, I won''t stop you."


    She paused, observing him intently. Her piercing stare made him twitch slightly in his seat, as if she was boring a hole through him.


    "You seem to have undergone significant changes as well. Suddenly gaining such arge amount of espera despite being born ''talentless.'' You seem to have quite deep secrets," she judged.


    "We all have our secrets, don''t we?" Oliver retorted yfully, making her raise a brow.


    "Indeed. We all do," she said with a bewitching smile as she leaned forward. "But not all of us have the strength to protect those secrets..."


    Oliver looked her in the eyes, trying to understand the meaning behind her enigmatic words, but s, she concealed herself too well.


    "Anyway, I''ll brief you about the system in the ck Codex Federation."


    "The ck Codex Federation is a vast organization, with its influence and power on par with a major n of its own. It operates from various ces, having branches in almost all cities or towns of the human territory. Not only that, its influence extends into the demon world as well."


    "The organization has resources that exorcists would die for, and with resources, the organization naturally has wealth unlike any other. We can even boast of having wealth greater than some ns."


    "Climbing higher in the organization would naturally provide you with the corresponding benefits and incentives. The organizational ranking is pretty simple. It starts from the ''Baron'' rank and moves up to the ''Emperor'' rank. Pretty simple, right?"


    Oliver interrupted her and asked, "So, the organization follows the basic aristocratic rank system for their members?"


    "Yes, you got that right. The greater your rank, the more power you can exercise and the more benefits you will enjoy," she nodded.


    "What benefits, for example?" he wondered.


    "Well, there are plenty of them. For example, the hierarchy in the organization is quite strict, and you must listen to your superiors, those with a higher rank than you. You will have the power tomand and mobilize those below you in rank. The bases we have all over the world will likewise function in the same manner; the higher your rank at that base, the more control you have."


    ______________


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    Join for FREE at : patreon/WinterDragon573


    WinterDragon_1


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 187 Jennas motive! Why is she in the clan?

    Chapter 187 Jenna''s motive! Why is she in the n?


    Chapter 187


    "Not only that, but as exorcists grow in rank, it bes increasingly difficult for them to rise to higher ranks and build a foundation for each rank. You''ll see how the ratio of growth is exponentialpared to the rate of resources you''ll need. And all of these resources can be essed through the organization."


    Jenna stood up from her chair and walked up to the window. Looking outside, she could see the bustling n market. Her eyes scanned the crowd, taking in the chaos of merchants haggling, customers bartering, and the distant hum of chatter that filled the air.


    "Of course, you''re under me, so you will naturally receive some level of protection too, but that''s it. Unless you raise your rank on your own, there''s not much you''ll be able to do."


    "The ck Codex Federation has its own web, as you might have seen. That web is very important, and you can do most things through it alone."


    "You might not know, but we don''t often deal in Neden. Instead, we have our own established currency called ''credits,'' which is the only thing you can use to get resources for yourself. You can earn them bypleting specific missions that are also essible on the Codex Web."


    "Lastly, to raise your rank within the organization, you can undergo a rank-raising mission. These are usually much harder than normal missions and are issued only on special request. Of course, to prevent members from abusing the system, the whole system is monitored by an AI, and there are penalties for notpleting the mission. Ah, you must not know about AI, right?"


    Jenna suddenly paused. Her reflection in the window, faint but visible, showed a brief flicker of realization. "It seems I was too engrossed in exining that I forgot about your age. Well, it doesn''t matter much; you can ignore that part. Other than that, you should have gotten an idea about the basic system?"


    "Don''t worry, I understood it well."


    Oliver nodded in understanding. He could fully grasp what she had said, and his mind was filled with all sorts of knowledge he could remember from the novel as well.


    "Hmm. So it''s like this."


    Jenna narrowed her eyes and didn''t say much. She walked behind him and patted his shoulders.


    "Wait here for some time. Let me get you your first mission and some equipment you might need."


    Before she left, Jenna smiled. "Also, don''t touch my things, or I will be mad."


    Oliver shivered when he saw her smile; she smiled like a fox. A yful threat, but one that carried an edge sharp enough to cut.


    With that, she soon left, leaving Oliver alone.


    "Haah¡­" Oliver exhaled lightly and went on to sit in her plush leather chair, bouncing on it for a bit. The leather creaked softly under his weight, molding to his form as if weing him.


    "What material is this chair made of? Sofortable!"


    He enjoyed the feeling of the cushion as he rummaged through her desk with interest.


    Each drawer slid open smoothly, revealing an assortment of neatly arranged documents, pens, and other paraphernalia.


    Of course, if she had told him not to do it, then he had to do it¡ªotherwise, he wouldn''t be himself. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hmm? What is this?"


    He picked up an old ck pocket diary and fiddled with it before opening its pages. Unexpectedly, all the pages were nk.


    "A nk diary?"


    Oliver looked at it. The diary looked used, and it was quite clear that the woman was using it regrly; however, it waspletely nk.


    The cover was worn, edges frayed, yet the pages inside were eerily pristine.


    Could it be a coincidence?


    With the knowledge of countless novels, he could im with one hundred percent certainty that this was definitely not the case.


    The next moment, his eyes glowed with a strange light as the world before him burst into countless colors, bing more defined. Things that were hidden were revealed as he nced around.


    The air seemed to shimmer,yers of reality peeling back to reveal hidden depths.


    He could not help but exim secretly as he observed the room.


    This woman had modeled the whole room with countless hidden weapons!


    This was less of a room and more of a huge, dangerous weapon ready to be deployed!


    What sort of ns was she concocting in this n market?


    If the n were to know about this room filled with all sorts of dangerous weapons, concealing exorbitant quantities of espera inside, they would definitely not let this slide.


    This was akin to a kingdom hosting weapons of mass destruction from another kingdom within their territories; they could be activated anytime and cause an unprecedented amount of damage!


    Oliver''s pulse quickened as he imagined the catastrophic potential lurking within these walls.


    Too risky!


    This woman would be really screwed if this got out somehow.


    Well, he didn''t have any ns to snitch anyway; he was just surprised to see her so well equipped.


    Not only that, but he could spot multiple hidden entries and passageways extending to various ces in this room.


    Behind the bookshelf, under the desk, beside the couch, beneath themp¡­ The room was abyrinth of secrets, each hidden door leading to who-knows-where.


    He shook his head and looked back down at the diary in his hand.


    He couldn''t help but smile as text started to be visible on the previously nk pages.


    ''So, she was using special ink.''


    He started to read the contents, hoping to learn something about Jenna.


    But as he read more and more, his brows furrowed deeply.


    The content seemed to be deeper than he had expected.


    p!


    He closed the diary and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes for a moment, he thought about what he had read.


    "Her purpose is this deep¡­"


    He couldn''t help but say to himself as he put the diary back in its ce and returned to his seat.


    It turned out that Jenna''s background was far from simple. She hade to the n with the purpose of ''revenge.''

 Chapter 188 Jennas cruel past

    188 Jenna''s cruel past


    Chapter 188


    It turned out that Jenna''s background was far from simple. She hade to the n with the purpose of ''revenge.''


    From the diary he had read, although brief, he realized some significant things about her life. It seemed that the diary was a record of important events in her life.


    She had noted down some points that he had quickly read all at once, thanks to his special eyes. The speed at which he read was extraordinary as well.


    Originally, Jenna belonged to a small n deep in the mountains called the Ashen Rose n, an unknown, small n hidden deep in the mountains. The n was nestled in a valley, surrounded by towering peaks and dense forests, cut off from the rest of the world. It could be said that it was not a widely known n, just a small, insignificant one.


    However, things changed shortly after.


    Out of nowhere, the peaceful n was suddenly attacked by a group of deadly assassins.


    The night was dark, with no moon to illuminate the vige. The only light came from the torches the assassins carried as they descended upon the n as it was described in the diary¡­


    What followed next was a deadly massacre of the innocent people of the Ashen Rose n.


    Screams echoed through the night, cut short by the swift, merciless strikes of the assassins. Blood soaked the earth, turning the once peaceful vige into a scene of horror.


    People who did not know why they were being killed.


    Who killed them.


    And whether their deaths were in vain or not.


    It was a cruel scene of torture that enveloped the entire n. It was heart-wrenching for the members of the small n.


    Mothers clutched their children, trying to shield them from the violence, but there was no escape. The assassins showed no mercy, their des cutting down everyone in their path.


    They didn''t have resources people would be envious of, they hadn''t offended any superior powers; they were just living their daily lives. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The n head of the Ashen Rose n was a peaceful woman who never involved the n or herself in greater human politics¡ªalways maintaining a neutral stance.


    However, they still always aided in the war against the demons. It could be said that the n was one of the few that adopted principles of selflessness even in the cruel modern world, without seeking any benefits or advantages for themselves.


    Yet they suffered such a cruel and horrible fate of annihtion.


    Even the children were not spared. Their cries for help were swallowed by the chaos, their lives snuffed out before they had a chance to understand what was happening.


    The children were not spared by the onught of the unknown deadly assassins; it was severe.


    They tried to fight back but were proven helpless against a mere group of assassins.


    Jenna Sullivan was the sole survivor of the Ashen Rose n, the only person who managed to escape the ughter and survive.


    She had hidden in a small underground chamber, one only she knew about. As she listened to the carnage above, her heart hardened with every scream that reached her ears.


    For reasons unknown to Oliver, she somehow managed to avoid that day of ughter where all of her nfolk were mercilessly killed.


    It was not mentioned in her diary either why she managed to escape the cmity that day, but one thing was clear:


    She had vowed on that day to never live in peace until she avenged her people, until she hunted down the one responsible for it all, the source of it all.


    The tears she shed were thest she allowed herself, sealing away her grief to fuel her desire for vengeance.


    Oliver did not know how she got to where she was now, but one thing was crystal clear:


    Her purpose here was ''revenge.''


    And the perpetrator who orchestrated this whole ordeal?


    The one Jenna had her sights set on?


    One of the four supreme elders of the Mystic Purge n¡­


    One of the founding pirs who had been there as long as the n had existed.


    Her target was that individual!


    The sheer audacity of it left Oliver momentarily speechless.


    Such audacity, yet such will¡­


    Oliver felt a stir in his heart; this was no trivial matter after all.


    One of the supreme elders of the Mystic Purge n was a being in a realm where most exorcists could only dream of reaching.


    A realm so powerful that every exorcist would dream of it more than once.


    And Jenna wanted revenge against someone like that?


    Oliver doubted whether or not she was capable of this.


    Not only was the supreme elder an existence countless people looked up to, but besides their individual strength, they also led their own factions, which were rumored to be just as extraordinary as their strength.


    A figure of immense power, surrounded by loyal followers who wouldy down their lives at a meremand.


    It could be seen from the group of assassins, who most likely belonged to the supreme elder, that they had managed to wipe out a small n effortlessly¡ªthe n in question being the Ashen Rose n, naturally.


    Jenna wanted revenge against one such supreme elder of the Mystic Purge n, which meant she required strength equal to or greater than that of the supreme elder and likely influence.


    He didn''t doubt her influence, considering how she was able to recruit him into the ck Codex Federation¡ªthis was enough proof that she was a higher-up in the organization.


    However, he couldn''t help but wonder if that was enough.


    In the end, what mattered most was individual strength.


    He didn''t care about her affairs. As for worrying about a growing plot against his n?


    If the Mystic Purge n were weak enough to fear or be threatened by someone''s revenge, then it would have ceased to exist long ago.


    The Mystic Purge n had countless enemies, both human and demon; they were not weak enough to be shaken.


    Yet, there was something about Jenna''s resolve that made him pause. A woman who had survived such horror, who had built herself up from nothing, was not to be underestimated.

 Chapter 189 Visit a normal human city?

    Chapter 189 Visit a normal human city?


    Chapter 189 N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In fact, Oliver was in quite a dilemma regarding this situation. He did not know whether the n had intentionally allowed Jenna¡ªsomeone bearing a seed of revenge in her heart against the n¡ªor if she had truly managed to bypass the n''s detection using her skills and wits.


    If it was thetter, then she was truly a dangerous woman who should not be offended unless necessary.


    Her ambition was as vast as the sky itself, her resolve as unyielding as the mountains that once sheltered her n.


    It was hard to believe that the sole survivor of a n that had gone extinct decades or perhaps even centuries ago was now plotting revenge against one of the supreme elders of one of the five major ns in this world.


    It was simply inconceivable and bold.


    He did not know who would emerge victorious in the end. In the novel, there were no mentions of the Ashen Rose n or the higher politics of the Mystic Purge n either.


    It was not unheard of for small unruly ns to offend major powers and get wiped out overnight or be invaded by demons and dered heretical.


    It was simply a matter of time to see who would emerge victorious.


    Would it be the power reigning at the top of the Mystic Purge n, or would it be a girl from an unknown n that once existed?


    ___________


    "Did you touch anything?"


    Jenna asked, her voice low and edged with suspicion, looking down at Oliver suspiciously, who quickly shook his head.


    "Hmm¡­" Jenna merely hummed, then went back to sit on her chair, crossing her legs arrogantly.


    The confident way she carried herself, the casual arrogance in her posture, made Oliver feel as though she owned the entire room¡ªand perhaps, in a way, she did.


    Looking at the arrogant woman in front of him, Oliver felt speechless; she really knew how to be overbearing if anything.


    Anyway, he had nothing to do with it.


    "Did you get it?" he asked curiously.


    "Here it is."


    She slid a paper toward him. The document seemed ordinary, but the weight of what it represented made Oliver''s pulse quicken. But before he could pick it up, she said:


    "Now that you have finally stepped into the realm of exorcism as a Rank-1, have you thought of the meditation technique you will be using?"


    "About that¡­" Oliver paused as the words rang in his mind. He knew what she was talking about.


    An espera meditation technique!


    A technique exorcists use to develop and grow their espera as they climb through the ranks.


    However, he had never paid much attention to such a thing. With the system, he had the privilege of being exempted from the hard work of meditating for countless hours to develop his espera.


    All he had to do was wait for his target to achieve a milestone, and then he could naturally obtain tenfold benefits.


    But he still had to choose one on the surface; otherwise, he would not be able to justify his growth.


    "About that, I have been given the n''s secret manual," he replied with a smile.


    Jenna nodded. The Mystic Purge n''s secret manual was extremely refined and potent, having been improved over centuries by countless expert exorcists. It was a technique exclusive to pure-blooded members of the n.


    It was no surprise that he was given one to train with¡­


    "That''s great. I was initially thinking of giving you the one I have been using, but the Mystic Purge n''s technique is indeed more suitable for your bloodline," she said thoughtfully.


    "Oh?" Oliver was interested but didn''t say anything. He knew that while a technique was essential, it wasn''t the be-all and end-all. A technique was merely a means to bring out an individual''s talent. If you were not born talented, then even if you had the best technique, it would be useless and wasted.


    It was important but not too much for an exorcist. Other things mattered as well.


    He picked up the paper containing the details of the mission he would be undergoing for the first time.


    "Huh? You want me to go to a normal human city?"


    He couldn''t help but exim as he read the details on the paper.


    "Indeed. It is as you can see in the mission details," she replied calmly.


    Oliver saw this and looked at the paper he was holding, his eyes narrowing as they scanned through every single detail mentioned in the well-written document.


    The mission was rted to a normal human city, more specifically a suspected cursed yground.


    It was located in the city of Harlington, on the western human continent, far from the battlefield.


    ording to the mission, there was an old yground that had recently be the center of a series of disturbing incidents.


    Children who yed there had been experiencing nightmares, sudden illnesses, and strange behavioral changes.


    From the information the organization had, it was most likely a signal that a dark artifact had been born in that area and had slowly started to inflict dark espera on the normal human area.


    His goal was simple: to find the artifact and bring it back.


    Depending on the rank of the artifact, he might even receive a ton of credits on his first mission. More importantly, as a newbie in the organization, it was crucial how impactful his first mission turned out to be.


    It might very well determine his reputation in the ck Codex Federation.


    "I understand the specifics of the mission, but you know that my main issue is not that, don''t you?" Oliver put the paper down and looked at her.


    Seeing his serious expression, Jenna had a yful smile on her face. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, as if she found his concern charming.


    She still found it funny that the person talking to her so casually was still a kid.


    ''He doesn''t even realize who I am, or I wonder if he would still be able to remain so casual¡­''

 Chapter 190 Obtaining 10x rewards! Abyss energy growth technique!

    Chapter 190 Obtaining 10x rewards! Abyss energy growth technique!


    Chapter 190


    ''He doesn''t even realize who I am, or I wonder if he would still be able to remain so casual¡­''


    She mused as she replied, "I am aware of that. Don''t worry, I selected that mission with that in mind. Your main concern is to leave the n, right?"


    Oliver nodded.


    "Don''t worry, I have arranged for you to be issued a n mission in a nearby city. It should be fine," she said, tilting her head slightly.


    Oliver sucked in a deep breath as he heard her.


    She had already installed moles in the n at a high enough position to influence the missions assigned.


    What a terrifying woman!


    "You have taken deep roots in the n. Are you sure about it?" he asked, genuinely wondering what was in her head.


    "Are you worried about your boss?" she smiled and asked in return.


    "Hmm¡­ maybe?" He put on a thoughtful expression. If she were exposed and caught, would he also not be in trouble for colluding with her and joining another organization while still being in the n and enjoying its resources?


    He could be said to be worried about her in that way!


    "Aw, what a cute little boy." Jenna smiled in a way that wasn''t quite a smile; her tone was sarcastic as she narrowed her eyes.


    "But you don''t need to be concerned about me. The game I am ying is indeed dreadful, but I am quite the experienced yer."


    "Is that so? Good for you. Don''t draw too much attention, or I will also be in trouble," Oliver scoffed.


    "Humph, you little brat. Care about yourself. With that overflowing espera, you better find a way to conceal it, or you might be in more trouble." Jenna arrogantly crossed her arms below her chest and said.


    Her aura turned more domineering by the moment, filling the room with an invisible pressure.


    "I will see to that," Oliver smirked. "Thanks for the mission, ''boss''." N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He soon left her office and went back to his courtyard.


    He had just arrived, and now he would be leaving soon. He was starting to get busier from this point.


    He spotted a familiar fat catzing on top of his couch, snoring as it dozed off.


    ''She probably ditched Sesha¡­''


    Oliver shook his head as he thought about it. How could a mere maid contain the n guardian, no matter how dumb thetter was?


    He ignored the snoring cat and went to the secret spot behind his courtyard. It had been a while since he visited there.


    He scanned through his belongings in the mindspace and retrieved the storage bracelet of the demonic ghost.


    Now that he was in the n, he didn''t fear getting tracked down by other heretics.


    "Ah, it''s locked by a rune. I should have asked Sigfor to teach me how to break them."


    Oliver groaned as he smashed the bracelet on the ground.


    "Maybe I should ask for help from an elder knowledgeable about runes? I doubt they will just dismiss me as before¡­"


    He wondered if he should use the n''s help in decoding the runes. He knew that the old ghost''s storage bracelet had advanced protection runes embedded in it, so it would not be easy to decode it with just basic rune knowledge.


    He would need to obtain more advanced techniques and knowledge about runes.


    "It''s a pity Evelyn has yet to enter the stage where she would start getting interested in runic studies, so I won''t be getting rune-ability-rted rewards anytime soon. The only one I can depend on is myself," he said in a hushed tone.


    It was then that suddenly something happened.


    [Ding! Target has learned the 1st level of divine sword arts after undergoing rigorous training. Achieved mastery in arts belonging to divine order.]


    [Ding! Obtaining 10x benefits. Contradicting nature, adjusting parameters!]


    [Abyssal Arts Obtained¡­]


    Suddenly, a huge flood of information burst forth into his mind as if someone had opened a door to a new world for him. His eyes widened slightly as his mind jolted with pain.


    "Ugh¡­" He groaned slightly as he gently touched his forehead, organizing his thoughts.


    As more and more information entered his mind, a change seemed to be taking ce. His eyes turned more and more nk, as if he were undergoing a transformation.


    "...Ah."


    He let out a sound without a certain meaning behind it, as if he were in a trance.


    It took a moment for him to snap back to reality, but when he did, his facial expression becameplicated, and his eyes narrowed.


    "So, that''s how I need to grow back Abyss energy..." he said to himself, looking down at his palm.


    The reward he had obtained this time was knowledge about arts from the Abyss and how he needed to grow back his Abyss energy.


    Apparently, it was a method that went beyond the scope of any morals and ethics he had learned about.


    The heart.


    An organ that functions as the source of life in any being.


    A source of life and vitality¡­


    A heart was not limited to the normal heart that humans had; it was the core that facilitated life in creatures.


    What does a heart have to do with anything here?


    One might think that, but in fact, from the information he had received, the heart was the only thing that could help him regrow the empty reserves of Abyss energy back to how they were.


    In essence, what he would require would be the heart¡ªthe core of life that makes a creature functional and alive¡ªfor him to be able to restore and grow his Abyss to greater heights.


    Just the thought of using somebody''s heart made him feel sick to his stomach.


    But after calming down, he realized that he should have expected such a sinister thing to appear when he had chosen the path of the Abyss.


    Not to mention, the other information about Abyss arts that he had received in exchange for the divine swordsmanship... that was just as sinister.


    The Path of the Abyss was notid with flowers, unlike the Path of Divinity; it was a path filled with thorns and corpses.


    Now onto the Abyssal arts...

 Chapter 191 Abyss Arts! Sword of Negativity!

    Chapter 191 Abyss Arts! Sword of Negativity!


    Chapter 191


    For now, he put the matter rted to hearts aside and focused on the next thing....


    The abyssal arts he was presented with revolved around a sword technique that uses Abyss energy as its foundation.


    It was expected since Evelyn had also learned a sword technique.


    There were no examples or descriptions given about how powerful it would be once mastered.


    The sword technique was called [Neglegentis].


    Apparently, it was a technique derived from a part of the constetion of the Trident.


    Oliver exhaled deeply. His breath misted in the cool air, a visible manifestation of the weight of the revtion.


    He didn''t feel as surprised as he had expected from such a revtion. He had already suspected that since there was a fantasy world like this, then there ought to be mores out there with their own worlds.


    He felt that he had received this information quite easily, and it was indeed a burden that was quite heavy for him to carry.


    For the system to grant him a technique belonging to another civilization¡ªor perhaps another world¡ªsignaled that there were worlds out there that had developed powers strong enough to be recognized by the verse.


    A spark of excitement red in his chest, a fire kindled by the idea of such immense possibilities. His blood was boiling with excitement, but he suppressed himself from getting too carried away. In the end, he was still considered an ant in the grand scheme of things.


    Let alone the other worlds, he could not even boast about his safety in his own world. There were terrifying demons and exorcists that could topple the course of nature with their strength. He didn''t know how theypared to vast powers outside, but he knew that it was a matter that didn''t need his immediate attention.


    Right now, his goal should be to be stronger¡ªstrong enough to be free in this world, so that he could take actions without worrying too much about consequences and his safety.


    If he could not even reach that level, then there was no point in thinking outside.


    There were still many things that he could explore.


    The Abyss sword arts [Neglegentis] had a total of seven stages to master.


    This time, rather than theplete mastery of the technique, the system instead rewarded him with knowledge about all seven stages and how he could train and progress through them.


    All the materials he would need, all the environments he might require, and the added conditions for using the technique were provided.


    He had received all of this information rather than the already mastered technique.


    This meant one thing: that the technique Evelyn had managed to learn, the first level of the divine sword arts, after its value was increased tenfold by the system, only amounted to the knowledge of the [Neglegentis] technique.


    Which essentially meant that the system had determined that the tenfold reward would only amount to this much. Usually, he would have been rewarded with a fully mastered technique ingrained in his muscles and memory.


    He was used to being handed power on a silver tter; this time, it seemed the system was nudging him toward a more difficult, but perhaps more rewarding, path.


    However, this time, the only thing he received was intensive knowledge about this mysterious Abyssal Art [Neglegentis], which surprised him.


    But nheless, since he had already received the full knowledge of the Abyssal Art, he did not mind. It was an extremelyprehensive sword art focused on the negative energy of the universe.


    Each strike from [Neglegentis] is like the concentrated force of a copsing star, dense with destructive potential.


    In fact, just as its name suggests, the technique was derived from a dwarf star.


    From the information he received, he even got the exact space coordinates of the dwarf star.


    It is part of the constetion of the Trident. It appears in the North Quadrant at right ascension 19h 91.41m and declination 31¡ã 98.86''. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''Well¡­''


    He doubted if this information would ever be useful to him, so he did not focus much on it.


    "ording to the technique, it requires me to not only forge my own sword but also grow it while mastering the art¡­"


    The idea of forging and growing a weapon of his own, one that would evolve with him, sent a thrill of anticipation through him.


    ''Stage 1 is called Initiation of the Voidborn. The materials it requires are Void Crystal Shards¡­''


    ''Void Crystal Shards¡­ are basically remnants of shattered stars, found in the deepest voids of space. They are infused with primordial darkness.''


    "It''s basically impossible for me to get such a thing. The first stage is insane."


    ''Well, it would have been impossible if an alternative hadn''t been provided. ording to it, a material called Void Dust can also be used as a recement. This Void Dust could be collected from ancient meteorites that have drifted through the void of space for a certain period of time. These dust particles carry a faint trace of the void''s negative energy and are easier to obtain and handlepared to the shards.''


    "I think I can find some on the auction market."


    Oliver pondered with a deep look on his face.


    His mind was already racing, strategizing on how to acquire the necessary materials.


    "Interestingly enough, even the environment required forpleting the first stage is something impossible for the current me to obtain."


    "However, since it''s like this, I can adapt another environment that I can find here. A moonless night¡ªthe initiation must take ce under the cover of a moonless night, where darkness is at its peak. I would need to meditate in an open space; the stillness of the night will help me sync my mind with the negative energy in the surroundings."


    "Hahaha," Oliver suddenlyughed aloud as he looked at the sky.


    The absurdity of the situation struck him¡ªa boy, standing on the precipice of cosmic power,ughing under a sky indifferent to his ambitions.


    He had information about theter stages as well and knew just how absurd the environment would need to be in the future to master this sword art.


    "Such a terrifying power¡­" he said to himself, looking at his hand as a smartphone appeared in his grasp.

 Chapter 192 Old Bid? Exorcists and the normal humans!

    Chapter 192 Old Bid? Exorcists and the normal humans!


    Chapter 192


    Opening the phone, he browsed through the auction market to search for Void Dust, but he could not find any, which made him frown.


    His brows knitted together as frustration simmered beneath the surface.


    "Strange, there''s no way the exorcists don''t have it, but it looks like it''s not avable at the moment. Hmm?" His voice was a low murmur, as if speaking the words aloud might somehow bring the elusive material to him.


    He eventually submitted a post, asking for sellers willing to trade Void Dust with him.


    After that, he noticed a notification and opened it.


    [User YellowSnowman has outbid you. Amount: 10 million Neden.]


    A sh of irritation crossed his face as his eyes narrowed at the screen.


    His eyes widened slightly, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    [User YellowSnowman has outbid you. Amount: 10 million Neden.]


    [Non-mmable Geoloril]


    [Current Price: 10 million Neden]


    [Time left: 2 months, 5 days]


    [Bid? Yes/No]


    "Hmm, YellowSnowman? He''s also interested in this metal?"


    "Well, I''ll ce onest bid before calling it quits. I only have 20 million Neden; I can''tpete with this guy right now. Not to mention, I don''t want to owe Jenna either. So¡­ onest bid."


    [Yes]


    [11 million Neden! You have outbid user YellowSnowman!]


    [Bid ced sessfully! Notifications will be sent directly to your inbox!]


    A sense of satisfaction washed over him as he saw the confirmation, but it was tempered by the knowledge that this could escte further.


    With that, he searched for the next important thing: finding some clues about the city of Harlington¡ªmore specifically, about the cursed yground.


    His fingers moved quickly over the screen, driven by a mix of determination and curiosity.


    Scrolling through some articles, he found some news about the ce.


    The city of Harlington.


    It was a city that was not too close to the capital but not underdeveloped either.


    Its streets were likely bustling with life, yet it existed on the periphery of the more significant happenings in the country.


    It could be ssified as a tier-2 city by normal standards.


    The city functioned normally, with barely any exorcists in the area.


    Indeed, exorcists weren''t allowed to wander into normal human cities, causing chaos.


    The delicate bnce between normalcy and the supernatural had to be maintained, after all.


    Only by obtaining a special permit from the Exorcist Union could exorcists be allowed into normal cities and towns.


    The Exorcist Union had strictly issued guidelines stating that exorcists were nothing more than guards, soldiers who would protect the human race from extinction.


    At least, to the normal humans living in the cities, that was what was portrayed.


    The normal humans, born without espera or anything else, were considered the ones to progress the human race further in the future.


    Of course, this did not mean that the exorcists were not considered at all.


    In fact, the boundaries were quite well defined.


    Normal humans were typically considered "preserved" specimens.


    Yes, to the average exorcist, normal humans were a sort of guarantee that would ensure their race never went extinct. A safeguard, should the frontlines ever falter, ensuring humanity''s continued survival.


    This meant that while exorcists would carry forth the legacy of humanity in future generations, the well-protected normal humans were considered thest resort.


    Ast resort in case an all-out war consumed everything.


    It was clear that exorcists must take down demons if they were to be eradicated forever.


    Preserving their species in safe cities and towns was something that had been nned out since ancient times and had been followed ever since.


    The cities and other territories were considered sanctuaries for humanity to grow and prosper while the exorcists at the borders fended off the demons, keeping them safe.


    It was a fragile peace, one that relied on the constant vignce of the exorcists and the istion of the normal humans.


    Naturally, this led to some disputes, but in the end, everything had worked out so far.


    The Exorcist Union ced special emphasis on keeping the rtionship with normal humans as simple as possible. They did not want a war to break out between humans over one side being incited against the other for having espera and being exorcists. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This was why it was necessary for exorcists in normal cities and ces to maintain a proper and good reputation.


    A single misstep could lead to widespread panic, or worse, a rebellion against those who were meant to protect them.


    This had been extremely effective over time.


    After all, exorcists were still humans¡ªhumans with espera. It would be strange for them not to mingle and coexist together.


    And this was also why the Mystic Purge n was so infamous and frowned upon by some exorcists.


    The Mystic Purge n was a n that cared about nothing other than hunting as many demons as possible. They neither cared about reputation nor the beliefs a proper exorcist should hold.


    They were indifferent, cold, and cruel¡ªeven to their ownrades.


    Their methods were ruthless, prioritizing results over rtionships, leaving a trail of fear and respect in their wake.


    However, they were one of the strongest ns, and their strength spoke for them. Their actions had never been against humanity from the beginning.


    All of their moves, tactics, and everything else were for the sake of humanity. If any n were to fit the definition of proper, disciplined, and unforgiving guards of humanity, then everyone would speak of only one name.


    The Mystic Purge n.


    The n that fit this term the most¡ªthe bloodthirsty hounds, the barrier that threatened to consume any enemy if they dared step close to humannds.


    A force of nature, relentless in their pursuit, their very name was enough to strike fear into the hearts of those who knew of them.


    This was why, while some held unfavorable opinions of the n, more admired them as heroes.


    Nheless, it was clear that exorcists were not permitted to wander in normal human ces without a proper pass from the Union, lest it caused chaos.

 Chapter 193 Ophelias motive?

    193 Ophelia''s motive?


    Chapter 193


    Once the permit was obtained, exorcists could visit normal human ces and even establish businesses there with some documentation.


    Naturally, no one actually dared to stay there for too long due to the countlessplications that apanied it.


    In the end, they were still exorcists, and their main duty was to exorcise all evil.


    Not only that, but the normal human areascked the espera density found in ces where most exorcists resided, not to mention the abundant resources.


    It was quite disadvantageous for an exorcist to remain in normal areas for too long.


    So, the city of Harlington was just a regr city without exorcists there to monitor it and any happenings.


    Oliver purchased a detailed map of the city, which cost him around 30 Neden, which he paid without batting an eye.


    Afterwards, he started making some ns about how he was going to approach the situation and the possible dangers as well. His mind raced, calcting the risks and strategies, trying to anticipate every possible oue.


    After all, his main goal was not to spend too much time on these missions but to further his own growth away from the watchful eyes of the n¡ªespecially a certain someone.


    ______________


    In the Mystic Purge n''s Grand Courtyard


    A woman with ashen gray hair and piercing cold silver eyes was standing, staring at the sky.


    The air around her was still, almost unnaturally so, as if nature itself hesitated in her presence.


    There was an unexpected scene taking ce at the moment.


    The n was covered in gray clouds, an eerie atmosphere looming over their heads.


    While the whole n was covered by a nket of clouds, the sky above the grand courtyard was shining bright, devoid of a single cloud.


    The stark contrast seemed almost like a defiance of nature, a silent promation of the power within the courtyard.


    The woman was none other than Ophelia, her face like a piece of still art, without a change in expression as she kept staring into the empty sky.


    Her gaze was cold, detached, as if she were searching for something far beyond the clouds.


    Her hands were carrying a paper umbre that looked delicate, as if it would break with a single touch.


    After a moment of uneasy silence, she muttered to herself.


    "His destiny shifted again."


    "Again?"


    A voice sounded out from behind her, and looking back, there was a woman kneeling on the ground before her in an extremely respectful posture.


    The woman''s head was bowed low, her breath barely a whisper in the vast courtyard.


    "Mydy, may I be bold enough to speak?"


    The kneeling woman had short ck hair and ck eyes and looked extremely beautiful. She was wearing a formal uniform and white gloves. Her white uniform had a peculiar symbol of a cube-like object colored ominously on the pocket above her heart.


    Ophelia didn''t reply, but the kneeling woman understood and said in a low tone, "This constant and continuous change in destiny is an indication of a singrity. If it continues, it might lead to¡­"


    She paused, leaving her sentence unfinished as she looked at Ophelia''s back. The silence stretched on, heavy with unspoken implications.


    There was not a single change in Ophelia''s expression; she looked like a robot.


    She observed the sky for a few more moments before extending her free hand towards it.


    Her fingers moved with deliberate grace, as if touching something only she could see.


    The kneeling woman watched eagerly and keenly as Ophelia''s slender fingers bent and pointed towards the sky, nowhere in particr.


    Her cold, devoid eyes watched as the world distorted before her, revealing things unseen by anyone else.


    Her fingers stayed pointed towards the sky for a moment before she put her hand down without much change in her expression.


    However, the woman kneeling behind her spoke up.


    "Mydy, did you interfere with his destiny?"


    Her voice was trembling as she looked at Ophelia''s back with a reverent gaze, barely controlling herself.


    Adoration and awe warred within her, a testament to the power her mistress wielded so effortlessly.


    "An unexpected variable."


    Ophelia spoke up, her voice cold and deadly, as if she was fiddling with something insignificant. There was an eerie detachment in her tone, as if she were merely adjusting the pieces on a chessboard.


    An obstacle that she simply tampered with a flick of her finger.


    "Mydy¡ªno, Mistress Ophelia, I am in awe of your unfathomable power."


    She bowed deeply before her, almost prostrating. Her forehead nearly touched the cold stone floor, a gesture of absolute submission.


    Ophelia didn''t turn around, and her gaze remained affixed to the sky.


    The woman in uniform didn''t move a bit from her kneeling stance either. She remained perfectly still, like a statue carved from reverence and fear.


    It was only after some time that Ophelia spoke up once again.


    "What about that?"


    Her tone was as cold as before, not a shred of warmth audible in her voice as she addressed the woman behind her. Each word fell like a drop of icy water, freezing the air between them.


    "Mydy, I have prepared a detailed report about it." The woman paused momentarily before her eyes turned sharp. "It is as you expected; she is indeed connected to him."


    The ck-haired woman clicked her fingers as a stack of papers floated in front of her before heading slowly towards Ophelia, who finally stopped staring at the sky.


    The papers floated before her, and one nce was all it took before the papers disappeared as if they were never there in the first ce.


    She managed to read them in an instant¡ªless than a second. A feat that spoke volumes about the unnatural power she possessed.


    The very next moment, an aura unlike any other descended upon the courtyard¡ªa force so terrifying that the air itself seemed to shudder in response. The once serene environment transformed into a scene of utter devastation as the ground quaked violently. Rocks, trees, and even the very earth beneath them were mercilessly crushed under the unimaginable pressure. The aura was not just powerful; it was apocalyptic, a dark and primal force that defied the natural order. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was as if the entire world had been plunged into an abyss.


    ____________________


    Join for FREE at: patreon/WinterDragon573


    Join for FREE at: patreon/WinterDragon573


    WinterDragon_1


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 194 Ophelias orders!

    Chapter 194 Ophelia''s orders!


    Chapter 194 n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was as if the entire world had been plunged into an abyss so deep that no light or hope could ever reach it. The weight of it was suffocating, pressing down with such ferocity that the very fabric of reality seemed to strain under the burden.


    Shadows twisted and coiled, as if alive, writhing in response to the overwhelming force.


    The sky darkened as if consumed by her power, and a chilling wind swept through the courtyard, howling with a voice that spoke of ancient, unfathomable dread.


    The aura was unbelievably dark and powerful, almost threatening to consume the entire world beneath it.


    The ck-haired woman trembled as she lowered her head, not daring to speak at that moment. Her body instinctively reacted to the overwhelming force.


    Every muscle in her body tensed, instinctively bracing against the crushing pressure.


    She did not dare to look up, not even for a fleeting nce. The pressure could have easily annihted any ordinary exorcist, reducing them to mere dust and echoes of what once was. Yet, she remained unfazed, grounded by her absolute loyalty and unyielding resolve, though the effort it took to maintain herposure was monumental.


    Her breath came in shallow, controlled measures, the only indication of the immense strain she was under.


    "His existence is necessary."


    Ophelia emphasized each word she spoke¡ªor at least that''s how it seemed. There was a chilling finality in her tone, as if the very universe would bend to her will.


    The ck-haired woman kneeling could sense a twisted obsession her mistress was harboring behind her words, an obsession that clung to Ophelia like a shadow, dark and insidious. It was not an obsession born out of love or care, but something sinister and terrifying.


    Having been with herdy for as long as she could remember, she knew Ophelia better than anyone. She could read the subtle shifts in her mistress''s voice, the undercurrents of thought that were invisible to others.


    She was certain of it just from the tone of her voice.


    Ever since Ophelia had met him after the demon hunt, many changes had urred.


    She could sense Ophelia''s dark obsession with Oliver growing, like a storm gathering on the horizon, inevitable and destructive. The air around Ophelia seemed to hum withtent energy whenever Oliver was mentioned, a telltale sign of the tempest brewing within her.


    She wanted to know what it was that herdy wanted to use her son for, but she never asked, knowing that no answer would be given.


    She was there to follow the orders her master gave her, no matter what. Ophelia''s words were hermands, and her existence depended on herdy.


    She knew, after all, that¡­


    There was no demon or human stronger than herdy.


    That knowledge was both afort and a curse, binding her to a fate she could not escape.


    She was aware of the great n that herdy had been preparing ever since her daughter, the young miss Nadia, was born.


    But after meeting Oliver, many shifts had taken ce in those ns.


    The ck-haired woman could tell that whenever she mentioned anything rted to young master Oliver, she could expect a strong response or emotion from herdy, who rarely expressed anything.


    In her eyes, which considered everything insignificant, only Oliver and Nadia could interest her.


    Their names alone could provoke the faintest flicker of emotion in Ophelia''s otherwise icy demeanor.


    She, someone who could bend the world to her will, ced importance on two children?


    She had an inkling as to why Nadia was the chosen one, but she could not understand why herdy had suddenly selected Oliver as well.


    She knew that being born alongside the chosen one, he was supposed to serve a specific purpose and was thus left alive at that time. But now, it looked as if things had changed, and herdy had ced far more significance on him.


    "Investigate her and his connection to her."


    She said a few ambiguous words, but the ck-haired woman immediately understood and nodded. The aura instantly vanished as if it had never existed in the first ce.


    The courtyard felt unnaturally still in the wake of the oppressive force, as if reality itself was catching its breath.


    "Enter his life, observe every detail. Should he show signs of opening the path, report back."


    "Understood, mydy. I shall thoroughly investigate the woman called Jenna Sullivan and her connection to young master Oliver."


    Ophelia didn''t turn around as the kneeling ck-haired woman bowed once more before disappearing into mist. The mist swirled where she had been, dissipating slowly, leaving no trace of her presence.


    Oliver was unaware that such a scene had taken ce.


    It seemed that Ophelia was slowly tightening her grip on him¡­


    He was leaving the n to escape her, but was that really going to help him in the end?


    ________________


    "Achoo!"


    Oliver sneezed, startling the cat sitting snugly on hisp.


    "Sorry about that, Zippy," he said, apologizing to the cat.


    "Meow! Meow!"


    The cat nodded as if forgiving him and rested her head against his chest as she closed her eyes once again.


    Her purring vibrated softly against his chest.


    Oliver looked at her with a hint of speechlessness in his eyes. The n guardian was really dense; after all, what cat would nod at their owner while responding to what he said?


    Anyway, the cat was quite heavy.


    He could probably rece her with his training weights and still get some exercise.


    He chuckled at the thought, imagining himself doing push-ups with the grumpy cat perched on his back.


    Nheless, Sesha had been doing well in monitoring her growth. The cat seemed less fat.


    Later that evening, Oliver visited the eastern area of the n, which he had never been to before.


    It was the ce where the administrative work of the n would take ce before being sent to the central residential area for the involved elders'' opinions.


    It was also the ce where the exorcists of the n would be assigned missions and special requests.

 Chapter 195 At the administrative center of the clan!

    195 At the administrative center of the n!


    Chapter 195


    It was also the ce where the exorcists of the n would be assigned missions and special requests.


    One might question why the exorcists were required to carry out missions as part of the n.


    But then again, money is a huge factor involved, though that''s not all. Duty and discipline were equally significant, binding each exorcist to their responsibilities.


    These missions were all rted to the state of the human world, all aimed at maintaining humannds. These missions were less of an order and more collections of requests made specifically to the Mystic Purge n exorcists.


    The mission or request¡ªeach exorcist had their own term for referring to it¡ªcould range from anything to anything.


    Be it violent demon shes at the border, attacks by heretics, or finding something like an artifact or a treasure.


    All of them were requested from the powerful exorcists of the Mystic Purge n.


    It was evident from the numerous requests piling up that the n had to filter through, showing how much people valued and trusted the skills of the Mystic Purge n. Each request was a silent show to the n''s irond reputation and the desperate hope of those who sought their aid.


    Just the name of the n alone could strike fear into the hearts of demons. Whispers of their name traveled far and wide, carried on the wind like a warning.


    The cruel, strict, and disciplined n had been an ancient guardian of humanity, protecting it from the demons on the other side of the world.


    Their vignce was unyielding, their presence a deterrent to the darkness that lurked beyond human borders. It did provide those living behind a warm sense offort.


    The n was associated with power and a very high rate of perfectlypleted tasks.


    Their sess was not merely a record; it was a legacy, carved into the annals of history with blood and steel.


    So it was no shock that there were so many requests.


    Oliver was there to find a particr elder who would be assigning him a mission, as per the details he had, but now, looking at the noisy surroundings, he felt he would need to ask someone to help him find that elder.


    Of course, he was currently covering his hair and a major portion of his face with the cloak of darkness. Other than making his presence vanish, it also had the normal function of dimming his presence in such gatherings.


    The cloak''s fabric seemed to absorb light, rendering him a mere shadow among the bustling crowd.


    If he dared to brazenly show his face around this area, he could imagine the chaos it would cause, considering how a main heir had personally visited the administrative branch without any escorts.


    It would be like a stone dropped into still water, creating ripples of shock and spection.


    He had left without informing Sesha. He did so to avoid her apanying him. Now that she was his personal maid, it was not strange that she would insist on such matters. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Normally, every heir had their own escort, whose duty was to maintain the heir''s safety and fulfill their needs in daily life.


    However, Oliver did not trust that maid of his one bit and thus would never ept her as his escort.


    The thought of relying on someone who had ulterior motives was repugnant to him.


    Choosing an escort was an important matter considering they would be sharing a lifetime with you. It bes even more necessary for them to be trustworthy. There was no way he would be willing to ept Sesha, a spy, as his escort.


    That would be too ridiculous, after all. Well, he had a lot of time to decide on an escort for future events.


    The idea weighed on him, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.


    As he was contemting and observing his surroundings, he noticed a smallmotion taking ce at the entrance from where he hade.


    He briskly walked towards the area and saw a group of exorcists dressed in pitch-ck uniforms bearing the symbol of the Mystic Purge n.


    They were official exorcists of the n, and at the moment, they were in a group of five, heading towards the counter where an elder was scrambling with missions and papers.


    He heard whispers around the crowd about the group of five.


    He focused on the whispers and gradually understood what themotion was about.


    Apparently, the group before them was a famous exorcist team consisting of powerful exorcists.


    Not only did they hold an extremely potent reputation, but they also induced fear and awe in the crowds wherever they went. Their very presence seemed to cast an invisible force, as if they carried with them the weight of countless battles.


    Themotion was about the recent deed they had aplished.


    "Did you know? It''s a hot piece of news. After the insolent act of targeting the major ns'' heirs, the Unholy Sun Sect was hunted madly by the forces of the five ns, and from our n, their group contributed the most. I heard they managed to take down five of the Unholy Sun Sect''s saints on their own."


    "Serves them right; they had iting. To be so daring as to challenge the great ns? They were simply seeking death." The speaker''s voice was tinged with satisfaction, as if justice had been served.


    "Humph. I heard that a majority of their bases have also been taken down, and all the heretics were brutally exorcised."


    "Well, yes. They would not be offered a chance for redemption after performing such a stunt. The ns will definitely be rewarding the participants of the hunt with great rewards."


    "Ah, I was so busy that I could not take part in it. I am envious¡­"


    Oliver heard and sorted the murmurs calmly.


    So, the Unholy Sun Sect had already been destroyed to such a degree in such a short amount of time?


    The efficiency and ruthlessness of the ns were impressive, if not unsettling.


    He expected nothing less of the influence of the ns. No matter how deeply these heretics were hiding, the forces of the ns still managed to sniff them out easily.


    Not to mention, the ns were using the Unholy Sun Sect to set an example for other active heretics, warning them not to dare to look at the heirs of their n ever again in the future.


    ________________


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    WinterDragon_1


    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 196 The unreasonably loyal woman!

    Chapter 196 The unreasonably loyal woman!


    Chapter 196


    The ns were using the Unholy Sun Sect to set an example for other active heretics, warning them not to dare to look at the heirs of their n ever again in the future.


    It was an effective move.


    But Oliver knew that the sect master of the Unholy Sun Sect was not someone who could be easily found¡­ he was probably still hiding away from the prying eyes of the ns, a dangerous heretic lurking in the shadows, biding his time.


    Well, given the fact that he knew the disaster beast egg was in the hands of some exorcist, there was no way he would let himself be exorcised.


    Oliver turned his head and looked at the group of exorcists who had contributed the most.


    The small group consisted of three men and two women. All of them were dressed in proper uniforms, and from his angle, a tall man seemed to be the leader of the group by the way he moved forward.


    There was an air of authority about him, his movements sharp and decisive, marking him as someone used tomand.


    Their movements were well-defined and coordinated, even in such a ce.


    Just as Oliver was staring at them, one of the two women in the group turned around and looked in his direction.


    It was at that moment when their eyes suddenly met.


    Oliver quietly withdrew his gaze since the woman had already seen him. He kept his expression neutral, though a flicker of curiosity stirred within him.


    It might look rude to the other party, after all.


    However, even though he had retracted his gaze, he could still feel her eyes fixed on him.


    It was an unsettling sensation, as if she were peeling backyers to see whaty beneath.


    To confirm his suspicions, he moved around, away from the group, but he could still feel her gaze following him. Each step felt heavier under the weight of her unyielding attention.


    Unable to bear it any longer, he looked back and met her eyes once again.


    His eyes seemed to question why she was so insistently staring at him, but the other party did not show much reaction.


    Her face remained impassive, her gaze steady, as if she were trying to decipher a puzzle.


    Oliver shook his head and decided to leave for the moment and look around for the person he was supposed to receive the mission from.


    As he left the premises, the gaze also vanished from his back.


    Just when he thought he had finally managed to shake her off, he was blocked by a tall shadow.


    Looking up, it was the same woman who had been staring at him earlier, and now she was blocking his path.


    "What is it?" he asked in a calm voice. He kept his tone measured, hiding the irritation that simmered beneath the surface.


    "¡­"


    The woman kept staring at him under the hood as he looked back at her. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her features were striking, with long brown hair and green eyes full of life.


    Suddenly, the woman kneeled on one knee before him and said in a resolute voice, "Young master," she looked at him, "Why are you here alone without your escort?"


    Her tone indicated a level of respect that she bore towards the main family, not particrly towards Oliver but towards his status instead.


    It was the kind of respect ingrained through years of discipline and tradition.


    Nheless, she used the term because she was not aware of who he was out of the many heirs.


    An heir walking around without any escort was not only unsafe but also quite disrespectful to themselves as well, generally.


    This was not the central or residential area of the n, and walking around without any escort was not looked upon lightly.


    Not only did escorts show off the heir''s potential with their strength¡ªthe stronger the escort, the more precious the heir was to the n¡ªbut they also demonstrated the ability of the heir tomand such a person.


    Anyways, right now, he had other things to deal with.


    "I am here secretly, no one knows of it," he told her simply. His words were clipped, trying to convey the finality of the matter.


    "This¡­ young master, if the elders learn of this, they will be furious."


    The woman wore aplicated expression as if not knowing what to say. Her brows furrowed slightly, concern etched in her features.


    "They won''t know as long as you don''t open your mouth. Moreover, I have a reason to be here too. Once the matter is settled, there will be no issues."


    Oliver nced at the woman. To be able to find his identity just by looking at him once¡ªhe didn''t know how she did that¡ªbut since she could see through the cloak of darkness, it must mean she was quite powerful.


    He made a mental note to remember her, someone with such sharp perception would be valuable, or dangerous, depending on the circumstances.


    "Young master, forgive me for being bold, but after the recent attack on Young Master Oliver by the heretic sect, you should not be careless when there''s an increased risk of retaliation from the remaining forces of those heretics."


    The woman spoke with a tone of hidden disgust. Her lip curled slightly as she mentioned the heretics, her disdain barely concealed.


    "My team and I have been actively exorcising these pests; however, they are quite tenacious and good at hiding. It is best not to be careless even within the n."


    Her words implied that even she, who was stronger than him, would not underestimate those heretics easily, and he must not do so at any cost either.


    "Alright, I will keep your words in mind," he said, since he could tell she was very loyal to the n just from the strain in her voice. There was a sternness in her tone that spoke of her dedication, a trait he couldn''t help but respect, even if only slightly.


    "I will leave as soon as I am done," he told her.


    "Young master, if I may ask something..." she interrupted as she looked at him trying to meet his eyes through the fabric of cloak.

 Chapter 197 Was there really a guardian? Alisons suspicion!

    Chapter 197 Was there really a guardian? Alison''s suspicion!


    Chapter 197


    "What does the young master wish to aplish? Please tell me. With my influence here, it would bepleted instantly," she spoke up. Of course, she did not mean to boast about her influence in front of an heir, but since the said heir was in disguise right now, she was suggesting using her reputation to have his work done quickly.


    "After that, I will personally escort the young master back to the central area," she said in a serious voice.


    Oliver inwardly shook his head. This woman was quite persistent. She was insistent on sending him back no matter what, for some reason. It was as if her sense of duty was etched into her very soul, overriding any consideration for his autonomy.


    What sort of unreasonable loyalty was this?


    ''Come to think of it, she must have already been brainwashed by the n.''


    As if he remembered something, his gaze turned subtle. The n was infamous for employing the cruelest of means to achieve what they wanted for the sake of humanity, even if those actions included forsaking the very thing they sought to protect.


    A bitter irony that was not lost on him.


    The methods of the n were among the worst. All the official exorcists and members of the n were deeply loyal, their hearts and minds engraved with devotion to the n¡ªeven if it meant sacrificing their lives.


    The severe principles and training they underwent were all intended topletely brainwash the members into being solely devoted to the n''s prosperity and progress.


    The cost of such loyalty was a terrifying efficiency, coupled with aplete disregard for personal freedom.


    "I have already said that it is a private matter. I do not need your assistance, and I believe you will keep this matter under wraps," he said in a firm tone.


    The woman didn''t even flinch under Oliver''s gaze and calmly closed her eyes.


    Herposure was unnerving, as if she were a stone statue, unyielding and cold.


    "I understand, young master."


    She nodded once and got up, leaving him alone shortly after.


    ''Damn, now I need to hurry up. She''s definitely going to snitch on me.''


    Oliver''s eyelids twitched as he watched her fading back. He knew for sure that she was going to inform the elders from the n as soon as possible.


    The elders would naturally not let a young heir ept any missions or requests easily, no matter how much he insisted. Plus, there was a risk that they would let Ophelia know about it too.


    He dared not imagine what she would do after that, given how she reacted after the demon hunt just by seeing his espera.


    She was crazy.


    "Now, where in the world is that person supposed to be?" He nced around and moved in a certain direction to inquire about him.


    ____________


    Meanwhile, back at the mountains:


    Alison was deep in thought as she looked at the terrain before her.


    "It doesn''t make sense." Her voice was a soft murmur, almost drowned out by the silence of the wilderness. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ever since the heretic attack, she had been seriously investigating the traces and remains of the battle that transpired.


    As Oliver had told her, there was a masked man who had jumped in to help them.


    It could very well be a secret guardian from one of the ns responsible for protecting the heirs.


    She had been trying to uncover the truth, knowing there was more than what met the eye.


    Even if it was a guardian, there was no reason for them not to meet her and then disappear.


    Plus, there was something even more suspicious in this case: Oliver''s nonchnt behavior, the confusion among the children, and more.


    "It''s a fairly dangerous poison¡­" Her fingers traced the charred ground, feeling the residual energy still clinging to the earth.


    She bent down and traced her finger on the charred ground.


    This was the ce where Oliver fought with the old man who was using poison.


    She could detect faint traces of dark espera and poison still lingering from the aftermath of the battle.


    Alison''s senses were sharpened to the extreme, especially when it came to tracing such espera outputs.


    Her eyes narrowed, focusing intently on the faint remnants, piecing together the scene in her mind.


    "But¡­" She frowned as she looked ahead.


    "Why are there traces of Oliver''s espera only here?"


    She looked at the destruction ahead with a dazed expression. The ground was literally obliterated as if someone had forcefully destroyed it, and there were no visible signs of corrosion from the poison either.


    It was as if a concentrated st had wiped out everything, leaving no trace of the poison''s typical lingering effects.


    "Oliver had the water element as far as I know, but clearly, from the charred state of the ground, a variant of the fire element was used in this."


    She pondered, "But as he said, there was a masked man helping them out. Then he should have left some espera traces, and there''s no way I would miss them. However, there''s absolutely nothing other than Oliver''s faint espera signature."


    "Hmm¡­" Her brow furrowed deeper, the mystery gnawing at her.


    "How can there be no traces of the heretic''s espera? It''s as if they have vanished out of existence itself!"


    The thought sent a chill down her spine, the implications unsettling.


    She narrowed her eyes and made a bold guess.


    ''Could it be that Oliver was lying¡­?''


    Her heart raced at that possibility, since if what she thought was true, then there was only one possible scenario that could have happened when the heretics attacked.


    ''He defeated them alone!''


    This was an absurd statement that even she herself would never believe if someone said that to her.


    Oliver had just entered Rank-1, and the heretics who attacked were clearly Rank-2 by all means.


    Especially Jetia, one of the saints, who was strong enough to be categorized as Rank-3.


    She did find the traces of two heretics out of the four who attacked, but she could not understand why the traces of the other two had disappeared like that.

 Chapter 198 Leaving the clan!

    Chapter 198 Leaving the n!


    Chapter 198 n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Not only that, but she had also concluded that one of the heretics was not dead but had escaped due to unknown circumstances.


    Her gut instinct, honed by years of experience, told her that this situation was far from ordinary.


    If there was really a strong guardian protecting the kids from the shadows, then there was no way they would have let one of those heretics escape, further convincing her that something was wrong.


    She knew for sure that the heretic was still alive; she had the ability to tell.


    She had sent Sigfor to look for her as his punishment for being careless.


    So far, there had been no reports from his end.


    She stroked her chin, deep in thought. Oliver had always been a bit of an oddball ever since he came under her care.


    From having mysterious means to veil his espera to a strange resistance to the fire element, something was definitely amiss here.


    And she believed it was definitely linked to him in one way or another.


    She would have to investigate in depth to know exactly what was going on.


    "Come to think of it, I still owe the two their apology gifts from that time."


    Her lips curled into a faint smile as she remembered her promise when she had identally thrown the sword-wielding kid.


    "A great chance to meet up with him again."


    "What should I gift that little student who seems to be hiding important stuff from his teacher? Hmm?"


    Alison fell into thought with a small smirk tugging at her soft lips.


    "So, young master, here is the mission request and the badge to allow you special entry on behalf of the n."


    A middle-aged man handed Oliver the mission details and the special badge that was used to prove both his identity as an exorcist from the Mystic Purge n and to allow him to leave the n.


    "However, young master¡­" The middle-aged man paused, looking at Oliver''s hidden face, and said, "Are you sure you want to do this? There are many risks involved, and if¡­"


    He didn''t continue, but the meaning behind his words was clear: if this matter reached the ears of someone higher up, all of them would be in trouble.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve decided."


    Oliver reassured him and got up, ready to leave. That woman might have already reached out to an elder by now; he should leave before they arrived.


    "Also, young master, here¡­"


    The middle-aged man stopped him momentarily and handed him a talisman.


    "This is¡­?" Oliver looked at the talisman in doubt and asked.


    "This is something prepared by Miss. She asked me to hand it to you before you leave. If you encounter any danger threatening your life, just use this talisman. As for its use, she didn''t tell me."


    The middle-aged man smiled awkwardly, but Oliver nodded and thanked him.


    Afterward, he quickly made his way back to his courtyard and prepared to depart.


    Packing up, he quickly sorted out the essential materials in his Mindspace and then strode out of his courtyard casually.


    He could see Sesha tortu¡ªtraining the fat white cat and walked past them as if he was going out for a stroll.


    None of them reacted much upon seeing him, since he was wearing casual clothes and had nothing on him.


    It was normal for him to visit the market a few times a week, so they both did not suspect anything and continued what they were doing.


    Oliver had no intention of letting the two know his whereabouts, or else they might start following him and eventually learn his secrets.


    After making sure he had left the central area behind, he took out the same old white faceless mask, put it on, and headed toward the n exit with brisk, hurried steps.


    He had a sinking feeling in his heart, as if he was being watched.


    He didn''t dare to be careless and suspected that it might be ordinary secret guards ced around the n.


    Despite his courtyard being heavily guarded, he never really allowed anyone to follow him anywhere, fearing being monitored.


    Soon, he reached the n''s main gate and saw multiple expensive cars nearby. It was clear that many exorcists knew how to drive and used these cars.


    He walked up to the buff-looking guard at the entrance and showed him the mission badge.


    The guard paused, silently scanned the badge, and then scrutinized Oliver sharply.


    Oliver could not help but feel goosebumps. The guard was dangerously strong, given that he was the gatekeeper. In the distance, he could even see some demonic beasts stationed as well.


    It was heavily guarded.


    "Mission?"


    The buff man spoke in a heavy voice.


    Oliver simply nodded and didn''t speak. The guard did not ask him further despite the suspicious mask he was wearing.


    It wasmon for different exorcists to have weird tastes; an exorcist wearing a mask to conceal their identity was not that rare.


    "You may pass."


    The buff man handed the badge back, and the heavy metal doors that seemed as tall as the clouds slowly opened wide.


    Oliver took the chance and swiftly made his exit, finally escaping the clutches of his n for the first time.


    He immediately took out a map of the n''s outer area and navigated toward the normal human areas.


    He was nning to book a taxi once he was a bit farther from the n.


    He ran at great speed and soon left the n behind.


    Once he was sure he had covered a considerable distance, he opened his smartphone and browsed through some features.


    Apparently, he could book a ride if he went a little farther north, which would directly take him to the human cities.


    Oliver''s eyes narrowed as he saw the ridiculous price but still booked it. If he were to travel on foot, it might take him months to reach his destination.


    A ride was faster and morefortable.

 Chapter 199 Reaching the human city!

    Chapter 199 Reaching the human city!


    Chapter 199


    Soon enough, after traveling a little further north, he spotted a small ck car with tinted windows, making it hard to see inside.


    The sleek ck exterior reflected the dim light of the overcast sky, giving the car an ominous presence.


    As Oliver approached the car, a woman emerged from it, looked at him, and then at the smartphone in her hand. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You are the customer?"


    "Indeed." Oliver took out his smartphone and scanned the details. The soft glow from his phone''s screen illuminated his face, highlighting the intensity in his eyes as he confirmed the transaction.


    After confirming everything, she opened the door for him and got into the car herself.


    "Well then, sir, your destination is the city of Harlington, right?"


    "Hmm." His response was curt, his focus already drifting elsewhere.


    Seeing that he didn''t seem interested in chatting, the driver quieted down.


    The silence between them was thick, only broken by the low hum of the car''s engine.


    "It will take approximately two days before we reach the city."


    She calmly told him and focused on driving. The car sped up extremely fast, but from inside, no one could feel any tremor or difort, as if the car was moving very slowly instead.


    It was unnervingly smooth, the speed betraying theck of sensation, making it feel like they were gliding over the road.


    Oliver didn''t say anything to her and opened his phone again, starting to browse.


    ''ording to the article, thetest moonless night should be in the next five days. After that, it will appear only after seven months, so I need to practice and form the [Neglegentis] on that day.''


    Given his travel ns, he would have only three days to prepare.


    Otherwise, he might have to wait seven months to even consider forming it.


    The issue rted to void dust had also been resolved when he met with Jennast time. Although he was now in her debt, he really needed the materials, so he agreed for the time being.


    A slight frown crossed his face at the thought of being in her debt, but he quickly pushed it aside.


    At most, he might have to run an errand for her in the future.


    The rest of the journey was smooth. He half expected to be ambushed by thieves or bandits but realized he was overthinking.


    The paranoia from living in a world filled with constant danger had be second nature, always expecting the worst.


    Not only that, but it seemed like the n wouldn''t be able to take him back forcefully now¡ªnot that they had a reason to.


    He believed they might send someone to keep an eye on him if things got worse.


    What he was most worried about was Ophelia''s reaction to him running away from the n so secretly. The mere thought of her discovering his departure sent a chill down his spine.


    He could only hope she would stay put until he gained some strength. He was also concerned about Nadia.


    But there wasn''t much he could do about it; he had never been great at talking or maintaining rtionships.


    He had a sister, but she was nothing like the cold block of ice Nadia was. Nadia''s coldness seemed imprable, like a barrier that separated her from the warmth of human connection.


    ''Well¡­ I wonder how much the plot has progressed so far.''


    With Evelyn learning the first level of divine swordsmanship, she would be going through a n trial, just like the one he went through during the demon hunt, though something different for her n.


    At that time, some elders of her n conspired against her, and she was badly wounded. But, as luck would have it, she persisted and still won thepetition in the end.


    The memory of her victory, against all odds, was vivid in his mind¡ªEvelyn standing tall amidst the chaos, bloodied but unbroken.


    Then she proceeded to humiliate the elders and their children, leading to a long conflict within the n itself.


    "Well, I have nothing to do with that." He muttered softly to himself, dismissing any notion of getting involved in that mess.


    Oliver felt somewhat relieved. He couldn''t imagine getting involved in that chaotic mess. Not only had he taken up a mission request from the n, but the destination was far away as well.


    There was no way he could get associated with the Celestial Paradox n there.


    Suddenly, he shivered.


    ''This¡­''


    He didn''t know why, but a bad feeling came over him.


    His gut tightened, a familiar sense of foreboding creeping up his spine.


    ''No! There''s no way that can happen.''


    He forcefully shook his head and decided to focus on preparing for the moonless night in five days.


    There were too many variables to dwell on his fears now¡ªhe had to stay sharp.


    Well, he would only have two days to prepare.


    ''I should first get a hotel to stay in, then scout for a safe ce with no distractions¡­ hmm.''


    He wondered if he had enough money left for the hotel stay.


    He seriously needed to find some ways to make money, too.


    He wasn''t too worried, though. With his knowledge of the plot and now that he was out, he could gradually start investing in things that would explode exponentially in the future.


    The future was like a chessboardid out before him, and he knew exactly which moves would yield the highest returns.


    Not to mention, he was heading to the best ce for it¡ªthe normal human cities, where things developed and worked in a predictable way.


    The rest of the journey was spent in silence. Oliver didn''t talk and kept scrolling through his smartphone, looking at current affairs and getting a deeper understanding of the world.


    Each news article and update was a piece of the puzzle, slowly revealing the state of the world outside the n''s control.

 Chapter 200 Reaching the city! Getting into a hotel!

    200 Reaching the city! Getting into a hotel!


    Chapter 200 N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Thedy wasn''t an ordinary driver either. Oliver had used his special eyes on her before getting into the car. She had some espera in her body, although not as much as him, but still more than the average human.


    A faint shimmer of energy pulsed around her, barely noticeable unless one knew what to look for.


    The faint glow of her espera had caught his attention for a brief moment, but he dismissed it as unimportant.


    Apart from taking a few breaks, they soon reached their destination:


    The city of Harlington.


    Oliver looked at the city with interest. It was just like any modern city, but with more advanced technology incorporated.


    Sleek towers of ss and steel reached into the sky, their surfaces glinting in thete afternoon light. The hum of machinery and the distant sound of traffic filled the air, a contrast to the serenity he had left behind.


    Towering skyscrapers loomed on the horizon, sleek and shining, a testament to human innovation and progress.


    Each building seemed meticulously crafted, blending both function and elegance, a symbol of humanity''s rise in an otherwise chaotic world.


    He could see the tall gates at the entrance of the city. The material the gates were made from was not ordinary either. The gates gleamed under the city lights.


    It was clearly designed to fend off any anti-social invaders or heretics.


    Oliver watched as the woman drove up to the gate and was stopped by the city guards, who asked her to show verification cards.


    Oliver was also asked to show identification, but since he didn''t have any, he decided to show the mission badge bearing the symbol of the Mystic Purge n.


    Looking at the intricate design carved onto the surface, the guards were momentarily stunned before regaining their senses.


    The delicate carvings and ancient symbols seemed to glow under the dim light, as if holding a power that transcended time.


    They quickly bowed deeply, almost at a 90-degree angle, to show the utmost respect. Their earlier stern expressions melted away, reced by a look of awe and reverence.


    Their bodies stiffened, as if suddenly aware of the sheer authority and danger that came with Oliver''s rank.


    "Sir, Sir Exorcist, please grace our town," the guard stuttered, speaking in a low and respectful tone.


    His voice wavered, betraying the sudden shift from authority to deference.


    His voice shook slightly, betraying the intimidation he felt in the presence of someone from the Mystic Purge n.


    It was a clear contrast to his earlier stern expression. Even his posture was now straight and full of respect and attention.


    He seemed almost smaller now, humbled by the presence of a n member, and desperate not to offend.


    Despite Oliver looking no taller than a ten-year-old, the guards dared not underestimate or be disrespectful to him at all.


    They knew a bit more than themon people¡ªexorcists had all sorts of magic and tricks to alter their appearances, and it would not be surprising if this small-looking kid was a hundred-year-old veteran expert.


    They had heard of cases where being disrespectful to such exorcists wouldter result in the victim getting cursed or devoured by demons at night. No one took exorcists lightly.


    Of course, exorcists would never admit it, lest they draw the rage of the Exorcist Union.


    A silent code of conduct existed among the exorcists, one that civilians could only specte about.


    The guards quickly shuffled back and forth, clearly flustered about what to do since they had not been informed that an exorcist would be visiting their small city like this.


    The female driver was also speechless. She didn''t expect her customer to be someone from one of the five great ns.


    Her hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel as she processed the revtion.


    Who would have imagined that a prestigious exorcist would hire her ordinary car services?


    If she remembered correctly, the cars in the Mystic Purge n were extremely luxurious and way morefortable than her small car, so why would he hire her?


    It also made sense to her now why he had such an aloof temperament and cold aura radiating from him.


    The pieces clicked together in her mind, each interaction with him suddenly making more sense, though it also heightened her anxiety.


    It was fortunate that she hadn''t bbered much on the way, or else she might have mysteriously disappeared during the journey, given the notorious reputation of the n.


    Her pulse quickened at the thought, the horror stories she had heard of the Mystic Purge n shing through her mind.


    "This¡­ sir," she fidgeted and looked at him, not knowing how to ask about her payment from this exorcist withouting off as disrespectful.


    "I know. Find a decent hotel for me, and I will add a tip for you," he casually said and went back to sit inside the car, leaving behind a stunned driver.


    His voice was casual, but there was an underlying finality to his words, giving her no choice but toply.


    Now she must find a hotel for this esteemed exorcist?


    She was just a simple driver; since when was it her job to arrange for her customer''s lodgings?


    Her mind raced as she considered the strange turn of events. This was supposed to be a simple ride, and now she was responsible for housing a member of one of the most dangerous ns in the world.


    She felt depressed, but she could not refuse the exorcist anyway.


    "Well¡­" She sighed under her breath, resigned to her fate.


    She opened up her smartphone and browsed through the hotels suitable for the exorcist inside.


    Her fingers moved quickly, trying to find something that wouldn''t insult his status.


    But in the end, she found that the citycked any extravagant andvish hotels.


    She naturally assumed that someone from the Mystic Purge n was used to high-end hotels, but this city didn''t seem to have any.


    A wave of frustration hit her. How could a city of this size not have anything suitable for such a high-ranking guest?


    ______________________


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    Join for FREE at : patreon/WinterDragon573


    WinterDragon_1

 Chapter 201 Arriving at the park! Now wheres the artifact?

    Chapter 201 Arriving at the park! Now where''s the artifact?


    Chapter 201


    She could only give up and look for other arrangements for the proud exorcist sitting inside the car. Her fingers trembled slightly as she scrolled through her phone, feeling the weight of her unusual responsibility.


    Sigh, why do I have to do this? The thought echoed in her mind, a mix of frustration and resignation settling in.


    In the end, she found a rtively good-looking hotel with a lot of reviews and booked a room for him. As for the duration of the stay, she put that on hold and let the exorcist inside decide it there.


    "Not bad."


    Oliver looked at the average hotel of this world, which was just like any normal hotel.


    His eyes scanned the building, noting the modest architecture and the simple yet functional design. It wasn''t luxurious, but it would do.


    He nced at the driver, and she shrank slightly. Her posture instinctively shifted, as if anticipating either praise or critique. He added, "Good job." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He opened his smartphone and paid her the money and the tip he had mentioned earlier.


    "Many thanks! Great exorcist! Please use my services again in the future!" Her voice was now lighter, filled with excitement at the generous payment. The tension she had been holding melted away with the promise of future work.


    She bowed excitedly as she saw the handsome tip in her ount and quickly escorted him inside the hotel to the reception before leaving. Her footsteps were quick, almost skipping, as she hurried to exit after ensuring everything was in order.


    Her earlier nervousness melted away, reced by the thrill of having served such a prestigious client.


    The staff inside was also extremely respectful, either already informed by the guards or the driver.


    Their eyes widened slightly at his presence, whispering amongst themselves as they recognized the emblem of the Mystic Purge n.


    He skipped all formalities and went directly to his room.


    The hushed voices behind him faded as he made his way down the dimly lit corridor, his focus already shifting to more pressing matters.


    Upon reaching his room, the first thing he did was scan for any abnormalities or recording devices. His eyes glowed faintly as he scanned the surroundings, his senses sharpening to detect any unwanted surprises.


    Every corner of the room came into view with a rity that bordered on the supernatural, his heightened senses ensuring there were no hidden threats.


    Although he was sure they would not dare, he still preferred to be careful now that he was out of the n.


    He was still wary of the Unholy Sun Sect. He had missed the heretic woman at that time, and although he had destroyed her mentalitypletely, he still couldn''t afford to be careless.


    A flicker of unease crossed his mind, reminding him that even shattered minds could find ways to strike back.


    The memory of their encounter flickered in his mind, reminding him that loose ends could alwayse back to haunt him.


    With the countless sinister methods of the heretic sects, they might extract some information on him and his identity.


    Right now, the heretic sect, or what was left of it, was hiding in fear and would not dare to show in public for years toe, in fear of drawing the wrath of the major ns.


    But fear wasn''t always enough to stop desperate people, and desperation made enemies unpredictable.


    But the disaster beast egg was still with him, and those heretics'' lives were controlled by demons behind them on the other side of the world.


    They might just force them to continue searching for the egg.


    So he had to be careful at all times.


    After making sure everything was safe, he decided to start with a small search of the city, especially where the artifact was suspected to be.


    "The city is really simr to how it was in my original world." There was a wistfulness in his voice, a faint memory from a life that seemed distant now.


    Oliver had a dazed look on his face as he stared at the tall buildings and then at the residential area.


    Everything reminded him of the past.


    He shook his head, and his eyes turned sharp. The nostalgia dissolved as his focus snapped back to the present, his mind once again on the mission at hand. He easily passed through crowds of people heading toward the central yground located north of the residential area.


    With his speed, it didn''t take him long before he reached the yground.


    It was a huge park, of sorts, in reality.


    He noticed some people taking a stroll or just sitting while watching children y.


    Laughter and conversation filled the air, but none of it registered in Oliver''s mind as he remainedser-focused on his surroundings.


    He walked around the park, and under the guise of his cloak, no one could see his hair or face, which helped him a bit.


    And with the [Cloak of Darkness] in effect, ordinary people had an even harder time spotting him, much less noticing him. The cloak seemed to absorb the light around him, rendering him almost invisible to the casual observer.


    So despite looking shady with a cloak covering him, he was still able to inspect calmly.


    It took him half an hour as he toured every corner of the yground, trying to sense any abnormalities in anything around the park. But despite being vignt and careful, he found nothing.


    Each sweep of his senses returned empty, the yground appearing frustratingly ordinary.


    Of course, it wouldn''t be in the ck Codex Federation if it was so easy.


    Oliver had expected this oue already. He was in the city mainly to fulfill the mission from Jenna to determine his rank in the organization.


    As for the n mission? He could dy it; there was still plenty of time before the deadline approached.


    The weight of the mission wasn''t pressing, allowing him to explore the city at his own pace.


    It was enough that he could roam freely around for a good amount of time.


    Oliver shook his head. His lips pressed into a thin line as the familiar feeling of dissatisfaction crept in.


    It was indeed difficult...


    ...for a normal exorcist.

 Chapter 202 What is it? Jennas curiosity!

    Chapter 202 What is it? Jenna''s curiosity!


    Chapter 202


    It would have indeed been a difficult mission for a normal Rank-1 to sense and identify the abnormality; however, he was different.


    The world around him shifted as he stared at the park. Colors dulled and sharpened in his vision, while shapes morphed subtly, revealing hiddenyers beneath the surface. His eyes shed in a mysterious color as everything was revealed to him. The trees, the people, the very air itself seemed to shift in his vision as hidden truths wereid bare before him.


    Every pulse of energy, every unseen current in the atmosphere became visible, threads of power weaving through the ordinary scene.


    He could see through everything, and just by standing in one corner, he was able to see the entirety of the park.


    It didn''t matter if there were trees or people in between; his eyes could see past everything at a nce. It was as if the physical world was a mere veil, easily peeled away by his gaze.


    It was like peeling awayyers of reality, exposing whaty beneath the surface.


    He slowly observed the signs of abnormality, and his eyes narrowed as he witnessed something.


    "Interesting¡­" A cold smile curled at the edge of his lips, the faintest hint of satisfaction flickering in his expression.


    Without lingering in the park any longer, he returned to the hotel. His footsteps were light but purposeful, his mind already racing ahead to the next steps.


    He had found something interesting.


    _________________


    At the Mystic Purge n


    Sigh, what a chaotic situation¡­ Jenna thought, her fingers lightly drumming the armrest, a distant look in her eyes as she considered the events unfolding.


    She leaned back in her chair as she gazed out of the window, her eyes distant, as if observing something far away.


    The sunlight filtering through the window cast long shadows on the floor, but her eyes seemed to see far beyond the confines of the room.


    "Still, who could have expected that his sudden departure would make them this restless?" Her voice was soft but carried a note of amusement, as if she were privy to a game only she could see.


    Her lips curled slightly as she spoke, a knowing smile ying on her face.


    She stroked her chin and had a meaningful look in her eyes. Each movement was deliberate, her mind calcting the possibilities with the precision of a seasoned strategist.


    "Does that mean they were already aware of the abnormal potential in that boy? Or did they realize this recently¡­? Given the recent arrangement, it seems they found out during the demon hunt event."


    She smirked, her face as beautiful as a piece of fine jade. Yet behind that beauty was something far more dangerous, a mind always scheming, always two steps ahead. There was a sharpness to her expression now, like a de concealed in velvet.


    She tapped the armrest of her chair and said aloud, "Go and take advantage of the situation. The supreme elders have all been in closed-door seclusion since thest century. Now is the perfect time." Her voice was a quietmand,ced with a calm authority that brooked no hesitation.


    As she looked outside the window, a ck shadow of a man emerged behind her. The shadow moved with an unnatural fluidity, its form shifting briefly before solidifying into the shape of a man kneeling. The shadow knelt and answered, "Yes, madam."


    It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Like smoke dissipating into thin air, the figure vanished, leaving no trace of its presence.


    Jenna still didn''t turn around, but in the next moment, a purple medal appeared in her hand.


    If Oliver were here, he would have easily recognized the medal as the same dark artifact he had sold to her long ago.


    The [Medal of Eternal Pain].


    "Oh, how I wish I could act now¡­ but no, there''s still some time." Her voice dropped to a whisper, filled with both longing and restraint.


    Her slender fingers grazed the metallic surface of the purple medal as she whispered.


    The cool metal sent a faint vibration through her fingertips, but her expression remained unchanged.


    "Unexpectedly, the boy gave me something important for my revenge. My ns have elerated significantly thanks to this." Her eyes darkened as she spoke, the weight of her words heavy with intent.


    She gazed at the medal, the potent dark espera radiating from it seeming to have no effect on her. This dark espera, known to have driven countless people mad, was ineffective in her hands. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Compared to this, some void dust is a fair trade¡­ Still, I am quite curious about what he needs such a thing for." A glint of curiosity flickered in her eyes, though it quickly gave way to calction.


    She pondered deeply but could note up with anything.


    Void dust was not something simple. It was found in mysterious ck rocks that sometimes fell from the sky. Not only was void dust a very powerful material, but in the hands of an exceptional alchemist, it could turn into something phenomenal.


    Obtaining void dust was not easy, but for her, one of the top executives of the ck Code Federation, it wasn''t a resource shecked. Her position ensured that even the most elusive materials were within reach.


    This was also why she had easily agreed to Oliver''s request.


    Nheless, after Oliver left the n, the information was quickly sent to the top elders in charge of handling the missions, causing a stir in the department.


    The swift transmission of information triggered a chain reaction, the ripple effect of his departure spreading quickly through the ranks.


    It was no trivial matter that one of the heirs was so easily assigned a mission without anyone being aware of it.


    A thorough investigation was already underway to identify the cause of it all.


    Of course, she had already cleared all traces rting to her beforehand, so no matter what, the investigations would never lead back to her in any way.


    She had covered her tracks meticulously, like a spider spinning an invisible web around her actions.


    Now, she was curious if the n would act as she had expected or do something else. Her fingers drummed the armrest again, her mind racing with possibilities.


    ___________


    "Did you find it?"


    An old man sitting in a leather chair in a beautifully decorated office questioned the middle-aged woman in front of him.


    ______________

 Chapter 203 The night has come!

    Chapter 203 The night hase!


    Chapter 203


    "Did you find it?"


    An old man sitting in a leather chair in a beautifully decorated office questioned the middle-aged woman in front of him. The dim light from the chandelier overhead cast shadows across the polished wood, giving the room a somber yet grand ambiance. The office wasvish yet subdued, its decorations reflecting both wealth and power without being ostentatious.


    Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient texts and artifacts, each one a silent testament to the elder''s influence.


    "Elder, the person who issued the mission has already been taken into custody, and upon investigation, he confessed that he was unaware the other party was a main heir of the n."


    The old man raised a brow at her words and could not help but frown. The deepening lines on his face looked like cracks in stone, a testament to years of hardened authority. The lines on his face deepened, his expression hardening as he absorbed the information.


    "He didn''t know who the other party was and still issued the mission?" he asked coldly. There was an icy sharpness in his tone, each word calcted to pierce through the woman''s calm exterior. His voice had an icy edge to it, each word cutting through the air like a de.


    The middle-aged woman calmly exined, "Yes, elder. It''s as illogical as you think; however, we have ''properly'' and ''thoroughly'' investigated the man." Her tone was measured, carefully choosing her words to hint at the darker methods of interrogation used.


    Upon hearing the woman''s words, which carried a hidden meaning, the old man wore a thoughtful look. His fingers tapped lightly against the arm of his chair as he considered her statement, the implication not lost on him.


    He knew better than anyone how terrifying the n''s interrogation force was. Even the strongest would immediately cower and beg to confess everything.


    The memory of past sessions flickered in his mind¡ªscreams, broken wills, and secrets dragged out under duress.


    They were quite notorious in the n, and it was known that even elders could not easily resist their interrogation. The memory of past interrogations flickered through his mind, a grim reminder of the power the n held over its members.


    "So? What is your conclusion?" he asked, wondering why the woman hade to him. She was only ordered to appear before him after she had figured out who the person was and why he did what he did.


    His tone was clipped, expecting efficiency. He didn''t have time for anything less than clear answers.


    "Yes, I have concluded that young master Oliver used an artifact when he appeared in the mission hall." The woman''s eyes gleamed with certainty as she revealed her findings, her voice steady, unshaken by the elder''s imposing demeanor.


    "An artifact?" The elder raised a brow; this was something he had also suspected after hearing the woman''s words. His curiosity piqued, though his face remained as unreadable as stone.


    "A decent artifact. I believe its functions were primarily focused on stealth and deception, which enabled the young master to sneak out of the n as well." Her exnation was concise, but beneath her calm exterior, she felt a slight tension, knowing that the elder expected nothing short of precision.


    "Hmm." The elder simply hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "From what I heard from my subordinate, that does seem to be the case. She was the first to see through his cover; however, young master ordered her not to interfere and to leave. He had also told her that he would return after finishing his ''work,'' which, obviously, he didn''t do."


    By "subordinate," he was referring to the exorcist woman Oliver had met earlier, who had seen through his disguise at the time. As expected, she ratted him out as soon as she left.


    "Yes, elder. What are your orders?" the woman asked, seeking guidance on her next course of action.


    Her voice was measured, betraying none of the nervousness she felt standing before such a powerful figure.


    "The great elder is in seclusion at the moment, so we cannot disturb him. I dare not inform Madam Ophelia about this matter either, lest I face her wrath. Our first objective is to locate young master Oliver." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He paused, picking up a pen and scribbling some words on a nearby sheet of paper.


    The scratching of the pen was sharp in the still air, the elder''s focus on the note uninterrupted.


    "The mission assigned to the young master by the n administration was to eradicate some demonic ghosts in this city. Assuming he left some days ago, he should have arrived by now. Dispatch a team to find young master and bring him back as soon as possible."


    He spoke sternly as he stroked his beard.


    "Understood, elder."


    The woman responded seriously, "I will personally handpick my best subordinates and have them escort the young master back to the n as soon and as safely as possible."


    "You are dismissed then." The elder waved her off with a flick of his wrist, his attention already shifting to the next task at hand.


    ______________


    "Achoo!"


    Oliver sneezed and wiped his nose. A sudden gust of cold air brushed past him, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. He had just been thinking about a certain fat white cat when he sneezed.


    What everyone didn''t know was that he wasn''t in the city mentioned in the mission. Instead, he was actually in a city far away from it¡ªthe City of Harlington¡ªwhere he was toplete the mission from the ck Codex Federation.


    He had two missions: one from the n and the other from Jenna. Thetter was more important since it would determine his hierarchy in the organization.


    "I have made sufficient preparations. It''s time to create the Sword of Negativity!"


    His eyes turned determined as he looked at the sun slowly sinking beyond the clouds, a faint nket of darkness slowly covering the sky.


    The fading light seemed to herald the approach of something darker, more ominous.

 Chapter 204 Forging the Sword of Negativity!

    Chapter 204 Forging the Sword of Negativity!


    Chapter 204


    The fading light seemed to herald the approach of something darker, more ominous.


    However, today was clearly not the night when the moon would rise.


    It was a moonless night.


    Oliver patiently waited as he leaped onto the hotel''s roof and stood there, gazing at the sky without moving. The vast expanse of stars above him remained concealed by the thick, clouded sky, casting the world into a deeper, more unsettling darkness. The cool night air brushed against his skin, but he remained motionless, his focus unwavering.


    He watched as the sun disappeared, and the darkness thickened by the moment.


    Thest traces of light were swallowed by the creeping night, leaving behind an oppressive silence that seemed to envelop everything.


    The world below grew quieter, the city''s lights flickering on one by one as the night took over.


    The hum of distant traffic faded into the background, and the soft murmur of people moving about the streets became almost nonexistent, as if the city itself was holding its breath.


    "It''s close¡­" His voice was a whisper, barely audible, as he felt the espera around him shift.


    He murmured to himself as he leaped off the hotel''s roof, heading out of the city. His feet barely touched the ground, his movements swift and fluid, blending seamlessly into the shadows that draped the narrow streets. His body moved swiftly, the ground a blur beneath him as he pushed forward into the night. There was no spot in the city suitable for creating the Sword of Negativity.


    He didn''t want to risk causing irreversible damage to the city or getting noticed by the major powers outside.


    Of course, with his identity as the young master of the Mystic Purge n, no one would dare trouble him openly. But power drew attention, and he wasn''t ready for curious eyes to pry into his affairs just yet. But he didn''t want to stand out so brazenly, and he certainly didn''t want anyone disturbing the process of forming the Sword of Negativity.


    He quickly passed through the city gates, easily bypassing the guards by using his cloak to hide his presence. The guards stoodzily at their posts,pletely unaware of the shadow slipping past them, as if the night itself had swallowed him whole. The faint shimmer of the cloak enveloped him, making him blend seamlessly into the shadows. He appeared some distance away from the city.


    "The darkness will soon reach its peak, and that will be the signal to start!" His voice was steady, filled with anticipation as he gazed at the horizon where thest remnants of twilight had long faded.


    Oliver didn''t hesitate any longer and took out the void dust from his mindspace. The air around him seemed to shift slightly as if recognizing the ominous power he was about to unleash.


    A thick pouch filled with glowing ck sand appeared as he upied a spot in front. The ck particles glittered faintly in the moonless night, their glow almost otherworldly, casting eerie reflections onto the surrounding ground.


    Taking out the void dust, he started spreading it onto the ground, arranging the void dust exactly as he had learned.


    Each grain of dust fell with precision, as though he were weaving together the threads of a grand, cosmic design.


    First, he drew a circle, then proceeded to makeplex structures inside the circle, as if he were drawing a runic design. The shapes and symbols he traced into the ground began to pulse faintly, an ancient rhythm that seemed to resonate with the deeper forces of the universe.


    It became incrediblyplex as he kept spreading the void dust onto the ground.


    However, with the knowledge firmly sealed in his memories, he had no problems arranging the patterns on the ground slowly.


    Finally, an extremelyplex array was finished, and no sooner did Oliver ce thest bit of void dust toplete the structure, it started to react, and a deep, unsettling energy began to gather on the surface of the circr array.


    The darkness was now at its peak, and everything was darker than ever. It was a suffocating kind of darkness, one that swallowed sound and light alike, leaving only the presence of the malevolent energy building beneath him.


    Oliver noticed these changes and quickly took the next step. His heart quickened, not out of fear, but with the thrill of what was about to unfold. Following the guide in his memory, he did not hesitate and stepped inside the circr array, walking up to stand at the central point.


    The unsettling energy intensified and began to seep directly into his body without hesitation. It was cold and heavy, like a flood of ink pouring into his veins, filling every corner of his being with its oppressive weight.


    A deep chill emerged from the depths of his heart as he felt the ominous negativity gathering in his body. His breath hitched slightly as the coldness spread, tendrils of darkness curling into his mind, whispering thoughts not entirely his own. It seemed to affect every part of him, be it his heart or his mind.


    Usually, with such terrifying negative energy entering someone, they would lose control of their mind, and their heart and mind would be corrupted by intense negative emotions and dangerous thoughts.


    But who was Oliver?


    Abyss energy flooded every corner of his body as if it were his own blood, directly covering the negativity that was gathering and suppressing it. The dark energy wrestled against his own power, but Oliver''s control was absolute. The abyssal force within him surged forward like a tidal wave, crashing over the negativity and bending it to his will. This allowed Oliver to maintain a strong hold over the negativity. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Oliver noticed that the negativity was extremely overbearing, confirming what he had suspected. The source of negativity was born from the invisible part of the universe.


    It felt ancient, primal, as if it had existed long before the stars themselves had begun to burn.

 Chapter 205 Forgotten weapon of the past!

    Chapter 205 Forgotten weapon of the past!


    Chapter 205


    The universe was divided into two ends: positive and negative. Oliver felt the divide as if it were a chasm stretching endlessly beyond what his eyes could see¡ªa separation that no mortal could ever hope to cross. The people who resided in the positive region could not detect or see the things belonging to the negative region; they could only perceive its existence.


    Such was the case with the other side as well.


    This was simr to how matter and antimatter were spected by people to represent the opposing ends of the universe¡ªtwo halves of a whole, constantly at odds, bound byws far older than the stars themselves. Opposites that could never touch, separated by an unseen divide that even the greatest of powers could not cross freely.


    The two regions, positive and negative, could never interact or meet. The forces at y were far too great, the consequences too cataclysmic. This was the core principle of the universe.


    When matter and antimattere into contact, they annihte each other and release arge amount of energy. A cosmic dance of creation and destruction, one that had shaped the universe as it was known. This process was termed "annihtion" by the people of both sides.


    The negativity required to create what Oliver wanted came from the other side of the universe.


    It wasn''t just energy¡ªit was the raw, unfiltered force of the negative side, an element that defiedprehension in the positive world.


    As far as he knew, he was in the positive region of the universe and therefore required a medium to draw in the negativity¡ªthe power from the other end.


    The circr circuit beneath him worked as a channel for that. The lines of the array pulsed faintly, their energy humming in tune with the void dust scattered across the ground. With void dust, known to have formed from the shards of void, used as the material to create the array, it helped him establish a firm connection to the negative side of the universe.


    This also had another benefit. Since people in the positive region of the universe could not easily detect negativity, it gave him a way to conceal any abnormal activity that might ur.


    He still took precautions by performing this in an isted location to prevent any variables.


    No matter how confident he felt, there was always room for the unexpected.


    The world outside was none the wiser to the forces he was manipting; to them, the night was just another moonless one.


    Oliver patiently umted the overwhelming negativity into his body as time passed with every second.


    Each second stretched longer, the pressure within him growing heavier, yet strangely, it felt like it belonged¡ªa part of him being reawakened.


    Each moment felt like an eternity, the pressure mounting inside him as the negativity flowed deeper into his core.


    It filled every crevice of his being, like water seeping into cracks, except this water was darker, colder, more dangerous than anything he had ever experienced.


    The night was still and silent, allowing a strange sense of synchronization to ur between his body and the overbearing negativity. The rhythm of the universe seemed to slow, syncing with the pulse of the energy now coursing through him.


    Oliver observed the negativity condensing within his body. The ckness swirled and coiled inside him, a living force that bent to his will, ready to be shaped.


    It was both chaotic and controlled, like a storm he held within the palm of his hand.


    With the strange synchronization he now felt with the negativity, he began to take action, shaping the form of the negativity as described in the method from his memory.


    The night continued as Oliver became immersed in the process, forgetting everything else.


    Time lost its meaning as he focused entirely on the energy inside him, every thought directed at molding it into the weapon it was meant to be.


    The stars slowly became visible in the sky as time passed, and a strange scene urred, unnoticed by Oliver.


    The constetions above seemed to twist and shift, faint lights flickering in patterns that had not been seen for centuries, as though the universe itself was reacting to the power being called upon below.


    It was as if the cosmos were whispering, shifting in their ancient positions to witness the birth of something long-forgotten.


    A soft ethereal white light that seemed to belong to the countless stars above fell onto his body at the same time as the negativity was filling him.


    The light wrapped around him like a gentle veil, contrasting sharply with the dark energy coursing through his veins.


    From below, there was an endless stream of ck negativity, while from above, a steady stream of pure white starlight fell on his head.


    The forces collided within him but did not fight¡ªsomehow, they intertwined, each one respecting the other''s presence.


    Both energies seemed to envelop his body while he was busy condensing the weapon inside. The air around him crackled with potential, an invisible storm raging within the confines of his being.


    It was a mystical scene. A cosmic dance between light and dark, life and death, all contained within the solitary figure of a boy drawing on powers beyondprehension.


    "Phew¡­"


    Oliver broke out of his trance-like state and was startled to see bright sunlight falling onto him. His vision blurred slightly, adjusting to the sudden shift from the deep, infinite darkness to the blinding warmth of day. He squinted as the light filtered through the leaves of the trees he was standing beneath.


    He looked down to see the array circuit had also disappeared, as all the void dust had been used up after serving its purpose.


    The ground bore no sign of the immense power that had just coursed through it, leaving only the faint memory of the ritual that had taken ce.


    He leaned against the tree and slowly sat next to it, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, indicating the hard work he had done.


    His muscles ached, the toll of channeling such energy settling in, but a sense of aplishment washed over him.


    But a small smile was etched on his face as he beamed, "Finally, it''s done."


    ___________________N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 206 A call! Unexpected surprise?

    Chapter 206 A call! Unexpected surprise?


    Chapter 206 n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Finally, it''s done," Oliver smiled slightly and whispered.


    He nced at the city far away and stretched out his hand, muttering a call. The world seemed to still as he whispered the name. The world around him seemed to pause, the air itself holding still as though bracing for what was about to emerge.


    "[Neglegentis]"


    In the next instant, a pulsing ck sword suddenly emerged from the void into his hand, seemingly out of nowhere. The atmosphere crackled faintly, distorting around the sword''s dark presence, as though space itself recoiled from its arrival. The air around it warped slightly, the weapon''s presence disturbing the very space it upied.


    The sword oozed an unsettling feeling all around it. Its mere presence seemed to sap the warmth from the air, leaving behind a cold, oppressive aura. It hummed faintly, as if alive, its dark aura spreading like mist from the de''s edge. It was pitch ck with a terrifying, blurry construct. It looked as though the de was constantly shifting, like shadows swirling in an endless void. It was as if Oliver was holding a sword made of steam, not material.


    Just the look of the sword was enough to give chills to even the veterans among veterans, masters among masters.


    There was an ancient malice about it, a power so old and dangerous that anyone in its presence would instinctively know to fear it.


    However, something was odd about the sword.


    The hilt of the sword, the ce where you hold it, was pitch white!


    The pure white hilt seemed to glow faintly, an ethereal light that stood in sharp opposition to the darkness of the de.


    The stark contrast between the shadowy de and the pristine hilt was almost jarring, as though the weapon itself carried within it the bnce of light and dark.


    It was a paradox in form, two forces that should not coexist, yet here they were, bound together in a single object.


    Just pure white, and unlike how the sword''s body gave off a dark and dangerous vibe, the white hilt emitted a holy feeling and an unprecedented warmth.


    It was as if the hilt had its own separate life force, something ancient yet pure, standing in stark opposition to the malevolent energy of the de.


    It felt wrong, yet right¡ªa weapon born of opposites, holding both salvation and destruction within its form.


    The two energies seemed to pulse together, a strange harmony of chaos and order.


    Tracing the white hilt with his fingers, it felt more like he was touching a piece of warm, smooth jade.


    The warmth spread from his fingertips, aforting heat that traveled through his arm, in contrast to the cold, predatory sensation the de exuded.


    His fingertips tingled slightly, the warmth from the hilt spreading through him, as though the sword was recognizing its new master.


    He moved the sword closer to him and felt a strong connection with it, resonating with his very being.


    It was more than just a weapon¡ªit was a part of him, an extension of his will.


    Something that would grow with him from now on!


    It was as if the darkness of the sword was trying to swallow the space around it¡ªthe air seemed to tremble vividly.


    Even the light seemed to shy away from the weapon, bending around the de''s dark form as though afraid toe too close. The very stars above seemed dimmer, their faint glow unable to prate the sword''s shadowy aura.


    Oliver couldn''t help but take a deep breath as he took in the majesty of the sword. His chest swelled with both pride and awe, fully realizing the magnitude of what he had just created.


    Not to mention, he felt a very strong resonance between his soul and the sword¡ªa faint yet firm feeling. It wasn''t just a tool; it was as if the sword had its own consciousness, one that mirrored his own in some way. It was as if they were two parts of a whole, bound by an unspoken understanding, their fates now one.


    He felt the power of the sword. It was unimaginably powerful and terrifying! A raw force that could obliterate anything in its path if unleashed. The energy radiating from the de was so intense it felt as though it could tear the very fabric of reality if unleashed.


    But something left him confused¡­


    Why was there a pure white hilt on this pitch-ck sword?


    And instead of the eerie feeling the sword''s entire body gave off, this white hilt instead gave him a holy and pure feeling! It was almost soothing, like theforting presence of a divine being,pletely at odds with the dark, destructive energy the sword radiated.


    Did he do something wrong?


    This was his first thought when he looked at it, but he discarded the notion. He had followed the exact steps and methods from his memory, so there was no way it was his fault.


    Everything had been perfect¡ªevery line of the array, every grain of void dust ced with precision. There was no mistake.


    So, he simply put the matter to the back of his mind for the time being. He would figure it out when the time came naturally. There were greater concerns ahead, and whatever mystery the sword held would reveal itself in due time.


    He willed the sword to disappear, and in the next moment, it vanished into thin air, as if it had never existed in the first ce. But only he knew the sword was close to him, closer than anything.


    He knew the only distance between him and the sword was his call to it. The sword was bound to him now, a silent shadow that would follow him wherever he went, always ready, always waiting.


    After resting for a short time, he returned to the city, now fully prepared toplete his mission perfectly.


    His steps were lighter now, his body rejuvenated by the strange, potent energy that still lingered in his veins.


    He didn''t go back to his hotel; instead, he headed toward the yground.


    The night''s events had sharpened his focus, and there was no time to waste. The mission awaited.

 Chapter 207 The two twisted minds! Revival?

    207 The two twisted minds! Revival?


    Chapter 207


    City of Harlington, back alleyways.


    Just like any city in the world, the city of Harlington had its own slums and dirty alleys where criminals, thugs, or other anti-social elements resided or were active.


    The narrow, twisted streets seemed to swallow light, leaving only shadows where danger lurked at every corner.


    The air here was thick with the stench of decay and desperation, where the line between life and death was razor-thin.


    The smell of rotting garbage and filth permeated everything, mixing with the asional distant wail of someone too far gone to be saved.


    These were oftenwless zones where sometimes the cost of life became cheaper than a loaf of bread.


    Here, morality was a luxury no one could afford, and a human life was traded like currency¡ªcheap and easily spent.


    In these shadowy corners, power ruled, and mercy was a forgotten concept. The weak either learned to hide or were devoured by the strong, leaving nothing but bones and empty promises in their wake. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Only the strong and skilled survived in such areas of poverty. And even the strong rarely survived without scars¡ªphysical and otherwise.


    In one of the old shabby houses, there was a moment of disturbance. The faint sound of wood creaking underfoot broke the stillness, a subtle shift in the oppressive silence. The house stood out even among the dpidated surroundings, its broken windows and sagging roof a facade for something far more sinister within.


    It was a ce that seemed to sink into itself, as though the weight of the sinsmitted inside had made the very walls bow in despair.


    Inside the house, there wasn''t much except for some cheap, old furniture. Dust-covered shelves and tattered curtains lined the walls, giving off the illusion of neglect¡ªthough the real activityy just beneath the surface. The air was stale, thick with the scent of dust and mildew, though the real dangery hidden beneath the surface.


    An air of unease clung to the room, as if it was haunted by the malicious intentions of those who frequented it.


    However, this was all just a front¡ªan artificial makeover to imitate the other houses in the alleyway.


    The dingy exterior and rundown appearance were carefully crafted to mislead prying eyes, ensuring no one looked too closely at what really went on behind closed doors.


    Beneath the worn floorboards, the truth simmered, hidden from prying eyes. It was a trap¡ªa facade hiding the dark web of schemes and plots brewing underneath.


    Under this shabby-looking facade, two people stood next to each other. One appeared to be holding a long piece of paper, while the other held a shiny rock.


    The paper was old and weathered, its edges frayed, but the writing upon it still pulsed with dark energy. The rock in the other''s hand gleamed ominously, glowing faintly with power, as though alive in its own right.


    The dim light from a single flickering bulb cast long shadows across the room, giving the scene a sense of unease. The shadows seemed to dance along the cracked walls, their jagged edges crawling up toward the ceiling, twisting and contorting as if mimicking the thoughts of those present.


    "If we manage to do it this time, we will be even closer to our goal than before!"


    The woman''s voice cut through the silence, sharp with anticipation. Her fingers trembled slightly as she gripped the paper, her excitement barely contained.


    The woman''s voice was filled with urgency, her eyes gleaming with ambition as she stared at the paper in her hands. The flickering light cast eerie reflections in her eyes, making her look almost feverish, consumed by the promise of what was toe.


    It was the voice of a woman who spoke, indicating one of the two was a woman.


    "Hmm. I''m sure we will. We''ve been dyed because of those bastards from the Unholy Sun Sect. Look what happened in the end? Now there''s not a trace of their past glory." The man''s voice was low, tinged with bitterness. He spat the words out, his grip tightening on the rock as if imagining it was one of the sect members.


    "Humph. They must have gotten toocent with their new young recruits. Offending not one but all five major ns together at once? Even demons dare not pull such a stunt." Her lips curled into a sneer, her disdain for their recklessness clear.


    There was no sympathy in her tone, only the cold satisfaction of seeing someone else''s downfall.


    "I know, I know¡­ still, I feel it''s a bit weird how they suddenly targeted the n and got erased so easily. There must be a reason they directly reached out to attack the n heirs." He furrowed his brow, suspicion creeping into his voice as he pondered the chain of events.


    Something about it felt off, as if there was a missing piece to the puzzle.


    "No use thinking about it. We don''t need to concern ourselves with that matter; we have to do our job as told." Her voice was sharp, cutting off his train of thought.


    She had no interest in distractions, only in whaty ahead.


    "You''re right. With the recent surge of exorcists around the normal human cities, security has tightened everywhere, and our actions have be even more restrained. Fortunately, we finally got this chance." The man spoke in a desperate tone. His hands tightened around the shiny rock, his knuckles white with tension.


    "It''s all thanks to those dumb idiots who went ahead and got themselves killed, making the ns actively hunt for heretics everywhere. Those exorcists are like mad dogs¡ªonce marked, they won''t leave! Gosh, so annoying!" The woman spat the words out, her eyes shing with irritation as she paced the room.


    The woman huffed in annoyance.


    "Well, don''t stress too much. This city is still kind of backwaterpared to others, and the people here have differing opinions on the existence of exorcists, so it shouldn''t be a problem for us to fetch a high quantity of souls." The man''s voice was calm, almost too calm, as if he''d already made peace with the chaos toe.


    ____________________


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 208 Calling police?

    208 Calling police?


    Chapter 208


    The man assured her in a serious voice.


    The woman was silent upon hearing him and nodded. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly, though the fire in her eyes remained.


    "You''re right. I always feel baffled by the foolishness of these humans. To have opinions about exorcists? That''s so ridiculous, haha!" Herughter was sharp, edged with cruelty, her voice dripping with scorn.


    The man continued reading the scroll in his hands, as if lost in thought. His eyes flicked over the ancient symbols, each one sparking a new n in his mind, his focus unshakable despite the woman''s mocking tone.


    What he mentioned just now was a widely known fact.


    Not only did normal humans not have favorable impressions of exorcists, but it was also simply impossible for them to have one.


    Some people refused to acknowledge that exorcists even existed. Those people were the ones who had never faced any danger and spent most of their lives in the confines of the highly secure, modern cities near the capital.


    Then there were those who felt the need to keep the exorcists in check, given the huge differences in power and mentality. To them, exorcists were too powerful, too separate from the normal human experience. They feared what they could not control.


    To such people, exorcists should be treated more as tools of war than humans, their sole purpose being to serve normal humans.


    It was a ridiculous notion, but the Exorcist Union never bothered with it and continued doing what it wanted. Anyway, the majority of the poption viewed the exorcists favorably, so it wasn''t too big of an issue.


    "Well, who are we to care? Thanks to these fools, there isn''t a single exorcist in the entire city. We''ve been nning this for well over a year by now. Once it''s released, the entire city will bembs ready for ughter!" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You''re right. Before the exorcists are even notified, we will have long aplished our goal, hahaha." The woman let out an erraticugh as she said this.


    "Ahh, I can''t wait. With this number of souls, we can definitely revive our lord¡­"


    There was a glint of madness in his eyes as he spoke, his voice thick with obsession. The weight of their long-awaited moment hung heavy in the air, suffocating in its intensity.


    The man had a hint of longing in his words, and the woman remained silent, her eyes fervent with emotion. Her hands trembled ever so slightly, not from fear, but from the sheer adrenaline coursing through her veins.


    They had been nning this for a long time, keeping track of the city to ensure that no exorcists got a hint of their presence, or that if any passed by, they would leave without noticing anything abnormal.


    It was only recently that they had be confident about their ns and reached the final stage.


    Now, the finishing touches were in ce, and all that remained was the final, devastating blow.


    This did cause some problems with themon folk, but it was nothing too serious¡ªjust some nightmares and the disappearances of some insignificant people.


    People no one would miss. Faces forgotten by the world, swallowed by the dark alleys and backstreets of the city. In cities like these, the forgotten were the easiest prey. They disappeared without a trace, their existence barely acknowledged by the bustling lives of those in more prosperous areas.


    These incidents would at best be reported to the local authorities, and the police would soon forget about them as well. Just another name scrawled in a forgotten ledger, another case left cold. Another missing child, another nameless victim swallowed by the city''s dark underbelly¡ªjust another day in thewless parts of town.


    So they had been a little more aggressivetely. Time was running out, and the need toplete the ritual gnawed at their nerves. The sooner theypleted the process, the sooner they could revive their lord and rebuild their sects.


    Desperation had driven them to take bolder risks, their movements more frantic with each passing day.


    "Then it''s about time we start?" The woman''s voice cut through the tense silence, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.


    "Indeed. It''s time." The man''s response was calm, but his voice held a note of grim finality.


    Both of them nced at each other as the woman sat cross-legged in the room and closed her eyes as if meditating, while the man retrieved a broken skull from nowhere and ced it in front of her.


    The skull, cracked and ancient, seemed to pulse with a dark energy, as if it had a will of its own. Upon closer look, it had weird runes etched on the bony exterior.


    The man started to chant in some unknownnguage, and a runic array began to form beneath the skull.


    The symbols glowed faintly at first, but soon the room was bathed in a sinister light, the air around them thick with dark magic.


    The two of them soon became immersed in their process.


    Their breaths synchronized with the rhythm of the chanting, each word spoken with purpose, as though unlocking something hidden deep beneath the surface.


    __________________


    Meanwhile, far from the sinister rituals taking ce in the alleyways, Oliver had just arrived at the yground that was supposedly cursed. The air here felt heavy, thick with an unseen tension that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He looked around. There were still some people there at that moment, parents chatting as their children yed, blissfully unaware of the danger that lingered just beneath the surface.


    He made a quick call to the local police station, and soon someone picked up. The distant sound of the city faded as Oliver focused on the voice on the other end.


    "Harlington Police speaking, may we know your issue?" A feminine voice sounded from the other end.


    Her tone was polite, but there was a hint of weariness¡ªlikely the result of dealing with countless routine calls.


    Oliver took a deep breath and said, his voice firm and authoritativepletely unlike his usual self,


    "I am an exorcist dispatched by the Mystic Purge n and am currently in the city."


    ________________


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 209 Evacuating civilians! Chiefs surprise!

    Chapter 209 Evacuating civilians! Chief''s surprise!


    Chapter 209


    He heard some rustling sounds through the call before the voice came again. A quick shuffle, the urgency of the situation finally sinking in, as if the weight of his words had dropped like a stone into the calm waters of their routine.


    "Yes, sir exorcist, what can we assist you with?" This time, the voice had changed; it was that of a man. Clearly, the operator had immediately forwarded the call to her superior after hearing his im.


    There was a sharpness now, a readiness in the tone, as if the mention of "exorcist" had snapped the team into focus.


    The shift in tone was immediate, from casual to tense, as if the very word "exorcist" had sent a jolt of realization through the station.


    The man on the other end was no longer speaking to just anyone; he was talking to a member of one of the most feared and respected groups in existence.


    Although it was a bit reckless to suddenly trust the other party based on a call alone, only a few dared to joke about such matters, and the punishment for pranksters was severe.


    No one, not even the most brazen of criminals, would dare impersonate an exorcist and risk the wrath of the ns.


    No one took an exorcist lightly, especially not in times like these. There were too many dark forces lurking just beyond the light of civilization, too many dangers that only exorcists could face head-on.


    "Come over and clear the yground in the north. Have all the civilians evacuate the premises right now. I am about to perform an exorcism."


    His voice remained calm, but there was an underlying urgency in his words, a subtlemand that brooked no argument.


    An exorcism!


    The police chief on the other end of the call, upon hearing the word, had a tense expression. His heartbeat quickened, his grip on the phone tightening as if the very word had sent a chill down his spine. His heart skipped a beat, and he looked a bit dazed.


    He knew what it meant when an exorcist was about to perform an exorcism somewhere¡ªit meant the ce was infested either with demonic beings like ghosts or something rted to heretics.


    Both possibilities were equally terrifying. Demons could tear apart the very city itself, and heretics¡­ well, they had a way of twisting the world around them into something unrecognizable.


    Both were threats that no normal police force was equipped to handle. They could barely deal with regr criminals, let alone the supernatural horrors that exorcists faced daily.


    Being on the deeper side of the human continent, there was no way a ghost could sneak past, so it only meant one simple thing.


    Heretics. The word echoed in his mind like the tolling of a funeral bell.


    There were heretics in the city!


    The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. It was the kind of news that could shake an entire city to its core. And since an exorcist deemed it necessary to take action and personally perform an exorcism, it could only mean that the heretics had been active in the city for a long time, operating under their noses.


    His stomach churned. His mind raced as he tried toprehend how something so dangerous had slipped past them unnoticed.


    It had reached the point where an exorcism was needed to keep the people safe. That meant the threat was already far greater than they had ever anticipated.


    The gravity of the situation settled in, a cold sweat breaking out across his brow.


    His expression turned grim as he realized the yground in the north¡­ The ce where families gathered, where children yed¡ªblissfully unaware of the darkness creeping toward them.


    The department had received some reports from there recently about abnormal activities and mysterious disappearances of children.


    Missing posters had been stered around the city, but no one had connected the dots¡ªuntil now.


    But they had concluded it was a missing persons case, and some officers were investigating it. Standard protocol for a city like Harlington¡ªchalk it up to runaway kids or unsolved abductions.


    Who could have thought it was rted to heretics? The realization burned in his chest like acid. They had been blind to the real danger all along.


    If this matter came to public light, his position would be in grave danger. The city''s trust in his leadership would crumble. He could already see the headlines¡ªhis career in ruins.


    "Are you still there? Reply."


    Oliver''s cold voice sounded from the other end since the chief officer had not replied. It cut through the chief''s rising panic like a de, snapping him back to the present. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yes, yes, sir. I will personally mobilize every avable personnel ande to your aid right now." The chief''s voice wavered, but he forced strength into it, knowing this wasn''t the time for hesitation.


    "Fast," Oliver said and hung up the phone. The abrupt end to the call left the chief staring at the receiver, the weight of themand still hanging in the air.


    The chief held his face for a moment, feeling frustrated. His fingers pressed into his temples, trying to massage away the anxiety building inside. No matter what, since an exorcist had called for assistance, as per thews and conduct of human society, they must aid them to the best of their ability.


    There was no room to think about other things now. The clock was ticking, and lives were on the line.


    He was shocked how he, an experienced officer was panicking so much right now? Where did all that training to remain calm in such situations go?


    He could not help it since the topic rted to heretics and demons made even the bravest sweat cold buckets.


    He quickly ordered his force to be ready and rushed to the location where Oliver was. The sirens red as police cars sped through the city streets, a sense of dread filling the air.


    They quickly reached the scene and immediately started escorting the citizens still loitering around in the park out.


    There were a few homeless beggars hiding under benches and other ces; they were directly removed from the park. Even the most stubborn were pulled away, their protests drowned out by the urgency in the officers'' voices.

 Chapter 210 Hes short!

    Chapter 210 He''s short!


    Chapter 210 n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    They were under orders that no one was to see what was about to happen and that they must maintain a distance from the yground and park.


    Whatever was about to unfold here was beyond anything they were equipped to handle. The officers had felt it in their bones¡ªa primal instinct to retreat, to leave this business to those who could face such horrors.


    Even the officers on duty didn''t dare linger for too long after ensuring there was no one left in the yground. The unnatural quiet that followed sent a shiver down their spines. They didn''t need to be told twice to leave.


    This wasn''t a horror movie, and they weren''t main characters. They were simply ordinary people trying to survive in a world filled with extraordinary threats.


    No matter what, they were still ordinary folk and could not withstand demonic beings on their own. They weren''t armed with holy relics or mystical abilities¡ªjust badges and uniforms. They didn''t have the confidence to deal with such supernatural phenomena.


    They had seen enough reports to know that when an exorcist was involved, it was best to get as far away as possible. Exorcists didn''t just deal with criminals¡ªthey dealt with things that could tear your mind apart, or worse, your soul.


    Oliver was nowhere to be seen, which led to some confusion. The police chief at the scene couldn''t help but call him back, to which he simply replied that they should not bother him anymore and evacuate themselves as well.


    The chief was restless, however. His nerves were on edge, a low hum of anxiety vibrating through his body. His hands twitched at his sides, his instincts screaming at him to stay. Being the person with the highest authority in the area, he had the responsibility to stay back and assist if needed.


    So, he ordered his subordinates to leave first and maintain a distance from the yground, prohibiting any citizens from wandering close to it. Their hurried footsteps echoed in the empty streets as they rushed toply, eager to put distance between themselves and whatever was about to happen.


    Only he remained near the yground, waiting for the exorcist to appear. He still had to ensure that the caller was authentic by meeting Oliver in person¡ªotherwise, wouldn''t they have wasted all their efforts and time?


    Minutes stretched into eternity as the police chief was feeling more uneasy, he spotted a small, lone figure walking toward him. The figure moved with purpose, a silhouette too small and deliberate to be one of the wandering homeless.


    The silhouette indicated they were just a small child. But how could a kid slip past the guard of his subordinates and enter without them noticing?


    His mind scrambled for a logical exnation, but nothing made sense.


    Naturally, he felt inclined to believe the identity of the other person was what he expected. Still, doubt gnawed at the edges of his thoughts.


    Could this really be the exorcist he had spoken to? The one who imed to be capable of performing an exorcism so dangerous?


    "Who are you? Didn''t I ask everyone to leave?"


    The child-like voice was undoubtedly present. The boy''s features came into the light¡ªcreamy white hair and brightly shining blue eyes. He was, without a doubt, a kid.


    An extraordinary kid¡­


    The chief''s breath hitched. The police chief could just tell. There was something about the way the boy stood, the way his eyes seemed to take in everything with a calm indifference. The intensity around Oliver made him instinctively feel that way. Despite the other party being a small child with a harmless appearance, the chief still felt oddly vulnerable, as if standing in front of a predator.


    There was something predatory about the way the boy carried himself, as if beneath that innocent face was something far older, far more dangerous. The chief felt as though he was staring into the eyes of a creature that had seen more than a lifetime''s worth of battle, someone¡ªor something¡ªwho knew the darkest corners of the world.


    "Sir, are you the exorcist¡­?" He mustered up his courage and asked. His throat tightened as the words left his mouth, the question hanging in the air between them like a weight.


    Oliver nodded. His movement was so small, so restrained, it barely registered.


    "Didn''t we just talk about it?" His response was t, emotionless, but carried with it a weight of authority that left no room for doubt.


    "Yes, definitely. It''s just that there haven''t been any exorcists in this city for many years, and I always imagined exorcists to be¡­ erm¡­ nothing, sir." The chief''s words fumbled out awkwardly, his mind still grappling with the contradiction before him¡ªthis childlike figure, and the immense power he could sense underneath.


    The chief''s words stumbled out awkwardly, the sight before him shing with everything he''d ever thought an exorcist would be.


    The chief didn''t know what to say to him, so he paused hesitantly mid-sentence.


    Was it offensive to point out the child-like features? It wasn''t just the strangeness of seeing a kid in this role¡ªit was the sheer disconnect between what he expected and what was standing in front of him.


    He wasn''t sure what the protocol was in this situation, but he sure as hell didn''t want to offend the boy standing before him.


    He was contemting if it would be offensive toment on the child-like features. As an ordinary human, he was not familiar with exorcist customs.


    If he mistakenly offended the exorcist, he would only be sowing unnecessary trouble, which he clearly didn''t want to do. The tales of those who had insulted or crossed exorcists lingered in the back of his mind¡ªnone of them ended well.


    Moreover, it could be that the other party was in disguise. With the strange and bizarre methods of the exorcists, he wouldn''t be surprised if there was an old man under the child''s skin.


    Oliver nced at the restless officer and knew what he was thinking. He was not unfamiliar with such nces; during the auction, there were multiple people who had doubted and tried to confirm his identity.


    He was helpless in this matter and could only wait to grow quickly.


    _____________________

 Chapter 211 Hybrid fetus!

    Chapter 211 Hybrid fetus!


    Chapter 211


    The chief simply bowed and said, his voice stiff with formal deference, "Sir, it is our negligence that damned heretics have infiltrated our peaceful city. I sincerely request you to exorcise this filth and stop them from dirtying our city."


    "Don''t worry. Just maintain a distance from this area and ensure no one enters within range. I wouldn''t want to endanger any civilians here." Oliver''s tone was as cold as the night air, his focus already shifting to the task ahead.


    His words, though calm, carried an undercurrent of authority that brooked no argument. The chief could sense it¡ªthis wasn''t a matter of debate. No matter what, he still had to maintain a certain distinct authority as an exorcist.


    Oliver nodded and walked past the policeman, entering the yground. The sound of his footsteps was soft, yet each one seemed to echo in the empty space.


    The officer nced one more time at Oliver''s back before making up his mind and leaving the premises quickly. There was something unsettling about the boy''s quiet confidence, something that made the chief want to be far, far away from whatever wasing next.


    ____________________


    "Sure enough, this thing has grown considerably since thest time." His eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, his special sight peeling back theyers of reality to expose the truth beneath.


    Oliver murmured while staring at a particr inconspicuous spot in front of him.


    It was a sliding swing made for children to y on. It looked extremely normal, and no one would be able to tell any difference at all.


    But beneath the mundane exterior, darkness festered.


    Oliver doubted even exorcists of the same rank as him would easily notice anything unusual at first nce. To the naked eye, it was just an ordinary yground, but to him, it was a site of something far more sinister. But he wasn''t like other exorcists¡ªhis eyes saw the unseen, the hidden dangers others would walk past without a second thought.


    However, while the swing appeared quite normal externally, from his point of view, using his special eyes, he could see a fetus-like object swirling in a cocoon of darkness.


    The fetus-shaped object was constantly rotating in a circr pattern, and it was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye. Each rotation seemed to pull in more darkness, feeding the twisted thing within. The changes were observable as more and more dark espera flooded into the cocoon from a faraway source.


    Oliver narrowed his eyes further and observed a string of dark espera attached to the swing. It pulsed like a living vein, carrying the taint from somewhere far beyond the yground. Shifting his line of sight, he noticed the string extending and shooting off to the east.


    His gaze followed it, his mind already calcting where it led and what awaited him at the end of that dark tether.


    From his research about the cityyout earlier, he thought about the direction and felt it was close to where the majority of slums were located in the city.


    The pieces began to fall into ce.


    He didn''t need to guess much and was able to effortlessly connect the dots.


    It seemed that the heretics behind this whole stunt were hiding in the slums, controlling this thing from there. It wasn''t just some random manifestation of evil¡ªthere was intent behind it, a guiding hand steering the dark espera from afar.


    Oliver thought he could cut off the connection instantly using his own espera but stopped himself from doing so.


    He wanted to know how deep the roots ran and how many heretics were running this little dark business in the city of normal civilians. There was more to uncover here. A mere exorcism wouldn''t be enough¡ªhe needed to trace this back to the source. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It was creepy how they had gone undetected so far. This city should have been frequented by traveling exorcists once in a while, but they hadn''t found anything.


    It was only when the organization suspected that there was a chance of the emergence of an artifact that the mission was assigned and he was sent here.


    But now the matter didn''t seem limited to a simple artifact anymore.


    There was something deeper at work here. Something far more dangerous than just a cursed yground.


    Badump! Badump!


    A loud heartbeat suddenly sounded in the silent yground.


    He paused as he looked back at the sliding swing, or more precisely, at the baby fetus-shaped thing that was growing even faster now.


    The darkness around it churned violently, as if it had sensed the approach of its final stage.


    Its speed of growth had elerated for some reason!


    "Are they finally going to release it?"


    Oliver squinted as he observed the flow of dark espera from the channel, which had also started to increase. It was as if the heretics were funneling more and more power into the creature, pushing it to full maturity.


    The sound of a heartbeat echoed in his ears as the fetus seemed to expand, and the ck mutant of a human-like thing was erging with every second.


    It looked like it was about to be born and emerge.


    It was no longer just a presence lurking in the shadows¡ªthis thing was about to be born.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, the dark espera exploded, and Oliver was forced to back away for a moment.


    He looked at the swing. A ck humanoid being started to tear off the ck cocoon that was enveloping it.


    Oliver''s brows furrowed as he looked at the creature in disgust. The air around him grew foul, thick with the stench of decay and corruption. There was an overwhelming stench of decay radiating from the creature.


    It was nauseating and suffocating to be in the vicinity of such a thing.


    ''What sort of thing is this? It''s definitely not a demon.''


    Oliver thought deeply. He knew well how demons felt and smelled. Moreover, he had never seen such a thing before.


    The creature had white irises like a human but, at the same time, threerge mouths were hanging on the being''s face, constantly exhaling a gray smoky mist.


    He frowned. The humanoid body, the human-like eyes, and mouth¡­


    ''A hybrid?''


    _________________

 Chapter 212 Alchemists? Tough body!

    Chapter 212 Alchemists? Tough body!


    Chapter 212


    ''A sort of hybrid?''


    Oliver''s frown deepened as he suspected the possibility. The thing before him wasn''t natural¡ªit was a grotesquebination of things that should never have been merged. He felt more and more sure of his theory that the creature was not simply a demon or human, but a hybrid of the two.


    ''The heretics have an alchemist with them?''


    He quickly realized that a heretic knowledgeable in alchemy was involved in this.


    This thing was a hybrid, a chimera. A monstrosity, crafted through dark science and forbidden rituals. He had read about them briefly from his tutor. These were imperfect dolls created with the aim of producing a being that possessed the powers and qualities of both humans and demons.


    An experiment to create a superior being above humans and demons. The heretics were trying to y god, and the result was standing right in front of him¡ªa twisted abomination. This process was extremely sinister and demanded the lives of both demons and humans, a very serious criminal act in the society of exorcism.


    Such alchemists, who used these dark and sinister methods, were prime targets of the Exorcist Union.


    It was permitted to exorcise them on sight!


    This was how dangerous these people were, and now he had encountered such a thing¡ªan abomination that should not exist.


    If Oliver remembered correctly, to create a hybrid, a lot of resources and sacrifices were needed, not to mention an environment for that hybrid to grow.


    ''So, this is what they''ve been nning?It looks like a deep n they''ve been working on for a long time¡ªtoo long.''


    He didn''t know many details about hybrids, and his knowledge was limited based on what he had been taught when he was younger.


    He was only told that this process was extremely cruel and frowned upon, even among demons, since it consumed many lives just to begin.


    And more lives were reaped to aid the growth process after its birth.


    ''This thing has clearly just been born, but the dark espera radiating from its core is so overwhelming. No wonder such alchemists are hunted relentlessly. The number of lives consumed for this thing to be born must be significant.''


    Oliver wasn''t one to judge, but he still could not help but feel shocked. Looking at the creature tearing apart the cocoon, he felt goosebumps. his wasn''t just a heretic''s ploy¡ªit was something far more insidious, and now it stood before him, growing stronger by the second.


    And this wasn''t a heretic with fake strength but an actual chimera, and the strength it had was definitely real and dangerous!


    Oliver''s eyes glinted with both disgust and caution. This creature was a real threat¡ªone that required his full attention.


    Oliver lowered his arms as espera started to fluctuate violently behind him.


    The air was heavy with an eerie stillness as the faint light of dawn barely pierced the foggy horizon. Oliver stood a few paces away, his eyes locked on the grotesque chimera emerging from the remnants of its cocoon.


    The creature''s pitch-ck humanoid form shuddered violently, three loose mouths hanging grotesquely from its chest, twisting and gaping as if trying to make sense of the world. It looked unnatural¡ªan insult to both human and demon, a thing that shouldn''t exist. Its eyes¡ªcold, human-like¡ªglowed with a menacing hunger for souls. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A rapier suddenly appeared in his hand, retrieved from his mindspace.


    Oliver''s rapier trembled in his grip, not from fear, but from the weight of the situation. The tension in the air was almost palpable, his instincts screaming at him to act quickly. He calmly observed the chimera''s behavior.


    A rotting stench, which made Oliver''s skin prickle and his senses sharpen, came from the chimera. The smell was thick, like decay left to rot for centuries¡ªoverpowering and vile. This creature was mindless, driven only by the urge to devour as many souls as it could.


    As the chimera tore thest shreds of its cocoon, Oliver''s instincts screamed at him to strike first. He wasn''t about to let this abomination gain the upper hand. He channeled his espera into his rapier, gripping it with resolve. The edges glowed faintly as he prepared his first move. He couldn''t let this abomination have the advantage.


    [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom]


    Without hesitation, Oliver used his best rapier technique, not wanting to hold back.


    With a swift step forward, Oliver''s spearshed out like a viper, cutting through the early morning mist. The movement was sharp, precise, with the intent to end the battle quickly. His strike was aimed at the chimera''s chest, directly at the grotesque mouths.


    The rapier struck true¡ªbut instead of piercing flesh, it rebounded with a dull thud, the dark espera surrounding the chimera acting like a shield. The force of the impact reverberated up Oliver''s arm, making his grip falter for a split second. A sharp, grating groan escaped from one of the creature''s mouths, sending a shiver down Oliver''s spine.


    The chimera instinctively blocked the rapier. It moved with a terrifying speed for something so monstrous. Although it had no intellect, it still had sharpened instincts and probably sensed the danger behind the rapier move.


    "Tch, tougher than expected," Oliver muttered under his breath, leaping back as the chimera surged forward with terrifying speed.


    Its movement was almost unnatural, the way it lunged¡ªhalf staggering, half sprinting¡ªtowards him. Its long, grotesque arms swiped at him, the ws gleaming with raw dark espera, lethal with every swing. Oliver dodged, barely avoiding the strike. His body flickered as he used the [Six Thoughtful Steps of the Spirit] his movement technique allowing him to blur out of sight momentarily.


    The world around him blurred as he shifted, reappearing just in time to dodge another vicious swipe. He appeared behind the chimera, hoping to catch it off guard, but the creature was relentless. It whirled around with unnatural agility, a wicked grin splitting across all three mouths.


    ___________________

 Chapter 213 First time being wounded?

    Chapter 213 First time being wounded?


    Chapter 213


    Oliver''s pulse quickened. He could feel the weight of the dark espera pressing down on him like a suffocating nket. The creature''s dark espera tried to crush him, bearing down like a weight on his chest. He needed to weaken it, or else it would be difficult to get close. Each breath felt heavier, the air around him thickening with the creature''s corruption. Dark espera was especially harmful to exorcists with pure, untainted espera.


    He needed something more. Something potent enough to burn away this darkness. He raised his hand, ck mes dancing at his fingertips.


    [Holy mes of Nightmare]


    With a sharp thrust of his palm, the ck mes burst forth and engulfed the chimera. The mes roared to life, scorching the ground beneath them as they wrapped around the creature. The mes howled as they licked at the dark espera, burning through the corrupted energy. For a moment, Oliver thought he had gained the upper hand. The chimera staggered, its grotesque form jerking as the holy mes gnawed at its flesh. The chimera staggered, its movements growing sluggish as the holy mes feasted on its defenses.


    But then, with a bone-chilling roar, the creature surged forward, seemingly unfazed by the damage it had taken. It powered through the fire, a primal fury driving its limbs. It didn''t stop. Instead, it let out a deafening roar that almost shattered Oliver''s ears.


    With a furious bellow, the chimera lunged through the fire, ignoring the damage. Its ws came down like hammers, savage and fierce. Those terribly sharp ws scraped against Oliver''s arm, tearing through his cloak and drawing blood.


    "What?"


    Pain red up his arm, sharp and searing, as the creature''s ws ripped into him.


    The searing pain jolted him as he was thrown back by the force of the blow. He skidded across the dirt, his breath ragged, eyes narrowing at the creature that now loomed over him. It was growing wilder, losing control, the dark espera around it pulsating violently. It was clear that the chimera was losing control, slowly going berserk.


    It didn''t even bother healing itself, leaping into his mes without hesitation, catching him off guard for a moment.


    The chimera felt stronger than Jetia at this point, its power swelling as it absorbed more dark espera from the environment. Dark espera overflowed around it, shrouding the creature in a dense cloud of malevolent energy.


    The chimera lunged at him as Oliver rolled sideways, quickly trying to gain some distance between them.


    Its movements were erratic, but the raw strength behind each swipe was undeniable.


    The chimera let out a low howl as the Holy mes of Nightmare burned intensely on its body.


    Layers uponyers of dark espera slowly smothered the mes until they werepletely extinguished from the chimera''s tough hide.


    "Damn it¡­" Oliver gasped, clutching his bleeding arm. His heart raced as he struggled to catch his breath. The chimera was relentless, and it was getting stronger, feeding off the dark espera in the air. His strikes, his mes¡ªthey weren''t enough to stop it. Not yet.


    ''Come to think of it, this is the first time a demonic being has actually managed to injure me.'' He couldn''t help but feel the gravity of the situation.


    But he wasn''t finished. His body screamed in protest, but his mind remained calm. Forcing himself to his feet, Oliver calmed his mind. The [Eternal Winter Physique] hummed inside him, his control over ice limited but present. He used a fineyer of ice to close his wound, stopping the bleeding with the help of frost.


    The chill numbed the pain slightly, giving him a moment of rity. As his arm healed, he raised his uninjured hand and summoned a wave of freezing air, attempting to slow the chimera''s movements. The frost crept across the ground like a living thing, reaching out to entrap the creature.


    The frost spread across the ground, creeping up the creature''s legs and binding it in ce for a moment. It thrashed wildly, cracking the ice, but it bought him the time he needed.


    "This is going to hurt."


    Oliver dashed forward, calling upon his palm technique. His movements were swift, a blur of energy and precision as he closed in. His eyes locked onto the chimera''s eerie, human-like eyes, determination burning behind his [Cosmic Void Gaze]. He wouldn''t use it recklessly, just enough to seize the creature''s attention and daze it.


    [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm] n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The air shimmered around Oliver''s outstretched hand as twelve massive spectral giants appeared, their palms mirroring his own strike. Each palm was a projection of pure, condensed force, aiming to crush the chimera beneath their might. They descended on the chimera all at once, their blows crashing into the creature''s body with the force of a mountain. The ground shook with each impact as the chimera howled in agony, its grotesque mouths twisting and contorting, unable to process the overwhelming assault.


    But even as the illusions struck, Oliver could feel it. The chimera''s body was far from breaking. It was a beast driven by pure, chaotic hunger. The dark espera swirled violently around it, resisting the attack. The creature''s body cracked, but it did not fall.


    A piercing shriek escaped the chimera''s mouth as it curled its body to avoid the assault and minimize the damage. Its survival instincts were still intact, impressive for something so twisted. Even without intellect, it knew how to do such things, which impressed Oliver to some extent.


    Oliver staggered back, panting, sweat dripping from his brow. He had used too much espera already.


    His energy reserves were draining faster than he anticipated. It was most likely due to the excessive dark espera clouding his surroundings.


    Had there been another Rank-1 exorcist in his ce, they would have long since drained their espera and be the chimera''s breakfast.


    "I can''t keep up this pace forever¡­" he muttered, ring at the creature as it rose from the aftermath of the palm strikes. Its eyes zed with an unholy rage, its body pulsating with malevolent energy. Its eyes burned with rage, the dark espera around it swelling with malevolent energy. It was more ferocious now, the damage only making it more dangerous.


    Even without intelligence, the chimera already viewed him as a huge threat to its own existence, and its desire to kill surged even more.


    But...


    Did Oliver care?

 Chapter 214 Hunter or Prey?

    Chapter 214 Hunter or Prey?


    Chapter 214


    Oliver didn''t care about that; he and the chimera were already locked in a battle to the death, and the situation would only be resolved once one of them was finished.


    The air around them buzzed with tension, a silent acknowledgment that only one would walk away from this fight.


    Water condensed at his fingertips, swirling into form with practiced precision. It gathered in his palms, stretching slowly and shaping itself into a long, thin, translucent blue de.


    The water moved within the de even as he held it. It rippled like liquid caught in suspended time, shimmering under the faint light of dawn. The de was a pressurized hydraulic water weapon that Oliver had developed while training in the water chamber.


    It wasn''t just water¡ªit was destruction in liquid form, honed to a razor''s edge.


    Water at high pressure can be sharp enough to cut through the toughest metals, and the de was inspired by that principle¡ªfocused on sharpness and precision.


    Using quick movements, Oliver appeared before the chimera, and before the creature could react, he sliced forward with the hydraulic de in a swift motion.


    The chimera''s reaction was too slow. The de hummed as it sliced through the air. The de was a blur as it cut through the air, aimed with deadly precision.


    The de cut through the air as it reached the chimera, which instinctively tried to block the sword with its long arms.


    Stter!


    The chimera paused, stunned, as it looked down at where its long arm should have been¡ªonly to find a half-sliced elbow, cleanly severed.


    Blood oozed from the clean cut, dark and viscous, as the creature let out a gurgling howl of pain. It clutched the stump of its arm, its grotesque mouths twitching in agony.


    It took a moment before sharp pain assaulted the senses of the dark chimera, making it recoil in fear and indignation as it looked at Oliver with wary eyes and a hint of fear.


    The chimera''s body, which it thought was unbreakable and its greatest weapon, had been sliced apart wlessly by the mysterious watery de, as if slicing butter with a hot knife.


    Its confidence shattered, reced by a creeping, primal terror. The chimera''s entire body started to shake violently as it looked at Oliver. The moment it looked into Oliver''s eyes, an unprecedented fear suddenly enveloped its whole being.


    Two eyes as vast as the sky itself seemed to be gazing down at it in that moment; just the mere gaze weighed down as if thousands of mountains were raining from above.


    The hybrid''s body shook violently as it followed the closest instinct it could muster in the situation.


    Escape!


    Its mind might not have realized it, but the hybrid''s tough, earlier-indestructible body had realized one fact¡­


    Oliver''s presence was life-threatening!


    Those eyes held something ominous that gave birth to a primal feeling within its body. It was not just fear¡ªit was the deep, gut-wrenching knowledge of impending doom.


    It was something that could not be exined in words but was unmistakably present.


    "Trying to run away?"


    Oliver frowned, and his feet blurred into motion. Using his only movement technique, he gave chase to the chimera.


    The ground blurred beneath him as he closed the distance, relentless. No matter what, he could not let the hybrid enter the town.


    He had to confine it here at any cost and then exorcise it.


    If the hybrid started attacking civilians, not only would it quickly grow stronger, but it would also cause a massivemotion, and his mission might be very difficult.


    Not only that, but his presence could also be known to his n and to others far and wide, which would put a firm end to all his future ns.


    Everything he had worked for would unravel in an instant. He could not allow that at any cost.


    Although the chimera''s physical strength was beyond what a rank-1 exorcist couldpete with, it was not an issue for Oliver. With his own absurd strength, keeping up with the chimera was easy.


    Swish!


    The hydraulic de moved again as a terrifying wave of water swept over the chimera''s entire body, leaving multiple de marks. Each cut was precise, designed to disable, not kill. Vicious green, mucus-like blood started to pour like a fountain from those sharp wounds.


    The hybrid hissed painfully as it fearfully ran in any direction, just to get away from Oliver, who was tailing it like a wild beast.


    It was almostical how their roles had reversed at this moment¡ªthe chimera, a dark beast that should have been chasing after the prey, was now being relentlessly pursued by that very prey.


    The hunter had be the hunted.


    "Humph."


    Oliver snorted as the chimera tried its best to dodge and make him lose its trail. It was desperate, but no amount of frantic running would save it now. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Their figures turned into small lights as they shed against each other in the yground. The sun was slowly starting to rise, and the area was brightening.


    The yground had suffered clear marks of destruction from the battle between two supernatural forces¡ªeverything was vivid and fresh.


    ng!


    A loud sound echoed in the quiet morning as Oliver once again sliced off the chimera''s limb, this time its left leg.


    The hybrid roared furiously, copsing to the ground, unable to bnce itself to escape further.


    Oliver was lucky that the hybrid before him didn''t seem to have developed any regenerative abilities, or it would have truly turned into a nightmare.


    The hybrid looked at Oliver, who was calmly staring at it, and felt restless, anxiously dragging itself away.


    It could sense its own end creeping closer.


    "It''s time to face your exorcism."


    Oliver''s eyes turned cold as he muttered, and in the next moment, a torrent of pitch-ck mes engulfed the chimera whole!


    Roar!


    It was a fierce roar of struggle from a beast at its end. Even after losing its mind, the chimera still did not dare to approach Oliver.


    The fear instilled into the chimera was so strong that, even at its end, it tried to escape from Oliver, who was standing still, watching the hybrid crawl.


    It was as if the mere presence of the boy was enough to drive the creature mad with terror.

 Chapter 215 Something seems off? The heretics confusion

    Chapter 215 Something seems off? The heretic''s confusion


    Chapter 215


    The reason Oliver wasn''t moving was not because he was enjoying the chimera''s final moments of struggle, but because he was observing something more profound and deeper above it.


    There was something else¡ªsomething hidden within its dying form.


    His eyes shone with a mysterious light as he looked at the thousands of blurry gray wisps of light that were leaving or breaking out of the chimera''s body as it withered away in the holy mes of nightmare.


    ''Are these¡­?''


    ''¡­the souls of the deceased?''


    Oliver looked intently at the cluster of gray wisps. He didn''t know beforehand what they were, but his intuition told him exactly what they were.


    The hybrid was a being made with the help of others'' souls, so it wasn''t hard for him to guess what those clusters of light were. As the chimera reached its end, the souls were released from the confines of its body.


    The dark alchemists used sinister methods to stitch souls into the chimera''s body so they could no longer escape, forcing them to suffer eternally while serving as fuel for the hybrid indefinitely.


    It was a fate worse than death, a torment beyondprehension.


    ''They sacrificed a lot of people¡­ how did they manage to go unnoticed for so long? Did they collect souls from somewhere else before arriving here?''


    Oliver had many spections about the matter, but at the moment, he was more focused on the souls of the deceased floating in the air.


    They seemed lost, wandering without purpose, tethered to this world by the violence of their deaths.


    They gave him a strong feeling of resemnce to the spirits he encountered when training under Sigfor.


    The difference was that the spirits were colorful and denserpared to the monotonous souls here.


    "Sigh, what a mess," he said to himself.


    "I can''t let this huge number of souls disperse into the atmosphere¡­"


    From a novel he had read, he knew that letting out this many souls in raw form would cause them to be contaminated, turning into wild ghosts that would create chaos.


    It would be a terrible oue for everyone involvedter.


    Usually, there were certain exorcism techniques that could allow souls to leave peacefully without turning malevolent. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    However, the issue was that he didn''t know any such techniques. In the novel, these techniques were taught at the institute.


    But he wasn''t in a novel, and this wasn''t the time to worry about things he couldn''t control.


    He was also in no position to let the souls roam freely like this.


    "Hmm¡­"


    A certain look appeared in his eyes as he remembered what happened when he was summoned to the partial spirit world.


    At that time, his abyss energy had gotten a certain boost¡­


    The memory flickered in his mind, bringing with it a strange mix of temptation and hesitation.


    Well¡­


    Would he be a cannibal if he did the same thing to the souls here?


    "Erm¡­ this¡­"


    He became a little flustered at the thought. He had to do something about the situation, and his options were limited to just one.


    "I am sorry, my human fellows, or maybe some demon fellows who got mixed up in this cluster. I must do this for the sake of world peace."


    Oliver looked sorrowful for a moment, and before anyone could even react, arge amount of corrupt reddish-ck energy instantly engulfed therge cluster of souls and disappeared in less than a second.


    He had used a little of his abyss energy earlier and could feel a strong boost to his initially low reserves. However, it wasn''t as significant as the time when he consumed the partial spirits.


    It felt different, weaker somehow, like the souls werecking something.


    Well, it made sense since most of these souls belonged to powerless humans.


    ''Wait, I won''t be called a killer now, right?'' He frowned and quickly shook off the useless thoughts. What''s done was done.


    There was no undoing it now.


    "It''s all for the greater good," he told himself as he watched the chimera''s bodypletely extinguish, and the dark espera thread connected to it suddenly broke.


    It meant that the control and connection with the heretics had been destroyed.


    "Now then, what should I do?"


    He looked thoughtful as he stared at the sky for a moment before deciding on his next action.


    The morning light was starting to creep into the horizon, but his task was far from over.


    He noticed the faint trail of dark espera, as thin as a thread, extending into the sky.


    He nced at the chimera, or what remained of it, and saw something that caught his eye on its body. Without a second thought, he stored the hybrid''s remains in his mindspace.


    He felt arge amount of space being taken up by this sudden action. He was still not proficient in using abyss energy, and his level of abyss energy was still too low. From the cryptic knowledge he had obtainedst time, he knew the stronger his abyss energy became, the vaster his mindspace would be in the future.


    It was limitless.


    Oliver then quickly followed the slowly disappearing thread of dark espera, heading directly toward where the heretics responsible for the whole situation were most likely hiding.


    He moved quickly, every second wasted increasing the risk of losing his lead.


    Join for FREE at : /WinterDragon573


    ________________


    In the underground dark chamber


    A few hours ago


    Two heretics were seated in meditative positions facing one another. The woman was responsible for manipting the dark espera and controlling the hybrid''s consciousness, while the man''s role was to keep reciting a script from an ancient scroll he held¡ªwhich must not be stopped while the woman concentrated on controlling the chimera.


    It was crucial that he continued until the woman stopped herself first.


    Their main goal was the revival of their lord and the restoration of their dark sect''s heritage to how it used to be.


    To achieve that, they needed to direct the chimera toward them and have it merge with the decaying skull ced between them. This skull, inscribed with runic characters, would allow their lord to possess the chimera and help him revive.


    They could not directly bring the hybrid fetus back to this underground base, as the conditions for it to be born required strict environments best suited for the yground.


    They had nned everything carefully. They would let the hybrid be born, then allow it to rampage in the city to grow stronger before ordering it back to the underground base, where they would use it to revive their lord.


    Their victory was all but assured¡ªat least, that''s what they believed.


    Everything was wless¡­


    It was supposed to be wless, at least.

 Chapter 216 Celestial Paradox Clan!

    Chapter 216 Celestial Paradox n!


    Chapter 216


    Everything was wless¡­


    It was supposed to be wless, at least.


    The man who was constantly reading the scroll and mumbling incoherent words nced at the woman. He could see a tense expression on her face as she frowned deeply.


    There was a stiffness in her posture, a trembling in her fingers that she couldn''t hide.


    Her brows were furrowed, and beads of sweat had gathered at their base, slowly sliding down her face.


    ''Is she having difficulty controlling the hybrid? It shouldn''t be that strong yet to pose any issues¡­''


    A sense of foreboding emerged in the man''s heart as he observed his partner''s uneasy expression.


    It was obvious to him that something was wrong, but he still suppressed the anxiety and doubt in his mind, attributing it to the chimera being too powerful andplex for them to control.


    And yet, the seed of fear was nted.


    Then, something happened.


    A horrible retching sound cut through the still air.


    "Cough!" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The woman, who had her eyes closed, opened them wide and vomited blood all over.


    "I-Impossible¡­"


    "What!? What happened!?"


    The man stood up in rm, no longer continuing the chant.


    He could feel his own heartbeat quicken, dread sinking into his gut.


    "D-Dead¡­"


    The man''s expression changed wildly when he heard the woman''s weak whisper.


    "What is it? What do you mean by dead?"


    He couldn''t help but ask, though his gut was already in his throat, and his doubts and suspicions were at their peak.


    The woman''splexion was pale and unsightly, with blood staining her white face. Her hollow eyes and broad nose made her look extremely hideous in that moment.


    Her breathing was ragged, and the trembling in her body worsened.


    "Say something!" the man urged her, dying inside at the thought that their years of preparation might have just copsed.


    "The fetus is¡­"


    "The fetus? What happened to it?" The man could no longer remain calm.


    "It''s¡­ dead." The woman let out a small voice, a dazed look in her eyes.


    "WHAT!? Exin clearly right now!" the man demanded.


    "I¡­ the fetus was born, and I managed to sessfully establish a connection to it, but suddenly I felt it go still, as if some sort of obstruction was happening around it as the connection grew faint. I tried to see what was happening but couldn''t."


    "And then¡­ all of a sudden, the hybrid died, and I, who was connected to its mind, suffered the shock. My espera has been drained, and I feel that even my core has suffered," she said in a gloomy voice.


    The core was the source of espera they had formed with the help of demons.


    It was an imitation of a demon''s heart, which was often their source of espera as well.


    Any damage to it could be fatal in many cases.


    The weight of her words sank into the man like stones, pulling him deeper into despair.


    "It looks like our ns have been exposed." The man forcefully calmed himself and thought about his next course of action.


    "Wrap up. We are leaving this city and will probably beying low for some years now," he told the woman, who looked at him with a sour expression.


    Seeing this, the man sighed. "I know what you''re feeling, but the opponents aren''t something we can handle on our own, especially given your situation right now."


    She red at him, but her expression softened. He was right, and she hated it.


    "Damn those exorcists!" the woman cursed, but she still got up in the end. Her partner was right; it wasn''t the time to be angry. If they survived, they could rebuild everything.


    The revival of their lord was what mattered most.


    Just as the man was about to gather their things, his hair stood on end as he instinctively deployed all of his dark espera at once, blocking a terrifying sword swing aimed at his back.


    Crash!


    Despite his efforts, he was sent flying, crashing into the walls of the dimly lit basement.


    "Who are you!?" the woman screamed, her voice filled with vignce, as she looked behind.


    The lights in the basement flickered as an ominous aura suddenly filled the small room.


    It was a suffocating presence, like the very air had thickened around them.


    The flickering lights, coupled with the sudden chill in the air, sent shivers down the woman''s spine. Squinting, she saw a figure in the corner of the basement.


    Her heart nearly jumped to her throat. How long had that figure been there? Why couldn''t either of them sense it?


    It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie¡ªexcept it wasn''t a movie; it was real life.


    As the light flickered more, the woman made out the sight of gleaming white hair, and a voice stirred her heart with tension.


    "Interesting strategy¡­"


    Join for FREE at : /WinterDragon573


    ___________


    In the Celestial Paradox n


    "P-Please spare us¡­"


    "W-We were wrong, cousin. From today onwards, we''ll never interfere with you."


    "I swear on my name that I''ll never cross your path again. Please let us live."


    Five children, around Oliver''s age, knelt on a stone tform, begging for their lives.


    In front of them was a familiar girl with shiny golden hair and gem-like red eyes. She stared at the group with a nerve-wracking intensity, making them tremble in fear even more.


    None of them dared to meet her eyes, prostrating before her.


    The air around them was heavy, their desperation palpable.


    All of them shared one thing inmon: severe bruises and deep wounds on their bodies, as if they had just been beaten to the verge of death moments ago.


    The girl was none other than Evelyn.


    She wore an expressionless facade as she looked at her so-called cousins from the branch families.


    Her gaze was cold, unfeeling, as though they were nothing more than insects beneath her boot.


    They were rted to her in name only. None of them had ever shown any intention of forming a sibling rtionship with her. All of them were snakes, trying to root her out.


    They had conspired together and tried to cripple her during the n''s event, but she managed to face their disgusting schemes with strength and will.


    Later, after the event, she brought up their actions, but they all denied it to her face and even used her of unknown crimes, intending to push her into a deep pit.

 Chapter 217 Who interfered?

    Chapter217 Who interfered?


    cles and aunts whom she once held in high regard didn''t interfere and watched from the sidelines with snickering smiles as she fell deeper and deeper into the web of lies their children had prepared.


    Their smirks were like daggers, twisting deeper as each false testimony piled on.


    She realized toote that they were just as involved in everything.


    Her parents were people of important positions and usually didn''t have the time to attend n events.


    But she felt that her strict father, even if he had been present, would not have interfered. Would he have helped? She doubted it.


    He would have simply considered this a test for her to ovee and disy her abilities as the potential future head of the n.


    In this time of war, there was no ce for weaklings. Support would be provided when necessary, but individual ability was valued above all else.


    So, things escted, and even the elders had to get involved in the conflict.


    Later, her cousins proposed a death duel, where opponents were allowed to kill each other without consequences. It was a barbaric duel that was highly frowned upon by her n members.


    Naturally, the elder opposed this as well since it was idiotic for potential powerful exorcist seedlings to battle each other to death over trivial, childish matters.


    However, the elder waster pressured by her uncles and aunts and had to permit the duel to take ce.


    It was then that Evelyn realized how deeply rotten her family truly was.


    Evelyn''s trust in her cousins and other rtives hit rock-bottom after that. They really wanted to kill her to seize more power and control in the n''s future.


    She had always considered them her family, but they wanted to drown her.


    Each betrayal chipped away at her faith in blood ties, leaving nothing but bitterness.


    She wondered if this was all there was to rtionships in this world. Were all the people she was close with like this?


    Only maintaining rtionships with her for their own benefit, with no mutual feelings of growth or familial love?


    Was this how families in other major ns were too?


    She thought of her friends¡ªOliver, Daniel, Amber, Alphonso¡­


    Were their ns like this too?


    Were their siblings also after their lives to gain more power?


    She shook her head. She doubted it was this bad for others. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But she felt that Oliver and Nadia from the Mystic Purge n must have faced simr situations to hers.


    From the infamous rumors of cold-blooded nature and the intense power struggles in that n, she felt it was highly likely that those two had also been constantly targeted by their rtives.


    From what her elders had told her about the n, Nadia was most likely to seed as the next head of the Mystic Purge family. Maybe she had her own special circumstances.


    That only left Oliver. Of all the others, Evelyn felt Oliver was the most normal, just like her. In a way, whenever shepared them, she found that Oliver matched her vibe the most.


    He had a calmness about him that reminded her of herself, or at least who she used to be.


    He was neither overly cautious nor overly reckless.


    He was just like¡­


    Just like her sister.


    For a moment, she felt a strong sense of familiarity with Oliver. Unlike her, he was stronger and always had this friendly and approachable demeanor.


    Not to mention, he was good with crowds and had a great deal of charisma, just like her sister.


    She suddenly realized she had a lot to improve. Her eyes turned determined as she thought about what Oliver would have done in such a scenario.


    Would he have suffered a setback and be depressed?


    Would he have been swallowed by defeat? Let them win by sinking into despair?


    No. He would have hardened his will even more and moved forward with even greater vigor.


    Her blood began to boil as adrenaline pumped through her body. If he could rise after falling, why couldn''t she? If he could do it, then what was her excuse?


    If she wanted to achieve her goal and bring peace to this world, she could no longer afford to be depressed by such trivial matters.


    There were going to be countless people trying to obstruct her path toward her goal. She would have to rise above them, utilize their schemes, and turn them into stepping stones.


    Her hands tightened into fists. She wasn''t going to let them bury her.


    She had promised herself to reach a level where she could stand on equal footing with her sister and Oliver. There was no way she was backing out now.


    She took a deep breath and nced at her fake siblings, then at their parents in the audience¡ªher so-called uncles and aunts.


    Their expressions were ironic,pletely opposite to what they had been at the beginning¡ªanger, panic, desperation¡­


    Yet all they could do was watch despite all that. The duel was sacred, and the elders were witnesses. No one was allowed to interfere once it began until the winner chose to end it.


    "Evelyn! Stop right now!"


    One of the middle-aged women shouted in desperation as she looked at the girl and then at her son lying before her.


    "Ha¡­" Evelyn couldn''t help but let out a sarcasticugh.


    She didn''t feel anger. Just¡­ pity.


    "Evelyn! What do you mean? There''s no need to go so far between siblings," a man said in a loud, overbearing voice that reverberated throughout the arena.


    "Siblings?" She muttered the word, finding itughable now.


    "Noisy," Evelyn mumbled. Her eyes darkened, tired of the hypocrisy surrounding her. How hypocritical of them to say this now.


    Even though her tone was low, in the silent stadium filled with exorcists, everyone could hear what she said.


    "You!" The man''s expression changed as veins popped on his forehead.


    Evelyn ignored the man and raised her hand high. Joining her index finger with her middle finger, she formed a seal.


    It looked as if she was about to make the final move.


    But suddenly, the winds in the arena intensified, and a rumbling sound filled the stadium. It was as if an earthquake was happening.


    The sky seemed to darken, the atmosphere shifting as something ancient and powerful stirred.


    Evelyn was also distracted by this unexpected event.


    Then, a very old and aged voice sounded in the arena, making everyone tremble.


    "Stop."


    ____________________

 Chapter 218 Give face? Or...?

    Chapter 218 Give face? Or...?


    Chapter 218


    The voice echoed as all of the onlookers were stunned, seeing a figure floating in the sky above the stadium. The person was an old woman dressed in pristine white clothes.


    The air seemed to crackle with authority, as if her mere arrival had shifted the bnce of power in the stadium. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Elder Payne!"


    A series of exmations followed as the people below recognized the old woman.


    Everyone knew her as one of the branch elders of the n. She had great prestige, and her strength was profound.


    She was not someone who appeared without reason, and for her to be here now meant something serious was about to happen.


    For her to appear at this moment could only mean one thing¡­


    She was here to save the other heirs from being killed!


    The uncles and aunts in the audience chamber saw this and felt relieved. Now that the elder had interfered, they believed they would not have to suffer much longer.


    Relief washed over them like a tidal wave. Finally, their children would be spared from Evelyn''s wrath.


    Evelyn nced up at the sky and met the elder''s gaze.


    "What do you mean by that, Elder?" she calmly asked. "The duel was just and fair and took ce under the proper witnesses. ording to the rules, I am allowed to im their lives."


    Her words were cold, even though she spoke calmly.


    There was no malice in her tone, just a chilling truth that left no room for sentiment.


    Elder Payne was unfazed by her cold words. She simply said, "Let this matter go. You''ve already made them miserable."


    "Why should I spare them when they tried to take my life? I don''t think they would have spared me if I were in their position right now." Evelyn''s eyes flickered as her emotions threatened to spill out.


    Her heart pounded in her chest, a storm of anger and frustration raging beneath her calm exterior.


    She controlled the tears that were ready to burst at any moment, putting on a brave front as she calmly asked the elder in front of her.


    She felt frustrated and angry. Why was the elder interfering now? Why hadn''t she interfered earlier when they were all ganging up against her?


    Where was this interference when she had been fighting alone against their cruelty?


    A tight knot formed in her heart, and her throat felt heavy.


    The elder, unmoved, said, "You all represent the future of the n and are cherished talents. It does not make sense for them to die here."


    The words stung, each one feeling like a dismissal of her own worth. "Them." Not "you all."


    Evelyn smiled bitterly. Even now, the elder said "them" and not "you all," which meant she didn''t consider Evelyn''s opinion at all.


    "Would you have interfered if I were in their shoes?" she asked, controlling her trembling voice.


    Despite being just a kid, she was controlling herself better than anyone right now. She refused to shed tears, knowing they would mock herter if she broke down.


    She wasn''t going to let them see her weakness¡ªnot now. Not ever.


    The elder was silent for a moment before replying.


    "Of course. I would have saved you too."


    Lies.


    The elder was lying with such a straight face that Evelyn felt even more bitter. Such a fake disy of affection repulsed her.


    How many more lies would she have to swallow before they stopped treating her like a fool?


    Was being kind equivalent to being taken as a fool?


    She took a deep breath and ced her hand on her chest. Her heartbeat was racing; she needed to calm down and not let the elder''s powerful aura suppress her.


    She coldly looked at the floating elder and then turned her gaze back to her kneeling siblings. Some of them wore mocking expressions, feeling as if they were already saved andughing at her inability in their hearts.


    "I refuse," Evelyn boldly said as she resumed the hand seal she had formed earlier.


    Her voice rang out like a final judgment, sharp and cutting through the air.


    The siblings who had been snickering now looked at her in terror.


    "EVELYN!" The elder''s aura red up, clearly agitated. "Give me face for now and let them go."


    She used her prestige and name. This statement of "giving her face" indirectly meant that the elder wouldter owe her a favor, and that Evelyn should not push further. If she did anything now, it would be akin to disrespecting the elder''s authority and reputation.


    It wasn''t just a request¡ªit was a demand, cloaked in tradition and authority.


    It basically meant, "Do me a favor by maintaining my dignity or reputation in this moment." The implication was that the elder expected her to hold back, and in return, she might address the issueter or show appreciation.


    "Face?" Evelyn''s voice,ced with sarcasm, sounded in the silent stadium.


    She almostughed at the absurdity of it. She wanted her to show leniency?


    If that''s what she wanted, then¡­


    "Sure. I''ll give you some face."


    With that, she swiped her hand down, and five beams of white light shot out from her, directly entering the bodies of her five siblings.


    "AARGH!"


    "It hurts¡­!"


    "Help me!"


    The elder''s expression changed as she saw what the girl had done, yet she couldn''t stop her. The duel ground was under the surveince of the main elders, and she dared not overstep her bounds.


    Her hands were tied by the veryws she sought to uphold.


    All she could do was persuade Evelyn from the outside. She hadn''t expected the little girl to be so vicious and clever.


    She hadn''t killed them, as the elder had asked, but instead, she had directly crippled the five of them with her espera.


    What''s more, she had used a special technique while doing so, one exclusive to the n. This technique was an extension of sealing exorcism.


    A technique that was only made to be used on vicious demons.


    ___________________

 Chapter 219 Bellas special condition! Evelyns worry!

    Chapter 219 Be''s special condition! Evelyn''s worry!


    Chapter 219


    The light beams that crippled the five kids belonged to Evelyn, and now their veins and hearts were permanently sealed with her espera. Unless she released the lock, no amount of elixirs could restore their ability to use espera.


    It was a technique often used on captured demons to prevent them from retaliating.


    Since she didn''t kill them, this was essentially the equivalent of "giving face" in front of the public.


    She had turned the elder''s own words against her¡ªcleverly bending the rules without breaking them.


    She had outwitted the elder, following her words to the letter while exacting her own form of justice.


    The elder had no excuse to find trouble with herter either.


    Evelyn had given her "face," but in the most ruthless way possible.


    Sigh¡­ this girl truly bears the blood of the n master. Such decisiveness at her age and mastery of techniques. Her cunning was beyond her years. She could almost see the n head''s image ovepping with Evelyn in her mind.


    The elder nced at the people from her branch family and thought, These fools have really made me lose face today in front of the younger generation. I fear I''ll have to stay in seclusion for a while, lest the other elders try to damage my reputation further after this.


    She felt a pang of anger in her calm heart. They had begged her to intervene when they could no longer control the situation. Their ipetence had cost her dearly. This wouldn''t have happened if they had thought things through more carefully.


    They had pushed too far and underestimated the consequences.


    ''At least they''re not dead.'' She shook her head, nced onest time at Evelyn''s back, and disappeared from the stadium. Her pride wounded, but her honor salvaged¡ªbarely. In the future, she would owe a favor to this clever girl.


    "Humph." Evelyn snorted as she headed back to her residence. Her heart, however, was far from calm. It was a fitting punishment for them¡ªthey would now repent for their whole lives.


    But the bitterness of the day lingered in her thoughts. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    __________________


    She soon reached a residence. It was not hers, but Be''s. She wanted to drop by and see how her sister was doing since she didn''t attend the duel¡­


    No, it would be more appropriate to say that she hadn''te out of her residence much since they returned from training in the mountains.


    Her interactions with her sisters had decreased a lot during this time, so she couldn''t help but worry that something was going on with her sister.


    She entered the residence without any guards stopping her, as it was not unusual for her to visit her sister unannounced.


    She soon approached her sister''s room and was about to knock when she suddenly froze in her tracks. Her hand was suspended mid-air as she heard something from behind the door.


    Her heart pounded in her chest.


    "Cough, cough¡­"


    It was a violent coughing sound, as if the person was seriously ill.


    A terrible dread gripped Evelyn, freezing her in ce.


    "I must not let it consume my mind and heart¡­ I cannot afford to die here¡­ Cough."


    It was her sister''s voice, but she seemed to be in a terrible state at the moment.


    What?


    Consume my mind and heart?


    Die?


    What did she mean?


    Evelyn''s heart leaped to her throat as she burst through the door with force and barged inside.


    "Sister!"


    Her expression changed wildly as she saw Be lying weakly on her bed, blood leaking from her mouth. The floor was stained with patches of blood, and her eyes were dizzy.


    "Sister! What happened!?"


    Evelyn immediately reached out to support Be.


    "I''ll call the medics right now!" she practically screamed, about to call the guards when Be stopped her.


    "No. Stop¡­"


    Be''s voice was so faint, it barely registered.


    "What do you mean, sister? You''re bleeding so much. Something is wrong with your body!"


    "It''s fine," Be, now supported by her sister, said in a faint voice.


    It didn''t seem fine at all¡ªEvelyn''s mind raced with fear.


    "No, but¡ª"


    "Calm down, Eve." Be''s gentle voice stopped the restless Evelyn.


    Evelyn knew her sister understood her own condition better than anyone. She would have been the first to call for the medics if it had been necessary.


    It was unbelievable that she had been hiding something like this. Her condition was clearly not right, but she hadn''t told them?


    Why? Why didn''t she say anything?


    "Sister, I want an exnation," Evelyn demanded in a stern voice. Her heart was pounding so loudly it felt like the whole room could hear it. There was no room for carelessness when it came to Be''s health. No matter what, if Be didn''t satisfy her with an exnation, she would tell their mother directly.


    Be looked helpless as she gazed at her sister''s resolute expression, knowing she couldn''t brush this matter aside or make any excuses.


    Evelyn cared deeply for her and wouldn''t hesitate to do whatever she could for her health.


    "Well, how do I start¡­" Be made aplicated expression.


    "Just tell me everything. It''s not like we''ll judge you," Evelyn said in a soft voice,forting Be.


    Her heart softened, but the anxiety still gripped her tightly.


    "I was diagnosed with MCS."


    "Huh?"


    Evelyn wore a nk expression as she asked, "Sister, what is that?"


    "Maic Convergence Syndrome."


    Be sighed as she looked at her sister''s confused face and began to exin slowly.


    "MCS is a rare and dangerous affliction that affects individuals with maism as their prime element. There''s a reason why so few people have maism as their primary element. Teacher Alison had taken me to her friend, who also shared the same element as me. But upon reaching there, we were informed of this syndrome."


    Be took a deep breath and continued.


    Each word felt heavier than thest.


    She soon exined what exactly was going on?

 Chapter 220 Magnetic Convergence Syndrome

    220 Maic Convergence Syndrome


    Chapter 220


    "This is a rare problem that only affects individuals with the maism element, and even among them, it''s particrly concerning for those with stronger affinities. Over time, their internal maic field grows unstable, gradually attracting and binding ferromaic materials¡ªiron, nickel, cobalt, etc.¡ªfrom the environment, which damages them internally inter stages."


    "The person examined my condition and quickly realized that I was already close to thest stage. But I hadn''t suffered or shown any symptoms before, and the person said it was due to my expertise in controlling the element. In a way, my talent became my curse when I learned the reason."


    Be''s words hung heavy in the air. The weight of her condition pressed down on them both, as if the very atmosphere had thickened.


    She whispered in a low tone, appearing sorrowful and a bit dejected.


    Evelyn stared at her sister, speechless. Her chest felt tight, as if the weight of Be''s words was crushing her.


    Evelyn was shocked after hearing all this information for the first time in her life. She hadn''t even realized that her sister had been suffering through such things for so long.


    How could I not have noticed?


    How did I not see this? How could I not know?


    "Then these symptoms¡­ why did they appear only now?" she couldn''t help but ask Be.


    "Well, the person helped me suppress it to some extent¡ªor more like put a temporary solution to the problem¡ªwhich led to my worsening condition. Otherwise, I would have beenpletely unaware until the very end. Although the condition was suppressed, it has been raging even moretely."


    Raging... like a storm inside her that had been kept at bay, but now it was breaking free.


    "Sister¡­"


    Evelyn bit her lip, feeling her sister''s predicament. She could not understand why her sister, who was usually so energetic and cheerful, would suddenly lock herself in her room.


    "I heard you talking about dying earlier. Is¡­ is this really that serious?" she asked.


    Be nodded and exined, "Normally, there are a few stages in this condition. For those lucky enough, their symptoms quickly show up in the beginning stages. It usually involves disrupting the surroundings, attracting metals and machinery to the individual, making daily life a hell. You know it can be painful or even dangerous ifrge objects are drawn towards them. Metal fragments may embed in their skin, causing injuries."


    "But you¡­" Evelyn paused, her meaning clear as day.


    "Didn''t I tell you?" Be smiled wryly. "ording to Teacher, I was so adept at controlling the element that I never experienced such a thing."


    Evelyn''s heart ached at that. Be''s talent, once a source of pride, had betrayed her in the most cruel way.


    "What about theter stages?" Evelyn asked.


    "Well, in theter stages, the body''s maic field itself starts affecting the normal functions of the organs, especially the heart, which operates through electrical signals," Be replied.


    "The heart works using electrical signals? What does that mean, sister? Is there electricity in your body?"


    Evelyn couldn''t help but feel confused. It was natural¡ªshe was still not mature enough to understand suchplex stuff, no matter how talented she was.


    Be shook her head. "I didn''t know much either. I simply asked the person, and they exined a few things. Apparently, electrical signals have a different meaning than literal electricity in the context of human bodies. I could try to exin it to you, but it''s better for you to first study the basics. I only know this much thanks to the person exining my condition in detail."


    "Hmm. You''re right. We should be aware of what''s going on with our bodies as deeply as possible."


    Be smiled. "So that''s the gist. This can cause irregr heartbeats, fatigue, and eventually life-threateningplications with elemental disruption."


    "This is even worse than before," Evelyn mumbled to herself.


    She realized how serious her sister''s condition had be. Be was literally hanging between life and death at this moment.


    Evelyn''s heart sank further with every word. The gravity of the situation was finally sinking in, the cold fear of losing her sister tightening around her like a vice.


    "What about the cure? What did Teacher say about it?" Evelyn asked, addressing the most important issue.


    Right now, they had to cure her sister of this condition before anything else.


    "Teacher did talk to the person about this, and thankfully, there''s a solution for this too, but¡­"


    "But what?" Evelyn asked impatiently. Her sister was making her anxious with these pauses.


    Each pause felt like an eternity, each dy another step closer to despair.


    "The materials required for the cure are not easily found."


    "What are these materials? How rare can they be?" Evelyn wondered.


    "There are three things: a Prium Ore that can absorb excess maic energy, which would serve to stabilize my internal field. Second, a Fluxweave Herb, a nt that grows only in areas with fluctuating maic fields. It could harmonize the maism within the body when brewed into a potion."


    Be coughed lightly as Evelyn quickly poured some water for her. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Take it easy and tell me slowly. There''s no need to rush," she whispered.


    "It''s fine. The Prium Ore, although rare, can still be essed. Teacher Alison is already searching for it through herwork. The nt can be found in the Shifting Iron ins, so that can still be found with some help. But the main issue is the third material¡­"


    Evelyn''s expression grew tense as she waited for her sister to finish speaking.


    "It''s the heart of a Null Beast."


    "This¡­?" Evelyn had a perplexed look on her face. She didn''t understand what her sister was saying.


    Be sighed. "It''s a mythical beast with immunity to all forms of maism."


    "A mythical beast!? How are we going to find one?"


    Evelyn was stunned, but Be interrupted her. "Even if we find one by some luck, what are the chances we will be able to subdue it and get its heart? We''re talking about a mythical beast, not a dog!"


    "Then what are we going to do!?"


    Evelyn''s voice rose in frustration, her desperation mirroring the hopelessness of the situation. Her hands clenched into fists, trembling with the weight of the impossible task before them.

 Chapter 221 The irony! Bellas hesitation!

    221 The irony! Be''s hesitation!


    Chapter 221


    "I don''t know!" Be shouted. Her voice cracked, raw with frustration and fear. She froze, realizing there was no need to yell at her sister, who was only looking out for her.


    "I''m sorry¡­" She quickly apologized. "I don''t know, I¡ªI''m just as confused as you."


    Her voice softened, guilt swelling in her chest. She felt guilty for yelling at Evelyn, despite the fact that thetter was worried sick for her.


    "No, it''s my fault for pressing you so much. I should have known better." Evelyn quicklyforted her sister as she pulled her into a hug.


    The warmth of the hug calmed Be''s nerves a little, but the weight of her situation remained heavy in the air between them.


    "Don''t worry. Teacher Alison is currently searching for the materials on her own. It was also due to this whole situation that she wasn''t there when you guys were attacked by heretics. In a way, I was also responsible for putting your lives in danger¡­ If not for me, Teacher would have been there, and you all wouldn''t have had to suffer like that."


    "No! It has nothing to do with you. Those heretics were nning to spread chaos anyway. And I don''t think any of us would ever me you. Besides, sister, you probably don''t know, but Oliver is really strong. He even led us all calmly without flinching in fear. Even I was anxious at that time."


    Be''s eyes softened as Evelyn spoke. Hearing about Oliver brought a faint smile to her lips, easing the tension between them.


    Evelyn talked a lot about what had happened back then, and Be smiled as the mood lightened.


    "Sister, I think we should tell Mom and Dad about this. They can surely help us get the heart of a Null Beast!" Evelyn suggested.


    Her voice was full of hope, clinging to the belief that their powerful family could find a solution.


    "No." Be shook her head. "It will be myst resort. I want to trust Teacher, and you are not going to talk about it with anyone."


    "But sister, why¡ª?"


    "Evelyn." Be firmly called out to her. "I want you to promise me this. You are not going to say a single word to Mom or Dad. I trusted you and told you everything. Promise me?"


    Evelyn hesitated, her chest tightening. Evelyn felt conflicted. She couldn''t help but feel puzzled, thinking her sister was being careless. Their n surely had betterworks and a huge number of exorcists. If they wanted to, they could surely find a Null Beast.


    So why was her sister being like this? Why was she so stubborn? She didn''t know what to do.


    Looking at her sister''s firm expression and desperate eyes, she finally said, "Fine, but the moment I feel your condition has worsened any further, or if Teacher takes too long, then I will tell the n without even asking you."


    "Alright." Be nodded and gently patted her head.


    Evelyn didn''t say much afterward, and after spending some time with her sister, she, too, returned to her residence.


    Her mind was a storm of thoughts as she left, frustration and determination swirling together.


    "Sister, don''t worry. Even if I can''t tell Mom and Dad, I will get those materials for you."


    Her eyes were determined. She was prepared to get those materials for her sister, even if she had to roam the entire world for them.


    But doubt gnawed at her mind.


    "But¡­"


    She couldn''t help but bite her lip, a habit she had whenever she was frustrated or emotional, as she thought about her own helplessness.


    She had the divine light element as her primary element, an element also known to be the ultimate cure for any illness.


    Yet, she was unable to heal her own sister. The irony of her situation stung like a wound. This wasn''t because the element of light wascking but rather because her control and expertise over the element were what trulycked.


    Had she mastered her element more, maybe she would have been able to ease her sister''s worries without relying on external materials like this.


    The bitterness of her inadequacy gnawed at her, but she pushed it aside, focusing instead on what she could do.


    Why was her sister hiding her condition from their parents?


    She had a bold guess. Her sister, being the most talented of her generation, was someone everyone looked up to. She had to maintain an image that represented not only herself but also the entire n. She was burdened by the weight of the expectations that came with being one of the main heirs of such a prestigious n.


    People even referred to her as "the next n master," "the future n head," "the most talented," and so on¡­


    She was famed for her rare element of maism in the n. It was expected of her to prove her mastery and strength over this rare element. In the eyes of such people, revealing this condition would be admitting to a personal failure, which could jeopardize her position as an heir and damage the reputation of their family as well.


    Despite knowing that the n would offer help, her sister''s pride and desire to live up to the n''s high standards drove her to handle the situation alone.


    Be was ready to bear it all alone.


    Furthermore, there was the underlying fear of disappointing her family¡­


    As an heir, much was expected of her, and she didn''t want to appear weak or in need of saving. Her pride was as strong as her element. She wanted to prove that she could conquer the challenges tied to her unique abilities without relying on the n''s intervention, believing that if she solved this problem independently, it would solidify her worthiness as an heir.


    Evelyn personally felt that this wasn''t necessary. Was her life more important than her reputation as the n heir? Why did her sister care about other people''s opinions?


    Would it diminish her value? No, definitely not. The faster she healed, the quicker she could be stronger.


    Or¡­ maybe it was nothing like that, and her sister simply felt that the attention and resources of the n should remain focused onrger, more important concerns, such as dealing with demons?


    Her condition, though serious, might not seem as pressingpared to the threats demons posed.


    Evelyn''s thoughts churned, but one thing was clear¡ª her sister wouldn''t suffer. Not on her watch.


    As long as she was alive, she would make sure that nothing ever happened to the people she cherished. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At that moment, unknown to Evelyn, her body was shrouded in a glowing white divine light. It was as if the stars were acknowledging the resolve she had taken and giving her the power to back up the resolve she had made.


    ____________________


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 Chapter 222 The suspicious book?

    Chapter 222 The suspicious book?


    Chapter 222


    "Argh! You bastard, who are you!?"


    The woman cursed as she clutched her left arm, or rather, where her left arm was supposed to be. All that remained was a bloody stump.


    Standing in front of her was Oliver in clean clothes, his expression calm and indifferent,devoid of any blood. It was as if he was an untouchable angel that mortals like her could not taint.


    In his hand was a hydraulic de that seemed to contain water moving at high intensity, its surface shimmering with a deadly gleam.


    He looked coldly at the woman and said, "Can''t you see?"


    He pointed the de at her.


    "I am an exorcist."


    Suddenly, another voice came from the corner of the room. A man kneeling and huffing, his forehead bleeding, said,


    "That white hair¡­ those eyes that seem inhuman and human at the same moment¡­ are you¡­ are you¡­ from the¡­"


    "Mystic Purge n. Indeed, I am an heir to the Mystic Purge n," Oliverpleted the sentence, his voice steady and matter-of-fact.


    The woman''s and man''s pupils dted at that moment. Their suspicions were finally confirmed. They already had an inkling of where this monstrous child came from, and now their doubts were affirmed.


    A main heir of the infamous Mystic Purge n, the n known to be the bane of all demons!


    Their luck must be either too good or too bad to encounter such an entity in a ce like this backwater city.


    Who would have expected that they would be discovered not by any ordinary exorcist, but by a main heir to the Mystic Purge n!


    This revtion made their hearts race. This was both a terrible and great opportunity for them¡ªterrible because they were on the verge of being exorcised by the child before them, and great because they had been given the golden opportunity to kill one of the major enemies of their masters while he was still growing.


    ''But that seems impossible¡­''


    The man thought in despair as he saw the espera radiating from the boy.


    The espera was vast, tremendous, far greater than both of their esperasbined. The boy was clearly a Rank-2 exorcist, judging by the quantity of his espera.


    The ashen gray espera leaking from his body filled the entire room like a flood, the pressure suffocating the air.


    Desperation wed at the man''s insides. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he thought of ways to escape with his partner from this predicament.


    He knew they didn''t have much time, so they had to act quickly.


    Suddenly, a sinister idea struck his mind, and he shouted to the woman, "Keep him engaged."


    The woman, the dark alchemist, was more powerful than him. It was ideal for her to stall for some time while he prepared what he had in mind.


    He was sure that if it worked, both of them could escape and might even finish off this boy.


    The woman, hearing this, immediately stood up. Her dark espera hadrgely stopped the excessive bleeding, and her eyes were filled with a cruel gleam as she scowled, "You spawn of those damn exorcists, always interfering with our ns. Today is the day you die."


    Arge sword appeared in her hand as she swung it effortlessly, showcasing her brute strength despite her slender frame.


    Oliver''s eyes flickered with suspicion. He knew something was up when he saw the man bringing out an old, tattered ck book with blood engravings on its cover.


    He had a bad feeling just standing idle; he didn''t want to take any risks with these heretics and quickly swung his de forward.


    The woman instantly closed in on him and blocked his de with herrge sword.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Oliver didn''t stop and repeatedly attacked, his strength bursting and pushing the woman backward with each swing.


    The woman made a twisted expression as she shouted back at the man, "HOW LONG!?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Wait, I''m almost done."


    The woman gritted her teeth. Her hands were feeling numb just from blocking Oliver''s strikes, and she couldn''t help but feel astonished at how this small boy possessed such disastrous brute strength.


    She wouldn''tst much longer if this continued.


    She had to do something before that happened.


    Seeing that she was still resisting, Oliver turned ferocious. In his other hand, a rapier suddenly appeared, and he struck forward.


    [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom]


    "Pfft!"


    The woman was sent flying by the unexpected force and coughed up blood. Oliver didn''t even give her a moment to regain her bnce before striking at her head and rendering her unconscious with a blow.


    He looked at the man, who met his gaze fearfully, and¡ª


    [Six Thoughtful Steps of Spirits]


    In a blur of motion, Oliver appeared beneath the man and punched him in the gut, knocking the air out of his lungs.


    "Cough!" The man''s eyes turned white, and his eyeballs rolled back as he ultimately lost consciousness.


    Oliver paused and made a phone call to the local police station, or more specifically, to the chief, as his call was directly answered by him.


    He gave a few instructions and asked him to reach a certain location after cleaning up the yground. The location was the underground basement; he had already taken care of everything, and the other minor stuff would be handled by them. He also asked them to contact the nearest Exorcist Union branch and have them dispatch exorcists to investigate properly.


    He would clean up the main items that mighte in handy or could sell for a lot, while the rest of the cleanup would be handled by others.


    Before that, however, he had to do one thing. His eyes narrowed in thought. He nced down at the unconscious man, and his eyes changed. Using his special eyes, he observed the man for a little while before returning to normal.


    "He can still be exorcised and saved," he dered to himself and ced a hand on the man''s forehead.


    A dark, disgusting ck espera started to leak out of the man''s head and collected in Oliver''s palm.


    Oliver remained in that position for the next few minutes, and only after no more dark espera came out of the man''s body did he remove his hand. The dark espera gathered into a ck ball in his hands. He clenched his hands into a fist, and all the ck espera scattered.


    The man''s unconscious expression gradually turned more rxed, and his pale skin seemed to regain a healthy color instantly.

 Chapter 223 A black square? Danger!

    223 A ck square? Danger!


    Chapter 223


    What Oliver did was simply perform a brute exorcism without any basic technique, just dragging out the dark espera from the man and purifying it.It was a straightforward, raw process¡ªeffective butcking the finesse of more refined techniques.


    He was able to do so only because the man had not beenpletely corrupted by the dark espera. A full transformation into a heretic hadn''t taken ce yet.


    In fact, while there were many heretics here and there, a majority of them weren''t as corrupted or brainwashed by demons as some of the extreme ones.


    Jetia and hisrades were examples of heretics who hadpletely submitted to demons and could not be saved anymore.


    This man, however, was different. The dark espera hadn''t taken over the man''s mind and soul yet. It was possible that the woman, the dark alchemist, had tainted and brainwashed this man, turning him into a heretic.


    Thanks to [Cosmic Void Gaze], he caught a glimpse of the level of corruption inside the man''s body and felt it was not at a level where he could be forsaken.


    For now, this one could be saved. The woman had a deeper level of corruption; however, it wasn''t that deeply intertwined yet. Her situation would need a more careful approach. He didn''t exorcise her due to itsplexity. A proper exorcist with standard techniques could help her out.


    Once they woke up, they shouldn''t remember much of their time as heretics, in the worst case. But it was fine; there were all sorts of treatment and aftercare avable.


    It was better to leave the details to those more specialized in rehabilitative exorcism. Now that the exorcists had been contacted, it was not ideal for him to stay any longer.


    "Sigh..."


    The n would know by now where he was. Thework and influence the n had on the Exorcist Union were just too strong.


    He wondered if he should use the ck hair dye he had in his storage artifact to change his features¡­ he hadn''t used it so far since he liked his silky white hair a lot. It was part of his identity, something familiar in a world full of uncertainty. Almost elf-like¡­


    If he didn''t hurry up, he would be caught before he had the chance to explore further.


    As for the mission given by the ck Codex Federation? The chimera''s body should serve as enough proof to justify it. Not to mention, he had also taken some pictures in advance.


    Although all of this was definitely unnecessary, evidence like this could easily be faked, and such a huge hidden organization had its own ways of finding out whether the mission waspleted or not.


    They probably wouldn''t even need the little proof he had recorded.


    "Now then, let''s quickly go through what we have here..."


    Oliver didn''t waste time and started collecting whatever he felt was worth it.


    There were some jewels, containers of beast blood, and some special array ink.


    He stored all of it in his storage artifact. Only the most important things were stored in his mindspace; the rest belonged to his bracelet.


    Everything was organized, methodical. "Hmm, let me get this off of you¡­" He walked up to the woman and swiftly removed the storage ring on her index finger.


    The ring was without any locks, unlike the storage artifact of the demonic ghost, so he easily essed the contents of the storage ring.


    "Woah¡­ that''s something."


    He was immediately met with the stunning sight of multiple thick, dark-covered books with various information on them.


    "These are books on dark alchemy!"


    His heart skipped a beat. His eyes started to shine as he looked at the content of the books¡ªit was a fortune.


    Although dark alchemy was a forbidden concept to the world, it was not a harm to learn about such things beforehand because it mighte in handy in dire situations in the future.


    Not to mention, dark alchemy was inherently derived from alchemy itself, so most of the concepts held simr meanings as well. It would not be a problem for him to delve into the concepts now.


    Forbidden knowledge had its allure, especially in a world where survival often meant understanding every threat. "Hmm, a decent find." There were some thick bundles of cash, a weird-looking ck pendant, and some other materials in the ring apart from the books.


    "Now then, what is this?"


    He nced at the ominous book lying on the floor¡ªit was the same book the man was tinkering with earlier. From his confidence, he seemed sure that it would be able to harm him despite the difference in their strengths.


    He couldn''t help but be curious about it at the same time. The book was indeed very ominous and gave him a sinking feeling, even just lying idly on the floor.


    "Should I leave this book for others to handle?"


    He pondered; it was indeed very risky to touch this obvious red g of a book. His intuition and experience of reading countless novels told him that touching the book would not be any good for him.


    ''But¡­''


    It was often at times like this that the protagonist who gets into such situations bes even stronger¡­ with great dangeres great opportunities, too.


    This could be one of those moments. He didn''t know whether to take the risk by opening that unknown heretical book or just be on his way to stay far from his n.


    "Ah, damn it."


    In the end, he made up his mind and moved closer to the book.


    Deploying and reinforcing himself with espera, he double-checked his defenses. Even if something breached them, there was abyss energy guarding him at the deepest levels.


    Being the Circuit of Abyss, he could never run out of abyss energy no matter what. His reserves might be low at times, but they would never bepletely depleted.


    He had made up his mind.


    His hand touched the book as a prickling sensation spread through his palm. He didn''t waver and slowly, steadily opened the book.


    The page he viewed had arge ck square¡ªit was dark, as if painted by the world''s darkest ckest of paints.


    Not a single ray of light was reflected from it.


    He flipped the page, and the following pages had the same figure of the dark square. However, he noticed that each page seemed to have a squarerger than its predecessor.


    As he flipped through the pages, the square became bigger and bigger, seeming to cover the entire page. The sensation in his palms grew more vivid as he reached the book''s end.


    It was the final page, and when he flipped it, all he saw was a ck page,pletely void of white. It was dark and nk.


    ______________________


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    WinterDragon_1

 Chapter 224 Ophelia summons the elder!

    Chapter 224 Ophelia summons the elder!


    Chapter 224


    It was the final page, and the moment he flipped it, all he saw was a ck page,pletely void of white. It was dark and nk.


    The sensations in his hand reached an extreme as he felt a strong pulling force from the book.


    He tried to suppress the book with his abundant espera; however, it seemed to have absolutely no effect on it. The force ignored his efforts as if his energy was nothing.


    The force intensified until he was no longer able to pull back.


    ''This... can''t be good,'' he thought, watching helplessly as his hand started to sink into the book¡ªthe page seemed to be pulling him in.


    A tide of an unknown force, neither espera nor dark espera, washed over him as his body was forcefully pulled into the book.


    At this moment, Oliver''s expression was calm. He knew panicking would not solve anything, and since he had decided to take the risk, he was going to follow through to the end.


    The world around him seemed to warp, twisting as though reality itself was being rewritten. The book expanded and expanded until it turned into a pitch-ck square that seemed to distort space itself.


    Oliver disappeared from the scene, from the underground basement, as if he had never existed in the ce, along with the book.


    Oliver opened his eyes as he felt himself falling into a pitch-ck pit with no sky or ground; he seemed to be falling endlessly.


    The sensation was both familiar and foreign, like tumbling through a dream he couldn''t wake from.


    His expression was chillingly calm as he traced the outline of his fingers.


    In the next instant, his eyes changed colors, like brilliantly shining suns. His sight pierced the never-ending darkness.


    It was a scene that could send chills to any spectator¡­


    A figure falling into the endless darkness, nothing visible¡ªnot even the figure itself.


    However, a pair of eyes remained untainted by the darkness. Eyes that seemed to devour the very void around them. It was as if nothing in the world could obstruct those eyes as they stared up.


    Those eyes seemed all-knowing, nothing in the world could be hidden from them¡­ be it abyss, be it the boundless heavens¡­


    Everything revealed its deepest secrets before the gaze of the endless cosmos.


    ''Fascinating...'' Oliver thought, his mind racing through the possibilities.


    The world before Oliver was no longer a nket of darkness; he could see everything. It was like watching a curtain pull back, revealing the intricate workings of an unseen machine. If asked what was happening, he would immediately answer that he was traveling through space.


    He was falling, or perhaps more urately, traveling through a space tunnel to a ce far from the underground basement.


    ''So they intended for me to be transported somewhere else?''


    Was it a trap? A portal to another dimension? He didn''t know, but the excitement outweighed the uncertainty. He wondered if that''s what the man was thinking. But what was at the end of this space tunnel?


    He doubted even the man knew; after all, he had not allowed them toplete it before subduing them.


    He wondered where he would end up. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His heart throbbed with excitement rather than fear¡ªall he felt was endless anticipation.


    A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He popped his fingers as he kept falling deeper and deeper into the tunnel, ready to act in any situation thrown at him.


    ____________________


    Mystic Purge n


    At the grand courtyard where the mistress of the n resided, all was as calm and silent as ever.


    Ophelia sat with her eyes closed as if in a meditative state. The sky above her was clear and devoid of clouds, a bizarre but eptable sight for someone of her level.


    A sudden gust of wind blew as the trees shivered against the unexpected winds. The unnatural shift in the air sent a subtle tension across the courtyard.


    She opened her eyes at that moment and calmly looked up.


    "His fate has changed drastically again. What happened?"


    She spoke in a tone neither low nor high, as if making a judgment. Her voice, though steady, carried a weight that made the very air around her tremble.


    She knew what it meant. Just recently, she had altered the paths in his fate to match what she wanted them to be.


    But not even a few days had passed since then, and Oliver''s fate was once again back to how it originally was.


    An utterly chaotic and messy cluster of countless paths, with no definite beginning or end, almost as if¡­


    As if¡­ the world could no longer determine a general direction for his fate.


    Her eyes flickered as she wondered what had caused this to happen. Such unpredictability was rare, even for someone like her.


    She didn''t think anything significant had happened in the past few days¡­


    Or¡­ had something happened?


    She had been in her courtyard, and unless a matter was of utmost importance, no one was allowed to enter.


    A bell suddenly appeared in her hand. She rang it twice, producing an extremely gentle and melodious tone.


    Tinkle! Tinkle!


    Two soft high pitched sounds were produced. The sound resonated, as if it was echoing through dimensions.


    The bell disappeared, and a few momentster, a visitor appeared in her courtyard.


    "Madam Ophelia, how may I be of service?"


    It was an old man with robust features, dressed in blue robes bearing the symbol of the Mystic Purge n.


    Ophelia''s serene gaze fell on the old man.


    He was an elder responsible for serving her and keeping her informed about n affairs when she asked.


    If one paid close attention to his voice, they would recognize him as the same elder who was present when Oliver was born.


    He held a very high position in the n as an elder.


    She never bothered to know his name or identity. In her eyes, only their utility mattered. In front of her, all positions or names were meaningless. Was there anyone with a higher prestige than her in the entire n?


    To her, this old man was equivalent to just another of her countless servants.


    "Tell me about the situation outside."


    Her cold words echoed heavily in the eerily quiet atmosphere.


    The elder''s heart shook for a moment before he calmed down. Even after countless meetings, he could not fully rx in Ophelia''s presence. She was too formidable and full of prestige.


    Each day, she seemed to grow even more terrifying.


    "Yes, madam. Recently, the demons from the eastern borders have appointed a new general¡ª"


    "Stop."


    The elder was instantly silenced. Ophelia had ordered him to stop speaking, and he did so. He was only there to obey, not to question.


    "What has happened with Oliver?" she asked, simple and straightforward.


    Her eyes narrowed slightly, signaling this was the only question that truly mattered.

 Chapter 225 The World of Demons!

    225 The World of Demons!


    Chapter 225


    "Pardon? Oliver¡­?" The elder was momentarily stunned; this was really out of the blue.


    "Ah, Young Master Oliver¡­" Feeling a little flustered, the elder quicklyposed himself. He had never expected Ophelia to care about her children in the first ce.


    Well, except for Nadia. So he couldn''t help but feel surprised when he found her interested in Oliver''s affairs.


    Usually, she would have a report prepared on Nadia''s daily routine and activities delivered to her every week, often detailing what Nadia had been or would be doing for the week.


    But as for Oliver, she never showed any peculiar interest. Until recently, he was considered a talentless seedling, but then he suddenly bloomed with talent and secured a position in the n''s event.


    He had been there when Oliver was born, but he never sensed a single talent in the boy at that time. Back then, the boy had seemed ordinary, unremarkable.


    Perhaps this was why Ophelia was now showing interest in her son.


    The elder''s thoughts ran quickly as he considered all of this in seconds.


    "Regarding the young master, I don''t have particrly detailed information about his activities, but I will have it prepared immediately. As for anything major recently concerning the young master, I heard from the other elders that he took on a mission from the n''s administrative center in disguise and left discreetly for the mission. The elder in charge has already dispatched a group of professionals from the n to bring him back. It should not be long before he returns¡­"


    He suddenly quieted down as he felt the air around him grow heavier with each passing moment, as if a huge boulder was pressing down on him.


    He looked at Ophelia''s expression, which hadn''t changed a bit since the beginning. But for some reason, he felt a strong sense of gloominess radiating from her calm face.


    Was she perhaps angry?


    Was she angry? Had he misspoken? The elder shivered slightly; he didn''t dare imagine the consequences if her wrath exploded.


    The calmer the person, the greater the wrath.


    Seeing Ophelia''s expression as if she didn''t want to see his face anymore, he quickly took his leave.


    "So, he escaped from the n in the end."


    Ophelia spoke to herself. She seemed to have expected this oue to some extent.


    "I thought I tied his fate down, but..."


    "For his fate to shift so much from this, it looks like he won''t be returning anytime soon. Interesting¡­"


    Ophelia lightly tapped her finger against the wooden table as she seemed to contemte something.


    Her gaze flickered ominously as she stood alone in her courtyard.


    ____________________ n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Swish!


    A ck, square-shaped portal emerged out of nowhere, and a boy with shimmering white hair jumped from it,nding perfectly on the irregr ground below.


    Instantly, his senses expanded, covering everything around him, his eyes gazing and scanning his surroundings.


    The sky was covered with thick, dark yellow clouds, looking as though they were made of sulfur, blocking the warm sunlight from the world below.


    "This familiar setting¡­ this ce is¡­"


    "The demon world!"


    His pupils shrank as his senses sharpened, putting him on high alert.


    He quickly assessed his surroundings and realized he was in a narrow alleyway, with strange buildings on both sides.


    He leaped, his figure blurring under the pale yellow light from the clouds. He wore the [Cloak of Darkness] and used Abyss energy topletely conceal any trace of espera within him. His presence was nearly non-existent at this moment.


    Unless he walked up to someone, no one would be able to notice him. The energy surrounding him was perfect camouge.


    With the support of rugged surfaces, he soon reached the top of the building beside him. His gaze was distant as he involuntarily let out a remark.


    "Oh man¡­ this is going to be troublesome."


    In front of him, as far as he could see, was a vast spectacle.


    The ce was built in the shadow of a rugged volcano, a truly historic metropolis. It was arge city, filled with towering ck buildings of all kinds¡­


    Its elegance was matched by the backdrop of dark mountains, which had helped shape the city into what it was today at a nce.


    The climate brought by these mountains was of great importance, but they were also influential in architectural designs, as the majority of buildings were shaped toplement the dark volcanic mountains behind them, giving an ominous view.


    The skyline was riddled with borate skyscrapers, many of which showed their age and rich history. Various cultures seemed to have left their mark not only on the city''s history but also on its identity.


    What historically was a city of few differences had grown into arge melting pot, and it was this that united the 8 million residents to this day.


    Hundreds of bakeries, bars, and ethnic restaurants¡ªit almost resembled a normal human city in an eerie way.


    Beyond the city, there was barren, empty, and harshnd¡ªnot an ideal ce for life. It was a twisted reflection of the human world, just more brutal.


    It was definitely a ce where demons would live.


    "¡­."


    Hot air blew against his face, and memories from the novel about demons and their world flooded his mind.


    He felt no regret; he had already decided to face whatever wasing when he picked up the book.


    He just felt it was going to be a long journey before he could return. From the looks of it, he was in some random demon city. Crossing borders and entering the human world would be very difficult from this point.


    Nheless, he still had to do it. There was no turning back now. He could only imagine what the n was doing at the moment upon finding out he was not where he was supposed to be.


    He heard some noises and looked down. In the streets below, he saw multiple demons walking around normally.


    ________________


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    Creator''s Thought

 Chapter 226 Which path to take?

    Chapter 226 Which path to take?


    Chapter 226


    Demons had both intelligent and unintelligent species. These cities, and the majority of the demon world, were controlled and built by the intelligent species.


    Their unintelligent counterparts were used by the intelligent ones to attack humans, do heavybor, or perform any other tasks as desired.


    It was a grim system, where the strong preyed on the weak, both among humans and demons.


    It was often rumored that the demons who initially invaded the human worldcked intellect and were terrifying monsters; the intelligent species evolved from them after consuming countless human lives.


    He closely observed the demons with interest. All of them had vastly different appearances and movements.


    There were humanoid-looking demons that resembled humans closely, but with horns on their heads¡­


    Then there were creatures with giant skeletal frames, almost ten feet tall.


    The skeletal demons lumbered through the streets, slow but unyielding, their hollow eyes reflecting nothing but thebor they were condemned to. Some skeletons walked with hunched backs, mostly used asbor.


    ''This ce is stranger than I thought.'' Oliver mused as he took in the scene.


    ''Well, what should I do?''


    He looked ahead nkly. His main goal was to escape and return to the human world. No matter what, this was still demon territory. As a Rank-1 exorcist, no matter how well he hid, once he revealed himself to someone dangerous, he would be devoured instantly.


    ''Devoured¡­ or worse.''


    ''Hmm, Rank-1 exorcist¡­ should I attempt a breakthrough now?''


    Oliver''s eyes gleamed beneath the dark yellow sky, giving him an intimidating look.


    He already had more than enough espera to attempt bing a Rank-2 exorcist.


    To increase his chances of survival in this ce, he needed to do it.


    Currently, he only had arge amount of espera. By breaking through to Rank-2, all his physical attributes would receive a boost, including his strength.


    It would help him one way or another.


    ''But even with a breakthrough, I''ll need to be careful. This is demon territory¡ªno ce for reckless mistakes.''


    He needed a more isted ce for the breakthrough. The alleyway was decent, but not secure enough, as a passing demon could spot him.


    Plus, he might have to use his Abyss energy to suppress the outburst of his pure espera. The atmosphere was filled with dark espera, and the demons would definitely be sensitive if someone with pure espera attempted a breakthrough.


    Oliver had already obtained terrifying talent and had gathered enough espera since hest changed his target.


    The choice was clear.


    He moved like a shadow, leaping from one building to another, his movements swift as he searched for a more secluded spot. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Eventually, he found an abandoned temple at the edge of the city. The city was enormous, but fortunately, he had been transported near the corner, making it easier to reach.


    The temple was in disrepair, with bricks and rocks scattered across the ground. The dusty interior was proof that no one had visited for a long time.


    The temple windows were broken, allowing the yellow light from the sulfuric clouds to filter through the frames, casting a dark yet mysterious vibe inside.


    It was quiet, far too quiet forfort. Oliver could feel the thrill in his nerves. Although it was eerie, it also carried a unique beauty and elegance.


    Perfect. He raised his hand above his head, and instantly, a reddish-ck dome-shaped energy field appeared around him, isting him from the world.


    He had to use his lower reserves of Abyss energy to hide theing outburst of espera during his breakthrough to Rank-2.


    Even Ophelia had difficulty seeing through his espera when he used Abyss energy to cover it. He knew that piercing through Abyss energy was impossible.


    The Abyss was infinitely deep, so it made sense that no one could prate it.


    ''I''ll need more Abyss energy soon¡­ not just for this but for what''sing.''


    ''I''ll soon need to replenish my Abyss energy¡­''


    He focused his mind and sat in a meditative pose on the temple floor.


    The espera in his body began to churn gently as he guided it with precision.


    Generally, there were two major categories that defined exorcists: Physical and Spiritual.


    Oliver was previously known to have taken the path of physical exorcism.


    There was a reason for the distinction. Exorcists of each path had different powers and training styles.


    To be a spiritual exorcist, one had to undergo something called "Core Formation."


    At each rank, the exorcist forms a more advanced Espera Core, starting as a small, unstable core that gradually besrger, more refined, and efficient. The nature of the core changes with each breakthrough.


    From Rank-1 to Rank-7, each rank involved core transformations. In the beginning, one would form a basic, unstable core prone to fluctuations.


    As rank progression urred, the core would stabilize and densify, allowing greater energy absorption and usage.


    Eventually, as the core condensed into a highly dense state, it would begin to affect the exorcist''s body, significantly enhancing physical capabilities.


    All spiritual exorcists aimed to achieve the final transformation into a perfect core.


    On the other hand, physical exorcists took a different approach.


    To be a physical exorcist, one had to undergo "Body Transformation."


    Instead of focusing on core formation, each breakthrough infused espera into the body, transforming the physical form to better handle the energy.


    At the initial ranks, like Rank-1 or Rank-2, simple Espera Channels formed throughout the body to circte energy.


    As an exorcist reached higher ranks, the channels would thicken and merge with muscles and bones, leading to faster reaction times, strength, and durability, typically around Rank-3 or Rank-4.


    But it didn''t stop there. In the advanced ranks, espera would seep into the cells, providing extreme resilience and allowing esperic regeneration of body tissues.


    Each physical exorcist aimed to achieve full espera transformation, turning their bodies into perfect vessels for espera.


    Generally, the physical path was easier for beginners, requiring only bodily training to grow stronger.


    Spiritual exorcism, however, demanded mental fortitude, exceptional control over core formation, and a terrifying willpower to persist.


    This was why there were more physical exorcists than spiritual ones.


    There was amon belief that spiritual exorcists were the "true exorcists," more "noble," or simply stronger.


    A belief that persisted through generations, no matter how often it was proven wrong.


    ___________________

 Chapter 227 Rank-2 Exorcist! Espera Veins!

    Chapter 227 Rank-2 Exorcist! Espera Veins!


    Chapter 227


    But that wasn''t true. History had repeatedly shown that true talent shone in any path. What mattered was not the path chosen but how one treaded upon it.


    Just because someone had the potential to be a spiritual exorcist, if theycked the willpower to persist and grow strong, they would get nowhere.


    Having talent and using it were two different things.


    Now, Oliver possessed great espera talent. Nadia was born with high spiritual exorcist potential, so naturally, Oliver had obtained even greater talent.


    But a single path?


    "Why settle for one when I can pursue both?" he mused, a flicker of ambition lighting his eyes.


    If he were to describe his current situation, he was more suited to the spiritual path than the physical.


    Still, he wouldn''t let that limit him. Why choose when he could master both?


    He smiled knowingly. With the knowledge from the novel, he knew it was possible to walk both paths simultaneously.


    It was known to a few that one could be both a physical and spiritual exorcist. Although not a grand secret to the ns, it wasn''t easy to achieve.


    Only those with ample time and effort attempted it. It was extremely demanding and time-consuming.


    Most exorcists couldn''t afford such a luxury. They had to choose¡ªquickly¡ªand dedicate themselves fully to a single path.


    The Union heavily promoted single-path specialization, discouraging dual-path training.


    Humanity was constantly at war with demons, and the more exorcists they could prepare, the better. If everyone tried to walk both paths, it would greatly impact battlefield readiness.


    A pragmatic choice, Oliver knew, but not one that suited his ns.


    Everyone wanted to be strong, especially exorcists, who had their own reasons to be the best among their peers. Being both a physical and spiritual exorcist would undoubtedly give them an edge, if they had the means and knowledge.


    To prevent greed from taking over, the Union poprized proper paths and exorcism techniques for both categories of exorcism. This was not entirely done to recruit more exorcists, but also because novicescked knowledge.


    The Union had countless expert exorcists with vast experience, so it was better to prevent novices from wasting their time from the outset and save their efforts to focus on one path.


    In the novel, Nadia, with her talent and hard work, became both a physical and spiritual exorcist.


    So, Oliver, with tenfold her talent, would breeze through it. There was no need for him to hold back; what applied to ordinary folk didn''t apply to him.


    "I should start now."


    Oliver nced at the broken windows and stared at the clouds, filled with dense golden-brown clouds trapping sunlight. He knew he had to hurry up.


    Swish!


    The espera in his body gathered at his sr plexus and started to take the shape of a sphere.


    As he began to form the sphere, fluctuations started to appear around him. The pure espera circted around him.


    The fluctuations were so strong that if not for the Abyssal dome, demons in the city would have noticed him instantly. It was understandable since his espera was already huge even before the breakthrough, and after this, it would grow even more.


    It was hard to conceal it normally.


    The pressure was immense, but Oliver weed it. Power thrummed through his veins, eager to be unleashed. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As time passed, a small sphere of bright pure espera formed at his sr plexus.


    Usually, this indicated a sessful breakthrough.


    Oliver had done it and was now technically a Rank-2 exorcist.


    His body felt lighter, his senses sharper. But something was different¡ªthis wasn''t just a breakthrough.


    Things should have stopped there, but they didn''t for him. The sphere of espera started to spin as he kept his eyes closed and mind focused, not minding his surroundings. He was fully immersed in the process.


    Thin strands of espera, in the form of threads, began emerging from the sphere of espera, increasing in number as seconds passed.


    Countless threads of pure espera extended from the spherical core. He focused, willing control over the countless threads.


    The threads stirred and started to move, each going in a different direction, slowly filling his veins and covering every inch of his body.


    His veins intertwined with those threads of espera, creating espera channels in his body using the threads as a medium.


    The process was long and painstaking; sometimes he lost control of a thread or two, which would strike a wrong muscle or organ, causing him pain.


    Hours went by as Oliver remained focused and didn''t move from his meditative posture.


    His luck was great as no trouble arose, and the entire process remained smooth.


    Finally, after what seemed like half a day, he opened his eyes, and a misty breath escaped his lips.


    His skin had a certain glow that wasn''t there before, his hair seemed brighter, and his features appeared more defined.


    "I did it."


    He stood up, dusting his clothes slightly, as he examined his body. He had broken through to Rank-2 and could feel a turbulent power flowing inside him.


    It surged through his veins, alive, waiting to be tested.


    If he were to face that chimera again now, he could have easily suppressed it with techniques alone, without even using his water element.


    He looked down at his hand and clenched it, feeling a certain energy. He had sessfully created the espera channels as well.


    One had to know that for first-timers on the path of physical exorcism, forming espera channels required guidance from seniors in the field. Creating espera channels was an extremely important process, as itid the foundation for a physical exorcist.


    If even one of the countless channels was mishandled by mistake, not only would the exorcist''s life be in danger, but there was also a chance of future outbursts, essentially damaging the exorcist''s potential.


    After all, this was the very foundation of an exorcist''s life. It had to be done with extreme care.


    So, did Oliver act carelessly because he didn''t have time?


    The answer was no.

 Chapter 228 Inquisitor!

    Chapter 228 Inquisitor!


    Chapter 228


    And that''s because Oliver was the [Circuit of Abyss], which meant he already had extremely well-defined abyssal channels in his body, like aplex and intricate circuit.


    All the paths in his body were already mapped out like a blueprint, refined by the abyss, ready to be traced. So, all he had to do to create the espera channels was to follow those abyssal channels in his body and create adjacent espera channels.


    This way, he was able to perfectlyy down the foundation of his espera channel and begin the path of a physical exorcist with a strong base.


    Even the most experienced elders would have found it difficult to achieve such perfection in channel formation. After all, seniors could only assist externally; ultimately, a person had to be familiar with their own body internally.


    This was also the reason why he was confident in attempting to create espera channels on his own without anyone''s help.


    His body was now overflowing with excess espera and energy. It felt as if he could st through any wall in front of him with a punch.


    His core was floating at his sr plexus, and his body was covered in espera channels. This mystical and perfect foundation wasn''t just rare¡ªit was unheard of.


    He could now be said to have be a perfect vessel for an exorcist!


    Oliver couldn''t help but smile slightly as he looked at the red dome of energy isting and concealing his existence. He thought about dispelling it now that he had already achieved his breakthrough.


    But before he could do so, his ears picked up a tapping sound from the temple''s entrance.


    The tapping was faint but deliberate, too methodical to be a random visitor.


    His senses had significantly enhanced by now, and his hearing had improved tremendously. He instantly detected the faint but rhythmic sound of someone''s footsteps drawing close to the abandoned temple.


    ''I couldn''t have been discovered. Did this persone to visit this abandoned temple, then?''


    He had great trust in Abyss energy and knew there was no way he had been found, so the most likely reason behind the unexpected sound of footsteps was that someone hade to the temple.


    Even so, something about the presence unnerved him¡ªa quiet, lingering menace that apanied those footsteps.


    He didn''t dispel the Abyssal dome and waited quietly. He couldn''t sense the espera of the other party at all, so it was obvious that whoever was approaching was stronger than him, even though he was now a Rank-2 exorcist.


    Since he had already spent so much time hidden in the dome, he didn''t mind waiting a bit longer until the person or demon who hade to the temple left.


    He observed the intruder and narrowed his eyes instantly when he noticed the demon.


    It was obviously a demon.


    ''A woman¡­?''


    He observed her features calmly. She had a human-like build, but her hair was dark, and two long purple-colored horns were on either side of her forehead, matching the color of her eyes.


    She was dressed in a ck military coat of sorts¡­


    ''Not just any coat¡­ this is¡­''


    ''That''s undoubtedly the uniform of demonic security forces, but it''s different somehow¡­ hmm, is she someone working in internal affairs? Wait, an inquisitor perhaps!'' n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The blood drained from Oliver''s face as realization hit him.


    ''Oh, fuck, what''s an inquisitor doing here?''


    Oliver couldn''t help but feel a trace of cold sweat on his neck as he recognized the uniform. It belonged to the Inquisitors of the demon army.


    Inquisitors.


    They were the shadow of the demon lords, the enforcers of unbendingw.


    Inquisitors were a specialized faction within the demon world, tasked with enforcing absolute loyalty and rooting out traitors, dissidents, and humans who pose a threat to demon rule.


    Inquisitors were one of the most feared groups in the demon world due to their brutal interrogation and torture methods, which have be legendary even among demons.


    They were known for their ruthless efficiency, keen intelligence, and use of fear as a weapon.


    If a demon feared another demon, it was usually because of the Inquisitors.


    In essence,


    Inquisitors ensure strict obedience to demonws and the will of powerful demon lords. They oversee investigations, trials, and executions, often acting as judge, jury, and executioner.


    Their primary mission is to identify and eradicate any potential rebellion or resistance, whether from within demon society or from hidden human insurgents.


    Moreover, they specialize in gathering intelligence, extracting confessions, and deciphering codes. Their knowledge of both demon and human psychology allows them to anticipate rebellions before they begin.


    Of course, just as humans had heretics who worshipped demons within theirnds, demons also had their own "heretics" who coborated with humans for various benefits. There were multiple hidden human establishments in demon territories, organized by the Exorcist Union to weaken them from within.


    One of the biggest obstacles for Oliver to escape from demonnds was undoubtedly these Inquisitors.


    They could sniff out a human in demon territory as easily as a wolf finds prey.


    From the novel, he knew that only demons with twisted morality were ever selected for the role of an Inquisitor. They believed they were enacting the ultimate justice of the demon lords and saw torture and punishment as righteous acts.


    Completely different from human standards, naturally.


    ''They yed a vital role in the Blood War too¡­ that uniform itself is a symbol of fear,'' he thought as he took a deep breath and carefully reinforced the Abyssal barrier for added security.


    The demonic woman was quite tall, taller than the average human. Her expression was stoic, and her hair swayed behind her with each step she took.


    Her way of walking showed discipline.


    She came closer to him as Oliver subconsciously held his breath.


    Every nerve in his body screamed at him to stay absolutely still.


    The demonic woman gave him a strong sense of unease.


    She approached the Abyssal dome, and Oliver stood still, not even moving an inch, holding his breath.


    He felt that even with the Abyssal dome, if he made any movements, someone strong could still find it suspicious. And that woman was definitely strong.


    The demonicdy was now extremely close to the Abyssal dome. She paused and looked to her side, and his eyes met her face as she seemed to stare directly at him for a moment.


    Her eyes narrowed dangerously

 Chapter 229 A coincidence or not?

    229 A coincidence or not?


    Chapter 229


    She passed by the Abyssal dome.


    Oliver heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the woman approach a broken statue.


    She stared at the statue, locking eyes with it as if talking to it.


    Here''s Chapter 229 with the added sentences in bold to indicate where changes were made:


    Chapter 229


    She passed by the Abyssal dome.


    Oliver heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the woman approach a broken statue.


    The statue depicted a foul-looking demon of fury and dread, its two raging eyes staring at him with a wicked fury. It had a broad mouth with spiky protrusions inside. The craftsmanship was incredibly lifelike, as if the sculptor were a master with centuries of experience.


    Scars and cracks covered nearly every inch of it now, disfiguring the already grotesque features. He had no desire to find out what kind of violent history had led to its current state.


    Oliver wondered who this demon was. It was most likely dead by now, but he couldn''t help feeling intimidated just by its statue¡ªand imagining how it had died.


    Whoever or whatever had the power to defeat such a creature must have been terrifying beyond measure.


    He watched as the demon inquisitor reached the statue and stared at it for some time.


    She extended her hand, tracing her fingers along the dusty exterior of the broken statue, her touch lingering on one of the more heinous scars on the statue''s chest.


    Oliver noticed her long nails painted with purple polish as she remained engrossed in the statue.


    Suddenly, she spoke, her voice as sweet as honey. "You''ve been quite the nuisance, you know?"


    Oliver''s breath caught as he instinctively tensed his muscles.


    How? When? n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    When did she find out?


    She didn''t turn around, and her back remained facing Oliver, who was frozen in ce.


    He had already prepared his strongest counter, ready to escape if necessary.


    The woman spoke again. "Isn''t that right, uncle?"


    She stared at the statue, locking eyes with it as if talking to it.


    ''What is this?'' Oliver''s mind raced. ''Is she talking to the statue? Or¡­ me?''


    He couldn''t shake the feeling that this might be some kind of trick. Was she baiting him, waiting for him to reveal his location by reacting? Or was she truly lost in her own thoughts?''


    His mind raced with possibilities. There was a chance the inquisitor already knew about him but, upon realizing he was about to counter and escape, decided to pretend she was talking to the statue.


    There was also the possibility that she was reliving a memory from when the demon depicted by the statue was still alive. They probably had some sort of connection.


    "You used to be revered by the masses for your might, yet in the end, you died so miserably at the hands of the Witch of Death¡­" she whispered quietly, but in the silent surroundings, her voice was heard clearly.


    That name again.


    ''Ophelia,'' Oliver thought, blinking. Of course, it had to be her.


    ''Umm¡­'' Oliver was speechless. If he wasn''t mistaken, the terrifying person who had killed this heinous and dangerous-looking demon was none other than Ophelia.


    ''Well.'' Oliver had a nk expression on his face. Even in the demonnds, her name was famous, at least. The Witch of Death was a title she held in the novel that represented her. And from the words of this demonic woman, the demon depicted by the statue had died miserably.


    "Ah, the Witch of Death¡ªthe person I admire and the person I want to kill the most¡­"


    The inquisitor spokezily, as if lost in thought.


    Admire and want to kill? This woman had issues. Serious ones.


    Crunch!


    Her hand, which had been gently grazing the statue''s scars, suddenly crushed part of the statue, creating more cracks in the already crumbling figure.


    "¡­."


    She turned and stared directly at where Oliver was standing, making his heart skip a beat. He hadn''t felt this nervous in a long time. It was a chilling experience.


    His breath caught in his throat as a cold sweat broke out across his brow. All the inquisitors were terrifyingly strong, and the woman before him was no exception.


    But why was she staring directly at his hiding ce?


    ''This is bad¡­ really bad¡­''


    The demonic woman wore a subtle frown as she looked ahead.


    ''Why do I feel like I''m being watched?''


    The woman thought to herself. This feeling had started the moment she entered the temple, and it had persisted the entire time. She felt as though someone was observing her, and it made her feel uneasy.


    Something was odd, something she never felt before.


    _______________________

 Chapter 230 So close! Discovered?

    Chapter 230 So close! Discovered?


    Chapter 230


    Yet, she couldn''t sense anyone. Even while talking to the statue of her uncle, she had been constantly scanning every corner but found no one.


    ''Is this a coincidence? Or something more deliberate? Why do I feel on edge?''


    She pondered, her gaze intense as she looked at the spot where Oliver was currently standing.


    Tap, tap.


    Her heels clicked against the floor as she began walking toward Oliver, making him panic.


    Even though the Abyssal energy was shielding him, if the demon got too close or made contact with him, she would definitely discover him.


    Just as she reached out toward the Abyssal dome, a voice echoed in the temple.


    "Miss Sera." The voice belonged to a new arrival at the temple''s entrance¡ªa demonic man wearing the same inquisitor uniform as the woman, whose name was apparently Sera.


    Oliver''s heart leapt with unexpected relief as the interruption came at the perfect moment.


    Sera, who had been interrupted, paused, mere inches away from touching Oliver''s face.


    She turned to look at the demon who had called out to her, and Oliver let out a relieved breath as he, too, observed the neer.


    The man had red fur on his head, a halo of lightning arcing around his long metallic horns, and a strong mouth with fang-like teeth. His yellow irises seemed special¡ªOliver sensed subtle fluctuations from them. He knew at a nce that they were uniquepared to ordinary eyes.


    The yellow irises swirled and churned like a desert sandstorm, while his red fur was crawling with bugs and matted with filth and excrement. His well-muscled arms ended in fingers tipped with sharp nails, and his legs were shaped like those of a goat, with ck cloven hooves instead of feet.


    Finally, a thick tail swung back and forth behind him, its end shaped like a fused club of spiked carapace.


    The entire creature seemed engineered for violence.


    "Drul,"


    Sera spoke, not showing any of the excitement she had earlier while speaking about Ophelia and her uncle.


    "We have confirmed it; there was a fluctuation in space in the city," the demonic man named Drul said.


    ''Umm¡­ what now?'' Oliver paused when he heard this.


    "Your senses are truly exceptional, Miss Sera! To have detected such subtle fluctuations despite being miles away from the city¡­"


    The demonic man said with a tone of admiration.


    "Did you investigate the cause?" she asked.


    "Yes, ording to Vasoth, someone has entered the city illegally. From the faint traces and scent left behind, it was definitely a human. I analyzed the scent; it definitely belongs to a male human child."


    "A human child?" Sera raised a brow.


    "Yes, miss, I''m not sure how a human child would enter the city like that either. I believe it''s one of the schemes of those damned human bastards. No matter what, they wouldn''t send a child here for no reason."


    "Hmm¡­" Sera fell into thought and asked, "Did you find the human?"


    "Well, actually, I followed the smell and it led me here, just outside the temple. Any trace of the scentpletely disappeared, and inside, I sensed your presence¡­" He looked at her with calm eyes.


    The tension in the air was thick. Oliver felt his pulse quicken as he waited for Sera''s reaction, hoping his Abyssal cloak would continue to mask him.


    He was already low on Abyss energy and was worried.


    Sera looked back at him and narrowed her eyes. Dots connected instantly, and the unpleasant feeling of being observed could now be exined.


    ''So it''s true that a human has entered the city secretly, and a child? I doubt it. I couldn''t sense him at all despite being constantly observed. There''s no way a human child could deceive my senses.''


    "Seal the city. Have them dispatch forces to investigate every corner, ask Vasoth to search as well, and I think you''ve been deceived by the scent. It couldn''t belong to a child. Try searching for an adult human man instead," Sera ordered.


    "This¡­ I''m sure it was a child¡­" Drul hesitantly replied.


    "The human who intruded is quite clever. If I''m not wrong, he haspletely deceived us by deliberately leaving traces of scent behind and masking it to resemble a child''s scent, leading you here. Two of us three inquisitors are now here, while Vasoth is alone. It wouldn''t be strange if the human has already escaped far."


    "What!?" Drul was stunned. Even Sera''s senses had been deceived by the human; it sounded ridiculous. Sera was their captain and the strongest of the three.


    Not only that, she was one of the most talented demons of her generation. There were hardly a few who could match her.


    They were all inquisitors on a mission sent by the central order. All of them were powerful in their own leagues; otherwise, they wouldn''t be inquisitors. If a human strong enough to fool Sera''s senses had intruded, then it was obvious the humans were nning something serious.


    ''Aren''t they talking about me?'' Oliver smiled wryly as he looked at the two demons in front of him, discussing him and making ns.


    ''They even seem to have a misunderstanding. This woman, Sera, is too cautious; sheplicated things for herself.''


    Oliver felt great that it turned out this way. It was better for them to think like this and be on high alert while he could maneuver secretly when they chased after the imaginary strong man.


    Sera''s words quickly settled as Drul immediately rushed back to Vasoth since Sera alone was enough. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As Drul left, Oliver''s gaze flickered. He knew he had limited time to make his next move.


    Oliver''s eyes wandered around as he thought about his future ns. These demons were too clever; they had sensed the space fluctuation, which wasn''t something an ordinary demon was capable of.


    In fact, the concept of space itself was unfamiliar to most people, be they human or demon, unless they were special.


    So for someone to be aware of such a thing, they had to be either an array master or a high-ranking individual.


    Sera was definitely dangerous. She almost came close to discovering him just based on her intuition.

 Chapter 231 First heart? Replenishing Abyss Energy!

    Chapter 231 First heart? Replenishing Abyss Energy!


    Chapter 231


    ''If I leave them be for some time, they will most probably think that the human intruder has left the city and won''t stay here long. In that time, I can prepare as well.''


    Oliver thought to himself as he watched Sera, deep in thought, her eyes closed as if contemting something.


    A few minutester, she too left the abandoned temple.


    Oliver''s muscles tensed, but he maintained his calm, waiting until her footsteps fadedpletely. Only then did he discreetly move to the back of the temple rather than following her. For all he knew, there might be more demons lurking around the vicinity.


    He also had to think about the problem of his unique scent; he had to somehow mask it. He had been careless and didn''t consider, in his excitement, that there could be demons adept at such detection.


    Even if he had anticipated it, he wouldn''t have expected to encounter such skilled demons so early after arriving in theirnds.


    ''I was too excited when I first arrived here¡­ thought I could outsmart every demon in my path,'' he silently chastised himself as he lowered the Abyss energy to a minimum. His already low reserves were even more depleted now that he had been using it to conceal himself.


    ''Wait, Abyss energy¡­''


    Combined with the [Cloak of Darkness], it would work decently now that he was some distance from the demons.


    A small ck bottle suddenly appeared in his hand, its surface smooth and matte as his storage bracelet glinted in the faint light seeping into the temple.


    Pop!


    With a popping sound, he opened the lid of the bottle and swiftly poured the contents over his head, specifically onto his hair.


    After the liquid waspletely absorbed into his hair, he began rubbing it like shampoo, and in a matter of seconds, his pristine white hair began to darken, ultimately bing ck!


    His reflection in a shard of broken ss revealed someone else entirely. Gone was the unmistakable mark of the Mystic Purge n heir.


    This was a special hair dye he had bought long ago in case of emergencies like this. He didn''t want any demon to recognize his identity at any cost.


    The woman, Sera, knew about his mother, Ophelia, the Death Witch. She must have a lot of information on the Mystic Purge n as well. His white hair would definitely give him away to demons like her.


    Now, with his hairpletely ck, he looked entirely different from before.


    Not to mention, very few people had seen his face, so it would be hard to recognize him from afar, especially in the demonnds.


    After making sure his hair waspletely dyed, he quickly pulled out hispact mirror to double-check. His lips twitched at the sight. "I almost look like a regr demon under this light."


    If not for the horns or other racial features, he could try to disguise as amon demon.


    After ensuring his hair waspletely ck, he did something unexpected.


    His hand blurred as the carcass of the dead chimera appeared before him.


    His eyes turned cold, and with a swift motion, Oliver plunged his hand directly into the chimera''s chest.


    Crunch!


    The sound of flesh being torn filled the air as he withdrew his hand, holding a glowing blue bead.


    "So, it did have a core after all," he muttered under his breath, his lips curling slightly. "How could it not have a core¡­ I knew it would definitely have one."


    Oliver''s lips curled as he gazed at the glowing bead, which was essentially the heart of the chimera, formed after sacrificing multiple lives.


    The core of the chimera served to aid all its functions and was essentially its life source.


    Oliver had kept the chimera''s body to sellter or use for materials, but he had been thinking about a way to retrieve its heart. This had been troubling him, given that his Abyss energy was low.


    Despite being an artificial being, the chimera still had its own ''heart,'' which served simr functions.


    So he felt he might just be able to recover his Abyss energy by consuming the chimera''s core!


    Without hesitation, Oliver ced the shiny bead in his mouth and swallowed it like a pill.


    A hot sensation instantly spread from his throat to his chest, then to every inch of his body.


    A fiery surge of power hit him almost immediately. His eyes widened as an intense heat radiated from the core, sending waves of energy spiraling through his veins.


    He felt a strange sense of ecstasy wash over his mind, as if he had eaten the best thing in the world. His mouth started watering involuntarily.


    A burst of primal power coursed through his soul. His mind was influenced by instincts and desires, urging him to seek more hearts, more power. He felt an insatiable hunger, unlike anything he had ever experienced, as if he were no longer human but a monster.


    This growing hunger made him realize that consuming the core was causing him to lose control. He quickly began calming himself, focusing hard to suppress those unwanted instincts.


    He felt hot, as if something within him was constantly changing while he focused on controlling his psyche.


    While Oliver was alone, focusing on maintaining control, a subtle change urred. His form flickered for a moment, and his pristine white skin turned pitch ck, almost resembling the chimera he had exorcised when it was just born.


    His fingers twitched involuntarily, curling into ws for a split second before returning to their normal form.


    The transformation was brief,sting less than an instant, before returning to normal, with his smooth white skin restored.


    Oliver didn''t notice the change, as he was too focused on his mind.


    But something had definitely urred at a deep level. What exactly?


    He hadn''t the faintest idea.


    "My Abyss energy is overflowing now."


    Oliver let out a satisfied grin as he felt the Abyss energy flooding his body. Not only had it recovered, but it also seemed to have increased by a whole level. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ________________


    [Name: Oliver Mystic]


    [Race: Human]


    [Status: Rank-2]


    [Strength: Level 6]


    [Espera: Level 5]


    [Abyss Energy: Level 5]


    [Charisma: Level 4]


    [Luck: Level 4]


    _________________

 Chapter 232 Mystery? Vasoths plan!

    Chapter 232 Mystery? Vasoth''s n!


    Chapter 232


    After the breakthrough, not only had his strength and Espera leveled up, but his charisma had increased as well.


    Exorcists were known to maintain eternal youth if they so desired. With each rank, they gained more vitality and power, granting them longer lifespans and youth.


    ''I''m getting stronger faster than I expected,'' he mused.


    ''Hmm, now that this is taken care of, I need to search for those things.'' A glint of purpose flickered in his eyes.


    He had some items in mind even beforeing here; those things were only present in the demonnds. He needed them for his secret weapon to be made.


    He had already gathered quite a few materials beforehand. Only a few things were remaining.


    Oliver, drawing on his knowledge from the novel, knew how many fortunes the demonnds held for both exorcists and demons.


    It would be a shame to pass up such opportunities.


    ''Moreover, there are quite a few important characters who should be pretty weak now, right?''


    His grin broadened as he realized that the greatest treasure trove might be something else entirely, beyond just resources.


    ''But first¡­ survivales before everything else.''


    He walked out through the temple''s back exit. With his Abyss energy overflowing, he no longer feared the inquisitors finding him anytime soon.


    As the inquisitors had nned, the entire city was sealed off, and there were no exits left unsupervised. The guards were suddenly on high alert, and the civilians panicked.


    All they were told was that the inquisitors were doing a routine inspection, nothing more. But how could the civilians not worry when even the gates to their city were sealed off, as if to cage something inside?


    Nevertheless, there was some unrest, but that was all. Most of the citizens had absolute faith in the inquisitors and felt at ease with three of them in the city.


    Inquisitors had a great reputation and strength. It was not shocking that citizens were relieved, even though the entire city was suddenly closed with no prior notice or announcement.


    ''Still, I have to stay cautious,'' Oliver thought to himself. ''Faith in their power only means more scrutiny. I can''t afford to slip up now.''


    ______________


    "Have you found anything yet, Vasoth?"


    The red-haired demon from earlier asked his colleague.


    The demon was tall with delicate humanoid features, but instead of ears, he had two long fins. His features were a mix of masculine and feminine, giving him a bizarre appearance for a male demon.


    He resembled a beautiful man, if it had to be described.


    "Not yet, Drul," he smiled in a gentle yet ominous manner.


    "Tsk! Where has the pest gone off to!? If I get my hands on him, I swear I will tear him apart limb by limb." The red-haired Drul was fuming, his sandy eyes churning continuously.


    Vasoth remained silent and maintained his polite smile, his eyes narrowed.


    He stared at the cloudy sky, his red eyes slightly revealed as he thought to himself.


    ''Impressive¡­'' he thought, his eyes glowing slightly under the yellow-tinged clouds.


    ''One highly skilled... I can''t feel a trace of him, almost as if... he never existed in the first ce. How impressive.''


    Vasoth''s deep red eyes glowed under the yellow light from the sulfuric clouds as he found himself amused.


    ''Just who are you, human?''


    This was the first time a human had ever escaped his senses. His family was known for their terrifying tracking abilities. Despite being weaker, his senses rivaled those of the captains, even slightly enhanced.


    He was extremely curious about the person who could deceive his senses. He really wanted to meet this human. He was sure the human was still in the city.


    "Damn it!" Drul kept grumbling in anger as he looked around and saw something in the distance.


    He walked forward, and soon enough, Vasoth saw what Drul was approaching.


    There were two humans dressed in tattered rags, dirt sticking to their faces, their swollen features making them almost unrecognizable as human.


    What stood out among the two were the thick metallic cors around their necks. Their hands were shackled together with chains, allowing little to no freedom.


    "Disgusting ves!" Drul strode forward and kicked one of the ves in the chest. The impact from the demon''s kick was ridiculous, and the human man coughed out his insides before bursting into a bloody mess all over the road.


    Thump!


    The other human ve fell backward, his eyes filled with fear as he trembled, shivering under Drul''s dangerous gaze.


    There was endless disgust in those sandy yellow eyes, as if they were looking at something worse than a worm.


    "Filth like you shouldn''t even breathe near me."


    "How dare you get in my sight, you despicable wretch!" Drul raised his arm to kill the other human ve, but a hand stopped him.


    He turned to see Vasoth holding his arm with a smile.


    "What is it, Vasoth!? Let go of my hand, or I won''t care about your identity either." Drul red at him with a murderous gaze.


    He couldn''t stand being looked down upon, and not to mention, he did whatever he wanted. No one had the authority to stop him except the captain.


    "Drul, why bother with these ves? Look, their owner seems scared silly." Vasoth pointed at a fat demon with a patchy face and a fearful gaze, too terrified to step forward.


    "You''ll only be destroying their property. Didn''t the captain ask us to improve the image of the inquisitors?" he added in a calm tone.


    Upon hearing the word ''captain,'' Drul snorted, shook off Vasoth''s grip, and walked away without looking at the ve again.


    Vasoth simply smirked and turned to face the owner. "They belong to you, right?"


    "Yes, yes, respected sir. I am just a mere ve merchant. These two ves were recently shipped here to serve as breeding livestock." The merchant hurried forward, his hands nervously sped, his face dripping with sweat.


    He didn''t dare speak too much or disrespect the inquisitor, fearing he might be charged with suspicion and tortured to death. Everyone knew how fearsome the inquisitors were.


    "Hmm..." Vasoth''s face was dangerously still as he stared at the remaining human ve. A cruel idea shed through his mind. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He looked at the ve merchant. "You know about other human ves in the city?"

 Chapter 233 The city is sealed! Gather the slaves?

    Chapter 233 The city is sealed! Gather the ves?


    Chapter 233


    "You know about other human ves in the city?"


    "Pardon? Ah, yes, I am familiar with most of the ve merchants in the city," the merchant hurriedly answered. He was confused as to why the inquisitor was interested in that topic.


    The smile on Vasoth''s face broadened slightly. "Good," he said. "How much time would it take for you to gather all the human ves in the city in one ce?"


    "This¡­ um, it would normally be impossible to gather all ves from other merchants so quickly, but if we use the inquisitor''s authority, then it shouldn''t take more than a few days," the merchant thought and shared his estimation.


    "Do it," Vasoth ordered.


    "Yes, sir, but may I ask why respected Inquisitor is interested in livestock?" The merchant couldn''t help but ask despite his fear of the inquisitors.


    If it had been Drul instead of Vasoth, he wouldn''t have dared to ask such a question, but Vasoth seemed more approachable. He had even helped stop Drul from killing his property.


    So, he hesitated but asked in the end.


    "To catch a big and clever rat." Vasothughed and left, leaving behind a confused fat merchant.


    "A rat¡­?"


    The merchant didn''t quite understand what the inquisitor meant, but he quickened his pace as he dragged the ve away to meet with the other merchants of the city.


    No matter what, since the inquisitor had ordered it and with the recent sealing of the city, there was definitely something going on behind the scenes. Perhaps he could get a hint or two from his merchant friends.


    He knew it wasn''t wise to dy, and that perhaps he might learn something valuable from his fellow merchants.


    Even the city lord had to give face to an inquisitor. He couldn''t imagine any merchant disobeying the order to hand over their human ves.


    _________________


    A few days passed in the blink of an eye as Oliver surveyed the customs and practices of the demons.


    The demons of this city lived in a strict hierarchy where the weak had to obey themands of the strong. It was a brutal world of fighting, violence, and madness.


    The demons came in all sizes and shapes, which helped him blend in with just a simple cloak.


    Although he couldn''t truly disguise himself, his modified appearance and careful use of Abyss energy helped him move unnoticed in the city''s darker, more chaotic corners.


    His scent, which almost gave him away, was properly masked by using mud. Of course, such a cheap trick wasn''t enough to escape the sense of smell of that red-haired inquisitor, so he carefully used Abyss energy to keep his scent hidden.


    He felt relying on Abyss energy wasn''t the best solution. If he could learn alchemy properly, he would be able to produce a scent-neutralizing potion. At that point, even the most skilled demons would have a hard time detecting his scent.


    ''I''ll need to track down some alchemical ingredients when the time is right,'' he noted, silently adding it to his growing list of objectives.


    "Hey, did you hear the rumors?"


    Oliver''s ears picked up the sound of a conversation taking ce. He was currently in a cheap, inconspicuous bar filled with shady, poor demons, sitting quietly in a corner.


    "What rumors?" a demon asked.


    "It seems the inquisitors have ordered the gathering of all the ves around the city for some reason," the demonicpanion whispered, but Oliver heard it clearly, his senses far beyond normal.


    "All the ves in the city?" the demon asked in surprise.


    "No, not all, but all the human ves."


    "What are they going to do with the livestock?" the other demon asked, sounding idiotic. "Could it be that they have a really big appetite and want to feast on all the ves at once?"


    "Ha! As if they would want to eat something as lowly as ves! They''re used to delicacies."


    "HAHA! I heard that the skin of exorcists is especially delicate. I wonder how they taste!"


    "Keep dreaming. Be grateful if you even get the normal stuff."


    "Hmph, what''s wrong with being a little greedy?"


    "It''s not about greed. Those exorcists would kill demons like you and me in the blink of an eye."


    The other demon scoffed. "You think? Let me face one, and we''ll see if I don''t tear them apart with my ws!"


    The demon boasted, showing off his ck, dusty ws. "I heard their bones are especially delectable!"


    "Heh. If only! They say eating an exorcist can give us extensive vitality and even great powers!"


    The two demonsughed and ate, unaware of the cold gaze lingering on their backs. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Oliver''s eyes coldly stared at the two demons.


    One demon had three arms and one eye, while the other had a charcoal-like body.


    His eyes glowed slightly under the darkness of his hood as he pondered.


    ''The demons abduct humans and use them as ves, or worse. Humans serve as food for the demons, suffering the worst kind of treatment. It''s basically torture. The inquisitors are gathering all the humans in one ce? It''s obvious what they''re nning¡ªto lure me out¡­ hmm.''


    Obviously, Oliver wasn''t the type to fall for such a simple bait. If he were a righteous exorcist with a strong sense of morality and justice, he would have walked right into this obvious trap to save the ves.


    He was reminded of Evelyn, the kind of protagonist who would have gone out of her way to fall into such a trap to save everyone.


    But he was not her, and his ambitions stretched far beyond that.


    However¡­


    ''Isn''t this the perfect opportunity to get the highest quality hearts?''


    A thick, dark aura clouded behind Oliver, making all the demons present in the bar involuntarily shiver.


    A sinister smirk appeared on his face.


    ''Since you want to provoke me, then don''t me me for being cruel.''


    His decision was swift¡ªif they wanted to draw him out, he''d give them exactly what they wanted. But not on their terms.

 Chapter 234 Two Fools Greet Death!

    Chapter 234 Two Fools Greet Death!


    Chapter 234


    It was clear to him that the fate of all the ves being gathered in one ce was worse than death. Even if he had no attachment to them, they were still humans. As a fellow human, it wouldn''t be fair if he didn''t respond in kind.


    ''If what I have in mind is possible, I might just be able to save the others.''


    But it wouldn''t be for the ves¡ªit would be for his n.


    Vasoth could never have imagined that their decision to seal off the city would only make it easier for Oliver to push his n forward.


    The city was no longer a city¡ªit was now a hunting ground. Oliver felt a dark thrill settle in his chest as he thought about it. It was only a matter of time before it became clear who was the hunter and who was the prey.


    The demons at the bar were confused. The sudden chill they all felt at the same time was inexplicable.


    The two demons who had been chattering earlier left the bar. Like the others, they too felt a sudden difort in the atmosphere, so they decided to leave.


    The table where Oliver had been seated was now empty.


    ____________


    "Damn! I feel itchy on my back. What was that just now?" the green-skinned demon asked.


    "I don''t know. It was definitely not something good," hispanion replied, shaking his head. He couldn''t help but feel tense as well.


    Even after the two had left the bar, the heavy feeling didn''t leave them¡ªit only intensified with each step they took.


    They were alone in the alley, and strangely, there was no one else around. Only their footsteps echoed in their ears.


    Each step felt heavier than thest as they continued walking in silence.


    Suddenly, a voice called out.


    "Hey."


    The two froze in their tracks. The heavy pressure intensified as soon as they stopped, as if they were carrying hundreds of rocks on their shoulders.


    The voice sounded like a child''s, but for some reason, neither of them could turn around. It was as though they were frozen in ce.


    Were they really frozen? No.


    They were shivering¡ªa primal fear had taken hold of them, and neither dared to move.


    Their instincts told them that if they took just one step, they would die.


    The brave green-skinned demon with three arms from earlier gnashed his teeth, trying to push through the fear gripping him.


    He hadn''t even seen the opponent''s face, yet he was paralyzed with fear, shaking in his boots. His ws trembled violently.


    He and hispanion had many enemies in the back alleys, and regr fights were not umon. It was survival of the fittest, just like anywhere else with demons.


    But he had never felt such a terrible sensation before. It was as if he were sitting inches away from the maw of a terrifying monster. If he moved, the monster would devour him. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But even then, he was a hot-blooded demon and forced himself to face it. He let out a demonic scream and turned around to confront the owner of the voice.


    He saw it.


    His final sight. A boy in dark hooded clothes. A ck hood concealed his features, but beneath that pitch-ck darkness were two ominous orbs of death.


    Golden sulfuric clouds shimmered above him, and his visage looked almost as if... as if the grim reaper had ascended from hell.


    And that was all he saw before his vision turned upside down.


    Even as his head fell to the ground, only a single thought remained in his mind.


    ''Is that what death looks like?''


    Thepanion barely moved, his gaze discreetlynding on his friend''s body¡ªor what was left of it. All he saw was a headless body and hispanion''s lifeless head lying neatly beside it.


    His blood ran cold as he saw the shadow of the enemy standing behind him. From the shadow, he could make out a long, sharp sword in the enemy''s hands. He instantly realized that it had been the sword that beheaded his friend.


    His mind raced through all their enemies, but he couldn''t recall a single one who used a sword as a weapon.


    The shadow was clearly a master swordsman, a demon who lived by the sword. It wasn''t the kind of brutal killing he had seen in alleyway fights. This was precision, something cold and professional. The precise cut was clean and smooth; he hadn''t even realized when hispanion was cut apart. It was all too smooth to be called a brutal murder.


    However, despite hispanion''s death, he didn''t think of revenge. On the contrary, he thought of all the ways he could make himself useful, hoping the enemy would spare his life.


    His body trembled with fear, but he tried to keep a calm mind as he heard approaching footsteps.


    "Who do you serve, demon?"


    "Lord Gureon." He didn''t hesitate to give the name of his boss. If it could make the enemy hesitate, it was worth it to save his life. But he doubted the shadow would care.


    The level of the lethal sword strike he had just witnessed far surpassed anything he had ever seenpletely beyond his realm of understanding.


    "Who is he, demon?"


    Another question came in a cold voice. The demon found it odd how the person kept addressing him as "demon," almost as if he wasn''t one. It was understandable though; it felt like someone repeatedly addressing you as "human."


    But the demon ignored the strangeness and quickly replied, "Lord Gureon serves directly under the city lord and controls around 90% of the city''s streets. She is the third most powerful demoness in the city, and everyone respects her. No one dares to challenge her in the city..."


    He mumbled thest part quietly, hoping the enemy would think twice before killing him.


    But he froze when he heard a cold series ofughter. His ws trembled as the ominous sound filled his ears.


    Theughter made his skin crawl. The enemy clearly didn''t care about Lord Gureon.


    Why would such a terrifying being care about a demoness in the city? The thought terrified him even more.


    Who could be this bold in the city?


    ______________________

 Chapter 235 Druls suggestion! Demoness?

    Chapter 235 Drul''s suggestion! Demoness?


    Chapter 235


    "J-Just to add, L-Lord Gureon is also quite precious to the city lord. T-They say she''s the secret lover of the city lord," he blurted out in tension.


    "Take me to her."


    The voice spoke without a hint of emotion. The tone was cold, devoid of even a hint of hesitation. It was not a suggestion but amand.


    Amand that, if refused, would cost him his life.


    "Y-Yes." The demon regained hisposure, his eyes shining with a malicious glint.


    ''What an arrogant fool! Once we''re in Lord Gureon''s turf, they''ll skin him alive for killing one of her subordinates in her own area. Since he wants to die so badly, then follow me!''


    The demon let out a tense smirk, feeling that this arrogant demon behind him was overestimating himself, making things much easier.


    The demon felt the pressure on him disappear. Without turning around, he began to walk forward, leading the arrogant fool to his death.


    ____________


    "Sir Vasoth, these are all the human ves that were present in the city. We have gathered them in the city square as per your instructions. Some of these ves belonged to officials, but after hearing that it was you who wanted them, they didn''t resist and handed them over."


    The merchant demon addressed Vasoth, who stood with a calm expression, his hands behind his back as he surveyed the abundance of human ves before him.


    They were all cored, wearing dull and fearful expressions, unaware of the fate that awaited them.


    "Hmm¡­" Vasoth''s lips curled into a sinister smile, his brows arching into crescent moons,a calcted glint appearing in his eyes.


    Beside him, the merchant looked at Vasoth with a respectful expression.


    "Vasoth! What are you doing with so much filth?"


    A loud voice came from behind him, and he turned with the same expression to see Drul''s sullen face.


    Drul looked irritated as he strode toward Vasoth withrge steps, scrutinizing the ves with his piercing sand-colored eyes.


    "Drul¡­" Vasoth smiled. "I thought of something fun¡­ a little game to bring out the rat who infiltrated the city."


    Drul paused, ncing at Vasoth''s expression before speaking. "You sure are one sick bastard."


    Then he burst intoughter, hisughter echoing amid the silent masses.


    Vasoth''s gaze flickered, a hiddenyer of emotion flickering in his otherwise calm expression, as he looked at theughing demon.


    Drul stoppedughing abruptly, looking at the shivering ves in disgust.


    "I do hope what you''re nning works. I''m not one to think much, but if you manage to lure out the ''rat'' you speak of, you can leave him to me," Drul said with a menacing grin.


    Vasoth pondered for a moment and said, "Sure. Sooner orter, he''ll definitely be here. At that time, you can deal with him¡ªas long as you don''t kill him."


    "Why shouldn''t I kill him?" Drul frowned.


    "Because there''s something I need to know from him¡­" Vasoth said in a deep voice. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Whatever. I''ll kill him after that." Drul waved his hand andughed as he walked off.


    But he suddenly stopped and turned back. "Hey."


    "Hmm?"


    "Did you inform the captain about this little stunt you''re pulling here? I remember her saying something about improving our image...?"


    "No, she doesn''t need to know about such trivial matters. We''ll present her with the resultster. I''m sure she won''t say anything then. And honestly, I''m only improving our image here."


    "Huh? Improving¡­? How so?" Drul raised a brow.


    "Fear. The best way to keep them disciplined is through fear. They''ll think twice before going against the rules set by their superiors. They''ll know what happens when you try to rebel against the Inquisitors. A public disy isn''t so bad for this, right?" Vasoth smirked, looking at Drul with sly eyes.


    "HAHAHAHA! What a cunning bastard. I don''t really care. Whatever happens, you''re the one responsible for the aftermath. I hope you get what you''re nning for, or else the captain won''t be merciful."


    Drul said with a feral grin and a dangerous expression before jumping off and disappearing.


    Vasoth''s expression remained stoic and eerily calm. It was hard to tell if he was angry or not by looking at his face.


    "Now then¡­" He turned around. "Merchant, hang them up and proceed with what I told you before."


    __________


    "BASTARD! Reveal your face!"


    A demoness spoke with a tone of anguish and an expression of hatred; her current state was pitiful.


    She was kneeling on the ground, clutching her sliced-off right arm with her left hand, her nails nearly digging into her own skin.


    Her posture was tense, and there was a bloody scene surrounding her. Dozens of demons with bulky bodies and dangerously sharp wsy scattered around, all cleanly sliced as if by a very sharp sword.


    Despite their ferocious and intimidating appearances, they were now a tangled mess of blood and flesh. The stench of blood was thick in the enclosed space.


    The once-proud warriors of the city, reduced to mere remnants in the face of a single enemy.


    Before the kneeling woman stood a boy shrouded in a dark cloak, hiding his featurespletely.


    "I have strong ties with the city lord," the woman gritted her teeth and said. "If you kill me here, the city lord won''t tolerate it. He is a Mid-level demon; think carefully about your actions¡ªthere''s still time."


    The woman''s blue face flushed red with anger and shame, forced to beg for her life by invoking the city lord''s name. All her pride was crumbling, the image she had built, the power she held over the demons of the city.


    Everything was on the verge of ending. She had to beg for her life.


    Oliver''s eyes gleamed darkly as he listened to the demoness.


    As he watched the demoness grovel, Oliver couldn''t help but feel a surge of satisfaction.


    ''A Mid-level demon, huh.''


    Memories resurfaced in his mind as he recalled the power scaling for the demons. Unlike exorcists, who followed ranks, the demons had a different system.


    There were seven stages in a demon''s entire life cycle. It was a sort of evolutionary process, where they evolved from a lower stage to a higher one after meeting certain conditions.


    ''What were those stages?''

 Chapter 236 Take it Raw?

    Chapter 236 Take it Raw?


    Chapter 236


    ''If I recall correctly, there were seven stages.''


    Minor Demon: These were the weakest demons, often useless or naturally urring in areas with low dark espera. They possess minimal power and are easily dispatched by even partially skilled exorcists.


    These were the demons used in the n''s demon hunt event.


    Low-Level Demon: Low-level demons are slightly stronger than minor demons and may possess more specialized abilities. They''re still considered rtively weak and often serve as foot soldiers for higher-ranking demons.


    For reference, the demoness was a low-level demon.


    Mid-Level Demon: Mid-level demons are more formidable, possessing greater strength, speed, and intelligencepared to lower-ranked demons. They often have moreplex abilities and serve asmanders or enforcers in demon hierarchies.


    The city lord was supposedly at this level, while the inquisitors were more or less close.


    High-Level Demon: High-level demons are among the most powerful entities encountered by exorcists. They possess immense strength, supernatural abilities, and definitely require advanced tactics and teamwork to defeat. High-level demons often serve as leaders or generals in demonic armies.


    Catastrophic Demon: Catastrophic demons are extremely rare and possess power on a catastrophic scale. They are capable of causing widespread destruction and chaos, posing a significant threat to both humans and other demons.


    These demons are typically ancient beings or entities of immense malevolence and power, requiring thebined efforts of multiple powerful exorcists to confront and defeat. Or a special Rank-5 exorcist.


    Two more sses of demons were yet to be revealed until the veryte stages of the novel, known as the Apocalyptic and Primordial Demons. The rulers of the entire demonnds, these beings started it all from the beginning.


    ________


    Seeing that the cloaked figure fell silent and didn''t reply, the demoness couldn''t help but grin tensely and say, "I can make you an offer."


    "It''s not toote. If you let me leave, this matter will be considered settled, and no one will bother you in the entire city. I can guarantee that for you."


    "Leave?" Oliver finally spoke after a long silence, making the demoness pause. She realized that the voice was unmistakably childish and could not have belonged to an adult demon. Did this mean the figure was really a child and not a grown demon with a small body?


    However, she quickly brushed it off and said, "Y-Yes, if you let me leave, I can give you wealth, ves, and resources. I will even ask the city lord to grant you an official pos¡ª"


    "Why?"


    "¡­What?" The demoness was stunned. She hastily said, "Did you not hear me!? The City Lord is a Mid-Level demon, amander with countless soldiers serving under him. With your powers, he would definitely not treat you any worse than his closest subordinates. You can gain anything you want¡ª"


    "And I asked why?" Oliver tilted his head. "Why would I care about any of that? Why should I serve under him?"


    "W-What¡­? A-Are you crazy? He''s the lord of the city. As a demon, do you not wish to rise in rank!? Do you not have ambition?"


    "A demon?" Oliver chuckled darkly, his voiceced with disdain. "Who said I am a demon?"


    The demoness looked up, confused. Slowly, he removed the hood covering his head, and the light from the candles illuminated his face. The demoness''s expression shifted from utter confusion to shock.


    "HUMAN!?" she screamed, her eyes bloodshot with shock and fury.


    "HUMAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!? WHY COULDN''T I DETECT YOUR SCENT!?"


    She screamed, her fear now reced by a tide of anger and fierceness, resembling a wounded beast.


    Oliver''s eyes gleamed coldly.


    The demoness felt a chill in her heart as she looked at his ominous expression, his hair ck as night, his eyes deeper than the bluest ink, and a face devoid of emotion.


    "No¡­ the city lord, the inquisitors, it all makes sense now¡­ you are going to be dead soon¡­ you will be murdered brutally¡­" she mumbled with a crazed look, her brows damp with sweat, her hands shaking.


    Oliver looked down at her as if viewing a disgusting bug. The absoluteck of empathy in his gaze sent shivers down her spine. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to hide, to get as far as possible from the boy before her.


    She growled, "Bastard, I will kill yo¡ª"


    A streak of cold light shed between them.


    "Strong words from a weak person."


    Oliver spoke in an emotionless tone as he sheathed his sword back in its scabbard, the demoness''s head sliced cleanly in two.


    He didn''t even nce at her fallen body, stepping past her as if she were nothing but trash in his path. He paid no heed to her threats; whether it was the city lord or the inquisitors, he already had ns prepared for them all.


    ''Her territory should cover the western side of the city, which means¡­'' Oliver''s eyes shed with a cruel glint.


    He looked at the demonsying around him. Moving to the demoness''s corpse, he performed a basic exorcism and banished her soul to the void.


    Next, his hand blurred and pierced her chest, extracting a blue, heart-shaped organ.


    Oliver closed his eyes and took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the inner disgust and nausea as he brought the blue heart close to his face.


    ''It''s amb''s heart, it''s amb''s heart, it''s amb''s heart¡­'' he chanted internally, trying to stave off the revulsion building within him.


    Blood dripped continuously from the freshly extracted demon heart. He gave it a shake to dislodge the excess blood.


    "Ugh!" He ced his palm over his mouth to stop himself from puking.


    His stomach churned, but he forced himself to remember the stakes. He thought he had mentally prepared himself, but when it came to the act itself, the reality was overwhelming.


    It gave him an extremely immoral and trashy feeling, as if he was about tomit a taboo. Perhaps the Path of Abyss was made for people who embraced taboos and became sinners to this world.


    Another detail worsened it¡ªthe heart''s shape. If it had resembled a chimera''s heart, like a small bead, he might have been able to eat it, pretending it was a pill.


    "No, if I want to survive in this cruel ce full of demons who wouldn''t hesitate to ughter humans, I must aplish this no matter how revolting it feels."


    With a heavy stomach, he brought the dark blue heart closer to his lips.


    ''I can''t afford weakness now,'' he thought, steeling himself for what he had to do.


    ''Damn it, should I cook this first or eat it raw?''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 237 Eat or be Eaten!

    Chapter 237 Eat or be Eaten!


    Chapter 237


    His brows were knitted tightly, his eyes closed. The iron-like scent from the dried blood still lingered as he slowly parted his lips and took a small bite.


    The taste was metallic, bitter, and unsettlingly warm, making him gag, but he forced himself to chew. There was no particr taste¡ªwell, even if there was, he didn''t want to feel it. He quickly stuffed the entire thing into his mouth and began chewing vigorously, running around in circles as if trying to distract himself from what was in his mouth.


    Gulp


    Finally, he managed to swallow the entire heart of the demoness.


    Instantly, he felt something¡ªa strange heat spread all over him, while his mind felt as if it was being plunged into a bucket of ice. His body was hot, his mind cold, and a prickling sensation covered him.


    He felt a subtle change happening at his core; his usually calm Abyss energy began to stir and react violently, as though excited by something.


    Swish!


    His vision blurred, and an intoxicated feeling overcame him, like he had just drunk the strongest wine.


    Boom!


    In the next moments, his entire body convulsed. Heat and cold shed within him, the intense cold flooding his mind, as if frostbitten needles pricked every corner of his consciousness. His heart pounded erratically, each beat sending waves of heated energy through his veins, making his skin tingle as if jolted by a low current.


    Shiver!


    It felt as if his Abyss energy hade alive, writhing and pulsing beneath his skin, wing to escape and consume more. He gasped, his breath visible like mist as freezing tendrils of energy swirled within his chest, meeting the fierce heat rising from his core. A violent shiver racked his body, not just from the cold but from thrill. The taste of power¡ªthe demoness''s essence¡ªwas now his.


    With each heartbeat, he felt his senses sharpen, his mind both intoxicated and clear, able to see, hear, and feel in exquisite, overwhelming detail. His hands tingled, his vision flickered, and his veins surged with something dark and primal, like molten metal flowing beneath his skin. It was intoxicating and excruciating, as if every fiber of his being was being reforged from the inside out.


    A dark urge whispered within him, urging him to consume more, to seek even greater power. And then, with a final shudder, it settled. The fierce, electrifying energy coiled within him, waiting, like a beast at hismand.


    He opened his eyes, feeling the world differently, almost as if shadows themselves leaned closer, whispering secrets that only he could now understand.


    "Hmm¡­ what is this¡­?"


    Oliver thought, sensing a change within himself. He could tell he had gained something from consuming the demoness''s heart. He focused on identifying it and quickly found the answer.


    "A basic heat resistance trait? Interesting¡­ does that mean I gain something unique every time I consume a heart?" He frowned, pondering.


    "No, that''s definitely not the case; there''s something moreplex at y here."


    He decided to test it out. Moving to the nearest demon, he swiftly extracted its heart, and, suppressing his disgust, swallowed it.


    All he felt was a subtle shiver¡ªno new trait, just a slight increase in his Abyss energy.


    "So it''s not guaranteed," he murmured, frustrated. "This must be random, perhaps. If I''m lucky or certain conditions are met, then maybe I''ll receive a specific trait or ability from the creature whose heart I consume¡­"


    "Wait, now''s not the time to think about these things." He realized he was getting distracted; time was ticking away, and he had to hurry.


    His eyes turned cold as he surveyed the demons lying around him.


    "Forgive me; it''s revolting, but necessary. Survival has no room for morals," he muttered, his voice low.


    He knew the world was vaster than he had thought, with monsters beyond imagination lurking in the shadows, ready to devour the careless.


    If he didn''t adapt, he would be just another casualty in this brutal world. He had to devour them before they devoured him. Eat or be eaten.


    ________________


    "What do you mean, he''s disappeared?"


    Jenna paused, looking up with raised brows and an unmasked emotion as she looked down at her subordinate.


    "Where did he disappear to?" she asked.


    "This¡­ I don''t know, ma''am," the kneeling man replied, looking up. "As per your orders, I reached the city to keep him safe in case the n exorcists found him. But by the time I arrived, he had alreadypleted his mission in the yground." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Already?" Her eyes flickered with surprise. She knew this was no random mission but one that would determine ranks.


    The ck Codex Federation was extremely resourceful and had experts in divination. All the missions were meticulously designed and had deep significance to the organization.


    These missions were crafted to analyze the potential and capability of its members.


    And rank-change missions were especially challenging.


    Completing such a task so quickly bordered on the unbelievable.


    She had never heard of anyonepleting a rank mission in a single day. It was almost absurd.


    Just how capable was he?


    What would his initial ranking turn out to be once he submitted the report?


    She felt an unexpected sense of anticipation.


    What was he hiding to have achieved this so quickly?


    She shuffled through the documents on her desk, retrieving a sheet of paper with the details of Oliver''s mission.


    The specifics weren''t written, only a rough description to find the root of the problem.


    She narrowed her eyes and made a brief call.


    "Pa, I sent you something. Look into it and see if you can find the details."


    She hung up and waited a while, soon hearing the notification ring. She picked up her phone, her eyes revealing a trace of evident surprise.


    Pa had sent her something that made her feel surprised.


    Even her subordinate noticed the shift in her expression; Jenna was rarely rattled by anything. This must be something extraordinary.

 Chapter 238 The situation of Slaves!

    Chapter 238 The situation of ves!


    Chapter 238


    What Jenna had just done was call a diviner from the organization and have her look into what exactly made the mission so easy for Oliver.


    A diviner was extremely special, blessed by the Great Oracle, and capable of seeing the future, delving into the past, or influencing the present with their abilities.


    One of their best skills was finding or detecting something. It was nearly impossible topletely conceal your traces from a diviner''s power unless protected by another diviner shielding your fate.


    Pa was an expert diviner and one of Jenna''s close friends; she could easily find what had urred at that location or reveal the mission''s purpose.


    Jenna refrained from asking for details of the exact events, as that would breach Oliver''s privacy, and she wasn''t interested in resorting to such tactics.


    All she wanted to know was the rank mission, and she received the details soon enough.


    "A chimera egg? Dark alchemists were involved?" Her brow furrowed as she read the report.


    She realized this matter was far from simple, especially for a novice exorcist. Even among rank missions, this one was particrly challenging.


    The organization must have considered Oliver''s prestigious background and the Mystic Purge n when assigning this to him.


    But ording to Pa''s findings, the chimera egg had been hidden by a special barrier technique that concealed it from the naked eye.


    It should have been impossible for a Rank-1 exorcist to see through it.


    "Did he use an artifact? Or maybe¡­ something unique to the Mystic Purge bloodline?" She pondered, her mind racing with possibilities.


    A chimera, possibly Rank-2 or Rank-3, had been defeated by Oliver just like that? It was hard to believe.


    Her curiosity about his methods was strong, but she suppressed it. Spying on her subordinates would diminish her dignity as their leader.


    She pressed her forehead, a smirk forming on her lips. "Oliver¡­ that little kid. He never ceases to surprise me. A boy full of mysteries."


    "Hahaha¡­"


    She chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with both admiration and intrigue.


    The kneeling man couldn''t help but feel flustered. He had never heard herugh like this before. She always exuded an air of strictness and authority, yet she wasughing now.


    "What happened afterward?" She paused and looked down.


    "Pardon?" The man was caught off guard by her sudden question but quickly responded.


    "After that, he suddenly left the yground. He seemed to have found the link to the chimera and went straight after the dark alchemists."


    He nced up and saw Jenna''s smile widen, so he continued.


    "It was a reckless move, I could tell. He rushed in without investigating the enemies'' strength."


    Jenna maintained her smile, wondering if it was really reckless or a well-thought-out n he had devised beforehand.


    "Then, he entered the basement where the dark alchemists were. I didn''t follow, in case he sensed me, but I stayed on high alert. Time passed with no signs of action, which prompted me to check if everything was fine. But when I entered the basement¡­" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "¡­All I saw was a ck burning page."


    "Hmm? And?" she asked.


    "And, the heretics were lying unconscious. He had exorcised the man and ced a rough block on the female heretic to prevent her corruption. Before I could investigate further, I sensed multiple presences¡ªall exorcists. It seems he reported the incident to the local police, so I had to retreat."


    "Young master Oliver was nowhere to be found¡­"


    Jenna''s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint shing through them as she processed this information.


    "Interesting. A ck burning page, you say? And he disappeared suddenly¡­ So they had a teleportation scroll with them, huh?"


    She spoke with a sharp expression.


    "A teleportation scroll!? Miss, then young master¡­!" The man fell silent, realizing the implications.


    "If that''s the case, then there''s no telling where he might have been sent without knowing the coordinates. Quite the predicament, and I just asked Pa too." She sighed, rubbing her forehead.


    "Miss, what if young master is in danger?" he asked, unable to hide his concern. If something happened to Oliver, Jenna would suffer a huge loss directly.


    "Hmm¡­" Jenna tapped the desk thoughtfully. "I highly doubt it, given the circumstances you described. He had already exorcised both heretics. Chances are, he used the teleportation scroll voluntarily," she reasoned.


    "He used it knowingly!? What sort of madness¡­!" the man blurted out.


    Jenna looked at him calmly, saying nothing.


    His reaction was understandable. Using a teleportation scroll with unknown coordinates was akin to courting death.


    Even great adventurers would hesitate to take such a gamble.


    For all they might know, they couldnd in ava pool or somewhere worse.


    But she couldn''t deny that Oliver''s willingness to take such a risk spoke volumes about his courage¡ªand perhaps, his recklessness.


    It was a very risky move by Oliver. What could his reason be for taking such a chance?


    Jenna''s expression grew serious.


    "No matter what, I need to make sure he''s still alive."


    Oliver was too valuable an asset for her to lose. She would spend her extensive resources if it meant ensuring his safety.


    ____________


    Meanwhile¡­


    "P-please s-spare m-me¡­ great l-lord¡­"


    "Do it."


    "NO¡­!"


    Stter!


    A fountain of blood erupted as one of the ves was beheaded by the butcher demon wielding a blood-stained, serrated knife. The demon, with jagged teeth protruding from his mouth and cruel, sunken eyes, wore an apron soaked in old blood and bits of rotting flesh. His grin widened with each swing, savoring the thickening terror in the air.


    "Ahh¡­ w-we a-are going to die¡­"


    A man, his neck choked by a thick, rusted cor, whimpered as he watched the headless corpse copse, his eyes dull with horror. Dressed in filthy rags, he clutched at his cor as if it could protect him from his inevitable fate. His tear-streaked face and trembling body mirrored the hopelessness that gripped the crowd.


    Though they had long endured the demons'' cruelty, the reality of their impending deaths shattered whatever shards of courage or pride they had clung to. Death was now within reach, a blood-soaked executioner dragging them, one by one, toward that final, agonizing moment.

 Chapter 239 The Defiant Girl! Will they kill her?

    239 The Defiant Girl! Will they kill her?


    Chapter 239


    Some ves wailed, crawling forward and sping their hands, pleading to the Inquisitor. "Mercy, please¡­! I''ve done nothing wrong!" they cried, only to be met with a dismissive wave or the taunting smile of the Inquisitor, who leaned back as if lounging in his own court.


    Vasoth''s eyes glistened with twisted delight, sweeping over the desperate faces below. He looked almost serene, his calm demeanor a terrifying contrast to the chaos around him. Now and then, he would beckon to the butcher demon with azy flick of his finger, signaling him to bring forth the next sacrifice.


    The demons in the crowd watched, licking their lips, delighting in the spectacle. Some were shouting mock encouragements at the ves, while othersughed cruelly as they watched humans who had once stood tall now grovel and debase themselves. It was a theater of humiliation and despair, crafted solely for their amusement.


    One woman with a bruised face wed at the ground, screaming for her owner in the crowd, "Master! Have mercy! Haven''t I served well? Don''t let me die like this!" Her voice cracked, dissolving into sobs, as her plea fell on indifferent ears. Her owner, a demon with red eyes like burning embers, chuckled, as if this was a reward rather than a punishment.


    The cries of those begging and the sight of others lowering their heads to the cold, stone ground only fueled the demons'' derision.


    They leaned forward, eagerly awaiting the next execution, like spectators waiting for the climax of an act. The horror was inescapable, each sound, each scent ¡ª the coppery tang of blood, the stale stench of fear ¡ª saturating the square.


    The Inquisitor''s voice sliced through the din, calm yetmanding. "Is this all humanity is capable of? Such pathetic creatures¡­ Or perhaps one among you still clings to bravery?" He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled ves, as if expecting an answer.


    The silence that followed was suffocating, the ves paralyzed by his words, unsure if any response would mean a quicker death or a temporary reprieve.


    Among the crowd, one small figure remained silent, her expression defiant. A young girl with short, coal-ck hair and piercing purple eyes stared at the scene, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Unlike the others, her gaze held neither fear nor submission, but an anger that burned as brightly as the torches around them.


    She didn''t cry out, didn''t lower her head; instead, she red at the Inquisitor, her jaw clenched in silent defiance.


    The girl''s eyes burned with a fierce resolve, a determination that had not yet been crushed by the endless suffering she had endured.


    Each swing of the butcher demon''s knife, each plea from the ves around her, only seemed to harden her resolve further. Her gaze remained fixed on the Inquisitor, and for a fleeting moment, his own eyes met hers.


    Vasoth curled his lips, it seemed to amuse him to find her interesting aspared to other ves.


    The hint of her defiance in her eyes made him want to crush her. He tilted his head slightly, studying her with a new glint of interest. Here was one who would not beg, who would not tremble. A rare specimen, almost too precious to destroy outright.


    In a smooth, calm voice that resonated with malice, he called out, "Bring the little one here."


    The demons in the crowd sneered, eager to see the spirited girl brought low. She was forced forward by a rough hand on her shoulder, but she didn''t flinch. Her purple eyes remained unwavering, locked on the Vasoth, and she spat on the ground in a final act of rebellion.


    "Well, aren''t you a bold little thing," Vasoth purred in a strange voice, his tone deceptively soft. "Tell me, child, do you think you''re different from them?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She said nothing, her mouth pressed into a stubborn line. The other ves around her fell silent, their sobs and cries fading as they watched her, a glimmer of shock¡ªand perhaps hope¡ªentering their hollow eyes.


    The Inquisitor''s smile grew wider as he leaned in, his eyes gleaming with mock curiosity. "Are you angry?" he asked, tilting his head as he studied her defiant expression. He waited, savoring the tension as the girl''s purple eyes burned with barely contained fury.


    "How amusing," he continued, feigning a look of pity. "You must think yourself quite brave, don''t you? But all I see is a little insect, writhing at the sight of a boot ready to crush it. Do you really think your anger matters here, little one?"


    His voice took on a mocking lilt, each word crafted to twist deeper into her pride. "Look around you," he sneered, gesturing to the crowd of broken, trembling ves. "You''re no different than them. Just another pitiful human, helpless and afraid. Do you truly believe your defiance means anything at all?"


    Vasoth wanted to feast on this girl''s despair as she suffers, demons like him found such despair to be quite the delicacy.


    The girl''s fists clenched even tighter, her eyes zing, but she remained silent, her jaw set in unyielding defiance.


    The Inquisitor''s smile grew colder, his voice lowering to a cruel whisper. "But you are so weak¡­ so powerless. You cannot do anything." He allowed the words to hang in the air, each one slicing into her like a de. "Since you seem to hate this so much, let''s have you watch every execution. Wouldn''t that be fitting?"


    He turned to a demon merchant standing nearby, his tone icy andmanding. "Make sure she watches every single one of them."


    The merchant nodded eagerly, a twisted grin spreading across his face as he beckoned two demons to seize her. They moved forward, each grabbing one of her arms, yanking her to the ground and forcing her head to face the execution tform. She struggled against their hold, her teeth gritted, her face contorted with rage and frustration.


    "Ugh!" she groaned, her voice strained as the demons'' ws dug into her arms, keeping her firmly in ce, a trace of blood leaking from the sharp ws digging into her soft skin yet she didn''t shed a tear and endured the pain.


    She couldn''t look away; her head was locked toward the blood-stained tform, her line of sight fixed on the butcher demon''s grisly work, no matter how hard she tried to avert her gaze. Her heart pounded with helpless fury, and the Inquisitor''s chillingugh echoed in her ears as he leaned back, watching her futile struggle with unfeigned delight.


    _________________________


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    WinterDragon_1

 Chapter 240 A surprise gift for demons!

    Chapter 240 A surprise gift for demons!


    Chapter 240


    The next ve was dragged forward, and as the butcher demon''s knife glinted in the torchlight, the Inquisitor leaned forward slightly, just enough to ensure the girl could see his eyes. "Pay attention, little one," he whispered, his voice as smooth and chilling as ice, "because this is only the beginning."


    He smiled slowly, his gaze piercing through the crowd, feeding on the fear that had locked their tongues. "Then bring me the next one," he said softly, but his voice echoed across the square, slicing through their hearts. The butcher demon dragged a sobbing boy forward, a child barely in his teens, whose wide, terror-stricken eyes darted around, pleading for someone, anyone, to intervene.


    Theughter of the demons reached a fever pitch as they took in the child''s small, shaking frame. Some even mocked him openly. "Oh, poor thing, will he even scream loud enough?" one jeered, while another demon called, "Better practice begging, little one. Maybe they''ll let you go!"


    The child''s screams as he was pushed to his knees were muffled by the din ofughter. His small hands shook as he lifted them in a futile attempt to shield himself from the butcher demon''s de.


    His cries mingled with the steady chant of the demons as they cheered for more blood, their voices blending into a horrifying symphony of cruelty.


    "Dispose of him," Vasoth saidzily to the butcher demon. The crowd of ves recoiled, the small moment of hope slipping away as quickly as it had appeared.


    The boy was shoved to his knees, his face dull and ghastly, and he looked directly at the de with an expression that embodied fear itself.


    The little girl shook slightly in anger, her strained eyes not wanting to watch her own kin being executed at a demon''s whim. Yet, she felt restrained and could only watch amidst the mockingughter filling her ears.


    She gritted her teeth as she watched the butcher prepare the sharp, long tool while restraining the boy on the execution device.


    Swish!


    The butcher demon raised his axe, ready to strike the screaming boy.


    She wanted to close her eyes, but each time she tried, the merchant would yank her hair with force.


    Just as the butcher was about to behead the boy, a loud sound echoed across the surroundings.


    It was a booming sound.


    Vasoth abruptly turned his head to the west, and as he did, he saw a shadowy object flying towards him at terrifying speed.


    Boom!


    Vasoth stretched his palm forward, and a translucent gray barrier appeared, covering him. The shadowy object collided with the barrier and fell to the ground before him.


    All the demons and ves alike, stunned by the sudden interruption, turned their heads towards the object that had struck Vasoth''s barrier.


    Vasoth looked down, his pupils dting as he recognized the ''thing'' lying at his feet.


    "Drul¡­" he whispered in an eerie voice as he observed the bloody corpse of hisrade.


    It was a sight that left him speechless¡ªa twisted, brutal mockery of his former ally.


    It was the lifeless body of the Inquisitor Drul, the red-haired brutal demon from before.


    The condition of the corpse was beyond imagination.


    The body was missing limbs, with visible holes in various parts.


    Both his yellow, sandy eyes were gouged out and missing, as if someone had forcefully extracted them.


    The most noticeable feature was the corpse''s chest, where a gaping hole was visible¡ªa void where his heart should have been, allowing anyone to see the ground through the empty cavity.


    It was clear that Drul had been tortured and brutally killed; there was no doubt. The sinister removal of the eyes and heart sent chills through the hearts of those close to Vasoth, who looked at Drul''s body.


    A hush fell over the crowd as they absorbed the horror of whaty before them. Even the most hardened demons felt a prickle of fear run down their spines.


    Vasoth wore a serious expression, the atmosphere around him dark and eerie.


    This was a scenario he had never anticipated. Drul, hispanion who hade to the city with him, nowy dead before his eyes.


    Vasoth knew better than anyone present how powerful Drul had been. Even he was unsure he could defeat Drul one-sidedly, much less leave him in such a state.


    He nced once more at the tattered body of the demon inquisitor and felt a deep sense of unease.


    Drul belonged to a prestigious family of demons known for their berserk and violent nature¡ªa bloodline feared throughout the demonnds. He was physically superior to most demons of his level, thanks to his excellent inherited genes.


    He possessed multiple abilities and had a high affinity with the sand element. Cornering him would not have been easy.


    Not to mention, he also had a special trump card. Yet, despite all this, Drul had died so miserably¡ªa troubling sign.


    This meant the enemy hadpletely overpowered Drul.


    How one-sided it must have been¡­ Drul''s unique eyes should have bought him time to distract the enemy and escape.


    Those eyes were an inheritance from his forefathers, and even against higher-level demons, they should have worked for a moment or two, giving Drul enough time to use his artifacts to flee. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But the result was before him¡ªhis eyes gouged out. The enemy must have taken them.


    "Such arrogance¡­" Vasoth muttered under his breath, his jaw clenched.


    "Hahaha¡­" Vasoth''s features distorted as an ugly expression twisted his beautiful face, a shiver running through him.


    The fact that Drul''s body had been thrown at him must have been intentional.


    What was the human intruder trying to convey?


    Vasoth turned and nced at the confused, fearful ves, his gaze bing subtle and a bit colder.


    He understood the message. Leave the ves, or he would meet a simr fate.


    However¡­


    The human was clearly underestimating them.


    A cruel smile spread across his face.


    Trying to threaten him in his own domain? What a fool. Vasoth would make sure he regretted it.


    _____________________

 Chapter 241 Freedom? Love for Demons?

    241 Freedom? Love for Demons?


    Chapter 241


    Their captain, Captain Sera, was present in the town. He only needed to convey to her once he found the human invader; she would take care of him.


    He didn''t doubt that the human invader was weaker than her; otherwise, he would not have needed to hide in this city.


    ''The nerve¡­ a human defiling ournd,''he muttered to himself. A vein popper on his calm face.


    "Hmm, this is quite the predicament¡­"


    Vasoth paid little attention to Drul''s death. To him, there was no particr rtionship between them, nor were there any benefits to be shared.


    Indeed, Drul''s death came as a shock to him, but that was the extent of it¡ªa momentary shock.


    He nced at the corpse with mild distaste. ''A waste of talent,'' he thought, but nothing more.


    "S-Sir Inquisitor, this¡­" the merchant anxiously asked as he looked at the lifeless, tortured body of the other Inquisitor. He could now understand things subtly; this whole event to execute human ves out of the blue, followed by this sudden death of an Inquisitor.


    It was clear the Inquisitors were likely trying to find someone in the city.


    And that someone was dangerous. To have killed an Inquisitor so boldly and thrown their body to a crowd was a daring move.


    It was obvious the person was strong, given how brutally they had finished Drul. But what was more shocking was their boldness¡ªkilling an Inquisitor was a serious offense against demons.


    The Inquisitors served directly under the Lords of Demons, and acting against them was akin to rebelling against a Demon Lord; such an act would bring severe consequences.


    The Inquisitors were not feared for nothing. In fact, most demons would sooner betray their own kin than risk crossing one. Looking at Vasoth''s calm face, the merchant could tell that Drul''s death didn''t faze him much. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The demons in the crowd were whispering loudly, slowly and discreetly scattering. They all knew that a bloody battle could break out at any moment, and in the fights of the strong, weaklings were the first to perish.


    The merchant was sweating bullets. He wanted to leave as quickly as the others but didn''t dare to in Vasoth''s presence.


    ''Such chaos over one corpse,'' he thought, irritated by the crowd''s sudden weakness.


    "It looks like the rat hunt will have to pause for now. The rat is not a rat, it seems," Vasoth said clearly.


    He didn''t look at the ves and left directly. All the demons present were shocked.


    Wasn''t this cowardly? Was the great Inquisitor scared?


    Otherwise, why would he leave in such a hurry? Leaving behind the livestock and abandoning everything in the middle.


    The merchant felt even more fear.


    He, too, looked at the ves but suddenly didn''t want to order his subordinates to drag them back.


    After all, this entire ordeal had started with these ves. Drul''s corpse was a chilling reminder of the consequences. Drul''s corpse was still fresh, a direct warning to them.


    It was shameful to be so fearful of an unknown person, but he valued his life more. Even Vasoth, an Inquisitor, had left without saying anything, so no one could me him.


    Of course, no one would dare say anything to Vasoth''s face either.


    "Wrap up! Everyone, go back to your homes. Sir Vasoth had something urgente up," the merchant announced without exining further.


    One of the demons, who appeared to be the master of one of the human ves, asked from the crowd, "Can I take my ve back?"


    The merchant halted, looked to see who had asked, then replied coldly, "Scram!"


    There was reluctance among the demons in the crowd, unhappy to leave behind the ves they had bought. But despite their unwillingness, no one voiced much objection.


    The image of Drul''s brutally tortured corpse was still fresh in their minds, even after his body had been taken away by the guard demons.


    Fear had cemented itself in the atmosphere, gripping the crowd like an iron chain. No one wanted to suffer such a fate, so one by one, they all left, abandoning the confused ves.


    The ck-haired girl was also released by the guards, who shoved her away.


    She stumbled forward but managed to bnce herself. Her purple eyes reflected hatred for the demons, but at the same time, there was another emotion not present before.


    It was admiration and desire.


    She had witnessed everything, from the moment the Inquisitor''s body was sent flying at Vasoth to the point where Vasoth was forced to leave.


    This feeling of victory, even though it did not belong to her, made her chest swell with heat. She felt tears in her eyes as she watched the demons who had always tortured them leave in fear.


    Despite the mysterious person not showing his face for even a moment, all the demons present were afraid of him. His presence lingered in the air like an invisible shield over the ves. Even the mighty Inquisitors, who were thought to be undefeatable, had been brought down by this person.


    Such strength made her desire the freedom she dreamed of daily even more.


    There were people strong enough to kill these Inquisitors. She wanted to be like that, too.


    She wanted simr strength to protect herself and her kin, to protect herself, and to eradicate all demons from this world.


    She looked around, hoping to catch sight of the mysterious person, but to no avail; all she saw were empty rooftops.


    She clenched her fists and looked back at the other ves, all of whom were in a state of confusion and anxiety, uncertain of what would happen to them now.


    They didn''t know where to go, as all the demons¡ªtheir owners¡ªhad abandoned them alone in the city square.


    "W-What do we do now?"


    "I don''t know¡­! We''re all alone in this ce!"


    "C-Could it be some sort of trick? To l-leave us alone and then suddenly kill us¡­?"


    "I w-want to go back¡­ My master left me alone¡­ Where do I go?"


    These ves, whose mental states were fragile after enduring prolonged torture, were having panic attacks. They didn''t know where to go, fearing they might be killed if they tried to leave.


    Their wills had been broken. Most of them had lost the strength to think independently.


    Even though they had been tortured and treated harshly, they seemed to want to return to the way things were.


    The chains may have fallen from their bodies, but not from their minds.


    Stockholm Syndrome.


    They were all suffering from this condition severely.


    _________________________


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 Chapter 242 Was there really no way?

    Chapter 242 Was there really no way?


    Chapter 242


    Stockholm Syndrome.


    All of them were suffering severely from this condition.


    Even though the demons had abused them their entire lives, they still wanted to return to them, even now.


    The thought alone made her stomach twist. How could they want to go back? To willingly step into the chains that had held them down, crushed them, torn them apart piece by piece¡­


    "WHY? Just WHY?" a crazed ve muttered while biting his fingernails. His fingers were gnawed down to the quick, raw and red, trembling as he chewed on them with a strange desperation. "Why would someone interfere!? Maybe my¡­ my master would have taken me away if only everything hadn''t been interrupted¡­"


    Hearing this, a few other ves had a strange glint in their eyes. "Right¡­ m-my owner would never abandon me¡­"


    "M-My mistress too, s-she is often strict but a-at least I-I could still live¡­"


    Looking at the scene, the ck-haired girl felt a surge of anger. A hot, pulsing wave, rising from her gut to her throat until her chest felt tight. How could they think like this? Even when their lives had been spared from the butcher, they were still ming the mysterious person.


    Were they even in their right minds?


    Her jaw clenched tightly. She could feel her teeth grinding together, and a dull ache was building along her jaw. All of them were adults, yet she couldn''t understand why they were acting this way.


    Shouldn''t this be the time for them to n their escape?


    It was a golden opportunity to leave this ursednd forever and find somewhere safer.


    Somewhere without the demons'' shadow looming over every sunrise, where they could breathe without fear.


    She didn''t know where it would be safe, and she wasn''t even sure if such a ce existed for them, but one thing she knew for certain was that they had to leave quickly before the demons returned.


    And if possible, she wanted to find that mysterious person who had saved them. She believed that if they grouped together with him, they might truly be safe from the demons.


    But¡­ the others weren''t even thinking straight. Their eyes were zed, as if they were looking at something far away, something only they could see. She gritted her teeth and spoke.


    "Stop arguing and ming the savior! If not for that person, we all would have been beheaded. We need to get out of here quickly before the demons return!"


    The arguing ves paused and looked at the young girl.


    "E-Escape? I-I wouldn''t dare¡­ no."


    "Right¡­ we cannot leave¡­ where would we even go¡­?"


    "Humanity has abandoned us anyway. We might as well go back to our owner¡­"


    "Y-You''re right¡­ I¡­ I''ll go back too¡­"


    Many others voiced agreement, and the girl''s expression turned to disbelief. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was like watching drowning people refuse the hand reaching to pull them to shore, choosing the darkness below instead.


    She couldn''t understand why they would want to return to their cruel lives, even after being given a chance to escape.


    No, she had to stop them.


    "What are you all saying!? Why are you trying to go back? Let''s leave!"


    She ran up to an elderly woman and tried pulling her back to prevent her from leaving.


    "L-Let go of me!" the woman screamed hysterically and pushed the girl away with force.


    Crash!


    The ground rushed up to meet her, and shended hard, gravel biting into her knees and palms.


    The girl was thrown back by the force, falling and scraping her knees.


    "Ouch!" she groaned in pain as she looked down at her knees, which were now scratched and bleeding from the rough texture of the road.


    Blood welled up, bright against the dirt, stinging as it trickled down her legs.


    The ves didn''t even bother to look back and began running to their ces, to their demonic owners.


    She was discarded. No one listened to her; no one cared about her. It was as if her voice was nothing more than a breeze, swept away without a second thought. She tried to get up but stumbled forward in pain. Her knees were hurt and bleeding now.


    She gathered her courage and tried to support herself against a nearby wooden crate.


    The rough wood dug into her palms, but she held on, feeling the splinters bite into her skin as if the pain could anchor her in this nightmare.


    A few ves still remained who, unlike the others, hesitated. She closed her eyes and calmed her mind.


    In the silence, she forced herself to breathe, each breath shallow and quick, her chest tight with the weight of everything unsaid.


    Opening her eyes, she nced at the others and asked in a low yet somewhat hopeful voice, "Well¡­ since you didn''t go back, that must mean you also want to escape, right?"


    They looked at each other, their faces filled with fear and hesitation. One woman clutched her arms around herself, her shoulders hunched as if trying to make herself smaller, less visible. Another young man kept ncing over his shoulder, flinching at every distant noise. It was clear they, too, were contemting whether to return or not.


    But the cruel days of torture held them back.


    "H-How do we get out of here?"


    A boy in histe teens asked the others.


    "S-Should we just run toward the north gate? I heard there are the fewest guards there," someone suggested.


    "No, I overheard my mistress say on the way here that the city has been sealed on the Inquisitor''s orders."


    "W-What¡­? What do we do now!?"


    Panic spread among the remaining few ves.


    "N-No¡­ I''m going back too¡­ it''s hopeless¡­" One of them broke down and ran back in a hurry.


    The ck-haired girl swallowed hard, her throat dry as sand. "Huff¡­" She rubbed her thigh, trying to soothe the pain. She had expected this to some extent.


    She felt too tired to stop them from leaving, she knew there was not much she could do.


    A bitterugh echoed in her mind. Here they were, given a chance at freedom, and they were too afraid to take it. Was this what the demons had reduced them to?

 Chapter 243 Oliver but something is different?

    243 Oliver but something is different?


    Chapter 243


    ''Should we attack the demons? No¡­ Impossible; we''d be captured without mercy.''


    ''Then¡­ maybe steal weapons and kill the guards.'' Her eyes narrowed, a fierce glint shing through them as she imagined it¡ªa desperate, brutal fight for freedom, no matter the cost. She had already made up her mind that to survive, they must be ruthless toward their enemies.


    But the problem was that they couldn''tpete with specially trained guards, and there was no guarantee the other demons would stand by and watch.


    She didn''t know what to do in such a situation. Her mind raced, but every n seemed like a dead end, another trap waiting to snap shut. There were six of them left, but where could they even go? Almost every corner had demons. Wherever they went, they would be devoured.


    ''Is there really no way out?'' She sighed internally,menting the situation. Even though they''d been given a chance, they were helpless.


    Her legs were injured, and she could barely bnce herself, let alone attack the demons. She wasn''t even sure if she could run away.


    If, in the end, the demons returned and captured her and the others, it would truly be the biggest waste of an opportunity.


    ''Maybe they''ll starve me to death¡­'' She wondered what sort of treatment awaited her once she was taken back. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms as if the pain could keep her focused.


    ''If that''s how it was going to be¡­ why did they even bother leaving us here? Did they already know we''d go back on our own? Was this their attempt topletely crush our spirits?''


    She looked down at the ground, her eyes feeling warm for some reason. Her vision blurred, the edges softening as something hot prickled against hershes. She quickly wiped at her face, smearing dirt across her cheek.


    It was then that a voice suddenly sounded.


    "Only you six are remaining? What a shame."


    A maic voice echoed in the quiet city square, instantly attracting the attention of all six of them!


    The girl''s head snapped up, her heart pounding as she scanned the darkness. She looked up and saw a figure slightly taller than herself, cloaked in dark robes.


    Deep blue eyes, visible from beneath the hood, stared at them scrutinizingly.


    "Even after going through all that trouble, only six of you had the courage? Howme."


    The girl''s breath caught, her chest tightening. Those eyes seemed to pierce straight through her, cold and calcting. Her eyes widened, and she hastily asked, "A-Are you the one who¡­ did that?"


    The man turned his gaze toward her, and she felt a chill run through her as she looked into those cold blue eyes.


    "Indeed, if that''s what you''re referring to," he nodded.


    "Ah¡­" The girl''s face went nk. A mix of awe and fear settled over her, and for a moment, she forgot the pain in her knees, forgot the hopelessness that had weighed her down just moments ago.


    "W-Wait, why did youe only now!? All the others have gone back to the demons! How are we going to get them back!?" one of the remaining six ves eximed in shock.


    "Get them back?" The man asked in confusion. "Who said that?"


    "I''m not responsible for them. If they choose to go back, that''s their decision. To me, they''re useless baggage¡ªthe less, the better," he said with a darkugh. His voice held a detached amusement, as if the lives of those who''d returned meant nothing more to him than discarded trash.


    "W-What are you saying¡­? Aren''t y-you part of reinforcements from Humanity?"


    "Reinforcements? Ah, there was something like that, yes. But I''m not part of it. I''m a solo traveler." He tilted his head slightly as he exined.


    "B-But how could you do that¡­? Aren''t you human?"


    "Everyone, stop it!" the girl eximed loudly, interrupting the others. Her voice shook, but her eyes were steady.


    "Be grateful that this person came to save us. Those who have left have already been corrupted by the demons. Taking them along would only add to his responsibilities."


    She spoke firmly. "He has no obligation to help us. He could leave us alone in this ce. Are you confident enough to fight and survive against the demons? Right now, we must stick together and follow what he has nned for us."


    The man raised an eyebrow, though his expression remained hidden under the cloak. Internally, he looked at her with interest, noting that she was the youngest of the group and yet possessed such courage.


    Looking into her eyes, he sensed the dominant spirit within her; she hadn''t yet been broken by the demons.


    "What''s your name?" he asked.


    "I-I don''t have a name¡­" she stammered, her cheeks flushing with a mix of shame and defiance.


    "Forget it, then. All of you who want to escape, follow me. I believe you''ve all made up your minds, haven''t you?"


    He turned around, his cloak fluttering slightly in the chilly wind as he continued, "Of course, those of you who are afraid, don''t bother. I won''t protect you much. You''ll be on your own. So, if you''re willing to risk it, follow me."


    With that, he entered the nearest alleyway, waiting for them to follow him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "We must do this¡­ it''s the same in both cases. Even if we return, there''s no guarantee we won''t be killed or that our treatment would get any better. This is the first andst chance to escape. Even if it costs our lives, we should risk it now."


    The ck-haired girl got up, trembling, her knees shaking, but her eyes filled with determination. Pain shot through her legs as she moved, but she gritted her teeth, willing herself to ignore it.


    "I will follow him. The rest is up to you; I can only persuade so much. We''re humans and should cooperate when we can."


    It was clear from her words that she valued her race and kin deeply. She was persuading them for the sake of their shared humanity. She knew she couldn''t let her kin suffer any longer.


    With that, she limped and dragged herself toward where the man was waiting. Every step was agony, her knees burning, but she refused to slow down.


    Soon enough, another person followed her, then another, and then two more.

 Chapter 244 Seras disappointment! The sudden summon?

    Chapter 244 Sera''s disappointment! The sudden summon?


    Chapter 244


    Just like that, all six of them began following him through the narrow alleyway. The smell of the gutter was strong and overwhelming; it was evident that this was where the city''s waste tunnels were connected.


    The ck-haired girl instinctively wrinkled her nose as she did her best to keep up with the others. The foul air seemed to cling to her skin, seeping into her clothes and hair. The stench was suffocating¡ªa sickly blend of rot and decay that clung to the back of her throat. Her young age, coupled with her knee injury, made it difficult, but she remained silent.


    Gritting her teeth, she pressed forward, her mind fixed on the thought of freedom, even if ity at the end of a dark, foul-smelling alley.


    She was clearly trying not to be a burden on anyone. Every step sent a sharp jolt of pain through her knee, but she forced herself to keep moving, her jaw clenched tightly against the difort. One could tell she had matured well beyond her years under harsh circumstances. Her breathing was heavy as she grew tired, but the group didn''t stop.


    The pain was relentless, ring with each step until her legs felt like they would buckle beneath her.


    She wanted to ask if they could pause for a second so she could catch her breath, but she was afraid that Oliver, who was ahead, would ignore her and leave her behind, abandoning her.


    The other ves were too upied to pay attention to her.


    The group mostly consisted of teenagers, with the only exceptions being a man in his mid-twenties and a woman in her 30s.


    "Huff¡­ Huff¡­" Her breaths wereing in ragged gasps now, each one catching in her chest. Her eyes felt partially blurry as she kept walking. The stench from the surroundings was making her dizzy, and the pain was increasing with every step.


    Her rags were drenched in sweat, and her steps felt heavier and heavier as her eyes opened and closed intermittently.


    Each time her eyes drifted shut, she struggled to force them open again, her vision swimming as exhaustion wed at her.


    Slowly, darkness covered her vision as she fell forward onto the ground.


    However, before she could hit the ground, a hand caught her, lifting her entire body up. The grip was firm, almost gentle, and for a moment she felt as if she were floating, as if the pain had faded to nothing.


    She could only hear muffled sounds; thest words she heard were:


    "Such a stubborn girl, just like her."


    And with that, she fainted.


    ______________


    In a luxurious room somewhere.


    "I am ipetent, Captain. Please punish me as you deem fit."


    Vasoth was kneeling on a carpeted floor. In front of him was a chair, and seated on the chair was Sera.


    The room wasvish, with dark velvet drapes and polished mahogany furniture, a stark contrast to the harshness of their conversation. Sera''s expression at that moment was extremely cold and dangerous.


    Her eyes barely suppressed the murderous intent raging inside.


    Drul was dead.


    And the killer was still unknown; they did not even know his face.


    Vasoth had nned foolish stunts behind her back and had failed miserably, further ruining the reputation of the Inquisitors.


    So far, they had achieved nothing but loss since they had arrived in this city.


    There was nothing noteworthy about them. Vasoth had run away cowardly when he saw Drul''s lifeless body.


    "Vasoth¡­ you have sessfully ruined our reputation. How do you feel?" she questioned in a stern voice.


    The silence that followed was heavy, oppressive. Vasoth lowered his head, his face pale, beads of sweat collecting at his temples. He was wiser; he remained silent rather than risking anything more.


    "Once we return to headquarters, we will proceed with your punishment," she said, her tone still harsh.


    "For now, identifying and finding the culprites first."


    "Mobilize all the forces present in the city to find him¡­ no matter what," she continued. "We have the city lord''s approval to use his forces. Do not disappoint me anymore, Vasoth."


    "Yes, ma''am." Vasoth bowed even further. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his jaw tight with suppressed anger. He felt angry and humiliated; because of one human, he was being berated and punished.


    Despite Drul''s body being thrown at his feet, he had still been unable to sense that human. It was certain the human had been very close at that time, yet his exceptional senses had detected nothing.


    The thought gnawed at him, a constant itch he couldn''t ignore.


    Just what sort of technique was the human using to hide himself? Whatever it was, Vasoth had to find it. It was an extremely risky variable. The family he belonged to was known for their exceptional detection senses, and if humans had managed to develop a way to evade those senses, it would be a huge setback for the demons in the wars.


    He had to find the human, make him reveal the secret, and then promptly develop countermeasures, no matter what.


    As he was contemting, a knock sounded on the door.


    Sera frowned; she had clearly instructed not to be disturbed.


    "Enter," she said.


    A young demon entered the room, dressed in the city''s official guard uniform, with a rough air about him.


    The guard bowed quickly, though his eyes darted nervously between Vasoth and Sera, sensing the tension.


    "Miss Sera, the city lord urgently wants to meet you and Sir Vasoth. It''s a matter of utmost importance," the guard said.


    "A matter of utmost importance? What is it about?" she questioned. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I am afraid only the city lord can tell you that. He has asked me to escort you both to him as soon as possible; he seemed distressed."


    Sera''s eyes narrowed slightly. She thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright, show the way."


    The guard saluted and gestured for them to follow.


    Sera and Vasoth followed after the guard and were soon led to the City Lord''s Office.


    Sera was currently staying as a guest in the city lord''s castle, so it did not take long to reach her destination.


    The guard knocked twice on the door, and a crisp sound was heard from inside.


    "Let them in."


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 Chapter 245 It was erased!

    Chapter 245 It was erased!


    Chapter 245


    "Please¡­" The guard bowed, opened the door, and gestured for them to enter.


    Sera walked in, maintaining her graceful yetmanding posture. Her chin was lifted slightly, a cool confidence radiating from her as if she owned the very air around her. Her heels clicked sharply against the polished floor, each step precise and controlled, like a de slicing through the air. The clicking of her white boots echoed clearly as she moved.


    Vasoth followed closely behind her, curious as to why the city lord had summoned them so suddenly.


    A faint prickle of anxiety crept up his spine, cold and insistent. His stomach twisted with a vague sense of dread. Whatever this was, it couldn''t be good.


    Two deste eyes stared at them as soon as they entered. Vasoth narrowed his eyes, observing the lord of this city.


    A fanged mouth exhaled dark mist, and four thick horns adorned his rugged head, which was etched with fiery symbols. Forked nostrils red within his curved nose.


    A robust, tall body leaned against the window of the room, covered in armor from head to toe. The armor gleamed in the dim light, each te etched with intricate demonic runes that seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive.


    The demonic man stepped closer to them, his legs easily carrying his diabolical form. His boots hit the ground with a heavy, rhythmic thud, each step exuding authority.


    Hepletely ignored Vasoth, his gaze fixed on Sera''s calm eyes.


    "Miss Sera, I presume you are already aware of what your subordinates did?"


    "Indeed. He will be punished ordingly once we return to headquarters," she replied, not losing herposure.


    Whether her subordinate hadmitted a mistake or not, the matter of punishment was up to her and the higher-ups. She needed to maintain her position in front of others.


    "I certainly do hope for that. But¡­" The demon turned around, his back facing the two inquisitors as he continued, "the reason I have called you here is not that, but something else."


    Sera''s gaze sharpened, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly "What is it about, then?"


    A burst of dark aura erupted from the city lord''s body, instantly filling the room with terrifying pressure. The force pressed down on Vasoth, nearly forcing him to his knees.


    It felt like a mountain had dropped onto his shoulders, the weight pressing down on his chest until he could hardly breathe. It was overbearing, as if a mountain was weighing down on his shoulders; however, the next moment, the pressure ceased to affect him.


    He looked up to see an equally ominous and powerful energy field surrounding him. He recognized it at a nce as the captain''s aura.


    ''Incredible¡­ this is the captain''s aura¡­ such density, such power. This suffocation¡­ it''s as if I''m standing next to a draconic beast.''


    Draconic beasts, descendants of dragons, were known for their terrifying aura. To bepared to one in terms of aura was high praise.


    ''But to think the city lord was this strong¡­'' Vasoth''s gaze narrowed. His eyes flicked between Sera and the city lord, assessing, calcting. The city lord''s strength was no joke either. To withstand the captain''s energy was shocking. Although he was being shielded by Sera, the city lord was clearly formidable.


    "City Lord, are you rebelling against the demon lords?" Sera asked in a threatening tone.


    "Haha¡­ HAHAHAHA!" The city lord burst into maniacalughter, making Sera frown. Theughter reverberated through the room, low and menacing, each note tinged with something dark and unhinged.


    "What''s so funny?" she asked sternly.


    "Funny? What''s funny? YOU DON''T KNOW?" He shouted, his eyes bloodshot with rage.


    "Calm down and exin." Sera remained unfazed.


    To her, losingposure was weakness¡ªa w she had trained herself to purge long ago. Losingposure was immature, in her opinion, especially for a city lord.


    "¡­The western region of the city," the city lord took a deep breath and continued, "it''s been wiped out."


    "Wiped out?" Sera raised a brow, confused by the meaning behind his words.


    "All demons in the western region have been killed."


    "Impossible!" Vasoth shouted in horror, his eyes widening, a chill spreading through his veins.


    This was also where hest sensed Drul going. If what the city lord said was true, then the one behind this was¡­


    Sera was silent, not saying anything.


    This was indeed a shocking matter¡ªa grave matter.


    "All demons are dead? Is that¡­" she hesitated, "¡­really the case?"


    The city lord''s face twisted, his expression a mix of rage and despair. "Haah¡­" The city lord rubbed his swollen temples, gently scratching his horn.


    "It''s true. I received the report from the northern guards who went to inspect. Every single demon¡ªand by that, I mean every single demon, be it a guard, merchant, or civilian¡ªall of them were found dead."


    A shudder ran through Vasoth, and he clenched his fists, trying to process the enormity of it.


    "A pool of blood filled the western streets. It was a brutal and humiliating sight." The city lord''s teeth cracked in anger.


    "My wife¡­ she too was killed." He finally said it.


    Sera closed her eyes. A slight crease appeared between her brows, the only sign of her inner thoughts. It looked like things had gone way out of hand.


    She had to step in now. There were no excuses for their ipetence. They were in this city for a mission; although it wasn''t directly rted, the security and order of the city naturally fell under the Inquisitors'' purview whenever they visited. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If she didn''t find the culprit now, it would escte into a major issue at headquarters, especially for those eyeing her ambitious rise in the hierarchy.


    ''Could it be a scheme?'' She didn''t dismiss the possibility. She had numerous enemies who wanted nothing but her downfall, so it wasn''t impossible that they would act in such a way.


    Her mind raced, calcting potential threats, forming contingencies, but she kept her face calm and unreadable.


    "How was the entire western region of the city murdered overnight without anyone realizing it? At least one demon should have been able to escape. Aren''t you partly responsible for this situation? Where were your guards? I''m sure your wife must have been a strong demon too." Vasoth chimed in, forming a hypothesis.


    He tried to keep his voice steady, but there was an edge of doubt.


    _______________________


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 Chapter 246 What is she thinking?

    Chapter 246 What is she thinking?


    Chapter 246


    He tried to keep his voice steady, but there was an edge of doubt, of disbelief.


    No matter what, it sounded too absurd for a single human to do it without alerting anyone. The very idea gnawed at him¡ªan entire region wiped out, and yet no one had noticed until it was toote. He didn''t want to believe that this was done by the human but rather that it was some kind of ploy.


    "Haha¡­ you brat, you think I don''t know what you mean? Grow your horn first before suspecting me. It''s my city, and all demons here are my subjects. I won''t sacrifice my kin for useless schemes," the city lord growled, his voice low and dangerous.


    Sera stepped forward. The air around her seemed to sharpen, a cold, dangerous edge in her stance. "I will handle this matter personally from now on. I assure you that the culprit will be presented before you shortly."


    Vasoth''s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise breaking through his usual stoic expression.


    Sera''s words came as a shock to Vasoth. For their captain to step up was very rare, but the situation was also serious, so he remained silent.


    "Captain!" He managed to contain his astonishment, but inside, he felt a pang of shame.


    A single human was not worth his captain''s attention at all.


    How badly had they failed if their captain herself was forced to intervene?


    Despite being cunning and scheming, he and Drul, along with all her other subordinates, were extremely loyal to her. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Demons followed thew of strength, loyal to those stronger and in awe of those with capabilities.


    Vasoth was on Sera''s side and always made ns in her favor, to elevate her above others. Even back at headquarters, he had always been cautious of everyone, keeping his captain''s reputation above others.


    But this time, so much had happened that their captain was forced toe in person to take action.


    He felt even more ashamed than before. The bitter taste of failure lingered in his mouth, stoking a fierce resentment for the human who had forced them into this situation.


    If something happened and the human caused even more danger, then the people back at headquarters would attack Sera brutally with this excuse and try to restrict her as much as possible.


    He had never felt more hatred for a human than at this moment.


    The thought filled him with cold dread. Sera was not only his captain but his ally in a world where loyalty was rare. He could not allow her to fall because of this.


    However, everything would be over soon. Sera was not like them, after all.


    The city lord waved his w in a dismissive motion. "Do what you must. I want the culprit behind this whole situation, dead or alive. Let me witness the power of the infamous ck Lotus."


    Sera didn''t reply but turned around and left. She should have acted as soon as she was informed of the intruder in the city.


    She hadn''t expected it to turn into such a huge matter now. Even one of her subordinates was killed.


    Her jaw clenched as anger simmered beneath her calm exterior. Her eyes darkened as she parted her lips, an enchanting yet threatening smirk forming on her face.


    ''A single human¡­ it''s been a while since someone so interesting has appeared.''


    The sound of her heels clicking against the rugged road echoed; the thrill of the hunt stirred something fierce and exhrating within her.


    ''A human I was not able to sense¡­''


    She looked at the yellow, dusty sky, feeling a surge of excitement in her veins. The sky seemed to mirror her mood, casting a dim, hazy light over the city as if preparing for a storm.


    "Vasoth," Sera called to him, her back facing him.


    "Yes, captain?"


    "You said you left those human ves at the city square?"


    "Yes, captain. I left those livestock there only." A brief hesitation flickered in his eyes as he asked, unsure, "¡­Was I supposed to take them with me?"


    He asked thest sentence in a low tone, wondering if leaving the ves there was a mistake. Perhaps they could have threatened the human by holding them hostage?


    After all, it was known that those human rebels in the demonnds usually went after the captured ones, aside from other nefarious acts.


    He considered them nothing more than mere livestock, and what he did was logical. People like them were not weak enough to need hostages¡ªespecially not their captain.


    But maybe the situation required them to settle this quickly?


    "No," Sera shook her head, a smile on her face.


    "What you did was right."


    She whispered as a glint shed through her cold eyes. It was a calcting look, a gleam of anticipation that Vasoth rarely saw.


    "He will fall for it," she said. "After all, he is a human."


    "Prepare the troops, we are going to clean a lot of pests soon."


    "Pardon?" Vasoth asked. But Sera said nothing more, a mysterious expression on her face.


    However, neither of them realized that the human they were after had already left the city.


    ________________


    Outside the city¡­


    Oliver was sitting on a piece of rock.


    He had already left the city along with the group of ves.


    The city gates nowy far behind him, the distant silhouette of the walls barely visible in the misty morning light. He had incapacitated the guards at the city gate and forced their way out.


    Now, he was sitting across from a makeshift campfire with a few pieces of sleeping clothid out in the open, where the other six who had left with him were resting.


    They had, of course, looted the guards at the city exit, ransacking everything.


    Coins, food, and scraps of armory scattered around the camp, hastily gathered trophies of their escape.


    Oliver didn''t want to share his belongings in the space artifact with them, after all.


    Even after rescuing them, he didn''t have any solid ns for them. His gaze flicked over the sleeping forms, his mind already calcting his next move.

 Chapter 247 The memory!

    Chapter 247 The memory!


    Chapter 247


    It was then that he remembered the existence of secret human reinforcement hideouts spread across the demonnds.


    Of course, he didn''t remember exactly where they were, but fortunately for him and the others, the older man among the six knew about the ce from his time spent with other captives who were now dead.


    He had barely managed to survive among the demons and was quite resilient. With Oliver''s extensive knowledge and the man''s awareness of the terrain, it didn''t take them long to guess where the reinforcement hideout would most likely be.


    It wasn''t an exact location, but Oliver felt it was close enough; once they reached nearby, he could find it on his own.


    He stretched his legs out toward the fire, feeling the warmth seep into his weary muscles, easing the tension that had settled into his bones. His purpose in the city was already fulfilled, and staying any longer would have only brought trouble.


    He had caused permanent damage to the city, and if he guessed correctly, everything should be in chaos at this moment.


    A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, his eyes reflecting the dancing mes as he pictured the confusion and terror his actions would have left behind. Memories of the past shed through his mind as he recalled the time when he had just finished dealing with Gureon and her goons.


    He reminisced about what happened afterward.


    ____________


    Few days ago¡­


    "Phew. It was quite the work."


    Oliver wiped the sweat from his brow, his hands slick with the blood of demons. The stench clung to him, metallic and foul, but he hardly noticed anymore. He wiped off his sweat after finishing with all the hearts he had extracted from the demons.


    It was a long and atrocious process, but he felt pretty numb to the fact that he had eaten hearts. What would have once horrified him now felt like routine. The inner sense of disgust had reduced significantly by now.


    "Now that the main obstacle has been cleared¡­" His expression darkened as he continued, "It''s time to clear the side quests."


    Gureon controlled the west, and there were plenty of demons living in this ce.


    More demons, more hearts¡­


    A sinister smile crept across his face, sharp and unsettling. Oliver subconsciously broke into a sinister smile; he didn''t realize it, but something was affecting him.


    Something darker and more sinister was influencing him¡­


    It was unclear whether it was a change he should be cautious of or whether he should wee it.


    The hours that followed were filled with intense ughter, a one-sided massacre where demons were butchered left and right without mercy by a single entity.


    He moved through the streets like a shadow, silent and unstoppable, his every step trailing a wake of death. His presence was undetectable, even to the best of the best or the most sensitive of beings. It was like a ghost killing everything in its path, with nothing able to stop it.


    What was even more terrifying was that the demons themselves did not realize they were slowly being killed.


    He swept over the whole region like a storm, leaving nothing but blood and silence in his wake. A bloody mist prated the very air in the area as he continued dismantling them.


    His hands were bloodied by the time he stopped, and his clothes were drenched in the vile blood of the demons.


    He took a deep breath, his mind dizzy from the aftermath. The coppery tang of blood filled his nostrils, and his heart pounded in his chest, but he felt¡­ nothing. Just a hollow calm. He didn''t know when he had be so numb to killing, but he felt nothing more than a slight sense of disgust.


    Maybe it was because of how he had been brought up in this world that his mind had adapted to the cruelty and killing, now normalized in his eyes.


    He nced into his mind space and saw a heap of hearts stacked like a pile of grass lying there.


    But¡­


    He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the empty, blood-soaked streets. Looking at his deste surroundings, he wondered if any demon was even left alive.


    The streets were littered with the bodies of countless demons, the shops filled with the corpses of their owners and customers.


    A thick, cloying silence hung in the air, broken only by the faint drip of blood pooling in the gutters. Everything had happened so quickly. Those demons were weak and didn''t put up much resistance against his onught.


    He didn''t discriminate and attacked every demon, young or old, undead or alive; even the skeletons were destroyed by him.


    "Huff¡­"


    "Huff¡­" He exhaled heavily, sliding down to sit against a nearby container, his body finally rxing after the hours of relentless ughter. It had not been easy. He would not have been able to do it if the region hadn''t been rtively small and easier to navigate.


    He had attacked the guards first, and as a result, the remaining civilians were left extremely unorganized and chaotic.


    Using abyss energy while hunting them down was extremely effective; all of them went down as if they were carrots waiting to be pulled out.


    It was probably then that he came across this area¡­


    Drul¡­ the demon inquisitor.


    ________________


    Drul''s POV


    "What happened to this ce?"


    Drul stared in disbelief at the streets littered with demon corpses, blood painting the ground and walls, bones scattered everywhere. The metallic scent of blood and decay filled the air, thick enough to taste. It was a horrendously chilling scene.


    ''What sort of monster has done this?''


    Drul couldn''t help but feel a chill in his heart as he looked at the insane rampage and brutal ughter. His lips curled into a twisted smirk, and despite himself, he felt a thrill race down his spine.


    The feeling of danger, the thrill of being close to a predator¡ªit was intoxicating to him. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A jolt of pleasure ran through his demonic body, his feet moving on their own toward the area despite the obvious signs of danger.


    Just what sort of inhuman monster must havemitted such a massacre?


    It was absolutely insane.


    ''He has to be at least as much of a maniac as our captain.''


    He knew who was behind this carnage, it couldn''t be anyone else, his sharp nose was telling him this.


    ________________________


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 Chapter 248 Drul found him!

    Chapter 248 Drul found him!


    Chapter 248


    Drul had a foreboding feeling that this was done by the same human who had trespassed into their city through teleportation.


    He had wandered to this area of the city on a whim after separating from Vasoth at the city center.


    But as he entered, the atmosphere waspletely different; it was eerily silent and cold.


    The usual bustling noise of the city had vanished, reced by an oppressive quiet that clung to everything like a heavy shroud. The silence pressed down on him, thick and unnatural, as if even the air itself was holding its breath. It was almost as if he had mistakenly walked into a graveyard, not a regr city area.


    ''Not only that but¡­''


    He nced at one corpse, then another, and another; all of them had deep, gaping holes in their chests where their hearts should have been.


    Dark, dried blood stained the ground beneath each body, forming a grotesque path of carnage. ''The human has been collecting their hearts. But why?'' Drul thought silently. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He could not understand why the human would do that.


    For alchemy? There wasn''t much that could be done with a demon''s heart.


    For a ritual? It was possible, but for him to collect so many hearts at once¡­ it only meant one thing.


    The human was likely nning something big and dangerous.


    He was internally shocked by how swiftly this had happened, with even the guards nearby unaware that something like this had urred right behind their backs.


    His ws flexed instinctively, the anticipation building in his chest. He had never expected to stumble upon such a scene.


    "It looks like I won''t need Vasoth to draw out the human; the prey has willinglye to me."


    A gleeful grin spread across his face, his bright yellow eyes narrowing with excitement. He licked his fangs in anticipation, feeling the thrill of the hunt coursing through his veins. It was an obvious signal of the deadly game that was about to begin.


    Looking up, his eyes met the sky¡­ With a sharp inhale, he amplified his senses, letting the scents and sounds of the world sharpen in his mind. His senses amplified as all scents in the world became familiar to him.


    "Found you." Drul let out a feral grin as he leaped high into the sky.


    His speed was tremendous as he ignored everything in the distance and reached the ce where Oliver was.


    "There you are, human!" Drul bellowed joyfully as he looked at the cloaked figure below.


    It was definitely the human; he could tell despite the cloak.


    The human had tried to mask his scent with mud and leaves, but it was a weak attempt,ughable to someone with Drul''s heightened senses. It was almost as if this was the first time the human hade to the demonnds. Not only that, but the human was definitely inexperienced and young.


    It was almost as if this was the first time the human hade to the demonnds. Not only that, but the human was definitely inexperienced and young.


    Since he had found the human before Vasoth, he didn''t need to care about what Vasoth wanted. He could do whatever he pleased now.


    _____________


    Oliver nced up at the demon; it was the same inquisitor who had interrupted Sera when she was about to touch him at the abandoned temple.


    From that brief experience and the demon''s willingness to reveal himself by shouting now, he concluded that this demon had a hot temper and more muscle than brains.


    An impulsive, brutal opponent¡ªeasy to manipte but dangerous if underestimated.


    A foolish yet brutal enemy.


    Oliver stood up; he had rested enough. This inquisitor seemed brutal, and the evident hatred in his eyes was palpable.


    He could almost feel the demon''s malice radiating toward him, thick and suffocating like poison.


    A cruel and dangerous demon.


    Not that it mattered¡ªwhatever the demon was after had nothing to do with him. Since the demon was here to kill him, he wouldn''t hold back either.


    The hearts ofmon demons were already stocked in his mindspace, and he wouldn''t mind adding a potent one.


    A strange hunger stirred within him, a craving for the power that woulde from devouring this demon''s heart. His body craved it¡­ the power he would gain by devouring Drul''s heart¡­ he could hardly wait.


    "How did you find me?" Oliver asked, his childish voice now audible.


    "You see, I have a keen sense of smell. But¡­" Drul paused and looked at him with narrowed eyes. The gleam in his eyes was unsettling, a predatory intensity that made Oliver''s skin crawl. "How old are you? Your real age."


    "Hmm¡­ why do you want to know that?" Oliver asked back.


    "My scent tells me you''re a kid, but the skills you''ve shown don''t seem to belong to a child," Drul said with a smile, though the smile didn''t reach his eyes.


    "You have a sharp nose," Oliver acknowledged.


    "Then that means¡­" Drul frowned, his expression darkening as he processed the information.


    "You really are a kid."


    "Indeed, I should be around nine this year," Oliver replied uncertainly; his birthday hadn''t been celebrated, and he didn''t care much, so it was only a rough guess.


    Maybe the n directory would have the exact figure recorded.


    In this world of exorcism, people aimed for immortality, so birthdays weren''t often celebrated unless they marked a milestone.


    Of course, this was only valid for exorcists; normal humans still celebrated every year. Their lives were shorter, and they cherished each one.


    In a way, normal humans were happier than many exorcists with their monotonous lives of meditation andbat.


    "Impossible," Drul said calmly. "A mere kid can''t use such advanced stealth techniques."


    "Then why did you even ask?" Oliver felt exasperated. Why would the demon ask if he didn''t want to believe him?


    "Shall we begin?" Drul ignored Oliver''s exasperation and asked with a menacing grin, his ws flexing in anticipation.


    "No," Oliver replied.


    "It doesn''t matter what you say! HAHAHA!"


    Drul lunged from the ledge he was standing on toward Oliver.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 249 The fight!

    Chapter 249 The fight!


    Chapter 249


    "TAKE THIS!" His fist morphed into sharp silver ws as he shed at Oliver.


    Boom!


    A cloud of dust rose as Drul clenched his fist, but there was nothing left but rugged ground where Oliver had been standing.


    Drul''s eyes narrowed, a sh of irritation darkening his face as he realized he''d missed his mark. He turned to see that Oliver had already moved some distance away.


    "Human, why struggle? You''re about to be my prey. Just stay still and take my punch."


    Drul showed his sharp teeth, his yellow eyes shining brightly.


    Oliver met his gaze, and for a split second, he felt a strange dizziness wash over him. His vision blurred momentarily, as if the yellow, sandy eyes were swirling in his consciousness.


    He felt those eyes invading his mind.


    A cold, insidious presence seemed to seep into his thoughts, as though Drul were trying to sink hooks into his very soul. Drul recognized the opportunity and seized it.


    Bang!


    Drul''s iron-tough fist mmed into Oliver''s gut, the force sting through him like a sledgehammer. The impact threw him back, crashing him into the wall behind.


    The wall cracked from the impact.


    "Ugh-!" Oliver gritted his teeth, his body shaking from the force. A sharp pain radiated through his ribs, each breath sending a fiery ache through his chest. He felt the blow directly in his ribs, as if they had cracked from the force.


    The strength of this demon was terrifying.


    If he let himself be hit a few more times, he might not be able to endure it.


    And something was even more concerning than that brute strength.


    It was those yellow eyes. They were not average eyes. While not one of the four special types, they held a lower-level ability; there were many eye techniques and unique bloodlines, and this demon inquisitor clearly had a special one.


    The eyes seemed to possess properties of hypnosis or obstruction.


    "You''re tough for a kid," Drul said, tilting his head with a creepy expression, his lips stretching into a grin that showed far too many teeth.


    A sword appeared in Oliver''s hand.


    "A sword? Well, it won''t change anything. Let''s see how long itsts against my fists."


    Drul''s figure blurred as he appeared before Oliver, his hand moving forward as Oliver raised his sword to block the iing strike.


    Bang!


    The ng echoed sharply as Drul''s fist collided with the metal de, the force of the impact reverberating through Oliver''s arm. Despite the sword being made of tough metal, it rang as Drul''s fist collided with it.


    Drul was definitely fast and strong¡ªa proper mid-level demon¡ªwhile Oliver had only just entered Rank-2.


    And unlike heretics with fake strength, Drul wielded true potent dark espera.


    Even from a single punch, Oliver could feel dark espera seeping into his body, trying to consume his pure espera.


    A cold, sickly energy slithered through his veins, threatening to corrupt him from the inside. He channeled his own espera and purified it within.


    "Usually, one punch is enough to corrupt an exorcist. But you¡­ you did nothing but flinch slightly," Drul said in a quiet voice, his eyes gleaming with a dark curiosity.


    "Moreover, I sense little espera in you, but the traces of my dark espera werepletely erased just now. You''re clearly hiding your true power, but what irks me is that¡­"


    Drul paused dramatically, locking eyes with Oliver in a frenzy.


    "¡­I can''t sense its depth."


    Although Drul''s voice was calm and sober, his expression was filled with intense rage, his bloodshot eyes wide, his sharp teeth visible.


    A pulsing ck energy enveloped both his arms.


    Sensing the energy, Oliver frowned, feeling an odd disgust. It was as if something holy had been rolled in dirt and sewage, tainting its purity.


    ''Is this what exorcists feel when facing demons?''


    Oliver grinned and said, "If you can''t sense my espera, then that means you''re only so-so."


    Despite knowing that Abyss energy was potent enough to evade even Ophelia''s perception, he taunted Drul just to enrage him further.


    The words had an immediate effect on his enemy.


    Drul snarled, his face twisting with fury, and in an instant, he almost vanished from sight, reappearing inches from Oliver.


    Bang!


    Bang!


    Bang!


    One punch after another rained down on Oliver.


    But Oliver countered them all, his sword moving in a flowing pattern¡ªfrom right to left, up and down¡ªblocking from every angle.


    Each strike sent shockwaves up his arms, the relentless force of Drul''s blows threatening to shake the sword right out of his grip. Despite his rage, Drul aimed for precise points, constantly targeting Oliver''s vitals. Dark espera was leaking more and more from Drul''s body.


    The air grew thick with malevolent energy, a suffocating darkness pressing down on everything around them.


    Holy mes of Nightmare


    Just as Drul was pushing Oliver back, a torrent of pitch-ck mes engulfed Oliver''s sword, causing Drul to instinctively jerk back at the sudden burst of heat.


    Oliver didn''t miss the demon''s momentarypse and lunged forward, shing at Drul''s face.


    "Bastard!"


    Drul roared as the mes burned him, his dark espera corroded by those strange mes.


    Despite the mes'' ominous appearance, they seemed to hold an element of holiness¡ªcorroding his body and dark espera. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A sizzling sound filled the air, and Drul''s skin bubbled and blistered where the mes touched. He hissed in agony, his face contorted in rage.


    Drul recognized the danger. He had never encountered mes like these before. The mysterious origins of this human boy¡­ He had to kill this kid before he grew stronger and became a threat to the demons.


    Drul''s demeanor shifted, his eyes swirling faster as he fixed his gaze on Oliver.


    ''Again? You think I''m easy to push around?''


    But Oliver was ready this time. He felt slightly ashamed for having been affected by such a low-level eye technique before.


    [Cosmic Void Gaze]


    Oliver stared directly back into Drul''s yellow, sandy eyes.


    "Ack!" Drul instantly shut his eyes, clutching his head as if in intense pain.


    "FUCK! WHAT DID YOU DO!?"


    He roared as blood began to ooze from his eyes, filling his hands with it.


    Red rivulets leaked between his fingers, staining his cheeks and dripping onto the ground. Oliver, on the other hand, was surprised himself; this was the first time the [Cosmic Void Gaze] hadn''t had a more significant effect on his opponent.

 Chapter 250 The flashback! The eyes! Bella?

    Chapter 250 The shback! The eyes! Be?


    Chapter 250


    Was it due to the enemy having his own eye techniques? n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Or was it simply because of Oliver''sck of mastery over the [Cosmic Void Gaze] at the moment?


    His enemies were growing stronger, but his mastery remained insufficient, so it had little effect overall.


    He felt a flicker of frustration; these powers were supposed to give him an edge, yet he was barely scratching the surface of their potential.


    Of course, he didn''t dwell on this long and seized the golden opportunity now that his enemy was wide open.


    [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm]


    Boom!


    Oliver''s palm crashed into the groaning demon, sending him hurtling into the sky. The force was immense, but he didn''t dare let his guard down.


    Oliver remained cautious¡ªthis was the moment when protagonists often grew careless, thinking the threat was neutralized, only to realizeter that demons, with their strong bodies, always came back, causing more trouble.


    He absolutely didn''t want that to happen in demonic territory, lest a horde of strong demons began chasing him to death.


    His figure blurred as he sped toward the fallen inquisitor, his movements swift and calcted.


    Surely, an inquisitor wouldn''t be this weak and go down with a single strike, right?


    [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm]


    [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm]


    [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm]


    [Eternal Twelve Lies Palm]


    Each blownded with a resounding impact, shaking the very ground beneath them. One palm after another rained down on the inquisitor, Oliver alternating hands in a relentless assault.


    Pfft! A fountain of blood erupted from Drul''s mouth. The demon''s body convulsed with each hit, his flesh bruising and tearing under the relentless strikes. He had just been thrown and now felt the strong impact again.


    A rapier appeared in Oliver''s hand as his sword disappeared.


    [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom]


    [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom]


    [Sovereign Strike of Infinite Freedom]


    The rapier shed, puncturing Drul''s body over and over, each thrust precise and ruthless. His rapier punctured the demon''s body mercilessly, creating hole after hole.


    [Holy mes of Nightmare]


    As if that wasn''t enough, the rapier was quickly engulfed in demon-killing mes, burning and corroding the inquisitor''s flesh as Oliver punctured him again.


    The mes hissed and crackled, a dark, holy fire that devoured demon flesh with a sinister fervor.


    Oliver extended his arm, condensing a de of water into his hand, using his other hand to stab the demon directly in the stomach.


    "Kugh-!" A weak groan escaped the demon''s mouth. Drul''s body twitched, his strength fading as the relentless attacks tore through him. The debris and dust clouded the scene, obscuring the demon''s condition, but Oliver didn''t stop. He continued unleashing attack after attack, determined to finish off the inquisitor once and for all.


    The rapier vanished from his hand as he ced his palm over the demon''s chest. A chilling cold emanated from his arm, spreading into the demon''s heart.


    Frost spread through the demon''s body, veins turning blue as ice crept inward, freezing his insides solid. He didn''t want to destroy or damage the demon inquisitor''s precious heart, so he used his ice element to freeze the demon''s insides solid.


    A thought crossed his mind, his gaze sharpening as he considered the possibilities. ''Wait¡­ his eyes were quite special. I can make use of them when I learn alchemy.''


    Oliver recalled how certain demon parts were invaluable in alchemy for crafting wondrous potions and materials.


    Though he didn''t know the specifics about the demon''s eyes, their ability to affect him suggested significant value.


    Oliver''s eyes gleamed coldly as his nails sharpened and extended slightly. It was simr to the transformation he''d experienced after consuming the chimera''s heart, but this time, he could feel it more acutely.


    He swiped his sharpened nails like a demon''s w.


    Stter!


    With a swift, brutal motion, he gouged out the inquisitor''s eyes, the bloody orbs glistening in his hand. In a swift motion, he transferred them to his mindspace.


    The once-mighty and arrogant demon inquisitor, who had scorned humans, was now a whimpering, barely recognizable mess. His breaths werebored and weak, and it was clear he was on the brink of death.


    Drul''s face was contorted in pain, his eyes hollow and bloodied, his body broken beyond recognition. At that moment, Drul no longer felt like the infamous demon. Instead, it seemed the human before him was the true monster¡ªa cruel devil in human form.


    "Don''t worry, I will banish you to the void so your soul won''t have to suffer."


    Oliver made a hand seal and performed a basic exorcism, sending the demon inquisitor''s soul to the void.


    A faint shimmer enveloped Drul''s body as his soul was torn away, disappearing into the darkness.


    After confirming the demon was fully exorcised, Oliver stored the body in his storage space and fled the scene.


    The noise from their sh had been loud and attention-grabbing. He dared not overestimate himself again after realizing his level.


    Even with his abilities, the inquisitor''s resilience had been rming, his skin nearly imprable, his strength immense. If more demons of simr strength attacked him, he wasn''t confident he''d leave unscathed.


    He knew that once the guards realized what kind of disaster had struck the western region, soldiers would swarm the area to eliminate him.


    With his objective achieved, he now had to focus on rescuing the humans scheduled for execution in the city center.


    A determined glint shone in his eyes; the mission wasn''t over yet.


    Earlier, he had nned to use Gureon and her goons to distract the other inquisitor. But with Drul''s corpse in his possession, everything had be much more manageable.


    What followed was history.


    __________________


    Celestial Paradox n


    A soft, warm light filtered through the window, illuminating the delicate features of a young woman lying in bed.


    "Sister, how are you feeling now?" Evelyn asked worriedly. Her hair was disheveled, and it was clear she hadn''t slept peacefully for days.


    Her anxiety was understandable. Every day, she lived in constant worry about her sister''s special condition. She tried to stay positive¡ªat least on the surface¡ªbut she couldn''t help imagining the worst-case scenario.


    Her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the nkets around her sister, her gaze never leaving Be''s face.


    She visited her sister almost hourly to check on her condition, ensuring shecked nothing.

 Chapter 251 Too fat!

    Chapter 251 Too fat!


    Chapter 251


    "I''m feeling better." Be smiled weakly. Herplexion was pale, but her smile was genuine. "It''s thanks to Teacher Alison. She managed to gather most of the materials for me."


    "Mhm." Evelyn smiled as well, feeling somewhat relieved. Teacher Alison''s vastwork and connections had enabled her to obtain items that were otherwise difficult to find.


    "Now, only one thing remains," Evelyn said solemnly.


    "The heart of a Null Beast," Be whispered. The name alone seemed to hang in the air, filling the room with a strange, heavy silence. The mention of it sent a shiver down Evelyn''s spine. Despite Alison''s extensive connections, acquiring the heart of a Null Beast was proving to be an incredibly challenging task.


    Part of the reason had been exined to them. Apparently, Null Beasts were extremely rare, and finding even one was considered extraordinarily lucky.


    Meeting the mythical beast immune to all forms of maism was already difficult, but hunting it down was nearly impossible. They were extremely powerful and dangerous; no one knew the true extent of their abilities or the depth of their powers.


    It was evident how strong and mysterious this beast was. Even after hundreds of years, there were very few records describing some of its abilities. The rest was shrouded in mystery.


    "Sister, I¡­" Evelyn seemed to want to say something but hesitated.


    "What is it, Eve?" Be gently held her hand and asked.


    "I¡­" She paused before shaking her head. "It''s nothing."


    But the truth was, Evelyn''s heart was aching. Her eyes revealed tenderness as she took in the sickly form of her beloved sister.


    She would never forgive herself if something were to happen to her sister. Her heart clenched at the very thought. Every day, a quiet fear gnawed at her, threatening to consume her resolve. She prayed every day for her sister''s recovery, but she knew it was time to act on her own.


    She had to somehow find the Null Beast and get its heart. It sounded ridiculous, but she had to do it if she wanted to cure her sister for good.


    "Evelyn, don''t do anything rash. You promised me," Be said to her. "Let Teacher Alison handle everything. She will definitely get it for me."


    Evelyn forced a smile, nodding as if she agreed, though her thoughts were already racing ahead. ''You are right, Sister. Teacher Alison is really the best teacher we could have ever asked for. She has dedicated herself to saving her student despite it not being her responsibility. I will forever remember this favor she has shown us'', Evelyn thought as she inhaled deeply.


    ''But¡­ this Null Beast is making me worried. Teacher hasn''t been able to find one yet. I will have to do whatever I can to help her. Maybe the n library has some records about this mythical beast.''


    Evelyn spent the next hour chatting and caring for Be before finally leaving.


    She didn''t return home but instead went to the n''s main library, which only a few could ess. Naturally, being the main heir, she had every right to visit the library.


    The grand hall was filled with towering shelves, their shadows stretching across the polished marble floor. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and ink.


    "Ah, young Miss Evelyn, what are you doing here? Do you need something?"


    An old man sitting on a wooden chair quickly got up and greeted her. He was the librarian of the main library. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hello, Uncle Torres. I''m looking for some records about mythical beasts," she said, politely greeting the old man.


    "Ho? That''s an interesting topic. The library has an extensive section dedicated to the study of beasts. I''m sure you''ll find a lot of information about all kinds of beasts there," he chuckled and said.


    Despite being the main heir, Evelyn was not arrogant at all. She was very approachable and sweet to others, and she properly respected her elders, which made the old man happy as well.


    "Thank you, Uncle Torres!" Evelyn went in the direction the old man indicated and soon reached a row of shelves containing various books and scrolls.


    The shelves loomed over her, filled with dusty tomes and ancient scrolls, each one a potential key to saving her sister. The smell of old paper and ink filled her senses as she browsed through the books, searching for any information about the Null Beast.


    After all, it was one of the five greatest ns. There was no way they didn''t have information that others couldn''t ess.


    Soon, she became engrossed in her study.


    ________________


    Mystic Purge n


    "Damn, that little brat really disappeared out of nowhere."


    A fat white cat could be seen chewing on a cracker as sheyzily on Oliver''s favorite cushion while looking outside the window.


    Munch, munch.


    "However, it''s quite surprising." The white tail of the cat swayed gracefully behind her as she looked at the sky with narrowed eyes.


    "The wheels of fate are shifting rapidly. Is it a good sign that he left?" she wondered while chewing another cracker from a nearby basket.


    The cat''s eyes gleamed with a knowing look, as if she could see things far beyond the mundane. ''But still¡­ to think he wouldnd there. That boy is full of surprises'', she thought with a calm expression, as if she knew everything.


    ''And what''s even better, that Ophelia girl isn''t making a move for the time being either. This might turn out to be more interesting than anything.''


    The fat cat yawned and extended her paw for yet another cracker, only to realize the basket was empty.


    "Sigh, it''s been a while since I had food made by him," the cat said regretfully.


    "So, you were here."


    A cold feminine voice jolted the cat out of herziness, and her fur stood on end.


    The cat''s eyes widened, her tail puffing up in rm. She knew that voice all too well. Shivering, she slowly turned around to see her¡ªthe demonic woman who had taken up the part-time job of torturing her every day.


    Oliver''s maid, Sesha¡ªthe one responsible for maintaining the cat''s health, entrusted by none other than Oliver himself.


    The maid was an unbelievably cruel woman who took away all her snacks and made her perform all kinds of stressful activities that she hated.


    "Hiss!"


    The cat arched her back, her ws extending as she prepared to flee at a moment''s notice.


    "Hah? You little¡­ You really think you can escape now that I''ve caught you? No chance."


    An evil aura radiated from Sesha as she smiled¡ªa smile that wasn''t quite a smile¡ªwhile stepping closer to the cautious, fat cat.


    "Meow!"


    The fat cat bolted, trying to wiggle through any opening she could find.


    She squeezed herself into a narrow gap, her heart pounding, but¡­


    It was only a momentter that she realized her fat body couldn''t fit through.


    "Oh my? Having trouble passing through? I wonder why," Sesha''s disdainful voice echoed behind the struggling cat as she poked the cat''s squishy belly.


    "Meow! Meow!" The cat groaned in frustration, her little feet pping up and down as she tried to squeeze through the small exit.


    "Enough of your games. It''s time to work up a sweat." Sesha''s cold voice made the cat freeze.


    The cat''s ears ttened as she turned, a look of resigned horror in her eyes.


    "Now,e!" Sesha''s mockingughter echoed in the silent courtyard as she dragged a fat ball of fur behind her.


    The courtyard grew quiet, save for the pitiful wails of the cat, fading into the distance.

 Chapter 252 The human hideout? Is it right?

    Chapter 252 The human hideout? Is it right?


    Chapter 252


    "Achoo!"


    Oliver sneezed and looked around. He suddenly had a strange feeling.


    They were currently traveling to the ce where the camp was supposed to be located.


    The entire journey was eerily silent. The others were intimidated by Oliver''s mysterious presence and did not dare to speak to him much.


    The girl who had fainted earlier had woken up and was now walking normally. She asionally tried to initiate small talk with him, to which he responded with crisp answers.


    "Sir, I think this is where it should be..."


    The man spoke to Oliver, who nodded and looked around.


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 Chapter 253 Her request?

    Chapter 253 Her request?


    Chapter 253


    Oliver had surveyed the area thoroughly in the meantime, and contrary to his expectations, it was truly barren, with only a few people remaining in this ce.


    A strange emptiness settled in his chest as he took in the deste surroundings. "What has happened?" he muttered, realizing that things were not as simple as they seemed.


    He had expected them to have a decent force stationed here, especially since they had been observing him. However, there was no sign of any organized force.


    "How are they even calling themselves a rebellion in the demonnds with such low numbers?"


    Something was definitely happening behind the scenes.


    It was too strange. From his knowledge, there should have been forces maintaining vignce in case demons discovered them and attacked.


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 Chapter 254 Her talent? She forgot?

    Chapter 254 Her talent? She forgot?


    Chapter 254


    She turned around obediently.


    Oliver ced his palm on her back and began channeling his raw, pure espera into her slowly.


    "Try to mimic the feeling and repeat it. That will help you sense the espera within you," he said softly.


    "En," she responded with a determined nod.


    She closed her eyes and focused. The moment the espera entered her body, it felt like a spark igniting within her¡ªan unfamiliar yet electrifying sensation that seemed to vibrate through her core. The moment the espera entered her body, it stirred the strings of espera within her, sending a jolting sensation through her body.


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 Chapter 255 Ambush!

    Chapter 255 Ambush!


    Chapter 255


    "I didn''t prepare a gift for you. I''m truly sorry! I know the circumstances weren''t right before, but that doesn''t excuse my mistake. I should have prepared it before asking you to be my teacher," she apologized, bowing her head deeply in sincerity.


    Her hands clutched the edges of her tunic, twisting the fabric nervously, as if trying to wring out her shame.


    ''Gift? For me? Why?'' Oliver thought, puzzled at her sudden remorse. Then, as if antern lit in his mind, realization struck.


    He recalled how deeply ingrained the custom of gift-giving was in demon culture. Whenever demons sought to be a teacher''s student, they would offervish or important gifts. These gifts weren''t just tokens of gratitude but served as a formal sign of eptance into a bond akin to an apprenticeship.


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 Chapter 256 Demonic forces! Seras decision

    Chapter 256 Demonic forces! Sera''s decision


    Chapter 256


    Her eyes brightened at his words. For the first time, he had referred to her as "student" rather than "little girl" or something dismissive. The acknowledgment filled her with pride and a renewed sense of determination.


    Her chest swelled with an unfamiliar warmth, and for the first time in what felt like ages, she believed she was truly capable of living up to someone''s expectations.


    Someone was depending on her.


    She swallowed her nerves, her fists tightening at her sides. "Yes! I''ll do my best!" she said earnestly.


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 Chapter 257 Face to face with the Inquisitors!

    Chapter 257 Face to face with the Inquisitors!


    Chapter 257


    The pressure in the air shifted, growing heavier, darker, as if gravity itself had bent to acknowledge the arrival of something far stronger than the rest.


    The worst possible person.


    The woman he had seen in the temple stepped forward, her deliberate, unhurried steps exuding dominance. Just her presence was enough to make his scalp tingle.


    She was the worst match for him¡ªa demonic woman whose strength far surpassed his own. But it wasn''t just her power that unnerved him. She had a twisted obsession with his mother, a fixation he didn''t fully understand but knew to be dangerous.


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 Chapter 258 Oliver vs. Sera

    Chapter 258 Oliver vs. Sera


    Chapter 258


    Back at the center of the camp, Sera''s patience wore thin. The air around her shimmered faintly, distorting like heat waves rising from the ground. Her aura began to leak¡ªa warning of the predator beneath her calm exterior.


    The faint distortion around her form pulsed like a living thing, warping the space ever so slightly, and the demons closest to her instinctively shifted backward, even if they were careful to hide their unease.


    "Enough talk," she said. "Let''s see if you live up to the stories."


    Oliver didn''t wait for her to make the first move. In one fluid motion, he unsheathed his de, the silver edge catching the faint moonlight as it glimmered with an otherworldly sheen.


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 Chapter 259 Rapier or Sword?

    Chapter 259 Rapier or Sword?


    Chapter 259


    Looking up, she saw Oliver standing still, his palm extended toward her, his expression calm and collected.


    The faint glow of residual energy pulsed from his hand, fading slowly into the night air like thest embers of a dying me.


    He had attacked in that split second while she was distracted, but she had reacted just in time to block it. The palm strike had been stealthy and brimming with energy.


    Had it struck anyone else, they would have been heavily wounded.


    She nced down at her hand, her ws trembling faintly from the residual force, and felt her lips curl in a sneer.


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 Chapter 260 The reason

    Chapter 260 The reason


    Chapter 260


    The crunch of stone and dirt echoed as his body collided with the jagged surface, sending a dull vibration reverberating through his bones. Dust and small fragments of rock rained down around him, pooling at his feet as cracks spidered out from the impact point.


    It was clear he couldn''t withstand the momentum of the sh, forcing him backward.


    As the dust settled, Sera stood firm, though she too had been pushed back. Her once-pristine stance was now slightly unbnced, her boots sinking into the muddy ground. Her hands were raised defensively, her hair disheveled¡ªhalf in front of her face, half behind. Droplets of sweat clung to her forehead as she heaved lightly, her heels digging deeper into the earth to steady herself.


    Her chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, though the faint tremor in her hands betrayed the strain she had felt from the exchange.


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 Chapter 261 Her curiosity!

    Chapter 261 Her curiosity!


    Chapter 261


    Her curiosity about him deepened.


    There was something inexplicably tantalizing about him¡ªa puzzle with pieces that didn''t quite fit. The harder she tried to make sense of him, the more the edges of her mind itched with frustration.


    The corner of her lips curled into a smile¡ªnot out of amusement, but hunger. He was an enigma, and she couldn''t resist the urge to unravel him.


    It wasn''t just curiosity anymore. It was obsession, a need that coiled deep in her chest like a restless serpent.


    At this point, she had forgotten about her subordinates and how she appeared to them. Her calctingposure melted into raw exhration, the thrill of the hunt overtaking her entirely.


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 Chapter 262 Reveal more or not?

    Chapter 262 Reveal more or not?


    Chapter 262


    The nonchnce in his voice, paired with the faintest hint of a smirk, was like oil poured onto the mes of Vasoth''s temper.


    The demon''s hands clenched into fists, his sharp nails digging into his palms as he struggled to rein in the fury building within him. His pride had already been bruised, but the human''s taunts were salt on an open wound.


    Vasoth gritted his teeth, seething at Oliver''s attitude.


    "Interesting¡­" Sera interjected. "How many moves did it take to take Drul down?"


    "Let me think¡­ five, no, maybe four." Oliver put a finger to his chin as if in deep thought.


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