Liam''s Perspective
The morning sun cast long shadows across the forest as I made my way toward the Kane Family Manor. My body hummed with energy, each step bringing me closer to my goal. Half-step Martial Marquis—the thought alone made my blood sing with anticipation.
"You''re sure about this approach?" Evelyn asked, matching my pace through the dense undergrowth. "We could''ve been more discreet."
I shook my head. "No more hiding. No more games. After what happened with the Umbral Covenant, it''s clear I need more power—now."
The manor appeared through the trees, a sprawling estate of stone and timber perched on the mountainside. Two armed guards stood at the gate, their weapons gleaming in the sunlight.
"Stay here," I told Evelyn. "This won''t take long."
---
In Veridia City, Emerson Holmes mmed his fist on the table, scattering papers across the floor of his private study.
"What do you mean you lost him?" he demanded.
The two Grandmasters kneeling before him kept their heads bowed. The taller one spoke first.
"He detected us in Dn, sir. He moved so fast we couldn''t track him."
"He threatened us," the shorter one added. "Said if you want to know what he''s doing, you should ask him yourself."
Emerson''s face darkened. "This upstart trash dares to mock me?"
He paced the room, hands clenched behind his back. Liam Knight was bing more than a nuisance—he was bing a genuine threat. First defeating Dashiell, then somehow surviving an attack from the Umbral Covenant.
"Perhaps," Emerson said quietly, "it''s time we eliminated this problem permanently."
---
Across town, Roderick ckthorne sat in Corbin Ashworth''s study, swirling brandy in a crystal ss.
"My sources tell me Knight is in Dn," Roderick said. "Likely seeking power from the Kaelens."
Corbin waved dismissively. "Let him waste his time. The Kaelens won''t help some nobody from Havenwood."
"You still underestimate him," Roderick replied, setting down his ss. "He defeated my son. He survived the Umbral Covenant. My family has engaged the ck Iris Society to cripple him."
"The assassins?" Corbin raised an eyebrow. "That seems excessive."
"Not for the man who humiliated the ckthorne name," Roderick''s voice was ice. "Once they''re done, he''ll wish he''d never left Havenwood."
Corbinughed. "Waste your money if you must. That live-in son-inw doesn''t concern me. My arrangements for Isabelle''s future are well beyond his interference now."
"Your overconfidence will be your downfall, Corbin."
"And your fear of a nobody will be yours, Roderick."
---
The guards at the Kane Family Manor gate raised their weapons as I approached.
"Halt!" the taller one shouted. "This is private property."
I kept walking.
"I said halt!" He aimed his gun at my chest.
When I didn''t stop, both guards opened fire. The bullets struck my chest and shoulders, ttening against my skin before dropping harmlessly to the ground.
The guards'' eyes widened in terror.
"My turn," I said.
Before they could react, I moved. Two precise strikes—one to each sr plexus—and they crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.
I stepped over their bodies and faced the manor. "AXEL KAELEN!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the valley. "COME OUT AND FACE ME!"
---
Deep within the manor''s central tower, Dudley Lowell sat cross-legged in a pool of glowing blue liquid. The chamber around him—known as the Hydrating Tower—pulsed with ancient energy, feeding his cultivation.
His eyes snapped open as the distant shout reached his ears.
"So he''s here," Dudley muttered, his concentration broken. "Sooner than expected."
Axel Kaelen stood at the entrance to the chamber, his elegant features tight with concern. "He''s making quite the entrance. Two guards down already."
Dudley attempted to rise from the pool, but his legs buckled. "Damn it! I need three more days toplete this stage."
"Three days?" Axel frowned. "Can you speed it up?"
"Impossible. The essence must be absorbed gradually or my meridians will rupture."
Axel considered this for a moment. "Then we''ll have to dy him."
"How? He''s proven remarkably difficult to stop."
A thin smile appeared on Axel''s lips. "I have my ways. The mountain protection artifact should buy us some time."
"You''d use that?" Dudley looked surprised. "Your family''s treasure?"
"It''s worth it to ensure your breakthrough," Axel replied. "When you reach Martial Marquis, our position in Dn will be unassable."
Dudley nodded gratefully. "Very well. Keep him busy for three days. By then, I''ll be ready to teach that arrogant pup a lesson he won''t survive."
"Rest and focus on your cultivation," Axel said, turning to leave. "I''ll handle our unwee guest."
---
Back at the gate, I waited impatiently. My disy of power should have been enough to draw out the manor''s master. The unconscious guards at my feet were starting to stir.
The massive doors of the manor finally swung open. A tall, elegant man emerged, followed by eight others. Even from a distance, I could sense their power—all Peak Form Grandmasters, their auras intimidating and heavy.
"So this is the famous Liam Knight," the leader called out as they approached. "I am Axel Kaelen. You have a strange way of requesting an audience."
I stood my ground as they formed a semi-circle around me. "I don''t have time for formalities."
"Clearly," Axel''s eyes flicked to his unconscious guards. "Youe to my home, attack my people, and shout demands. Most would call that suicidal."
"Most would be right," I replied. "But I''m not most people."
Axel studied me for a long moment. "No, you''re not. Your reputation precedes you. The nobody who became somebody. The man who survived the Umbral Covenant."
"Then you know what I want."
"Power," Axel said simply. "Always more power."
I nodded. "I need to reach half-step Martial Marquis. I''ve heard your family possesses techniques that can elerate cultivation."
Axel''s face revealed nothing. "Perhaps we do. But such knowledge isn''t freely given."
"Name your price."
"It''s not about price, Mr. Knight. It''s about timing." He gestured toward the manor. "Why don''t you join me inside? We can discuss this morefortably." <b ss="story-note-vis">This tеxt wаs асquirеd frоm М|V|L0ЕМРYR.</b>
I hesitated, sensing deception. "What game are you ying, Kaelen?"
"No game. Merely hospitality." His smile was practiced, perfect. "Three days as my guest. Then we''ll talk about what you seek."
"Three days?" I narrowed my eyes. "Why the dy?"
"Sacred timing. Our methods require specific celestial alignments."
It was obviously a lie, but I needed what he had. "One day," I countered.
"Three is the minimum. Our techniques aren''t to be rushed."
I sensed something else at work here—some hidden agenda I couldn''t yet see. But with eight Peak Form Grandmasters surrounding me, forcing the issue might not be wise. Not yet, anyway.
"Fine," I said eventually. "Three days. But if I sense any treachery..."
"None wille from me," Axel assured me. "Now, shall we?"
As we walked toward the manor, I noticed one of the Grandmasters slip away, heading toward a tower at the far end of the property. Whatever they were hiding was there, I was certain.
Evelyn would need to investigate that tower tonight. Three days might be Axel''s timeline, but I had ns of my own.
"Tell me, Mr. Knight," Axel said as we entered the manor''s grand foyer. "How does it feel to have the entire Veridia City Martial Guild hunting you?"
"Is that what this dy is about?" I asked directly. "Are you stalling for them?"
Axelughed, the sound echoing off the high ceilings. "If I were allied with the Guild, you''d already be in chains. No, my interests are my own."
"And what exactly are those interests?"
He stopped walking and turned to face me fully, his eyes suddenly cold and calcting.
"Survival, Mr. Knight. In this world, there are those who rise and those who fall. I intend to be standing when the dust settles."
"And which category do you think I fall into?"
His smile returned, but it didn''t reach his eyes.
"That, my young friend, is precisely what these three days will determine."