Kai was carrying weights on his shoulder as he jumped up and down from the ground. He still wasn't wearing a shirt, his eyes focused like an eagle's. Sweating buckets, he felt his strength increasing little by little, but the rate of his progress wasn't satisfying him.
In the end, he stopped. He knew that even being Oni, his physical body could take more than other races, but he still needed to rest. He drank some water as he stored his weights and weapons inside his storage device.
Looking at the trees marked to make sure he didn't get lost, which was something he always tried to hide, Kai felt a bit frustrated. He didn't know why, but when he walked around, he always found himself in a different location. This was why he trained almost the whole night and day.
Yesterday, after getting lost and not knowing what to do, he just trained. Out of nowhere, he found the arrows Elijah marked with a very annoying message. Sighing, he wondered, "Why were there boats so far from the island?"
When Kai got lost, he found boats that were just stationed far from the island, which didn't move or show any signs of coming closer. It was weird, but he didn't care enough to see what was inside them.
Walking in the forest, he found the bear named Tank sleeping lazily without a care in the world. "Hey bear, wake up," Kai said, feeling annoyed.
The reason for his annoyance was not just the bear but Elijah's message:
[I know you got lost. So just follow the arrows and take Tank with you, which is the name I gave him.
He will show you the way to the village, and please don't argue with him, or you're going to take almost the whole day to reach here, or maybe two. Seriously, I won't be surprised if you end up on another island without even knowing what happened. HAHAHAHAHA.]
'I don't need his help. I'm just doing this to bring him along,' Kai thought. "Okay, Tank, we need to go back."
"Garw Garw Garw," the bear growled, making Kai even more annoyed.
"No, I don't need your help. I can go back by myself. Just follow," Kai roared, trying to prove them wrong.
The bear sighed, standing up and following Kai, even though he was already going in the wrong direction.
Close to the village, in the forest
"HAHAHAHAHAHA," Adan and Elijah laughed as they teased Julia, whose veins were popping out.
Bam
Bam
Both men clutched their heads. "Ouch," Elijah and Adan exclaimed.
"Anyway, where is Kai?" Julia asked.
"Maybe lost somewhere," Elijah said, touching his head. He added, "He probably got angry about what I said about him getting lost and is possibly trying to prove me wrong." He chuckled.
Adan, recovering from his pain, asked, "I was wondering, is he a dual sword user or a single sword user?"
Elijah considered it for a minute and answered, "That's hard to say, but he did tell me that he's now using a two-sword style technique."
"Huh…" Julia responded.
"Wow, you guys are monsters in your own right," Adan commented.
"No, the only monster here is this fool, but he seems to not understand it," Julia said.
"Yay, I'm not a monster," Elijah replied.
"That seems like him," Adan said, adding, "You just seem to have that carefree vibe about you. Maybe it's just arrogance, which I doubt. Mostly, you are confident in your own power."
Julia sighed and spoke, "It's not a bad thing, but don't be overconfident."
Elijah remained quiet, his eyes staring forward as they reached the manor.
An outstanding manor stood before them, surrounded by an air of grandeur and mystery. The entrance was marked by a towering gate, its iron bars painted black, intricately entwined with lush green vines that seemed to breathe life into the cold metal.
This combination of iron and foliage created a forest-like appearance, seamlessly blending the man-made structure with the natural beauty around it.
On either side of the pathway leading to the manor, a meticulously maintained garden flourished. The garden boasted an array of colorful flowers, their petals glistening with morning dew, and perfectly trimmed hedges that lined the stone walkway.
Small fountains, carved from marble and adorned with statues of mythical creatures, bubbled gently, adding a soothing soundtrack to the vibrant visual display. The scent of blooming roses and fresh lavender filled the air, enhancing the serene atmosphere.
The manor itself was a sprawling structure, covering over 20 meters in width. Its walls, painted a pristine white, reflected the sunlight brilliantly, giving the entire building a radiant glow.
The architectural design was a harmonious blend of classical and modern elements, with tall, arched windows framed by dark wooden shutters. The roof, covered in gray slate tiles, contrasted elegantly with the bright walls.
Majestic columns supported a grand portico at the entrance, where double doors made of heavy oak and adorned with intricate carvings invited guests to step inside. The manor's facade was adorned with decorative cornices and stone reliefs, depicting scenes of historical significance and mythical tales.
Even to Elijah and Julia, who had seen many impressive structures in their time, the manor looked majestic. Its imposing presence and the exquisite attention to detail in its design left an indelible impression, standing as a testament to both beauty and strength.
Adan reached the gate, and a butler appeared from nowhere. "Adan, why are you here?" his deep voice asked. The butler had silver hair and a beard, wearing a butler uniform, standing upright, staring at the three with cold, emotionless eyes.
He was around 180cm tall with a sharp and handsome face, his build seeming muscular to the point he could be considered a warrior.
"Hey Levi, can we enter? Stella invited us to her garden dinner." Adan smiled, but the butler didn't react much. His eyes glanced over everyone and stopped at Elijah, who also stared at him with a wide smile that seemed crazy to anyone. But the butler just smirked for a moment before returning to his cold expression.
Elijah's instincts were screaming aloud and clearly about the man in front of him. It was the scream of excitement. For some time now, Elijah had been fighting people above or below him, not a single one on the same level.
He could learn from those above, but some didn't teach much, except for the amazon he faced, who helped him close the distance in his martial realm. Even if still at the Novice realm, he had progressed more than anyone, and a single push was needed to break his limits, reaching the Expert realm.
Elijah couldn't wait, but at that moment, he almost attacked the butler in front of him. Elijah could sense that this person was already at the Expert realm and, to top it off, he was at the peak of the King tier. Meaning that this man named Levi was at E+ rank.
Facing the being before him, Elijah's smile grew, but the moment the gate opened, his nose twitched. 'I haven't eaten. I can't fight on an empty stomach.' The smell coming from behind the manor made Elijah move like he was following a king to war.
"Elijah," Adan called out, seeing Elijah's face change to one of drooling, moving unconsciously.
Julia, realizing those eyes, spoke, "Just forget it. He's not going to listen to anyone."
"Hmm, why?"
"He smells food," Julia answered as they entered. 'A barrier, huh… who are these people?' she wondered.