Looking down, Eddie realized he was standing on someone's face. He quickly stepped off, apologizing.
The man underfoot was tall and thin, dressed in tattered clothes, resembling a beggar.
He lay spread-eagled on the ground, not even attempting to get up after Eddie moved. Curious, Eddie asked, "What happened to you?"
"Don't even mention it. I'm the disgrace of the Heaven-Reaching Tower," sighed the gaunt young man, shaking his head.
"Did you lose everything gambling?" Eddie inquired, frowning slightly.
The young man's tone was filled with despair and self-mockery:
"No, but it's a similar kind of defeat. I prepared for five years, gathering my strength for the journey through Dragon Valley Path to the Star Realm."
" It started well, and I was confident, aiming for a Wisdom Fruit. But I couldn't even get past the lowest challenge in the 'Emperor's Twelve Palaces.' My level three Poison Wolf and level four Long-Armed Ape King... both perished. "
"Five years of preparation, gone in a day. Can you imagine? Do you think I want to lie here in defeat? "
"I can't face going home. You might not believe it, but I was considered the most talented in my family. "
"I can't bear to see their disappointed faces. You know what I wrote in my letter home? "
"That I'm doing great here, making progress, and my beasts are leveling up. But in reality, I was kicked out of my team long ago!"
Eddie's heart grew heavy. His sister Sophia had also been kicked out of her team. Was she in a similar situation, lying somewhere, defeated and starved, pretending everything was fine?
Worried, he realized he needed to find her quickly. He couldn't let her end up like this man, lying on the ground in despair.
Eddie remembered Sophia mentioning Dragon Valley Path and Star Realm in her letters, so their trials were likely similar. "Are you familiar with Dragon Valley Path and Star Realm?" he asked, hoping to gather some information.
"Am I familiar? "
"I've been a guide here in the Heaven-Reaching Tower for two years. I know the first level like the back of my hand. "
"You want to go to the Star Realm? Need a guide? I know the easiest shortcuts. I don't need money, just enough to eat. "
"And if you feel like tipping after completing your trials, that would be great," the gaunt man said, his face darkening at the mention of a tip.
"Do you know where the Capital Academy's trial team is?" Eddie continued his inquiry.
"There are ten trial teams from the Capital Academy. What's the name of the team you're looking for?" the gaunt man asked as he struggled to his feet, clearly weakened from days without food.
"They're called the 'Academy Rose Team,' but I'm not looking for the team. I'm looking for a girl named Sophia. She was kicked out of her team, like you. Have you heard of her? I'm worried she might be struggling like you, working as a guide for food," Eddie said, his concern for his sister evident.
"Sophia? Never heard of her. I haven't encountered the Academy Rose Team either," the gaunt man shook his head.
Eddie's worry deepened. He couldn't bear the thought of his strong-willed sister in a dire situation. His priority shifted from training to finding Sophia and ensuring her safety.
"Don't worry, though. Students from the Capital Academy are all talented. They wouldn't end up like me. Even if they fail in trials, the academy has backup plans. I know all the guides here, and there's no girl named Sophia among us," the man reassured Eddie, sensing his anxiety.
"Okay, help me find her quickly, and I'll pay you generously. If you find her within a day, I'll give you ten gold. The longer it takes, the less you'll get. I don't care how you do it, I just want to see her as soon as possible," Eddie proposed, willing to use a significant reward to expedite the search.
"I'll do my best. But could I get some advance pay? I haven't eaten in days. Just a few copper coins would do. I'm too weak to walk," the man pleaded, his eyes filled with a desperate need for survival, much like the look in Grey's eyes when Eddie had threatened to end its life.
Eddie, moved by the man's desperate desire to survive despite his dire situation, nodded and handed over a pouch filled with silver coins, "Here's your payment for today's work. Go take care of yourself. I'll wait here for half an hour."
The gaunt man's eyes reddened as he grasped the heavy pouch. Without a word, he nodded vigorously and hurried off, leaving a trail of tears behind.
Watching him go, Eddie sighed. This was the downfall of a once-promising genius.
The man had likely been his family's hope, but without his beasts, he became nothing, too ashamed even to return home. In some ways, he resembled the tragic figure whose life Eddie had taken over in the Yue family.
Unable to contract a summoning grimoire and considered the family's greatest failure, that man had chosen to end his life under the weight of rejection and humiliation. Like the gaunt man, he too must have yearned for a miracle in his final moments.
Eddie reflected on how fortunate he was to have replaced that man's identity. He had inherited a loving family and achieved what the original could not: contracting the summoning grimoire, gaining powerful beasts and talents.
"I can't change the past for you, but I'll take care of Sophia and make her proud. I'll clear your name of being a failure. In fact, you weren't a failure; you just weren't lucky enough," Eddie thought, looking up at the sky, imagining a figure much like himself, smiling down at him. Maybe he was the fulfillment of that man's last wish, someone lucky enough to complete the dreams he couldn't.