As the curtain of day finally fell, darkness swallowed the Capital whole.
The roaring excitement of the tournament slowly faded into the night as countless citizens returned home after witnessing the brutal battles of the Top 8.
The final four had already been decided.
The names spreading through the entire Kingdom now were simple.
Gravion.
Raviel.
Ben.
And one remaining noble heir.
Among them, Gravion and Raviel stood at the absolute peak in the eyes of the public.
The entire city had already begun predicting their inevitable clash in the finals.
Two monsters.
Two overwhelming geniuses.
Two existences far beyond the younger generation in the kingdom.
The other two contestants were barely even considered contenders anymore.
But while the entire Capital drowned itself in discussions and celebration…
A hidden variable was already moving silently beneath the night sky.
Rey.
The one everyone believed was heavily injured and resting quietly inside the Valemont residence.
Yet at this very moment—
He was already heading toward the outer walls of the Capital.
Like a phantom.
Like a shadow slipping through the cracks of the world.
The entire day, Rey had genuinely slept like a corpse.
Even with his absurd regeneration, the battle against Raviel had drained his stamina far beyond normal limits. Once his body finally relaxed, exhaustion swallowed him whole.
He only woke briefly for dinner.
Even then, everyone inside the house treated him like a fragile patient.
Especially Hosric.
The man practically looked ready to chain him to the bed if necessary.
Fortunately, after dinner, Rey simply claimed he was returning upstairs to sleep again.
Nobody questioned him.
Nobody doubted him.
Everything had gone perfectly—
Until the Head Butler suddenly stopped him midway.
For a split second, Rey almost thought he had been caught.
But instead—
"You forgot your medicines, Young Master."
Rey nearly sighed aloud in relief.
After taking the medicines, he immediately returned upstairs, entered his room, and locked the door behind him.
The moment the latch clicked—
His expression changed completely.
Excitement flickered through his eyes.
With a single command, darkness spread across his body.
His casual clothes shifted instantly.
Black combat attire wrapped around him.
Light armour formed over vital points.
Daggers settled into place.
The familiar sensation returned immediately.
Comfortable.
Natural.
Like this was the version of himself he truly preferred.
Rey checked his current equipment briefly before narrowing his eyes.
"They're starting to fall behind…"
His weapons no longer matched his growing strength.
Especially after the tournament.
The smith he had commissioned earlier should already be finished by now.
After all, contestants would soon begin leaving for the Royal University.
There was no reason for further delay.
'Hopefully that guy finished them already…'
Without wasting another second—
Rey leapt out of the window.
His body landed silently atop the neighbouring rooftop.
At the same moment, darkness swallowed him whole.
⟪Eclipse Shroud⟫
The night itself seemed to wrap around his figure.
At nighttime, the skill became vastly more terrifying.
His presence thinned to nearly nothing.
Combined with his partial technique effects, Rey's existence almost vanished entirely from perception.
He became less like a human…
And more like a moving shadow.
The Capital passed beneath him rapidly.
Buildings.
Alleys.
Streets.
Guard patrols.
Everything blurred past.
Nobody noticed the silent figure moving above the city like a ghost.
Eventually—
The massive outer walls of the Capital appeared before him.
Rey slowed slightly.
His eyes lifted upward.
The walls were colossal.
Far larger than the defences surrounding his hometown.
At least twice as high.
Even beneath the darkness of night, the structure radiated overwhelming pressure.
And the security—
Was terrifying.
Guards constantly patrolled both above and below.
Every soldier Rey sensed was at minimum an Initiate Rank warrior.
Some were even Apprentice Rank.
And worse—
Aiden's warning echoed in his mind.
"There's an Acolyte stationed here."
That single statement alone was enough to make Rey cautious.
An Acolyte was no joke.
One mistake here…
And he would die before even understanding how.
Carefully suppressing his presence further, Rey began climbing the wall.
Every movement was precise.
Controlled.
Silent.
His fingers gripped tiny cracks between the stones while darkness concealed his body completely.
He avoided patrol routes exactly as Aiden instructed.
Not even a single guard noticed him.
But as he climbed higher…
Rey finally realised just how absurdly massive the wall truly was.
It was taller than a six-story building.
Looking down now would only distract him, so he ignored the height completely and continued upward.
Eventually—
He reached the top edge.
Cold wind brushed against his face.
Below him, outside the Capital, stretched endless darkness.
And forest.
A massive sea of black trees waits beneath the night sky.
Rey didn't hesitate, taking a breath.
He crossed the wall carefully before dropping toward the outer side.
The descent was far quicker than the climb.
Wind howled past his ears.
Then—
BOOM!
The instant his feet touched the ground, a heavy impact exploded outward.
Pain shot through his body immediately, his balance shaken for a second.
Even after recovery, the soreness from Raviel's battle still lingered deep inside his bones.
His legs trembled faintly.
The impact hurt far more than expected.
And worse—
The sound echoed loudly through the area.
Rey's eyes widened.
Above the wall, lights instantly turned toward the location.
Guards shouted.
Movement erupted immediately.
But the moment the lights shone in the area—
Nothing was there.
Rey had already flattened himself tightly against the wall's shadow.
Completely hidden.
His breathing slowed.
His heartbeat steadied.
The normal guards didn't scare him.
But the presence above…
That one did.
And unfortunately—
His fear became reality.
A crushing pressure descended from the wall.
Rey slowly lifted his gaze upward.
A massive man stood atop the edge.
Broad shoulders.
Scar-covered face.
Brutal aura.
The pressure radiating from him alone was suffocating.
'The commander…'
Rey's body instinctively stiffened.
That man was absolutely the Acolyte Rank warrior Aiden sensed earlier.
One wrong movement—
And he would be exposed instantly.
For several tense seconds, Rey remained perfectly still.
Then voices sounded above.
"Commander personally came down to inspect the area!"
"It's been a while since we saw him move!"
Rey's pupils shrank slightly.
The commander stepped forward—
Then jumped directly from the wall.
Toward the exact place Rey had landed earlier.
The ground shook violently the moment the man landed.
Rey instantly shifted backwards through the darkness without making a sound.
One step.
Ten steps.
Twenty.
Fifty.
Only then did he crouch low beside the outer wall, suppressing even his breathing.
Because right now—
The monster standing nearby could probably sense even the slightest disturbance.
A thunderous explosion erupted the moment the commander landed.
BOOOOM!
Dust and shattered debris blasted outward in all directions as the ground caved beneath the sheer impact.
Even from a distance, Rey felt the tremor travel through the earth beneath him.
He immediately lowered himself further into the shadows, avoiding the spreading dust cloud before it could expose his position.
But even while hiding—
His eyes remained locked onto the man.
And what he saw made his heartbeat rise again.
The commander stood in the center of the crater completely unharmed.
Not a single scratch.
Not even the slightest imbalance in posture.
As if falling from the height of the Capital walls meant absolutely nothing to him.
'…Is he even human now?'
Rey's eyes narrowed unconsciously.
Even with his skills strengthening his body and reducing impact damage, his own landing had nearly rattled his bones apart.
Yet this monster had jumped down casually without using visible protection.
No defensive technique.
No visible qi reinforcement.
Nothing.
And now—
He simply stood there calmly, scanning the surroundings.
Like a predator.
A long single-edged saber rested across the man's back.
The moment his boots settled fully onto the ground—
He drew it.
SHING!
The blade reflected the moonlight sharply.
At the exact same instant—
Every instinct inside Rey screamed.
Danger.
Death.
MOVE!
Rey didn't hesitate even for half a second.
He abandoned his hiding spot instantly, which caused a tiny noise.
The commander swung his blade.
A massive crescent of energy tore through the darkness.
BOOOOM!
The place Rey had hidden moments earlier exploded apart completely.
Trees shattered.
Earth split open.
Stone fragments erupted into the air.
The sheer force behind the slash flattened the entire area.
Even from dozens of meters away, Rey still felt the terrifying pressure brush against his body.
The commander slowly lowered his glowing saber while the dust storm spread outward.
Above the wall, the soldiers erupted into excited cheers.
"Incredible!"
"The commander's strike became even stronger!"
"Did you see that slash?!"
Their voices carried awe.
Respect.
Almost worship.
Every single guard staring at the scene looked inspired beyond words.
But the commander himself wasn't celebrating.
His eyes remained cold.
Sharp.
Searching.
Because the moment he landed—
He had sensed something.
A faint presence.
And just now, he had attacked exactly where he felt it.
Yet…
Nothing remained.
No corpse.
No blood.
No shattered remains.
Not even a single clue.
The commander's expression darkened slightly.
Suspicion flickered through his scarred face.
He slowly scanned the surroundings again, sensing carefully.
But still—
Nothing.
No trace.
No presence.
No breathing.
It was as if whatever had been there had vanished into thin air.
The commander looked upward toward the guards stationed on the wall.
"Deploy a search unit immediately!"
His voice exploded across the area like thunder.
"Search every section near the wall. Tracks, blood, damaged terrain, anything suspicious!"
His gaze sharpened dangerously.
"There was an intruder here."
The guards instantly stiffened.
"Yes, Commander!"
Without another word, the man bent his knees slightly—
Then jumped.
BOOM!
His figure soared upward like a cannonball.
And with a single leap—
He returned directly to the top of the Capital wall.
Rey's pupils shrank slightly, witnessing it, while running.
The same height that had taken him several exhausting minutes to climb…
That monster crossed it instantly.
The difference between them was horrifying.
An overwhelming wall of strength.
A true Acolyte Rank warrior.
Meanwhile—
The so-called intruder was already fleeing deep into the forest at full speed.
Rey dashed through the darkness relentlessly.
Branches snapped behind him.
Wind howled against his face.
His heart hammered violently inside his chest.
Not from exhaustion.
From adrenaline.
From instinctive fear.
And on his shoulder—
A massive slash mark stretched across his armour.
The attack had barely clipped him.
Just barely.
If his reaction had been even a fraction slower—
That strike would have split him in half instantly.
The cut beneath his armour still burned painfully, but fortunately, his regeneration had already stopped most of the bleeding.
His breathing remained ragged as he continued sprinting deeper into the forest.
Yet strangely—
The fear inside him was slowly changing.
Transforming.
His lips curled upward slightly.
Excitement.
The sensation of standing before absolute death…
The overwhelming pressure of true strength…
Instead of crushing him—
It ignited something deep inside him.
'So this…'
Rey's eyes gleamed in the darkness.
'…This is the power of a true Acolyte Rank.'
The commander's attack replayed repeatedly inside his head.
That terrifying slash.
That monstrous leap.
That overwhelming presence.
Every single thing screamed power.
The kind of power capable of crushing countless people effortlessly.
And instead of despair—
Rey felt hunger.
Desire.
Determination.
'That's the level I need to reach…'
His grin widened slightly despite the pain tearing through his shoulder.
'Only then can I deal with everything standing in my way.'
Without realising it—
His mentality had already changed completely.
The cowardly boy who once feared every dangerous situation was long gone.
The tournament…
The near-death battles…
The endless pressure…
They had slowly reshaped him.
Now, even after staring death directly in the face—
He still chose to move forward.
Still chose to seek greater power.
And ahead of him—
Beyond the dark forest—
Waited the mysterious existence connected to his bloodline.
Whether it would become his greatest opportunity…
Or drag him toward something far worse—
Nobody knew yet.