After a day spent on Jeju Island and a quarter of a day outside of it,
a strong, metallic blood-like smell permeated Jeju Island, except for the center where the Origin Tree was located, which resembled a forest from its roots.
During this time, more than 35 students were disqualified from the midterm exam due to contamination from repeated monster attacks.
Meanwhile, Edward walked steadily towards the center of Jeju Island, relentlessly fighting monsters along the way.
He had spent a full day battling monsters, eliminating more than 30 waves of monsters ranging from S to XX+ levels, and three XXX-rank dungeons.
During this time, he would utilize all his abilities without concealing anything. This wasn't due to weakness or foolishness, but rather because he possessed a system that granted him a significant reward, meaning winning cards would remain hidden.
This would make enemies doubt whether the person displaying winning cards was actually a winner.
Secondly, it would reduce the threat posed by enemies. We thought he had revealed all his cards, and that this would always give him a one-step advantage over them.
And thirdly, to gain a reputation across all five continents, with everyone watching a 16-year-old kill so many monsters single-handedly without any effort.
No one would dare think of fighting him, and anyone who dared try to assassinate him would become a source of income for him by increasing both his achievement and contribution points.
Edward spoke wearily as he wiped the blood from his face, "Jeju Island is extremely dangerous if it weren't for my perfect celestial body, which allows me to use Mana Ki Chi Go as my primary system instead of the unipolar or bipolar systems."
"Even so, without this system, I wouldn't have even dreamed of possessing one of them. I think fate is playing a good game with me. However, I expect something is going on. I don't know, after all, nothing in this world is free." Edward was talking to himself as he killed the wave of monsters that blocked his path to the island's center, where he would find what he was looking for.
Edward took a deep breath, calmly looking around.
Despite facing a vast number of monsters—approximately 400—of varying strengths, races, and terrifying ethnicities, Edward remained composed.
He was confident in his ability to win, considering the island's status as home to high-ranking monsters. The number of Beast Rulers or Beast Lords was considerable, yet he always maintained control, no matter how dire the situation seemed.
"Reputation...reputation..." Edward repeated several times in a calm tone, a sigh escaping his lips involuntarily, as if he wanted to laugh but held back. That sigh remained, a solitary expression of wild alienation, a mockery of the world.
"Reputation is a line between status and death...reputation is good, but to make it a matter of life or death, even to the point of dying to avoid having your reputation dragged through the mud, is sheer folly."
"Reputation is a tool for advancement, not a way of life." He feared falling into the mire. "I live to become stronger, not to make friends and loved ones. A good reputation travels a mile or two, but a bad one travels thousands."
Edward continued on his way as if nothing had happened.
He was aware of one thing he had learned during his 13 years as a Knebel:
If you are stronger, do as you please, and no one will hold you accountable. The world doesn't defend the weak in the end.
"The law is above all." A funny joke. "The law is above the weak." A judge cannot try a head of state or those with terrifying power and influence.
In the real world, a giant nation can punish any weaker nation if it wants to, for personal reasons or because of something a weak nation did that the giant nation doesn't like.
The world is monopolized by the strong. If you are stronger, do as you please, and no one will hold you accountable.
And if you are weak, do as you are told, and keep your mouth shut.
Everywhere the strongest is, the law is weaker. This is the law of nature.
While Edward was wandering around Jeju Island, he noticed a group of students They were banished because of their desire for fame and glory, after learning that the world was watching them.
Their fame and glory were like chains binding their bodies, leading them to death and failure.
"Fools and simpletons," was Edward's tone, summarizing everything he had witnessed during the previous day and the present in two sentences filled with contempt and indifference towards their lives or deaths.
What benefit would he gain from helping anyone except to slow down his path to achieving his goal?
Edward continued to kill the monsters that confronted him each time, showing no intention of stopping.
Jeju Island was extremely dangerous, with constantly changing terrain, areas devoid of certain types of energy, and waves of monsters that wouldn't stop due to the explosion of numerous gates—200 dungeons every two months.
Therefore, he considered Jeju Island a paradise in hell, possessing a life force that healed physical, spiritual, and mental injuries, and the best place to gain experience and training.
However, it was also one of The most dangerous places in the world after the Demon Triangle, the Amazon rainforest, the North and South Poles, and the Unknown Forest
"I'm almost at the Origin Tree," Edward's voice held a hint of relief.
The terrain had stopped changing by the time he reached the center of Jeju Island.
As Edward headed towards Jeju Island, a strange feeling washed over him. He suddenly sensed that someone was watching him, someone with sinister intentions.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he gripped his sword hilt, ready for any sudden attack.
Applause... Applause... Applause
A loud clap of applause erupted from atop one of the Origin Tree roots.
He looked up, his gaze wary, towards the source of the sound.
He saw a young man with black hair streaked with white, dark violet eyes, dressed in practical black clothing.
A look of surprise crossed Edward's face as he looked towards the young man, who was sitting on one of the Origin Tree roots.
"Yuta Casseral, a student of the owner..." "First place in the entrance exam and the written exam. What an honor to meet a rising star like yourself!"
"Cold Sky Star, Uta Cassiral, it's an honor to meet you. My name is Edward Brezek from County Brezek in the East of the Human Empire." Edward's voice was filled with respect and reverence for Uta, who was looking down at him from atop a goo tree root without saying a word.
Uta rose from his seat.He looked at Edward with a small smile that concealed much.
"What brings you here, Mr. Edward, to the Origin Tree? Is there something here you want to obtain?"
Edward felt a shock and awe wash over him after hearing Yuta's words, but he didn't show it on his face. His expression remained calm, as if what Yuta said had no basis in reality.
Yuta laughed loudly as he spoke to Edward. "Hahaha, truly entertaining, Mr. Edward. You are truly entertaining. But I want to ask you something, if you don't mind." Yuta's voice was rather loud as he looked at Edward, who was annoyed but didn't show it.
But in his heart, he was feeling something else entirely. He was extremely annoyed with Yuta for preventing him from reaching his goal, which was the Spirit Ring. "What does this fool want from me? Even if he manages to defeat Gea Guilford, who is at the strongest level and has a Sacred Ruler, I am different. After using the blessing I possess, I will be stronger than the strongest person in the academy, Verselkin and Ben." The Strongest Characters on Continent 5
Edward cleared his mind and spoke calmly in response to Yuta's question, "Yes, Mr. Yuta Cassiral, there's no harm in asking whatever you want."
A cold smile appeared on Yuta's lips after hearing Edward's reply, and he vanished.
Shock was etched on Edward's face as he realized how Yuta had moved. He looked around,
trying to locate Yuta's whereabouts. He sniffed at Yuta, his sword poised in an offensive stance, his aura unleashed without restraint. "Where did that scum Yuta disappear to? He's so annoying! I'm so worried. There are only two days left before a catastrophe strikes. He must get the Soul Ring at any cost!"
While Edward cautiously searched for Yuta,
Yuta suddenly appeared before him. Edward's expression shifted to confusion as he looked at Yuta, who had appeared out of nowhere.
"How does it feel to become a stepping stone for me to cross to achieve my goals?" "
Shock and disbelief were etched on Edward's face. He hadn't sensed Uta's presence or his approach at all. This led him to one thought: attack Uta. However, Uta didn't give Edward a chance, as he had already pinned him down like a broken dummy.
Putting his finger to Edward's forehead, a bright light shot through the center, followed by a small explosion that shattered Edward's skull.
Skull fragments, blood, brain matter, eyes, and tongue flew through the air with tremendous force, reaching several meters away.
He fell to the ground, blood gushing from his head like a fountain, completely covering Uta's clothes and face.
Even though he had killed him in front of the entire world, he didn't care at all. His expression was cold and indifferent to Edward's lifeless body lying beside him. He then hurled it with great force against a giant rock.
Boom...Boom...
A small explosion shook the area the moment Edward's body touched the massive rock. A medium-sized house filled with thick dust.
The faces of the inhabitants of the five continents who witnessed Edward's death turned black.
Some fainted, some vomited, and others were so shocked they couldn't react to what was happening around them.
And there were those who didn't care and just watched as if nothing had happened.
"He killed him with such brutality. That academy student, Verslakin, named Yuta Casseraal, truly deserves his title as a cold, merciless star."
Elsewhere, on the southern continent, with the T clan, the renowned detective Tae Hoon and his daughter Tae Chung Ah were watching a midterm exam.
Tae Chung Ah's face was filled with rage as she looked at Edward's completely mangled body. It was crushed to pieces, with only a few remnants remaining, representing about 2% of his total body mass.
"He's a demonic path, Yuta Casseraal. He's an enemy. He killed a student of his as if he were crushing an insect. He must..." "To punish Alice, is my statement true, Father Tae-hoon?"
Tae-hoon glanced at his daughter, whose face was flushed with anger. She had always followed the right path and rejected such things, no matter the reason.
Tae-hoon felt proud after seeing and hearing his daughter's reaction. His only son, Tae-chung-ah, was reminded of himself as a young man who wanted to achieve peace within the five continents and establish a system of order and peace for the world.
After remaining silent for several seconds, Tae-hoon spoke with the wisdom and composure he had acquired over 845 years. "You are right in what you say. Futa Casseraal possesses a demonic nature rooted in the deepest part of his being…"
Tae-hoon took a sip of hot tea and then sighed deeply. This quickly wore down Tae-chung-ah's patience, as she realized that her father was deliberately stalling for an answer.
"When we were conducting an investigation in Luxembourg City regarding the discovery of a secret floor belonging to the Scorpion Organization there..." "Do you remember?"
Tae Chung-ah's expression shifted to confusion and a lack of understanding at what her father, Tae Hoon, was implying. However, she decided to answer his question, given how long it had taken them to solve the case—a full month, in fact.
"Yes, I remember that case. It was one of the most complex cases I've encountered since I started traveling with you."
Tae Hoon took another sip of his tea, letting out a sigh of frustration. "To be honest, it was one of the cases I couldn't fully solve. Even though we discovered it was linked to the Scorpion Organization, we couldn't find a single clue to tell us exactly what happened there."
Tae Chung-ah's face fell in shock at hearing her father, Tae Hoon, considered the world's best detective. He was even nicknamed the Messenger of the Truth, sent to bring justice to the world, having solved thousands of complex cases.
Despite this, she remained silent, listening to her father, Tae Hoon.
"During that time, I conducted several investigations into the people who fought that day." And Yuta Cassiral was among them. After several investigations, he discovered that the entity possessed a terrifying talent.
Tae Chung-ah tilted his head slightly towards her left shoulder. "What happened? You didn't allow me to participate in the investigations, I remember."
"Yes, I remember that. As for what happened, he fought both the heir of the Hua Jian Yi Mountain Sect and the heir of the McAteer Duchy, Gowther McAteer, and defeated them. Before that, he withstood an attack by the Three Guardians of Heavenly Will, who were gods of seals, chains, and shackles without a"Not a single effort."
Tae Chung-ah's expression turned completely black as she looked towards the screen displaying Yuta's location, speaking in a tone filled with disbelief, "He's beyond the concept of a monster. He's a talent that can't be described by any word."