Behind the main building of Zen Ghost Dojo was a garden, and past it stood the Dojo Master Pavilion.
On its second floor, a lean, white-haired man, looking in his thirties, was painting something with a magical brush on a large, wide canvas on the table while sitting.
"Master Wilren, I have a report to make."
A man arrived before him like a ghost, wearing a gray mage's robe with a hood and holding a wooden staff with a purple gem.
"A Tier-1 human newbie is practicing Battlefield of Death, and it has been twenty-three hours. He is still alive, and his parameters have increased significantly."
Dojo Master paused and looked up.
"He is a nobody. No heir from ancient families is courting death after I looked them up. This guy is unknown. He is in his late twenties. Recently awakened."
"Tier-1 in late twenties? So someone invited him here from the other side."
"Yes. I have contacted people and given them the face. They will dig into his background in a minute."
Master Wilren smiled and gestured. "Sit."
The mage sat down and said, "From sightings, he was accompanied by Miss Aira from the Verian family."
"She will be here in two minutes to check up on the guy."
"Your timings are as impeccable as always, Junior Fushi."
Dojo Master stood up and stretched his arms before he vanished and arrived in the garden.
Fushi was already behind him as they both began walking out.
"Tier-1 newbie, so he will arrive in a relatively low-ranking area. If he has a good arsenal of techniques, he will survive. But you said it's been twenty-three hours…"
"In about ten minutes, he will hit the twenty-four-hour mark," Fushi notified promptly.
"This will be interesting."
"Will you do that thing?" Fushi asked.
Master Wilren smiled. "If Miss Aira wishes, I shall do that. And did you find out their relationship?"
"No information acquired about that. You will have to ask her."
"Alright."
…
Aira arrived in the Zen Ghost Dojo after checking the last entry of Aeron's ID card.
The contacts in an ID card could be set as friends and acquaintances. Those added as friends could check each other's ID card locations.
After entering the main building, she went to the reception and asked about Aeron's location in the dojo.
After giving the receptionist his name, she checked and froze.
'It's the guy who told me to see you later while going for Battlefield of Death…'
The receptionist looked at Aira, forcing out an awkward smile. "He is in the top-grade room number three."
"Top-grade?" Aira was surprised. "He shouldn't have credits to use that."
"He is practicing the f-forbidden-class Tempering Technique, Battlefield of Death."
"What?" Aira frowned. "Are you sure?"
"I am sure. Silky black hair, brown-amberish eyes, thin beard, lean figure, and six feet tall."
Aira's eyes widened. "It's him."
She vanished from her spot and arrived on the second floor.
Standing in front of room number 3's door were two people she knew.
Her heart skipped a beat. 'If they are here… then Aeron really went and practiced that.'
She couldn't understand why Aeron took such a risk.
"Hello, Miss Aira. We've been waiting." Dojo Master Wilren smiled, his hands behind his back.
"Greetings." Aira nodded as she arrived and looked past the door's transparent window. Aeron was there, lying on his back, completely still.
"He is at the peak of Tier-1 lifeform right now. The room is measuring his parameters constantly." Dojo Master smiled and added, "Shall we go in?"
The door opened, and he stepped inside. Fushi followed him, and then Aira.
A screen lit up on the white wall at the end.
[ Stats ]
Lifeform Rank: Tier-2
Power Level: 1173
-Physique: 113
-Stamina: 940/940
-Spirit: 117
-Prana: 1010/1010
-Vigor Points: 149 opened
-Spirit Points: 152 opened
"It looks like he broke through to Tier-2 lifeform. Impressive. So, Miss Aira, where did you find him?"
Fushi added after Dojo Master finished asking, "And if you don't mind revealing his gift, we will keep it a secret via spirit oath."
Aira was stunned. Her gaze was glued to the screen.
'What the hell?'
Dojo Master Wilren blinked. "Looking at your expression, it seems you did not tell him to practice this. I had that feeling when I saw you in the hallway."
Aira sighed and ruefully nodded. "That's correct. I never thought he would do something like picking a forbidden-class technique."
"If you don't mind me asking, who is he to you? Why did you bring him to this side?"
Aira smiled. "I saw potential in him after seeing his work and observing his life for some months."
Dojo Master chuckled. "I certainly didn't expect the heir of House Verian to stalk a mere human mortal."
Turning to Aeron, he smiled and added, "But I suppose the result speaks for itself. I have heard a lot about you, but to have found someone capable of surviving this long in this technique, and that too an unaware human nonetheless, that's something."
"You praise me too much, Master Wilren." Aira wryly smiled. "I don't know how he is surviving."
"His gift isn't that strong, and he has no foundation in martial arts whatsoever. What he has is monstrous focus and calm, cold intellect that would help him become stronger, but right now, I have no idea how he is doing this."
"His gift," Fushi spoke. "What is it? If he has no foundation in martial arts, then the only explanation is his gift."
"It's a card." Aira shook her head. "A card that increases his physical strength by 20 percent. Its grade was question marks, so it was below D-rank."
"Just 20 percent? That's indeed below D-rank for a gift." Fushi frowned.
"But that is certainly not true in this situation." Dojo Master smiled at Aira. "Would you like me to do a spirit connection and project his consciousness's senses?"
Aira cupped her fists. "Please."
"Great. Let's see what kind of monster in development we are witnessing." Dojo Master rolled his sleeves and sat down half a meter behind Aeron before putting his right palm on Aeron's forehead.
"If this unassuming man really survives and returns…" Dojo Master's eyes glinted as he looked at Aira. "It means he has the potential to rise high. We'll keep this under a lid if he survives. The fewer people who know him, the better. Especially your enemies."
Aira nodded. "I'll be grateful for it."
"Fushi, erase everything."
Fushi nodded and vanished.
"Now then, let's begin."
Dojo Master closed his eyes.
One second later, mist manifested behind him and formed into a large misty screen.
It flickered and then showed a cave behind a waterfall.
"What do I do with it?"
A voice rang out.
"Aeron," Aira muttered. The screen was from Aeron's point of view, so they were watching everything he watched.
And he was looking at a strange egg pulsing with violet and crimson patterns.