His words flowed like acid.
Veins bulged on Willian's face.
The sound of dripping blood was the only noise inside the alley.
"Who the hell are you? Get out of the way. I don't have time to deal with another insect."
—His voice was deep, anger barely restrained at the edges.
The man in front of him, however, broke into an ironic smile. A look of pure malice.
"Oh, but you already dealt with an insect. And now look at the state you ended up in…"
Tch. "Is that really something to be proud of?"
Willian's jaw tightened.
His mouth opened, but the young man cut him off:
"But I think it'd be best if you left soon, you know? A few minutes ago, I contacted the authorities."
Willian stared at him and smiled, letting out a low laugh before speaking:
"You think mere Awakened can threaten me? All I need is to contact my Clan and I'll walk free."
His gaze made it clear—he already thought he had won.
"Oh? Really? So you want your Clan to know that you and your Legacy friends—armed, prepared, and with the advantage of an ambush—
were humiliated by a nobody with no Clan?"
The man's smile widened in amusement.
"What a proud Legacy! I'm sure they'll sing songs about this great achievement of yours."
Willian's smug smile vanished, his expression turning serious.
"We just need to get rid of the evidence before the authorities arrive, right?"
—he said in a threatening tone.
In response, the man merely sighed.
"Sure, maybe you could defeat me… but only if I were alone."
Willian froze.
There was someone else?
As if answering his thoughts, four people stepped into the alley.
They stood against the light, their faces hidden in shadow.
"So?" the man said calmly.
"Still want to keep going? I'm pretty sure we can hold out until the authorities arrive."
A cold determination crossed Willian's face.
Grinding his teeth, he ordered:
"Grab the unconscious idiot and take him. We're leaving."
The henchman obeyed immediately, eager to avoid his boss's wrath.
Turning his head, Willian cast one last look at the man.
"Using such cowardly tactics… don't you feel ashamed?"
The young man replied without hesitation:
"Tell me—between the two of us—who needed to ambush someone without backup and still rely on a numerical advantage?"
Willian closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
"What's your name?" he asked, his voice indescribably cold.
"Don't worry about my name. Our paths will cross again someday,"
the young man replied, like a poorly constructed excuse.
Willian spat on the ground and, along with his subordinates, headed toward the back of the alley, disappearing into the darkness.
The man watched his enemies leave and let out a long sigh.
"Good thing they didn't notice…"
As soon as he said that, the four figures at the alley's entrance vanished instantly, their forms dissolving like mist.
Eylan, who had already regained part of his consciousness, still felt the world spinning.
Seeing the Legacies retreat so easily surprised him.
But when the figures at the entrance disappeared, he frowned.
'Those weren't real people? How?'
Before he could think any further, the man's voice reached his ears:
"Don't worry. I'll explain later."
Cold sweat ran down the back of Eylan's neck.
The dizziness returned.
The world spun.
His vision darkened, and the last thing he saw was a young man wearing an exotic hat approaching him.
Then darkness—nothing.
Absolute silence.
---
Eylan didn't know how much time had passed.
A delicious smell reached his nose, slowly awakening his senses—first smell, then sound, and finally sight.
His eyes opened slowly.
He was in a small apartment.
Very little furniture: a bed, a table.
There were two more rooms and a window through which morning light streamed in.
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his arm and chest, burning like hell.
"Argh…"
After taking a deep breath, he checked his injuries.
That was when he noticed they were all bandaged.
Someone had already given him first aid.
Then the smell of food reached his nose again.
Moving carefully, he headed to the other room.
There, a stove kept something warm.
"Well, look who finally woke up," a voice said behind him.
Eylan startled, jumping slightly.
When he turned around, he recognized the young man.
A wide traveler's hat, sharp features, and keen eyes.
A dark cloak that made him look like a mage from old tales.
He looked a little sweaty.
For a brief moment, his expression showed discomfort—but it quickly returned to normal.
Eylan had seen this man before.
"Ravon…?" he asked.
"I'm flattered you remember my name,"
he said with half-lidded eyes and a hint of irony.
"Why are you here—"
Before he could finish the question, Eylan grabbed his head.
Memories from the previous day flooded his mind.
The boy who needed help.
The ambush.
The near death.
That strange power.
And the sudden rescue.
"Why did you help me? And how were you there?"
—he asked, confused.
"I don't know… I think you're the one who owes me explanations, don't you?"
Ravon replied.
"I was just walking through the city when I noticed an acquaintance about to be killed by a Legacy!"
—he placed a hand on his face in an exaggeratedly dramatic way—
"How could I not help?"
Seeing the theatrics, Eylan could only sigh.
"Thanks… I guess.
And about that Legacy… I don't remember much about him. We had a small disagreement before, but I didn't think it was enough for him to try to kill me."
As he spoke, his attention was drawn to the food.
Ravon noticed.
"Why don't we eat first? Then we can talk."
Eylan didn't refuse.
---
At the table, Eylan spoke:
"First… thank you. Without you, I'd already be dead."
He took a deep breath.
"Second, how did you make them back off? I don't think the authorities alone would've been enough to scare them."
"It was actually pretty simple. I just had to bluff," Ravon explained.
"I knew the pride of those Legacies wouldn't allow them to accept that outcome."
"And those people with you? I saw them disappear," Eylan insisted.
"Oh, that?" Ravon said casually.
"Well… how can I put this… my Aspect involves illusions. I lied about having backup."
It was clear Ravon didn't want to go deeper into the subject.
"That's an interesting power," Eylan murmured, considering the explanation.
'Illusions… and at that level while still just a Sleeper… what will he be like as a Saint?'
Then something clicked.
"Now that I think about it—even without calling the authorities, the fight should've drawn attention. How did no one notice?"
"No need to worry. The alley entrance was covered by my illusions. Ordinary people wouldn't notice anything," Ravon said calmly.
With some answers in hand, Eylan focused on his food.
After they finished eating, Eylan looked at the young man across the table.
"Alright… you saved me. What do you want in return?"
He wasn't foolish. Nothing in this world came for free—and what did come for free usually ended up being the most expensive.
"What kind of image do you have of me?" Ravon asked with fake innocence.
"Do I really look like someone who'd charge for saving a life?"
"So you don't want anything?"
"Of course I do. What, do you think I'm an idiot?"
—his mischievous smile returned—
"I want a favor."
"A favor? What kind of favor?" Eylan asked, sensing something off.
"In the future, if I ask for your help, you help me. Simple."
"Ah… alright. But it's just one favor," Eylan agreed.
Trying to change the subject, he asked:
"By the way, where are we?"
"A small apartment I rented for one night. Pretty cheap," Ravon replied.
"I waited for you to recover so we could go to the Academy together. I couldn't just leave you lying around."
He seemed honest, but Eylan felt there was a deeper purpose behind it.
After eating, Ravon said he had things to take care of and left, promising to return soon.
With time to spare, Eylan rested.
---
Ravon walked through the streets, thinking:
"Even seeing it with my own eyes, I still can't believe he fought three Legacies… and almost won."
But that wasn't the most shocking part.
While Eylan was unconscious, Ravon had tested the statue.
'I still remember the glimpse the Lady granted me…'
Swallowing hard, he recalled it.
An endless, turbulent ocean.
A dark sky, on the verge of breaking into a storm.
But the most striking thing was the sun.
Ravon had never seen anything like it—nor had he ever heard of such a thing.
At the center, a silvery sun, surrounded by crystal-clear water spinning endlessly.
'A Sacred Aspect? No… a Divine-rank Aspect!'
That confirmed his suspicions.
Eylan was the reason behind the statue's abnormal reaction.
It was a pleasant surprise… and a dangerous one.
---
Later, they left the apartment and headed toward the Academy.
Soon, the massive gates came into view.
Their destination lay ahead.