"Logan, order everyone to stop whatever they are doing and gather immediately. Those who are not within our territory, command them to head straight to Formation Prodigy Bellion's city as soon as possible. Make sure they are fully prepared for a large-scale battle," Prince Charles ordered.
"Rest assured, Your Highness. I will handle everything. Is there anything else?" Logan replied.
Prince Charles said nothing more and merely waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
Logan bowed and turned around, exiting the room.
This was the first time he had seen Prince Charles with such a serious expression. All this time, the prince had treated everything lightly, always wearing a playful smile, as if nothing in the world could truly concern him.
He could not help but wonder what had finally shaken him. Before this, Prince Charles had never seemed particularly worried about the portal at all.
In the end, he still could not understand anything about this strange prince.
After Captain Logan left, Prince Charles sat still for a long moment.
Then he began preparing himself for another divination session.
The hours that followed were not kind.
From the outside, the grand mansion remained peaceful. Quiet. Serene.
Inside the room, thick scent of blood filled every corner. Painful screams echoed off the walls, though no sound escaped to the outside. The prince's body contorted, flesh tearing and reforming, blood pouring from every pore.
It was, as always, a terrible price.
When it was over, Prince Charles cleaned his room methodically, as he always did. Then he cleaned himself.
He sat on his sofa, finally allowing himself to relax.
"Huuu..." He exhaled slowly.
"This time was not as bad as the previous divination. Focusing on only a few small areas is so much easier." He paused, staring at the ceiling.
"Dastan Fin Howler. I see... So you are the variable, huh? I always treated you as a clown of a prince who would be the first to fall in my assassination game. But you exceeded all expectations. Your Royal Guards all perished, yet you somehow survived without them."
Prince Charles slowly raised his palm. A thin purple line appeared across it. The next moment, the line distorted and split open. A blade emerged from within, inch by inch, until a full sword slid free. He gripped the hilt and casually swung it through the air.
"Not only did you survive your journey, you even advanced into the Nascent Soul Realm. Beyond my expectations, you somehow gathered a group of people with incredible abilities, despite your repugnant personality. Even the remaining assassins stood no chance against your group. You even became bold enough to deal with them personally. And now, you have two knowledgeable scholars to interfere with my game."
He paused, then tilted his head slightly.
"Are you some kind of protagonist, Dastan Fin Howler?"
A chuckle escaped his lips, quickly spiraling into wild laughter.
"Haha... Hehehehe... HAHAHAHA!"
Prince Charles laughed uncontrollably. His body slid down from the sofa, and he continued laughing on the floor, the sword still clutched in his hand.
After several minutes, he finally calmed down. He climbed back onto the sofa and sat properly, wiping the corner of his eye.
"Huu... that was funny." He steadied his breathing. "Alright, I am not mad anymore. I forgive all of your sins, just because you managed to make me laugh."
He casually tossed the sword into the air and caught it with his other hand.
"This is actually quite interesting. Who doesn't love a good comeback story? Dastan, Dastan. If you survive this game and return safely, I will design another game just for you in the future."
His eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Let me reorganize my thoughts. Things didn't go according to my plan because I am still lacking. I assumed that I was the only one who could make adjustments to the portal. My arrangements deviated because of this mistake."
He fell silent for a moment.
"Now... what else have I presumed in my plan? I don't want to be caught off guard again. Even if I can't change the outcome, that outcome must be one I had already considered. I hate it when things happen outside my calculations."
Prince Charles reviewed every step of his scheme once more in his mind.
He was not someone who refused to learn from his mistakes. In fact, he welcomed them, even though he despised their existence.
All for the sake of improving himself.
All for the sake of preparing to design a grand game that would one day involve the entire world.
This was his ultimate dream.
---
"Hmm... this prince has been feeling some phantom itches since a few hours ago. Did someone curse this prince behind his back?" Dastan muttered.
"Heh, maybe the entire Howling Kingdom is cursing at you." Leyvi jabbed.
"Hmph, go away, Leyvi. This prince does not have the mood to deal with you right now. Shush, shush." Dastan waved his hand dismissively.
It had been a year, yet he still could not accept that his Royal Guards had all perished. Deep down, he clung to the faint hope that they were merely hiding somewhere.
However, his whereabouts were already known to the public. If, after a full year, not a single one of them had come to see him, then the truth was obvious. His Royal Guards had most likely fallen.
The realization made his mood sink lower with each passing day.
He could not help but lament his situation. When he had finally reformed himself and resolved to become a better lord for them, he had already lost the chance.
Worse still, as more and more people gathered around the city, he could clearly see the Royal Guards of other princes and princesses, many still alive and faithfully carrying out their duties for their masters. The sight only deepened the bitterness in his heart.
Leyvi quietly sat down beside him.
"You haven't had the mood for months already. Be careful. If you keep letting the matter of your Royal Guards bind your emotions, you might have trouble breaking through to higher levels in the future. A cultivation genius is no genius if they cannot keep advancing. It is fine to mourn them, but you have to move on."
Even as he said it, Leyvi knew these words were far easier spoken than followed. If the same thing had happened to him, he doubted he could remain this composed. Still, it was something Dastan needed to hear.
Dastan remained silent.
What Leyvi said was true. Over the past year, his cultivation had felt sluggish, despite having abundant resources at his disposal. For cultivators, stagnation caused by unresolved emotions was a nightmare, one that often only worsened over time.
After a long pause, Dastan spoke again.
"What about you, Leyvi? Your soul fluctuation feels shaky as well. Are you worried about something?"
Aside from Tamina and Tantan, he was the most familiar with Leyvi's soul fluctuation. After staying together for so long, he could sense even the slightest disturbance.
Leyvi was taken aback. He had not expected Dastan to notice the subtle unrest hidden deep within his heart.
Like right now, he was not actually completely carefree. On the outside, he appeared cheerful. But inwardly, the closer the day the portal would be ready, the more anxious he felt.
Why?
Because Stripey, Mr. Bison, and Scarlet were still missing.
Senior Lapin had continued helping him, sending his celestial cloud across the entire continent to search for them, yet there was still no trace.
What puzzled him the most was that their spiritual imprints were intact, meaning they were alive. But beyond that single certainty, there was nothing. No signs at all since the last time he had sensed them during the worldwide spiritual scan.
Many cultivators who owned spirit beasts eventually reunited with them here, beneath the colossal tree's shade. Just like humans, spirit beasts instinctively journeyed toward the colossal tree. Once they came close enough, the mental connection would resurface, allowing their masters to pinpoint their location.
That was why Leyvi felt increasingly unsettled.
All three of his spirit beasts had received talents from the Talent Bead, and they were traveling together. He believed they could handle nearly any challenge thrown their way.
Even if Mr. Bison constantly caused foolish trouble, Scarlet was with them. She should have been more than capable of leading them safely here.
Yet in the end, they were nowhere to be found.
On one hand, he could not afford to miss this chance to return home. On the other, the thought of leaving them behind filled him with guilt.
"Hahaha! Looks like our Crown Prince has become a little more human. I never thought I would hear such things from your mouth. Are you concerned about me?" Leyvi said, forcing a cheerful tone.
"Go away! Who is concerned about you? This prince was just curious what kind of thing could trouble an ignorant country bumpkin like you!" Dastan snapped back.
The two of them resumed their usual bickering, their voices blending into familiar noise, when suddenly a loud sound echoed across the entire city.
The grand formation loudspeaker had been activated.
"Hello everyone. This is Barcas speaking. I would like to announce a few things regarding the portal."