Even after everything he had seen so far, Grayson was still shocked.
The effects of the [Supreme Emperor Bone] displayed inside the Villain Simulator were downright absurd.
What took normal cultivators decades—or even centuries—to master...
He accomplished in mere days.
Even the most monstrous prodigies of the Ironwood Empire would need months to condense their first magical power.
But Grayson?
He condensed Shadow Simulation Divine Power in under a week.
It was a feat so absurd that even he struggled to believe it.
Grayson muttered to himself, analyzing calmly:
"The concentration of each [Divine Power] is supposed to be the culmination of years of cultivation and enlightenment.
Yet I've already succeeded in days.
Without any bottleneck.
Without any setbacks."
Moreover, [Thousand Shadow Magic Art] wasn't some simple martial skill.
It was a terrifying, forbidden art from ancient times—one that only a few chosen by destiny could ever hope to master.
Even the so-called "mastermind" he had defeated previously had only managed to cultivate it to the fourth level—and that must have cost him countless years of painful effort.
Meanwhile, Grayson, aided by the [Supreme Emperor Bone], rocketed past those barriers as if they didn't even exist.
If Shawn knew what he had accomplished, the old warrior would probably faint on the spot from sheer disbelief.
Grayson's thoughts darkened slightly.
Even in the Ironwood Empire, among the most terrifying young elites, this speed was unheard of.
The empire's number one genius, Prince Tyrian—the sixth son of the Emperor—was hailed as a once-in-a-millennium prodigy.
It was said that it had taken Prince Tyrian ten days to breakthrough into the Magical Power Realm and condense his first Divine Power.
That achievement alone had shaken the empire.
It earned Tyrian the hatred and envy of countless powerful factions—both human and alien alike.
"If word of my progress leaked," Grayson thought grimly, "I wouldn't simply attract jealousy.
I would draw the eyes of predators from every corner of the world."
The aliens would see him as a threat.
The powerful clans would want to control or destroy him.
And the ancient monsters slumbering in the dark would surely awaken.
Thankfully, he had made the right decision.
In this simulation, he had hidden his strength.
No one knew what he truly possessed.
And he would make sure to keep it that way.
Shadow Simulation was a priceless Divine Power for him right now.
Not only could he disguise his features and aura perfectly, it gave him a trump card—one that could save his life in moments of desperation.
Until he grew strong enough to face his enemies head-on, survival was still his first priority.
Grayson exhaled slowly, settling his mind.
"I'm still too weak for now," he reminded himself.
"If I had the strength of a Celestial or True Immortal, I would have crushed the hidden enemies already."
"But with the Villain Simulator's help, that day will come sooner than they expect."
His eyes gleamed coldly.
The future was his.
He only needed time.
[On the fifth day, you succeeded in cultivating the Thousand Shadow Magic Art to the fourth level.
Your Shadow Simulation Divine Power became even more potent.]
Then came the sudden, overwhelming hunger.
[You awoke to find yourself emaciated, your blood energy drained, your flesh hollowed out.
The elixirs and spiritual materials surrounding you had long been devoured.
Even the storage bag had been bitten and torn apart by your own hands.]
Panic surged briefly.
Without immediate replenishment, the Supreme Emperor Bone would devour his very life.
If days had passed without rescue, he would have perished.
[Desperate, you triggered the secret room's emergency alarm.]
Shawn responded immediately.
The door to the secret chamber exploded open.
He rushed inside, horrified to find you barely clinging to life.
[Without hesitation, he poured life-saving elixirs into your mouth and circulated his own spiritual energy into your body, trying to stabilize your breath.]
Grayson didn't even have the strength to thank him.
He was too busy swallowing.
[Spiritual food, energy pills, blood tonic elixirs—
Shawn ordered everything possible to save you.]
It took hours, but eventually, Grayson's breathing steadied.
His flesh regained some color.
His spiritual sea calmed.
He had survived.
Grayson chuckled bitterly, staring at the Villain Simulator's summary.
"Good grief...
I nearly killed myself without even needing the hidden enemies' help."
The Supreme Emperor Bone was a blessing—but also a curse.
Its hunger was endless.
If he didn't prepare sufficient resources next time, it would drain him dry without hesitation.
[From now on, you vow to stockpile spiritual materials and never recklessly practice without preparation.]
Shawn knelt beside him, his face etched with concern.
["Young Master, what happened?
Did you encounter inner demons while cultivating?"]
Grayson waved him off with a faint smile.
"Just overexertion," he lied easily.
"I'll be more careful next time."
[You did not reveal your successful cultivation of the Thousand Shadow Magic Art—nor the condensation of the Shadow Simulation Divine Power.]
Better to let Shawn think it was a normal backlash from practicing magic arts.
The fewer people who knew his true power, the better.
Shawn, relieved, simply advised him:
["Please be cautious, Young Master. Evil arts are dangerous. It's better to focus on righteous cultivation methods."]
Grayson nodded absentmindedly, already switching topics.
"What's the situation outside?"
Five days had passed.
Unlike his first simulation, where he barely survived a few hours, this time he had lived—plotted—grown.
Surely something must have happened outside.
Shawn's expression stiffened slightly.
He bowed low before beginning his report.
[On the first day after your survival, Demonic City remained eerily quiet.
The capital of the Ironwood Empire showed no signs of unrest.]
[It seemed as though your desperate call for help to your elder brother, Leon Grierson, had been ignored.]
[But on the second day...
The tension began.]
[And by the third day—chaos erupted.]
That day, the Grey family—one of the Ironwood Empire's most ancient noble houses—held a grand 300th birthday banquet for their ancestor.
It was supposed to be a day of celebration.
Instead, it turned into a bloodbath.
[Leon, leading a team of elite Grierson family cultivators, arrived at the banquet.]
[Without warning, he attacked.]
Leon seized Garrett—the Grey family's notorious second-generation heir, who had once provoked Grayson—and shattered his legs with a single brutal strike.
[He demanded to soul-search Garrett on the spot.]
[Naturally, the Grey family elders protested furiously.
But Leon was too strong, too relentless.]
When the elders tried to intervene—
[Leon roared:
"You dared harm my brother!
You think I'll let you live?!"]
The Grey family's patriarch was forced to act.
Celestial-level divine power exploded from him, shaking the skies.
The pressure alone caused cultivators across the capital to collapse in fear.
But—
[The Grierson family's own Celestial-level ancestor—long believed to be in seclusion—appeared.]
A fierce clash erupted between the two ancient powerhouses.
The skies darkened.
The earth cracked.
For a moment, it seemed the entire Ironwood Empire's capital might be destroyed.
Shawn shuddered as he recounted the tale.
["Young Master, it was terrifying.
The shockwaves of their battle nearly flattened the entire palace quarter.
Everyone thought the Empire would fall into civil war."]
Grayson listened silently, his eyes deep.
[Ultimately, Leon succeeded in soul-searching Garrett.]
The results were damning:
[Garrett had indeed colluded to orchestrate your assassination in Demonic City.
However, the assassin's memory had been erased beyond recovery.]
Still, it was enough.
Leon's fury boiled over.
[Before the assembled nobles, he smashed Garrett's head with a single blow—
Crushing the Grey family's pride into dust.]
The Grierson family stood tall.
The Grey family tasted bitter humiliation.
[The Grey family's ancestors vowed vengeance.
The Grierson ancestors vowed annihilation.]
The entire capital teetered on the edge of war.
It took the personal intervention of the Ironwood Empire's mysterious Lord—whose cultivation was unfathomable—to force a temporary "reconciliation."
But everyone knew—
The blood feud had already been written into fate.
Grayson tapped his fingers lightly against the jade chair.
"Good," he thought.
"At least now...
My enemies will no longer dare to act so brazenly."
The storm had begun.
And he would ride its winds to the top.