The evening sun dipped below the jagged mountain peaks, casting long, crimson shadows across the vast reception hall of the newly built Immortal Doctor's Pavilion. The workers had cleared out for the night, leaving the colossal structure in absolute, echoing silence.
Ethan stood by the massive second-floor balcony, his hands tucked smoothly inside his white robes as he stared out over the glowing lanterns of the commercial district. Although the earlier display of his Primordial Void Body proved he didn't possess a single shred of fear toward the Alchemical Pavilion's Peak Golden Core Master, a cold, calculated sense of impatience ran through his veins. He hated being a pawn on a board he didn't fully control.
Just an hour ago, Elder Driz had privately met with him in the shadows of the pavilion, explicitly breaking down the true, subterranean reasons behind his and Ash's sudden tactical intervention—and why they had initiated a temporary ceasefire with the local administration.
