In a house on the north side of the city, a house from which no sound ever escaped but which terrified everyone, night had fallen on the second floor. Dono, standing outside, fixed his gaze toward the city center, more precisely toward the castle.
"Rieze, Rieze, Rieze… is your hatred for the Chang clan really that great?" Dono said with a mocking grin. "Not that I care, but what you're planning to do bothers me. As for me, I plan to use my time on this planet to create as many weapons as possible and increase my power. So, take my gift as an warning."
Dono burst into laughter before returning to his grim activities.
In the castle
Rieze, who was always guarding Dola's door, saw the boy return. The boy bowed to pay his respects to Rieze.
"So, you're still alive?" Rieze said with a smirk. "Who would've thought that monster would spare you?"
The boy's face froze, shocked by Rieze's words. Did he want Dono the guard to kill me and dismember me to display me like a trophy? he thought, shaken.
"So, what did he tell you?" Rieze asked, his tone sharper.
The boy straightened up and shared the information. "He's going to calm down…"
Rieze let out a scoff. "Seriously, who'd be foolish enough to believe that? Fine, if that's all, you can leave."
"Wait a moment, Guard Rieze," the boy interrupted. "Guard Dono asked me to give you this sword."
Upon seeing the sword, Rieze felt a chill. This sword isn't normal. Better avoid touching it, he thought. He ordered the boy to follow him to his chamber.
"Place it on the table and leave," Rieze said coldly.
The boy obeyed, setting the sword down and fleeing the castle as fast as he could. From his window above, Rieze watched him go.
"Dono giving gifts… what a bad joke," Rieze muttered. "Maybe he wants to kill me. But why? Could he know something? Fine, let's let the days pass and keep an eye on this boy. He's the only one who touched that sword."
In the east side of the city
A boy with long hair, gray eyes, and tall stature walked through the streets, bathed in the night's embrace. He looked sad. He headed toward a library.
"Ji-li, always here at the same time," said an old man upon seeing him.
"What can I say? It's routine," Ji-li replied with a melancholic tone. "There's no trouble in the city, except for Dono in the north. Unfortunately, he's on our side."
The old man looked at him with compassion. "Stop overthinking, Ji-li. And seriously, find something else to do besides being the leader of the eastern troops. You're always depressed, and you never smile—except when you read or write."
Ji-li sighed. "I know, Illaste. Thanks for worrying about me. But I have to keep going to watch over my sister. Besides, I only have a hundred years left. Once this old promise is fulfilled, I'll set out to find peace… and the truth about this world."
Illaste raised an eyebrow. "The truth about this world? What do you mean?"
"As you've figured out, we're not from this planet," Ji-li explained. "And there are so many other inhabited planets out there. I want to explore them all, for the joy of discovery, not for the slaughter we see here."
Illaste smiled, touched by the passion in Ji-li's eyes. "I hope your destiny leads you to do what you just described. Good luck in advance."
"Always talking about exploring every world, huh, Ji-li?" a female voice chimed in.
Ji-li turned, a slight smile on his face. "And you, Hirina, always eavesdropping on other people's conversations, acting like you're still twenty?"
Hirina shook her head, her blue hair swaying behind her. "I'm two hundred and seventy years old now, and you still call me out on my bad habits!"
"What can I say? I was born before you, and I know you by heart," Ji-li teased.
"There's only a thirty-year gap between us!" Hirina protested.
Illaste, amused, sat back down and returned to his tasks, happy to see the two of them smiling. Their smiles were so rare that they seemed precious to others.
In a bush near the city
Tony, still lying down, was absorbing ether while training within his consciousness. What happened in the black space could've killed me. To think I was so close to reaching rank seven… he mused. Showing myself now would be too dangerous. I'd better wait until my body recovers. Anyway, even at rank six, I can take on several rank eights at once. That's not a problem with my abilities.
He reflected further. The real issue is that the future is uncertain. Who's to say I won't run into a rank nine? I've never faced one before. But it should be fine, as long as there's no one at the Immortal Kingdom level.
"Uh… Sir, what are you doing on the ground?" a childish voice suddenly asked.
Startled, Tony snapped out of his trance and saw a child, about eleven or twelve years old, standing before him.
"Are you playing here?" the child asked, curious.
Tony gave a faint smile. "Let's just say I'm passing the time in my own way."