The next day, the atmosphere in the camp changed noticeably as one of the core members began moving around, calling people out one by one and telling them to gather. This man, known among the gang as a fifth stage cultivator but in reality, already at the peak of the sixth stage, carried himself with quiet confidence, his presence enough to make others take him seriously.
One by one, the bandits gathered in the open space, their expressions confused and slightly tense, as no one expected an assembly so soon after their recent activities. Murmurs spread among them, but the moment the man stepped forward, the noise gradually died down.
"There's another war coming," he said calmly.
For a moment, no one reacted.
Then—
Everyone froze.
"…Another one?" someone muttered.
The surprise was obvious, as they had barely recovered from the previous conflict, and the thought of being thrown into another so soon made many uneasy. However, before the murmurs could grow louder, the man continued in the same steady tone.
"Make preparations."
That was all.
No explanation.
No discussion.
Just an order.
The crowd slowly dispersed after that, each person carrying their own thoughts, some anxious, some excited, and some simply resigned.
After the gathering ended, the man's gaze shifted slightly as he called out, "Roma."
Roma, who had been standing quietly among the crowd, stiffened slightly before stepping forward.
"…Yes?"
"Take me to that injured guy," the man said.
Roma's heart skipped a beat.
"…That guy?"
Still—
He didn't refuse.
"…Alright."
A short while later, they arrived at the room where Arun was resting, and as soon as they entered, Arun looked up, his expression turning cautious the moment he sensed the other man's presence.
The sixth stage peak cultivator stepped forward, his eyes sharp as he observed Arun for a moment before speaking in a calm yet slightly cold tone.
"You've recovered well."
Arun didn't reply.
The man continued, his voice carrying both authority and a faint hint of threat.
"You've been treated and fed by this gang."
A brief pause.
"…So now, you work for us."
The meaning was clear.
There was no real choice.
Arun remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"…I'm already in an association."
The room went quiet.
Roma's face instantly changed.
"…What are you saying?!"
He immediately turned toward the sixth stage man, forcing a nervous laugh.
"…He's joking… just saying things…"
Inside—
"…Are you trying to kill me?"
The man looked at Roma briefly, then back at Arun.
"…Association?"
There was a short pause.
"With whom…"
"Roma is our leader and there are currently 2 members me and Roma, we save people who are war victims"
Roma was like "FA... Do u know what and when to say?"
Then—
Little brother suddenly laughed loudly.
"…Interesting."
He shook his head slightly, amused.
"…Then I'll join too."
He said it casually, almost like a joke.
"…Yes, I will also join your association."
Roma froze.
Arun blinked.
The atmosphere turned strange for a brief moment.
The man didn't seem to care much about what he had just said, as he turned around almost immediately.
"…Recover quickly," he added before walking toward the door.
"…We'll need everyone."
And just like that—
He left.
Silence filled the room.
Roma stood there, still processing what had just happened.
"…What…"
Then—
DING.
A familiar sound echoed in his mind.
Roma froze completely.
Slowly—
He turned his attention to the system panel.
[New Member Joined]
His expression stiffened.
"…No way…"
He stared at the screen.
Then at the door.
Then back at the screen again.
"…That counted?!"
His mind went blank for a second.
"…He said it as a joke!"
The system, however did not care.
Roma slowly sat down.
"…This system is way too easy to trigger."
Roma looked toward the door where the man had just left, his expression turning complicated.
"…I think…"
"…I just recruited someone dangerous."
After the incident, Roma returned to his room, but his mind lingered on what had just happened as he opened the system panel again and focused on the new entry. The so-called fifth stage, who was actually at the peak of the sixth stage, had a name—Riz. Roma muttered it under his breath while observing the panel carefully, noticing that apart from the name, the only thing available was his position on the system map, with no extra details, no abilities, and no hidden information.
"So I can track him… and that's it," he murmured, staring for a moment longer before closing the panel with a faint sigh. "Useless as always."
Instead of thinking further about it, he shook his head and pushed the thought aside, because right now it didn't matter. A short while later, he went to find Arun, who had recovered enough to move normally, his condition visibly improved.
"I'm leaving," Roma said directly.
Arun looked at him. "Leaving?"
"This place… the bandit camp."
There was no hesitation in Roma's voice, and Arun remained silent for a moment before nodding slowly. "Good."
Roma blinked slightly. "You agree that easily?"
Arun gave a faint, tired smile. "I don't belong here either."
That was enough. Roma nodded. "Then we leave together."
Arun didn't object, and the two quickly began discussing the details, keeping their voices low as they formed a simple plan. "During the fight," Roma said quietly.
Arun understood immediately. "When everything is chaotic."
"No one will notice," Roma added.
It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was their best option.
After that, Roma returned to his room, his expression gradually becoming serious as he sat down and began circulating his chakra. "Time to stabilize…" he muttered, but even as he said it, he didn't slow down. Instead, he pushed forward, forcing the energy within him to circulate faster, refining and compressing it while trying to keep his unstable foundation from collapsing.
It was risky—very risky.
"But I don't have time."
The pressure built inside him as his aura fluctuated, unstable yet growing stronger, until suddenly something broke through.
Roma's eyes snapped open. "Stage 6."
He exhaled slowly, feeling the change within his body. Even though his foundation was unstable, the power was real.
"I made it."
There was no excitement in his expression, only focus.
Not long after, Roma stood up and went back to Arun.
"I need help," he said.
Arun looked at him. "With what?"
"Fighting."
Arun raised an eyebrow slightly. "You?"
"Yes."
Arun observed him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I don't have high-level techniques, but I can teach you the basics."
"That's enough."
Arun stepped forward slightly and adjusted his stance. "First—boxing."
He demonstrated a simple posture, his movements direct and efficient. "This is my family's basic combat style. We call it Iron Pulse Fist."
Roma repeated it quietly, "Iron Pulse Fist," while watching carefully.
"Focus on impact and rhythm," Arun continued. "Don't overcomplicate it."
Then he shifted his footing slightly, his body becoming lighter and more fluid. "Second—movement."
Roma's eyes followed closely.
"This is Shadow Step Drift," Arun explained. "It's not about speed alone, it's about control, changing direction, staying unpredictable."
Roma nodded slowly, absorbing everything. "Got it."
After a moment, he straightened. "Thanks."
Arun shook his head slightly. "You saved me."
Roma gave a faint smile. "Still… thanks."
Roma looked at his hands quietly, his expression steady as a clear thought settled in his mind.
Now he was ready to run.