"I don’t need to handle the rest. You’ve packed your things. Now leave."
The old man stood up, his face worn with age and exhaustion, and shuffled out of the wooden cabin toward another, older house nearby.
Kaizen picked up his backpack.
"Woof!"
A small furry head peeked out from under his cloak. It was Little Gray.
"Co on, Little Gray, ti to head out," Kaizen said with a soft smile.
He stepped out of the cabin and glanced over his shoulder.
"Lina, hurry up and change."
"Right, I’m almost ready!"
Kaizen closed the door behind him and stood waiting.
Seeing the little gray dog poking its head out, the child—Kaizen—eyed it curiously. However, Little Gray didn’t seem too fond of Kaizen. After a few wary glances, the small dog bared its teeth, growling in warning.
Kaizen laughed, unfazed. "Looks like he doesn’t like much."
Kaizen turned toward the older boy.
"Are you really leaving, Kaizen?"
"Yeah," Kaizen nodded. "My job here is done. I’ve imposed on you long enough—it’s ti to move on."
He paused briefly, then added, "Kaizen, once you’re ready to leave this place, make sure to contact , alright?"
"Got it!"
A short while later, Lina erged from the cabin.
She looked almost the sa as when Kaizen first t her, but her aura carried subtle changes, like a quiet ripple beneath the surface.
"Let’s go, Lina."
"Yes."
The two of them, along with Little Gray, left the remote cabin behind.
This ti, Kaizen had no need to rely on black-market transport—Lina’s condition had stabilized enough for them to take an airship. Even Little Gray could be checked in as cargo without issue.
Two days later, Kaizen returned to Heavens Arena.
He’d just stepped back into his room when—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
There was a sudden knock at the door.
Kaizen opened it, and standing in the doorway was a familiar figure.
"Carlisle?"
Kaizen’s brow furrowed. He had no fondness for the man.
Carlisle gave Kaizen a polite nod.
"Thanks for looking after Lina during this ti." His gaze shifted past Kaizen to the girl standing inside.
"Lina, it’s ti to co back with ."
Before Lina could respond—
"Grrr!"
Little Gray darted in front of Carlisle, paws planted firmly on the ground, lips pulled back in a threatening snarl. The little dog’s ferocity was undeniable, as if ready to pounce at any mont.
Carlisle took an instinctive step back but quickly masked his unease, embarrassed to have been startled by a small animal.
Kaizen, standing calmly behind Little Gray, let his aura ripple out. It flared with subtle nace, effortlessly stronger than Carlisle’s. Carlisle’s face darkened as he realized the gap between them.
"Lina," Carlisle said stiffly, "you need to co ho with ."
Lina slowly stepped forward, her eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and hesitation.
"Father... I’m glad you’re alright."
Even after everything Carlisle had done, Lina couldn’t bring herself to resent him. He was, after all, her father.
Seeing her warm response, Carlisle’s expression softened. He was certain she would leave with him.
However, what Lina said next wiped the smile from his face.
"Father, I’m glad you’re okay. But... I can’t go back with you."
Her voice was calm, steady.
"The life I had—the one you gave —ended that day." She took a deep breath. "The life I have now... it belongs to Kaizen and Little Gray."
Carlisle blinked, stunned.
"I’ve also given myself a new na," she added. "From now on, I’m Nina."
She pointed down at Little Gray. "And I gave him a new na, too—he’s Polar Bear now."
"Father," she continued, her voice gentler but firm, "please don’t try to find again."
Carlisle stood frozen, as if rooted to the spot. Kaizen watched silently, sensing the subtle shift in Nina’s deanor. He had thought she would forgive Carlisle and follow him. But she had chosen a different path.
"Lina... are you blaming ?" Carlisle asked quietly.
"I didn’t have a choice," he muttered, covering his face with one hand. "I needed to beco a Floor Master at Heavens Arena... It’s been my lifelong dream. As my family, you should understand that."
Nina shook her head.
"No, Father. Lina never hated you. I could do anything you asked of . But Lina is gone now."
Carlisle stared at her, searching her eyes for any trace of the daughter he once knew. But Nina avoided his gaze.
Polar Bear, on the other hand, growled low in his throat, his hostility toward Carlisle evident. Unlike Nina, the dog harbored no obligation to forgive.
"Fine," Carlisle muttered at last, lowering his gaze. "I see how it is."
He turned on his heel. "We won’t see each other again."
With that, Carlisle walked away, disappearing into the corridor beyond.
For the briefest mont, regret flickered in his heart—but only for a mont. Even if given another chance, Carlisle knew he’d make the sa choice. His ambitions demanded sacrifice.
It wasn’t just Lina, either. Carlisle’s wife—Lina’s mother—had suffered the sa fate. She had beco part of the synthetic beast Carlisle created through his twisted experints. That creature, now destroyed by Juliana, had fused his wife’s remains with a beast.
Thud!
Kaizen closed the door behind him. Polar Bear imdiately leaped around the room in excitent, sensing that Carlisle was finally gone for good.
"Nina," Kaizen asked, "are you alright?"
"I am," Nina answered with a small smile.
She moved to the window, planting her hands on her hips. "My new life starts now!"
For Nina, it truly was a new beginning. If not for Kaizen, she wouldn’t have been able to escape the curse Carlisle had placed on her. Carlisle lacked both the power and the connections to remove it.
Her ti as a synthetic creature had also changed her. Her aura nodes had opened naturally, and she’d already mastered basic enhancent techniques without formal training.
It wouldn’t be long before Nina surpassed most fighters in Heavens Arena—perhaps even reaching the level of elite combatants like Isaiah.
Polar Bear, too, had grown stronger from the ordeal. Both he and Nina had erged from the experience transford, their potential awakened.
But Nina knew one thing for sure. Carlisle hadn’t given her this new life—Kaizen had. And she intended to follow him, no matter where he went.
"Kaizen," Nina said with determination, "I want to beco stronger—strong enough to stand beside you."
Kaizen smiled.
"Alright. First, I’ll teach you Ten and Ren, and we’ll do the Water Divination test together. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll be ready to develop your own unique abilities."
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