Seraphina and Alex were each surrounded by their respective family guards for protection.
Seraphina was clad in a white dress as pure as snow, with her ice-blue hair naturally cascading over her shoulders, and her fair skin resembling smooth white jade.
She was tall and graceful, with stunning beauty, marred only by the perpetual coldness on her beautiful face, as if it were encased in eternal ice.
At the mont, Alex was fervently attempting to engage Seraphina in conversation, babbling non-stop, trying to connect with the daughter of the lord of Stellarburg.
Unfortunately, Seraphina paid him no heed.
Alex wasn't bothered by her attitude; Seraphina's aloof nature was well-known in Stellarburg's circles.
It didn't matter whether you were a wealthy scion or a prodigious talent; she treated everyone with the sa indifference.
Lucas was a pri example, being the noble heir of House Carter and having pursued Seraphina for three years, yet she wouldn't spare him a word if she chose not to.
As Alex continued his relentless chatter,
Seraphina seed to suddenly notice sothing, her gaze shifting towards the direction of the Withered Forest.
Alex paused, following her gaze.
He could only catch a fleeting glimpse of soone wearing a black mask, vanishing in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace behind as if it were all just a trick of the eye.
Confused, Alex looked at Seraphina, only to find her gaze had returned to the blood-colored peak, lost in thought and silent.
Hesitating, Alex cautiously approached and asked, "Miss Seraphina, was that mber of Hidden Stars a friend of yours?"
Although he only caught a brief glimpse, Alex still noticed the distinct black mask on the other's face.
Such unique masks were exclusively worn by mbers of Hidden Stars, making them easily recognizable.
After Alex spoke, he expected Seraphina to ignore him as usual, but to his surprise, she actually responded.
Before he could rejoice, however, the words that ca from Seraphina froze the smile on his face.
Seraphina said indifferently, "Not a friend, just a coward who took advantage of and yet doesn't dare to face ."
Despite the calmness in Seraphina's voice, the slight hint of resentnt was like a thunderclap in Alex's heart.
Alex stood stiffly for a long while, processing the information, and then silently turned to leave.
In his heart, he suddenly felt a bit sad for the rumored heir of House Carter.
This significant figure from the imperial capital probably didn't know that soone had secretly encroached on his territory.
...
John hadn't gone far, and his hearing was excellent.
Thus, Seraphina's words reached his ears without missing a beat.
The corner of John's mouth twitched involuntarily, knowing that Seraphina's words were actually ant for him.
But he couldn't possibly go to Seraphina now.
It wasn't that John was worried about his identity being exposed; after all, if there hadn't been any mishaps, his identity would already be known, or else the people from House Carter wouldn't have found him.
So hiding his identity seed unnecessary for him now.
What concerned John the most was the aningful look Theodore had given him.
To be honest, even now, recalling that look made John's skin crawl.
Being noticed by a transcendent-tier powerhouse was not sothing to be pleased about.
Therefore, under Theodore's watchful eye, John decided it was best to keep his distance from Seraphina, to avoid provoking Theodore's ire and potentially being reduced to ashes with a re wave of his hand.
After all, for a transcendent-tier magus, such an act would be trivial.
At this mont, John had reached the location of Old Dog and Gold Flash.
Using the "Stealth Spell" taught by the old cripple to mask his presence, he remained unnoticed even at a close distance.
This Stealth Spell was incredibly effective, rendering him undetectable even to awakeners several levels higher than him, which was quite overpowered.
Thinking back, John hadn't had the chance to visit the old cripple in Stellarburg due to ti constraints during his last visit.
He made a ntal note to seek him out for a thorough discussion if the opportunity arose after returning this ti.
John didn't rush to announce his presence. Curious to see when Old Dog and the others would notice him, he stood in an inconspicuous corner.
As ti passed, more people gathered at the foot of the mountain.
Old Dog and his companions continued their recovery and conversation.
Gold Flash sighed, "I didn't expect this mission to be so challenging. The Dusk Sect's fanatics have also shown up, no wonder the boss had to step in personally. This isn't going to be simple. Rember to double-check everything later to ensure no one slips through the net."
Old Dog, replenishing his strength with special food, grumbled in response to Gold Flash's comnt, "Those cultists are truly devious, utterly unpredictable. If I hadn't reacted quickly, my head would probably be rolling on the ground by now. We'll wipe out those dogs sooner or later!"
As Silver Tear tended to Old Dog's grueso back wound, his ntion of the cultists seed to conjure a horrifying image in her mind, causing her to shudder violently.
This sudden movent made Old Dog grimace in pain, howling, "Ow, ow, ow, Silver Tear, be gentle!"
Silver Tear snapped back to reality and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my mind wandered."
Dark Fox was quietly eating, not saying a word, but her gaze beca more solemn upon hearing "Dusk Sect," clearly taking the organization seriously.
John's eyebrows twitched at the ntion of "Dusk Sect."
In this world, besides regular awakeners, there were those who worshipped dark gods, often causing destruction wherever they went.
"Dusk Sect" was one of the most infamous cults in the Federal in recent years, known for its brutal thods despite its relatively short existence of just over a decade.
John rembered sothing the old cripple had ntioned casually.
A few years ago, under the leadership of their bishop, "Dusk," the Dusk Sect had attempted a massive sacrificial ritual, planning to offer up an entire city's population in a heinous act.
Fortunately, the Federal's powerhouses intervened in ti, preserving the count of Federal's 720 cities.
No wonder Old Dog and Gold Flash appeared so grave; they were indeed facing a formidable foe.
While John was lost in thought, Dark Fox, who had been focusing on her food, suddenly looked up.
She glanced towards John's location with heightened alertness, instinctively gripping her staff tighter.
She was about to warn the others when she recognized John, pausing in surprise.
The others noticed Dark Fox's reaction and followed her gaze.
Seeing John, they were all taken aback.
Old Dog exclaid in surprise, "You cheeky lad, how did you get here? Weren't you leveling up outside?"
The group looked at John in astonishnt.
It took quite so nerve for him to sneak over and join them, especially considering this was a high-level area where any random monster could easily overpower him.
John smiled and explained, "I was drawn here by the commotion. The monsters outside are all worshipping in this direction and didn't attack , so I took the opportunity to sneak over."
Hearing John's explanation, the others finally understood.
Only Dark Fox continued to stare intently at John, beads of cold sweat even erging on her forehead beneath her silver mask.
Dark Fox was acutely aware of how close John had been to them without their notice, unsure of how long he had been standing there.
Even if they had been sowhat careless, Dark Fox was certain that if it had been a confrontation of equals, John could easily have taken them all down without them realizing it until it was too late.
Dark Fox pursed her lips.
This newcor was indeed no simple character!
From the start, she had sensed that John might not be as ordinary as he appeared.
Otherwise, Victor wouldn't have personally invited him to join the elite ranks of Hidden Stars' Red Gloves.
Even so, she hadn't expected the young man's abilities to have reached such a level.
If not for her innate strong ntal power and keen perception, she might not have detected his presence at all.
Truly a terrifying individual!
Noticing Dark Fox's gaze, John smiled at her without offering any explanation.
Everyone has their secrets, and even the closest of allies can't share everything.
That was John's practice; under any circumstances, he always kept so cards close to his chest.
Dark Fox seed to understand John's stance.
After a mont of silence, she ultimately chose not to disclose what she had noticed.
After all, they were currently on the sa side, and John harbored no ill will towards her; there was no need for her to do so.
Besides, didn't she have her own secrets to keep...
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