Back at Kei’s clearing in the Expanse, Seth suddenly stopped in place, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open, drool slipping down as he stared out into nothing.
“This is so cool,” he muttered, gaze fixed ahead. “It’s so trippy.”
“Gaia’s Embrace: Gaia’s Grasp.”
Owen activated his skill as an earthen hand burst from the ground, snapping toward Seth and forcing him out of his trance, though his vision didn’t seem to change.
“Oohhh, fun,” Seth said, casually stepping to the side. He kicked out and struck a specific point on the hand, causing it to collapse instantly.
“Huh?” Owen frowned in confusion.
Seth reached forward, fingers curling slightly as if grabbing sothing invisible, and Owen suddenly felt a tug on his body.
“Why is he glowing like that all of a sudden…?” Owen muttered, staring at the blue-silver lines running across Seth’s body. “Since when can he do this? And why does he look…”
Seth ignored him completely. “Everything looks so different now… kinda feels like I’m tripping on LSD again.”
“...Again?”
Everyone paused mid-sparring.
Lisa sidestepped a Boulder Bear and glanced over with a soft sigh. “Oh dear, seems like my husband made friends with a druggie.”
Jenny blocked the Verdant Volt Hare with her scythe, sliding back as she tried to absorb its kinetic energy. “His best friend is a scamr, I’m not worried about a druggie,” she said. Then her eyes narrowed slightly. “But is it , or are so of these creatures acting strange… and Seth too?”
Nearby, Jin ducked under a silent strike and kicked toward Kaito’s head. “How am I worse than a druggie!?” he snapped, then paused. “…Actually, never mind.” He sulked as he spun and punched toward Kai.
Up in the trees, Reese darted between branches, firing arrows at Hachi. “I still don’t get how you t Kei. She calls you a scamr and you won’t deny it, and now—ow!” he shouted as Hachi pounced on him, knocking him out of the tree with a gale of wind it fired from its mouth, surprising even itself.
Jin sidestepped Kaito’s blade as he heard the question, the mory playing out in the reflection of the sword.
“Co one, co all! Step right up and test your luck! Play these gas and you might win big, big big!” a young, toothless twelve-year-old shouted excitedly from behind his ragged stall, trying to draw attention to his gas.
But no matter how hard he tried, everyone kept walking past. The kid didn’t let it get to him. Days went by without a single custor, and eventually he ca up with an idea. Lights. If he could make the stall stand out, people might finally look.
He scraped together the last bit of money he had, hoping it would be enough to buy so used Christmas lights. He went from store to store, stall to stall, even house to house. It was winter, the cold biting hard, but he kept going.
Still, no one wanted to sell him anything for what he had.
He struggled to even get people to stop and listen, but he didn’t give up.
Eventually, he managed to gather enough money to buy proper lights. Around that sa ti, people started noticing small things going missing from their pockets. Coins, little items. Nothing major. It always seed to happen after that little boy had passed by.
Weird.
When he finally got the lights, he hung them up proudly around his stall. This ti, it worked. People started to notice. Their eyes were drawn to the glow, and they wandered over, curious.
That was all he needed.
They paid and played his gas while he cheerfully egged them on, but hardly anyone won anything.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing again.”
“I’ve lost track how many tis I’ve tried… I always co up with nothing.”
People left complaining about losing, but the boy just stood there with a grin so wide it made you forget he was missing teeth.
“Hehe… so much money. I can finally eat sothing good today.”
He packed up his stall, about to take down the lights, but hesitated for a mont.
Across the street, a kid even younger than him sat near the garbage bins, half in dirty water, rats running around him.
The kid had been there every day.
Ever since he put up the lights he’d been staring at them.
The boy didn’t know him. He had only noticed him after moving his stall to this area, but the kid had already been there before he arrived.
Just sitting there.
Looking around with wide, curious eyes, trying to take in everything around him as if it were all completely new.
A few days later, the kid spoke to him while he was setting up his stall.
“Um… I don’t think you should be here…”
He paused and looked over at him. “Huh? What do you an? You don’t want here?”
The kid blinked, a little surprised. “Oh… you can understand ?”
“…Yeah? Why wouldn’t I?”
The kid fidgeted slightly. “Um… I didn’t talk to many people before… so I didn’t know if you’d… talk like …”
“…You’re weird.”
The kid ignored that and pointed down the street. “Um… there were so big people… walking around here…”
“I think… they wanna hurt you…”
He hesitated, then looked back at him.
“…Are you Jin?”
“Yeah, that’s . What did those guys look like?”
The boy pointed and tried his best to describe them, using simple gestures more than words.
Jin frowned slightly. “Hmm… they’re pretty stupid. If they haven’t found here by now, they probably won’t co back. And if I move, I might just run into them sowhere else…” he muttered, thinking it through.
“You should stay here,” the boy said.
Jin looked at him.
“People don’t really look at you much…”
“….”
Jin’s eye twitched slightly.
“Uh… thanks for the heads up,” he said, mildly annoyed. Then he glanced at the boy again. “Are you hungry?”
“Hm?”
“You know… hungry?” Jin gestured vaguely. “Like, do you want sothing to eat? You’ve been here for days… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat or drink anything.”
The boy blinked at him.
“People usually bring food… I don’t know where to get it here… so I just eat from there.”
“You an the garbage bins?”
“Hm.”
“…Don’t you feel sick?”
“I can help you with your cheating,” the boy said suddenly, avoiding the question.
“What? I’m not cheating,” Jin said, puffing his chest out. “I’m an honest boy.”
The kid looked at him calmly. “I don’t know many words… but I know you’re not honest.”
Jin’s smile twitched.
For a mont, he seriously considered throttling him.
Instead, he shoved so food into the boy’s hands before he actually did sothing he’d regret.
The boy blinked, then took a bite. “…This is better than the stuff in there. Thank you,” he said, his eyes wide as he smiled.
Jin glanced at him. “…Don’t you have any parents?”
“Parents?”
Jin paused. “…You don’t know what parents are?”
The boy shook his head.
“…Huh.”
Jin didn’t really know what to say to that, so he just kept talking, filling the silence with whatever ca to mind.
A few days passed, and Jin started making more money than he ever thought possible. He upgraded his stall, added more gas, and drew in larger crowds, which also ant more unhappy custors walking away empty-handed.
“You know,” Jin said one day, patting the boy on the back as he counted his earnings, “you’re actually pretty useful. I think we could be good friends.”
The boy chewed slowly. “…Hmm. K.”
Jin grinned.
Then—
“Quite the pitiful scene.”
A voice cut through the mont.
Both of them looked up.
A well-dressed boy stood there, clean, polished, clearly from wealth far beyond this street.
“And you lowly children…” he continued, eyes filled with disdain, “what a disgraceful sight. To think you would dirty this area just by existing.”
Stepping in front of the boy, Jin approached the wealthy kid with a toothless grin. “Hi there, sorry for our presence. Would you like to play a card ga?”
The wealthy kid recoiled slightly, his face twisting in disgust. “Ugh. Who told you you could get that close to ? And card gas? What kind of degenerate are you?”
He opened his mouth to continue—
“No good.”
“…Hm?” He turned sharply toward the smaller, dirt-covered boy. “What did you just say?”
The boy looked at him calmly. “No good. You scared you lose?”
The wealthy kid’s eyes narrowed. “You dare say that again?”
“You scared you lose?” the boy repeated imdiately.
The wealthy kid faltered for a brief mont.
“Uh—sorry about that,” Jin said quickly, stepping slightly in front of the boy. “We’re still teaching him manners.”
The wealthy kid scoffed. “What does he even know? Why would I be scared of losing?”
Jin gave a small shrug. “Fair enough. Maybe if we play a few gas, he’ll see that for himself. Might help him stop making those assumptions.”
“Hmph. Fine,” the wealthy kid said, lifting his chin. “Consider it my good deed for the day. Let’s play and get it over with. And you—” he pointed at the smaller boy, “watch carefully. I’m not afraid of losing.”
“K.”
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Several gas later, the wealthy kid had lost every single match.
After each loss, the boy would quietly announce it with the sa innocent tone.
“You lose.”
Again.
“You lose.”
Again.
Each ti, it chipped away at the wealthy kid’s composure.
Jin, of course, didn’t miss the opportunity.
What started as simple gas quickly turned into wagers. Jin nudged things along just enough, convincing him to put money down each round.
By the ti it was over—
Jin had made a very satisfying profit.
The wealthy kid had a vein bulging on his forehead as he struggled not to look at the little boy, who was staring at him unblinkingly with his tongue hanging slightly out of his mouth.
“This is where you were? You’re wasting your ti with these filthy kids?” another voice cut in, sharp and disapproving.
The wealthy kid’s irritation deepened. “Mind your business.”
“Your careless behavior is my business,” the newcor replied coldly. “Now leave these miscreants alone. We’re going.”
“Whatever.”
The wealthy kid turned to leave, but the other person spoke again.
“I’ll also be taking back the money you stole from him.”
Jin suddenly saw a hand extend toward him.
“Uh…” he hesitated.
The wealthy kid moved as if to interfere—
“Useless,” the little boy said suddenly.
The newcor’s expression darkened. “What did you say?”
“Useless.” the boy replied.
“You dare say that again?”
The boy looked confused for a mont, then started counting on his fingers.
“I said it twice,” he said, holding up four fingers.
Before things escalated further, Jin quickly stepped in front of him, smiling as he handed the money over.
“Seems like you have so sense,” the newcor said, reaching out to take it—
Smack.
The wealthy kid slapped the hand away.
“What I do with my money is none of your business,” he snapped. “Even if I was cheated, I’m not letting you take it back. So back off.”
The newcor’s gaze lingered for a mont before he turned and walked away. The wealthy kid followed after him.
“…Thank you,” Jin said, flinching slightly.
“Whatever,” the wealthy kid waved him off without looking back. “I’ll be back to win my money back. Don’t lose it, miscreant.”
“My na is Jin,” he corrected.
The wealthy kid paused slightly, then jerked his chin toward the smaller boy. “And him?”
“Uh…” Jin hesitated, glancing at the boy. He didn’t look like he knew either. “Uh… his na is Kei… right?” he asked cautiously.
“K,” the boy replied simply, his eyes still fixed on the person walking away.
Unnoticed by the two who had just left, Jin’s hand hung behind his back, blood steadily dripping from his hand, a knife stabbed through it.
The newly nad Kei looked at Jin, his expression unclear, as if he didn’t quite understand what had just happened.
“Did I do sothing wrong?”
Jin winced slightly, holding his hand behind his back. “Were you going to hurt that person?”
“Yeah.”
Jin blinked. “Why?”
“He’s useless.”
Jin hesitated. “What do you an by that?”
“He has no value.”
“…And that ans what, exactly?”
Kei tilted his head slightly, as if the answer was obvious. “I don’t see how the world is okay with him being in it.”
Jin didn’t respond imdiately.
Kei continued, still calm. “I’m always told the world should have value. I don’t see any in him. So that ans it’s okay if he’s not in it, right?”
Jin, at seven years old, had no idea how to answer that.
“Um… it doesn’t matter what the reason is,” he said, a bit more firmly than he felt. “You can’t just hurt people like that.”
“I gave you a reason.”
“It’s still not okay, alright?”
“…Hai,” Kei said, nodding simply.
His gaze dropped to Jin’s injured hand.
“Oh—don’t worry about that,” Jin said quickly. “I’m fine. Just stay here and eat sothing, alright? I’ll be back.”
“K.”
Kei sat down and started eating without another word.
Jin turned and walked off, looking for soone who could help with his hand.
A soft chuckle followed.
“You know, those people will eventually notice you’re missing. I held them back for a bit so they wouldn’t realize, but sooner or later, they’ll co looking.”
An old man stepped forward, rubbing Kei’s head gently.
“Hai.”
“Seems like you t soone,” the janitor said.
“He gave a na.”
“I heard,” the old man replied with a faint smile. “Not very creative.”
“Alright, are you ready to leave? I don’t want you getting in trouble.”
“Hm… is he my friend?” Kei asked as he was picked up.
“I think so. What do you think?”
Kei leaned in slightly and sniffed. “…You sll funny.”
“That’s you, you little brat,” the janitor shot back, making the boy laugh.
He carried Kei back to his room, sitting with him as the boy rambled on about everything he had seen and done outside.
The janitor chuckled at parts of it, occasionally grimacing at what Kei had apparently been eating. But what surprised him most was how Kei spoke about Jin.
The more he listened, the clearer it beca.
“…So it’s not like you were looking down on him?” the janitor asked.
“Nope… what does that an?” Kei tilted his head.
“Well, you have a habit of making us feel like you think you’re above us. Like you’re… superior.”
“Oh,” Kei said simply. “He doesn’t feel like that.”
The janitor narrowed his eyes slightly. “Did you understand what I ant?”
“…No. But look, I can count to two,” Kei said proudly, holding up four fingers.
The janitor clicked his tongue. “It’s sohow more insulting being looked down on by a kid who can’t even count…”
He paused, watching Kei more carefully now.
“…To think there’s soone you don’t look down on,” he murmured.
His gaze drifted slightly.
“…I wonder what it ans for him to see soone as equal. How did you even get out anyway?”
“What’s a parent?” Kei asked.
“Hm?” The Janitor glanced at him. “It’s… soone who raises you. Takes care of you.”
Kei tilted his head slightly. “Are you my parent?”
The Janitor let out a small breath. “In the most technical sense… I suppose I am.” He paused briefly. “But a parent is usually the one who gives you life.”
He gave a faint shrug. “So… in that sense........... no. I’m not your parent.”
Kei thought about that for a mont.
“…Is it that lady? The voice I hear?”
“…”
The Janitor didn’t answer.
He just smiled lightly and continued talking, steering the conversation back to Kei’s ti outside.
Jin returned to where he had left Kei, his hand still bleeding but wrapped tightly. He forced a smile onto his face. “I couldn’t find any help, but look, it should be okay,” he said.
He looked around but couldn’t find him. “Hey Kei? Where did you go?” Jin called out, scanning the area.
He started searching, faster and faster, checking everywhere he thought the kid might be. He went through garbage bins, alleys, dirty puddles, any place that might attract a kid like him, but there was no sign of Kei.
His thoughts raced. “It can’t be…” His eyes widened in fear as he suddenly took off running.
In what could only be described as a hideout, the door blasted open.
“WHERE IS HE!?” an enraged voice tore through the room.
“What the—who is this kid? Who the hell do you think you—”
Crack.
A scream followed, but the sound of a femur snapping was louder than the cry itself.
The man collapsed to the floor in agony.
Jin stepped forward and asked again, his voice low, heavy with killing intent. “Where is he?”
“Jin? What the hell?” one of them asked, startled.
A few others didn’t bother asking and rushed him. Safe to say they were new, because before anyone could warn them, they were already on the floor.
Despite injuring himself further, his wrapped hand splitting open again, Jin forced them down and sat over them. His eyes now matched his voice.
“Don’t make ask again.”
The ones who knew him went tense.
Despite being a kid, they didn’t dare look down on him.
“Jin, I know these guys are new, but I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t injure them… at least not too badly. Do you have any idea how expensive dical bills are?” the boss said as he walked in, stretching and yawning, completely unbothered by the chaos.
Jin raised his bloodied hand. “I can imagine it just fine. That’s why I’ll keep increasing your bill until you tell where he is.”
“You little brat, how dare you talk to our boss like that?”
“How is it that people this stupid are in my gang?” the boss sighed. “Did you not see what he just did? Or do you want to deal with him myself?”
Before the man could respond, the boss grabbed his head and slamd it into the ground.
“Anyway,” he continued calmly, “what do you an by ‘where is he?’”
Jin stared into his eyes for a mont and realized he genuinely didn’t know. He described Kei.
One of the n on the ground stirred. “…You an that kid near the garbage bins?”
Jin snapped toward him. “Yeah. Where is he?”
The boss raised a hand slightly. “Jin, I can promise you we have no idea. But I can send a few of the ones you didn’t beat up to look for him.”
“Add it to my tab,” Jin said, already turning to leave.
“And these guys?” the boss asked, gesturing at the bodies.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jin replied with a toothless grin before running off.
“Who was that kid…?” one of the n groaned.
“A real talent in the making,” the boss said, lighting a cigarette. “He’s a poor kid who survives off the ‘help’ of others. In his spare ti, he watches martial arts dojos train. We made the mistake of giving him a loan for food. When we ca to collect, he used what he learned to fight back.”
He exhaled slowly.
“He got beaten badly at first. But every ti we went after him, he improved.”
He glanced at the group.
“Don’t let his size or age fool you. At this point, the only ones here who can beat him rely on their overwhelming to size to overpower him. Best to leave him alone. We only bother him now to see how much he improves. Think of it as an investnt.”
Jin went back.
He waited.
Day after day, he searched for Kei.
Weeks passed.
Then months.
Eventually, even he had to accept it.
Kei was gone.
Even the gang couldn’t find him.
“…Too bad,” Jin muttered one day, running a hand through his hair as he reset his stall. “He was a really smart kid. With him around… I could’ve made way more money.”
Still—
He kept looking.
Clang.
The sound snapped everything back.
Jin stood in the present, his fist eting Kaito’s swords as their spar continued.
At the sa ti, Zeph and Wooloo returned.
Wooloo took one look at Seth and huffed, clearly unimpressed, before trotting toward him.
“I’m not scared of you anymore, you sheep,” Seth said, flinching slightly before forcing himself to stand firm.
Wooloo stared at him.
A whirlpool ford beneath Seth’s feet, dragging him into the current.
This ti—
He couldn’t break out.
He searched for the weak point, but the flow shifted constantly, denying him any stable opening.
Wooloo watched for a mont, then turned away, satisfied.
Its gaze shifted.
Toward Owen.
For so reason, it still looked irritated.
Owen froze.
“…Why ?”
As Wooloo finally settled, its irritation fading, Zeph hopped forward and began gesturing toward the direction they had co from.
Jenny narrowed her eyes. “It’s getting stronger? And its underlings too?”
Zeph nodded.
“Hm… the idea of an Apex Boss getting stronger is scary,” Talia said as she returned with Zeph. “It definitely looks more dangerous than before. But Wooloo seems unbothered, and so does Zeph… it’s like they can’t help for so reason.”
Kai looked toward the Exalted dungeon. “So this is our problem to deal with?”
Jin didn’t hesitate.
“You guys can’t keep depending on him forever,” he said. “He was just a kid eating out of garbage bins once. Look at him now.”
His eyes stayed on the dungeon.
“You’re going to have to learn how to progress without relying on him.”
A brief pause.
“I don’t know what he’s doing in there,” Jin continued, “but if he’s the person I think he is…”
His smile returned, faint but certain.
“When he cos back, you’ll struggle just to stay within his sight… let alone keep up with him.”
Owen, still recovering from Wooloo’s treatnt, glanced over. “Us? What about you?”
Jin chuckled lightly. “I don’t have that luxury.” His expression didn’t change. “I’ll always be there to protect him, so I don’t get to fall behind.”
“Wow, you’re making want to train harder now. I can’t have you around all the ti when I’d like a bit of quality ti,” Lisa smiled.
Jin smirked. “Think you can keep up?”
“I know I can.”
Jin’s grin widened slightly. “How much do you want to bet on that?”
And what of the person who inspired this new fire in them?
He was in the middle of the most perilous fight of his life.
In fact, even in the future, he might still say this was the most daunting battle he had ever faced.
There were no higher stakes than this mont. No future enemy would ever have the privilege of being ranked above this.
After defeating Michael and nearly being sliced clean through, Kei Y barely had enough strength left to remain conscious. The mont he unsummoned his Spark, he collapsed onto the ground.
At least the barrier was slowly restoring ambient aether within the arena. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for him to begin patching himself up.
During that brief respite, Olly trotted over to check on his master.
At first, Kei Y smiled. It was a cute sight.
Then he saw the cub’s eyes.
The hunger in them.
The sa look he had seen far too many tis before.
“Olly… wait a second. Don’t co any closer.”
Kei Y raised a hand weakly, trying to shoo the cub away, but Olly didn’t listen. It charged forward, drool slipping from its mouth, driven by sothing far more primal.
“Damn it…”
Kei Y stopped focusing on healing and instead used what little aether he had left to manipulate the wind, pushing against Olly’s advance.
It slowed him—
But didn’t stop him.
The cub forced its way through the current, step by step.
Kei Y exhaled sharply and surged what remained of his strength, blasting Olly upward with a burst of wind, sending the cub tumbling into the air.
That should have bought him ti.
It didn’t.
Olly twisted midair and slamd back down, claws digging into the ground—
And then the earth responded.
The shift was instant.
As if sothing clicked.
As if sothing broke through.
“Oh, co on…” Kei Y groaned, staring at the cub in disbelief.
Olly had just had a breakthrough.
Kei Y used the wind to block Olly's attack but the cub didnt relent
It slashed out with its claws, earthen blades forming and launching toward Kei Y.
He used the wind to push himself out of the way, sliding across the ground while subtly burning his blood where it had fallen.
“No, Olly… I can’t let you.” Kei Y exhaled sharply. “I have too many bonds. I’m already bloated with them… and I’m already using you as a science experint…”
His eyes hardened slightly.
“…Get away from , damn it.”
“Now that’s… interesting. It almost looks like—gah, damn it!” the Vendor cursed as icicles suddenly erupted within his eyes.
“Aussie, I don’t particularly enjoy you using your Aquatic Charm Force on ,” Oceanna said calmly. “But I will admit… it’s quite pretty.”
She allowed herself to be pulled into the illusion without resistance, not even bothering to react to her student’s sudden move.
The Pharaoh, seeing what Auserre had done to the two of them, imdiately looked away.
“Dad, your heartbeat is racing,” Kei M said lightly. “Are you scared?”
“Be quiet before I blind you again,” the Pharaoh snapped.
“He’s right, Dad. You’re terrified,” Zeus chuckled.
“…Emory.”
Zeus vanished in a bolt of lightning the mont he heard the na.
Despite the distance he created, he could still hear Emory’s quiet chuckle right behind him.
After being transported out following his defeat, Michael returned to his group to watch the rest of the match.
“What did you think about your fight?” Solomon asked suddenly.
Michael exhaled slowly. “You were right… he is different. I thought you were exaggerating when you said his talent surpasses the young lord, but…”
He shook his head slightly.
“He really was full of surprises. So I couldn’t even imagine, let alone foresee. How do you think he’d fare against the young lord?”
Michael paused, thinking it through.
“For all his strength… it feels like he’s still learning what he can even do as he fights,” he said. “Like this entire cultivation world is new to him. Especially those runes.”
He glanced toward the arena.
“I lost because he has the ans to deliver overwhelming output. But I lasted as long as I did because he lacks refinent.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“That force he uses… that opaque one… it’s far more daunting than the young lord’s Dominion Force.”
He let out a quiet breath.
“Give him ti… and I’d be confident saying the young lord wouldn’t stand a chance against him. What’s even more unsettling… it felt like he was looking down on . Even though I could overpower him, it felt like I was swinging upward… while he was simply looking down, treating as nothing more than a learning opportunity.”
“…There’s a tale I once heard of certain beings with unmatched potential. At first, I thought the young lord might be one of them, even if those tales weren’t true. But after seeing those four from Amunar…”
Solomon’s eyes lingered on the arena, interest flickering within them.
“…those beings might actually exist.”
It wasn’t just Solomon who had taken an interest in Kei Y. Everyone watching had as well.
But seeing that his King was an Ascendant Realm cultivator, no one dared entertain any thoughts beyond that.
Silvie’s opponent leapt back, narrowly avoiding a surge of vines. He raised his trumpet and blew, the sound erupting into shockwaves that tore through the vines and pushed them back.
Landing lightly, he chuckled.
“You really are a funny person.”
Kei Y blasted himself into the air just as Olly burst up from the ground beneath him, claws slicing through where he had been monts before.
Finally managing to trap the cub within a compressed sphere of Zephyr wind, Kei Y dropped slightly, breathing hard.
With what little control he had left, he used earth force to raise a crude stone hand from the ground—
And made it flip him off.
“Fuck you, Gabriel.”
Gabriel let out an amused laugh as he sidestepped another wave of vines.
His Crown Prince, however, simply spoke.
“That’s not very becoming......”
“….”
Kei Y didn’t even hesitate.
“Fuck you too.”
Silvie’s steps faltered mid-motion.
“…Well… that’s certainly sothing to say to him in person.”
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