With a faint, melancholic smile, Neo turned toward the bustling market.

He unfolded the list in his hand and began looking for the materials one by one, his pace unhurried as the crowd flowed around him.

The market was enormous, far larger than he had expected.

It wasn't just a place to trade goods. It felt like a city within a city.

Wide stone roads stretched in several directions, each lined with long wooden stalls and tiled roofs.

Red and gold banners fluttered overhead, bearing the symbols of merchant guilds and ancient clans.

The architecture leaned heavily toward ancient country from the pre-apocalypse era of Earth in style. There were curved eaves, carved pillars, and hanging lanterns that glowed softly even in daylight.

The air was filled with layered sounds.

Vendors called out their wares in loud, practiced voices. Bells rang as carts passed through.

The clatter of metal came from blacksmith stalls, while the sharp scent of herbs and incense drifted from apothecaries nearby.

People wore long robes, martial uniforms, or merchant attire.

He occasionally spotted cultivators with calm expressions walked beside ordinary mortals, and no one seemed surprised by it. This was clearly a place where strength and trade met naturally.

Neo moved through it all quietly, hiding his face from the Cultivators.

He stopped at a stall selling spiritual herbs and checked off several items from Vivi's list.

At another stall, he bought refined ores sealed in talismans.

Time passed without him noticing.

When he finally tied the last bundle to his storage ring, he realized hours had gone by.

He frowned slightly and looked around.

Vivi wasn't anywhere in sight.

He considered searching for her, but she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

Still, the thought lingered at the back of his mind.

As he turned toward a quieter street at the edge of the market, a rough voice reached his ears.

"Just one Ji! I'll read your [Fate] in just one Ji!"

Neo stopped.

He turned his head toward the sound.

At the edge of the street, where beggars usually gathered, an injured and haggard man sat on the ground.

His clothes were torn and stained, his hair matted, and one of his legs seemed twisted at an odd angle.

"Have your [Fate] read for one Ji!" the beggar shouted again.

Ji was the common currency used in this world. The amount he was asking for was insignificant.

But that wasn't what caught Neo's attention.

"Fate? No… he's saying something else."

Frowning, Neo walked closer.

'Is this person some powerful cultivator or martial artist?' he wondered.

He stopped in front of the beggar.

"So you can read Fate?" Neo asked.

"S–Sir, welcome!" the beggar said eagerly. "Yes! I can read your [Fate]! It's different from Fate and much more powerful!"

Several nearby pedestrians snorted and chuckled when they heard that.

"A con artist again."

"Does he think people will fall for that?"

Neo frowned.

He tried to repeat the word the beggar had used.

But only "Fate" came out of his mouth.

It felt wrong.

Like the real word was just beyond his reach.

As if the beggar was using a special language, imbuing the word with something that couldn't be spoken casually.

Neo glanced around.

'It seems only I can tell something is off,' he thought.

The others clearly heard nothing unusual.

"So, what is this Fate you're talking about?"

"[Fate] is the all-driving force!" the beggar said excitedly. "The Destiny! The Destination! It's above the Dao of Fate and Paradox. [Fate] is born of karma and your choices!"

Neo didn't fully understand what the man was saying.

But the word itself bothered him.

Even after burning Life Flame, even with his absurd perception, he couldn't analyze it or say it properly.

That alone was enough to make him curious.

He flicked a Ji coin toward the beggar.

"Alright. Read mine."

"Thank you! Thank you for the money!" the beggar exclaimed.

He caught the coin with surprising speed and grinned, revealing dirty, uneven teeth.

Then he grabbed Neo's hand.

Several people nearby recoiled in disgust.

"A well-dressed man letting a beggar touch him?"

"That's ridiculous."

Neo ignored them.

He waited.

"Y–You have a grand [Fate]!" the beggar suddenly shouted.

His eyes widened, trembling.

"Your [Fate] is ■ (Eternal Transcendent / Endless Hell / Seat of Virtue / Mad God)!" he stammered. "Y–You also have the temporary [Fate] of Cruelty! So many [Fate]… You will surely become someone great!"

Neo's eyes narrowed.

"What are these Fates supposed to mean?" he asked.

"H–Hmm," the beggar hesitated. "As I said, [Fate] is your Destiny and Destination. Look at your past. You will see how your [Fate] has always followed you."

Neo frowned.

He began looking inward.

Eternal Transcendent.

Someone who keeps growing stronger.

That aligned far too well with his Path.

Then there was Endless Hell.

That one bothered him.

"What does the Fate of Endless Hell mean?" Neo asked.

"Y–You've been going through Hell again and again, haven't you?" the beggar said carefully. "Together with Eternal Transcendent, it means every time you manage to overcome one Hell, you become stronger."

Neo froze.

Memories surged forward.

The Shadow Trial.

Tartarus.

The Stage Six God who captured him.

Voraka Site.

The Universal Alliance, and the Ancient Dragons.

'I'.

Apollyon.

"…What does 'Endless' mean?" Neo asked quietly.

"Y–Your Hell will never stop until you die."

Neo smiled.

"I see."

The beggar blinked.

"Ar–Aren't you worried? Your Hell will never end."

"But I'll keep getting stronger, right? That's my dream. I don't have a problem with it."

He flicked two more Ji coins toward the beggar.

"Explain Seat of Virtue, Mad God, and Cruelty too," Neo added. "Oh, right. What's your name? Want to come to my sect? You seem to have a useful ability. You wouldn't need to beg anymore."

The beggar hesitated.

"My name is ■ (Mu De). I am grateful for your offer, but I cannot come with you. As for your other [Fate], I cannot explain them."

"Why not?" Neo asked.

"I can only explain them when you realize what they mean yourself. J-Just like Eternal Transcendent and Endless Hell."

"Huh?" Neo frowned.

He was about to press further when a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Dad? I've been looking for you for an hour!"

Neo turned around.

Vivi was walking toward him with a smile on her face. It seemed she had calmed down after spending some time alone.

As he looked at her, an unconscious question slipped from his lips.

"Wait, what was your name again? I couldn't hear it clearly."

"It is ■ (Mu De). But I believe you will find it easier to recognize my other name."

The voice replied from behind him.

"Celestial Worthy."

"…!"

Neo snapped his gaze back.

The beggar was gone.

The street was empty, as if no one had been there at all.

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