Got it. I'll push it further and let the scene breathe more.Watching the scene on the holographic screen, the new intakes could only stare in stunned silence.No one spoke. No one even shifted.

Shock pressed down on them like a weight, crawling up their spines and tightening their chests.Some felt their mouths go dry, others forgot to breathe entirely.

They were watching an exalted weaver fight against five sanctified.Not stall them. Not escape.Fight them.

And he was winning.

Blades of power tore through the air, techniques colliding in flashes that should have overwhelmed a single exalted.Yet the figure on the screen kept advancing, calm amid chaos.

Each exchange felt wrong.As if the hierarchy they had lived by was being torn apart in real time.

"That one… over there," someone whispered, barely louder than a breath.

A trembling finger lifted.

Of the three standing in front of them, recognition struck fast.The silhouette. The posture. The stillness.

Standing between the other two was Enzo.

Yes.The exalted weaver fighting five sanctified weavers was Enzo.

The realization spread through the crowd like a silent explosion.Eyes widened. Faces stiffened.

This person was exalted.Yet he fought like something far beyond that.

This person was a monster.

"And that's that."

The screen went dark, the lingering glow fading as Master Black and Master White stepped forward.They took their places on opposite sides of the stand, presence alone commanding attention.

"How did you like that video?" Master Black asked.A knowing smile played on his face as his gaze swept across the shattered expressions.

"Anyone here want to be like that?"

No one answered.They did not need to.

He watched grown men flinch, watched confidence crumble into something raw and exposed.Not fear.Longing.

Who did not desire power.

Children dreamed of it.Teens chased it recklessly.Grown men carried it like an old regret they never outgrew.

It was the most basic human instinct.

"Well, here in the institute," Master White said, voice calm and even,"that sort of power is very common."

"The ability to surpass one's level."

He gestured, and another video began to play.

This time the battle was different.Subtler. More controlled.

Zeke appeared, fighting a sanctified weaver through his Avatar.The difference was not immediately obvious, but it was there.

Movements too refined.Timing too precise.

They could tell the fighter was above the stage shown on the interface.They just could not tell who it was.

"Battle power," Master White continued."Experience."

"Tactics."

"That is what is offered here."

He paused, letting the words settle.

"I know this was a deal between our respective forces," he said quietly."But I will still give you a choice."

His gaze hardened slightly.

"If you wish to leave, I will not stop you. Not now."

No half measures.No hesitation.

Half commitment was poison.It rotted growth before it could even begin.

The hall remained still.

No one stepped forward.No one looked away.

One anomaly could be dismissed as chance.Two could not.

Whatever god stood behind this organization was no ordinary being.A miracle worker.

Or something far more dangerous.

"Good," Master White said after a moment."Then I will brief you on what happens within our glorious institute."

Meanwhile, Enzo and the others were quickly escorted away by Master Black.The eyes following them burned with envy, awe, and quiet resolve.

"You three will be taking a year long mission very soon," Master Black said as they moved."Thanks to Master Inkous's ascent, he has gained recognition from the High God of Gaia."

"As such, he is permitted to send a representative to the Ice Kingdom."

The words carried weight.

The Ice Kingdom was the epicenter of Gaia's ice world.A land where cold ruled absolutely.

Ancient cities carved from eternal frost.Beings who had survived epochs frozen in time.

It was a place where even gods measured their steps carefully.

""Oh."Enzo nodded, expression calm, eyes steady.

Ice Kingdom.This was the opportunity he had traded his Supreme Star Seed for.

A place where gods ruled openly, where authority was not questioned but enforced.The very thought carried weight.

It was the main hub of Gaia's ice worlds.As a representative of the newly ascended Creation God, the Black Ink God, Enzo held the right to stand there.

Not as a guest.But as a contender.

The Hunter Games.

A stage where fate bent for the worthy.Victory there did not come with a single reward, but countless paths.

Power.Wealth.Influence.

Even things far more dangerous.

Ancient skills long erased from history.Powerful echoes left behind by dead gods.Favors that could reshape one's future with a single word.

Winning the games could drag someone from the gutter to the heavens.And then throw them back down stronger than before.

Of course, Enzo's true goal remained unchanged.

Raven

If things did not go well, he would simply ask the High God directly.There was no reason to hesitate.

She was tied to a power on Gaia.Finding her would not be difficult for a being at that level.

"Yes," Master Black said, breaking the silence."I would prefer at least one of you to stay behind."

He paused.Then shook his head.

"But no. This is an opportunity all of you can benefit from."

His gaze lingered briefly on Titus.

The little fuckhead did not deserve this mission.Losing to Enzo should have disqualified him outright.

Unfortunately, the boy had insisted.And Zhou was still too weak to stand alone.

"Minister Fin will arrive next week," Master Black continued."He will take you with him, so prepare yourselves."

With that, he nodded once, turned the corner, and vanished.Leaving the three of them standing in silence.

Fortune Shop.

Inside a small shop tucked away within Snow City, a quiet chill lingered in the air.Shelves stood neatly arranged, untouched, while the room beyond remained sealed from the outside world.

At the center of an empty conference room, an old man's hologram sat at a high table.The projection flickered faintly, light casting sharp lines across his aged features.

"Seth, huh?" the old man muttered."That old bastard might have survived. I'm not even a little surprised."

His tone carried no alarm.Only weary familiarity.

It was not as if Seth were an enemy.Still, the fact that he had lived through that incident was difficult to accept.

By all accounts, he should have died.

"We were shocked as well, sire," Rosac said, kneeling on one knee.Reverence shone clearly in his eyes.

"But I was able to confirm it after speaking with one of the Tyrants," he continued."There was no doubt in their words."

Rosac hesitated briefly before speaking again.

"It was also clear from the conversation that Seth is treated with great reverence among them," he said."I do not understand why."

Seth was a member of the Hunters Alliance from a distant era.Ancient, even by their standards.

He had been a Tyrant for an unthinkably long time.Long enough that his name had faded into half remembered legend.

Hearing that he was still alive was both unsurprising and deeply unsettling.Yet strangely, his return was being welcomed.

"That is no surprise," the old man said calmly."That old man is still respected by some members of the Alliance even now."

His fingers tapped lightly against the table, holographic light passing straight through.

"Gather more information," he continued."Send someone to question Minister Fin about the situation."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Tell him I am very interested."

The old man then paused, his gaze shifting away as if tracking something unseen.His expression sharpened.

"Hold on," he said."The beasts I'm tracking just entered a wormhole."

The hologram flickered violently.

A moment later, the signal cut out entirely.

The projection vanished, leaving the room cold and silent.Rosac and the other figure stared at each other, utterly dumbfounded.

A few days later,

""Blacksmith. Who would have thought," Enzo smirked as they walked through the streets of Snowfall City.Cold air brushed past them, frost crunching softly beneath their steps.

Titus had dragged them down the mountain early that morning.Too early.

All for materials.Forging materials.

Apparently, he was a blacksmith.

"That actually makes sense," Zeke said from the side."I heard Master Black is the best artificial weapons forger on Earth."

His tone was casual, but his eyes were clearer than before.

He had calmed down a lot after meeting Enzo and learning the truth.Raven had not been taken by unknown forces.

They were connected to her.And more importantly, she was still alive.

That alone was enough for him to breathe again.

Zeke understood her situation all too well.Abandoned on Earth by a family member thought to be dead.

Unable to return.For reasons no one would explain.

It was textbook family drama.And he had his own scars to prove it.

Fortunately, his new family was strong enough to keep such people in check.Strong enough that he did not need to panic.

Still, for the Grand Regent to be unable to trace who had taken Raven.That meant it lay beyond his influence.

"Earth?" Titus scoffed."Try the galaxy. That old man is insane."

Master Black was a once in a lifetime talent when it came to creating echoes.So skilled that even a Creation God like Inkous had praised him.

Not just praised him.Declared that he would one day surpass him.

That thought alone was absurd.And terrifying.

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