"Yes."

Ray, Rachel, and the few other younger blacksmiths answered in unison, their voices respectful and steady.

Among the sea of green uniforms and metal badges, Rachel stood out like a streak of fire. She was the only girl present, and whether she liked it or not, attention naturally drifted toward her.

After Kaelan finished his instructions, Ray and Rachel left together.

"Good luck, junior disciple brother!" Rachel said cheerfully. She reached out, rubbed Ray's head, then pinched his cheeks a few more times before finally letting go.

Ray endured it in silence, a helpless look in his eyes. For the first time, he found himself missing her old, frosty attitude. At least back then, his cheeks had survived unscathed.

As the tournament drew closer, the atmosphere in the hotel shifted.

Nearly every guest was here for the Skysea Alliance Tournament. Participants from different cities moved through the halls with purpose, some discussing strategies in hushed voices, others rushing about in preparation. The air was tight with anticipation.

When Ray returned to his room, he was greeted by thunderous snoring.

Raziel Phoenix lay sprawled across the bed like a collapsed starfish, mouth open, limbs flung wide, already deep in sleep. He barely looked human.

Ray lay down on his own bed, but instead of sleeping, he sat cross-legged and gazed out the window. Beyond the glass stretched the dark blue sea, its surface rolling endlessly beneath the night sky. The tide surged and receded in a soothing rhythm, slowly untangling the tension in his chest.

He closed his eyes and began to meditate.

Just as clumsy birds must leave the nest early, he couldn't afford to waste even a single moment of cultivation. As for blacksmithing, he wasn't worried. As Kaelan had said, finding someone his age who could surpass him was like hunting for a needle in the ocean.

Although he would advance through the blacksmith competition alongside Rachel, Ray already knew what he would do when the later rounds arrived. If Rachel truly had a chance at first place, he would step back and give it to her. But if she fell short, he would drop all restraint and aim for victory himself.

The soul master competition, however, was another matter entirely.

No matter how confident he was in his own strength, he couldn't shake his unease. In the Skysea Alliance Tournament, he would be facing opponents several years older than him. A single year's difference already meant a noticeable gap in cultivation. Five years? That gap could become a wall.

Even Rachel, with three soul rings, only hoped to make the top eight. Ray had just one ring, while his teammates had two at most.

How far could they really go?

At the very least, we can't lose in the knockout round, he thought grimly. That would be too humiliating… for us and for Alfred.

I'll do my best. No matter what happens, I won't give up.

With that resolve, Ray cleared his mind and continued meditating.

*

The opening ceremony of the Skysea Alliance Tournament was held at Skysea Stadium, the largest stadium in the entire alliance. It could hold up to eighty thousand spectators, and today, not a single seat was empty.

For the Skysea Alliance, this tournament was a grand event that drew attention from the entire Federation. Every session saw new geniuses emerge, shining like meteors across the stage.

In truth, the tournament's original purpose was simple: to sift through the masses and find talents worth nurturing, then raise them into pillars of the Alliance.

The Federation was a land of countless factions, and the Skysea Alliance was one of the larger ones. Economically, it stood near the top. But power wasn't built on wealth alone.

The Skysea Alliance had developed later than the continent's inland regions. Those ancient lands boasted cities with histories spanning thousands of years, filled with venerable clans and deep-rooted lineages that produced geniuses one after another.

Compared to them, the Skysea Alliance lacked both quality and quantity when it came to talent. In recent years, this gap has only widened.

Unwilling to accept stagnation, the Alliance established the Skysea Alliance Tournament two centuries ago. Lavish prize money and rare rewards were used as bait, giving talented youths the resources to grow and, in turn, strengthen the Alliance itself.

At dawn, delegations from every participating city poured into the stadium.

The arena roared with noise. People packed the stands as far as the eye could see. For Ray, this was his first time in such a colossal venue. Surrounded by taller figures, he could barely see the ceremony, catching only fragments of speeches echoing through the air.

After the opening remarks came the drawing of lots for the various competitions.

This was handled by the teachers, leaving class zero with nothing to do but wait.

Suddenly, the crowd erupted in excitement as a massive platform rose at the center of the stadium.

"What's going on?" Ray asked.

Raziel Phoenix replied, "You wouldn't know. They're about to hold an exhibition match. I heard the Alliance spent a ridiculous amount of money to invite people from Shrek Academy. Their opponents are the champions of the last seven-man team competition."

Lily glanced over. "Why would they do that?"

Raziel Phoenix shrugged. "To show everyone the gap. But honestly, I'm not sure that's a good idea. When the difference in strength is small, it motivates people. When it's too big… it just becomes despair."

Violetta giggled softly. "You've thought it through pretty well for a kid. Don't worry. The Alliance's higher-ups aren't stupid. They must have a plan."

"I'm starving!" a voice suddenly shouted nearby.

Ray turned and saw a chubby little boy weaving through the crowd, asking random people for food.

"Huh. Another glutton," Violetta muttered absentmindedly.

Raziel Phoenix coughed. "Violetta, you really know how to stab people where it hurts."

Violetta realized what she said and hurriedly covered her mouth, sticking out her tongue apologetically.

Ray didn't mind at all. He walked over to the little fatty and handed him some dried fish.

"Here. Eat this."

Because of his enormous energy consumption, Ray always carried snacks like dried fish and beef jerky.

"Thank you! Thank you!" The little fatty's eyes sparkled as he grabbed the food and began chewing enthusiastically.

Seeing him eat so happily, Ray felt his own appetite awaken. He pulled out another piece and started eating as well.

"This is delicious!" the little fatty said between bites. "There's nothing like this where I'm from. Thanks, big brother!"

"You don't need to call me big brother," Ray said with a smile. "My name's Raymond. You might even be older than me. How old are you?"

"I just turned ten," the little fatty replied proudly. "You're older than me, right? No way you're younger."

He stood about half a head shorter than Ray, but his confidence made up the difference.

Ray smiled. "Then I should be about half a year older than you. What's your name?"

The little fatty puffed out his chest proudly. "My name's Jacob, but everyone calls me Little Glutton. You can call me that too."

A helpless chuckle escaped Ray. "We'll see who the real glutton is later. I'll just call you Jacob. Are you here to compete as well?"

Jacob nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! It's really nice here. This is my first time seeing the sea. I'm planning to go swimming later. Oh, right, can you tell me what kind of delicious seafood there is around here?"

So he really is a glutton. Ray reached into his storage ring and handed him another piece of dried fish.

"There's a lot," Ray said, speaking with the ease of a seasoned gourmet. "Sea urchins are salty and fresh, sea cucumbers are nourishing, and bluefin tuna is pretty good. Eels are sweet, almost like honey. If you want crab, you have to try goldhair crab. It's way better than king crab. The meat's more tender too. As for lobster, West Ocean City's lobster is still the best in my opinion. It's expensive, but the meat is amazing. Skysea lobster's meat is firmer, but its nutrition is lacking, and it's really tough to chew."

Jacob listened with shining eyes, swallowing repeatedly. "That's amazing! Really amazing! After the competition, can you take me around to eat? I want to try everything!"

Ray sighed. "That'll depend on how much time we have, but here's my communicator number. Call me later." He already suspected that the tournament meals wouldn't be enough for him, so heading out to find food was inevitable. Having another foodie along wouldn't hurt.

Just as they finished exchanging communicator numbers, a cold yet pleasant voice rang out.

"Little Glutton, how did you run all the way over here? All you ever think about is eating. Hurry up and come back."

Ray and Jacob both turned toward the voice.

A girl about their age stood there, wearing the same green exercise uniform as Jacob. Compared to his round figure, her clean and straight build made the outfit look sharp and neat. Her golden hair was tied into a high ponytail, highlighting a pair of large, bright blue eyes framed by long lashes. Her skin was fair and luminous.

Though she looked young, her expression was calm and composed, like a miniature adult.

The moment Jacob saw her, he straightened up like a mouse before a cat. "Big Sister Scarlet, I know I was wrong, but I'm really hungry! You know if I don't eat enough, I won't have any strength!"

"Come here." The girl beckoned him over, then glanced at Ray, who was still chewing dried fish. A trace of disdain crept into her voice. "Don't eat things strangers give you. Don't you know how many bad people there are these days?"

Jacob's face twitched. He turned back to Ray and gestured apologetically, signaling that he'd call him later, then hurried off after the girl.

Ray rubbed his face absentmindedly. Do I really look like a bad guy?

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