Richard left the underground prison and made his way back to the capital at a leisurely pace.

Lilith had made her decision. She would do this to take revenge on the Holy Light Kingdom—and use it as an opportunity to strike back.

She traveled alone, bringing Evan Moonshadow with her.

She even planned to sacrifice her clone, as it was highly unlikely she would survive once Evan's Mind Attack was unleashed—now that his Bloodline had essentially awakened in full.

According to Lilith's plan, she would issue the command to reclaim the territories lost to the enemy while chaos erupted in the capital of the Holy Light Kingdom.

The odds of success were high, for without the assistance of powerful Magi from their capital, it would be extremely difficult for the Holy Light Kingdom to defend its lands.

At lower levels, the two kingdoms' forces were evenly matched. The only imbalance lay among their upper-tier powers.

By the time Richard reached the capital again, the sky had begun to darken.

DING!

(Your mastery over Mind Attack has increased from 20% to 33%!)

Mind Attack (33%)

All of a sudden, Richard received a notification he hadn't seen in a long time.

Today, the System had finally granted him another improvement—and it was for Mind Attack! He couldn't help but smile widely.

Whoosh!

Instead of heading to the palace, he leapt into the city, wearing a long hooded robe—not really disguising his face, just concealing it slightly.

Whatever was happening between the two kingdoms, he simply wanted to relax for now—to enjoy some good food, something he hadn't done in a long while.

After walking for some time, he arrived at a district filled with luxurious restaurants.

He entered one of them, sat on the balcony where a large table awaited, and ordered the entire menu.

All he wanted was to indulge his taste buds.

From roasted meats to fried duck, from crabs to lobsters—the combined aroma of the feast was almost intoxicating.

He began eating quickly.

"Have you forgotten the pleasures of the mortal world during your training, Richard?"

As he ate, a man appeared—a tall figure with long blond hair, an elegant face, and a spotless white robe, holding a feather fan in his hand.

"William Anderson?" Richard was slightly surprised to see him.

He was the man ranked Fourth in the Monster World Rankings before Richard had appeared, and the owner of the shop where Richard had once bought the Echo of Wave, an artifact that amplified sound-based attacks and communication.

"So, you still remember me," the man said with a faint smile, taking a seat across from Richard.

"Of course, I remember you. Did you come here on purpose to find me?" Richard asked curiously.

"This restaurant is mine. I was already here before you arrived. I needed some time to make sure it was really you," William replied.

"Of course I wanted to meet you. It seems you've been training well. Many doubted your achievements after your disappearance, but I'm sure they'll be shocked soon enough." He added this with a thin smile, his eyes studying Richard from head to toe.

Richard felt slightly uncomfortable under his gaze but maintained a calm expression.

"My only goal is to become stronger, not to impress anyone," he replied.

"A good mindset," William said. "Most young people these days crave recognition more than true power."

Richard didn't respond after that and focused on his food.

He was, of course, uncomfortable being watched while eating, but since the man had approached him kindly, he couldn't just tell him off.

He could only pretend nothing was wrong.

But to his surprise, he suddenly noticed a familiar woman walking up the stairs to the third floor—an elegant lady with her hair neatly pinned and dressed in a crimson gown.

Sophia Whitewater, his father's mistress.

She appeared to have just finished dinner, alone.

Her gaze instinctively turned toward Richard and William.

Then she narrowed her eyes at Richard, as if she recognized him but wanted to be sure.

Richard hoped she wouldn't recognize him—but that was impossible. She had seen him too many times. She could easily identify him from his face alone.

Moments later, she showed a look of surprise—and then walked directly toward him.

"So it really is you?" she said with a slight smile.

The last time they met, she had seemed awkward around him—but perhaps enough time had passed for that awkwardness to fade.

"Lady Whitewater, how have you been?" Richard greeted politely.

"I've been fine, of course…" she replied, though her eyes drifted toward William, subtly signaling him to switch seats.

Fortunately, William didn't refuse. He stood up, offered Sophia his seat, and walked away.

As the restaurant owner, he seemed to prioritize his guests over himself.

"You know, you've been gone for quite a while," Sophia said after sitting down.

"Has it really been that long?" Richard replied.

"Perhaps not, but a lot has happened. This era is drawing closer to its peak," she said.

"Do you remember Gray, who ranked second in the previous tournament? He's achieved even greater feats since your disappearance. He joined the Order of the Peak World and became one of its upper-class members."

"Him?" Richard was slightly surprised to hear that.

After all, the Order of the Peak World was no ordinary faction—it was one of the greatest powers in the Eastern Region, second only to the Order of the Crimson Veil.

They had even produced two Grand Sovereigns.

"There's also your mother's adopted daughter. She's about your age, isn't she? But I'd say her strength now is probably not below yours."

"You're serious?" Richard said, his expression incredulous.

This woman was clearly talking about Grace.

Of course, she was the same age as him. The last time he saw her, she had just become a Magus, while he had already reached the Peak of Life Aether.

How could she possibly be on par with him now?

"You see," Sophia continued, "there are certain ways to accelerate one's growth—like what Queen Lilith did. By merging with a special inheritance, one's power can rise rapidly. However, such inheritances often reject World Magic Aether, meaning the person will lose their chance to become a Grand Sovereign. Those who take that path follow the Ancient Sovereign Route."

"I see…" Richard nodded, understanding what had happened.

In the end, Rebecca's purpose in adopting Grace was to aid her.

If Rebecca had continued to care for him, Richard suspected she would have forced him onto that same path.

(Awooooo…)

Suddenly, Richard heard a wolf's howl—faint yet clear—coming from a great distance.

He could vaguely sense an overwhelming aura, filled with endless killing intent.

"What was that?" Sophia asked in surprise.

Richard frowned, wondering if Lilith hadn't reached the Holy Light Capital yet—perhaps that was why the howl echoed so far.

Or perhaps it was from the Holy Light Capital itself—the roar was so loud it could be heard all the way here.

"By order of Her Majesty the Queen, a counterattack will be launched against the Holy Light Kingdom to reclaim our lost territories! Non-military participants will be rewarded with points exchangeable for Codexes, Arcane Arts, treasures, and resources!"

A booming voice suddenly resounded from outside, spreading throughout the capital via the city's formation network.

The announcement immediately confirmed Richard's suspicion—the howl had indeed come from the Holy Light Kingdom's capital.

"Lilith actually launched a counterattack…" Sophia muttered in shock.

"Right now, chaos has broken out in the Holy Light Capital! Their experts won't be able to assist—and even if they survive, they'll be gravely injured! This is our chance for a decisive strike!"

The voice echoed again, clearly trying to rally the citizens.

The royal soldiers likely moved out immediately—but they would need help from civilian fighters.

This time, Richard saw several Magi in the restaurant rise from their seats.

"Let's join them. I've long had enough of the Holy Light Kingdom."

"Yeah, they took my home and wouldn't even let me retrieve my family keepsakes."

These Magi weren't weak—they were all in the World Realm.

After a brief exchange, they soared into the sky.

To Richard's surprise, William joined them too.

Judging by his speed, he was clearly heading into battle as well.

From other parts of the city, Richard saw numerous figures taking flight.

For the first time, he realized how many World Realm Magi actually existed—he had always thought there were few, since even most governors were only in that realm.

As for Magi who couldn't fly, he saw them mounting giant birds that swiftly carried them away.

When they exited the city, their routes naturally diverged.

Knowing that he intended to marry Lilith, Richard understood he, too, had to take action.

Whoosh!

He summoned Athena from his Dragon Hall, and the mighty steed immediately appeared before the balcony.

"Lady Whitewater, I'll be taking my leave," Richard said to Sophia before leaping onto Athena's back.

"Let's go!" He tapped the horse's shoulder.

Swish!

Athena shot into the sky at full speed—far faster than the last time Richard had ridden her.

The massive capital stretched beneath them, but they crossed it within seconds.

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