Regret?

Of course he regretted it.

But regret what?

Karot regretted not killing Ed back then—instead of selling him off as a slave. That was the real mistake.

His eyes burned with seething resentment he could no longer contain. It was the true reason he couldn't bear to look Ed in the eye.

Why had everyone else died… yet Ed and Luna survived? Why had Ed become a Hunter—one far more powerful than him?

Karot struggled to suppress his emotions. He forced a shift in his tone, feigning remorse as he said:

"Ed, I was wrong. I truly realize it now. I'm sorry. Please… give me another chance—at least let me make up for what I've done."

"Save me. I'm still injured. If this keeps up, I'll die! I swear I've learned my lesson!"

Only when the fear of death brought tears to the corners of his eyes did Karot dare lift his gaze to Ed.

His face, aged and withered by the conversion rod's effects, combined with his pathetic state and the glint of tears, might have moved others to pity.

Ed let out a quiet sigh. He turned away and said to Jade and Toronto:

"When he dies, toss his body outside. Let the wild dogs eat him. That way, he'll have at least done something useful."

Karot's pupils widened in horror. In a final burst of strength, he lunged forward, grabbing onto Ed's leg with a desperate grip, screaming:

"No! You can't do this! Ed, you're a hero! You're supposed to forgive me—give me a second chance!"

"Please! If I stay alive, it proves your kindness!"

Ed's voice came cold and emotionless:

"I'm not going to forgive you. If you want forgiveness, ask the ones who were sold as slaves and died because of it."

Karot broke down, shrieking:

"They're already dead!"

Ed responded calmly:

"Exactly. They're dead. And so should you be."

"I don't need to be a hero. I just do what I want to do."

Just as he had said before—saving Dorey City, stopping Vil—it wasn't about glory or becoming some noble figure. It was simply because he wanted to. Because he believed it was right.

The fox-woman sorcerer was already dead. Karot would be next.

And then only Arya—who had escaped—remained.

He would find her.

He would kill her.

This was vengeance. The pain others had caused him was something Ed could not—and would not—forgive.

Without hesitation, Ed turned and walked away.

Behind him, Karot's voice rose in hateful curses, filled with venom. But Ed never looked back.

Even as he disappeared from sight, the shouting did not stop.

Toronto couldn't take it anymore. He wanted Karot to shut up.

The next moment, a stone flew through the air and struck one of Karot's wounds. He cried out in pain and looked up, only to see an unfamiliar Hunter glaring down at him.

That Hunter said coldly, "Mr. Ed saved all of Dorey City. And what are you? Not only did you hurt him before, now you have the nerve to curse him?"

Karot snapped back, his voice shrill, "Ed is nothing but a shameless bastard! He's not some kind-hearted hero—he doesn't deserve the title—he—"

But another Hunter cut him off:

"Mr. Ed already said he didn't do it to be a hero."

"But it doesn't matter why—what matters is that he saved us. That's a fact no one can deny."

More stones came flying in from all corners of the room, pelting Karot's frail, bloodied body.

Soon, the curses stopped.

Toronto looked down at Karot, now little more than a mangled wreck of blood and bruises, and said quietly:

"You almost got our captain killed. If that had happened, Dorey City would never have been saved."

"He was right. Feeding your body to wild dogs really might be the only good thing you'll ever do."

Elsewhere in the City Lord's estate, Ed and Finniel Morton were alone in one of the private rooms. Finniel had fully recovered her mobility and now stood facing Ed.

Her gaze was... strange. A mixture of curiosity, fear, and reverence.

She said softly, "Mr. Ed, if it weren't for you, I can't even imagine what would have happened to Dorey City."

"I've already sent a full report of everything that happened here to the Holy City. In a few days, you should receive a special reward."

Ed nodded, though his mind was on something else. He was wondering what would become of Lord Gavin and his son Andrew.

Finniel explained that both of them would be punished according to Holy City law, and that Arya would be officially marked for capture and placed on the Holy City's wanted list.

After that, silence settled over the room.

From time to time, Finniel glanced at Ed, as if something was weighing on her mind.

Eventually, she spoke:

"Mr. Ed… have you ever heard of Delphilis?"

Before Ed could answer, she continued, her tone quiet but serious. She gave a simple explanation of the Eye of Delphilis, then added a detail Ed hadn't known.

"According to legend, Delphilis's origins are incredibly mysterious. But the first time he brought widespread destruction… was a long time ago, in the ancient Elf Kingdom."

The Elf Kingdom?

Ed instantly recalled something Melissa had once told him—that the fall of the Elf Kingdom had been linked to a sorcerer's research into a human who, like him, could absorb moonlight. That research had triggered some kind of indescribable disaster.

Could that moonlight-absorbing human have had a connection to Delphilis?

Ed didn't dare ask. Bringing it up might tip Finniel Morton off to the fact that he himself could absorb moonlight.

As Ed pondered this, Finniel took a deep breath, looked him straight in the eye, and asked seriously:

"Mr. Ed, how… exactly did you do it?"

Of course, she was referring to the fusion of the pitch-black Eye of Delphilis with his right eye.

Ed shook his head—he honestly didn't know.

Finniel went on to propose several theories, only to dismiss each of them moments later. Not even she could make sense of what had happened to him.

Still, she emphasized the danger of the Eye of Delphilis. She explained that throughout history, there had been others—humans and monsters alike—who had tried to wield its power, just like Vil.

But without exception, they all failed.

Some descended into madness, completely losing their minds. Others became puppets, corrupted by Delphilis's power and stripped of free will.

Having that Eye inside Ed's body was a massive risk.

Finniel urged Ed not to try using the Eye's power. She told him that tomorrow, she would take him somewhere—to meet someone deeply knowledgeable. Maybe that person could provide answers.

Ed nodded. He had been thinking the same thing. After all, Delphilis had once nearly destroyed the world. There was no way the fusion of the Eye into his body could be without consequence.

Still burdened with unease, Ed returned to the room prepared for him.

Tonight, he decided not to cultivate using the moonlight. This was the City Lord's estate, and several of the Morton Family's Gold-level Hunters were still present.

If his ability to harness moonlight was discovered, there was no telling what consequences might follow.

Standing in front of the window, Ed sighed. Ever since he'd become a mid-tier Silver Hunter, his cultivation speed had slowed drastically.

[Progress to high-tier Silver: 9%]

At his current rate, even using moonlight to cultivate all night would only raise his progress by 2% to 3%.

That was far slower than before.

For most Hunters, it was still an incredible pace. But for Ed, it was frustratingly slow—and only bound to get slower from here.

At that moment, under the cold glow of moonlight, Ed suddenly felt a faint warmth radiating from his right eye—the place where the Eye of Delphilis had fused. An unfamiliar sensation washed over him.

His heart tightened with alarm, worried that something dangerous might be happening.

But to his surprise, after the warmth lingered for a while, he suddenly felt a strange surge of energy rising from within his body.

What's going on?

Ed furrowed his brow and quickly pulled the curtains shut, blocking out the moonlight.

Almost immediately, the warmth in his right eye vanished.

He paused in thought, then slowly pulled the curtains open again. Taking a deep breath, he let the pale moonlight wash over him—and sure enough, the heat returned to his right eye.

This time, Ed decided to take the risk.

He entered his meditation technique, using moonlight to cultivate.

As soon as he slipped into a meditative state, his right eye snapped open—completely black, like a void. It devoured the moonlight, drawing it in with an almost gravitational force, wild and voracious.

When morning came and the moonlight faded, the first rays of sunlight spilled into the room.

Ed emerged from his cultivation—and froze.

[Progress to high-tier Silver: 11%]

He had gained that much in one night?!

Ever since reaching mid-tier Silver Hunter, Ed's nightly progress using moonlight had slowed to around 2% to 3%—and that was after a full night of cultivation.

Last night, he'd only started meditating well after midnight—meaning he'd achieved an entire night's worth of progress in just half the time.

His speed had doubled.

In disbelief, Ed walked over to the mirror and touched his right eye.

There was nothing abnormal—no glow, no pain, not even a tingle.

What was going on?

Could it be… the Eye of Delphilis was actually accelerating his cultivation?

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