"Let me heal him." Axel was already stepping forward, placing a hand on Marcus and releasing a flood of Force. Warm energy surged into Marcus's battered body. The pain and torn organs mended rapidly under the wash of Awakening power.

Hudson's jaw dropped. "You... you're already Level Four?!"

"Fuck! You freak!" The normally composed Hudson couldn't stop himself. Rosaline's earlier warning, "This isn't good" hadn't been worry for Axel. It was pity for Marcus.

Hudson's mouth twisted bitterly. This wasn't building Marcus's confidence—this was tearing it down.

If he'd known Axel had already stepped into Level Four, he never would've agreed to this damn fight.

"Axel, you're fucking inhuman," Marcus muttered, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His own progress had been fast, but compared to Axel… he was nothing.

"This kid… Level Four?"

In the distance, Lilith—who had been watching the fight—finally had her expression shift. The last time she'd seen Axel, he'd only been Level Three. Back then, she thought Rosaline had stumbled across a rare gem. She figured that with time, once Axel matured, he and his allies could become one of Xander's strongest teams.

Now she realized she'd underestimated him. Axel wasn't just promising—he was already a monster.

"Level Four Awakener?"

"Is this kid hiding his real age?"

"..."

The murmurs spread like wildfire through the onlookers.

Marcus sighed, finally pulling himself to his feet. He'd already braced himself for Axel's abnormal growth. So even after being knocked flat, he wasn't crushed. Still… when his eyes landed on his second brother, Hudson, they were full of quiet frustration.

"Brother, I'm heading back to practice. Axel—when you're done soaking at the Dragon Pond, let's grab dinner."

Without another word, Marcus left. Hudson hurried after him.

"Everyone," Hudson announced to the others, forcing a smile, "I'll have things arranged right away. The Dragon Pond is open to both men and women, so don't forget your swimsuits."

That perked the crowd right up. Even Rosaline and Vince looked a little eager at the mention.

Outside the Kensington Hot Springs, the north wind cut colder than before. Marcus, trudging forward with his bamboo sword broken, didn't look back when Hudson caught up. His voice was weary, tinged with bitterness.

"Brother… do you think I'm not training hard enough?"

Hudson froze, throat tightening. Of course Marcus would think that. The boy trained like hell already, and Hudson had dragged him out here just to pit him against Axel. And the result? Instant humiliation. Even Marcus's hardened pride had its limits.

"Well, I—" Hudson stumbled, then stopped. He couldn't admit he didn't known Axel was this strong. Scratching his head, he forced seriousness into his tone. "This was Uncle's arrangement. You have to trust his good intentions."

Marcus just nodded. "Alright. I'll head back to the gravity chamber. Keep training."

Relief washed over Hudson. At least Marcus wasn't breaking apart. Still, today had blown up in his face.

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Who the hell could've imagined Axel would turn out to be this much of a freak?

"The Whisper Syndicate… actually has someone like him?"

.....

At the heart of the manor, hurried footsteps approached. Howard set down his teacup, straightened, and picked up a book, pretending to be engrossed as Hudson entered.

"Uncle," Hudson greeted.

"Back?" Howard gestured for him to sit. "So? Has Marcus's confidence returned?"

Hudson grimaced. "If anything… it's worse."

"Huh?" Howard blinked, baffled. "What happened?"

Hudson carefully recounted everything.

By the end, Howard's face twitched. "You're telling me Axel's a Level Four Awakener already?"

"Absolutely," Hudson said firmly. "And it's not some shortcut through elixirs. His Force is dense—compressed. The real deal."

Even Howard, with all his experience, couldn't help but suck in a breath. "That kid's a fucking monster."

"The Whisper Syndicate struck gold. No way he got here through normal cultivation—he must've had some kind of special encounter."

Hudson lowered his head, ashamed. "I should've done my homework before letting Marcus fight him."

Howard flushed. After all, the plan had been his. "And Marcus? How's he holding up?"

"He went straight back to the gravity chamber. He's down, but not shattered."

Howard finally relaxed, exhaling. "That boy's tough. Good. Let him be."

Hudson hesitated, then pressed, "Shouldn't we make some other arrangements to build his confidence back? At this rate, he'll never catch up to Axel—not in two or three years."

Howard shook his head. "Doesn't matter. There's no shame in being junior to a genius like that."

Hudson was stunned. Marcus was their most talented youth this generation, yet his uncle was… willing to let him live in Axel's shadow?

As if sensing Hudson's thoughts, Howard turned his gaze northward. His voice dropped.

"The military and the House of Lords have already launched Project Spider. Thirty-six new cities are being built outside the Wall. Krythos is done hiding. They've started reclaiming the homeland."

"And with the beast tides returning after decades… peace is ending."

"If Axel survives the war and keeps climbing, he could become a major military figure. Having Marcus follow him might be the smartest choice."

Hudson blinked, then nodded with real admiration. "Uncle, your foresight… I can't compare."

Howard's lips tugged into the faintest smirk, though he quickly smothered it.

"Uncle," Hudson whispered, amused. "If you want to laugh, just laugh."

Howard: "…"

......

"You've got eight slots total. Only seven of you are going in?" The old man at the gate raised his brows at the Obsidian team.

"Can't you save one for next time?" Vince leaned forward, lowering his voice.

The old man shook his head. "No can do. Opening the Dragon Pond costs resources. It's all or nothing. If you don't want to waste it, wait a few days and find someone to fill the spot."

But no one was about to wait. Who knew when the Whisper Syndicate might call them out on a mission?

Just then, Rosaline's gaze shifted. Outside the pavilion, Lilith stood alone, hand raised to flag down a taxi.

"Millers, call her over."

Millers froze, taken aback. Rosaline and Lilith hated each other's guts—he never expected Rosaline to give her an opening.

"Why'd you call me over? Rosaline, are you so eager to spend more time with me? I do charge by the hour."

Lilith's teasing eyes sparkled. Rosaline didn't even blink. "Axel, give her the spot. Okay?"

The slot was Axel's to begin with, so she had to ask him. Axel simply nodded. He didn't care.

Lilith, however, was caught off guard. She had just been standing there, watching the others get the chance, envy biting at her—but never expected Rosaline to actually hand her the chance.

"But you owe Axel something in return," Rosaline added flatly.

Lilith blinked, then smirked. "Chastity?"

Phoenix and Annabelle flushed scarlet.

Millers shot Axel a warning look: Don't fall for it.

Rosaline's chest rose sharply with anger. "Keep running your mouth and you can forget about going in."

Unfazed, Lilith just laughed. "Rosaline, don't get mad so easily—it's bad for your skin. At almost thirty-nine, you really ought to take better care of yourself."

That one hit home. Vince quickly stepped in before Rosaline exploded. "Captain Lilith, if you've still got one of those space crystals, how about giving it to Axel?"

That was the deal he'd already discussed with Rosaline. If they had to include Lilith, then at least Axel should benefit.

"Fine by me." Lilith agreed easily. As someone gifted with both spatial and psychic powers, she had a rare ability: condensing space energy into a raw stone, a "space crystal."

It was an incredibly valuable item—letting the user teleport short distances while erasing their presence. A perfect escape tool. But the strain on her was huge; she could only make one every six months.

She handed it over with a smile. "Thanks, Rosaline. And Axel."

Axel coughed but didn't answer, sliding the crystal into his pocket without hesitation.

Lilith's faint smile lingered. This trade was a win for her.

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