The following morning, Sogen arrived at Mr. Rudriger's workshop as usual.
The rhythmic clang of hammer against metal echoed throughout the forge while sparks danced through the air. Outwardly, Sogen carried on with his work as if nothing had changed, yet a faint crease lingered between his brows.
Something had been weighing on his mind since dawn.
His cultivation had been progressing at an astonishing pace. Between Mr. Rudriger's guidance and the System's daily rewards, he had advanced far faster than any ordinary cultivator. But the more responsibilities piled onto his shoulders, the more suffocating his schedule became.
Every day was packed from beginning to end.
He had to train as a Spiritualist under Mr. Rudriger, refine his swordsmanship, cultivate his qi, comprehend cultivation techniques, assist with the workshop, and now oversee the preparations for his chocolate shop. On top of that, he would soon have to travel to the Felix Mercenary Group for the upcoming tournament.
No matter how he arranged his time, twenty-four hours simply weren't enough.
The thought lingered in his mind even as he worked.
Mr. Rudriger glanced at him from across the forge. After watching Sogen for a while, he set his hammer aside and wiped the soot from his hands.
"You've been distracted all morning," he said calmly. "What's troubling you?"
Sogen hesitated before forcing a smile.
"It's nothing, Master."
"Hmph."
Mr. Rudriger snorted, as though he had seen through the lie at a glance.
"You think an old man like me can't read what's written all over your face?"
Sogen fell silent.
Mr. Rudriger continued before he could answer.
""You're wondering how you're supposed to balance everything, aren't you?" Mr. Rudriger said with a faint, knowing smile. "When I was your age, I wrestled with the very same problem. But compared to me back then, the burdens on your shoulders are far heavier. You have far more to juggle than I ever did."
Sogen's eyes widened slightly.
Every concern he had buried had been spoken aloud.
Mr. Rudriger smiled faintly.
"From today onward, you don't need to work in workshop."
Sogen froze.
"Master...?"
"Focus on your cultivation," Mr. Rudriger said. "A cultivator's greatest asset is time. Wasting it on ordinary labor when you have so much ahead of you would be foolish."
Sogen immediately shook his head.
"I can't do that."
Mr. Rudriger raised an eyebrow.
"If I continue receiving your guidance without contributing anything in return..." Sogen lowered his gaze. "Wouldn't that make me nothing more than a freeloader? You've already taught me far more than I could ever repay. If I stop working altogether, I'd only be taking advantage of your kindness."
For a brief moment, silence settled over the forge, broken only by the crackling flames within the furnace.
Rudriger smiled faintly. "Do you think I'm letting you stay here out of charity? No. I'm an old man whose forge has echoed with silence for decades. I've searched my entire life for someone worthy of inheriting my craft, and every apprentice disappointed me. But you... you possess talent, discipline, and the curiosity to surpass even me. Teaching you isn't a burden—it's an investment and a privilege. One day, when my hammer falls silent forever, I want this craft to live on through your hands. That is the wish of this old man."
"But don't neglect your training," Mr. Rudriger said, his voice turning stern. "And remember this—if I discover that you've been slacking off, or if your progress fails to meet my expectations despite my guidance, I will end your training immediately. There won't be a second chance."
Sogen met Mr. Rudriger's unwavering gaze before giving a firm nod.
"I understand, Mister," he replied without hesitation.
But unbeknownst to him.
Someone stood inside a chamber, his expression as cold as winter frost. The luxurious room was deathly silent, broken only by the crackling of the crimson flames dancing within the fireplace.
Bang!
His palm slammed onto the black crystal table with such force that the wine glass shattered into countless fragments. A terrifying pressure swept through the chamber.
"It's been over a month," Kristin growled, his eyes burning with murderous intent. "Yet you still haven't found the one who killed my brother?"
The kneeling subordinates trembled, not daring to raise their heads. Cold sweat trickled down their foreheads as the suffocating aura filled every corner of the room.
"A useless bunch," Kristin said through gritted teeth.
The subordinates lowered their head.
But suddenly someone spoke.
"Sir... we will find the one who murdered Sir Vilkan. I swear it."
Before the last word had even left his lips—
Whoosh!
A violent gust swept through the room.
Kristin vanished from where he stood, only to appear directly before the man as though he had torn through space itself.
A hand shot forward.
Crack!
His fingers clamped around the mercenary's throat like iron shackles, lifting him effortlessly off the ground. The man's feet dangled helplessly as panic flooded his eyes.
Kristin stared into him with an icy gaze devoid of even the slightest trace of mercy.
"Do you take me for a fool?" he asked softly.
His voice was calm.
Far too calm.
"Or do you think empty flattery can deceive me?"
His grip tightened.
The person's face turned crimson as he desperately clawed at Kristin's wrist, but it was like struggling against a mountain.
"You think I don't know what happened in the Kiang Forest?" Kristin continued. "Vilkan told me everything before he left. Every detail of the plan... how your mercenary group was to be wiped from existence.
Then he paused for a moment and continued.
"Ever since my brother died..., his voice became eerily calm, "I've had the overwhelming urge to butcher every last one of you the moment you came into my sight." "
A sinister smile slowly spread across his face.
"Do you know why you're still alive?"
The mercenary's pupils trembled.
"It wasn't because you deserved mercy."
"It was because I wanted the bastard who killed my brother."
"I knew your people had been slipping out of Hamar Town one by one. I knew it all... yet I allowed it."
His smile widened, becoming almost monstrous.
"I believed you worms might eventually lead me to my brother's killer."
A brief silence filled the room.
"But you failed."
The temperature itself seemed to drop.
"So I've changed my mind."
"If I can't find the murderer..."
"...then I'll slaughter every last one of you instead."
His eyes gleamed with terrifying madness.
"Right before the gates of Hamar Town."
"I'll paint the streets red with your blood."
"Perhaps that won't bring my brother back..."
"...but it will satisfy me."
The room fell into a suffocating silence.
A surge of uncontrollable rage exploded within Lasaar. Every instinct screamed at him to attack.
Yet he couldn't.
Kristin's hand still crushed his throat, leaving him only a few desperate breaths from death.
Then—
Boom!
With a casual flick of his arm, Kristin hurled him across the room.
Lasaar crashed into the stone wall with explosive force.
The wall cracked.
Blood burst from his mouth as unbearable pain tore through his body. Kristin's Qi had been infused into the throw, ravaging his organs the instant he collided with the wall.
He collapsed to the floor, barely conscious.
Kristin looked down at him as one might look at a dying insect.
"Go."
His cold voice echoed through the silent chamber.
"Find every remaining member of his mercenary group."
A cruel smile appeared on his face.
"I want them dragged before the gates of Hamar Town."
"Not one of them leaves this town alive."
"Search every place, every city, and every shop if you must. I want them all before me."
"Alive."
Kristin's lips curled into a devilish grin.
His bloodshot eyes radiated a madness so intense that everyone present instinctively lowered their heads, too afraid to meet his gaze.
A suffocating silence followed, as if everyone already knew... death would be a mercy compared to what awaited them.