Yang Kai stood there, robes swaying faintly, that same smug, irritating expression glued to his face as if the world itself existed just to admire him.
Jhon stared at him, brows tightly knit.
"…Who are you?"
Yang Kai's grin only widened, eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Think about it."
Around them, a few nearby Regulars paused mid-cultivation, whispering among themselves, curiosity flickering across their faces. But none stepped closer—no one wanted unnecessary trouble.
Jhon, however, was clearly getting irritated.
Inside his mind, frustration boiled.
Who the hell is this guy? And why is he acting like he knows me?
His gaze sharpened as he looked Yang Kai up and down.
And another thought slipped in unwillingly—
I've never seen someone this good-looking before…
That only annoyed him more.
"Can't think," Jhon snapped. "Just tell me who you are."
Yang Kai let out a soft chuckle, as if he had expected this exact reaction. He stepped closer, then began circling around Jhon slowly, like a predator teasing its prey.
"I'm Yang Kai," he said casually. "The one who was with that little girl… Zoya."
Jhon's expression froze for a moment.
Then it twisted into pure disbelief.
He turned his head sharply, eyes narrowing.
"Don't bullshit me," he said flatly. "That ugly guy can't be you—even if he gets reborn."
He waved his hand dismissively, completely rejecting the idea.
Yang Kai didn't explode in anger immediately. Instead, he exhaled through his nose, forcing a smile.
He had already anticipated this reaction.
Raising his hand, he pointed directly at the axe strapped behind Jhon's back.
"That axe," Yang Kai said, voice calm but edged, "was mine. Zoya handed it to you."
Then his eyes sharpened slightly.
"And that staff you saw? It's mine too. Want me to prove it?"
Jhon frowned, but his disbelief didn't fade.
"I might believe you stole that staff from that ugly brat," he replied, crossing his arms, "but I'm not buying that you are him."
He shook his head firmly.
"No fucking way."
That was it.
Something in Yang Kai snapped—just a little.
Not outwardly.
But inside, irritation flared like fire.
Around them, the spectators quickly lost interest.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"No clue. That handsome guy just dropped from the sky and started talking."
"Do they know each other?"
"Forget it, just focus on learning techniques."
"Yeah, don't waste time."
One by one, they returned to their cultivation, leaving the two alone.
Yang Kai's smile slowly twisted into something darker.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at Jhon.
Then, in a low voice—just loud enough for Jhon to hear—he muttered,
"How should I kill you in the next test…"
Jhon's body stiffened instantly.
Yang Kai tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely considering it.
"Hmm… maybe crush every bone in your body one by one…"
A faint, dangerous grin spread across his face.
"Or just break you so badly you beg me to finish it."
Jhon felt a chill run down his spine.
His instincts screamed.
Danger.
Without even realizing it, he took a step back.
"Hey… what the fuck are you planning?" he said, voice tense. "Don't come near me."
Yang Kai didn't move immediately.
He just stood there, staring.
Smiling.
Yang Kai exhaled softly, the earlier murderous thoughts fading as quickly as they had come. He raised his right hand casually.
"Look."
A faint glow gathered in his palm—crimson-black strands of spiritual energy weaving together like threads being pulled from thin air. In the next instant, the light condensed—
And the staff materialized.
He caught it effortlessly, fingers tightening around its length, then tilted it slightly toward Jhon.
"See?" he said with a confident grin. "It's really me. Now do you believe it?"
Jhon didn't lower his guard.
Not even a little.
Instead, his expression hardened further. In one swift motion, he reached behind his back, pulled out the axe, and brought it forward into a defensive stance.
"You know we can't fight here like that," Jhon said, voice firm, eyes locked onto Yang Kai. "But if you're trying to provoke me, I'll accept it."
Yang Kai blinked.
For a moment, genuine disbelief crossed his face.
Inside, his thoughts spiraled.
Was I really that fucking ugly before? It's good… that I used a technique to enhance my charm.
And yet—
This idiot still couldn't connect the dots.
He just stared at Jhon in silence, somewhere between offended and amused.
Before he could respond, a familiar voice echoed across the entire Public Area.
"Attention, Regulars."
The tone carried authority—calm, controlled, yet heavy with pressure.
"Your second and final test will begin in fifteen minutes."
All across the area, people who had been meditating or practicing techniques slowly rose to their feet, eyes turning upward instinctively.
A ripple of tension spread.
"And," the voice continued, now carrying a faint trace of amusement, "I also have a good news for all of you. Would you like to hear it?"
A wave of responses erupted almost instantly.
"Yes!"
"Tell us!"
"What is it?"
Excitement replaced exhaustion in many faces.
Nearby, a few Regulars whispered among themselves.
"Any idea what it could be?"
"No clue… but he said 'good news.' Should be something beneficial."
"Yeah… maybe rewards?"
Hope—fragile, desperate hope—started to bloom.
Yang Kai, however, simply smiled faintly as he glanced at Jhon.
Jhon caught that expression immediately.
"Why are you smiling?" he asked, suspicion rising again. "Do you know what it is?"
Yang Kai shook his head lightly.
"No."
But inside—
I know exactly what it is.
His eyes dimmed slightly.
And I'm not telling you.
Because the moment you hear it… you'll understand what this Tower really is.
The voice above let out a low chuckle, clearly enjoying the anticipation building below.
"First," it said, "congratulations to all Regulars who have successfully learned a technique and advanced to F-Rank One Star."
A wave of cheers broke out from those who had succeeded.
Some clenched their fists in triumph. Others laughed in relief.
Meanwhile, the remaining group—the ones who had failed—stood silently.
Their expressions darkened.
Frustration. Anxiety. Fear.
The voice continued, tone steady.
"And now… the good news you've all been waiting for."
A pause.
Just long enough to stretch the tension to its limit.
Then—
The tone changed.
It dropped.
Colder.
Sharper.
More… real.
"The Regulars who failed to advanced to F-Rank One Star…"
Another pause.
"…will be eliminated."
Silence.
For a single, frozen second—
No one reacted.
Then—
"What…?"
"Wait—what the fuck did he just say?"
"No… no, that's not possible—"
Panic detonated across the area.
Faces drained of color.
Breathing turned ragged.
Some stumbled backward. Others looked desperately toward the statues, as if they could still somehow learn something in time.
"That's bullshit!"
"You can't do that!"
"We still have time—right?!"
Chaos erupted instantly.
The earlier hope twisted into raw terror.
And in the middle of it—
Yang Kai stood still.
Completely calm.
His eyes slowly swept across the crowd, watching the fear spread like a disease.
Then, under his breath, almost inaudible—
He muttered,
"Welcome to the Tower."
For a heartbeat after the announcement, the entire Public Area froze.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Then—
The first explosion came.
A sharp, wet burst—like something tearing apart from the inside.
A Regular near the Wind Crane structure stiffened mid-step… and in the next instant—
Boom.
His body ruptured, scattering into fragments before anyone could even scream.
For a moment, people didn't understand what they had just witnessed.
Then another—
And another—
And another.
Across all five colossal structures, bodies began detonating one after another, like a chain of firecrackers igniting in rapid succession.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The sounds overlapped into a horrifying symphony.
Screams erupted.
"What the fuck is happening?!"
"No—NO—WAIT—!"
"I learned it! I learned it—why is this happening?!"
But the Tower didn't care about excuses.
It didn't care about effort.
It didn't care about fear.
Only results.
Regulars who had failed to grasp a technique were torn apart instantly—no resistance, no chance to beg, no time to run. Some tried to crawl away. Some clasped their heads in panic. Some prayed.
All of them exploded the same way.
Blood mist filled the air.
Fragments rained down across the ground, staining the once sacred training area into something grotesque.
The statues stood silent—unmoved witnesses to the massacre.
Those who had succeeded stood frozen in place.
Eyes wide.
Bodies trembling.
Some covered their mouths, unable to process what they were seeing.
Others staggered backward, nearly collapsing.
"This… this is insane…"
"They're… killing them…"
"No… this is slaughtering…"
But not all reacted the same way.
A portion of the survivors—
Those who had already endured the forest, the killing, the chaos—
Simply watched.
Silent.
Cold.
Their expressions hardened.
They had begun to understand.
This Tower didn't operate on morality.
It operated on survival.
And survival demanded one thing—
Strength.
The explosions continued for what felt like an eternity, though in reality it lasted only moments.
Then—
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
The air itself seemed to thicken with the aftermath.
Where once there had been over two million Regulars…
Now—
Only 1,423,298 remained.
More than half a million lives—
Gone.
Erased as if they had never existed.
Some survivors dropped to their knees.
Others stared blankly at the empty spaces where people had stood just seconds ago.
A few laughed.
Not out of joy—
But because their minds couldn't handle the reality.
Yang Kai stood among them, unmoving.
His expression didn't change.
His eyes slowly swept across the blood-stained ground, the shattered remains, the broken spirits.
Then he exhaled quietly.
"Strength is the only law the world obeys,"
His voice was low. Flat.
No emotion.
"Mercy fades where survival weighs,"
His gaze calm.
"Only the ruthless endure the days."