The youth sat quietly upon a throne, slightly smaller than the grand royal seat in the opulent hall, looking toward Sato, who stood beside him with a calm and composed expression. He spoke in a voice tinged with a subtle, hidden anxiety and a clear sense of questioning. "Will everything truly be alright, my teacher? I feel a certain unease regarding the current situation."
Sato turned his calm, confident face toward him, looking directly at the youth with a slight, reassuring smile. He spoke in a tone that was both decisive and certain. "Never worry about this matter. The situation is under complete control, and there is no cause for excessive concern."
Sato then immersed himself in deep thought, quietly analyzing recent events. They had just finished meeting with the official negotiation team from the Senju Clan, the historic rivals of the Uchiha. They, too, had presented a similar offer to purchase the gargantuan, newly discovered mine, just as the Uchiha had done before them. However, the response was identical; their offer was rejected finally and categorically, exactly as had been done with the previous delegation.
But the vast and clear difference here lay in the approach. The Senju delegation did not recklessly jump into a hostile challenge or a direct military threat like the impulsive Uchiha! On the contrary, once they saw clearly that there was no real chance for negotiation or for persuading the Kingdom to change its stance, they offered a polite, professional, and refined apology. They withdrew quietly and with dignity, without causing any trouble or issuing threats. It was a massive difference in style and strategy.
Of course, the reason the Senju had also stepped forward to acquire the same mine—despite it being in a region relatively far from their territories—was part of a clever and well-studied plan prepared by his elder brother, Leon. Sato had fully supported this plan and assisted in its execution, given their father's clear approval and backing.
Sato then turned his face back toward the youth sitting on the smaller Crown Prince's throne. He spoke in a calm but firm voice. "Do not occupy your mind too much with this complex political and military matter. We shall handle it entirely and deal with every development." He paused for a moment, then added, "All you must do now—and it is far more important than anything else—is to accompany your ailing father, the King, in his final days. Unfortunately, the time of his departure has drawn near; his clock is ticking." He paused again before concluding, "Prepare yourself mentally and practically for the upcoming official ceremony of your ascension to the throne. This is your true duty now."
The youth sat with a visibly saddened expression, his voice carrying a hidden ache. "Yes, my teacher. I shall do so. Thank you for your constant guidance." He lowered his head slightly, thinking of his dying father, the heavy responsibility that lay ahead, and the uncertain future.
At that exact same moment, in a location far removed from the lavish royal palace, Dan stood alone in a rugged and difficult mountainous region. The area featured towering, high-altitude mountains and a very jagged terrain—even more rugged than his isolated base. Harsh rocky peaks, deep valleys, and powerful winds surrounded him.
He stood with his eyes closed in deep concentration, his full attention focused on a gargantuan scope of the surrounding world. His vast network was spread in every direction, capturing every detail, every movement, and every change. He focused with extreme precision on studying the slight, subtle variations in the levels and densities of Natural Energy within this rugged mountain range.
Lately, he had been traveling and moving frequently across multiple and very different regions of the planet: dense forests in the south, arid deserts in the north, deep oceans in the east, and high mountains. Every region was different; every environment was unique. He needed to observe and study the minute differences and clear variations between these diverse areas for the sake of the complex technique he was currently creating—the technique that, if successful, would enable him to convert solar thermal energy into pure, immediately usable Natural Energy.
After moments of deep focus and precise observation, Dan suddenly opened his eyes. He spoke in a low voice that carried a clear sense of annoyance. "How irritating and distracting," he whispered. Within the range of his spread network, there was a small village on one of the nearby mountains. It was clearly under a brutal and savage attack by some unknown armed forces. Murder, fire, and looting were rampant. It was a scene all too familiar in this world cursed by constant wars.
Normally, Dan would completely ignore these small, frequently recurring matters in this violent world. A simple intervention could create larger problems; the butterfly effect was a dangerous thing, and neutrality was often better. However, his lack of intervention never meant he approved of these brutal acts or accepted them ethically! He knew well that this world was indeed cursed by the plague of eternal war and continuous conflict. Thus, he generally tried not to interfere much in external events distant from his family.
Especially now, with his current gargantuan level of strength, he had literally risen several stages above the natural power system of this small planet! Any direct intervention from him, even with good intentions, could cause a collapse in the natural balance of the world—unforeseen side effects, dangerous consequences, and potential chaos. Caution was necessary, and limited intervention was preferred.
But at the same time, Dan was human after all, and he possessed feelings. By his personal nature, he despised evil, injustice, and brutality, even though he himself could be evil or harsh in certain circumstances. In his core nature, he did not lean toward evil except out of extreme necessity. He was no saint, but he was no monster either.
Then, he spoke in a faint, barely audible voice: "Vanish."
At that exact moment, in the small village subjected to the brutal attack and indiscriminate killing, something very strange and unnatural occurred—something that could not be explained by ordinary logic!
The attackers, who had just finished murdering everyone remaining in the village—men, women, and the elderly—began to undergo a terrifying change. Only one teenage girl remained, weeping with agonizing pain beside the dead body of her mother. She screamed in sorrow, embracing the cold corpse. Before one of the cruel soldiers could bring down his blood-stained sword to end her life, his body suddenly began to evaporate!
Yes, literally and physically, his material body began to dissipate and disappear into the air like light ash! There was no blood, no visible pain; only... evaporation.
"Hah?!"
"What... what is happening?!"
"My body! My body is disappearing!"
"Help me! Help me!"
Terrified screams and clear, intense fear spread among all the remaining attackers in the village! What was even stranger and more terrifying was that none of them felt any physical pain at all. No burning, no tearing, no physical suffering. They only watched as their bodies slowly evaporated before their terrified eyes, turning into light ash and then vanishing completely. One by one, they were all disappearing, evaporating, being erased from existence. It was a silent, swift, and final punishment. No trace remained, no corpses—only absolute disappearance.
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