The grand doors of the Kelric estate hall slowly opened.
A heavy silence fell over the gathering as the King stepped inside, dressed in deep royal robes, his presence alone enough to make even powerful cultivators lower their gazes.
Conversations died instantly.
Music softened. Every noble, every family head, every young master turned toward him.
The King walked forward calmly, his eyes sweeping across the hall before he spoke.
As many of you already know, he said in a steady, authoritative voice, the Grand Tournament will be held very soon.
However… this time, there will be a few changes in the rules and rewards.
The moment he said that, many people in the hall exchanged glances.
I knew it…
The King would definitely change something this time…
If we had more power, we would have opposed him…
But those thoughts remained inside their minds.
No one dared to say them aloud.
The King continued, First rule — from now on, no one above the age of seventeen will be allowed to participate in the tournament.
A wave of whispers spread across the hall.
Second — the rewards have been increased.
Now everyone paid full attention.
This time, the winner will receive
A 7th-grade pill,
A 5th-grade sword,
A large number of rare herbs,
A grand residence granted by the royal family,
One million spiritual stones,
A 7th-grade formation technique,
And a high-level alchemy technique for pill creation.
For a moment, the hall went completely silent.
Then the whispers exploded.
Incredible…
Such rewards…
This tournament will change everything…
Greed, ambition, and excitement filled the air.
Every family head could already imagine the rise of their family if their child won.
The King raised his hand slightly, and the hall quieted again.
If everyone agrees, he said calmly, then the next Grand Tournament will be held under these rules.
One by one, the family heads nodded. No one refused.
And then the King said, There is one more thing.
Footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Everyone turned.
A girl walked into the hall.
She looked around sixteen.
Long hair, elegant posture, calm eyes, and a beauty that made the entire hall go silent again.
She walked with royal grace and stopped beside the King.
This, the King said, she is my daughter — Lyra.
The entire hall was stunned.
Many young masters stared at her without blinking.
Among them, Ketlos was completely mesmerized.
He kept looking at her, unable to look away.
Not far from him, a young man from the Sorvain family — Kaze — also stared at Lyra, but in his eyes there was not just admiration… there was obsession.
I will have her, he thought.
No matter what.
Lyra's gaze slowly moved across the hall…
and for a brief moment, her eyes stopped on Ketlos.
Her expression remained cold, royal, unreadable — yet somewhere deep inside, a small ripple formed in her heart.
The scene shifted.
At the corner of the hall, a white-haired waiter with golden eyes moved silently between the guests, carrying drinks on a silver tray.
It was Kairo.
His appearance was completely different — white hair, golden eyes, servant uniform. No one recognized him.
He moved quietly, observing everything.
As he passed near a pillar, he heard two nobles speaking in low voices.
The King increased the rewards too much this time, one of them whispered.
Yes, the other replied, which means the royal family wants to attract monsters…
true geniuses. Something big is coming. This tournament is not normal.
Kairo walked past them silently, but he heard every word.
So that's how it is… he thought.
Meanwhile, Kaze approached Lyra and began talking to her, trying to impress her, flirting, smiling confidently.
But Lyra barely paid attention to him.
Instead, she walked toward Mayra.
Mayra smiled when she saw her. Lyra.
Then she pulled Ketlos forward. This is my younger brother, Ketlos.
Lyra looked at him and gave a small, polite smile.
Nice to meet you.
Ketlos nodded quickly.
S-Same… nice to meet you too.
He hesitated, then asked, By the way… how old are you?
Sixteen, Lyra replied.
Ketlos smiled. I'm fifteen. One year younger than you.
They continued talking casually, but from a distance, Kaze watched them, his expression slowly darkening.
Ketlos… I will remember this, he thought coldly.
Just then, the white-haired waiter approached their group.
Princess, Kairo said politely, bowing slightly, would you like a drink?
Lyra shook her head. No.
He turned to Ketlos. And you, sir?
No, I'm fine.
He looked at Mayra. What about you, miss?
She also refused.
Kairo nodded politely and walked away without another word.
None of them realized that the quiet waiter who had just left…
was the most dangerous person in the entire hall.
Next Morning
The next morning, deep in the forest, a boy moved swiftly between the trees.
No white hair. No golden eyes. No servant uniform.
Only Kairo, back to his normal appearance.
He jumped, landed on a tree branch, then dropped to the ground and continued running.
Sweat ran down his neck, but his movements were sharp, controlled, powerful.
Every step, every breath, every strike he practiced in silence.
Alone in the forest, while the world prepared for the Grand Tournament…
The real monster was training in the shadows.