"Sir," David chuckled softly from the shadows of the brush. "There's a beautiful lady down there, if you're interested."
Ryan didn't take his eyes off the clearing. "Are you sure? It sounds like you're more interested than I am, David."
As they spoke, the girl in the clearing pulled a glowing communication stone from her robes. The air around it hummed, and a raspy, authoritative voice crackled through the magic. "What is it, my child?"
"Grandmother, save me!" Jasmine shrieked. "I'm in the Star Forest... I came for adventure, but we're trapped! Please, help me!"
"What?! I told you to stay in your quarters! Dammit, child... stall for time. Hold on! I am coming!"
The stone went dim. Jasmine turned to Advin, the only friend she had left. "Advin, can you hold it? Just for a few minutes? My grandmother is a Peak Gold Stage expert. She'll be here soon!"
Advin's expression didn't turn heroic; it turned murderous. Hold it? he thought, glancing at the five-meter beast currently tearing into their other friend's corpse like a morning snack. You think I'm going to die for you just because your grandmother is a big shot? I won't last ten seconds.
Without a word of warning, Advin swung his blade—not at the beast, but at Jasmine's leg.
"AAAH! You BASTARD!" Jasmine screamed as she collapsed, her leg blooming red.
"Die, you useless brat!" Advin spat, already sprinting in the opposite direction. "I'm not holding the fort for anyone!"
Jasmine watched the monster turn its drooling maw toward her. She closed her eyes, hot tears streaming down her face. "Sorry, Grandma... I couldn't make it."
In the brush, Ryan and David exchanged a single look. After four years, no words were needed. Ryan didn't care about the girl, but he cared about a Peak Gold Stage backer. David understood perfectly: A new pawn was entering the game.
A silver flash cut through the air. SHRIKKK.
The sound of a neck being sliced clean through echoed in the clearing. Jasmine opened her eyes to see the terrifying beast slump to the ground, dead in a single strike. David stood over the carcass, flicking the blood from his blade.
David knelt toward the shadows. "Sir, the monster is slain. The girl is secure."
Ryan stepped out of the darkness, his expression one of cool, practiced indifference. He looked every bit the noble savior.
"Are you injured?" Ryan asked, his voice calm. "I am Ryan, and this is my brother, David. We heard your cries and came as fast as we could. I... am sorry for your friend." He gestured vaguely toward the half-eaten remains of the other boy.
"Thank you," Jasmine whispered, her face flushing despite her pain. She looked at Ryan—handsome, powerful, and clearly the leader. "I am Jasmine. My grandmother is a Professor at the West Wing Academy. She... she can reward you! You're going for admissions, right? She can help you!"
Ryan put on his best "modest" face. "No, how could we? It was simply my duty to help someone in need. I cannot take a reward for doing what is right."
Suddenly, a suffocating aura descended upon the forest. Leaves whipped into a frenzy as a silhouette flickered into view. An old woman stood there, wearing the prestigious insignia of the West Wing Academy.
"Jasmine! My child!" She rushed to her granddaughter, then snapped her head toward Ryan and David. The air grew heavy, the pressure of a Peak Gold Stage expert erupting. BOOM. "Who are you brats? How dare you touch her!"
David vanished, rematerializing instantly in front of Ryan. He unleashed his Silver Stage mana to shield them, his teeth gritted as he resisted the crushing weight. Sweat poured down his face, but he didn't budge.
"STOP! GRANDMA!" Jasmine yelled. "They saved me! It was Advin who hurt me—he ran North. Find that bastard and kill him! If not for Ryan and David, your granddaughter would be dead!"
The pressure vanished instantly. Olivia, the Professor, let out a long sigh, her eyes softening. David slumped slightly, catching his breath, but Ryan stood perfectly still. He hadn't even blinked in the face of her aura.
Olivia's eyes narrowed with genuine impression. She was a Master of Medicine Refining; she knew a steady heart when she saw one.
"I apologize, young men," Olivia said, her voice now respectful. "She is the last of my bloodline. I reacted poorly. I will not forget this grace. You are heading to the Academy, yes? I am Professor Olivia. If you ever need help with the refining department, find me."
"Understood, Ma'am," Ryan said with a polite bow. "We must be on our way. I am Ryan, and this is David."
They turned back toward their horses and departed without asking for another thing.
"Grandma," Jasmine asked, watching them leave. "Why didn't you just give them a recommendation? They wouldn't have to take the entrance test."
Olivia looked at the dust cloud left by the horses. "My child... you are still young. Do you think warriors with that level of cultivation need help passing a test?"
"What stage are they?" Jasmine asked. "Silver Stage Early Phase?"
Olivia chuckled. "The guard, David, is Early Phase. A genius in his own right. But the leader, Ryan..." She paused. "He is already in the Middle Phase of the Silver Stage."
Jasmine gasped. "What?! At his age? That's... that's a monster's talent."