The corridors of the VIP sector were lined with velvet carpets that swallowed the sound of footsteps, creating a suffocating silence that did nothing to dampen the noise in Arthev's mind.
He walked calmly, the golden token of the Crown Prince cool against his palm. To an outsider, he looked like a lucky mercenary who had just struck the deal of a lifetime.
Inside his subconscious, however, the monsters were restless.
"That Prince," Matatabi's voice flickered like a blue flame, elegant and sharp. "His energy signature was wrong. Masked. Layered with Soul Bones and external tools. But underneath? It was bright. Too bright. Like holy fire."
"Hah!" Shukaku let out a harsh, rasping laugh. "Forget the pretty boy. What about the two guards hiding in the shadows?"
The One-Tail grinned in the dark.
"They were itching to kill you, kid. I could smell the ozone coming off them. Titled Douluos. Level 92. Maybe 93."
Arthev didn't break stride. His face remained a mask of indifference as he pushed open the heavy oak doors.
'Snake Lance and Porcupinefish,' Arthev thought, identifying them instantly. 'And the Prince is Qian Renxue. The Seraphim.'
He stepped out of the Great Spirit Arena and into the cool night air of Heaven Dou City. The streetlights cast long, distorted shadows against the cobblestones, and the roar of the crowd faded into a dull hum behind him.
'You were very calm,' Isobu spoke quietly, his voice bubbling like deep water. 'Their pressure was heavy. Most Level 40 Soul Masters would have fainted just standing near that room.'
Arthev adjusted his collar as he merged into the flow of late-night revelers.
"Pressure?"
He kept walking, unhurried.
"Why should I fear the wind when I carry the storm?"
'Cocky brat,' Shukaku snorted.
'Not cocky,' Arthev corrected internally.
'You three are calamities given form. If I released you at the same time,even a Super Douluo at Level 98 would struggle to contain the fallout. Compared to that... a pressure tactic from two bodyguards is nothing more than a breeze against a mountain.'
He wasn't arrogant. He was simply aware of the nuclear arsenal he carried.
-------
VIP Suite 1 – Ten Minutes Later
CLICK.
The heavy lock slid into place.
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe sat down. The benevolent, brotherly smile vanished from his face instantly.
It was replaced by a look of cold, calculating indifference.
"Come out," she commanded softly.
Shadows warped on the wall.
Two figures emerged. One tall and lanky with a serpentine staff; the other stout, skin covered in faint bristles.
Snake Lance Douluo. Porcupinefish Douluo.
"Your Highness," Snake Lance bowed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "That boy... was dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Xue Qinghe took a sip of tea, her golden eyes narrowing. "He is a Level 35 child. Talented, yes. But dangerous to us?"
"It wasn't his rank," Porcupinefish grunted.
"When I released my killing intent, enough to make a Soul King wet himself, but he didn't even blink. His heart rate didn't spike. His breathing didn't hitch."
"He looked at us," Snake Lance added, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Not at you, Young Miss. He looked past you, into the shadows where we were hiding. And he didn't look afraid."
Snake Lance shivered.
"He looked bored."
CLINK.
The teacup froze halfway to Xue Qinghe's lips.
"Bored?"
"It felt like looking at a sleeping beast," Snake Lance admitted. "I have not felt a sensation like that since facing the Grand Priest."
Xue Qinghe set the cup down slowly. Her eyes glittered with a terrifying light. She had thought she was recruiting a talented pawn.
Instead, she might have just invited a monster into her home.
"Interesting," she whispered.
She tapped her finger on the table. Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Let him join the Second Team. Let the nobles test him. If he is a spy, he will break under pressure."
Her lips curled up into a beautiful, cruel smile.
"And if he doesn't break... then I will make him mine."
-------
The Next Morning
The sun rose over the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, illuminating the majestic campus built into the mountainside. White marble buildings gleamed amongst the greenery, and the air smelled of pine and immense wealth.
It was a place designed to remind you that you were small.
Arthev walked up the main path. He had discarded the "Sage" persona. Today, he wore a simple, high-collared black outfit. Functional. Sharp.
At the massive iron gates, two guards in polished silver armor crossed their spears.
CLANG.
"HALT."
One guard sneered, looking Arthev up and down. "This is the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, peasant. Deliveries are around the back."
Arthev stopped.
He didn't get angry. He didn't argue.
He simply reached into his pocket.
FLASH.
Gold glinted in the morning sun.
The Imperial Token.
Stamped with the Swan of the Royal Family.
The sneer vanished from the guard's face. His eyes bulged.
"T-That's..."
"A personal commendation from the Crown Prince," Arthev said, his voice flat. "Is my clothing still an issue?"
Panic. Pure panic.
THUD.
The guard stumbled back, bowing so low his helmet nearly smashed into his breastplate.
"M-MY APOLOGIES, MY LORD! I WAS BLIND! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!"
"Please, there is no need for titles," Arthev said with a gentle, diplomatic smile, pocketing the token. "You were simply doing your duty. Now, point me to the Board of Education?"
"YES! TOP FLOOR! RIGHT AWAY!"
Arthev nodded and walked past the trembling guards.
'Smooth,' Shukaku cackled in his head. 'I would have just eaten his legs.'
'Diplomacy is a sharper blade, Shukaku,' Arthev replied.
-------
Board of Education Office
Arthev reached the top of the stairs and stood before the massive double doors. He straightened his clothes, took a breath, and knocked.
"Enter," a deep voice boomed.
Arthev stepped inside.
The room was oppressive. Three elderly men sat behind a wide mahogany desk. In the center was Meng Shen-Ji, the head of the Board, a Soul Contra of immense power.
Arthev walked to the center of the room and bowed perfectly. "Student Arthev greets the three Education Committee members."
Meng Shen-Ji looked up from his papers. He exchanged a glance with his colleagues.
"Rise," Meng Shen-Ji said. "So, you are the Sage His Highness recommended."
"Sage was merely a codename, Elder."
"The Prince claims you are a prodigy," Meng Shen-Ji leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "He says you defeated a Level 39 Soul Master while being only Level 35 yourself."
"I was lucky," Arthev said modestly. "My opponent underestimated me."
"Luck does not work three times in a row."
Meng Shen-Ji's eyes narrowed.
"This Academy values true strength. Not recommendations."
BOOM.
Without warning, Meng Shen-Ji released his Soul Power.
It wasn't an attack. It was pure, suffocating pressure. The air in the room turned to lead. A wave of force capable of crushing a Soul Ancestor descended directly onto Arthev.
CRACK.
The floorboards under Arthev's feet groaned.
The other two elders watched closely, waiting for the boy to buckle, to sweat, to kneel.
But...
Arthev didn't move.
He stood like a willow tree in a storm, flexible, rooted, and unbreakable. His expression didn't change. He didn't even blink.
'Is this it?' Arthev thought.
Compared to the tailed beast aura? This was a gentle massage.
Ten seconds passed.
Twenty.
Meng Shen-Ji's stern face slowly broke into a grin.
WHOOSH.
The pressure vanished.
"EXCELLENT!"
The old man slammed his hand on the desk. "A solid foundation! Unwavering will! Most students would be on the floor by now!"
Arthev exhaled a breath he didn't need to hold. "Thank you for your guidance, Elder."
"Humility and strength. Rare," Meng Shen-Ji nodded, pleased. "You are accepted. You are assigned to the Heaven Dou Imperial Team, Second Division."
He slid a uniform across the desk.
"But be warned," Meng Shen-Ji added, his tone turning serious. "The students there are nobles. They are... spirited. They do not like outsiders."
Arthev took the uniform with both hands.
"I understand," Arthev said softly. "I will do my best to get along."
He bowed one last time and exited the room.
As the door clicked shut, the politeness vanished from Arthev's eyes.
'Get along with them,' Isobu whispered. 'That sounds nice.'
'He means don't break their bones when they try to bully you,' Shukaku clarified.
Arthev adjusted his new uniform under his arm, walking toward the West Courtyard.
If they stood between him and his goals?
Well.
Accident might happens.
To be continued...