A huge crowd slowly gathered near the entrance of Thunder Lord Shelter.
To them, Philip was a renowned gladiator, a warrior whose strength had been proven countless times.
Christopher, on the other hand, was a complete stranger.
An outsider.
An unknown.
The crowd looked at him the way one might look at a newly captured beast brought into an exhibition—curious, skeptical, and eager to see what it could do.
Philip stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Christopher.
"Get away from him," he said coldly.
His finger pointed directly at Silver.
"And never associate with him again."
His voice boomed across the courtyard like distant thunder.
Christopher looked at him calmly.
"And what if I don't?"
The crowd fell silent.
Silver nearly choked.
Who the hell talks to Philip like that?
His instincts were screaming.
We're dead.
Yet what came out of his mouth was far more diplomatic.
"Um... perhaps we can all be a little more polite?"
He leaned toward Christopher.
"It'll help both of us."
Christopher merely glanced at him.
Philip's expression darkened.
The surrounding spectators immediately erupted into discussion.
"Oh, this is going to be good."
"That outsider is insane."
"Does he even know who Philip is?"
"Maybe he's new."
"Or maybe he has a death wish."
Philip slowly raised his head.
Golden flames ignited within his eyes.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
His arms began mutating from the elbows downward.
Dark scales spread across his skin.
Ravenous claws emerged from his fingers.
A pair of massive demonic wings burst from his back.
The transformation sent a wave of pressure through the crowd.
"Today..."
Philip's voice deepened.
"You die."
Someone in the crowd gasped.
"Ember Seed!"
"Crimson Devil Claw!"
"Demon Dragon Wings!"
"He activated three abilities already!"
"That guy is finished."
"Finished? Philip isn't even serious yet."
Excitement spread through the spectators.
Many had already begun imagining the outcome.
Philip moved.
A blur.
His claws slashed toward Christopher with terrifying speed.
Yet Christopher didn't move.
He simply stared into Philip's eyes.
Then—
Something changed.
A strange feeling crept into Philip's mind.
Danger.
Pure danger.
Without hesitation, he abandoned his attack.
A defensive ability activated instantly.
A shield of crimson energy formed around him.
At the same time, his wings beat furiously as he shot upward.
The crowd was stunned.
"Retreat?"
"Why is Philip retreating?"
Before anyone could understand—
A crimson flame exploded from Christopher's body.
BOOM!
The air itself seemed to ignite.
The protective shield surrounding Philip shattered instantly.
Fragments of energy scattered through the sky.
Even after retreating early, Philip was still thrown backward.
Silver wasn't so lucky.
The blast wave sent him tumbling across the ground.
Several nearby spectators screamed and fled.
Others stumbled away in panic.
The heat alone was unbearable.
Within seconds, the area around Christopher was completely empty.
Nobody dared stand near him.
Silence descended.
Then whispers began.
"A mutant..."
"That has to be a mutant."
"What is a mutant doing in the Ashlands?"
"No Awakened can produce power like that."
"Who is he?"
"Who the hell is he?"
Philip hovered in the air.
His face had gone pale.
He had escaped.
Barely.
If he had committed to that strike—
He didn't want to imagine the result.
Meanwhile, Christopher looked completely unconcerned.
As though nothing significant had happened.
He casually walked over to where Silver had landed.
"Get up."
Silver groaned.
"Easier said than done."
Christopher grabbed him by the collar and pulled him upright.
At that moment, a new voice echoed across the courtyard.
"What's all this noise?"
Everyone looked up.
Far above, standing on a balcony overlooking the shelter, was Thunder Lord herself.
Her gaze swept across the crowd.
Then she noticed Philip hovering in the air.
His transformation was still active.
His golden eyes were burning.
Yet his expression looked strangely shaken.
That alone was enough to surprise her.
Then she saw the man standing beside Silver.
Her eyes widened.
Christopher.
For a moment, she thought she was mistaken.
But no.
There was no way she could forget that face.
The man who had once ruined her plans.
The man who had created one of the most famous Ability Arts in the Barrens.
Christopher.
A strange mixture of emotions flashed through her eyes.
Christopher smiled.
"Is this not the one and only Princess Rihanna?"
The crowd froze.
Princess?
Rihanna?
They stared at Thunder Lord in disbelief.
Very few people knew her actual name.
Even fewer knew anything about her family.
The discussions immediately exploded.
"He knows Thunder Lord?"
"He called her Rihanna!"
"Who is this guy?"
"Wait..."
A realization spread through the crowd.
"Christopher?"
"Artmaster Christopher?"
"No way."
"He can't be."
"Why not?"
"Because Artmaster Christopher would never travel with Silver."
"Good point."
"Still..."
The uncertainty only grew.
Thunder Lord ignored everyone.
"Follow me."
She turned and walked away.
Christopher shrugged and followed.
Silver hurried after them.
The interior of the shelter's central fortress was far quieter than the chaos outside.
As they walked through the halls, Christopher suddenly spoke.
"Your boy is good."
Thunder Lord glanced at him.
"Philip?"
Christopher nodded.
"Most people would have died."
Silver listened carefully.
Christopher rarely praised anyone.
"The moment I prepared Fire Raven," Christopher continued, "he noticed."
Thunder Lord raised an eyebrow.
"Noticed?"
"His eyes were already transformed."
Christopher smiled faintly.
"He saw the change and retreated immediately."
"That takes instinct."
Thunder Lord nodded.
Even she couldn't deny it.
Philip had survived something that should have killed him.
The group continued walking.
Eventually, they reached a teleportation chamber.
Silver's eyes widened.
At the center stood an enormous teleportation platform.
Its surface was covered in glowing runes.
A VIP Teleportation Array.
The kind of thing he had only heard about.
Christopher suddenly handed him a small box.
"Take this."
Silver accepted it.
"What is it?"
"You'll know later."
Christopher waved his hand dismissively.
"If you ever reach Crystal Cloud, show it to the right people."
Silver carefully stored the box away.
Then he looked toward the teleportation platform.
His heart raced.
A VIP teleport.
Just using it once would save weeks of travel.
He slowly walked toward it.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Then—
"Don't even dare."
A cold voice sounded behind him.
Silver froze.
He didn't even need to turn around.
There was only one person who spoke to him in that tone.
Thunder Lord.
Slowly, Silver looked over his shoulder.
Thunder Lord stood with her arms crossed.
Her eyes were fixed on him.