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Chapter 412 - [412] The Crisis of Familia Division

Early morning at Twilight Manor.

Eiji was practicing his sword alone in silence.

His swings were as fast as lightning, making anyone who watched feel their scalp tingle, not daring to confront him.

Strangely, as time passed, the disturbance caused by each swing grew increasingly smaller. At first, sharp whistling sounds could be heard, but now one had to strain their ears to catch the faintest whisper, like a cat's breath.

This was utterly unbelievable.

Both Ais and Tiona, being Level 6, could easily break the sound barrier with every strike, but this also meant their sword swings and punches created increasingly louder disturbances.

Eiji was the complete opposite. As he continued to improve, the commotion from each swing diminished further, challenging conventional understanding.

"You've grown much stronger," Ais approached, her eyes brimming with undisguised envy.

She knew a little about the Twin Wings Style. Though she couldn't master it, she understood its terrifying potential.

The quieter Eiji's swings became, the closer he was to reaching its pinnacle.

When the sound of wind completely vanished, it would mean he had achieved the zenith of this sword style, truly mastering the Twin Wings Style.

"How much did you improve last night?" Ais asked him.

"Around seven or eight hundred points in total."

Though the question was vague, Eiji instantly grasped her meaning.

He had updated his status the previous night. After the battle in the artificial dungeon, his proficiency had increased by about eight hundred points.

"That's amazing…" Ais lowered her head, her eyes slightly downcast.

She had also updated her status, but her total gains amounted to just over sixty points.

For an Level 6 adventurer, gaining sixty points in one go would make peers green with envy. But comparisons are odious—next to Eiji's eight-hundred-point leap, her improvement seemed trivial.

"The opponents still aren't enough," Eiji stopped his practice swings, deeply dissatisfied.

He craved stronger foes, fiercer battles to push himself further and grow at an even faster pace.

"Let's have breakfast first."

"Alright."

The clock struck seven.

The two ended their morning training and headed for the dining hall.

In the past, Eiji would need to wash off his sweat after morning practice. But as his stamina improved, a single session no longer left him breathless, and he no longer bothered with the bathhouse.

"Tiona, Tione… where have you two been?"

At the dining hall entrance, they ran into the Amazon sisters.

Ais stared at them in shock.

They were covered in blood, their bodies riddled with wounds, some even showing signs of fractures.

At first glance, it seemed they had encountered enemies, but their relaxed expressions suggested otherwise, leaving the two bewildered.

"We were training!" Tiona grinned, as bright as ever.

"Training?"

Looking at their injuries, Ais began to waver.

She started questioning whether her understanding of the word "training" was flawed. Was training supposed to be this lethal?

Some of their wounds were severe enough that a little more force could have killed them on the spot!

"That's just how we train."

Tione wore an utterly indifferent expression.

"Amazons from Telskyura are all like this."

Fighting nonstop until completely exhausted—or until one side perished!

That was the way of the Amazons in the Kali Familia.

"No wonder they reached Level 6 at such a young age."

Eiji felt a momentary daze.

These Amazon sisters had grown up in such an environment, possessing a ruthlessness that ran bone-deep.

Just like he once had.

But as he grew stronger, that very ruthlessness had gradually faded from him.

'I need to be more like them.'

He silently resolved, 'I must reclaim that ferocity.'

Indeed.

If he wanted to grow stronger quickly, there was only one place he needed to go.

"This is too much!"

"Those words are completely unacceptable from a comrade!"

As they entered the dining hall, a chaotic scene unfolded before them.

Raul slammed the table in anger, Alicia's face was clouded with gloom, and the surrounding members had gathered around them, all seething with indignation.

"What's going on here?"

"Mr. Eiji, Miss Ais, you've come at the perfect time!"

"Why the sudden honorifics?"

"I believe Mr. Eiji, who led us out of the artificial dungeon, is a truly admirable person!"

Raul looked at Eiji with eyes full of admiration and reverence before his expression twisted with anger again.

"Compared to that werewolf, who's gone way too far!"

Werewolf?

Bete?

This was the first time Eiji had seen Raul dare to call him that.

What had he done?

"Mr. Eiji, do you know? When we found the bodies of Line and the others, that werewolf actually called them trash, worthless—saying they died because they were weak and didn't deserve any sympathy! How could anyone who says such things still be considered a comrade?!"

The group gritted their teeth in fury.

This had happened when Riveria returned to the artificial dungeon with reinforcements and discovered the bodies of Line and the other three. While everyone else was grieving, Bete alone had viciously insulted the deceased, showing not an ounce of compassion, as if they had never been his comrades at all.

Eiji frowned.

Had the werewolf really said those things?

Unbelievable... Eiji had always known Bete was a tsundere, but to say such things in front of everyone? No matter what, openly insulting fallen comrades was going too far!

"Hah?"

The white-haired werewolf youth strode into the dining hall.

"What's wrong with calling trash what it is?"

Bathed in countless furious and hateful glares, he lifted his chin with a cold sneer.

"Do you truly mean those words?"

Eiji's gaze locked onto him.

Ais also furrowed her delicate brows, her expression showing clear displeasure.

Though they had coexisted for years, Bete had never been popular within the Familia. Now, with Eiji and Ais stepping forward, Raul and the others unleashed a torrent of condemnation.

"He's always been this arrogant!"

"Completely out of line!"

"He doesn't deserve to be our comrade!"

Facing these accusations, Bete said nothing, merely continuing his cold smirk.

As if he'd ever lower himself to their level.

Eiji could practically hear the thought in his mind.

And because of that, he couldn't help but massage his temples.

One troublesome matter after another.

The Familia had just endured grief—now it faced the threat of division.

At a time when everyone should be pooling their strength, must you stir up trouble now?

"Enough, leave this matter to Finn. I trust he'll handle it appropriately."

Eiji waved his hand, silencing the crowd's accusations.

Mentioning Finn's name managed to suppress their anger somewhat, but they still glared at Bete with resentment.

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