Merin returns that evening. He opens the door and steps inside.
"Who is it?" his mother calls out from the kitchen.
"It's me," he replies.
She recognises his voice immediately. "Adam, you didn't say you were coming back."
"My training's done," he says, slipping off his shoes. "So I decided to return."
She steps into view, wiping her hands on a towel. "I'm cooking dinner."
Merin nods. "I'll head to my room."
She nods back, and he walks past her.
In the days that follow, Merin stays home with his family, quietly continuing his training, trying to harmonise the conflicting forces of fire and ice within his true energy.
But progress is slow, and the balance still eludes him.
Even so, Merin can feel the improvement day by day, his true energy edges closer to harmonising fire and ice. Any time now, he feels, the breakthrough to the upper unification realm will come.
He also trains the Ice God Palm and, after relentless effort, masters all four moves. Now, he begins experimenting, trying to replace the ice energy with fire, reshaping the technique from its foundation.
A week remains before he leaves Terrilyn City.
One afternoon, as he trains behind the family mansion, he hears a voice calling out, "Brother!"
Merin exhales sharply. "Asa, I told you not to disturb me when I'm training."
"But brother," Asa says, running up to him, "a pretty girl came to meet you."
Merin's brows furrow. None of his female friends should be visiting—not without calling first.
"Who?" he asks.
Asa shakes her head, her ringlets bouncing. "I don't know, but her hair is platinum blonde and her eyes are emerald. And she's gorgeous."
Recognition flashes in Merin's eyes—he knows only one woman with that description. But what is she doing here?
Curious, he walks inside to find Evelyn seated gracefully on the living room sofa, a female guard standing silently behind her.
"Evelyn," Merin says, surprised.
Evelyn rises as she notices him. "Adam, I'm sorry for coming unannounced."
Merin waves a hand and takes a seat across from her, gesturing for her to sit as well.
Once she's seated, he asks, "How are you?"
"I'm fine. And you?" she replies.
"I'm alright," Merin says, then leans slightly forward. "But did you need something?"
Evelyn nods. "Yes."
"What is it?" he asks, genuinely curious. The Manford family, one of the top families, had no reason to involve someone like him.
A lower unification realm martial artist was insignificant to them, especially now that he knew the truth: the Manfords had a Demon Hunter cultivator in the Demon Weaver Realm, a realm even beyond King Kong. He couldn't imagine what role he could play.
Evelyn answers, "In two days, my family is hosting a celebration. I came to invite you personally."
Merin nods. "Alright. What time should I come?"
Evelyn replies, "Be ready by seven in the evening. I'll come pick you up."
Merin shakes his head. "No need. Just give me the address—I'll go on my own."
She hesitates, then says quietly, "I want you to come with me... as my date."
Merin raises an eyebrow, surprised by the request. A woman like her—beautiful, powerful, from a prestigious family—could have anyone she wanted on her arm.
Evelyn lowers her gaze. "You're the first person I've ever asked. And... you haven't even asked why."
Merin lets out a helpless smile and shakes his head. "I'm not saying no. I just want to know—why me?"
He meets her piercing green eyes. "You must have plenty of people lined up, hoping to be your date."
Evelyn answers softly, "Because you're asking why… and not saying yes right away. That's exactly why I want it to be you."
Merin understands. Most would chase her for her family name, for the power and status that came with it. Truthfully, if he hadn't awakened his past memories, he might've done the same.
He still finds her beautiful—he'd be lying to deny that—but if he were to date her, it would never be for her name.
He doesn't ask for anything more.
"Alright," he says with a nod. "I'll be ready by seven."
A few minutes after Evelyn leaves, Merin's mother and sister walk into the room, both wearing curious expressions.
His sister leans in and asks, "Brother, who was that?"
Merin replies casually, "Just a friend."
His mother raises an eyebrow. "Just a friend? I heard her ask you to be her date for some party."
Merin shrugs. "She just wants a companion for the evening. That's all."
His sister steps closer, her face right in front of his. "What's her name? I'm going to look her up."
Their mother nods eagerly. "Yes, tell us. What's her name?"
Merin sighs. "Evelyn Manford."
His sister repeats under her breath, "Evelyn Manford…" and immediately starts typing on her phone.
His mother's expression shifts the moment she hears the name. "Son… her family name is Manford?"
Before Merin can answer, his sister chimes in, "Yes, Mom. Her surname is Manford—and she's the daughter of Severin Manford."
His mother's eyes widen. "Isn't he—?"
"She's the daughter of one of the cabinet councillors," his sister finishes, eyes still glued to her screen.
Their mother turns to Merin, wide-eyed and anxious. "How do you even know someone like her?"
Merin doesn't mention saving Evelyn's life. He simply says, "I met her in Greenview Town."
His mother frowns. "Can't you say no to her?"
His sister furrows her brow. "Why would he?"
Their mother sighs. "Because of the difference in status."
But his sister quickly retorts, "What status difference? Brother is already a Unification Realm martial artist, and soon he'll be a member of the Karst Energy Research Centre in Nova Super City. Their status might be different now, but once he becomes a King Kong Realm martial artist and a research fellow, they won't be far apart at all."
His mother hesitates, worry written across her face. "Even so…"
Merin understands where her concern is coming from. She still hasn't adjusted to their sudden rise in status after he broke through to the Unification Realm.
They used to live in a modest middle-class apartment.
Now, they live in a mansion—one he bought just a few days after his first few hunts.
The previous owner even gave them a discount after learning Merin was a Unification Realm martial artist.
He smiles and says gently, "Don't worry, Mom. I'm not really dating her. I'm just going as a friend."
They talk for a little while longer before Merin excuses himself to the back garden to train.
There, he begins practising the Ice God Palm—but instead of using ice true energy, he channels fire.
He performs the first move of the technique, forming an orange flame palm in the air.
The first palm is easy, but the second proves far more difficult.
To execute it, he needs to increase the heat of the fire while keeping it stable, so it doesn't explode before making contact.
He pauses, brows furrowed, thinking through the structure of that fire itself.
First, he must understand how to raise its temperature—and how to prevent it from collapsing.
True energy gathers in his palm, forming a smooth, transparent sphere.
The sphere darkens to orange as heat surges through it, and a flickering flame forms above his hand.
This flame exists only because of his breathing technique—and it's already at its limit.
To evolve it, he must understand the essence of Karst energy at a deeper level.
His knowledge is limited, but not useless.
Using what he knows, he makes a minor adjustment to the energy's internal pattern.
The flame burns hotter—its colour sharpening—but then detonates in a violent pop.
He winces and tries again, changing the spiral of the inner current.
This time, the fire fizzles out immediately.
Again and again, he modifies the structure, testing one configuration after another.
Each failure brings him closer to a form stable enough for the second move.
Merin follows his daily training routine, but on the day of the party, he finishes early.
By six-thirty, he's ready—dressed neatly, hair styled, and waiting in anticipation.
It's not his first date, not in this life or the last, but it's the first time he's going out with someone so stunning.
He finds himself imagining what it would be like to truly date her.
After all, who wouldn't want to be with a beautiful girl when they're single?
At 6:55, he hears the car horn outside.
He stands, calls out, "Mother, I'm leaving!" and heads for the door.
As he steps outside and approaches the car, he stops, momentarily stunned.
She looks radiant.
"Merin says, "You look beautiful."
She smiles with quiet confidence. "Thank you. And you look handsome too."
He climbs into the seat beside her, still trying to shake the sudden awe.
A moment later, the car pulls away from the curb.
They talk softly, exchanging details about their day.
Merin asks who's invited to the party, and Evelyn tells him—almost everyone with power or influence in the city, and a few from beyond.
Minutes later, the car slows to a stop in front of a grand, brightly lit building.
One of Evelyn's bodyguards steps forward and opens the door.
Merin climbs out first, greeted instantly by a storm of flashing cameras.
He expected attention—but not this much.
When he turns and offers his hand to Evelyn, the flashes double in intensity.
She steps out with grace, and they begin walking side by side, her hand resting lightly on his arm.
The cameras track their every move, and the whispers ripple through the crowd.
People stare, trying to guess who he is—this unknown young man escorting the princess of the Manford family.