Chapter 103 - Echoes Before The Summit
Zenith Vista House 002
A low hum filled the chamber—the distinct vibration of the teleportation array settling into silence after completing its transfer cycle. The blue glow of the runic platform dimmed until only faint streaks of light clung to the metallic surface, like dying embers refusing to fade.
Ruby Hale and Minji Xiao stepped out together, still in conversation after parting ways with Lady Nina. Their pace was unhurried, the rhythm of two warriors finally tasting a moment of calm after the relentless demands of the Expanse.
Minji stretched, her arms above her head as she let out a sigh of satisfaction.
"Ahhh… it's been so long since I've had a proper breakfast cooked by her hands. Lady Nina's spread was incredible. If I had to eat another slab of half-burnt roasted beast meat from the Expanse, I swear my brain was going to melt."
Ruby chuckled, nodding. "I know exactly what you mean."
A comfortable silence followed for a few steps, until Ruby's eyes flickered with thought. She slowed her stride and said quietly, almost testing the waters,
"By the way… did you also get the invitation? From the Human Government?"
Minji blinked, then smirked. "For the pre-tournament summit? Yeah. Arrived two days ago. I even confirmed with James—he got one as well." She shrugged. "Kaleb's skipping though. Instructor Verina Hale hasn't released him from training yet. Poor guy's practically chained to her schedule."
Ruby's lips curved knowingly. "I heard the guest list is massive this year. They're pulling in not just top hunters but even controversial figures. Rejected Winter's coming. Drew. Taejin. A whole wave of big names."
Minji's eyes brightened with a spark of anticipation, but before she could comment further, she tilted her head. "Anyway… I should let you rest. You look like you're about to collapse. I'll go check in on Kai before heading to bed."
Ruby's grin sharpened. Ruby always tried to keep her teasing reserved, but Minji? Minji never missed a chance , but this time Ruby isn't letting this chance slip.
Ruby leaned in with mock innocence and whispered:
"Uh-huh, sure. Go on, check on Kai. Don't worry, I promise I won't peek. You two can handle your personal matters in peace."
Minji froze, then turned with a sharp glare, her cheeks flushing faintly. "Ruby!"
Ruby waved her hand dramatically. "No, no, don't mind me. I'll just pretend I heard nothing."
Minji huffed, but her lips betrayed a tiny upward curve. She turned on her shoes and started down the staircase, muttering just loud enough for Ruby to hear,
"You should learn how to tease properly before trying it on me."
Ruby's laughter echoed in the hallway, but when Minji's footsteps disappeared below, the mirth left her expression. She leaned against the wall for a moment, wondering aloud,
"Was I really that bad at it?"
Shaking her head, she pushed the thought aside, retreating to her room. Sleep claimed her quickly, though her dreams were restless.
Meanwhile, Minji descended into the underground training hall, each step echoing softly against the steel-carved stairs. She expected silence—a faint hum of cultivation essence in the air, maybe Kai sitting cross-legged in serene meditation, aura calm and composed like still water.
But the moment she stepped through the arched doorway, the breath caught in her throat.
The hall was alive.
The vast chamber, built of obsidian-reinforced alloy and runes carved into every inch of its floor, trembled as shockwaves rippled across it. What should have been a place of quiet discipline was instead a storm of motion, violence, and sheer power.
At the heart of it, Moon and Kai clashed—not in the familiar rhythm of casual sparring, but in a frenzy that defied their usual boundaries. Their movements were sharper, wilder, each testing the other in ways Minji had never seen before.
Moon was like thunder incarnate, his every step a declaration of force. His strikes came fast and merciless, fists like meteor hammers, kicks like thunder cracking across the sky. Each blow radiated an intent to break, to overwhelm, to dominate.
Kai was the ocean—ever-shifting, ever-adapting. He caught Moon's attacks at impossible angles, bending force into redirection, never meeting strength with strength, but turning it against its source. His movements had no waste, no hesitation. He was defense sharpened into an artform, as fluid as it was unyielding.
And they weren't alone.
A bellowing roar tore across the chamber, rattling the walls. From the left, a massive white tiger, its sleek fur streaked with luminous blue markings, lunged with earth-shaking force. Its claws tore grooves across the metallic tiles as it charged, eyes glowing with primal sovereignty.
Opposite it, a black wolf, its fur lined with faint crimson streaks that shimmered like molten veins, met the challenge head-on. Golden eyes blazed with feral determination as its massive frame surged forward. The two beasts collided mid-charge, the sound like colliding avalanches. Claw met fang, essence flared, and the training hall thundered with their battle cries.
The ground quaked. Dust cascaded from the ceiling as their monstrous forms battered against each other, their sheer size dwarfing any human. They were predators beyond the natural order, each no less than a polar bear in bulk, yet moving with terrifying agility.
For a heartbeat, Minji forgot to breathe.
Then—
Moon bent his knees, essence surging to his legs, and launched himself skyward. The air cracked as his body blurred, twisting mid-flight into a spinning kick. His heel came screaming downward toward Kai's head, so sharp it tore a sonic ripple in the air.
Hiss! The strike sliced space itself, a downward arc brimming with destructive intent.
Kai's response was inhuman. His body shifted with a speed that seemed unreal, his hands blurring into a motion that defied ordinary anatomy. He caught Moon's descending ankle, not with brute force but with surgical precision, as though plucking a blade out of midair.
The motion didn't end there—Kai twisted. Essence flowed through his torso, guiding the force like a master redirecting a river. In one seamless movement, he spun his brother's body, flipping Moon a full one-eighty through the air, before slamming him down.
BOOM!
The ground buckled, the impact sending a seismic ripple through the entire chamber. Energy roared outward like a tidal wave, rattling the walls. The sheer force was apocalyptic—enough, Minji realized, to pulverize a planetary crust in a single heartbeat. Yet the floor beneath them remained pristine, the runes glowing faintly as they absorbed and nullified the devastation.
Moon growled, fury flashing in his eyes. Essence ignited across his veins like liquid thunder , his aura burning hotter, sharper, ready to counter with devastating force—
—but then his gaze shifted.
For the briefest moment, the storm within him calmed.
At the doorway, Minji stood frozen.
Her eyes were wide, caught between awe and disbelief. Her breath trembled in her throat, as though the raw spectacle of what she had just witnessed had stolen the very air from her lungs.
Moon's essence faltered. His battle fervor bled away the moment recognition struck. Kai, ever attuned to his brother, followed his line of sight. The fight fell apart, as though her presence alone had smothered the battlefield's fire.
The beasts, too, stilled mid-charge, their golden and azure eyes flicking toward the intruder at the gate. The thunder of combat subsided, leaving only the faint echo of breath, heartbeats, and the humming resonance of the runes that had endured a godlike clash.
But before Minji could speak, the two titanic beasts noticed her presence. In a blur of motion, the wolf and tiger leapt forward.
She raised her hand instinctively—then stopped.
Before her eyes, the massive forms shrank, essence folding inward until two smaller, familiar creatures landed gently on her shoulders. Snow, the white tiger cub, nestled against her neck, while Kuro, the black wolf, wagged his tail with childlike excitement.
Her lips parted in awe. "So… you two finally unlocked your adult forms."
Kai walked closer, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Happened about three months ago. Moon wanted to test his new techniques against me, so… here we are."
Minji scanned them all with her light essence, golden threads weaving across her vision. Their vitals pulsed steady, yet their essence reserves burned brighter than anything she had seen from them before—vast oceans compressed within mortal shells. Their physical strength alone had increased exponentially … perhaps more.
She exhaled slowly. "You two… you've already stepped into King level."
Her words carried both pride and disbelief.
Kai waved dismissively. "You hit King half a year ago. If anyone deserves congratulations, it's you."
Minji felt warmth rise to her cheeks. "That doesn't count. Ruby achieved it too, and without her support, I'd never have managed so quickly."
Moon, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. His voice was low, deliberate.
"Forget that for a moment. Minji, I received this."
He tossed her a sleek communication device. Its screen glowed with an official seal.
Minji's eyes narrowed as she scanned the message.
"…Strange. I didn't think they'd invite you two. Not that your strength is lacking, but—truthfully—you're not… popular yet."
Her brows furrowed, and then a thought struck her. She looked up sharply, suspicion glinting.
"Wait. Don't tell me… did your sugar mommy put your names forward? The way she sent you that essence fluid—she's either filthy rich or the head of some massive guild or company. Which one is it?"
Kai groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "For the hundredth time—it's not a woman. It's an old man. And I can't tell you more than that. Not yet."
Minji smirked, clearly unconvinced. "Mhm. Sure." She made a show of pressing him for details, but both brothers simply ignored her, gathering their beasts and equipment.
Moments later, they left the training hall, retreating into her room.
James had yet to return from the Expanse. Until then, the night was theirs to rest.
But somewhere in the back of Minji's mind, unease lingered.
Why had the Human Government extended invitations to Moon and Kai, when their fame was still so muted , and how did they ever come to find out about these two?
And who exactly was the mysterious benefactor they kept refusing to talk about?
To be continued…