It was at this moment that Ray finally learned the full details from the four leaders—that he still had the chance to change houses again. Yet, there was not even a flicker of hesitation in his heart. He had chosen this house on purpose. One of the main reasons was the formation, but now that he knew Aries led the house, his resolve only deepened. If anything, he was even less willing to leave.
Just as those thoughts settled, Ray felt a light tug from behind. He turned slightly and saw Alice gripping the hem of his clothes with both hands, her small fingers clenched tightly, silently begging him not to go. The bustling surroundings seemed to fade for a brief moment as Ray looked at the bubbly little girl. A gentle smile curved onto his lips.
"I am not leaving," Ray said softly.
Only then did Alice's face light up completely, her smile growing wide with pure joy, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her heart. She had only one true friend—Ray. Although she considered her cousin Aries a friend, a sister, and even a master, Aries was family first. To Alice, Ray was her very first friend outside of relatives, and that distinction meant everything to her.
Ray then shifted his gaze toward Arisa. Sensing his attention, Arisa looked back, meeting his eyes calmly, waiting to see what he wanted. Ray tapped lightly on his wristwatch, typing out a short message. After reading it, Arisa's expression softened, and she nodded almost imperceptibly—she had already made her decision.
Not long after, the leaders began moving away, each returning to their respective houses to secure positions for the top fifty candidates, making sure their foundations remained strong.
Ray turned and noticed Ryan nearby. Walking up to him, Ray placed a hand on his shoulder, the gesture familiar and friendly.
"What are you going to do, my friend?" Ray asked. "Are you planning on leaving?"
Ryan let out a wry smile, one filled with resignation rather than regret.
"I can't. My mother will kill me if I leave Venus House," he said. "The Formation Sect has built the formation tower here."
Ray chuckled softly. "Sect Leader Mira has a good son who listens to her," he said teasingly. "Is your future wife joining you, or is she going to stay on Mars?"
Ryan sighed, glancing briefly in Grace's direction before looking away.
"I think she's going to stay at Mars. Our mothers have been sworn sisters and best friends since they were young. That's why they promised that if one had a son and the other a daughter of similar age, they'd marry us off."
He paused, his voice steady but thoughtful.
"And until we're actually married, she probably won't choose to come here. I'm okay with that. Since I'm not going there either, she's fine staying put."
Ryan continued, his tone turning slightly nostalgic.
"I have a few siblings—all older brothers. Grace also had only older brothers until she was born. We were close in age, so we played together a lot. That's when our mothers noticed us and decided we could be married. They even performed a small engagement ceremony. We'll marry when we turn sixteen."
Ray smiled faintly and looked toward Grace. She was already watching Ryan, her eyes lingering on him longer than she probably realized. The moment she noticed Ray looking her way, she quickly turned her head, pretending to focus on something else. Ray's smile widened.
'If another push can be done, maybe Grace will come to our house,' Ray thought quietly.
His attention shifted as he noticed Aries busy persuading several top fifty candidates to remain with her house. Her voice was calm but firm, and from time to time she offered special incentives—ones hard to refuse—hoping they would stay loyal even if rival leaders approached them later.
Ray raised his voice slightly.
"Sister Aries!"
Aries turned back, finishing her conversation with the last candidate before smiling warmly. She began walking toward Ray, Ryan, and Alice. The moment she approached, Ryan's eyes practically sparkled with excitement, while Grace's expression twisted into obvious jealousy. Ray chuckled inwardly.
'I knew it.'
"Sister Aries," Ray said with a relaxed smile, "I didn't know you were a house leader."
Aries smiled proudly. "I became a house leader last year."
Then, her expression shifted into something more serious.
"Ray, I need your help."
Ray nodded lightly. "As long as it's within my means, I can help," he replied. "But don't ask me to be in the spotlight."
Both Aries and Alice giggled at that, fully aware of how much Ray despised attention.
"It might put you in the spotlight anyway," Aries admitted. "As you heard, we're in trouble. Some of our top candidates betrayed us, and we're in a pinch. I need your help talking to the Inventor Guild and arranging those wristwatches."
Ray smiled calmly. "I can do that," he said. "But they can't be sold for 100% contribution points. It has to be 50% contribution points and 50% spiritual crystal stones."
Aries nodded without hesitation. "Thank you. That helps a lot."
"Well," Ray added, his eyes glinting slightly, "you're lucky, Big Sis Aries. I think there's a fifty-fifty chance we'll get two top ten candidates soon."
Aries stiffened slightly when Ray called her 'sis,' clearly startled, but genuine surprise quickly replaced it when she heard his next words.
"Two more top ten?" she asked, disbelief clear in her tone.
Ray smiled and glanced toward the other house leaders.
"They're done securing their houses and will start moving around soon. You should go and offer properly to the other candidates. I left you a message on your wristwatch—give them a little push. Maybe they'll come over."
Aries nodded immediately and started walking, her eyes scanning the message as she read it. The moment she saw the two names, her eyes sparkled with excitement. Without hesitation, she headed straight toward Mars House.
As she left, Ryan frowned slightly.
"What did she mean by the Inventor Guild?" he asked. "And what wristwatch?"
Ray chuckled softly, already expecting the question. He wasn't planning to explain everything yet. He wanted Ryan to grow more curious, to observe him a little longer—to see whether Ryan was someone worth doing business with.
"I'm from the Inventor Guild," Ray said casually. "So I'll try to negotiate with them and allow Big Sis Aries to sell the wristwatches."
Alice, standing nearby, couldn't stop herself from giggling. She knew the truth—that Ray himself was the inventor of the wristwatch and needed no permission at all.
Ryan, unaware of this, nodded thoughtfully. He didn't question it further but silently resolved to watch closely and see whether Ray could truly deliver.
Meanwhile, Ray's smile faded slightly as he sensed movement ahead. Three other house leaders had already stepped out from their respective houses, heading toward others with clear intent—to extend invitations.
'Looks like the real test begins now,' Ray thought, calmly preparing how he would refuse them—without drawing unnecessary attention to himself.