His looks were calm, and this is what made him surprised by this, as he looked around without the ability to speak normally, and was forced to speak in his heart:
"What the hell is this place? Where am I? Why am I so calm? By the Creator of Hell!
His tone was full of confusion as he tried to understand the situation he was in.
He found himself heading towards the gate on his own, without the ability to control his legs, and signs of realization appeared on his face as he looked at it carefully, then he spoke in his heart in shock:
"It's the same portal I used to see in my dreams!" Did I lose consciousness or what?
He sighed inwardly with embarrassment. Losing consciousness in front of a group of people of different races and high positions in society would be extremely disastrous for him.
He turned his attention again, and found himself in front of the gate, and discovered that there was something written on it in a language that he had never seen before in his life, but he was able to understand it:
\[The gatekeepers are locked, the tunnels are buried, and the secrets are hidden.
Bearer of the sword and keeper of secrets, performer of trust, remove the chains and open the doors.
Freedom, fight for honor, and respect those who respect.
Today a person is honored and promoted, and tomorrow he is humiliated and humiliated. The fall of today does not mean the fall of tomorrow.
One day you are locked behind doors, buried deep in tunnels, hidden among hidden secrets.
Honesty has emerged after it has fully matured, and the time has come to restore glory.\]
Amin did not understand anything, but he found his body bowing respectfully to the gate, holding a sword of an aura the likes of which he had never seen in his life.
While he spoke unwillingly, in a voice full of determination and submission:
"I am honored that I did my duty. "I am faithful, a guardian where angels cry waterfalls of tears."
Amin was confused as he heard himself saying those words. To him, they were a fantasy within a fantasy.
The sword disappeared again, yet he didn't care, and this made him even more confused on the inside.
He raised his head to find one of the chains completely shattering into a mist of gray and gold, and his strength began to increase, breaking through to the rank of expert ruler at once, out of six chains.
However, his body began to convulse with great force, and he vomited a large amount of blood due to the shock that his body experienced. He was not like Seok, whose body had to endure being penetrated several times.
However, even Seok himself wouldn't break through several ranks at once, as he would have died from shock, not just fallen into a coma until the end of the festival.
Then, healing energy began to emerge from the portal, treating him of his internal injuries, while he was falling on the ground, almost dead, due to the serious damage he had suffered.
An unknown period of time would pass, and it would not be known. The concept of time did not exist there.
Amin wakes up in the real world and finds himself facing Argon and Ektarvil. Although he was still weaker than them by the same difference, for the first time he sensed their level, since entities of the rank of Lord God and below could not sense the power of entities of the level of Boundless and above.
That is why 99% of the inhabitants of this imaginary world believe that there are no entities above the existing ladder of power, just as the inhabitants of an ordinary world believe that the highest level is a ruler, because great powers prevented the inhabitants of their world from knowing the truth, in order to satisfy their personal interests and make them think that they will not reach the level of its power no matter how hard they try.
Moreover, Amin's gaze was calm in a way that surprised both Argon and Ektarvil, including him, so Amin spoke in a calm tone while holding the food tray in one hand and placing it on their table.
He carried a meat-cutting knife, one meter long and 30 centimeters wide, which made the orcs and barbarians surprised at what he was doing, as the way it was designed was suitable for cutting meat, but not suitable for fighting.
Because of his flexibility, which is annoying to them, and to everyone else.
Amin cut the buffalo into two equal halves, releasing the aroma of spices, vegetables, and hot jalapeno pepper sauce, which made the attendees salivate.
Amin spoke in a calm tone while bowing respectfully to each of them:
"I hope that our humble dish, in relation to your status, will receive an ounce of your good taste."
The entire Ain Sultan restaurant fell silent due to the force of the flattery, so Amin left with steady steps full of strength and confidence that he was shocked by inside.
"wow! How did you do that? I'm cool! Standing before the Orc Emperor and the Barbarian Emperor on the same day you met the Angelic and Elf Empresses! Only the Dwarven Emperor Starfall, the Ruler of the Dragon Realm Afrius, and the Ruler of the Upper Realm Julius remain!"
He continues on his way while talking to himself with happiness mixed with astonishment and shock.
He entered the restaurant with enthusiasm and happiness, and his colleagues hugged him directly. This was the reason that made Ain Sultan Restaurant famous throughout the entire human world, unlike before, when the restaurant was reserved within the human empire only.
Several minutes of hugging passed before they left him to continue their work, because the time had come to prove their worth.
Muhammad spoke while he and his brother Youssef looked at him with a smile full of happiness and satisfaction:
"Your salary will be raised to the same salary as the restaurant's butler, but you will remain a waiter. We need you there more than we need you giving orders to the rest of the employees."
Amin did not say anything, but looked at them for several seconds before speaking in a tone full of enthusiasm and pride:
"Absolutely! "The important thing is that Ain Sultan Restaurant remains successful, as it is where I live."
He completed his work with enthusiasm, as it was the best day of his life, and it seemed that this happened at the beginning of the week.
Meanwhile, at Yun Gae Mountain, at the Hua Yu Clan, Seol Haoran was wandering around the clan while listening to the newly circulating news about the famous detective Tae Hun failing in front of Yuta Caseral, who was still fifteen years old, and several other pieces of news.
Which made him feel that Yuuta would be a very dangerous enemy in the distant and near future. Currently, he was still at Level 3 as a Gu Master and Saint, according to the Unified Strength System.
"Yuta Caseral—he caused quite a stir on the Central Continent following his defeat in the case surrounding the murder of Edward Brezik. I suppose I should thank him, though; he was involved in both the incident at the Magic Competition—where the Scorpion organization's hideout was uncovered—and the Edward affair. In one, he was a killer; in the other, a participant. Because of him, Tae-hoon didn't come to the Hwa-yu Clan this year to conduct an investigation."
Yet, his expression remained calm. He was preoccupied with thoughts of the days ahead—and the icy catastrophe destined to befall the Hwa-yu Clan, even as summer approached.
Being situated near the North Pole, amidst the frozen, towering peaks of the northern Yun-gai mountain range, meant that every future move had to be meticulously planned. To make matters worse, resources were scarce—a stark contrast to the Central Continent, where everything one could need was readily available.
Still, Seol Ha-oran gave this little thought. He knew that what was coming was inevitable; to try and forget it, ignore it, or dismiss his own intuition would only lead to his death.
While searching for supplies, he felt something inside his pocket—a surprise, considering it had been empty just moments before.
He opened it, his gaze calm yet laced with deep caution; after all, letters don't simply grow legs and wander into people's pockets.
[How have you been, Yong-yuan—or should I say, Seol Ha-oran?
It's been quite a long time since we last met. Did you enjoy my gift?] Tai Hoon will not be coming to the Hua Yu Clan this year, as the clan leader insists on investigating the death of Tai Sao-mei.
Regardless, that is of no consequence right now. What matters is that I am coming for you—you, the "intruder." Mark my words well: in this world, death could strike at any second. The world will not wait for you to grow stronger before it comes to challenge you.
Seol Haoran's eyes narrowed, a cold, piercing glare emanating from his dark pupils. He could not simply dismiss the news regarding the death of the Tai family's young master. It dawned on him that several others—members of the Si, Jiang, and Shangmao families, as well as Chae-ming, the Saintess of the Imperial Jade Sect, and the daughter of the Thousand-Mile Mountain Sect leader, Yuxiao—had all vanished on the very same day as Yuta.
He did not accept the contents of the letter blindly; however, reports of widespread turmoil within these great sects and clans across the Five Continents lent a certain credibility to the claims.
He burned the letter, his expression returning to a state of calm. Yet, his mind dissected every word. Two terms, in particular, left him puzzled: "Yong Yuan" and "intruder." Being called an "intruder" was highly suspicious, and "Yong Yuan" happened to be his name in his previous life.
He did not dwell long on the identity of the sender, for one thing was clear to him:
Yuta Casiral is coming to the Northern Yun Gai Mountains. "He will be a dangerous opponent. At the current rate, I have about a month left—assuming things don't take a turn for the worse."
"It's not enough to reach the third rank. That's going to be a problem; I'll need a 'Brown-Copper Gu' if I want to speed up the breakthrough."
Seol Haoran mused silently, his gaze fixed on the message, which was gradually shifting from white to a deep, ominous black. Yet, it did not burn away.
He noticed a thin, semi-transparent layer of energy enveloping it—a detail that underscored the true threat posed by his adversary. Such terrifying mastery over energy was far beyond what a fifteen-year-old should be capable of; even he, with the experience of several centuries from his past life, could not achieve such a feat.
What surprised him even more was a small ring that fell from the message just before it vanished completely. He recognized it as a 'Storage-Ring Gu'—an essential tool for Gu Masters, who lack the innate dimensional space possessed by users of 'Kono and Mana' or the spiritual realms accessible to those who wield 'Kono and Datian.'
Consequently, they must rely on storage-type Gu. The Storage-Ring Gu, in particular, is a hybrid creation—forged by an 'Invention Gu' that fuses a spatial-type Gu with an ordinary ring.
This only deepened his suspicions. In this world, nothing comes for free—especially not a collection of refinement-type Gu: three 'Brown-Copper Gu' and two fourth-rank 'Silver-Grade Gu.'
Nevertheless, he decided to use them to bolster his own strength, all the while devising a plan to eliminate the very person who had provided them. With Seong Ying-ting in the picture, there was a chance—especially since he had reportedly broken through to the peak of the third rank, whereas he himself remained at the intermediate stage.
He produced an envelope-shaped Gu and muttered for several minutes in an unintelligible code—a Gu technique designed to render the message indecipherable to anyone else.
He tossed it, and it transformed into a paper dove that took flight toward Seong Ying-ting; he knew that facing Yuta head-on would be a naive move.
Relieved to have found a way to advance to the next rank, he continued on his path, confident that he would reach the early stage of the fourth rank within the next three months.
Knowing that Yuta wouldn't arrive immediately—and with 27 days still remaining at the Versalkin Academy—he had to prepare for the journey ahead. On the Northern Continent, the use of anything other than Gu is strictly prohibited—unlike on other continents, where a greater variety of methods is permitted. Even so, he intended to shorten the timeline, all while taking care to minimize any potential collateral damage.
Elsewhere, within the Yan Shi clan, Seong Ying-ting sat gazing calmly at an "Ice Fusion Gu," clearing his mind of all unnecessary thoughts.
"There isn't much time left before those ridiculous beast tides begin. It's the perfect opportunity to grow stronger—I can harvest 'Undead Warrior Gu' from the aftermath of the battles against the beasts. That way, I can bolster my own strength while simultaneously deepening my affinity with the ice element." He set about returning the Glacial Fusion Gu to its primordial sea, all the while glancing toward his desk—a place that held a wealth of resources. Yet, the very item he needed to advance his level was nowhere to be found among them: a Brown Copper Gu.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds before thrusting an icy blade into the air toward a dove flying his way—mistaking it for a surprise attack, as many types of Gu resemble the "Communication Gu."
However, the dove remained unharmed; instead, it transformed into an envelope that fell to the ground, its path having been blocked.
Puzzled, he picked up the letter and saw the name "Siul Haoran" written on it. He was taken aback—they were enemies, so why would Haoran be sending him a message?
"What does this fellow want from me? Is he looking for a fight, or what? No, there's something else. That scoundrel never does anything unless he has a specific goal in mind."
Seong Ying Ting's tone was laced with suspicion as he opened the envelope.
[Why don't we have a talk on the frozen Lake Zao Ming? If you agree to come, you might just receive the very thing you need to grow stronger. The choice is yours, Master Seong Ying Ting.]
Seong Ying Ting remained silent as he read the letter, yet he grasped its underlying intent: a peace treaty or a temporary alliance—a pact that would last only as long as the current crisis, given that the calamity itself had no foreseeable end.
He muttered something in an indistinct tone; he wasn't entirely sure if the "Communication Gu" was being used in isolation or otherwise—as these Gu often operate automatically, a quirk that had caused numerous complications throughout ancient times. The message transformed back into a dove, flying out of his window toward the Hua Yu Clan—a place that, millions of years ago, had been the home of Zhao Li and the Ten Emperors.
He watched as the dove darted through the Yan Shi Clan at a frantic, dizzying speed.
In the city of Ghesmburg, at 8:30 PM, Yuta sat gazing calmly over the city, his peripheral vision fixed on the jester accompanying Beatrice.
The figure wore noble attire, topped with an exquisite jester's mask.
Yuta spoke, his tone laced with mockery:
"The Last Venerable of Smiles, Kingston—I assumed you would remain on the Western Continent. What brings you to the Central Continent? Is it merely for the sake of a festival?"
Kingston held his gaze for several seconds before replying with clear derision:
"The Great Venerable of Creation, Yuta—there are far more important things in this life than my desire to kill or pursue you. I am heading to the place where one becomes a king; and in a festival, the jester is king."
Yuta remained silent, observing him for a few moments before turning his gaze back toward the city of Ghesmburg.
"So, will you depart once the festival concludes, or will you stay for the Summer Festival? It promises to be quite entertaining—far more so than this."
The Last Venerable of Smiles, Kingston, closed his eyes, feigning deep thought for a few seconds, then replied:
"No, I shall leave. I have no intention of remaining in the same world as someone like you—especially when you have someone supporting you, disguised as an enemy." "And yet, there remain a few 'Venerables' who are true enemies—exactly three of them. Isn't that strange? Out of four 'Venerables'—or rather, 'Exalted Venerables'..."
"You're right about that. Sometimes you find you have fewer enemies than friends, only to realize you actually know nothing at all. The future still holds things in store for me; what has been revealed so far might as well be nothing."
Signs of unease flickered across the face of the last 'Venerable of the Smile'—Kingston—though they remained hidden behind his jester's mask. He stood atop a railing, gazing down at Yuta.
"You're a peculiar fellow, Yuto. But mark my words: always keep a smile on your face when facing adversity—for in the hands of your most dangerous enemies, that very smile can become a winning card."
With that, he plummeted from the academy tower—a structure over 300 meters tall—smashing into the ground below, leaving behind nothing but a gruesome mess of blood and scattered remains.
Yuta, watching the crowd gather around the scene, remarked with a sneer:
"At least have the decency to discard your vessel somewhere away from people; their screaming is truly grating. And do it tidily—as befits a fool of a jester."
He slipped away before anyone could notice him, avoiding the sort of trivial complications that might hinder his future plans.
Far away, the 'Venerable of the Smile'—Kingston—sat watching them, the colors of his mask now inverted.
"And yet... sometimes, misery and screams are far more delightful than laughter filled with joy. Hahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!"