Meanwhile, back in Ztheu, several battles had already come to an end. However, that didn't mean the devastating aftermath they left behind had disappeared.
In one particular forest region, countless trees had been freshly knocked down and scattered across the ground.
The destruction stretched for nearly a mile, creating a massive scar through the forest.
Near the center of the devastated area was a large crater. Thin trails of smoke still rose from it, drifting lazily into the air.
It was clear that the battle fought here had not been confined to a single location.
Burn marks covered the trunks of fallen trees and stained the ground itself. In several places, crystalline substances had formed across the battlefield, solidifying from the energy released during the clash.
The signs of battle could be seen everywhere.
Standing alone amidst the destruction was a woman.
She wore a metallic suit that looked as though it had been pulled straight out of a cyberpunk movie. White hair flowed behind her, dancing gently in the wind.
At first glance, she appeared completely unharmed.
But a closer look told a different story.
Several parts of her suit were scorched black. Deep scratches ran across the metallic surface, while numerous dents and marks showed just how fierce the battle had been.
She had clearly gone through a difficult fight.
Fortunately for her, it was over.
Rhyssa stood silently among the ruined forest, her gaze fixed on the sky.
Far above her, a fast-moving cloud raced across the horizon, growing smaller as it moved farther away.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
'That was a nice try from you people,' she thought.
The smile widened slightly.
'Maybe if you had fought against another member of my clan, you might have won.'
'But I am different.'
Confidence radiated from her expression.
She had every reason to be confident.
After all, she had survived.
And her enemies had failed.
'Now that I've reached the Mid Stage, I think it's time to find the others,' Rhyssa thought.
A moment later, the Synapse Circle system appeared before her.
A translucent screen materialized in the air.
Several markers immediately appeared across the display.
The locations of her clan members were being tracked and shown in real time.
Rhyssa calmly scanned through the coordinates one after another.
Then her eyes narrowed.
The confident smile on her face slowly faded.
'Wait a second...'
She checked the display again.
Then a third time.
Something wasn't right.
Her gaze moved across the map once more.
Everyone should have been there.
Everyone.
But one marker was missing.
Rhyssa's expression hardened.
"Where is Eric?"
---
Meanwhile, outside Ruin City, at the peak of a mountain overlooking the city, four figures stood silently.
All four wore long blue cloaks with large hoods covering their heads.
Even from the front, it was impossible to make out their faces.
There were no eyes.
No skin.
No features.
Only darkness filled the depths of their hoods, as though the shadows themselves had taken human form.
The strange sight was enough to make most people uneasy.
Yet none of them seemed concerned.
The four stood quietly, their attention fixed on the massive cloud of mist hanging over Ruin City in the distance.
The mist rolled slowly through the air, covering a large portion of the city like a giant blanket.
These individuals belonged to the Khyphon Clan.
Or at least, that was the name they had used when registering for the tournament.
Whether it was their true identity or not was another matter entirely.
For several moments, none of them spoke.
The wind blew across the mountain peak, causing their cloaks to flutter lightly.
Then the tallest among them finally broke the silence.
Standing in the center of the group, he towered over the others by nearly a head.
"Alright, everyone," he said.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
The other three immediately shifted their attention toward him.
"The time for us to act has come."
His gaze remained fixed on the distant city.
"Remember why we're here today."
The atmosphere instantly became heavier.
"We have only one purpose."
His voice turned colder.
"Eliminate as many high-stage clan participants as possible."
The three others remained silent, listening carefully.
The leader slowly turned his head toward them.
"And when I say eliminate, I don't mean defeating them."
A brief pause followed.
"I don't mean forcing them to quit the tournament."
His voice hardened.
"I mean killing them."
The wind suddenly felt colder.
"Kill every one of them."
"Leave none behind."
The killing intent behind those words was impossible to hide.
For a few seconds, silence returned to the mountain peak.
Then the Khyphon leader moved.
Clap!
He brought both palms together.
Immediately, something strange happened.
A small pouch hanging from his waist suddenly shook.
The next second, water flowed out from the opening.
The liquid rose into the air as if gravity no longer affected it.
The three clan members watched quietly.
The water continued moving.
It twisted.
It stretched.
It coiled around itself.
The liquid behaved like a living creature rather than ordinary water.
Soon, it resembled a translucent blue snake floating through the air.
The water serpent circled around the Khyphon leader's body before finally slithering toward his raised hand.
Its movements were smooth and unnatural.
Almost intelligent.
The water wrapped itself around his forearm and continued rotating around his hand.
The leader slowly raised his arm.
Then he performed another action.
At the edge of the high platform where they stood overlooking the hill, the Khyphon Clan leader raised his hand and stepped forward.
The swirling water wrapped around his arm continued moving.
Then he began drawing a large circle in the air before him.
His movements were slow and deliberate.
As his hand moved, the water followed.
The liquid flowed out from his palm and traced the exact path of his fingers.
A glowing line of water appeared in the air.
The line continued expanding as he moved his hand in a perfect circle.
Around and around it went.
Each motion added more water to the structure.
The circle grew larger with every passing second.
The other three Khyphon members watched silently.
No one interrupted him.
Soon, the water began connecting with itself.
The circle was no longer just a line.
A thin sheet of water started filling the empty space inside it.
The liquid rippled constantly, moving as though it possessed a life of its own.
Wave after wave flowed across its surface.
The sound of moving water echoed softly atop the mountain.
The Khyphon leader continued until the technique was complete.
Finally, he lowered his hand.
The swirling water around his arm disappeared into the construct.
What remained floating before them was a massive circular wall of water.
It stood upright like a doorway.
Or perhaps more accurately, a portal.
The surface rippled endlessly.
One could not see clearly through it.
The water distorted everything behind it.
Stretching outward from the edges of the circular water gate were thin layers of transparent water.
They were so delicate that they resembled giant soap bubbles.
A single touch looked like it would burst them.
Yet despite their fragile appearance, they remained perfectly stable.
The Khyphon leader studied the completed construct for a moment before stepping aside.
Then he turned toward the three clan members behind him.
"Step through this," he said calmly.
"It will aid you more than you can imagine."
The three listened carefully.
The leader's voice became more serious.
"And remember something."
"If you find yourselves overwhelmed, quit the tournament."
"There is no point dying for nothing."
The three figures nodded.
Then the leader's eyes narrowed.
"But before you do..."
"Make sure you take down as many opponents as possible."
The killing intent behind those words was unmistakable.
A brief silence followed.
Then the three Khyphon members moved.
Their cloaks fluttered behind them as they rushed forward.
One after another, they sprinted directly toward the circular water gate.
The first member reached it almost immediately.
Without slowing down, he stepped through the rippling surface.
The moment his body passed through the water door, the portal reacted.
A thin layer of water suddenly detached from the edge of the circle.
The liquid rushed toward him.
In an instant, it wrapped around his entire body.
The water expanded rapidly.
A transparent bubble formed around the Khyphon member.
The spherical barrier moved with him as he emerged from the other side of the portal.
It was as though the water itself had chosen him.
The first Khyphon member found himself trapped inside a translucent bubble.
The sphere surrounded him completely.
From the outside, it looked like a prison made entirely of water.
However, that only lasted for a moment.
Soon, the bubble began shrinking.
The transparent sphere steadily grew smaller, closing in on the person inside.
Its surface moved closer and closer until it finally touched his body.
Yet instead of crushing him, the bubble changed.
The water spread outward.
It flowed across his skin and clothing like a living thing.
The liquid raced over every part of his body, covering him from head to toe.
Within seconds, the entire bubble had transformed into a thin layer of water wrapped around him.
It looked as though he was wearing a suit made entirely of liquid.
Not a single drop fell away.
The water remained attached to him perfectly.
The same process happened to the other two members.
As each of them passed through the water gate, a bubble formed around them.
The bubbles shrank.
The water spread.
Soon all three were covered by the same thin layer of water.
The Khyphon leader watched silently as the process completed.
Then the three members moved.
Without hesitation, they rushed toward the edge of the mountain peak.
A moment later, they jumped.
There were no parachutes.
No wings.
No flying artifacts.
Nothing slowed their descent.
The three figures simply dropped from the mountain.
Wind howled past them as they fell.
The ground rushed upward.
Yet none of them showed the slightest concern.
Then—
Boom!
All three landed.
The force behind their fall should have shattered the ground and echoed across the mountain.
Instead, only a faint sound was heard.
The thin layer of water covering their bodies absorbed most of the impact.
The landing was unnaturally smooth.
The instant their feet touched the ground, the water reacted.
The liquid coating began glowing faintly.
Each of them immediately felt it.
Energy.
A tremendous amount of it.
The power surged through the water layer and flowed into their bodies.
The sensation was immediate. Their muscles tightened. Their senses sharpened.
Strength flooded through their limbs.
The energy continued building.
Growing.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Three explosive sounds echoed through the area.
The ground beneath their feet cracked apart.
Their bodies blurred.
Then they vanished.
The three shot off in different directions at frightening speed, leaving only dust and broken earth behind.
Back on the mountain peak, their leader remained where he stood.
His hands rested behind his back as he stared toward Ruin City.
The massive cloud of mist still loomed over the city in the distance.
"With how arrogant those high-level clans are, I doubt any of them would quit even when they're standing at death's door," the Khyphon leader muttered.
His voice carried a trace of amusement.
"But that's exactly what I'm counting on."
A faint smile appeared beneath the darkness of his hood.
Everything was moving according to plan.
Slowly, he lifted his head and looked toward the clouds above.
"The Divine Beings won't even know what hit them after this," he muttered.
For a few moments, he remained silent.
The wind blew across the mountain.
Then he lowered his gaze once more and looked toward Ruin City.
The smile on his face deepened slightly.
'I think it's time for me to head in.'
His thoughts shifted toward a certain person.
'Alex probably has a lot of questions for me by now.'
The Khyphon leader took a step forward as he continued staring at the city ahead.