Yang Kai stood at the very center of the vast Public Area.
The space around him felt different—open, yet suffocating under the sheer presence of the five colossal structures encircling him like ancient guardians. The Fire Dragon, Ice Phoenix, Thunder Tiger, Wind Crane, and Earth Turtle loomed high into the sky, their massive forms casting long, oppressive shadows across the ground.
And there, right in the middle of it all—
Was him.
His crimson-black robe fluttered faintly behind him, brushing against the still air as if even the wind hesitated to touch this place. His posture was relaxed, but the aura he gave off was anything but.
Yang Kai slowly lifted his gaze, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings with cold precision.
A faint smirk curled on his lips.
Not arrogance.
Not excitement.
Something deeper.
Something dangerous.
Far away, scattered across the perimeter near the towering beast structures, thousands—no, millions—of Regulars had already begun noticing him.
Voices rose in confusion.
"What the hell…"
"I saw him just teleport there…"
"Why? I got sent near that tiger!"
"I was near that turtle!"
"What? Then why the fuck is he in the center?"
"No idea… maybe it's a glitch?"
"Do you think this is some kind of game with glitches, you idiot?"
Murmurs spread like wildfire.
Eyes locked onto the lone figure standing where no one else had been allowed to appear.
The center.
A place that clearly wasn't random.
---
Elsewhere, near the edge of the formation—
Zoya stood still, her pink eyes moving across the endless crowd.
Two million.
Finding six specific people among that number was nothing short of ridiculous.
Her expression remained calm, but her focus was sharp.
Where are they…
Her gaze shifted from one group to another, trying to pick out even a familiar silhouette.
But nothing.
Just strangers.
Noise.
Movement.
Chaos barely held together.
Then—
Fragments of conversation reached her ears.
"Hey, there's a boy in the center."
"What? Everyone else got teleported near the structures."
"Yeah… and he's fucking handsome too."
Zoya's eyes narrowed slightly.
A thought surfaced instantly.
It can't be any of my team…
Her mind ran through them quickly.
Three are average…
Then a brief pause.
Her expression turned slightly serious.
And one is ugly…
Yang Kai.
The image of his previously unkempt, lifeless face flashed in her mind.
She dismissed the idea immediately.
No way.
---
At different points across the massive area—
Liyo Griffin stood near the towering Wind Crane, its massive wings carved in stone above him. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, irritation clear on his face.
"Tch… where the hell are they…"
---
Near the Thunder Tiger, lightning patterns etched across its body—
Horikita Haichi stood alert, her stance naturally defensive as she observed the crowd.
Too many unknowns.
Too many variables.
---
At the base of the Earth Turtle, its enormous shell rising like a mountain—
Jhon Leothan cracked his neck, scanning left and right with visible frustration.
"Damn it… don't tell me I have to find them in this mess…"
---
Meanwhile, not far from the Thunder Tiger—
Rose Alfard walked casually, her hammer resting against her shoulder, a faint grin on her lips.
Beside her, the boy with glasses adjusted his frames, his gaze constantly moving, calculating.
They had arrived earlier.
Before Horikita.
Which is why they hadn't crossed paths yet.
"Two million people…" he muttered.
Rose giggled lightly.
"Sounds fun. More people to smash."
Her tone carried excitement.
Not fear.
Never fear.
---
Back at the center—
Yang Kai remained unmoved.
Unbothered by the countless eyes watching him.
Unbothered by the whispers.
To him, all of it—
Was noise.
His gaze slowly lifted toward the towering structures surrounding him.
Five beasts.
Five directions.
Five forces.
At the very center of the Public Area—
While millions watched, whispered, and speculated—
Yang Kai simply… sat down.
Cross-legged.
Calm.
Unbothered.
As if the entire crowd didn't exist.
His robe settled around him, its crimson-black fabric spreading slightly across the ground like a pool of silent authority. Without another glance at anyone, he slowly closed his eyes.
And entered a state of focus.
A deep, controlled stillness.
Then—
Something changed.
A faint trace of energy began to leak from his body.
At first, it was subtle.
Barely noticeable.
But within seconds, that crimson-black spiritual energy started rising upward, curling into the air like smoke. It didn't disperse—instead, it gathered, circling around him in slow, deliberate rotations.
Like a barrier.
But not for defense.
For transformation.
Inside that rotating field, his Spiritual Qi was being refined, compressed, twisted into something far darker—
Death Qi.
The air around him grew heavy.
Not visibly.
But perceptibly.
Those with no awareness simply stared, confused.
"What the hell is that…"
"Is that… energy?"
"Since when can people do that shit…"
But the ones who had already reached F-Rank—
They felt it.
And their instincts screamed.
Don't go near that.
Don't even fucking try.
Their expressions stiffened, eyes narrowing as they stepped back unconsciously.
Because what surrounded Yang Kai wasn't normal spiritual energy.
It was something… wrong.
Something that carried a quiet, suffocating lethality.
---
Within that rotating current—
Yang Kai remained still.
Focused.
Controlling every strand of energy with precision.
His thoughts flickered even as he cultivated.
I can feel it…
All these eyes on me…
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
Of course they are.
My devastatingly handsome face… it's heavenly.
Even while refining Death Qi—
This bastard was still thinking about his looks.
---
But then—
A sudden disturbance broke the rhythm of the entire area.
From the direction of the Ice Phoenix—
A burst of energy erupted.
Cold.
Sharp.
Blindingly pure.
A pillar of icy spiritual energy shot upward like a beam of frozen light piercing the sky.
The temperature in that region dropped instantly.
People nearby staggered backward, shivering as frost-like air swept across them.
At the center of that eruption—
Sat a girl.
She wore simple, modest clothes—something akin to a schoolteacher. A neat outfit, circular glasses resting on her nose, her appearance calm and intellectual rather than combative.
She had been sitting in meditation.
Facing the Ice Phoenix.
Eyes closed.
But now—
Her eyes snapped open.
A wave of freezing energy surged outward from her body, forcing everyone nearby to step back as if pushed by an invisible force.
Her breath trembled slightly.
Her pupils shook.
What…
That actually worked?
She stared at her own hands, disbelief clear in her expression.
I just read about this in novels…
I just tried to imitate cultivation from the statue…
And it… worked?
She slowly stood up, still trying to process what had just happened.
But then—
She noticed.
People.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
All staring at her.
Their expressions were no longer confused.
They were—
Greedy.
Her heart skipped.
Why are they looking at me like that…?
Fear crept in.
A step back.
Too late.
Suddenly—
A figure lunged forward from the crowd.
A girl.
Wild.
Unstable.
A grin stretched across her face—wide, twisted, completely unhinged.
Her eyes were burning with obsession.
"Tell me what you got!"
Her voice cracked with excitement as she rushed forward, arm extended, ready to grab.
The teacher panicked instantly.
Her instincts kicked in.
Both hands rose in front of her face defensively.
"Kya—help me—!"
But before contact—
Something appeared.
A black barrier.
Thin.
Fragile-looking.
Like a web.
A dark, tangled structure formed instantly in front of her, spreading outward like threads of shadow.
The moment the mad girl touched it—
She was repelled.
Violently.
Her body bounced backward as if struck by an unseen force.
She slammed onto the ground on her back with a harsh impact.
"Ugh—!"
The crowd froze.
Silence.
Shock.
The teacher lowered her trembling hands slowly, staring at the black, web-like barrier in front of her.
It pulsed faintly.
Alive.
Responsive.
Her breath hitched.
This…
What happened…?
Around her—
The greedy gazes didn't disappear.
They intensified.
Because now—
Everyone understood.
The statues weren't just decorations.
They were sources of power.
And that realization—
Was about to turn the entire Public Area into absolute chaos.
Just as tension reached its peak—
A voice echoed across the entire Public Area.
It wasn't Jin.
But the pressure it carried… was just as overwhelming.
It didn't come from any direction.
It came from everywhere.
"People in the Public Area, please don't try to fight. Fighting is blocked in this area. Didn't Jin tell you to learn techniques here?"
The voice was calm.
Authoritative.
Yet strangely… apologetic.
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then chaos.
"What… blocked?"
"He didn't tell us shit!"
"Yeah, what the fuck is this—now they're saying we can't fight?"
"I thought people just made some alliance or something!"
"Same! I didn't know this place was for learning techniques!"
"Those bastards are playing with us!"
"Fucking hell… they think we're their entertainment toys!"
Frustration exploded across the crowd. Anger, confusion, and resentment mixed together like fuel meeting fire. The Regulars had just survived a brutal, life-and-death test—and now they were being told that this entire place had rules they were never informed about.
It felt like a setup.
Like a sick joke.
Before the unrest could escalate further—
The voice spoke again.
"I'm sorry. It was our mistake that Jin didn't inform you. Please forgive us."
The tone softened slightly.
But the authority remained.
"Now, I will explain the Public Area."
The entire space quieted down.
Even those cursing under their breath stopped to listen.
"First—your reward for passing the First Test is here. You can learn a technique from the statue near where you were teleported."
A ripple moved through the crowd.
Understanding.
Excitement.
Greed.
"Second—you cannot fight here freely. Combat requires mutual acceptance between both parties. If you attempt to attack without consent…"
A brief pause.
"…you will be repelled. Like the girl earlier."
All eyes instinctively shifted toward the Ice Phoenix area, where the mad girl had been thrown back.
Some swallowed hard.
"Third—you cannot kill anyone here."
The weight of those words settled heavily.
A safe zone.
For now.
"Now… enjoy your time until the Second Test begins."
And just like that—
The voice disappeared.
---
For a single heartbeat—
Everything stood still.
Then—
Movement exploded.
People rushed.
Not randomly.
Not hesitantly.
Directly toward the massive beast structures.
Because now they understood.
That wasn't decoration.
That was power.
"Move!"
"Get the fuck out of my way!"
"I'm not letting anyone take my chance!"
"Damn it, I wasted time earlier!"
Even while running, curses toward Jin continued.
"That idiot should've told us earlier!"
"Fucking useless guide!"
"If I die later, I'm blaming him!"
But anger didn't stop their feet.
Greed pushed them forward.
---
Near the Wind Crane—
Liyo Griffin clicked his tongue, irritation flashing across his face.
"So that's how it is…"
Without wasting another second, he turned and rushed toward the structure.
No hesitation.
No distraction.
Only focus.
---
Near the Earth Turtle—
Jhon let out a sharp exhale.
"Finally… something useful."
His fists clenched as he moved forward, determination replacing frustration.
---
Near the Thunder Tiger—
Horikita's eyes sharpened.
"A technique…"
Her grip tightened around her makeshift weapon before she discarded the thought entirely.
This was more important.
She moved swiftly toward the statue.
---
Not far from there—
Rose Alfard's lips curled into an excited grin.
Her eyes gleamed like a predator spotting prey.
"Hehe… now this sounds fun."
Beside her, the boy with glasses adjusted his frames calmly.
"Let's not waste time."
Both of them immediately headed toward the Thunder Tiger structure.
---
And elsewhere—
Zoya stood still for a moment.
Her gaze swept across the endless sea of people once again.
Still no sign of them.
Not Liyo.
Not Yang Kai.
Not the others.
Two million people.
Finding six…
Was a fucking nightmare.
She exhaled quietly.
This is pointless right now.
Her expression hardened slightly.
I'll find them later.
Her eyes shifted toward the distant structure she had been assigned to.
The Ice Phoenix.
Technique first.
Survival comes first.
Despite possessing her family's techniques, she wasn't foolish enough to rely on them alone.
This tower—
Didn't favor arrogance.
She had already seen that much.
Without another word, Zoya turned and began walking toward the Ice Phoenix, her steps calm but decisive.
---
At the center—
Yang Kai remained seated.
Eyes closed.
Unmoving.
While millions rushed toward opportunity—
He was already cultivating something far more dangerous.
The crimson-black energy around him thickened slightly.
Rotating.