As Alex's strength continued to grow day by day, a quiet conversation was taking place elsewhere.
Inside the Heaven Palace.
The chamber was spacious yet calm, lit by the warm glow of several hanging lanterns. Scrolls and documents were arranged neatly across a wide wooden desk, giving the room the feeling of a place where important matters were often discussed.
Li Wei stood beside the desk with his arms folded, his expression thoughtful.
Across from him stood Mei Lin.
"Are you certain you are not mistaken?" Li Wei asked after a moment. His voice was calm, but the faint crease on his forehead revealed the doubt in his mind.
Mei Lin met his gaze without hesitation.
"Yes, I am certain," she replied firmly.
Then she added, "And what's more, when he first entered this place, he was only at the initial stage of the Foundation Realm."
The words hung in the air.
Li Wei fell silent.
'How can someone break through this monstrously fast?' he wondered.
Even though the Foundation Realm was considered the lowest stage of cultivation, that didn't mean breakthroughs were simple. Every cultivator needed time to stabilize their energy and prepare their body before advancing.
Even the most talented geniuses required months of preparation to move forward a single stage.
Yet Alex had done it repeatedly in a matter of days.
The more Li Wei thought about it, the more unreasonable it seemed.
Even geniuses need time, he thought quietly.
'So how is he progressing like this?'
Questions continued to pile up in his mind, each one leaving him more puzzled than before.
Breaking the silence, Mei Lin spoke again.
"Should we report this to the Leader?"
Her tone was calm, but there was seriousness behind her words.
"If we allow someone with such talent to leave unnoticed, it would be a great loss," she continued. "People like him don't appear often."
Li Wei sighed quietly.
~Sigh~
'This world is cruel,' he thought to himself.
In a world where strength determined everything, talent was power. Those who possessed exceptional ability had the potential to rise above everyone else and dominate their generation.
If Alex continued progressing at this speed…
'It may not take long before he reaches the same level as me.' Li Wei thought.
The idea made him uneasy, though he couldn't fully explain why.
After a moment of consideration, he nodded.
"Yes. We should report this."
Mei Lin waited silently for his next instruction.
"You should continue observing him," Li Wei said. "We still know very little about his background. If we watch carefully, we might discover something about him."
As he spoke, he gestured lightly toward the door.
"I will write a letter to the Leader."
Mei Lin nodded in understanding.
"Very well. I will take my leave."
With that, she turned and quietly left the room.
The door closed softly behind her.
For a few moments, Li Wei remained standing in silence.
Then he let out a long breath.
"What a hassle…"
He walked over to the desk, sat down, and pulled out a sheet of paper. Dipping a brush into ink, he began carefully writing the report that would soon be sent to the Leader.
***
Meanwhile, in a small room within the Heaven Palace, the subject of their discussion lay completely unaware of everything.
Alex was asleep.
The room was quiet, lit only by faint moonlight that slipped through the window. He lay on the bed with a relaxed expression, his breathing slow and steady.
To anyone looking at him, he appeared no older than sixteen.
After the long day of reading and walking, exhaustion had finally caught up to him.
For now, his mind had found peace in sleep.
Unaware that somewhere within the Heaven Palace, people were already beginning to take notice of him.
Like this morning approached and Alex opened his eyes.
Without wasting time, Alex got out of bed. After washing his face and bathing, he prepared himself for the day ahead. His mind was already focused on one place.
Library.
There was still too much he didn't understand about this world. If he wanted to survive here, knowledge would be just as important as strength.
Not long after, Alex stepped out of the inn and began walking through the streets of Greenheart City once again. The morning air was cool and fresh, and the city was slowly coming to life as merchants opened their shops and people began moving about their daily routines.
Like this he reached his destination and began reading books like a maniac.
Following this same routine, two days passed, and now he finally again had enough energy to break through.
"System, breakthrough." Again, with the same words, Alex commanded the system.
And after about an hour passed.