Trial's Finale

After absorbing the essence of the golden electrolion and refining it, Shui took parts from its body and went to the exit that was north of its former den. Although the place was a wreck, he could easily find the exit which was in the form of a tunnel slanted upward.

"Ah~, sunlight."

Maybe since no one expected any survivors from this place, Shui didn't see anyone at the exit. With his spiritual sense, he detected people of the martial academy several kilocales away, but they wouldn't be able to do the same, so for now he was safe. However, this thought made Shui sigh.

'Back to this again, huh?'

Although his current strength was incomparable to when he was forced to come here, he still wasn't strong enough to face the martial academy by himself. During his time in Blue Mist Gorge, sure he was in constant danger, but he got a taste of freedom in being able to focus on nothing but staying alive and fighting. In the gorge, as long as he lived he could take revenge, but everything was just so complicated in the outside world. This wasn't something he thought when he was younger, but the bold personality he had grown into after his time in the gorge was conflicted with the fact that he couldn't be as free as he liked.

A few hours later, there was a man who knelt in front of a grave in Cyrus' sanctum. It was a public sanctum so rather than a building, there were just walls to indicate that this place was reserved for the deceased. The man kneeling had an impressively well-built figure, despite his thin cheeks and dull eyes. Over a year had passed since his son had died, but he still couldn't get over it.

"I'm sorry son, if only I stopped you from going to the academy when I noticed that you were being targeted. Even if it meant you hating me, it would have been better than you getting killed in a stupid power struggle!"

His eyes were too dry to shed tears but his tightly clenched fist expressed his frustration. When the man eventually left, there was a shorter figure who appeared in his spot.

"So you died huh, Tin."

Without him there, Tin was helpless before Matt and Rizer. Shui didn't know what excuse they gave, but he was sure they weren't harshly punished for killing him either. Although they rarely spoke, and barely knew each other, Shui did feel a bit sad that someone he helped was no longer among the living.

"Rest in peace. Since we have the same enemy, I'll take revenge for both of us."

Right as Shui said this, he felt a sudden headache and a string of words appeared in his mind.

[The trial will be over in exactly twenty-four hours. Finish your business by then.]

It was abrupt and gave no specific instruction, but Shui understood it.

'So I have to jump straight into a hopeless situation. Not how I'd like to approach this but,'

"Seems like fun."

Despite where he was, there was a bright smile on Shui's face.

It was nearing sunset so Shui decided on a place to sleep and went straight there. It was Nikolai's mansion but when he entered, it was as expected, empty. Although no one but Nikolai and his disciples could enter this place, it was still properly maintained by a preservation array. Without needing to walk far, Shui found a letter on a nearby table. It was from Emily.

[Dear Senior brother Shui,

If you're reading this, then it means that we've left before you could come back. I tried to persuade Master to let us stay here, but he said that you were already dead and that if I wanted to take revenge for you, then I had to leave.

Even so, I know that one day we'll meet again. And at that time, I won't be a burden anymore.

Until then,

Emily

PS. I told your elder sisters that you went on a training trip for a few years so they wouldn't worry.]

"...What a good little sister."

'It's too bad.'

On the back of the letter Shui wrote 'sorry' and then focused on imagining the combination of three symbols to send the letter to Emily.

'Pinpoint. Direct. Float.'

Unlike what she hoped, Shui knew they wouldn't be able to meet again, not in this world at least. Still, though it was his last night in this world, he couldn't waste any time reminiscing. Even if he was weak, he had to make sure he caused as much mayhem as possible before leaving.

When morning came, Shui went to the building of Fairies' Wardrobe to check up on the place, but he was angered by what he saw. In the handsome scholar form that he had transformed into, he stomped towards the site.

"Oi! What are you people doing?!"

He saw muscular men removing furniture from the building and making preparations to tear it down.

"We're demolishing this building." said one of the workers.

"I can tell! Who gave you permission to do this?"

The worker pointed at a chubby man with oily skin. Since Shui recognised this man, his expression turned cold as he walked up to him.

"What do you think you're doing to that building?"

"Hmph, who do you think you're talking to! I'm the owner of this building so I can do whatever I want."

"Oh, you own it? What happened to the previous owner?"

"Hmph, I don't know. Probably dead somewhere. The brat got sent somewhere three years ago."

"Is that so, I seem to remember five years being needed before a property can go back on the market."

"Huh? What's it to you anyway?"

To make his point, Shui took out the deed to the building that he kept in his space expansion bag and showed it to the man. At first, the chubby man was surprised by the document, but then he showed a confident smile and snapped his fingers. Shortly after that, a group of scary-looking men surrounded Shui.

"I don't know where you got that from, but why don't you leave it here and get out of my face."

Shui had some expectations when he saw the fat man in front of him snap his fingers, but the result was honestly disappointing.

"You people should leave if you want to keep your lives."

"Hahahaha!"

Shui geniunely warned them but they laughed and snickered at him. Especially the man in front of him.

"What a dumb guy. Men, hurry up and take care of him."

The group closed in on Shui but he wasn't even worried about them. He would try to hold back if they were mortals, but each of them was at least peak Mortal Realm. Even so,

"Not worth my time."

This time Shui snapped his fingers, and in response, heads burst open like smashed watermelons. With the strength of his soul, these people were less than ants.

"Ahhh!!!"

The construction workers and nearby mortals quickly ran away from this gory scene, leaving Shui alone with the chubby man who dropped to the ground on his butt and looked up in fear.

"Wh, wh, who who are you?"

"I'm the one asking the questions here."

Shui grabbed the hair on top of his head and brought his face up so he could look into his eyes. With pure soul strength, he wouldn't be able to fully control this man who was in the third level in the Soul Realm, but it would be enough to make sure he didn't lie.

"Okay piggy, why were you eager to demolish this place?"

"P-piggy?!"

"Answer the question!"

"I-I-I'm not the one who wants it, it was an order from my superiors."

"Ohhh, who do you work for?"

"T-th-the Wright family!"

"The Wright family?"

When he heard that name, Shui narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

'Why would they want this place now?'

With the power of the Wright family, Shui couldn't understand why they waited for so long to acquire it. The fat man took Shui's silence as a sign of fear, so though his hair was still in his hand, his tone became arrogant once more.

"Th-that's right! Are you afraid now?! I have the Wright family behind me! They can crush you-"

"Shut up."

Shui's mere words took away the man's ability to speak. Although he continued to flap his gums, no sound came out of his mouth.

'I guess I'll just ask myself.'

"You stay here for a bit."

Shui left the fat man by the side of the road and entered the not as familiar building.