Uncertainty

The candle flickered as Alia Stoneheart leaned back in her chair, her mind replaying the battle she had witnessed in the Dark Forest.

Lester d Raizel had shown unquestionable strength, yet something about his performance bothered her.

She had expected his power to be average at best, yet he had taken down a 6th Layer Energy Accumulation Realm beast without sustaining a single injury.

Her golden eyes scanned Erin and Kai, her two attendants, who had just given their assessment of Lester's strength.

"You both believe that even together, you wouldn't be able to defeat him?"

she asked, though the answer had already been made clear.

Kai gave a slow nod.

"Yes, Princess. Lester fights with precision. He never wastes energy on unnecessary movements. It's as if he already knows the exact outcome of a battle before it begins."

Alia's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of her chair.

"Someone like that doesn't just appear out of nowhere,"

she murmured.

Erin hesitated for a moment before adding, "Princess, do you think he's hiding something? His power… his knowledge of battle… it all feels too refined. Almost unnatural."

Alia's smirk widened.

"Everyone hides something, Erin. The question is—what is Lester hiding?"

Her thoughts wandered.

If Lester was truly as strong and mysterious as he appeared, then she had to make a decision.

Would he be an ally to cultivate… or a rival to keep in check?

Her golden eyes gleamed.

Only time would tell.

In his own chamber, Alistair sat cross-legged, his fingers tracing the edges of the fighting manual Lester had given him.

The book was simple—yet invaluable.

It contained techniques and insights that many cultivators would kill to obtain.

And yet, Lester had given it away freely.

No arrogance. No hesitation. Just… indifference.

Alistair's brows furrowed.

Was Lester truly so generous?

Or did he simply see Alistair as someone not worth considering a rival?

The thought gnawed at him.

Then, his mind replayed a different moment—the way Alia had looked at Lester after his battle.

There had been curiosity in her gaze. Maybe even… admiration.

Alistair's jaw clenched, his grip tightening on the book.

Something about that bothered him.

He shook his head.

It didn't matter.

He wouldn't let petty thoughts distract him from his goal.

Lester might have shown strength, but Alistair wasn't someone who would fall behind.

No matter what, he would not allow himself to be overshadowed.

A cold breeze swept through the streets as Lester Cromwell walked through the dark alleys of the city's trading district.

His hood was drawn low, concealing his face.

He stepped into a discreet building, the Dark Moon Trading Branch, where various cultivators and merchants conducted business away from prying eyes.

The interior was dimly lit, the air filled with the scent of parchment, ink, and spiritual energy.

Behind the counter, a merchant raised an eyebrow as Lester approached.

"Ah, who you might be?"

the merchant said, his voice smooth.

"Lester "

Lester pulled a pouch from his robe and placed it on the counter.

The merchant untied the pouch, and his eyes gleamed as several monster cores rolled onto the counter.

With swift precision, he inspected them.

"Good quality. Freshly harvested."

A moment of silence.

Then, the merchant smirked.

"1,450 spirit stones. A fair deal, wouldn't you say?"

Lester didn't haggle.

He simply nodded, accepting the pouch of spirit stones before turning to leave.

The merchant watched him go, an intrigued glint in his eyes.

"Interesting," he murmured. "Who is he"

There a moment of silence before a rapsy voice sounded behind him.

"Lester d Raizel his strength is about above 6th layer of energy accumulation, and his background cannot be gleamed as of now"

Lester returned to his room at the Royal Black Inn, closing the door behind him.

He took a deep breath.

Then, he spoke.

"System, charge."

Instantly—

A pulse of energy surged through the room.

1,000 spirit stones vanished from his possession.

A familiar holographic screen appeared before him.

[Copy World Generated]

[You Can Start Another Simulation]

Lester's eyes narrowed.

This time, the cost had risen exponentially.

From 10 spirit stones to 1,000—a hundredfold increase.

He let out a breath.

"So the price keeps rising."

This only meant one thing.

He needed more resources. More power. More earnings.

If he wanted to continue using the Copy World, he'd have to become stronger, faster, and wealthier than ever before.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

"Fine, then."

"System space" he muttered.

As Strideer opened his eyes, he found himself standing once more in the foggy system space.

The endless void stretched around him, filled with swirling mists that moved like living shadows.

The air was thick with a strange, almost weightless energy, making him feel like he was floating between reality and illusion.

Yet, his mind was already focused on one goal—evolving his Wraith form into a Specter.

His thoughts raced.

The requirements were strict.

The third condition was the most troublesome.

A high-concentration Yin environment to perform the ritual without disruption.

"I hope I'm born somewhere near a Yin land this time," he muttered to himself.

If he could start in a location naturally saturated with Yin energy, he wouldn't have to waste time searching.

The ritual could be completed much faster, accelerating his growth in the simulation world.

With that in mind, he turned toward the system interface, his voice steady.

"System, begin the simulation."

A familiar blue glow flickered as the System Spirit manifested before him.

Its ethereal form hovered in the air, radiating an aura of detachment.

Then came the unexpected news.

"Host now starts with peak Wraith strength in the simulation. Therefore, the system will no longer grant additional talents for the Copy World."

Strider's eyes twitched.

His lips curled in irritation as he processed what that meant.

The talents he had relied on in previous simulations—abilities that had made his journey smoother, more efficient—were now removed.

Even though he had never been able to carry them back to reality, they had allowed him to experiment with different approaches and achieve 100% completion rates.

Without them, maneuvering through the Copy World would be significantly harder.

"Damn system," he cursed silently, resisting the urge to grit his teeth.

Unfortunately, arguing was pointless.

At last, he exhaled and forced himself to accept reality.

"Fine. Start the simulation."

With that command—

The fog rippled. The system space collapsed.

And Strider's next simulation began.