The elder’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sudden appearance, but he recovered almost instantly, his composure showing that he had long grown used to eting powerful, unpredictable people. Still, there was a flicker of warmth in his expression as he asked, "Max, what are you doing here?"
Max grinned faintly, the corner of his mouth tilting upward in a lighthearted way. "Aren’t I a guest elder of the Hunter Association? Of course I can co here," he replied, deliberately making it sound casual, almost teasing.
"Hehe, that you do," Elder Liam chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. But there was more than simple amusent in his gaze—there was pride.
When he had first t Max, he had seen in him a spark of potential, sothing that made him worth watching. Now, that spark had grown into sothing far greater.
This young man, who had once been just another rising talent, had carved his way into becoming not only a guest elder of the Hunter Association but also one of the most talked-about and feared geniuses in the entire Middle Domain... perhaps even in all of Acaris.
And that thought made Elder Liam’s chest swell with quiet satisfaction. To have been one of the first to notice that potential—before the rest of the world caught on—was sothing that he couldn’t help but be proud of.
"I believe you aren’t here for nothing," Elder Liam said after a mont, his voice steady but expectant. His sharp gaze studied Max, reading the intent in his eyes. "Speak—what do you need?"
"There’s this problem of mine..." Max began slowly, his tone shifting to sothing more serious. He had no hesitation in speaking openly; the Hunter Association was one of the few forces he could trust. Without holding back, he explained the situation in detail—what had happened, who was involved, and why it mattered.
When Max finished, Elder Liam’s expression had hardened. "That’s... a bit of a tricky situation," he said, his voice carrying a weight of caution. "We, the Hunter Association, are a neutral force. We do not involve ourselves in conflicts between other powers. Our duties are clear—we hunt monsters in the wild, fight during beast tides, and wage war against the Nulls when necessary. We exist to protect the people, not to take sides in political or factional disputes."
Max’s brows furrowed slightly. He understood this principle well; the Hunter Association’s neutrality was one of the reasons it had survived countless eras without being dragged into the power struggles that consud other forces. But that neutrality also ant they couldn’t easily intervene in matters like his... unless the matter was refrad.
And so, in a calm, deliberate tone, Max changed his approach entirely. "I am a guest elder of the Hunter Association," he began again, this ti with authority in his voice. "A friend of mine has been kidnapped by mbers of the Void Soul Tower, and I have reason to believe that the Thunder Monarch Hall is also behind it. I am requesting the Hunter Association to act in the na of justice in this matter."
Elder Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he caught the shift in wording, and then a faint, knowing smile tugged at his lips. "Oh? You should have said that from the very beginning." His voice took on a lighter note, though there was still a certain steel beneath it. "Your matter is serious enough to warrant attention. I will take you to see President William right away."
With those words, Elder Liam turned and began leading the way through the grand halls of the Hunter Association’s tower.
Max followed, their footsteps echoing against the polished stone floor. Guards and staff along the way glanced at them with curiosity, so even whispering at the sight of Elder Liam personally escorting soone to the president’s office.
---
Inside the spacious, high-ceilinged office of President William, the air carried a mix of formality and authority. Polished darkwood furniture glead under the light filtering in through tall, narrow windows, and the scent of old parchnt and ink lingered faintly in the room.
Yet the refined setting was disrupted by the fierce aura that seed to dominate the space—not from President William himself, but from the other figure already present.
It was an old man with flowing white hair and a long, neatly kept beard. His robes were simple yet dignified, golden prayer beads hanging loosely around his neck, and at first glance, he bore the image of a serene monk—soone you might expect to see deep in ditation within the sacred halls of the Bright Buddha Palace.
But that was where the resemblance ended. Unlike the calm, gentle presence most monks carried, this man radiated a raw, unrestrained baleful aura that seed to clash violently with the image of compassion and peace.
It was the aura of soone who had walked through countless battlefields, soone whose hands had not only been clasped in prayer but also soaked in blood.
"Of all the targets..." President William’s voice was deep and heavy, his expression solemn as he regarded the monk-like figure. "To think they would attack the Bright Buddha Palace of all people. Tell , has any of your mbers done sothing—anything—that could have provoked the wrath of the Ascendants enough for them to send wave after wave of Vespers against you?"
The old man’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his voice was calm and resolute when he answered. "My mbers of the Bright Buddha Palace would never do anything to deliberately offend others," he said firmly.
Then, as if to drive the point ho, his tone hardened, and a trace of pride slipped in. "Moreover, even if we had done sothing to offend the Ascendants—so what? Buddha fears nobody, and our Bright Buddha Palace is the sa. We bow to no one."
President William’s lips twitched ever so slightly, his expression betraying the faintest sign of exasperation. ’This arrogant old man...,’ he thought silently. The leader of the Bright Buddha Palace had always been a difficult personality—unyielding, proud, and utterly unconcerned with diplomatic niceties.
And the more William got to know him, the more he realized that the man’s arrogance wasn’t an act; it was part of his very nature, carved deep into his bones.
Still, the situation was serious enough that William let the comnt pass without challenge. The Bright Buddha Palace being targeted by the Ascendants was no small matter, and having its leader personally here in the Almond Region ant the problem was already far more severe than it appeared on the surface.
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