Ethan’s expression tightened as he processed the information he had just received. His brows drew together, and a trace of irritation surfaced in his voice as he spoke.
"Above level five hundred? Did you not say that the people of both Infinite Worlds cannot break through beyond that level?" he asked, unable to conceal his frustration.
[They are not from those two worlds. They are higher beings who are residing within the lower world.]
Ethan paused for a mont, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered the implication of those words. The answer had not clarified much; instead, it had raised even more questions.
"What do you an by higher beings?" he asked, his voice more controlled this ti, though the curiosity behind it was unmistakable.
[Those who surpass level one thousand, transcend into a higher realm of existence.]
Ethan exhaled slowly. The explanation was simple, but it carried a weight that he did not feel inclined to explore at the mont. There were more imdiate concerns occupying his mind.
"Forget that for now," he said dismissively. "Tell where my family mbers are."
The system complied, and Yumiko began to relay the information. One by one, the locations of his family mbers were revealed to him in precise detail.
His parents, along with Rose, were currently in the Upper Realm. Elizabeth, who was Rose’s mother, remained in the Lower Realm. Rose’s father was the God Realm. Zara wasn’t here and his parents from Earth were also in the God Realm.
Ethan absorbed the information in silence. There was a brief pause before he spoke again, shifting his focus to sothing else entirely.
"Tell ," he said, "how can I take control of this tower?"
[You must wait until your main body surpasses level one hundred and thirty. Only then will you likely gain the ability to enter the core of the tower and undergo the trial required to take control.]
Ethan let out a quiet sigh. The process was slower than he would have preferred, but there was no imdiate way around it.
"Then I will find my family mbers first," he concluded.
Without wasting another mont, he stepped out of his room. His movents were calm and deliberate, but there was a clear sense of purpose behind them. He began walking, though to an outside observer, his destination would have seed unclear.
Elizabeth had been born in this world, but her circumstances had been far from fortunate. She lived in a remote and underdeveloped planet where cultivation had never taken root. It was a place where physical strength did not determine status, yet weakness often invited exploitation.
Ethan vanished from his position in an instant.
...
Elizabeth stood in front of a group of n, her posture was tense and her expression was filled with distress. The n surrounding her wore crude smiles, their intentions obvious even without words.
"This land belongs to us now," one of them declared with a threatening tone. "If you want to continue living here, you will need to pay one million silver. Otherwise, you will not be allowed to stay."
Elizabeth’s hands trembled slightly as she clasped them together. Her voice wavered as she tried to reason with them.
"Please do not do this," she pleaded. "My husband and I have lived here for twenty years. This is the only thing he left behind before he passed away. I have nowhere else to go. How could I possibly gather such a large amount of money?"
The n exchanged glances before one of them stepped forward, a vulgar grin spreading across his face.
"Well," he said, dragging out the word, "there are other ways to settle a debt."
Elizabeth instinctively pulled her clothing tighter around herself, her body stiffening as fear took hold. Her throat felt dry, and her breathing beca uneven.
The surrounding neighbors had gathered at a distance. They watched the scene unfold, but none of them stepped forward. Their silence only deepened the sense of isolation that Elizabeth felt.
"Please," she said again, her voice quieter now. "Give so ti. I will find a way to gather the money."
"Ti?" the man repeated with a sneer. "If you are going to sell yourself anyway, why not start with us? Treat us well, and we might even take care of you for the rest of your life."
The words struck her like a physical blow. Elizabeth could no longer hold back her tears. They stread down her face as she began to cry openly, her voice rising in desperation.
"Soone, please help !"
Her plea echoed through the area, but it was t with nothing but indifference.
The thug laughed loudly and pulled out his phone.
"Go ahead," he said mockingly. "Call anyone you want. Politicians, police officers, influential people. I have all their numbers. Let us see who cos to save you."
Elizabeth’s face turned pale. The last fragnt of hope within her seed to crumble. She had endured harassnt for months, but today, the situation had escalated beyond anything she could handle.
Then, amid the tension, a faint sound erged.
Footsteps.
They were not loud, yet they were distinct. Despite the dayti noise and distant chatter, every person present could hear them clearly.
One by one, heads turned toward the source.
A young man was walking toward them.
He carried himself with a relaxed deanor, his expression calm and almost detached. There was nothing outwardly threatening about him, yet sothing about his presence drew imdiate attention.
He approached Elizabeth and stopped between her and the group of n.
"Aunty," he said politely, "could you give a glass of water?"
The simplicity of his request seed almost absurd given the situation. However, the mont Elizabeth heard his voice, sothing within her shifted.
The fear, anxiety, and tension that had overwheld her monts earlier began to fade. It was as though his presence alone had created a sense of safety.
She nodded instinctively.
"Please co with ," she replied.
One of the thugs stepped forward, anger flashing across his face.
"Who do you think you are?" he snapped. "Do you not see that we are talking to this bit—"
His words were cut short.
In a single motion, his head separated cleanly from his body.
There was no warning, no visible effort. The action was so swift that for a brief mont, no one reacted.
Ethan lowered his sword slightly, his gaze indifferent.
"What were you saying?" he asked.
Silence fell over the area.
The remaining thugs stared at the lifeless body, their expressions frozen in horror. They had caused trouble before, relying on their connections to avoid consequences, but they had never encountered death so directly.
"W-who..." one of them tried to speak, but fear constricted his voice.
Ethan did not wait for him to finish. With another effortless motion, he eliminated the rest of them.
Their bodies fell to the ground one after another.
"What a nuisance," he muttered quietly.
He then turned his attention back to Elizabeth.
She stood motionless, her mind struggling to process what she had just witnessed.
"Aunty," he called gently.
She flinched slightly before regaining her awareness.
"Yes?" she responded, her voice unsteady.
"The water," he reminded her with a faint smile.
For reasons she could not explain, she did not feel afraid of him. Despite what he had done, there was no sense of threat emanating from him.
She nodded and led him inside the house.
As Ethan stepped through the doorway, he spoke softly to himself.
"Two are secured. Next, the Upper Realm."
...
In Elysium, Ethan appeared within a dilapidated structure. The building was abandoned, its walls worn and its surroundings overgrown with neglect.
He moved toward the backyard, where a dense bush concealed sothing beneath it.
"I should leave this continent first," he thought.
However, before he could proceed, a sharp sensation coursed through his body. Every instinct he possessed warned him of imminent danger.
"So he still ca," Ethan muttered internally. "I assud he would not dare to move alone as Veldanava is operating here so openly."
Despite his thoughts, his outward deanor remained unchanged. He continued walking toward the bush as though nothing was amiss.
"Hello, big brother. Where are you from?"
The voice was light and innocent.
Ethan turned his head to the right.
A young boy stood there, no older than seven or eight. His expression was curious, his eyes clear and observant.
[Na: Lucious Augustus
Title: Seventh Hero
Level: 200]
Ethan studied him briefly before responding.
"I was hiding from an enemy," he said calmly. "I ca across this place while searching for sowhere to stay out of sight."
It was not entirely untrue.
The boy seed to consider his words carefully. Then he nodded, as though satisfied.
"This place is dangerous," Lucious said. "You should co with instead. If you are not a bad person, I can give you a job and ensure your safety."
He spoke with a sincerity that did not match his age.
Ethan looked at him for a mont, his expression unreadable.
The situation had just beco more complicated.
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