NOVEL NEXT Chapter 443: Counter-Robbery in the Spirit Realm
Upon landing, Ethan immediately suppressed his aura and slipped into Stealth. His first priority was to locate the guy he had taken down earlier and see if there was anything worth looting.
After a short search, he spotted the man's corpse dangling from a tree branch. Climbing up, he rifled through the victim's spatial pouch. Disappointingly, it held only food and water—but there was an unexpected bonus: a crudely drawn map.
[Ding… System Notification: Map system updated!]
[Ding… System Notification: Discovered map, 'Spirit Realm'.]
As he expected, the system automatically recognized map-like items. This sanctum of a place opened only once every thousand years, and who knew how many eons it had existed? Every generation of adventurers had sketched their explorations, gradually piecing together fragments of the world into something resembling a usable map.
Whether "Spirit Realm" was its true name or a title assigned by the system, Ethan couldn't say. The map revealed that his current position was only in the outermost edge of the realm. Even then, the fragment he held covered only a portion of the outskirts, with the central regions entirely blank.
He studied the markings closely. Several locations were numbered—one marked "9" was closest to him, while the smallest number he could see was "4." He had no idea what these numbers signified, but since they were left by the Hurricane City people, they had to mean something important. It was better than wandering aimlessly, so he decided to head toward the nearest marker.
---
Back in the mortal world, atop the Windspirit Faction's peak in Hurricane City, chaos reigned. A hundred or so combatants were locked in a brutal melee, all fighting for the remaining thirteen glowing pillars. Uncle Jed stood on the sidelines, rubbing his hands, visibly itching to join. But at his age, claiming a pillar was pointless. Even if he defeated everyone, he wouldn't qualify for entry. So, he turned to the young man beside him.
"Julian, aren't you going to try?"
Julian, calm as a summer breeze, leaned against the railing while casually eating watermelon. He was a prodigy, far stronger than the combatants below—stronger even than those originally chosen to enter the sanctum. The strongest fighter on the field was barely Nether-rank, while Julian had already reached Elysium-rank, the second stage of Energy Users. His next step would make him a War God-rank powerhouse… and he was only thirty-one.
Uncle Jed had needed a rare, pill just to break through to War God-rank by thirty. Julian had done it entirely through raw talent, climbing from Limbo-rank to Elysium-rank in just three years without a single supplement. The old man couldn't help but wonder if this kid had some secret treasure hidden away.
Julian watched the melee with an almost amused detachment. "Why bother? Beastfall City still needs me. And besides… Ethan's already in there. Me going in would just be redundant. When he comes out, he's not the type to hog all the good stuff for himself, right?"
Uncle Jed blinked, then chuckled, a spark of respect in his eyes. The first part of Julian's reasoning was practical: if Ethan didn't return, Beastfall City would need a leader, and with Julian's father aging, he was the obvious successor. Risking his life here would be foolish. The second part showed his keen understanding of Ethan's character. Ethan would absolutely take whatever treasure he found—but when he returned, he'd share the spoils with those who waited.
"Ha! You're a fine young man," Uncle Jed said warmly, his eyes softening for a moment. Then his expression shifted, hardening as his gaze fell upon Shaw Zilo across the battlefield. A spark of murderous intent flickered in his eyes, and Shaw Zilo noticed, returning the stare with a cold snort.
They both understood—after the Four Domains Sacred Assembly, only one of them would still be alive.
Eventually, all thirteen glowing pillars were claimed. The chaotic brawl subsided, and the remaining participants retreated to their factions, turning their attention to the massive projection of the Spirit Realm above, a breathtaking vista that seemed to promise both glory and doom.
---
Deep in the Spirit Realm, Ethan sprinted through the forest when someone suddenly leaped out from the underbrush, brandishing a massive blade.
"Stop right there! This is a robbery! Hand over—"
Smack!
Ethan didn't even let him finish. His palm connected with the man's face, sending him staggering. Dressed in tattered rags, the would-be robber looked like he had already survived several fights.
"You… you…" the man stuttered.
"'You' what? This is a robbery! Hand over everything—valuable or worthless, I don't care!" Ethan said with a wicked grin as a twisted staff materialized in his hand—the same one he'd once used to discipline Blackie, the Black Qilin.
The man froze, bewildered, as if his brain couldn't process the reversal. He had jumped out to rob someone and ended up being robbed instead.
"I… I—"
Thwack!
Ethan rapped him lightly on the head with the staff. He didn't use his full strength, but it was enough to raise a swelling.
"'I' what? If you don't hand it over, I'll take it myself," Ethan said, twirling the staff casually. He didn't kill the man because he was curious. He hadn't seen this guy among the Hurricane City crowd, and he carried no murderous intent—he just seemed desperate, not bloodthirsty. Besides, he was only Sovereign-rank. Beating up weaklings wasn't exactly Ethan's style… well, not seriously, anyway.
The man cradled his lumped head, speaking rapidly. "I'm broke! Look at me—my clothes are in rags! Do I look like someone carrying valuables?"
Ethan gave him a once-over. Sure enough, no spatial gear, no storage pouches, nothing except the oversized blade.
"I said, everything. That includes worthless junk. Clothes, pants, all of it." He leaned on his staff, smiling in a way that made the man's scalp tingle. "Come on, even robbers should have professional ethics, don't you think?"
The man's face turned an impressive shade of black. His rags were so pitiful even beggars would reject them. Yet Ethan's smirk made it clear he was just toying with him. If he really stripped now, he'd be running naked through the forest—and that might be worse than dying.