A black cat watched the entire scene unfold.

  The massive eye.

  The division into six.

  The overwhelming surge of power.

  Its golden eyes looked innocent—almost harmless—but there was something calculating behind them. It remained there for ten minutes, perfectly still, as if engraving every detail into memory.

  Then it vanished.

  The cat tore through the forest at terrifying speed, covering nearly ten kilometers in five minutes. It was unnatural—silent, precise, unstoppable.

  Soon, it stopped before a massive wooden gate.

  Beyond it lay a facility spanning roughly five square kilometers.

  Inside were around two hundred and fifty large wooden houses, similar to the one Kael lived in. People moved about calmly. Each of them wore distinct robes, weapons, and colors. It looked almost like a gathering of warriors from different eras—except this was their normal life.

  Yet despite the diversity in appearance, they all shared one trait:

  A suffocating aura.

  The air itself felt dense.

  The cat leapt onto the outer wall and began bounding across rooftops effortlessly. In seconds, it reached the very center of the compound.

  There stood a magnificent mansion-like structure, adorned with intricate carvings. Two towering wooden pillars framed the entrance, and between them, a frozen golden dragon statue coiled in mid-roar.

  The cat entered through the main door.

  A long hallway led into a vast inner courtyard filled with vibrant flowers. At its center stood a towering ancient tree.

  Beneath that tree sat twenty-nine individuals, cross-legged.

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  A clear hierarchy was visible.

  At the very front sat an old man.

  He looked fragile—thin, almost breakable—but something about him felt fundamentally wrong. He supported his entire body using only his pinky fingers pressed against the ground.

  Resting across his legs was a massive slab of metal.

  Before him stood two figures.

  One was a beautiful blonde woman dressed in flowing blue robes, holding a royal-looking staff.

  The other was the blue-haired, blue-eyed man who had once spoken to Kael after the incident—his gaze as cold and unreadable as ever.

  Behind them, the remaining members were arranged in a pyramid formation.

  The second tier contained fewer people.

  The third and fourth tiers were progressively larger.

  Each individual had a distinct weapon, presence, and personality—but all radiated terrifying power.

  Yet even among them, the old man's aura was overwhelming.

  Whenever someone stood before him, they instinctively lowered their gaze.

  The cat padded forward and stopped beside the old man.

  Then it transformed.

  A fit, black-haired man emerged from the feline form, his expression unusually tense.

  He leaned forward and whispered.

  Despite the low volume, every single person present heard him clearly.

  "Materialization phase: twenty-one minutes… Primary power output: 1.2 units… Eyes… Potential comparable—if not superior—to yours."

  Silence fell.

  Then—

  The old man began laughing.

  Slow.

  Low.

  Disturbing.

  "I see…" he murmured. "It seems… the Equalizer has arrived."

  Shock rippled through the assembly.

  Murmurs erupted.

  "Twenty-one minutes?"

  "The old master only reached nineteen…"

  "Mine was ten…"

  From the second tier, one of the stronger members frowned.

  "That doesn't make sense. If it lasted twenty-one minutes, how is the primary output only 1.2 units? Mine was 2.5 units, and I lasted fifteen minutes."

  A woman dressed in white, holding a familiar morningstar, responded calmly.

  "That is precisely what makes it alarming. If the duration is that long and the primary output relatively low, then the secondary and tertiary manifestations must be absurd."

  Her eyes sharpened.

  "Whoever this is… he's abnormal."

  The courtyard filled with hushed speculation.

  Until—

  "Enough."

  The old man's voice was weak.

  But it carried absolute authority.

  Every single person fell silent instantly.

  "This information will never leave this place," he said coldly. "Whoever speaks of it again… dies by my hands."

  No one doubted him.

  Then, suddenly, his tone shifted—light, almost cheerful.

  "The meeting is over. Return to your duties."

  In the blink of an eye, the courtyard was empty.

  Only the old man remained.

  He stood slowly, lifting the metal slab from his lap. It appeared ordinary—just a flat piece of steel sized to rest across crossed legs.

  "Well," he muttered. "Let us pay you a visit."

  He casually dropped the slab horizontally.

  The impact was deafening.

  The ground collapsed.

  The metal sank five meters into the earth, compacting it as if struck by a meteor.

  The old man clicked his tongue.

  "Tsk. I always forget that happens."

  And for the first time—

  His eyes opened