After the brutal chaos of the battlefield, Karl had chosen to tail Max in secret, driven by a burning curiosity to uncover the truth about the white-haired youth who had not only fought alongside him, but who had also revealed shocking power and an intimate knowledge of the Black Lotus Guildâs secrets.
Following Max was second nature to Karl; after all, covert observation and silent pursuit were the very soul of what it meant to be a Black Lotus operative.
"You have been following me for so long," Max said, his voice quiet but edged with an icy sharpness.
Karlâs face tightened, his jaw clenched, shadows playing over his sharp features as he stood there, cloak half-drawn around him like a shroud.
Heâd never thought Max would be able to detect him, not when heâd used every stealth technique at his disposal, every trick honed through years in the Black Lotus Guild.
But how could he have known that Max possessed senses so honed, abilities so rare, that he could perceive every flicker of presence around himâespecially those belonging to members of the Black Lotus guild?
"I wanted to know if youâre truly a member of the Black Lotus Guild," Karl finally confessed, his voice low and cautious, each word spoken with the care of a man standing on a knifeâs edge.
"Oh?" Maxâs lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile as he slowly lifted his right hand. Black flames erupted from his palm in a silent, crackling blaze, swirling and coiling like living serpents, burning dark and deep as an abyss.
"Black flames!" Karl gasped, his eyes going wide, every trace of his guarded composure shattering in an instant. Memories of the battlefield surged in his mindâhow, in the middle of chaos and slaughter, heâd felt another wave of black flames surge across the second circle, flames so much more violent, savage, and potent than his own.
Heâd suspected it was Maxâs doing, but he hadnât been certain. Now, staring at the dark fire dancing in Maxâs hand, there was no doubt left in him at all.
"You truly have the Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline," Karl whispered, almost reverently, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the narrow alley. His pupils constricted as realization dawned on him.
Max didnât say anything for a long moment. The black flames slowly withdrew, vanishing into his skin like ink dissolving in water, leaving behind nothing but an eerie silence. He merely tilted his head, his gaze locked onto Karl, cool and unreadable.
"That I have already told you. It was you who didnât believe me," Max said with a casual shrug, as though revealing a source-grade bloodline was nothing more than admitting a favorite meal.
Then, leaning forward slightly, Maxâs tone shifted into something cooler, sharper, layered with quiet command. "I have a few things I want to know. If you answer me, I might consider going with you to the Black Lotus Guild."
Karl stood frozen for a brief moment, weighing Maxâs words with furrowed brows, his dark eyes flickering with conflicting thoughts.
He desperately wanted Max to come to the Black Lotus Guildânot only because he suspected Max was an outsider with the guildâs most sacred bloodline, but also because of the shocking possibility swirling in his mind.
Karl still remembered how Max had utterly suppressed his own black flames with terrifying ease on the battlefield. In the secret records of the Black Lotus Guild, there were cryptic mentions that only those with a Progenitor-level bloodlineâor something even higher like source grade bloodline could wield such overwhelming suppression against a fellow guild member.
The idea that Max might possess a bloodline beyond even their own sacred lineage sent a chill down his spine, mixing fear and awe in equal measure.
"What do you want to know?" Karl finally asked, his voice cautious, but betraying his burning curiosity.
Maxâs expression grew thoughtful, then serious. "I want to know if thereâs been any news about the star stone."
Karl blinked, caught off guard. Of all the things he expected Max to ask, the star stone was nowhere on that list. "Star stone...?" he echoed slowly, his brows knitting together in surprise.
But Karl was nothing if not professional. He turned away, lips tightening in concentration, and tapped rapidly on the interface of his holo-watch. A series of holographic screens blinked into existence, their glow reflecting off Karlâs sharp features.
Data and encrypted reports cascaded across the air like a waterfall of light. His fingers danced over the projections, dismissing irrelevant reports and opening others, his eyes narrowing as he skimmed through streams of intelligence, hidden channels, and classified guild transmissions.
Then, a flicker of light flashed across one of the holograms, and Karl froze mid-motion. His eyes sharpened, locked onto the shimmering text. After a few rapid taps, he finally turned back toward Max, a thin, knowing smile curling his lips.
"Youâre lucky," Karl said, his voice carrying an undercurrent of excitement. "There is indeed a rumor about the star stone spreading in the Middle Domain."
"There is?" Maxâs eyes widened with sharp light, his entire aura tightening like a coiled spring, every hint of his earlier casual demeanor replaced by fierce intensity.
His voice cut through the silence with urgency. "Where?" he demanded quickly, stepping closer, as if he might drag the answer from Karlâs lips if he didnât spit it out fast enough.
Karl met Maxâs blazing gaze and didnât flinch, though his own pulse quickened beneath his calm exterior. "Itâs in the Celestial Wind Region of the Hundred Battle Regions," Karl said, voice low but steady. "Although the rumor hasnât been officially confirmed yet, word is already spreading like wildfire. People from every corner of the Middle Domain are starting to move toward that region, hoping to see if itâs true."
He paused, fingers flicking over his holo-watch again as if to check his facts one last time, before continuing, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial tone. "According to the rumors, a secret cave belonging to a powerful expert was discovered in the Celestial Wind Region. Itâs said that this expert lived around ten thousand years ago. Andâthis is the most important partâhe supposedly collected star stones as a hobby. His name was famous throughout the Middle Domain back then. He was known as Lots Kome."
Max went silent at that, his brows drawing together as his mind whirred with rapid calculation. A thousand possibilities flashed through his thoughts. The notion of a secret cave left behind by an ancient powerhouse wasnât far-fetched at all in the Middle Domain, where remnants of past eras were hidden under mountains, sealed in lakes, or buried deep underground.
And for someone to have collected star stones as a mere hobbyâthat possibility made Maxâs heart race faster than any battle could.
"I see..." Max murmured at last, his voice low and thoughtful, though sparks of excitement glimmered in his eyes. His mind was already picturing the glinting stones, the potential power lying dormant within them.
He knew the chances of finding star stones in such a cave werenât merely empty rumors. For an expert of Lots Komeâs caliber, hoarding star stones as a pastime was entirely plausibleâand if the cave truly existed, it might hold not only star stones but also treasures, techniques, and secrets lost to the ages.
And for someone like Max, who walked a path of constant growth and ascension, that was an opportunity he couldnât afford to ignore.