Chapter 293: Out Of The Realm

I looked into her eyes and spoke calmly.

"Good work out there. Really. Brutal, effective... maybe a little too effective."

She stared back at me, still as a statue.

I continued, letting a hint of amusement creep into my voice.

"Now, let me handle the mess you left behind. We’ll need to work on your manners though—you can’t just go around turning dead people into... sculptures. Creative, yes. Acceptable? Absolutely not."

Still no reaction. But then, for the first time, she gave a small nod.

My eyebrows rose in surprise, and I let out a short chuckle.

"Oh? Look at that. You’re learning fast."

I glanced down at the unconscious bodies of Grey and Bruno, then spoke aloud.

"Can you tie them up with something solid? I don’t want them flopping around like luggage."

Lyrate tilted her head slightly, her gaze shifting to the duo. A heartbeat later, the ground trembled beneath our feet. Thick black roots erupted from the soil, slithering forward like serpents with purpose.

They coiled tightly around Grey and Bruno, lifting them slightly off the ground as they wrapped around their limbs and torsos. In seconds, both of them were bound in layers of roots—each one as thick as my forearm.

I whistled softly.

"Efficient. Creepy, but efficient."

I leaned down slightly, tapping one of the roots with my knuckles. It didn’t budge.

"Yeah... they’re not getting out of that any time soon." I straightened up and gave a satisfied nod.

With that, I de-summoned her and sent her back to the core.

Once she vanished, I turned my attention to the two bodies lying nearby. I let out a breath.

"I think we might’ve gone a bit too far."

First, I crouched next to Bruno and burned his shoulders, carefully sealing the wounds to stop the bleeding. After that, I summoned Silver. Without wasting time, I lifted both bodies and placed them onto Silver’s back. He growled softly but didn’t complain.

As we flew over the forest, I reached and took their storage rings. While checking through one of them, I paused. Something caught my eye....a small token.

It looked different. There were faint ripples of spatial energy around it, barely noticeable unless you knew what to look for.

"Is this one of those tokens Marcus mentioned? The kind used to access wherever they’re hiding the Ferans?"

I turned the token over in my hand. It was brownish, worn, and had a single ’H’ carved into its surface.

I smirked.

There were no Ferans left to hide, but if they still carried these tokens, then they were hiding something else.

Silver and I kept moving, flying low through the trees. We returned to every spot where Lyrate had killed someone. One by one, I burned the bodies and destroyed any equipment left behind. I didn’t try to clean up everything, just the bodies and obvious items.

I didn’t want it to be neat. I wanted confusion. Let them find the aftermath and wonder what really happened. No corpses. No weapons. Just questions.

I sat quietly on Silver’s back as we flew upward toward the floating island. The wind brushed against my face, cold and sharp, but I didn’t mind. My mind was calm. For once, there was no rush, no chaos—just silence and a sense of completion.

I looked down at the land far below, the expansive mountain range and the Holt’s base far away.

I had come into this realm as part of a test and a mission. But now, it felt more like the beginning of something greater.

My probation was far from over, and yet....I was already brushing against the Grandmaster threshold.

The barrier that once felt distant now seemed paper-thin.

By the time probation ended, I was certain I’d be standing as a Grandmaster in full. And maybe—just maybe—I’d go beyond.

The thought made me smile.

I exhaled, feeling that rare flutter of excitement in my chest. The kind that came when the future wasn’t a mystery, but a promise.

Silver kept flying higher until we reached the floating island. He landed softly just outside the castle, his wings stirring the air gently as he touched down.

I jumped off his back, ready to head inside, but before I could take a step, Azalea appeared right in front of me.

She smiled.

"Looks like you’re done with your work."

I gave her a nod, meeting her gaze.

She had told me I had two days before she would be gone. But I wasn’t sure if something unexpected might force me to stay longer out there in the real world. There was a chance, a golden one, to strike hard at the Holts, maybe even bring their entire house down. I didn’t want to waste it.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, watching me closely.

I smiled faintly.

"Nothing. Just random thoughts."

I paused for a moment, then added, "So... two days, huh?"

She nodded.

My brows drew together as I began to think. Was there any way we could pull this off in just two days?

She let out a small laugh.

"Why do you look so stressed? Even if I’m gone, you can bring in a Grandmaster from outside to hold off that Holt Grandmaster."

I shrugged.

"Yeah, that’s an option. But Grandmasters from the Empire don’t move unless the Emperor commands it. I don’t know what plans they have in motion."

Azalea tilted her head slightly.

"That’s why you should stop overthinking. Go out there and figure out what’s really happening."

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then nodded.

"Alright, Azalea. Even if the plan’s not ready yet, I’ll still come see you."

She gave me a gentle smile and nodded.

"I will keep an eye on the realm for you."

I nodded and asked, "So how do I get out of here? And where will it drop me?"

She answered, "Just connect with the core and will it. A portal will open for you. As for where you’ll end up... it’ll be random."

"Random?" I repeated.

"Yes, random. But it’ll drop you somewhere desolate. There shouldn’t be any big towns or crowds nearby."

"That’s good to know," I said.

I waved my hand and de-summoned Silver, sending him back to the core. Then I grabbed both of the Holts, one in each hand and turned to Azalea.

"See you soon, Azalea."

"You too, Billion. Take care of yourself."

I reached out with my will, connecting to the core. The engraving on my hand glowed softly, and a swirling portal opened beside me. Without hesitation, I stepped through.

After a long time, I left the realm.