It came and passed where they had stood before. Sasha visibly relaxed, but Elias remained tense. It was a man—tall, broad-shouldered, with thick muscles rippling beneath his clothing.
The dim light obscured his face, but Sasha seemed to recognize him. She glanced at Elias and mouthed that they should wait.
The man's pace was unhurried yet purposeful, each stride covering significant ground. His footsteps fell heavy against the ancient stone—the movements of someone with absolute confidence in both himself and his abilities.
He passed their hiding place and continued forward, then returned, searching the area methodically before heading back toward the gate.
They remained hidden for another thirty minutes until Sasha's device confirmed no one remained in the vicinity.
"Who was that?" Elias whispered, his hat's veil muffling his voice so only Sasha could hear.
"Someone from a Noble Family," she replied softly. "Specifically, the Buddha Family."
"The Buddha Family? One of the overlords of the Five Leaf Clover," Elias stated gravely, peering cautiously outside. This was troublesome indeed. He had previously met their president, who also belonged to the family—a hulking man, even larger than the official he'd encountered at the Explorers' Organization Branch.
They stepped out of hiding and gazed toward the gate, though the winding road prevented a direct line of sight. It was approximately two kilometers away.
They kept to the shadows as they moved forward, acutely aware that confrontation with one of the Buddha Family was something to be avoided at all costs.
"They have a code of peace," Sasha added, "but better safe than sorry."
"So you harbor grand ambitions," Elias remarked. "I didn't even know that was possible in this age."
"Actually, there's a fierce race among many low-ranking families," she explained. "The country and even other Noble Families provide support in funding, training, and protection. But the requirements are steep."
Elias nodded. "Good luck, then. I assume this exploration and being first in everything gives a boost to your standing in the race?"
Sasha shook her head with a rueful smile. "Technically, we aren't even in the race," she admitted, frustration evident in her tone. "I can't read my brother's mind, but he believes we can join. It's practically impossible, though." She sighed before continuing. "Our Thunderspark Talent—as we've named our lightning—was passed down from our parents, which means we fulfill one requirement. But there's already the Thunderlight Noble Family, which our ancestors broke away from before they were granted their title seventy years ago."
She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Their existence makes our efforts futile. Our country won't recognize us—either we join them or remain Lily Flower. But my brother is convinced he can prove otherwise."
Elias listened attentively. "Well, perhaps he has his reasons. And it's admirable that despite your differing views, you're working hard to help him."
Her face softened, revealing exhaustion and vulnerability. "He has his reasons. Thunderlight was formed by four lightning users: our grandfather Roan and three others. Each was Rank 4 at the time. One died before passing his legacy to descendants, but the other three succeeded." Her eyes grew distant. "Somewhere along the line, Grandpa Roan had a falling out with them."
She continued, "I don't know the specifics, but they wanted deep intermarriage to mix talents and create something new. Thunderspark is Combustion Lightning—it makes solid objects absorb the energy and explode. It's powerful, destructive, and needs to be tamed."
Her hands gestured as she explained. "To Grandfather, mixing talents would dilute that power. He needed it raw. His vision for the family was unity with four branches, each developing independently before eventually creating united, diluted lightning forms. They disagreed with his approach." Her voice lowered. "Then he left and started his own path, but within a year, Thunderlight was formed. They invited him back, but he refused."
"Thunderlight is powerful too, I take it?" Elias asked.
"Extremely so. More powerful than Thunderspark," she acknowledged. "Their merger created something greater. In just fifty years, they've risen to stand just below the Buddha Family in fame, despite being the most recent noble lineage."
She abruptly stopped speaking. They both froze, sensing a presence behind them. They knew who it was before they turned to face him—a towering figure exactly two meters tall, robust, radiating power, confidence, and sheer intimidation.
Sasha smiled awkwardly. "Buddhist Hand. You startled us."
"My apologies. That wasn't my intention." His voice matched his imposing physique but also revealed his age to Elias's discerning ear. He couldn't be much older than they were.
"Some concerning complaints about you have reached me," the Buddhist Hand continued. "I'd like to hear your version of events."
"You'll hear nothing but the truth from me. I swear on my grandfather's name," Sasha declared solemnly, placing her hand over her heart and closing her eyes briefly.
"The most important question: did you kill Sam Allen, an A-Rank Speed Talent?"
"No, we didn't," she answered immediately. "He's by the gate, close to a boulder I marked with a large 'S'. We saved him after he was abandoned. He's alive but injured—we had to treat him ourselves."
"Wait here." The giant blurred away, leaving both Elias and Sasha visibly shaken. That speed—neither could match or counter it.
Before they could even exhale fully, he returned.
"Why did you refuse other Explorers from joining the Gate Ceremony? Your actions resulted in needless violence. Sam is alive, but every bone in his body is cracked, including his spine."
"I... look, the thing is—" Sasha stammered, struggling to form words.
Elias stepped forward. "Greetings. I'm her bodyguard," he stated calmly. "She didn't fight them—I did. I admit I'm not familiar with Explorer regulations, but allow me to recount what actually happened."
He maintained steady eye contact with the imposing figure. "I brought us here faster than anyone. Sasha spent more than an hour reading and deciphering the gate when they appeared. She had already begun the opening process, and they demanded she stop and defer to them. When we refused, they attacked her directly."
Elias's voice hardened. "She had her back to them, focusing entirely on complex calculations, when they struck. Tell me, Buddhist Hand, what would you have done at that moment? Would you have allowed a Sword Slash and Green Energy Blast to reach her, or would you have stepped in to protect her?"
The giant didn't answer immediately. After several seconds, he spoke. "Stopping the opening process is entirely possible—it could have been restarted."
"True," Elias conceded. "But that would have rendered meaningless the hours she had already invested. I explained to them that they should let her try, and if she failed, they could take their turn."
"Nevertheless, Explorer Rules mandate working in groups and aiding one another," the Buddhist Hand countered. "Your contribution would still have been recorded—she would receive primary credit for being first."
"Do you know they left Sam to die?" Sasha interjected, having regained her composure. "The green-haired one only took Dice—someone who could still move and fight—but abandoned Sam unconscious in the rubble." Her voice rose slightly. "Before that, after the gate was opened, Dice attacked us again. We were all injured, the gate was open—they could have simply rushed inside. We couldn't have stopped them. But they chose to attack us again."
She looked directly at the Buddhist Hand. "From the very beginning, they had no intention of cooperating. They came to disrupt my attempt and force me out."
The towering young man stared at them, his expression unreadable. His wrist watch suddenly blinked, drawing his attention momentarily. "We will investigate this matter thoroughly," he emphasized. "Sasha Thunderspark, you remain the primary suspect for causing conflict by refusing to allow their participation."
She didn't respond as he blurred away again, the displaced air tumbling old rubble across the ground.
Elias and Sasha stood in silence before resuming their journey. "I don't understand," she muttered. "Conflict among Explorers is frowned upon, but they usually turn a blind eye unless there's an actual death..."
Katcha!
Katcha!
They both froze in their tracks at the distinct sound of chains. Their eyes widened like saucers, faces contorting in preemptive agony, hearts pounding with terror.
"C-Calamity Beast!" Sasha managed to stammer, her voice barely above a whisper.