In the Central District of Regalia City…
On the 100th floor of a high-rise hotel, a white-haired boy with sharp purple eyes sat in a chair by the glass wall.
The open-floor design gave him a perfect view of the bustling city below, lights flickering like stars beneath his feet.
He rested his cheek against his palm, elbow propped on the table.
His fingers brushed against a freshly forged golden earring.
It was Alvin, once again cloaked in his disguise.
As he waited, a figure approached. A red-haired man stepped into view.
Exile.
After wiping the memories of the military personnel, Exile had extracted the group from the camp undetected. He had taken Lesley with him and told Alvin to meet here.
Now, he sat across from his disciple, eyes sharp as ever.
He didn't waste time.
"Your mana veins mutated into curse veins. You stepped into Half-Step. And you're already a late-stage Expert?"
"All of that happened in just two weeks?"
"What the hell happened to you?"
