After making her decision, Sophia stepped forward.
She leaned gently against John for a brief moment, then pulled away just as quickly—like a dragonfly skimming across the water.
"Mr. Lopez," she said with a sweet smile, "I remember your heartbeat."
She had once thought that a man like John was someone far beyond her reach. She didn't dare dream of him falling for her.
But just now—
When she got close to him, she could feel it.
His heartbeat.
It was fast.
At least for a fleeting second, she had made his heart beat for her.
And for Sophia, that was enough.
As she and Brian turned to head back into the school, John smiled wryly to himself.
He was so damn charming, he made women fall in love with him without even trying.
Truly sinful.
He couldn't help but think—Maybe in the next life, I'll be punished and come back looking like Tony Will.
The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
After resolving Sophia's situation, John soon received a top-secret list from the Oracle Palace's intelligence agency.
A list of ten organizations from around the world—including the Australian Ninja League.
These were the forces the Kingslayer Alliance had recently recruited.
It had been some time since the death of the Oracle King.
Without his presence, the Oracle Palace had lost its legendary deterrent. The once-dormant wolves began to stir.
Every faction had started to move.
In John's words—when the tree falls, the demons come crawling out.
The bullet had been fired long ago, and now it was finally reaching its mark.
Word had it that in half a month, the Kingslayer Alliance would launch a full-scale war on Mount Oracle.
Mount Oracle stood in the northwest region of the United States, right at the intersection of several countries.
It was the tallest peak of all.
And it bore the name Mount Oracle in honor of the legendary Oracle King.
At its summit stood a towering human-shaped statue—majestic and imposing.
The figure held the Excalibur in its hands, its dragon-headed mask gazing into the distance.
Though it was only a sculpture, it radiated lifelike power, capturing the unshakable dominance of the Oracle King.
It was the very symbol of martial supremacy.
But now, the Oracle King was gone.
In Britain, Alex Watson, wielding the Oracle King's Excalibur, had declared himself the King of Gods—leader of the Kingslayer Alliance.
And in just two weeks, they planned to ascend Mount Oracle and destroy the Oracle King's statue, replacing it with one of Alex Watson.
That day would be historic.
All major forces across the world would be there to witness the moment.
In the United States, news of this stirred waves of sadness and outrage—but no resistance.
Because like it or not, Alex Watson was now the strongest man alive.
Even those who had refused to believe in the death of the King of Horizon had no choice but to accept the bitter truth.
No word. No sign. No hope.
The era of the King of Horizon was over.
A new king was rising.
John read the news with a faint smile.
This—this was exactly what he had been waiting for.
When all those factions gathered on Mount Oracle, it would be his moment.
His first battle.
He turned his eyes to the list in his hand.
So many unfamiliar organizations. Groups that once cowered in the shadows under the Oracle King's rule, but now showed themselves with bold ambition.
Thanks to the Kingslayer Alliance, they had emerged from hiding.
And now, John knew—there were far more dangers in the world than he had imagined.
It was... impressive, in a way.
At the bottom of the list, several organizations were marked in red, indicating "negotiating."
In other words, they hadn't officially joined the Kingslayer Alliance yet—but it was likely only a matter of time.
The world of martial arts was moving toward unification under one banner.
One name among the red-marked groups caught John's attention.
Shadow Pavilion.
"Huh?" John muttered to himself. "Isn't that the underground assassin group based in the U.S.? Why would the Kingslayer Alliance take notice of them?"
It didn't make sense.
He clearly remembered—his sister Alice Moon had once belonged to that group, though she was only at the lowest level.
According to Alice, she had joined the Shadow Pavilion hoping to uncover the truth about her identity—because fragments of her lost memories were tied to that organization.
John had even ordered the Oracle Palace intelligence team to investigate.
The result?
A scattered assassin group. Small, disorganized, barely a threat.
Nothing that should've drawn attention from a force as mighty as the Kingslayer Alliance.
So why now?
And more curiously—why was it proving so difficult for them to recruit the Shadow Pavilion?
John contacted the intelligence team again, demanding updated information.
The truth shocked him.
The Shadow Pavilion wasn't headquartered in the United States at all.
It was in Iceland.
And the leader?
A man named Thomson Hutch, an American.
Interesting.
Suddenly, John's interest in the Shadow Pavilion surged.
If he investigated the group in Iceland, maybe—just maybe—he could learn something more about Alice's origins.
But should he take her with him?
He hesitated.
In the end, John decided not to tell Alice—not yet.
If it turned out to be a dead end, he didn't want to disappoint her.
Instead, he visited the Sunshine Welfare Center and asked Cornelius Wodehouse for a photo of Alice from her childhood.
Then, without another word—
He set off for Iceland.