Lin Fang didn’t answer immediately.

His gaze drifted briefly to the wall, as if he were already picturing Aquilonis. Endless waters. Unknown civilizations. Monsters that could swallow fleets whole. Joining an elite mercenary team would be the logical choice. The smart choice.

In the end, he shook his head.

“No,” Lin Fang said calmly. “I’m sorry, but I want to explore that world on our own. Me, my sister, Adam, and Nebula.”

Feng Xiu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re certain?” he asked. “The world beyond that Rift isn’t simple. It’s dangerous. You’ve seen the information yourself. And even if you are strong enough to be an A-rank, your strength still…”

Lin Fang met his gaze without hesitation as he cut him off. “I know that but I still want to do this on my own.”

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Feng Xiu studied Lin Fang closely, as if trying to see through him, to determine whether this was stubborn pride or genuine resolve.

At last, Feng Xiu nodded. “Alright.”

There was no disappointment in his voice. Only plain acceptance.

“Then I won’t interfere,” Feng Xiu said. “Just remember one thing. In Aquilonis, danger doesn’t always announce itself. Trust your instincts, but don’t underestimate the unknown.”

Lin Fang stood up slowly. “I won’t.”

The two men exchanged a final look, one filled with unspoken understanding. Then Lin Fang turned and walked toward the door, his decision firm, his path chosen.

Meanwhile, far from the warmth of the dining halls, in a quiet compartment shielded from signals, a woman stood by the narrow window with a satellite phone pressed to her ear. Her posture was straight, disciplined, the mark of someone trained to stand unseen. This is the same person who kept an eye on Lin Fang when he returned from the trial and stayed in the hotel.

“Sir,” she said softly, eyes lowered. “The Young Master has separated from the group. He went with a guard to meet Feng Xiu alone.”

There was a brief pause on the other end.

“It’s a perfect opportunity,” the woman continued. “We can interrogate Lin Mei and find out how much she has told him.”

The voice from the phone replied calmly, without hesitation. “No. Don’t do anything.”

The woman froze slightly.

“We can safely assume he already knows the truth,” the voice continued. “What matters now is what he intends to do with it. Just wait and observe. Stick close to them.”

She frowned. “Stick close… how?”

Another pause.

The voice then said. “Make friends with his sister and his friend before the Young Master returns. Stay by their side.”

The woman’s eyes widened in surprise. “Eh? But sir, as an apprentice knight, my duty is to protect him from the shadows.”

A faint sigh came from the other end. “That kind of protection may no longer work,” the voice replied. “He isn’t the same Young Master we once knew. He’s stronger now. Perhaps… as strong as you.”

The woman let out a slow breath. The image of Lin Fang’s fight with Zack surfaced in her mind. The calm. The timing. The terrifying final blow.

“Alright, sir,” she said at last.

The call ended.

She lowered the phone and allowed a small smile to curve her lips. “This is good too,” she murmured to herself. “Only Senior Leng ever managed to talk with the Young Master properly.”

Her eyes glinted with quiet excitement. “Now I can do the same.”

*

The outer dining area was alive with sound and light. Long tables were filled with dishes from different regions, aromas mixing in the air. Laughter and chatter flowed freely, easing the tension left behind by the briefing.

Lin Mei sat across from Adam, casually eating while listening to him talk about his travels. Adam gestured with his fork as he spoke, relaxed, his earlier seriousness nowhere to be seen.

Beside them, Nebula was having the time of her life.

Plates kept appearing and disappearing in front of it. Meat dishes, vegetable platters, and desserts. She didn’t discriminate. She devoured everything in reach, earning more than a few stunned looks from nearby hunters.

“What is she…?” someone whispered.

Others watched with open admiration. A few gazes lingered longer than they should have, filled with something less innocent as they stared at Nebula’s busty figure.

Lin Mei noticed them, her expression cooling slightly, but she said nothing.

That was when a woman approached their table.

“Excuse me,” she said gently.

She looked first at Adam, smiling politely. “You’re Fighter Dom, right?”

Adam blinked, surprised. “Uh… yeah.”

The woman’s smile widened. “Hello. My name is Emily.” She tilted her head slightly. “I watched a few of your matches when you were touring Zuweth. You were really cool.”

Adam’s eyes lit up instantly. “You watched those?”

“Of course,” Emily replied smoothly. “Your fighting style left a strong impression.”

Adam straightened a little, clearly pleased. “Haha… glad to hear that.”

Across the table, Lin Mei watched the woman quietly.

She couldn’t explain it, but something about Emily felt… off.

Still, she remained silent, observing while Nebula happily continued her feast without a care about the new person. It wasn’t her job to pay attention to other humans. She only cares about protecting Lin Mei from any physical harm or any flirtations that Lin Mei feels uncomfortable with.

By the time Lin Fang returned to the dining area, the mood had shifted again. The noise of clinking glasses and low laughter rolled through the hall like a gentle tide. From a distance, he spotted Lin Mei and Adam at their table.

There was someone else with them. A stranger

A woman sat between Adam and Lin Mei, leaning forward slightly, laughing with an ease that suggested familiarity. Adam looked unusually animated, his shoulders relaxed, his voice louder than before. Nebula looked as if she were in her own world, occasionally nudging plates closer to herself as if the table belonged to her.

Lin Fang slowed his steps, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

When Adam noticed him, he raised a hand. “Bro! You’re back.”

Lin Fang stopped beside the table. Adam immediately gestured toward the woman. “This is Emily Rose.”

Adam then turned to her, grinning. “Emma, this is Lin Fang. My good friend and Lin Mei’s brother that we were just talking about, so far…”

“Emma?” Lin Fang repeated without thinking, glancing at Adam.

Adam waved his hand and laughed it off. “You know me, bro. I become friends quickly.”

Lin Fang looked back at the woman in surprise. She had calm eyes and a pleasant smile, the kind that seemed effortless.

“Actually,” Emily said, meeting Lin Fang’s gaze, “I watched your fight earlier. Hello, Mr. Lin. Nice to meet you.”

Lin Fang nodded. “Nice to meet you, too.”

She hesitated for a brief moment, then added lightly, “I do have a small complaint, though. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Lin Fang blinked. “Oh?”

“You were a bit… merciless against Adam,” she said gently. “Adam is your good friend. Even if you want to surprise him, you also kinda embarrassed him in front of everyone.”

Lin Fang froze for a second, then scratched his cheek. “Ah… yes. Sorry about that.”

Adam immediately frowned. “Hey, I wasn’t embarrassed or anything.”

Emily’s eyes widened. She clasped her hands together, her expression turning exaggeratedly apologetic. “Oh! I’m sorry. That was a bad choice of words. I didn’t mean anything bad.”

Adam laughed. “I know. You didn’t mean it like that.”

He then turned to Lin Fang. “Don’t think badly of her, bro.”

Lin Fang looked at Adam, genuinely surprised by how quickly he was to defend her. “Yeah… I guess?”

He glanced at Lin Mei. She shrugged slightly, her expression unreadable, as if saying she felt something was odd but couldn’t quite name it either.

*

The night stretched on.

By the time Lin Fang noticed, Adam and Emily were already gone, each holding a drink as they disappeared toward the upper decks, laughter trailing behind them. Lin Fang watched for a moment, then turned back to Lin Mei, deciding not to comment.

The next morning came with a dull headache.

Adam groaned as he opened his eyes, sunlight slipping through the curtains and stabbing straight into his skull. His head felt like it was splitting in two. Memories from the previous night surfaced in fragments. Drinks. Laughter. Emily leaning close. The warmth of her breath.

Then nothing.

He sat up abruptly.

The blanket slipped, and Adam froze. He was naked.

“What the hell,” he muttered.

His clothes lay scattered on the floor. As he reached down to pick them up, something else caught his eye. A piece of black fabric was tangled with his shirt.

Panties.

Adam stared at them for a long second.

“So… we slept?” he whispered to himself.

His stomach tightened. He ran a hand through his hair. “I need to talk to Emily.”

After a quick shower and throwing on clean clothes, Adam left his room in a hurry. He went straight to Room 419, the number he remembered Emily mentioning.

No answer.

He knocked again. Still nothing.

After asking around, following half-clear directions and guesses, Adam eventually made his way to the sundeck.

There, under the open sky, he finally saw her.

Emily stood near the railing, speaking casually with Lin Fang. Lin Mei was beside them, and Nebula hovered close, basking in the sunlight like it owned the place.

Adam stopped a few steps away, his chest tightening.

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, the sight made his head hurt even more than the hangover.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep