CHAPTER 332: YOU’RE HERE

Three Days Later...

Harry lay on his bed, eyes narrowed, unmoving.

A cool breeze blew from the window, gently caressing his body and also the sheets of the bed.

But Harry’s mind wasn’t on the cool and serene morning atmosphere.

If it was before, he could have taken some minutes to enjoy and relish in it, but not now.

He was lost in thought—pulled backward into what happened at the forest.

The missing student was later announced to be Trent Morton.

The broadcast happened the next morning, shaking the world with shock.

The fact that the AMO lost such a talented student right under their noses was shocking to all who heard it.

Some even doubted the news, believing the young Elementalist was dead instead, and the AMO was merely trying to cover it up.

According to what was announced, there was no body, no traces, almost like Trent just vanished off the face of the planet.

And with that revelation, the people’s trust in the Adventurer Mages Organization collapsed.

Public forums were flooded with angry outcries.

Parents demanded to know how the AMO could allow such a massive breach to occur on their watch.

Conspiracy theories exploded across social media, and anti-AMO sentiment skyrocketed overnight.

The organization tried to play damage control.

They released public statements, claimed they were still "investigating" the matter, and held press conferences filled with vague assurances.

But it wasn’t enough.

Not this time.

This wasn’t just a small accident or a miscommunication. This was the loss of one of the most prominent rising stars in the country. This was a stain that wouldn’t wash off.

In the end, the tournament was cancelled indefinitely.

It simply... ended, with no student officially emerging as the winner.

And that left a strange void. One no one knew how to fill.

Harry slowly turned his head to the side and reached out. His hand found his phone, resting silently on the wooden nightstand.

The moment his fingers wrapped around it, the screen lit up—bright and obnoxious.

999+ new notifications.

999+ unread messages.

99+ missed calls.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance and dropped it back without even unlocking it.

’Of course,’ he thought bitterly. ’Again’.

Ever since that day, his phone hadn’t stopped buzzing.

Every minute, new messages came in.

Some were polite and respectful, while most were more arrogant in their approach.

All of them had one thing in common.

Guild Invitations.

Despite the disaster, the major guilds had wasted no time.

The tournament may have been cancelled, but the talent hunt continued full steam ahead.

Recruiters from all corners of the continent had turned their eyes toward the students who had made a name for themselves during the short duration of the event.

And at the very top of their lists... was him.

Harry Ainsworth.

The boy who topped the rankings during the first phase of the tournament.

The one whose combat footage had been viewed over a million times in the span of just a few days.

He wondered how terribly it would have played out if they discovered his fight with Adolf... he didn’t even want to imagine the chaos.

To the outside world, Harry was a prodigy.

The kind of talent that only came around once in a generation.

To the guilds, recruiting him meant prestige, influence, and finally an opportunity to climb above the other guilds.

Harry was simply a golden goose, too good for any guild to pass up on.

But Harry didn’t care about any of that.

He didn’t plan on joining any guild.

In fact, he wasn’t even sure if he’d stay with the AMO after graduation.

After learning about how deep the dark guild roots among within that same AMO, he doubted he wanted to be in the middle of that.

Besides, the dark guild were still after his life, so he didn’t think joining the AMO would be the best choice.

However, he couldn’t deny that joining the AMO would also give him the chance to properly investigate the dark guild, and learn the truth about their origin.

’Whatever...’ he thought, his fingers curling slightly into the bedsheets. ’Thinking like this... is kind of stressful...’

’I have no one to trust in this world.’ he thought, clicking his tongue.

Suddenly, the image of a certain beautiful black haired girl flashed in his mind, and for a moment, he felt he could see their bright green eyes staring at him.

’Why am I about her at this moment?’ he thought, shaking his head.

And even if he were to join a guild... what then? Prestige? Wealth? Power?

None of those things mattered to him right now.

Not when shadows still loomed beneath the surface.

Not when this entire conflict was only just beginning.

With a heavy sigh, Harry pushed himself upright.

Swinging his legs off the side of the bed, he took a deep breath and let the air settle in his chest.

He didn’t want to think about anything anymore.

For now, he just needed clarity.

So, he sat down cross-legged on the floor, his hands resting loosely on his knees. He exhaled slowly, steadying his breathing, and then closed his eyes.

A soft hum filled his ears.

A faint pressure squeezed at his temples.

And then—

Whumph.

The world shifted.

His vision wrapped inward, turning and folding like fabric, and when it straightened again, he stood in a vast white space.

It stretched endlessly in all directions—a serene void of silence and light. The floor was glass-like but not cold, reflecting just enough to shimmer faintly beneath his foot.

But it wasn’t empty.

Across the expanse, the first thing his eyes met was a man lying comfortably on a sleek, luxurious sofa—arms folded behind his head, legs crossed lazily.

Blonde hair, tousled like he’d just rolled out of bed.

Leon.

Apart from the sofa, there were several other odd pieces of furniture scattered throughout the space.

A couple of cushioned chairs, a low table with snacks on it, a wall-mounted television, and even a silver double-door refrigerator that occasionally hummed to life.

It was like a strange modern apartment... suspended in a dimension of nothingness.

Leon’s gaze turned slowly, lazy amusement flickering in his bright eyes.

"Ohh, you’re here," he said with a grin, as if Harry had walked into his living room uninvited.