CHAPTER 26: REWARD

(Richard, Age 7!)

(Rank: 1)

(Points: 1000)

In just a few minutes after reaching Rank 4, Richard surged to Rank 1, his points skyrocketing to a thousand.

For someone at the Aether Will Realm, this was only natural. The Dark Forest was designed as a trial ground for children who had yet to reach that stage.

If anything, it felt like cheating—entering a place far beneath his level. But unfortunately for the others, the forest’s rules were bound only by age, not cultivation.

It would take ten more years before Richard was barred from entering.

"That’s enough," Richard muttered.

With a single thought, he dismissed his shadow lions. They scattered instantly, vanishing into the air.

Without them, he resumed his walk toward the gate. Along the way, not a single beast appeared. They had all been cowed by his earlier roar.

Before long, the gates came into view. Stepping through, Richard found crowds frozen, staring at the glowing rankings on the wall.

"Eh..."

The Sky Armor Knights finally noticed him, returning as if nothing had happened, his calm demeanor unchanged.

Their wide-eyed stares followed him, expressions etched with disbelief that seemed as though they would never fade.

Richard, too lazy to bother with them, simply walked past.

He turned toward the alley where Olivia was waiting.

The rewards weren’t theirs to grant anyway—they could only be claimed from the city lord. Richard would need Olivia’s help for that.

As he entered the alley, Olivia grasped his hand.

Whoosh!

She whisked him away at breathtaking speed, so fast Richard couldn’t see anything around him.

Moments later, they arrived inside a luxurious house, shelves lined with antiques glimmering in the soft light.

"You’re safe here," Olivia said with a smile.

Richard began removing the Phantom Cloak, which Olivia quickly reclaimed.

"Everyone must have realized you’ve reached the Aether Will Realm. Your name is destined to shake the world. But with so many children named Richard—even among seven-year-olds—no one will easily uncover your true identity."

"Can you help me collect my reward?" Richard asked, showing his token. Olivia snatched it with a playful chuckle.

"I’ll take care of it. The city lord is a close friend of mine. He won’t force you to reveal your identity."

"By the way, did you find the necklace?" she asked.

In response, Richard produced the black chain with its skull-shaped pendant.

"This one?"

"Yes..."

Olivia snatched it faster than either the cloak or the token, as if terrified he might change his mind.

The joy on her face was so radiant it looked like she might burst into dance.

"My payment?" Richard reminded her.

"Relax, relax," Olivia said with a wide grin, handing him a vial filled with red liquid.

Richard took it, eyeing it curiously.

He cherished his horse, Athena, and naturally wished for her to grow into a Primordial Beast.

"Will this really work?" he asked.

"It’s called a Bloodline Potion. Of course it will," Olivia replied.

"But what about the necklace? Why didn’t you take it yourself?" Richard pressed, puzzled that she had relied on him. Surely, if she wanted, she could have infiltrated the Dark Forest herself.

"That necklace is a Slave Seal. Once bound with my blood, anyone who wears it will become my servant." Olivia explained this casually, yet Richard’s eyes widened in shock.

Had he known, he would have kept it for himself. But now it was already in Olivia’s possession.

A sliver of worry flickered in him—would she try to use it on him?

But Olivia calmly tucked the necklace away, showing no hint of malice.

Nor did she explain why she hadn’t retrieved it personally.

Richard narrowed his eyes. He suspected it had belonged to someone—someone powerful enough to enslave the cat buried there.

It was strange that such a master would allow the necklace to be buried along with the creature, unless they had been elsewhere when the cat died and merely instructed others to bury it. Those who did the burial perhaps dared not remove anything from the body.

In the end, Richard had been the one to retrieve it.

Watching Olivia’s smile now, he felt like she had tricked a child into doing her dirty work.

’Patience, patience,’ Richard thought.

He couldn’t oppose her yet, not while he still needed her to secure his reward from the city lord. After that, he would repay her deception.

"Alright, I’ll visit the city lord first. Stay here," Olivia said, standing with a lingering chuckle.

She opened a window overlooking a narrow alley, stepped through, and disappeared in an instant.

Her swift movements made Richard realize she far surpassed Mrs. Wilson in agility, clearly an expert in the art of movement.

Richard sat patiently, making no plans until her return.

It would be nice if I had a storage artifact too, he thought.

---

The city lord resided in the heart of Apple Town, within a lavish castle guarded by countless soldiers.

He was still young, only in his early thirties, having earned his position through notable achievements.

Handsome, with neatly kept blond hair, his face wore a constant, welcoming smile.

"Liam!"

Olivia appeared directly in the castle’s main hall, interrupting him as he listened to reports from his men.

The city lord, Liam, looked pleasantly surprised.

"What brings you here, Olivia? You know, I’m rather busy at the moment," he said.

"I came to help a boy named Richard claim his reward," Olivia replied casually, tossing Richard’s token to him.

Liam’s eyes widened at the sight.

"You know who this boy is?" he asked.

"I know. But I won’t tell anyone," Olivia answered firmly.

Liam frowned.

"You’d best not investigate. It’s better for you that way—unless you want to bring upon yourself trouble you cannot handle," she warned, her tone deadly serious.

Her words erased the smile from Liam’s face.

"Very well..." he finally nodded, after some thought, then retrieved a large glass case. Inside was a skull seemingly carved from diamond.

Olivia took it without hesitation and left at once.

Her speed was so great that even the city lord himself was left astonished, realizing he wouldn’t be able to follow.

’She must be hiding the boy in some random house,’ Liam thought.

But that didn’t mean he had no way of finding him.

Apple Town was under his command. If he wished, he could track down everyone Olivia had encountered before this day.

Surely, among them, the boy was hiding.

But Olivia’s warning still rang in his mind, leaving him wary.

---