CHAPTER 262: IMPOSSIBLE?

Even Malrik Azven, who had lived for over 100 years, was still stuck at Rank 2. But Adyr? He was far too young, too fresh—and already on the verge of breaking into Rank 3.

Liora Virell found herself caught between pride and unease.

Such rapid progress, especially in someone so young, was utterly unheard of in the Outer Region. Even in the Midlands, she doubted many could match this level of monstrous talent—perhaps only the direct descendants of the ruling empires.

We need to protect him at all costs.

Her brow furrowed, and her sense of resolve deepened. The young man sitting across from her wasn’t just promising—he might very well be the only key left to the Velari race’s resurgence.

Masking the storm within, Liora offered a calm, reassuring smile and spoke gently.

"The news isn’t all bad. I’d say... one good, one not-so-good. Which do you want first?"

Adyr gave her a sharp look. He didn’t show it outwardly, but he could easily guess what she was thinking. Still, without addressing it directly, he replied calmly,

"Doesn’t matter."

Liora nodded and chose to start with the good. "Perhaps you’ve heard. The Wanderer Merchant arrived in the Outer Region yesterday. He’s staying in the marketplace area in his residence, and tomorrow morning, there’ll be a public announcement, disguised as a celebration, of course. My guess is that he’ll open the Legacy Domain within a day or two. During tomorrow’s gathering, they’ll be compiling the list of participants, so be ready. We’re heading there early."

"Sure," Adyr replied, his voice calm, but a flicker of excitement passed through his expression—just enough to show he was looking forward to it.

"Good," Liora said, her tone steady. "Now, as you know, only Rank 2 Practitioners and below are allowed into the Domain due to its special conditions. Even so, there will likely be hundreds of candidates. I suspect there will be a preliminary tournament to decide who gets in. A friendly one, nothing life-threatening—but to make the cut, you’ll need to place in the top 100."

She kept her smile intact as she added with a teasing note, "Do I even need to ask if that’ll be a problem for you?"

Of course, she had no real doubt. She knew Adyr was already ready to ascend to Rank 3, which meant his strength was likely sitting at the peak of Rank 2, if not beyond.

"I’ll do my best." Adyr smiled, relaxed and unbothered, as if the whole ordeal was nothing more than a mild formality.

After seeing how self-assured he was, Liora didn’t question him further. That alone was enough for her. But then, her expression shifted, growing slightly more serious.

"And now, for the not-so-good news."

Her gaze shifted toward Orven and Vesha, who was approaching with a cup that carried the soft, fragrant scent of peach.

They both immediately understood what that look meant. Orven stood and bowed his head respectfully. "Excuse me. I’ll be waiting by the door."

Vesha followed suit, gently handing the cup of tea to Adyr before offering Liora a polite bow and gracefully stepping out behind her father.

The room fell silent, sealed off from both sound and sight—just the two of them now.

"The thing is, you can probably guess this is about Sevrak and his grandson—the one who visited last and got his ass handed to him." Liora’s tone was laced with irritation, her brows knitted into a scowl.

Adyr didn’t answer immediately. He raised the cup to his nose, letting the fresh aroma drift in, then took a slow sip, letting the taste linger before speaking.

"Do you think they’ll try something underhanded during the selection tournament?"

"Even Sevrak wouldn’t dare pull anything too blatant under the eyes of a Rank 5 Adept," Liora said, her voice tight. "But yes—he’ll try something. He won’t just let it go."

Adyr raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You mean?"

Liora hesitated for a moment, her expression darkening.

"I heard he managed to meet with the Wanderer Merchant this morning, before anyone else. You know how it is. Even if he’s still Rank 4, he’s a Titled Practitioner. That alone gives him privileges most others can’t access."

Adyr wasn’t surprised. There were only a handful of Titled Rank 4 Practitioners in the entire region, and Sevrak—known as the Dragon Rider—was one of them. Even among Rank 5 Adepts, his name held some weight.

"I doubt their conversation was just polite small talk," Liora continued. "Sevrak doesn’t forget grudges, and he always finds a way to settle the score. I can’t say exactly what he’s planning—but whatever it is, we’ll see tomorrow. And we need to be ready for anything."

Adyr sank into thought for a moment, then raised his head, the curiosity plain on his face.

"If we were to compare your strength to Sevrak’s, how wide is the gap between you?"

Liora didn’t have an active Rank 4 Spark, not counting the one she had used during her own evolution. That alone disqualified her from being a Titled Practitioner. But the Mother Tree she had controlled for years had granted her stats far beyond those of an ordinary Rank 4, making her considerably stronger in practice.

Even so, she had already admitted that Sevrak held a significant advantage over her.

She wasn’t surprised by the question. Her gaze fell to the tea in her hands, and for a few seconds, she seemed deeply focused, clearly intent on giving a precise answer.

"There isn’t a huge gap between us. But if it were a real fight... I could defeat his Black Dragon Spark, even if I came out badly injured."

She paused. A bitter smile touched her lips.

"Of course, that’s assuming Sevrak himself doesn’t join the fight. You understand now, don’t you? A Title isn’t just a hollow title."

And Adyr did understand—clearly. Especially after witnessing what Collossith had done to the Velari kingdom all those years, the weight behind those titles became impossible to ignore.

Rank 4 Sparks were on a completely different level compared to those below. They marked the pinnacle—the transition point between mortal and immortal. At that rank, there was no such thing as a weak Spark.

The fact that Sevrak had managed to capture something as well-known as the Rank 4 Black Dragon was impressive enough, but it also proved his skill and strength. And now, even Liora—despite her vastly enhanced stats—had admitted, with no small amount of reluctance, that she would struggle just to overcome that Spark alone.

That single admission made the power gap between them impossible to deny.

Adyr fell into silence once again. He took a slow sip of his tea, then turned his gaze toward Liora. His expression remained calm, but his eyes held depth.

"What if you subdued a Rank 4 Spark yourself? Say... if you managed to take down Collossith?"

Liora paused, though the answer was simple enough.

"That would definitely earn me a Title. Something like... Tremor Princess, maybe?"

She looked genuinely pleased with the title, like it was something she’d daydreamed about long ago. A short laugh slipped out. "I’d probably kick his ass without much effort."

Just picturing it brought a wide, satisfied grin to her face.

But the smile faded. Her tone shifted, more serious now.

"Why are you asking? You know better than anyone—it’s almost impossible for me to subdue Collossith."

Adyr let out a quiet chuckle.

"I like it when people call things impossible."

He lifted the cup again, taking another calm sip.