The command had barely left his lips when the familiar mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.

[Ding!]

[Daily Sign-In Successful.]

[Ding! Congratulations! You have obtained: Bloodline Tracing Compass (A-Rank)]

A silver compass materialized in his hand.

Its surface was engraved with countless ancient runes.

At its center rested a drop of crimson liquid sealed beneath crystal.

Amon examined it carefully.

A moment later, the description appeared.

[Bloodline Tracing Compass (A-Rank)]

[Allows the user to locate individuals connected by blood to a selected target.]

[Range scales with user’s level.]

[Cooldown: 24 hours.]

Amon’s gaze lingered on the item.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

This wasn’t a combat item.

But in certain situations, it was far more valuable than one.

His fingers lightly brushed the compass.

Immediately, a particular face surfaced in his mind.

Kayla.

The mysterious bloodline hidden within her.

Amon had never forgotten it.

He simply hadn’t possessed enough strength to investigate.

Now things were different.

A glimmer appeared in his eyes.

Very different.

Just as he was considering activating the item, another notification suddenly appeared.

[Ding!]

[Accumulated Fate Points have reached upgrade requirements.]

[Would you like to upgrade Elegant Netherblade Sword Technique?]

Amon paused, his attention instantly shifting.

That was far more important.

The compass could wait.

The sword technique could not.

Without hesitation, he selected yes mentally.

Of the twenty-two Fate Points he had accumulated, five vanished instantly.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then reality trembled.

The clouds above Cold Moon District suddenly froze.

The wind ceased.

The world became silent.

Amon’s pupils contracted.

An indescribable sensation exploded inside his mind.

Countless sword forms appeared before him.

Millions.

Billions.

Infinite blades.

Infinite possibilities.

Sword intent flooded every corner of his consciousness.

The Elegant Netherblade Sword Technique began evolving.

Its previous forms shattered apart.

Not destroyed.

Refined.

Perfected.

Elevated.

The sensation lasted only a second.

Yet it felt like thousands of years.

When everything finally settled, a new notification appeared.

[Ding!]

[Elegant Netherblade Sword Technique has evolved.]

[Current Rank: Supreme Divine]

[New Forms Unlocked.]

[Fifth Form upgraded.]

[Sixth Form upgraded.]

[Seventh Form upgraded.]

[Eighth Form upgraded.]

[Ninth Form upgraded.]

[Tenth Form unlocked.]

[Eleventh Form unlocked.]

Amon remained silent.

The amount of information pouring into his mind was staggering.

Even with his current mental strength, fully digesting it would require time.

But one thing became immediately clear.

The technique had become absurd.

The difference between Divine and Supreme Divine was far greater than he had expected.

Far greater.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Another prompt appeared before his eyes.

[Do you wish to upgrade Danger Sense to SSS-Rank?]

Danger Sense was only A-Rank.

Upgrading it all the way to SSS-Rank would consume a considerable amount of Fate Points.

Still, Amon didn’t hesitate in the slightest.

He gave the order mentally.

From the remaining seventeen Fate Points, three vanished silently.

Danger Sense immediately began its evolution, leaving him with fourteen Fate Points.

Amon grimaced slightly.

A strange sensation spread throughout his body as the ability evolved three times in succession.

Then his expression suddenly froze.

Danger Sense.

The newly upgraded ability activated on its own.

A strange sensation spread through his body.

Someone was watching him.

No.

Not watching.

Searching.

Amon slowly lifted his head.

His gaze pierced through the clouds.

Far beyond Cold Moon District.

Far beyond anything visible.

For the first time in a long while, Danger Sense delivered a warning powerful enough to make his blood stir.

Someone had noticed him.

Not Amon Moonstone.

The Butcher.

The smile disappeared from his face.

His eyes gradually turned cold.

At the same moment, somewhere beyond the borders of the nation.

Inside an ancient underground chamber.

An old man abruptly opened his eyes.

Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth.

The crystal sphere before him shattered into thousands of fragments.

The surrounding figures immediately rose to their feet.

"Elder!"

"What happened?"

The old man’s breathing had become uneven.

Fear filled his aged eyes.

Pure fear.

"I found him."

Silence filled the chamber.

Every figure present stood frozen.

Found him?

The Butcher?

One of the cloaked figures stepped forward.

"Where is he?"

Over the past week, numerous organizations had secretly gathered, searching for the whereabouts of the Butcher.

They wanted revenge for the Mythical-Rank technique they had lost.

More importantly, they feared allowing him more time to grow stronger.

The old man slowly raised a trembling hand.

His lips moved.

"The problem isn’t where he is."

Everyone frowned.

Then the old man’s next words caused the temperature in the chamber to plummet.

"The moment I found him..."

His voice trembled.

"He found me."

Silence descended.

Absolute silence.

Far away.

Standing atop the skyscraper.

Amon slowly lowered his gaze.

His eyes focused on a distant direction.

Toward a location thousands of kilometers away.

A place he had never seen before.

Yet somehow...

The upgraded Danger Sense had left a mark.

A connection.

A trail.

Amon smiled.

It wasn’t a warm smile.

Nor a cruel one.

It was simply the smile of a hunter discovering prey.

"Interesting."

The wind resumed.

The clouds began moving once more.

And somewhere far away, an ancient organization unknowingly stepped onto the path toward extinction.

After the evolution was complete, Amon carefully examined Danger Sense.

The results exceeded his expectations.

His perception could now spread throughout the entirety of Cold Moon District and even extend into its outskirts.

More importantly, it continuously analyzed everything occurring within that range.

Amon immediately fell in love with the upgraded ability.

It also made him curious.

If SSS-Rank was this powerful...

What lay beyond it?

There was only one way to find out.

Close Yet So Far.

Previously, Amon had spent two Fate Points to upgrade the ability from S-Rank to SSS-Rank.

Now he intended to push it even further.

"System, upgrade the ability."

The command echoed inside his mind.

Immediately, he felt a miraculous change begin within his body.

Yet before the transformation could fully take shape, a new notification appeared.

[Ding! Upgrade failed. Your physique is currently too weak to wield a grade higher than SSS-Rank.]

Amon’s eyes flashed with surprise.

This was the first time the system had outright rejected an upgrade.

For a moment, disappointment surfaced within him.

Then another prompt appeared.

[Ding!]

[Do you wish to spend 5 Fate Points to upgrade Divine Physique?]

Amon blinked.

Only now did he realize that the Divine Physique he had received from his very first sign-in could also be upgraded.

A grin immediately formed at the corner of his lips.

That changed everything.

"Alright."

"Upgrade it."