Chapter 73: The Incoming Danger, Elder Tyoga’s Plan

Elder Tyoga’s tower rose at the edge of the faculty district, tall and unornamented, a dark spire that did not need decoration to command respect.

The pressure surrounding the place grew heavier with every floor they climbed. It was not the gravity of the planet, nor any visible magical force. It was simply the presence of the man who lived at the top of the tower.

The doors opened before they could knock.

Inside, the chamber was wide and minimalistic, illuminated by a warm amber glow that seemed to come from nowhere in particular.

And they were not the first ones there.

Lyra stood near the window with her arms crossed tightly, her cat ears pressed flat against her blond hair. Rivera sat quietly beside her, composed on the surface, though the tension in her posture was unmistakable. Ryzen sat on the edge of a chair as though it might explode beneath him at any moment, fidgeting nervously, his usual cheerfulness nowhere to be seen.

The entire team had already been summoned.

At the far end of the chamber, behind a broad dark table, sat Elder Tyoga.

At first glance, he did not appear especially imposing. He was not gigantic, nor dressed extravagantly.

Yet the entire room unconsciously revolved around him, the same way water naturally curved around an unmoving stone.

And when his eyes lifted toward Rudrean and Aelira, calm and incredibly sharp, the atmosphere instantly became heavier.

"Sit," he said.

The two complied.

The doors quietly closed behind them with a soft finality.

For several moments, Elder Tyoga simply observed them.

His gaze moved from one face to another without hurry, weighing each of them carefully.

When he finally spoke, his voice remained even and composed. Somehow, that calmness made the tension worse.

"In the past several days," he began, "certain people have come to Rainstar asking questions."

His fingers rested calmly atop the table.

"Quiet questions. Careful questions."

His eyes settled on Rudrean.

"They wanted information about one particular student. Who he is. Who he associates with. Where he goes."

A pause followed.

"The student was you."

Rudrean kept his expression still. Beside him, Aelira did the same, though he could feel the tension in her arm.

Elder Tyoga leaned back slightly.

"I am old," he continued. "And I have lived long enough to dislike coincidences."

"So I looked into several matters personally."

His eyes sharpened faintly.

"I discovered that a young man named Romen Velkar held a grudge against a Rainstar student."

"The same student who is now being quietly investigated by unnamed people."

Another pause.

"And then I discovered that Romen Velkar disappeared inside a sealed Miasma Entrapped Town alongside four other heirs from the top hundred families."

"No bodies."

"No witnesses."

"No explanation."

The silence in the chamber thickened.

Ryzen stopped fidgeting entirely.

Lyra’s ears flattened even further.

Rivera remained motionless.

Elder Tyoga folded his hands together on the table.

There was no anger on his face. No accusation.

Only the calm patience of a man who already understood the shape of the truth and was allowing them the dignity of speaking it themselves.

"I am not part of the Criminal Investigation Department," he said quietly. "Nor do I work for the Velkar Clan."

"Whatever is said inside this room will remain inside this room."

His gaze settled on Rudrean once more.

"But I refuse to remain ignorant while a storm gathers above the heads of my own students."

His eyes became incredibly sharp.

"So I will ask only once."

"Tell me exactly what happened during your mission."

Rudrean inhaled deeply before nodding.

"Long story short, Romen wanted us dead." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"We discovered his scheme and his hideout first. Once we realized that, we made a plan and dealt with them swiftly with the help of the people Elder Shaila sent to protect us."

His eyes remained steady.

"No evidence. No witnesses. No bodies."

"We made sure everything was completely contained inside the Miasma film."

Elder Tyoga sighed softly.

"You were fortunate that it happened inside a Miasma film."

His eyes turned serious.

"Otherwise, Romen’s father would have seen everything."

Everyone froze.

"Not only him," Elder Tyoga continued. "Most major families equip their heirs with emergency-linked artifacts. If their heirs are endangered, those artifacts instantly connect to powerful family members."

"They can directly observe the situation and even channel power through the artifacts to interfere."

His voice lowered slightly.

"The only reason all of you are alive right now is because the Miasma phenomenon blocked those connections completely. It prevented the protective artifacts from functioning."

Rudrean and Aelira exchanged stunned looks.

Ryzen and Rivera were equally shocked.

Lyra blinked quietly. "Will their investigation eventually reach us?"

"According to my own investigation," Elder Tyoga replied, "they will never acquire definite proof that you killed Romen."

"Phew." Ryzen exhaled heavily. "That’s a relief."

"But proof is unnecessary."

Elder Tyoga’s words immediately erased the relief from the room.

"The Velkar family and the other four families do not require evidence if they decide someone should die."

Rivera frowned deeply. "That’s bad."

Rudrean’s eyes flickered sharply.

"So they already know Romen hated me."

"And they know I was present inside the Miasma Town where he disappeared."

"Romen’s family likely also knows he mobilized his people to target us."

He looked directly at Elder Tyoga.

"That alone is enough reason for them to eliminate us, correct?"

"That is exactly correct," Elder Tyoga answered.

He waved his hand.

Five tiny badges, each no larger than a fingernail, floated toward them.

"These badges contain my protection."

"They can create barriers capable of withstanding attacks from anyone at Phase-10 Ascension or below for five full minutes."

"I can also attack through them remotely."

Everyone’s eyes widened immediately.

"I cannot remain here personally because I am needed at the frontline," Elder Tyoga said. "So this is the protection I can provide."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"I am sending all five of you elsewhere."

"This institute is no longer safe for you."

"The moment those families decide to act, assassins will begin appearing."

His eyes moved toward Rudrean and Aelira.

"You two progress absurdly fast."

"You are already at the peak of the Core Genesis stage in terms of raw parameters."

Ryzen and Rivera stared at them in shock.

"Fast," Lyra muttered quietly.

"Yeah." Aelira grinned while wrapping her arm around Rudrean’s. "We get stronger ridiculously fast when we’re together."

"That is good." Elder Tyoga nodded. "Because you are strong enough for what comes next."

His expression turned slightly more serious.

"I will send you to a qualification tournament held by the Riglight Guild Alliance."

"The tournament will determine which one thousand participants gain entry into the Super Tycoon Secret Realm."

The room instantly quieted further.

Elder Tyoga’s voice became heavier.

"This Secret Realm is completely different from normal ones."

"First, both Core Genesis and Soul Tree experts may enter."

"Second, this is a period-based Secret Realm."

"It has a fixed opening time and a fixed closing time. Once it closes, it will never open again."

"A one-time-entry Secret Realm," Isalyn murmured internally.

’Sounds exciting,’ Aelira’s eyes gleamed.

’Tycoon?’ Rudrean wondered. ’Is it related to business or wealth?’

"In this Secret Realm," Elder Tyoga continued, "combat will not be the primary focus."

"The true challenge will be understanding and following the rules imposed by the Secret Realm itself."

"Participants will need to complete objectives and compete under those conditions."

"It is a different type of battlefield entirely."

He paused briefly.

"There is also an integrated leaderboard inside the Secret Realm. Rewards will be distributed based on team ranking."

"According to the entry conditions, participants are randomly assigned into teams of ten."

"However..."

His eyes swept across them.

"If ten people enter while physically connected, the Secret Realm will recognize them as a pre-formed team and will not separate them."

"Ten people?" Aelira raised an eyebrow. "So we need five more members."

"Correct." Elder Tyoga nodded. "But the qualification tournament itself is individual-based. The Riglight Guild Alliance simply wants five hundred Core Genesis experts and five hundred Soul Tree experts to qualify first."

"Team formation comes afterward."

"The Secret Realm appeared four days ago."

"It will open in nine days according to the countdown."

"The tournament begins in two days."

"You have one hour to finish your business here. By then, I will have arranged your departure."

His eyes swept across all five of them.

"Any objections?"

Everyone exchanged glances.

None.

They could clearly see the excitement reflected in each other’s eyes.

"No objections!" Ryzen grinned broadly. "Only excitement, sir!"

"Indeed." Rudrean nodded firmly, his fists tightening. "We’ll get stronger and win."

Elder Tyoga smiled faintly.

"Good."

"Then go finish whatever you need to do."

"After one hour, meet me on the floor below in the Teleport Hall."