The next day that Carlos had woken up after that dream he had unmistakably felt the pain in his palm from where it was sliced in the dream. And when he did look at his palm there was a slit which was rapidly healing.

He had no idea how things were happening but he felt stronger for some reason and a little more confident but still, he couldn’t keep that confidence before Ocean. He even tried to tell him about this voice before the Third Trial began but the man stopped him.

"Are you daft?! He’ll do all he could to destroy me and also destroy your chances at a new life!"

Carlos had then kept his mouth shut after that as he knew Ocean wasn’t particularly compassionate about him and if he got to know about this then he really would try anything he could to get rid of this helping man and also destroy Carlos’s chances at trying to achieve something.

He could now see how confident and strong Eric was as he stood at the door joking and laughing with his friend, Rune, the future Duke of Aurelius.

The two already seemed pretty unreachable with his present state and if what the man had said was right then he could at least stand straight before Eric and be a competition.

After a few minutes of talking to Rune, Eric walked in with a smile on his face looking quite relaxed. Years ago, this same boy was trembling in anger and helplessness before him and now he had grown so much that Carlos felt helpless before him.

Eric quickly served himself and started eating without a word.

"If you will, I have a way to get rid of this annoying boy." The man whispered in his ear and Carlos paused midchew.

"No," Carlos muttered.

Eric’s eyes lifted from his food to Carlos and Carlos avoided his eyes focusing on his food.

At the restaurant near the arena which was packed, Kai stood holding Nox in his arms with Asher and Sylvia behind him a hood drawn over her head and ears.

"Ah, there he is!" Asher spoke and pointed at a tall man who was weaving last the crowd walking towards them.

Kai beamed watching as Ocean stopped before them.

"I’m sorry, I’m a little late." Ocean smiled.

"It’s all right, Master!" Kai said and then tilted his head slightly as he saw a familiar figure tagging behind Ocean.

"Uh, you brought company." Asher spoke and Ocean sighed.

The woman behind him stepped beside him and smiled at Kai. It was Miri.

She had a long brown robe covering her expensive gown and jewels and the hood to cover her face.

"Good noon, Kai. How are you?" She reached out and pinched his cheeks making Nox to flap its wings in protest.

"G-Good noon, Your Majesty." Kai responded looking at Ocean.

"She followed me and I couldn’t shake her off." Ocean simply said with a shrug.

"Aw, Master, how rude!" She pouted letting go of Kai’s cheeks making him massage them a little.

Ocean shook his head before his blood ran cold and he paused. He felt eyes on him and the repulsive presence looming somewhere at a distance above them. Nox flapped his wings and even Kai seemed a little uneasy as he looked around.

Ocean placed a hand over Kai’s shoulder grounding him. Sylvia instinctively had stepped closer to Kai with her hand hovering over the hilt of her dagger strapped at her hip.

"Everyone go on inside." Ocean spoke.

"But Master-" Kai spoke and Ocean squeezed his shoulder.

"Go inside, now." Ocean pressed.

"Master is right, Young Master. Let’s go and wait inside." Sylvia said.

Kai pursed his lips and nodded before the party walked inside the packed restaurant while Ocean turned and glanced at the crowded streets which were filled with people who had been staring at him with awe and excitement.

Ocean started walking away from the restaurant and then entered the alley activating the invisibility spell along with the bracelet that hid Ocean’s presence.

Ocean then flew over the alley and the buildings and looked down scanning the crowded streets until he saw a black figure rushing away.

Ocean swooped down like a predator bird locked onto its prey and just as the figure entered the secluded street, Ocean was upon it.

Ocean grabbed the back of the figure’s hood and slammed the person’s head into the wall beside into the alley to keep the people from noticing.

Ocean then removed his invisibility and looked at the young man who was pinned to the wall cheek first with the scent of his blood clogging his nostrils.

"Bold of you and your Domina to dare and step here after knowing I’m personally here." Ocean hissed into the man’s ears.

The man shuddered, his pupils quivering. Ocean then frowned as he noticed that he had seen him somewhere.

"You... you were the guard that was assigned at the arena, right?" Ocean spoke.

Suddenly the man’s terrified expression was gone and he started shuddering, a maniacal grim spread over his lips and Ocean pulled his hand back watching as the man turned and faced Ocean.

Black mist oozed outthe man’s eyes and he sniggered.

"How are you, Dragon?" The man spoke in a dual voice.

"Another possessed one," Ocean narrowed his eyes and the man continued laughing.

"I didn’t come here today to do anything," the man said, "my work is already done."

Ocean frowned a little bit then it clicked.

"You were sent to give Carlos that liquid." Ocean prompted and the demonic smile on the man’s face grew wider almost splitting his face in two.

"Why yes! You are worthy of being a contender after all." He sniggered while Ocean narrowed his eyes.

"You really think you are anywhere worthy of deciding that." Ocean spoke and the man laughed.

"Ah, a Dragon’s pride. Taller than the tallest mountain and vaster than the oceans." He sniggered.

Ocean’s eyes turned colder as he reached out and grabbed the man’s head, "I don’t have time to waste on you. I have my son waiting for me at lunch," Ocean’s eyes glinted a dangerous blue, "so, hurry up and go back to hell hole you’ve crawled out of."

The demon paused laughing, "You’re going to kill this man?"

"Why not?" Ocean said as he saw the tears stream down the man’s eyes.

"Dragons are heartless anywa-"

Ocean poured his mana into the man’s body making, his jaw dropped and Ocean clamped his mouth from his other hand to keep the screams from escaping. The black mist resisted a little bit before the mighty power of the purest mana it was washed away. The black mist was forced away and for a moment the man’s consciousness returned. His eyes returned to their normal hue.

Ocean removed his hand from the man’s mouth and the man through his teary eyes and quivering lips whispered.

"Thank you."

The man’s eyes then rolled back and he slumped over in Ocean’s arms. Ocean patted his back with a remorseful expression on his face.

"May your soul rest in peace." Ocean muttered before he laid the body down and looked around for a moment before he activated the invisibility again and the flew out of the alley.

The restaurant in which Kai and Ocean were meeting for lunch was operated by Azurlite guild so their VIP table was already reserved in a private section.

The lunch was served and Kai sat rigid in his seat waiting for Ocean and the others too were staring at the door hoping he’d show up at any moment. None of them had touched the food.

"What’s taking him so long?" Asher mumbled.

"He must be coming." Sylvia said.

"What if that thing led him far away?" Kai wondered.

"That can’t be," Miri said.

"But what if he needs us?" Kai wondered.

"I’m fine."

All of them flinched and whipped their heads to the window which opened and an invisible presence stepped in. Nox flapped its wings taking off in the direction of the window and landed midair. The mana fluctuated a little before Ocean’s form was visible again with Nox sitting on his shoulder.

Kai beamed as he saw Ocean and Ocean came over and plopped down on the chair.

Miri poured some water in a glass and handed the glass to Ocean. Ocean drank a few gulps of water before looking at the ones who were waiting for him.

"I’m sorry for that."

"What happened with that demon?" Kai asked.

"It wasn’t a demon," Ocean said, "it was a possessed man."

"A possessed man?" Miri frowned.

"I’ve taken care of him so, we should eat now." Ocean said and picked up his spoon.

Kai and others reluctantly also dug in while Ocean seemed deep in thought.

Sending that possessed man was a confusing move, Ocean wondered which demon was casted upon Carlos that these people were so confident of his victory. Moreover, this demon was powerful enough to conceal its presence so, it was slightly irking him.

"What’s on your mind, Master?" Miri asked.

Ocean looked at her, he hadn’t told her about Carlos since it would cause her worry and a worst case scenario of her rushing right at the Golden Serpent and ripping her hair out.

"This possessed guy had a task and it was fulfilled a while ago, he was sent here just so that I could get rid of him for them."

Miri straightened up, concerned, "What task? Is it something dangerous?"

Ocean pursed his lips along with Kai, Sylvia had been briefed about it from Kai while Asher knew about all the details through Rose but Miri had no way of knowing.

"It is something dangerous but, it’s better if you don’t know it." Ocean said.

Miri frowned and Ocean looked down at his food, resuming eating.

Now that he recalled it, Carlos looked a little strange before the announcement of the Third Trial. It seemed as if he wanted to tell him something but was holding back.

What if it was about the demon possessing him?

What if even his own made mana stone wasn’t enough to keep the demon at bay?

Ocean paused midchew as this possibility surfaced and he couldn’t help but clench his jaw at that thought. If that were the case then he should be prepared with a plan to get rid of Carlos for his own good.