Benjamin finally noticed the powerful clash of monumental powers colliding together somewhere in the surrounding area...

The heavy pressure of it was pressing against his senses like an invisible storm gathering on the horizon, thick and electric with tension that made the very air feel heavier.

He then focused his attention more sharply, reaching out with his newly heightened senses to carefully probe the energies swirling in that direction.

Almost immediately, he realized that some of the magic signatures present felt distinctly familiar, carrying echoes of powers he had encountered before.

"Heka... take care of these kids for me, please," Benjamin said quietly.

His voice was still carrying a trace of lingering drowsiness as he turned his head slightly toward her.

"Eh? K-Kids...? Benjamin?" Hella began to ask, her brows furrowing in confusion while she glanced aside at the glaring Briar.

She was clearly wondering what part of those full-grown, stunning figures could possibly be considered kids.

But... Benjamin wasn’t there anymore.

She didn’t even know exactly when he had left — he and Grey Ivy had simply vanished without the slightest sound or visual cue.

And that was because, with his new teleportation ability now fully active, reality itself no longer worked in the usual predictable manner around him.

Benjamin could teleport right before someone’s eyes in the most casual way imaginable, yet the observer would still have no idea precisely when or how he had departed.

And...

***

That brings us precisely to now:

"Huh? What day is today exactly?" Benjamin muttered under his breath as the world around him settled into sharp focus once more.

{Answer: Master has been in the evolution process for 144 hours... Six days.}

[Yikes... I’ve been sleeping that long? I hope nothing bad happened to Ragna while I was out. And what the hell? Titania, Sakura, and Elara are all standing together in one place like this — it’s like some kind of weird dream... And I’m still so damn sleepy right now.]

Benjamin thought internally, his mental voice laced with genuine surprise and lingering fatigue as his oceanic blue eyes blinked slowly, trying to shake off the haze.

"Good afternoon, Benjamin Mark!" Renard suddenly spoke from his seat at the curved end of the massive table, his bright blue eyes glinting with warm amusement and calculated friendliness as he leaned forward just a fraction.

He continued; "If it will not be too much trouble for you... would you kindly join us in our meeting today? It could greatly concern you and the path you are currently walking."

Benjamin looked slowly at every one of the leaders gathered around the grand oval table, their thick and overwhelming presence dominating the entire interior of Verdant Spire’s great hall...

No, it felt as though their combined auras pressed outward to dominate the whole Whispering Wild.

The hall itself rose majestically around them, formed entirely from massive, ancient ironwood trunks that soared upward like living pillars, their surfaces etched with natural whorls and glowing veins of pulsing sap.

Strange, twisting vines had woven themselves into elegant, arching patterns high overhead, creating a living canopy that filtered soft golden sunlight into shifting, dappled patterns across the floor and table.

The exotic wooden table itself dominated the center, its surface inlaid with veins of living vines that throbbed faintly with inner light, casting subtle emerald and gold reflections onto the faces of those seated.

Soft golden motes danced lazily in the air, and the faint scent of fresh earth, blooming flowers, and ancient wood filled every breath.

The Amazon guards at the wide entrance stood like statues, spears and swords held ready, their sharp eyes scanning constantly.

Behind various leaders stood their respective attendants and protectors, adding layers of silent power to the already overwhelming atmosphere.

[Ugh, these are absolute monsters in every sense of the word. And it doesn’t help that they are all crammed together in one place like this.

[Those eyes... those intense stares boring into me from every direction... I really don’t do well with so much sudden attention all at once.] Benjamin thought to himself.

A faint wave of discomfort was tightening his shoulders as he felt the weight of their collective gazes pressing down on him like physical force.

"If it would not be a problem for the rest of you, then alright... I’ll join," Benjamin agreed quietly, his voice steady despite the internal unease, offering a small, polite nod toward the leaders close by..

And immediately, a seat was quickly brought forward for him by one of the silent Amazon attendants.

He was still dressed in the simple adventurer’s tunic he had received back in Fairylynch, without the jacket.

But he felt vaguely self-conscious that the outfit didn’t seem official or formal enough for such an important gathering of world-shaping leaders.

Though he tried not to let it show on his face.

Before he sat down, however, his attention drifted to the blonde woman standing composed and watchful behind Renard.

His oceanic blue eyes met her sharp and coldly elegant blue eyes for a long, lingering moment, the stare intense and unblinking.

It was almost as if she owed him a significant debt that had gone unpaid for far too long. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Uh... is something the matter?" Renard asked smoothly.

He was noticing the strange and prolonged stare between them, his head tilting slightly with curiosity while his posture remained relaxed in his chair.

"No, nothing... I was only wondering about something trivial..." Benjamin shrugged his shoulders lightly in a casual dismissal.

And, breaking the eye contact, he moved toward the offered seat then lowered himself into it with careful movements, the chair creaking faintly under his weight against the soft floor.

[The Eye of Seraphina... the one that gave Parvaneh her power... was it this woman’s eye?] Benjamin pondered the question quietly in his mind once more.

But he turned the thought over carefully before he stored it away separately from the immediate concerns of the meeting, tucking it into a quieter corner of his thoughts for later examination.

As he settled fully into his seat, another Amazon stepped forward silently and brought a smaller, appropriately sized chair for Grey Ivy to sit on.

The little grey girl climbed up and sat down properly beside him, her small legs dangling slightly above the floor.

But Benjamin, seated right beside her, scrunched his brows together in mild expectation as he watched the small grey girl closely.

He was waiting patiently for her to remember what she had been taught.

"C’mon now, what did I tell you to say when someone does something nice for you?" Benjamin asked gently, his voice carrying a soft, encouraging tone as he leaned toward her just a little.

Grey gasped a little in sudden realization, acting suddenly coy and shy as she fidgeted in her seat.

Her golden pupils were darting downward for a brief moment while her small hands twisted together in her lap.

Then she turned politely toward the Amazon who had brought the seat, her voice emerging in a hesitant but sincere stammer that echoed softly through the grand hall.

"Th... Th... Th-Thank you v-very much!"

The Amazon smiled nicely in response, her stern features softening with genuine warmth as she gave a single, respectful nod before stepping back to her position.