After the memorable evening, Emrys returned to the Merinor mansion. The winter air had weakened, leaving behind gentle breezes along the path from the courtyard to the main gate, lined with meticulously trimmed arbors on both sides.

  When she reached the entrance, no one came to open the door for her. She relaxed her furrowed brows and took it upon herself to do what the servants should have done.

  What greeted her wasn't a magnificent waiting hall, but rather floors reflecting moonlight streaming through the grand windows on all four sides. The lights were off, the fireplace dormant. The air carried dust and the scent of dampness.

  Exhaling a breath that turned to white mist, she entered, her heels echoing against the floor in the heart-wrenching silence.

  This had once been one of the busiest areas in Maelivar, where the powerful would gather and the lowborn could only dream of entering. Above should have been the most luxurious chandelier, not only radiating warm golden light but also outshining even the starry sky. Below should have been extravagant carpets used only once. Servants should have been bustling about endlessly.

  Whoosh!

  A gust of wind snapped Emrys out of her daze.

  The House of Merinor was no longer what it used to be. The headquarters had moved, abandoning this place. Outsiders couldn't understand why, always assuming some high-level conflict within the Merinor family had caused this situation. Only those like Emrys, a child of the main bloodline, understood the real reason.

  She walked to the foot of the stairs, using the heel of her sharp stilettos to pierce a small hole in the dust-covered floor.

  After a moment, sounds representing the movement of iron, steel, and stone rang out. Before her eyes, a passage formed, a dark tunnel leading straight into the earth's depths.

  Fearlessly, she descended, careful not to fall. Each step brought colder air. The metal walls surrounding the staircase, initially smooth and intact, gradually gained more cracks like cobwebs. The steps became increasingly jagged.

  Emrys channeled mana into her eyes, observing the tiny particles floating in the air. They came from the material that made up the walls. A hard and expensive material. Yet it had been devastated to such an extent.

  Finally, she set foot in the Merinor family's secret basement. The basement didn't follow Maelivar's design principles. It possessed a circular surface with a radius of about fifty meters. Looking up revealed several flickering lights still operating, illuminating a ceiling covered in eerie thorny spikes.

  At the center of the circle was an elevated stone platform. Atop it was a gaunt back turned away from Emrys.

  "Brother, I'm here," Emrys called out loudly, trying to make sure he could hear her.

  The ragged, damaged long hair swayed once. The movement seemed unnatural, like that of a low-grade robot, stiff and rusty.

  "Emrys?" a hoarse, weak voice spoke, barely audible. It was as if the person hadn't spoken for a long time.

  "It's me, brother Arthur."

  A choking sound came from the other side, unclear whether it was laughter or coughing.

  Arthur still didn't turn around, his hunched, bare back still facing his sister.

  "Why have you come here?"

  "I need your help," Emrys said sincerely.

  "Oh, tell me about it," though difficult to hear, his voice revealed clear indulgence.

  "I've done something reckless. The children of other family branches will surely tear me apart for this."

  The light from the lamps went out suddenly, plunging the entire room into darkness. A moment later when it came back on, the sight before Emrys made her start.

  The back facing her had vanished, leaving only the head and limbs. The strange thing was that none of it collapsed or fell to the ground, but seemed to be maintained by some kind of energy.

  Arthur coughed dryly once. Then, the flesh returned. From nothingness, red blood drops formed, then muscles and blood vessels like puzzle pieces all returned to their original positions. The back with its spine seemingly about to pierce through the skin was whole again.

  "Are you alright?" Emrys asked worriedly.

  "It's nothing," Arthur's voice still lacked vitality as before. "Just a daily occurrence."

  Emrys moved her lips, her eyes sparkling with concern, wanting to speak but then stopping herself.

  "Speak," Arthur said hoarsely. "You wouldn't seek me out just for some matter of reputation. I've had enough time here to think about everything, dear Emrys. And I believe my sister wouldn't be so useless."

  Emrys smiled, pride swelling in her heart at what she had just heard.

  "Perhaps your chance has come. Haven't you always been troubled by the Aspect Affinity issue?"

  Crack.

  The back straightened up, showing emotion for the first time.

  "Get straight to the point," Arthur said, this time much more clearly.

  "Hasn't your problem with increasing Aspect Affinity all this time been because you couldn't find the corresponding materials?"

  "Emrys, get to the point," Arthur showed some irritation at his sister's roundabout way of speaking.

  Emrys pouted, not truly afraid, and said.

  "What if Aspect Affinity could be made from ingredients with broad properties like Universal Root?"

  Arthur remained silent in response, as if thinking.

  "Impossible," he concluded, his words making his shoulder-length messy hair quiver. "The refinement requires too much knowledge. I don't believe anyone in Caelindor can do it. Or some Tier 5 Alchemist. And those guys, we can't afford to hire."

  "The person who can help you is only Tier 1 right now!"

  "What?" Arthur shouted.

  The basement immediately experienced tremors. Dust particles appeared more numerously. The surrounding walls seemed to be gradually disappearing.

  "Don't disturb me with your sensational stories, Emrys."

  "I'm not joking," Emrys said. "I experienced it myself just tonight."

  Arthur's back heaved, then became more regular, speaking calmly.

  "Then tell me what happened!"

  After hearing everything, Arthur's back stopped breathing altogether, as if someone had crushed his lungs. Only his heartbeat still echoed strongly around the basement.

  "Miraculous!" Arthur muttered. "Miraculous! Everyone at the dining table increased their own Aspect Affinity without needing specific refinement. Truly a genius."

  "I'm not sure if it will work for you," Emrys said hesitantly. "But it's worth trying, right? Perhaps even if the Universal property only has a small effect, it's still better than nothing, isn't it?"

  "Right, right," Arthur nodded.

  "So will you come tomorrow?"

  "I don't want people to know I've emerged."

  "I've already taken care of the disguise, don't worry."

  Arthur laughed loudly, but because his throat was parched, it sounded more like choking.

  At this point, the stone platform finally rotated, revealing the front of this Merinor scion.

  His face was hidden under messy, dirty hair, showing only hands that were skin and bones. Above his two hands were two black metallic spheres floating in the air. They separated into small dust particles like the cracks on the wall. Then, they returned to their original shape by gathering back together.

  Seeing this, Emrys grew even more delighted. This showed that Arthur was increasingly gaining better control over his Aspect.

  What held Arthur back was precisely because of this innate Aspect. It brought danger to the entire family, which was why everyone had to leave. As for him, he had to be isolated, continuously training and seeking control in this dark prison.

  An Aspect that made people tremble in fear even more than Space and Time.

  Aspect Entropy.

  Nathan, on the second evening, was completely unaware that a terrorist like Arthur Merinor would be attending his dinner party. But Lachlan Rourke kept his word and appeared. Regarding this, Nathan wasn't too concerned since the payment had been received in full.

  The diners reached twelve people with unceasing anticipation for the meal from the young disciple from Verdant Spire Sect.

  His meticulous preparation efforts had achieved effects beyond expectations. The volume of discussion threads and comments on PsiLink forums sprouted like mushrooms after rain. This pushed the dinner price to a new height. From the floor price of three thousand Standard Mana Stones, it gradually rose to double, with the final seat reaching seven thousand.

  This number increased even faster after the second night's auction was completed. Nathan hadn't forgotten George's advice about exclusivity. Demonstrating scarcity was an indispensable trick. Once people knew opportunities were becoming fewer, prices could increase uncontrollably.

  The hottest topic immediately exploding among Maelivar's citizens was a dinner seat costing a full nine thousand Standard Mana Stones. Even Nathan couldn't believe what he heard and saw. Someone was willing to pay such a price to increase their Aspect Affinity.

  Instead of feeling overly joyful, he felt he had just opened another gate of instability in his life. With the value he provided, people would target him and tear him apart. Fortunately, his position wasn't inferior compared to others. If he were just a wandering cultivator, an independent cultivator, he would easily become a target and prey for others. Being captured, thrown into isolation chambers, tortured for the formula were just a few things he could immediately think of.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  The second night passed smoothly. His acclaim rose even higher when he didn't repeat the menu from the first night but made changes to keep people from getting bored. The diners still maintained their surprise at the flavors, ensuring both effectiveness and taste reached their peak.

  What others cared about was that Nathan could control cooking variables completely, something seemingly impossible. Praise from Alchemists and Herbalists further reinforced the image of an important seed not just for the kingdom of Caelindor but for the entire Ehyrian empire. The future was what everyone expected from Nathan.

  On the third night, Duke Kael's daughter came - Ruby Voss.

  When he saw this young woman enter, Nathan involuntarily trembled.

  His psychology was in a rather strange state after losing Chilly Chill. Part of him still remembered how the feeling and urge originated from within his mind, part of him couldn't comfortably control himself as desired. Rather than not knowing, now he felt even more frustrated because his emotions were all jumbled up. He realized how easily he was influenced by emotions. Like right now, he just wished he could stay calm to welcome the guest he had always been waiting for.

  Ruby Voss was quite contrary to other noble young ladies or gentlemen who had appeared before. She wore a rather simple form-fitting dress in gray-black. That only accentuated her ruby-like red eyes. Her black hair was elegantly tied in a high bun. Her oval face was serene and noble.

  Everyone stood up to welcome her, including the diners at the table, among them the young masters of Houses Partheon and Aetharis. Ruby gently bowed to everyone, exchanged a few words with the two young men, and walked to her seat.

  Nathan was somewhat flustered at this point, unsure what to do. He was completely different from the previous two nights. He had really spent all his energy thinking about the first night. The rest he left to fate. So when Ruby Voss actually came, he was both excited and anxious.

  However, everything has its limits. He gradually regained his composure. Although he had missed the greeting step, he wasn't sweating or darting his eyes anymore. He decided to express himself through skill rather than words. The former was surely less dangerous than the latter.

  The dishes were quickly laid out. Tonight Nathan had decorated even more beautifully. However, he had removed the dish introductions to avoid making a bad impression. Although Lachlan didn't come, it was better to prevent being analyzed and dissected.

  The dinner ended after everyone completed their process of increasing their Aspect Affinity. Nathan was sensible enough to let the guests socialize with each other rather than rushing to question Ruby immediately.

  Finally, he saw those red eyes looking at him with a smile.

  After seeing all the guests off, Ruby Voss stayed behind. Nathan appeared before her in a more proper but somewhat stiff outfit.

  "Hello, Miss Ruby," Nathan tried to stay calm as he spoke.

  "Isn't it a bit late for that?" Ruby's voice was quite gentle, slow, evidence of proper upbringing from childhood.

  "Ah well, I..."

  "I don't bite, you know," Ruby giggled. "Come, sit down, you're the host after all."

  Breathing out a relieved sigh, Nathan sat down across from her at the round table now occupied by just the two of them.

  Ruby twirled the wine glass in her hand, her small nose sniffing with satisfaction.

  "The wine you brew is really delicious," she praised. "If only I could drink it every day."

  Then she cast him a look that he refused to understand. Clearing his throat, Nathan said.

  "You can visit The Amber Path Coalition later to satisfy your needs."

  "Is that so?"

  Nathan continued to pretend not to see the flash of disappointment that crossed the face of the girl who commanded all attention before him. Inwardly, he panicked, wondering what the hell was happening.

  Is this really a Duke's daughter?

  Ruby downed the wine in her glass, her red eyes flickering like flames in intoxication. Nathan could see why those young masters paid attention to her not just for her status, but for herself as well.

  "Do you know why I came here?"

  "Let me be bold and rather straightforward. To give me an invitation."

  Ruby pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows reproachfully.

  "Can't you pretend to let me add a bit of mystery?"

  "So it's true?" Nathan insisted.

  "You really are such a boring fellow."

  "I apologize for that."

  "A young man shouldn't say that but should talk about how he'll make it up," Ruby waggled her finger saying. "But you look like someone with zero experience so I'll let it pass. Really not worth my effort fighting to come here today."

  Nathan laughed awkwardly, once again ignoring what he heard and understood.

  "If you won't give me mystery then I'll force you into a framework," Ruby said with a mischievous smile. "What caught the attention of Duke Kael's office wasn't these dinner parties. It was for another reason."

  Nathan couldn't hide his curiosity. He had done very well, had raised his reputation high. Yet it seemed that wasn't enough.

  "You mean without this 'reason', I wouldn't have been invited?" he asked.

  "Not necessarily," Ruby smiled more brightly when she saw Nathan had fallen for it. "Maybe someone else would have come instead of me, or maybe we would have forgotten about you. You see, everyone's quite busy these days."

  Nathan tried to suppress a frown, still maintaining a relaxed face with Ruby. Meanwhile, she smirked, still seeing through her counterpart's emotional disguise.

  "Would you like to know why?" Ruby teased.

  "Please enlighten me, Miss Ruby," Nathan truly wanted to know.

  "Isn't this better? You keep wanting to follow your own pace."

  Then her eyes sharpened considerably.

  "Don't try to stand as equals with me when you can't, understand?"

  Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.

  Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.

  Nathan felt his whole body go cold, like when he first faced Argentius. The opponent's dominance, dignity, and strength made him freeze up.

  Seeing Nathan say nothing, his eyes somewhat dazed, Ruby drew herself back, sat up straight, replacing her previous casualness with unimaginable seriousness.

  "What relationship do you have with Arthur Merinor?" her voice was full of aggression, creating pressure on the listener.

  "Arthur?" Nathan blurted out.

  Ruby frowned briefly, then immediately relaxed.

  "What do you know about Arthur Merinor?"

  "To be honest," the annoyance in Nathan's heart finally surfaced, he also didn't believe Ruby would dare harm him. "I don't know who he is at all. I know Emrys, but not Arthur."

  The numerous children of great families was common knowledge. He wouldn't be free enough to investigate each person.

  Ruby tilted her head in thought, suddenly laughing.

  "Overthinking it," she muttered.

  After saying that, she took out a letter from her storage ring and placed it on the table, smiling brightly as if the previous scene had never happened.

  "Congratulations to you."

  "Um, thanks?"

  Ruby, as if feeling she no longer needed to stay, stood up to leave. Nathan, wanting to be cautious, called after her.

  "Is Arthur Merinor your enemy?"

  More accurately, he was asking if House Voss and House Merinor were on bad terms.

  Ruby stopped her steps, hand on her hip tapping a few beats as if thinking. Then, she turned around, looking straight at Nathan and asked.

  "In The Shifting Trials, will you assist my siblings and my father's forces or House Merinor?"

  "Can I choose neither side?" Nathan quickly replied.

  Ruby burst out laughing, a laugh of contempt and pleasure.

  "A coward's choice. But a wise one. Lucky for you all that Arthur isn't participating, otherwise, tsk tsk, nothing interesting would happen. Remember, don't mention this name to anyone."

  Nathan didn't bother responding after being both scolded and engaged in a conversation with no clear direction. He didn't see off the imperious young lady but instead silently looked at the invitation letter with pride.

  Celene entered after knowing Ruby had left. Her eyes were bright but were immediately stopped from voicing congratulations.

  "There wasn't any Arthur Merinor among the diners, right?" Nathan asked as soon as he saw her. He wouldn't listen to someone who showed ill will towards him. Information necessary to protect one's life was essential.

  Celene hesitated, without delay checking the list again. She even used facial recognition features. Only after being certain did she answer.

  "No, there wasn't."

  "Then why was I questioned by Ruby about this person?"

  "Disguise perhaps?"

  "Disguise?"

  "Yes, a form of human skin mask."

  "So that means Duke Kael's intelligence network can find someone even if they're in disguise?"

  "I think so."

  Nathan involuntarily shuddered, reminding himself not to make too many enemies.

  "Why can't I find information about this Arthur on PsiLink?" Nathan wondered.

  Celene paced back and forth, muttering the name Arthur. It seemed she wasn't any different from Nathan.

  After a while, she suddenly lifted her head.

  "Arthur! That Arthur! No wonder we didn't know."

  Nathan patiently waited for Celene to explain.

  "I got this information from my unofficial sources, so the reliability isn't too high. Legend has it House Merinor had a child who died young. Quite hard to believe with their resources and wealth. But that's what happened. Reportedly, this Arthur had a rather rare disease. The night he died was also the night House Merinor left their mansion, becoming a forbidden zone in the Southeast area."

  "According to information I got tonight, he's very much alive!"

  Celene startled, realizing Nathan was sharing confidential information with her, confirming the trust between them. She kept silent, not daring to say anything more about this issue.

  "You should focus on the gathering night at Duke Kael's castle instead," she changed the topic, while reminding Nathan.

  Before the official event begins, there will be a gathering of everyone for announcements. This is mandatory for the organizers to know exactly how many people will participate. If anyone doesn't come, they'll automatically be considered as giving up. So the scale will be several times larger than the parties organized by the young generation of the four great houses.

  "Why do you say it like that?" Nathan asked, tossing aside the matter of Ruby Voss. "Don't we just need to show up and then leave?"

  "That would be true if not for Lachlan Rourke."

  "That bastard again?" Nathan truly admired this young man's talent for causing trouble.

  Celene nodded helplessly, even she felt irritated despite not participating.

  "Usually the gathering would proceed quite smoothly, so this ceremony hasn't been used for a long time."

  "Let me guess," Nathan touched his lips thoughtfully, "a ceremony to prove one's worth to participate, right?"

  "That's right," she nodded, not too surprised that Nathan knew. Those who understood this best were disciples from the sects.

  This competitive environment was full of challenges to prove ability and find ways to advance. Nathan hadn't encountered it yet because he was always moving, hadn't stayed in a sect long enough to trigger this reaction.

  "Because participants include professions not focused on combat like Herbalists, Alchemists, or Artificers. These people are usually chosen and bring along two guardians to assist them."

  "And Lachlan will target these participants to eliminate these participation slots, weakening the overall enemies." Nathan understood.

  "What's condemnable is that challenging Lachlan's faction isn't too positive. Not just Lachlan, but his subordinates are also fully equipped to compete."

  "Hasn't Duke Kael already limited Regional Commander Axel Rourke's side to five people? Doing this isn't it like provoking the Duke further?"

  Celene shrugged her shoulders, nodding repeatedly as if confirming everything Nathan had just asked.

  "The reason Lachlan gave was quite righteous. Resources for this event come from the whole kingdom, so what he's doing is ensuring the nation's investment is worthwhile. The weak or those who block the way should just get out."

  "Just as I thought, he's not some brainless playboy but has a belly full of calculations, right?"

  "Partly that, partly thanks to the advisors behind him."

  Nathan pondered for a moment then his eyes lit up asking.

  "I got an invitation because of my chef profession, so surely I can bring two guardians?"

  Celene's face wrinkled somewhat as she chose her words.

  "Both right and wrong."

  Receiving such an answer, Nathan reflected again. The right to have guardians he surely had. But whether it could be implemented was another matter.

  "You're too late to find people to go with," Celene voiced the thoughts in Nathan's head. "All quality individuals have already been chosen. Furthermore, if you find someone now or on gathering night, it's not certain whether that person has been bought off by Lachlan or not. Once that person gets on the arena and surrenders before even fighting, you'll be the only one bearing the consequences. Even if they haven't been bought off yet, surrendering right there and then going to lick Lachlan's boots is still a possibility. Of course, there are those who choose to follow you because they want to. But the risk is still too high. Especially when you've tried so hard to get a participation ticket already."

  Cultivators without too much potential often choose to be patrons for those with professions. If they serve well, they might get an Alchemist to make them a necessary potion for advancement. Similar with Herbalists. As for Artificers, who wouldn't want better equipment? Once choosing correctly someone with potential, the path ahead becomes much smoother.

  Nathan could be such a person, but as Celene analyzed, he had moved too late. During the past three days, others weren't just playing and enjoying themselves. There was no place for the idle in a world where power reigns supreme.

  "But I've seen many Artificers who are good at fighting?" he wondered.

  "True, those people will participate without needing Guardians."

  "What if there's team fighting?"

  "Then the Alchemist, or even those less combat-oriented like Herbalists must step up in supporting roles. Potions or using fragrances to buff teammates' strength aren't rare. That's their strength. The guardians can only accompany them that far. After all, most participants want to establish relationships with these professions."

  "Seems like only I clearly have a support profession, yet must face them head on."

  "You mean you'll fight directly?" Celene was surprised.

  "Were you calculating all this time how to get me two reliable guardians?"

  "Yes."

  Nathan laughed loudly, making Celene even more confused.

  "You think that because I'm Tier 1, right?"

  "Isn't that so?" Celene asked bluntly.

  "Who do you think killed the Lunar Shadow that was brought to auction?" Nathan smirked, teasing the girl who underestimated him based on preconceptions.

  Celene moved her lips, her eyes blinking in disbelief. Finally, she managed to speak.

  "It was you?"

  "It was me," Nathan declared proudly.

  The girl still didn't believe it, but seeing the confidence emanating from Nathan, she could only accept.

  Nathan didn't say much more, silently calculating for tomorrow.

  To prepare thoroughly, he used the rolls for his passive skills.

  Besides the joy of achieving [Mind of Tranquility], he obtained an aura skill for the first time. But the system always knew how to invisibly punch him in the gut when it gave him a skill from the same family as [Bad Mouth].