After the call ended, Anna let out a piercing, high-pitched scream that echoed through the room.
"Sofia!"
Immediately, the door to her room slammed open with a violent bang.
Sofia entered like a sudden gust of wind, her hand already reaching for a concealed weapon, her eyes scanning for an assassin.
"What happened, my lady?" she asked, her voice tight with panic.
Anna's face was no longer its usual porcelain pale; it had turned a shade of deep, pulsing crimson.
When Sofia saw her mistress's state, clutching her cheeks and squirming on the bed, the panic vanished from her eyes and was replaced instantly by a look of profound disdain.
"Is it Alex?" Sofia asked flatly.
"How... how do you know?" Anna stammered, her eyes wide with frantic energy.
"I wonder how. You are utterly hopeless, my lady. What happened this time?" Sofia asked, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe.
"Alex wants to meet me at the cafe, and I... I want to look good. I need to be perfect!" Anna cried.
"But you always cover your face with a heavy lace veil," Sofia pointed out dryly.
"In fact, I believe Alex has not seen your actual face yet. What is the point of a nice dress if you look like a mourning widow from the neck up?"
"Wha..." Anna's brain seemed to short-circuit as she realized the glaring flaw in her logic.
She had been so focused on her social status that she had constantly covered her face, even during their previous coffee shop time.
And in the wilderness training, they had all been encased in high-tech, full-body combat suits.
Effectively, they were strangers to each other's physical appearances.
"You are just now realizing this?" Sofia sighed, rubbing her temples.
"What... what do I do then? Should I show him? Should I stay veiled?" Anna asked, her voice rising in pitch.
"That is entirely up to you. But I suppose I can choose a dress that doesn't make you look like a gothic tragedy," Sofia replied, moving toward the walk-in closet.
After ending the call, Alex attempted to return to his research file.
He suddenly remembered the bet he had won against Aren during their recent confrontation.
The stakes had been high, and it was time to collect his debt.
He dialed Aren's number directly.
"Hello? Who is this?" a voice answered on the third ring.
Aren sounded guarded, though the caller ID undoubtedly betrayed Alex's identity.
"I am your primary debtor," Alex said, his voice dropping into a sub-zero chill.
"Send me the SS-grade body cultivation technique you promised, or else I am going to take our written contract directly to the Vice President."
"Whom are you threatening? I am not afraid of you!" Aren shouted, though his voice shook like a leaf in a storm.
"I'll give you the technique after the semester officially starts. Not a moment before!"
Aren hung up abruptly.
He knew he was utterly cornered.
The contract was written.
With a trembling hand, he dialed his father's private line, dreading the conversation that would follow.
At 3:30 PM, Alex opted for a classic, understated look.
He wore a fitted black T-shirt that accentuated his lean, athletic build and a pair of crisp white trousers.
This time, he didn't use his Spirit Master flight abilities to traverse the city.
Instead, he signaled for his family's luxury sedan to transport him.
On the other side of the city, Anna had already been sitting in the coffee shop for thirty minutes.
She was a bundle of raw nerves, her hands shaking as she adjusted her skirt.
Alex arrived at the shop and stepped inside.
He was immediately struck by the silence.
The entire establishment was empty of customers.
There were no male staff members in sight.
Only a handful of female waitresses stood at attention near the walls.
In the center of the room sat a girl.
She wasn't wearing a veil this time.
She wore a sophisticated black dress that contrasted sharply with her radiant, almost luminescent skin.
Alex stopped in his tracks, momentarily stunned by her ethereal beauty.
She is this beautiful?
No wonder she always hides herself.
If the general public saw her without a barrier, the streets would be in a state of constant riot.
Alex moved forward and pulled out the chair opposite her.
"Sorry, did I make you wait long?"
Anna was startled, jumping slightly in her seat.
She forced a shy, dazzling smile.
"No, no. I have only just arrived," she lied, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"By the way, Anna, you are breathtaking," Alex said, his voice casual yet intense.
"How are you this beautiful? Is the genetic lottery from your mother's side or your father's?"
Alex leaned across the table, resting his chin on his hand.
He narrowed his eyes, playfully analyzing her features from inches away.
Anna felt as if hot steam were venting from her ears.
Her heart beat like a war drum in her chest.
Too close, too close! she screamed internally.
Her mind descended into a complete meltdown.
"Ahem! Master Alex, what would you like to order?"
Sofia appeared suddenly, dressed in a professional waitress uniform.
Seeing Anna's eyes roll back into her head from the sheer proximity of her crush, Sofia had decided to intervene before her mistress fainted into her espresso.
Alex sat back, giving Anna some breathing room.
He ordered two premium coffees for them.
"Hey, Anna, I actually wanted to ask you something important."
Anna took a deep breath, clutching the table to steady herself.
"Yes? What is it?"
"It is about the Ancestor of your family, Sir Elyndros," Alex said, getting straight to the point.
"He is regarded as the strongest Spirit Master on Earth. I was wondering if he would be open to giving me some personal guidance."
Anna didn't even blink.
"You want to learn from my Great Grandpa? Of course, he will teach you!"
"Let's go now. The coffee at our estate is far superior anyway."
"We have two other Spirit Masters in the main house, including my cousin."
"I'll make sure all of them teach you. Don't worry."
She promised on their behalf without a second thought.
Sofia's mouth twitched.
Anna was the 'Final Boss' of the Celestus clan.
Her word was law because the Ancestor spoiled her to a ridiculous degree.
But she had just volunteered the world's most powerful man to be a personal tutor.
Then again, Sofia reasoned, this is Alex Moriarty.
The Tower labeled him the highest-class genius in the known universe.
No one actually knows the limits of his talent.
"Huh? Are you sure?" Alex asked, surprised by the lack of hesitation.
"Don't you need to ask them first? I was prepared to get a formal recommendation letter from the Vice President."
Anna waved her hand dismissively.
"I am the recommendation letter."
"Do you want to go now or sometime later?"
"If you're serious, then let's go," Alex replied.
"Classes start in two days. I'd like to be back by then."
"Sofia, have the private airship readied immediately. We are leaving," Anna commanded.
Butterflies danced in her stomach at the thought of Alex staying at her home.
Soon, a Dark King-class airship, a marvel of tech engineering, lifted off from Aurora City.
Alex sent a brief message to his mother, informing her that he would be an official guest of the Celestus family for the weekend.
As the ship departed, William immediately informed Arthur.
"That brat didn't even give me a call?," Arthur snorted.
"Directly went off with his little girlfriend to the most powerful estate in the region."
Despite his grumbling, Arthur turned to his shadow guards.
"Order three Emperors to follow the ship."
The airship touched down on the private landing pad of the Celestus mountain retreat.
Two long rows of maids and elite servants stood in perfect formation.
"We welcome Lady Anna!" they shouted in unison.
"We welcome Master Alex Moriarty! We hope the two of you can live a long and happy life together!"
Anna's face turned a violent shade of crimson again.
She knew exactly which mischievous person had coached the servants to say that.
She was too embarrassed to rebuke them.
Alex looked at the servants and gave a polite, dignified nod.
"Thank you, everyone."
He acted as if he hadn't even heard the second half of their greeting.
Anna was secretly a bit disappointed by his lack of reaction.
At the same time, she heaved a massive sigh of relief.
"Alex, let me go find my father and ask where Great Grandpa is..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a cataclysmic weight dropped from the sky.
It wasn't just physical gravity.
It was a soul-crushing spiritual pressure that turned the air into lead.
The reinforced stone floor beneath Alex's feet cracked and splintered.
He stayed upright, but his knees buckled.
Blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth.
"Great Grandpa, stop!" Anna roared, her voice cracking with fear.
She fell to her knees, unable to withstand Alex's condition.
"Please, let Alex go! Punish me instead if you must! Please!"
She couldn't understand why the Ancestor would launch a surprise attack on a guest.
Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the pressure vanished.
The air became light again.
Alex took a ragged, deep breath.
He felt his internal organs settle.
It was as if his skeleton had been on the verge of turning into powder.
A middle-aged man with dark hair descended slowly from the clouds.
His feet never touched the ground.
Every servant and guard knelt instantly, their foreheads touching the cold stone.
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
The man, Elyndros Celestus, landed softly in front of Anna.
"Stand up, silly girl. How could I ever punish you?"
"I was merely testing the weight of your little friend's soul."
"He passed... barely."
Alex wiped the blood from his lip and activated his [Eye of Revelation].
[Name: Elyndros Celestus
Talent: Telekinesis (SS-Grade)
Rank: Level 9 Emperor
Note: He is currently on par with the President of the Alliance in raw combat power.
He can precisely control 25 objects of any mass simultaneously.]
Alex was stunned.
The man wasn't a traditional Spirit Master.
He was a Telekinetic talent holder who had likely a Spirit Master too.
It was a terrifying combination.
Alex bowed deeply.
"Sir, I am Alex Moriarty. It is a profound honor to meet the man who holds up the sky."
Elyndros narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing through Alex's very spirit.
"Arthur called me earlier. He said you wanted guidance from me."
"But tell me, boy, why should I waste my time on you?"
"What do I gain?"
Alex looked the legendary Emperor in the eye.
His expression shifted from respectful to audacious.
"You should guide me so that when I inevitably become the strongest existence on this planet, you can tell the world that you were the one who pointed me toward the summit."
"What else does a man of your stature desire, if not the ultimate prestige of being the teacher of a Mythical being?"