Silence… was not stable.
It was fragile… just a thin layer covering something boiling beneath it since the beginning of the conversation.
Then—
It shattered.
"Enough!"
Lin's voice burst out suddenly—sharp, rough, carrying within it more than just fleeting anger.
It wasn't an ordinary shout… it was closer to the explosion of something that had been held back for minutes.
Some sounds in the hall stopped instantly.
Spoons froze in mid-air, whispers vanished, as if the entire place turned without moving.
Lin was no longer trying to maintain his previous composure.
His features had clearly changed.
His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened hard, and even the way he stood was no longer that calm, confident stance…
It became closer to someone on the verge of losing control.
He looked directly at faiser—a look not seeking discussion, but a response.
"You talk…"
He paused for a moment, as if words themselves were no longer enough.
"…as if you understand everything."
One step forward.
The sound of his foot hitting the ground was louder than it should have been.
"And in reality…"
He stopped, then said it slowly, heavily:
"You are nothing."
At that moment—something in the atmosphere changed.
It wasn't a sound or a visible movement… but a faint sensation began to spread… like an invisible ripple.
Lin's hand moved slowly, and around it… something began to form.
A gathering of qi… light at first, unstable, as if it had never been used this way inside the hall before…
But it quickly began to grow clearer.
The air around his hand distorted slightly… trembled.
Some disciples stood up immediately.
One of them said in a low but tense voice:
"Is… he serious?"
Another:
"Is he going to attack here?!"
The hall, which moments ago had been just a noisy place…
Turned into a tense stage.
All eyes—on one hand, on one person, on one moment.
Inside faiser's mind—the usual voice disappeared.
No sarcasm, no long commentary.
Just a short, sharp sentence:
"Be careful… you must dodge it."
But faiser… did not move.
He did not step back, nor did he even stand up.
He was still sitting, almost in the same position, as if what was happening in front of him… did not concern him completely.
His gaze was steady—not on Lin's hand… but on his eyes.
As if ignoring the danger… and focusing on something else.
On the other side—
Mira did not move either.
But her eyes widened slightly—not from fear… but from something else—
"Is… this idiot not going to move?"
Inside her, that strange feeling appeared again.
"This isn't recklessness… nor confidence… this is… something else."
The qi in Lin's hand finally stabilized.
It was no longer unstable… it became focused and ready.
Lin said in a low voice, more dangerous than before:
"Now… I'll make you understand your place."
And the moment he began to move his hand, directing a strike toward faiser—
Something fast and unexpected happened.
Another hand appeared.
It grabbed his wrist—simply, without sound, without forceful motion.
But—
With absolute steadiness.
The movement stopped.
The qi… trembled for a moment, then vanished as if it had nothing to anchor itself to.
Lin froze.
His eyes widened—not from pain… but from shock.
He slowly turned—
To the side.
Daren… was standing there.
No one noticed when he approached, nor how he arrived.
But his presence now… was impossible to ignore.
He stood straight, his gaze calm.
But his hand holding Lin's wrist… said everything.
He spoke in a low voice… but carried undeniable weight:
"You're going too far…"
A brief pause—
Then he added:
"…Lin."
There was no shouting, no direct threat.
But—
That sentence alone… was enough.
Lin tried to pull his hand back.
But—
It didn't move.
Not because Daren was gripping hard… but because the difference… was obvious.
Lin said, in a less sharp voice but still charged:
"Let go… Daren."
Daren didn't change his expression.
He simply gave him a short look… enough.
Then—
He released him, but only after making sure the motion had ended.
Lin's hand dropped slightly.
Not truly falling… but there was something in it—
A feeling that he… had been stopped.
In front of everyone.
The hall—
Was no longer whispering.
It was watching… carefully, silently.
Daren didn't look at faiser immediately.
He said calmly:
"This is not the place for this kind of behavior."
Then added:
"And not the time either."
A brief silence.
Then—
He turned his gaze… toward faiser.
That look—
Was not angry.
Not provocative.
It was… evaluating.
Weighing. Analyzing.
Then he said:
"As for you…"
He paused.
"I think you're starting to take things further than you should."
Inside faiser's mind—the voice returned.
But this time… it wasn't sarcastic.
The book said:
"Hmm… this guy is impressive."
Daren continued:
"Causing trouble… may seem fun at first."
Then added calmly:
"But it doesn't stay that way when you exceed your limits."
He didn't raise his voice.
He didn't directly threaten.
But… the meaning was clear.
"You're still a new third-generation disciple."
He paused.
"And at the level… of a budding seed."
A brief glance at Lin… then back to faiser:
"And that puts you… in a clear place."
Silence.
Then—
"A place… not here."
Some disciples exchanged looks.
The words were calm… but heavy.
Faiser looked at him without reaction, then said while sighing:
"And what is that place… in your opinion?"
A moment of silence.
But this time—
It wasn't empty.
Daren smiled slightly.
Not mockery.
Not admiration.
But… understanding.
Then he said:
"A place where you learn, observe, and understand… before you act."
Then added:
"Not a place… where you try to redefine everything from the beginning."
Faiser smiled faintly and said:
"Hmm… and what if the current definition… is wrong?"
Some disciples paid even more attention.
Daren didn't answer immediately.
He looked at him for a longer second, then said:
"Even if that's true… there are methods and timing."
Then he stepped a little closer—not a threat, but a narrowing of distance.
"And those who ignore that…"
He paused.
"…rarely go far."
Inside faiser's mind—the book said quietly:
"I like him… he doesn't attack you, doesn't justify you… he frames you."
Then added:
"This… is interesting."
Faiser smiled more, his gaze unchanged, then said:
"Alright… as you wish. I'll take that into consideration."
Daren looked at him, as if trying to determine whether the words were real… or just a response.
Then—
He straightened and said with a sigh:
"Fine… then do it."
The book was surprised and said:
"Why did you step back? I wanted things to escalate as you always do."
Faiser didn't respond.
He lifted his cup and began to drink, uninterested…
Meanwhile, Daren turned and walked away.
Lin didn't move immediately.
But this time, he didn't look at faiser the same way.
There was something different.
Something… more cautious.
As for Mira—
She was watching.
But her focus… wasn't on Lin, nor even on Daren.
It was—
On faiser.
And inside her:
"Hahaha… now things have truly become more complicated… how annoying."
The hall slowly began to return to normal.
Sounds came back.
But the atmosphere… wasn't the same.
Inside faiser's mind, the book laughed lightly and said:
"Well… it seems I've found someone interesting besides you."
It paused, then added:
"Daren… this one… is worth watching."
Faiser chuckled softly and said to the book:
"You still don't understand everything…"
The book was surprised and said:
"What… do you mean?!"
Faiser sighed lightly while smiling, looking at the ceiling, then said:
"Haaah… it's been a long time since I've seen someone like that kid in the way he thinks… he really reminds me of myself when I was thirteen years old. Hahahaha."
The book was shocked and said:
"He reminds you of yourself when you were thirteen?! What do you mean, faiser? Are you starting to hallucinate?"
Faiser smiled while looking at the door Lin and Daren had exited from moments ago, then said:
"Hmm… forget what I said. I was just joking."
Then continued:
"What matters is… the competition is approaching… and enemies are starting to increase around me in a short time. So they must be crushed before they increase even more… and what's coming will be stronger. Hahahahaha… this life is finally starting to show some traces of enjoyment…"