Vanyaa's mouth opened, closed, and opened again.
"I, um… He's… well—he's kind of my… master?"
James' soft expression turned ice cold the moment he heard Vanyaa's words. A wave of overwhelming aura laced with killing intent erupted from him like a tsunami.
Alden didn't even blink. He only had one thought in his mind.
I'm fucked, aren't I?
He made a mental note: never let the cat do the talking again.
James directed every ounce of his killing intent at Alden—Vanyaa didn't feel a thing.
Still, Alden didn't flinch. Compared to the pressure he'd endured from Mokah, this was nothing.
Truthfully, he wasn't even afraid.
James was powerful; there was no doubt about it. But if needed, Alden was confident he could escape unharmed.
"Care to explain what Miss Vanyaa just said?" James's voice echoed through the alley like thunder.
At least, that's how Alden perceived it.
In reality, the sound was tightly confined to his space—James's mastery over sound element manipulation ensured that Vanyaa heard none of it.
He was careful not to risk harming the Young Miss of the Obsidian Exchange.
Vanyaa stood by innocently, tilting her head, completely unaware of the disaster she'd just triggered.
Had Alden not coated his ears with shadow energy in time, the force of James's voice would have ruptured his eardrums.
And how had he known to protect himself?
It had allowed him to sense the disturbance in the surrounding mana just before James launched his sonic attack.
James raised an eyebrow at Alden not getting hurt but dismissed it, likely assuming it was due to some artifact.
Alden stared back, his crimson eyes under the mask cold enough to freeze fire.
"And why should I even explain that to you?" His tone was just as icy as his gaze.
He wasn't being reckless. Not even slightly. This was calculated.
There was something to be gained from this recklessness.
And there was his self-respect as well. He didn't like how James treated him.
James froze for a moment. His eyes widened, unable to believe the audacity of the boy standing before him.
Someone with barely Initiate Rank strength had just challenged a Master.
He's either an idiot... or someone terrifying hiding his true strength.
Either way, I can't let him walk away.
Especially after what he did to Vanyaa.
James knew Vanyaa couldn't lie. That meant one thing: Alden had somehow forced a slave contract on her.
But James couldn't kill him—not without Cipher's command.
So he decided something else.
I'll just break some bones and deliver him to the Mistress.
James wasn't some chosen prodigy. His natural limit had only ever been Grandmaster Rank.
Reaching Master had been a miracle.
To him, the Obsidian Exchange wasn't just a job. It was family.
The only ones who accepted him. And he'd throw his life away for them in a heartbeat.
A blur in the dark—he reappeared in front of Alden like a phantom.
His fist, wrapped in condensed sound waves, exploded forward at terrifying speed.
Still, he didn't go all out.
He actually held himself back to Initiate Level—he didn't want to accidentally kill the kid.
Moreover, his pride wouldn't allow him to use full strength against someone so far beneath him.
The air cracked around his knuckles, distorting even the space slightly.
But Alden had already activated his Spirit Domain.
He understood James was holding back.
Did he care to ask him to go all out?
He wasn't that dumb. Asking someone leagues above you to fight seriously was asking for death.
There was another reason he didn't explain himself properly—
Someone was watching.
She'd been there the whole time, right beside Vanyaa, silent and sharp-eyed.
She was studying him.
Cipher had mastery over a rare and dangerous element—Illusion. A deviant affinity possessed by very few people in this world.
Even James hadn't noticed her.
Thanks to his newly acquired skill—Voidheart—he was completely immune to illusions.
Add to that the Eyes of Supreme, and no illusion, no matter how perfect, could hide from him.
Still, he pretended not to notice her.
If he wanted her as an ally, he had to prove himself. Show he was worth her time.
He had no illusions of beating James—but if he could just endure, she'd step in.
James's punch inched toward Alden's masked face, aiming to wipe away whatever arrogance lay behind it.
With Spirit Domain, Eyes of Supreme, and Monarch of Mana all activated, his awareness was heightened far beyond what someone of his level should be capable of.
He didn't do anything flashy—just sharp and calculated movements.
He bent backward at ninety degrees in a fluid arc. His body followed the pattern of Gretta's dance.
Then, he used his hands as support to do a perfect backflip.
All of this exchange happened within a matter of seconds.
Vanyaa couldn't understand what had happened.
One moment, her uncle had been talking sweetly to her, and the next, he started attacking Alden.
She looked at Alden with growing concern. She tried to explain to James about his misunderstanding.
"Umm, Uncle… It's not what you think… He's, umm—he's a good guy," she said, trying to defuse the situation.
But her words only increased James's fury.
He started thinking Alden had somehow brainwashed Vanayaa.
"I'm going to kill you," he growled, and his aura surged again—denser, darker, deadlier.
This time he didn't hold back much.
He vanished once more.
This time, even Alden barely sensed the movement—
Before he could react—
A fist slammed into his chest. He was launched back like a missile, crashing into the alley wall with bone-rattling force.
Stone cracked. Dust flew.
Vanyaa let out a gasp, stepping forward – then paused when she saw him.
Alden was still standing.
Blood trickled from the edges of his mask. His body trembled. But his spine was straight.
But underneath the mask, Alden had a smirk.
The blood was actually fake.
He had bitten his own lips the moment he crashed to make it more believable.
He was currently putting on an act. He activated his pendant's effect to negate an attack completely.
"You're still conscious?" James narrowed his eyes. "That punch could've shattered a peak apprentice's spine with ease."
Alden smiled. "Yeah? Maybe you're just too weak."
James's brow twitched.
He blurred forward again, this time summoning chains of vibrating air that lashed toward Alden like vipers.
Alden dodged the first two strikes barely, but the third was unavoidable.
Just as it was going to pierce through his leg, it vanished without a trace.
"That's enough, James."
A voice cut through the alley like a blade through silk.
From beside Vanyaa, heels clicked softly on stone.
A figure emerged—calm, elegant, terrifying.
Her purple hair shone, catching the light.
No illusions. No disguises. Her violet eyes glowed with amusement.
Vanyaa brightened instantly. "Mom."
James dropped to one knee. "Mistress Cipher. I—"
"I said that's enough," she repeated. "I saw everything."
She turned her gaze to Alden—injured, but standing with pride.
"You attacked without confirmation."
James's face went pale. "But… Vanyaa said he was her—"
Cipher silenced him with a single glance.
"I'll handle that. Stand down."
Alden's eyes met Cipher's.
"Come", she said. "We have things to discuss, don't we?"