Another clicked their tongue. "That’s insane. Who would spend so much..."
But none of them said it loudly enough for Edmund to rebuke.
Their shock hung heavy in the air.
Celia tilted her head slightly, her voice even. "You’re being quite amicable about this."
"Hahaha, of course," Edmund chuckled. "If you can buy such items without hesitation, then it’s obvious your City Lord is investing heavily in your growth.
"And, considering your composure and power, I’d wager you’re both High Rank species. Why would I make enemies of High Rank species during a trial we’re almost guaranteed to fail anyway?" Edmund said,
Celia frowned faintly.
Edmund’s tone was polite, and a bit carefree, but the way he spoke left a slimy feeling behind that was even worse than Alex.
He smiled as if everything was lighthearted, yet every word carried a calculated undertone.
"Let’s do the trade and move on, then," Celia said, cutting through his words.
"Fair enough," Edmund replied with a nod. "One map fragment for an item worth a thousand stats. We currently hold twelve fragments. You may buy as many as you like."
"Three fragments will do," Celia said after a short pause.
Edmund’s smile widened.
"Then we’ll need three items. How about..."
He raised three fingers as he spoke, listing them clearly.
"First, the Elixir of Spirit Endurance. Second, the Orb of Binding Chains. And third, the Tome of Arcane Flow. Each of these costs exactly one thousand stats."
Celia glanced toward Isaac briefly, as though confirming silently if he agreed.
Isaac gave a small nod, letting her continue.
"Fine," Celia said. "We’ll exchange three of those items for three fragments."
Edmund’s group murmured in surprise again, the sound of disbelief mixing with resignation.
To them, the idea of casually trading thousands of stat points was unthinkable.
Yet to Isaac and Celia, it was simply a matter of saving time.
"Excellent," Edmund said smoothly. "Then let us make the exchange."
Isaac opened the special shop interface.
He scrolled, selected, and confirmed the purchase.
Three items appeared in his hand, glowing faintly before settling into reality.
Without a word, he handed them over to Edmund.
Edmund inspected the items briefly, then nodded with satisfaction.
He pulled three map fragments from his own storage and passed them into Isaac’s hand.
The moment Isaac stored them away, Alex — the one who had been acting as Edmund —spoke sharply. "Edmund, he just spent three thousand stats! Now is our chance to—"
The words cut short as Edmund turned his eyes toward Alex.
His single glance carried enough weight to silence Alex completely.
Alex’s lips pressed together, fury simmering but restrained.
Without another word, Isaac and Celia left.
Silence lingered among the group before Edmund finally clapped his hands together softly.
"Let’s rest for a bit," he said.
His tone was light, but his eyes moved across the group, seeing how shaken they still were.
Several of them had gone pale after experiencing the "old man’s" pressure earlier.
Edmund pulled a compact tent from his spatial ring and set it down.
With practiced ease, he stepped inside.
Alex followed right after with clenched jaw.
The moment they were alone and certain no sound would leak outside, Alex’s control snapped.
He grabbed Edmund by the collar and shoved him against the wall of the tent.
"Why did you do that?!" Alex hissed, his glare sharp enough to cut.
Edmund’s eyes didn’t change.
He had a carefree smile, even as his back pressed against the wall. "Do what?"
"Don’t play dumb!" Alex snarled. "You gave up our fragments. That masked guy—if I went all out, I could’ve held him back. And you? You could’ve beaten him if you were serious! There was no reason to bow our heads!"
"They were an unknown high-rank species. It was best not to make enemies—"
"Bullshit!" Alex spat, his grip tightening. "Is everything a game to you, Edmund? Just because the trial was ’boring’ to you, you decided to give up like this?"
Edmund’s silence stretched.
"Answer me!"
Alex roared.
"How can you bring shame to the Hawthorne Clan like this?"
His glare burned as if he would tear Edmund apart himself.
"What will you do if Orvane or Cassandra complete the trial? Do you even understand how much shame our clan will suffer?"
Still, Edmund didn’t reply.
The current standings were clear:
Cārus – Rank 1
Edmund Hawthorne – Rank 2
Orvane Drixley – Rank 3
Cassandra Evermere – Rank 4
The Hawthorne, Drixley, and Evermere clans were three neighbors in power, each ruled by a Lord.
They were all a high-rank species.
For generations, the heirs of these three Clans had entered the Evolutionary trial together.
It wasn’t coincidence.
It was because of a special quest that triggered only when the three clans joined simultaneously.
For centuries, the three Clans had been competing with each other, hoping to be the first one to have an Apex rank among them.
This time the rivalry was at all-time high.
The heirs of all three clans—Edmund, Orvane, and Cassandra—were the most talented in their recorded histories.
The competition was fiercer than ever, and by some twist of fate, this Hell difficulty trial had placed everyone in the same location.
That intensity only made every move matter more.
Up until now, Edmund had maintained his position ahead of the other two, sitting securely in rank two in the first objective.
But what he had just done—yielding fragments to Cārus—would spread.
His clan’s prestige was at stake.
"Everyone will know you bowed to Cārus. Do you understand the damage it will bring to the Clan?" Alex spat.
"Well... maybe Cārus will complete the trial before Orvane and Cassandra. And maybe helping him will bring us fortune later. He might return the favor."
"Edmund!"
Alex’s fury boiled over.
He shoved Edmund hard, throwing him onto the ground of the tent.
"You have no ambition!" Alex’s expression twisted between grief and rage. "And a man without ambition is no man at all."
"Reaching beyond your limits is greed, Alex, not ambition." Edmund sat up slowly, brushing dirt from his sleeves. "And there is a reason Greed is called a deadly sin."
"Of course, you have an answer for everything," Alex sneered. "You always do."
His glare lingered on Edmund, but Edmund only sighed.
The truth was, Edmund’s reasoning ran deeper than Alex could understand.
Right now, the three clans were locked in a delicate balance.
Edmund knew that if he pushed forward and completed the trial, his clan might win, but victory wasn’t what he wanted.
Because if Hawthorne won, the balance between the three clans would shatter.
War would erupt between them.
The rivalry between the three clans that had been going for centuries had prestige, pride, and power on the line.
It made peace impossible if one clan gained an Apex rank species.
That was why Edmund had helped Cārus.
He hoped Cārus would clash with Orvane and Cassandra, defeat them and thus keepi the balance intact.
Of course, Edmund would never admit that.
"Dammit!" Alex growled. He slammed his fist into the ground.
Before Edmund could respond, a glowing screen appeared before every participant.
[Cārus has completed the First Objective!]
[Cārus will now proceed to the Second Objective.]
[Alert! A time limit has appeared for the remaining trial participants in the First Objective.]
[Complete the First Objective within 24 hours.]
[A hidden rule has been revealed.]
[Only the top 64 participants may proceed to the Second Objective.]