Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

Morning arrived in Celestara without any further incidents. Angels, Dwarves, and the Humans who had travelled here were already going about their daily business once again. Some headed toward the Guild to accept commissions, some entered Inns to begin another day of travel, while others moved through the bustling markets spread across the city’s many routes.

At the same time, several Noble carriages and even spirit jets could already be seen making their way toward the Palace, which stood proudly beneath the golden radiance of the morning sun, its white walls reflecting the light across the surrounding city.

Even though the city had returned to its usual rhythm, no one had forgotten the incident from the previous night. Conversations could be heard everywhere, whether inside shops, on the roads, or even among Explorers walking toward the Guild.

Their minds continued to wander through countless possibilities about what might have happened after the Queen disappeared together with that terrifying Monster. Most of the concern, however, was directed toward the Monster itself rather than the Queen, and that ’most’ consisted almost entirely of Angels. They knew far better than anyone else just how terrifying the Queen of Celestara truly was, making it difficult for them to imagine a monster capable of defeating her.

The races who didn’t know the Queen’s true cultivation or strength, however, thought very differently. Although they had witnessed her display a level of power far beyond anything they had ever seen, they simply couldn’t convince themselves that such a terrifying Monster could be defeated so easily or by her.

That lingering uncertainty had followed them throughout the entire night, keeping many of them awake as they wondered what would happen if the Queen failed. To them, the Monster represented something far more terrifying than an enemy...it was a threat to every life inside the city, and until they personally saw the Queen return, that uneasiness refused to disappear.

Other than them, the new ones who entered the city was hearing about all these from the markets and people going inside the Guild and Inns, when they heard this some had their eyes wide in shock, while some had anxiety etched in their faces the moment they heard this because...they feared such situations, everyone did, after all if something went wrong they might die without being able to do anything at all.

Meanwhile, Atlas was in a completely different part of the city. The moment the morning sunlight entered through the window of his room, he had already woken up, freshened himself, and finished breakfast after the maid brought the meal shortly after sunrise. Compared to the chaos that had unfolded the previous night, his morning had been unusually peaceful, allowing him enough time to quietly organize his thoughts before leaving.

After finishing everything, Atlas changed into a brand-new set of Explorer clothes that had already been prepared inside the wardrobe of the room. Unlike the entirely black attire he had worn before, these clothes carried a mixture of silver and black, giving them a cleaner yet refined appearance. More importantly, for the first time since arriving in Celestara, he chose not to wear the mask.

That decision wasn’t made on impulse. He had already thought about it through the previous day when he had decided to use his real surname and eventually reached a simple conclusion. Remaining hidden no longer served any purpose, His strength had already reached a point where hiding his appearance would achieve very little.

Now, Atlas could be seen walking toward the eastern district of the city, calmly following the routes that his perception had already identified beforehand.

His new Explorer attire naturally attracted far more attention than before. The silver and black clothing suited his tall, lean figure almost perfectly, while the slim trousers only emphasized his physique further.

Combined with his exposed face and the Spirit Bag hanging behind him, many people instinctively glanced in his direction as he walked past. Some looked only for a brief moment before continuing on their way, while others quietly wondered which Household or Guild such a young Human belonged to.

Atlas paid no attention to any of those gazes. As he continued walking through the city, his thoughts remained occupied by only two things...his revenge and the battle that had taken place the previous night.

’The Queen of this continent is that powerful...then perhaps the Human King is also on that level. Hmm...I have to surpass even that if I truly want my revenge.’

That conclusion wasn’t made lightly. Ever since waking up, he had replayed every moment of last night’s battle inside his mind, from the Monster’s attack to the Queen casually holding its severed arm as though such a feat meant nothing. The more he analyzed those scenes, the clearer one fact became.

He was still far below the level he needed to reach.

’That battle should already be over by now. Either the Queen killed that Monster...or she captured it. If the opposite had happened, almost everyone in Celestara would have died in their sleep without ever knowing how.’

Atlas calmly reached that conclusion as well. He wasn’t foolish enough to underestimate the Monster, but neither would he ignore what he had witnessed with his own eyes. From the beginning until the very end, the Queen had never once appeared pressured. The difference between the two had simply been too obvious for him to believe the Monster truly stood a chance.

Another question, however, continued lingering in his mind.

’Even with that defective Null pressure mixed together with Spirit Energy, it still couldn’t compete with her...but if both of them are supposed to be SSS-rank or even special SSS-ranks, why is the difference in strength so overwhelming? ’

He continued wondering about that question as he crossed another route before finally arriving at the eastern district of Solara. Standing before him was a massive white Villa that stretched across an enormous piece of land, its size alone making it clear that it belonged to one of the strongest Noble Households on the continent.

Even before arriving here, Atlas’s perception had already locked onto the strongest presence within this entire district. That familiar Spirit Energy signature left no room for doubt.

Dravenson Rosaria was already waiting inside this same Villa.

Just as Atlas continued thinking about that unanswered question, he suddenly felt another presence appear directly before him. A gust of wind swept across the path before gradually taking the shape of a familiar figure, Atlas recognized him immediately before the person fully materialized.

It was Kaelion.

The Angel slightly bowed before speaking respectfully, ”Mr. Atlas, the Patriarch and Lady Seraphiel are waiting for you. As the one assigned to welcome you, allow me to express my gratitude for accepting the invitation and coming here.”

’Let’s just pretend until the contract is severed...after that, you’re better off dead.’

Kaelion’s internal thoughts differed completely from the respectful words coming out of his mouth. The moment he finished speaking, his mind unconsciously drifted back to everything that had happened after returning to the rooftop the previous night, where the Patriarch had still been waiting for him.

Atlas, on the other hand, simply gave a small nod before walking forward without another word. The massive gates of the Villa were already open, allowing him to pass through the entrance without stopping. Kaelion silently followed a step behind as the two of them crossed the spacious courtyard and arrived before the grand entrance in only a few moments.

Without anyone touching it, the enormous door slowly opened on its own, Atlas arched an eyebrow for only a brief moment before stepping through the entrance.

As he crossed the threshold of the Villa, one thought quietly settled inside his mind.

Everything connected to the Nobles...would finally come to an end here.