Chapter 225 Means
Max sighed lightly, his eyes lingering on the now-empty sky where the rift had once been.
The overwhelming presence of the Ascendants was gone, but their shadow still loomed over him.
24 hours.
That was all he had.
Aurelia's voice broke the silence.
"You now have 24 hours. Prepare well."
Max turned to her, his expression softening slightly.
"Thanks. I really needed some time."
But then, as the reality of the situation settled deeper in his mind, his expression shifted.
His gaze turned concerned as he looked at Aurelia.
"You helped me in front of everyone… won't the Monarch find out?"
His voice was low, edged with caution.
The Young Monarch had already declared that anyone who supported him would be marked as an enemy.
Yet Aurelia had openly assisted him.
Aurelia, however, merely shook her head, her golden eyes unreadable.
"Only for now."
Her words were cryptic.
And before Max could press further, she turned away—her body moving in a blur of motion as she descended back to the Phoenix Order group.
Max watched as she landed gracefully, her expression sharp and focused.
Then—she spoke.
Her voice was low, steady. Commanding.
"Anton, there is something I need you to do…"
As she began to explain something to him, Max could see the Phoenix Order warriors react subtly—some stiffened, some nodded in agreement.
A hidden move. A preparation of her own.
Max's gaze lingered on Aurelia for a moment.
Even now, she was planning something.
Even now, she was thinking ahead.
And Max knew one thing for certain.
Whatever it was—
It wasn't just for him.
She had her own reasons. Her own game.
And as much as he trusted Aurelia—he wasn't sure if her plans would align with his.
Though he did wonder what would their relationship be in the future?
Would the Phoenix Order still stand by him?
Or would they distance themselves, knowing the wrath of the Monarch was looming over them all?
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It didn't matter.
Because Max didn't regret anything.
Not for a second.
The Monarch's geniuses had come with a death sentence.
They hadn't come to negotiate.
They hadn't come to talk.
They had come to kill him.
And Max didn't like that one bit.
So he did what had to be done.
Without hesitation.
Without mercy.
And if he was given another chance—
He would do it again.
That didn't mean he didn't care about them.
There was one person in the Phoenix Order guild Max cared about anything in this world aside from his family.
Alice.
Therefore—
If there was ever a regret in his heart then it would be that he would never get the chance to be honest with her.
At least not anytime soon.
Max shook his head, forcing himself to push the distractions aside.
'What's done is done.'
There was no point in dwelling on the past.
Right now, only one thing mattered.
The Ascension Ceremony.
The fight against Evan McAllen.
A battle that would decide his freedom, his future, his very existence.
Just as Max was pushing aside his thoughts, four figures approached him.
Kate.
Envoy Lucas.
Ralph Thorne.
Garrison Ashford.
Max glanced at them, already guessing why they were here.
"You're in a very tough situation."
Envoy Lucas sighed, his tone carrying an unmistakable mix of concern and inevitability.
Max raised a brow, his expression unbothered.
"How strong can they be?"
He crossed his arms, eyes gleaming with confidence.
"If I put my all into it, I can take down a Seeker Rank Level 1 expert in a direct confrontation."
Ralph Thorne's face remained serious.
"It's not about strength. It's about means."
His words cut through the air, making Max's eyes narrow.
"The Ascendants are the most mysterious group of people in all of Acaris."
"Because of that, people have little to no real information about them. But what we do know—"
A pause.
"Is that they are formidable. Very formidable."
The way Ralph spoke was different.
There was no exaggeration, no fearmongering.
Only fact.
Max's expression darkened slightly as Ralph continued.
"It's said that even the top geniuses from the Lost Continent—ones who have trained under the best resources, the best environments—couldn't stand against the same-level geniuses from the Ascendants."
Max's frown deepened.
That statement was not to be taken lightly.
Lost Continent geniuses were the pinnacle of the Lower Domain.
And yet, they had been crushed by Ascendants of the same level?
Kate stepped forward, her voice solemn.
"It's said that the Ascendants are the only ones who can come and go freely anywhere in Acaris."
Her eyes locked onto Max's, making sure he understood the weight of her words.
"That includes the Middle Domain and the Four God Nations."
The moment those words left her lips—Max's expression shifted slightly.
He had expected them to be strong.
But this?
This meant that the Ascendants were not bound by the laws of the world.
They were beyond the limits of normal factions.
"That alone," Kate continued, "makes them one of the most dangerous groups of people in all of Acaris."
A heavy silence settled.
Max felt a brief shock at Kate's words.
He had always known that traversing to the Middle Domain was no easy feat.
For anyone in the Lower Domain to reach it, they had to cross the Forsaken Wilds—a lawless, untamed land filled with dangers beyond imagination.
Only the strongest, the luckiest, or the most well-connected could ever reach the Middle Domain.
Even that was considered a miracle.
Yet the Ascendants could come and go freely?
That kind of mobility, that kind of power, was beyond comprehension.
Max's brows furrowed as a new thought surfaced.
"Then what are they doing in the Lower Domain?"
His voice carried genuine curiosity.
"Did they just happen to be here when I got famous, or do they have unfinished business in the Lower Domain?"
Garrison slapped Max's shoulder, making him stagger slightly.
"Kid, that's a stupid question."
The old warrior's grip was like iron, forcing Max to tense involuntarily.
"Nobody knows their intentions. Nobody knows their goals. We're just as clueless as you are, even after knowing of their existence for decades."
Max stiffened at the impact, gritting his teeth.
'Damn, this old man doesn't know how to hold back.'
But he didn't argue.
Because Garrison was right.
No one knew what the Ascendants truly wanted.
And that was what made them terrifying.
Before Max could respond, Envoy Lucas spoke again.
His tone sharpened slightly, carrying an undeniable warning.
"Alright. Let's talk inside. There are too many eyes on you right now."
Max glanced around.
Dozens of hidden gazes locked onto him—some filled with curiosity, some with envy, some with unmasked greed.
"Let's go."
Envoy Lucas turned, walking toward the villa's entrance.
Max followed without hesitation.
And behind them—
The leaders of the five guilds and the four great families walked in unison, sealing the entrance behind them.
Because what was about to be discussed—
Was not meant for the ears of the public.
***
Inside the grand villa, a large room with a round table awaited them.
A table reserved only for the highest powers of the East.
Seated around it were the leaders of the top five guilds and the four super families—their expressions grim and solemn.
The air was thick with tension.
This was no ordinary meeting.
This was a council of power, gathered not for their usual discussions on territorial disputes, trade agreements, or diplomacy with the Lost Continent.
This was about the Ascendants.
And at the center of it all—
Max.
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