The terrace was quiet now. Only Alex and Viktor remained, standing side by side near the tall marble railing.

The city stretched out below them, glowing with countless lights under the beautiful night sky. A cool, gentle breeze brushed past, carrying the low, endless hum of traffic from the streets far below.

Alex broke the silence first. A teasing smile played at the corner of his lips as he glanced sideways at his companion.

"So... you do have someone after all," he said lightly. "I honestly thought you were just a stone-faced man when it came to this department. Never even a hint."

Viktor turned his head slowly. A genuine smile softened his usually calm, unreadable face.

"I met her during an expedition," he replied, voice low and touched with nostalgia. "It was a joint operation between two powerful families. I was just a junior back then... freshly promoted and still trying to prove myself."

Alex raised an eyebrow, genuine surprise flickering across his features.

"A junior?" he repeated, amusement coloring his tone. "You’re quite the charmer, Viktor. From everything I’ve seen of her personality, it’s not easy to earn her recognition... especially from someone younger and lower in rank."

Viktor chuckled softly, the sound quiet and fond. His eyes grew distant as old memories resurfaced.

"Definitely not," he admitted with a small smile. "She wasn’t easy to impress back then either. Every word had to be earned. Every action weighed and judged."

He paused, the wind tugging gently at his dark hair. When he spoke again, his voice dropped into something softer, almost tender.

"But she is a very nice person when you come to know her. Really... she is."

The moment lingered between them, warm despite the cool night.

Then Viktor’s gaze drifted downward. His eyes caught on the blood-stained bathrobe still loosely draped over Alex’s shoulders... dark crimson patches dried and stiff against the pale fabric. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

A small frown creased Viktor’s brow. He lightly spat to the side, as if the sight itself offended him.

"Are you really not injured?" he asked, genuine concern threading through every word. "You shouldn’t have stopped me from interfering. That attack was really deadly."

Alex turned his head and met Viktor’s worried eyes.

"How’s someone at the Enhanced realm supposed to walk away unscathed from a Peak Apex’s full power?" he said lightly, almost as if discussing the weather.

"But I am different. My body is different."

He let the words settle for a moment, then continued in that same steady tone.

"It just recovered on its own. And I even benefited from it. If I get attacked with the same power again, I’ll receive much less injuries than before. The wounds... they teach my body how to adapt."

Alex wasn’t lying.

He had deliberately wanted to test whether he could survive a full-power attack from a Peak Apex realm cultivator. To be on the safe side, he had purchased a powerful defensive item from the system for 10,000 CP.

[Absolute Null Talisman]

[Description: A mysterious black talisman inscribed with ancient void runes. When activated, it creates a perfect defensive barrier that completely nullifies any single attack, regardless of the attacker’s cultivation level.]

[Activation Requirement: Automatically activates when the user is about to receive a deadly attack that would otherwise be fatal.]

[Limitation: One-time use only. ]

[Cost: 10,000 CP]

When Elyria’s attack struck him, he genuinely felt like he was dying for a moment. But he survived.

The defensive item had remained unused.

His body had started healing on its own, but the process was painfully slow. That’s why he later used some of his medicines to speed up the recovery.

Even more surprising was the fact that his battle sense had increased by a full 1% from that single attack.

Viktor stared at him in complete shock. His eyes widened, and for several long seconds he seemed unable to speak. The wind swirled between them, but Viktor didn’t seem to notice.

"What kind of concept is this...?" he muttered, almost to himself. "I have never heard of anyone possessing this kind of ability. Not in any ancient record, not in any hidden clan technique... nothing."

Alex looked at him calmly, the city lights painting soft reflections in his eyes.

"I too don’t know much about this," he admitted. "I’m still testing it. Learning its limits." He held Viktor’s gaze. "And from now on... I’ll need you for that."

He paused, then smoothly changed the subject, giving Viktor time to breathe.

"By the way... what do you think about yourself? How were you faring against a Peak Apex realm?"

Viktor thought for a few seconds, jaw tightening slightly as he replayed the fight in his mind.

"I can’t beat her if we become serious," he said honestly, no pride or shame in his voice. "But she can’t beat me either. I could only overpower her because she let me... or because she was shocked seeing me there at all."

He looked at Alex, eyes steady. "You know, Alex... the difference between stages becomes very wide after you break through the Apex realm. Each stage is like crossing into a whole new realm. Closing that gap is almost unheard of. Most people spend decades just trying to touch the next level."

Viktor let out a small laugh, shaking his head as if still amazed by his own words.

"But your medicines... they were otherworldly. I can match her experience now. You should have seen the shock on her face when I told her I was only at Middle Apex realm. She couldn’t believe it."

Alex looked at Viktor with a calm, confident smile... the kind that promised impossible things and somehow made them feel within reach.

"Good," he said simply. "I hope that when you reach her level, you’ll be able to take on someone one whole realm above you. And don’t be too shocked... I don’t lack resources. If you put in real work, it can become true."

Viktor stared at Alex in complete shock once more. His eyes widened further, mouth parting slightly as the full weight of those words sank in.

He had seen many talented cultivators in his life... prodigies, monsters, heirs of ancient bloodlines... but never someone who spoke so casually, so confidently, about breaking the natural laws of cultivation as if they were nothing more than minor obstacles.

The wind picked up again, cool and steady, carrying their silence forward into the night.