From the moment this man threw Spirit Hall's letters to the ground, he was no longer just a gatekeeper in Tang San's eyes. He already choosen the path of deserving death.
Tang San's fingers twitched slightly at his side, almost imperceptibly. Years of training had carved precision into his muscles. His mind calculated distances, trajectories, and blind spots with the instinct of a predator. The weight of the iron needle hidden in his sleeve felt like a whisper of steel calling for blood.
Tang San raised his head slowly, his dark-blue eyes calm and unreadable, as if the insult had rolled past him like water over stone. Only the faint gleam in their depths betrayed the thought forming behind them, a cold promise etched in steel.
The gatekeeper, oblivious to the quiet storm he had provoked, continued his tirade. "Nuoding Academy isn't a shelter for beggars. Remember that, old man. Take your trash and leave before you disgrace this place further."
Old Jack's face turned crimson with suppressed rage. For a moment, he seemed ready to retort, but Tang San placed a hand gently on his arm, his voice soft yet steady.
"Grandpa Jack… let's go."
Those simple words carried a weight the old man couldn't fathom. He saw only calm acceptance, not the blade hidden beneath it. With a heavy sigh, Old Jack turned, his pride bleeding but his steps retreating.
Behind them, the gatekeeper smirked, believing his petty authority had triumphed. He never noticed the faint glimmer of killing intent that lingered like a shadow on Tang San's back.
Xiran opened her mouth, ready to argue, but to everyone's surprise, Eren was already standing in front of the gatekeeper.
Tang San blinked: When did he move?
Xiran's eyes lit up, a trace of delight curling her lips. Old Jack, however, stood frozen, completely unaware of what was about to happen.
Before the gatekeeper could react, Eren shifted his weight slightly, his foot tapping the ground with the force of a whip. In the blink of an eye, he struck upward with ruthless precision.
A muffled thud echoed.
The gatekeeper's eyes widened in shock as a sharp pain tore through him like fire. He dropped to his knees, both hands clutching between his leg, his face contorting into silent agony. Whatever words he wanted to speak were strangled by the pain consuming him.
Eren, cold and unhurried, slipped a hand into his pocket. A gleaming soul gold coin glinted in his fingers before he flicked it onto the man's face. The metallic clink rang louder than any insult.
"Take this," Eren said, his voice like frost, his gaze sharp as a blade. "For your medical fees. If you ever dare stand in my way again, when I become a Spirit Master, I'll beat you down every single time I see you."
The gatekeeper's breath came in ragged gasps, his pride shattered as the coin rolled to the ground beside him.
Suddenly, a deep, authoritative voice sliced through the tension.
"What is happening here?"
Everyone turned. A towering figure strode toward them, a man twice Eren's height, clad in a black robe. His greying black hair was cut into a severe bob, and his sharp eyes radiated authority.
His voice boomed like a gavel. "Do you have no sense of law or morality? Fighting at the Academy gates, what audacity!"
Gatekeeper: Master?.
Old Jack stiffened, panic flickering across his face. Tang San's expression tightened, his mind racing. "Another one, Does he also want to choose the path of deserving death?."
Eren only clicked his tongue. "Tch."
The man's expression darkened instantly. "What do you mean by that?"
Eren met his gaze without flinching, then calmly raised a hand to point at the kneeling gatekeeper. His tone remained cold, but his words carried a razor's edge of irony.
"He said the recommendation letters issued by Spirit Hall were fake. He questioned the martial spirits listed there. He tried to deny us admission granted by Spirit Hall itself."
The man froze. A ripple of shock passed through the onlookers. Eren's lips curled into a smirk, his voice laced with mocking amusement as he continued:
"He's not questioning us. He's questioning Spirit Hall. He's questioning the authority that governs every Spirit Master under it."
The statement struck like thunder. Even Tang San's brows twitched. Old Jack stood speechless, caught between fear and disbelief.
Eren took three slow steps backward, his movements deliberate, and spread his arms in a theatrical gesture. His voice rose, ringing with righteous indignation that carried across the courtyard.
"Someone here seeks to overthrow Spirit Hall! The very spirit hall that awakened our martial spirits! The same Spirit Hall that grants commoners like us the chance to change our fates, that provides subsidies so we can cultivate in peace, that raises countless poor and powerless into Spirit Masters!"
He lowered his arms, his tone sharpening like a dagger as he advanced toward the broken gatekeeper.
"And you dare insult that? You dare trample on Spirit Hall's name?"
The gatekeeper's face turned ashen, sweat streaming down his temples. Eren's next words were soft, but they struck like a blade drawn across the throat.
"You don't want the entire Spirit Hall hunting you down… do you?"
The courtyard fell silent. Even the black-robed man's stern expression cracked for a fraction of a second.
Eren turned to him, his head tilting slightly as his eyes gleamed with challenge. "Tell me, Sir… are you going to protect someone who dared to humiliate Spirit Hall? Someone who seeks to belittle their authority?"
His smile was calm, almost amused, but behind that calm lay the sharpness of a storm waiting to break.
---
We drop 3 chapters a day, like clockwork, but cooler.
Want Bonus chapters? Easy.
Just toss 100 Power Stones our way, and bam!, a wild chapter appears!
(Yes, it's that easy. No summoning circle required... probably.)
Stay stoned, stay blessed.
___