Chapter 254: Return

Even without speaking, his posture told Uhtred everything.

"Ha! Who would’ve thought the pretty boy would be a hot-blooded man?" King Alexei guffawed, looking first at Perfection, then at Uhtred.

"You disappoint me, ’number one ranker,’" he said to Uhtred, his tone surprisingly pained, as if Uhtred had truly let down his expectations. "We’ve only been here for what? Four days? Five at most? And you’re already eager to leave like a wuss. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before I take that number one title from you, no?"

His words were calculated to elicit a reaction. There was a sharp, challenging look on his face, as though he were daring Uhtred to respond.

Uhtred saw the provocation for what it was, but he still humored Alexei. He cracked a smug smile and said in a thoroughly confident tone:

"No, Alexei." He stepped toward the large man and stared him straight in the eye. "No, you will not be taking my number one title from me. Not even if I decide to take a break..."

Alexei’s eyes narrowed, and he cracked a dangerous grin in response. He leaned down slightly toward Uhtred and whispered:

"Oh, yeah? Then do you dare to face this King and see just how ’far behind you’ I really am? Trust me, you’d be surprised that the one you thought was leagues behind you is breathing down your neck already."

"I’m game, man," Uhtred didn’t back down an inch. He laughed loudly, his tone challenging. "I’ve been wanting to test myself against you for a while too, so let’s see what you’ve got, big guy!"

Their auras started to flare violently. But before their hot-headed contest could spiral into a full-on brawl, Handler Roy flashed directly between the two of them and let his own aura roil unrestrained.

It slammed into the two of them, expanding to fill the entire sterile room.

In an instant, the rising flames of competition were completely doused.

"Need I remind you two where you currently stand?" Handler Roy’s small green form hovered between Uhtred and King Alexei. His tone was stern, completely stripped of his usual jovial facade.

For the second time since meeting him, Uhtred was reminded that Handler Roy wasn’t just a simple, playful guide. Underneath that theatrical exterior sat a formidable powerhouse.

He didn’t know how Handlers were selected or what their true origins were, but it was abundantly clear that not just anyone could be chosen for the role.

Uhtred raised his hands in a mock surrender and stepped back. King Alexei followed suit, though with far more visible strain — Handler Roy’s aura was still pressing heavily on their shoulders. And despite King Alexei’s grand posturing, his obvious discomfort made it clear he was still nowhere close to Uhtred in terms of raw foundation.

Uhtred smirked, catching the tight look on King Alexei’s face.

"Whether you decide to stay or leave shouldn’t warrant a dick-measuring contest," Handler Roy bellowed, glaring back and forth between Uhtred and Alexei.

"Don’t worry, Roy," Uhtred said, breaking the tension. "We were just messing around, weren’t we, Alexei?"

He glanced toward the giant man.

Alexei huffed under his breath, then cracked a broad smile. "Of course. You don’t have to worry, Roy. Just two headstrong men wanting to test their strength against each other, nothing more..."

"Well, not here. You can do that back on Earth. Heck, you can even duke it out if you find yourselves inside the next scenario... But not here in the waiting room."

Roy leveled a firm gaze at both of them.

"I trust I don’t need to repeat this warning ever again?"

"Sure." Uhtred nodded.

"This King can concede to that," Alexei also agreed with a nod, before leveling a gaze at Uhtred. "But ready yourself, Uhtred. We shall still have that battle."

Uhtred shrugged, a light smile playing on his lips. "Well, you know where to find me, Alexei."

He turned his attention back to Handler Roy.

"Can we leave now? I find myself craving the fresh air of planet Earth for some reason."

Handler Roy shook his head, a wry look on his small face. He asked one last time to confirm who among the ten ascenders wished to return home and who wanted to keep climbing.

Uhtred, Zara, and White Raven chose to leave. And among the remaining six, Diya, Hassan Al-Malik, and Isolde Castiglione also chose to head back.

The remaining four — King Alexei, Black Sun, Antoine Blanc, and Perfection — decided to stay inside the Tower and press onward ahead of the others.

Handler Roy waved his hand once again, shouting a dramatic huzzah! as his usual energetic gusto returned in full force. In an instant, the six departing ascenders vanished, their bodies dissolving into streams of light that shot straight out of the grandiose Illustrious Tower of Wonders hovering in the void above Earth.

As the light trails pierced the atmosphere, they branched off into separate trajectories, descending into their respective territories. Handler Roy had safely deposited each of them back at their own strongholds.

.

.

Uhtred blinked the moment he felt his body regain its corporeal form. He clenched and unclenched his fist, taking in the familiar, crisp air of Capitol of the Elite once more.

"It’s good to be back," he whispered softly, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

But he didn’t get to relish the quiet comfort of home for too long before stunned, disbelieving voices could be heard from all around him.

"I—Is that Uhtred?!"

"T—That’s Lord Uhtred!!"

"Instructor Zara is here too!!"

"Even the Queen of Death, Diya?!"

"Weren’t they inside the Tower?"

"D—Don’t tell me they failed?!!"

"Hey hey, who’s this new guy?! Fail? You underestimate Lord Uhtred way too much!"

"Not to mention Lord Uhtred, even Instructor Zara and the Queen of Death would never fail so easily!"

Shouts of awe and confusion echoed through the plaza. The initial reaction was sheer shock that the rulers of the territory had suddenly materialized right in the city center.

That surprise quickly turned into eager reverence. For many of the ascenders fortunate enough to qualify to train in the Capitol of the Elite, they had set Uhtred, Zara, and Diya as their benchmarks and role models.

These ascenders were ambitious fighters who strove to reach similar heights, or at least emulate their strength. So seeing them appear out of thin air was a massive spectacle.

Uhtred opened his eyes and offered a casual wave to the gathering crowd.

He glanced over his territory, raising a brow at the noticeable progress made during their absence — several construction projects that had been underway were now fully finished, while new structures were already being built.

"Call for Dennis and Minh Quan, then meet me in the meeting room," he said quietly to Zara and Diya, preparing to activate Slipstream Stride to bypass the growing crowd.

Before he could step into the technique, however, a fragment of conversation caught his ear and made his brow furrow.

"Thank fuck Lord Uhtred is back. Now those annoying fuckers will get what’s coming to them!"

Those fuckers? Uhtred’s eyes narrowed. Who the hell are they talking about? It’s only been like five days. What the hell happened while we were gone?