Chapter 605: The Day Everything Changed ( GT Bonus - )

Chapter 605: The Day Everything Changed ( GT Bonus Chapter )

Roderick.

The young man was standing in the center of the path.

He was wearing dark combat clothes, and signs of travel and many battles could be seen on parts of his equipment.

His hair was a little longer than before, but the biggest change was not in his appearance.

The way he stood was different.

Straight, calm, and with a confidence that made him look more like a noble who was used to giving orders than a student who had just returned from the Ruined Realm.

He listened to the people around him, but he did not feel the need to react to everything they said.

When one of the students asked him something, Roderick gave only a short answer and then turned his gaze toward the central building.

Lian examined him for a moment, he could not see his information, but the presence and aura he gave off were far beyond those of everyone around him.

He was at least Level 40, and there was a good chance that he had also completed his Second Evolution.

Apparently, Roderick had truly spent a lot of time hunting and fighting, this level of progress was considered a major achievement for most Awakened.

He did not have any more information about Roderick’s new abilities.

But from the change in the quality of his presence, he could tell that Roderick had gained a lot of combat experience during this time.

For a moment, he moved his gaze across the students around him.

Elena was not there.

His ex-girlfriend and Roderick’s current girlfriend was not standing beside him, unlike some of their previous meetings.

Lian only paid brief attention to her absence, then stopped thinking about it.

But at that exact moment, Roderick also noticed his presence.

His gaze passed through the crowd and remained fixed on Lian’s face for a few seconds.

Then he ended his brief conversation with the student in front of him and slowly walked toward Lian.

The students around them moved aside a little without anyone needing to tell them to.

Roderick stopped in front of Lian, and silence fell for a moment as the two young men looked at each other.

Roderick no longer had the impatient and angry behavior he had shown in the past, even when his gaze settled on the Ancestral Mark of the young Vorhelm, he showed no clear reaction.

Only after a few seconds did he speak.

"Lian."

"Roderick." Lian gave a slight nod.

The man examined him for a moment.

"I heard some interesting things have happened to you lately."

"It seems the same is true for you."

Roderick remained silent for a few seconds, then looked away from the Ancestral Mark.

"Looks like we both made good use of our time."

"Seems so." Lian gave a very faint smile.

He placed his hands behind his back, and his expression remained calm, but there was something in his eyes that the young Vorhelm knew very well.

The same old pride, the same desire to prove his superiority, only this time, it was hidden behind much more controlled behavior.

"The Land of First Dawn is a good opportunity to settle this once and for all."

"I agree." Lian nodded.

Roderick looked toward the central building for a moment, then turned back to him and spoke again.

"Of course, the result is already clear, this time, you won’t even be able to touch my clothes."

Lian kept his gaze directly on his face.

"If there’s something you want to prove, you’ll probably have plenty of chances there, you’d better not say something stupid that you’ll regret later."

Silence lasted for a few seconds.

Roderick neither became angry nor smiled, he only gave a slight nod.

"Good, but I’m not making empty promises, I’m just stating a simple fact, it’s time for you to understand how big the gap between us is."

This time, there were no clear threats in their conversation.

But the students standing nearby could easily feel the tension between them.

Roderick had spent a long time preparing to return to this point.

He was now Level 40, had gained more experience in real battles, and believed that the Land of First Dawn would give him a good chance to make up for the humiliation he had suffered in the past.

It was time for him to take back his royal throne, to make progress in the future, he needed to show that he was still the only true king!

But Lian? His gaze remained calm.

Even after seeing Roderick’s new level, not the slightest sign of worry appeared on his face, and this bothered Roderick more than any harsh reply could have.

"Good, both of you are here."

A serious voice came from the other end of the area.

Lian and Roderick turned their heads almost at the same time, Master Silas was walking toward them.

He was the same instructor who had previously been in charge of the Broken Crown Test and was known for his strictness and discipline.

Of course, Rindo was also beside him, and they were walking toward the two of them together.

When he came closer, he gave the two young men a brief look.

"Looks like all the members of the expedition have finally returned."

Roderick lowered his head slightly.

"Master."

Lian also nodded.

"Hello."

Silas began without any introduction.

"We’ll hold the final preparation meeting tomorrow., Lian, Rindo, and Roderick; only you three will take part in the expedition from this academy."

His gaze moved across all three of them.

"The route will begin at Base #3, after we transfer to the base, we’ll have the main part of the journey ahead of us on land."

Several students nearby looked at each other when they heard the name of the Land of First Dawn.

But Silas paid no attention to them.

"All equipment, medical supplies, and essential items must be checked before the final meeting, once we set out, you won’t have many chances to make up for anything you’re missing."

Lian nodded, fortunately, he had already taken care of this part.

"My equipment is ready." Roderick also answered calmly.

The instructor nodded, but contrary to their expectations, he still had no intention of leaving, and his gaze remained on Roderick for a moment before returning to Lian.

"I’ll make one thing clear right now."

Both of them looked at him.

"I’m aware of your personal conflicts, I don’t want to know which of you thinks he’s right or what happened in the past."

His voice became a little firmer.

"As long as you’re under the responsibility of this expedition, no personal conflict must put the mission’s safety at risk, I know the Land of First Dawn isn’t dangerous, but I don’t want any unexpected variables."

"Of course." Roderick answered without changing his expression.

"No problem." Lian also nodded.

He examined them for a few seconds and then spoke.

"I hope so."

He gave the academy grounds a brief look.

"Here, you might be able to make up for some mistakes with your family reputation or fame, but it’s not like that in the Ruined Realm."

He paused briefly.

"Over there, if you make a mistake, there won’t always be someone to save you before you die."

Lian looked at him in silence.

For a moment, memories of his first days in the Ruined Realm came back to his mind.

A time when even a Level 20 monster could crush all his bones.

A time when he had been forced to use almost all his strength just to obtain a golden key, and a time when surviving against the Dreadmaw Sovereign had felt more like a miracle.

But now? That same monster had become the third special member of his colony.

His body and soul had reached a much higher stage, and he had abilities that he could not even have imagined during his first trip.

However, he was not foolish enough to think that these improvements meant he had reached the end of his path.

The Land of First Dawn was still unknown.

And if his past experiences had taught him anything, it was that there were always creatures in the Ruined Realm that could change all his calculations.

Across from him, Roderick was also standing calmly, a young man who had returned at Level 40 with new confidence, a man who still believed that his past defeat had to be made up for one day and that he had to prove once again that he was the true king.

The question of which of them was superior went all the way back to their high school days, a long conflict that had existed between them.

Roderick had carried this obsession with superiority and being a king since those days, and he had tried to turn all the high school students into his subordinates.

That was where his conflicts with Lian had begun, and those conflicts had continued until today, for a time, it would not have been wrong to say that Roderick had even managed to win.

Lian still remembered the day everything changed.

After he failed his Awakening, his family no longer looked at him the same way. A few days later, Elena left him, and not long after that, the Vorhelm family threw him out of their home.

In contrast, Roderick had obtained a Four-Star Class and managed to join the strongest guild in the country, which was also one of the Twelve Ancient Guilds.

And Lian’s ex-girlfriend had become his new girlfriend.

He still believed he could change something. He trained, searched for ways to improve, and told himself every day that he must not give up.

But no one cared.

Roderick used his power and influence to turn Lian’s life into hell. His former friends slowly distanced themselves from him, and even those who had once treated him kindly pretended not to know him.

Lian endured life without family, without love, and without anyone he could rely on, well Except for Kain, though he wasn’t exactly someone you could rely on that much.

Some nights, he didn’t even have a place to sleep. Yet every morning, he got back up and searched for a way to survive.

He no longer thought about revenge, he no longer waited for anyone to come and save him.

He had learned only one thing.

In this world, if you were weak enough, even the people who once loved you could abandon you without a second thought.

Did he hate those days? perhaps those were the very years that shaped the Lian he was today.

And one day, this grudge between them had to come to an end.

The Land of First Dawn was approaching, and there would probably be many chances to reveal the true difference in their strength.

After examining both of them, Silas tucked the files under his arm.

"Be here on time tomorrow."

Roderick nodded.

"Of course."

"Okay, Master." Lian also replied.

Silas walked past them without saying anything else.

For a few moments, silence returned between the two young men.

Roderick gave Lian a brief look, then gave a slight nod with the same noble dignity and walked toward the central building.

Lian watched him leave, then put his hands in his pockets and looked at the evening sky.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

The Land of First Dawn...