— What the Night Yielded —
With everyone gone, silence finally settled.
Eren sat cross-legged at the table, shoulders easing only slightly.
The tension from earlier had not vanished—but it had receded, like a tide drawn back beneath calm waters.
His gaze lowered.
Only now did he allow himself to properly examine the items laid out before him.
First—the Thunder Runes.
Two sheets of talisman paper, edges faintly scorched, their surface etched with lightning sigils so dense they seemed ready to leap free at any moment.
Eren picked one up.
The moment his fingers touched it, his Psionic Awareness slipped inside.
Lightning answered.
A violent surge rushed toward him—arcs of condensed thunder intertwining, snapping against each other like living serpents.
The energy was compressed to an extreme, barely contained within the fragile medium of paper.
"So much lightning force…" he murmured, genuine amazement flickering across his eyes.
He steadied his breathing.
With practiced control, he guided the thunder energy from both runes into his own energy core.
Instantly—
Faint purple lightning crawled over his skin.
It danced along his arms and shoulders, crackling sharply, each spark bursting and fading in rapid succession.
For a brief moment, he looked less like a man and more like a conduit—
as though a fragment of a thunder god's authority had descended upon him.
"Let's test it."
He snapped his fingers.
A jumping sphere of violet light condensed instantly at his fingertips, dense and unstable, humming softly.
With a casual flick—
The sphere shot forward.
CRACK!
The solid wooden chair across from him detonated, blasted apart into blackened splinters that scattered across the room, smoke curling upward in thin threads.
The thunder faded.
Eren exhaled slowly.
"Not bad."
He gathered the depleted rune fragments and stored them away, the corner of his lips lifting ever so slightly.
Next—
His gaze shifted to the Swordborne Gourd.
At first glance, it appeared unremarkable—dark, ancient, unadorned.
Yet the moment his consciousness brushed against its opening, the world inside unfolded.
A vast inner space revealed itself, deep and luminous—
like a celestial hall carved from light and silence.
Ten golden swords floated within.
They hung motionless, yet their presence was anything but still.
Sword intent radiated from them—cold, razor-sharp, humming faintly as if breathing.
Though sealed by time and neglect, their edges still glinted with restrained lethality.
A single thought surfaced unbidden in Eren's mind:
Taking heads from a thousand miles away.
"What treasures…" he whispered.
He could feel it clearly—
given time, given nourishment, these flying swords would awaken fully, regaining the sharpness they once possessed.
And the gourd itself—
It was more than a vessel.
Storage.
Condensation.
Possibly even refinement.
With a thought, Eren stored the Mirage Incense and the small bronze cauldron inside.
The Swordborne Gourd trembled faintly in response.
A low sword hum echoed from within, subtle but unmistakable, and its surface pulsed with a dim, acknowledging glow.
"A good haul," Eren said quietly.
That auction trip had yielded more than he'd expected—
a clue tied to the Mirage Incense, control over lightning, the Swordborne Gourd, and ten flying swords.
For a cultivator, it was nothing short of a heaven-sent opportunity.
He was just about to enter seclusion—to begin nurturing the flying swords—
Knock. Knock.
The sound was light.
Measured.
The door opened, letting in a thread of cold night air laced with moonlight.
Aveline Ward stood outside.
Silver light traced the lines of her figure, lending her an ethereal, distant quality.
Her expression was composed, yet something unsettled lingered beneath the surface—
a tension she had not fully smoothed away.
"You're back?"
Eren paused, genuine surprise entering his voice.
He had not expected her to return.
After Harry.
After everything.
And yet—
there she was.
— An Embarrassing Request —
Aveline blinked, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Eren... these past few days—" The words caught in her throat, but slipped out anyway. "Did you... miss me?"The moment she said it, heat rushed to her face; she almost wanted to bite her tongue off, and she hastily looked down, adding, "Don't misunderstand, I was just joking."
Eren let out a light laugh, a teasing smirk playing on his lips. "No need to explain. Explaining just means you're covering up. To be honest...it did feel a bit unusual without you here."
Aveline composed herself, the blush receding as she adopted a serious expression. "I'm here because I need a favor.
First, thank you for your help last time—after we extracted the confession from Harry, we moved quickly. Three of Crimson Tide's factories were destroyed, five tons of drugs seized, and several high-ranking members captured.
Thanks to you, I've reported it to my superiors. You'll likely get a sentence reduction."
Eren smiled faintly but didn't respond. A reduced sentence? That wasn't his goal. What he wanted was to uncover the truth and clear his name.
Aveline's tone shifted, becoming more earnest. "However, we still have a major problem—the leader of the Crimson Tide syndicate is still at large, his identity unknown. If we can't capture him, these people could easily regroup. We need to find him. Can you...help?"
Eren raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a god. Empty words won't get me anywhere. If I had something of his, like hair or blood, maybe I could try. But with no clues at all, what can I do?"
Aveline paused, her face reddening again as she stammered, "During the interrogations...one of the higher-ups saved something...It might be useful."
Eren eyed her sideways. "What is it?"
Aveline looked down, as if struggling to form the words. "The leader...took a liking to a female dealer and...forced himself on her." She couldn't continue, caught between embarrassment and shame.
Eren sighed impatiently. "Stop beating around the bush. Just say it."
Aveline swallowed hard, leaned closer, and whispered, "Afterward...he threw the used condom in the trash. That underling retrieved it and kept it. City Lord Arden sent me to ask...is it possible to find him based on the...the sample inside?"
Once the words were out, Aveline was so tense that sweat beaded on her forehead. She half-expected a flat-out refusal, and dreaded it.
Eren's face darkened. "Using a condom to find someone...that's just...low." Now he understood why Arden had sent Aveline to deliver this message—this kind of thing was better suited for someone younger and more easily embarrassed.
Aveline blushed even deeper, her voice as soft as the wind. "So...can you...do it?"
Eren let out a long sigh, his teasing demeanor fading into calm resolve. "I can try. Bring it to me."
---
Two hours later.
Arden personally placed a test tube in front of Eren, his tone complex. "Mr. Eren, I apologize for the...unseemly task. But time is of the essence, we must act immediately."
Eren couldn't be bothered to comment, merely shooting him a glare before raising his hand to inscribe an array. Spiritual energy gathered, swirling like a river of stars.
"Array, rise—Bloodline Tracking Art!"
The moment his voice fell, the crimson liquid in the tube burst into light—
threads of blood and spirit entwined, weaving themselves into a glowing sigil that pulsed like a living heart.
Arden and Aveline exchanged a stunned glance, holding their breaths.
Eren closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly opened them, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Found him."
"Really?" Arden and Aveline could hardly believe it.
"Let's go." Eren's tone brooked no argument.