Leaving the Underworld, Heading to Ra's Territory

Leaving the Underworld, Bound for Ra's Territory

The air in the arena seemed to freeze for an instant.

Ian stood on the scorched ground, his silver-white magical armor still fitted tightly to his body, his wand clenched in hand, his gaze calm and resolute. His breathing was steady, his heartbeat normal, as though he had not just faced a god in battle, but merely completed an ordinary magical experiment.

Across from him, Anubis still stood there. Beneath the golden jackal-headed mask, those deep-set eyes watched him in silence.

This trial was over.

Ian had won.

He had not won through magic, nor through strength, but through willpower, wisdom, and a complete challenge to the rules—a victory in his confrontation with the god of death.

But just as Anubis prepared to turn and leave, to hand the Styx Oar over to Ian, Ian suddenly spoke.

"Anubis."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried an unusual calmness and candor.

"I have to admit something."

Anubis stopped. He did not turn around, but his golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"My power... isn't a paradox."

Ian slowly raised a hand and looked at his palm, a faintly self-mocking smile in his voice.

"It's merely power that I plundered."

"Paradox was merely power I once plundered. I wasn't born strong. I simply... never refused anything that could make me stronger."

That was Ian's philosophy of cultivation.

He paused, his gaze fixed on Anubis's back. "I don't deny that I'm a plunderer. I'm just... a plunderer who knows exactly what he's doing."

Mainly because Ian felt that the other party's attitude had been quite good, he was much more sincere as well. That was simply the kind of person he was—when he encountered someone sincere, he became Sincere Ian.

The air seemed to solidify at that