Ethan Everhart

Ethan walked through the dimly lit hallways of his ancient house, humming a charming tune as he did, his muddied footsteps casually leaving dirty imprints on the floor.

Dressed in loose black robes, his healthy complexion and contemplative golden eyes emitted an undeniable aura of loose confidence — he looked like a handsome young master out on a little stroll.

Some maids along the corridor couldn't help but be charmed by his confident appearance and carefree attitude.

He felt so lazy, languid, and different from them... almost as if another creature.

While some others on the side whispered softly, their brows furrowing in disapproval, They had worked so hard on that floor...

However, Ethan paid no heed to their opinions and approached a wooden door and knocked on it gently, expecting an answer.

In the end though, to his disappointment, it remained closed and his knock unanswered.

"They're certainly taking their sweet time," he frustratedly muttered, and then, with a quick pivot on his feet, decided to focus on his own matters.

He had much to prepare, after all...

The maids followed him with their gazes, silent as

they watched him enter his favored place of cultivation.

The morning today was much more colorful due to the gentle rustling of leaves and the remnants of yesterday's rain.

"Ah, the rain these days are so unpredictable," someone muttered as they cleaned the floor.

Some sighed, and the doors of the room got closed.

Calmly settling into a small wooden chair Infront of his study, Ethan looked out at the windows, letting his mind calm down.

The windows were wide open and the grills were dripping water. A sense of natural charm filled the whole room, it felt heavenly.

Ethan closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

The cloudy morning, the distant clattering of maids, the gentle dripping of water from everywhere, it all sunk deep into the background of his mind, making his mind a serene well.

This place was his favorite refuge from the bustling world outside...

'The trial by fire set by the ancestor is just a week ahead,' he thought, his mind starting to turn busy.

Yeah, he had to shine in that.

That was his current goal.

Above all, he wanted to impress Yuri, a woman who had taken his fancy; he was resolved to seize every opportunity that day to earn her admiration.

To make her his.

But, since he had yet to attain his 3rd World bead, winning in a direct fight against Yuhe and Robin who already had a true ability would be almost impossible.

Nevertheless, he knew their loyalty could be swayed with the right fee.

After all, they seemed to have little interest in women these days — all they cared about was that damn room, so it was easy to bribe them.

And it's not like the trial was much worthy of anything except fame either.

He chuckled and stood up; about to take a scroll from his shelf about [Star Wumism Theory] and study. But then, his heart suddenly constricted...

It painfully throbbed,

As if it was clutched by some devil's claws...

He pulled at his chest tightly with his hands; his nails left painful scratches, and with a pained growl, he gripped the side of the chair tightly.

Yet, it was not enough.

His grip weakened.

he fell to the side, and the chair fell with him, its resounding sound ringing across the room and beyond as the frightened maids started running towards his room.

Yet he couldn't do anything. The pain lingered...

Beating like a drum, His heart felt like it was exploding, and his nerves bulged...

"Grrrr...." A weak growl escaped his throat as his body stayed limpid on the ground.

He could only look on with his bleary mind as the maids came running in, their fancy yet cheap ornaments clinging to their feet as his world darkened — and he died...

Splash!

A handful of cold water got splashed on his face as Alexander woke up with a start, his vision blurry.

"Young master woke up! He woke up!" hearing a joyful voice, Ethan's attention shifted to a vibrant girl with pigtails.

He blinked in confusion.

Her face beamed with innocent excitement, hands still damp from the splash of water as she joyfully exclaimed, "The Young Master woke up!"