Black realm

Five minutes had passed since Jon unleashed his aura, leaving the opposing group reeling. Jon had just left them with a warning of immediate death if they tried anything funny, and he was serious about it.

Slowly, they began to come to their senses, their terror of their so-called "lords" utterly eclipsed by their current fear of Jon.

The awe in their eyes as they watched him now spoke volumes; his mere presence had shattered their allegiance to their former leaders. They didn't even look at the former lords as even they were powerless against him.

They couldn't fully comprehend what they'd just experienced. Jon's overwhelming aura alone had brought them to their knees, something they'd never seen before, even if they were told he was already in the first realm.

They'd witnessed the "lords" face first-realm creatures before, but their power was not this exaggerated.

Jon's own group, meanwhile, moved toward the trembling former "lords," prepared to enforce Jon's warning on their group. But no one dared resist; even the "lords" seemed haunted, as if they'd seen a ghost.

Jon didn't notice, but his group was beginning to put their trust in him in small but certain ways. His strength and restraint had left an impression on them, leading to the unspoken sentiment behind the words the girl in his group had murmured earlier.

For Cynthia and Jenny, they could see the growing loyalty in the team for Jon, but they chose not to bring up the conversation they'd had with Jon about leadership. He wasn't in the right state of mind for all that.

However, it still shocked them all that he didn't kill the beast lord so,Jenny approached Jon. "I thought you were going to kill him back there. Are you alright?" she asked, her voice tinged with genuine concern.

Jon raised an eyebrow. "I don't just kill anyone, do I?" A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, though it quickly faded.

"It's strange that we're even talking about killing so casually now," Cynthia added quietly.

"Yeah… it is," Jon agreed, his gaze shifting toward the sky. The real reason he hadn't killed the Beast Lord lay only partly in mercy.

A Few Minutes Earlier

Jon had stopped his attack, his wristwatch suddenly vibrating again, the pull as strong as ever, 'The watch?, I thought it was directing me toward the administrative building.' Jon couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes.

Ater looking at the beast lord for a while he activated his Moon Gaze to see if there was anything unique around him, but he found nothing unusual.

'But the watch is telling me it's here. Could it be… this person?' he wondered, looking at the beast lord in shock while piecing things together. It didn't take about five seconds for him to piece everything together.

Finally, he lowered his fist, letting his aura fade as he addressed the Beast Lord. "I don't want to kill you. Just stay out of my way."

And with that, the Beast Lord and his group had been spared. Cynthia had a request of her own, bringing Jon back to the present.

"Before we check out the buses, could we take a look at that building?" Cynthia asked hesitantly, finally revealing her intent.

Jon nodded. He could tell she had her reasons, and if she still trusted him after everything they'd witnessed, he wouldn't turn her down. He could sense her trust in some way, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly how or why.

"We're ready to move now… 'Lords,'" someone from Jon's group taunted, sparking quiet chuckles among the team.

"Pfft..." Laura was the first to laugh, breaking the lingering tension in the air. With a nod from Jon, they began their march toward the administrative building.

Surprisingly, the first person to follow them was the Beast Lord. His imposing demeanor had softened to something more subdued. Jon watched, intrigued by the watch's pull. This beast lord was apparently the treasure the watch was trying to show him.

One by one, the rest of the former "lords" trailed after Jon's group, reluctant but clearly unwilling to return to their old alliances. As they neared the building, Cynthia took the lead, her navigational skill guiding her steps.

Jon watched her, thoughtfully, they had the treasure/person with them already so was Jenny's skill still showing her something from the building and if so, why wasn't his own watch telling him.

They had stopped at the entrance and taken a few people inside the building.

They reached the top floor of the administrative building, Cynthia stopping at the last door in the corridor.

Inside was a familiar looking room still surrounded with the things from the "lords'". So they stayed at the entrance of the room, they didn't even have the chance to admire the room and was only focused on the treasure that might possibly be here.

So Cynthia looked at the direction of it and it locked at the far end of the room, a desk placed at that corner.

She walked over, and saw some files and books and paper, most likely from before the fall but that wasn't in her mind she reached towards a cup stuffed with stray pens and pencils.

Carefully, she dipped her hand into the container and pulled out a small item: a golden hairpin. Her eyes widened as she read the notification hovering over it.

[YASSIDE HAIRPIN (BLACK REALM)]

Effect: Designate a 15-meter area as a defensive base and camp. This area has protective properties, providing defense against any unranked weapon. Fighting within this area increases attack and defense abilities to teammates.]

Cynthia's hands shook as she held the hairpin, the magnitude of the treasure dawning on her. She dropped it in shock, her gaze unfocused as she tried to process what she'd read.

Jon and Jenny stepped forward, alarmed by her reaction. "Are you alright?" Jenny asked, snapping her fingers in front of Cynthia's face to bring her back.

"Uh—yeah, I'm fine," Cynthia stammered, snapping out of her daze. She picked up the hairpin and handed it to Jon.

Jon's face mirrored her astonishment as he read the description. Curious, Jenny took it next, her expression shifting to one of equal shock.

"Black Realm… huh?" Jon murmured, recalling the name from Mervil's book. He hadn't expected they'd come across one of these items so soon.

The implications were profound. This was a Black Realm treasure—what power, then, might a Gold or even a Silver Realm item hold?

He turned back to the others, his mind whirling with questions. In this new world, treasures like these could change the tide for anyone lucky enough to wield them. And in that moment, he realized just how far they had yet to go.

'But why didn't the watch tell me.' he mused in his thoughts