LOGINVessara rose to her feet and turned toward the elderly physician with a faint smile."Master Sagewood. It's good to see you again.""Hmph."The old man folded his arms."And yet you still remembered to come back and visit me."For the first time, the legendary physician looked almost sulky."If this old man isn't worth missing anymore, just say so."A ripple of confusion spread through the hall.The crowd looked back and forth between them, completely unable to understand what was happening.Vessara couldn't help smiling."How could that be? It's just been a long time."Her gaze swept over him before she added, "You look healthier than ever.""That's because I've been keeping myself alive just to see you again."The complaint lacked any real bite.Master Sagewood sighed dramatically before shaking his head."Forget it. I came here for you anyway."His eyes brightened."Well?""Have you changed your mind yet?""When are you finally going to become my disciple?""I'll pass everything I
Selena stared at him, stunned.Several seconds passed before his words finally registered.Master Sagewood's gaze hardened."Do you see the problem?" he asked. "You can't even give me a reason to keep you here."His disappointment was far more devastating than anger."So why are you still standing there?"The room fell silent.Master Sagewood rarely lost his temper in public, but the irritation in his voice was impossible to miss."And one more thing."His eyes swept across the crowd."I will not tolerate people putting words in my mouth."The temperature in the room seemed to drop."If anyone continues spreading rumors about promises I never made, they can consider themselves unwelcome."Without another glance at Selena, he returned to his seat.A nervous hush settled over the hall.Few people dared meet his eyes.Then a voice suddenly rang out from the crowd."But your people were the ones who said you were looking for Selena!"Another quickly joined in."Are you denying it now?""E
Downstairs, the selection process was already underway.Master Sagewood glanced at the people beside him before finally standing and walking out."When will it be the Laurent girl's turn?"Master Sagewood frowned as he asked the question calmly.Every year, aspiring doctors competed for a chance to study under him. If one or two happened to catch his eye, that was one thing.But Vessara Laurent was different.No matter how he looked at it, the girl simply refused to acknowledge this old man.Thinking about it, he felt somewhat embarrassed.He had been stuck at the same bottleneck for years without making any progress. It was perfectly understandable that the young lady wasn't interested.One of the attendants immediately checked the list."Master Sagewood, there are still three people ahead of her. It won't be long."Master Sagewood sighed and nodded."Very well. Then I'll wait a little longer."He hadn't lowered his voice when he spoke.As a result, several members of the Quinn famil
At that exact moment, a familiar voice drifted over.Vessara had arrived.Her brows knitted together almost immediately.Martin really wasn't afraid of choking on his own arrogance.Still, one detail caught her attention.Master Sagewood knew Selena?That alone was surprising.Had Selena somehow become far more capable during the years they had been apart? Or had Master Sagewood's standards collapsed while Vessara wasn't looking?The thought was so absurd that she almost laughed.Before she could dwell on it any further, Claire turned around.The moment she spotted Vessara, her expression changed dramatically."You again?!"The shrill outburst immediately attracted attention from nearby guests.Vessara grimaced."Seriously?" She folded her arms. "You people are allowed to be here, but I can't?"Claire's expression darkened. "Your status is different now."The words dripped with disdain.She stepped closer and looked Vessara up and down."So tell me, what exactly are you doing here?"T
The gala officially began.Guests drifted through the ballroom as conversations flowed and laughter echoed from every corner of the venue.Meanwhile, Vessara blended effortlessly into the crowd. Her gaze continuously swept across the room, searching for the person Roy had identified.Yet no matter where she looked, the target never appeared.Had he changed his plans?Or had something tipped him off?Her eyes grew colder.Then a voice suddenly rang out across the hall."Master Sagewood has arrived!"The ballroom fell silent.Every head turned as a path slowly opened through the crowd.At its center stood an elderly man in his sixties. His white beard and half-hidden eyes gave him an unremarkable appearance at first glance, but the moment he stepped forward, the atmosphere shifted.The old man waved a hand lazily.An attendant immediately stepped forward."Master Sagewood asks everyone to remain quiet. He dislikes unnecessary disturbances."The room obeyed at once.Surrounded by guests,
Successfully infiltrating Skyreach Tower should have felt like a victory.Instead, Vessara leaned against a wall and let out a long breath. Only then did she realize her back was damp with sweat.Talking to someone like Razen—someone who had spent years surviving in brutal environments overseas—was mentally exhausting.After finding a secluded corner, she quickly adjusted her disguise and slumped against the cold wall.A wave of regret suddenly hit her.She had gone through all this trouble to get inside and still hadn't found the person she was looking for.If this turned out to be a wasted trip, she was going to lose her mind.For a brief moment, she considered collapsing dramatically onto the floor and crawling around in despair.Then she immediately rejected the idea.Not elegant enough.Maybe Roy could do it instead.The mental image was ridiculous enough to make her laugh.Outside, guests continued flowing through the venue, completely unaware of the hidden figure tucked away ne







