Chapter 563: Whispers in the Night

“Zi Ying? What a beautiful name.”

The tone was calm, yet gentle.

Yenir casually looked at the young girl standing before him with her head bowed.

Her neck was as white as snow.

He could tell she was extremely nervous—as if she had never experienced anything in life.

He figured those maidservants were there to help Zi Ying and him complete an entire set of “tasks.”

Much like the maids who once accompanied concubines in ancient times, they served as a demonstration.

Or rather, Zi Ying alone simply couldn’t bear the physical strength of a Third-Stage Awakened.

“Turn around.”

No more unnecessary words.

Yenir casually placed his hand on the girl’s shoulder; even through the fabric, he could sense her body trembling with nerves.

She was so frail, he suspected she barely weighed a thing.

One sprint and she might be finished…

In an instant, Yenir found himself remarking that compared to a girl with such a delicate constitution, Blood Nightingale was far sturdier. Her fragility was like fine porcelain—one touch and she’d shatter.

At his command, Zi Ying trembled even more.

Shall we begin?

No… can we go a bit slower?

Lost in her runaway thoughts, she subconsciously recalled the specialized lessons she had learned.

Turn around—is this meant to start from behind?

But can’t it be gentler? Can’t we take it step by step?

Ignoring Zi Ying’s inner turmoil, Yenir let out a soft laugh and shook his head slightly as the girl slowly turned around.

Then, with a precise hand strike combined with a pinpoint thrust, in an instant her vision went dark and she collapsed, utterly limp.

After rendering the girl unconscious, Yenir looked down at her on the ground, exhaled a silent sigh, and, expressionless, carried her directly onto the bed.

He wasn’t in the mood for such games.

Especially when leaving behind any trace in the Japanese Battle Zone was simply out of the question for him.

In his mind, if it weren’t for the equipment and skills, he wouldn’t have bothered coming at all.

Yet, with a sense of resignation, Yenir felt a sudden headache.

These youngsters had far more tricks up their sleeves than those back home, and with a week remaining before the competition, he couldn’t very well send them back.

It was obvious—even a child could guess—that once Zi Ying returned, the matron from the Yamamoto Society would inspect her to see if she was pregnant or still untouched. If she didn’t sleep, that would surely raise suspicions.

“Forget it, let’s leave her here for now…”

“We’ll decide later…”

Shaking his head, Yenir instead picked up his Spirit Energy Crystals and began silently absorbing them.

He wasn’t about to waste a single week.

His level had surged so quickly before that his Spirit Energy had spiked in an instant; he planned to harness and compress it during this time.

The only downside was that too many eyes were on him, so he couldn’t step out.

…………………….

One week later.

Under the escort of a large contingent of Military members, Yenir calmly stepped out of the room.

Yet as he moved, he immediately noticed the reappearance of that Peak Third-Stage figure.

“Zemei, I heard you haven’t come out all week. How’ve you been?”

The Middle-Aged Man smiled as his gaze roamed over Yenir.

But this time, he didn’t dare to peek inside.

Since Yenir had agreed to join them—and thus undertake their core future tasks—it was clearly inappropriate to pry into what happened inside.

However, after questioning a few maidservants, he learned that Yenir hadn’t touched them nor called them in for assistance, and doubt began to stir in his mind.

It was as if an unspoken rule existed; although some Awakeners didn’t mind if the women they were with got into trouble—even if it meant bearing children—having a hold over someone was still useful.

After all, leverage was important.

So, did the kid ever even touch Miss Zi Ying?

Or did they fool around for an entire week?

Damn it—was he going to ruin her completely?

Amid all these bizarre speculations, Yenir remained indifferent to what the Middle-Aged Man was guessing and simply said calmly:

“Don’t disturb her. She needs rest now.”

Without further comment, Yenir silently assured himself that he had made it impossible for Zi Ying to leave afterwards.

In truth, he had used his mental power to knock the girl unconscious—a blackout of at least two days was no problem.

He had it all planned out; this window was just long enough for him to grab his rewards and make a clean getaway.

Noticing an odd expression on Yenir’s face and the lingering scent of prolonged intimacy clinging to him, the Middle-Aged Man’s eyes flickered, but after a brief hesitation he said nothing further.

He believed that any normal man wouldn’t be able to restrain himself, right?

A whole week indoors—could it be that he had some perverse game in mind?

…………………..

On a fighter jet, Yenir swiftly flipped through the contestant profiles, his inner calm unshaken.

The final selection match was to be held in New Capital, where many High-Level Awakeners would be present. It was arguably the most dangerous moment of his trip to Japan.

He wasn’t worried about snagging first place—only about his true identity being exposed.

But for now, everything seemed normal; no one suspected, or rather, hardly anyone would ever think to suspect him.

“Zemei, for this final match, you’ll only need to face one opponent.”

“He’s SS-Level—the son of the former High Commander of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and his strength is at the Peak Third-Stage Mid-Level, matching your performance in the trials.”

Sitting opposite Yenir, the Middle-Aged Man from the Yamamoto Society, having abandoned his prying into Yenir’s “private affairs,” began speaking gravely.

“This time, we’ve secured an exemption for you from the competition, thanks in no small part to your obvious talent. The Military assumes your ranking will land in the top three.”

“But in the final match, everything will depend solely on your performance.”

“Your opponent hails from a Military faction powerful enough to rival the Cabinet. Although your talent is superior, you must prove yourself in actual combat!”

“Moreover, there might be a few complications.”

Listening as the Yamamoto Society’s Awakener preemptively laid out warnings, Yenir nodded slightly, saying nothing further.

Although the promise to clinch first place hadn’t materialized, he knew it was merely typical negotiation tactics—if he could win outright that would be best, but if not, the opponent’s strength was formidable enough that he couldn’t complain.

In reality, Yenir never planned on going straight for first place.

For him, it was better to carve a path through the competition, swipe the prized equipment—a national artifact of sorts in the Japanese Battle Zone—and then vanish.

What’s more exhilarating than killing and looting instead of getting something for free?

Does it only take one match?

Is his strength really on par with his own?

Who cared? They were all trash; he only needed to ensure that his own power did not exceed its limits.

However…

“A few complications? So you’re planning something shady?”