Then, from the shadows, a voice broke the silence—a low, gravelly sound, filled with amusement. "Ho... Ho... Ho... To think a young lad like you is this skilled. I'm quite impressed!" The voice was unmistakably that of an old man, Around in his 80s Or 90s.

Ethan spun around, his eyes widening in surprise. There, floating in mid-air, was an elderly man with long, thin white hair that cascaded over his shoulders. His beard matched, equally long but wispy with age. His sharp, triangle-shaped face gave him a regal, almost ancient look. He caressed his beard as his ocean-blue eyes stared intently at Ethan, like they were probing into his soul.

"Who... Who are you?" Ethan stammered, still processing the man's sudden appearance.

"Me?" The old man chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I'm just a nobody who died long ago and became a spirit. But, since you're curious, my name is Gareth Rivenhart."

Ethan froze, his heart pounding in his chest as recognition hit him like a wave. "Gareth Rivenhart? You mean *that* Gareth? The one who taught Sylas the Hero, 200 years ago?"

A sly grin spread across the old man's face. "Oh? You know of me, do you? Am I that famous in the outside world?" He chuckled again, but his tone quickly turned serious.

"Yes... I am that Gareth. But enough about me. I'm far more interested in you." His eyes narrowed as he studied Ethan with renewed curiosity. "Who in the world are you?"

Ethan blinked, confused. "What do you mean?" he asked, glancing down at himself.

Gareth's voice softened, but the intensity remained. "Look at yourself, and you'll understand."

Frowning, Ethan lowered his gaze to his body—and gasped in shock. His entire form was glowing with a golden light, as if his skin was made of pure gold. The light pulsed around him, warm and radiant, making him feel both powerful and alien.

Gareth's expression grew more serious, his blue eyes narrowing. "How? Just how many people have you saved during your lifetime?" he mused aloud. "You look no older than 17 or 18, yet this glow... it shouldn't be possible at your age." His voice deepened with suspicion. "Tell me the truth—who are you?"

Ethan's jaw tightened, and his fists trembled as he spoke. "Tch... That's the problem. I couldn't save anyone! Not a single person!" His voice wavered, filled with bitterness.

He then poured his heart out to Gareth, explaining everything—his life before and the mysterious regression that brought him back in time. The weight of his failure bore down on him as he recounted his story.

Gareth, stroking his long, wispy beard, finally broke his silence, his expression contemplative. "Hmm... A regressor, huh? This could be the work of a time path star constellation," the old man mused, his voice low and thoughtful.

"What are you talking about?" Ethan blurted out, confusion flickering across his face.

Gareth raised an eyebrow. "Yes, you're looking for the one responsible for your regression, aren't you? But there's a high chance that whoever sent you back paid the ultimate price. Their existence was likely erased as the cost. There's still a slim chance they survived, but most likely... they're gone. Chasing after them would be a pointless endeavor." His voice held a note of finality.

Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief, but before he could respond, Gareth leaned in, a sly grin spreading across his face. "But what does matter is that I have chosen you to be a candidate for becoming my disciple."

"Disciple?!" Ethan exclaimed, bewilderment flashing in his eyes. "But I didn't do anything to deserve that!"

Gareth's chuckle echoed through the air. "Oh, you've done more than you think. I've been here for two hundred years, boy, and you're not the first to come seeking me. Many have come, thinking they could win my favor. But I have placed myriad soul essence stones here. They reveal the true nature of anyone's soul once they step into my domain." His face darkened. "Those with demonic hearts, I kill without hesitation."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Ethan felt a shiver run down his spine. "Kill them? Can't you just reject them and let them go?" he asked, unease creeping into his voice, regret tugging at his conscience.

Gareth's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "That's your weakness—you're too soft. Life is cruel, more cunning than you know. If you let your enemies walk away, they'll come back, stronger, and ready to end you. Sometimes killing doesn't make you a bad person. It's simply survival." His words carried the weight of years of experience and harsh wisdom.

Ethan nodded slowly, though doubt still gnawed at him. Was that really true? Was it right?

"So, what are you going to teach me?" Ethan asked, pushing down his uncertainty. "Sword arts? The same ones you taught the hero Sylas?"

Gareth chuckled, the sound both amused and serious. "There's much I have to teach you, but not yet. You're not ready to understand the full truth of this world," he said cryptically.

"Truth? What truth?" Ethan pressed, his curiosity piqued.

Gareth let out another low, deep laugh. "Ho... Ho... Ho... As I said, life is cruel, more insane than you can imagine. But first, you'll have to prove that you're worthy of being my disciple. Then, we'll talk about the rest."

"Prove myself? How?" Ethan asked, the challenge lighting a fire of determination within him.

"This form you see now is only a fragment of my soul. I've grown weaker over time, and I don't have much left. Prove your worth by obtaining a rank B inheritance, and I will grant you entry into the Tower of Heaven," Gareth replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Tower of Heaven?" Ethan repeated in disbelief, his mind racing at the idea of such a place.

"Yes," Gareth said with a nod, his eyes glowing with wisdom. "That is the inheritance I left behind, much like this spiritual domain I created to keep you here. But the Tower of Heaven... it's a small world within this world—a tower made of golden stone, reaching so high it touches the clouds. My true soul resides there, and it's where we'll begin your training once you've proven yourself worthy."

Ethan stared, still trying to wrap his head around everything, as Gareth pulled out a shimmering golden ring. "For now, take this," Gareth said, holding it out.

"This ring is no ordinary relic. It's legendary—it preserves souls. I'll reside inside it, and whenever you're in desperate need of my help, you can summon me." With that, Gareth's body faded, his form dissolving as his spirit entered the golden ring. The ring, now without anyone to hold it, floated for a moment before beginning to fall.

Ethan instinctively reached out to catch it. But just as his hand closed around the ring, his eyes widened. It passed right through his palm, as if his hand was made of water. The ring clattered onto the floor with a soft metallic sound.

"Why can't I touch it?" Ethan gasped, looking down at his hand in shock.

A voice echoed from the ring. "Fool! What you're seeing is only your soul—your real body is lying unconscious on the floor right now," Gareth explained, his voice filled with amusement.

Suddenly, the spiritual domain Gareth had created dissolved, and Ethan's soul was pulled back into his body. His eyes fluttered open as he gasped for breath, the sensation of being back in his own skin overwhelming him for a moment.

Slowly, he sat up, his mind still swirling with the surreal experience. He spotted the golden ring lying next to him on the floor. Reaching out, he hesitated for a moment, then grasped it. This time, his hand closed around it solidly. He slipped it onto his finger, its weight a reminder of everything that had just happened.

"So... it wasn't just a key after all," Ethan muttered to himself, the realization dawning. "That ring was the relic... the one holding Gareth's soul all along. That's how we were able to speak." He sat there, piecing it all together.

Just as he was deep in thought, Gareth's voice echoed from the ring again, now sounding groggy. "It's late, boy. Go back to your room and get some sleep," Gareth yawned. "Remember, you're not my disciple yet, but that doesn't mean I won't teach you a thing or two. There's more I want to discuss with you, but I'm too tired right now. I don't think I'll wake up for the next three or four days..." With a final yawn, Gareth's voice faded, as if he'd truly fallen asleep inside the ring.

Ethan stood up, still feeling a mix of awe and disbelief. He quietly left the library, the ring on his finger glinting faintly in the moonlight. With his mind full of questions and his body heavy with exhaustion, he made his way back to his private dorm outside the academy.

As Ethan walked through the quiet academy halls, something instinctive tugged at him—a sense of unease. His gut told him someone was nearby. Acting on pure instinct, he quickly activated his wolf stealth skill, making his presence vanish into the shadows. Swiftly, he pressed himself behind one of the large stone pillars, holding his breath as he peeked around the corner.

His heart skipped a beat.

There, walking silently down the hallway, was a girl with long, black hair that shimmered in the dim light, still wet as if she had just washed herself. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly, a sharp contrast against the darkness of her surroundings. Esdeath. There was no mistaking her.

"What's she doing here at this hour?" Ethan whispered to himself, puzzled. He could see her moving towards the dorms, her expression cold and distant, as though nothing in the world could touch her. But something about the way she carried herself felt off.

As Ethan's mind raced, trying to make sense of it, a sudden voice broke the silence behind him. "Hmm… This girl…"

Ethan spun around, his eyes wide in surprise. Floating in the air above him was Gareth, his figure translucent and ghostly, clearly in spirit form.

"You're still awake?" Ethan asked, confusion filling his voice.

Gareth didn't answer right away, his piercing blue eyes locked onto Esdeath's retreating form. "Such an evil aura…" he muttered, almost to himself. "That girl's presence… it woke me up."

Ethan's stomach churned. There was a tension in Gareth's voice that he hadn't heard before—a quiet warning. He glanced back toward Esdeath, now disappearing around the corner, heading toward her dorm room.

Gareth's voice was low, his eyes narrowing as he continued to watch her even though she was now out of sight. "She didn't wash herself just to feel clean. She washed to cover something up."

Ethan felt a cold shiver run down his spine as the realization hit him. "You think… she killed someone?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Gareth gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Yes! She definitely killed someone but It's more than that,boy. I've felt this aura before—an aura steeped in death. This is the aura of someone who killed his own parents"

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image [https://i.postimg.cc/rsvCjQtp/IMG-20240921-180820.jpg]

Say hello to tower of heaven btw....