High above the skies—
A burly man, clad in a special combat uniform, descended amidst flashing lightning!
His towering figure exuded a strong sense of safety and security.
And in this particular moment, his sudden appearance made him seem nothing short of a savior descending from the heavens.
He was from the military—a powerful member of the Honor Guard!
The students present lit up with surprise and joy.
In stark contrast, the follower of the Moon Worship Sect, whose face was hidden behind a Dark Moon Mask, let out a chilling chuckle.
"Jie jie jie… I didn't expect the mighty Honor Guard to show up so soon."
"I'm just curious… what made you act so quickly this time?"
The burly man responded with a cold sneer, the corner of his mouth lifting in mockery.
"You're nothing more than rats skulking in the sewers. Just because you think you've grasped a few scraps of information, you assumed the rest of the world is blind?"
As he spoke, he suddenly raised a massive hand and swept it fiercely through the air.
At that very moment, an overwhelming surge of spiritual power burst out like a raging storm, sweeping across the sky!
The apocalyptic scene that loomed just seconds ago was instantly blown away, as if it had never existed.
The scorching red flames that had threatened to devour everything?
They vanished in the blink of an eye, reduced to nothing.
Link's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the powerful man.
[Name: Unknown]
[Power Value: 86,732]
[Flesh Forging Art: "Martial Combat Flesh Forging Art"]
[Meditation Technique: "War Spirit Meditation Technique"]
[Skill: None]
[Talent: Under Analysis]
Power Value—eighty-six thousand plus?!
Link's face showed an expression of disbelief.
This man… was a T8 esper!
Someone of this caliber was a major figure no matter where he went.
Even the Lord of Velmoria paled in comparison—after all, he was only a T7 esper at most.
No wonder this man was able to dispel the powerful T6 spell, Skyburn Flame, with a wave of his hand!
Safe. We're finally safe.
Link let out a silent breath of relief.
Just then, the burly man moved again.
With a flash, his figure vanished from his original spot—
The next moment, he was already standing right in front of the Moon Worship Sect follower.
A T6 versus a T8—there was simply no contest.
With a single punch, the Honor Guard crushed the masked follower's head!
But contrary to expectations, there was no burst of blood mist.
Instead, what appeared was… powder—an enormous burst of gray-white dust.
The Honor Guard's brow furrowed slightly upon seeing this.
"Puppet technique? Hmph… Seems I underestimated them."
With the Honor Guard stepping in, the chaos that had threatened to spiral out of control was swiftly brought to an end.
However, the man didn't leave.
He continued to hover mid-air, his gaze sweeping across the gathered crowd at the Grave of Heroes.
Then, he spoke with a respectful yet firm tone:
"Esteemed elixirist, might I ask you to show yourself?"
"As you can see, your identity has already been exposed. The Moon Worship Sect has their sights set on you."
"For that reason, we would like you to come forward—so we can properly ensure your safety."
Link's face froze in shock.
He hadn't expected that just casually presenting three potion formulas could stir up such a storm.
But in truth, even if those were the only three formulas he had, they were enough to make him a pivotal figure in the future of the human race.
That was why the Honor Guard had made a sudden appearance.
In fact, shortly after Link visited the Goldrolyn Auction House and sold his formulas, the Honor Guard had already received the intelligence.
The only reason they hadn't arrived earlier was because their stationed base was still some distance from Velmoria—allowing the Moon Worship Sect to make their move first.
And now, the Honor Guard had one singular mission:
To escort this genius elixirist to the royal capital.
Because only in the royal capital—the heart of the kingdom—could someone like Link be truly safe.
That city housed the kingdom's most important people and resources.
Clearly, Link's seemingly minor action had already drawn the attention of the nation's top brass.
"…The person you're looking for… is me."
Link raised his arm, finally deciding to reveal his identity.
After all, with a T8 powerhouse on scene, he should be perfectly safe.
The burly man blinked toward him in an instant. His attitude was unmistakably respectful.
"Esteemed elixirist, might I ask for some form of proof?"
Link didn't hesitate. He took out the handwritten potion formulas and handed them over.
The man glanced at them briefly, and his tense expression softened.
Without a word, he raised one hand and formed a gesture in mid-air.
In the blink of an eye, a dozen figures materialized around Link, surrounding him in a protective formation.
Link's eyes darted around in disbelief.
Every single one of these Honor Guard soldiers… was a T7 or T8 esper!
This level of power—
Even on the front lines, such a team would be considered elite among elites, capable of wiping out entire moonfolk tribes with ease.
As he was still reeling from the shock, the ground trembled.
With a deafening rumble, a massive metallic beast rumbled into view.
"This is the Honor Guard's war machine," the man explained. "It boasts formidable defensive capabilities. Our mission is to escort you—and your family—to the royal capital."
Link was stunned.
Just three formulas… and they're going to relocate my entire family?
It seemed he had truly underestimated Lib's value.
"My parents…" Link hesitated.
"Rest assured," the man said solemnly. "We've already sent a team to retrieve them."
His tone grew a touch more urgent, though it never lost its respectful edge.
"Time is of the essence. Please, sir, board the vehicle."
Still somewhat bewildered, Link entered the war machine.
He had to admit—it lived up to its name.
As the kingdom's most powerful weapon, it exuded an aura of invincibility.
The man driving let out a sigh of relief and began to explain as the vehicle moved:
"Esteemed elixirist, despite its bulky appearance, this war machine is incredibly fast—and agile."
"More importantly, it can withstand attacks from T9 powerhouses. So you can rest easy regarding your safety."
Link couldn't help but smack his lips in amazement.
Seems like everything I thought I knew about the human race… was just the tip of the iceberg.
Heading to the royal capital didn't seem like such a bad thing now.
He turned to ask, "Once I'm in the capital, will there be other arrangements for me?"
The man thought for a moment.
"I'm not fully in the loop about the plans, but with your talent, the elixirist guild will undoubtedly be eager to recruit you."
"However…"
At that point, the man's expression turned uncharacteristically serious.
"Sir, I can tell you're still quite young, so allow me to offer you a word of advice."
"Even within the royal capital… you must remain vigilant."
"According to the intelligence we've gathered, there may be… certain problems within the human race itself. Investigations are still ongoing."
Hearing this, Link's brows furrowed slightly.
From what he was saying… even the royal capital isn't 100% safe?
Which meant… there could be traitors among the highest ranks of humanity!?