Yanhuan staggered a step back, his cheek burning while his eyes were wide in shock as the stunned crowd struggled to process what had just happened.
They had heard rumors about a clip circling in the network of Levi making a fool of Yanhuan near the ancient site’s camp... but everything was still new, leaving them doubting the rumors’ validity.
But now? As they watched Levi outright slap Yanhuan like a father disciplining a son, they accepted the rumors’ validity instantly.
"Levi!" Guo Shi was the first to shout, his voice filled with outrage. "What the hell do you think you’re doing!?"
"You’ve gone too far this time!"
Li Mie stepped forward as well, her backpack already summoned, leaving the crowd taking a step back after hearing the agitated buzzing of her bees.
The rest of their teammates joined in, voicing their outrage and summoning their weapons... yet none dared to make a move on Levi. They might have been angry, but they weren’t foolish enough to attack him... not after witnessing how he had effortlessly put both Evangeline and Yanhuan in their place in under five minutes.
Fortunately... Levi gave them a way out.
Without a word, he walked straight past them... calm, composed, utterly unbothered. He didn’t explain himself or apologize.
Behind him, Yanhuan trembled; his teeth were clenched in fury... he tried to move, to chase after Levi, to say something, anything... but his body wouldn’t respond.
His limbs felt as though they were buried under an ocean. So did Guo Shi’s, Li Mie’s, and the rest of their teammates... even the buzzing bees quieted down all of a sudden.
Many staff members were powerful Warden Daywalkers, which allowed them to see the truth behind their unexpected silence.
"This... it can’t be... how can someone at his seed growth stage have such an immense spiritual aura?"
"Insane... I have heard he is an Anomaly class talent, but this is a bit too much, don’t you think?"
Two staff members expressed their shock as they watched Levi’s immense colorful spiritual aura manifest as Ash’Kral... it was holding onto Yanhuan and the rest of his teammates with spiritual arms and tails, locking them in place as Levi continued walking away with Jasmine next to him.
The spectating Daywalkers could see Yanhuan and his people attempting to summon their spiritual auras to fight back, but to no avail... they got snuffed out almost immediately, like they were going against an actual Solarbound Daywalker.
As Levi’s soul gradually absorbed the Leviathan’s, it began to grow stronger at a noticeable pace.
Thus, they stood frozen, like statues... relics of what once was the best of their generation.
All eyes turned to Levi and Jasmine as they disappeared down the corridor like dealing with Yanhuan’s ego was the last thing on their minds.
Usually, Levi would have been more tactful in how he handled such a situation due to Yanhuan’s background, but to be honest, he really couldn’t care anymore.
He had no intentions of playing the ’dance’ with Yanhuan... he hoped that slap would be the reminder Yanhuan needed if he ever dared to get into his business again.
When the crushing weight finally lifted, Yanhuan gasped, his knees nearly buckling... his heart started pounding as realization hit him. Levi’s spiritual prowess had skyrocketed, far beyond what it used to be.
He assumed at once that Levi might have received a massive boost or enhancement inside the ancient site.
’The sheer pressure he emitted now... it was terrifying.’ Yanhuan thought inwardly... his expression stern on the outside, but within, his soul was tingling in dread.
He could tell... if Levi wanted, he could easily ruin him... and this time, both physically and spiritually.
And yet, beneath the fear, a flicker of something else burned inside his eyes... Resolve.
"So he’s gotten stronger," Yanhuan muttered, rubbing his cheek, his jaw tight. "Good... that just means I’ll have to get even stronger."
Li Mie turned to him, still fuming. "You should report this... If the authorities hear about it, Levi will be penalized."
Yanhuan gave her a cold glare and said nothing... but, Li Mei knew that she shouldn’t have said that to him.
She assumed right... Yanhuan might be an egotistical prince, who was used to be worshiped and bathing under the spotlight, but he was no fool to play the victim role.
Getting slapped in public was one thing, but to report it to the authorities was another... no one liked snitches, it was a universal consensus. If he wanted to recover his reputation, there was only one thing he could do.
He looked toward the direction Levi had taken, his eyes filled with cold determination.
"We have to come out first in the upcoming Factions War Event... to show everyone that being the best isn’t just about strength... it’s about leading, winning, proving who truly deserves the top."
Although Yanhuan knew deep down that he couldn’t surpass Levi unless he broke through to Solarbound rank, this didn’t mean that he planned on eating both humiliation and remaining quiet.
Getting humiliated was also a part of life... but, how he handled the situation mattered the most.
With him not lashing out and showing everyone that he still aimed to reclaim his number one spot in the upcoming faction, even though he was slapped, the staff members looked at him a bit differently.
"At least, he isn’t a spoiled brat like the lot of them."
"Tell me about it."
"Still... I doubt he can recover from this... that boy’s spiritual talent is something of a fantasy."
"True... imagine how powerful his spiritual prowess will be if he becomes a Solarbound? Sheesh, I actually believe he might be able to take down someone a couple stages ahead of him."
"Haha... a couple of Daywalkers like him and our planet’s future will brighten up."
As Yanhuan walked away with his teammates, his brows kept twitching once in a while, not too fond of the soft chatter floating in the air.
’Keep disregarding me... I will show you all what I am truly capable of... just wait.’
His contracted Nightcrawler could only roll his eyes in silence, having a feeling that his partner would not let this situation go down until he got smacked a couple more times... Either way, he left himself out of it.
...
Meanwhile, Jasmine was silently following behind Levi; her peculiar swirling eye reflecting an untold darkness within Levi’s heart.
’What happened in there... this isn’t the same Levi we entered the site with.’
She thought inwardly, trying her best to remember but to no avail... she felt like something was blocking her memories from showing up, and this bothered her, a lot.
’Once you settle in your room, you should use target erasure to recover our memories.’ N’ibby uttered.
Jasmine nodded in understanding... she knew that if something was blocking their memories, it could be erased with her powers. But, if her memories were removed from the source, there wasn’t much she could do about it. She didn’t use it in the hospital since she wanted to be alone to test it out.
After a short while, they separated and went to their assigned rooms... Levi had already told everyone to gather in his room after fifteen minutes to split up the loot and discuss their next move as a squad.
When Jasmine closed the wooden door behind her, she couldn’t help but smile a little at how cozy and calm her room was. Her room wasn’t large, but it had a natural warmth that made it feel like a retreat from the rest of the world.
The walls were paneled with smooth, honey-colored wood. The light was not harsh as bioluminescent bulbs embedded in glass orbs were the sole method of illumination.
Plants filled the corners... lush ferns, small flowering vines, and a tall, slender tree with silver-green leaves that swayed gently when Jasmine opened the window.
The furniture was simple but beautifully made: a wooden bed with smooth curves and linen sheets, a small desk carved from wood that still bore faint green veins of life running through it, and shelves where more plants, trinkets, and handwritten notes shared the space.
There were only a few electrical devices around... fridge, oven, and such large devices were not included in the rooms since there was a nearby public cafeteria in the building for all Raiders... Though, there was a small toilet in each room.
After she sat on the bed, Jasmine scanned the room for any spying pieces of hardware, such as cameras, eavesdropping bugs, and such.
’Nothing... looks like they respect the Daywalkers’ privacy.’ Jasmine sighed in relief.
As for worrying about the rest of the Daywalkers spying on her? She wasn’t too concerned. She heard that such classified locations were built with the World’s Tree bark... this provided the rooms with its spiritual protection, making it near impossible for anyone to see through the walls with their spiritual vision.
Yet, the biggest protection was the fact no one could spy on another inside their rooms without the World Tree finding out about it and marking them for the authorities to handle.
No further ado, Jasmine pointed a finger towards the right temple... the tip was covered in white ink.
The moment the ink touched her skin, it was absorbed and coursed through her bloodstream until it arrived at her brain... then, the white ink started searching for anything foreign that was messing with her memories.
After a short search, the white ink found what it was looking for... Jasmine was stunned to find out that her white ink had found a shadowy region within her brain. It was so small, it was barely visible to the naked eye.
However, she knew it was there because her white ink was slowly erasing it. The moment it finished, a chill ran up her spine as her veiled memories started gushing in nonstop.
Flashes appeared on the surface of her mind... she saw everything that had been erased by Levi... saving everyone from Azhukar’s Dominion, Levi using his Void Form to protect them, the hauntingly beautiful violin piece he played, Azhukar’s final moment, Levi handing her countless treasures from Azhukar’s wallet to cleanse and make them usable, and finally, her discussion with Levi about his plan.
The last memory uncovered was of Levi signing with a soft smile.
-I will restore your memories the moment I am assured the SAS Headquarters bought our story.-
After the recollection was done, Jasmine opened her eyes. Her room returned... cozy and wooden. But her heart was pounding. The darkness was gone... But what it revealed... she wasn’t sure what to think of it.
The memories blocked were so vital and carried such intense emotions that the moment she restored them, a tear landed on the bedsheet without her realizing it.
Jasmine ignored it and kept taking deep breaths to stabilize her heart and emotions... it might have been brief, but the emotional overload was too much since she also recalled the agony of Reality Limbo she went through and finally... that beautiful haunting violin verse Levi played to take down Azhukar.
The entire scene was already impactful... but, to be able to hear its beauty made it an unforgettable experience... especially for a deaf’s first time ever hearing music.
’Jasmine... do you remember what I told you?’ N’ibby said indifferently.
The moment Jasmine restored her memories, N’ibby recalled hers too.
’Yes. You told me to hide my ability to restore my memories to test Levi.’ Jasmine nodded.
’Good... he promised your memories back, and now we will see if he is truly a man of his word or not.’ N’ibby said.
Jasmine went quiet for a moment... then, she smiled sweetly, ’I trust him... he is going to tell me sooner or later.’
’I do hope so... for his sake.’ N’ibby said depressively.