"This barrier is not breaking," the King-rank middle-aged man frowned.

He had attacked several times already, but the barrier didn't even budge.

"Call backup," Voren said, his eyes cold and resolved. "This person is a balance breaker. Once he gets stronger and cooks even better food, and joins a force opposing us, we will lose our hegemony over this continent."

"Either he joins us by contract or he dies. Call enough backup that the four Magic Towers won't dare to interfere in this business."

"That would cause quite a bit of trouble, prince," the middle-aged woman frowned. "This city is not ours, and if we undermine the authority of others, we will gain more enmity from these south-west Magic Towers. Each of them has at least two Emperor-rank powerhouses, and the Mistbound Magic Tower has trade deals with the Nightrift Clan."

"Call the backup. And you don't need to worry about those beastfolk of the Nightrift Clan. They are losing the war and will be annihilated," Voren's voice was sharp and firm.

The two King-rank powerhouses looked at each other and started doing as told.

Although Voren was a Lord-rank powerhouse, he had a Bloodline, while they didn't.

Voren could temporarily unleash the power of a peak King-rank. Despite being the youngest prince, he was the most talented and had the strongest Bloodline in the royal family.

He had much more say in all matters compared to other royal heirs.

…

"Ainen, what do we do?" Ruoin frowned. "Those three don't seem like they will give up."

"I contacted the seniors, and they told the vice tower master about the matter. They will be arriving here soon," Dylan said as he put away the comm crystal.

Ainen's eyes glinted. "I'll be away for a minute or two. You guys go to the edge of the barrier where they are standing and see what they're discussing outside."

"Away? Where are you go—"

Ainen had already disappeared.

He used the [Trial of Fire Ascendency] ticket to raise his S-rank Fire Manipulation to SS-rank.

The time dilation effect in this dimension was also big, like in the Limitless Skill Tower.

The first thing that happened to him was that all of his powers and skills, except for Fire Manipulation, were sealed.

He couldn't use anything else.

Ainen didn't waste time and started the first stage of the trial without further ado.

[Survive for ten minutes while fighting off the monsters without leaving the 100-meter radius area.]

Ainen cleared it and got 24 hours in the Flame Dimension.

Within those 24 hours, he readily broke through to SS-rank Fire Manipulation and even reached 100% proficiency in it.

Without further ado, he moved to the second stage of the trial.

And cleared it without any hiccups.

His Palatebloom Fire was simply too powerful and could counter and overwhelm anything when paired with his creativity and control.

Ainen got another 24 hours in the Flame Dimension, where he diligently trained and successfully broke through to SSS-rank Fire Manipulation.

[Congratulations. You have reached the maximum rank of Fire Manipulation allowed in this lower realm.]

But Ainen didn't leave the dimension just yet. He could still stay here for eight days, while only a few minutes would pass outside.

He started refining his body with fire energy and finished the activation of his Fire Domain.

But he still had time, so he started improving and evolving his skills that had Fire attributes since his Fire Manipulation jumped from S to SSS.

Ainen still had time, so he started cooking using his class skills. He still had Lord-rank monsters' meat.

But why was he cooking?

Simple — he decided to break through to Lord-rank.

There was no bottleneck for him since he had completed all requirements already.

[Chef Ainen]

Level: 350

Life Rank: Lord-rank

— Magic Core: Spectrorend Pyroprism

Class: Mystic Chef (SSS)

Innate Talent:

— I Cook Limitlessly

— Arsenal of Arcane

— Dragon of Ocean

Stats: 668 — 334

— Vitality: Ⅴ 35 Ⅴ +165%

— Strength: Ⅴ 35 Ⅴ +165%

— Stamina: Ⅴ 35 Ⅴ +165%

— Agility: Ⅴ 35 Ⅴ +65%

— Cognition: Ⅴ 35 Ⅴ +65%

— Arcane: Ⅴ 35 Ⅴ +165%

— Mana: Ⅴ 35 Ⅴ +165%

'Good.' Ainen's eyes glimmered. 'Those bastards just want to throw their weight around wherever they go.'

'I don't need others' help. I'll deal with them on my own.'

After breaking through to Lord-rank, he chugged down food, trained physically, trained with his skills, rested, ate food again, and continued until the time was up.

In the end, his final stats looked like this:

Stats: 334

— Vitality: Ⅴ 215 Ⅴ +165%

— Strength: Ⅴ 203 Ⅴ +165%

— Stamina: Ⅴ 208 Ⅴ +165%

— Agility: Ⅴ 211 Ⅴ +65%

— Cognition: Ⅴ 213 Ⅴ +65%

— Arcane: Ⅴ 217 Ⅴ +165%

— Mana: Ⅴ 220 Ⅴ +165%

As soon as Ainen saw he was kicked out and returned to the ground, he added the stat points into Arcane.

The maximum level of Lord-rank was 500, and so was the maximum foundation value of stats.

He spent 283 stat points and made his Arcane stat reach 500 — the peak of Lord-rank.

Afterward, he vanished from his spot and appeared where Ruoin, Dylan, and Sofia were standing, watching the exchange between the trio of Styxian Dynasty and Mistbound Magic Tower.

"What's going on? What did they say so far?" Ainen asked.

"It's bad." Dylan looked at Ainen with an ashen expression.

Ainen was surprised to see Dylan and Sofia looking like that.

"They're refusing to let you go. That prince, he's adamant about taking you or killing you. The forces of Styxian Dynasty are already on the way," Sofia informed, her face pale and worried as she looked at Ainen.

"What the fuck?" Ainen was angry. A vein popped on his face.

Voren saw Ainen past the barrier and walked toward him.

"You're here. Ainen, you should know there's no escape for you. Today, either you will die or join us. If need be, I will utilize the full force of Styxian Dynasty and Sacred Aurelian."

Voren smiled and continued. "It's better for you to join us on the path to eternal glory, Ainen. You deserve a place at the top. With you, nobody can stop us."

Ainen clenched his fists, his eyes turning distant. "Have you been taking everything you wanted this way? Regardless of what others feel?"

"What's the problem with that?" Voren laughed. "Might makes right. I am strong, therefore I can."

Ainen calmed down and took a deep breath.

"Then let's make a bet," Ainen said, his voice flat. "We will have a duel. If I wi—"

"Let me stop you right there." Voren grinned. "You, as a chef class, want to duel me? I see you just broke through to Lord-rank minutes ago, but that's not enough. Nonetheless, I agree to the duel."

An arcane contract appeared as Voren desired it. "If I win the duel, you will stay loyal to me and do whatever I say. If you win, you can do the same to me."

Ainen stepped out of the barrier and agreed to the duel. "Alright. I'll add one more thing to this duel contract. If anyone interferes before the duel is decided, the interferer must die."

Voren grinned. "Sure. Let's go up."

He flew high into the sky, stopping after going a kilometer upward.

Ainen arrived before him. 'He doesn't have SSS-rank elemental mastery, but he has a Bloodline.'

'You'll wipe the floor with him,' Lord Black said with a rueful chuckle. 'And with your Palatebloom Fire reaching SSS-rank, it's over. Your Fire Domain is too overpowered thanks to your Palatebloom Flame.'

Suddenly, Ainen heard Voren's voice in his ear. 'Ainen, once I defeat you, I will tell you about an organization. It's called Cradle. They have resources far beyond what this world is capable of producing, and someone like you will rise high through them.'

Ainen was stunned, his eyes glazed over. "W-What did you say?"

"Did you just say Cradle?"

Voren blinked, his grin still the same. "Eh? Have you perhaps encountered them already?"

But right as he finished speaking, his heart skipped a beat.

Somehow, he felt sweaty and got goosebumps as Ainen's gaze instantly shifted from unfocused to something he couldn't comprehend.

And suddenly, a blinding white flare enveloped Voren instantly before he could even react.

A moment later, he was gone.

The King-rank powerhouses of Styxian Dynasty, and other powerhouses from Mistbound Magic Tower — including their vice tower master, who was Emperor-rank — were stunned.

They straight-up blanked out upon seeing the event they just witnessed.

A consequential event.

The most promising heir of the Styxian Dynasty… just perished utterly.

'Enter the kitchen, fast.'

Lady Ruoin heard the voice and instantly vanished, taking Saffa, Clovelle, and Fraisea into the Cafe Bistro.

The Cafe Bistro vanished as Ainen stored it, and then Ainen also vanished before entering the Labyrinth entrance at an insane speed.

"STOP!"

The King-rank powerhouses snapped out of their daze with ashen faces, but it was too late.

Their eyes were already filled with despair the moment they registered Voren's death.

Because they would be punished with death as well.

"He already entered the Labyrinth."

"Unless he wants to come out, the Styxian Dynasty's people will need to enter to kill him."

"But he's trapped now."

The people of Mistbound Magic Tower spoke among each other.

Dylan and Sofia were stunned.

Ainen left them behind, but they knew it was for their own safety.

If he took them, the Mistbound Magic Tower would get involved, and Ainen didn't want that.

"He killed Voren…" Dylan looked at Sofia, unable to come up with a proper expression. "What will happen now?"

"I don't know." Sofia bit her lips. "But this is wrong. It's Voren's fault, but now Ainen is trapped — and with Voren dead, Styxian Dynasty will never let him go."

"Fuck."