Nova, breathing heavily, finally found his voice. "…Who… are you?"

The figure looked at him, softening his expression. Then replied, sighing, then blinking once: "My name is Kanghee, but you can call me Kai. I'm the President of the South Korean Guild."

Nova was baffled, realizing that Marcus had mentioned a person named "Kai" during one of their training session, whom Nova had to befriend if he wanted to survive the tournament. Nova realized that this was the golden opportunity for him to do exactly what Marcus had told him.

---

During one of the training sessions, Marcus was sparring with Nova, helping him get used to his newly acquired B-rank powers. Marcus had mentioned something very important to him.

"By the way, if you find a person named 'Kai', you should befriend them. And especially them." Marcus said, nodding his head.

"Why?" Nova inquired.

"Kai is the President of the South Korean Guild. He is also a very deadly foe, so you can befriend him, and you can easily get through to the end of the tournament. And since I'm not participating this year, it will be hard for you to somehow manage to get first."

"Is he that strong...?" Nova was baffled to learn about the South Korean Guild President being so strong.

"When we had our encounter in last year's tournament, he was able to nearly win the tournament. It was a very close match. But in the end, I barely managed to win. But now I think, he may have just surpassed me. Since last year, he wasn't even on his third evolution. But this year is definitely going to be different. So, if you want to survive, make him your ally."

---

Kai sniffed the air, his eyes wide open, as Nova was perplexed. He tracked the faint scent back to Nova, instantly activating his ability, as Nova was still dumbfounded. Kai created spikes, launching them towards Nova, who barely managed to escape.

Before Nova could even react to what had just happened, Kai lifted him by the throat, tilting his head, his calm demeanor shifting into an angry, demonic demeanor that Nova was confused and fearful of.

"Why do I sense the faint scent of Cain?" Kai asked. Just saying the name made his head wobble differently. "What is your relationship with that man?"

"I don't have a relationship with him. If anything, I hate him. Marcus is the one who is friends with him." Nova explained.

"Interesting," Kai lowered Nova, comprehending his side of the story. "So, the Vice President of the American Guild is friends with Cain, the person who is going to be responsible for bringing forth The Nornir. How interesting."

"My sister and I fought against Cain and his lackeys in China; you can confirm it with the Saint."

"I believe," Kai said, softening his face again. "I don't talk to the Saint, just because I know her secret. But still, loving a man like that." He made an angry noise. "It boils my blood." Then he turned to Nova. "Did you know that man is going to be responsible for bringing forth The Nornir in the near future. There is not a single person on this planet who can handle a being as powerful as that. If he were anything else, a drug dealer, trafficker, I would be fine with it, but not TNT."

"I believe you hate Cain for a different reason," Nova suggested, inspecting how Kai's face softened as he said TNT, but then tightened again, when he was about to utter something else that made his face contort into aggression. "Is it something more personal?"

Kai's jaw tightened further, and Nova now knew one half of the reason. Kai shook his head, forgetting about Cain, then rested his head back. Nova did the same, releasing all the stress and tension he had felt just a few moments ago, with that wretched centipede lookalike.

Nova steadied his breathing, forgetting about something that Marcus had told him. After a couple of seconds, Marcus' words echoed again in his head. "If you find a person named Kai, you should befriend them. And especially them, if you want to survive, make him your ally."

The thought pushed the refresh button in his mind. Then he looked at Kai, his expression unreadable, stuck between the hatred he felt for Cain, but also remembering the one he had lost. Nova realized he had only one choice.

"Kai," Nova finally spoke, forcing the words past his dry throat. "Do you want to form an alliance?"

Kai turned his head, his eyes narrowing as if the question itself was strange, irrelevant. He gave a short, humorless laugh and shrugged. Then replied: "Ally, enemy, I simply don't care."

Nova blinked, unsure if he had been rejected or accepted. But Marcus' advice came back sharper this time: 'Make him your ally.' Nova decided to interpret Kai's indifference as consent. He gave a short nod, convincing himself. "Good. Then we'll watch each other's backs."

Kai said nothing, only adjusting the cuffs of his coat as he began walking deeper into the labyrinth, his pace slow, deliberate.

Nova hesitated for a moment, then fell into step beside him. The silence between them was deafening until the paths behind them shifted and closed, the labyrinth sealing all the paths to the safe behind him, which made Nova gulp.

Despite the uneasy tension, Nova felt a strange sense of relief. Marcus had been right; this was his chance. He had found Kai, the man who could make or break his survival in the tournament. And now, whether Kai liked it or not, they were now a team, but the only problem was that he didn't know the tension between Nova and the French.

As they walked further into the labyrinth, the labyrinth's blue hues flickering faintly on the walls, Nova took a sharp glance at Kai, knowing now that he had made a strong ally as Marcus suggested, and could potentially get his item back from those French Adventurers.

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