Inside the City Combat Hall, the bald monk sat cross-legged beneath a shrine while slowly turning the pages of a worn scripture.

The night was peaceful, and the sounds of the city had already faded into the distance. Normally he would have spent the evening preaching to warriors and drunkards about patience, peace, and self-control, but tonight his attention had been stolen by a single piece of information.

A young fighter hurried into the hall carrying fresh news.

"Master, tomorrow’s official duel has already been announced. The entire city is discussing it. Young Master Tony Clark of the Clark Family will fight Magistrate Peter Jaint in the city arena."

The monk’s hand stopped.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Tony Clark?"

The young fighter nodded enthusiastically. "That’s right. Apparently he’s become extremely famous recently."

After the young man left, silence returned.

The monk slowly closed the scripture.

A smile appeared. "Interesting... Very interesting."

The Dream Realm had changed everyone’s identities. It had changed faces, It had changed families, It had changed backgrounds, Yet fate always left traces behind.

The monk leaned against the pillar while recalling a certain academy tournament.

A shameless grin, A fellow who somehow escaped every serious situation while making everyone around him angry.

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he became.

"If that really is Tony... then heaven is helping me."

He still remembered his defeat, He still remembered the humiliation. He still remembered Tony smiling afterward as though everything had been perfectly normal.

The monk slowly stood. Tomorrow’s duel suddenly became extremely important.

If that really was Tony Clark... Then perhaps he could settle an old score.

And if it wasn’t Tony... Then at least he would enjoy a good fight.

***

Far beyond the city walls, hidden within a forest valley...

The demonic sea tribe leader, Elsa stood before a campfire while several tribe members waited silently around her.

The young woman looked completely different from her calm self in the academy. Here, surrounded by her people, her eyes carried the confidence and authority of a true hunter.

Several corpses lay buried beneath the forest. Human participants, Victims, People unfortunate enough to cross her path.

Unlike the others trapped inside the Dream Realm, Elsa possessed knowledge preserved by the Demonic Sea Tribe for generations. Ancient records spoke of Dream Realms, soul projections, and methods used to identify outsiders hidden among historical identities.

That knowledge had become her greatest weapon.

A warrior stepped forward respectfully. "The information has been confirmed. Tony Clark will appear publicly tomorrow."

Elsa accepted the report. "Finally, The famous academy champion."

"He became too active. Too visible. People born in this world follow predictable habits. Real-world participants stand out because they think differently."

The surrounding warriors exchanged smiles. Seven members already stood beside her. Seven loyal hunters. Seven killers. And more would join if she continued succeeding.

One young warrior asked, "Should we attack during the duel?"

Elsa shook her head.

"No."

The answer surprised everyone.

"We move after the duel."

The campfire crackled loudly.

Elsa’s eyes reflected the flames. "If Tony survives long enough to establish influence inside the city, eliminating him during duel becomes troublesome. We strike later."

The warriors nodded. For them, the decision had already been made.

***

In the middle of the night...

Meanwhile, completely unaware of the dangers gathering around him, Tony quietly slipped out of his residence.

The room assigned to him and Skylar, The beautiful bride had already fallen asleep after spending half the evening arguing with him.

Tony quietly moved through the corridor until he reached another door... Lily’s room.

Without hesitation, he pushed it open and stepped inside.

To his surprise, Lily wasn’t sleeping. She sat beside the window while moonlight illuminated her face.

The moment she saw him enter, she folded her arms.

"I knew it."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Knew what?"

"That you wouldn’t stay in your room."

Tony laughed and sat opposite her. "You’re making me sound suspicious."

"You are suspicious."

"Fair."

Lily poured tea for both of them.

For several moments, neither spoke. Then she finally asked the question bothering her all evening.

"Who exactly is this Peter Jaint?"

Tony waved his hand dismissively. "Nobody important."

Lily immediately frowned. "That’s exactly what you say before creating trouble."

Tony grinned. "Fine... He sent a challenge. Tomorrow I’ll beat him and return before lunch."

Lily stared. "You sound absurdly confident."

"I spent the entire day reading ancient martial records. Why shouldn’t I be confident?"

Lily shook her head. "Your arrogance gets worse every year."

Tony leaned back comfortably. "My confidence improves every year."

"Same thing."

The conversation gradually shifted toward the Dream Realm, the academy, and the possibility of finding other familiar faces. Despite the dangers surrounding them, the atmosphere inside the room felt strangely comfortable.

Eventually the discussion faded.

Silence settled... Moonlight entered through the open window.

Neither spoke for several moments.

Then Tony suddenly moved his chair slightly closer.

Lily immediately noticed. "What are you doing?"

Tony smiled. "Thinking."

"That answer never ends well."

Tony moved slightly closer again.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Tony."

"Hmm?"

"Stop."

"Stop what?"

"The thing you’re doing."

Tony laughed... The reaction alone entertained him.

Inside the Dream Realm they wore different faces, different identities, and different lives, yet Lily still reacted exactly the same whenever he intentionally teased her.

"You know," Tony said casually while resting his chin on one hand, "this situation is quite strange."

Lily instantly became suspicious.

"Why?"

"We’re technically living different lives."

"No."

"We have different identities."

"No."

"We have different families."

"No."

Tony sighed dramatically. "You never let me finish."

"Because I know where this conversation is going."

Tony grinned and said, "Lily, I want to do it with you!"

Lily immediately regretted responding. "No... absolutely not!"

"Think about it. It was not you or me! She’s a village girl and the Tony of the ancient world. Let’s enjoy this night... It’s just like a cheat code." Tony suggested.

"Whatever you say... I won’t do it. We are still not married. And we both know who we are..." Lily said with a serious look.

Tony yawned loudly with a smirk. "It’s okay, Seems like I can only sleep with another women."

Tony directly stood up and walked towards the door.

"Wait..." Lily said angrily.

But Tony didn’t stop. "It’s your choice... That Skyler girl is always ready to pounce on me. Seems like I need to accept her request." Tony added in a dramatic tone.

Lily did not understand what to do now... And Tony was already on his way to leave the room.

He opened the door and stepped out.

Just then, Lily grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. Before Tony know what’s happening, the door was closed.

She hugged him tightly and lifted her head to see his face. Tony just gave a sweet smile and leaned forward to kiss her rose-coloured lips.

As he pressed against her lips, a wide grin appeared on both faces simultaneously. Tony took this chance to insert his tongue inside her. She did not show any resistance to his actions.

_

Tq guys!