The Path Of A True King.

The day dragged on like a slow-moving nightmare.

The air in the room felt stifling, heavy with an unseen weight pressing down on Elijah's chest.

Three days had passed.

Three days since Kai had told him to stay away from the Pool Club.

Three days of silence.

Three days of feeling like an outsider in something they had built together.

Elijah sat at the back of the room, arms crossed, his crimson eyes dull with frustration.

The murmurs of students filled the room, their laughter and conversations blending into a distant hum.

The rhythmic scratching of pens against paper did nothing to calm the storm inside him.

He had sent Kai a message earlier that morning.

Can I come to the Pool Club now?

The response came instantly.

No.

No explanation. No further words. Just a single, absolute rejection.

His grip on the phone tightened, fingers curling into a fist.

He wasn't stupid. He knew exactly why Kai was shutting him out.

It was because of what happened.

Because of the Pool Club.

Because of the choice he made.

They had worked hard for this.

After fighting in the underground arena, every cent they earned went into buying the Pool Club.

It was supposed to be a fresh start—a legitimate business, a foundation for their growing influence.

No more back-alley brawls for scraps. No more chasing fleeting victories.

This was something real.

But then, trouble came knocking.

A gang, loyal to the drug leader Kai had killed just the day before, showed up claiming the Pool Club was built on their territory. They demanded a cut, calling it a "tax" for operating in their area.

Elijah and Kai refused.

Violence erupted.

They fought hard and left the gang's enforcers bruised, broken, and humiliated.

The message was clear: We're not paying. And we're not leaving.

But the enemy wasn't done.

The next day, they returned—not in person, but in destruction.

The Pool Club was trashed.

Windows shattered, tables overturned, equipment reduced to rubble.

The scent of burnt wood and spilled alcohol clung to the air.

A warning.

A challenge.

Kai had seen it coming. He had always been the type to think ahead.

So when the gang returned, stronger and more violent, ready to burn the place down for good—he was waiting.

What followed was a slaughter.

A planned ambush.

Kai had the team in place, ready for war.

This time, the gang wasn't just beaten.

They were crushed.

Then came the choice.

Let them go… or kill them.

Elijah hesitated.

The fight was already won.

Their enemies were on the ground, broken, bleeding, barely able to stand.

There was no reason to go further.

"It's over," he had said, breathing heavily. "We don't have to do this."

Kai's blue eyes remained steady.

Cold.

Unforgiving.

"They won't stop," he replied. "You know that."

Elijah swallowed.

"Then we beat them again."

Kai's tone sharpened. "And again? And again?" He took a step closer. "How long before they come back with more people? More weapons? Before they find Amy? Or your mother?"

His heart clenched.

Kai wasn't angry.

He wasn't yelling.

He just... stared.

"This is the only way to end it."

Elijah clenched his fists.

Kai let him decide.

And Elijah let them go.

A week later, that decision came back to haunt them.

The gang regrouped, reinforced, more dangerous than before.

And this time, Kai didn't give Elijah a choice.

He handled it himself.

Wiped them out completely.

Elijah wasn't there.

Now, Kai didn't even want him involved.

Was he weak?

No.

But he knew Kai had a point.

That was why Elijah trained harder than ever for the last week and three days, reaching the peak of the Beginner Knight stage.

[Status]

Name: Elijah Havor

Cultivation: Beginner Knight Stage (Peak)

Level: 10

{Stats}

Strength: 20

Agility: 19

Endurance: 20

Defense: 18

Senses: 16

Free Stat Points: 0

He was getting stronger.

Just a step away from reaching intermediate Knight stage which he was planning today.

His body had changed—leaner, more muscular, more refined.

His face had matured slightly, enough that girls in school couldn't stop sneaking glances at him.

But none of that mattered.

He wasn't strong enough.

Kai had killed people. Elijah hadn't.

And maybe… that was the real problem.

He had never taken a life.

As the thought crept into his mind, Elijah pushed it away, shaking his head.

No.

That wasn't the answer.

Killing wasn't what made someone strong.

…Was it?

He sighed, rubbing his temple.

The basketball game was still going on, but he had already lost interest.

His eyes scanned the court before flicking toward the exit.

Maybe some quiet would help clear his head.

He made his way toward the abandoned storage room at the back of the school—the place he and Lisa would hang out when they wanted to be alone.

Lisa.

Just thinking about her made his frustration ease slightly.

At least he still had her, right?

As he approached, his enhanced senses picked up faint noises from inside.

Frowning, he stepped closer, careful not to make a sound.

The door was closed, but there was a window just beside it.

He glanced inside.

And his world stopped.

Lisa.

His girlfriend.

With Ray.

The top dog of the school.

Their bodies tangled together, her arms wrapped around his back, his hands gripping her waist.

Having sex.

Elijah stood there.

Not moving.

Not breathing.

His heart pounded in his chest, his fingers curling into fists at his sides.

A minute passed.

Then another.

And without a word, he turned and walked away.