Chapter 203 Meeting Alice

Then—

A single voice shattered the silence.

"IT'S MAX!"

And chaos erupted.

"Holy Moly! We just surrounded the number one genius of the East Region!"

"Max! He's really back!"

"Damn, I can't believe it! It's actually him!"

—

The guild members lost control—

Their excitement exploding like a flood.

They rushed forward, their voices overlapping—

Throwing questions at Max one after another—

"Max! Who gave you the hardest time in the Battle Realm?!"

"Max! Can you train me a bit?!"

"Max! Join my department!"

"Max! I'm alone tonight..."

—

Max—

Completely stunned—

Could only step back—

As the crowd surged closer.

A wry smile crept onto his face.

'This is crazy...'

Then—

A loud voice cut through the chaos—

Sharp. Commanding. Unyielding.

"EVERYONE, STEP ASIDE!"

The guild members immediately froze.

They recognized that voice instantly.

And without hesitation—

They cleared the way.

Like a sea parting before a storm.

Then—

Two figures emerged from the cleared path—

Sophia.

Alice.

Sophia crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed.

"You just had to make a scene the moment you arrived, huh?"

Her tone—

A mix of annoyance and a bit of doting.

Max—

Cried internally.

"It's not my fault at all!" He protested, raising his hands.

Sophia shook her head, sighing.

Then, she turned to Alice—

"Take him away."

Her tone left no room for argument.

Max blinked.

'Wait, what?'

Before he could react—

Alice grabbed his wrist.

Firmly.

Dragging him away.

—

Sophia then faced the crowd.

Her gaze sweeping over them—

Like a monarch addressing her subjects.

"You all have work to do. Get to it."

Her voice—

Calm. Unshakable. Absolute.

The guild members—

Without a single complaint—

Scattered immediately.

As if they had never been there.

—

Alice looked at Max, her face solemn.

Her voice laced with relief and worry.

"You're one week late. I thought something had happened to you."

Max smiled at her, sensing the genuine concern in her tone.

"Well, the inheritance part took some time, so I was a bit late."

Though—

In truth…

A disaster had indeed come his way.

And—

He barely survived.

But there was no need to bring that up now.

Then—

A thought crossed his mind.

Max turned to her—

And with a cheeky smile, he asked:

"So you've been worrying about me?"

Alice froze.

Her face—

Instantly turned red.

She flustered, taking a step back.

"W-Who?! Who's worried?!"

Her voice came out higher than usual.

Max grinned, amused by her reaction.

Alice quickly cleared her throat, crossing her arms.

"I was just asking because my mother thought you were taking too long in the temple!"

Max chuckled.

"Is that so?"

His tone playful.

Alice, still red-faced, avoided his gaze.

Then—

She quickly changed the topic.

"Anyway! My mom is waiting for you."

Her steps quickened as she led him toward—

The Hall of Elders.

—

Then—

They arrived.

A massive door stood before them.

Gold shimmered beneath the light, its surface engraved with intricate phoenix designs.

The artistry was breathtaking—

As if the phoenixes themselves would rise from the door at any moment.

Alice stepped back.

Her tone firm yet gentle—

"You go alone." Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire

Max nodded, his eyes fixed on the door.

'This is my first time entering here…'

He took a deep breath—

Then, without hesitation—

Max pushed the doors open.

And stepped inside.

—

What awaited Max on the other side was a chamber.

His eyes sweeping across the grand chamber.

The Hall of Elders was vast—

Yet—

Empty.

Only one figure sat at the center—

A woman, poised with an air of undeniable authority.

Her gaze met his—

Calm. Piercing.

Even without flames, her presence alone burned like an inferno.

She sat in the middle chair—

The seats to her left and right, arranged in perfect symmetry—

All vacant.

Aurelia Fireborne.

Alice's mother.

Leader of the Phoenix Order.

'She's alone?'

Max's brows furrowed slightly.

'I expected all the elders to be here as well…'

He had thought he would face a council—

Yet instead—

Only her.

"For your privacy, I decided to hear your report alone."

Aurelia's voice was calm—measured.

Max nodded slightly.

"I appreciate this."

She didn't respond immediately.

Instead, her fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of her chair.

Then—

"So, did you get the inheritance?"

Straight to the point.

Max had expected this question.

It was obvious he would be asked the moment he returned.

And so—

He had already prepared his answer.

His expression remained neutral.

"I did."

Aurelia's eyes narrowed slightly.

There was a moment of silence.

Then—

"What about the temple?"

Her voice remained calm—

But there was a weight to her words.

"Is it still functional?"

Max shook his head.

"I don't know."

Aurelia's eyes sharpened.

Max continued—

"Before I left, the Blob mentioned that the temple would disappear from the East Region."

He paused—

His tone remained steady.

"I don't know the specifics."

Aurelia studied him—her gaze sharp, piercing.

She nodded slightly, as if confirming something to herself.

Then—

"You are a Voidwalker, aren't you?"

Her words struck like thunder.

Max's heart turned cold.

His pupils trembled.

His breath hitched—just slightly.

'How?'

A storm of questions crashed into his mind.

'How does she know? Did she suspect me all this time? Or… did someone tell her?'

But—

Max did not panic.

His expression remained composed, forcing himself to remained calm.

He tilted his head slightly, a confused look appearing on his face.

"Voidwalker?"

His voice held nothing but genuine curiosity.

"Are you mistaking me for someone else?"

His tone was so natural—so flawlessly neutral—that anyone else would have been convinced.

But—

Aurelia was not just anyone.

"There has never been a genius this strong—this monstrous—in the entire Valora Continent, let alone our East Region."

Her eyes bore into him.

"The last person to even come close was Freya Voidwalker. Her existence alone shook the East Region—a storm that has yet to settle."

A pause.

Then—

"And now, a genius even more terrifying than her appears. Is that a coincidence?"

Max's expression darkened.

She knew.

There was no point in pretending anymore.

Aurelia leaned forward slightly, her voice measured.

"A few years ago, our guild received an anonymous tip. It mentioned a boy—one who might be the younger brother of Freya Voidwalker. The message was sent only to me. No one else knows about it."

A brief silence.

Then, she continued.

"Because of our… history with Freya, I was curious. I personally went to investigate."

Her fingers tapped lightly against the chair's armrest.

"But I was disappointed. He didn't have the black hair like Freya. And his blood—"

She narrowed her eyes.

"His blood didn't match hers, either."

A deep breath.

"So, I concluded that you, Max Morgan was not Freya Voidwalker's brother."

Her words hung in the air—heavy, final.

And then—

"But that changed when I saw your battles."

A shift in her expression.

Something between realization and certainty.

"Your talent. Your growth. Your sheer dominance over the other geniuses—"

Her voice lowered.

"You surpassed Freya's talent by a landslide."

The air felt thicker.

Max remained silent.

Aurelia's fingers stilled.

"That was when I recalled something."

She glanced at him—sharp, calculating.

"Veylin. He tested your blood during the dungeon break incident."

A beat.

Then—

"I assumed he or the Monarch must have been tipped off by the same person."

The pieces were falling into place.

And finally—

Her gaze locked onto his.

"So tell me, Max—"

Her voice was calm, yet unshakable.

"Are you Freya Voidwalker's little brother? Or the Monarch and our guild had been tipped off wrongly by someone?"