In the resting area of Zero Horizon's base, the atmosphere of training temporarily quieted down. Shin sat on a wooden bench, holding a water bottle, suddenly turning to look at Roxy and Kwon Tae-Joon with inquisitive eyes:
— "Why is Roxy the strongest in galaxy G-3256, while Tae-Joon is the strongest in G-7921? What do those code designations actually mean anyway?"
Roxy, who was unwrapping her hand bandages, paused. She looked up at Shin in surprise, then burst out laughing and explained:
— "Those are codes representing where we were born! In this New Human Central District, there are countless people from galaxies 3256 and 7921, but Tae-Joon and I are the strongest who hold the dedicated code of our own galaxies!"
Kwon Tae-Joon, leaning his back against a stone pillar with folded arms, chimed in with a deep voice:
— "The Earth humans used to inhabit, along with the Solar System surrounding it, was designated as G-0001 by the Space Alliance."
Roxy turned to Tae-Joon, shaking her head and clicking her tongue teasingly:
— "Tae-Joon, you're all the way out in galaxy 7921? That's way too far!"
Shin scratched his head, asking out of curiosity:
— "Then... who's the strongest under code G-0001?"
Roxy smirked, her eyes growing guarded:
— "Word is his name is Takeru! That guy is such a legend that almost no one knows whether he's alive or dead nowadays."
Xie Xingchen, sitting by the computer desk, immediately chimed in:
— "He was the strongest of the previous generation! An extraordinarily terrifying existence."
Seijuro stood in the corner of the room with arms crossed, his sword at his hip vibrating slightly. He spoke coldly:
— "I've heard that reputation before, but I didn't pay much mind to it!"
Shin glanced over at Ling Mo—who was sitting silently:
— "Ling Mo, have you ever heard of this guy's name?"
Ling Mo stopped what he was doing. Maintaining absolute silence, he merely gave a subtle shake of his head:
— "..."
Shin let out an impressed sigh:
— "Everyone's from galaxies so far away?"
Tae-Joon cast his gaze into the endless expanse, responding calmly:
— "Humans have long been scattered across the entire expanse of space!"
Just like that, five long months passed by quietly.
It was a rare period of peace in the New Human Central District, a breathing spell for underground factions to marshal their strength for major upheavals. And today, that peace officially came to a close, opening a new chapter for Zero Horizon.
Today was the day of the most lavish banquet in the history of the New Human Central District—a gathering of hundreds of influential figures, ancient nobility, and top names hailing from countless galaxies.
Shin was dressed in an elegant black suit that perfectly highlighted his athletic build. Kento stood beside him in an identical outfit. Both acted as close bodyguards following behind Xie Xingchen to easily infiltrate and monitor the situation.
At the main hall entrance—where security was tightened to the maximum with dozens of biometric scanning cameras and heavy-weapon armed guards.
A tall, burly door guard stepped forward, reaching out a hand to block their path with an overbearing attitude:
— "Where's your invitation?"
Xie Xingchen lowered his chin slightly, his eyes flashing with the arrogance of an aristocratic heir. He snapped straight into the guard's face:
— "Open your damn eyes and look, you blind fool!"
The guard flinched as he took the solid gold-plated card engraved with a unique family crest. Scanning the code immediately, his face drained of color as he instantly bowed 90 degrees, tremblingly returning the card:
— "Young Master Xingchen! I... I truly apologize for my disrespect! Right this way, sir!"
Once past security, Shin leaned into Xingchen's ear, whispering playfully:
— "Didn't expect a black hole research genius like you to put on such a mean act!"
Xingchen snapped softly, but immediately lowered his voice and winked in defense:
— "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU BASTARD! ... Sorry, Shin, I had to do that because rules here don't allow bodyguards to speak or talk to their master. Forgive me!"
The three walked through a giant crystal arch door, entering a space breathtakingly brilliant and magnificent. Sparkling glass chandeliers reflected onto the mirror-polished granite floor. Melodic classical music echoed from an orchestral ensemble in the distance, intertwined with the clinking of expensive glass stems. Hundreds of guests from all tiers of high society, from galactic nobility to mega-tycoons, were dressed in their finest attire.
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On the second floor—in a luxurious balcony arch reserved for high-profile figures—a pair of sharp eyes stared down intently at Shin's silhouette as he entered.
Chae-won smiled softly, whispering to herself:
— "Well, well... to think I'd see him here!"
The beautiful woman sitting opposite her casually took a sip of red wine, her voice carrying a hint of teasing:
— Freya: "Are you eyeing him again?"
Chae-won flipped her hair haughtily, turning away with a smile:
— "So what if I am! Hmph!"
Down in the main hall, Shin, Kento, and Xingchen moved to a wide corner area to easily survey the entire banquet. Shin and Kento stood with arms crossed behind Xingchen, their sharp gazes scanning each group of guests.
Suddenly, an impeccably dressed banquet waitress holding an expensive silver tray slowly approached.
— "Pardon me! I was instructed to bring over a glass of wine, a 60-year-old The Macallan 1926, requested personally by a young lady above!"
Xingchen, Shin, and Kento all showed clear surprise. Xingchen pointed at himself, asking blankly:
— "For me?"
The waitress smiled politely, bowing slightly:
— "My apologies, sir, but this drink is for the bodyguard standing behind you!"
Shin startled, pointing a finger at his own chest:
— "Eh? Me?"
Both Shin and Xingchen shifted from surprise to utter shock. Witnessing this, Kento raised an eyebrow, looking at his brother with a loaded glare.
Shin frowned, asking the waitress:
— "But... who ordered this expensive drink for me?"
— "The young lady on the second-floor balcony above, sir!" The waitress raised her hand pointing up toward the balcony.
Shin looked up following her gesture. On the upper balcony, Chae-won leaned against the railing, gently waving her five fingers in greeting. In her other hand was an identical glass. She executed an elegant, distant toast gesture.
Seeing this, Shin accepted the glass from the waitress, raising it back to the woman above before taking a sip. As he set the glass down, he gave a subtle nod in thanks.
Seeing his response, Chae-won brought a slender hand to cover a soft chuckle, before leisurely retreating into the VIP room, vanishing from sight.
Kento leaned into Shin's ear, teasing in a sly whisper:
— "Is that my future sister-in-law, Brother Shin?"
Shin scratched his cheek, caught between laughter and embarrassment:
— "No way! Just politely responding to her!"
Kento nudged his brother's shoulder:
— "We just ran into her last time, who knew you'd have the fate to meet her right here again!"
Shin sighed, his eyes still fixed on the second floor:
— "I'm surprised too!"
Observing the guests continuously striding down the red carpet into the main hall for a while, Xie Xingchen narrowed his eyes, speaking in a low voice:
— "These must be the actual VIP guests!"
Shin and Kento immediately fixed their eyes on the main entrance.
A group dressed in luxurious black suits entered. Leading them was a man of staggering height—2.1 meters tall. Every step he took radiated power like a walking mountain.
Shin whispered:
— "Who's that?"
Xingchen answered quickly:
— "That's Vincenzo Russo, the Italian Mafia boss, nicknamed 'Titan' by the underworld!"
Looking at his massive frame, Kento whispered in awe:
— "His face actually looks pretty gentle, who knew his build would be so terrifying!"
However, while they were still paying attention to Russo, a booming sound suddenly erupted from the outer hall!
BANG!
The large doors swung wide open as a group clad in jet-black suits entered with the disciplined, cold aura of the Japanese Yakuza. They walked with absolute precision, so disciplined not a single superfluous noise was made.
Standing out right in the middle of the group was a young man possessing striking snow-white hair. He wore an expensive long overcoat embroidered with glistening gold dragon threads.
Instantly, dozens of Yakuza henchmen who had arrived earlier stepped forward in unison, bowing as low as possible and shouting with thunderous force that shook the entire hall:
— 「レンジ様、お帰りなさいませ！」
(Welcome back, Master Renji!)
Shin surprised:
— "Renji?"
Xingchen narrowed his eyes at the youth carrying the regal aura of the underworld:
— "He's definitely the new head of the Ryuzaki clan! Full name Ryuzaki Renji, nicknamed White Dragon Renji!"
Under the glistening crystal chandeliers, every movement of Ryuzaki Renji caused his overcoat to sway aside, revealing a bloody masterpiece of high-tier Yakuza art—a traditional Munewari chest-split Irezumi tattoo.
Unlike modern machine tattoos, the entire piece on Renji's body was crafted using the manual Tebori hand-poking technique, taking thousands of hours. The background was Gakubori featuring deep black Sumi ink depicting violent rolling waves and swirling clouds, wrapping around both shoulders down to his wrists. Down the center of his chest was a strip of bare white skin along the sternum—the signature Munewari line that allowed him to hide the secret when buttoned up, but revealed an entire underworld kingdom once opened.
Standing out against that dark, mystical ink was the image of a grand White Dragon (Haku-ryu) twisting and turning.
The dragon's body wasn't made of ordinary black ink, but meticulously layered with silver-white and pearl-grey tones, making the scales glisten under the lights. The white dragon coiled multiple times across his solid back, crawling over his broad shoulders, and rearing its majestic head over the left side of his neck. Its eyes were dotted with blood-red ruby ink, emitting a haunting and brutal gaze that could see through one's very soul.
Its five-clawed talons ripped through dark clouds, clutching the Nyoi-hōju pearl right over Renji's heart. Every ink stroke sank deep into firm muscle, producing a feeling both regal and ruthless—an absolute symbol of supreme power and the unyielding soul of the Ryuzaki clan.
Carrying a wild yet majestic air, Renji casually walked toward Vincenzo Russo standing in the distance. The two giants of two underground empires faced each other amid the breathtaking silence of thousands of guests.
Renji broke into an open grin, speaking warmly:
— "Haha! Long time no see, you doing good, Russo?"
Russo wore a gentle smile on his massive face, replying:
— "Doing fine. How about you?"
Renji sighed with a shake of his head, though an arrogant smile remained on his lips:
— "Haha! I've been busy putting out fires almost the entire time! Taking over as clan head is way more exhausting than I thought!"
Saying so, Renji gestured:
— "Have a drink with me?"
Russo nodded:
— "Sure!"
Staff immediately brought over two expensive glasses of liquor for the two bosses.
The leaders of the two highest underground factions—one the powerful Italian Mafia, the other the majestic Japanese Yakuza—raised their glasses and drained them, sipping like old friends reconnecting. Around them, rows of Mafia and Yakuza subordinates stood in absolute solemn alignment, radiating suffocating pressure over the entire hall…
Right after sipping the luxury drink, Renji casually strolled to a nearby high-end leather armchair. He threw himself down with supreme swagger, nonchalantly propping both feet on the glass table before the astonished eyes of surrounding guests.
Vincenzo Russo smirked, pulling an exquisitely crafted leather case from his jacket, speaking in a deep voice:
— "Smoke a cigar?"
Renji waved a hand to disperse the alcohol vapor, raising an eyebrow:
— "Why not!"
Instantly, a Mafia subordinate stepped forward with a bow, carefully opening a premium cedar wood box. Inside were top-tier cigars neatly arranged: from Cuba's legendary Cohiba Behike 52 to world-renowned luxury cigars like the Gurkha Royal Courtesan and Arturo Fuente OpusX from the Dominican Republic.
Renji reached out and picked a Behike 52, casually holding it between two fingers. A close Yakuza attendant immediately stepped up, using a specialized torch lighter to light it for his young master. Renji took a deep drag, exhaling a thick cloud of grey smoke, slowly savoring the expensive, elite flavor.
Suddenly, all central lights in the hall converged onto a single point. Every eye and attention of the guests focused on a figure stepping down the gilded staircase—the host presiding over tonight's entire banquet.
He walked with total arrogance, heading straight toward the area of the two underworld bosses.
Watching from afar, Kento narrowed his eyes at the young guy approaching, whispering in disdain:
— "Who's that spoiled brat looking guy?"
Xie Xingchen's face darkened, his eyes full of vigilance:
— "That's Lu Xie (陆邪), son of the head of the 10-Planet Federation! He's also the host presiding over today's gathering of high society!"
Kento clicked his tongue, jerking his chin in assessment:
— "Looks cocky as hell!”
Lu Xie approached with leisurely steps. Seeing him coming, the elite gunmen of both the Italian Mafia and Japanese Yakuza parted to both sides, respectfully clearing a private path.
Lu Xie held a crystal wine glass in one hand, flanked on both sides by two scantily clad, daring beauties. Their sheer silk dresses clung to their skin, cut deep to reveal dangerously seductive curves. The two were dressed so scandalously they practically looked naked, radiating a dense fragrance and a provocatively flirtatious aura.
As he walked, Lu Xie's free hand shamelessly reached over to grope and squeeze the round, firm butt cheek of the girl on his right. Far from shying away, she arched her back seductively, offering a flirtatious smile. The girl on his left gently held an expensive bottle of liquor and a gleaming glass.
Lu Xie landed a sharp SLAP! on the gorgeous butt cheek beside him as a signal. Understanding immediately, she stepped forward playfully to fill his glass to the brim.
Lu Xie smirked, looking at the two bosses with total arrogance:
— "May I buy you two a drink?"
Russo pondered briefly before smiling calmly, raising his glass:
— "If Young Master Lu extends an invitation, how could I refuse?"
Lu Xie let out a loud, arrogant laugh. All three toasted and drained their glasses. After taking his drink, Lu Xie patted the shoulders of the two beauties and leisurely walked off arm-in-arm with them to greet other VIP guests.
The moment Lu Xie turned his back, the arrogant smile on Ryuzaki Renji's face vanished instantly. His expression darkened, eyes blazing with cold killing intent. He took a drag from his cigar, spat hard onto the floor, and muttered in Japanese with utter disdain:
— 「あの傲慢な野郎め！見ているだけで虫唾が走る！親の七光りのくせに、俺に調子こきやがって！」
(That arrogant bastard! Just looking at him makes my skin crawl! Riding his daddy's coat-tails and daring to act big with me!)
Vincenzo Russo beside him calmly puffed on his fragrant cigar, leisurely offering a word of caution:
— "Don't poke a hornet's nest, or you'll get stung."
Renji grit his teeth, lowering his voice as he growled out curses:
— 「無礼な親父に、調子に乗ったクソガキが！」
(Rude father, arrogant brat!)
(To be continued)