Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

Enos stood up from his desk and looked at Myles and Eleanor, seeing the ugly look on the woman's face while the number two in the city looked at him with an annoying little smile.

"Myles," Enos said, his voice filled with a deep sense of rivalry.

They would fight in the arena soon, but it wouldn't be their first match. They had known each other for years and had fought a dozen times. With two more wins on his record, Myles wasn't ahead of Enos by luck. In fact, he had proven to be stronger!

Still, Enos wasn't far behind his rival and didn't see Myles as his superior, but as someone within reach, someone he could overcome at any moment.

"Looks like you're preparing well for our next fight..." Myles laughed as he looked at all the food Enos had eaten. "If you show all that voracity in the arena, I'm afraid I'll be in trouble."

Enos secretly clenched a fist, wanting to punch the annoying Myles in the face. But he held back, smiling as he changed the subject. "It seems the rumors aren't wrong, after all. You two really are together." He gave Eleanor a good look, which irritated her to some degree.

Glancing back at Myles, Enos said provocatively, "I wonder if Liam Porter's appearance was really random? I don't know. You seem pretty happy now, Myles. Liam has given you the opportunity to be with your goddess."

Eleanor stepped forward and raised one hand in the air as the temperature in the room dropped noticeably, ice forming under some drinks on the surrounding tables.

"Watch your language, Enos!" She was about to take action when Myles grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

Enos smiled at the sight of the usually calm Eleanor getting so worked up while he stood motionless, not at all worried about a fight there.

Myles looked at Enos and said, "Liam Porter... Tsk! He's just a simple enemy. An enemy you seem to have as well, I hear."

"Right, indeed." Enos closed his eyes and thought of Liam again.

"If you weren't an idiot, we could join forces against the Leopards. I heard Robert Toule found a good beast to hunt and become his third Spirit," Myles said, softening the hostility in his tone. "Liam Porter is part of Robert's faction and will join the hunt for the Silver-Winged Leopard. It seems only natural that we unite against them."

Despite the rivalries between them, despite how much they had fought and disliked each other, Myles was calculating enough to accept joining an enemy to take down a more troublesome one.

The fifth ranked player in the arena, Robert Toule, was more problematic than his ranking would suggest. Although he only had 2 Spirits, Robert was ranked fifth. However, all the cultivators before Robert had 3 Spirits each, which meant that if he got the Silver-Winged Leopard, he would become much stronger and could challenge those who were ranked higher than him.

Enos knew this very well. He also monitored his biggest rivals and had his worries. But today he had something else on his mind.

'Liam Porter may have joined the Secret Hunt. If that's true, it won't be good for me to be allied with anyone when I take him down. Otherwise, more people will find out about the Secret Hunt.'

Enos' eyes narrowed. He was the only one in the top 10 of the Arena who was currently taking part in the Secret Hunt. His other competitors were outside the top 10 in City Thirteen or were resident disciples from other Demon Gate cities.

With a smile on his face, Enos said as he left his payment for the food on the table, "Good luck to you, but I have other things to worry about."

Passing Myles, who was now much more serious, Enos said goodbye, "See you on the battleground soon. I'm sorry for you, but this time I'll be wiping the floor of that platform with your face."

Myles gritted his teeth as he clenched his fists so hard his hands turned white.

Eleanor watched the big man walk away and shook her head negatively. She was also worried about Robert Toule and the growth of Leopards after the Silver-Winged Leopard hunt.

"It's a shame. Although he is a disgusting man, Enos is strong and would be a good weapon for us against the Leopards," Eleanor said to her ally.

Although the reason for her alliance with Myles was related to Liam's meteoric rise, since they were already allied, it made sense to solve other problems together.

Dealing with Liam was something that would prevent future problems and avenge the recent losses they had both suffered. But dealing with Robert would prevent a tremendous complication from knocking on their door in a matter of days or weeks at the most.

"That piglet is up to something," Myles said, trying to control his anger.

"Hmm?"

"I don't know what it is, but he's up to something. Though unpleasant and inconvenient, Enos knows well that he has much to lose from Robert's eventual rise. He must have something up his sleeve. We should keep an eye on him."

...

Later that day, Liam and Mary met again, as she had warned Emerald Owls that she would meet him in the evening.

Earlier, Emerald Owls had received contact from 'Abimael' and were even more prepared and certain to take action against Liam the following day.

The meeting between Liam and Mary went smoothly, without drawing attention to her actual intentions, but the two didn't risk much either. After a quick cultivation of about half an hour, she left his room and made her way to her own dormitory.

With her promotion from Aspirant to Initiate, Mary not only gained fewer hours of work per week and a better wage, but she also had the opportunity to change dormitories.

Now she no longer had to live on Street Fifty-Three, having moved to a room in one of the dormitories on Street Thirty-Nine, closer to Liam and her friend Jane, who lived on Street Thirty-Five.

Electa, on the other hand, having become a Senior Initiate a few days ago, had already moved to Street Twenty-Three, where the only dormitories for Senior Initiates in the City Thirteen were located. Aside from it, Senior Initiates could buy their own property and share it with faction mates, or even live alone like the arena rank leaders did.

However, for the moment, none of them were concerned about this change in housing, as Electa was already positioned at the ambush site, while Mary and Liam were soon preparing to leave to carry out their ambitious plans the next day.

Jane and the Leopards' men who would be joining them would leave before them to join Electa, so each of them was preparing as well, sharpening their blades and reviewing their plans.

And so, time would continue its relentless march, bringing an end to another night and giving birth to a fresh day over Peak Thirteen.

As a new day dawned, Liam made his way to the Records Hall to obtain the necessary permission to leave the city afternoon. Then he continued his journey to the Runes Hall. However, this time, he decided to keep his absence from the city a secret from Ann. He planned to be gone for only a day, and he was sure he'd be back tomorrow, or he'd die in the forest.

After finishing his two hours of study under Ann's supervision, he went to the Lotus Temple to spend some of the merit points he had because of his monthly wage.

Unfortunately, an Initiate's wage was low, and after only two hours at the temple, Liam didn't have enough merit points to continue there. He then made his way to the Refectory, planning to fill his belly and spend the last few hours practicing his profession before leaving the city.

At dusk, when the group of Leopards' men and Jane had already left town, he met up with Mary outside her new dormitory.

"Ready?" he asked with a calculated smile.

She nodded, and without delay, the two of them walked down the steps to Street Fifty-Three, heading for one of the city's exits.

Following them, an Emerald Owl emissary monitored them, while another went to warn the faction group waiting to leave the city as well!