Chapter 299: Stalkers [1] After leaving the arena, Noah stepped into the cool air that pressed close around the stadium. The shouts and chatter of the departing crowd drifted like a fading echo behind him. At the edge of the walkway, a familiar figure stood, waiting with a still and dignified posture. Master Tanaka’s hands rested behind his back, his gaze steady as Noah approached. "Noah...I am proud of your progress. Truly proud. You have advanced beyond what even I had dared to expect." Tanaka said, his voice carrying warmth that softened the lines of his face. Noah nodded deeply, the gesture rooted in respect rather than formality. "Thank you, Master. Everything I have achieved rests on the foundation you gave me." Of course, that wasn’t entirely true, but Noah was being polite. The pride in Tanaka’s eyes faded, as though a hidden weight pressed down on him. A shadow passed across his features, and when he spoke again, his words were slow and well thought out. "There is something I must say before tomorrow. It troubles me to remain silent." He studied Noah for a moment, then continued. "Do not let vengeance become your compass. The desire for retribution burns hot, but it consumes the one who carries it. You are destined for more than settling scores. Mercy, when it can be shown, will serve you longer and carry you farther than revenge ever could." His voice held the texture of experience, and Noah recognised the feeling of melancholy that Master Tanaka was emitting. This was not a lecture drawn from philosophy but the confession of a man who had walked the wrong path once and never fully escaped its shadow. The regret in Tanaka’s tone gave his words a weight that no textbook or training hall could provide. Noah neither agreed nor rejected Tanaka’s words. With a quiet and sincere tone anchoring his voice, he said. "Thank you for your guidance, Master." Tanaka nodded, satisfied that his heart had been spoken, yet unwilling to burden his student further. He understood that advice pressed too hard could become resistance. Wisdom had to be carried willingly, not forced upon the shoulders of the young. "I will not keep you longer," Tanaka said, stepping aside. With a soft smile on his face, Tanaka said. "Rest well. You have an important match awaiting you tomorrow. I will be there to watch and support you from the crowd" Noah inclined his head once more before moving past him, the night swallowing the sound of his footsteps. Back at the resort, he closed his room door and let out a slow breath. Without hesitation, he accessed his portal to the shop. Just as he had done the night before, he would spend the remaining hours training and honing his skills. Inside his shop, Noah appeared on the second floor, having deliberately chosen this as his exit and entry point to avoid disturbing Lola’s training session below. Looking around, he didn’t spot Leo, which meant the Golden Mane Lion was likely resting beside Lola as she practised. Noah glanced at the idle room and confirmed it remained unavailable. Twenty-four hours hadn’t passed yet, preventing him from using the automated training system for skill advancement. He made his way down the stairs quietly, careful not to create any sound that might break Lola’s concentration. The sight of Lola practising with closed eyes while Leo sat peacefully beside her filled Noah with warmth. The scene embodied the family-like atmosphere he had come to cherish, a sanctuary of peace and serenity within his shop. Even though the outside world remained cruel, with beings killing without mercy, none of that mattered within these walls. His shop had become a haven where care and support flourished. Noah found himself studying Lola’s focused expression, which he found incredibly charming. After consuming the rose petal candy, her natural beauty had been enhanced even further, making it difficult to look away after landing his eyes on her. He stared at her for a full minute, his mind wandering through various thoughts and possibilities. After the minute passed, he shook his head firmly. What am I thinking... All kinds of thoughts had rushed through his mind during that brief period, and he felt genuinely embarrassed considering that Lola might not harbour similar feelings toward him. The uncertainty about her emotions, combined with their professional relationship, the complexities of their situation, and his previous relationships, made such contemplations feel presumptuous and problematic. Noah quietly retreated his gaze to give himself space to focus on training rather than dwelling on romantic complications that could damage their current relationship. His eyes casually moved toward the window, and he caught something that made him narrow his eyes in suspicion. Outside his store stood two elves—one dark elf and one light elf. Their presence outside his shop made him frown with concern about their intentions. Noah wasn’t surprised that they weren’t attacking each other. He had established clear rules: no bloodshed until the auction concluded, which was still a day away. By that time, Lola would have significantly improved her strength and possibly reached the power levels of Darian and Seraphina, despite having only achieved grandmaster rank a few days earlier. The peaceful training environment Noah provided, coupled with daily consumption of instant coffee and mystical herb tea, had accelerated her progress beyond anything previously recorded in this world. The concentrated enhancement regimen was producing unprecedented results. After all, during the auction, it was evident that even people at the top of the food chain, like Seraphina and Darian, would sacrifice thousands of lives for a single powerful premium item that Noah could provide. Yet Lola was consuming twelve enhancement items daily—a level of augmentation that dwarfed what even the strongest in the elven kingdom could access. The irony wasn’t lost on him. While entire kingdoms fought wars over individual enhancement opportunities, his employee enjoyed unlimited access to the very items that drove their conflicts to higher limit. The disparity in resources highlighted just how dramatically his shop had disrupted the natural power balance of this world. Noah watched the elves carefully, wondering what had brought representatives from both factions to observe his establishment during the ceasefire period.