Eldrin lowered his gaze slightly and spoke again.

"It is because he is not here," he said calmly.

Sorien paused.

"…Not here?" he repeated. "Then I can wait."

Eldrin shook his head slowly.

"That is not what I meant," he said. "He is not in this world."

Sorien frowned. "Explain."

Eldrin lifted his head.

"He is in the demon world."

Sorien froze.

"…What?"

He took a step forward without realizing it.

"In the demon world?" Sorien said sharply. "That's impossible."

He shook his head.

"No one can enter a Demon Gate and reach the demon world. Not humans. Not beasts."

Eldrin met his gaze.

"He did," Eldrin said simply. "It should be because of the unstable demon gate from a long time of sealing."

Sorien let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it.

"You are mistaken," he said. "Whether the gate is unstable or not, entry is impossible."

He raised one hand slightly as if explaining something obvious.

"To pass through a Demon Gate, one must possess demonic mana," Sorien continued. "Humans do not have it. Beasts do not have it."

He looked directly at Eldrin.

"That is why your seals held for so long. That is why no one crossed."

Eldrin's eyes widened slightly.

This was the first time he had heard that explanation.

"…I see," Eldrin said quietly.

Then his gaze sharpened.

"But he did not only enter," Eldrin continued. "He destroyed the Demon Gate."

Sorien stiffened.

"…From the other side?" he asked.

Eldrin nodded.

Sorien's expression darkened.

"That changes things," he said slowly.

He crossed his arms.

"Then there is only one explanation," Sorien said. "This Garion must be a demonic cultivator."

Eldrin frowned.

"No," he said at once. "That is impossible."

He shook his head.

"Demonic cultivators lose themselves," Eldrin continued. "Their minds collapse. Their reason breaks."

He looked firm now.

"He was sane. Clear. Focused."

Sorien studied him carefully.

"And yet," Sorien said, "he entered the demon world, destroyed a Demon Gate, and possesses power beyond reason."

He exhaled.

"Demonic cultivation explains all of that."

Eldrin fell silent.

He searched for a counterargument.

None came.

"…I cannot deny the logic," Eldrin said at last.

Before Sorien could speak again, Silvar stepped forward.

He looked at both of them.

"Garion is not a demonic cultivator," Silvar said.

Eldrin turned toward him at once. Sorien did the same.

"How can you be so sure?" Sorien asked.

Silvar did not hesitate.

"Because he does not follow a traditional path," he replied.

Eldrin blinked.

"…Ah," he said softly. "That's right. I forgot."

Sorien frowned deeper.

"Not following the traditional path?" he repeated. "What does that mean?"

Silvar nodded once.

"This Garion created a new cultivation path," he said.

Sorien's eyes narrowed.

"A new path?" he asked. "And strong enough to destroy a Demon Gate?"

"Yes," Silvar said flatly.

Sorien crossed his arms.

"…What kind of path?"

Silvar paused, then spoke again.

"If I remember correctly," he said, "Garion named it the [God Physique Cultivation Path]."

Sorien scoffed.

"God Physique?" he repeated. "What an arrogant name."

Silvar didn't react.

"He earned the arrogance," Silvar replied. "The path is unreasonable and extremely powerful."

Sorien went quiet.

Then he looked around the island.

"…And this path," he said slowly, "does it belong to a sect?"

Silvar nodded.

"Yes," he said. "It is called the God Gym."

Sorien's eyebrows rose.

"…A sect?" he asked. "On this island?"

Eldrin nodded gently.

"It was built here," Eldrin said. "Not long ago."

Sorien let out a small breath, half disbelief, half curiosity.

"Someone bold enough to build a sect on Demon Gate Island," he muttered.

He straightened his posture.

"…Very well," Sorien said. "Let's go see it."

Silvar turned toward him.

"You wish to confirm whether they are demonic cultivators," Silvar said.

"Yes," Sorien replied. "I want to see this God Gym with my own eyes."

---

They arrived at the gates of the God Gym not long after.

The tall gate stood firm, simple but heavy with presence.

Eldrin stepped forward and lifted his head.

"Dahlia," he called out calmly, his voice carrying easily past the walls.

"There is a guest."

Inside the God Gym, several heads turned at once.

Dahlia paused mid-stretch, one foot still on a bench. Her brow lifted.

"…A guest?" she muttered.

She wiped her hands on her shorts and straightened up.

"For Eldrin to call out personally," she said, glancing around, "that's not normal."

Nearby, the twins stopped what they were doing.

Rynor crossed his arms. "Sounds serious."

Clara leaned closer, eyes sparkling. "Ooo, mysterious visitor?"

Dahlia ignored them and turned toward the inner hall.

She spotted Rachel calmly finishing her tea.

"Elder Rachel," Dahlia said, walking over, "let's go out and meet them."

Rachel looked up, already sensing the shift in atmosphere.

"A guest brought by Eldrin?" she asked gently.

Dahlia nodded. "Yeah. That already tells me enough."

Rachel stood and adjusted her robe.

"Should we bring others?" she asked.

Dahlia shook her head.

"Just the two of us," she replied. "You're basically the highest authority here right now."

She glanced back toward the others.

"And let's be honest," she added, lowering her voice slightly, "the rest are… unreliable."

Behind them, the twins bristled.

"Hey!" Rynor protested.

Clara put a hand on her chest. "Wow. Betrayed."

Dahlia waved them off without even looking.

"Behave," she said over her shoulder. "Or stay inside."

The twins frowned. Clara pouted dramatically.

Dahlia didn't slow down.

She stepped through the gates with Rachel beside her, posture relaxed but alert.

The moment they crossed outside, they saw them.

Eldrin stood calmly ahead.

Beside him were unfamiliar figures, one carrying a cold, judging presence, another standing straight with eyes sharp and curious.

Dahlia whistled softly.

"…Yeah," she muttered. "Definitely not small guests."

Rachel inclined her head politely, calm as ever.

"Welcome to the God Gym," she said warmly.

Dahlia folded her arms and smiled.

"So," she added, eyes flicking between them, "what brings legendary beasts and important people to our front gate today?"

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