Absolute Cheater
Chapter 345 - 345: Ambush

As the fire crackled gently in the hearth and the warmth of shared memories settled over the table like a thick blanket, Asher leaned back and glanced at Veyra with a curious smile. "So… tell me. What other interesting places are there in Evolver's Paradise? You've been here longer than we have."

Veyra lit up, her eyes gleaming faintly in the lamplight. "Well, there's one place everyone talks about—even the nobles and high-society Evolvers. The King's Arena."

Valeris raised an elegant brow. "A place for battles?"

Veyra nodded. "Yes. But it's more than just a coliseum. It's a grand proving ground—built into a floating spiral tower of mirrored glass and bone-wrought steel. The arena shifts depending on the fighters, adapting to their elements and Laws. It even manifests illusions to test your resolve and creativity. The King's Arena is where pride goes to live… or die."

Asher leaned in, intrigued. "Sounds tempting. But you're hesitating."

Veyra shrugged a little. "It's tempting, yes. But don't expect a challenge. Most of the top contenders there are Void Rank or lower. None of them are even close to your level. You'd be stepping into a stage meant for lions while being a god. It's no real fight."

Valeris gave a low chuckle. "Then it would be a show."

"Exactly," Veyra said with a grin. "That's why I didn't bring it up earlier. You'd probably flatten them by breathing wrong."

Asher smiled thoughtfully but didn't press it. "Fair. Maybe another time, when I feel like stirring the pot."

Valeris sipped her tea again. "Then let us not waste time chasing toys. If there is no worthy opponent, let us enjoy the city as it was meant to be—freely."

And so they did.

A Walk Through Evolver's Paradise

Morning arrived dressed in golden mist. The city of Evolver's Paradise awoke like a dream reweaving itself—its bridges of light slowly glowing, its sky-arches pulsing with the heartbeat of runic energy. Floating islands moved lazily above, trailing vines and waterfalls that fell into great canals carved through radiant obsidian streets.

Asher, Valeris, and Veyra walked together beneath a sun that shimmered through a veil of crystalline clouds. The city was a kaleidoscope of wonder: towers made of translucent stone that changed color with thought, traders hawking paradoxal fruits—some that whispered to you, others that phased between flavors mid-bite.

Valeris paused near a stall where a golden-feathered serpent was curled asleep on its own pile of wares. "Interesting pets," she mused.

The serpent opened one lazy eye and purred like a cat, then began reciting riddles in three different languages.

Veyra laughed. "That one's a Riddlecoil. They say answering it correctly grants a favor from its master. But if you get it wrong…"

Valeris smiled. "It vanishes, with your voice."

They passed alchemical gardens where gravity didn't exist. Flowers floated in mid-air, blooming upside-down with petals of flame and crystal. Valeris brushed one with a finger—it hummed a soft lullaby in response.

Asher tried a small stand selling Memory Teas, brewed from fragments of dream cores. The flavor changed depending on the drinker's emotions. His tasted like rain on warm stone and a melody half-forgotten. Valeris's tasted of starfire and midnight wind. Veyra's, to her surprise, tasted like the blood of home and the smell of old parchment.

They dined in a rotating tavern perched on a shifting cliff—The Spiral Ember, a favorite of wandering Evolvers. There, sentient dishes argued about which of them should be eaten first. Asher let one pudding convince him by promising to taste like victory. It mostly delivered.

Veyra led them next to the Eclipsed Bazaar, a market square that only existed in shadows. Only when the sun dipped just right did the hidden shops become visible—glowing faintly under canopies of void silk. There were weapons there that whispered names of their previous wielders, armors that adapted to the wearer's mood, and even a cursed harp that would only play when no one listened.

In a quiet corner, Asher found an old, blind Evolver monk sitting by a fountain of starlight. The monk touched his hand and spoke one cryptic sentence:

"Even kings fall, but stars born in silence are eternal."

And then refused to say another word.

Valeris bought a scarf that shimmered like dragon-scale but weighed nothing. Veyra tried on enchanted boots that made her briefly hover, but laughed and passed—"I like the feel of ground under my steps," she said.

Evening on the High Sky Balconies

As the day faded into a velvet night filled with twin moons, they stood atop one of Evolver's Paradise's highest sky balconies. Below them, the city glittered like a tapestry of falling stars. Lanterns floated up into the sky, each one released by someone with a wish.

"Make a wish," Veyra said, lighting a lantern of her own.

Asher raised a brow. "Will it come true?"

Valeris chuckled. "Not unless you make it happen."

Still, each of them released one.

Veyra whispered something soft.

Valeris said nothing aloud, but her eyes lingered on Asher.

And Asher, quietly, wished for the strength to protect both of them… and to find a quicker way to return back to his home.

The next dawn arrived in pale gold, stretching long shadows across the marble streets of Evolver's Paradise. The trio—Asher, Valeris, and Veyra—stood at the gates of the city, bags light but power heavy in their steps. The air was crisp, fragrant with the strange flora that bloomed along the outer walls. Behind them lay splendor, laughter, memory.

Ahead was the unknown.

They followed the Glassen Artery, a winding crystal-paved road that shimmered with stored light from the sun. It led southeast, toward the legendary World Heart City—a sacred place at the very core of this realm, built upon the molten vein that pulsed like the planet's own heartbeat. It was said that only those of true World Rank were allowed permanent residence there, for the city itself rejected the unworthy.

Veyra spoke as they walked, her cloak trailing through the morning mist. "World Heart City isn't just a city—it's the stage where fate is sculpted. All major treaties, conquests, duels of Ascension… they happen there. And it's the only place where all the World-Rank Evolvers gather without constant war breaking out."