Truth Beneath the Pulse [Part-2]

"Senior Divine Doctor Ravenswood, is there still hope for my father’s health?"

Yana’s voice trembled slightly despite her effort to keep it steady. Her fingers were still clenched at her sides, nails digging faintly into her palms.

A moment ago, her heart had been burning with fury.

Now—

That anger had been pushed aside, swallowed whole by something deeper.

Fear.

Not for herself.

For him.

For the man who had once stood like a mountain before her... and now sat in a wheelchair, his fate hanging on someone else’s words.

Senior Divine Doctor Ravenswood looked at her, his earlier anger slowly settling into calm seriousness.

"Yes."

The single word landed like rain on dry earth.

"I can perform some Acupuncture Therapy and prescribe a formula."

His tone was steady, assured—like someone who had already seen the path ahead.

"Just a week of recuperation and he’ll be fine."

Yana’s breath caught.

Her shoulders loosened—just slightly—like a tightly drawn bow finally easing.

Wren Tyson, who had remained silent, also exhaled faintly, though he tried to hide it.

"Fortunately..."

Amara’s gaze sharpened again.

"You came early."

A pause.

His voice lowered.

"If that person had treated him one more time... even I would have been powerless."

The room went cold.

Yana’s pupils shrank.

One more time...

That close.

They had been that close to losing everything.

Her fists tightened again—this time not from uncertainty, but from something far more dangerous.

After speaking, Senior Divine Doctor Ravenswood stood and gestured toward the inner room.

"Bring him in. We’ll begin immediately."

His tone allowed no delay.

Yana nodded quickly.

"Thank you, Senior Divine Doctor Ravenswood."

Her voice was firm now—carrying sincerity that went beyond words.

"The Tyson Family will never forget your kindness today."

She bowed deeply.

Not out of courtesy—

But from the heart.

Wren Tyson watched this silently, his expression complicated.

He had lived long enough to understand what this moment meant.

A debt.

A life-saving debt.

And this one... could not be repaid lightly.

—

Inside the treatment room, the air was warmer.

The faint scent of medicinal herbs mixed with something sharper—the metallic hint of sterilized needles.

Yana helped her father onto the bed.

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

No words were spoken.

But everything was understood.

Then she stepped back.

The door closed softly behind her.

—

Outside—

Silence.

Heavy.

Oppressive.

Yana stood alone in the corridor.

Her posture was straight, but her entire body was rigid, like a blade drawn too tight.

Her fists clenched slowly.

Knuckles whitening.

Her breathing deepened.

Lucus.

That name surfaced in her mind like poison rising to the surface.

How dare you...

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

How dare you humiliate the Tyson Family like this.

Not just deceive them.

Not just use them.

But toy with her father’s life.

Her father.

The man she had admired since childhood.

The man who had taught her how to stand, how to fight, how to never bow.

Her chest tightened.

A storm was building inside her.

She, Yana...

swore—

she would not rest until she avenged this.

The vow formed silently.

But it carried weight.

The kind that didn’t fade.

However—

Reality struck just as quickly.

Her expression faltered slightly.

Her strength...

was not enough.

Her brows furrowed.

The Tyson Family had declined in recent years.

Ever since her father’s accident—

Everything had slowed.

Weakened.

Even the other experts in the family...

She exhaled quietly.

All of them—including her—were stuck at the early stage of the Silver Realm.

No breakthrough.

No progress.

And Lucas—

That man had already stepped into the peak of that realm.

The gap wasn’t small.

It was clear.

Brutal.

Even if they joined forces...

The chances of defeating him were slim.

Yana’s gaze hardened.

That kind of difference...

could not be ignored.

Her mind began to move.

Fast.

Sharp.

Calculating.

If strength alone wasn’t enough—

Then she would find another way.

A plan began forming.

Piece by piece.

No matter what...

she could not let him off easily.

—

...

—

At this moment—

Far from the quiet tension of the clinic—

At the Tyson Family residence—

The atmosphere was entirely different.

Still.

Leisurely.

Almost peaceful.

By the artificial lake, sunlight reflected off the water in soft ripples.

A breeze drifted through the courtyard, carrying the faint scent of trimmed grass and stone.

Lucas sat calmly by the edge of the lake.

A fishing rod rested lightly in his hand.

The line extended into the water, unmoving.

He didn’t seem in a hurry.

Didn’t seem concerned.

In fact—

He looked... relaxed.

Satisfied.

A faint smile lingered at the corner of his lips. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

A few days ago—

He had suffered a setback.

A real one.

Enough to force him into the hospital.

But now—

After two days of recovery—

He was back.

And not just back—

Comfortable.

Secure.

He had returned to Valemont...

and chosen to rest here.

At the Tyson Family residence.

The place that was slowly—

inevitably—

becoming his.

His fingers adjusted slightly on the rod.

Eyes half-lidded.

Calm.

Calculating beneath the surface.

He wasn’t like Evan.

That fool...

always chasing money first.

Trying to control the four major households through business.

Lucas scoffed inwardly.

Money was nothing without power.

Power—

That was the real foundation.

The Tyson Family...

was his first step.

His foothold.

His bridge into the Old Martial Arts world of Valemont.

Once he controlled them—

Everything else would follow.

His gaze drifted toward the water.

The surface shimmered faintly.

But beneath it—

Depth.

Hidden movement.

Just like his plans.

At that moment—

His thoughts shifted.

To the auction.

A faint gleam appeared in his eyes.

The treasure he had his eye on...

had already been photographed and sent to him.

The lion Gem statue.

He could still recall its shape.

Its weight.

Its presence.

Ordinary people would see nothing special.

But he knew better.

The Obsidian Wing had records.

Ancient ones.

Hidden knowledge few could access.

Inside that statue—

Was something extraordinary.

The Nine Way Cleansing Elixir.

A long-lost treasure.

A miracle in pill form.

His lips curled slightly.

For him—

This wasn’t just valuable.

It was everything.

With it—

He could break through.

In one step.

Straight into the Gold Realm.

No bottleneck.

No delay.

No struggle.

The fishing line trembled slightly.

A ripple spread across the water.

Lucas didn’t move.

Didn’t pull.

He simply watched.

Waiting.

Because he understood something simple—

The bigger the reward...

The more patience it required.