"Yes. But I haven't heard of her or even seen her since then. She would have forgotten of me," Noah explained. He saw the shock on Elder Sarah's face and shook his head.

"You're saying she's the one who invited you?" Elder Sarah stood at this juncture in their conversation.

"Yes, I utilized the image box she granted me to get into the tests even when registrations were done."

"Melissa brought you into this guild essentially," Elder Sarah seemed to struggle with that reality.

"Hmm. I had needed to pass the various tests. But yes I got to know about joining the guild thanks to her," he explained, sipping his wine until he emptied the cup and refilled it.

Anna burst into laughter when Sarah fell on her chair with a dumbstruck expression.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" She ignored her friend to focus on her breathtaking student. If she could even call him that. Noah could demolish her in a fight, but rather than be upset or even jealous she simply found ways to brag about him.

"You never asked," Noah stated plainly.

"You never asked about most things connected to my life before I reached the guild." His addition caused his master to drop her shoulders in defeat. Noah was right. She had actually decided not to pry to not make him feel pressured.

After some point she forgot altogether, his improvement wowed her too much for thoughts about his past to properly take hold of her mind. Sure she wondered where a man like him came from but had dropped it at some point.

Noah chugged down more of the sweet-tasting wine. He watched his master shake her head before picking up a conversation.

They talked for hours and during those moments Noah found out that much more had changed.

As a promise to her own master and a tradition of sorts elder Sarah had needed to find a new student. Ironically the person had been a lady also.

Starting her training while she stood in the higher stage, Elder Sarah bounced back and forth from her training with the grand elders and her training with her new student.

Apparently, the said woman had learned all the various forms within the roiling thunder technique and had eventually crossed over into the fourth tier.

Elder Sarah left the lady covering for her while she returned to the guild.

"She's strong and a pretty fast learner, I believe you two might get along," Sarah announced, sipping more wine while thoughts ran through her mind.

"It would be a pleasure to meet her. But we might not get to meet for a while. Master Ezra has many things prepared for me and my group," Noah explained.

"I understand, I understand." Sarah nodded, suddenly falling silent.

"What are we going to do about your training?" She asked, finding the issue a bit troublesome. She had never thought she would be in such a situation.

"Whatever you desire, master," Noah responded unfazed. His demeanor also refused to change. Both elders had long since noticed his rather straight and apathetic responses to all that had been said.

"I mean, having two disciples that have mastered the various forms was never against the rules..." She tried to find a reason for her upcoming decision.

"Still, you've reached a level where martial arts seem useless. At this point I recognize that you've always been at that level," She sighed.

"True. I have always been far stronger than my mates. And that is how it will continue," His gaze never wavered even if his words remained high and even outrageous.

Unfortunately, he had all the results to back up those words. He had bested even the infamous Sarah in battle. When he arrived at the front lines he would shock the nation.

Anna exchanged glances with Elder Sarah who simply shook her head. Her outrageous student was back.

"I'll hold off a bit in bragging about your return, your younger disciple never stopped hearing about your feats. She's probably gained a certain level of dislike toward you. I even refrained from telling her about the truth of my sudden departure," Sarah explained, shaking her head.

"I doubt many would believe that I'm alive. I hope to join the front lines soon," Noah explained even if all he wanted was to farm levels.

"Well then. That's enough talking. I suppose I should be on my way back," Elder Sarah announced, standing.

"Already?" Anna asked, furrowing her brows.

"Yeah, yeah. The raid will happen soon, I have to return as quickly as I can," she clarified allowing a new bottle of wine to appear.

"You can take those. I see you enjoy them."

"This is new. I thought you were still close-handed concerning your wine," Noah taunted even if he made the bottles disappear before the elder could do anything.

Elder Sarah's expression went cold, however. "I've not seen you smile once, nor do anything relatively related to humanness. Have your emotions been locked away or something?" She addressed an issue that had been on her mind ever since their fight ended.

"The truth wouldn't be too far from that." Stated Noah.

"Well do something about it. It drains the fun out of our reunion. I miss the emotions of hate and annoyance you used to reveal during our training sessions," her tone remained cold, even if she furrowed her brows. The matter disturbed her.

But that wasn't all. Noah's presence felt distant from humanity. It wasn't what she was used to. Her instincts also buzzed occasionally. Sure he was strong, but this was more.

Even before Noah spoke, his existence already felt intimidating. Coupled with his sudden lack of emotions. It was more than unsettling.

Her very being trembled at his. And the whiffs of death that flowed forth from his figure never stopped causing her mind trouble.

Although she could only perceive whiffs, they were intense enough to make her mood waver. It felt dark and probably was. She simply tried her best to hide her discomfort. The man before her was her student but felt drastically different from a man.

"I apologize for the discomfort." Noah head-bowed.

Elder Sarah stayed silent, however. She would leave immediately. Just as she had said.

"I'll try my best to return after the raid. Both of you shouldn't get yourself killed," she announced as they arrived outside of the mansion.

She raised her head to the sky before placing two fingers in her mouth and generating a whistle.

Noah's eyes sharpened when a certain presence arrived in the range of his consciousness.historical

A large magical beast appeared above that place and Elder Sarah floated towards it. Even her flying beast had reached the fourth tier during those yes. Its features had gotten majestic.

"We won't," Anna responded while Noah continued to stare at the beast and the beast at him.

"Aiden, be careful," she spoke, shaking her head when Noah nodded.

Tapping the beast's side, both experts watched it shatter the sound barrier to exit that area with a powerful bang.