Chapter 59: Albert.
For the first time since the conversation began, the Sword Saint’s expression became completely serious.
"Surpassed it?" he repeated.
If those words had come from anyone else, he would have dismissed them immediately. In fact, he might have even considered it an insult. Throughout his life, countless people had approached him claiming they had discovered some unparalleled genius, only for the so-called prodigy to disappoint him the moment he laid eyes on them.
But Zoey was different.
She wasn’t someone who exaggerated.
Nor was she someone who spoke carelessly.
If she said something like this, then she genuinely believed it.
That alone was enough to make him pay attention.
Of course, paying attention did not mean believing it outright.
Perhaps the young man had impressed her. Perhaps she had encountered someone talented enough to leave a strong impression. But Zoey’s standards and his standards were vastly different things.
The Sword Saint had spent decades standing at the pinnacle of humanity.
He had seen monsters among monsters.
Geniuses who could shake entire generations.
Individuals who had been hailed as the future of mankind.
Most of them had failed to meet his expectations.
So while he was interested, he remained skeptical.
Meanwhile, Zoey showed no intention of backing down.
Immediately, she began explaining everything.
She spoke about Marcus.
About how Kael had fought someone well above Level Forty despite only awakening a few days ago.
She spoke about how he had carried both her and Adam all the way to Level Twenty in a single day.
Then came the Giant Sand Worm.
A monster that was dangerously close to Level Fifty, if not already there.
She described how Kael had stayed behind to face it alone while everyone else retreated.
Finally, she recounted the encounter with the plunderers.
From beginning to end, she left nothing out.
The Sword Saint listened quietly.
At first his expression remained calm.
Then gradually it began changing.
His brows furrowed.
His eyes narrowed.
Several times he looked as though he wanted to interrupt but held himself back.
Shock. Disbelief. Curiosity.
Rare emotions appeared on his face one after another.
A person who had awakened mere days ago fighting a Level Forty Awakened?
Absurd.
Simply absurd.
Most people required close to a year of constant effort to reach such a level.
Even geniuses needed months.
Yet according to Zoey, this young man had crossed swords with such opponents almost immediately after awakening.
Then there was the matter of the Sand Worm.
The more he listened, the more unbelievable it sounded.
And yet...
He knew Zoey wasn’t lying.
That left only two possibilities.
Either she was mistaken.
Or the young man she described truly possessed talent so monstrous that common sense no longer applied to him.
By the time she finished, silence filled the dojo.
The Sword Saint remained seated with his fingers resting against his chin.
For several moments he simply thought.
Eventually, he looked up.
"This friend of yours..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"You seem to think very highly of him."
Zoey nodded without hesitation.
"I do."
The Sword Saint chuckled.
"Perhaps he really is as impressive as you claim."
Then his expression became serious once more.
"However, you must understand that your standards are not mine."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"So bring him to me."
Zoey blinked.
The Sword Saint continued.
"I’ll evaluate him myself."
"If he truly possesses the qualities you claim he does, then I’ll decide whether he’s worthy of becoming my disciple after I see him with my own eyes."
The moment those words left his mouth, Zoey’s face lit up.
A wide smile appeared on her lips.
"Really?"
The Sword Saint nodded.
"Really."
"Then I’ll make the arrangements!"
Before he could say another word, Zoey practically sprang to her feet and bolted for the door.
The Sword Saint watched her disappear with an amused smile.
However, in her hurry to leave the room, Zoey failed to notice something strange.
As she left, her shadow split apart.
One portion followed her. The other didn’t.
The other remained behind.
Moments later, the remaining shadow twisted and rose from the floor.
A figure emerged from within it.
The man was dressed entirely in black.
The moment he appeared, he dropped to one knee.
"Sword Saint."
The Sword Saint’s gaze shifted toward him.
"Rise, Albert."
The man immediately obeyed.
"I’ve completed the task you assigned me."
A faint smile appeared on the Sword Saint’s face.
"I know."
"You did well."
Albert bowed his head slightly.
"It was my pleasure."
The Sword Saint nodded before his expression turned thoughtful.
Then he asked the question that had been lingering in his mind.
"You were with Zoey in the Rift earlier."
Albert nodded.
"I was."
The Sword Saint leaned back slightly.
"Did you see this young man she keeps talking about?"
"I did."
For a moment, curiosity flashed across the Sword Saint’s eyes.
"And?"
Albert answered without hesitation.
"He’s impressive."
The Sword Saint frowned.
"Impressive enough to become my disciple?"
To his surprise, Albert immediately nodded.
"Yes."
The Sword Saint froze.
If Zoey’s recommendation had convinced him twenty or thirty percent, then Albert’s words pushed that number dangerously close to certainty.
Because unlike Zoey, Albert was not someone who praised people.
Ever.
The two had known each other since the earliest days of the Apocalypse.
Back when the world had first fallen into chaos.
Back when humanity had been desperately struggling to survive.
The Sword Saint had lost his wife during those dark years and had been left alone to raise their daughter.
Albert’s situation had been even worse.
He had lost everything.
His wife. His children. His parents. His entire family.
When they first met, they had both been broken men trying to survive in a collapsing world.
They fought together.
Bled together.
Survived together.
Over time, they formed a bond deeper than friendship.
At least from the Sword Saint’s perspective.
Albert, however, had always insisted on seeing himself as a subordinate.
No matter how many times the Sword Saint argued, Albert refused to change his mind.
To this day, he still addressed him formally.
And because the Sword Saint knew Albert better than almost anyone, he also understood one important fact.
Albert never praised people.
Never.
Yet here he was.
Approving of a young man after meeting him only once.
That alone was astonishing.
