Dustin frowned at the news. "What? You're not selling it? Are you worried I can't afford it?" Timothy's face darkened.

"Sir, the man before you is a criminal guilty of heinous crimes. This gentleman, however, is an accomplished young man from a respected family, with considerable position and power. Surely you know whom you should sell it to," Elisa said pointedly. Howard shot her a withering glance.

"The Sorensen family has never cared for background or power, only the measure of a man," Howard insisted.

Elisa fumed.

"If you want a Sorensen family ingredient, you must pass the Sorensen family's challenge," Howard said slowly.

"What kind of challenge?" Dustin and Timothy asked simultaneously.

"Come with me."

Howard entered the Sorensen family villa grounds, followed swiftly by Dustin. "Guard all exits. Don't let Fox escape!" Timothy commanded before entering with Elisa. A figure, Victor, darted inside unnoticed. Unlike the others, Victor was familiar with the villa's interior.

Howard led them through the courtyard to a short pathway, perhaps twenty feet long. "The rules are simple. Traverse six feet of this path, and you may take any ingredient from the Sorensen family's stores," Howard stated calmly, gesturing to the pathway.

"This is just a pathway? Walking six feet is hardly a challenge," Timothy scoffed, dismissing it as childish. Elisa, however, remained unconvinced. The Sorensens wouldn't set a meaningless challenge. She sensed something unusual.

Dustin's expression changed upon seeing the pathway. To the untrained eye, it was unremarkable. But Dustin perceived countless dangers and traps. Suspicious marks on the bordering walls—clearly the remnants of knives, swords, and palm strikes—were imbued with potent, rarely seen energy.

"That ingredient is mine!" Timothy declared confidently, raising a foot to step forward.

Howard immediately stopped him, his face serious. "You lack the necessary qualifications."

"What? I lack the qualifications?" Timothy's face reddened with insult. A member of the prominent Bones family, Martial League Overseer, and a prodigious martial artist—how could he be unqualified for such a simple task?

"If I say you lack the qualifications, you do!" Howard's tone was frigid. Timothy felt overwhelmed.

"If he's unqualified, you think he is?" Timothy pointed at Dustin, his voice laced with resentment.

"Why would I bring him here otherwise?" Howard replied mildly.

"What qualifications? Specify them!" Timothy's rage threatened to boil over.

"Only sovereign-grade fighters may attempt it," Howard said grimly.

Timothy and Elisa's eyes widened in shock.