"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
The speaker was an old man, but his body was still well-built. An aura surrounded him that seemed completely isolated from the world itself.
"Yes. It has been ten years since our last gathering."
Tim Ayr, the director of Karath Academy, answered his old friend calmly while drinking his tea.
Inside the office, two of the strongest men on the continent were having a conversation about something important.
"My grandson reached the fifth level and graduated from my Bimal Academy!"
The old man spoke proudly.
"I don't think you can defeat me anymore!"
Tim was expected to remain calm.
Instead, he smiled.
"What about the students in the grades below him?"
The old man's expression immediately changed.
"Oh?"
He paused.
"They are..."
His smile disappeared.
"...hopeless."
Tim seized the opportunity.
"I don't have a graduate who reached the fifth level. For this year."
He waved his hand, and several names appeared before them.
"But I have seeds."
He pointed toward the first name.
"Sol Hart, a Spiritual Mage. She can reach the fifth level without much effort."
Then another.
"Glass Sano. He has obtained his heritage, and he still has two years before graduation."
Another name appeared.
"Kin Light. He is in a similar situation, although he still lacks the opportunities necessary to fully develop."
Tim continued.
"And Baro Ferrer and Fiore Tai. Both are talented, and I can clearly see their potential."
His friend, Bel Vido, nodded.
"I see."
Then he noticed another name missing from the list.
"But there is still one name."
Tim remained silent.
"Shion Lan."
"..."
Tim said nothing.
Bel's eyes narrowed before he suddenly smiled.
"Ooh..."
He leaned back.
"I see. My friend doesn't want to share his good news with me!"
"It's not like that..."
Tim's expression remained indifferent.
But internally, he couldn't lower his guard.
Even though he was a noble and had been acknowledged by King Jord Joul himself, he still remembered that ominous aura.
The aura of Shi Yun Lan.
He still didn't know how to treat Shion.
Should he give him special treatment?
Should he treat him normally?
Or should he keep watching him?
One small mistake could unleash chaos that no one would be able to endure.
What if...
Tim looked at his friend.
"Bel Vido."
"Hmm?"
"If I told you about a dangerous man, would you help me?"
Bel stared at him in confusion.
Tim Ayr was a ninth-level mage.
There shouldn't have been anything in this continent that could make him ask for help so seriously.
"I think you've become afraid, my friend!"
Bel laughed.
"The great Tim Ayr is asking for help? That doesn't make sense!"
Tim looked at him indifferently.
But Bel continued.
"The only man who could make you feel like that must be the King of Amoritchi, Natu Rioshi!"
He paused.
"Even then, you should still be able to fight him properly!"
Tim shook his head.
"As you said, I don't feel that worried about Natu."
His expression became serious.
"But I have a bad feeling about someone else."
"Who?"
"Shion Lan."
"..."
Bel stared at him.
For a moment, he wondered if his friend had been manipulated by someone.
"Shion Lan?"
He asked disapprovingly.
"Yes."
Bel frowned.
"He would certainly be a threat if he were a bad person with ninth-level power."
He paused.
"But that's..."
He shook his head.
"Impossible?"
Tim wanted to object.
"Not like that—"
"He is still young!" Bel interrupted.
"I don't think you have the ability to predict the future like that destroyed family in the north."
He laughed.
"Even if Shion becomes powerful, he's still a young man. You can raise him to become a good person. And—"
"He is a catastrophic danger right now."
"..."
Bel's expression changed.
"What do you mean?"
Tim looked directly at him.
"Shion Lan..."
He paused.
"...has two different powers within him."
Bel's expression became serious.
"You think that besides Stellar Power, he possesses another dangerous power?"
Tim's eyes sharpened.
"I don't think."
He corrected himself.
"I've already faced that kind of power."
Tim summoned his little companion from his journey across the continent.
An old turtle appeared.
Its shell was shaped strangely, almost like a clock.
"Do you remember my little friend?"
Bel stared at it.
"The old turtle?"
He looked confused.
"What is wrong with it?"
"My little friend can't see through the entity within Shion."
"!!!"
Bel's expression changed.
He knew the old turtle's ability.
It could perceive the passage of time within living beings—their age, their estimated lifespan, and even certain possibilities concerning their future.
But it couldn't see anything within Shion.
Nothing.
"I want you to see him."
Tim looked at Bel.
"And tell me your impression."
Bel nodded.
"Fine."
Tim summoned Shion.
---
A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door.
"I'm here."
Shion entered the office and greeted both the director and his guest.
Tim looked at him.
"Shion, what do you think about going to the eastern academy, Bimal?"
"?"
Shion didn't react immediately.
The question was completely unexpected.
After a moment, he asked,
"May I ask for the reason?"
Bel spoke.
"It would be a great opportunity if you obtained a beast to assist you in battle."
He looked Shion over.
"I can see that you have the talent to train a mythical beast."
Shion noticed Bel and immediately sensed his power.
'He must be at the ninth level, like Shi Yun Lai.
But what brings him here?'
After a moment, Shion answered,
"Actually... I'd like to take some time to think about it."
Bel didn't seem pleased.
"You're hesitant!"
He began speaking like a grandfather advising his grandson.
"Being cautious is good, but your director is right here! You shouldn't waste such an opportunity!"
He continued talking.
And talking.
And talking.
Shion simply wanted to leave.
So he entered the Veins Domain to find Shi Yun Lan.
He was still there.
"Shi Yun Lan."
No response.
"Would it be appropriate for me to get a beast?"
Shi Yun Lan didn't react immediately.
A fragment of memory appeared in his mind.
A woman he couldn't forget.
A woman he didn't want to forget.
She was playing with a small bird.
"Love..."
The last vein suddenly began shaking violently.
"What is happening?!"
Shion panicked.
Shi Yun Lan and Shion had never actively communicated enough to affect the last vein like this.
Yet Shion noticed Shi Yun Lan's eyes.
They were different.
They were filled with life.
With hope.
Something that didn't seem to belong to him.
But the change lasted only for a moment.
The darkness returned to his eyes.
The Veins Domain stabilized.
"Shi Yun La—"
"Don't adopt any beast."
Shi Yun Lan interrupted him.
"The beast would be a great help."
He paused.
"But you can't raise it and yourself at the same time with such limited time."
His expression became cold.
"You can't even be certain that you will reach the ninth level within these ten years.
So don't add another burden to yourself."
Shion understood.
But there was something else he wanted to ask.
"Shi Yun Lan, what happened just—"
"Don't ask."
Shi Yun Lan immediately interrupted him.
"It's something you shouldn't know about."
He turned away.
"Now leave me alone. I have to repair the domain."
"..."
Shion said nothing.
He returned to reality.
Bel was still looking at him curiously.
"I think you were trying to communicate with your master, weren't you?"
'The Radiant Star?'
Shion thought quickly.
'I can't tell him that I was talking to Shi Yun Lan.
I didn't release my aura, so I'll have to say something else.'
Shion answered,
"I was looking for beast-training techniques that would suit my art, but I couldn't find anything."
"?"
Bel didn't understand.
"So you won't go because your art doesn't have a technique for training beasts?"
"Yes."
Tim spoke.
"You can use techniques outside your own art. It would be a waste to throw away such an opportunity."
"I'm fine."
Shion ended the conversation.
He wanted to leave.
Something about this situation felt like a trap.
But before he could move, Bel spoke.
"I want to make sure of something."
He raised his hand.
His aura began to vibrate.
Inside the Veins Domain, Shi Yun Lan's voice suddenly sounded.
"Space energy..."
His eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
Back in reality, Shion suddenly felt a transparent barrier surround him.
The world outside became distant.
Bel smiled.
"If you want to leave, you can break it."
Then he turned toward Tim and continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.
Tim pretended not to notice anything.
Shion tried to escape the isolated space.
But he couldn't.
He released his Stellar Aura.
Still nothing.
The barrier remained intact.
Worse, Shion felt tremendous pressure weighing down on his body.
"Don't act like that."
Shi Yun Lan spoke.
Shion immediately stopped struggling.
"I know you feel very far away from these two."
He paused.
"I mean physically."
Shion asked,
"Do you have any ideas?"
Shi Yun Lan nodded.
"If you use my aura, you can break it easily."
He narrowed his eyes.
"But I think that's exactly what that man wants."
Shion frowned.
"Is there another way?"
He lowered his voice.
"I don't want more people to know about you. It would cause trouble for us."
Shi Yun Lan's expression changed.
Fragments of his memories surfaced again.
The words of a woman.
A forgotten warmth.
He quickly closed the domain.
"The stars were the supreme power."
His voice echoed one final time.
"No isolated space can contain them."
Then he added,
"So become stronger."
His presence disappeared.
Even Shion could no longer sense him.
"Shi Yun Lan?"
Silence.
"..."
"Huh."
Shion sighed.
"Not again."
He stopped trying to communicate with him.
If he couldn't rely on Shi Yun Lan's aura, he would have to find another way.
No one could simply become stronger within a few moments.
But Shion had an idea.
'If I use my spells together with (Star Severance), maybe I can break it.'
He raised his hand.
(Pressure).
The air around him began changing.
The pressure spread through the isolated space and struck against the barrier.
Nothing happened.
The barrier remained intact.
Shion closed his eyes.
His consciousness entered the Stellar Domain.
There, he saw the green stars moving along the paths of a complicated magical circle.
'I haven't mastered this enough to turn it into a Stellar Technique.
If I could, I would simply fuse it with (Star Severance) and break the barrier immediately.
But I have no other choice.'
Shion returned to reality.
The spell had made almost no difference.
He didn't give up.
He poured more of his mental power into it.
"I think I'll use (Star Surge) instead."
He concentrated all his power into a single point.
His sword appeared in his hand.
Stellar Aura gathered around its blade.
Inside the office, Bel noticed the aura.
"The fourth level?"
He looked toward Tim.
"Is this what you're afraid of?"
He laughed.
"He's talented, but he's not nearly as frightening as you described."
Tim ignored the provocation.
"He reached that level in one year."
Bel raised an eyebrow.
"From the first level to the fourth?"
"From nothing to the fourth level."
"WHAT?!"
Bel nearly stood up.
"Don't exaggerate your student!"
Tim calmly answered,
"Sorry. My mistake."
Bel relaxed.
"Hmph. Don't say something like that again."
Tim corrected himself.
"It was ten months, not a year."
"..."
Bel stared at him.
He searched his friend's face for any sign of a joke.
There was none.
Tim's expression was the same one he wore during the most serious situations.
Suddenly, Bel sensed something inside the isolated space.
A vortex formed around Shion's sword.
The barrier trembled.
A tiny crack appeared.
Shion opened his eyes.
"(Star Surge)!"
For a single moment, everything stopped.
Shion thrust his sword forward.
Nebulae appeared within his eyes.
The sword struck the barrier.
CRACK!
The isolated space shattered.
The sound of crushing and collision echoed throughout the room as the barrier broke apart.
Bel stared at Shion.
He couldn't see any trace of the mysterious second power Tim had described.
There was only Stellar Power.
But then Bel noticed something else.
Shion had broken the barrier using only two stars.
Yet he possessed four.
Bel's expression became serious.
He had never seen anything like it in his entire life.
Shion lowered his sword.
"Thanks for guiding me."
He looked at Tim.
"Now I have something to do."
He turned around.
"Farewell."
Shion left without another word.
Bel watched the door close.
Then he looked at Tim.
"I didn't find what you were talking about."
He smiled.
"But I found a talent."
His expression became possessive.
"You'd better keep him properly.
Otherwise, I'll take him from you."
Tim remained silent.
Inside his mind, however, another thought appeared.
'Master of the Shi family...
What are you doing right now?'
Tim tried to locate Shi Yun Lan through Shion.
Nothing.
He couldn't sense him.
Tim's thoughts returned to the destroyed Neumann Providence, where he had first encountered Shi Yun Lan.
But even there, he couldn't find him.
There was only one thing Tim wanted to know.
Would Shi Yun Lan eventually conquer the continent?
The question had kept him from sleeping properly ever since their first encounter.
'I'll leave it to fate.
My worries won't change anything.
I'll simply ask Shion directly.'
But even that carried a risk.
Tim was afraid of what Shi Yun Lan might do if he discovered that Tim had questioned Shion about him.
He didn't want to risk Shion's life.
"Tim."
Bel suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"Does Shion have any romantic relationships?"
Tim looked at him.
"If he doesn't, I want to introduce him to some women from the Ishtar Kingdom."
Bel clearly wanted to recruit Shion in more ways than one.
Tim immediately destroyed his hopes.
"There's one confirmed."
Bel's eyes widened.
"And maybe three in the future."
"What?!"
Tim sighed.
"Forget it. He has a lot of things to deal with."
Inside his mind, he thought of the names.
Solan Neumann.
Pearl Jewel.
Jina Joul.