Aelric's eyes opened slowly, crimson irises catching the first streaks of gold that filtered through the guest room's lattice window. His breathing was steady, unhurried—a stark contrast to the chaos that had haunted his mind only a few days ago.
He lowered his gaze inward, sensing the quiet pulse of his Innate Core.
Cracks still lingered, hairline fractures etched across what should have been a perfect sphere of essence. Yet now, compared to the devastating state he had awoken with, the difference was monumental.
Eighty percent stabilized.
If anyone else from this world were to hear such progress in only three days, they would call it madness or divine intervention.
Aelric knew the truth.
Hex.
Had he relied on his own recovery methods, he would have required at least twenty days of uninterrupted focus—day and night—doing nothing but nourishing his core with essence. Yet with Hex's continuous support, passive regeneration worked even while he walked, talked, or slept.
Aelric allowed himself a small nod.
Good. My foundation is recovering. But this does not mean my strength has returned.
Even at eighty percent stabilized, he was only at roughly twenty percent of his original power—barely above the level where he could be truly free.
Still, this was progress. And in a new world, even scraps of progress were valuable.
He pushed himself off the bed and walked to the window. Outside, the rising sun cast warm beams across Azure Heaven Sect's mountain range. The clouds were slowly retreating, unveiling ridges of pale stone, small prayer pagodas, and winding staircases carved into the mountainside.
Aelric watched silently as light rose over the sect and the distant village below.
It was peaceful… deceptively peaceful.
Then—
Knock. Knock.
A feminine voice followed.
"Esteemed guest, are you awake?"
Aelric opened the door without hesitation.
The young woman standing outside stiffened as though struck. Her eyes widened, cheeks turning red. Her gaze dropped—unintentionally—to his chest. His robe hung loosely open near the collar, revealing smooth pale skin and a distinctly defined musculature beneath.
She swallowed.
"I—I have come to deliver a message," she stammered, forcing herself to look at his eyes. "Sect Leader requests your presence."
Aelric merely nodded.
"Lead the way."
Her steps were unsteady for the first few moments, but she eventually regained her composure and guided him through the corridors of Azure Heaven Sect.
The architecture was simple yet refined—jade-inlaid pillars, pale blue tiles, and carved motifs of clouds and dragons. Disciples moved about with discipline, their robes fluttering softly in the morning breeze.
Aelric observed everything.
Walls, pathways, movement patterns.
Formations subtly embedded into stones.
Hidden points where guards likely stood.
Knowledge gathered through observation was the foundation of survival.
Finally, they reached Sect Leader Jian Wuhen's office.
Aelric cupped his fist in greeting, just as he had practiced by observing locals.
Tradition was a disguise, and disguises were armor.
Inside, Jian Wuhen sat behind a wooden desk, reading through reports. The man's features looked slightly aged by stress—short beard tinged with white, eyes sharp like a seasoned hunter. He glanced up as Aelric entered.
Two faint presences stirred within the room—hidden guards. Aelric had sensed them the previous day, but something was different now.
One of them carried faint hostility.
He didn't show it on his face.
"Esteemed Divine Doctor," Jian Wuhen said while setting the documents aside. "Please, sit."
Aelric took his seat.
"As discussed," he began, "I will enter your sect library this morning to obtain basic information. After three hours, I will start treatment for your first young master. Is this still acceptable?"
Jian Wuhen nodded. "Yes. This is why I called you."
He took out a copper-colored jade slip and flicked it toward Aelric.
The token glowed faintly as Aelric caught it midair.
"This token grants you entry to the Basic Level and First Level of our Azure Heaven Library," Jian Wuhen explained. "You may stay there as long as you wish until treatment begins."
He then elaborated on the structure:
Basic Level
– Verified local news
– Maps, geography
– Records of nearby villages and sects
Level 1
– Classified information relevant to the region
– Spirit Realm entries
– Known inheritances
– Basic information on cultivators and martial artists
Levels 2, 3, and 4 remained off-limits—reserved for disciples and elders.
Aelric nodded as he listened.
The term martial arts was unfamiliar, yet he did not reveal his curiosity. Answers were only moments away.
Just as he was preparing to stand, Jian Wuhen cleared his throat.
"Esteemed Divine Doctor… are you perhaps from the Northern Region?"
His tone carried genuine uncertainty. "Your appearance differs greatly from the Southern Plains. Pale skin, crimson eyes… and your abilities—I cannot measure your cultivation at all."
Aelric did not hesitate.
"Yes," he said smoothly. "I am from the Northern Region. But I do not wish to disclose more."
Dominating, calm, but not arrogant.
Jian Wuhen blinked in surprise before quickly bowing his head.
"Forgive my intrusion. I did not intend to offend."
Aelric accepted the apology and left the room.
Walking through the corridor, Hex's voice echoed within his mind.
[Why did you claim to be from the north? What if the sect investigates? What if it was a trap?]
Aelric responded with calm telepathy.
"When I skimmed the memories of the mortal in the forest, I found that information regarding the Northern Plains is heavily restricted by the Heavenly Dao Council of the Central Plains. Only high-level sects would know the truth. Azure Heaven Sect is not one of them."
He continued walking.
"To claim a northern origin is both believable and unverifiable. Low risk. Best choice."
Hex remained silent for a moment.
[…]
Then Aelric felt a faint grumble of frustration mixed with reluctant approval.
He reached the Library Gates soon enough.
Two disciples stood guard. Upon seeing the copper slip, they bowed and opened the large blue doors.
Aelric stepped inside.
Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched across the hall—organized, dust-free, illuminated by floating lanterns. Scrolls were tied neatly, categorized by region and topic. The air smelled faintly of ink and aged parchment.
Aelric's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
Finally…
For three days he had walked blindly through a world whose rules he did not understand.
Words like "cultivator," "realm," "martial arts," and "spirit root" were constantly spoken but never explained.
Today, that ignorance would end.
His footsteps were silent as he approached the first shelf.
A map of the Southern Region.
A timeline of historical sects.
Records of spirit beasts.
Descriptions of the Spirit Realm phenomenon.
He ran his fingers across the spines of the books before selecting the first one.
He opened the pages carefully.
Let's begin.
Across the hall, disciples quietly arranged scrolls. Some whispered among themselves, stealing glances at the pale stranger with crimson eyes.
Aelric ignored them entirely.
He leafed through pages at a pace faster than most mortals could comprehend. Hex monitored each piece of new information, parsing and storing it. Aelric's mind remained unbelievably calm as streams of knowledge unfolded.
What is cultivation?
What are meridians?
What is essence?
What is qi?
What is martial arts?
What divides realms?
How do sects function?
Piece by piece, clarity formed in his mind.
And with each new revelation, a faint spark of interest lit within him.
This world… was more structured than he had predicted.
But it was also fragmented.
Power was inherited, seized, fought for.
Politics and ambition drove sects.
Martial techniques shaped nations.
Aelric, who had once ruled over blood and mind alone, now saw potential threads of power intertwining before him.
He flipped to another scroll describing the Spirit Realm—dangerous, opportunity-filled, and capable of granting inheritances.
So that's why the sect desperately needed him. So that's why the wounded young master was a threat to their future. So that's why they didn't dig into rumors of a "divine doctor."
He absorbed every detail until Hex finally spoke.
[You look… unusually satisfied.]
Aelric smirked inwardly.
Knowledge is survival. Knowledge is leverage. Knowledge is power.
His fingers tightened around the edge of a book.
"And now," he whispered, "it's time to understand the structure of this world's power. How they fight. How they grow. How they kill."
Sunlight filtered through the high windows, illuminating the library's interior.
Aelric stood quietly among towers of books.
His curiosity sharpened into something else—
strategy.
"Today," he murmured, eyes glowing slightly, "will indeed be interesting."
Then he turned another page.
And the world began to unfold.