The next morning, after waking up and enjoying a light breakfast, Shin found himself standing at the entrance to the library, watching his older sister Emily as she read a book. It was an unusual sight—Emily was every bit as brilliant in academics as she was invincible on the battlefield, but she rarely picked up a book of her own accord.
Curious, Shin quietly stepped behind her, leaning in to catch a glimpse of the pages. Just as he was about to see the text, the book snapped shut.
Emily turned around and gave him a gentle, warm smile. She rose from her seat and pulled him into a tight embrace, burying her face against his neck and inhaling deeply.
"Have you come looking for your big sister?" she murmured. "I'm so happy you missed me this much."
Even with their two-year age gap, Shin stood only a few inches shorter than her. As he hugged her back, her intoxicating scent filled his senses, and the soft press of her breasts against his chest sent a pleasant shiver through him.
"Hmm… I really missed you, Big Sis," he admitted. "You didn't even join us for dinner last night. Did you go to bed early?"
A faint blush colored Emily's cheeks as memories of the previous evening flooded back—exhaustion and distraction had made her skip the meal. She apologized softly for missing dinner with her little brother. Once they were settled, Shin took the seat to her left. The question that had been weighing on him since yesterday finally slipped out.
"Big Sis… why did you leave so suddenly yesterday? You looked really sad, and you never came to dinner. Did I do something wrong? Or… was it because of the engagement news?"
Shin had braced himself for an explosion of fury—angry demands that he cancel the engagement, or worse, a cold vow that she would kill Mira. Yet Emily showed none of it. Not a flicker of dissatisfaction, not even the slightest hint of anger. She simply offered that same gentle, radiant smile as always and spoke softly.
"Were you worried about me?"
"I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm perfectly fine. If you're truly happy and you want Mira, I won't take that happiness from you.
In fact, I would never do anything that might make you sad… or worse, make you hate me."
The sheer intensity in her words, paired with the faint, oppressive aura she unconsciously released, was dangerously overwhelming. To any normal person it would have been terrifying—enough to make them back away forever. Even a regular child from Earth like him might have been too afraid to ever approach her again.
"There will be no one in this whole universe who will ever love you more than I do…"
Emily declared her feelings with quiet, absolute conviction. The way she was looking at him right now was breathtaking—dangerously alluring. Her head tilted gently to the right, her enchanting pink lips curved into a wide, loving smile across her beautiful face, and her crimson eyes shimmered with a dim, hypnotic glow that seemed to swallow him whole.
He had always watched how fiercely protective and loving she was toward him, as if he were her entire world. There was simply no version of him that could ever reject her. In fact, the more intense and deeper the love, the stronger the bond— the more beautiful the world will became around them, even if everything else was burning.
He opened his mouth, ready to answer her, to reciprocate his own feelings back into her heart—
–but the library door swung open.
Lucy spotted him instantly and dashed across the room like a joyful little storm, throwing herself straight into his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Big brother! You're here to teach me again, right? You'll study with me today too?" Her eyes sparkled with pure delight. "I'm so happy!!"
Her innocent charm and cheerful voice instantly pulled Shin back to the present. He swallowed the words he'd been about to say and gently held his feelings in check—for now.
Behind Lucy, Mira stepped into the library. What happened next caught him completely off guard: Emily rose gracefully, turned to Mira, and greeted her with a warm, genuine smile, the kind reserved for close family. The sight sent an uneasy ripple through Shin's chest.
Mira returned the greeting just as cheerfully as always, her cheeks still carrying that pretty blush from yesterday. She slipped into the seat right beside Shin, close enough that her presence alone made his heart lighten. The beauty and joy in her voice wrapped around him like sunlight, and through the bond they now shared, he could feel how genuinely happy and satisfied she was.
But Mira herself was unsettled. Just seconds earlier she had felt a sudden, overwhelming surge of love pouring out of Shin—so intense it nearly took her breath away.
'Who… who was that for?' she wondered, alarm flickering inside her.
'It's the first time I've ever sensed love so powerful… It had to be for Emily. She was definitely trying to steal him away, trying to make him break things off with me.'
A spark of determination lit in her eyes.
'Hmph!… I won't let her win. I'll show her exactly how madly Shin loves me.'
With that thought, Mira leaned in even closer and hugged his arm tightly, pressing it deep into the soft valley between her breasts. She was fully confident in her charm and beauty—and with good reason.
Shin let out a quiet breath, then reached over and gently took the books from Lucy's hands.
"Alright, let's get started," he said with a smile, opening the thick volume. Its title read: The Modern World. The book explored the history of the cutting-edge technologies of their own realm as well as the countless innovations imported and exported from other worlds.
Although Humanitus was not as advanced as the Dwarven world, it still ranked as the second most technologically developed world. It possessed innovations such as flying vehicles, electrically powered machines, and resource-based fuel systems. Natural energy sources like beast cores and the widely used mana stones further supported its progress.
For the people of Humanitus—and even other races—daily life had become deeply dependent on technology. It was a reality far different from the constant struggles for power. Beyond strength and battles, there was another driving force shaping the world: advancement and development.
No one opposed this progress.
In fact, different races and nations often worked together to push their worlds forward. Because everyone understood one simple truth—
Raw power alone could not maintain peace or stability. To truly sustain a world and ensure the prosperity of its people, something more was needed.
And that something was progress.
There was the first—and largest—importer from the human world, Humanitus: the beastmen nation known as the Republic of Therionis.
And the other races such as "Elves from Ethelion", "Psionics from Psion world", "Mermen from world of Nereids." These are the major world that had well relationship with Humanitus.
'Cars, computers, smartphones and daily necessary electrical appliances which were in earth are also here and they are environmental friendly too.'
Shin was amazed that people in this world uses technology as much as they use magic in their daily life.
He remembered that he also has a smartphone that was thrown somewhere in his room, he would search for it and see if there are other things related to earth.
After their study sessions, everyone went their own way. Lucy left for her lessons, her small figure hoping lightly through the halls, while Emily chose to remain in the library. Shin glanced back at her once, observing quietly. She looked completely normal—calm, composed, as if nothing was out of place. Yet for some reason, that normalcy itself felt strange to him.
Shin and Mira then headed towards his room. Once inside, Mira sat down on the sofa with her usual graceful posture, and Shin took a seat across from her. She smiled gently, her lips curving upwards as she looked at him, she spoke lightly, her voice soft and steady. "Through the bond that we share, we can give powers to our partner. Just focus on the feelings that you sometimes sense and try to 'look' into them."
She then continued, her tone growing more serious yet still calm, "I will grant you permission to access my knowledge about 'souls'. I will give you everything that you want—just never forget this bond of ours."
As she said this, she reached forward and gently grasped his hands. The moment their hands touched, something changed. A faint connection formed between them, then suddenly Shin could see it, while his eyes were closed— a thin red thread linking the two of them together. It looked fragile at first glance, delicate as if it could snap at any moment, yet somehow it didn't feel weak at all.
Mira focused on the bond, waiting for him to connect with it. Meanwhile, Shin tried to understand what he was seeing. At first, he struggled to grasp it. The thread extended from his body and disappeared into the distance, beyond what he could perceive. It was like trying to follow something that existed just outside his reach, everything here is dark and the only source of light was that red thread.
He remembered Mira's words and tried to focus. Slowly, he directed his attention toward the thread, concentrating on the feelings rather than just the sight, he recalled the moments of happiness, excitements and pride he had felt before.
As he did, his perception began to shift. He could now see beyond his own body, as if his awareness had expanded outward.
Even with his eyes closed, he could sense his surroundings. The room, the sofa, the table with some books—everything became clearer in a way that didn't rely on his physical vision. It was as if he had gained a new sense entirely, one that allowed him to perceive the world through the spiritual connection itself.
After looking around and confirming it was his own room, Shin turned his gaze toward Mira. What he saw made his heart race, his breathing turning uneven.
Mira was beautiful—charming, graceful, and breathtaking. He couldn't find the right words to describe her.
She looked like a goddess who had descended right before him. A soft, white radiance surrounded her, gently spreading from her body as if she herself was the source of light. It wasn't blinding—it felt warm, almost comforting. Her golden hair rested naturally around her, faintly glowing in that gentle golden light.
When her eyes met his, they were clear and calm, filled with a quiet warmth and care. There was no distance in her gaze. Her presence felt pure.
Almost sacred.
It was her spiritual form—a state said to reflect the true nature of a person. Those who carry malice, ill intent, or corruption within their hearts, then no matter how beautiful they appear in the physical world, here they would manifest as something dark and distorted, surrounded by corrupt energy.
The opposite was also true. A pure and kind soul would appear radiant and beautiful in this form—and in Mira's case, that truth was unmistakably clear.
The way she appeared now reflected the kind of person she truly was: someone with no malice toward anyone, someone who accepted everything as a part of life, believing that everyone has their own reasons and that justice is a right for all.
Even though her childhood had been far from kind. Shin recalled what Mira had told him.
She had lived in a small town, with a decent family and a stable life. She was just a normal girl, raised with love and care, with dreams of one day joining an academy like any other child.
But everything changed on her tenth birthday. During a trip with her family to another town, they stayed at a hotel for the night.
That very night, a burly man attacked them. They were captured and locked inside a cage in the basement. The hotel itself was a hidden base for demons, they were living among humans, preying on the very guests who stayed there.