Claude watches his sister sit across from the woman, Jennifer, inside the library.
The room is quiet and filled with a steady, calm atmosphere.
Shelves line the walls from end to end, packed tightly with books of various sizes and ages, their spines worn, some faded, some newly bound, all carrying the weight of accumulated knowledge.
In the centre of the library, several wooden tables are arranged neatly, each paired with two chairs placed opposite one another, meant for focused study and instruction.
Above them, embedded into the ceiling, large blue crystals glow softly, similar to those used on the boats, but much larger and brighter, their surfaces etched with faint markings that shimmer under the light, casting a cool, steady illumination across the room.
Jennifer begins teaching Claudia the moment she takes the oath to join the Steel Heart School.
Claude himself had also taken the oath, because without it, he would only receive the first three chapters of the Steel Heart Breathing Technique, limited to the Senior Knight Apprentice realm, while the complete technique, consisting of six chapters, would remain out of reach.
Now, both of them are bound to the school.
Claude's gaze lingers briefly on Claudia.
She sits upright, listening seriously, far more focused than her usual self.
Jennifer speaks calmly, guiding her step by step.
Claude feels a slight relief seeing her like this.
Then he notices movement.
Leanne stands up quietly and begins walking toward the door.
Claude rises from his seat and follows her.
"Are you leaving?" he asks softly.
Leanne pauses and turns slightly.
"My duty time has come," she replies.
Claude nods. "I will go to the police station later."
Leanne says, "The captain will be waiting for you, but do not be late."
Claude nods again.
He watches her leave.
For a moment, he stands still.
He does not know what to make of her anymore.
He shakes his head slightly.
He does not know her.
He only met her yesterday.
He knows nothing about her, except the impression she left, shaped mostly by her uniquely beautiful face.
Now that he has the chance to understand her more, he feels uncertain instead.
He exhales softly.
Then turns back.
He returns to his table and picks up the Steel Heart Cultivation Technique.
He begins reading the first chapter carefully.
Again.
And again.
He does not rush.
Every line is read multiple times, every detail imprinted into his mind.
After a while, he closes his eyes.
He begins to imagine practising it.
The difference becomes immediately clear.
The first chapter of the Red Crane Breathing Technique is completely different from the Steel Heart Breathing Technique.
The Red Crane method focuses on stillness, sitting in a fixed position, controlling breath to temper the body, and gradually strengthening the constitution.
But the Steel Heart Breathing Technique is not still.
It is active.
It is forceful.
It strengthens both the constitution and strength at the same time.
And more importantly,
It must be practised alongside movement.
Specifically, alongside the Steel Fist Boxing Technique.
Breathing and striking must become one.
Claude opens his eyes slowly.
A faint light flashes within them.
He understands.
This path is harder.
But stronger.
Later, Claude sits across from Captain Marilyn in a private room of a nearby restaurant.
The table between them is filled with various dishes, steaming plates of meat, vegetables, bread, and soup arranged neatly, their rich aromas rising into the air.
Claude glances at the food, but does not reach for the fork or knife.
Instead, he lifts his gaze and studies the woman sitting opposite him.
From her appearance, she seems close to his parents' age.
Her posture is straight, her presence calm but commanding.
He cannot understand why a captain of the city's police would want to meet him.
Right now, he is no one.
A fugitive child with no status.
Marilyn looks at him quietly, and her eyes soften.
"You look a lot like your father… Cael Draconis."
Claude's heart freezes.
The name strikes deep.
"You know my father?" he asks, his voice steady but cautious.
Marilyn nods.
"Yes, we were in the same adventure team when we were young."
Claude's mind moves quickly.
He knows that his father once left home and travelled to the Safavid Empire, where he joined an adventure team.
At the western border, the Adventure Guild holds a unique authority.
Only through joining such teams can one legally enter the Dream Land.
Without them, the Safavid Empire would never have allowed passage beyond the border.
Claude narrows his eyes slightly, testing her.
"I heard about it," he says slowly, pretending to recall, "but I forgot the name of my father's adventure team."
He pauses, acting uncertain.
"What was it again?"
Marilyn smiles faintly at his act.
"Dread Bear Adventure Team."
She pauses for a moment, then adds softly, "I never liked the name; I always wanted to change it to Cloud Knight Adventure Team."
Claude's mind flashes.
A buried memory surfaces.
He looks at her more carefully.
"You are… You are… Skylar."
Marilyn exhales quietly.
"I have not heard that name in many years."
Claude's tension eases slightly.
The last piece falls into place.
His guard lowers.
"How did you find me?" he asks.
Marilyn's expression turns heavy.
"I heard about it two days after everything happened," she says. " Then I started searching for you, then my inspectors mentioned your and your sister's names, so I went to check, and it was you."
She pauses.
"I did not approach you directly because I do not know who is behind the attack, and if they know about my connection to your father, then if two children suddenly appear with me, they will know it is you."
Claude nods silently.
That makes sense.
"So… you did not find out anything about the attackers?" he asks.
Marilyn's eyes darken slightly.
"It was carried out by an assassination organisation… the Dark Blood Brotherhood."
Claude nods slowly.
His thoughts sink inward.
Dark Blood Brotherhood.
A name he will not forget.
They speak for a while longer, discussing small details, routes, safety, and the current state of the kingdom.
Marilyn advises caution.
Claude listens.
When the conversation ends, they leave separately.
No one must connect them.
Claude returns to the lake.
The boat carries him once more through the green waters and into the mist.
The blue lights glow softly around him as the island reappears.
He steps onto the shore and walks back toward the Steel Heart School.
Inside, he enters the library.
Claudia sits alone at one of the tables.
The moment she sees him, she rushes over.
"Brother, I am hungry."
Claude looks around.
Jennifer is nowhere to be seen.
"Where is she?" he asks.
Claudia shakes her head.
"She told me to study and then left; she did not come back."
Claude's expression tightens slightly.
He looks toward the shelves, then back at his sister.
The quiet of the library presses in around them, broken only by the faint rustle of pages and Claudia's soft breathing.
Claude narrows his eyes slightly, a sense of unease settling in his chest, but he says nothing for now.
Far away, on the streets of the Misty Island, Lin Yu walks in his human form.
The air here is different.
He can feel it clearly.
The spiritual energy is richer, denser than outside the island, flowing gently through the surroundings like an invisible tide.
For cultivators, this place is a treasure.
Here, one could advance to the first stage of cultivation with far greater ease.
Even for Lin Yu, whose True Spirit far surpasses this world's limits, the environment is useful.
He silently draws in the surrounding energy, refining the leopard body he currently inhabits, strengthening it bit by bit.
As he walks, a sudden commotion reaches his ears.
Voices rise ahead.
A crowd has gathered.
Lin Yu moves toward it.
With a subtle flicker of his will, his mind spreads outward, influencing the people around him, causing them to step aside unconsciously.
A path opens.
He reaches the front without resistance.
From the noise alone, he already knows what is happening.
A fight.
Two boys stand facing each other.
Both have blond hair, but their appearances differ greatly.
One is well-dressed, his clothes clean and refined, clearly from a wealthy family.
The other wears worn, simple clothes, his posture steady but unremarkable at first glance.
Lin Yu watches quietly.
The fight begins.
Within moments, he understands.
The poorly dressed boy is better.
His movements are sharper, more controlled, more efficient.
Lin Yu's gaze deepens.
He probes slightly.
The result confirms his judgment.
The boy's talent is superior.
If properly trained, he has the potential to become a Great Knight.
Interest sparks within Lin Yu.
Claude had been his first choice, simply because the boy appeared before him at the right moment.
But now,
This boy could become his second experimental subject.
Lin Yu continues watching.
Then, something unexpected happens.
The poor boy makes a mistake.
A clear one.
Deliberate.
He loses the fight.
The crowd reacts.
Lin Yu does not.
He understands.
After the fight ends, Lin Yu follows him.
Unseen.
The boy leaves the island and returns toward Lake City.
At the dock, a man approaches and hands him a pouch.
Payment.
The boy accepts it without expression.
He buys food.
Then returns home.
Lin Yu waits.
Patiently.
He watches until the boy falls asleep.
At the same time, Claude returns to the inn with his sister.
The day ends.
They rest.
Sleep takes them both.
They enter the paradise once more.
But this time,
They are not alone.
Another boy is there.
He screams.
He cries.
He begs to be let out.