Claude returns to the inn with his sister, Claudia, after leaving the Steel Heart Fighting School, and the moment they enter their room, the familiar quiet settles around them as if separating them from the noise of the outside world.
Without wasting time, they begin eating the food that had been sent up earlier, a simple meal enough to ease the hunger that had built up through the day.
Claudia soon drifts into her own little world after eating, occupied with her thoughts and small activities, while Claude turns his attention inward, preparing to cultivate.
He sits down, closes his eyes, and steadies his breathing.
Within ten minutes or so, the food he consumed is fully digested, and the energy generated from it is quickly absorbed and refined within his body, leaving him ready to continue further.
He reaches into his pocket and takes out his Dream Stone.
He had bought it on the same day as the elixirs, specifically because this type of Dream Stone can be used by Knights, making it far more convenient than ordinary storage methods.
With a thought, he retrieves five life elixirs from within it.
Each one is contained in a small crystal bottle, sealed with a cork at the top, and each had cost him fifty silver pence, a price that still lingers in his mind as something not easily afforded.
He picks up one bottle, pulls out the cork, and immediately drinks the liquid inside.
The moment it slides down his throat, he feels its effect.
Even before it reaches his stomach, energy begins to form.
It spreads through his body like rain falling on dry, cracked earth.
Refreshing.
Revitalizing.
Every part of him responds to it.
Without hesitation, he begins cultivating his breathing technique.
His body moves into rhythm.
His breath aligns with the method.
Time passes.
One hour.
Then another.
He continues without interruption.
The energy from the elixir is steadily consumed, refined, and integrated into his body as he follows the Red Crane Breathing Technique with precision.
When he finally opens his eyes and checks his progress,
His breathing technique has improved by two points.
He looks at the remaining elixirs.
Four left.
By estimation, they could increase his progress by another eight points.
The temptation is there.
To continue.
To push forward.
To use them all at once.
But he stops.
A subtle fatigue has begun to creep in.
Not in his body,
But in his spirit.
He understands the limit.
Pushing beyond this state would not be beneficial.
It might even harm his progress.
So he puts the four remaining life elixirs back into the Dream Stone.
Then he picks up the empty bottle and the cork, stands up, and places them neatly on the table.
After that, he takes some fruits from the table and eats them slowly, using them to ease the lingering hunger before sleep.
Once satisfied, he walks back to the bed.
He climbs onto it and lies down beside Claudia.
Before closing his eyes, he glances at her.
Checking.
Making sure she is already asleep.
Only after confirming it,
He allows himself to rest.
His eyes close.
Sleep takes him.
He finds himself once again standing within the calm and boundless expanse of the Paradise, the familiar silence wrapping around him as if welcoming his return.
Not far away, he sees Greg already present.
Greg is practising his swordsmanship.
Alone.
His movements are sharp and controlled, each strike cutting through the air with purpose, as if he is fighting an invisible opponent.
Claude looks around briefly.
Claudia is not here.
Again.
Greg notices his arrival and stops his practice, lowering the stick slightly as he turns toward him.
"Your sister didn't sleep?" Greg asks.
Claude frowns faintly.
"She fell asleep before me," he says.
Greg's brows knit together.
Then he asks, "Your sister is not a follower of the God of Knowledge, right?"
Claude pauses for a moment.
Then nods.
Understanding dawns on him almost immediately.
"She is not a follower," he says slowly, "so the God of Knowledge barred her entry."
Greg nods.
"That should be the case."
Claude lets out a quiet sigh.
He bends down, picks up a stick, and walks toward Greg.
Without another word, they take their stances.
Then,
They clash.
The sound of wood striking wood echoes once more across the Paradise.
As they exchange blows, Claude speaks.
"How did your day go?"
Greg parries a strike and answers without slowing down.
"I spent most of my time in bed healing my injuries and trying to fall asleep to enter here."
Claude nods.
He understands.
If he were seriously injured, he would do the same.
This place allows them to train without a burden.
To improve without limits.
Greg counters, stepping forward with a quick strike.
"How was yours?"
Claude blocks and replies,
"After sending my sister to the Steel Heart Fighting School, I stayed there in the library reading books, then returned with her."
He shifts his stance and continues,
"After coming back to the room, I practised my breathing technique for a few hours."
Greg nods as their sticks collide again.
For a while, they fight in silence.
Only the rhythm of their training fills the space.
Strike.
Block.
Step.
Turn.
Then Greg speaks again.
"The Steel Heart Fighting School…"
He pauses briefly, deflecting Claude's attack.
"It is one of the top three fighting schools. Even though it has declined, it is still ranked within the top five on the island."
Claude listens quietly.
Greg continues,
"How were you able to enter the fighting school?"
Claude's eyes narrow slightly.
A trace of suspicion appears.
He looks at Greg more carefully now.
Wondering,
Why is he asking this?
Greg notices the subtle change in Claude's demeanour, the slight narrowing of his eyes, the guarded look that appears without words, and he immediately understands that his question has been taken the wrong way, so he quickly speaks to clarify before the distance between them grows any further.
"I don't mean anything more by it," Greg says, his tone steady but sincere, as he deflects Claude's strike and steps back slightly. "I'm asking because of my middle brother, Grey. I want him to enter a fighting school with a complete inheritance up to the Great Knight level, and the Steel Heart School is considered one of them."
Claude listens, and the tension in his expression gradually fades.
Understanding replaces suspicion.
"Oh, for that," Claude replies, his tone relaxing as he resumes his rhythm, "I was able to enter the Steel Heart Fighting School because of my sister."
Their sticks clash again.
Claude continues,
"She has talent as a Dream Magician, and my second senior sister, who owns the fighting school, took a liking to her talent and accepted her as a student."
He shifts his stance and adds,
"Because of her, I was allowed to enter as well."
Greg nods.
"Oh."
They continue exchanging blows for a few moments, the sound of their training steady and controlled, before Greg speaks again.
"Then… can you ask if my brother can enter?" he says, his voice carrying a hint of hope. "I will pay the full admission fee."
Claude frowns slightly, thinking as he blocks another strike.
"Let me see what I can do," he answers.
Greg remains silent for a moment, considering something, then speaks again.
"Oh, and… tell your second senior sister that I will be joining the police department," he adds. "So our background should be acceptable."
In elite fighting schools, talent alone is not enough.
Background matters.
Status matters.
Connections matter.
Claude understands that much.
Even if he does not fully grasp why Greg emphasises it so strongly.
Still,
Hearing that Greg will be joining the police department surprises him.
Then something else comes to mind.
"My fifth senior sister, Leanne, is also an inspector in the police department," Claude says as they circle each other. "If you can get on her good side, she might also put in a good word for your brother."
Greg's eyes widen slightly.
The information is unexpected.
And valuable.
He nods immediately.
"Thank you for the information."
Claude nods back.
They do not stop.
Their training continues.
Strike after strike.
Movement after movement.
Between clashes, they exchange small bits of conversation, their interaction becoming more natural, less guarded than before.
Time passes unnoticed.
Until,
The moment comes.
Their consciousness begins to fade.
One after the other,
They wake.
The next day arrives quietly.
Before falling asleep that night, Claude checks the progress of his breathing technique and sees that it has improved by eight points, confirming what he had already begun to suspect, that with the help of the life elixirs, his cultivation speed has increased significantly, though not without limitation.
He has also come to understand something important.
He can only practice four times using the elixirs in one stretch.
After each session, after consuming a life elixir and refining its energy, he is forced to stop and rest.
Not because his body cannot endure,
But because his spirit grows tired.
The exhaustion is subtle yet undeniable.
If he ignores it, his control weakens.
So he accepts the limit.
When he enters the Paradise that night, Greg is already there, waiting.
The moment Claude appears, Greg asks directly,
"Did you tell your second senior sister about my brother Grey?"
Claude shakes his head.
"I didn't," he says.
Greg frowns slightly.
Claude continues,
"If my second senior sister asks how we became close, I won't be able to answer."
He pauses briefly.
"I cannot mention this place."
Greg understands immediately.
The Paradise.
The secret cannot be revealed.
His frown deepens, but he does not argue.
Claude then speaks again, offering a solution.
"After your injuries heal, can you take me to the Blackwood Swamp?"
Greg looks at him.
Claude continues,
"If we adventure together, then I can say I met you there. That way, it will make sense when I mention you to my second senior sister."
Greg considers it for a moment.
The idea is simple.
Logical.
And workable.
He nods.
"That works."
Then he adds,
"After I join the police department, if I get free time, I will take you there."
He pauses slightly before continuing,
"If I can't, we will find another way to become acquaintances in the real world."
Claude nods in agreement.
The plan is settled between them.
After that, they return to training.
Their sticks clash again and again as they refine their movements, improve their techniques, and push each other forward.
Time passes within the Paradise without meaning.
Then they wake again.
Another day begins.
Later that day, Claude goes to the innkeeper and extends the room booking, paying in advance to secure the room for an entire month, ensuring that he and Claudia will not need to worry about lodging while he focuses on cultivation and training.
That night, he enters the Paradise again.
Greg is there.
They train.
Again and again.
The routine begins to form.
Days blend.
Training.
Cultivation.
Rest.
Return.
Two days pass.
On the third night, when Claude enters the Paradise, Greg's expression is noticeably better.
Less strained.
More stable.
"My injuries have healed enough," Greg says. "I can start practising my breathing technique again."
Claude nods.
That is good news.
But Greg continues,
"I won't be joining the police department tomorrow. I will wait two more days."
Claude understands the reason without asking.
Greg wants to recover fully.
To be at his best.
Before stepping into something new.
Claude nods again.
"Alright."
Their conversation ends.
They pick up their sticks.
And begin once more.
Two days later, before falling asleep, Claude hears Claudia speak from beside him, her voice carrying a hint of excitement that immediately draws his attention.
"Brother, today my teacher will take me out of the city to the Dream Side."
Claude frowns the moment he hears it, a trace of worry appearing on his face as he turns toward her.
"Your teacher's injury is not healed," he says, his tone firm with concern, "how can she take you?"
Claudia shakes her head lightly and answers,
"Uncle Rafe will accompany us."
Claude pauses.
Rafe.
Rafuel Langstorm.
His first senior brother.
A Great Knight at the age of twenty-eight.
A true genius.
After reaching the Great Knight realm a year ago, Rafe did not immediately pursue the path of a Dream Magician like most would.
Instead, he chose a different path.
He wants to test the limits.
To see if he can break past the boundary of the Great Knight realm itself and step into Level Seven through pure martial cultivation.
It is a bold decision.
A risky one.
But he has time.
A Great Knight can live up to one hundred fifty years.
Spending a year or two exploring such a possibility is not unreasonable for someone like him.
Claude admires him.
Respects him.
But he knows himself.
He will not follow that path.
Once he becomes a Great Knight,
He will not hesitate.
He will immediately begin practising a meditation technique and step onto the path of a Dream Magician.
He has no intention of delaying his progress.
Claude exhales slowly and looks back at Claudia.
"Alright," he says at last, "but be careful."
Claudia nods obediently.
Both of them settle down.
Sleep takes them.
Far away,
Inside the cavern at the core of the Blackwood Swamp,
Within the sub-space,
Lin Yu awakens.
A week has passed.
The moment his consciousness stirs, a ripple spreads outward from him, sweeping across the entire sub-space like an invisible tide.
The environment changes instantly.
The barren expanse transforms into a vast grassland, green stretching endlessly beneath an open sky.
Then,
It shifts again.
Trees rise from the ground, forming a dense forest filled with towering trunks and layered shadows.
Moments later,
Mountains emerge.
Jagged peaks pierce the sky, their presence imposing and silent.
Then the terrain melts away once more.
Sand replaces stone.
A desert forms.
Endless dunes rolling under a scorching sun.
The entire sub-space bends to his will.
Every thought reshapes reality.
Every intention becomes form.
Lin Yu continues to change the terrain again and again, as if experimenting, as if testing the limits of his control.
Or perhaps,
As if he had found a new toy.