Aurelius watched Lucas rise, already preparing to leave.
"So soon?" he asked. "You could stay a while. Explore our training grounds."
Lucas paused, then glanced back with mild curiosity.
"Would I be able to pick up a technique or two?"
Aurelius smiled faintly. "If you were willing to join the Order, I'd open our vaults to you."
"Then I see no reason to stay," Lucas replied smoothly.
Aurelius let out a quiet sigh.
It was a loss. A significant one.
Lucas Drakebane stood at the peak of the Origin Realm while still under twenty, with composure far beyond his years. On top of that, his lineage alone made him someone worth befriending, not alienating.
As Lucas and Garran turned to leave, Aurelius spoke again.
"Wait."
Lucas stopped. "Is there something else, High Master? Our agreement is already settled."
"There is," Aurelius said. "I want you to take this."
He flicked his wrist, sending a medallion arcing through the air.
Lucas caught it instinctively.
The metal was cool to the touch, engraved with the sigil of the Creed Mountain Order, twin dragons supporting a celestial arc.
Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly.
"This is…?"
"A pass," Aurelius explained. "With that medallion, you may enter the Order at any time. You may train within our grounds and consult our archives, so long as the techniques never leave our premises."
Lucas studied him carefully. "Why?"
"Because I respect you," Aurelius said plainly. "Your talent, your restraint, and how you conduct yourself. Consider it a gesture of goodwill, and a bridge between the Creed Mountain Order and the Drakebane family."
Lucas smiled faintly.
"I don't intend to cause trouble," he said, slipping the medallion away. "So I'll accept it. Thank you."
Aurelius nodded. "Just remember, misuse that privilege and I'll revoke it without hesitation."
"Understood," Lucas replied, the hint of amusement in his eyes suggesting he knew exactly how far he could go.
"Then we'll take our leave," Lucas said, offering a polite nod to the elders.
Moments later, he and Garran departed the Temple Peak.
---
They descended on enchanted sky-rugs, drifting smoothly toward the outer gates.
Along the way, Lucas noticed the looks from passing disciples.
Curiosity. Pride. Thinly veiled arrogance.
Order disciples were always like that, convinced the world revolved around them.
Lucas dismissed them without a second thought.
Actors on a stage too small to matter.
---
Far from the Order, deep within a forested training ground, Leon was engaged in a fierce sparring session with Sullen Crowford.
Thud.
Crack.
Impact echoed through the trees.
Though intense, neither of them was truly fighting to kill.
Sullen believed real combat experience surpassed any inherited technique.
Thump!
A heavy blow from Leon forced her back several steps.
She laughed softly. "You've improved."
Leon smiled widely. "Dont holding back, Ms. Sullen, I can take it."
"Confidence is fine," Sullen said, raising a hand, "but don't let it blind you."
The air distorted.
A massive spectral hand formed overhead and slammed down.
Leon barely raised his guard in time.
Boom!
The impact crushed him into the ground, cracking the earth beneath his body.
Sullen approached, amused. "Where's that confidence now?"
Leon groaned. "That wasn't fair, you used your miracle spirit."
"Fair doesn't exist," she replied calmly. "Consider it a lesson, kid. You never know how powerful your opponent might be, so never get too arrogant."
Leon tried to push himself up, but he collapsed back quickly to the ground, his body going limp as if consciousness had slipped from him entirely.
Sullen took a step forward, then stopped.
Something was wrong.
Leon's pupils had faded to a pale, unnatural white.
"Leon?" she called, her voice cautious now.
There was no answer.
The air suddenly felt wrong. Heavy. Hard to breathe
A sudden surge of aura erupted from Leon's body, blasting outward like a shockwave. Sullen was thrown back several meters, barely managing to steady herself as the pressure crushed down on her.
Her eyes widened.
Above Leon, something began to take shape.
A towering astral figure emerged, vast and ancient, its presence overwhelming. It stood silently, gazing down as though the world itself were beneath notice.
Sullen's breath caught in her throat.
Her body reacted before her mind could, trembling under instinct alone.
This wasn't human.
Not even close.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the figure dissolved into nothingness. The pressure vanished, leaving the forest eerily still.
Sullen didn't hesitate.
She rushed to Leon's side.
"Leon," she said sharply. "What was that?"
Leon groaned softly and lifted his head, pressing a hand to his temple. His expression was blank, confused.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"That manifestation," she said. "You didn't feel it at all?"
He shook his head slowly. "No. I felt… nothing."
Sullen stared at him, her brows knitting together.
Then her eyes widened slightly.
"That wasn't an external force," she muttered. "It came from you."
She straightened, looking down at him with renewed intensity.
"Leon," she said firmly, "that was your miracle spirit."
"My… miracle spirit?" he repeated, stunned.
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "And whatever it is, it's far from ordinary."
Leon let out a slow breath. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Then that's good news," he said quietly.
"Don't jump to conclusions," Sullen warned. "Nothing is certain until the official awakening."
Leon nodded, then looked up at her. "When is it?"
"In two weeks."
"Two weeks?" Leon said, startled. A hint of unease crept into his voice. "I didn't think it would come this fast."
"It's not public information," Sullen replied calmly. "Only a few instructors know. I'm telling you now so you can prepare. Starting today."
Leon nodded, then looked at her seriously.
"Thank you, Ms. Sullen. Really. You've always helped me when I needed it."
His gratitude wasn't exaggerated. It was quiet, sincere.
Sullen smiled faintly.
She had known Leon for a year now, and somewhere along the way, he had become her favorite student. He was sharp, adaptable, and carried something unusual about him. Luck, perhaps. Ever since their first meeting, she had sensed a faint golden presence around him, subtle but persistent, like fortune refusing to leave his side.
"Enough talking," she said. "Let's continue."
---
By the time dusk settled, Lucas was back at his villa.
"Do you know why she's like this?" he asked quietly, holding up the jade and glancing at Sofia, who lay unconscious on the bed.
Athena froze.
For a split second, her composure cracked.
Impossible.
This shouldn't exist in the lower world.
She recognized it instantly. A Nine-Realms Conduit Physique. A body capable of acting as a bridge between multiple planes. Even in the upper world, such physiques were rare beyond belief.
And here it was.
"So?" Lucas pressed. "Do you know what it is?"
Athena recovered quickly. "I'm… not certain," she replied carefully. "It might just be a rare anomaly."
Lucas looked at her without expression.
"Really?" he said flatly. "Do you think I wouldn't recognize it? It's a Nine-Realms Conduit."
Athena's eyes widened slightly.
"You know?" she asked, studying him closely. "Just how much do you actually know, Lucas? You're starting to sound like someone who's lived far longer than he should have."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like that kind of person?"
"You know things a student shouldn't," she replied.
"And you forget," Lucas said calmly, "I come from an ancient family."
Athena sighed. "Right. I suppose I did."
She glanced at Sofia again. "I'll absorb some of the residual energy. It should stabilize her condition."
Lucas nodded. "I'll leave you to it."
He placed the jade near Sofia and stepped out of the room.
---
The backyard stretched wide behind the villa, large enough to serve as a private training ground. This was where Lucas usually trained.
Every month, his father provided him with a steady supply of mid- to high-grade spirit stones. Unfortunately, this month's allotment was already gone.
But today, he wasn't here to cultivate.
He was here for something else.
Lucas sat down and opened the ancient book in his hands.
The Grand Astral Method.
The opening pages detailed its origin, written by its creator, the legendary Starborne Sage Sir Roman Lunaria. Lucas skimmed past it. He already knew the history.
This method drew power from the stars themselves.
In the original timeline, Leon had turned it into one of his strongest trump cards. It had saved his life more than once.
But there was a reason no one in the Creed Mountain Order had ever mastered it.
Lucas didn't move to practice.
Not yet.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
He turned to see Garran approaching.
"You called for me?" Garran asked.
"Yes," Lucas replied. He stood up and smiled faintly.
"I need you to do something for me."
Garran frowned slightly. "What is it?"
Lucas met his eyes.
"I want you to break my mana core."