A day after meeting Asterion for what might have been the last time...
Nora once again entered the Spiritual Realm.
The familiar chill greeted her the moment her consciousness crossed worlds.
The sky above remained a dull gray, covered by drifting clouds of essence.
Ancient trees towered overhead.
Their branches twisted unnaturally, hiding countless creatures within the dense forest.
Unlike her first visit to the Spiritual Realm, however...
Nora no longer felt nervous.
She walked calmly along the worn path, her boots producing soft sounds against the rocky ground.
The world around her had become strangely peaceful.
Not because the Spiritual Realm had changed...
But because she had.
As she walked, streams of essence slowly circulated throughout her body.
Instead of allowing the energy to move naturally, Nora consciously guided it through every pathway inside her body.
The movement was smooth.
Controlled.
Almost elegant.
She could clearly feel the essence entering her Core before flowing back through the rest of her body.
For an Initiate...
Such control should have been impossible.
Normally, only an Awakened could consciously circulate essence with this level of precision.
Yet Nora had achieved it months before forming her Gate.
Awakened Rose herself had once described Nora's control as "unnaturally perfect."
Nora simply smiled.
"The Thread of the Seven Arms..."
"It really is incredible."
The ancient Legacy Practice had changed her more than she realized.
After nearly an hour of walking, a massive stone wall finally appeared through the trees.
The wall stretched across the valley like the spine of an ancient beast.
Watchtowers stood at regular intervals.
Guards patrolled the walls.
Large wooden gates remained partially open as dozens of hunters entered and exited the settlement.
Nora stopped walking.
She looked toward the enormous gate.
"So..."
"This should be Blackbone Shelter."
She slowly nodded to herself.
The shelter still rested well within the protective aura of Seraphine's Citadel.
That meant its owner hadn't reached the Sovereign Rank.
After all...
Most Sovereigns allowed weaker Citadel Lords to build shelters inside their territory.
Some did so out of kindness.
Others demanded taxes.
Protection was never free.
Guiding Light floated quietly beside Nora.
The tiny spirit had faithfully led her throughout the journey.
Nora smiled warmly.
"You've worked hard."
"You can rest now."
The little spirit happily circled around her once before dissolving into countless golden particles.
Nora continued toward the checkpoint.
Several guards immediately noticed her.
One of them stepped forward.
He looked to be around twenty-five years old.
His crimson hair danced gently in the breeze.
Bright amber eyes.
Sharp facial features.
Broad shoulders.
He looked like someone who had stepped straight out of a romance novel.
If appearances alone determined strength...
He would already have countless admirers.
The young man smiled confidently.
"My name is Nelson."
"Master-ranked Hunter."
He crossed his arms.
"What business do you have inside Blackbone Shelter?"
Nora answered calmly.
"I'm here to meet Awakened Rose and her expedition team."
Nelson nodded thoughtfully.
Then corrected her almost immediately.
"No."
"It's Awakened Cynthia."
"Rose is merely a member of the expedition."
"When referring to our leader..."
"You should say Awakened Cynthia."
Nora blinked once.
Then nodded.
"I see."
"May I enter now?"
Nelson looked slightly disappointed.
Most people usually asked questions.
Or complimented him.
This girl...
Didn't seem interested in anything besides entering the shelter.
He smiled again.
"You know..."
"You haven't commented on my appearance."
Nora frowned.
"My appearance usually attracts quite a lot of attention."
Still silence.
Nelson finally asked directly.
"Aren't you at least a little impressed?"
Only then did Nora understand.
"..."
"So that's what this is."
The man wasn't checking her identity.
He was trying to flirt.
Nora looked at him for several seconds before answering honestly.
"If you weren't stronger than me..."
"I would've slit your throat for wasting my time."
The smile froze on Nelson's face.
"..."
"...That was unexpectedly violent."
"Can I go in now?"
Before Nelson could answer—
Another voice interrupted.
"Brother."
"What exactly are you doing?"
Both turned simultaneously.
Awakened Rose slowly approached them with her usual gentle smile.
She looked between Nora and Nelson before sighing.
"Please tell me you weren't flirting again."
Nelson coughed awkwardly.
"I was simply welcoming our guest."
Rose folded her arms.
"You already have thirty-nine girlfriends."
"Why are you still bothering strangers?"
Nora almost laughed.
Thirty-nine?
She somehow found that number oddly believable.
Nelson looked offended.
"They're not girlfriends."
"They're..."
He paused.
"...friends."
Rose stared at him.
"Thirty-nine female friends?"
"..."
"...Fine."
"That does sound suspicious."
Even Nora couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on her face.
Nelson immediately noticed.
"See?"
"I made her smile."
Rose rolled her eyes.
"You also nearly scared her away."
She turned toward Nora.
"Come."
"We're already late."
As they walked through the shelter, Nora glanced around curiously.
Compared to Planet Diamond...
Blackbone Shelter looked much rougher.
Stone buildings.
Wooden watchtowers.
Weapon shops.
Hunters returning from dangerous expeditions.
Everything here revolved around survival.
"This place feels..."
Rose smiled.
"More alive?"
Nora nodded.
"Exactly."
After several minutes, they arrived before a large conference hall.
Rose pushed open the heavy wooden doors.
Inside...
A long rectangular table occupied the center of the room.
Several people were already seated.
At the far end sat a beautiful young woman who appeared to be in her late twenties.
Unlike Rose's warm expression...
This woman's face remained completely emotionless.
Her silver-blue eyes calmly examined everyone entering the room.
Without saying a single word...
She somehow managed to command the entire room.
Nora immediately guessed her identity.
Awakened Cynthia.
Rose quietly sat beside Nora.
Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, Nora whispered,
"Is she your sister?"
Rose smiled awkwardly.
"Sort of."
"We share the same father."
"But different mothers."
Nora blinked.
"So..."
"Your family is complicated."
Rose laughed softly.
"You have no idea."
Before the conversation could continue—
Cynthia spoke.
"I'd appreciate it if everyone focused."
Her calm voice immediately silenced the room.
"That includes you..."
She looked directly at Rose.
"...little sister."
Rose smiled sheepishly before raising a delicate flower vase.
A beautiful crimson rose slowly bloomed from within it.
Sweet fragrance spread throughout the room.
The petals released tiny glowing particles into the air.
The entire conference room became wrapped in a gentle crimson aura.
A few moments later...
Every particle returned to the flower.
Rose nodded.
"Rose Silence has been activated."
"No sound inside this room will escape."
"No one outside can spy on us."
Cynthia gave a satisfied nod.
"Excellent."
She slowly unrolled an ancient map across the table.
The parchment looked extremely old.
Several sections had already faded with time.
Countless handwritten markings covered its surface.
Her finger slowly pointed toward a large mountain range.
Then Cynthia looked at everyone.
"Our expedition..."
"...begins now."