Dusk on the second day of the journey.
Outside the cabin window were the dark waters of the Endless Sea and lead-gray clouds.
The airship passed through the edge of the Storm Corridor, its hull occasionally trembling slightly. Inside the metal cabin walls, Protective Runes flowed with a faint blue glow.
Ian sat cross-legged on the soft couch, his eyes slightly closed.
In his Sea of Spirit, a pale golden Crystal Core spun slowly, absorbing the thin yet pure Magic Power from the air.
On his shoulder, Gaga had its head tucked under its wing, letting out soft, even snores.
Suddenly,
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
Three distinct knocks on the door, neither too light nor too heavy, carried a deliberate rhythm.
Ian frowned and opened his eyes.
A glint of gold flashed in the depths of his pupils before vanishing.
’I don’t know anyone on this ship.’
His Spiritual Power extended like invisible Tentacles, silently probing beyond the door.
A strange aura.
Level Two Crystalization. It was solid and restrained, carrying a trace of exhaustion from a long journey, as well as... the faint, bitter scent of some kind of medicinal herb.
No obvious malice.
But Ian didn’t lower his guard.
He stood up. The hem of his dark gray Long Robe fell silently as he walked to the door.
His right hand hung naturally at his side, and within his sleeve, three Floating Crystal Cones had silently moved into position.
He unlatched the door with his left hand, and the cabin door slid inward.
A Witch stood outside.
She wore a standard-issue Long Robe of deep teal. The fabric wasn’t luxurious, but it was well-tailored, with intricate Silver Rune threads embroidered on the cuffs and collar.
A Badge was pinned to her collar.
It was a complex design of an hour hand intertwined with a Star Orbit.
The Badge had an ancient look to it, carrying the unique blend of restraint and pride characteristic of an old family.
Ian’s gaze moved upward.
Her shoulder-length black hair was casually tied back, revealing a smooth forehead.
Her skin was a pale white, the kind caused by long-term malnutrition, with no trace of color, like jade that hadn’t seen the light in ages.
But her eyes and brows were very distinctive.
Her eyebrows were thin and straight. Her eyes were dark brown, her pupils clear. Her gaze held none of the charm or gentleness of a typical Witch; instead, it possessed a quiet sharpness.
Like polished Obsidian shards.
"Good evening."
The Witch spoke. Her voice was not loud, with a hint of hoarseness, but her tone was steady and polite.
"I am Aidele Justice. I’m staying in the cabin across from yours."
She gave a slight nod, her calm gaze landing on Ian’s face.
There was no scrutiny, no probing—just a basic, polite look.
Ian stood inside the doorway, making no move to step aside or invite her in.
His eyes remained calm, but an intangible wariness, like a cold, thin film, separated them.
"What is it?"
His voice was faint, betraying no emotion.
Aidele didn’t seem surprised.
From her wide sleeve, she took out a palm-sized Crystal Bottle.
The bottle was diamond-shaped and held a liquid of a pale, silvery-gray color, about three-quarters full.
On the liquid’s surface, a very faint wisp of black mist would occasionally rise, only to quickly dissipate.
"The Skybound is about to enter a deep space-folding zone, probably around dawn tomorrow."
She offered the Crystal Bottle to him, her movement natural, as if she were a neighbor casually giving a small gift.
"This is ’Void Frozen Summit Oolong Tea.’ I prepared it myself. It can alleviate the mental dizziness and perceptual distortion caused by space-folding."
She paused, then added,
"I’ve noticed you rarely leave your cabin. I assume you’re in seclusion for practice. This tonic also has a slight soothing effect on one’s Spiritual Power after deep Meditation."
Ian didn’t take it.
His gaze fell upon the Crystal Bottle as his Spiritual Power swept over it.
The Potion’s Energy was stable and its ingredients pure. It was indeed a calming and soothing tonic, just as she’d said, with nothing else mixed in.
But...
’Why the unsolicited kindness?’
Especially on an airship filled with a motley crew of Wizards heading for the Central Continent.
"Thank you."
Ian said, his voice still flat.
"But I have my own Potions, so you needn’t worry."
His refusal was direct, without any beating around the bush.
Aidele’s expression didn’t change at all.
There was no annoyance, no awkwardness; she didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.
She simply nodded lightly and withdrew the Crystal Bottle.
"My apologies for being presumptuous."
Her voice remained steady, showing no hint of emotional fluctuation.
"My apologies for the disturbance."
With that, she turned to leave.
The hem of her deep teal robe cut a sharp arc in the dim yellow light of the hallway.
Her footsteps were light, yet steady.
Just then,
"Gaa?"
Gaga, who had been dozing on Ian’s shoulder with its head tucked under its wing, suddenly looked up.
Its little nose twitched. A flash of confusion, then curiosity, appeared in its mismatched eyes.
It flew off Ian’s shoulder and landed on the doorframe, cocking its head to stare at the Crystal Bottle in Aidele’s hand.
More accurately, it was staring at the silvery-gray liquid inside the bottle.
"Gaa... smells good..."
Gaga muttered under its breath, a rumbling sound coming from its throat.
It was a glutton, but the things that caught its eye were never ordinary.
Aidele’s footsteps stopped.
She turned back, her gaze falling on Gaga.
Her eyes, once as calm as a deep pool, contracted sharply!
Gaga’s form was reflected in the depths of her pupils.
A fist-sized black Raven, its feathers glossy black, with a faint, shadowy luster flowing along their edges.
Its mismatched eyes, one gray and one blue-green, flickered in the hallway light with the vibrant spark of an intelligent being.
But more importantly, there was the aura it naturally emitted.
Obscure and profound, it seemed capable of devouring light.
Even standing in the light, part of its form seemed to be perpetually hidden in shadow, its outline slightly blurred.
Aidele’s breath hitched, imperceptibly, for an instant.
She took half a step forward, her eyes locked onto Gaga.
The calm on her face was finally broken.
It was an expression mixing shock, disbelief, and even a hint of... ecstasy.
"...A Shadow Raven?"
She muttered to herself, her voice trembling slightly.
But in the next second, she denied her own thought.
"No, that’s not right..."
Her gaze grew sharper, as if she wanted to dissect Gaga and see right through it.
"This aura... the Shadow Energy is so pure... and it carries a hint of the ’Void’s’ texture..."
She snapped her head up to look at Ian.
The shock in her eyes was almost overflowing.
"You... You had it devour a fragment of the ’Eternal Shadow’?"
She asked this quickly and urgently, completely losing her earlier calm composure.
Ian’s expression instantly darkened.
A sense of wariness spread around him like a tangible frost.
He reached out and scooped the curiously peering Gaga back onto his shoulder.
Gaga, not understanding what was happening, nuzzled his finger with its small head.
"You can tell?"
Ian’s voice was cold, filled with undisguised scrutiny.
Aidele took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tempest raging in her heart.
She realized she had lost her composure and slowly straightened up.
The shock on her face gradually receded, replaced once again by that quiet sharpness.
But deep in her eyes, the astonishment remained.
"My clan’s ancient texts... have similar records."
She began to speak slowly, her voice steady once more but now tinged with a new gravity.
"If a pure Shadow Creature can devour Cosmic Dark Matter like the ’Eternal Shadow’ and survive, there is an extremely small chance it will awaken the ancient memories buried deep within its bloodline."
Her gaze fell upon Gaga again, this time with a scholar’s sense of inquiry and admiration.
"Ancestral Mutation: Shadow Night Kite... And it’s an individual Awakening toward the path of a ’Shadow Messenger’."
She looked at Ian, her expression complex.
"To have such a Summoned Demon... you are truly fortunate."
Ian didn’t reply.
He sized up Aidele.
’This woman has an incredibly sharp eye. To identify Gaga’s origins based on its aura alone. She even mentioned ’Eternal Shadow Fragments’ and ’Shadow Messenger’—things that are usually described vaguely in most records. This isn’t the kind of knowledge an ordinary Level Two Wizard would possess.’
"The Justice Clan?"
Ian repeated the name from her self-introduction.
"A Wizard Clan from the Central Continent?"
Aidele nodded.
"In the Eastern Territory of the Central Continent, three of the Seventeen Large City-States belong to the Justice Clan’s domain."
Her tone was placid, as if she were stating a fact that had nothing to do with her.
But the weight of her words spoke for itself.
A family that could claim three city-states as its domain would be far from unknown on the Central Continent.
Ian’s mind raced.
’She took the initiative to reveal her identity and pointed out Gaga’s uniqueness... She must be after something.’
"Can you elaborate on what you just said about the ’Shadow Messenger’ and the path to Tier Two?"
Ian’s tone softened slightly, but his guard remained up.
He stepped aside, clearing the doorway.
"Come in and have a seat."
A faint glimmer flashed in Aidele’s eyes.
Without hesitation, she stepped into the cabin.
The cabin was small and simply furnished.
A soft couch, a small table, two chairs, and a separate washroom in the corner.
Ian pointed to one of the chairs.
"Sit."
He sat down in the other chair himself, with Gaga perched on his shoulder.
Its little eyes curiously sized up the strange Witch.
Aidele took her seat, her back straight, her posture still prim.
She took the Crystal Bottle from her robe and placed it on the small table.
"The Void Frozen Summit Oolong Tea. Consider it an introductory gift."
She looked at Gaga, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly, as if she wanted to smile.
But her perennially tense facial muscles made the expression look somewhat stiff.
"Your Summoned Demon has a keen sense of smell. I added a drop of a ’Void Crow’s’ Heart Blood to this. It has a natural attraction for Shadow Creatures."
Hearing this, Gaga immediately puffed out its little chest, its feathers fluffing up slightly.
"Gaa! Of course!"
Its little eyes were full of pride, and it even threw a pointed glance at Ian.
As if to say: "See? I smelled it all along."
Ian ignored it, his gaze fixed on Aidele.
"Get to the point."
Aidele’s faint smile vanished, her expression turning solemn once more.
"A Shadow Messenger is an ancestral form that can only appear after a Shadow Night Kite’s bloodline has Awakened to an extremely high level."
Her voice was clear and steady, as if she were narrating an ancient history.
"According to the ancient texts, a true Shadow Messenger is not only proficient in Shadow Jump, but can also briefly merge with the Shadow Plane, manipulate Shadow Energy to form a Domain, and even... grant life to shadows."
"But the path to Awakening is extremely difficult. It requires a massive amount of Shadow Attribute resources, as well as one crucial item."
She paused, her gaze once again falling on Gaga.
"The Eternal Shadow, or Cosmic Dark Matter of an equivalent Level."
"Only the Rules of ’Void’ and ’Devouring’ contained within such materials can stimulate the shackles deep within the bloodline, causing it to undergo a qualitative change."
Ian listened quietly, a sense of understanding dawning on him.
’This largely matched his previous speculations.’
After Gaga devoured that fingernail-sized Eternal Shadow Fragment in the Star Spirit Race ruins, its strength and potential had indeed taken a leap forward.
The designation [Shadow Messenger (Prototype)] also confirmed this.
"Do your family’s ancient texts have a specific method for promotion?"
Ian asked the question he most wanted answered.
Aidele nodded, then shook her head.
"The method is recorded, but the required resources... are rare."
She looked at Ian, a profound meaning in her eyes.
"In the Secret Vault of the Justice Clan, there is a sealed, fist-sized piece of ’Eternal Shadow Remains’."
Ian’s pupils contracted slightly.
’Fist-sized!’
The piece Gaga devoured was only the size of a fingernail, and it had propelled it from Tier One Middle Stage to Tier One Peak.
It had even touched the threshold of Tier Two.
’A fist-sized piece... If Gaga were to completely devour and digest that... Its promotion to a Tier Two Extraordinary Creature would be practically guaranteed!’
"The condition?"