Golden Oak Street was quieter than usual in the early morning; even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
A dark gray metal missive tube sat on the counter in the front hall of Workshop Number Twelve.
The dark gold crest of the Justice Clan was branded on its surface, and it was cold to the touch.
When Old Finn picked up the missive tube, his withered fingers hesitated for a moment.
He turned, his steps heavy as he walked toward the courtyard.
Aidele was standing under the half-withered old Golden Oak Tree, the morning light filtering through its sparse leaves to cast a mottled shadow on her delicate face.
Hearing Old Finn’s footsteps, she turned and took the missive tube from him.
The moment her fingertips touched the metal, her heart tightened slightly.
With a soft CLICK, the missive tube opened.
A dark red piece of parchment slid into her palm. The characters on it were impeccably neat, yet each one felt as cold as ice.
Aidele’s gaze swept over the first few lines, and her pupils contracted.
"In twenty days..." Her voice was tinged with bitterness.
"The clan’s Beast Fighting Arena. Three Tier Two Late Stage Demons, a gauntlet battle."
The words were like ice cones, piercing the air one by one.
Delia hurried out from the corridor. Seeing the parchment in Aidele’s hand, her expression grew tense.
"My lady..."
"It has to be faced, sooner or later."
Aidele cut her off, taking a deep breath to forcibly suppress the chill churning in her chest.
She lifted her head and looked toward the closed metal door at the end of the corridor.
Inside the laboratory, Ian had just woken from a deep meditation.
In his Sea of Spirit, the pale gold Crystal Core rotated slowly. The Star Orbit patterns on its surface had grown slightly thicker than they were ten days ago.
’Elementalization progress... 11%. Without Star Fragments, my progress has slowed.’
’There’s still a long way to go to reach my 20% goal.’
’I still need to find a way...’
A knock came from the door. The rhythm was light, but it carried a tense urgency.
Ian opened his eyes, a silver glint flashing in their depths before vanishing.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Aidele walked in, clutching the roll of dark red parchment in her hand.
Her back was ramrod straight, but Ian could feel the turmoil within her.
"A notice from the clan."
She placed the parchment on the laboratory bench, her voice struggling to remain steady.
"In twenty days, a combat assessment in the Beast Fighting Arena."
Ian picked up the parchment, his eyes scanning it quickly.
Three Tier Two Late Stage Demons, random types, gauntlet battle.
One Honored Guest Elder or ally may be invited to fight alongside her.
Their performance will be counted as a bonus toward the heir’s "judging/recruiting talent" assessment.
His fingertip tapped lightly on the line that read "three Tier Two Late Stage."
"You want me to fight with you?"
Aidele looked at him, her expression complicated.
There was anticipation, hesitation, and a thread of deeply hidden unease.
"The rules allow it, but..." She paused, her voice dropping lower.
"It’s too dangerous. And your role isn’t on the floor of the Beast Fighting Arena."
Ian set the parchment down and looked up.
Morning light slanted in from a high ventilation window in the laboratory, tracing a sharp outline on the side of his face.
"The danger is mutual."
His voice was calm, as if stating the simplest of facts.
"If they succeed in stopping you, my situation will become dangerous as well."
Aidele’s breath hitched.
Ian stood up and walked to the other side of the laboratory bench. He picked up an empty crystal bottle and twirled it between his fingertips.
The walls of the bottle refracted the morning light, reflecting the steady silver glint in his eyes.
"My power is low. I wouldn’t be much help if I went."
He paused and looked at Aidele.
"But we still have twenty days. That’s enough time to get a few things done."
Aidele’s eyes lit up.
"First, I need a large quantity of Star Crystals. If you have a source, help me gather them."
This was part of the payment she had promised him before. Aidele needed to provide it so as not to delay his Elementalization process.
Ian’s gaze fell on the laboratory bench, where some materials and notes were scattered about.
"Second, if there’s enough time, I’ll custom-make a batch of potions for you."
Aidele’s breath quickened for a moment.
"Potions?"
"Potions that can rapidly boost your combat strength for a short period."
Ian turned to face her.
"But they require a large amount of raw materials, especially the Essence Blood of Tier One or higher Magic Beasts. The more, the better. The greater the variety, the better."
His eyes were deep. "The more Essence Blood I have... the more I can do."
Aidele stood where she was, her palm unconsciously stroking the parchment.
She looked at Ian, this young Wizard from a remote border island, his expression still calm.
And yet, it held a certainty that could seemingly sweep everything aside.
After three seconds, she took a deep breath.
"I’ll go find my fifth sister."
With that, she turned and strode quickly out of the laboratory.
Her footsteps receded down the corridor, carrying a do-or-die resolve.
Ian watched her leave, then sat back down in front of the laboratory bench.
He closed his eyes, and the Crystal Core in his Sea of Spirit began to spin faster.
’Elementalization at 20%... just 8% to go.’
’Once I reach it, my power will undergo another minor qualitative leap.’
’Time is tight, but if I can get new Star Core Fragments or crystals, and with the help of the Starry Sky Festival and the Seed of the Stars... it might not be impossible to do in twenty days.’
More importantly...
He opened his eyes, his gaze landing on his notes about Bloodline Potions.
The knowledge Ashia had sent him was like a key, unlocking one closed door after another in his mind.
And now, he needed another key... the third Limit-Breaking of the Bloodline Purification Technique.
He felt a slight weight on his shoulder.
Gaga had returned at some point and landed on the edge of the laboratory bench, its small claws pawing at the empty crystal bottle, eyes filled with curiosity.
"Ian, are we really going to fight three big monsters?"
"We aren’t going."
"Then can we help? Aidele is really nice. I don’t want her to lose."