Far away from the plaza, in one of the high-tier crafting towers that pierced through the upper layers of the do, a quiet chamber humd with layered formations.
Dozens of magic items floated mid-air.
Rings. Blades. Crystals. chanical constructs fused with arcane circuits.
At the center of it all was a girl.
Blonde hair, long and silky, cascaded down her back.
Two soft cat ears twitched faintly atop her head.
A slender tail swayed lazily behind her.
She was... beautiful.
Not in a loud, overwhelming way.
But in a strange, almost delicate way.
Like sothing that didn’t quite belong in the sa world.
Her golden eyes were fixed on a floating dagger in front of her, her fingers moving through the air as threads of mana stitched patterns into its surface.
Her movents were precise.
Obsessively precise.
Every line. Every rune. Every adjustnt.
Perfect.
"...No, no... this resonance is wrong," she muttered softly, tilting her head. "If the mana loop collapses here, the output drops by 0.7 percent..."
She tapped the dagger.
It shattered.
Not violently.
Quietly.
Like glass dissolving.
She blinked once.
Then smiled faintly.
"Better to redo it."
Behind her, a tall figure stood, watching silently.
An elder.
One of Rainstar Guild’s high-ranking figures.
His gaze was calm, but there was depth in it.
"Lyra," he said.
The girl didn’t turn.
"Hmm?"
"There is sothing you should see."
He flicked his hand.
A projection appeared in the air.
A recording.
Rudrean’s fight.
The crater.
The bulls.
The movent.
The efficiency.
Lyra’s fingers stopped mid-motion.
Her ears twitched.
Her tail... stilled.
The dagger she had begun reforming froze in place.
Her eyes slowly shifted toward the projection.
She watched.
Silently.
Completely.
Every movent.
Every step.
Every strike.
No wasted motion.
No excess mana.
No hesitation.
Her breathing slowed.
Then changed.
The elder blinked as he noticed it.
"...beautiful," she whispered, her eyes sparking with sothing unreadable.
The elder glanced at her. ’Hmm?’
He noticed it.
The shift.
’Oh? Is soone finally catching her attention? But why? What did she see that triggered her?’
"His na is Rudrean. A new student. Foundation Stage," the elder said with a smile. "He and his wife tead up with a couple of students from the sa place as you. I thought it would be good for you to be the fifth mber and complete that team for the Secret Realm. You need to go this ti. I won’t accept no anymore."
"I will go!" Lyra announced and stood up.
"Oh?" The elder was surprised to see her raring this ti.
"Then, how about you make a greeting gift for him and his wife with your talent? Actually, make four things so you can give them to all four of them," the elder smiled. "Things that can be used in this Secret Realm."
"Mhmm. Okay!" She looked around as her eyes glinted and gave a thumbs-up to the elder.
All the floating magic items shattered into sparks.
"I’ll make sothing aweso for them!"
The elder left the room.
And right then, a purple-haired girl was standing there.
"Reina, you again?" The elder wryly smiled.
"Please, Elder Tyoga. Tell her to join my team this ti. We’ll take good care of her," Reina pleaded. "I need her to conquer this Secret Realm."
"It’s not possible anymore." Elder Tyoga caressed his white beard while smiling. "She has already joined a team."
"What?!" Reina was shocked, her eyes almost popping out. "No way! Who stole her from ?"
Elder Tyoga shook his head. "It was I who did that. What I need is healing for her. I’m sorry, but you and others are only after her talent. I would never allow her to be in your team, where your big families have conflicts that often break into bloodshed."
Reina sighed. "I can’t separate myself from that, but I would have really taken care of her like a real sister."
Elder Tyoga smiled. "I know, but I want her to heal by interacting with people who connect with her genuinely, without any agenda, and you can’t do that. Today was also the first ti I saw her take interest in sothing other than crafting magic items, and the team she is going to join has people from her planet."
"People from her planet?" Reina frowned. "Isn’t that going to backfire? Her magic items killed so many beastfolk."
"It won’t backfire. And it is precisely because of that fact that I want her in that team. Now then, if you will excuse , I have to make so preparations for tomorrow."
Elder Tyoga left, leaving Reina frustrated and wondering.
’Which team did she join?!’
...
"The breakfast was aweso." Rudrean rubbed his stomach. ’Isalyn, do you want more?’
[Isalyn: Nope. I am also full.]
Isalyn had her own dishes and bowls, so Rudrean simply transported the food inside secretly.
"You didn’t have to pay." Aelira pouted as she and Rivera returned from the counter.
"Nope. We just had to treat you," Rivera chuckled. "You inviting us will make us richer than expected once we go to the Secret Realm."
"So, what’s next for us?" Rudrean asked. "How will we find the fifth person?"
"We can post recruitnt on the Rainstar Network," Ryzen suggested. "With the big nas of you both, we will get many applications."
"Wait, I got a ssage from soone called Tyoga Zelkris." Rudrean blinked as a hologram popped up from his wrist, where their upgraded Adventurer card had fused with his skin as a bracelet.
It could also turn into a ring, a necklace, or anything one prefers by giving it shape data from a scanned item.
But putting that aside, the na Tyoga Zelkris brought an imdiate reaction from Ryzen and Rivera.
"What?! Elder Tyoga contacted you?" Rivera was shocked.
"Why? Quick, look!" Ryzen appeared overwheld.
"Eh? What’s with you two? Is he such a big shot?"
[Isalyn: Big shot? Girl, even I know him. He is a legend, not just a big shot. One of the ten executives of Rainstar Guild. That makes him one of the ten most powerful people in the Rainstar Guild. He is far stronger than I.]
’Damn!’ Aelira was shocked.
And so was Rudrean. ’Why does such a big shot want to et with us?’
He continued out loud to inform others. "The ssage says that he would like to et the four of us at the Serene Lake Garden. We already got a pass for entry to that location."
"Serene Lake Garden? That’s an exclusive place," Ryzen muttered. "But I can’t believe we are going to et our hero."
"Should we go now?" He looked at Rudrean with almost puppy-like eyes.
"Well, we should go, and you both should tell us more about this elder." Aelira grinned.
"I am curious as well," Rudrean nodded.
Rivera smiled. "We would be glad to tell you about him."
"Yep. Let’s talk while walking," Ryzen grinned.
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