BaiYun stood in the cavernous throne room, the flickering torchlight casting long shadows across the golden throne. The distant murmurs of healers tending to Evelyn echoed faintly from the wing beyond, a reminder of the chaos they’d just escaped. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his jaw tight, the weight of the system’s last words still hanging in the air—“He says he wants to help ‘The Trickweaver’... I believe that’s you.” The silence was thick, pressing against his thoughts, until he muttered under his breath, “Who the hell’s this guy?”

  The system’s voice buzzed back in his mind, low and unsteady. “I don’t know. Sounds like one of those audience creeps, maybe. That’s just my guess.”

  “What else did he say?” BaiYun pressed, his voice sharp, cutting through the quiet.

  “Nothing,” the system replied, clipped and frustrated. “The connection snapped right after—like it burned out. I tried reaching back, but it’s dead. No signal, no nothing.”

  BaiYun exhaled through his nose, a faint scowl creasing his brow as he stared at the empty throne. Before he could push further, the soft shuffle of footsteps broke the stillness. Ola stepped back into the room, his face weary but alert.

  “She’s awake,” he said, voice low. “The queen wants to see you.”

  BaiYun nodded, following Ola through the healer’s wing. The air carried the faint scent of herbs and blood, white curtains swaying as they passed. Evelyn lay propped on a narrow cot, her pale face stark against the dark furs, her violet eyes sharp despite the exhaustion etched into her features. BaiYun stopped at her bedside, his gaze dropping to the floor.

  “I’m sorry,” he started, voice rough with guilt. “I messed this all up—getting you hurt like that. How are you holding up?”

  Evelyn’s eyes met his, cutting through his concern like a blade, her voice low and cold despite its faint tremor. “You should be sorry, BaiYun. You’ve been hiding things from us—how long did you think you could keep it up?” She leaned forward slightly, wincing but unyielding, her gaze piercing.

  Ola shifted beside him, stepping forward with a slight frown. “He—”

  She silenced him with a sharp glance, her eyes narrowing as they fixed back on BaiYun. “That voice from above—it kept mentioning Oliver Enzo. What’s your connection to him? Don’t even think about lying to me now.”

  BaiYun sighed, a heavy sound that dragged his shoulders down. He met her gaze, resolute. “Alright. I’ll tell you. I’m not from this world. I… transmigrated here, took over another guy’s body. He’s called Alan Green. Oliver Enzo and Catherine—Alan’s backstabbing ex-fiancée—they killed him for the Mana Spring House Green’s owned for generations. That’s my grudge with Enzo. That’s why that thing up there keeps dragging his name into this—I need to take them out—for Alan Green, for myself, same thing here.”

  Ola nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. “He’s not lying about that part. Word’s been floating around—House Enzo slaughtered the Green Village to seize a Mana Spring, and Oliver’s got a concubine named Catherine now. It lines up.”

  Evelyn inclined her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I’ve heard the same.”

  Ola continued, his voice steady. “And I believe him about the body, too—Alan Green’s body. Back at BaiYun’s Academy Duel with Hermann Thorrison, he threw out that massive fireball that simply shouldn’t have been possible. That’s because his mana purity was unreal—almost no impurities. Otherwise, the impurities in the mana would’ve made the fireball explode early. Any other mage, that spell would’ve blown up in their face from the strain. Only mana of such extreme purity could pull it off.”

  BaiYun blinked, confusion flickering across his face. “What are you getting at?”

  Ola’s gaze softened, patient. “Mana comes from the heart, right? What we measure—mana level—is what your heart pumps out. It flows through your veins, and the body refines it, turns raw mana into something usable. You said the Greens had a Mana Spring for generations. That means Alan’s body—your body—has been shaped by it, refining mana way better than most. Your spells achieve equivalent power with reduced exertion, higher efficiency. That fireball? Most mages would’ve burned through triple the mana—or blown themselves up.”

  He then warned gently, “Even with that purity, you need to watch out—0.2 level’s still low, and your reserve’s small. From what we’ve seen in your battles, that reserve holds you back.”

  BaiYun frowned, processing it, then shrugged. “Guess that makes sense. Still didn’t feel like much out there.”

  Evelyn’s eyes softened, though her voice held steady. “Well, BaiYun, I’ll admit it’s hard to wrap my head around you not being from this world. But I believe you now.”

  She paused, her thoughts turning inward. He’d had chances to hurt her—a few times—but never took them. He’d saved them all instead. Her gaze lifted, softer now. “Thank you for saving me, advisor.”

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  Before BaiYun could respond, a sharp hum cut through the room, the system’s voice bursting out loud enough for all to hear. “And BaiYun’s not the only outsider here. Oliver Enzo’s one too, way before BaiYun, a decade before—that’s why that thing up there keeps bringing him up.”

  The room fell silent, shock rippling through them. Even BaiYun hadn’t seen this coming—he’d had the system for a while, but until this Ultimate System mess, it’d never bothered to shed any light on it.

  Evelyn’s brow furrowed, her voice rising with sudden intensity. “Wait—meant to ask earlier, what is this talking thing you have, advisor? What is it?”

  The system’s tone turned dry, almost annoyed. “We’re aids for outsiders—like me for BaiYun. Supposed to guide, give info, that sort of thing. Though this host’s too sly for his own good—barely lets me help.”

  A faint chuckle broke the tension—Ola’s lips twitched, Evelyn’s eyes glinted with amusement—but BaiYun stayed stone-faced. The system caught it, pressing on. “Oliver’s system’s different—he’s got a Skill System. He gets spells straight from it, no learning needed. Thing is, he’s dumped all his Skill Points into charm and seduction nonsense. To get new skills, he’s gotta do whatever quests it throws at him. So for now, we don’t need to worry about him coming after us—he’s either too busy playing lover boy, or leveling up to get new points.”

  Ola tilted his head, puzzled. “Points? Quests? Leveling up? What does that even mean?”

  Evelyn’s frown deepened, her fingers tightening on the cot’s edge.

  BaiYun waved a hand, his lips twitching in a half-smirk. “Yeah, I get it—life’s hard. Doesn’t matter. So what else is new?”

  The system kept going, exasperated. “Point is, he’s got it easy—picks up magic faster than anyone on this continent, you included, BaiYun. Levels up his strength without breaking a sweat.”

  BaiYun didn’t really care about what he couldn’t have. Instead, he focused on assessing the threat coming at him. “What’s his mana reserve at?”

  “No idea,” the system snapped. “Can’t see it from the start.”

  Ola cut in, thoughtful. “House Enzo never shares that info—keeps it locked tight. Rumor says their levels are all high, though. They don’t train anywhere else either—just their own Leviathan Academy, right in their territory.”

  BaiYun crossed his arms, a hard edge creeping into his voice. “If he’s a threat, we can’t let him grow. I’ll go kill him now—problem solved.”

  The system snorted. “You? Take a good look at yourself, BaiYun. You’re not storming House Enzo solo and taking out their second son. You’d be dead before you got through the gate.”

  BaiYun’s jaw clenched. “I’ll find a way. I always do.”

  Evelyn coughed, a rough sound that cut through the air, her face paling further. Ola stepped closer, concern etching his features. “Let’s hold off on Oliver for now. The queen’s awake, sure, but she’s still hurt… She needs about a year to recover fully. The Worst part is, she can’t use magic that whole time.”

  BaiYun froze, dread sinking into his gut like a stone. His guilt, just starting to ease, roared back sharper and heavier than before—a year without magic for a queen in a world where it ruled everything? He’d done that to her, and it hit him like a gut punch. “Is there any way to help her recover faster?” he asked, his voice tight, almost breaking.

  Ola fell silent, then spoke slowly. “Maybe. It’s untested, but… the key is the water from a Mana Spring. Legends say it’s the best for healing magic wounds. If we could get some, it might help her recover faster. Only a chance, though—not a sure thing. House Enzo’s got one now—your family’s. The thing is…”

  BaiYun finished it, his voice grim. “The thing is, if Enzo finds out she’s down, they’ll come for her, or at least seize the opportunity for their own good, won’t they?”

  Ola nodded, his expression tight. “Exactly.”

  “No problem,” BaiYun said, resolve hardening. “I’ll go.”

  Evelyn’s eyes widened. “Go where? To steal it?”

  BaiYun forced a grin, thin and strained. “Yeah. I am a Rogure student in the academy anyway—stealing is my thing, professionally trained.”

  “No,” Evelyn snapped, her voice cutting despite its weakness, her gaze like a blade. “You’ll march into a place crawling with guards—layer upon layer of them. You’ll be caught or killed before you can blink. It’s suicide.”

  “It’s my only chance to fix this,” BaiYun shot back, stepping closer, his tone fierce. “One person can slip through the shadows—quiet, no fuss, no trace. I’d rather die trying than wait here while you’re helpless.”

  “You think I’ll let you throw your life away?” Evelyn countered, leaning forward despite the pain, her voice rising. “You’ve broken enough trust already, running off half-cocked. I won’t lose you to some reckless stunt—I need you here.”

  “I won’t lose you to Enzo because I sat on my hands,” BaiYun fired back, his fists clenched. “One man’s less noise than a team—it’s the only way that works. I’m smart enough to pull this off, and hell, this might be one of the few shots I’ve got to use it for something I really wanted to do!”

  “There’s always another way,” she insisted, her eyes blazing. “You’re not invincible, BaiYun—I can’t lose you as my advisor, not after all this.”

  “I’m not waiting for miracles,” he said, voice dropping low and hard. “This is on me—I fix it, and I fix it, no other options.”

  Evelyn opened her mouth to argue, but Ola stepped between them, raising a hand. “Enough, both of you. Evelyn, he’s right about the spring—it’s a chance. BaiYun, she’s right about the risk.”

  “But If you’re really set on this…” He sighed, rubbing his temple. “Give us some time first.”

  BaiYun shook his head, resolute. “Time’s what we don’t have. I’m going—alone.”

  Evelyn’s jaw clenched, but her strength faltered, her breath hitching. Ola glanced at her, then back to BaiYun, his voice firm. “Ten days, then. Stay ten more days—I’ll arrange some training for you, to teach you things that give you a real shot. You’re not walking into that death trap without a plan.”

  BaiYun met Ola’s gaze, then Evelyn’s, her eyes still burning with defiance and worry. He nodded once, slow and deliberate. “Ten days. Then I go.”

  The torchlight flickered, their shadows stretching sharp and jagged across the stone, his words hanging heavy—a vow carved in the silence, daring the unseen to answer.