Ngwan Le walked past her without a glance.Saint Claire had already told him what to do after that—but the fairy before him was not one to be ignored.She, who loathed all living things, felt her pride sting beneath his indifference.It wasn't Fretit, she thought bitterly. Then who is this arrogant wretch?“Hold on a second.” she commanded, her voice sharp as frost.But Ngwan Le did not stop. He didn’t even turn his head.Irritation flared within her. With a flick of will, she seized him from the air and dragged him close. Just as she raised her hand to strike—Pain.It tore through her instead. Invisible and absolute. Her fingers froze mid-motion, her breath catching in disbelief.A hiss escaped her lips. “Tch…”She dropped her hand and, with a cold wave of magic, enclosed him within a vast, shimmering orb.Inside, Ngwan Le sat cross-legged, arms folded, his face calm—almost serene. He looked like a monk in meditation, though he wasn't He did nothing, and even though had the power t

“He’s already mastered the meditation form I asked him to practice.”Saint Clair’s voice carried a note of genuine appreciation.To think a mortal, with such a fragile body, could be a genius… she thought, her lips curving faintly.Verenito Saint Clair’s chamber was no ordinary sleeping room. Shaped like the silhouette of a human figure viewed in a 4×4 portrait frame, it was both living space and sanctum of power.The upper section—the “head” of the room—held the personal quarters: a bed carved from crystal substance, a bathing chamber veiled in steam, a dressing and cosmetics room, and other amenities suited to one of her stature.The lower section—the “torso,” from shoulder to upper abdomen—was reserved for guests and training. Strange relics and relic-spheres lined the walls, humming softly, each containing whispers of long-forgotten spirits.Here, in that lower hall, Saint Clair sat upon a chair she had brought down from her private quarters.Unlike most fairies, who perched with

Ngwan Le yet again remained speechless.It seemed that what he had witnessed when he merged with the first fragment had left a trace within him — a subtle resonance that refused to fade.Still, the professor continued to speak, even as he noticed the strange, distant look in Ngwan Le’s eyes.“And then,” he said quietly, “you breathe in its power.”He paused. The silence that followed stretched, charged with something unseen.Then—“Now tell me,” he began again, his tone deliberate, almost testing,“does the power you absorb — the one inside you — come from the you inside you, or from inside you?”He paused once more, letting the puzzle hang in the air like an unsolved equation.“Since it happens inside you, and not inside the you inside you, it means that the you inside you absorbs the power from the outside.”His words rose, filled with sudden intensity.“So that’s…” Ngwan Le started.“Exactly!” the professor exclaimed. “The power you saw — the one that seemed to flow into me from th

Fretit lifted his head again, turning toward Elene. The storm of thought that had clouded his expression slowly settled, replaced by cold determination.“You said he’s a candidate personally recommended by Her Highness, right?” His tone was calm.“She said it herself,” Elene replied, her gaze steady, her voice like the calm before lightning.Fretit’s jaw tightened. “No wonder he came out first,” he muttered. “Her Highness must’ve made some… arrangements.” He exhaled sharply, the edge in his voice cutting the air. “But that’s not our concern.”He straightened, meeting Elene’s eyes. “As you wish, Saint. I’ll teach him a lesson — if he accepts my challenge.”Elene smiled faintly, though there was nothing soft in it. “No need to worry about that,” she said, her voice ringing with finality.“Prepare yourself. The challenge will take place three days from tomorrow.”She rose from her elevated sofa with effortless grace. The room brightened slightly as she descended the final step.Pausing a

“The say he was the one who broke the record,” exclaimed a fairy brimming with yellow light.“For real?” the fairy beside her gasped, eyes widening. And in an instant, chatter erupted around them — excitement, disbelief, curiosity all tangled into a frenzy.But on the opposite side of the arena, the tone was very different. There, the discussions favored only one person: Fretit.After all, those seated on that side were Elene’s loyal supporters.“Tsk. That’s the one who dared challenge Elene-sama’s authority,” one fairy snarled, her wings trembling with indignation.Startled, the halo fairy beside her whispered, “Is that him, Jesica?”Jesica opened her mouth to explain. And a while after she explained. It happened that, Ngwan Le was already there.He now stood barely one meter away from Fretit.His eyes were on Fretit — yet they were not truly on him. His gaze was distant, unshaken, uninterested.There was none of the anxiety that crowds once stirred in him. No overwhelming tension. N