Silence settled over the room, thick and heavy, almost like it had weight.For a brief moment, nobody moved. Nobody even seemed to breathe. The air itself felt hesitant, as if it wasn’t sure what it was supposed to do next, as if it couldn’t quite decide whether the man sitting on the bed was real or just a desperate hallucination.Ethan Northwind was supposed to be dead.Just moments earlier, his body had been cold and still. His breathing had been so faint it was barely there at all. Even Lina, who had refused to leave his side, had been forced to accept the truth she didn’t want to face.She had lost him.And yet now, there he was.Ethan sat upright on the wooden bed.His back was straight. His eyes were open, dark and clear, focused and undeniably alive. His face was pale, and his movements were stiff, like someone waking from a very long, very deep sleep, but there was no mistaking it.He was alive.At the doorway, everything froze.The chaos from moments earlier hung suspended i

When the Seed Awakens, Fate Begins to TurnAerin Voss did not loosen his grip.Between his thumb and index finger, the slender Celestial Needle rotated slowly, steadily, guided by absolute control. The movement appeared gentle, almost delicate, yet the instant the needle shifted, the eight remaining golden needles embedded across his body responded.They trembled.Not randomly, not chaotically, but in perfect rhythm, vibrating at the same frequency as the Celestial Needle, as though all nine were bound by a single will.Deep within Aerin’s body, something long dormant stirred.One by one, nine hidden nodes awakened.Heart Tide.Radiant Core.Sky Vault.Obsidian Court.Drake Gate.Soul Divide.Solar Crest.Veil Spring.Emerald Nexus.Invisible pathways linked them together, forming a complete internal circulation, an ancient structure that had remained sealed for eighteen long years.At the center of it all lay the Emerald Nexus.The core.The command point.As Aerin guided the Celesti

The Crimson Bath & The First Clash.On the vast Aetherion Continent, every medicinal herb carried traces of spiritual essence. The difference lay not in whether such power existed, but in its purity, potency, and affinity. Some herbs were violent, overflowing with raw force. Others were gentle, slow-acting, and deceptively subtle.The herbs stored on the Ground Floor of the Arcane Herb Pavilion belonged to the latter category.They had undergone only the most basic preparation. Unrefined. Mild in effect. Safe enough to be consumed directly or simmered into simple medicinal brews. To high-level cultivators, they were barely worth a glance. To those at the beginning of their path, however, they were priceless.Herbs within the Pavilion were meticulously categorized. Some strengthened flesh and sinew, others tempered internal organs. A smaller portion enhanced spiritual circulation, while rare shelves contained herbs meant for obscure or specialized uses.As Eryndor Vale walked slowly be

The hall echoed with clipped, ritualistic calls.“Clan insignia!”“Registry mark!”“Select your reagents!”Perhaps because dawn had only just broken, the Arcane Dispensary lay unusually quiet. Dust motes drifted through pale beams of light spilling in from the high windows. Near the entrance, half-hidden in shadow, sat the same bald elder from the previous day.Yet today, he appeared markedly different.His posture was upright, his presence sharp. Narrow eyes tracked Kael Rowan from head to toe with unsettling intensity—too focused, too deliberate.It felt like being measured by a blade.Kael suppressed a shiver. After submitting his registry mark, he moved swiftly between the towering shelves, fingers skimming rune-etched labels as his mind raced.Moonwhite Powder.Velvet Reed Root.Dreamleaf Moss.Drakespawn Kelp.Frostplate Water.Five ingredients.Together, they formed the base formula for Renewal Dew—a volatile elixir capable of restoring damaged essence channels.The Dispensary

Wren Talor stood frozen at the center of the room, the small jade vial trembling in his grasp.“Brother Wren?” Eric Hale snapped impatiently. “What are you standing there for?”Wren swallowed hard. His lips parted, yet no words came out at first.“This… this is real,” he finally whispered.Color drained from his face as his gaze locked onto Ethan Vale—as if he were staring at something that should not exist.An authentic restoration elixir.Not merely genuine—its purity was terrifying.“How dare you hesitate!” Felix Vale barked. “Hand it over!”Wren jolted as if struck by lightning. He didn’t dare delay even a breath. The vial was immediately placed into Felix’s hand.The moment the stopper was removed, a cool, refreshing fragrance filled the room. It was light yet deeply penetrating, easing fatigue the instant it was inhaled. Inside the vial, the translucent liquid shimmered faintly, dense vitality swirling like mist trapped in glass.Felix didn’t need testing stones.He didn’t need