At that point, Aldrus was already standing in front of Caelan in the manner of someone not measuring a threat but reading something in a different way from that—more like someone opening a book they had long wanted to read and had only just found the first page of."It's truly an honor to meet you in person, Doctor Voss." His voice came out in a tone that was warm but not an empty warm. "I've heard many things about you before arriving in this city. All of it interesting."Caelan smiled. Not a smile that showed teeth, not a smile made to look friendly—just a small movement at the corner of his lips from someone assessing something and choosing not to hide that they were assessing."I don't know you." His eyes moved briefly to Edvard and Cedric standing a few steps behind Aldrus, then returned. "But given the way the Sterne family is standing behind you like that, I can conclude that you're not an ordinary person." His head tilted slightly. "May I know the purpose of you waiting for me

Meanwhile, right as the last door closed outside, something trickled slowly from Caelan's forehead.Sweat.He didn't move right away. Still standing in the same spot since they had left, in the middle of The Grandeur's lobby now back to its usual atmosphere, with staff still on duty and a few guests passing through without knowing what had just happened among those same tables and chairs.For those few minutes earlier, not a single thing had made it to the surface. No sweat, no change in breathing, nothing that Aldrus or anyone around him could have read as a sign that Caelan was feeling anything more than he showed.Now they were gone.And the second drop followed the first."That old man is strong."Not strong in a way measurable by technique or by how many people he could defeat at once. Strong in a more fundamental way—an aura that emanated depth from someone who had spent a very long time to reach a level that was no longer about which Realm, but about something further beyond th

"Do you have a name?"The small creature raised its head from where it was sitting casually on the table, one of its front legs still wiping the last of the milk from the corner of its mouth."Of course not yet. Please give me a name, papa.""How about Rex?"Three seconds of silence. The small creature appeared to genuinely consider it, not in a pretend way, but in the manner of someone making a decision seriously."That's a good name." Its head gave one nod. "From now on, my name is Rex.""Good." Caelan nodded, satisfied. Then added, "But I'm not your biological parent. So it's better not to call me papa."Rex turned toward him."No.""No?" Caelan furrowed his brow."You are papa." Rex said it in a way that left no room for negotiation. "You were the one who fed me first. You were here when I opened my eyes for the first time. So you are papa.""I'm human." Caelan tried once more. "You're a dragon. We're two completely different species. Biologically that doesn't—""So I'm not allowe

The silver blade stopped between two of Caelan's fingers, index and middle, closing like scissors on the left and right of the blade. The sword that had just shot forward at a speed that shouldn't have been catchable by anyone was now unable to move forward or backward.No blood. No loud impact sound.Just stopped.Caelan didn't look back. "You're fast." His voice came out the way of someone noting something, not someone who was under threat. "But weak."One second of silence.Then something exploded from Ixia. Not sound, but energy. Every spiritual reserve she had was released at once into the hand gripping that sword, pulling backward with full force.The blade broke free.Ixia stepped back half a pace, stabilized her position, and immediately attacked again. This time from a different direction, at higher speed than before, with an angle calculated more carefully.But Caelan was no longer in the same position.Not because he had dodged with a visible step. He just—wasn't there anym

On the floor near the balcony door, Ixia lay in a position she couldn't change.Her eyes looked up at Caelan still standing in the middle of the room—black sword in his hand, two unconscious people on the floor, and not a single mark of combat on his own body."This is..."Her mind tried to find the right word and couldn't."A sword technique like that—"Selena with her terrifying needle ability. Ethan whose arrogance came from the fact that he hadn't lost to a fellow sect disciple in the past three years.Both finished in a total time not enough for Ixia to exhale one full breath.And it wasn't just the speed or strength that kept her from finding the right words.It was the way that sword moved.Every swing already knew where it would end before it began. No excessive motion, no wasted anticipation, no energy expended for anything that didn't contribute to the result. Like someone who had done this thousands of times and whose body no longer needed to be commanded—just moved, and th