Nasura hurried frantically toward his secret meeting room. Finding even the lower buttons of his shirt undone, he fastened them as he accelerated his pace. What is it this time? It sounds dangerous! Nasura thought anxiously as he pushed open the door to the hidden chamber.

Stepping inside, Nasura called out, "Lord Night! Where are you?" He glanced left and right, surveying the enclosed room, which contained nothing more than a table, a few chairs, and a wooden cabinet.

Approaching the table, Nasura sat down in one of the chairs. "Lord Night must have stepped out again. Scared me for nothing, making me rush over here."

Settling in, he crossed his right leg over his left, attempting to relax.

"Comfortable, aren't we?" a low, threat-laced voice echoed through the room.

The sudden sound startled Nasura so badly he nearly tumbled from his seat. He whipped his head to the side. Sitting right beside him was a man shrouded in a dark hood and face cover. The figure's sharp, piercing gaze struck pure terror into Nasura's heart.

"Forgive... forgive me, Lord Night! Please forgive me! I truly didn't realize you were already here!"

Nasura was utterly dumbfounded; there had been no one in the room when he entered. Stuttering nervously, he couldn't fathom how Lord Night had suddenly appeared in the chair beside him without making a sound. The man's power was undeniably terrifying.

"You are to go into hiding and remain indoors for as long as the Sky Squad is here," Lord Night commanded in a low, chilling tone. "Do not leave your residence, and do not receive any guests under any circumstances!"

"B-but Lord Night," Nasura stammered, "haven't I already instructed the Chief Blacksmith not to fulfill any weapon orders for you while the Sky Squad is in town? He will certainly obey, considering his mind is occupied with nothing but weapons and coin. Why must I also be confined and forbidden from—"

Swoooosh! Clack!

Nasura’s eyes dilated in sheer horror. A flash of light sliced through the air like a lethal blade. It was a sharp, edge-like projectile moving at blinding speed, wrapped in a dense shroud of energy. The deadly weapon embedded itself deep into the stone wall directly behind Nasura.

Nasura sat frozen, trembling violently. He felt on the verge of passing out, his face drained of all color, not daring to make a single move. Tilting his head ever so slightly, he saw the wall behind him cracked by the sharp projectile, attached to a thin, glistening thread that carried the force of the strike.

The weapon was controlled directly by Lord Night’s hand. With a mere flick of his fingers, he had unleashed the lethal projectile, leaving a fine scratch across Nasura’s cheek. A tiny bead of blood welled up. The cold sting sent a shivering dread straight down Nasura’s spine.

"Forgive me... Forgive me, Lord Night! I will obey! I will not leave my residence or meet with anyone!"

Nasura’s hands and legs shook uncontrollably. Lord Night recalled the weapon with a gentle tug; the fine, thread-like cord snapped taut, drawing the blade back instantly into his grip. Nasura exhaled slowly, feeling a faint wave of relief wash over him.

"You are still breathing today only because you remain useful to us," Lord Night warned coldly. "If not, your soul would have departed from your body long ago!"

Nasura shuddered even more violently. A split second later, as he blinked, Lord Night vanished without a trace. He was simply gone. For several terrifying moments, Nasura didn't dare move or utter a sound, terrified that Lord Night might still be lingering in the shadows of the room.

Only after a considerable amount of time had passed did Nasura convince himself that he was truly alone. He pushed himself up, his legs still wobbly. Wiping away the single drop of blood on his cheek, he felt the sharp sting of the small cut.

Forcing his body into motion, Nasura bolted from the chamber, racing back to his private quarters as fast as his legs could carry him.

That was horrifying! I almost lost my life! Absolute madness! Nasura thought frantically, slamming his bedroom door shut. He knew he had no choice but to comply—he would not leave his manor or meet anyone for as long as the Sky Squad remained at the Golden Crane Academy.

Meanwhile, Alicia requested access to a private training room in Linggar Emas. The city offered specialized cultivation facilities available for hire by martial arts disciples from any institution. Alicia rented a private chamber and requested isolation security to ensure no one would interrupt her during her meditation and insight training.

Once inside, Alicia drew out the scroll given to her by Aji, carefully unrolling it. As the parchment unfurled, intricate script revealed itself across the surface.

The scroll was sealed—a unique medium created specifically for a single recipient. It contained what was known as a personal skill message, a specialized form of magic used to transmit a technique designed exclusively for one individual.

It was a sealed personal-skill scroll, meaning Alicia needed to channel her own energy into the seal to open it. The energy that unsealed the scroll would simultaneously absorb the skill contained within. This transmission method was tailored exclusively for those with a mage's affinity.

Alicia hesitated briefly. Could she truly trust Aji? Was this genuinely a skill passed down from her grandfather, Yonan? Deep down, however, Alicia felt that Aji was a good person who would never lead her astray.

When someone was unfamiliar with a sealed scroll, they had no way of knowing what skill lay hidden inside. Attempting to absorb an incompatible skill could severely harm one's physical body. Ultimately, Alicia chose to trust her intuition. Aji was a honorable man, and she desperately needed strength to gain recognition for her family and avoid being used as a pawn by the Golden Crane Academy as Sengturi's second wife.

Setting the sealed scroll on the ground before her, Alicia sat cross-legged. She extended her hands forward, placing her drawn sword on the floor to her left. A faint pulse of energy flowed down her arms, and tiny, root-like tendrils of light sprouted from her fingertips. She engaged her energy conduction ability, attempting to merge with and break the seal.

She made her choice!

As the energy tendrils pierced the scroll, the seal dissolved. A brilliant radiance erupted from the parchment, causing the scroll to break apart into floating particles of light. It was Alicia's first time witnessing a sealed scroll in person—she had only ever read about personal-skill scrolls that could be inherited by a single chosen individual.

The glowing sphere of light hovered directly in front of her. This technique orb could only be absorbed by the one who had unsealed it; no one else could lay claim to its power.

Aji came to me bearing a mandate from my grandfather... Is this really happening? It felt almost surreal. Just when she was wallowing in despair, worrying for her mother's plight, a gift from her grandfather had suddenly appeared. Was this the destiny she was meant to follow?

Alicia reached out, taking the glowing orb into her right palm. Tiny flickers of light enveloped the sphere. It was mesmerizingly beautiful, yet beneath its delicate exterior rested a concentrated skill energy. Alicia still had no idea what specific skill was sealed inside.

Realizing there was no time for second-guessing, Alicia raised the energy orb to her lips and swallowed it whole.

Instantly, her entire body shuddered as the skill's effects began to take hold.