ã€ŠSoul Splitã€‹


 Prologue: Student debt is the root of all evil

    ¡°And that¡¯s it for today¡¯s class, make sure you have the paper on theoretical wormholes ready by our next session.¡±

    Tom exhaled, the excruciating class was finally over. He dismissed his nap and stretched his arms wide while yawning exaggeratedly, completely oblivious of the professor¡¯s approach.

    ¡°Tom, I need help with an unofficial project. You¡¯ll get $400 by simply carrying equipments around and observing the sensors, are you free tonight? Just come by my place at 8 and make sure this stays under the table alright? ¡±. The professor inquired, his eyes flashed in interest.

    Tom jerked, retrieving his outstretched arms and a raising an eyebrow. ¡°Whats the catch?¡± He asked the obvious. No one in their right mind would pay $400 for a humble ta, even for a private project, unless it was something horrific, illegal, or perhaps both.

    ¡°You have the look of a prisoner about to be executed, relax! Its just a simple theory I¡¯m trying to prove. While completely harmless, I haven¡¯t exactly got the legal procedures in yet. You know how long those things can take.¡± The professor shrugged and gave a hyena smile, emitting a faint sinister aura.

    Tom hesitated, but eventually nodded. These ¡°projects¡± that he had helped was more or less unconventional, almost borderline mythological. As ridiculous as they maybe, he seemed to come out from most of them unscathed, and the prof was paying well. He needed money, any amount will do. He needed to quench the unending thirst that was his student dept, if only by just a little at a time.

    The professor recruited two more students before leaving.

    ##

    Headlights landed on the rusty doors of a seemingly abandoned building, darkness engulfed its twisted windows. Large cracks coiled around its walls, the whole place looked as if it could fall apart at the slightest push of a gentle breeze.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Tom opened and closed the crackling doors slowly, hoping the surrounding neighbors would ignore the shady, mad scientist-like experiments they were going to conduct. He entered the doors leading to the basement, his casual manner betrayed the numerous times he had done it before.

    Unlike the rest of the old, crumbling building, the basement was sparklingly clear. White luminescence light bounced off its pristine, shiny walls. The professor was instructing his two classmates on how to operate the monitors that were overflowing with text. Seeing Tom¡¯s arrival, the professor quickly guided him to the contraption.

    He gaped, in front of him stood two arch-like structures, each the size of a door. Sparks of electricity ran between them shortly before a loud bang resounded, bathing the room in white light. A thin, crystal veil flickered between the two arcs, forming a glowing gate.

    ¡°Its beautiful, isn¡¯t it? I call it the Gate Between Worlds. I had successfully reproduced the effects of ...blah...blah¡± The professor chirped excitedly.

    Tom nodded absentmindedly, still entranced by the majestic scene.

    ¡°You see, I have succeeded in transferring many objects, from tiny rocks to small live creatures like squirrels and dogs. But I don¡¯t know whether the experiment is a success.¡± He paused, his eyes glazed. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking for a long time now, even if I were to submit this...creation. The society will likely tear it down, only keeping its blueprint until a long time in the future and reassemble it when it''s fear has subsided. I will be arrested, they will take my toys away. You see, science is why I live, without it, I am but an empty shell. I can hide this away in the depths of obscurity. But I cannot neglect my duty as a scientist and not report this astounding discovery! Therefore, I have decided to leave the reporting duty to you, my loyal students, while I myself will see the other side of this gate!¡±. He declared loudly. his voice hysterical as he started walking towards the portal.

    Terrified, the three students froze, staring at the mad figure of the professor stumbling towards hell¡¯s gate.

    The gate suddenly exploded, expanding into a glowing yellow sphere, it started sucking on the surroundings like a black hole. The professor tripped and started sliding towards the hungry sphere, he grabbed and held onto a loose fluttering cable.

    Tom was not so lucky, however, as he was flown directly towards the thing. With nothing to grab on, he could only close his eyes and muttered in relief. At least I no longer have to pay my student debt.

 Chapter 1: On the edge of death

    ¡°Good morning, your highness.¡±

    Ryan¡¯s eyes snapped open at the teasing voice. He reached out and pushed away a small hand coming to caress his face.

    ¡°Morning, maid.¡± He said nonchalantly.

    ¡°Having taken care of you since birth, Can''t you at least call me by name?¡± The maid pouted and folded her arms.

    ¡°Mira, you''re overstepping your status of a maid. Correct your behavior this instant.¡± Came a growling voice in the corner of the room.

    The warm light of dawn streaked through the windows, painting the man¡¯s muscular features.Despite being in his late forties, Ryan wouldn''t be surprised if he can wrestle a bear and win.

    ¡°Are you going to execute me, mister guard? Then tell me, who will take care of his highness¡¯s every need, you and your brute hands?¡± Her cold arctic eyes glared back.

    Ignoring the two¡¯s bicker, Ryan stood up, entered the closet and and locked the door.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Mira knocked, ¡°As your loyal maid, I need to help you change. Let me in!¡±

    The door opened and Ryan stepped out, wearing the United Empire¡¯s prided red on black uniform. Even without help, he had put it on and combed his hair neatly within minutes.

    ¡°Eli, when will the new shipment from Adamaz arrive?¡±

    ¡°In just a few moments, your highness. It seemed bad weather had delayed the delivery carriage.¡±

    Then someone knocked, Eli opened the door to let two servants carrying a large create inside. They set it on the floor and prepared to leave.

    ¡°Wait, please bring these to the grand library. They''ll know what to do with them.¡± Ryan gestured to the large pile of books sitting on his desk. He had managed to finish them all last night.

    The two servants quickly carried the used books and left while Eli opened the create and set the new ones on the desk.

    ¡°Your highness must be famished, I shall go prepare breakfast at once.¡± Mira gave a bright smile and walked out.

    Ryan stared at the new pile of books and smiled. He began sorting them into their respective categories. Then he took the ones about politics, economics or military and promptly set them aside as they held none of his interest. In addition to being the sixth in line for the throne, he had no ambition for power play. So unmotivated an individual was he that the label ¡°Dull Prince¡± got stuck to his childhood.

    Ever since his birth, he paid little attention to anything around him. He didn''t play with his siblings, didn''t like sweets and had no interest in members of the opposite sex. Ryan himself was aware of his oddity but could do nothing to change it.

    The only noticeable emotion within him was a burning desire to find something, something that belonged to him and yet was not with him. As if a part of him got ripped apart and sent across the world before his birth. All he could do to quench this desire was to read and to seek out knowledge across the land. From deep within his mind, he believed only through the knowledge he gained will he finally find what it was that he so desperately wanted to know.

    In his quest for knowledge, he had read through the entire grand library of the capital, at least the parts he had access to. Using all of his allowances, he hired mercenaries from other parts of the empire to bring him books about the culture and the ecology of the land. Something about technology and the journals on the wildlife had always excited him. He''d read and reread parts about creative innovations or of a newly discovered specie.

    With the situation in the empire growing worse by the day, he was certain to be wrapped up in that mess and die a meaningless death. Having no resolve to live whatsoever, Ryan figured it wouldn''t hurt to read a little more.

    There was a loud knock on the door. Eli opened to find another servant holding a small box.

    ¡°I humbly apologize for my carelessness. I found another small package left in the messenger carriage and have brought it here as soon as I could.¡±

    Eli received the box and opened it.

    ¡°There''s nothing in here.¡± He looked back, only to be greeted with a sharp blade coming towards his neck.

    The swing exceeded what Ryan''s eyes can see, yet Eli had already bent his body back out of the blade¡¯s path. Ryan knew his guard was much more agile than his large build would suggest.

    The intruder had quick movements and his slash precise. An assassin. Ryan realized. He opened his palm to activate a signal flare using magic, only to have the activation sequence collapse into a puff of smoke.

    How did they deploy a magic jammer without us knowing? As the jammer only affected externally activated spells, Ryan still had his own inner magic spell active. The mental clarity spells that helped him stay focused during his readings also got him to stay calm.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Ryan had always been prepared for such an occasion. He played with his crystal necklace while looking over the battle, planning his death.

    His siblings had all recruited strong individuals, leaving behind no one capable of guarding him. Only his original caretakers volunteered for the job. While skilled, Eli and Mira could never go against an Elite unit.

    He watched on as the assassin''s quick slashes slowly drive Eli back, giving him numerous shallow wounds.

    Ryan clenched his teeth. Never had he understood why the two would go so far for such a hopeless existence as him. Nonetheless he had already made up his mind long ago, if they were willing to die for him who had no will to live, he would do the same.

    Eli bravely withstood the unrelenting strikes, but his arms were battered and bleeding. Finally, the sword got knocked from his hand.

    Ryan already started running towards the two moments before. His objective was not to reach them, but to gain forward momentum. When Eli lost his blade, Ryan jumped.

    Knowing well that Ryan won''t reach them in time, the assassin¡¯s blade went for Eli¡¯s neck.

    Ryan smiled and gripped his necklace. In an instant, his airborne body teleported in front of the assassin.

    Ignoring the blade lodged in his shoulder, Ryan tackled the assassin to the ground. With both of his hands holding the man''s head, he activated the only combat worthy spell he knew.

    Having used it every night on himself to combat insomnia, he channeled all of his mana into the spell.

    The assassin slept like a baby, but the blade lodged in Ryan''s shoulder was poisoned. He closed his eyes to let the darkness seep in. With his death, Mira and Eli should be safe. Farewell, my missing half.

    ##

    The dark crystal sky greeted Scarlett as she opened her eyes. Dawn had yet to arrive. The tree she slept in stood towering over the rest of the forest. At such height, all the foliage below her were no more than grasses on a plain. She gazed at the cloud piercing mountains in the distance, regaining her bearings.

    Then she retrieved all the sensory wards set up the night before and strapped them on her belt. Finished with the morning preparations, she stood on the edge of the large branch, spread her wings and jumped.

    Bone chilling winds assaulted Scarlett from all directions, but the barrier set up around her diverted the coldness away. She flew through the vast forest leisurely, occasionally scanning the ground for any signs of abnormalities.

    Not many scouts would take commissions like these since they required days of flying alone with noone to talk to, but she welcomed them. They provided her a nice break from having to guide other rowdy adventurer parties around.

    She closed her eyes, enjoying the fresh morning scent. Despite being a half-birdkin, she had no interest in socializing with others, yet a desire to find something surged deep within her like an immortal flame. The folks back at the orphanage kept telling her that all orphans wanted to meet their real parents, but she couldn''t care less for the assholes that abandoned her.

    Scarlett opened her eyes only to be greeted with a forest of blood.

    Somewhere near the horizon, the trees turned crimson, with dark sticky strings woven around them like spider webs. Foul winds blew past her face and an army of stormy clouds invaded the sky, blocking out the light of dawn.

    How could a labyrinth have manifested this fast? The last reconnaissance took place only a week ago! She had never witnessed such a large labyrinth. Something of this scale should have taken at least months or years to manifest, yet it was right before her eyes.

    Coming closer to inspect, she dared not. Such a large manifestation surely would have countless dangerous species, perhaps undiscovered ones. She was certain the thing even had underground layers.

    Before Scarlett could make up her mind, the ground beneath her grumbled awake.

    A dust cloud rose up in the distance and a gigantic obsidian dragon emerged. Dark purple veins coiled around its body like serpents. Its body shook to shake off the dirt and stared right at her direction.

    Fear, pure fear ran down her spine. The thing was miles away from Scarlett, but it might as well be right on top of her.

    She turned around and flew away with all her might, deploying every wind spell at her disposal to boost her speed. But against a dragon, all was for naught.

    She turned around just in time to dodge a cone shaped blast of mana fire. The heat from the blast alone threatened to melt her skin.

    The chase continued with the dragon closing in whenevershe had to waste time on evasive maneuvers.

    Then as if it had ran out of patience, the dragon sent its own wind spell to push her straight into its fiery breath.

    With the last of her mana, Scarlett managed to break free and dive down.

    She made a rough landing and stared at her wing in horror. The breath had caught the tip of her left wing and set it on fire.

    There were no known ways to put out a mana flame, other than to wait until it ran out of mana. No amount of wind and water would quench the purple blight.

    She watched as the flame ate away her prided wing, feather by feather, eventually her entire body would be consumed. Considering all her options, there was only one way.

    The only reason why Scarlett even considered it was thanks to the adrenaline still in her system. This is gonna hurt. She took a dagger from her belt that was stored with enough mana for one strong cut.

    Blue light emitted from the blade, signaling its activation. Scarlett suppressed a scream as the dagger tore through her wing joint. Demihumans had much stronger pain resistance, but still her teeth grinded and her face paled.

    Blood poured out from the wound as she frantically cauterized it with the still scorching blade. Then she used up all her bandages to cover the stump.

    A thundering roar sounded above her. Scarlett looked up, expecting her last moments, only to see the dragon fly past her and heading towards the city.

    Stuck in the middle of the wild, three days from the nearest settlement, with an expanding labyrinth and only one wing.

    I''m gonna die. Scarlett concluded before losing consciousness.

 Chapter 2: A Meeting with the Empress

    ¡°He should be awake any moment now.¡± A gentle bell-like voice nudged at Ryan''s consciousness as the sweet scent of lavender brushed past his nose.

    He sat up and stared at a stunningly beautiful elven face. The figure reflected in his eyes had perfect features, her bright amber hair gleamed under the evening light, her luscious creamy skin and succulent ruby lips could charm any man. A pair of crystal eyes stared back at his, he could see within those irises sparked cold arctic flames.

    ¡°Are you well?¡±

    Still frozen in thought, he gave no response. She looks like an rpg character. The unfamiliar thought brushed at his mind. What''s an rpg character? He questioned himself, before a barrage of foreign memories assaulted his mind.

    Ryan screamed.

    The fragments began putting themselves together as they filled every crevices in his brain. Slowly, Ryan could see the picture, starting from when he was sucked through the mad professor''s portal to other aspects of his previous life.

    It took a while for reality to set in as his mind scrambled frantically to organize the new memories. Though many parts of them still remained blank. He could remember his previous mother''s face but not his father and he can recall clearly the faces of half of his friends, but not the other half.

    Ryan wanted to try and remember more, but time wasn''t on his side. He realized during the entire ordeal that he became unconscious again.

    Had he not been in such a dire situation, Ryan would have dived deeper into the new memories and go through the fascinating alien concepts of the different world - Earth.

    At least I have no student debt in this life.

    Opening his eyes, he was met with Mira¡¯s.

    ¡°Ryan!¡± She pounced towards him.

    He held up his arms to block her bodily assault. ¡°Get me some water.¡±

    With the troublemaker gone, he looked at the other woman.

    ¡°Glad to have you back.¡± She gave a faint smile.

    ¡°Sorry, I was a little disoriented.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I should be fine now. May I ask who are you, and did you save me?¡±

    ¡°I gave you the antidote.¡± She held up a small empty flask. ¡°It was not easy, mind you. Someone raided the medical storage room and countless other poisonings are taking place. The capital is in turmoil.¡±

    It was then that Ryan noticed the faint sound of violence permeating through the walls -screaming, yelling and the clanking of swords.

    ¡°You may call me Vera, I''m the guildmaster of Silica.¡±

    ¡°For saving my life, I give you my greatest gratitude. But unfortunately I do not have much in my possession to repay you.¡±

    ¡°It is fine, I only fulfilled the Empress¡¯s request. Now that your condition has improved, shall we go see her in person?¡±

    Ryan has no choice but to nod.

    Pure chaos reigned the corridors, servants and doctors ran around in a panic. Fights broke out even on the stairs as the minor noble factions compete for power.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    With Vera leading, Eli walked in front of Ryan while Mira -surrounded in a defensive barrier- covered his back.

    ##

    Eva Valentine, the current Empress of the Valentine empire sat on the throne, her breathtaking velvet dress draped to the ground like a carpet. The silky aqua hair cascading down her ankle and the serene gaze of her hazel eyes made the Empress¡¯s appearance seemingly ethereal.

    ¡°You may rise, my son.¡± Said a voice as sweet as birdsong.

    Ryan stopped kneeling.

    ¡°You must think that I am a cold, neglecting mother to have let such a thing happen between my own children.¡± She smiled mockingly to herself.

    ¡°I do not, mother. You are very caring towards your children including myself. It is only when we fight among ourselves that you seem to never interfere. Your attitude towards our interactions with each other seemed apathetic.¡± Ryan answered truthfully.

    ¡°You''ve always been my most observant child. It''s a pity you have no motivation for the throne.¡± Eva¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°It was your father¡¯s demand. To tell the truth, that man has no wish to preserve the empire. He was selfish, his only goal in life was to establish the greatest empire the world has ever known. And he did.¡±

    Her gaze seemed distant. ¡°After achieving the dream, he has no intention of choosing a heir. ¡®Let them fight for the throne themselves like I did.¡¯ He''d say. I wasn''t allowed to mediate between any of you for fear of letting others think that I''ve chosen a heir. And now that he''s on his deathbed, your siblings will proceed to fight each other to the death.¡±

    She locked eyes with his. ¡°You must really hate me now, don''t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, mother. You''ve always granted my requests and provide me the books I wanted. I understand that you cannot help me more than you did already.¡± Ryan expressed his sincere thought.

    ¡°Such a compassionate child.¡± She chuckled. ¡°My restraint no longer apply to you, however. You do not wish to sit on the throne, hence I find it unfair to leave you to the violence of your siblings.¡±

    ¡°I have requested that Vera bring you to her headquarters and let you work as her assistant for the time being. I want you to leave the capital immediately and away from the cross fire. Of course it all depends on your decision.¡±

    ¡°I will gladly accept.¡± Ryan responded without pause. Looks like I''m not dying anytime soon.

    ¡°Before you depart, I''d like to ask a small favor.¡± Eva''s eyes turned serious.

    ¡°You have read and memorized the entirety of our libraries. The Valentine Empire''s founding, accomplishment and glory have all remained in your head. If by any chance our empire is no more after the chaos, through writing and in folklores, I''d like you to keep it alive within people''s hearts.¡±

    ¡°You have my word, esteemed mother.¡± Ryan bowed and left.

    ##

    Sometime after the meeting, Eva sat next to Tiamat -the current emperor.

    ¡°How are you faring, darling?¡± Her soft voice echoed throughout the empty bed chamber.

    ¡°I''m dying, but other than that I''m good. How was our little Ryan?¡±

    ¡°I sent him away for now, that child is too pure for his own good.¡± A sly smile formed on her lush lips.

    ¡°He''d never believe it, if I told him everything you''re doing now is for his sake.¡± He tried to laugh, but it turned into a coughing fit.

    ¡°Of course, darling. I''d do anything for him, even if the empire burns in my wake.¡± Her smile grew even more sinister.

    ##

    Not designed to go at such speeds, the carriage shook and rattled. Ryan found himself vomiting on the side almost constantly since they departed.

    ¡°You seem even more frail than you look.¡± Vera smirked.

    Ryan hasn''t traveled much since all the books he needed were delivered to him. And even though he had a driver license, he only took the tram to college in his past life.

    Much of the memories as Tom still eluded his mind, he tried to gasp at the blank areas hoping to remember to no avail.

    ¡°So how big is Silica?¡± Mira tried to break the silence.

    ¡°Quite small, it''s close to the Eastern frontier. Though because of a large influx of adventurers and exploration activities, it''s towns are big and busy.¡± Ryan said.

    ¡°You are quite knowledgeable, just like Eva said.¡± Vera nodded.

    ¡°Thank you, I read a lot. Now what I don''t know is when we will reach the next sto-¡±

    His eyes rolled to the back of his skull as another surge of foreign memories barged into his brain, they were not just Tom¡¯s memories.

    Scarlett was awake.

 Chapter 3: Reunion

    Scarlett jolted awake and immediately hugged her head, bracing against the countless mental sparks that electrocuted her mind like a piece of barbecued ribs. Earth, modern technology, student debt? Foreign concepts assimilated with her thoughts, bringing her ever closer to utter confusion.

    She could only sit still with glazed eyes and a half opened mouth, as the strange memories fought within her mind to make space like a bunch of mice fighting over a tiny slice of cheese.

    It took a good half hour before light returned to Scarlett¡¯s eyes. She groaned and laid back down. At first, she thought those strange memories were delusions from the shock of losing her wing, but they felt more real and detailed than her uneducated self could ever come up with. One doesn¡¯t simply make up three years of science studies, she concluded.

    However, obvious gaps remained, it seemed at least half of the new memories were missing. She could recall Tom¡¯s father but not his mother, and only half of the faces of his friends were retrievable.

    Yet, every time she recalled the life of Tom when he was a child, a warm and cozy sensation settled within her chest, synchronizing with her heart beat. She gazed deep within those memories, at the days when Tom¡¯s parents would give him words of encouragement after he passed a test, or when they¡¯d childe him for playing games too much.

    In all of her short life as an orphan, she had always wanted know what it¡¯d be like to live in a family. There was no such warmth back at the overcrowded and rundown orphanage. She wouldn¡¯t say that the staff there had no heart, but even if they did show any signs of compassion then it¡¯d be like scooping a small handful of water from the ocean of neglect.

    But Tom¡¯s family was by no means a perfect one, despite knowing their love for each other, his parents often argued over trivial things and there was always some short of financial problem that forced them to cut down cost.

    But any family was better than no family for Scarlett. A faint smile formed on her thin lips as she cherished the memories like her own.

    Her hypothesis was that her soul, or consciousness in this world was originally Tom¡¯s after he got blown through the portal. For some reason or another, part of her memories as Tom remained dormant in her new body and reactivated when she encountered the deeply traumatizing event.

    With a deep breath, she decided to embrace the new memories, to take shelter in her old identity - Tom, and to blissfully ignore the harsh reality for just one moment.

    Then reality caught up with her, as the sweet moment of remembrance was interrupted by a distant roar of the massive dragon.

    Scarlett snapped out of her trance and reassessed her situation. Despite being a birdkin whom were known for their ability to thrive in the dreadful forests of the frontier, she knew little about the surrounding ecology, since no one was kind enough to teach her. Tom¡¯s memories proved little to no use as he knew nothing about the forest of this world.

    All she could do then, was to find a temporary shelter and make sure to hide her scent with a thin film of mana surrounding her body. She had no food or water, having dropped her supplies during the frantic escape to fly faster.

    At least I finally get to know what having a family felt like. A sad smile lined her lips.

    Scarlett cautiously walked through the forest grounds, ignoring the dull pain on her back that occasionally flared up with increasing intensity. A part of her whispered softly that she should find the most painless way to die, for she was completely helpless in that brutal wilderness. The expanding ladybirth would send out dreadful corrupted monsters throughout the surroundings, and those were far more terrifying than the local fauna.

    She shook her head, now wasn¡¯t the time to die, not after she had found such a big missing a part of herself. Besides, she couldn¡¯t hold back the anticipation to use the newly gained knowledge from Tom to really study this world from a scientific point of view. She wanted to know how magic worked and what rule of physics it was a part of, she wanted to find out more about the ecology of the forest with countless new species.

    She wanted to live.

    As if responding to her resolve, something deep within the depths of her soul started calling out to her. She stopped walking, leaned on a nearby tree and closed her eyes. Then she tugged at the pulsating connection cautiously. It started to widen, feeding her mind with more of the missing memories. Slowly, the gaps within Tom¡¯s memories began to close.

    Suddenly, the connection seemed to open even more as it fed her the rest of the information at once. She clenched her teeth and endured the massive rush of memories. After a few seconds, Scarlett tiredly plopped on the ground and let out a sigh. Finally, it¡¯s over.

    However, something remained in the still open connection. She could feel some sort of emotion streaming out of it, from confusion to satisfaction and even fascination.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± An unknown voice sounded through the link, startling her.

    ¡°Same question to you, strange voice.¡± Scarlett replied.

    ¡°I am Ryan Valentine, United Empire¡¯s fifth prince.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet your highness. I am Scarlett, no last name. May I ask what is your highness doing inside of this humble orphan¡¯s mind?¡± She tilted her head.

    ¡°I was about to ask you the same question, actually. Since it is your voice that is coming from the inside of my head.¡±

    The cautious side of Scarlett warned her that the man could be up to no good. Yet she found herself lacking the desire to put up any mental guard against the mysterious connection. What if he is hijacking my mind? Mind control magic do exists, or so she heard, but they were supposed to be extremely forceful and damaging to the victim¡¯s psyche. This link seemed very faint and in a sense, friendly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I don¡¯t have any intention to harm you.¡±

    ¡°Did you just read my mind?¡± Her voice had a hint of anger.

    ¡°I cannot, but I do seem to sense a faint emotion from the other side of the link. I suppose you can do the same.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± She recalled feeling some of his emotions spilling out from when the link first opened. ¡°Were you also the cause for my previous rush of memories?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you experienced it too?¡± His voice shook with anticipation.

    ¡°Seems so.¡±

    ¡°Listen, I know this is a really unreasonable request coming from a total stranger, but would you mind telling me more about yourself?¡±

    ¡°Well, I almost got roasted by a corrupted dragon earlier, if you¡¯re interested.¡± She gave a dry laugh.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°For now, I think. I doubt I¡¯ll live for long though.¡±

    ¡°Scarlett, please tell me what is happening.¡±

    ##

    After a brief exchange of information, both Ryan and Scarlett came to a few conclusions:

    <ol>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">The reawakening of Tom¡¯s memories within the two had been triggered by their recent life threatening events - Ryan and his assassination attempt, Scarlett and her encounter with the corrupted dragon.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">They both were able to access Tom¡¯s memories fully</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">They cannot, however, directly read each other¡¯s minds. They can only send direct thoughts or sense the emotions of one another through the link.</li>

    </ol>

    It was much harder to deduce the reason why the two became linked in the first place. Ryan proposed that after Tom¡¯s body flew through the portal, it ended up in this world. Due to the appearance of an unknown entity within the world, whatever process the world used to ¡®recycle¡¯ his soul encountered problems and ended up not only leaving the memories intact, but splitting Tom¡¯s soul into two pieces after the soul reuse cycle. Then these two pieces developed their own life, turning into Ryan and Scarlett. Scarlett chuckled at the idea and called it ludicrous, but she couldn¡¯t come up with a better theory.

    More questions remained. Should they be considered the same entity, or two different entities that developed from a common source? Were they really two different persons, or just one person split into two?

    Ryan shook his head, we got more urgent problems right now.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read around 14 books of accounts where adventurers had to survive an extended period in the frontier. I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything of use to you.¡±

    ¡°Glad to know there¡¯s a full blown nerd backing me up.¡± Scarlett laughed.

    ¡°I got a feeling that we¡¯re not the same person, it seems.¡±

    ¡°Ya think? Anyway, be quiet for a bit. I¡¯m gonna do a quick scan of the area.¡±

    Scarlett closed her eyes and began circulating her mana around her body, forming a thick bubble. Then the bubble popped, sending waves of mana into the surroundings. She kept her eyes shut and strained her large furry ears to listen to the fluctuations of the mana waves.

    The spell essentially acted as a mana radar, giving her a rough outline of the surrounding terrain and the presence of nearby enemies, if any.

    ¡°No hostiles detected, I did notice a nearby cave though. I¡¯m going to check it out.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I felt my mana being drained just now, what did you do?¡± Ryan asked in a hurry.

    ¡°I performed a mana scan of the surrounding area. Holy crap, don¡¯t tell me, are our mana pools being shared?¡±

    ¡°It appears so.¡±

    ¡°Could you perform a spell on your end to see if I can feel the change?¡± She asked.

    Then she felt a very small portion of her own mana being pulled into the link.

    ¡°Its confirmed then.¡± She nodded to herself. ¡°Are you good with me using your mana though?¡±

    ¡°Feel free to drain me dry, if that would help keep you alive.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°If I recall correctly, birdkins don¡¯t have very good mana detection ability. How did you perform the spell then?¡±

    ¡°My ears are a lot bigger than normal birdkins. I got teased alot as a kid because of that. It apparently gives me very enhanced hearing sense but also slow me down during flight by stopping the airflow though.¡± Scarlett stated matter of factly.

    The detected cave was well hidden behind very thick foliages that covered the entirety of the opening. Without her sword to cleave a way, she had to pull the vegetation out with her hands and using a little strength boost spell.

    With the foliage finally cleared, she entered the dark cave. ¡°Looks like I can probably spend the night here, I doubt anything could detect me through the thick vegetation.¡±

    But then movements from deep within the cave stopped her cold.

    The creatures quickly showed themselves before her, with white fur, white claws and very large canine teeths.

    ¡°Shit, how did I not detect the wolves?¡±

    The wolves weren¡¯t very big, compared to the size of the local specie. But still they could outsize a large German Shepherd. ¡°These are probably wolf cubs.¡±

    Upon catching sight of her, however, the cubs completely ceased growling and began nestled closed to her while sniffing at her clothes.

    Completely befuddled, Scarlett could only let them sniff and lick all over her body. The sensation was strangely comfortable.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± She asked with a dubious voice.

    ¡°Scarlett, those cubs probably thought that you are their mother. Listen, you need to get out of there right now, before the mother arrives!¡± Ryan nearly yelled through the link.

    Not wasting a second, she bolted towards the opening. But it was too late.

    Standing at the opening, the mother wolf growled viciously with its teeth bared in full view, glaring at the intruder.

 Chapter 4: New Acquaintances

    Scarlett stared into the wolf¡¯s angry eyes and immediately regretted her decision. It was the second time on that day she had to experience pure terror. Her legs couldn¡¯t stop shaking as she slowly stepped back.

    ¡°Scarlett, listen to me. Do not show your fear, especially do not turn your back and run, you may activate its hunting instinct!¡±

    ¡°I, I don¡¯t wanna die.¡± The mere act of standing there by herself and facing the terrifying creature had the same inherent skill challenge of playing strip poker in front of the Spanish Inquisition.

    ¡°There is probably a reason why it hadn¡¯t attacked you yet. Be calm.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I can stand here any longer.¡± Scarlett was reaching her limit. There was no way for her to be calm. Sure, she had encountered other monsters before, some were even more vicious. But never had she faced any of them so close and without her wings.

    Scarlett turned around and ran¡­ or so she thought.

    To her horror and relief, her body didn¡¯t listen to her. She tried to move her arm or leg, but her body just stood there, frozen still.

    ¡°Scarlett?¡±

    Only after hearing her own name spoken from her mouth without her doing had Scarlett understood what happened. Ryan had somehow taken control of her body.

    Ryan looked around with Scarlett¡¯s head, then he looked at the growling wolf. Amazingly, She didn¡¯t feel a shred of fear from his link, only anticipation, and alertness.

    Then her heart froze. What if that thing kills me while Ryan is in control, will he die too?

    ¡°Ryan, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± She pleaded through the link. ¡°What if we both die?¡±

    She felt her own mouth widen into a fearless smile.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really plan on living without you anyways. Now that I found you, my missing half.¡±

    The wolf seemed surprised at his sudden smile and stopped growling.

    Ryan then performed his most heroic deed yet. He stared into the wolf¡¯s eyes, kneeled down, and proceeded to curl into a fetal position.

    ¡°If I¡¯m right, we both live. And if I¡¯m wrong, I guess it won¡¯t be long until we see each other again.¡±

    The wolf stepped in closer and began sniffing Scarlett¡¯s body. It occasionally growled and bared its canine teeth, but did not harm her. Then it seemingly gave up and walked deeper into the cave and started licking the other cubs.

    ¡°Is it going to feed me to the cubs?¡± Scarlett timidly asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡±

    As if responding to her question, the wolf walked towards her again. It opened its mouth near her face and began licking.

    Scarlett could smell the rotten stench coming from its breath, but being stinky was better than being dead.

    ¡°I think the wolf has decided to treat you as one of its cubs,¡± Ryan said, clearly astounded.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯m not even a wolfkin.¡±

    ¡°There have been recorded instances of people living among wolves and interacting with them like a member of the pack. But never have I read about a wolf treating a different species as its own cubs.¡±

    The wolf barked at the other cubs as if to tell them something. Then it walked out of the cave with the cubs following behind.

    ¡°Scarlett, I think I¡¯ve returned control to your body.¡±

    Before she could find joy in moving her body again, the wolf returned. It glared at her and barked a few times while nodding its head towards the cave exit.

    ¡°I think it wants you to follow,¡± Ryan said.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here, thank you very much.¡± She wouldn¡¯t move an inch.

    After a while, the wolf grew more aggressive, making louder barks. But Scarlett refused to bulge.

    Then, in an act of frustration, the wolf opened its large maw and glomped Scarlett¡¯s body at her upper chest area.

    She closed her eyes, anticipating the incoming pain, only to feel nothing as her head, legs and wing hung down from within the wolf¡¯s mouth. It seemed the wolf had placed her gently on the rows of its teeth, allowing her belly and hips to nestle comfortably within its maw.

    The wolf then carried her out of the cave and back into the forest.

    ¡°This is strange, wolves don¡¯t usually behave in this way.¡± Ryan mused.

    ¡°How so? I thought they¡¯re pretty protective of their young.¡±

    ¡°That''s true, but this is still the survival of the fittest. The mother wolf should only care about cubs she deemed to have the ability to survive on their own in the future, not the ones that showed physical or mental deficiencies. Your behavior should tell it that you have a poor chance of survival. The correct behavior should be leaving you in this cave. Also, rarely do they change the cub¡¯s growing den.¡± Ryan''s voice signaled his clear confusion.

    ¡°I think they¡¯re running away from the expanding labyrinth. Where to, do you think?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it''s taking you and the cubs back to its pack.¡±

    Being carried by a wolf¡¯s maw is strangely calming. Scarlett thought as her body swayed gently up and down from the wolf¡¯s movement. The stench would take some time to get used to, however.

    Surprisingly, the wolf made sure not to touch the part of her back where her wing¡¯s stump remained. Though she will need to re-apply the bandages later.

    She opened her eyes and saw everything passing by in a blur. The wolf was taking a cautious route, under giant shrubs and massive, yet low hanging trees. The cubs had no trouble following the rapid pace. The light of dusk dimmed ever so slightly, retreating towards the horizon.

    ¡°How did you take control of my body earlier?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only remembered having an extremely strong desire to stop you from turning your back and run away. The next thing I know, I was in control of your body. To suddenly have to face a large, scary wolf really freaked me out for a moment there. The strange thing is, even though I took complete control of a stranger¡¯s body, I felt no sense of alienation.¡±

    ¡°Well, all you did as me was curling into a ball.¡± She snickered. ¡°Anyway, thanks a lot. Without your help, I¡¯d be their dinner.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank yourself, that would be very weird.¡± Ryan laughed.

    ¡°Seriously, though, should we consider ourselves to be two separate people or the same?¡± He continued, ¡±I can see that we differ in personalities, but so many things are shared between us, even our souls probably came from the same place - Tom.¡±

    ¡°Dunno, don¡¯t care.¡± She smiled back.

    Silence persisted for a while as they continued their journey.

    ¡°Say, can you still tap into my senses without being in control?¡± Scarlett broke the silence

    ¡°Yes, I can see what you see, and smell what you smell and I can¡¯t really say that''s doing me much good.¡± He complained.

    ¡°How about I pay a visit to your body?¡± Scarlett asked, eager to get away from her stinky situation.

    ¡°You¡¯re free to give it a try.¡±

    She closed her eyes and directed her thoughts towards the connection, expressing her desire to tap into Ryan¡¯s senses. When she opened her eyes again, the scenery had completely changed.

    She was sitting in an empty carriage, the lavish and spacious interior was worthy of royalty. As she glanced around, auditory inputs began streaming into her mind. She widened her eyes as the sound of battle spread throughout the surroundings. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re under attack.¡±

 Chapter 5: Boom

    Aside from the deafening clang of blades, small explosions littered the battlefield like raindrops in a storm as colorful barrages of magic bolts flew back and forth. Some of them got deflected harmlessly by Vera¡¯s massive wind barrier while others slammed into the carriage¡¯s built-in barrier.

    Then Ryan realized while the only mages on their side were Vera and Mira, they were powerful enough to defend against all the incoming spells while returning fire with their own.

    Around the carriage stood a circle of guards engaging in fierce melee combat. Each of Vera¡¯s guard held a long sword and shield. While they couldn¡¯t compete with the attackers in terms of speed and agility, their solid formation and very sturdy stance helped them stand their ground.

    Occasionally, one guard would endure a hit to his own armor to deliver a more devastating blow or to step forward and gain ground. This strategy eventually pushed the enemies back, inch by inch.

    ¡®They¡¯re getting desperate.¡¯ Scarlett said, ¡®Notice their anxious expressions? They¡¯re expecting something. Keep your heads up.¡¯

    As if on cue, a loud explosion shook the carriage. Ryan braced himself as his body was blown towards the other side.

    ¡®I got it.¡¯ Scarlett took control of his body and tried to grab a hold of a handle on the ceiling but failed due to the difference in response time between her body and Ryan¡¯s.

    Not wanting to be slammed into the side window, she cast a kinetic burst to break it completely.

    Then she used the blow¡¯s momentum to propel herself out of the carriage and landed in a barrel roll.

    ¡®Birdkins have a great sense of balance.¡¯ She grinned. ¡®Although you really need to train your body more. I feel like controlling a slug.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not a very athletic person.¡¯ Ryan glanced at the carriage. The barrier managed to stop the attack, but the heat and wind blast generated from the blow was enough to burn one side of the carriage to a crisp.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think the barrier can hold any more than that. Let¡¯s get to Vera¡¯s location.¡¯

    ¡®The blue haired mage?¡¯

    ¡®Yeah.¡¯

    Scarlett put up a small wind barrier around herself for protection with some difficulties. It seemed that while their mana pools were shared, their elemental affinities weren¡¯t.

    With Scarlett¡¯s swift and efficient movements, Ryan quickly arrived at where Vera and Mira were standing.

    ¡°Ryan, are you alright?¡± Mira immediately rushed over.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± Ryan waved his hands. ¡°How is the situation?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing just fine. Moreover, are you really alright? We had never expected that they¡¯d bring siege weapons here. Vera is going to destroy it soon.¡±

    From under the shrubs and trees a hundred meters from them, Ryan could see the outline of a ballista well hidden behind the leaves.

    He glanced to Vera. She closed her eyes and chanted a considerably long spell. He could almost see the streams of mana flowing out from her body and forming into the structure of the spell.

    ¡°For you to have come all the way over here because the carriage is unsafe, I¡¯m deeply sorry.¡± Mira bowed her head repeatedly.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m fine, Mira. Please focus on the safety of the other guards also.¡±

    The air around them turned cold. Ryan estimated the temperature must have dropped by at least 20 Celsius. Ice crystals started to form around Vera, clinging onto her crimson royal mage dress.

    Then she opened her eyes and sent all of the ice elemental mana around her towards the ballista.

    The enemy mage tried to raise a barrier, but the ice went through it as if the barrier didn¡¯t exist, engulfing the ballista and its operators.

    There wasn¡¯t any visible ice forming around the unfortunate targets, but Ryan could see that their movements have completely stopped. It seemed Vera had lowered the temperature of the target area to the extremes, freezing the bodies of the attackers solid.

    With their main offensive plan thwarted, the hostiles began to pull back. Some decided to turn their back and run, an unwise decision as they were promptly shot down with magic.

    The guards quickly apprehended those that surrendered while Vera and Mira focused on tending the wounded with healing magic.

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve detected no other presence within the area, so be at ease. How did you feel about experiencing a real battle first hand, isn¡¯t it exciting?¡± Vera smirked.

    ¡°Only a battle maniacs would find this exciting.¡± Ryan scoffed.

    Vera¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Nonetheless, the carriage should be repaired in a little while. Why don¡¯t you rest for a bit?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded and then widened his eyes, ¡°Do you smell Old Spice?¡±

    ¡°Old Spice, what''s that?¡± Vera tilted her head. ¡°I do smell something strange in the air, but I doubt it is of any threat.¡±

    ¡®Wait, what, Old Spice don¡¯t exist in this world.¡¯ Scarlett said.

    ¡®Exactly, this is why it¡¯s so strange.¡¯

    ¡®Let me try.¡¯ Scarlett took control of Ryan¡¯s body, closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

    ¡°Fucking shit, we¡¯re fucked!¡± Colorful words escaped Ryan¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Vera raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t Old Spice, it¡¯s a dungeon core bomb.¡± Scarlett(as Ryan) glared at Vera, ¡°Can you detect any presence of escaping mana within a mile?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡®What is a dungeon core bomb?¡¯ Ryan asked.

    ¡®No time, I¡¯ll explain later.¡¯

    ¡°Are you really sure it¡¯s a mana bomb?¡± Vera gave Ryan a suspicious look.

    Scarlett gritted her teeth, walked closer to Vera and grabbed her collar.

    ¡°Listen here, woman. There is an activated dungeon core bomb within a mile of this area. At any moment now, it will start leaking mana in its final phase and then take out everything within a 3-mile radius in a mana outburst so destructive that not even your bones will be left! Now, tell me if you detect any presence of discharging mana anywhere near us.¡±

    Vera couldn¡¯t hide the shocked look on her face, but she still executed the mana scan. Waves of mana permeated the surroundings, extending beyond the range that Scarlett ever could achieve.

    ¡°I found a really weak signature 500 meters to the west.¡± Vera¡¯s voice shook. ¡°If you¡¯re right, then do we have a chance? I¡¯ve only received a few reports of these things¡¯ existence. Never had I thought we would encounter one.¡±

    ¡°Depends, since the signal is still weak, we might have a few minutes. Can you take me there right now?¡±

    ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t we be running away from it? I¡¯ve never heard of any report of successfully disabling the bomb.¡± Vera paled even more.

    ¡°Can you run at least five miles within two minutes? If not then our only option is to disable it.¡± Scarlet said in Ryan¡¯s unwavering voice.

    It was Vera¡¯s turn to grit her teeth. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you there. But even then you¡¯d only have a minute to disarm the bomb.¡±

    ¡°A minute is enough.¡±

    Vera pulled out her sword, cut the straps of one of the horses that tied it to the carriage, and jumped on. Then she held out her hand to Ryan. ¡°Can you ride a horse?¡±

    Scarlett shook her head before getting pulled onto the horse to sit behind Vera.

    ¡°Hold onto me tight.¡± Vera began forcing the horse to accelerate to its top speed while casting wind magic to blow away any shrubs or small trees that stood within their path.

    ¡®Are you sure you can do this?¡¯ Ryan asked with uncertainty.

    ¡®Do I have a choice? I only saw another mage did this, and it was when I hovered high off from the ground. So no, I am not sure that I can do this. But do we have any other choice?¡± Scarlett nearly screamed in her mind.

    ¡®Just in the off chance that we won¡¯t make it, I just want to say -¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t say it.¡¯ Scarlett interrupted. ¡®I changed my mind. I will disarm this bomb, and I, no, we will survive through this together. So save what you¡¯re about to say for another time.¡¯

    The moment Scarlett caught the bomb in her sight, she immediately jumped off the horse and sped towards it.

    ¡®The plan is to use your body as a conductor that leads the overloaded mana within the core to dissipate into the ground.¡¯ Scarlett briefed.

    ¡®Good luck.¡¯

    ¡®I need more than luck.¡¯

    Up close, the hovering core looked like a white glowing hexagonal pyramid. Deep red cracks appeared along its surfaces, leaking mana into the surroundings.

    She began by placing Ryan¡¯s right hand onto the core while kneeling on his right knee. Strangely, his hand didn¡¯t get scolded or stung at all. The core was warm to the touch.

    ¡®It''s not working, shit.¡¯ She spat.

    ¡®Maybe we need to prime it first. I¡¯ll try circulating some mana from my hand to my leg.¡¯ Ryan said.

    He then willed his body to start circulating the mana. As if lured by the mana in his hand, the mana within the core began to follow suit.

    Slowly, Scarlett could feel the burning sensation as the chaotic mana began to run up Ryan¡¯s arm toward his shoulder.

    Then from the shoulder, the mana channeled through his chest but not his heart - which was on the left side, hip and down his right knee into the ground.

    She grimaced. Controlling the rampant mana was much harder than he had imagined, as numerous stray mana streams began to run amok, some traveled from shoulder to shoulder while others bounced from the ground back up his other leg. None of them managed to reach his heart yet, for that would be game over.

    Then the rampant mana began to stabilize.

    ¡®I¡¯m directing my body¡¯s own mana into the stream to keep it stable.¡¯ Ryan reassured her.

    They continued to work in tandem, Scarlett kept Ryan¡¯s body on its knees and guided the core¡¯s mana stream towards the ground while Ryan stopped any stream that diverted from its course.

    It seemed that the core had become stabilized, the red cracks stopped growing and expanding.

    ¡®I can¡¯t stop the connection!¡¯ Scarlett yelled.

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to stop the stream once it had started. We need to drain the core of every drop of mana.¡¯

    The plan was easier said than done. Their mana pool was dwindling and Scarlett was growing tired of having to guide the mana stream for so long.

    As more mana was streamed into the ground, they began to notice the change in surroundings. Small bushes and trees began to grow from the ground surrounding them and the core while the ground itself turned from a dull brown to a dark blue.

    Scarlett began to waver from the fatigue as Ryan¡¯s body¡¯s eyesight began to blur.

    ¡®Let me take over.¡¯ Ryan suggested.

    She nodded and gave the control to him.

    Since Ryan was only managing a small portion of the mana flow, he didn¡¯t feel tired at all. It seemed the fatigue carried by mana manipulation was attached to the soul rather than the physical body.

    With the last drop of mana drained into the ground, Ryan and Scarlett too, had their mana pool completely empty.

    Ryan tried to move his body to no avail. He recalled that running dry of mana can cause paralysis or even unconsciousness.

    Then his vision went black.

    ##

    There was sobbing.

    Ryan opened his eyes to see Mira sitting next to him with wet droplets on her faint cheek. He was laying down inside the moving carriage.

    ¡°I¡¯m up.¡± He croaked.

    ¡°Welcome back.¡± A bright smile bloomed on Mira¡¯s face. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little tired from exhausting all of my mana. What happened?¡±

    ¡°After you disabled the bomb and collapsed, I had everyone move away as fast as possible in case any of their reinforcements arrive,¡± Vera spoke while seated in front of him.

    ¡°Did you retrieve the empty dungeon core?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that the core was no longer a threat so I left it where it was. Do you want me to send someone to retrieve it?¡± Vera asked.

    ¡°Please do.¡± Ryan couldn¡¯t ever pass the opportunity to study one of the most mysterious objects in that world.

    ¡°You were quite brave back there.To have assumed that you were a wimp, I apologize¡± A smirk lined her lips.

    ¡°I cannot accept your compliment, since it was only an act of desperation.¡± He resisted the urge to wipe that smirk off her face.

    Only then did he realize something was missing.

    ¡®Scarlett?¡¯

    There was no response.

    Frantically, he searched within the depths of his mind for their connection. After some thorough probing, he found the very faint link and began to tug on it.

    ¡®Ryan?¡¯ Scarlett immediately screamed in his mind the moment he managed to reopen the link.

    ¡®I¡¯m here.¡¯

    ¡®Thank god, I thought you might have died when our link got severed. Are you alright?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m good, don¡¯t worry. I just passed out from mana exhaustion.¡¯

    After a brief discussion, Ryan found that Scarlett too had been knocked out by the mana exhaustion since their mana pool were shared.

    In addition, they were able to conclude a few things:

    <ol>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">If either of them got knocked out physically or mentally, their connection would be temporarily severed.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Physical fatigue didn¡¯t carry over when they take control, but mental and magic fatigue did.</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">When either of them was not in control of their bodies, they can choose whether or not to receive senses input such as sight, hearing, and even pain. This meant that they could theoretically share the pain they felt by swapping control.</li>

    </ol>

    ¡®Let¡¯s cut the discussion short, looks like the wolf carrying me had arrived at its pack.¡¯ Scarlett¡¯s voice raised in anticipation.

 Chapter 6: Adopted

    Ryan sighed in relief after making contact with Scarlett, but more pressing concerns remained. He pretended to be too tired to stay awake and slept in the carriage before transferring his consciousness to Scarlett¡¯s body.

    Wanting to be absolutely sure that Scarlett doesn¡¯t get on the wolves¡¯ bad side, Ryan tapped into her vision.

    Scarlett opened her eyes just in time as the mother wolf dropped her on the mushy ground. She kept her body lying still on the ground while glancing around.

    The mother wolfs walked towards the largest wolf in the pack and nuzzled its sides.

    However, it growled at seeing Scarlett and immediately pounced towards her.

    Scarlett immediately went on all fours and tried to roll out of the way.

    >Don¡¯t try to fight back!< Ryan immediately took over and laid still.

    The enormous wolf tackled Scarlett¡¯s body as it rolled her face up. Then it bared its terrifying fangs and snarled loudly.

    Scarlett¡¯s tried her best to hide the trembling fear running down her spine as she maintained a calm expression on her face while staring into its eyes.

    The confrontation lasted for how long, she did not know. Then the wolf stepped down, sniffed her body and then walked back to the mother wolf.

    >Is it over?< She asked with trembling voice.

    >Probably. If what I read about the wolf observations are true, that alpha wolf had just accepted you into its pack.<

    >What does that mean?<

    >You¡¯re now a pack member, I think. Though I still don¡¯t know what your position is within the pack. The mother-alpha female- wolf is treating you as her cub while the alpha male might treat you as a lower ranked adult. I¡¯m just not sure.<

    >Well, tell me when you are sure.<

    Scarlett looked around. Heavily surrounded by foliage, the surrounding area was perfect for a pack¡¯s meeting place. There were five wolves, including the two cubs.

    Since only the alpha male and female wolves could have children, Ryan concluded that the mother wolf and the father were the alphas of the pack.

    Everyone seemed listless as the wolves often looked around, paying attention to every movement in their surroundings. Yet the pack stayed still.

    After some more observations, Ryan saw that the remaining two wolves were male. One of them seemed to have the lowest position in the pack as it was shy and often get picked on by the other members.

    It seemed that Scarlett¡¯s current position in the pack was that of a cub, as the other pack members didn¡¯t seem to interact with her and that the mother wolf had dropped her in the area where the cubs stayed. But most importantly, Scarlett was safe.

    Before he could discuss his findings with Scarlett, more wolves arrived. It was a male and female with a single cub. They promptly joined the pack after giving nods at the alpha wolf.

    >This is strange, I thought that only the alpha male and female are allowed to have cubs within the pack.< Ryan said.

    >They are probably grouping up to run away from the labyrinth.<

    >Thats right, animals, and even people often abandon part of their social construct in desperate times.< He nodded.

    He decided to discuss with Scarlett more about the situation. She was currently a member of the pack, with the other members treating her as a wolf cub. For the moment, she should follow the pack as it was the safest options. She would be protected by the other wolves and even can join their meals, though she wasn¡¯t particularly looking towards that.

    However, several problems remained. As a birdkin, Scarlett didn¡¯t have the stamina or the endurance to sustain long periods of movement and hunting with the pack. She shouldn''t expect the mother wolf to carry her inside its maw for long.

    Then the cubs decided to run and play around the sitting Scarlett. One cub nudged at her back with its nose while another grabbed her arm with its paws. >What do I do?<

    >Interact with them, give playful gestures. This is a good chance to improve your relation with the pack.<

    >Remind me again why I should try to improve my standing with a pack of wild wolves?< Scarlett raised an eyebrow.

    >You are currently trapped in the West Frontier with an injured wing and no food or gear. The most likely scenario of you traveling alone would be getting eaten by the nearest predator larger than a rabbit.<

    >You don¡¯t have to put it so bluntly.< She pouted.

    >By a stroke of luck, it seemed this pack has adopted you as a strange cub. I strongly suggest that you play the part, as the pack will likely share their food and shelter with you. The only problems would be whether you can weather the harsh living condition for a little while.<

    >I guess there is no other choice. Are you sure that they won¡¯t come to tear me to pieces at any moment?<

    >I have absolutely no clue. Nothing like this has been recorded before. There had been cases of people living among wolves before, but never had anyone been accepted as a cub.<The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    >Not even wolfkins?<

    >Well, the wolfkin is a secretive race. Little is recorded about them other than the fact that they have the appearance of humanoid wolves. I know as much about them as you do. Anyway, all you need to do for the moment is to act like a wolf cub, play nice with the other cubs and maybe seek a way back to civilization after you can support yourself.<

    She glanced at the playful bundle of furs tackling each other around her and smiled. >I guess this may not be so bad after all. Now how do I play with them without alerting mister scary wolf over there?<

    >Copy what they do, nudge, sniff, or even tackle them, since some of them are almost as big as you.<

    >Roger that.<

    After observing for a little more, she began to imitate the cubs and went on all fours. Then she stealthily approached the nearest one and began nuzzling her face in its fur. The cub¡¯s fur was soft and comfortable with a musty smell. She then began making exaggerated sniffing noises.

    >Am I doing it right?< She asked nervously.

    >Don¡¯t ask me, I¡¯m not a wolf cub.<

    The cub made a small bark, turned its head over and started to lick her in the face.

    She laughed and hugged its head. >I¡¯ll take that as a yes.<

    Though she¡¯ll have to get used to all the wet saliva smearing her face and body.

    Scarlett lost herself in running around and playing with the other cubs. By then, she had come up with names for all three of the cubs. Flower was the first wolf that came up to nudge her, she liked playing with the wild flowers on the grass. The second cub was the most energetic of the bunch, he liked jumping around and tackling everyone all the time, so she named him Lightning.

    Both Flower and Lightning were the mother wolf - the one that dragged her here- and the alpha male¡¯s cubs. While the third one is from the other couple that recently arrived. He was very shy and preferred to keep his distance, so she named him Nia after a friend of Tom that had a similar nature. Unfortunately, Flower and Lightning never understood the concept of personal space so poor Nia was often picked on by the two.

    A bark from the alpha wolf ended playtime. It seemed the pack was getting ready to move.

    Scarlett looked at the mother-alpha female- as it looked back at her. >Uh oh.<

    With a quick swoop, she was back inside the wolf¡¯s maw.

    >I think she likes you.< Ryan chuckled.

    To accommodate for the weaker cubs, the pack weren¡¯t traveling very quickly. Scarlett put a hand on her chin as her body was carried once again as she watched the landscape passing by.

    As they walked through the vast forests of the frontier, the scenery began to fluctuate between dense bushes and shrubs to very wide open ground surrounded by massive trees higher than skyscrapers. While Scarlett had seen the vast forest countless times from her scoutings, never had she actually traveled that close on the ground.

    Her view slanted to one side as they started to climb a hill. It wasn¡¯t a very tall hill, but by the time they reached the top, Scarlett caught a glimpse of the expanding ladybirth from the top of the trees. The blood hue slowly but steadily ate up the horizon as more helpless trees and animals succumbed to the ladybirth¡¯s corruption.

    The pack stopped at a large lake to let the cubs rest. Finally, Scarlett was released from the mother wolf¡¯s maw and she fell on the muddy ground face first.

    >I have yet to get used to this.< She grumbled.

    The lead wolf stared at the water inside the lake for a good minute before signalling the cubs to come to drink.

    The three cubs ran happily to the lake and jumped in, splashing water everywhere.

    Scarlett looked around, removed her gear and clothes, and tried to imitate by crawling on her fours towards the lake. >This is so embarrassing. Wait, are you seeing what I¡¯m seeing?<

    Immediately, she hugged her modest chest while frantically directing her line of sight away from her naked body.

    >Sorry, I¡¯ll disconnect your vision now!< Panic flooded his voice.

    >Wait, since we are sharing our consciousness, I don¡¯t think we need to hide anything from each other.< Scarlett said, her voice a little meek.

    >No, I can definitely feel that you¡¯re not comfortable with this. I can feel your strong emotion, remember?<

    >You¡¯re right.<

    >As I was saying, you should try to do what the other cubs are doing, even if it doesn¡¯t have the same level of energy. Keeping a good relation is our most important priority<

    She immersed herself in the cold water, the lack of fur on her skin allowed heat to escape her body so quickly that she had to surround herself with a thin layer of mana to prevent hypothermia.

    >Is the water safe to drink?<

    >We can make a crude filter later. I doubt you¡¯ll get anything more than a mild stomach cramp.<

    Since Scarlett was thirsty, She reluctantly gulped down a few mouthful of water.

    The other cubs started playing around, Lightning splashed water everywhere and started tackling Nia. With a faint smile, she joined the fun and started splashing at Flower.

    The fun ended shortly after the leader made a short bark and the pack once again depart. The cubs walked out of the lake and shook their body, sending water droplets everywhere.

    Scarlett too was drenched. She quickly dried herself by combining fire magic with wind magic to create a very warm breeze blowing at her body.

    >You are really good at mana manipulation. What level are you at?< Ryan said.

    >I don¡¯t know, never took the measuring exam. Though some of the people I worked with told me I was about the upper intermediate level.<

    >That¡¯d be the same as me then.<

    Scarlett braced herself for another trip inside the mother wolf¡¯s mouth, but before it could approach her, the leader made various barking noises while gesturing its head back.

    With reluctance, the mother wolf turned around and followed the lead wolf.

    >Now what?<

    >Look like you¡¯ll have to follow them on foot. Do you know any body enhancement spell?<

    >I can only do a basic muscle support spell. I¡¯ll need something more robust if I¡¯m gonna travel long distances on foot, Birdkins¡¯ bodies aren¡¯t meant to travel long distances on the ground.< She grimaced.

    >I¡¯ll look up a more efficient spell later.<

    Scarlett began circulating her mana around her body, concentrating on her muscles, especially the ones at the joints and biceps. The dose wasn¡¯t high enough to make a noticeable difference in strength, but it should help alleviate muscle fatigue by increasing blood circulation. The side effect was the increased mana activity would raise her body temperature.

    >Wait, should I walk on two legs or should I crawl?<

    >I don¡¯t think they mind your method of movement, seeing that they already don¡¯t care about the stark difference in your appearance.<

    She began following the pack as it moved, keeping her pace with the other cubs and trying not to expend too much effort into movement.

    >It looks like you¡¯re doing well. Tell me when you¡¯re tired, maybe I can switch with you.< Ryan proposed.

    >It¡¯s fine, I got this.< She smiled. >I¡¯m not that weak you know, I¡¯ve been a scout for a little more than five years.<

    >Alright then. I have to go, I¡¯ve arrived at Silica.<

 Chapter 7: New Occupation

    Avion - the capital of Silica, was a busy place.

    The carriage slowed down more and more as they approached the main road leading to the main gates as smaller roads joined in from all sides, merging with the main road and burdening it with more traffic.

    Two towering gargoyle sculptures perched firmly atop the gate, glaring at the mass of people below with scrutiny. Each side of the gate was carved with a winged sword - Silica¡¯s symbol.

    Ryan expected a delay from the long traffic, but it seemed entrance to the city wasn''t very strictly checked. However, upon entering, he immediately spotted a very long line of carriages, pushcarts, and cattle lining up towards the exit. It was obvious the city lord was prioritizing import and heavily regulating exports.

    The streets bustled with activity, as people and carriages crowded the road. Occasionally there were wide areas filled with stalls and shops. The chaotic scene of shopkeepers yelling advertisements and customers running amok was common throughout their trip.

    Finally, the carriage arrived at a massive mansion. The sleek obsidian gargoyle statues lining its roof edges contrasted sharply with its pearly walls. In front of the large gates lined two rows of maids and butlers.

    Vera stepped down from the carriage, turned towards Ryan and made a curt bow.

    ¡°Welcome to my humble abode, allow us to provide you with our uttermost hospitality.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be so formal. It is I who owe you my life for giving me a place to stay during the royal struggle.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not doing this for your sake.¡± Vera sighed. ¡°Eva, I mean our Empress, has ordered that I treat you as I would my most important guest. Disobey and my head will fall off.¡±

    ¡°I see. Does that mean my mother is showing me her favor? Isn¡¯t that against the Emperor¡¯s will?¡±

    ¡°You go and ask her yourself.¡± Vera shrugged. ¡°My head maid will show you your room. Please follow her.¡±

    Vera bowed again and disappeared into the mansion.

    All of the maids wore the same uniform - black and white are interwoven fabric with the winged sword engraved on the shoulder, yet he could tell from the posture and graceful gaze of the head maid even before she started walking towards him.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Your Highness. I will show you to your bedroom.¡± While Vera¡¯s curtsy was short and curt, the maid¡¯s bow was in a whole different league.

    His room was on the second floor, overlooking the front balcony.

    "I sincerely hope that Your Highness enjoys your stay, please ring for us if you ever have any need."

    ¡°Wait, will you bring me some mana pills? I am still suffering from the effects of mana drain.¡± Scarlett was draining his mana pool at a rapid rate.

    "I am sorry, we do not have any mana pills in stock, but we do have restorative herbs. I will tell the head chef to make you the needed herb soup."

    ¡°That will be all.¡±

    The bedroom couldn''t even be compared to his grand bedroom at the palace. Still, it was almost as wide as his high school gym. Silken wine curtains lined the broad windows. On a wall hung a portrait of a beautiful woman gazing into the distance. She looked very similar to Vera, with a long nose, pale skin, and succulent lips. The only difference that set her apart was the straight golden hair since Vera''s hair was a wavy crimson.

    With his body and mind worn out from travel, he laid on the king sized bed and closed his eyes.

    >Any problems so far?< He asked.

    >Nope, we¡¯re not going very fast so I only need to jog lightly, though I don¡¯t want to wear my body out if I¡¯ going to run for hours at a time and we¡¯re running out of mana. The muscle support spell is draining more than I thought.< Scarlett frowned.

    >If the usage rate doesn¡¯t change, there should be more than enough to last until I replenish it at dinner. I¡¯m really burnt out right now, so I¡¯m going to rest for a bit.<

    >Kay.<

    He let out a long breath and relaxed, keeping his mind in a meditative mood will help with mana regeneration, but not very much.

    While human mages do recover their mana with time, the recharge rate was a fraction compared to consuming mana-infused herbs or meat of species that wielded magic.

    Then sleep invaded his mind like the Allies on D-Day.

    ##

    Ryan stood in an old but very large warehouse, surrounding him where countless children dressed in rags. Water leaked from the roof as the rain outside raged on, and the flimsy wooden walls shook from the winds¡¯ relentless assault.

    Everyone was frantically running about, carrying buckets and emptying filled ones to fight the leaks, including him.

    He noticed that his body had somehow shrunk in height as it seemingly moved autonomously without his input. In addition, his back felt much heavier than usual, as if someone attached two dumbbells to his upper back. It seemed he was to only observe the situation like a movie.

    All of the faces were blurred away, but still, he could make out some of the distinct features such as hair and race. In the midst of chaos stood the only adult, despite her small stature, she kept her voice loud enough to be heard over the rain while giving out clear gestures and directing everyone to their stations.

    After a while, the rain stopped and everyone sat down to rest. He walked towards the lady in nervous steps.

    ¡°What is it, my dear?¡± She asked while patting his head.

    ¡°Can you teach me how to fly?¡± He stared into her deep blue eyes.

    The woman smiled sadly and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t.¡±

    She crouched down and touched his forehead with hers. ¡°Please, please just wait a little more until grow up, maybe then the Avian Society will change their mind and take you in. I¡¯m sorry sweetie, I can¡¯t teach you how to fly.¡±

    Then she pulled him in her arms and everything went black.

    ##

    Ryan¡¯s eyes snapped open at the sound of knocking.

    ¡°Enter.¡±

    The head maid entered and curtsied. ¡°Miss Vera would like to inform you that dinner is ready. Are you well enough to join her in the dining room?¡¯Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°Allow me to help you prepare.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Mira¡¯s hand emerged from behind the door and pulled the head maid¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It is my job to take care of His Highness.¡± Her smile somehow sent a trickle of fear down his spine.

    ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you. I thought you and Eli were resting. I shall take my leave.¡± The head maid quickly left the room.

    ¡°Mira, please don¡¯t cause trouble for the kind people who are sheltering us.¡± Ryan sighed.

    "How dare they put their hands on my precious- most important Prince? I shall dedicate my uttermost being to stop this from happening again, please spare no worries."

    He shook his head, thinking for the nth time what went on inside that little head of hers.

    By the time he arrived at the dining room, Vera was already seated at the head of the table, next to another man dressed in the empire¡¯s uniform for very high city officials. Ryan couldn¡¯t make out what position the man held due to the lack of emblems above the shirt pocket.

    ¡°Good evening, Your Highness. May I introduce you to mayor Tyr. He had dedicated this evening to pay us a visit.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fine evening, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Tyr gave a big grin that matched his wide stature.

    ¡°I''m glad to make your acquaintance, mayor.¡± Ryan gave a slight nod, ¡°What brings you to our humble dinner?¡±

    ¡°To talk, what else? Also you can drop the formality now. Ain¡¯t no one is gonna pay us any heed.¡± Tyr¡¯s grin grew wider.

    ¡°Please get to the main topic.¡± Ryan raised his eyebrow. To be impolite towards a member of the royal family was a death offense, even for a city mayor. He knew that Tyr didn¡¯t come there just to ask for a death sentence. Yet he didn¡¯t quite know how to deal with the situation, having nearly no experience with formal negotiations. Hence a direct approach would be best.

    ¡°So, ¡° Tyr cupped his hands, ¡°What do you think about my city?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an impressive sight. I¡¯ve never seen such active commerce activity. Your streets are completely filled with carriages and traders, so much so that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the trade volume is higher than that of the trading capital of the Empire - the Amazon.¡± Ryan spoke his true thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯m flattered. Though that can¡¯t be all. I can see that you¡¯re holding back something.¡± He raised an eyebrow and placed his arms on the table.

    ¡°With all due respect, I have offered you what I could observe from my short trip today.¡±

    "I told you to drop the formalities, didn''t I?" Tyr''s smile disappeared as his intimidating voice boomed throughout the room. "As the leader of this city, I hold the right to banish you from my premises at a whim, so it might not be in your best interest to withhold any thoughts.¡±

    Ryan made a long sigh. "Based on my rough observation, merchants composed 70% of the people in the city, while the remaining 30% of the population are mostly the elderly and young children. Your portion of the citizen within the age of 15 - 30 are nearly non-existent."

    The wide grin returned to Tyr¡¯s face as he impatiently gestured Ryan to continue.

    "The lifeblood of your city - working age people - have left, I assume to the much more lucrative frontier with better opportunities. While your city seems extremely fostered right now, the lack of resident workforce will pose a critical problem for its development, since you can''t maintain or expand the city''s infrastructure without hiring costly labor.

    ¡°I also saw many abandoned farms around the premise of the city. Has the frontier been so profitable that people abandoned their agricultural duties?¡±

    "Indeed, prince, indeed. The Empress certainly did not lie, you are more sharp-eyed than most, I''ll give you that much. With no agriculture, no manpower and an unstable trade income, this city will be a hollow trading hub in no time.

    "That''s why " Tyr leaned forward. "I will give you an offer. We have an open spot in the royal library. As an assistant librarian, you get access to all declassified materials in the library, including the latest research data of the frontier. Tempting, is it not?"

    Ryan¡¯s eyes widened like saucers, ¡°As great as that sound, what is the catch?¡±

    "Nothing to worry, you will be my scholarly counselor and I will seek your inputs on various ¡®occasions¡¯¡± He stretched on the last word, ¡°You''re free to decline if you ever find my request to be unreasonable."

    ¡°If the conditions are as you say, then I accept the offer.¡± Ryan nodded, his eyes glinting.

    ¡°Very well, I shall hand Vera the paperwork and you can come to work as soon as tomorrow. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a city to manage.¡± Tyr stood up and quickly left.

    ¡°It seems he took a liking to you.¡± Vera gave her mischievous smirk.

    ¡°Do you know something that I don¡¯t?¡± He raised an eyebrow.

    "No, nothing. Anyway, after dinner is done, do you mind joining me for a walk? Avion is known for its joyful night life after all."

    He nodded.

    The food was strange, yet delicious. The fish and meat served within the dishes were in a whole different league compared to what he had back at the Valentine capital. Despite the lack of lavish spices, the quality of the food surpassed the royal meals he had throughout his life.

    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it? These are the latest products our chef managed to produce from the fauna surrounding the frontier exploration area. One is deep fried carnivore fish from the Termina river, while the other dish is baked mosquilopod, they¡¯re giant mosquitoes that roam the forest at night.¡±

    Ryan nearly dropped his fork.

    Vera chuckled, ¡°My apologies, we are working on changing the name of these local cuisines.¡±

    The meal finished quickly and he returned to his room for a short rest. A short moment later, Vera came to pick him up for their walk.

    Music, lights and a cacophony of voices permeated the air. Never had Ryan seen such a festive mood, granted he didn''t come out of his room that often.

    Countless food stalls lined the road as they passed through the dining section of the commerce city. Delicious scents wafted through the air, teasing his nose and made his mouth watery.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad to have had dinner?¡±

    Ryan felt a slight unease as Vera walked by his side, her shoulder nearly touching his.

    ¡°Do these people never sleep?¡± Mira who was walking behind them asked.

    ¡°How can they, when the night here is so lively?¡± Vera said.

    Various performances appeared here and there, gathering crowds that occasionally blocked the walking path. They varied from performing odd tricks like sword swallowing, to very exotic belly dancing and singing. There was no entrance fee, as the performers were paid by the excitement of the crowd, the more they did well, the more coins would get thrown at the poor guy who held the bucket.

    Vera pointed him towards various other places in the city, from which stores to visit, to what restaurant to dine at, and lastly, which of the brothels were the best for a memorable night, to which Ryan frantically shook his head.

    They arrived at a quiet carpentry workshop, the old place seemed to be falling apart, with the faded sign of a bow and staff hanging on its last nail at the mercy of the wind.

    Vera knocked on the door loudly. ¡°Come out, you lazy geezer!¡±

    He swore she woke the whole neighborhood up with that yell.

    The rusted door creaked open slightly and a bald man in his fifties came out.

    ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up! You don¡¯t have to wake hell itself.¡± He grumbled and reentered the store.

    Then the man came back out holding a sword wrapped in brown fabric. ¡°Here it is, the most durable training sword I¡¯ve ever made. Not sure what you want with such a thing though.¡±

    Vera removed the wrapping and inspected the sword.

    On the surface, it looked like a rather short wooden training sword, only slightly longer than a dagger. But then the moment she fed mana into it, various glowing runes started to reveal themselves along its surface.

    She nodded with a smirk and tossed the sword to Ryan.

    He hurriedly caught and fumbled it with his hands, nearly dropping it. ¡°What?¡±

    "Consider it a gift for the time you saved m-us from the mana bomb. It''s made of cyfan wood - the most durable of its kind. And while you can''t cut anything with it, the spell engraved within can knock your attackers with a quick swing or create a small wind barrier."

    ¡°Thank you for your generosity, but I know not how to wield a sword.¡± Ryan shook his head.

    "Then why not learn it? You''ll never know when someone tries to stab your back with one, it is crucial for a mage to hold his own against close combat attacks. How about it, I''ll have my instructor forge you every morning."

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not suited for physical training due to my weak constitution.¡±

    ¡°Oh, quit being a wimp. Your siblings are gonna be hot on your heels at any moment and you¡¯re sitting here being all wimpy?¡± Vera made a deep scowl, ¡°Well, you can do whatever you want, but know that even with the Empress backing, we can¡¯t protect you from everything. You can still keep the sword, by the way.¡±

    She turned and started to walk away.

    ¡°Wait, I accept. You don¡¯t have to be so blunt about it.¡± Ryan sighed.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not that dumb.¡± She gave another mischievous grin. ¡°The first lesson starts tomorrow, you better get some good sleep tonight.¡±

    Walking back to the mansion, Ryan could hear Mira mumbling something ominously from behind.