In the clear skies above Lunari territory, Adyr beat his white and black wings, his speed so astonishing that his outline stretched into a wavering ribbon of light.

With his [Physique] now at 1783, every muscle in his body, his wings included, had grown immensely stronger. Yet raw power alone wasn't what made his flight faster.

Over the past month, he had learned how to fly with greater control, awareness, and instinct, constantly refining his technique as he honed his talents without rest.

Although he hadn't managed to unlock another bloodline talent yet, a disappointment in itself, he had, thanks to the researchers' upgraded VR training chambers, advanced many of his existing talents to level 4.

As he neared his destination, he opened his upgraded character panel, scanning it carefully to ensure he was fully prepared for any conflict that might lie ahead.

[Name]: Adyr Hellcraft

[Race]: Nimbus Nephilim

[Path]: Primora

[Evolution Step]: 3

[Physique]: 1783

[Will]: 700

[Resilience]: 905

[Sense]: 825

[Energy Capacity]: 5513

[Registered Talents]: 30/30

[Omnisight (Lv1)], [Sword Art of Existence(Lv2)], [Maleficent Architect (Lv2)], [Elysian Cook (Lv1)], [Tracking(Lv3)], [Throwing(Lv4)], [Linguistic(Lv3)], [Tactician(Lv4)], [Stealth(Lv4)], [Trapper(Lv4)], [Butchering(Lv3)], [Scouting(Lv4)], [Surgery(Lv3)], [Reader(Lv4)], [Masonry(Lv3)],

[Flying (Lv4)], [Sprinting (Lv3)], [Climbing (Lv3)], [Swimming (Lv4)], [Drawing (Lv3)], [Instrument Playing (Lv3)], [Singing (Lv3)], [Writing (Lv3)], [Persuasion (Lv4)], [Disguise (Lv4)], [Anatomy (Lv3)], [Deception (Lv4)], [Herbalism (Lv3)], [Farming (Lv4)], [Navigation (Lv3)]

[Sparks]: 18/20

[Sanctuary]: Nimbus Land

[Free Stat Points]: 1035

Leveling talents to 4 was very hard. Even with all the technology and advantages the human researchers provided, and after sleepless nights, he managed to raise only 11 of them to level 4, yielding 880 stat points.

With another 155 from Mother of Tree's daily stat rewards, his gains reached 1,035.

He increased [Throwing], [Stealth], [Trapper], [Swimming], and [Farming] thanks to the upgraded VR chambers.

The surprise was [Reader], which rose with the number of books and analyses he worked through to understand Beyond better.

His [Persuasion], [Disguise], and [Deception] also advanced naturally through constant dealings with other races, especially the Velari, without any extra effort or dedicated time on them.

It was a letdown that none had reached level 5, since he needed at least one to advance to Evolution Step 4. Still, he knew it was close; several level 4 talents were almost there, only needing a bit more focus and time.

So far he had spent 4,400 energy to register these talents and about the same again to acquire new Sparks and replace those he deemed useless, bringing his total to 18/20 and leaving only 2 slots for future captures if he found anything worthwhile later.

While he weighed his current status, the Lunari territory's heart finally came into view: a vast capital spread across open ground.

From a distance, it looked nothing like the Velari settlements. The first striking difference was the absence of encircling walls to protect the city.

City planning also appeared meticulous. Every structure was set in careful alignment, the houses level with one another, their heights matched, and the more important buildings placed at measured intervals so the visual order was never broken. It felt like a city built to a strict plan, designed not to crowd the eye but to keep everything in balance.

At the very center of this order stood a great fortress of white marble, its surfaces blazing under the sun. It caught the light like a blade and made its purpose obvious at first glance. Whoever ruled the Lunari obviously lived there. Adyr did not fly straight to the palace that clearly housed Zephan and his family. Instead, he landed outside the city, folded his wings, and chose to enter like any visitor might.

Following a well-kept dirt road, he walked toward the gates that did not exist, toward an entrance that was nothing more than the city's first line of streets.

There were no walls or watchtowers, yet security was everywhere.

Wherever he looked, ordinary citizens gave way to people in fitted armor with weapons at their hips. Even the farmers in the roadside fields and the horse-carts of obvious merchants rolling past carried steel as a matter of

course.

Swords hung from every belt, and shields rode every back without exception, as if going unarmed were a crime here. It was a place where everyone fought first and farmed second.

They really are a race that loves fighting, Adyr thought, watching the silver-haired, silver-eyed Lunari along the road trying to understand their

regular lifestyles.

As he studied them, they studied him in turn, their gazes curious and intent- the way one looks at a rare creature.

A few silver eyes lingered, a child pointed before being hushed, and several hands rested on hilts out of habit. His appearance was what drew interest, yet no one, not even the patrolling knights, stepped in his way or tried to start a conversation, as if they didn't care who he was or what business had brought

him to their kingdom.

Without interruption he walked into the city, taking in the scene like a quiet

sightseer.

The interior matched the Lunari character and could not have been more different from the Velari lands.

There were no cafes, no bars, no open theaters, and none of the places where people stole an hour to talk and shed the weight of life.

In their place stood open sparring grounds at the ends of streets, and from enclosed training halls came the sharp ring of steel and the heavy rhythm of

feet on packed floors.

There were also churches, the only civic spaces that felt akin to Velari

structures, as if the city shared a single social anchor.

Priests preached the Ignis path and their God, Ignivar, to close-formed crowds.

Growing curious, Adyr decided to listen for a while and stepped toward a

church that looked like a small replica of the central palace in white marble,

shining under the sun like a polished gem.

Inside, he found no seats. Dozens of Lunari stood shoulder to shoulder, all attention fixed on an elderly priest in white robes.

When Adyr entered, the priest's eyes flicked to him with brief interest, then

returned to the sermon without letting the stranger's presence break his flow. The priest was already near the end of a tale he had been telling for some time, guiding it toward its conclusion without losing his rhythm.

"The young man stilled his steps and lent his car to the wind, which roamed free across every field and ridge, and in that wandering breath he found His

words.

He lifted his gaze to the silver thunder that split the heavens, the bright paths etched across the sky, and in those burning streaks he beheld his own way

made clear.

He let his heartbeat take the cadence of battle, let courage temper his flesh, and felt within himself a portion of the bravery our God Ignivar bears in His

divinity.

Then he raised his blade and swept it through the air, and its resonance carried

to the very borders of the Lunari lands. The beast they called the Silver Whale fell beneath the command of his heart.

Thus was he named Lord Silverlight, Zephan, and thus did he rise as our sovereign, that these lands might remember for eternity."

Seeing the zealous, reverent faces, Adyr understood right away: the sermon

was using religious language to glorify their ruler Zephan, to plant loyalty in people's hearts and heat their blood.

The Velari churches did something similar with simple commands like "obey," "sacrifice," and "serve" to honor their Practitioners. The Lunari churches did it in their own way, telling heroic stories that stirred the crowd and lifted their

Practitioners up.

The priest continued and ended his sermon with his final words: "May His will guide your will, and may the blaze in your hearts never fade."

Then every Lunari, the priest included, placed one hand over their heart and bowed their heads as if offering thanks to an unseen presence.

When they raised their heads again, all eyes suddenly turned to Adyr with

sharp, threatening gazes.

"May I ask what wind carried you here, young man?" The priest stepped forward slowly, his aged silver eyes never leaving Adyr's crimson ones as he spoke in a calm tone.

Although Adyr had already become one of the region's major figures, the common folk still did not know what he looked like, so to them he was simply a foreigner from an unfamiliar race visiting their kingdom.

And because he possessed the bloodline talent that let him control his Presence, no one felt anything unusual about him, aside from his odd STF uniform, which looked as if it were made from high-grade material, and his eyes, which seemed to hold a whole dimension within them.

Hence, no one had any reason to assume he was a Practitioner. To them, the notion of a Practitioner revealing himself in a plain church on an ordinary day was as unthinkable as Lord Silverlight Zephan losing a fight.