A legendary creature was far beyond any regur animal in this world, whether in physical prowess or magical power.

  They once roamed every corner of the pnet—in the skies, across the nd, beneath the sea, and deep underground.

  They were the apex of the apex.

  'If they were so powerful, why did they all just disappear?'

  'How can anyone believe they existed when no remains were ever found?'

  'Are the Maurya Nobility really descendants of legendary creatures?'

  Those were some of the questions that constantly lingered in Cal's mind.

  And with good reason.

  There was no concrete evidence of legendary creatures—only stories and descriptions passed down through generations.

  Until now.

  Cal finally found a clue: Boris's body.

  One feature separated legendary creatures from ordinary animals—the presence of distinct symbols etched onto their bodies.

  And now, Boris's body was covered with those symbols.

  Cal's primal instinct screamed to its fullest at the sight. He couldn't help himself. He was on the edge of discovering a clue about the truth of the legendary creatures—especially the truth of the symbols.

  Cal could've ended the fight early, but he didn't. He needed to see the full extent of Boris's new body. That's why he let Boris make the first move.

  What Cal discovered was just as he suspected. Boris's body far surpassed the strength of a typical awakened Maurya Noble. But even with that strength, Boris wasn't posing much of a challenge.

  Strength and speed alone didn't determine victory. Boris wasn't using his newfound power efficiently. His attacks were too open, his movements wasteful, and his fighting style relied too much on brute force—all-out offense aimed at ending the fight in a single strike.

  But something else caught Cal's attention.

  'His movements are awkward.'

  It was clear Boris wasn't yet familiar with his transformation. That made his attacks too predictable.

  From their brief csh, Cal had already learned a great deal about this new body. But it wasn't enough to satisfy his primal instinct.

  As a medical student, he felt compelled to examine Boris's body firsthand.

  Cal drew his hidden weapon—the mana gun—and ended the fight in a fsh. He was lucky Boris had no intention of running away, because with his speed, even Cal couldn't have caught up.

  With Boris's body on the ground, Cal began his inspection, using the nullcutter as his surgical tool.

  Cal was completely absorbed.

  ***

  A few minutes ter.

  Cal was still studying the inside of Boris's body when something unexpected happened.

  Boris's heart began to glow in rhythm with its own beating, radiating mana in its wave state.

  Cal instinctively stepped back.

  He watched as Boris's body began to change.

  The mysterious symbols—resembling the roots of a tree—started to glow in sync with the heart's beat. Then, Boris's body began to disintegrate, consumed by the symbols. Piece by piece, the body vanished until only the beating heart remained.

  The symbols then spiraled into the heart, which slowly crystallized, forming a green crystal with a distinct shape.

  Cal was stunned. Not only was the process unlike anything he had read in his books, but the result was even more shocking.

  A mana stone...

  Cal stepped forward and carefully picked it up.

  Then, reality hit him.

  Cal pocketed the mana stone and bolted from the room.

  I've wasted too much time.

  Cal leapt out the window—four stories up—nding silently before darting into the forest surrounding the mansion.

  The pn's a mess.

  The pn had been simple: find Ivanna, help her escape the mansion, and leave undetected.

  Damn it. All of that for nothing.

  Before the infiltration, he had scouted every guard post on the mansion grounds and deactivated every surveilnce amulet. He had even silently assassinated all active guards. The operation had taken over three hours—all to ensure that no trace of him would be detected.

  It had been a drastic move, with serious consequences even if successful. The news would spread, investigations would follow, and his movements would be restricted after this. Worst of all, if the Imperial Prince was discovered behind it, the backsh for the Kashnikov family would be enormous—putting even the Emperor in a dangerous position.

  But Cal didn't care about his father, the ruin of his family, the political fallout, or even the torture that might come if he were caught.

  His greatest fear was that it would prevent him from ever seeing Sophia again.

  And yet, despite the risk, he had pushed forward.

  If he succeeded, he could bring Ivanna—one of the best potential assets for espionage—to his side.

  But most of all...

  Sophia worked so hard to make the pn for Ivanna to escape abroad. Letting it go to waste... no.

  Besides, we're leaving for the other continent tomorrow. If there was ever a time to go all in, it's now.

  ***

  At this moment, Cal's pn was to stay as far away from the mansion as possible. As for Ivanna, he wasn’t too worried. The amulet he had pced on her colr had a tracking feature—he could always find her ter, even if she used her bloodline ability.

  But as Cal ran through the forest, he stopped abruptly.

  Something was off.

  The forest...

  The forest felt wrong.

  Using his bloodline abilities—Word of the World and Eyes of Discernment—he sensed it clearly. The air, the movement of the leaves, the insects...

  It doesn't feel natural.

  His Eyes of Discernment told him that everything around him was concealed—he wasn't seeing the truth.

  And the Word of the World confirmed it.

  Something is not right.

  Cal might have missed this if he had relied only on the Eyes of Discernment. The only reason he realized it was because of Word of the World.

  Then he saw it.

  There was no transition.

  In front of him stood an ornate door, carved with the symbol of a deer-like creature.

  Cal looked around and realized—he was no longer in the forest.

  He was standing in a corridor inside the mansion.

  ...Did I never leave?

  It was clear now.

  I messed up.

  Cal didn't know how he got here, or how the illusion was cast. But one thing was certain: he was caught. And there was no easy escape from here.

  Cal gnced left and right—empty hallways in both directions.

  Guess there's only one option left.

  Running was pointless. Whoever cast the illusion could do it again, distorting his sense of direction at will.

  Taking a deep breath, Cal steadied himself.

  If he wanted to escape, he had to face whoever was behind the illusion.

  And win.