Enira nodded, careful to keep her expression neutral. Outwardly, this was just another mission. Inwardly, this was exactly what Ian had asked her to uncover. Myrra was important to them, but why? What did they see in her? If she could get that answer, it would serve her purpose.
She met Phyrra's gaze, tilting her head slightly. "I understand my task," she said, her voice steady. "But I can't help but wonder, why Myrra? What makes her so important?"
Phyrra's lips curled into a slow smile. "Because of the Lord's blood within her."
Enira's thoughts raced. Lord's blood… What did that mean? Was Myrra connected to some powerful figure? She knew her parents had been killed, was that why? Had they been targeted because of this so-called Lord's blood? And if so… what exactly was it?
Her voice was measured, but the question pressed at her lips before she could stop it. "Lord's blood… is it related to her bloodline?"
Phyrra's expression remained unreadable, but amusement flickered in her eyes. "Not exactly," she said. "But close."
Enira opened her mouth to press further, but Phyrra had already read the question forming on her lips.
"That's enough for now," she said smoothly. "You'll learn about the Lord's blood in due time."
Enira hesitated, then closed her mouth, swallowing her questions.
Phyrra then spent some time explaining the inner workings of the Quiet Testament and some of their plans, but never in full. Just like scattered pieces of a puzzle, fragments of something larger. Just enough to keep Enira hooked, but not enough for her to influence any of it.
It was deliberate. Carefully measured. But there was nothing Enira could do about it.
Not that she cared. She wasn't here for them. She was only here for any information concerning Myrra.
Phyrra then calls Councilman Herrie back.
"Giullis, increase Enira's treatment level."
Then, turning to Enira, she added, "If you ever need anything, you can always go to him."
Giullis agreed without hesitation. Shortly after, Phyrra dismissed them.
Enira left without a word. Giullis walked with her, speaking about minor matters, things she barely listened to. She responded when necessary, but her focus remained elsewhere. Once they reached the outer hall, she gave a curt nod and continued on her way.
Outside, Vulas saw his father walking Enira. His gaze flicked as she passed, his expression unreadable.
He stepped closer to Giullis. "She seems important," he remarked, keeping his tone casual.
Giullis glanced at his son. "She is," he replied. Then, after a brief pause, "If you can gain her favor, it would be useful. Charm her if you can, it could work in your favor. But don't push. If you force the issue, it will backfire."
Vulas watched as Enira walked away, his eyes trailed down the elegant curve of her back, the way her hips swayed with an effortless, almost unconscious allure.
A slow smirk tugged at his lips.
His father's words barely registered. Useful? Favor? No, this was something else.
A dark glint flickered in his eyes, something calculating, something predatory
Enira exhaled a quiet sigh of relief as she stepped inside, finally home. The encounter had been exhausting, vexing, even. She'd been on edge the entire time, especially with Phyrra.
That woman was terrifyingly powerful. Councilman Herrie, a supposed Second Order life, had been utterly subservient to her. And worst of all, a single glance from Phyrra had been enough to force Ian's control mark to surface.
Her fingers curled into fists. That alone had nearly spiraled things out of control. But nothing had happened.
And Ian felt it too.
In his apartment, the Zephar Petal stirred, an alarm ringing in the back of his mind.
For a moment, he tensed. Was this it? Had something gone wrong?
Then, his vision shifted. Mindbloom symbols surfaced, flickering at the edges of his thoughts before fading just as quickly.
Nothing else happened.
Ian immediately reached out to the Zephar Petal. The answer came at once, someone had almost discovered the control mark on Enira but they couldn't due to Mindbloom.
What…? How is that possible?
The Zephar Petals were sure that nobody on this planet would be able to sense it… but that assumption relied on them being restricted to the Fourth Order.
The Fourth Order seemed to be the peak of power here.
So whoever Enira had just met was beyond it.
He had to confirm it with Enira… and if it really was a member of the Quiet Testament, then....
Alarms rang in his mind.
How was he supposed to deal with someone at that level? If they were truly beyond the Fourth Order then will there be anyone who would protect them?
Ian exhaled slowly, steadying his thoughts. He had to bring this to someone, soon.
The only name that came to mind was High Sorcerer Durlan. A Third Order, the strongest individual Ian personally knew. If there was anyone who could help navigate this, it was him.
But Mindbloom… That was the real surprise. He had spent so much time trying to uncover anything about it, searching, digging through records, testing his own abilities.
Nothing. Not a single mention. Not a single lead. And yet, it would come in time of need every now and then.
Ian waited a week before reaching out to Enira. The control symbols of Zephar Petals served as the medium, an addition he had made after reinforcing his hold on her that day. He could now sense her presence within a certain range, though the connection was faint.
There was something else too. Mindbloom. It had created another link to her, so subtle he couldn't grasp its full extent. Not yet.
When he finally contacted her, he learned everything.
Phyrra. The Lord's Blood.
Phyrra was beyond his reach. And if Ian's understanding was correct, she was the one beyond Fourth Order.
Now came the question of the Lord's Blood. Was it a bloodline thing? A return to some powerful ancestor? He needed to confirm this with Selena, Myrra's aunt. Did their family have any renowned or powerful ancestors? Was there something hidden in their lineage that no one had spoken of?
But that didn't make sense.
From Selena, he had already learned that Myrra's parents' deaths were tied to the some artifact they had discovered. So what was the missing piece? What was the real issue? He would have to uncover everything, the full picture. But how?
Sure, Enira was still an option, but that was before. He had almost gotten her killed. And even though he technically controlled her, sacrificing someone for his own goals wasn't who he was. Worse, by involving her further, he might have just put her in even greater danger.
For now, he had told her to stay put.
But there were more pressing matters.
The next day, Ian made his way toward High Scholar Durlan's office for their regular meeting.
Durlan glanced up as he entered, his expression relaxed. "You're early."
"Figured I'd get ahead on things," Ian replied, settling into his seat.
Durlan nodded approvingly. "Good. How's the stabilization holding up?"
"Almost done. Just refining a few calculations. It should be ready soon."
"Excellent." Durlan leaned back slightly, folding his arms. "Once this phase is wrapped up, we can start integrating it into some of our systems."
Ian and Durlan spent some more time discussing their work, ironing out a few final details. Adjustments to the stabilization process, potential optimizations in circuits, it was routine, yet essential.
After a while, Ian asks Durlan subtly, what if there is someone beyond fourth order on the planet?
Durlan's gaze flickered, but the amusement in his eyes remained. "You're too young to be worrying about such things." He exhaled, his tone both light and reassuring. "Even if that were true, it wouldn't change much. There are contingencies in place. This region belongs to the elven civilization, after all."
He gave Ian a pointed look. "If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Your focus should be on your own path, not distant threats beyond your reach."
Durlan's words were reassuring, and Ian found himself agreeing. It made sense. He had been worrying too much lately, first after the ranking match, and now this. His mental fortitude was lacking. He needed to work on that.
But more than that, he needed to change how he thought.
Worrying wouldn't change anything. Fear wouldn't stop what was coming. If there was nothing he could do, then there was no point in dwelling on it. The only path forward was to focus on his work, build his strength, and be ready for when the time came.
Something in his gaze shifted. Durlan noticed it, the quiet resolve replacing uncertainty.
The High Scholar smiled slightly, as if satisfied with the outcome.
With a small nod, Ian pushed the thoughts aside and took his leave.
But as soon as Ian left, High Scholar Durlan's expression changed. The warmth faded, replaced by a sharp, calculating look. He knew Ian well enough to understand, he wouldn't bring up something like this without reason. It wasn't idle curiosity.
Durlan exhaled slowly, then reached for a secure communicator. He hadn't been lying to Ian when he said they had their own contingencies.
Somewhere near a hidden location close to the Federal Capital, Fylsneas…
A heavily secured headquarters bustled with elves, all engaged in monitoring a massive 3D projection of the planet itself. The system recorded every energy signature, spatial fluctuation, and even temporal disturbances, scanning for any anomalies. This technology, a product of the elven ancestral lands, was one of their most trusted defenses, an impenetrable net that made it nearly impossible to enter the planet undetected.
Of course, exceptions existed. For those powerful enough, such barriers meant little.
Even when Ian arrived in this universe, the system had detected nothing. No fluctuations. No disturbances. As if he had simply been there all along.
A broad-shouldered elven man stood before the holographic projection. His name was Giullis Beiroris, one of the top operatives in the Idilia Security Forces. His sharp eyes scanned the fluctuating energy readings from the past few years. The system was designed to detect anomalies automatically, but he still preferred to go through the records manually, just to be sure.
Especially since Durlan had mentioned it.
"Nothing abnormal here…" he murmured, though his instincts nagged at him. He trusted Durlan. His friend wouldn't bring up something irrelevant.
Frowning, he turned and made his way toward his supervisor.
His supervisor looked up, expression unreadable. "You checked the fluctuations manually?"
He nodded. "Went through the last few years. No anomalies. But I still think it's worth reporting."
His supervisor was silent for a moment, then exhaled. "Very well. We'll follow protocol."
This along with the extremely high-level energy shield and advanced weapons system, formed their ultimate contingency.
At the core of it was an advanced communication device linked directly to the Ancestral Star Region, unaffected by any known interference. In an emergency, the top powerhouses from the ancestral lands could respond instantly, crossing multiple local clusters in mere moments. For those at the pinnacle of power, such distances meant nothing.
The message was marked low priority, but it was sent.
For now, that was enough.
But Ian remained unaware of all of it.
He was back in his apartment, sitting in quiet meditation. His breathing was steady, his thoughts focused. Yet something within him felt different.
The shift in his mentality, seemed to have triggered something deep inside. The energy flowed through him with newfound ease, his body instinctively refining itself. He could feel it. The threshold. The point just before a transformation.
He had become closer to becoming a First Order life. And soon he will ascend.
It was a pleasant surprise. He hadn't expected it to happen this quickly. Progress should have taken more time, more effort. And yet, here it was.