The sun cast down upon the expedition team, sweat rolling down some of their forehead. Crumbling walls and colpsed beams rose like jagged monuments, reminders of a town erased.

  Dawn Ryteline stood at the edge of the ruins, her boots pressing into the damp earth. Her gaze lingered on the cracked fountain at the center of the square, its stonework worn but not entirely broken. Something about it pulled at her instincts.

  "Your Highness.", one of the archaeologists approached, brushing dust from his gloves, "We've mapped out the perimeter. The structures are older than expected, possibly before the development of Ryteline itself. But…"

  He hesitated, lowering his voice, "No signs of fire or siege. The town was abandoned, not destroyed."

  Dawn’s eyes narrowed, "Abandoned? Without cause?"

  "Exactly so.", another schor added, adjusting her spectacles while holding up a ste of sketches, "No skeletal remains. No belongings left behind. It’s as if the people simply… walked away."

  Dawn turned her attention back to the fountain. The intuition gnawed at her chest, subtle but insistent. She had learned not to dismiss it; more often than not, it led her to truths buried deeper than stone.

  She walked forward, the team instinctively parting for her. The air grew heavier near the fountain, though no wind stirred. She id a hand on its rim, feeling the stone’s faint chill seep into her skin.

  She used Mimicry, borrowing the power of Legacy. She used her enhanced cognitive mind and used the Law of Inheritance, acting with her identity as a princess of this kingdom.

  "There’s something here...", she murmured.

  Her words carried weight, and the archaeologists exchanged uncertain gnces. They were used to soil and ruins, not intuition. But none dared to contradict her.

  One of them, an older man with a graying beard, cleared his throat, "Shall we begin excavation around the fountain, Your Highness?"

  Dawn’s gaze stayed fixed on the cracked basin. She could almost hear whispers echoing from within, as if the ruin itself resented being silent for so long.

  This was something older than her kingdom, so Legacy has its limit. Deactivating, her mind ran through calcutions, thinking of the best course of action.

  "Yes.", she said firmly, "Start here, whatever erased this town, its answer lies beneath."

  The schors bowed their heads, hurrying to prepare their tools. Dawn remained where she stood, palm against the fountain, eyes narrowing as her intuition whispered again.

  This was no ordinary ruin.

  Stepping away to rest, Dawn was not someone used to the outdoors, so this was quite exhausting on her body.

  Her mind was still as sharp as ever. Using this break, she analyzed the soil beneath her using Erudition— and she found something else...

  Quickly, she rushed outside of the ruins' vicinity and analyzed another patch of soil...

  "I see...", she smiled, "This is something I need to consult Lady Keter..."

  This pce was not the handiwork of Salvation as she had previously thought.

  The soil in and near the ruin was less developed, not because the nd wasn't taken care of. She means in the literal sense, the ruins is a few years behind the surrounding area, as if someone had turned back time...

  Or...

  The correct term would be...

  Regressed.

  This was the work of Regression.

  =0=0=

  Jim woke up in a cold sweat, his eyes instantly darting around, finding himself in a hut. Letting a sigh of relief at finding somewhere familiar.

  Entering the hut at the same time was the silent masked warrior, Akyu.

  "You are awake... good...", the warrior muttered.

  That made Jim widen his eyes; he could understand the native nguage more fluently, as if he had spoken it his entire life!

  "Akyu, can you understand me?", he asked in bewilderment.

  The warrior jolted, "You spoke more fluently..."

  "I ascended!", he celebrated, standing up in joy—

  Only to stagger and almost fall to the ground, but Akyu luckily caught him.

  "You should rest more, Jim.", Akyu advised, "I can feel power coursing through your body, so until it stabilizes, you should rest for at least a week."

  He nodded, sitting back down, and ughed a bit.

  "Heheh, I'm already receiving so much from you all..."

  "Don't be, my friend.", the warrior tapped him on the shoulder, "You have been of great help to the Ox Weaver tribe."

  Jim could only ughed, "Thanks."

  Pcing down a bowl of stew on the ground, Akyu turned his back away, "Rest well, my friend."

  Sighing, Jim leaned backward and closed his eyes.

  "Alchemist of Infinity;Embracer of Origin, Child of Purity and Silver;The Monarch cd in Argent Light."

  Darkness consumed him, and opening his eyes, he was in the Library, where he saw Lady Keter still sitting in her chair, reading a book titled 'The Curse of Capistrano'.

  "You are awake, Zorro.", she smiled, closing the book.

  "I greet you, Lady Keter.", he bowed.

  "So, how does it feel, gaining divinity?", she asked, using her hands on the table to rest her face, tilting her head to the side.

  Jim's heart skipped a beat, feeling flustered at her sudden action. Indeed, Lady Keter is beautiful; her appearance alone ruined his taste in women before.

  But he kept his cool, closing his eyes. He channeled the power of Destiny and Fate, then opened his eyes...

  "Wow...", around him are red and blue strings he was familiar with, but he feels like he could touch these strings now. He reached his hand out—

  "If you see strings, don't do anything to them."

  He stopped his fingers. Jim also noticed that she can't see the strings, merely making an educated observation.

  "Once you have fully recovered, you should try to run around; speed is the main ability. Just be careful not to run into any obstacle.", she chuckled, "Don't think you are a hotshot for becoming a demigod."

  Demigod...

  Those words resonated with Jim, who trembled slightly. He had truly stepped onto the Path of Divinity...

  "I have a gift for you.", with a snap of her finger, a thin longsword appeared in front of him, "Lea got it for you; it has Resonance and Severance."

  With another snap, a spike appeared in her hand, "Deconstruct."

  The spike Lady Keter held in her hand and the sword broke apart, floating together with archs of electricity connecting them.

  "Reforge."

  The pieces collided with each other, forming a brand new weapon. Now with red cracks along its bde.

  Somehow, Jim feels like this weapon is... alive.

  "Don't touch the bde.", Lady Keter snapped her finger again. A sheath formed around the bde, sealing it, "Aside from Resonance and Severance, it now has Bloom and Hazard."

  "A single touch is enough to kill anything."

  Basically, Lady Keter had given Jim a weapon that could kill anything less than a god. He was not sure how to feel about this.

  But hunting would be easier—

  "And any flesh it touches is inedible."

  She just has to have his hopes up. Seeing her gleeful smile, Jim knew she was pying with him... but what she said was true.

  "...thank you, Lady Keter.", carefully, he picked up the sword, "I request you to name my new weapon..."

  She thought for a moment and gave the weapon its name, "Curruid."

  Those names don't have meaning in any of the nguages he knows about...

  Something Lady Keter made up, surely.

  "Thank you for your grace, Lady Keter..."

  But this was not over just yet... the gold and bck beast he saw for a moment... what was it?

  "Lady Keter, may I ask what the beast I saw was?"

  "You'd better just ignore it.", she narrowed her eyes, the pyfulness from before was gone, "Instead, you should worry about your Fifth Step ritual."

  Jim obliged; if Lady Keter says to ignore something, then he should ignore it. The topic of the Fifth Step is a bit sudden, but he chose to follow her.

  "What do I need to do?", was it another ritual?

  Her gaze was far and distant, going past him, "Find the Divine Domain of the Trailbzer."

  =0=0=

  Lea was once again in Lacrosa, she was going shopping, because frankly, her current clothes are too baggy. So she wants to buy some fancy clothes for herself...

  Lea stepped out of the cab, the hiss of steam and scent of hot metal filling Lacrosa’s streets.

  Her gaze immediately settled on the boutique ahead, its brass-trimmed windows glowing under violet nterns.

  The sign read "Gilded Gears & Velvet Dreams", promising elegance wrapped in eccentricity.

  Inside, the shop was a maze of polished wood, gss cases, and softly ticking gears suspended like tiny consteltions. The air smelled faintly of oiled leather, with the quiet hum of machinery giving the pce a pulse of its own.

  Lea’s eyes widened slightly, though she kept her expression neutral, as she took in the clothing around her. The folds of fabric, the intricate stitching, the gleam of polished brass buttons… for a brief, fleeting moment, she felt the same awe a child might have entering a candy store.

  She didn’t let it show, letting her face and posture remain composed, but inside, her pulse quickened with quiet delight.

  She ran her fingers along the racks, scanning for pieces that banced refinement with movement.

  Her eyes caught a tailored bck frock coat with subtle golden piping along the seams, broad shoulders, and a slightly cinched waist. Structured, but not feminine in any overt way. The cuffs were lined with brass csps, small chains dangling as decorative but potentially useful details.

  Beneath it, a crisp white shirt with a high colr and hidden buttons promised elegance without frills. Bck trousers with golden stitching ran slim to her boots, a sharp contrast to her previous baggy attire.

  The ensemble was clean, practical, and stylish, suited to someone who wanted authority and mobility rather than dainty adornment.

  Accessories drew her attention next. A pair of brass-rimmed goggles with fine adjustment wheels, a bck leather belt with intricate gear-shaped buckles, and gloves with exposed fingertips, functional yet striking, completed the ensemble.

  Everything spoke of someone who moved between shadows and society with equal ease.

  At the counter, the clerk, a tall man with a monocle and a chain swinging from his waistcoat, raised an eyebrow.

  "Quite the selection, madam. Pnning to attend a ball, or make an impression?"

  Lea smirked, "Impression, mostly."

  Lea slipped into the boutique’s private dressing room, a small chamber lined with mirrors on three sides.

  The warm glow of brass sconces bounced off the polished wood, making the space feel almost alive. She carefully unwrapped the clothing, pcing each piece on the rack to inspect it fully.

  For a moment, she allowed herself a flicker of excitement, just for herself.

  Her fingers lingered on the fabric, tracing the golden seams of the frock coat, the fine stitching of the trousers, the smoothness of the leather gloves.

  She tilted her head, imagining how it would feel to move through the city in this ensemble... every gear, every buckle perfectly in pce.

  Sliding into the shirt first, then the trousers, she felt the crispness against her skin, the gentle restriction reminding her of discipline and purpose.

  Pulling the coat over her shoulders, she adjusted the cuffs, her reflection fracturing into multiple angles in the mirrors. For the first time in a long while, she let her posture soften, subtle, unguarded, almost pyful.

  She took a step forward, pivoting slightly, testing the weight and sway of the coat. A small thrill ran through her as she bent to adjust the gloves, then straightened, hands on her hips, staring at her reflection.

  The mirrors caught her in multiple poses - commanding, thoughtful, mischievous, and, beneath it all, a glimmer of pure, childlike wonder.

  Lea allowed herself a small, inward smile, one that didn’t touch her lips outwardly. She experimented with tilts of the head, subtle shifts in stance, how the coat fred slightly with each step, and how the golden seams caught the light.

  She imagined herself stepping into the streets of Lacrosa like this, unnoticed by some, impossibly striking to others, every movement deliberate and precise.

  Finally, she put on the half-mask she got from the gathering, hiding her face but not the aura of confidence and mystery the outfit had given her. Satisfied, she stepped back from the mirrors, fingers brushing against the brass buttons one st time, keeping the child-like wonder locked quietly within.

  When she opened the door to leave, the boutique felt rger, the city outside more vivid. Lea stepped out with a composed exterior, but inside, the thrill of transformation lingered, her inner child and her calcuted self walking perfectly in sync.

  The only thing that hurt her during all this time was the amount she spent, 950 Cee... clothes were expensive here.

  Rhaps