As the system interface faded from his mind, Blue inhaled deeply, steadying his thoughts. Though he had taken the rapid changes of the world in stride, he was, after all, just a nineteen-year-old boy. For anyone his age, waking up to a completely transformed reality would be overwhelming—but Blue's peculiar state of mind was what kept him grounded.
"I'm sure Shiny had something to do with my decade-long sleep," he muttered under his breath. His sharp gaze flickered with doubt as he pieced together the fragments of information Shiny had given him. Comatose states were practically unheard of in the current world, with all the abilities humanity now possessed. Yet his sleep had defied explanation, even by the new system logic. And his own system? Completely unlike anything others had.
"It seems I'm the protagonist of this world," Blue thought, a mocking smirk tugging at his lips. "Though... being the villain would be far more interesting."
His amusement faded as his thoughts turned practical. "Now, I need to figure out how to enter the so-called Ethereal Zone. I've already lost a decade—I can't waste any more time," he resolved, his feet carrying him toward the door.
As Blue opened the door, the two guards stood there once again. One of them shot a pointed look at the other, his expression practically screaming, "Didn't you say he went back into a coma?" The other guard could only scratch his head, forcing out a sheepish laugh.
"Could you two take me to my father? I want to see how he's been," Blue asked, his tone calm yet assertive.
"Second young master, the thing is..." the sheepish guard began hesitantly, clearly uncomfortable.
Blue raised an eyebrow, suspicion flickering in his gaze. "What? Did something happen to my father?"
"Not at all!" the other guard, interjected quickly, his tone defensive. "What could possibly happen to our great family head? Fel here is just... embarrassed."
"Embarrassed?" Blue echoed, his tone sharp.
The guard crossed his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. "He intercepted me when I was on my way to inform the master about your awakening. Now there's a high chance the master has already entered an Ethereal Zone."
"Cain,you could've left some parts out," Fel muttered under his breath, receiving a mocking stare from Cain.
Blue exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So, you're saying I can't see my father today because he's already in an Ethereal Zone?"
Cain nodded. "Not just today, second young master. You might not see him for weeks—maybe even months. Exploring the advanced parts of an Ethereal Zone takes time."
Blue's lips pressed into a thin line, his irritation barely concealed. "I see," he muttered, his tone clipped. After a pause, he continued, "And my brother? Do you know where he is?"
Fel hesitated before replying, his voice tinged with guilt. "The young master's movements are even more unpredictable. He was just in your room not long ago, but... I have no idea where he might be now."
Blue's expression darkened slightly. Though Fel's guilt was apparent, it couldn't erase the reality of the situation: their earlier mistake had cost him a chance to reconnect with his father.
"Tch, since you don't know their whereabouts, just forget I asked," Blue said with a short sigh. He folded his arms, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "I'd like to enter an Ethereal Zone. Do you know how I could get into one?"
"An Ethereal Zone?" one of the guards, Cain, asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean a miniverse, right?"
"Yes," Blue replied calmly, meeting Cain's gaze.
"Of course I know how you could get into one," Fel chimed in, his tone hesitant. "It would have actually been better if the family head were here—he'd have granted you permission to enter the Viridian Miniverse itself. But now..." His voice trailed off, guilt flashing across his face. "You'd have to get the approval of at least one elder to enter."
"The Viridian Miniverse?" Blue questioned, tilting his head slightly. "How is it different from other Ethereal Zones?"
Cain, who had been mostly quiet, decided to step in. Pride gleamed in his eyes as he began to explain. "The Viridian Miniverse was just a regular miniverse at first, like the others. But it became something special after Lord Vidax and his team were the first to fully explore it. According to the crew, once they explored every inch of the miniverse, the System gave them two reward options. One choice would grant a single person all the fortune of the miniverse, skyrocketing their power and abilities. The other..." Cain paused for emphasis. "The other gave the power to control the entire miniverse while inside it—but only for the one who claimed it."
Fel nodded as Cain continued. "Despite the team advising him to take the fortune for himself, Lord Vidax chose control over the miniverse without hesitation. He said, 'This way, I can make things easier for the coming generations.'"
Cain's voice carried deep admiration as he went on. "Afterward, Lord Vidax spent a full month fine-tuning the miniverse, minimizing its risks while maximizing its benefits. And that's how our Viridian family became the first to claim a personal miniverse as part of our legacy."
"Hmm, great benefits with low risks?" Blue mused, tapping his chin. "That sounds... boring. Since it's currently off-limits anyway, I'll just put it aside for now."
The two guards froze, their jaws practically hitting the floor.
"Y-You don't plan on entering the Viridian Miniverse?" Cain stammered, struggling to understand. "Are you really sure? I'm certain the elders would approve your request—it's an opportunity most people would never dream of ignoring!"
Fel, meanwhile, looked utterly baffled. "The young master hasn't changed at all," he thought, marveling at Blue's demeanor. "Even after ten years of slumber, he's still as unpredictable as ever." Somehow, despite his confusion, Fel's admiration for Blue grew.
"But I still think you should meet with the elders and let them know you've awakened," Cain tried again, his tone laced with concern. "Everyone was worried sick for all these years." He paused, his gaze flickering with thought. 'The elders will definitely find a way to make him enter the Viridian Miniverse instead of a random one,' Cain mused to himself.
"No, that'd be boring," Blue countered, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Imagine the look on their faces when they come rushing to my room only to realize I've vanished without a trace. It'll be so interesting, hehe."
Cain and Fel exchanged uneasy glances, their thoughts running wild. "Maybe it'll be interesting to him—but for us? Our heads might literally roll."
Blue clapped his hands together cheerfully. "Alright then, shall we get going?"
"Wait, second young master!" Fel protested, his voice urgent. "You'll need to find some rookies to form a team with before entering. It's a standard procedure for first-time explorers."
Blue tilted his head, feigning confusion. "Forming a team? Now where's the fun in that? I'll just go in solo—it'll be more interesting that way."
Fel froze, his jaw slack as he processed Blue's reply. Cain crossed his arms, sighing as bewilderment clouded his expression. "This young master is not normal," they both thought. "Who cares about fun when your life is at stake?".
They tried every method of convincing, but Blue remained unyielding in his decision. In the end, Fel and Cain exchanged defeated glances and could only surrender to his stubbornness.
"Shall we start going now?" Blue asked calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Yes, I'll lead the way," Fel replied with a helpless sigh. He summoned another spirit, but unlike the previous cat-shaped spirit, this one took the form of a sleek cheetah, its golden fur shimmering faintly. "Please sit," Fel gestured politely.
Blue's eyes twinkled with excitement as he approached the spirit. "Huh, it has physical properties?" he asked, the intrigue evident in his voice.
Fel straightened, pride flashing across his face as he explained. "Actually, most spirits don't have physical forms. But I'm a rare existence with a mixed bloodline, which allows my summoned spirits to manifest as feline-type physical entities."
Blue tilted his head, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "So... you're a hybrid?" he probed further.
Fel's face turned a faint shade of red, and he quickly retorted, "Of course not! I'm different from those half-humans."
"Fel, mind your words," Cain interjected sharply, his tone carrying an edge of warning.
Blue watched the exchange with mild confusion, but ultimately chose to ignore it. He climbed onto the cheetah spirit's back, his movements deliberate yet graceful.
Fel summoned a second cheetah spirit and mounted it, while Cain, without hesitation, called forth a wolf-like spirit and perched atop it.
Blue's eyes flickered again with curiosity as he turned his attention to Cain. "Oh? You have a mixed bloodline too?"
Cain nodded respectfully. "Yes, young master. Just like Fel, my spirits can take physical form, but they are canine-type."
Blue smirked slightly. "I remember you said mixed bloodlines are rare, but it doesn't really seem so," he remarked, his teasing gaze shifting toward Fel.
Cain quickly stepped in to spare Fel from further embarrassment, his tone calm but firm as he addressed Blue. "Mixed bloodlines are incredibly rare—only one appears in about a million people. Fel and I are an even rarer case, as both of us have mixed bloodlines."
Blue's interest deepened as he leaned forward slightly. "Wow, you two are twins?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.
"Yes, young master," Cain confirmed evenly.
While the mention of mixed bloodlines didn't particularly captivate Blue—his own interface had already revealed that he possessed three bloodline abilities, even though two remained locked—it was the fact that Cain and Fel had contrasting bloodlines despite their connection that truly fascinated him.
"How interesting would it be if I had a twin," Blue thought whimsically, his imagination beginning to drift.
Suddenly, the cheetah beneath Blue moved, cutting through his thoughts like a bolt of lightning. The sensation was unlike anything he'd experienced—it felt as if he were teleporting. Before he could process it, he found himself outside the Viridian Manor, the sheer speed too overwhelming for him to notice any changes in the estate during the past ten years.
*So fast!* Blue thought excitedly, his heart racing.
Meanwhile, within the Manor, the staff and elders noticed a flash of light in the distance. "Aren't those the summons of the Claw and Fang Duo?" an elder asked, his voice curious yet thoughtful.
"Yes, it seems so," another replied. "They're probably deploying them to a miniverse again—it wouldn't be the first time. After all, they've been guarding Blue for eight years and haven't left their post except to send their summons remotely."
Back with Blue and the duo, the trio stopped in front of a small portal. Blue scanned the surroundings and realized it was the Maple Ridge area. Yet, to his dismay, the once-thriving city had become nothing more than a desolated wasteland.
"What happened here?" Blue asked, his voice steady but tinged with curiosity.
Fel's expression clouded, his tone melancholic as he began to explain. "When everyone gained abilities, the criminals in Maple Prison broke out and destroyed everything. Unfortunately, unlike our Green Birch Region, the top families here awakened abilities that weren't suited for combat. They couldn't stop the criminals. This region has the highest death toll in the entire country to date."
"That's terrible," Blue said, his brows furrowed. "But with a miniverse here, shouldn't this place have been redeveloped?" His voice carried a faint note of confusion.
Fel hesitated, embarrassment flickering in his demeanor. "Emm... the miniverse here is actually a little problematic," he said slowly, his words trailing off.
"Problematic?" Blue's face lit up with excitement. "That's interesting—I'm entering right away! I don't need to do anything else, right?"
Cain blinked, surprised by Blue's reckless enthusiasm. "Huh? You still want to go in?"
"Of course—why else am I here?" Blue replied with a carefree smile.
Cain sighed and handed Blue a ball-shaped device. "Take this," he said. "It'll show your location and well-being. If something happens to you, we'll be able to find a rescue team."
Blue caught the device and grinned playfully. "Don't jinx it," he said before leaping into the portal without hesitation.
As the portal shimmered shut, Fel frowned, his thoughts drifting. "I just realized something," he said abruptly.
"What is it?" Cain asked.
"The young master wasn't surprised at the existence of miniverses, special abilities, or anything else. He just woke up from a coma—shouldn't he have had questions about the entire world?"
Cain's eyes widened as realization struck. "You're right," he said slowly, his voice filled with bewilderment. "I just can't understand him at all." The two shared a look, their confusion deepening as they resumed their watch by the portal's entrance.