It had been more than three days.
Kira felt a soft touch on her cheek. It was familiar. She moved her body slightly, trying to open her heavy eyes.
She heard a voice—still fuzzy. "Kira, are you awake?"
Fingers tapped her cheek.
She snapped at his hand. "…." Her lips moved, trying to speak.
He was about to tap her again. She forced her eyes open. "Stop tapping."
He wasn't giving her a moment. She was angry.
Drayen leaned back from her yelling. "I'm sorry, Instructor."
She stretched her arms as she fully woke and sat up. "Took you long enough to remember I'm your instructor."
Oh shit, Drayen thought. He had been addressing her by name this whole time.
Seeing him panic, she gave him a fierce glance—clearly teasing him.
"I'm so… sorry," Drayen said, his head lowered, his voice weak.
"Hehehe… you really panicked." She looked at him, eyes tired but sharp.
"You only forgot because you were worried." A pause. "For now… Kira is fine. When we're alone."
He nodded.
"Where are the others?" Kira asked.
"It's still early. They're sleeping," he answered.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concern clear in his eyes.
"Yeah. Totally fine. I just need an hour or two. The side effect will be gone, and my passives will heal me automatically," she answered casually.
Lucky and unlucky at the same time, she thought bitterly, her thoughts drifting through her mind. Seven super-grade bloodlines… and I can't even use one of them to its full potential. This was the curse of having seven bloodlines.
A faint, ironic smile crossed her lips.
Her stomach growled. She had been asleep for far too long, and the exhaustion from the fight still weighed heavily on her.
A moment later, Drayen's stomach answered as well. His face looked pale—more than it should have.
"Haven't you eaten anything?" Kira asked.
Drayen shook his head.
She waved her hand. "Let's eat."
Relief flashed briefly in Drayen's eyes. They didn't know this place, nor the people here. So even though the others had treated them respectfully after seeing the badge, they had chosen not to interact more than necessary.
They had survived on the food they'd brought from the forest during their journey. What little they carried had been finished within two days. Since yesterday, they had been hungry.
"I'll wake the others," Drayen said. "They haven't eaten either."
"They haven't eaten?" Kira narrowed her eyes.
"No."
She let out a long sigh. She understood—it was precaution.
After waking the others up, the group moved through what could only be described as a hallway within the cave.
Wooden torches burned along the walls, their flames lighting the passage brightly.
Two to four soldiers patrolled the route, walking casually as they talked among themselves. They wore thick gray clothing that resembled armor more than fabric.
They glanced at the group once, then continued on their way.
The group moved deeper into the cave.
Along the way, they passed several rooms. Some bore signs carved on the gray stone—Storage Room: Rock Apple Mountain Documents, Storage Room: Houndswell Records, and others they didn't have time to read properly.
They eventually stopped before a door with no sign at all. Two guards stood before it, silent and serious. Just from their posture, it was clear this place was important.
One of the guards stepped forward.
"Access restricted below Level Two badge. Please present your badge."
Kira spoke calmly. "Drayen. My badge."
Drayen handed it to her. She passed it to the guard.
After examining it, the guard straightened immediately. He bowed respectfully.
"The Branch Administrator is inside."
They were allowed through.
Inside, the room carried the same muted atmosphere as the rest of the cave—lit by fire lamps—but here, shelves and stacks of books filled every corner. It was noteworthy that a laptop and a tablet were simply scattered on his desk.
A man sat at a desk, sorting documents. Hearing their footsteps, he looked up.
It was the same man who had greeted them earlier after they revealed the badge.
"Ah, honoured guests," he said warmly. "Please, come in. Take a seat."
Dark circles hung beneath his eyes. He wore the same gray clothing as the others, though his was a hooded variant. Strands of gray hair slipped free and brushed against the fabric. He looked to be in his twenties.
Kira took a seat without ceremony.
"I'm hungry," she said. "Can you arrange some food?"
He laughed softly. "Of course. Let's head to the dining area. Even I haven't eaten yet."
They followed him into another room. Several documents lay scattered across the dining table.
"Please, have a seat," he said. "I'll have these cleared."
He waved his hand. A servant stepped forward and quickly gathered the documents, clearing the table. Cutlery was arranged, and soon after, food was brought in.
It was roasted pig. The sweet, rich aroma filled the room, making everyone's stomach tighten.
Kira and the others restrained themselves, eating with practiced dignity. The man, however, ate casually.
"Relax," he said between bites. "No need to be so tense." He swallowed and continued, his tone turning sharper.
"I assume you didn't come all the way to the Silent Spider Den just for food and shelter."
Kira met his gaze, her voice formal. "No," she said. "I came for identity rings."
Identity rings were introduced after contact between Tellus and the Nightmare Realm.
The Nightmare Realm had always been civilized, governed by its own rules and structures. The concept of the rings originated from Tellus—an adaptation of their digital documentation systems—layered atop existing practices. The rings functioned as a portable digital identity, replacing paper records with something far more efficient.
They were used not only to distinguish Nightmare Realm natives from those of Tellus, but also to strengthen existing structures by standardizing identity across regions.
Replicating such rings was no simple task—their identities were linked directly to data crystals that served as the realm's databases.
Kael froze mid-bite.
His father was a high-ranking executive within Etherion. He knew better than anyone how impossible it was to fake those rings.
The man in the gray hood spoke casually. "Which quality would our guest prefer?"
He snapped his fingers. Lines of light shimmered into existence, forming projected pricing and detailed specifications in the air—tiny green fireflies drifting into place to shape the display.
Houndswell Identity Ring — 8 Rank Two cores
Rock Apple Mountain Identity Ring — 8 Rank Two cores
…
Kingdom Identity Ring — 100 Rank Two cores
(Requirement: Level Three badge)
Note: Only the Kingdom Identity Ring is fully linked to the kingdom's central data crystal. Regional rings are verified solely within their respective territories. They are sufficient for routine inspections, but will fail under thorough scrutiny.
Kira squinted as she took in the prices. She had Rank Two cores—but nowhere near enough to secure identities for all of them.
The man noticed her expression as he ate in silence. "Can't I get a discount or something?" Kira asked.
He shook his head lightly. "Unfortunately, the prices are fixed—even for a Level Three guest, my lady."
He took another bite, swallowing before he continued, his tone unhurried. "However… there is another way."
He finally looked up at her. "You may place the badge as collateral."
Kira lifted the glass of water before her, taking a slow sip as she closed her eyes.
She hesitated. The badge's value was immense—far beyond a mere thirty-two Rank Two cores. She knew that even a hundred Kingdom identity rings would not make the man hesitate to accept it as collateral.
She opened her eyes.
"I'll take four Rock Apple Mountain identity rings," she said calmly.
She paused, then added, "And I want a specific selection of Rank One cores."
The discussion that followed was brief, focused on terms and interest. In the end, the man accepted without hesitation.
He rose from his seat, carefully taking the badge from her hand. "Your rings will be delivered to your room shortly, my lady," he said.
His fingers closed around the badge. A faint grin crossed his face. "I will keep this safe—until its owner comes to reclaim it."
The Branch Administrator excused himself. The Level Three badge was no longer in Kira's possession—it now rested with the Silent Spider Den as collateral. The room grew quiet again after his departure, filled only with the sounds of chewing and cutlery.
Kira took a bite of meat as she began the real conversation.
"Now," she said calmly, setting her cutlery down, "I believe everyone here is aware of the situation?"
The atmosphere grew heavier as everyone nodded.
"Kael," she called. Her tone was serious.
"Do you know why you were attacked?"
Kael remembered the old man saying something about robbing—something written on paper. He hadn't understood it then, and he didn't want to make excuses now.
Miller, the instructor, had been teaching him even before he officially joined Etherion. After his teacher's death, the reason no longer mattered.
To Kael, it was his fault.
His voice trembled as he spoke.
"My fault. It was my fault for—"
Kira interrupted him.
"Yes, it was your fault for robbing or whatever. But that attack wasn't your fault. Your status—"
"Houndswell wanted to make an example out of Etherion. Their targets were you—because your father is high up in Etherion—and us teachers. Our deaths would weaken Etherion."
Kira continued, "Recently, there have been issues with Etherion's goods."
Kael's gaze hardened as the explanation sank in. For something like this, they had wanted to kill all of them. Kael was a bully, yes—but he was no murderer.
"Motherfuckers…" he muttered through clenched teeth.
Jim clenched his fists, his expression just as dark.
But both of them felt helpless as they remembered the power of that old man.
Jim muttered quietly, "Now I understand what the saying meant—when Nightmare tells, Tellus bows."
The saying was well known in Tellus' Nightborne circles. It was even mentioned in some textbooks. Only now did they truly understand its meaning.
Drayen asked, "Goods? Doesn't Etherion provide goods regularly?"
Kira nodded. "They do. But most of it is low-quality or discarded stock."
The agreement between Tellus and the Nightmare Realm was simple. Tellus would provide goods—specialties from their world such as phones, toys, and other items—free of charge to the Nightmare Realm's higher-ups. In exchange, Tellus was granted permission to enter the Nightmare Realm.
But this agreement was never equal.
The Nightmare Realm held the helm.
Drayen understood this system well. The Nightmare Realm's higher-ups wanted to monopolize Tellus' goods, which were highly sought after. Meanwhile, in Tellus, greedy officials aimed to farm cores by using poor students like them.
To Etherion, the students were nothing more than slave miners digging coal.
Jim's hands were shaking as he drank the water. He set the glass down with a thud, his gaze turning to Kira.
"Ma'am… what do we do?"
It was the question everyone had in mind.
Kira sighed as she looked at the students. She hesitated before speaking.
"I recommend you learn to stay in the Nightmare Realm. I don't know when the dust will settle. So do your best and grow strong while you are here."
Everyone agreed with this.
I failed to collect any information—I would have to leave soon. I hope they grow strong before I have to depart, Kira thought as she looked at the students.
Zuko stammered a little as he spoke. "We… we could go to my home."
Confusion spread across the table.
Kael snapped at first, anger flashing in his eyes. But when he saw Zuko's expression, he stopped. He patted his back instead.
"We can't go back," Kael said. "That's what the instructor is saying."
Zuko stood up and drew a breath.
"We can go to the Valtor family home. My home."
His voice was quiet, yet firm.
Kael and Jim froze.
"The Valtor family?"
Jim asked carefully, "Your name. What's your full name?"
"Zuko Valtor."
Relief—and something close to joy—flickered across both of their faces. Drayen didn't understand. He watched them, curiosity creeping in.
Kira cut in before anyone could speak further.
"It's good that you have a background," she said. "But you still can't go until things settle down. The Valtor family has a good reputation in Tellus."
She emphasized the word Tellus.
A bitter understanding filled the air. After witnessing the power of the Nightmare Realm, it was clear that no matter how elite one was in Tellus, it meant nothing here.
In the Nightmare Realm, they were nothing more than pawns.
"Excuse me, guests," a soldier said as he stepped inside. Several pouches rested in his hands. "These are the items you ordered."
He handed them to Kira. She checked the rings and the cores, then nodded.
One by one, she threw a pouch to each of them.
"Absorb the cores," she said calmly. "We move out after that."
She paused, then added, "And remember—you'll pay me back."
Everyone nodded.
They all understood why she had given them the cores.