Kaelan walks slowly around the vast chamber.
The burned forest has collapsed into ash and twisted residue.
Metal flooring stretches beneath the scorched remains.
He observes carefully.
The second corridor at the entrance also opens into this same chamber.
Both paths converge here.
He glances toward the far side, where several surviving spiderlings cling weakly to the shadows near the second passage.
Under the artificial ceiling lights, they struggle.
Their movements are slower.
Unstable.
The brightness clearly affects them.
Kaelan does not approach to finish them.
He leaves them alive.
Let those who enter the next test test themselves.
The chamber narrows gradually toward one end, forming a triangular shape.
At the narrowest point stands a massive door.
Smooth.
Seamless.
Much larger than the corridor doors.
He approaches it.
Places his palm against the surface.
He channels the Law of Particle.
His perception shifts to the microscopic scale.
He attempts to manipulate the arrangement of particles within the door.
To loosen their bonds.
To disrupt the structural lattice.
But the door resists.
The particles do not respond to him.
An energy lock interwoven between particles blocks interference.
He increases precision.
Impacts the structure repeatedly.
Tries to weaken the energy binding.
It remains unmoved.
After several attempts, he exhales quietly.
He withdraws his hand.
His gaze returns to the centre of the chamber.
The giant spiderling's corpse lies upon the ash.
Around it stand several alchemists.
And Clive.
They are examining the body carefully.
Kaelan walks toward them.
They are studying the fatal wound at the neck.
Clive notices him first.
"Master," he says, "how were you able to pierce beneath its neck even with its protection?"
The spiderling's neck is encased in thick chitin armour.
Across its body, there are scratches and impact marks.
But none of those cuts fully penetrated the chitin plates.
Only the final wound at the base of the neck severed cleanly through.
The other alchemists turn toward Kaelan.
Curiosity fills their eyes.
Kaelan answers calmly.
"Because of my Law."
Whispers ripple among them.
"Law?"
They glance at Clive.
Clive understands the weight of the word and looks toward Kaelan expectantly.
Kaelan decides to speak further.
These alchemists may not belong to the Sand Temple.
But they are still alchemists.
And he is the God of Alchemists in this world.
His authority strengthens as alchemy spreads.
As stronger alchemists emerge.
He says slowly, "Listen carefully. Our world is composed of thousands of Laws. All of us exist under these Laws."
He pauses.
He observes their expressions.
Then continues.
"The higher your cultivation, the tighter these Laws bind you. You cannot feel the restraint, but it is there."
They listen intently.
"When a knight reaches Half-Step Sky Knight, or when an alchemist reaches Master realm, advancement no longer depends solely on absorbing spiritual energy."
He looks at each of them.
"They must form their own Law. They must integrate into the Rule Network of the world."
Silence follows.
He waits.
Clive speaks first.
"Master… do you mean that when we become part of the Law, the Laws no longer bind us?"
Kaelan nods.
"When you form your Law, you are no longer merely restrained by it. You become one of its nodes. You gain authority within it."
Questions follow.
The alchemists ask about how to perceive Laws.
How to form them.
What kind of Law is suitable?
Kaelan answers concisely.
Not everything.
But enough to widen their perspective.
After some time, he steps away from the corpse.
He scans the chamber again.
Nothing remains on the ground worth immediate investigation.
Then he looks upward.
Between the two converging paths, above them, a section of the wall is not metal.
It is glass.
A massive transparent wall suspended like a second level.
Perhaps leading to another floor.
He rises slowly into the air.
He hovers before the glass.
Places his palm against it.
He cannot see clearly inside.
The interior beyond appears dark.
But that does not matter.
He intends to test it.
He channels his Law of Particle again.
He does not strike forcefully.
He does not unleash raw power.
He carefully probes the particle structure of the glass.
Testing its stability.
Unaware of what danger may lie beyond, Kaelan continues probing the glass.
His Law of Particle sinks into the surface.
Immediately, he feels resistance.
The particles within the glass are not free.
They are locked, bound by an intricate lattice of energy interwoven between them.
He frowns.
"Even the glass is locked…"
He curses under his breath.
What kind of civilisation places encryption on something as mundane as glass?
The craftsmanship is excessive.
Precise.
Controlled to a microscopic level.
For a brief moment, a thought flashes through his mind.
If someone stole this civilisation's glass-making technology alone, what kind of wonders could they create?
Unbreakable fortresses.
Perfect energy conduits.
Perhaps even structures capable of storing Laws themselves.
He does not stop probing.
He continues examining the structure carefully.
After sustained observation, he notices something.
The energy lock within the glass is weaker than the massive door below.
Still complex.
Still encrypted.
But not impenetrable.
He cannot understand the symbolic structure of the energy arrangement.
The "language" of the encryption is foreign.
So instead of deciphering it, he attempts to bypass it.
He does not confront the energy head-on.
He adjusts his Law.
He refines it.
His comprehension of matter, energy, gravity, and life intertwines within the Law of Particle.
He pushes his Law closer to the Demigod Stage.
The stronger his Law becomes, the more authority he gains over particles themselves.
The encryption resists.
He responds by refining further.
While he works silently against the layered lock, the others continue exploring the lower sections of the ruin.
Hours pass.
Eventually, Rosalyn enters the chamber with a recovered Raphael.
Rapheal walks steadily now, though faint stiffness lingers in his posture.
His gaze falls immediately upon the corpse of the giant spiderling.
His brow tightens.
When he fought alongside Kaelan, he clearly saw the situation.
Kaelan could dodge.
Could defend.
But his strikes had not seemed overwhelmingly powerful.
Not enough to decisively kill such a creature.
Rosalyn notices his expression.
"I heard he killed it with his Law," she says quietly.
Raphael's eyes widen.
Most here are below Half-Step Sky Knight or Master Alchemist.
They do not fully grasp what "Law" means.
But Raphael does.
He has been pursuing comprehension of the Laws of the world.
His bloodline is that of the Flying Lizard.
Through it, he has partially comprehended the Law of Gravity.
But not enough.
Without forming his own Law, he cannot advance to Sky Knight.
If he fails, he would have to request the kingdom to organise a hunt for a Fourth Stage Spirit Life.
Then beg an alchemist to transplant the bloodline into him.
And even then, compatibility is uncertain.
Bloodline conflict could kill him instead of strengthening him.
He turns sharply toward Rosalyn.
"Are you certain? Did Master Kaelan truly say that?"
She nods.
"Many heard it. He said he used his own Law."
Rapheal whispers, "Law…"
His eyes rise upward.
Kaelan still floats before the glass.
Rapheal launches into the air and approaches him.
He places his palm against the glass as well.
Then turns slightly to observe Kaelan's hand.
He senses it.
A subtle wave radiates from Kaelan's palm.
It enters the glass like invisible currents.
Raphael's breathing stills.
He feels it clearly.
A Law.
Kaelan has truly formed his own Law.
But what is he doing?
Rapheal tests the glass with his senses.
He feels that he could break it.
Not in one strike.
But with repeated gravitational compression, it would eventually shatter.
He asks, "Are you planning to break the glass?"
Kaelan opens his eyes briefly.
"I am not breaking it."
Raphael frowns.
"Then how will we enter?"
He mutters inwardly, "Is there a hidden door?"
He carefully scans the surface.
No seams.
No hinges.
Kaelan speaks calmly.
"There is no door. And you will see how we enter without breaking it."
Rapheal falls silent.
He remains hovering beside Kaelan, feeling the flow of the Law of Particle.
Hours pass.
Raphael's patience thins.
He considers smashing it himself.
Just as irritation begins to rise,
Kaelan says quietly, "Done."
The glass trembles.
Then ripples like disturbed water.
Around Kaelan's palm, the particles separate.
They do not shatter.
They roll aside.
Like liquid parting.
The opening widens gradually.
A smooth gap forms.
A doorway.
Raphael stares.
Kaelan lowers himself to the floor.
A large table blocks part of the entry from within.
He pushes it aside effortlessly.
Then steps through the opening.
He looks around.
His smile spreads slowly.
Shelves line every wall.
From floor to ceiling.
Books.
Countless books.