Kaelan and Rapheal stand motionless for a moment.
The room is silent except for the faint hum of ancient systems still functioning somewhere within the structure.
Books.
Endless shelves of books.
They glance at each other.
No words are needed.
In the next instant, they move.
In opposite directions.
Each reaches for the nearest volume.
Kaelan opens the first book.
His eyes move at extraordinary speed.
Page after page flips beneath his fingers.
He does not linger.
His eyes absorb the text like a camera capturing frames.
Every symbol.
Every diagram.
Every margin note.
Stored.
Perfectly.
When he reaches the final page, he closes it and returns it precisely to its original position.
He takes the next.
And repeats.
His movements are methodical.
Efficient.
No hesitation.
By the time he reaches the third book, his mind is already mapping linguistic patterns.
Structural similarities.
Root formations.
Halfway through the third volume, Raphael's voice echoes across the room.
"What language is this? I don't understand a single word!"
Kaelan senses Raphael approaching.
He calmly finishes recording the third book.
Places it back.
Takes the fourth.
Continues reading.
Rapheal stops several meters away.
He maintains a respectful distance.
"Do you understand it?" he asks.
Kaelan raises his head briefly.
"Slightly. The structure resembles the mother language of the Holy Continent's language family."
Rapheal's brows tighten.
"That ancient?"
Kaelan nods once and lowers his gaze again.
He continues flipping pages.
More footsteps echo as alchemists and knights enter cautiously.
They stare in awe at the sea of knowledge.
None dare interrupt.
Kaelan's eyes move rapidly.
Symbols begin forming patterns in his mind.
A civilisation that encrypts glass and builds laser corridors would not record trivial matters.
This library is significant.
Very significant.
Far away.
In the New Holy Kingdom.
Within the experimental grounds of Greyhold Academy.
An arena crackles with electrical tension.
Two Lightning Tigers circle each other.
Both powerful.
One slightly larger.
Thunder arcs across their fur.
Their claws crackle with concentrated lightning.
They charge simultaneously.
Their bodies collide.
Lightning erupts outward in blinding flashes.
The larger tiger swings its paw with raw force.
The smaller one sidesteps.
Not instinctively.
But precisely.
It pivots on its hind leg, redirecting momentum.
A clear Knight Footwork Technique.
The larger tiger lunges again, jaws snapping.
The smaller one ducks low and counters with a rising claw wrapped in thunder.
The technique is structured.
Measured.
Not wild.
The larger tiger retaliates with a sweeping tail strike charged with lightning.
The smaller tiger leaps, twists mid-air, and lands in a guarded stance.
Thunder concentrates along its spine.
It steps forward in a triangular pattern.
Knight formation movement.
The larger tiger charges recklessly now.
The smaller waits.
At the last second, it sidesteps, hooks a claw beneath the opponent's shoulder joint, and channels lightning into a precise point.
The larger tiger collapses.
Stunned.
Defeated.
The arena erupts in murmurs.
The smaller tiger stands victorious.
Lightning fades slowly from its fur.
Daniel, wearing a grey coat, steps into the arena.
He stands beside the smaller tiger calmly.
He surveys the guests seated around the arena.
Members of the royal family.
High-ranking noble families.
Military officials.
He smiles.
"Guests, how did you like our experimental result?"
A nobleman rises slightly.
"It is impressive. But teaching a spirit beast knight techniques hardly requires such spectacle."
Several others murmur in agreement.
A royal representative speaks next.
"Can all spirit beasts learn knight techniques? Or only certain species?"
A military officer adds, "What is the cost of such training?"
Daniel chuckles softly.
"Guests… did you truly think the experiment was about teaching a spirit beast knight techniques?"
He rests a hand gently on the smaller tiger's head.
"Dresco. Show our guests what you truly are."
The tiger's body trembles.
Lightning intensifies.
Then,
Its form shifts.
Muscles contract.
Fur retracts.
Limbs elongate.
Bones restructure.
Within seconds, where the tiger stood now stands a young man.
Blond hair.
Sharp features.
Germanic descent.
Lightning still flickers faintly along his skin.
The arena falls silent.
Not a whisper.
Not a movement.
The nobles stare at the young man who only moments ago stood as a Lightning Tiger.
Lightning still crackles faintly across his skin before slowly fading into nothingness.
Daniel watches their reactions carefully.
Shock.
Greed.
Ambition.
Fear.
All of it surfaces.
Transformation of a spirit beast into human form.
Not illusion.
Not disguise.
True structural conversion.
Bone, blood, marrow.
Rewritten.
Later that evening, Daniel walks through the corridors of his master's tower.
Beside him walks an older man clad in a crisp military uniform adorned with silver insignias.
His posture is straight.
His steps measured.
Authority radiates from him.
Daniel leads him into a polished meeting room lined with dark wood and glass display cabinets containing preserved specimens.
"General, please wait here for my master," Daniel says politely.
The older man nods once and takes a seat.
His eyes scan the room, calculating.
Daniel steps out.
He signals a servant nearby.
"Bring refreshments for the General."
The servant bows and hurries away.
Daniel does not linger.
He turns and ascends the spiral staircase of the tower.
Each level grows quieter.
More private.
More restricted.
At the highest floor, he reaches a heavy metal door etched with faint alchemical inscriptions.
He knocks.
The door opens on its own.
Inside, a massive alchemy array glows faintly across the floor.
Complex runes interconnect in concentric circles.
Two platforms sit within the formation.
On one lies a young man, unconscious.
Breathing steady.
On the other platform stands a Giant Rhino Beetle, bound in invisible restraints, its armoured shell reflecting the array's light.
Wang Yu stands at the centre, adjusting rune placements with precise gestures.
Daniel steps inside.
"Teacher, you are starting experiments with insects now?"
Wang Yu does not turn.
"Most Bio-Alchemy experiments involving Spirit Beasts have proven largely successful," he replies calmly. "It is time to attempt integration with Spirit Insects."
Daniel nods thoughtfully.
"Oh. But teacher… You cannot proceed with the experiment right now. General Vonloid has come to meet you."
Wang Yu pauses.
"General Vonloid? Must I meet him?"
Daniel walks closer.
"Teacher, General Vonloid is the younger brother of the king. He belongs to the core military circle of the New Holy Kingdom. With his support, Bio-Alchemy can expand rapidly."
Wang Yu remains silent for a moment.
His eyes shift faintly.
For him, Bio-Alchemy expansion is secondary.
What truly matters is the greater plan.
The return.
The restoration of his people.
Political support accelerates resources.
Resources accelerate preparation.
He turns to Daniel.
"I will meet him. You complete the array arrangement."
Daniel bows slightly.
"Yes, teacher."
Wang Yu leaves the laboratory.
Minutes later, he enters the meeting room below.
General Vonloid rises when he sees him.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Eyes sharp.
"General Vonloid," Wang Yu greets calmly.
"Professor Varsh," the general replies with equal composure.
They sit opposite each other.
Between them rests a polished tea set.
Steam curls upward from the kettle in slow spirals.
Silence lingers briefly.
Then the general speaks.
"Tell me about your experiment."
Wang Yu folds his hands lightly on the table.
"Bio-Alchemy studies the structure of life. We analyse two distinct life forms, isolate their superior traits, and integrate them into a unified organism. The result is not a hybrid… but an optimised singular existence."
The general's eyes narrow slightly.
"And the Lightning Tiger transformation?"
"A demonstration of stability," Wang Yu answers. "The subject retained cognition. Retained control. The transformation is reversible."
The general leans back slightly.
"How many Bio-Humans can you produce daily?"
"Three," Wang Yu replies.
"Three," the general repeats.
He leans forward now.
"I want at least one hundred Bio-Humans produced daily."
The room grows still.
He locks eyes with Wang Yu.
"Can you do it?"
Wang Yu does not blink.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No elaboration.
The general studies him carefully.
Steam continues to rise between them.
The future shifts quietly in that room.
A week later, Kaelan places the final book back onto its shelf.
He finds a quiet corner, sits down, leans against the wall, and closes his eyes.
He meditates to calm his mind.
The sheer volume of recorded knowledge has stirred his thoughts into a state of turbulence.
After resting for a full day, he begins breaking down the language.
It is indeed the mother tongue of the Holy Continent's language family.
Many of its alphabets share roots with both ancient and modern dialects.
Kaelan has studied every major language of the Holy Continent since the era of the Holy Empire.
For him, the structure is not unfamiliar.
Once he identifies the core phonetic system and grammatical framework, comprehension becomes straightforward.
Within a few hours, he fully grasps it.
He then begins organising the books stored in his memory.
He categorises them by subject.
History.
Science.
Energy systems.
Biology.
Engineering.
Cultural records.
He prioritises the history volumes.
He arranges them chronologically based on internal references and introductory summaries.
When the structure is complete, he begins absorbing the knowledge in sequence.
He reads not with his eyes, but with perfect recall.
Every page unfolds in his mind with clarity.
He moves through eras, events, names, and conflicts.
When he finishes the historical records, he opens his eyes.
He does not move.
He sits in silence.
Shock settles slowly into his expression.
Everything he thought he knew about this world,
Its origins.
Its civilizations.
It's the so-called lost era,
Is overturned completely.