The palace doors slowly opened outward on their own.
Dust spilled from the ancient hinges in soft clouds, as though nobody had touched the entrance for thousands upon thousands of years.
The sound echoed across the empty realm like distant thunder.
For a moment, Zion simply stared.
Then curiosity overcame caution.
He stepped inside.
The hall beyond stretched beneath towering ceilings carved with strange, moving patterns. The designs seemed to shift whenever he looked away, changing subtly each time his gaze returned to them.
Black and white light flowed silently through the enormous chamber, drifting like mist across still water.
Two enormous side corridors extended deeper into the darkness of the palace.
Then the familiar childish voices rang out excitedly again.
"Master!"
"Master!"
Zion turned immediately.
And froze.
Two small creatures were rolling toward him across the polished floor.
Not running.
Not flying.
Rolling.
Actually rolling.
The pair tumbled rapidly across the shining stone like fluffy balls thrown by invisible hands. They bounced slightly whenever they struck cracks between the floor tiles before finally coming to a stop directly at his feet.
Zion blinked several times.
For perhaps the first time since crossing dimensions, genuine confusion appeared openly on his face.
The creatures looked like perfectly round furballs, one black and one white. Silky, fluffy hair completely covered their tiny bodies, making them resemble winter decorations more than living creatures.
Then they lifted their faces.
Small button noses.
Little mouths.
Huge, shining eyes.
Dangerously adorable.
"Master!"
The white furball cried happily before launching itself against Zion's leg with overwhelming enthusiasm.
The black furball immediately bounced over.
"No! Master likes me more!"
The white furball glared furiously.
"You liar!"
"You are the liar!"
The pair instantly began wobbling toward each other, their tiny bodies shaking with indignation like furious dumplings preparing for battle.
Before another argument could erupt, Zion quickly raised one hand.
"Enough."
The furballs froze.
Zion slowly pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Before you two start fighting over nonsense again, explain something properly."
His gaze lowered toward them.
"What exactly is the Ring of Chaos?"
"I will explain!"
The white furball announced proudly while bouncing up and down.
"The Ring of Chaos is an ancient divine artifact born alongside the Xynnar Continent itself! Whoever becomes its master can rise into a peerless powerhouse!"
Zion's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then what about crossing dimensions?"
The black furball immediately jumped forward.
"Master's blood awakened the ring when you touched it! But the ring had not recognized anyone for a very, very long time. The awakening shook space itself and caused a dimensional storm, so Master crossed over!"
The two continued speaking excitedly over one another.
As Zion listened, the pieces slowly connected in his mind.
So the random ring he had discovered beneath a mountain of beast bones was actually an ancient divine artifact.
And because fate apparently had a peculiar sense of humor, its awakening had thrown him across dimensions and into the body of the neglected son of the General's Manor.
Zion slowly exhaled.
"My luck is either blessed by heaven... or completely insane."
The furballs happily guided him deeper into the palace afterward, rolling side by side through massive corridors until they eventually arrived before a stone chamber hidden behind the main hall.
"Master!"
The white furball announced proudly.
"The cultivation method is stored here!"
Zion entered the chamber.
There was only a single raised stone platform inside.
Above it, black and white energy slowly twisted together like living creatures endlessly circling one another.
Something about the platform drew Zion forward instinctively.
Resting upon it was a single ancient book.
Its cover was worn and darkened by unimaginable age, yet the faint pressure radiating from it caused the surrounding air to hum softly.
Three glowing words appeared upon the cover.
**Summon Magic.**
The instant Zion saw the title, his heartbeat subtly changed.
The characters themselves carried a strange weight.
Ancient.
Overwhelming.
Difficult to describe.
An instinctive warning rose within him.
This was no ordinary cultivation method.
Slowly, Zion reached forward and lifted the book.
The moment it left the platform, the surrounding light dimmed.
Then he opened the first page.
Pain exploded through his mind.
"Ghh!"
His entire body shook violently.
Massive amounts of information flooded directly into his consciousness like a raging sea breaking through shattered gates.
Countless symbols, techniques, theories, and cultivation pathways crashed through his thoughts so quickly that his vision blurred.
His skull felt as though it were about to split apart.
Breathing became difficult.
His fingers dug into his palms until his nails bit into his flesh.
Still, the flood continued.
Only after a long and unbearable stretch of agony did everything finally calm.
"Haaah..."
Zion inhaled shakily.
Sweat slid down the side of his face.
When he lowered his gaze again, the book had become completely blank.
Every word had vanished.
Everything now existed only inside his mind.
After leaving the palace realm, Zion returned to his room through the ring's power.
The two furballs bounced out happily behind him, still chattering nonstop about unrelated nonsense.
Barely listening, Zion pointed firmly toward the room.
"You two stay inside the Sun Pavilion. Do not run outside."
Both furballs nodded obediently.
Zion then sat down once more and closed his eyes.
As he began digesting the contents of Summon Magic, his expression gradually became more serious.
This technique was terrifying.
Its cultivation speed was painfully slow compared with ordinary cultivation methods, and only the master of the Ring of Chaos could practice it safely.
Anyone else who attempted to cultivate it would completely destroy their foundation.
A blessing.
And simultaneously, a curse.
Normal cultivation arts followed four grades.
No-grade.
Star-tier.
Moon-tier.
Sun-tier.
Yet Summon Magic existed outside that entire system.
Strange.
Dangerous.
Impossible to measure.
And now it belonged solely to him.
Time passed quietly afterward.
Days melted into nights.
Nights drifted into mornings.
The courtyard remained sealed in silence while Zion cultivated continuously inside his room without interruption.
Until finally...