Ivan slowly withdrew his consciousness from the storage space.
The dim ten cubic meters faded from his perception.
When his awareness returned fully, the world before him remained unchanged.
He was still sitting on the fallen log.
The forest clearing was quiet but busy. Knight apprentices moved back and forth—binding wounds, checking weapons, distributing supplies to the rescued prisoners. Some stood guard near the cave entrance.
Everything was same as before.
Ivan lowered his gaze.
The silver ring rested against his fingers.
It no longer looked ordinary to his eyes.
It was not just a ring.
It was a door.
A door leading toward a path completely different from the knight system.
The blurry items inside the storage space surfaced in his mind.
He could bring them out.
The method had already been transmitted to him when he activated the ring. A simple thought. A focused will. The object would appear.
His fingers twitched slightly.
But when he lifted his eyes and saw the apprentices, the prisoners, the bound bandits…
He suppressed the urge.
Too many eyes.
Too many unknowns.
Caution first.
"I'll examine it after returning to the castle," he decided silently.
His gaze shifted toward the opened metal box near his feet.
Inside it, besides the ring, there had been the glass bottle.
Ivan picked it up again.
It was almost empty.
Only a thin residue of blue liquid clung to the bottom.
He raised it toward the light.
The blue shimmered faintly.
It was not bright.
But it carried a strange, quiet mystery.
"Nova. Scan the bottle and the blue liquid."
A faint vibration echoed within his mind.
Moments passed.
Scan complete.
Inscription detected along inner glass wall.
Ivan narrowed his eyes.
"Can you translate it ."
Language structure matches fragmented ancient records from castle library archives.
Database incomplete.
Recognized phrase: Blue Moon Potion.
Ivan's fingers tightened slightly.
"A potion…"
Ivan understood potions very well. Back when he was in the late stage of the high-level knight apprentice realm, the Crimson Blood-Tempering Elixir he relied on to temper his body and assist his breathing method was also a kind of potion.
So they should be similar.
But something felt different.
He stared at the blue residue again.
After a brief hesitation, he spoke calmly.
"Nova. Scan the blue liquid for any harmful substances to my body."
Secondary scan initiated.
No detectable toxic components within current limits.
Harmless to master under present analysis.
Ivan inhaled slowly.
There was barely anything left at the bottom of the bottle, yet Ivan did not dare to be careless. Even the smallest trace could carry unforeseen danger.
But a faint sense of intuition stirred within him, telling him this was an opportunity. After a brief hesitation, Ivan chose to gamble on it.
He tilted the bottle and let the remaining liquid slide into his mouth.
Drop by drop.
Cool.
Smooth.
For several seconds…
Nothing happened.
Ivan almost thought its effectiveness had faded with time.
But suddenly—
A cool current bloomed in his mind.
It was subtle.
Like moonlight flowing through water.
A cool current rippled from the depths of his consciousness and gradually spread throughout his entire body.
There was no surge of power, no violent eruption.
Only a pure, tranquil energy—clean and flawless beyond compare.
It lasted only a brief moment.
Then it disappeared.
Ivan remained still.
"Report."
Minor fluctuation detected.
Master's mysterious energy increased slightly.
Magnitude extremely small.
Ivan's pupils contracted.
The mysterious energy he used to activate and control the spatial ring…
Had increased.
Just a little.
So small that even he could not sense it directly.
Only Nova detected it.
Ivan lowered the empty bottle.
There was nothing left.
A faint regret flashed in his eyes.
If he had more…
He could test it again.
Then a new thought surfaced.
"Nova. Can the Void Furnace reproduce this potion?"
Silence followed.
Calculation was underway.
After nearly a minute—
Composition analysis complete.
Classification: Near pinnacle Class 1 material.
Reproduction possible.
Energy cost: 200 units per dose.
Ivan's heart trembled slightly.
Two hundred units.
The knight breathing medicine cost only ten.
Twenty times the price.
"This… isn't an ordinary potion," he muttered.
The wizarding path.
Even a mere potion carried such cost.
He suddenly remembered something.
Black Wolf.
Not long ago, he had only been a high-ranking apprentice.
Yet he broke through to Lower Knight suddenly.
And possessed this box.
A spatial ring.
A mysterious potion.
Was that coincidence?
Or connection?
His eyes darkened slightly.
Black Wolf was greedy.
Brutal.
But not capable of obtaining such items through his own strength.
Ivan analyzed everything he knew about the man.
Still—
No clear answer formed.
So he pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
Footsteps approached.
"Young Master Ivan."
A knight apprentice bowed respectfully.
"Everyone has rested."
Ivan looked up.
"The rescued people?"
"They have been treated and given food and water from the bandits' supplies. They can travel, but their bodies are weak. If we slow our pace, they will manage."
Ivan nodded.
"We cannot carry everything with this small team."
For this mission there was only ten knight apprentices—not the entire force.
"Store the gathered materials and excess supplies inside the cave. Conceal the entrance. Clear the traces of battle as much as possible." "Yes, Young Master Ivan."
The apprentice was about to leave when Ivan suddenly spoke again.
"The three captured bandits… is there any important figure among them?"
The apprentice paused, thinking.
"There is a mid-level knight apprentice. Injured but alive. According to the others, he was one of Black Wolf's trusted men."
Ivan's eyes sharpened.
"Bring him."
The apprentice did not question.
Soon, a bound middle-aged man was brought before Ivan.
He looked around forty-five.
Long beard. Messy hair. Fear in his eyes.
Ivan stared at him calmly.
"Your name."
"M-Marcus…"
His voice trembled.
Ivan released a faint trace of his Lower Knight aura.
Marcus stiffened immediately.
Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
This young man…
Was more terrifying than Black Wolf.
"I will ask you questions," Ivan said evenly. "Answer carefully."
Marcus nodded repeatedly.
After several background questions, Ivan reached the core.
"This box."
He lifted the metal box slightly.
"How did Black Wolf obtain it?"
Marcus's pupils shrank for a brief moment.
Ivan noticed.
So he recognized it.
Marcus hesitated before speaking.
"It… it came from a caravan we attacked."
"A caravan?"
"There was a fallen noble with the caravan. Injured. He kept clutching that box. Wouldn't let go."
"And?"
"The boss killed him."
Marcus swallowed.
"After that, he kept the box for himself. Didn't let anyone touch it."
"How long after that did he break through?"
"Few weeks…"
Marcus lowered his head.
"I suspected something was inside. But… I didn't dare ask."
Ivan fell silent.
A fallen noble.
Family treasure?
Or something deeper?
He signaled for Marcus to be taken away.
The bandit was dragged back.
Half an hour later, everything was ready.
Ivan stood.
"Move out."
—
The formation was tight.
Ivan and two apprentices at the front.
The rescued people in the middle.
Rear guarded by a high-level apprentice, two mid-level, and three low-level apprentices.
Three more patrolled the flanks.
Nova's scan remained active.
No beasts approached.
Though the forest was full of hungry predators, none dared come near.
Ivan's aura alone was enough.
The journey was slow but safe.
After long hours, they finally reached Woodstone Village.
Cries erupted.
Families rushed forward.
Some fell to their knees in gratitude.
Some embraced their loved ones tightly.
some also saw the three bound bandits.
They did not dare question the knights.
The apprentices simply stated:
"They were involved in the kidnappings."
Nothing more.
After resting briefly and speaking with the old village chief, Ivan prepared to depart again.
Ivan and the apprentices mounted their horses.
The rescued villagers from Woodstone remained.
The others followed Ivan toward Thornheart Town.
By nightfall, they reached the town gate.
The gate guards immediately recognized the knight apprentices who had departed earlier on the mission.
Seeing the large group behind them, they quickly sent word to the castle.
Town officials soon arrived to arrange temporary shelter and food for the rescued people.
Their identities and future arrangements would be handled later.
Ivan did not linger.
He returned to the castle with the knight apprentices.
After entering the castle, the knight apprentices headed toward their quarters.
Ivan walked alone down the torch-lit corridor.
The spatial ring rested cold against his finger.
The fallen noble.
The Blue Moon Potion.
The sudden breakthrough of Black Wolf.
Too many coincidences.
As he approached his father's study, his expression remained calm.
He raised his hand.
Knocked.