The moment the Mist Lord opened his eyes, he had already fallen into Feng Qi's script.
The gears of fate turned once more, drawing out a trajectory that seemed eerily familiar.
As always, Feng Qi's explanation of his identity remained consistent.
He told the Mist Lord that he only knew he came from the Domain World, but he had lost most of his memories. He didn't even know his own race and had been lurking in human society ever since.
As for why he had infiltrated human society, the memory loss had already occurred beforehand, possibly as part of his kin's arrangement—something he was unaware of.
From the Mist Lord's perspective, this explanation was flawless.
At the very least, he would believe that they had simply crossed paths by chance, and since he held no apparent value to Feng Qi, there was no reason for deceit.
When asked why he had saved him, Feng Qi simply smiled and replied:
"You feel familiar to me. I thought you might be my kin."
Back during his villain route, it was precisely these words that helped him establish an initial bond with the Mist Lord.
And just as he expected, the wariness in the Mist Lord's eyes gradually faded, even giving way to a sense of resonance.
Because he, too, had lost all his kin and was now wandering alone in the human world.
In Feng Qi, he saw his own reflection.
Fellow outcasts—understanding each other's plight—this realization subtly altered the Mist Lord's impression of Feng Qi.
But what happened next moved the Mist Lord even further.
Initially, he thought that after receiving some aid, they would eventually part ways.
Yet, upon seeing his severe injuries and his inability to move due to depleted lifeblood, Feng Qi did not abandon him. Instead, he carried him on his back, braving the wind and snow toward Winterfell City.
For days, they journeyed through the Wave Domain Field.
Once again, their figures disappeared into the swirling snow.
Throughout this journey, the Mist Lord watched Feng Qi's slender frame trudging through the relentless blizzard. After nearly a decade in the human world, for the first time, he felt something akin to familial warmth.
As they approached Winterfell City, they encountered three frontline warriors heading in the same direction.
In response to the Mist Lord's request, Feng Qi took action.
He killed two of them, leaving the last one for the Mist Lord to possess.
This seemingly random skirmish was, in fact, a piece of Feng Qi's carefully prearranged plan.
Since the village massacre could be avoided, he had no intention of letting history repeat itself.
This time, as he carried the Mist Lord, he deliberately avoided that fateful route.
Meanwhile, during their week-long interaction, Mu Qing had already returned, and these so-called "passing warriors" had been arranged in advance.
The three men, who appeared to be random passersby, were actually death row prisoners who had been preemptively given memory-erasing potions and had parts of their memories rewritten.
The sole purpose was to offer a vessel for the Mist Lord to possess—one that would allow him to blend seamlessly into human society.
The Mist Lord's possession ability inherently caused memory loss as a side effect. Therefore, even if he noticed the gaps in his host's memories, he wouldn't suspect a thing.
After absorbing the lifeblood of the three prisoners, the Mist Lord finally regained the ability to move freely.
After traveling for a while longer, they finally arrived at Winterfell City.
By this time, Feng Qi had already severed ties with the Tiger Soul Research Institute. Naturally, he could no longer rely on their funds for his expenses.
Every cost now had to come out of his own pocket.
To help the Mist Lord recover from his injuries, Feng Qi purchased a large quantity of untreated domain beast meat, allowing him to absorb the lifeblood contained within.
Very soon, Feng Qi's already meager savings took a devastating hit.
To resolve their financial difficulties, the two of them took jobs at a slaughterhouse in Winterfell City.
Slaughtering livestock became their daily routine. Meanwhile, the Mist Lord would discreetly siphon bits of lifeblood from the animals, ensuring that his recovery progressed steadily alongside their work.
At this point, the Mist Lord had completely abandoned the path of conquest and dominance.
Instead, he dedicated himself to learning human history and culture, striving to understand the evolution of humanity and prepare himself for integration into their society.
It was at this moment that the Mist Lord's astonishing talent became evident.
He could master in mere days what would take others over a decade—or even several decades—to comprehend.
As time passed, his bond with Feng Qi grew stronger.
Without the need for pretense, Feng Qi had already come to see the Mist Lord as his own brother.
Each night, after finishing work, they would head to the bar at the street corner, drinking and singing, discussing their dreams of the future.
In truth, the Mist Lord had little interest in human food.
He preferred to sit quietly in the corner of the bar, watching the endless stream of people pass by, studying the intricate web of human society.
To him, the experience was akin to how humans observed wildlife—or watched nature documentaries. It gave him a deeper understanding of the human race.
Feng Qi had already noticed that the Mist Lord was developing thoughts of integrating into human society.
Before he could set his sights on controlling the Tiger Soul Research Institute, Feng Qi subtly guided him in another direction, encouraging him to go with him to Old Day City and enroll at Old Day Academy.
Under Feng Qi's persuasion, the Mist Lord's mindset gradually shifted.
Especially after one drunken night when Feng Qi sighed and said, "Ever since I met you, I haven't felt lonely anymore…"
This made the Mist Lord realize that Feng Qi wasn't just treating him as a brother, but as a true family member—someone he could rely on.
It was an unspoken bond, a kinship forged in shared loss and exile.
Both of them were wanderers from the domain world, alone in the human world, cut off from their origins.
Under these circumstances, the Mist Lord finally made his decision.
Feng Qi had achieved his goal—to bring the Mist Lord to Old Day City and have him enroll in Old Day Academy alongside him.
Since this year's entrance exams had already passed, Feng Qi, as a gesture of appreciation for the Mist Lord's companionship, used his wages to buy him a full set of the latest foundational domain studies textbooks.
The Mist Lord, however, saw nothing unusual about this.
When it came to domain knowledge, he was naturally more experienced than Feng Qi.
Much of the material was already familiar to him. The real challenge was learning how to express those concepts in a way that humans could understand.
Finally, the enrollment period for Old Day Academy approached.
With the money they had saved from working at the slaughterhouse, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord purchased plane tickets, boarding a flight to Old Day City and bidding farewell to Winterfell City—the snow-covered land that had been their temporary home.
As the plane soared into the night sky, Winterfell City gradually shrank in their view.
This chapter of their journey had come to a close.
History was turning to a new page…
Old Day City
A brief moment of weightlessness followed before the plane touched down at the central airport of Old Day City.
As they stepped out of the plane, the sun was bright, the temperature comfortable.
Carrying their luggage, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord made their way toward the airport terminal.
To Feng Qi, Old Day City was relatively unfamiliar.
In previous timelines, he had only passed through briefly on his way to the Old Day frontline supply zone.
As a coastal city, Old Day City was backed by the ocean, abundant in resources.
Much of the seafood and fruits supplied to other cities were sourced from here.
The city's name stood in stark contrast to Future City.
There was a story behind its name—it was meant to commemorate the pioneers who had built this united city from near ruins and to honor the peaceful days of the past.
It also carried the meaning of reclaiming humanity's former glory.
Exiting the terminal, Feng Qi hailed a cab with the Mist Lord, heading straight for Old Day Academy.
From the elevated highway near the airport, they had a clear view of the cityscape.
Unlike Future City, which was infused with high-tech aesthetics, Old Day City had a more balanced, modernized construction.
Compared to Star City and Victory City—both of which were older settlements—Old Day City, rebuilt from the ruins, actually had a more technologically advanced layout.
After a long ride, their taxi finally stopped in front of the grand entrance of Old Day Academy.
The first thing that caught their eyes were two towering stone lion statues, their surfaces worn and weathered by time.
Behind them stood a grand vermillion gate, over ten meters high, exuding an ancient yet dignified aura, a testament to history and tradition.
To the side of the entrance stood a stone monument, inscribed with words from the academy's founding pioneers.
After passing an identity verification scan, Feng Qi entered the academy with the Mist Lord, who was accompanying him under the status of a family member.
A long, straight road stretched ahead, lined with willow trees swaying gently in the breeze.
Many new students were making their way toward the campus as well.
Judging from their expressions, they were filled with curiosity and anticipation for academy life.
Continuing onward, they passed by various specialized buildings—The Spiritual Material Research Hall, the Domain Script Library, the Domain Marker Exhibition Hall—each structure reflecting the academy's focus and expertise.
Unlike Star City Academy, which had a heavy combat emphasis, Old Day Academy leaned toward domain research and theoretical studies.
This was also why, in the annual freshman competition, Old Day Academy's combat division consistently ranked at the bottom.
Finally, they arrived at the dormitory area.
The dormitories were located near the rear mountain of Old Day Academy.
After completing the registration process, Feng Qi received his assigned room number.
Similar to Star City Academy, each freshman had their own private dorm, ensuring an independent and focused learning environment.
After settling in, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord began exploring the campus.
To understand an academy's learning atmosphere, one must first understand its history—
Why was it founded? How did it develop? What were its goals for the future?
Many of the preserved historical buildings still carried clear traces of the past.
One such structure was the Wooden Cottage Academy, the original classroom established by the academy's first principal and its earliest teachers.
It had been kept intact throughout the years.
As they stepped inside, they saw handwritten notes left by those who had come before them.
Among all the things Feng Qi saw, what left the deepest impression on him was a set of words carved onto the white wall in the corner of the wooden cottage:
"I'm about to head to the frontlines, but that old dog forced me to stay here as a teacher. If it weren't for the future generations, to hell with that old dog!"
The writing had already faded with time, but the intensity of emotion behind it was still palpable. It made Feng Qi chuckle, yet at the same time, he felt a deep sense of respect.
Beneath those words, another line was carved:
"In these last three months, I will pass on everything I have learned. After that, I will head to the frontlines and fight for the future. I will carve out a path for humanity!"
These traces of history resonated deeply with the Mist Lord as well. He couldn't help but sigh:
"The predecessors pass their spirit to the next generation. The growth of every great race is paved by those who came before. Humanity already has the potential—it's just a matter of time."
After visiting the old wooden cottage, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord moved on to the Domain Creature Specimen Hall of Old Day Academy.
The hall was brightly lit, housing an extensive collection of domain creature specimens.
Each was encased in glass, arranged chronologically based on the first recorded encounters with humanity. The glass display screens had interactive controls, allowing visitors to read detailed descriptions of the creatures' abilities and characteristics.
Many of these species had long since gone extinct, yet their preserved specimens remained in the hall.
The museum had two floors, and a full tour would take about two hours.
If one were to carefully study every single display, even an entire day wouldn't be enough.
During the visit, Feng Qi was surprised to see the first domain creature to have its rune crystal extracted for the creation of Rune Warriors.
It was a humanoid being covered in black scales.
A sunken mark was present on its forehead—the obvious spot where the rune crystal had once been embedded.
This creature marked the beginning of Rune Modification Science.
As they walked through the exhibits, the Mist Lord made a comment:
"Humans have such twisted tastes."
What he found particularly strange was the presence of specimens from species that had already gone extinct.
To him, such displays had lost all research value.
Feng Qi had no words to refute his point.
After several hours of exploration, they finally left the specimen hall.
They continued to visit other notable locations within Old Day Academy, gradually gaining a deeper understanding of the institution.
Eventually, they arrived at the academy cafeteria.
After collecting their food, Feng Qi looked across the table at the Mist Lord and asked:
"So, do you have any concrete plans for when you leave?"
For now, the Mist Lord was allowed inside Old Day Academy as a registered family member, but only for the first day of enrollment.
Once the clock struck midnight, he would have to leave.
"I'll find a job first—preferably at a slaughterhouse. That way, I can steal some blood energy to speed up my recovery. The rest of my time will be spent studying… But honestly, domain studies aren't that difficult. I don't think it'll take me long to pass the entrance exam for Old Day Academy."
Feng Qi had already witnessed the Mist Lord's learning ability firsthand.
His words, which might have sounded arrogant to others, were simply stating the truth.
The only real obstacle keeping him from joining the academy was the once-a-year entrance exam.
Otherwise, he could easily master the fundamentals of domain studies in no time.
A strong race wasn't just defined by innate bloodline power—learning capability was just as important.
Other than the Sacred Spirit Consciousness Repository, which allowed the Psionic Race to share knowledge collectively, Feng Qi had never seen another being with a learning ability surpassing that of the Mist Lord.
He vividly remembered the time they had spent living in seclusion in the mountains.
The Mist Lord had managed to deduce Flesh Sacrifice and Flesh Cauldron Ritual, both top-tier techniques, just by observing the patterns on a Bloodstone.
His talent was on par with Lin Ran, if not greater.
When it came to knowledge accumulation, the Mist Lord was leagues ahead.
Once they finished their meal, Feng Qi walked with the Mist Lord to the academy's main entrance.
Outside the gates, he watched as the Mist Lord stepped onto the street.
Then, suddenly, Feng Qi called out:
"Old Mist!"
The Mist Lord stopped in his tracks, turning back with a puzzled expression.
"Work hard while I'm gone. Make sure you pass the entrance exam next year and join me at Old Day Academy. Walk this academic journey with me—after that, I'll accompany you to the peak of the world."
A smile appeared on the Mist Lord's face.
Without looking back, he simply raised a hand in farewell and continued walking away.
Feng Qi watched his figure disappear into the distance.
Then, turning back toward the ancient-styled gates of Old Day Academy, he smiled.
A new journey had begun.