Training Room Three was located deep beneath the Blue Lagoon Palace. Only Sentinels of the Ultimate to Extreme level had access to this place. Before Nolan stood a massive metal door with a cold, thick surface engraved with restraining runes.
The door slowly parted in two.
Nolan stepped inside.
The room within was vast. Pale crystal balls hung along the walls and emitted a cold light that illuminated the metal floor. The room's aura felt heavy, as if every step weighed down his body.
At the far end of the room, Catherine sat relaxed in a metal chair with her legs crossed. Her sharp gaze pierced Nolan directly.
The door behind her slammed shut with a heavy thud.
Nolan realized one thing: this was no ordinary training room. If Catherine had her way, he might not have left alive. But he kept a calm, unperturbed demeanor, undaunted by her intimidating aura.
Catherine rose from her chair.
"Tell me," she said flatly. "What did you steal from my magical artifact crafting materials room?"
Nolan was silent for a moment.
He didn't immediately grasp her meaning, but Caelthorn's memory soon caught up. Caelthorn was known for his genius in theory and artifact crafting, though his combat talents were mediocre. The Hexagonal Chain—a Grade S magical artifact—was proof of his abilities. It wasn't just a storage space; it was also capable of creating a self-contained domain.
"This is probably why she summoned me here," Nolan thought. "Interrogation."
"I didn't steal anything from your personal space," Nolan said in a cold, stern tone.
A purple bolt of lightning struck.
Nolan reacted instantly. Mana flowed through his body as he leaped away. The lightning struck the floor, leaving a scorch mark. Then it turned and returned to chase him.
Catherine had attacked him.
The lightning bolts continued their pursuit, forcing Nolan to jump, roll, and shift positions nonstop.
"If you won't tell the truth," Catherine's voice echoed coldly, "don't blame me for being ruthless."
"I already told you," Nolan retorted calmly, "I didn't steal anything from you—"
Two bolts of purple lightning struck from the right and left.
Nolan leaped back just as the two bolts collided in midair, creating an explosion of electric sparks that spread in all directions.
"Queen Catherine," Nolan muttered to himself. "A Sentinel Extreme, Squeance 9 of the Knight Path, with a perfect foundation in lightning magic."
He knew all too well that even without a magical weapon, Catherine could control purple lightning with deadly precision. One strike could cause serious damage. Moreover, she had never hesitated to torture Caelthorn in the past.
The purple lightning struck again—this time, its numbers had multiplied.
Nolan continued moving, his face calm despite the increasing pressure. Suddenly, however, a bolt of lightning, moving far faster than the others, appeared right behind him.
Too close.
Too fast.
This time, he didn't have enough room to dodge.
Despite being chased by the purple lightning, Nolan remained calm. Its numbers had multiplied this time, striking from multiple directions. However, one bolt of lightning, moving far faster than the others, appeared right behind him—too close to dodge.
There was no time.
Desperately, Nolan channeled dark mana into his palm and condensed it. He clenched his hand tightly, tensed his muscles, and swung his fist at the purple lightning before him.
His mana-imbued fist collided head-on with the lightning.
An explosion shook the room.
The impact was too great. Nolan lost control of his body and was thrown to the floor. His hand was covered in blood, and the pain seared his bones.
But Catherine didn't give him a chance to catch his breath.
She released the purple lightning again—this time, it condensed, coalesced, and formed a ball that pulsed wildly before shooting after Nolan mercilessly.
Despite the pain, Nolan channeled his dark mana again. His body, which had been lying on the floor, was lifted and launched into the air just before the ball of lightning struck the spot where he had been lying. The floor shattered, leaving a small crater.
"These purple lightning balls are too dangerous," Nolan muttered to himself. "I can't destroy them, but what if I attack their wielder?"
He stopped running.
His body was floating in the air and heading straight for Catherine, who was standing at the far end of the room. She was staring at him coldly, her eyebrows slightly raised as if intrigued.
Using his flight magic, Nolan dodged the purple lightning balls that continued to pursue him. The distance was rapidly shrinking. One meter left.
Nolan waved his hand in the air.
A sword appeared from his storage bracelet. Previously white with black lines, the sword changed color as Nolan grasped the hilt—it was now pitch black, leaving only a faint white line on the blade.
A dark aura radiated powerfully.
Nolan swung his sword.
A black, crescent-shaped object shot toward Catherine.
However, her reaction time was much faster than Nolan had anticipated.
A purple sword wrapped in roaring lightning appeared in her hand. With a light slash, the arc of purple lightning struck Nolan's attack, destroying it completely, and continued on.
It struck Nolan in the shoulder.
His body flew back and hit the floor with a heavy thud. Blood poured from his shoulder, and his consciousness began to fade.
The last thing he saw was Catherine's cold gaze staring down at him.
Then, everything went dark.
***
Several hours passed. Nolan felt a gentle warmth flow through his body. The pain all over him subsided, and the wound on his shoulder slowly healed. Someone was healing him—Antares, his father.
The man bore a resemblance to Nolan, but he looked more haggard and pale. Yet his warm expression showed how much he cared for Nolan. A violet-blue mana aura enveloped Nolan's body before fading when Antares finished.
Nolan struggled to get up, and Antares helped support him against the edge of the bed.
"You should lie back down," Antares said, full of concern.
"No need, Dad. I'm fine," Nolan replied, completely confident that his body was recovering.
Antares sighed softly, his face scrunched up in sadness. "Catherine is truly too much. Nolan, you could ask me to find you a mentor. Then, Catherine wouldn't have any reason to treat you this harshly anymore."
"What a cunning woman. She's full of obsession and hatred for her son," Nolan muttered to himself.
"It's okay, Dad. I don't want to give in just to make him happy. That would only make him feel disrespected," he said.
Nolan's father seemed surprised by his boldness. But the man didn't say anything. Instead, he raised his hand and gently stroked Nolan's silvery-white hair. Then he turned and left the room, leaving Nolan to rest for a while.
Nolan sat on the edge of the bed.
A hexagonal object gleamed faintly in his hand—a magical artifact with a name that Caelthorn had once given him: the Hexagonal Chain. It was a high-level storage artifact capable of storing almost anything. It was more than just storage space; it was like a walking library. Caelthorn stored everything there.
"Caelthorn was forced to steal materials for magical artifacts from Catherine's storage space," Nolan muttered softly, staring at the object. "Is that what made him so desperate to become stronger?"
His reflection appeared in the mirror.
"You took my soul floating on Earth and sent it into your body in the Earth Realm," Nolan said softly, as if speaking to Caelthorn's reflection. "Do you want me to avenge your suffering?"
His eyes hardened.
"My life on Earth was also full of suffering, Caelthorn," he continued. "My father was accused of treason. His body was never returned. My mother developed a severe mental illness, an incurable disease. I lived as a vagrant, scavenging on the streets and collecting scraps for spare change. In the end, my life on Earth ended."
The mirror changed.
Nolan saw his true self: messy hair, empty brown eyes, and a shabby coat covering a thin frame. Behind him, his mother sat silently in a chair by the window, staring into nothingness. Then his father appeared, dressed in a British army uniform and standing tall, but slowly fading.
Nolan raised his hand and touched the mirror's surface.
The image disappeared—not just from the mirror, but from his mind as well.
He tapped the silver bracelet on his wrist. A holographic screen appeared in the air and displayed a list of major guilds—organizations not directly affiliated with the Aurora Association or the Governing Council:
- Tiger Guild
- Flower Shield Guild
- Death God Guild
- Crow Guild
- Heavenly Spear Guild
Caelthorn had never joined any of the five major guilds. Therefore, he was under the direct authority of the Aurora Association and received missions from them.
Not all Sentinels could join a major guild. Those who failed or chose not to join were categorized as independent Sentinels—free, but also without protection.
Nolan stared at the list for a long time.