Rainor and Winay continued moving south toward Infinite Academy, which was located in the southern region of the Indus Continent.

  “So, Winay,” Rainor said, “tell me about yourself.”

  Winay looked slightly confused.

  “You mean my personal data? You already have it, right, Headmaster?”

  Rainor laughed. “Yes, I do. But I want to hear it from you. And you don’t need to call me Headmaster anymore. Once we reach the academy, I’ll just be a normal professor.”

  “Okay, Professor,” Winay said. “There’s actually not much about me. I grew up in the Koladar District with my mother. Until I turned eighteen, I stayed there. For the final year before Awakening, I joined the School of Infinite because I was interested in space-related topics and wanted to understand more about the cultivation world. That’s it.”

  (There’s no need to talk about Ayaril. Mother never revealed her existence to anyone except me.)

  Rainor raised his eyebrow. “That’s all?”

  “Yes, Professor,” Winay replied calmly.

  Rainor chuckled. “Alright then. Do you have any questions or doubts?”

  “Not much,” Winay said. “Are we going directly to the academy now?”

  “Yes,” Rainor replied. “But before that, there’s something you need to receive.”

  “You mean the artifact token I won from the Trials?” Winay asked. “I thought I’d have to return later after reaching the academy.”

  “You could,” Rainor said, “but there’s no need. You also have to receive your blessing from the Temple of Creation, which is located in White Flower City. At the same time, you must register your awakened soul and obtain your Awakener Badge from the Southern Radiant Archive, which is also there. We’ll complete everything before heading to the academy.”

  “Do I have to do all of that compulsorily?” Winay asked.

  “If you’re talking about the badge, then yes,” Rainor said. “Without an Awakener Badge, you’ll be considered a lawbreaker. No one is foolish enough to avoid registration. Without it, you’ll miss countless opportunities provided by the Council, and you won’t be allowed to enter cultivation paradises or restricted zones.”

  Winay nodded. “You’re right, Professor.”

  “You’ll understand in the future how important that badge is,” Rainor continued. “Any other doubts?”

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Winay went silent, deep in thought.

  (Should I ask about the NULL LAB? Mother always said it’s a secret research facility known only to a few. I don’t know how sensitive that topic is… better not. But Ayaril did mention Designer’s Ruins.)

  Rainor glanced at him. “You seem to be thinking quite seriously. What’s on your mind?”

  “Oh, nothing much,” Winay said. “But… Professor, do you know anything about Designer’s Ruins?”

  Rainor’s expression changed immediately.

  “Designer’s Ruins? Where did you hear that name?”

  “From my mother,” Winay replied. “She works under the Council.”

  Rainor nodded. “That explains it. Designer’s Ruins is an extremely restricted place. Only those with high authority within the Council are allowed to enter.”

  “So there’s no way for me?” Winay asked.

  “There is,” Rainor said. “For example—your token.”

  Winay revealed the token he had received for securing first rank.

  Rainor nodded. “That token is a high-grade access token. It allows you to remain inside Designer’s Ruins for three days.”

  Winay hesitated.

  (Mother and Ayaril both hinted that visiting this place would help my growth. If I miss this chance, I don’t know when I’ll get another.)

  “Can I use this token to enter the ruins?” Winay asked.

  “Yes, you can,” Rainor said. “But are you sure? The artifact you can obtain from the first-grade open locker is no ordinary item. It will be at least an S-rank normal artifact or a low-grade spirit artifact. If you’re lucky, you might even obtain a mid-grade spirit artifact. On top of that, the Council imprints soul inscriptions on such artifacts, preventing others from coveting them.”

  Winay clenched the token slightly.

  (An artifact with soul inscriptions would be extremely valuable at my level… but this ruins might be more important.)

  “Yes, Professor,” Winay said firmly. “I want to enter the ruins.”

  Rainor sighed. “You’re really being careless—throwing away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at such an early stage.”

  “Don’t worry, Professor,” Winay replied. “I won’t regret this choice.”

  Rainor stared at him for a moment, then spoke again.

  “Alright. Here’s what we’ll do. After receiving the blessing, we’ll visit the treasury first. Look inside the locker. If you find something that truly suits you, take it. If not, I’ll retrieve your token and let you enter Designer’s Ruins.”

  Winay’s eyes widened. “You can do that?”

  “Yes,” Rainor said. “But only if you don’t select any artifact.”

  (That way, I won’t lose either opportunity.)

  “That sounds perfect,” Winay said. “Thank you, Professor.”

  Rainor waved his hand. “Think of it as Infinite Academy etiquette.”

  (There goes half my achievements…)

  Winay noticed Rainor’s expression. “Professor… why does your face look strange?”

  “It’s nothing,” Rainor replied quickly.

  “Is Designer’s Ruins located somewhere far?” Winay asked.

  Rainor laughed. “You really don’t know anything beyond its name, do you?”

  “Yes, Professor,” Winay admitted.

  “It’s directly beneath us,” Rainor said, pointing below. “That large pool with the strange structures? That’s where Designer’s Ruins is located.”

  “Oh…” Winay said. “I thought it was somewhere far away.”

  “We’re nearing White Flower City,” Rainor said. “We’ll land outside and enter on foot. No need to attract attention.”

  “Understood.”

  Lunar Swan descended near the city entrance. Rainor stored it back into his contract inscription.

  As they entered the city, Rainor asked,

  “Winay, how much do you know about the blessings from the Temple of Creation?”

  “I only know that receiving a blessing grants insight into the world,” Winay replied. “But I don’t know how it works.”

  Rainor smiled faintly.

  “Then you’ll experience it soon.”