At the same time, in Russia, at the headquarters of the Federal Security Bureau.

“Director, this is the analysis report for that footage. Please have a look.” Inside the spacious office, a beautiful secretary dressed in a dignified, professional manner gently placed a report on the desk.

Beside her sat a man around fifty years old, his hair streaked with gray and a small gray mustache resting above his lip. He wore a green military uniform. Despite his age, his physique remained sturdy and well-trained, and his eyes still shone with sharp vitality.

The man was named Andre, the director of the Federal Security Bureau. The beautiful woman standing nearby was Katya, his personal secretary.

After picking up the report and flipping through it for a moment, Andre spoke. “The person who managed to remain suspended in midair for such a long time is, without a doubt, Cathay’s number one, Lisa.”

“Director, I have a question.” Katya brushed aside her long golden curls and spoke with elegant composure.

“Go on.”

“Why are you so certain that the figure in the footage was Lisa rather than Yae-hime? After all, Yae-hime walked through the air when she arrived before that Grandmaster battle began.”1

Andre nodded. “Correct. That’s a good question. But it’s ultimately meaningless. If we look at it through Cathay’s cultivation system, Yae-hime is, at most, an advanced Grandmaster. Her level is far inferior to Lisa’s.

“That so-called ‘walking through the air’ she displayed back then was nothing more than a small trick, meant to seize the psychological initiative and confuse her opponent. In reality, anyone who gives it even a little thought can easily see through the deception.”

As he finished speaking, Andre’s eyes sharpened slightly. Instantly, the cup, pen, manuscript, and report on the desk all rose into the air. In the next moment, he suddenly leaped upward, planting both feet onto those floating objects.

What was astonishing was that the hovering objects actually supported his 90-kilogram body, allowing him to remain suspended in midair.

“See? A trick like this is very simple. As long as you have some telekinetic ability, anyone can do it.” Andre spoke while stepping from one floating object to another, casually walking across them as he looked at Katya.

At once, understanding dawned on her. “So that’s how it was. That day was at night, and the lighting was poor. That’s why she could make it look flawless, so convincing it appeared real!”

Once she grasped the principle behind it, the sense of mystery surrounding Yae-hime rapidly faded in her mind.

“For people at our level, it only takes a glance to see through such little tricks.” Andre deliberately stepped into empty air, yet he did not fall. Instead, he continued walking through the void.2

It was as though he were descending an invisible staircase, step by step, until he finally returned to the desk. Watching the scene unfold, Katya felt an overwhelming surge of admiration.

“Still, having said that, this girl’s strength is quite extraordinary. At least when I was her age, I certainly wasn’t this capable.” Andre sat down again, praising Yae-hime the way an elder might commend a talented junior. It was clear that he held a rather favorable impression of her.

“I truly wish we could eliminate her immediately.” However, the moment those words left his mouth, the temperature in the room seemed to drop by more than ten degrees.

“Director, why do you say you wish to, instead of taking action right away?” Katya seemed already accustomed to Andre’s sudden shifts in demeanor, responding with remarkable calm.

“Lisa’s appearance in Roc City was a warning. Of course, I’m not afraid of her. But we’re not mortal enemies either. There’s no need to escalate things to that point.” Andre explained.

“I see.” Katya nodded in understanding. After all, no one wanted to start a conflict with Cathay’s number one powerhouse over a mere junior.

“How have things been with Silver Wolf lately?” Andre asked, shifting the topic. He was not particularly concerned about the situation in Roc City. And now that Lisa herself had appeared there, it mattered even less.

“Recently they seem to have been fighting quite fiercely with the hired thugs of the United States. Director, should we intervene?” Katya asked.

“There’s no need. A wolf’s nature must be tempered through hardship. Let them make good use of the whetstone their opponent has delivered.” Andre waved his hand dismissively before continuing. “How is the Sixth Wolf King doing?”

“…it seems he may not survive this spring,” Katya said, a hint of sadness surfacing in her voice.

“The fall of a hero always leaves people feeling heavyhearted.” Andre clenched his fist slightly, the trace of sorrow on his face flashing past before disappearing. “Has the Ninth Wolf King been decided?”

“It seems they plan to let his youngest granddaughter inherit the position,” Katya replied, her expression already composed once more.

“That granddaughter with the purest bloodline would indeed be a suitable choice. But once she inherits the title of Wolf King, she will also inherit Silver Wolf’s hatred.” Andre leaned back in his chair, a complicated expression settling over his face.

“Making her shoulder the burden of an entire clan was already pushing the limits. And now she must also take revenge…”

“That can’t be helped.” Katya bit her lower lip lightly. “After all, several of the previous Wolf Kings have already died in service to the nation.”

“We owe the Silver Wolf clan far too much… far too much.” Andre let out a soft sigh. “So this time, we will give the new Wolf King our full support. We’ll help her kill Ronald and sever this karmic tie once and for all.”

…

Atop the City of Chaos.

Yae-hime had no idea what kinds of changes were unfolding in the outside world. At the moment, she was resting with her eyes closed, quietly replenishing the spirit and mental energy she had expended during the day.

Meanwhile, Mylene had no trace of sleepiness. She carefully reviewed her sister’s file from beginning to end, then pieced it together with the bits of information she already knew.

In the end, she arrived at a shocking conclusion: her sister had practically jumped out of a rock! She even suspected that the other party had somehow come from the game world into reality.

“Ridiculous… what kind of absurd nonsense am I even thinking about…” Mylene patted her forehead and let out a wry laugh. For a long time, her deep infatuation with her sister had caused her to overlook many strange details.

Now that she thought about it calmly, her sister simply did not seem human at all.

“Humans have limits… but my sister clearly doesn’t.” Whether in the game or in reality, Yae-hime had been constantly breaking through her own boundaries. It was as if there were no visible limit to her growth.

“Sister might have already surpassed me… The figure in that footage could never have been Master. Other than Sister, there’s no one else it could be.” Looking at the documents in front of her, Mylene murmured softly to herself.

At the same time, her curiosity about Yae-hime was reaching its peak. “I really want to know more about Sister!” Her gaze shifted to the files concerning the closed beta players.

“Sister’s terminal device was sold at Nancheng Department Store. It should be easier to start investigating from there.”

Even if Yae-hime racked her brains, she would never have imagined that her own younger sister would begin investigating her. And with an astonishingly precise starting point at that.

In fact, the Ability Management Department and various other forces had long since abandoned that lead. The reason was simple: pursuing it would consume an enormous amount of manpower and resources.

Moreover, the person in question had already appeared openly. Continuing to investigate would be nothing more than a waste of time. Yet driven by curiosity about her sister’s origins, Mylene had begun her investigation from that very point once again.

***

Morning.

Yae-hime slowly opened her eyes and rose from the bed. She stretched her body lazily, greeting the new day with a relaxed sense of comfort. If she knew that Mylene had started reinvestigating what happened that day, she would probably be suffering from a splitting headache and feeling deeply uneasy.

Because on that day… she had still been a man. If that truth were uncovered, the consequences would be impossible to predict.