During Tyler’s academy days, Back then, a small family ran a small restaurant in a town. Their cream buns were tasty, especially Tyler, who stopped by just to eat that. But one day, that simple family fell victim to the cruelty of an arrogant young master who desired the daughter.

Tyler couldn’t ignore it. With Veronica’s help, he tracked down the young master, exposed his crimes, and personally ensured his punishment.

When Veronica asked him why he risked so much for commoners he barely knew, he only shrugged and said with his usual casual grin,

"Her cream buns were tasty."

That was the kind of person Tyler was — simple in words, but always acting on what he felt was right. He doesn’t care about right or wrong.

The daughter, Moeko, her spirit unable to rest due to her resentment and sorrow. When Tyler found her ghost, he didn’t exorcise her — he helped her. Through his intervention and Veronica’s magic, Moeko became a Spirit Companion, bound to Veronica as her ghost spirit.

---

Now, in the mist-shrouded skies, their forms were hidden within a grand array, surrounded by runes.

The one who commanded them was the Green Dragon, their teacher. When she heard rumors that someone had stored an entire flying island within a storage Artifact, her interest immediately turned into obsession.

A natural fountain island could not be stored by normal means. Even with the best storage treasures, it was nearly impossible — its nature would resist compression. So, her conclusion was simple: whoever did it possessed a portable pocket dimension.

That was enough reason for her to act.

Inside the mist, Veronica and Moeko manipulated the control nodes of the array, their hands moving across glowing circles as their teacher taunted the intruders outside. The formation they controlled was powerful — so complex that even Practitoners at the Divine Seeker Realm would struggle to escape it.

Outside, the battle intensified.

Zuzia narrowed her eyes as she saw a long serpentine shadow moving through the fog. Its shape twisted with grace — a dragon’s silhouette.

"This is going to be exciting..." Zuzia said with a grin. Her body shimmered, and magma veins began to pulse beneath her skin. A second later, her form expanded — scales of black obsidian forming along her body as molten fire burned through the cracks.

With a thunderous roar, she transformed into her Dragon Form, her voice echoing across the skies. The ground below quaked as if acknowledging her power.

She dived into the mist like a meteor, heat distorting the air around her. But a moment later, she emerged again — from the opposite side of the mist, still flying straight ahead, her eyes wide in confusion.

"What the—?"

The mist warped space itself.

Meanwhile, Yumina locked onto the red glowing eyes within the fog. Her gauntlets shone with a silver-blue light as she launched an energy blast. But just before the hit connected, the eyes vanished — and the blast reappeared behind her, forcing both her and Myrtle to dodge.

A massive claw suddenly shot out from the mist, large enough to crush a ship. It aimed straight for Yumina, but a surge of water appeared between them, solidifying into a shimmering barrier that blocked the strike. The claw turned into mist and disappeared.

"Thanks," Yumina said, exhaling in relief.

"Leave the defense to me," Myrtle replied, her calm voice echoing through the comms. "You and Zuzia focus on breaking this array. Try everything possible."

Zuzia, now airborne again, spread her wings wide. The glowing magma veins along her neck brightened as she inhaled, the air trembling from the heat.

Her obsidian scales flared red, and then — she unleashed her Dragon Breath.

A swirling inferno of lava and compressed energy erupted from her mouth, twisting into a spiraling storm that tore through the mist in every direction.

The sky shook , But The mist didn’t scattered

But then it happened again — the same attack reappeared around them, roaring toward the group.

Myrtle reacted instantly. With a flick of her hand, a giant turtle shell made entirely of glowing water bubbles surrounded them. The breath collided with the barrier, shaking it violently but not breaking through.

Steam hissed around them as the two forces clashed.

When the light faded, Myrtle’s expression was calm but serious.

"So... attacking from all sides doesn’t work either," she muttered, maintaining the barrier with steady control. "This array is reflecting - nope, redirecting everything back. Even Princess’ dragon breath can’t pierce it."

Zuzia landed nearby, folding her wings and growling low. "Tch... it’s like the mist is alive."

Yumina glanced around. "What kind of array is this?"

Inside the mist, Veronica and Moeko exchanged glances.

"She’s strong," Veronica said, her tone calm but impressed.

Moeko smiled faintly, her ghostly form flickering. "I don’t think master can win against her one on one."

"Shoo... Shut up..."

Back outside, the mist thickened again, and the two glowing red eyes appeared once more, closer this time.

A voice drifted through the fog, almost playful.

"Little girls... your power isn’t bad. But do you really think you can fight my array?"

Yumina clenched her fists. "You talk too much!"

But Myrtle raised her hand to stop her. "Wait. If this is the work of a dragon, it’s not just brute strength we need. We have to find the array core."

Her eyes gleamed with determination.

"Come out coward," Zuzia growled.

The mist swirled again, red eyes flashing brighter — the true battle had only just begun.

"I just wanted to ask—where are Tyla and Lanny?" Yumina said, glancing around the deck.

"They’re inside the pocket dimension—" Myrtle began to answer, but before she could finish, a wave of thick mist surged in from every direction.

Within seconds, the entire place turned white.

Myrtle reacted instantly, spreading her domain to form a shimmering protective barrier around herself and Yumina. But the mist was unnaturally fast — it moved like a living thing, twisting and swallowing space.

"Stay close!" Myrtle shouted.

But it was already too late. The domain cracked for just a second, and in that instant, Yumina’s figure vanished into the mist.

"Yumina!" Myrtle called out, but her voice was swallowed by the silence.

On the other side of the fog, Yumina stumbled forward. "Myrtle? Where are you!?"

The mist warped the air; even sound seemed to bend unnaturally. She took a cautious step, scanning her surroundings — but Myrtle was gone.

Then, out of nowhere, a massive dragon claw emerged from the mist, its shadow blotting out the faint light above.

Before she could dodge, the claw slashed past her — razor-sharp nails cutting through her clothes and tearing into her shoulder.

Blood splattered across the fog.