Teleportation Master Baris Frensa, born during the reign of Henry II, was once one of the most renowned magicians in the empire. He was also appointed president of the Astrology Guild by Henry II. His name is inscribed in the Magic Scripture by magicians, and to this day, the "Theoretical Course on Teleportation Magic" of the Astrology Guild continues to use the node theory proposed by Baris.

A revered figure, worshiped by countless magicians.

At least…

This was how the Imperial People evaluated him before the Teleportation Master went completely insane.

Deep within Baris Frensa's heart lay a secret he never disclosed to anyone. His obsession with teleportation magic stemmed from his apprentice days. When he heard the call of his deceased fiancée during a node accident, he was utterly bewitched.

Using his noble status, he entered the restricted section of the Imperial Library to search for every Magic Scripture he could find, frantically absorbing the knowledge within, just to once again hear the enchanting whispers from beyond the node.

Like the whispers of a demon, they revealed a secret to Baris, convincing him of the existence of a "world after death." It was not the resting place proposed by the Life Divine Teachings; it lay at the other end of the node world—dark, void, where even the concepts of time and space could not pass.

For over a decade as the president of the Astrology Guild, Baris used his power to explore the "world after death" on the other side of the node. He continually violated the commandments he wrote with other Teleportation Masters, blurred the coordinates of the nodes, and even… lured students who trusted him implicitly to become experimental subjects, deceiving them, seducing them into that one-way teleportation node.

In the minds of the Imperial People, Baris Frensa died in a teleportation node accident, an incident still used to warn young apprentices—if even a master like Baris can perish from a simple mistake, then anyone can, vanishing forever into the teleportation node.

After Baris's death, Henry II personally held a state funeral for him, affirming this Teleportation Master's loyalty to the empire and the Royal Family, and his outstanding contributions to the empire.

However, no one knew that it was actually a meticulously orchestrated mistake.

After dozens of experiments using students as subjects, Baris Frensa finally re-established contact with the voice from the other end of the node.

The Teleportation Master fulfilled his lifelong dream, building an estate in this world of darkness that was almost identical to the estate he once lived in, using magic power, but…

What greeted him on the other side of the node was not his dearly beloved fiancée, but a talking painting, he suddenly realized.

Even now, hundreds of years later, Baris still cannot be sure if his fiancée's soul is trapped within this painting.

But he is very clear about one thing—he is trapped here.

Devoid of time and space, this faux estate has become an eternal prison. His body was destroyed the moment he set foot in the node; what remains is a consciousness inexplicably active.

Without any words, Ethan saw through everything belonging to Baris Frensa.

He flipped through the life of this Teleportation Master like one reads a book; there were no secrets in front of him.

The feeling was subtle.

Because Baris Frensa, to him, was like a book displayed on a shelf, a collection belonging to him.

"Baris Frensa, president of the Astrology Guild, young man, now it's your turn to answer questions!"

The bald man tried hard to conceal his agitated emotions. He had long lost the concept of time and space. He only knew that it had been a long time since he entered this world, yet after an indeterminate amount of time, Baris saw another living person for the first time… or perhaps another soul trapped here like him.

"Tell me, who are you? Let me guess, a magician proficient in teleportation magic, who happened upon my writings left in the secret chamber… Ah—!"

That lofty tone was quickly interrupted by a scream.

A pair of arms extended from the painting, touching his body—first the shoulder, then wrapping around his neck. When Baris incredulously turned his gaze to the painting, he saw the woman in the painting crawling out, her touch and weight becoming incredibly real at that moment.

Real to the point of being terrifying, yet his soul felt a hint of uncontrollable joy deep within the fear.

"No thanks needed."

Ethan said.

He saw all of Baris Frensa's desires, every thought flashing through his mind, so he skipped the tedious conversation, going straight to the point, "Congratulations, your prison sentence formally ends today."

Ethan's words drew Baris's gaze back to him, the Teleportation Master's eyes widened, filled with confusion. Instinctively, he tried to perform magic to peer into the essence of this unexpected guest, Ethan, but in almost the next moment, he was frozen in place, as if all his thoughts were solidified.

"An unknown entity with a human outline."