The Storm Wolf: Gathering Clouds - 1. Chapter 1 Magician (1/2)

Magician: Connection, Power, Communication, and…

I've begun to grow accustomed to the salty scent carried by the gentle sea breeze. Licking my nose, I can almost taste the warmth the rising sun spreads across the distant sea, the sensation of the air gradually warming.

The fine sand beneath my feet is still cool and occasionally sticks to my fur--an annoyance, but I can rely on the tiniest vibrations it transmits to gauge my surroundings.

As expected, I sensed the movement and felt the rush of wind pressure bearing down on me. I twisted my body and tilted my head to one side to avoid the attack.

A swift gust of air whistled past my cheek--my judgment was spot on.

Without wasting a moment on feeling proud of myself, I adjusted my stance and lowered my body as I shifted, sweeping my right leg toward my opponent's foothold.

The absence of any tactile feedback made me hesitate. I tried to verify the situation using the waves I sensed, but there was no response--I could only assume it had been neutralized.

I contemplated whether to attack again but quickly decided to adopt a more cautious approach. Using the rotation of my sweeping leg, I pulled myself up into a steady stance, raising my paws into a light fist position by my lowered chin, awaiting my opponent's next move.

Slowly rotating my upright ears in all directions, I focused on capturing the slightest sounds.

The ocean waves lapping back and forth against the shore, the rustling of palm leaves brushing against each other, and... there it is--the sound of the wind cutting through the air!

I sidestepped swiftly, chopping my right paw at the wrist I had anticipated. A solid impact confirmed that I succeeded this time. Seizing the opportunity, I reversed my grip on the wrist, took a step forward, and pressed my shoulder against his chest, intending to throw him. Unexpectedly, his stance remained unmoved, and I ended up being the one caught instead.

Realizing his hold tightening around me, I hastily encoded a wave of reinforcement, intending to enhance my body's resilience and generate explosive force to break free. But once again, just as the command inscription was finished, it dissipated without any effect.

There wasn't even time to feel disheartened. The sudden sensation of being flipped upside down left me briefly dizzy, and by the time I regained my senses, all I felt was the cool, fine sand wedged between the gaps in my fur, scratching my skin with an itchy sensation.

Exhaling heavily through my nose, I pulled off the blindfold wrapped around my eyes and saw a sturdy white wolf standing nearby, looking down at me with clear blue eyes that had a faint reddish hue slowly fading away.

"Failed again?" Piqsirpoq made no effort to hide his schadenfreude. He stuffed the blindfold into his pocket, then offered me a playful smile and extended his right paw.

"Yes," I muttered, grabbing my brother's paw and pulling myself up. "At least I can finish the inscription now."

"But wouldn't expanding your consciousness solve all your problems? Why are you so insistent on this?" Piqsirpoq tilted his head, scratching his ear.

"The Master Field believes I rely too much on the intensity of Domination, so my control within the Domain is poor," I replied, averting my gaze so I wouldn't have to stare at the muscles visible beneath his fur, tensing and shifting with his movements. "So, I've been practicing the waves I'm not good at, trying to get the feel of it."

"I still don't get why you can't build reinforcement waves. The Snow faction is renowned for their physical prowess, and the other gray wolves don't have this issue..." Piqsirpoq's voice trailed off, his expression turning awkward as he realized where this "issue" might lead. "Anyway," he cleared his throat and shook his head twice before continuing, "are you going to the welcome party?"

"No choice. The Master Field assigned me a lot of tasks." I found it easy to fake disappointment since I couldn't agree that cleaning his lab and washing dishes in the cafeteria counted as "tasks." "I might go for a bit during the assessment."

"Oh, alright," Piqsirpoq shrugged. "At least there's still time for a few laps with me?"

"Well..." I glanced at the gradually brightening sky, once again torn about whether to find an excuse to skip this activity I had little enthusiasm for.

"Hurry up!" As always, Piqsirpoq made the decision for me before I could think of an excuse. He flicked my right ear with consciousness before running off. "Loser buys breakfast!"

Watching my brother's retreating figure and his fluffy white tail swaying up and down, I felt a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

I took another look at the sky as the dawn broke, reflecting its rainbow colors on the ocean's surface. Taking a deep breath, I set off to catch up.

"Not bad!" My brother hooked his arm around my neck and pressed his knuckles against my head, twisting them back and forth. Still out of breath, I couldn't focus on the pain and just let him be. "You can keep up now!"

"Just barely," I replied, lightly biting Piqsirpoq's wrist to signal he was using too much force. "The temperature's not that low, so I've got more energy to keep running."

"Speaking of which, you should check out the VR room someday. The Snow faction books it on the first of every month," he said, letting go of me. "I think watching the snow every now and then is pretty relaxing."

"I hate the cold," I replied as calmly as possible, looking Piqsirpoq sincerely in the eye. "But I'll think about it."

We both knew that even if I did go, it would only make everyone awkward. Still, the fact that he extended the invitation meant a lot to me.

Thinking about it, I wasn't sure how much I missed the snow. The vast, white expanse of Hadrian's Wall mostly held unpleasant memories or gaps of emptiness, where it felt as if I didn't exist.

But there were some people I did miss.

Looking down at the white sand beneath my feet, I couldn't help but imagine snow piling up against a cliff face.

Countless grains of sand, countless snowflakes, building an endless expanse of white...

"...Going for a swim," Piqsirpoq said something I didn't quite catch, and I only saw him walking towards the ocean. As he reached the spot where the waves lapped back and forth, he turned and shot me a questioning look. "Coming?"

"No," I replied in a low voice, moving my feet slightly to feel the texture of the fine sand. "I just figured some things out, and I want to handle them first."

"Alright then," Piqsirpoq shrugged. "Hope to see you at the party."

"If I finish early," I replied, feeling a swell of pride at how much better I'd gotten at feigning casual responses. Social skills really were my most improved area--I was quite proud of myself.

Piqsirpoq grunted in acknowledgment and started jogging before diving into the sea.

I did feel like taking a dip in the water, but the things I'd figured out seemed more pressing. The restless excitement in my chest felt like something scratching and urging me onward, making my entire body itch.

Concentrating, I swept away the sweat, grime, and sand clinging to my body with a burst of consciousness, leaving them behind as I retrieved the terminal I'd left on my neatly folded clothes. Slipping on my shoes, I headed towards the transport pod leading to the underground facility, pulling a white sweatshirt over my head as I walked.

While waiting for the transport pod, I opened the terminal and browsed through the Academy's main forums to ensure I hadn't missed any important announcements. Finally, I casually scrolled through the trading and bounty zones, checking for interesting proposals or urgent commissions.

This had become a routine habit--I couldn't find a reason to ignore requests for help when my points were in no danger of running out. And since I was headed to the printing room anyway, I figured I might as well take care of a few things on the way.

After accepting a few commissions and confirming the final transactions, the transport pod arrived just in time. As the door opened, I stepped inside, stowing the terminal back in its armband and doing a few stretches to mentally prepare myself for the physical tasks ahead.

When I placed the heavy iron bucket on the floor of the dormitory, the dull clang seemed to distract Tadao. Muttering a curse under his breath, the red deer gathered the scattered water droplets into one place.

"Hey," I greeted softly, hoping it would have a positive impact. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"No," Tadao said dejectedly, making a few gestures. The scattered droplets coalesced into a fist-sized water ball, which floated in front of his nose. "You just witnessed my two millionth failure."

His head hung low, and the tips of his antlers pointed directly at me, creating a sense of pressure.

"I just realized I might not have thought this through from the start." I gestured, summoning a piece of adamantine from the bookshelf, then retrieved a portion of what I had traded for earlier from my pocket and combined them. "Using water for Domination practice might not be the most suitable medium for you."

Tadao watched me place the adamantine back on the shelf in silence, without responding immediately.

"About half of it is silicon dioxide, with another twenty percent being iron oxide, along with oxides of aluminum, magnesium, calcium, and sodium..." I extended my consciousness and Dominated the contents of the bucket. The fine sand formed a thin, ribbon-like veil between Tadao and me. "I got the particle size and composition from the Academy's database. The color doesn't quite match what I imagined, but I hope it's not too different from the real thing."

Tadao lifted his head, his brown eyes widening as he stared directly at me. In our shared Domain, I took over the floating water ball he had dropped in his distraction and tossed it into the bathroom sink.

"This is..." The red deer stood up, his jaw trembling slightly as he spoke. "...the sands of Ares!"

"Not exactly," I said, scratching my ear while giving an encouraging gesture for Tadao to take over the Domination. "It's 3D-printed, but I tried to make it as close to the database's description as possible."

Tadao hesitated for a moment but took a step toward me, raising his hand to assume control.

At that moment, a pulse spread from the ribbon-like structure, making the sand particles shimmer as if they were flickering.

After a year of practice, Tadao had become skilled enough in Domination to at least maintain a firm hold on objects, so I wasn't expecting him to let the fine sand scatter onto the floor. However, if he wanted to command the Dominated material to act according to his intentions, he--like other herbivores--would have to struggle quite a bit to barely succeed, and even a momentary lapse in focus would cause Domination to break.

"Find the image that resonates most deeply with you. Any feeling will do, as long as it's strong enough," I whispered, taking a step back to give Tadao more space. "For me, it's the sight of snowflakes dancing in the air."

"Why snowflakes?" Tadao asked, and I could tell from his tone that he knew what snow was.

"I've never really thought about it..." I summoned the memory, lying in an endless expanse of silver-white snow, watching countless tiny snowflakes drift down and melt on my nose, their icy chill lingering. "Maybe it's because, despite being so alike, each snowflake is still unique." I closed my eyes, as if I could feel the gentle touch brushing the tips of my fur and the white mist escaping my nose with each breath. "In the end, all these distinct snowflakes accumulate together to form a pure white world, almost like..."

Almost like what?

I knew my thoughts hadn't broken off; I just couldn't articulate them--not even to myself.

I sighed and opened my eyes, pulling myself out of the reverie.

I was about to offer more suggestions for Tadao, but the scene before me made that unnecessary.

Tadao was staring at his palm, where a tiny red deer crafted from fine sand was performing a sideways flip. I initially thought it was a miniature version of himself until I noticed the sculpture didn't have antlers.

"Are you Dominated it by consciousness union?" I asked after inspecting the Domain. Tadao hadn't used gestures to assist nor inscribed commands into space, so I wasn't entirely sure how he had achieved it.

But regardless of the method, achieving such intricate and smooth movements with a sand sculpture was impossible without near-perfect mastery.

"Yes, I think I've managed to convince them to move as a unified whole." Tadao's eyes reflected something close to fascination. "But I didn't expect it to work so smoothly."

The miniature young red deer sand sculpture attempted another flip but failed, landing on the ground and laughing sheepishly.

"Is that you?" I boldly guessed, realizing my ability to recognize different species wasn't great, but given the original suggestion of finding a resonant image for Tadao, it made sense.

"Yes, around five years old, in the central geological park of Valles Marineris, where they collected some of the red sands removed during the atmospheric filtration project." Tadao smiled as he answered, and at that moment, I noticed--the curve of his lips was almost identical. "You know, the surface of Ares isn't actually red."

"It's not red?" I shook my head in confusion, trying to recall the images I had seen of Ares. "I thought that's why it got its name."

"It's the nano iron oxide particles suspended in the dust layer that give it a red appearance from space. To be precise, the surface color of Ares is closer to... matcha mocha," the red deer laughed at his own description, scratching his ear before continuing. "The atmospheric filtration project only needs a few more years, and the red Ares will disappear forever, leaving behind only recorded images and some commemorative red sands in geological parks. I think that visiting the geological park as a child might be what made me a staunch opponent of the Gaia-forming movement later on."

I listened quietly, a memory surfacing of someone explaining why "Gaia-forming Opponents" didn't like being called the "Ares Purists."

"The crimson sand feels so fine in hand," Tadao murmured. The small deer in his palm stood up and patted its clothes a few times. "During an internship at an undeveloped frontier site, I left the domed area paved with metal and polymers and saw the planet that nurtured us for the first time--whether it was the endless rolling dunes or the barren desert dotted with rocks of all sizes scattered randomly across the bedrock, it was all so beautiful." The miniature red deer sculpture crumbled back into fine sand, which slipped through Tadao's fingers and billowed in the air like swirling dust, forming a magnificent landscape. "I can't understand how anyone could think they have the right to decide the appearance of a planet, to override millions of years of natural evolution."

Despite the red deer's detached tone, I could still clearly sense a certain fervor--perhaps fervor wasn't the best word, but I couldn't find another that fit such an intense passion.

We continued to silently admire the desert that Tadao had drawn with sand until he gestured, guiding the floating particles back into the iron bucket on the floor.

Then he staggered slightly, leaning against the cabinet as he slowly sat down, exhaling deeply as if exhausted after a strenuous workout. He closed his eyes.

I could imagine how Tadao felt now. Back in Hadrian's Wall, the overwhelming emotions in the shower had completely swallowed me whole.

"Wow," after a moment, Tadao let out a light chuckle and looked up at me. "Have you always used Domination in this state?"

"The first time you truly touch upon the realm of Domination, it's particularly intense. After that, it won't be as overwhelming." I sat down cross-legged across from him, bringing our lines of sight to the same level. "Congratulations on becoming one of the few herbivores who truly master this psychic technique."

Thanks to the detailed explanation of Master Field, I finally understood that merely grasping an object and using one's consciousness to Dominate its movements were entirely different things. True Domination would lead you to encounter something beyond our current understanding. The Master explained that every psychic technique's domain is like this, and for now, I'm only barely touching the essence of Domination.

"Hah, thanks." Tadao chuckled again, tilting his head slightly, his tone still sounding a bit exhausted. "I really want to rush over and hug you, but I only go past second base with someone I've had at least two dinners with, so sorry about that."

I forced a couple of dry laughs and awkwardly scratched my ear twice.

"Hey, does it bother you?" Tadao looked stunned for a moment. "Sorry, that was just a meaningless joke..."

"No, I don't mind." I lowered my ears and raised my paws, opening my palms towards him, trying to appear unconcerned.

"You know, I got a perfect score on the final exam in Mental Wave Construction and Waveform Analysis, right?" Tadao said in a teasing tone. "Even if it's just a basic-level course, it's still something worth bragging about."

"Yes, I don't really appreciate those kinds of jokes," I sighed, placing my paws on my knees, regretting my foolish decision to tell a white lie to be polite in front of an herbivore. "Because it sounds like..." I hesitated for a moment, but Tadao's brown eyes reminded me of my resolution to begin anew, so I decided to speak honestly. "It sounds like if there's even a slightly intimate gesture, it could only be for 'that' reason." I stood up and adjusted my clothes. "I know it's strange to take such a trivial joke seriously, but I..."

"No, I should be more mindful of the words I say," Tadao interrupted. "After all, we are people shaping the world's future..." He turned his head slightly, glancing at the bucket filled with fine sand.

From my observations over the past year, I found that most of the time, when citizens of the Federation developed the thought "I seem to be causing someone trouble," they would fall into a deep sense of guilt, spiraling into an endless loop of self-reflection or apologies.

Finding this situation somewhat unbearable, I had learned to notice the signs and promptly change the subject--another advancement in my social skills!

"It's really not that big of a deal; it's just that I tend to overthink," I said jokingly in a lighthearted tone. "Besides, you're making psychic abilities sound like a power that can instantly manifest reality, which is kind of funny."

"What does 'instantly manifest reality' mean?" Tadao looked confused, indicating my attempt to shift the focus was working.

"It's somewhat akin to 'Kotodama,'" I searched my limited knowledge of the Federation and found the most appropriate word. Hearing my response, Tadao burst into laughter.

"Anyway," he waved his hand and glanced at my storage rack. "Can I start practicing with adamantine now?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," I noticed a hint of disappointment in Tadao's gaze and quickly understood why. "It's absolutely not that I'm unwilling to let you borrow it. It's just that using sensitive materials for Domination too early as a shortcut could lead you straight into a bottleneck."

After my explanation, Tadao turned his head slightly in embarrassment, leaving me scrambling to find another way to shift his focus.

"It's best to practice until you're proficient to this extent before moving on to adamantine." I made a few command gestures, guiding an adequate amount of sand from the bucket and assembling a group of twenty-four gray wolves on the ground, each playing different musical instruments, with one acting as a conductor.

Although the precision of my sand sculptures was significantly lacking compared to Tadao's, that should be more of an aesthetic issue, while the level of control over actions and the number of Domination centers were substantially better.

"That's just over the top," Tadao couldn't hide the envy in his voice, making me a little embarrassed, but at least it was better than the previous awkward atmosphere. "If you keep teaching me, will I be able to do it too?"

"Well..." I had simulated how to respond if this situation occurred, but I feared I hadn't rehearsed enough times. "If you keep practicing, you'll be able to achieve it one day. It's just that I shouldn't be guiding you anymore." At my statement, Tadao raised an eyebrow.

I suspected I sensed a hint of displeasure, a blend of suspicion and doubt, but I chose to believe it was just my imagination.

"Consciousness union." I snapped my fingers, and the gray wolf band dissolved completely, the "matcha mocha" colored fine sand drifting back into the bucket. "The simplest way to disrupt another psychic's consciousness union is to attack the facts they 'believe' in." As I spoke, I used a probing wave to scan the room, ensuring no sand particles were left behind. "Therefore, if there's someone with a clear understanding of their own thought patterns, they can easily dismantle your consciousness union structure."

I thought I didn't need to spell out the conclusion, so I simply looked at Tadao, hoping he would understand and accept what I couldn't explicitly state.

"So, you think we might end up as enemies?" he said softly, his gaze shifting to the ground, seemingly hurt.

"But..." I was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say or why Tadao would react this way. "Aren't you the one emphasizing the opposing relationship between the Federation and the Empire?"

"I've already apologized for acting like a jerk, haven't I? Forget it, as if I didn't know how stubborn you can be." He sighed, rubbing his temples with a touch of helplessness, but I didn't feel offended by his words. "I... had some new realizations that made me see how narrow-minded my previous views were." Tadao's gaze lingered on the floor for a while before he slowly looked up to face me. "There are other options... possibilities beyond mutual opposition."

His expression showed he still had much to say, but my terminal suddenly vibrated, reminding me that my time was limited.

"Sorry, I'm a bit pressed for time." I turned off the alert and addressed Tadao. "Let's continue this later?"

"In a rush to do menial chores?" Tadao teased sarcastically, and all I could do was respond with a few dry laughs. "Go on, don't worry about me. Master Field has such a strange temper; if you accidentally offend him, you’ll be the one who suffers for it." He waved his hand at me. His understanding was something I deeply appreciated, but I didn't dare make any clear response to his remark.

After checking the time on my terminal again, I left the dormitory and headed towards the cafeteria.

From far away on the other end of the hallway, I noticed the dragon with bright green scales, but I didn't have the luxury to avoid him today. I could only sigh and resign myself to moving forward.

"Explorer senpai," I greeted him with a simple nod, not wanting to be disrespectful.

"Why so formal, Richter? We're good friends!" The dragon enthusiastically slung his arm around my left shoulder and, with an attitude that could hardly be justified as mere over-enthusiasm, half-forced his arm around my neck. "Just call me Infinity."

"Senpai, I believe one of the key elements of friendship is mutual respect." I tried to push him away a bit forcefully, but the massive figure over two meters tall didn't budge an inch. "Making subordinates engage in behavior that borders on sexual harassment means there's no way for us to deepen our relationship. Not reporting this to the Academy is already doing you a big favor, and I'm certain I can't see you as anything other than a pimp--someone I despise the most."

After all, there were many other people in the hallway, so I chose the word "borders"--unwanted sexual transactions absolutely fall within the scope of sexual harassment.

"Who knows you are not into female," the dragon shrugged. "Besides, there are others who meet your preferences..."

I had zero interest in hearing whatever nonsense he had to say next, so I pushed him harder this time, and at least senpai backed off a little.

"We'll pay you in adamantine!" The dragon called after me as I walked away, which involuntarily made me stop on my tracks. "The entire Academy knows that adamantine's price has doubled due to your frantic acquisitions." I had to admit, this offer was tempting, but memories of being pinned against the wall by a certain vixen still outweighed it, so I resumed my stride toward the cafeteria. "Half of the Academy's adamantine supply is only circulated within the Alchemy faction!"

I stopped again, turning back to face the Explorer senpai and locking eyes with those yellow irises that were clearly scheming something.

"During your time assisting us with the experiment, the Alchemy faction will grant you access to the trading network." Realizing I had taken the bait, the dragon narrowed his eyes slightly as he cautiously offered more details. "At least once a week, no more than three times, and each session's specific time will depend on the experiment's content, but rarely would it require more than four hours."

The spindle-shaped pupils dilated as if he'd found the perfect moment to strike his prey--we both knew I couldn't possibly refuse such favorable terms--half of the Academy's adamantine!

"I'll consider it." Trying to keep calm, I replied with a flat tone, though the cunning smile that flashed across the dragon's face showed he believed he had already succeeded.

"Saturday 2 PM, the Alchemy faction's office!" He turned and waved without looking back, his huge tail swaying as he went.

"I said 'I'll consider it'!" I called out in frustration, but it seemed no one cared about this superficial statement except me.

Sighing, I smoothed down my fur and entered the cafeteria, intending to quickly satisfy my physiological needs.

The crowd was relatively sparse at this time, and I quickly ordered breakfast at the terminal. As I was about to pay, I couldn't help but feel a certain pride in my thorough understanding of transactional behavior over this past year of practice--there's no problem that a larger number can't solve--if there is, it's simply because the number isn't large enough.

"And mine too." Piqsirpoq took my terminal from behind, letting another cafeteria terminal scan the barcode on the screen.

"I think this payment system needs more security verification," I complained after glancing at the lavish banquet-level amount I had been charged.

"As one of the Academy's top ten wealthiest, such a comment lacks class." Piqsirpoq casually waved it off, perfectly embodying the idiom I recently learned, "It's easy to give advice when you're not in the thick of it."

"Someone's keeping track of that?" No matter how accustomed I was to people talking behind my back, it still felt unsettling when it happened so directly.

"The gossip board updates on the first day of every month. It has some useful information, like tower-climbing records or psychic rankings." He showed me his terminal. "As for the more playful stuff, like counts of STDs, those are listed too."

"Isn't that highly private medical information?" I couldn't hide the disgust in my tone, momentarily unable to believe that Piqsirpoq would be interested in such things.

"I said it's just playful stuff; nobody knows if it's true or not," he defended himself with a slightly defensive tone.

"Isn't that exactly the point..." I muttered softly, trying not to sound too sharp. Our relationship had finally become more stable, and I didn't want to revert to how things were before.

He didn't respond, and fortunately, the conveyor belt arrived just in time with our breakfast, perfectly defusing the awkward situation.

"Is that all you're having?" Piqsirpoq tilted his head as I grabbed the carton of soy milk.

"Today's busy," I muttered, tearing open the package with my teeth and chugging the pale liquid with a slight grassy taste before tossing the trash into the recycling area for decomposition.

"Party?" As I headed towards the kitchen prep area, he called after me again.

"If I can make it in time," I replied with a vague promise while waving my hand, then slipped through the sliding door into the kitchen, where my arduous training-cum-chores awaited.

I gathered the dirt and sweat on my body into a ball of indescribable color and tossed it into the sink, washing it down without caring if there were any hygiene regulations against doing so.

As I left through the staff passage, I confirmed that I really hated washing dishes--so much so that the intensity almost exceeded my desire to refine my psychic abilities.

Sighing, I tried to focus on something more optimistic, like how the cafeteria staff no longer freaked out at my presence. But that respectful attitude of theirs was honestly... annoying.

Sighing again, I began to seriously consider whether it was because my new life wasn't unfolding as smoothly as expected in this new environment that the accumulated sense of frustration had eroded all my patience, leaving me increasingly irritable and critical of everything. Or maybe it was just because I was, in fact, an insufferable oddball.

Fortunately, before I reached any further self-loathing conclusions, something more detestable took over my thoughts--cleaning the room.

Not to complain, but I find it hard to believe that there's no better way to practice consciousness union. Maybe Master Field just wants to amplify my frustration, or perhaps this is some dragon's method of teaching humility.

I could only sigh once more, forcing every last bit of obedience deeply rooted in my inner wolf to surface, so that I could sweep the floor covered in tiny crystals with a sense of dignity and honor, stopping my useless inner grumbling.

As I moved around the lab, I adjusted my command, fine-tuning the flight paths of the two dozen orbiting gemstones, making the gleaming specks even denser while avoiding the various casually placed items.

Glancing at the fist-sized gemstones, I identified their types from the waveform signatures generated by their flight--emerald, topaz, opal, spinel... Under the guidance of Master Field, my knowledge of mineral crystals had grown substantially, and this understanding allowed me to easily create Ice-VI crystals at room temperature, as well as other more complex structures.

Although I still couldn't produce supercritical water, I had become highly proficient at using willpower to order the stacking of crystal lattices. The sensation of entropy flowing through my paws was truly delicate, like touching the very concept of disorder.

I supposed this was something Qana could never teach me. So no matter how pointless I thought the tasks assigned by Master Field were, I shouldn't throw a tantrum like a spoiled pup.

Apparently, my inner wolf wasn't that hard to convince after all.

That being said, I still kind of miss Qana--that steady, resolute, and reliable master swordsman...

It wasn't until the boiling water bubbling over spilled onto the tabletop that I noticed the liquid had long since reached its boiling point in the glass pot.

" Fallacy!" I hurriedly withdrew the oxygen from around the heat source in a panic, moving the still-smoking Muspelheim to another table. Last time, I accidentally got this burgundy sphere wet, and the whole thing split apart, which made Master Field furious.

To avoid repeating that tragedy, I carefully returned Muspelheim to its designated container. After confirming there were no abnormalities, I locked the entire box back in the cabinet.

This object had been brought by the Master from Ceres. When rubbed in a special way, it would ignite, producing an eerie indigo flame and a unique scent, like a mix of mint and pepper. I believed it was probably reminiscent of some familiar smell, but Master Field didn't seem inclined to share his nostalgia, even though I was curious about how it was made.

I suspected it contained red phosphorus, but that crystal lattice...

The sound of the lab's sliding door opening immediately pulled me out of my thoughts. I quickly checked the intensity and wavelength of the infrared radiating from the glass pot, pouring the hot water over the finely ground coffee beans at precisely eighty-five degrees Celsius.

I had put a lot of effort into ensuring that every speck of the coffee beans, regardless of size or shape, perfectly met Master Field's standards, with deviations no greater than a micron.

I didn't need to turn around to feel the weight of the Master's focused gaze pressing down on me--the spindle-shaped pupils in those green eyes had even jolted me awake from sleep a few times.

But I held up under pressure, using a consciousness circle to envelop the coffee filtration system and adjusting the rate of liquid drips by manipulating the gravitational field.

"What's your current upper limit for your Dominance Core?" Master Field asked, his tone betraying no clear emotion.

"With Consciousness union, around thirty thousand," I replied softly. The number had doubled since last year.

"Too few." Even though I was sure I wasn't trying to please him, the reprimanding tone in the dragon's voice still made me feel dejected. "Can you separate dirt from dishes with your consciousness now?"

"Still can't," I muttered, my ears flattening against my head. "Master."

"Then you'd better work harder, or I'll start thinking you actually enjoy washing dishes." Master Field snorted, walking over to pick up the white porcelain cup meant for the coffee.

"Yes, Master." Lowering my snout and gaze, I responded obediently as the towering dragon took a sip from the cup that appeared tiny in his massive hand.

"Barely passable, I suppose," Master Field remarked after signaling me to relinquish Dominance, placing the coffee set aside and pouring the filtered brown liquid into another glass pot.

When I realized my tail had swayed twice in response to such faint praise, I had a strong urge to dig a hole and crawl into it.

"Of course, unless your goal for entering the Academy was to learn how to brew coffee, there's really nothing to be proud of."

My ears felt like they were on fire from the Master's sarcastic remark, and the mix of shame and anger rushed to my head along with my blood, almost driving my remaining shred of dignity to deploy a barrier to conceal my emotional fluctuations.

Whether he didn't notice or simply didn't care, the Master made no further comment on my reaction. Instead, he pushed the surrounding items aside, clearing a space.

"Master?" The sudden surge of pressure coming from all directions made me instinctively bolster my consciousness to counter the impact, casting a puzzled look at the dragon.

"Didn't you submit an application to ascend the tower? I happen to have some time now to review it." Master Field made a few gestures as he spoke. "And that obedient wolf puppy attitude of yours is getting on my nerves!" His words landed like a hammer on an anvil, each resounding impact accompanied by waves of power crashing towards me in rhythm. I had no choice but to gather even more strength to defend myself. "You'd better grow a backbone soon."

Clenching my teeth tightly, I identified the rise and fall of the wave patterns, adjusting my output accordingly to fend off the Master's assaults one after another, leaving no room for self-pity.

Through the waveform characteristics, I deciphered the type of waves the Master was using and adopted the most suitable defensive strategy. While I still couldn't disrupt his consciousness union with willpower alone, I successfully parried all the attacks by rallying my consciousness.

I thought I heard him humming something. Like the distinct rhythm in his speech, the dragons called it a "song."

That overwhelming force, surging in waves as if to shatter and reshape me, came at me relentlessly--searing flames too bright to look at, relentless forging, and finally a chilling tempering to the bone.

"After all, you're the raw gemstone I chose, so there's at least some worth in polishing you." With a series of intricate command gestures, the tall dragon's eyes turned a vibrant red, resembling lava glowing within the cracks of a volcano. The Master unfurled his massive wings, raising a gust of wind pressure. Shimmering green symbols etched themselves into the space around us, circling and dancing as waves of power rumbled and surged from beneath his feet. "Now, shine!"