"I'm afraid not," she said apologetically. "We must honor the schedule. Many passengers have already purchased tickets."

Alfred nodded. "I understand."

"If there's anything else you need, please let me know," the conductor said before leaving.

The tall man scoffed nearby. "All that fuss just to say nothing."

Alfred ignored him completely and closed his eyes.

Soon after, the train arrived.

A clear announcement echoed through the carriage, instructing passengers to disembark.

People filed out one by one. Alfred remained seated.

Ray did not stir.

Minutes passed. The carriage emptied.

Finally, a cleaning attendant approached. "We've arrived. You must disembark now."

Alfred opened his eyes, gaze calm but focused.

Ray was still deep in meditation.

And Alfred had already begun to calculate his next move.

Alfred rose from his seat. "I'll be taking this chair with me. This should cover the cost." As he spoke, he placed a stack of federation bills into the attendant's hands.

The attendant froze. "You… want to take the chair?"

She had worked this route for years and had seen all kinds of passengers, but this was a first. Taking the chair? What did he mean by that?

Alfred answered without words.

A ripple of icy blue light bloomed in his palm, and the temperature around them dropped sharply. In the next instant, a flash of blue swept through the carriage.

The attendant's eyes widened in disbelief.

The entire chair, with Ray still sitting atop it, lifted cleanly off the floor. Alfred grasped it with one hand as if it weighed nothing and strode calmly toward the exit.

"Huh…?"

He really took the chair. The entire chair!

The attendant snapped out of her stupor and hurriedly activated her soul communicator. "Conductor! Conductor! There's—"

Before she could finish, Alfred had already stepped off the train, chair and child in tow.

Since forcing the train to wait was impossible, this was the only option left to him. A thin layer of soul power enveloped Ray, isolating him completely from the outside world. Any disturbance during deep meditation could cause dangerous deviations. Alfred had no intention of letting that happen.

His plan was simple. Leave the station first. Find a quiet place later.

The moment he stepped onto the platform, he became the absolute center of attention.

A white-robed man calmly carrying a seated child—on a train chair no less—was enough to leave every passerby staring in stunned silence.

What… was going on?

An alarm blared.

A squad of station police rushed forward, soul laser rifles raised. They quickly formed a line, blocking Alfred's path.

"Freeze!" the leading officer barked. "You have damaged public property and abducted a child. Come with us immediately for questioning!"

"Fine," Alfred replied calmly.

The officers were taken aback.

No resistance. No argument. Just… agreement.

Their unease deepened. They already knew his identity. A six-ringed Soul Emperor. Someone far beyond their ability to handle.

Still, his compliance eased their nerves slightly.

Escorted on all sides, Alfred was brought to the station's police office. Waiting there was a captain flanked by a dozen officers—and two towering mechas over ten meters tall.

The entire patrol force had been mobilized.

"Sir," the captain said carefully, "you are a Soul Emperor, correct?"

Alfred lifted his head slightly. His aura flared.

Six soul rings rose silently.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black.

The room fell dead silent.

The captain swallowed hard and bowed slightly. "Greetings, honored Soul Emperor."

Despite the advancement of soul devices, true Soul Masters remained on a completely different plane. And this man was a Soul Emperor—one with two ten-thousand-year soul rings.

Alfred spoke plainly. "I apologize for the disturbance. My disciple has entered deep meditation and must not be interrupted. That is why I acted as I did. If possible, I request a quiet room, as well as food and water."

The officers exchanged baffled glances.

A suspect making requests before questioning even began?

Yet the captain didn't hesitate. "Understood. Please follow me."

He explained as they walked, "The conductor informed us of the situation. We've already contacted our superiors and prepared a suitable room. Please forgive our caution. Your… strength necessitates it."

"Lead the way," Alfred replied.

The room prepared for them was perfectly silent. Even the windows were layered with soundproofing materials. Before long, high-quality food and water were delivered.

No one dared cut corners when dealing with a Soul Emperor.

In truth, the captain had felt reassured upon hearing that Alfred had left payment behind for the damaged chair. Someone willing to compensate for damages was unlikely to harbor ill intent.

Otherwise, emergency reinforcements would already have been summoned—though even then, they would have been meaningless against a Soul Emperor with ten-thousand-year soul rings.

Ray remained completely unaware of everything happening around him.

In deep meditation, he felt as though his body were stretching infinitely, absorbing the energy of heaven and earth. His soul power gently washed through his meridians, cleansing them again and again. His martial soul, body, bloodline, and soul power slowly aligned, resonating in perfect harmony.

This state wouldn't cause a sudden leap in strength, but it refined him from the inside out. It laid a foundation—solid, unshakable—for future growth.

After an unknown amount of time, Ray finally awoke.

As his eyes opened, he immediately sensed the change.

His body felt lighter. Clearer. Refined.

He exhaled slowly, a low rumble echoing from within as his soul power surged through every corner of his body before settling back into his dantian.

"So comfortable…" Ray muttered in delight.

His soul power seemed slightly reduced in quantity, yet denser, purer. He instinctively knew that his endurance had increased—his soul skills would last longer now.

Only then did he notice his surroundings.

A small, dark room.

And Alfred, seated nearby.

"Teacher?" Ray blinked. "Aren't we supposed to be on the train?"

"You're awake," Alfred said as his eyes opened. "We've already arrived in Arcana City. Let's go."

Ray scrambled to his feet and followed him—only for his stomach to let out a thunderous growl.

His face flushed bright red.

"Hm?" Alfred glanced at him. "Hungry?"

"Mn…" Ray nodded, mortified.

"Eat," Alfred said, gesturing toward the food. "Everything here."

Only then did Ray notice the pile of food and water.

He didn't hesitate.

The next fifteen minutes were… memorable.

Alfred watched silently as box after box disappeared. Even his icy expression gradually stiffened.

Did I really make the right decision bringing this kid along…?

Ray, oblivious, continued eating with gusto.

What he didn't know was that he had been in deep meditation for a full seven days.

When the last package lay empty, he licked his lips—still hungry.

"Let's go," Alfred said, his tone faintly strained.

"Oh."

They were escorted out of the station by a respectful guard detail.

As Ray looked around, awe filled his eyes.

Arcana City was on an entirely different scale than West Ocean City.

This ancient metropolis had stood for over twenty thousand years, dating back to the era of the Martial Soul Hall. Once the heart of the Arcana Empire, it remained one of the greatest cities on the Xynnar Continent—a living testament to history itself.

After the pre-federation era, the Llyne Empire had annexed the Arcana Empire and relegated Arcana City to the status of an ordinary city. Even so, Ray clearly remembered one thing: the city had been built upon an extraordinary location.

It stood beside the legendary Forest of Lamos, a land teeming with powerful soul beasts, and lay relatively close to Central City, which was said to be the true heart of the Xynnar Continent.

When will I be able to visit Central City? And the Forest of Lamos… what kind of place must that be?

Ray's curiosity burned quietly in his chest.

Arcana City, however, was nothing like what he had imagined.

He had expected towering buildings and advanced soul technology everywhere, yet the moment he stepped inside the city, he realized how wrong he had been.

The city felt… simple.

Plain.

That was the first word that came to mind.

Ancient-style structures filled the streets, and not a single skyscraper could be seen. In fact, the tallest things in his view were enormous ancient trees whose branches stretched toward the sky.

"Teacher," Ray asked softly, "why aren't there any skyscrapers here?"

Alfred replied calmly, "Arcana City is a historical city. In order to preserve its cultural value, regulations were enacted long ago. No building may exceed fifty meters in height, and most are limited to ten floors at most."

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