Carrying a large suitcase, Henry Lewis's eyes were a bit red as he hugged his best friends, then waved goodbye and headed toward the port.

Because his Heart Origin Power had reached the fifth level—outstanding among students of the same grade—and with an additional +1 to his record rating, the training camp Henry Lewis was heading to was in Laho City, adjacent to Nanluo City.

That was a military stronghold of the Empire. Anyone who graduated from the training camp there would enter departments directly under the military, with a very promising future.

Walking slowly along the uneven road by the port, Charles Lynn was making his way back, his steps a bit unsteady—he had indeed drunk a little too much.

The scorching summer evening breeze blew in, carrying a hint of saltiness, making Charles Lynn feel even more lightheaded.

Still, even with the drunkenness, Charles Lynn kept himself alert enough not to get into any car at the port at this time.

Indeed, for students of Nanluo Academy, the shady characters at Mobin Port generally wouldn’t bother them unless necessary.

However, the taxi fares here were outrageously expensive—it cost a full 20 Star Ao copper coins to get to Nanluo Academy, five times more than outside!

If you walked out of the port and caught a cab there, it would only cost 4 Star Ao copper coins, and Nanluo Academy students could even get a discount.

Ever since he was ripped off taking a cab at Mobin Port in his first year, Charles Lynn had never let himself be such a sucker again.

Rumble rumble...

As Charles Lynn struggled to walk in a straight line, a rumbling sound came from the sky. Looking up, he could vaguely see an airship slowly ascending into the night sky, the huge whirring of its rotors echoing out.

"That’s... an Imperial escort-type airship..."

With bleary, drunken eyes, Charles Lynn could just make out the model of the airship, but found it odd—such large combat-type airships were usually only deployed in emergencies.

For the past twenty years, the Empire had seen no wars, and the Eastern Continent had enjoyed a rare peace. Why would an escort-type airship suddenly be dispatched?

Shaking his head, Charles Lynn couldn’t be bothered to think about it and continued on his way. All he wanted now was to get back to his dorm and have a good sleep.

Leaving the port avenue, he turned into a quiet alley—a shortcut out of the port that Charles Lynn had walked countless times over the past four years.

"Huh! What’s that..."

Suddenly, Charles Lynn saw something glowing in a dark corner. The light was faint, but it felt incredibly familiar to him.

Getting closer, Charles Lynn's eyes lit up. In a recess at the base of the wall was a round object.

It looked like a stone sphere, gray and dusty, but it had a strange kind of beauty.

This beauty didn’t come from any unique shape or the exotic, ornate patterns on it, but from its nearly perfect roundness.

Is there such a thing as a perfect circle in this world?

The answer is yes.

But even in this world, with all its wondrous skills and crafts, a perfect circle is nearly impossible to replicate.

Yet, in Charles Lynn's eyes, the shape of this thing was a perfect circle—at least, it was infinitely close. Maybe it was just a drunken illusion.

Of course, what really caught Charles Lynn's attention wasn’t the shape of the stone sphere, but the strange patterns on it, which were all too familiar to him.

Heart Origin Code!?

This was a kind of pattern inscribed with Heart Origin Power, used for various purposes—the most common being as a "lock."

It was a very ancient Heart Origin Code, but it was no problem for Charles Lynn. One of his best skills on the Alliance Academy’s virtual platform was unlocking and constructing Heart Origin Codes.

"First layer, second layer, third layer..."

Charles Lynn counted the Heart Origin Codes on the stone sphere, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. There were a total of ninety-nine layers of Heart Origin Code locks on the sphere.

[Ninety-Nine Layer Heart Origin Code Lock]?!

"Unbelievable! Just as I’m about to graduate and lose access to the Alliance Academy’s virtual platform, I run into the [Ninety-Nine Layer Heart Origin Code] here."

Charles Lynn was excited. After clearing the ninth level of Seth Canyon, he’d regretted not having time to challenge the [Ninety-Nine Layer Heart Origin Code Lock].

These two challenges were known as the two insurmountable obstacles in the Alliance university world—especially the [Ninety-Nine Layer Heart Origin Code Lock], which had never been soloed successfully.

Now, the chance to take on such a challenge was right in front of him, and Charles Lynn's heart raced.

Swish!

Putting on his sensing gloves and goggles, Charles Lynn instantly calmed his mind. His hands moved, becoming a blur as they covered the stone sphere.

The sphere glimmered faintly, the strange patterns on it gradually diminishing, like silk being drawn from a cocoon, revealing a dazzling brilliance.

"Did I do it!?"

Charles Lynn's squinting eyes opened slightly. With a sudden press of both hands, he finally unlocked the last layer of Heart Origin Code.

Bang!

A curtain of light shot up, blooming like petals—an incredibly magnificent sight.

The stone sphere shattered into pieces, and a ball of light shot out, entering Charles Lynn's body and disappearing.

The next moment, all the lights in Mobin Port went out one after another. The crowd erupted in commotion, cries of alarm rising and falling, and sirens began to blare...

Charles Lynn only felt his whole body heat up, his head growing even heavier, as he staggered out of the alley.

...