Moonlight filtered through the barred window, casting thin shadows across Nova's small frame as he sat in quiet meditation. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, each breath following the pattern of a cultivation technique he'd learned in his sixth life. The iron keys lay on the stone floor before him, darkened and spotted with rust.

[Body Cultivation skill Metal Saint Physique {Grade 4} has reached the first level.]

[Your skin has absorbed part of the essence of iron, strengthening your body. The effect is equal to a constant Physical Resilience of 20.]

[You have discovered a new skill. Bonus refinement speed applied for all future skill uses.]

'Ahh, I'm glad they haven't figured out body refinement here. At least not this type.'

Nova opened his eyes, observing how his skin had taken on a subtle metallic sheen in the moonlight. It wasn't much—just the first step of a technique that could eventually turn one's entire body into living steel—but it was progress. The keys had served their purpose, providing the metal essence needed to begin the cultivation process.

'Not bad for a few minutes of work,' he thought, flexing his fingers experimentally. The movement felt tougher than before, carrying a certain gravity.

'It's not something I would even notice when using my fragment, but since it remains in effect no matter what soul I have equipped, it will be useful in the future.'

He glanced at Millie's sleeping form nearby, watching her chest rise and fall peacefully. The other children of Chamber Seven were similarly lost in dreams, unaware of his nighttime activities. Unaware of everything that threatened their lives, and all the things that stood in the way of their freedom.

'Time to see what sort of man would sacrifice children for power.'

Moving silently past the sleeping children, Nova made his way to the courtyard. The night sky stretched above him, no longer framed by window bars. Tonight, the walls that had caged them all would instead serve as his path.

[Fragment of Nova Noctis equipped]

The surge of power was immediate, turning the quiet night into a realm of possibilities.

'Ahh, night, my old friend. Let's dance together once more, and show them why a world once feared the dark.'

[You have learned the skill: Perfect Mute (Expert - 33%) {Grade 6}]

[You create a layer of vacuum around you, preventing all sound and heat from escaping. It lasts for 10 minutes under normal use.]

[You have learned the skill: Shadow Sprint (Master - 5%) {Grade 7}]

[You can jump from shadow to shadow at extreme speeds, keeping your body covered by the darkness during every jump.]

[Lesser Life Detect activated.]

With a final breath to prepare himself, he jumped, reaching the top of the wall with ease. From there, he finally saw the true scale of the Garden.

Twenty identical courtyards surrounded the one he came from, laid out in a perfect grid. Each one symbolized a hundred children, trapped in short lives where their only comfort was each other.

The Garden complex only took up a small part of the massive stone castle, hidden away in the corner near the ocean cliff. The castle itself seemed impenetrable, at least from the ground. But Nova had seen the winged guards—this world had other ways of attacking.

He moved along the rooftops, jumping between the shadows and staying completely undetectable. His time was limited, so he had to make it count.

'No visible defenses against flying enemies. Are there barriers? That would make more sense, considering the knowledge of magic here. I should be careful… But man, what a view.'

To the southwest of the castle, the city of Collport spread out below the cliff, divided into clear districts of wealth. The upper district pressed against the castle walls, filled with mansions and estates. The middle district sprawled outward from there, packed with shops and houses that looked comfortable enough. The lower district huddled near the city walls, cramped and dark except for the occasional lamp.

'A city of… two-hundred-thousand? Give or take? Doesn't look too different from others I've seen in the past, but it seems to be thriving.'

A massive cathedral made from white stone and precious metals rose from the center, towering over the nearby houses. Despite standing closer to the poor districts than the castle, it was easily the most spectacular building in the city.

The harbor stretched all the way to the city walls. Even now, tens of ships' lanterns dotted the black water. Every ship headed south, painting a picture of the city's remoteness.

'All trading partners are to the south, huh? Then it makes sense we only rarely see ships from the...'

Nova's thought trailed off as his gaze drifted upward. The moon hung impossibly large in the sky, its light somehow both pure and wrong. For a moment, he could have sworn it shifted its focus, like an eye adjusting its view.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

A chill ran down his spine, and a chill sweat followed. He'd encountered things like this before, in a life he'd tried to forget. A life where he'd watched everyone else...

'...It's all in the past.'

He forced his attention back to the governor's window, but the weight of that distant gaze remained. The lit window was easy to spot, offering a clear view of shelves filled with books and maps. No barrier was visible, yet something still bothered him.

'There's… something off here. My instincts are telling me there is danger, even with my fragment. I need to stay vigilant!'

His eyes showed no signs of life inside the living room, or anywhere near it. But that only meant there wasn't anyone weaker than him there, which was the fatal flaw of the detection skill.

'...Well, I can learn more once I'm inside. I'm confident in being able to escape, if nothing else.'

[You have learned the skill: Shadow Step (Master - 31%) {Grade 7}]

[You move through the void, leaping like a ghost from one shadow to another.]

[You have discovered a new skill. Bonus mastery applied: Master - 51%]

'Ah, so this one hasn't been discovered? The magical research in this world is rather disappointing.'

The darkness embraced him like an old friend. One moment, he was crouched on the castle roof. The next, he materialized in the deep shadow cast by a towering bookshelf, jumping past the windows like they never existed.

The governor's study was a testament to wealth and wisdom. Leather-bound volumes lined the walls from floor to ceiling, all bearing titles in languages Nova had never seen.

'I'll need to learn how to read here soon. The text looks kind of Greek, but I never learned how to read that either.'

A massive desk of dark wood covered in maps and documents dominated the center of the room, illuminated by carefully placed oil lamps. The flickering light cast dancing shadows across the rich carpets and heavy velvet curtains.

But Nova had no time to admire the decor. A voice cut through the silence, calm yet carrying an unmistakable edge of deadly intent.

"I wouldn't try it if I were you. Leave before things turn ugly."

The speaker remained hidden, but Nova could sense their presence now—a void in the room's energy, like a patch of absolute stillness in flowing water.

'A bodyguard? Did the assassination scare him?'

[Assess activated.]

His assessment skill sparked to life, but it returned only question marks. Whoever this was, their power exceeded his current capabilities.

Using his immense Physical Control, Nova lengthened his vocal cords to make a deeper voice again. Being seen as a mere child might put him in danger.

"I'm here to talk," he replied, keeping his voice steady. "Killing him would only make my goal harder to reach."

"Dying would make it even harder, so leave." The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "As long as I'm here, you cannot threaten him."

Nova's eyes swept the room, searching for any sign of movement. The lamplight caught the edge of an ornate frame, drawing his attention to a family portrait above the fireplace—the governor, a woman who must be his wife, and three children. All smiling, painted with careful detail and obvious affection.

"...I'm here to stop the harvesting of children," Nova said quietly. "Why would you protect someone like him?"

"I was hired to protect his family." For the first time, a note of emotion crept into the voice—not anger or threat, but something closer to resignation. "If you intend to get any closer, one of us is going to die here."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Nova's Perfect Control trait let him sense the subtle shifts in power around him—whoever this guard was, they weren't bluffing. More importantly, they weren't afraid. That alone told him everything he needed to know.

'...This is no longer something I can do carelessly. I'll have to contact the governor a different way. I never expected to meet someone this strong already…'

Without another word, Nova stepped back into the shadows and vanished.

In the study's corner, a man lowered the book he'd been pretending to read and released his concealment technique. The comfortable armchair he occupied had given him a perfect view of the room while keeping him in shadow. His scarred face caught the lamplight as he considered his next move.

The intruder had been interesting—far more dangerous than expected, yet showing surprising restraint. With a resigned sigh, he stood and walked down the lamp-lit hallway to fetch his employer.

The governor's personal quarters were dimly lit, a single candle burning on the mahogany side table. Unlike the younger man in the family portrait, Governor Newark's face now bore deep lines of wisdom and worry. His silver hair was neatly combed despite the late hour, one of many habits that spoke to his disciplined nature.

"Sir," the guard said quietly. "There's been an incident you should know about."

Newark looked up from the book in his lap, marking his place with a thin ribbon. "In the study?"

"Yes. An assassin. Likely the one from two nights ago."

The governor closed the book and rose gracefully, following the guard back to his study. He settled into the padded chair behind his desk with a quiet sigh.

"Thank you," he said, straightening a stack of papers. "I would have preferred it if you killed him, but that's not what I hired you for."

The guard stepped out of the shadows near the window, his scarred face catching the lamplight. When he spoke, his voice was thoughtful.

"I'm not sure I could, honestly... Even if it wasn't directed at me, that killing intent... It was something else."

"Oh?" The governor's eyebrows rose slightly. "It's someone at that level? What interest could they have in the Gardens?"

"...He said he wanted to stop it." The guard's hand unconsciously moved to one of his deeper scars. "Perhaps it's someone repenting for their bloody past?"

"Perhaps." Newark's fingers traced a document on his desk—an unopened report from the Gardens, signed by the captain, Larena. "It's not like I don't understand, but as long as the king forces my hand..."

The same reason all these gardens still operated—'I was only following orders.'

The guard sighed, paid too well to care. "Why did you hire me, anyway? You would have no issue dealing with him."

"Many reasons." A slight smile crossed the governor's face. "Due to your trait, I won't have to pay constant attention when you're here. And if you somehow die in an attack, the assassin will be confident in taking me out. You're worth the money, don't worry."

The guard moved closer to the desk, studying Newark's face with a hint of nervousness. He didn't want to seem too curious. "...What's stopping you from making a barrier?"

"I thought you rats knew about my family."

"Not everything. You're good at hiding stuff."

"What makes you think I'll tell you, then?"

The guard studied him briefly, noting the slight tremor in his hands as he reached for a glass of wine. "...Well, you've been acting strange recently. Hiring someone from the underworld, for one. Staying out of the public eye as well."

Newark's hand paused halfway to the glass. When he spoke again, his voice bore clear traces of his age. "...Do you know any genius doctors, Nihil?"

"Genius doctors?" Nihil searched his mind, thinking through all the various 'healers' in the city's underworld. "No one I would consider a genius, no. One herbalist with a fondness for alcohol, one shaman dancing in and out of lucidity, and one surgeon who is suspiciously good friends with a mortician."

Newark laughed, but there was a strong undercurrent of sadness. "Hah… Never mind, then."

"...There is a Chronicler in the city."

"I already know. But despite the taxes, I'm not made of money. If I ask them, I would have to explain where all the souls meant for the capital went, and King Galled isn't known to be forgiving."

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