Ki miracles were difficult to learn initially but relatively easy to grasp once the basics were mastered.

At Mithra’s request, Nie Hong began teaching her the most basic technique: Control Object.

It didn’t take long. The red energy extending from Mithra’s hand enveloped a small pebble, lifting it shakily before drawing it into her palm.

"Wow, you learned that really fast," Nie Hong exclaimed, his admiration genuine.

"Not bad," Mithra replied, rolling the pebble between her fingers. "It feels… strange. Different from other miracles."

Nie Hong leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head. "Well, I specialize in Ki miracles. I only know Reinforce Body and Stabilize from other disciplines, and I don’t understand Nature miracles at all."

Mithra tilted her head thoughtfully. "Is the miracle inheritance on Planet Blue very comprehensive?"

According to Safin, learning Ki miracles in Dreamland required either attending the Sanctuary’s Ki Academy or journeying to the legendary Mysterious Kingdom.

"Basic miracles are available to everyone," Nie Hong explained. "I didn’t know anything at first either. We’re only allowed to start learning about miracles in high school, and back then, we could only study Reinforce Body and Stabilize. After getting into college, we choose a direction based on our aptitude and are assigned to different departments."

"So, how many people study Ki miracles?"

"Not many. Everyone has sense, but those who can feel Ki are rare. My school’s Ki Academy only has one class with about two dozen students," Nie Hong replied, scratching his ear.

Feeling that wasn’t quite clear enough, he gestured broadly. "And my school is a nationally renowned university!"

Mithra glanced at him, unimpressed. Without a word, she raised her hand, and a red glow extended toward Nie Hong’s head.

Nie Hong froze, then stammered, "Wait, wait! Control Object is for inanimate objects! In Ki miracles, there’s a difference between living and non-living things—ow! Why are you pulling my hair?"

With a few strands yanked out, Nie Hong’s newly summoned Ki faltered.

Before Mithra could press further, their surroundings stirred. Wandering cursed creatures began to emerge. Though they posed no real threat to Mithra, the chaotic environment wasn’t ideal for training.

Without hesitation, Mithra casually stuffed the throwing knives back into her body and dragged a still-nervous Nie Hong back to Safin’s cave.

When Safin saw the pair enter, his brow lifted knowingly. "Looks like you’ve found yourself a comrade."

"Hard to say. Maybe it was just coincidence," Mithra replied, her tone indifferent.

Safin chuckled, shaking his head. "The meat’s almost ready."

Nie Hong hesitated, unsure how to react. He couldn’t quite follow their exchange.

Safin glanced at him with a grin. "If the young brother doesn’t mind, you’re welcome to join us. It’s just some wild game."

Ignoring them both, Mithra sat by the fire and picked up a piece of meat, biting into it without hesitation.

She hadn’t replenished enough energy today. The blood of the believers she fought earlier had been weak and unsatisfying. She’d hoped to recover her strength from the pursuers’ blood, but her underestimated skill left her with no challenge.

Without blood, she had two choices: pay with sense or eat more. Given the opportunity to eat, she chose the latter.

Nie Hong nervously picked up a piece of meat, his gaze uncertain. "What kind of meat is this?"

"Bear," Safin replied nonchalantly. "Mithra hunted it."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Nie Hong shivered.

He’d seen bears before—at the zoo. To him, they were large, gentle creatures. Dangerous in the wild, perhaps, but his mind clung to their more docile image.

The school had always warned against consuming food in Dreamland, especially meat of unknown origin. Yet refusing to eat might be considered impolite…

After a long internal struggle, Nie Hong cautiously took a bite.

The meat was tough, hard to chew, and flavorless.

Of course, neither Safin nor Mithra had bothered with finesse. To them, cooking was merely a way to make food edible without getting sick. Taste was irrelevant.

Resigned, Nie Hong reminded himself to adapt to the local customs and quietly continued eating.

Mithra, having finished her meal, began recounting her encounter with Nie Hong to Safin.

She didn’t hold back, detailing everything, including the moment she crushed Nie Hong’s skull.

Safin listened with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "You always manage to find strange situations. And your methods… a bit too straightforward, don’t you think?"

Though his words might have sounded critical, his tone wasn’t. He understood her approach—Dreamland wasn’t a place for subtlety.

Meanwhile, Nie Hong buried his face in his food, trying to disappear into the background.

From Mithra's perspective, he was nothing more than a clueless newbie—a fledgling who dared throw a few knives at her vital points. He deserved to be captured and beaten.

"If he says he doesn't have a life lock left, what will you do?" Safin asked casually.

"I'll cut off his legs first," Mithra replied bluntly, chewing on a piece of meat.

Safin chuckled.

Nie Hong's trembling intensified.

Caught off guard earlier, his hand had been shattered with a single blow. The thought of his legs suffering the same fate made his stomach churn.

He silently thanked his instincts for being honest and decisive.

"He knows Ki miracles," Safin pointed out. "Keeping him is bound to be beneficial for you."

Mithra nodded thoughtfully.

"So, I suggest you go back to the Enchanting Land with him to recuperate. Don't argue," Safin continued. "The Enchanting Land offers favorable conditions. If you find a place to settle down, you'll be much stronger when you return to Dreamland to face danger. I can tell you’re eager to try, given your mysterious and extraordinary nature."

His hoarse voice carried over Mithra's attempts to interject.

After a moment of silence, she gave a slow nod. "Hopefully, you'll still be here when I return."

"That won’t be an issue. As long as you don’t forget me. And if you do, well, that wouldn’t be so bad either," Safin said with a wry smile.

"Stop saying such depressing things," Mithra replied, irritated.

Nie Hong sat silently, staring at the two by the fire.

His Dreamland common language was excellent, yet their conversation sounded cryptic—clearly something an outsider wasn't meant to understand.

Still, he grasped one key point: this imposing figure was going to return to the Enchanting Land with him?

The revelation left him stunned. He’d assumed she was some sort of high-level NPC with a hidden storyline, not a compatriot.

The whole situation felt surreal, and Nie Hong’s mind spun trying to make sense of it.

The rest of the meal passed in silence, everyone focused on eating.

Afterward, Mithra activated Stabilize once more and resumed questioning Nie Hong about Ki miracles, with Safin listening intently.

Nie Hong felt the immense weight of their combined stares, his voice quaking as he explained. Yet Mithra's heightened sensitivity accelerated her learning, and before long, she had mastered Immobilize.

Though Immobilize and Control Object fell under the same Ki discipline, they were fundamentally different.

"As I said earlier," Nie Hong explained, "controlling inanimate objects with Ki and controlling living beings are incomparable.

"Both are basic Ki miracles, but with roughly the same sense power consumption, Control Object allows for flexible manipulation of objects. Immobilize, however, can only briefly restrain living beings.

"That’s because controlling a living being means projecting your own Ki to suppress theirs. The resulting conflict is far more complex than manipulating an inanimate object."

Both Mithra and Safin nodded, digesting the explanation.

After a moment’s pause, Nie Hong asked hesitantly, "Should I teach you Protection next?"

"Protection isn’t necessary," Mithra replied curtly. "Tell me about that long-range attack you used—the one I interrupted. Also, the alcohol miracle you mentioned."

She dismissed Protection outright. Defensive techniques weren’t compatible with her habits or her preference for counterattacks.

Nie Hong, clearly uncomfortable, scratched his head before answering. "The technique I was trying to use was Ki Absorption Hand. It’s a miracle I haven’t fully mastered yet. By touching a target, you can forcibly absorb their Ki.

"If their Ki is drained, they’ll collapse from exhaustion at best. At worst, they’ll die from blood stagnation."

Mithra’s brows furrowed slightly. "That powerful, huh? You even used a pattern to enhance it."

Safin chimed in thoughtfully. "If you can’t control a living being, then stealing their Ki directly is a logical alternative."

Nie Hong froze. "Uh… I guess? I hadn’t thought of it that way."

Safin offered an apologetic shrug. "My bad, I overanalyzed."

Mithra glanced between them before refocusing on Nie Hong. "And the alcohol miracle?"

"If you drink alcohol, you can activate a miracle called Ki Ignition," Nie Hong explained. "It temporarily sets your Ki ablaze. Your Ki burns brighter, and you can even ignite the Ki of others.

"But it’s dangerous. If you lose control, you’ll burn yourself."

Safin chuckled dryly at the explanation. "A perfect mix of mystery and danger. I can see why the Sanctuary’s Ki Academy refused to include Ki miracles in the basic curriculum."

Mithra, however, wasn’t concerned with the risks. To her, it sounded fascinating.

Ki was undeniably cool. And with so many potential uses for Ki miracles in this world, it was even cooler.

"Teach me," she demanded bluntly.

"Okay, okay," Nie Hong stammered, nodding hurriedly.