Alistair spent about an hour copying books from the library to add to his knowledge, including the children's book his sister had handed him. The children's book drained more mana than anticipated, consuming most of his time in the library. He entered his soulscape to cope, leveraging its time-dilating effect to enhance efficiency and speed up energy pool recovery. Ultimately, Alistair could only display the book on a screen or within his soulscape due to its incredibly advanced magic.

Once they finished their business in the library, they made their way to Earth's section, which was in a different ward. They would need to use one of the internal sub-gates strewn about the ring city. To Alistair's delight, his sister was warmly received by both the staff and children they encountered, with nearly everyone they passed offering greetings and smiles.

"Popular as usual, I see," Alistair said cheerfully, waving to another passing pair of students.

"Yeah, the people here are great. I am glad I landed here when all of this started," Melissa said with a weak smile.

Alistair tried to hide his worry; his mother had told him how badly Melissa had taken the changes. He was thankful to the people in the ward for accepting her and treating her as well as they did, as they took her mind off things and kept her occupied. He had initially considered teaching his sister body cultivation as she could progress her strength without constant fighting, but after learning of the troubles cultivation brought with it, he reconsidered. Emotional stability and resilience were almost required when dealing with any cultivation or body modification, and he did not even fully trust himself. His sister had grown up too sheltered, and her current state only reinforced Alistair's belief that it was a poor idea. To be able to teach properly, one would need to have something they excelled at, and his sister had not found her path yet, which worried him.

"Have you found any field you wished to specialize in? You have never told me your affinity?" Alistair inquired over the link as they walked the streets towards the closest internal gate.

"It's preservation," she began, her tone carrying a hint of tension. " I'm Currently researching racial evolutions and associated ritual magic. It appears our family possesses a strong magic affinity, and this should allow us to advance into more powerful subraces like the witch subraces, which are exclusive to human women with high magic affinity. I've gathered much information on the ritual magic involved, but I'm lacking many essential magical components," she replied over the link, her fingers fidgeting nervously.

Alistair recognized the telltale sign of her nervous fidgeting. It was a rare occurrence, indicating that she sought help but was hesitant to ask directly. Usually, she wouldn't hesitate to take or ask for what she needed. The fact that she was this hesitant hinted at the significance of her request. Alistair felt relieved she had reached out and offered her a reassuring smile.

"Sis. You are part of the clan; If you need help, you just have to ask! Your plan sounds great, though I don't know how I feel about you turning your skin green and growing your nose out," Alistair said teasingly.

"That would be a bog witch, a lower-tier evolution; with my affinity, I thought perhaps aim for a storm or ice witch. The latter one could have some synergy with my affinity. Also, other than my hair turning white, nothing would really change, so I would at least not look like a goblin," Melissa explained over the link with a smirk on her face.

"In that case, is there a male version of the witch subrace, like a wizard?" Alistair asked curiously.

He had learned from Desily and Zathron that reaching the next grade would offer racial evolutions. They were presented with multiple choices based on their affinity and linear evolution paths, such as transitioning from fairy to arch fairy or, in her case, a Void Pixie.

"Yes, they're called Magus. I'm quite sure you'll be offered the chance to evolve into one once you reach the next grade," she responded over the link.

"Are you sure about that? I'm already a [Body Cultivating Human],"

"Yes, I researched this quite thoroughly. Based on your affinity, you would most likely be a [Body Cultivating Kinetic Magus]. Being a magus does not stop you from being a body cultivator. Body cultivators, cybernetic users, and similar changes to your physiology don't prevent you from changing and upgrading your race. They are also not mutually exclusive, but they do clash. It's generally not recommended to undergo multiple physiological changes as they mess with the individual's mind.

"Well, that race is a mouthful and sounds more like a class than a race," Alistair commented over the link.

Melissa regarded him with a puzzled expression, clearly unfamiliar with the concept of video game classes. Sensing her confusion, Alistair took a moment to explain that the race name sounded more like a class than a race in the context of video games. He felt relieved to see her making an effort to contribute and carve out her own path in this new world without relying solely on his intervention.

"If Affinity matters. Have you tried any storm or ice magic before? And can these rituals fail if the affinity is too low?" he questioned.

"Don't worry. I'd need a pretty high affinity to make any changes, and the evolution will even boost the affinity in question. I've experimented with spells from both, but I seem to lean more towards ice. Right now, I'm saving up for a set of affinity-measuring orbs. Once I have them, I can determine which affinity suits me best and choose my witch subtype accordingly," Melissa elaborated.

"Are those orbs expensive? I know Nessyra is looking to get them. Also, write down a list of needed materials and give it to Nessyra and me. I will watch for the materials, and Nessyra is great at obtaining even hard-to-get treasures." Alistair said as his sister put in a code into the sub gate console.

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"Each set contains six orbs and costs around 2500 contribution points. However, I can select the concept affinities measured by these orbs. Since I don't need all six, you can let me know which ones we require. But are you sure this is okay? Won't Nessyra have objections?" Melissa inquired with a hint of uncertainty.

"Don't worry. Your plan sounds solid. I doubt Nessyra will raise any objections. Besides, don't you already possess far more than 5000 points? I acquired over 1000 from just one teaching session. Additionally, it's best to consult Nessyra about which orbs the clan requires. I do know that she needs a measuring tool for the space concept, as we're in need of a dedicated space mage for tasks like storage, portals, and other crafts involving spatial manipulation," Alistair reassured her.

"I do, but I wasn't certain if you all could or would assist me with the materials, so I saved up most of my contribution points until we had this discussion rather than expecting all of you to fulfill my wishes," Melissa admitted sheepishly as they passed through the sub-gate.

They appeared in a similar ringed city and headed for the eastern section, where Alistair could already see a large temple that looked like a mix of both Gothic and Arabian architecture, with most of the structure made of white stone with a lot of gold trimmings and decorations, the domes were a dark teal and also adorned with goldcrests, the occasional greenery was placed in the balconies. Alistair noticed the same sigil he had seen on Enya's armor displayed on large banners hanging from the sides of two of the towers.

"Not exactly a subtle deity I'm dealing with; what can you tell me about this place?" Alistair inquired, eyeing the impressive temple that occupied a significant portion of the outer circle.

"I have a few students from Earth who have already joined them. One of my students, Nina, told me about this place; she was the first to discover it. She encountered a man wearing armor with that sigil, and he guided her here. Since then, she's been inviting others from Earth, me included," Melissa explained, her gaze fixed on the imposing structure in the distance.

Curiosity piqued, Alistair inquired further, "Did you check it out? And how well acquainted are you with Nina? What kind of person is she, and what motivated her to join them?"

"I did. They offered to protect me and my family if I were to join their cause, and they even said they could protect our pets if they were still alive. I honestly wanted to accept their help but needed some time to think about it. Then you reappeared, and things changed," Melissa explained, her expression filled with concern. She went on to recount the story of Nina, a bright 15-year-old girl from France who had attended many of her sister's magic classes. Despite not being fanatical, Nina had joined them for the merits they offered.

The mention of their pets stung. He hoped they were okay and that Sol would be able to shelter them. He would try to negotiate their protection if necessary. Alistair grew a little frustrated with how little he knew about this god. He had nothing definitive, and he wasn't sure whether talking to his followers before the meeting was a good idea.

They walked past and observed the temple as discreetly as possible for a while before entering without anyone stopping them or paying them any attention; the structure was massive, and there weren't that many people present; most of them were busy talking with each other, barely glancing at them and giving them polite bows before moving on. The air felt fresh, and the rooms were well-lighted up and clean; most of the floor was covered by carpets, which Alistair could tell were self-cleaning. There was a big assembly hall with a podium in the center of the structure with multiple balconies adorned with greenery overlooking the assembly hall where Alistair suspected Sol would hold his speech. As Alistair and Melissa prepared to depart, they were approached by one of the followers near the entrance.

"Mr. Ryser, we weren't expecting you until tomorrow at the earliest. My apologies for any inconvenience. Since most of our members are currently out, is there something I can assist you with?" A tall, muscular man with dark skin and a clean-shaven face stood near the entrance, addressing Alistair. He nodded politely to Melissa before focusing his attention back on Alistair.

The man was clad in a striking sci-fi uniform, exuding an air of sophistication and authority. His attire boasted a pristine white color, adorned with accents of gold and regal dark blue decorations. Emblazoned proudly upon his shoulder was Sol's Sigil. The uniform comprised a tailored jacket featuring a row of four gleaming golden buttons. This jacket looked meticulously crafted and left the lower torso unencumbered, allowing for ease of movement and functionality. Paired with it were neatly tailored cloth pants and leather boots, completing the look with a sense of refined style and practicality instead of the opulence Alistair was expecting; he used [Identify], revealing him to be [Caleb Smith - lvl 37].

Alistair expressed his surprise. "I was beginning to think Sol had instructed his followers to avoid me altogether."

Caleb met his gaze evenly. "They've been instructed not to disturb you. Especially after Enya overstepped her bounds during your conversation. Lord Sol didn't want you to feel further alienated and sent his apologies."

"Overstepped? How so? And what exactly does Sol want from me?" Alistair pressed for clarification.

"During your conversation, she implied that Sol plans to trap you on Earth. It wasn't her place to make such assertions. As for Lord Sol's intentions toward you, I'm not privy to them, and even if I were, it wouldn't be my place to disclose," Caleb explained firmly, his expression serious.

Alistair had trouble reading Caleb, though he did not believe he was lying. They continued exchanging pleasantries; however, Caleb sidestepped Alistair's inquiries, requesting him to return tomorrow and ask Sol himself. Eventually, Alistair gave up on his probing and left with Melissa.

"Not sure if this was worth coming here for," Alistair said, furrowing his brows as he looked back at the temple.

"He did say that trapping you was not their intent," Melissa interjected.

Alistair shook his head in response, "He didn't outright deny it either, just that it wasn't Enya's call. All I know is that Sol' does not wish to alienate me and has instructed his followers not to talk with me."

Alistair was eager to return to Riseth as he could sense her suffering from the pill consumption. As they approached the sub-gate, Alistair turned to his sister. "Alright, take care of yourself, and don't hesitate to ask me or Nessy for help. The sooner we know, the better we can assist you," he said warmly.

Melissa hugged Alistair, tip-toeing due to her much smaller stature. Alistair could not help but think that she looked very much like their mother now, though her hair color was a light brown and long, and her face was heart-shaped, much like Alistair's.

"I will. See you tomorrow. Give my regards to Riseth," Melissa said as she stepped through the sub-gate. Alistair waved goodbye, knowing they had plans to attend the gathering with most of the clan members. He had checked with Caleb beforehand to ensure it wouldn't upset Sol, receiving assurance that the Ryser clan was welcome to attend.

Alistair headed for the main gate deep in thought, glancing back at the temple, wondering what tomorrow would bring.