### **Prologue: The Hidden Path**
The morning sun painted the sky in hues of gold as Qin Hong's skycar sliced through the clouds. Beside him, Xiao Yu slept soundly, her head lolling against the window. Three hours remained on the navigation dispy—three hours of monotonous flight toward Akartay.
*"If I'd been there before,"* Qin Hong groaned, reclining his seat, *"I could've warped us in a second."*
The ndscape below shifted from urban sprawl to dense forest as they descended. After dropping Xiao Yu at a bustling skycar parts shop in the city center, Qin Hong guided the vehicle toward a secluded grove on Akartay's outskirts. According to Sisi's coordinates, the castle should have been visible—yet there was nothing but ancient trees and dappled sunlight.
A voice, warm and unassuming, cut through the silence:
*"Qin Hong?"*
A man stepped into view—**You Hang·Tucker**, his round face framed by square bck gsses, his gray athletic wear doing little to disguise his soft physique. He looked more like a university professor than the legendary "Shield King."
*"Follow me,"* You Hang said, pcing a palm against the trunk of a towering maple.
Beneath his touch, veins of emerald light pulsed through the bark, branching like lightning across the tree's limbs. The ground trembled as a rectangur outline materialized before them—a stairway descending into the earth, lined with nterns that burned with an eerie, blue-white fme.
*"We're going... down?"* Qin Hong hesitated.
You Hang's chuckle was knowing. *"Trust the process."*
---
### **Part 1: The Inverted Castle**
The passage twisted deeper, the air growing cooler. Qin Hong's boots echoed against stone steps that defied logic—the further they descended, the brighter the light at the tunnel's end became.
Then, without warning, You Hang stepped through the threshold...
...and vanished.
Qin Hong's breath hitched. Heart pounding, he crossed the boundary—
—and the world **flipped**.
Suddenly, he stood on sunlit grass, the stairway now stretching *upward* behind him. Before him loomed **Akartay Castle**, its three spires piercing the heavens, stained-gss windows scattering prismatic light across the courtyard. The Yeena River glittered at its base, so clear he could count the pebbles on its bed.
*"Spatial inversion,"* You Hang expined, appearing beside him. *"The castle exists between yers. Down is up, and up is... well, you'll see."*
A grin tugged at Qin Hong's lips. *"Show-offs."*
---
### **Part 2: The Misfit Alliance**
The training grounds buzzed with activity—and there, beneath a ginkgo tree, stood **Haruko**. Her gray tee and bck skirt were a stark contrast to the combat gear around her, but it was the familiar glint of her obsidian earring that sent Qin Hong sprinting toward her.
*"You're here too?"* he blurted.
Haruko shrugged. *"At least you're tolerable."*
Before he could decipher that, a whirlwind of energy barreled into him—**Merkel·Denbo**, a boy in a hoodie, gripped Qin Hong's hands with arming enthusiasm.
*"Denbo? As in *the* Denbo Industries?"* Qin Hong gaped.
Merkel rubbed his neck. *"Small family business, really—"*
*"—compared to him,"* Haruko interjected, nodding toward a nguid figure leaning against a fence.
The man exhaled a smoke ring. **"Waltho·Vedon."**
Qin Hong's jaw dropped. *"Vedon Arms? The *weapons empire*?"*
Waltho smirked, flicking his cigarette. With a flourish, he pulled a **gatling gun** from his jacket—somehow fitting its two-meter barrel into what should've been pocket space.
*"Illusionary Arsenal,"* he said, as Qin Hong and Merkel vibrated with awe. *"I materialize firearms. Useless against most ability users, but..."* He patted the weapon. *"Style points."*
Haruko sighed. *"Children."*
---
### **Part 3: The Viper's Nest**
A honeyed voice ced with venom cut through their camaraderie:
*"Waltho, darling, showing off your *toys* again?"*
**Irene von Eldrich** sauntered into view, golden hair cascading over a pristine baseball jacket. Her entourage—a statuesque girl in a school uniform and two hulking bodyguards—fnked her like a royal procession.
One guard, **Fritt**, dropped to his knees, clutching Irene's thigh. *"Master, don't repce me!"* he wailed.
Qin Hong whispered to Merkel: *"Is this... a fetish thing?"*
*"He gets paid 100k a month to be her 'dog,'"* Merkel muttered back.
Irene's gaze raked over Qin Hong. *"The Wenors recruit. What's your ability, peasant? If it's impressive, I might trade up."*
Fritt's face darkened. Before anyone could react, he lunged at Merkel—
—only for Qin Hong to catch his fist mid-air.
The training grounds fell silent.
Fritt strained, veins bulging, but Qin Hong's grip was immovable. Haruko's eyebrows rose; Waltho whistled appreciatively.
*"Interesting,"* Irene purred. *"Maybe I *will* keep you around."*
---
