The girl sat quietly in a corner of the library, turning pages with care, occasionally scribbling calculations on scratch paper.

Her gaze was focused, serene and tranquil, shimmering like a distant galaxy in the night sky. When encountering blurred text, she’d slowly lower her head, leaning closer to the ancient tome, her pale-gold hair swaying gently as it fell past her ears.

There was an otherworldly beauty about her, and in her concentration, she seemed even more captivating.

Soft lamplight haloed her figure.

She looked like a classical painting come to life—

So much so that even the Domain Lord of Stellar Abyss hesitated to disturb her.

Until…

His eyes landed on the ancient books resting on Luyi’s table.

*The Abyssal Canon (Fragments)*.

*The Chapter of Ruin (Annotated Edition)*.

*Research on Abyssal Ancient Script*.

…

?

The Domain Lord mentally typed a question mark.

*What in the abyss?*

*Are these books meant for a freshman?*

He’d always assumed only professors or higher would ever visit this secluded corner.

Yet today, an exceptionally young figure sat here.

And the books beside her? The most notoriously incomprehensible ones.

Especially *The Chapter of Ruin*—a Throne deeply versed in ancient scripts had studied it until he lost his mind, dying without fully grasping it.

But right now, the girl flipped through the pages, frowning, shaking her head, scribbling nonstop.

*Could Luluie actually understand this?*

The thought struck the Domain Lord.

He dared only watch from afar—not just to avoid disturbing Luyi.

Beside her stood a presence even *he* wouldn’t dare interrupt.

A man who looked far younger than himself.

Late fifties, perhaps. Neat salt-and-pepper hair. No trace of frailty.

His expression was calm, smiling. Plain clothes, utterly ordinary—almost out of place at Stellar Abyss Academy.

He’d fit better among grandpas watching chess matches in a park.

He looked more like a librarian tidying shelves.

“…”

Luyi had noticed him long ago.

No hostility. No unsettling aura. She ignored him.

*A retired professor? Or staff worried I’ll damage these books?*

*Whatever.*

“Ugh…”

After a while, she stretched, leaning back in her chair.

These texts made her queasy.

Not because she couldn’t read them—she understood nearly everything.

It was the clunky sentence structures and ancient phrasing that revolted her.

The characters themselves were bad enough, but the wording? Utterly jarring.

*Great book. Love from the Demon Sovereign.*

The “annotated edition” felt like machine-translated gibberish run through twenty filters.

*Need a break. Or my brain’s going to fry.*

She sighed, staring at the ceiling.

*Is she giving up?* the Domain Lord murmured, stepping forward to invite her.

But the elder moved first.

“Having trouble, young student?”

Luyi looked up. The gray-haired man smiled kindly.

“Sort of… but not really,” she replied.

*He approached Luluie!*

The Domain Lord froze.

What came next stunned him more.

“If you don’t mind… try this?”

A flicker from his spatial ring. A thick notebook appeared in his hands—filled with meticulous handwriting.

He flipped to a page and handed it to her.

“!”

*His personal research notes!*

*Priceless insights!*

*And he’s just… giving them to Luluie?*

The Domain Lord’s jaw dropped.

“Thanks,” Luyi said hesitantly, taking it.

*Stellar Abyss Library really spoils its readers. One-on-one tutoring?*

*Though unnecessary.*

She skimmed a few lines and set it aside.

“You can take it back. I won’t need it. Detailed, but… riddled with errors.”

The Domain Lord had never felt more shocked in decades.

*How dare she say that?!*

*Does she know who stands before her?!*

*If she angers His Eminence—*

“Oh?” The elder’s eyes flickered—surprise, curiosity.

“May I ask which parts are inaccurate? I’ve researched Demon Race history for years. Cross-referenced sources. I believed this was sound.”

“Take line two here. The original meaning should be…”

“Interesting. But these characters also appear in these combat techniques. If we adjust… wait…”

The elder sketched a few combat technique circuits. His expression shifted.

Luyi’s suggested changes *worked*.

Especially for one advanced technique—the revised version matched its true name perfectly.

“Of course… why didn’t I see it?” he muttered.

“And these two lines—you labeled these ancient characters differently. But they’re the *same* character. A scribe’s error caused the split.”

“The derivative technique diagram is wrong. That shadow? Damage from foreign matter—not part of the circuit. The missing segment should be here…”

Luyi pointed out flaws bluntly.

The elder nodded at first, then struggled to keep up. He sat beside her, grabbing paper and pen, scribbling frantically—

Like a struggling student scrambling to copy notes.

“Uh… wha…?”

The Domain Lord stood frozen, mouth agape.

He’d never seen anything like this!

*His Eminence* sat humbly before Luyi!

Apologizing for his notes’ poor quality!

Time flew. Noon arrived.

The Domain Lord stood rooted, numb-legged.

“Oh—lunchtime already?” Luyi checked the clock. “I should go.”

The elder jolted from his thoughts. His eyes held reluctant longing.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

“…Will you… *may I* ask if you’ll return to the library?”

“No need for formalities,” Luyi said, unused to being called “Your Honor.” “I’ll be here. Studying.”

“Then… may I consult you again if I have questions?” His voice was earnest.

“Sure…” Luyi replied, uneasy.

*A student suddenly becoming a teacher?*

*This grandpa’s really eager to learn.*

*Must be a retired professor killing time here.*

“Thank you endlessly!” The elder bowed deeply.

“Uh… bye, Grandpa.” Luyi nodded awkwardly, slipping away between the shelves.

After she vanished, the elder returned to his seat, calculating.

Minutes passed. He sighed, tearing out several notebook pages.

“Te-Te-Te-Teacher!”

The Domain Lord finally approached, stammering.

Hours of slack-jawed staring had numbed his legs and tongue.

He called the elder “Teacher.”

“Saw everything, did you?” The elder didn’t look up.

His casual tone crushed the Domain Lord.

“I… apologize.”

“Unimportant.” The elder paused. “You came to recruit her as your disciple, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Hmph. Abandon that thought. With your half-baked skills, you’d ruin her future.”

“…As you say.”

The elder’s cold laugh silenced any rebuttal.

“Truthfully, I’d considered taking her under *my* wing today.” He didn’t hide it. “Seeing her immersed in these texts, I thought to help. If she deciphered even one page, she’d pass my test…”

“But now—it’s *I* who failed.”

A wry smile touched his lips—joy mixed with sorrow. “I was wrong. She was right.

She thinks I’m library staff. An ordinary teacher. But perhaps… that’s all I am.”

“I’m unworthy to be her teacher. She could teach *me*.”

The Domain Lord’s scalp prickled. *If even HE lacks the qualifications…*

“Only the true master of this academy could mentor her.”

The elder’s gaze grew distant.

The Domain Lord fell silent.

*The true master…*

*The legendary Dark Emperor.*

“Her identity isn’t ordinary,” the elder said softly.

“Did she come for the Dark Emperor’s legacy?” The Domain Lord saw no other reason.

*Surely she didn’t just come to study?*

The elder didn’t answer. He stared at the empty chair where Luyi had sat.

“Who she is. What she seeks. It doesn’t matter.

Whatever the Dark Emperor left behind—if her heart is pure and her strength worthy, Stellar Abyss Academy won’t stand in her way.

But if she harbors other intentions… I…”

*At least Luyi doesn’t seem malicious.*

*To him.*

That frantic energy—scribbling notes, wrestling with ancient wisdom—he hadn’t felt it in decades.

It dragged him back through time.

Back to when he sat before that mighty, powerful figure…