"Prince?"

Right. How could a dreamlike otherworld be complete without princes and princesses? So—

"Do you have a sister?"

*With a prince this pretty, the princess must be even more stunning. Besides, princesses are every commoner’s dream.*

The crown prince stared at Yan Yi’s eager expression, utterly bewildered. Interle couldn’t take it anymore and punched Yan Yi square in the face.

"Don’t mind him. He’s got a screw loose."

"*You’re* the one with screws loose!"

Interle ignored Yan Yi sprawled on the ground, even stepping on him as she turned to the prince.

"So, Your Highness, what brings you here with nothing to do? And servants shadowing you from afar?"

Yan Yi’s twitching body stilled. *Why’s Interle acting so weird? Where’d that obedient act go? She’s straight-up queen mode now.*

He couldn’t move, though. Turning his head meant glimpsing under Interle’s skirt. If it were Luris, he’d risk it—ten books wouldn’t stop him, at worst a beating from Luris. But Interle? He didn’t dare imagine the aftermath…

The crown prince sighed at the pair. *Is this girl even more terrifying?*

"Just passing through. I heard Mount More’s upper slopes have fine Magic Stones. As for these six—I had no idea they’d been tailing me. Can’t even step out without being watched."

*Class A should handle the upper slopes fine. Just avoid Class S Magical Beasts.*

"And you two? Students at Central Magic Academy?"

Interle lifted her foot off Yan Yi and nodded at the prince.

"We’re on a mission. I’m Tein. This is Yan Yi. Commoners both. Forgive any offense."

In a world where strength ruled, many defied nobles. The prince felt no offense—but their power stunned him. *This Yan Yi subdued six Class S fighters alone? When did Central produce such a monster?*

Yan Yi didn’t question Interle’s lie. He stood, retracting his bone chains—though he kept them coiled in his hands—and hung the six men from a tree.

"Oh, Little White, don’t worry. Just keeping them safe from beasts."

The prince blinked, glancing between them. Seeing Interle’s stare, he pointed at himself.

"Little White? *Me?*"

"Yep. Your name’s too long. There’s a ‘white’ in the middle. Little White it is."

Yan Yi said it like obvious truth. The prince had never met anyone so utterly disrespectful—but they clearly weren’t done.

"Wouldn’t ‘Little Black’ suit him better? Look at his hair color."

Interle seemed to consider it, offering the suggestion to Yan Yi.

*Prince here! Hello?! My opinion?*

"No way! Little Black sounds like a girl’s name. Oh—I don’t mean *you’re* a girl, Little White! Just… your face. Names should match looks, right?"

Little White’s expression darkened. He itched to pin Yan Yi down but remembered Interle’s "screw loose" warning.

*Don’t engage with crazy people. Breathe.*

"True," Interle mused, stressing *girl*, *beautiful*, *pretty*, and *temptation* with deliberate flair. Yan Yi was impressed despite himself. "He’s no girl, but he’s so pretty even *I* got dazzled for a second. Other guys? They’d melt. Little White fits better. Decided."

Little White heard his sanity crack. Only the sight of the six men dangling from trees kept his mana from exploding. He took two sharp breaths, forcing a topic change.

"Hah. Little White it is. So… your mission’s Class S?"

Interle wordlessly handed him the task sheet. Little White’s eyes snagged on the glaring **D** at the top.

He rubbed his eyes, reread the description, then stared at them. "Are you *insane*?"

"Yan Yi, he’s talking about you."

Interle snatched the sheet back, shoving it at Yan Yi.

"How could he—? …Uh. *Yes!*"

Yan Yi almost blamed her, but one glare shut him up.

"Well then, Little White. We’ve got a mission."

Interle nodded, striding past him. Yan Yi followed.

Utterly baffled but wary of Yan Yi’s strength, Little White abandoned his hanging guards and chased after them.

"Wait! Head to the upper slopes? I know a cave with top-grade Magic Stones."

Yan Yi stayed silent—Magic Stones meant nothing to him. Interle nodded. *Magic Stones have endless uses. And we’re heading up anyway. Chance to watch this prince.*

"Fine. But we finish our task first."

Little White recalled the Class D "flying flower collection" mission. *These two are gloriously, hilariously pointless.*

"I’ll help."

Under Yan Yi’s aura, not a single beast dared approach—whether they gathered flowers or climbed higher.

Yan Yi had negotiated with Little Bone to cap his pressure at Class S beast levels. *Scare everything off, and what’s the point?*

He also noticed Interle’s subtle scrutiny of the prince.

"What’s up, Interle?" Yan Yi whispered near her ear. "Got a crush?"

Her fist sent him flying. He bounced off the ground and kept walking like nothing happened.

Interle *was* observing. *Aside from looking like a girl—which is mildly amusing—he’s just another boring noble.*

*Disappointing.*

Little White watched their dynamic, feeling sorry for Yan Yi. *He’s clearly stronger. Interle’s only Class B mana. Yan Yi’s? I can’t even gauge it.*

*Why?* He snapped his fingers suddenly. "Are you two… lovers?"

*When men indulge women this much, it’s usually that.*

Their reactions stunned him.

Both froze. Interle turned with a bizarre smile. *Asking if your fiancée’s dating someone else? How magnanimous.*

Yan Yi teleported before Little White, clapping his shoulder with a tender, heart-wrenching smile.

"Little White… some words get you killed. I’d rather live."

The prince felt genuine sorrow in that gaze. "R-right. Sorry. Just… you care for Tein so much. My mistake."

Yan Yi patted his shoulder again, striding off with a parting line:

"One day, you’ll learn: some people, you just *bow* to."

Little White and Interle both facepalmed.

No beasts interrupted their climb to the upper slopes. They reached the cave swiftly.

Little White frowned at the ease. He subtly channeled mana, alert.

"Careful inside. Danger likely lurks."

The reply came instantly—

"Yan Yi, handle it. I’ll enjoy the view."

The cave sat atop a cliff. Interle stood at the edge, gazing at endless sea-clouds and misty mountains. Sunlight gilded her profile as she smiled—a perfect, captivating curve that made both men’s hearts skip.

*Stay calm!* Yan Yi nearly punched himself. *Just admire the view. Don’t stare.* He vanished into the cave.

*I have a fiancée!* Little White almost hit himself too. He turned to follow but hesitated—leaving Interle alone felt unsafe.

Interle ignored them. *Of course I’d charm anyone in this scenery. My tricks work.*

Before Little White resolved his dilemma, a roar and crash echoed from the cave. He spun around.

Yan Yi emerged, slinging two arm-thick, meter-long crystal rods over his shoulder—and dragging a five-meter Magical Beast.

Golden-scaled with massive claws: a Clawrock Wyrm. Yan Yi’s target. Though it was barely breathing…

"Done. Tein, let’s go." Yan Yi tossed one crystal rod to Little White.

He caught it instinctively. The mana within was exquisite.

But the beast shocked him more. Ordinary rock wyrms were earth-brown. *Golden scales mean… Class SS. Ruler of Mount More.*

"Got the ore too?" Interle asked casually, reminding Yan Yi.

"Already collected inside. Little White, stop gawking. Move."

Little White stared, dumbfounded. Yan Yi’s power shattered expectations again.

*This man… belongs to the Realm of Magic. At his age? With this strength? Never make him an enemy.*

However, he didn’t know that with time’s passage, soon he’d stand opposite Yan Yi, facing rage fierce enough to shatter his very soul…

Xiao Bai parted ways with the two at the mountain’s foot; he had to handle those six people.

Yan Yi and Interle headed straight for the Central Magic Academy, camping out overnight, and returned by the next morning.

The Rockclaw Dragon had already been dismantled by Yan Yi—he took what he wanted, ate what he wanted, and disposed of the rest.

At the academy, Interle turned in the mission while Yan Yi went straight to the library. Opening the door, he saw Mr Wode staring at him with a pained expression.

“Mr Wode, is my item ready?”

Yan Yi’s expression stayed unchanged, not a hint of embarrassment. Mr Wode sighed and tossed him a test tube; for him, making such a thing took less than a second.

Yan Yi took the tube, nodded, then pulled a hide from his backpack.

“Time to make the clothes. Follow my design blueprint—dark red fabric. And add thirty more test tubes.”

Mr Wode sighed in exasperation.

“You really know how to boss people around.”

“Can’t be helped. I don’t have convenient magic like yours.”

Yan Yi, perfectly matter-of-fact, turned his back and strode into the library’s depths.

Mr Wode reluctantly picked up the hide—his expression shifted instantly. Eyes wide, he stared toward Yan Yi and stepped through the shimmering barrier.

But the first floor was empty, only the second floor’s barrier still rippling.

Mr Wode didn’t ascend further. He’d once joked with the Dean about not seeing through Yan Yi—maybe he was Heaven Defying? Truthfully, he hadn’t even believed Yan Yi was a Demon Summoner. Now, recalling that boy’s back, pressure gripped him. He murmured softly,

“Yan Yi… what exactly are you?”

Just like Xiao Bai, until that moment—until directly bearing Yan Yi’s wrath—he’d never grasp how terrifying the boy named Yan Yi truly was…