"Hehe, how was the experience, Nephew Max?" Ralph asked, noticing Max's calm expression.

Max smiled wryly. "If I hadn't met up with my sister's soul, I would have said the entire thing was designed to torture someone," he said bitterly, though a smile remained on his face.

Ralph smiled, his eyes narrowing. "Well, this illusion was set to the max level for you. Freya specifically asked me to set it to the highest difficulty when you came here."

Max glanced at him and nodded. "I guess she just wanted to warn me about illusions and such," he said, then shrugged. "But if I can't even tell whether I'm under the effect of an illusion, then everything here is useless."

Ralph nodded. "Illusions are tricks made from the use of Soul power. If there is a drastic difference in soul power between the one who created the illusion and the one affected by it, the latter won't even realize they're under the illusion," he explained.

"I see." Max nodded thoughtfully. "That means what happened to me was probably because the illusion was created by someone with far higher soul power than mine, right?"

Ralph smirked. "Exactly. And this illusion was set by me, so of course, you stood no chance against me."

"It was you?" Max was surprised, but his surprise soon turned into frustration. But now that he knew it was all under Ralph's control, he sighed and said wryly, "Uncle Ralph, you really are good at this illusion thing."

Ralph shrugged. "It was a basic illusion, something Freya asked me to set for you. The first stage was to test how you would react if you knew you were under the influence of an illusion. The main goal of the first illusion was to help you understand how to use your soul power to break free."

Max raised an eyebrow. "You mean, if I had been trapped there longer, someone would have come to teach me how to use Soul power to counter the illusion?"

Ralph nodded, his eyes sharpening. "I'm curious, though—how did you manage to break free on your own?"

Max smiled. "I know how to draw runes, and since drawing them requires the use of soul power, I just replicated that process. But in the end, instead of drawing the soul power into my brush, I let it spread around me."

Ralph laughed, nodding. "Alright, you are indeed the brother of Freya Voidwalker."

He added, "The second stage is called the Illusion of Death. In that stage, you have to accept death to break free from the illusion. Otherwise, no matter what you do, you'll keep repeating the entire illusion over and over again."

Max smiled, though it was a somewhat forced smile. It was just a coincidence that he decided to die in that illusion; if he hadn't, he would have had to go through it again and again. 'Damn, this illusion is scary.'

Ralph smiled and explained, "Your death was the only repeating factor in that illusion. If you don't accept your death, the illusion will keep repeating, and you'll keep dying until you do."

He added, "I was surprised you passed that illusion on your first try."

"It was just a coincidence." Max smiled wryly.

Ralph shook his head. "Coincident or not, your decisiveness is praiseworthy."

Max nodded, his expression turning serious. "What about the last illusion?"

Ralph pondered for a moment before speaking. "It's an illusion that tests your heart. Everyone in this world has memories, regrets, and heartbreaks buried deep in their hearts. This illusion brings those things into reality. The way to break it is to face them directly and not let them affect you."

Max nodded, his expression darkening. 'Why did that dream show up in my illusion and not something related to my parents or sister?' he wondered.

There was a time when this dream had left him feeling unsettled, but now that he had grown, he understood that not all dreams held meaning. And even if this one did, he would face it when the time came.

"So all of this was planned by my sister?" Max asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ralph nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I still remember her words from back then. She said something like, 'He's still just a kid who doesn't know anything. How will he manage if I leave? What will become of him? If there were any way to change my situation, I would have done it without hesitation, but... sigh... I can't leave for nothing. I'll make arrangements for Maxy. If he ever comes here, it'll be your responsibility to look after him.'"

He added, "And that's how this situation came to be."

Max nodded in understanding. "Did she leave anything else for me?" he asked.

Ralph smiled and tossed a small wooden box.

Max caught it and examined it. It was a small box meant to store something delicate.

Curious, he opened it and found a scroll inside.

"Skill scroll?" Max muttered, taking the scroll out.

He unrolled the scroll and read its contents, his eyes widening. "No, this isn't a skill scroll; it's a technique—a technique related to Soul power," he muttered in shock.

'So that's why she made me go through the illusions,' Max thought, understanding his sister's intentions.

The name of the soul technique was 'Hundred Refining Threads Soul'. It had a strange name, but Max didn't doubt its authenticity, considering it had been left behind by his sister.

Max smiled, putting the soul technique away, and bowed to Ralph. "Uncle Ralph, you've helped me a lot today, and I'm very grateful."

Ralph laughed warmly. "No need to thank me, Nephew Max. Freya has done more for me than you can even imagine. The least I can do is repay the favor."

Max smiled, and a thought crossed his mind. "Uncle Ralph, do you happen to have a doctor here?"

Ralph became curious. "What happened?" he asked, worried.

Max briefly explained his condition. "I passed out some time ago and woke up three days ago. A sudden weakness came over me at that time."

Ralph's expression turned serious. "I'll provide a residence for you. Stay the night here, and tomorrow morning, I'll have my finest doctor check on you."

He added, "Let's go, I'll show you to your residence."

Max nodded as he left the room with him.

What greeted him next was a long, narrow hall made of rocks and stones. The residence of the Thorne Family was a massive castle. While the interior had been modernized, the outer structure still carried an ancient vibe.

After walking and talking through the halls, Ralph led Max to a luxurious room, complete with all the amenities one could ask for.

"Nephew Max, spend the night here. If you need anything, just contact me," Ralph said.

Max glanced around the room, finding it to his liking. "Uncle Ralph, with all these facilities, you can be sure I won't be going anywhere."

Ralph smiled. "Hahaha, good, Nephew Max. I'll see you soon." With that, he turned and disappeared from Max's sight.

Max sighed. "Thorne Family sure is rich," he muttered, smiling.

Without much thought, he entered his room and locked the door. He check the bed and found it to his liking.

"Let's check the Soul Technique." Max sat down, unrolled the scroll, and began reading its contents.