Ariana had heard plenty about Annabelle—from Adrian himself.

And with every story, a new image of the strongest Warden had taken shape in her mind.

The woman she remembered meeting once had been cold, distant, and unreachable. A warrior who focused only on her duties, not the people around her. Someone who lived without attachments—no desires, no ambitions.

That was why she had turned down offers from nations and Towers alike. She could have claimed anything—power, status, luxury. But instead, she walked away from it all.

She chose to live like a wanderer.

A lone wolf.

Strangely enough, Ariana respected her for that. Despite being the same age, Annabelle had already done things most people could only dream of. She had saved humanity more than once and never once asked for recognition. She simply did her duty, then vanished into silence.

But now, thanks to Adrian, Ariana was seeing another side of her.

Not the cold, unshakable Warden.

But a girl—emotional, caring, and vulnerable—who just wanted to protect the man she loved.

After a long silence, Ariana finally said, "I can relate to you. I didn't express it as openly as you did, but… I had similar thoughts."

Annabelle glanced at her, eyes shadowed by a storm of emotions. She wasn't in the mood to talk. Especially not to the woman who had—at least in her eyes—stolen her beloved.

She was about to turn away.

But then Ariana spoke again.

"He's not exactly the same person you remember, Miss Annabelle. He's changed. And… I can help you understand him better."

Annabelle froze.

Why? Why was this woman offering to help her?

She knew Adrian had changed. Back then, he was detached—almost indifferent. Even toward the people inside the server. Emotions were a distant thing to him.

But now, he had started to feel again.

And while a part of her was happy to see him rediscover his emotions… another part was afraid. Afraid that caring too much would lead him to make dangerous choices. Risky decisions.

Like putting his life on the line for someone else.

"I won't pretend he's kind or selfless," Ariana continued gently, stepping closer. "But there are lines he won't cross. Principles he follows without hesitation. And if you want, I can help you understand them."

Finally, Annabelle turned toward her, eyes narrowed with quiet suspicion.

"And why would you help me?"

"Because he cares about you." Ariana's answer came without pause. As if it was the most obvious truth in the world.

Annabelle was silent. The words hit her harder than she expected.

Ariana stepped beside her, her voice soft but sincere. "I've seen it in his eyes. He cares about you deeply, Miss Annabelle. That's why I want to help."

Annabelle scoffed, lips twitching. "If I were in your place, I would've taken this chance to push another woman away from his life."

Ariana let out a small laugh.

"She really is like a kid," she thought, watching her with amused eyes.

So different from the Annabelle she remembered.

So much more human.

°°°°°°°

Adrian was in his workshop, carefully assembling the tool he had promised to make for Scarlette.

This time, it was a cooling device—something that, when attached to the body, would release a steady stream of cold air across the skin. A personal breeze, designed to soothe and calm, especially during combat or high-temperature zones.

The sun had already begun its slow descent, brushing the horizon with shades of orange and violet. Evening had arrived.

He hadn't seen Ariana on his walk from the dormitory to the workshop, and now a quiet unease was beginning to creep into him.

While he trusted her abilities—knew better than to doubt her strength—there was still a nagging concern. After all, both Ariana and Annabelle had tempers. And when two strong wills collide, things could spiral out of control faster than expected.

Still, he reassured himself—if something had gone wrong, he would've heard by now.

"System," he called out, voice low but firm, "when can I get the books for the Fifth Thread?"

He had made a bold promise—to learn and master the Fifth Thread within six months.

A feat that, no matter how he looked at it, seemed nearly impossible.

The Fifth Thread wasn't just another step in Runesmithing. It was the final connection—the ultimate bond between a person and their armament. A connection so complete, it made the weapon feel like an extension of the body and mind.

It reached into the Gate—the hidden point between the subconscious and the conscious.

And that kind of depth… wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.

Understanding the Fifth Thread required intense study, weeks of deep theoretical learning, and months of dangerous, hands-on experimentation.

Across the entire globe, only three runesmiths had successfully bound the Fifth Thread. One of them was Mr. Agatha—Ruby's teacher and one of the few people Adrian truly respected in the craft.

The Fifth Thread was the most crucial, and without question, the most difficult stage in a Runesmith's journey.

Unlike the other threads, where failure meant starting over or minor injuries, the Fifth Thread held real danger.

A single mistake could kill the subject.

It was the only thread that truly risked a life.

And yet, Adrian had chosen to walk this path. Not because he was reckless, but because he had to.

And also because he was interested.

[Pretty soon, host. And worry not, these few days wouldn't be counted in the allotted time.]

Adrian let out a quiet breath and gave a wry smile. "Big favor," he muttered.

The system didn't respond. Not that he expected it to.

With the cooling artifact finally complete, he set it aside and shifted his attention to the chat window.

Several users had messaged, asking about Dark Knight's situation. Most of them sounded regretful—frustrated that they hadn't been online when it happened.

Adrian, however, was growing increasingly uneasy.

Neither Valor nor Dark Knight had sent a single message since that moment.

The silence was gnawing at him.

I hope I didn't make the wrong call…

He hadn't met Valor in person—not yet. But there is evidence which spoke about his strength. He was supposed to be absurdly strong, the kind of existence that bent the rules just by showing up.

At the very least, someone like that should be able to help Athex… right?

He hoped so.

He was reading the messages and was thinking to ask Forgelet about her demand, when suddenly, the door of the Workshop parted.

"Hmm?" Adrian's brows elevated as he saw Ariana quietly entering the workshop, with a smile on her lips.

She soon waved her hand, as if to urge someone to step inside, and soon after another woman appeared inside the workshop.

Her head bowed and clear regret on her face.

"...I am sorry."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.