Two months passed since the incident.
Caesar acquired a new halberd and purchased a halberd martial art from the institution's library for himself, along with a dagger art for Theo. From that day onward, both of them entered closed-door training. Even Theo was excused from assisting Robin in his experiments so he could focus entirely on cultivation alongside Caesar.
In those two months, Caesar rose to the fifth level, and Theo broke through to the sixth. Both advanced steadily toward higher realms.
But the true breakthrough came from Robin. Not because he had climbed to the peak of the third level—despite pouring all his focus into research—but because he had nearly completed the composition of the perfect pattern of fire. Building on his earlier theory, Robin painstakingly assembled scattered fragments into a seamless whole. Piece by piece, the true form of the Major Heavenly Law of Fire emerged before him—something that did not exist in nature itself.
He had it… almost. Only one piece was missing. No matter what fuels he burned, this segment always shifted, a variable with no constant shape. After countless failed attempts, he finally exhaled in frustration and called out:
"Theo! Drop whatever you're doing and come here!"
Theo rushed in, with Caesar trailing out of curiosity.
"I've hit a problem," Robin explained. "There's a fragment of the pattern that changes across every type of fuel. I can only resolve it by drawing from the strongest source of fire known to this world—volcanoes. Go find out where the nearest active one is. I'll head there today, and you're coming with me." His eyes then narrowed at Caesar, who was already trying to sneak away. "And you—what are you doing, bastard? Get back to training!"
A blazing bone shot across the room with pinpoint accuracy, striking Caesar squarely on the backside.
That very day, Robin and Theo set out. Their destination: an active volcano seventy miles away, hidden in a jagged mountain range. Though distant, Robin's current cultivation level, coupled with his official identity card that ensured safe passage, allowed them to arrive by sunset the next day.
Standing at the edge of the massive crater, Robin marveled at the molten lake within. "Wow… I've lived a long life, but this is my first time seeing a volcano. How magical…"
Theo, weighed down by a large pack, rolled his eyes; his expression clearly said: How old are you really? You don't look a day over thirteen. With a sigh, he slumped down to rest, already thinking of tents and dinner.
But Robin needed neither rest nor reflection. With a single glance, he scanned the entire fiery pattern within the volcano. The missing piece revealed itself at once. He sketched it onto a scroll, tucked it into Theo's pack, then clapped the boy's shoulder. "Let's go. We're heading back."
Theo nearly fell over. We just got here! At least let me breathe! He waved his arms and pointed at his aching legs in protest.
"What kind of bodyguard are you?" Robin retorted. "Come on. Every minute matters." Without waiting, he started down the trail, forcing Theo to sigh and follow.
A day later, they returned to house 207. Robin went straight to his room, instructing them not to disturb him under any circumstances.
He was ready to begin. The time had come to translate the completed pattern of the Major Heavenly Law of Fire into a cultivation technique worthy of Caesar.
But when he unrolled the scroll holding the missing fragment, he froze. The parchment was scorching hot—so hot it had melted through much of the pack around it.
The realization hit him like thunder: the pattern itself was radiating power.
Robin trembled. He had always committed patterns to memory, never drawn them. This time was different—he had sketched it because he knew he might never see a volcano again. And now, he discovered that drawing a heavenly pattern on a medium forced its essence into reality, releasing power in raw form.
"On paper it only manifests as heat," Robin muttered to himself, eyes blazing with excitement. "But what if I inscribed it on something stronger? Something worthy? What would happen then?"
It was a revelation—a doorway to an entirely new world.
But he forced himself to calm down. That experiment would wait. For now, his focus had to be on finishing the Fire Law cultivation technique.
Two weeks later, Robin emerged from his seclusion carrying a tome nearly six hundred pages thick. His eyes glittered with triumph.
"Caesar," he called, "I've got a little toy for you."
Caesar immediately abandoned his training and appeared before him. "What is it, Big Brother?"
Robin's lips curled. "This book contains a cultivation technique unlike anything this world has ever seen. Flames in nature are never pure—they're tainted by what they consume. That's why the true form of fire is hidden, even from the Flame Emperor himself. But me? I've gathered the authentic, pure law. Theoretically, this flame can burn anything without resistance—it can even burn the laws themselves. You are the first person on this planet to inherit such power. Don't waste it. Don't you dare disappoint me."
He pressed the massive book into Caesar's hands, then shut himself back inside his room.
Not long after, the sound of Robin's peaceful snoring filled the halls—while outside, Caesar's ecstatic cry shook the house.
It was the first time in more than a century that Robin allowed himself to sleep in true satisfaction. This technique was the crown jewel of his work, the culmination of a lifetime's obsession. Yet he knew, deep down, it was only the beginning.
Robin slept for two days and three nights. When he awoke, he was in high spirits—especially upon finding Caesar coiled in his room, diligently practicing the technique.
Strolling further, he came to Theo's chamber and found him testing his double-dagger forms.
"If you don't need seclusion right now, come with me," Robin said casually. "I feel like taking a walk."
Theo sheathed his daggers and silently followed.
As they walked, Robin's voice dropped, almost conversational. "Theo, you may not realize it yet, but the technique Caesar now trains in is the flawless first stage of the Major Heavenly Law of Fire. A technique unmatched in this world. And since you're my subordinate, I won't leave you weak. You'll be my next project.
I'll give you three days. Decide which heavenly path you want to pursue, then tell me. I'll craft you a cultivation technique based on its major law. Go to the library, read about the paths, study the laws. Pick whichever resonates with you. All I need is the name. I'll handle the rest."
BOOM. The words detonated in Theo's mind.
A perfect Major Law technique? I can point to any heavenly path, and he'll hand me its perfected scripture?
His thoughts spun wildly. He wasn't ignorant—he knew what a Major Heavenly Law meant. And Robin wasn't just offering him one—he was offering him a flawless version.
Until this moment, Theo still thought of himself as a slave bound to Robin and Caesar. But Robin's words elevated him—no longer a mere servant, but a true follower, someone valued, someone being raised to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Caesar himself.
While Theo reeled in awe, Robin chuckled. "Well, you're not much of an assistant anyway. No harm in buying another one who can actually do the job."
It was only then Theo noticed where they were standing. His stomach sank.
They had arrived at the slave platforms.