Ravian’s soul rose slowly from his body. The process was strangely more difficult in this world.

He looked at his current body, and the change still amazed him every time he saw it.

’Reconstruction... it perfectly suits the change it produces,’ Ravian thought, studying his new appearance and body from a third-person perspective. But that was not the reason he had used this ability again after arriving in this world.

’The pressure on the soul in this world is far stronger. My soul feels hundreds of times heavier.’ Ravian examined his spiritual form and noticed that he could not travel across long distances at the insane speeds he had on Earth.

’In fact, I feel that if not for the changes my soul has undergone since I arrived in this world, I would not have been able to move even an inch in this form.’ Ravian was nearly certain of this theory. It seemed this world placed unique restrictions on the soul.

But that was already more than enough for what he wanted to do, at least, that was what he believed, until he heard the system’s notification.

[Ding!]

[The host is advised to exercise caution while in this form, as there are entities capable of perceiving you even in your spiritual state, and a considerable number of them are capable of destroying you even in that form.]

[Therefore, the host should be careful not to enter their perception ranges by accident.]

Had Ravian been in his physical body, his eyes would have widened at the notification.

’So I can be killed directly in this form by certain entities if I enter their perception ranges?’ Ravian repeated to himself, seeking confirmation.

[Yes, host.] The system’s reply came at once.

’That is damn dangerous.’ Ravian did not know exactly what the system meant by "their perception ranges," but he was certain he did not want to wander into one by accident.

’I just need to finish what I came to do and get back to my body quickly.’ Ravian thought as he drifted out of the cave deep in the forest in his spiritual form. He was not moving at the same speed he had when he did this on Earth, not even close. His current maximum speed was around 60 miles per hour.

That might seem like a lot to some, but Ravian knew, from the size of the sun and the moon here, that this world was far larger than Earth, far, far larger, and this speed would not be especially useful here. But he did not need speed right now. He needed information without being detected, and his current speed was more than enough for that.

Ravian set off swiftly from the cave toward the walls of the City of Light.

In under an hour, he was already there, and he saw the camp’s tents, the central building, and even the tents of his own unit, the Death Squad. But he did not pay attention to any of it. He drew closer to the walls near the fortress gate, and there, atop the walls, he saw them.

The City Guards.

The very ones Karius had once threatened to hand him over to if he refused to come along. And not one of them was below the Tenth Rank. Unlike the camp, every person here had to be capable of defending their post for at least a few seconds, so no ordinary, non-Awakened people were employed. Recruitment here was limited to the Tenth Rank, and unlike the army, they did not answer directly to the province’s governor. These were people of the Imperial Court itself.

People under the direct command of the Imperial Throne and the Imperial Capital, stationed in every province of the Empire to serve as the final safety valve in case the province’s army fell, or in the event of any coup or attempt to usurp the governor’s seat.

Everyone here was equipped with heavy silver armor from head to toe, and their helmets were riddled with small holes that allowed them to breathe while concealing their identities at the same time.

’Terrifying.’ That was Ravian’s only description of them. They moved in groups of five soldiers, with no more than thirty meters between each group along the wall. As for the number of groups spread across that enormous wall... Ravian had no idea.

Still, he did not give up. These were certainly the elite of the elite here, but nothing was flawless. Any structure or hierarchy like this would have a small gap. No matter how strict the caution or how severe the consequences, there would inevitably be those who slacked off, and Ravian adored those slackers, because they were always the key to reaching what he wanted.

Ravian kept searching here and there, passing through the fortress in his spiritual form while trying not to get too close to its center, because the fortress commander was already there, and Ravian did not know whether he would be able to sense his presence or not. That was the same reason Ravian had kept his distance from the central building in the camp earlier.

He wanted to avoid getting too close to Karius, and he intended to keep doing this until he understood his limits in this form.

And just as he had expected, after some searching, Ravian found what he was looking for.

That slacker.

Or, to be precise, those slackers.

A few City Guards were abandoning their post at one of the towers and slipping away to drink alcohol in secret.

Alcohol was certainly forbidden here so it would not dull their focus, but he noticed that one particular group was taking turns to rest and entertain themselves, since there were always only three members each time he checked them instead of five.

’I truly do love fools. Thank you for the opportunity.’ Ravian said to himself, eyeing that group specifically.

But in that moment, Ravian noticed something else entirely. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say he felt it rather than noticed it.

He felt a sudden surge in the spatial pressure around him.

’What is happening?’ Ravian looked around, tense and ready to flee if an entity capable of affecting him in his current state appeared. No, even if any entity capable of sensing his presence appeared.

And in the next instant, Ravian discovered the source of that pressure when a sudden white aura erupted from the central command building in the camp, startling both him and the group he had been watching.

"What in the hell was that?!" one of the guards in the group shouted.

Ravian looked over at the same moment, and saw it.

"That overwhelming white aura! It’s Sir Karius Dmitri! He’s on the move!" another soldier in the group shouted, while the third went to call the other two so they could ready themselves in case of a sudden alert.

’Master...’ Ravian thought, watching the aura surge toward the deep forest at an unbelievable speed.

’Damn, he’s coming for me!’ Ravian realized, and quickly ended the Soul Ascension technique, letting his soul return automatically to his body. That was the one safety exit that had given him the courage to wander around even while knowing there were beings capable of sensing him, simply because he could return in an instant the moment he felt danger.

But the current state of the fortress and camp, thrown into confusion by Karius’s sudden movement, was not only something he had to worry about.

It was also an opportunity.

’An opportunity to slip in during all this confusion. But...’ Ravian planned, scanning the fortress before his eyes returned to the aura streaking through the sky.

’First, I need to shake off that old man.’