Stunned by her words, Nym took a moment to truly absorb what Commander Flora had just told him.
It seemed she hadn't noticed his silence—lost as she was in her own thoughts.
The Exalted… he pondered. What are they really? Why are they stronger than regular Bound? And me… stronger than Commander Flora? That's laughable.
A sudden laugh burst from Nym's chest, sharp and loud, breaking Flora's reverie.
She turned to him, a flicker of concern crossing her composed face.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Oh, it's nothing, really," Nym replied quickly, a slight grin still lingering on his lips. "It's just… I find this all a bit funny. I don't understand parts of it. Me? Stronger than you someday? A beacon of hope for the Dimlight City? Becoming your student? That's hard to believe—especially for someone like me. I live in the barracks and share a room with my mother. And one more thing… my father hasn't returned yet. I should consult him first."
"Nym."
His name, spoken by Commander Flora, held enough command to quiet the restlessness inside him.
"I know what's going through your head. It's a lot. But take your time. Still, know this—it's a responsibility that now rests on your shoulders as someone born of our city."
She paused, her voice softening but firm with conviction.
"I know it's difficult. Even if it seems overwhelming, it's something you must face. Don't you want to see the sun from the history books? The vast sky? A day without monsters clawing at the walls at night, hungry for untainted human souls?"
Nym fell silent. He knew she was right. Hadn't he always wanted to protect the city? To grow stronger so he could defend what he loved?
If I'm one of the Exalted… then why not reach a little further?
"And one more thing, Nym," Flora added. "Follow me."
The shadows around her dissolved, replaced by a shimmering void that shimmered like heat on stone.
Nym instinctively stood and hurried to open the door for her. Flora stepped through, and he followed close behind.
In the hallway stood Jina, arms crossed and face drawn in mild boredom.
"Jina, you're coming too," Flora ordered.
Jina spun quickly and cast Nym a suspicious glance, confusion flickering in her eyes—then vanishing just as fast as she fell in line behind the Commander.
Trailing her steady stride, they followed Flora through the wide entrance hall and into another corridor that ended in a staircase descending underground. Step by step, they went lower until they reached a small chamber, where an unnatural wall of iron stood before them—material that might've come from a creature rather than the earth.
Nym could feel it. A subtle, strange disruption in the flow of essence around them—it was as though the very air wavered.
The screech of metal reached their ears as the heavy wall split, revealing a hidden door shrouded in darkness.
"By the Exalted… what kind of durability is this? Even a Lord couldn't break through," Nym gasped, awestruck by the thickness of the metal. The barrier extended at least a meter deep, if not more.
He quickly composed himself, masking his expression, though Flora's slight smile hinted that she had noticed.
Jina, on the other hand, showed no reaction at all—as if she had been here before. Yet something about her expression… it carried a subtle weight, a trace of sorrow.
"My lady," Nym asked hesitantly, "may I ask… where does this door lead?"
"Ah, I nearly forgot," Flora replied. "It leads to the city's vault—where we store monster parts, precious metals, and their cores."
She stepped toward the door, gesturing at the thick iron.
"As you can see, this metal isn't natural. It came from the corpse of a regional beast—a pack leader. It was trying to evolve to rank four. Killing it nearly cost me my life."
Nym understood only fragments—rank four, regional beast, iron—but before he could ask, Flora opened the door and stepped inside. Without hesitation, Nym and Jina followed her into the vault's shadows.