In the hearts of the people, the King of Fog Star was akin to a deity—but even he had once been weak and fragile.
Under Su Cha’s silent gaze, even the crowd couldn’t help but share the same thought: the King really didn’t take care of his health.
Under the concerned eyes of the young heir, the King of Fog Star finally stepped into the car first.
“Wait.” Even the car door was opened personally by Su Cha, who ran up to it.
“……”
The two of them boarded the car one after the other. Su Cha didn’t forget to wave to the crowd one last time before sitting down. As soon as he did, the King gestured for him to sit beside him.
There were too many people on-site today, and landing a flying vehicle would be difficult, so the King had chosen to travel by car. The royal vehicle was spacious inside, but as Fog Star natives disliked wasting time on decoration, aside from its top-tier safety features, there were few embellishments.
They were the only two people on this row of seats. Su Cha sat very straight—something instilled in him back on Galan. He kept glancing sideways at the King of Fog Star. Perhaps because they were both atavists, there were some similarities in their appearance.
Especially the silver hair, similarly left loosely draped around them.
“Cyril.”
“Hmm?”
“My name. Cyril.”
That name seemed to carry a certain kind of honor. He used formal phrasing, but then his sharp eyes softened unusually: “We met once in a dream.”
Su Cha nodded hesitantly.
In that dream, Cyril had seemed both frail and dangerous, and his face unclear—so Su Cha hadn’t connected the two immediately.
“I’m glad you’ve returned,” Cyril said.
His tone was light. When speaking with Su Cha, there was no distance, more like a warm older brother from next door.
Su Cha’s fingers curled unconsciously. After a moment of silence, he admitted, “I’ve been lost before.”
Whether it was when Ji Tianjin and the others abandoned their escape to come back for him during the mock battle, or the life-and-death experience in the desert—it was the first time he felt that this world was real.
All his life, there were only people who wanted him dead. Who would’ve thought someone would risk their life for him? It was something Su Cha had never experienced before, so he wanted to hold onto that warmth.
Cyril nodded. “That’s what makes me even more glad.”
Su Cha looked up in confusion.
“That something here was able to make you stay—that’s good.”
It might be hard, but at least not hopeless.
Su Cha smiled faintly. Maybe it was their blood connection, but in front of Cyril, he felt relaxed, even able to open up and talk about things from the heart.
The car was on autopilot and drove straight to the solemn and majestic palace. The outer wall was made of a strange material with a matte finish that from afar looked like welded steel.
Inside, it was like a massive maze. Castles of various sizes were scattered in all directions. Su Cha finally understood what “boundless” meant.
Cyril noticed his slightly open mouth and asked, “What are you thinking?”
Su Cha accidentally spoke his thoughts out loud: “It’s coming. That hundreds-of-square-meter bed is finally coming toward me.”
That line made Cyril laugh out loud.
“Land told you that?”
Su Cha nodded. The system had also emphasized it.
Cyril chuckled and shook his head. “There is a massive bed like that, but you won’t be using it.” He explained: “Those beds are adjustable and movable. Some children couldn’t even walk due to the burden of their bloodline. To make them a little happier, designers specially built those beds.”
There were hidden features—like treasure hunts. A child might struggle to move from one spot to another and find a small gift, one of the few joys in their childhood.
Su Cha was stunned. He hadn’t expected such an exaggerated claim to hide such a sad truth.
The car followed a winding path and eventually stopped in front of the largest castle.
Su Cha was brought to the main hall.
“If you need anything, just tell me.”
All the living essentials had already been prepared. Cyril was worried Su Cha wouldn’t be comfortable, so he had someone arrange a room that mirrored the layout of Su Cha’s dorm, based on photos Land provided.
Su Cha took a deep breath. “I might need a tour guide.”
He hadn’t seen a single signpost along the way. Not getting lost would be a miracle.
Just that one comment made Cyril laugh a second time that day.
Su Cha’s room was at the top of the castle. Above it was a sky terrace that overlooked the entire palace grounds. Standing on the platform, he was surprised to see a sea of roses in the distance.
“Galan’s general once told Land that you wanted a hundred-acre rose garden.”
Su Cha froze, then leaned over the railing. “Didn’t think he’d remember.”
He even reminded Land in the end.
Cyril nodded. “Also the hundred walk-in closets, ten butlers, and chefs who can cook gourmet delicacies…” After listing them all, he said, “They’re all ready.”
Su Cha: “……”
General Yise had a frighteningly good memory.
He covered his face. “Please, don’t take what I said in my foolish youth seriously.”
Unfortunately, Cyril clearly hadn’t listened. Everything was not only prepared—but exceeded expectations.
That entire floor belonged to Su Cha. There was minimalist style, rare Fog Star-style luxury, and even rooms designed to mimic his dormitory.
It was only the first day back, and of course many things were still unfamiliar. Cyril didn’t take up too much of his time, leaving space for Su Cha to adjust freely.
“Do a full checkup later. For these next few days, just do whatever you like.”
Cyril needed time to study the materials and videos Land brought back to tailor a training program specifically for him.
Su Cha: “A checkup? We can do it now.”
Cyril praised, “Just like Land said—you’re a brave and strong child.”
Sensing Cyril’s “800-meter beauty filter,” Su Cha sighed, “I can be even stronger.”
He could handle fighting strange beasts, no problem.
Though there was a full medical team in the palace, Cyril brought him to a hospital.
On the way, an inner guard quietly explained, “There are children there who really want to see the young prince, but they can’t leave due to their health.”
Su Cha nodded in understanding. His gaze flicked toward Cyril’s cold side profile. Who would’ve thought that Fog Star’s cold-seeming king was actually so gentle, so attentive to others’ feelings?
The Fog Star hospital mostly housed children. It didn’t look like a typical hospital—it was colorful, more like an amusement park.
Su Cha wasn’t here for a regular checkup—just a blood test. If his blood contained volatile factors, he would need to take medication immediately.
Following instructions, he extended his entire arm into the machine. After a slight prick, a small red dot appeared on his skin.
As expected, his blood purity was 100%—a common trait among atavists.
The doctor took the sample away for further analysis. While waiting, Su Cha kept glancing toward the children’s ward.
“You can go,” Cyril said. “I’ll wait for the report.”
Su Cha: “Together?”
Cyril shook his head. “If I go, they’ll feel nervous.”
The children’s ward was large, separated by a pane of transparent glass. Inside were all children receiving IV drips. When they saw Su Cha, they waved at him proactively. His photo had already been sent back shortly after Land arrived in Galan; they had seen him on TV news.
Fogstar children were born with a kind of cold, exquisite beauty—”angelic” was not an exaggeration.
Standing in the ward, Su Cha gave a light cough. “Nice to meet you all. I’m Su Cha.”
The children nodded in unison. “Hello.”
And then… silence.
As someone who always carried the atmosphere, Su Cha couldn’t allow things to stay awkward. He cleared his throat. “Since fate brought us together, I’ll perform a magic trick for you all today.”
With a snap of his fingers, a large magnolia flower slowly rose behind him, its faint fragrance spreading through the ward.
To be honest, it was a “magic trick” with zero technical difficulty.
Fogstar people rarely formed spirit forms, though they could sometimes summon fierce beast totems with tremendous instantaneous destructive power. So when Su Cha showed this trick, the children were instantly amazed—even those with IVs still clapped enthusiastically.
“Amazing,” they said, their wide eyes full of sincere admiration.
Su Cha smiled but unconsciously pressed his lips together.
…Useless.
Just as the principal had said, his ability was classified under the healing category—but narrowly targeted at calming spirit breakdowns. It was still powerless against issues rooted in innate bloodlines.
One child asked, “Are there any fun games outside? Can you teach us some?”
Su Cha reflexively said, “Bird walking, flower gardening, and playing poker.”
He covered his mouth before he even finished—couldn’t be setting a bad example for kids, even if that was his ideal retirement plan.
“Bird walking might not suit everyone. Pollen from flowers can also cause allergies,” he added quickly—only to be interrupted by eager cries for poker.
Poker had long been replaced by holographic games in the interstellar era; no one played it anymore.
So Su Cha taught them the simplest, most brainless game he knew—Train Line, which could be played solo or in groups.
A child remarked in that naturally chilly tone: “This would be more fun if there were bets involved, right?”
“…” You’re too savvy.
Not wanting them to veer toward gambling, Su Cha coughed lightly. “I have another special skill.” He paused. “Any of you have heart issues?”
A row of children shook their heads in unison.
Su Cha smiled. “Chest-breaking stone smash—want to see it?”
They all waved their hands quickly. “You’ll die!”
Su Cha raised his hand solemnly. “I’ve even killed strange beasts before.”
As expected, a flood of worshipful stares followed.
Su Cha touched his nose, a bit stunned by the trust. They didn’t doubt me at all.
Not wanting to scare them, he used his spiritual power to float a not-too-big rock in from the lawn outside the window. He then moved to the door and set up a barrier with his spiritual energy to block any flying debris.
But the kids, seeing the rock, got nervous again—what if he got hurt?
“Maybe don’t…” they said, stepping into the adult role and trying to dissuade him.
Su Cha pulled up a photo on his comms. “See? Ten School Tournament, strange beast combat —I’m the champion.”
That dispelled all concerns. Su Cha asked one last time, “I’m smashing it now. Really—no one with heart issues?”
The kids copied him, raising their hands and swearing.
“Alright, darlings—watch closely!”
Su Cha drew a deep breath, then smashed the rock onto his chest.
Bang!
The heavy thud made everyone’s scalp tingle. The rock crumbled and clattered to the ground.
It looked intense—but in reality, Su Cha had shattered it in advance with demon energy.
Ten seconds of silence.
Then thunderous applause.
Su Cha raised his head proudly, waving like a celebrity. “Too kind, too kind.”
Bang. Another sound—this time, not the rock.
Su Cha froze. Turning around, he saw the doctor clutching his chest, slumping heavily against the wall. The man had entered on his rounds and happened to witness the entire chest-smashing act. The stone shattered so fast, he didn’t even have time to stop it.
A nurse rushed out of another room at the noise. Seeing the scene, she dashed over. “Dr. Li, what happened?”
The doctor pointed at Su Cha, gasping for breath and unable to speak.
The nurse instinctively turned her head—and there was Su Cha, standing with a pile of rubble at his feet. She blinked. “Did something… happen?”
Su Cha: “I just broke a rock.”
The kids behind him chimed in helpfully: “With his chest!”
The nurse fainted on the spot.
It really wasn’t the doctor and nurse’s fault for fainting so suddenly.
Though Dr. Li’s temples were graying, his face was still sharp and defined. In truth, he was quite old, and the head nurse was the same. Their blood purity levels were very low, and their powers had weakened with age.
Everyone at this hospital had spent their lives tending to fragile children. Their every move was cautious and gentle. To suddenly hear about someone smashing rocks with their chest… it was enough to black out.
Su Cha realized he’d asked the wrong people—he should’ve asked the doctors and nurses about their heart conditions before performing.
The commotion quickly attracted others, but those who fainted soon woke. Seeing the little prince safe and sound in front of them, they barely recovered their composure.
Su Cha quickly stepped forward and helped them up himself. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Accessing the children’s ward required layers of clearance, so not too many people had actually come over.
But of course, the ruckus couldn’t escape Cyril’s notice—he arrived soon after.
Feeling guilty, Su Cha looked down. “I just wanted to prove how strong I was.”
Cyril didn’t scold him. Instead, he told Su Cha to wait outside the testing room while he stayed behind to speak to the children. As expected, his presence made them a bit stiff—his royal status naturally created distance.
After shaking hands warmly with all the kids, Cyril suddenly asked, “Do you all think he’s strong?”
He was clearly referring to Su Cha.
The children replied in unison, “Strong!”
Still caught up in Su Cha’s impressive feat.
Cyril murmured so softly it was nearly inaudible, “If I smash a bigger one in front of him… will that erase my ‘frail’ image?”
The just-recovered doctor and nurse read his lips and nearly broke down inside: ….Please shut up!
Those few seconds alone… would take them a lifetime to recover from.
Outside the testing room, a small figure sat quietly on the bench.
Su Cha was in high spirits. He was sure he had left a superhero impression on the children—those adoring glances as he walked away said it all.
The doctor soon appeared with the report. Su Cha obediently waited for the results.
“Nothing major,” she said, though she waited until Cyril arrived to hand the report to him directly.
Su Cha couldn’t help confirming again, “There won’t be a problem if I don’t enter deep awakening within a month?”
Cyril nodded. “After shallow awakening, your power will surge. If you don’t move on to the next stage in time, your body could suffer irreversible damage. That’s the real meaning of deep awakening.”
That part hadn’t been covered in textbooks. Su Cha listened carefully.
“There are a few spiritual power gates inside you helping regulate your power flow—no need to worry.”
Zha gate formed from spiritual energy? Su Cha paused, then guessed, “Was it His Majesty Sanses?”
He had felt much better after that last checkup.
Cyril nodded. “We exported a batch of stabilizers to the Galan Empire. Helping you was his duty.”
Su Cha tentatively asked, “Then, next…”
“Delaying awakening will slow your physical growth. First—grow taller.”
“…” So Sanses really wasn’t joking when he said that?
Cyril took him out of the hospital. In the corridor behind them, many doctors silently watched them leave through the windows.
The little prince is so nice… even his back looks good.
…Though if he didn’t smash stones on his chest, that’d be even better.
