I stared at the conflict unfolding before me, weighing my options. The Guild had be a battleground of politics and power ys—with me at the center of the storm. After crippling Travis ckthorne, I knew my days here were numbered.


    "I should leave," I said to Fifth Elder, once Third Elder had departed with his thinly veiled threats. "My presence here only brings more trouble to the Guild."


    Fifth Elder''s weathered face creased with concern. "Don''t be hasty, Master Knight. The Pavilion Master will return soon. She should be the one to decide your fate, not Third Elder."


    I considered his words. The Pavilion Master had shown me nothing but support since my arrival, but even her influence had limits against families like the ckthornes.


    "I won''t run from the consequences of my actions," I finally said, "but I won''t be a pawn in Third Elder''s games either."


    Sofia stepped forward, her eyes burning with determination. "I''ll testify about what Travis did. He struck me first and deliberately destroyed Guild property. Everyone saw it."


    I nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Sofia."


    Fifth Elder sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. "In the meantime, you should continue your duties. Normalcy might be our best defense."


    His words reminded me of something important. "Speaking of duties—as a third-rank alchemist, I''m entitled to my share of the Guild''s herb resources, correct?"


    Fifth Elder blinked in surprise at my sudden change of subject. "Well, yes. ording to Guild regtions, you can im resources proportionate to your rank."


    "Then I''d like to im them now," I said firmly. "Before Third Elder finds another excuse to block me."


    Sofia shot me a worried nce. "Liam, are you sure this is the right time?"


    I met her gaze steadily. "If not now, when? If I''m to be expelled, I should at least take what''s rightfully mine."


    Fifth Elder hesitated, then nodded. "The regtions are clear. Come, I''ll escort you to the storage rooms myself."


    We walked through the Guild''s winding corridors, passing curious apprentices who whispered behind their hands. News of my confrontation with Travis had clearly spread.


    As we approached the massive doors of the herb storage, I noticed several alchemists milling about. Their casual postures couldn''t hide their watchful eyes.


    "How many portions will you im?" Fifth Elder asked quietly.


    "A hundred," I replied, calcting what I''d need for my future research.


    The alchemists immediately blocked our path, their previously feigned nonchnce abandoned.


    "Master Knight," one said stiffly, "we were instructed not to allow anyone into the storage rooms today. Inventory checks."


    I raised an eyebrow. "By whose authority?"


    "Mine," came a cold voice from behind us. Third Elder approached, his thin lips curled in that familiar, contemptuous smile. "What fortunate timing. I was justing to find you."


    Fifth Elder frowned. "There was no scheduled inventory check today, Third Elder."


    "ns change," Third Elder replied smoothly. "Especially when a soon-to-be-expelled alchemist attempts to raid our resources before his judgment."


    My hands curled into fists, but I kept my voice level. "Guild regtions state clearly that all ranked alchemists are entitled to herbs proportionate to their contributions and rank."


    Third Elder circled me like a predator. "Regtions also state that alchemists who bring harm to the Guild can be denied such privileges."


    "I haven''t been judged yet," I countered.


    "A mere formality," he sneered. "Your actions against the ckthorne heir speak for themselves."


    Fifth Elder stepped forward. "This is inappropriate, Third Elder. Until the Pavilion Master returns—"


    "The Pavilion Master isn''t here," Third Elder cut him off. "And as her second-inmand, I have the authority to protect Guild interests as I see fit."


    I looked directly into Third Elder''s eyes, seeing the satisfaction gleaming there. This was personal for him—a vendetta thinly disguised as duty. <var ss="frag-c9ea7c">This<i ss="node-sep"></i>is<i ss="node-sep"></i>part<i ss="node-sep"></i>of<i ss="node-sep"></i>a<i ss="node-sep"></i>series<i ss="node-sep"></i>from<i ss="node-sep"></i>My<i ss="node-sep"></i>Virtual<i ss="node-sep"></i>Library<i ss="node-sep"></i>Empire<i ss="node-sep"></i>(*).</var>


    "You''ve wanted me gone from the moment I arrived," I said quietly. "Not because I broke any rules, but because I threatened your position."


    Third Elder''s nostrils red. "You dare—"


    "I dare speak the truth," I interrupted. "You''re not protecting the Guild. You''re protecting your ego."


    The watching alchemists gasped at my boldness. Third Elder''s face flushed with rage.


    "You impudent—"


    "Get out of my way, old piece of trash," I said, my voice ice-cold. "I''m iming what''s mine."


    Third Elder''s eyes widened in shock at the insult. "You''ll never set foot in that storage room! I''ll see to it personally!"


    I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Try to stop me, and I''ll do to you what I did to Travis ckthorne."


    The threat hung in the air between us. Third Elder''s face paled slightly, but his eyes burned with hatred.


    "You would threaten an Elder? This is open rebellion!"


    Iughed, the sound echoing harshly against the stone walls. "Rebellion? Against what? Your petty tyranny?"


    Without warning, I released a portion of my aura—just enough to make my point. The pressure in the corridor intensified, making several apprentices stumble back. Third Elder himself took an involuntary step backward.


    "I don''t want trouble," I said quietly. "I just want what I''m entitled to before I leave."


    Fifth Elder looked between us, clearly torn between duty and fairness. Finally, he spoke.


    "The regtions are clear, Third Elder. Master Knight has the right to im his share."


    Third Elder''s face contorted with fury, but he recognized he was outmatched—at least in this moment.


    "Take your herbs and go," he spat. "But know this—you''ve made an enemy today who will haunt you long after you leave these walls."


    I nodded, acknowledging both his threat and his surrender. "I already had that enemy. The only difference is now we''re both honest about it."


    The alchemists reluctantly stepped aside as Fifth Elder unlocked the massive ironwood doors to the storage room. As they swung open, I prepared myself to grab what I needed quickly.


    Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.


    Instead of shelves or containers of dried herbs, I found myself staring at a vast, impossiblyrge space that seemed to extend far beyond the physical constraints of the Guild building. The ceiling soared hundreds of feet above, bathed in a soft golden light that wasn''t sunlight but something more ethereal.


    And everywhere—stretching as far as I could see—were living nts. Not dried herbs in jars, but actual growing herbs, each in its perfect natural environment. Desert nts grew in sandy patches, while moisture-loving varieties flourished near small streams that wound through thendscape. Mountain herbs clung to artificial rock formations, while delicate flowers bloomed in carefully maintained meadows.


    "What... is this?" I whispered, stepping forward in awe.


    Fifth Elder smiled at my reaction. "This is the true herb storage of the Celestial Apothecary Guild."


    I moved further inside, utterly stunned. "But this space—it''s impossible. The Guild building couldn''t contain all this."


    "It doesn''t," Fifth Elder exined, following me. "What you''re seeing is maintained by one of the most powerful spirit energy-gathering arrays in Havenwood City. The Pavilion Master created it herself."


    I turned in a slow circle, trying to absorb the magnitude of what I was seeing. Ancient spirit herbs that I''d only read about in texts grew abundantly here. nts that should have been extinct thrived in carefully controlled environments.


    "This isn''t just storage," I murmured. "This is... cultivation on an unimaginable scale."


    Fifth Elder nodded. "Now perhaps you understand why the Guild is so protective of its resources. And why the Pavilion Master''s power isn''t to be underestimated."


    I thought of the woman I''d met—stern but fair, powerful but not ostentatious. I had sensed her strength, certainly, but this... this was the work of someone operating on an entirely different level from ordinary cultivators.


    "How does she maintain such a massive array?" I asked, still trying toprehend the energy requirements.


    "That," Fifth Elder said with a small smile, "is something only she knows."


    As I ventured deeper into the living repository, I felt a shift in my perspective. The Guild wasn''t just an organization of medicine makers—it was a keeper of ancient knowledge, a preserver of precious resources that might otherwise be lost forever.


    And I had just made an enemy of one of its most influential Elders.


    "Take what you need," Fifth Elder said, gesturing to the vast expanse around us. "But choose wisely. Each herb here has been nurtured for decades, some for centuries."


    I nodded, still overwhelmed by what I was seeing. As I began carefully selecting nts—taking cuttings where appropriate rather than uprooting entire specimens—I couldn''t help but wonder what other secrets the Guild held.


    And more importantly, what secrets the Pavilion Master herself might be keeping.


    The world I thought I understood was expanding before my eyes, revealingyers of power and knowledge I hadn''t even imagined. As I gathered herbs worth a fortune in the outside world, I realized that the true wealth here wasn''t in the nts themselves, but in the mastery required to create and maintain such a paradise.


    Whatever came next—whether expulsion or something worse—I knew one thing for certain: I had only just begun to understand the true nature of power in this world.


    And I had much, much more to learn.