Elric had searched every corner of the room—the space under the bed, the cabinets, the bookshelf…
He had scoured every possible place, but found nothing.
As time passed, his frustration grew.
He scratched his head and muttered in a low voice, "This is driving me crazy."
Just as he was about to continue his search, Calista's voice suddenly broke his thoughts.
"Wait, did you notice the portraits on the wall?"
Elric immediately looked up at the row of portraits of the previous Blackstone Dukes.
He stared intently at each one, frowning as something unusual caught his eye.
He soon noticed a discrepancy.
The portrait of the first Blackstone Duke was different from the others.
While all the other portraits were hung perfectly straight, the first Duke's portrait was hung slightly askew, as if intentionally placed that way.
"This portrait…" Elric murmured, curiosity filling him as he leaned in for a closer inspection.
"Try adjusting the portrait," Calista suggested.
Nodding, Elric carefully reached out, grasping the edge of the frame. He gently twisted it.
Sure enough, as the portrait moved, a deep "click" echoed through the room.
Elric swallowed hard, excitement bubbling up inside him. He couldn't believe he had actually found a secret passage.
A narrow seam in the wall slowly slid open, revealing a staircase leading down into the depths below.
His first instinct was to rush down immediately—he could hardly wait.
But just as he was about to act, Calista's voice sharply intervened, and her figure emerged from the jade pendant, materializing before him.
It had been a long time since Elric had seen her appear in this form. As she stepped out, her expression was unusually stern.
"Don't move," she commanded, her tone carrying a rare note of caution as she stood at the entrance to the passage.
"What's wrong?" Elric asked in a low voice, his gaze fixed on her.
Calista remained tense, her brows furrowed, eyes locked on the passage. Her voice was low and serious.
"There's a powerful psychic barrier at the entrance.
With your current strength, if you try to push through, you'll be torn to shreds in an instant."
As she spoke, she casually picked up a book from the desk and tossed it toward the passage.
The moment the book made contact with the barrier, it was instantly pulverized by an invisible force.
There wasn't even a trace of debris left; it vanished completely.
Elric's eyes widened in shock, and a chill ran down his spine.
He hadn't anticipated that the passage would be protected by such a deadly trap.
Cold sweat broke out across his skin, and a deep sense of fear gripped him.
Calista narrowed her eyes, carefully analyzing the barrier's power before speaking again with a slight smirk.
"I'm guessing only someone with Blackstone family blood can pass through this barrier."
Hearing this, Elric grew anxious and immediately asked, "Mommy, does that mean we can't get in?"
But Calista shook her head and smiled.
"In this world, if you're strong enough, there's nowhere you can't go. No barrier can stop you. Watch carefully, and don't blink."
To Elric's surprise, Calista began to remove her dark green robe, unfastening her long sleeves as well.
His instinct was to avert his eyes, but the scene unfolding before him was so striking that he couldn't look away.
Her chest was modestly covered by a simple white cloth.
Elric noticed, to his amazement, that though her muscles weren't large, they were distinctly defined.
She didn't have exaggerated muscle mass, but each muscle was finely sculpted, tense and well-proportioned, exuding strength and agility.
Her back formed a perfect V-shape, and her body was covered in scars, each one telling a story of past battles.
Some of the scars were clearly from swords, etched deep into her flesh.
Others were long whip marks, as if she had endured severe torture.
The most prominent scar was a massive one that, despite having healed, still bore the traces of a wound that had once been fatal.
But what surprised Elric the most were the tattoos that covered almost her entire body.
Each tattoo was incredibly lifelike, depicting various creatures.
A massive snake coiled around her arm, its scales detailed down to the finest level, appearing almost as if it were alive.
A tiger with its jaws wide open rested on her shoulder, its sharp teeth vividly clear.
On her back was an eagle, its eyes fierce and piercing.
Her back featured numerous psychic beasts, each tattoo in different colors—red, blue, gold…
Every tattoo seemed to pulse with life, subtly shifting with her muscles as she moved.
Elric was mesmerized by the tattoos, his heart racing.
Without thinking, he blurted out, "Wow, that's so cool!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Elric quickly covered his face, feeling embarrassed, worried that Calista might be angry.
To his surprise, Calista wasn't angry at all. Instead, she flashed a wide grin, revealing her white teeth as she laughed happily.
"My child. You've got a good eye. But…"
Her smile faded, and she turned her focus back to the psychic barrier before them.
"Now's not the time to admire tattoos. Watch closely!"
Calista raised her right hand, forming a fist, and green psychic energy quickly gathered in her fist.
As the green energy surged, the tattoos on her body began to glow faintly, as if coming to life.
Elric stared in disbelief, rubbing his eyes, thinking he might be seeing things.
But as he looked again, the scene remained vivid and unmistakable.
A white tiger's shadow emerged above Calista's back.
The white tiger was so lifelike, it seemed as if it had stepped out of the tattoo itself.
To Elric's astonishment, the white tiger even turned its head to glance at him with a look of disdain.
That single glance made Elric's heart race uncontrollably.
"What… what is this?" Elric muttered, struggling to comprehend what he was witnessing.
The energy surrounding Calista's fist continued to intensify, radiating an immense power.
The white tiger's shadow moved with her, adding to her strength.
Calista then threw a punch toward the psychic barrier, and the white tiger's shadow surged forward in tandem with her strike.
The powerful wave of psychic energy slammed into the barrier, unleashing a deafening boom.