Master Rei led Wei to his room. As soon as the door opened, Wei was greeted by a vibrant space filled with gaming consoles, a massive monitor mounted on the wall, and a boy intensely focused on a fighting game. The room was decorated in red and black, with gaming stickers plastered across the walls.
"Jim. Jim. JIM!" Master Rei called out, his voice escalating on the third attempt.
The boy jumped in surprise, tossing the controller onto the table. "Yes, sir!" he said, scrambling to attention.
"Meet Wei. He's staying here tonight. Say hello," Master Rei instructed.
Jim looked Wei up and down. "You look a little older than me, but that's fine. I'm Jim," he said, extending a hand.
"Hi, I'm Wei," Wei replied, shaking Jim's hand.
Jim grinned. "So, do you want to play a game? I'll take you on in anything. Fair warning—you can't beat me."
Wei shook his head. "No, I don't play games. Do you have any books I can read?"
"Books? Sure, I've got plenty. You'll love them," Jim said enthusiastically.
"Alright. Goodnight, Wei," Master Rei said, turning to leave.
"Goodnight, sir," Wei replied, watching him go.
Jim immediately started rummaging through a shelf. "Which book do you want?"
"Just give me ten," Wei said.
"Ten? Okay, my favorites it is," Jim said, pulling out a stack. He handed them to Wei with a flourish. "Here, take these."
Wei took one glance and frowned. "These are comics."
"Yeah, they are. You'll love them," Jim said confidently.
"Sorry, but I don't read comics. Do you have any books about knowledge or history?" Wei asked.
Jim rolled his eyes and smirked. "Pfft. You'll love these after you actually read them."
"Does this Agency have a library?" Wei asked.
"Yeah, it does," Jim replied, pointing vaguely. "It's on the second floor. Just take the elevator or the stairs. When you reach the second floor, look for the sign on the wall, then go left. You'll see the EX Masters' room. Ask them—they probably know where it is. I've, uh… never actually been to the library myself."
Wei nodded, handing back the comics. "Thanks. Here are your books."
As Wei left the room, Jim muttered to himself, "What a boring guy."
Wei wandered the second floor in search of the library. As he turned a corner, he spotted Master Kyo passing by. The master paused, noticing Wei.
"What are you doing up? Can't sleep?" Master Kyo asked.
"I was looking for the library. Do you know where it is?" Wei replied.
"Ah, the library's on the first floor. If you take the stairs, you'll find it directly. If you use the elevator, you'll need to figure out where the stairs are from there. Goodnight, Wei," Master Kyo said with a faint smile.
"Thank you, sir," Wei said, bowing slightly before heading off.
Following Master Kyo's directions, Wei reached the library, a quiet haven filled with rows of bookshelves. He grabbed a few books and settled into a corner to read, engrossed in the silence of the night.
Meanwhile, in another room, Tony and Kai were fast asleep when Tony suddenly bolted upright with a shout.
"AAHH!"
Kai jumped awake in panic. "AH! What happened?!"
Tony was trembling, his breath uneven.
"That vis—" He paused, struggling to speak.
"Here, have some water first," Kai said, handing him a glass.
"Thanks," Tony said, taking a sip and trying to calm down.
"Now, tell me. What happened?" Kai pressed.
"I had that vision again," Tony said, his voice unsteady. "I saw the Legendary Sword… the one we destroyed."
Kai's eyes widened. "You mean Black Fire?"
"Yes, the Black Fire," Tony confirmed.
Kai rubbed his chin, thinking. "Maybe that explosion … when we were placing the gem on Ryu's sword… Maybe it resurrected Black Fire."
Tony stared at him in disbelief. "If that's true, then we brought it back. What do we do now?"
Kai stood, pacing the room. "We need to talk to Wei about this. He might know what's going on."
"But it's 1 a.m.," Tony said, glancing at the clock.
Kai shrugged. "He never sleeps before 3 a.m. He's probably reading in the library. Let's go find him."
Reluctantly, Tony got up, and the two began searching the second floor. They checked room after room but couldn't find Wei.
"Where could he be?" Kai asked, frustrated.
Tony scratched his head. "Maybe we need to find the library."
Kai snapped his fingers. "Of course, the library! I saw it on the first floor earlier when we were coming up to meet Ryu."
"Then let's go," Tony said, leading the way as the two headed downstairs.
Tony and Kai entered the library and found Wei sitting at a table, absorbed in a thick book. Three books were stacked on his left and four on his right.
"Wei, we need to talk," Tony said, his voice urgent.
Without looking up, Wei replied, "What is it?"
"I had that vision again," Tony said, stepping closer. "But this time… I saw Black Fire."
Wei continued reading, flipping a page casually. "It's just a dream. Everyone knows Black Fire was destroyed."
Kai chimed in. "That's the problem."
Finally, Wei glanced up, his brow furrowing slightly. "What do you mean?"
"We think we… resurrected it," Kai admitted hesitantly.
Wei scoffed, turning back to his book. "Nice joke."
"It's not a joke," Tony said firmly. "And we don't know where it is now."
Kai leaned against the table, his tone urgent. "When we returned to our world, I found a gem in the cave. I showed it to Tony, and he pointed out that Ryu's gifted sword was missing its gem. So… we tried placing the gem on the sword."
Wei stopped mid-turn of a page, his eyes narrowing. "And?"
Kai hesitated. "When we placed it, there was an explosion… and then the gem vanished."
That got Wei's full attention. He set his book on the table and leaned forward. "What?!"
"We thought we should tell you," Tony added quietly.
Wei's mind was racing. "How could that even happen? How did Black Fire store its energy in a single gem? Kai, what color was the gem when you found it?"
"It was green," Kai said, rubbing his temples as he recalled. "I remember when we were placing it on the sword, it started glowing. Before I could say anything, Tony pushed it in, and BOOM."
Tony frowned. "You're the one who placed it on the sword."
"I don't care who did it," Wei interrupted. "The bigger question is… where is Black Fire now? And why did both of Ryu's arms overheat? When did you do this?"
"Yesterday," Tony admitted. "After that MyungJin told us Ryu was unconscious."
Kai shifted uncomfortably. "To avoid suspicion, we bought a replica of Ryu's gifted sword and hid it in his room."
Wei closed his eyes, piecing things together. "Alright. You two need to get some rest. I'll figure this out."
Tony and Kai exchanged uneasy glances but nodded. "Goodnight, Wei," they said in unison, leaving the library.
As they left, Wei muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the pile of books. "Black Fire's resurrection… Ryu's overheating arms… and Prince Ryu. It can't be a coincidence. Maybe… the sword tested their blood."
Wei leaned back in his chair, deep in thought, the flickering library lights casting long shadows around him.
The next morning, Master Feng convened the group to announce the return to their training regimen.
"Alright, it's time for all of you to resume your training. The bus will arrive in ten minutes," Master Feng informed the group.
Wei interjected, providing critical information about Ryu's condition. "Sir, I've identified a permanent solution for Ryu's arm. We'll need approximately four more hours here. The previous treatments were temporary fixes."
Master Feng assessed the situation and gave a nod of approval. "Very well, if you're confident in your findings, you and Ryu may stay. The others will proceed with me."
As preparations continued, Kai raised a question. "Sir, with the advanced technology at your disposal, why are we relying on a bus? Wouldn't a hyperloop or similar advanced transport system be more efficient?"
Master Feng responded pragmatically. "Kai, the bus we're using is perfectly functional. It features standard technology: four wheels, fifty seats, an engine, and windows for ventilation. Such specifications are more than sufficient for this journey, especially as we are not traversing intercontinental distances."
Jin added, "Kai, it's not practical to expect such measures for a routine trip."
Master Feng concluded the exchange succinctly. "That's enough discussion; the bus will arrive shortly."
The group followed Master Feng to the bus, boarding promptly. Meanwhile, Wei proceeded to the hospital on the EX Agency's second floor to address Ryu's arm.
Inside the treatment room, Wei approached Ryu, who awaited the procedure. "Are you prepared for the permanent cure?" Wei asked, his tone steady.
Ryu replied with mild apprehension, "Yes, but promise me it won't hurt too much."
Wei dismissed the concern. "Focus on the outcome and let me work."
Wei started his magic.