Chapter 490: Shortcut

Within a secluded chamber aboard Anthony’s aircraft, four individuals sat in quiet contemplation: Kingsley, Seraphim, Dale, and Reynold.

Ever since the time Anthony had first rescued them amidst the chaos of war, none had spoken directly to their enigmatic captain. Now, gathered once more, they engaged in a quiet conversation.

“Sigh… I knew the captain wouldn’t stay with us for long. His accomplishments during the war had already marked him for a different path”

Dale spoke with a heavy breath, a subtle sorrow woven into his tone.

“We should’ve seen this day coming.Even though we only accompanied him on a single mission, that one mission changed everything. He didn’t just lead us, he made us better”

Reynold added quietly.

“We should ask him to stay. At the very least, he might understand… or perhaps even bring us along in his ascent”

Dale murmured, lost in thought.

Reynold shook his head in quiet disagreement, as he spoke.

“That’s selfish bruh. Everyone fights to rise through the military ranks, you’d have him hold himself back for us? Don’t even think of saying that to him. And the idea of ascending with him? That’s a fantasy. This is the military, not a playground”

“But damn”

Dale muttered, eyes narrowing as memories surged to the surface.

“I always knew the captain was powerful, but that level of strength? The sheer volume and purity of his mana… Is he even human?”

His mind drifted back to the battlefield, Anthony, effortlessly unleashing Light Magic spell after spell in rapid succession, each more blinding and potent than the last.

The sheer mana output defied logic, far exceeding what should have been possible for someone of his rank. That wasn’t something any ordinary human could achieve.

“Asking whether he’s human isn’t even the right question”

Reynold said quietly, his voice tinged with awe.

“Even those of us born as Phoenixes or Dragons, creatures inherently beloved by mana, don’t possess the kind of overwhelming energy he displayed”

His gaze drifted toward the window, eyes tracing the glittering expanse of celestial bodies as the aircraft glided through the void of space.

He continued, “Being in the same Ecliptic rank doesn’t make us equals. It’s skill, control, and depth that separate the extraordinary from the average. Take Kingsley, for example. The man doesn’t even possess a mana core, or any core, for that matter. By rank, he’s technically weaker than an F-ranker. But tell me… could any of us here actually defeat him?”

Kingsley, seated silently off to the side, didn’t so much as flinch at the mention of his name. His stillness was almost unsettling, calm, composed, and unreadable.

Dale gave a slow nod, already aware of everything Reynold had said. Then, after a brief pause, he added quietly.

“Besides… none of us have even awakened Intent”

As if weighted by the same unspoken truth, both Dale and Reynold let out a simultaneous sigh, deep, tired, and heavy with quiet resignation.

“What do you think, Seraphim?”

Dale asked, his blood-red eyes drifting toward her.

Seraphim sat with one leg elegantly crossed over the other, her attention buried deep in the pages of the book she held. The soft rustle of paper was the only response at first.

“Think about what?”

She replied flatly, not once lifting her gaze from the pages.

Though the aircraft housed a modest onboard library, Seraphim treated it as a temporary privilege, one that cost nothing here but would demand military points within the Tower of Knowledge. She had no time to waste on idle talk.

While Dale and Reynold pondered power and military ranks, her mind remained fixed on absorbing every piece of information she could.

“Have you not been listening this whole time?”

Reynold asked, his voice edged with mild frustration as he carefully polished his rapier, treating the weapon with the reverence of a lifelong companion.

“I haven’t been listening”

Seraphim replied evenly,

“But I heard the two of you clearly”

Her tone was calm, detached, unbothered. She didn’t look up, didn’t pause, her eyes still dancing across the pages of her book as she continued in a single, measured breath:

“There’s nothing to discuss. We’re weaker. That’s the reality. If we want to keep up, then we need to grow stronger, there’s no other path. But saying it is easy. Reaching that kind of power… it doesn’t come just because you desire it”

“You don’t sound very encouraging”

Dale remarked, his tone caught somewhere between a complaint and disappointment, as if Seraphim’s words were slowly chipping away at their already fragile resolve.

Without so much as a glance in his direction, Seraphim replied.

“There’s nothing to encourage. Just the plain truth, no sense in sugarcoating reality”

With a soft thud, she closed the book in her hands, the sound echoing faintly in the quiet room.

Rising with graceful efficiency, she strode to a nearby table stacked with more books. Selecting another without hesitation, she returned to her seat and resumed reading.

Dale had no response to that; all he could do was shake his head in quiet acceptance.

None of them, neither he nor his comrades could hope to be compared to a man who had saved millions of soldiers, secured the entire Logistics Department, and then transported them to a distant military base.

A man who wielded power so immense, he could forge an entirely separate dimension.

All they could do was hope that, when their paths crossed again in this life, Anthony would not forget them.

Reynold glanced at Dale, who had just sighed once more.

“Why are you acting like you can’t advance in the military ranks without Anthony?” he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. “You were doing just fine before he showed up. Now it sounds like you’re resigned to being stuck at Lieutenant forever”

“I’m just mildly sad”

Dale admitted, voice heavy with regret.

“I lost my shortcut to rising through the ranks faster. Sure, we all have long lifespans, but that doesn’t mean I want to take every step slowly, one by one. With Anthony on our side, we could have advanced to the next rank in less than a year”

With a casual wave of his hand, his spear materialized before him. He began polishing its shaft with the same focused care Reynold showed his rapier.

“I’m sure we’ll get promoted too”

Reynold said with a confident smile.

Dale looked up from his spear, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

“Why do you say that?”

“We were the ones who found that Crown thing that set everything in motion by keeping it out of the demons’ hands, I’m certain we’ll receive more than just military points”

Reynold explained calmly.

Dale’s eyes brightened at Reynold’s words, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

“That’s exactly what I mean. One mission with Anthony, and already we’re on the path to promotion, a perfect shortcut to our military rank ascension”