Chapter 322: Yup....I Kissed Her

Two more hours passed as I continued exploring the library. I had gone through hundreds of skill scrolls, watched thousands of videos, and still felt like I was barely scratching the surface.

To speed things up, I activated [Psynapse Fracture]. It gave me three working fractures now—three parallel minds to handle tasks at the same time.

One focused on scanning skill descriptions.

The second played the training videos, showing real fights, test fields, and usage cases.

And the third worked on adapting those skills into something I could use, mixing them with my own laws, fighting style, and instincts.

The library had a clear structure. Skills were divided by rank—starting with Mortal rank, then Master, and finally Grandmaster. The higher I went, the more precise and law-driven they became. Some were made for soldiers, others for assassins, spellcasters, and even support units.

Still, I had an idea of what I wanted. I picked my poison.

I made notes. Shortlisted the ones I liked. Sketched rough ideas of how I’d merge some of them. I’d start incorporating them soon.

When I was done, I whispered, "Dante?"

No reply.

I waited a few seconds and then extended my perception. Oddly, it couldn’t leave the library. It just circled the walls, bounced off the edges, and came back like a rubber ball.

I frowned and muttered, "Huh. Looks like this place is custom-built. Probably the old man’s doing. He’s good with space laws."

"Correct," a voice echoed around me suddenly. "I am."

I turned.

And there he was standing right in front of me. But not as I’d last seen him. This time, he didn’t look like an old man with a pot belly and a half-buttoned shirt.

Now, he looked like a dwarf.

Short—barely four feet—but wide-shouldered and muscular. His arms were thick like tree trunks. He had long black hair, a braided beard, and wore a black cloak to cover himself completely. His voice was still the same, hoarse and scratchy.

I rubbed my forehead. "Why do you always disguise yourself?"

He gave me a shrug. "Because I can."

I stared at him for a second, then just decided not to care. Not worth the headache.

So I asked what I needed. "Can you take me somewhere I can fight Abominations? I want to practice the new skills I’ve been working on."

He nodded. "Sure, I can do that. But what do I get for helping you?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

I had assumed the Emperor told him to help me. That was the whole point, right?

"Didn’t the Emperor ask you to help me?" I asked.

"Nope," he replied bluntly. "He just told me to bring you here. Nothing about taking you out for target practice."

I stared at him. He stared back.

I sighed. "Okay. What do you want?"

His answer came immediately. "Become my student."

I tilted my head, confused. "Seriously?"

I remembered North was with him now. And her brother too. Was he just collecting students now?

"No thanks," I said. "I’ll stick with Arkas. At least he doesn’t walk around disguised like a traveling circus."

Dante snorted. "Arkas is shit. Don’t compare me to that fool."

I shrugged. "He’s been good to me. Also, I actually know what his face looks like."

Dante frowned. "Why do you care what I look like? I’m not asking you to marry me, idiot. You’ve got Space Law, I’ve got Space Law. I’m the best option."

I shook my head. "Still not feeling it. What else you got?"

He straightened up and said, "I’m the strongest man in the Empire."

I blinked. "Stronger than the Emperor?"

He nodded. "Yes."

I stared at him for a second, then muttered, "Liar."

He didn’t miss a beat. "I’m the best cook in the Empire."

I frowned. "So?"

He chuckled. "Your girlfriend is also with me."

I shook my head. "Still not enough."

He went quiet. His gaze settled on me, and for a few seconds, he just stared. Then he spoke again, voice calmer.

"I can take you to the Prime Galaxy."

That got my attention. My eyes narrowed a little. "Even the Emperor can," I replied.

"But he won’t. He can’t leave Vaythos," he said, his tone surprisingly serious now. "I can. I have to."

It was the first time I heard him speak like a normal person. No games. No silly laughs. Just... honest.

He continued, "I have a mission there. Personal. I can take you with me, help you understand how things work over there. Keep you safe from scammers and traps."

Honestly, the way he looked while saying that? He

himself

felt more like the scammer.

I crossed my arms. The conversation was going nowhere fast, so I ended it there. "Fine. I’ll think about it after this war business is done. Can you take me out now?"

He nodded. "Good. And if you go back on your word..." he pointed a stubby finger at me, "I’ll find you wherever you hide, kidnap you, and make you my slave student."

Before I could roll my eyes, he waved his hand and the world spun.

In the next blink, I was no longer in the library.

I was floating high in the sky.

Alone.

The old man was nowhere to be seen.

And I was falling.

Wind roared past me as I dropped, but I didn’t panic. With a thought, my wings burst out from my back. They flared wide and caught the air, stopping my fall.

I hovered there for a moment, catching my breath, and looked around.

Below me was a wide mountain valley. Quiet, peaceful. I heard a river flowing somewhere nearby.

I extended my perception.

That’s when I saw her.

In a clearing between the trees, a girl was moving—fast, precise. A dagger flashed in her hand as she practiced. Tight leather pants, sleeveless top, ponytail swaying with each turn. Her movements were smooth, deadly. Focused.

North Winter.

A grin crept onto my face.

Without wasting time, I let Essence rush through my body. My clothes, torn and dusty from earlier, disintegrated into particles. I raised my hand and summoned blobs of clean water. They splashed over my skin and hair—quick, refreshing.

Then I called out softly, "Lyrate."

Crimson mist churned and she appeared beside me, eyes calm as ever, floating in the air. I nodded toward her.

"New outfit, please."

She weaved grey Essence thread through the air, and in seconds I was wearing a fitted grey shirt and black pants. Neat, sharp. I gave her a small smile, and de-summoned her.

I checked myself. Everything looked good.

Took a deep breath.

Then—BOOM.

My wings beat once, and I shot forward like a cannonball.

The noise echoed through the valley.

Below, North turned sharply, eyes wide. She spotted me instantly, floating down from above.

I touched down gently, just a foot away from her.

Her brown eyes locked onto mine. Her arms lowered slowly, her mouth slightly open in surprise.

I gave her a small smile. "Did you miss me?"

"You came back," she whispered, voice softer than I remembered.

I smiled. "Told you I would."

She opened her mouth to say something else, but I stepped forward and gently took her hand. Her fingers curled into mine.

Then, without a word, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"What are you—"

I spread my wings wide. With one powerful beat, we lifted off the ground.

She gasped as the air rushed past us, her body pressed to mine, arms instinctively wrapping around my shoulders.

The valley fell away below us. The sky turned gold with the rising sun.

And as we floated there, surrounded by wind and light, I leaned in.

She didn’t stop me.

Our lips met....soft and slow. Her hands tightened around me as I pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. I felt her soft lips on mine. She stopped breathing for a moment, pressing her body closer against me. And with each second that passed, I found myself wanting the moment to never end.

The kiss was everything unsaid between us. The ache. The wait. The want.

For a few heartbeats, the world fell away, and it was just the two of us suspended in that perfect silence.

I held her close, wings keeping us in the air.

In that moment, I wasn’t a warrior or an Executor.

Just a boy who liked a girl.