Chapter 324: Before The War Begins

We stood once again in the small clearing where she had been practicing earlier. The breeze rustled the leaves around us, and sunlight filtered softly through the trees above.

North bent down and picked up the dagger she had dropped when I scooped her up mid-training. I watched her for a second, then let my gaze drift over her status.

[North Winter – Level 132]

This was the third time I checked. I couldn’t help it, I was honestly shocked. Her progress was insane. Steve hadn’t even crossed level 100 yet, and here she was, already closing in on mid-Master rank.

I’d asked her once before how she’d gotten so far ahead.

She’d smiled and told me that Dante had taken her all around the Empire.

They spent most days fighting Abominations nonstop. Apparently, the old man would isolate them using his space powers and leave her to finish each fight on her own.

She’d even joined him on assassination missions to eliminate foreign spies.

But what really pushed her forward... was when she faced a horde of Abominations by herself. That battle had nearly killed her, she said, but it gave her the largest leap in strength she’d ever experienced.

I watched as she held up her daggers, beautiful twin blades with curved edges. The metal was a dark blend of black and crimson. Each was around eighteen inches long, long enough to almost be called short swords. The handles were carved with intricate patterns, elegant yet brutal in their design.

She gave a casual wave of her hand and both weapons vanished in a swirl of red and black particles.

Curious, I asked, "Why’d you give up on the bow?"

She looked up and replied, "Dante had a complete Art. From beginning to end. A full technique for these blades. He told me it’s extremely rare, almost no one manages to master it enough for the System to acknowledge it. It’s got four levels, one for each major rank, all the way up to Transcendent."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She nodded. "I trained non-stop for ten days. But once the System recognized my mastery... I dropped the bow."

I nodded and stepped closer, gently taking her hand in mine.

"Let’s go," I said with a smile.

We began walking, heading deeper into the valley. I’d already locked onto a few Abominations with my perception—powerful ones—and now it was time to get serious. I needed to level up, test the new skills I’d designed, and push forward.

As we walked, she glanced at me and asked, "So why were you here in the first place?"

I smiled. "Well... it’s a long story."

She squeezed my hand. "I’m listening."

I chuckled and began talking.

About the hidden library. About Dante’s strange disguises. About the Emperor’s plans and the war on the horizon. She listened closely, occasionally nodding or asking something. Her questions came fast—curious, thoughtful, a little teasing—and I answered them all, one by one.

We didn’t rush. We just walked together, step by step, with the wind on our faces and the sound of water far away.

Eventually, we stopped.

A massive lizard-like Abomination stood in the clearing ahead, its black-scaled body easily ten meters long, thick legs planted firmly on the rock, and glowing green eyes scanning the terrain. It was level 190.

North looked at it and then at me.

"I’m not just going to stand here and watch you level up, you know."

I turned to her, surprised. "You’re not? So you’re not even going to let me flex a little?"

She laughed. "Nope. I’m going on my own hunt."

I smirked. "Is that so?"

I raised my hand and pointed a single finger at the beast.

The air around me thickened. A faint glow gathered at my fingertip, small at first, like a spark clinging to life. But then it pulsed. Once. Twice. And then it ignited.

A thin line of white-hot light burst forth, humming with intense power. The air screamed under the pressure as the energy carved a perfect line through the air.

In the same heartbeat, it struck.

CRACK.

The light tore straight through the Abomination’s skull with an unstoppable force. The beast froze mid-growl, its eyes wide, before a single shiver ran through its massive frame.

Then it dropped.

I lowered my hand slowly, the glow fading from my fingertip.

Then I looked at her and smirked. "How’s that for a warm-up?"

She blinked, her mouth slightly open. "That was... crazy."

I gave her a wink. "You’ve seen nothing yet."

Stepping back a little, I whispered, "Come out."

My heart gave a soft tremble, and then waves of crimson mist poured out from my chest. The air turned heavier, the wind stilling around us.

First, a powerful gust swept down from above, followed by the sharp sound of wings spreading wide. Silver landed behind me with a heavy thud, his blade-like feathers gleaming under the sun.

To my right, the shadows thickened and twisted as the mist swirled violently then Knight stepped out, completely silent. His red eyes glowed, tail flicking once as he took position at my side.

And then, to my left, the mist spun into a small vortex. From its center, Lyrate emerged, floating just a few inches above the ground. Her long red hair swayed gently as her glowing eyes locked onto North.

I grinned and spread my arms wide. "So? What do you think?"

North’s eyes widened as she looked at each of them, one by one.

"These are your summons?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Behind me is Silver. That’s Knight on the right. And this is Lyrate Evergreen, she’s an elf."

North stepped closer to Knight and gently touched his black fur.

"It feels real... but it’s not, right?"

"Right," I said. "I’m still not sure how exactly it works."

She moved over to Lyrate and stood in front of her. Lyrate hovered silently, taller than North, her presence calm but sharp.

"She’s beautiful. And strong," North said quietly.

I kept a close eye on Lyrate’s emotions, just in case.

"She is," I agreed. "And a little crazy."

North turned to me, smiling. "So you basically have your own little squad now."

"Pretty much."

I walked up to her. "How about this, you take Silver and go hunt a bit? He’ll make it easier to scout the valley."

She raised an eyebrow. "You think I can’t keep myself safe?"

I shook my head with a grin. "If that was the case, I’d have sent Lyrate with you. I’m sending Silver because he’s a good ride."

She laughed softly. "If you say so."

She walked to Silver and jumped onto his back with ease.

"Take care of her," I whispered to him.

"I heard that," North called out.

"I just meant he should fly carefully!" I replied with a smirk. "Go!"

Silver let out a sharp screech and launched into the sky, wings slicing through the air. They vanished into the distance, flying deeper into the valley.

I stood still, watching her silhouette grow smaller and smaller.

My smile slowly faded.

I turned, my face hardening as my focus locked in. I de-summoned Lyrate and Knight. Then my knees bent, and I narrowed my senses toward a pack of wolf-like Abominations in my perception range. Without wasting a second, I launched forward, cutting through the air like an arrow.

I had three goals to complete before the sun rose tomorrow.

First, I needed to deepen my comprehension of more minor laws. The stronger my understanding, the stronger my foundation for what came next.

Second, I wanted to change, upgrade, or completely rebuild several of my old skills. Some of them no longer matched my current strength. Others had potential, but needed better structure, better intent.

And third... I needed to reach level 199.

I knew I could do it. My Psynapse was operating on levels most people couldn’t even imagine. At this point, I was sure it was strong enough for someone at Grandmaster rank, not just Master.

Creating or adapting skills was the easiest part of all. With three active fractures inside my mind, I could analyze, design, and test multiple ideas at once. No skill was out of reach. I just had to put in the effort.

And I was ready to do that.