“I’ll be teaching you two things.”Wyndia raised two fingers.“The first is my movement technique.”She looked at Rhys and continued,“It’s considerably more advanced than what you’ve learned at the academy.”“I originally developed it by studying the elves’ footwork before modifying it to suit humans.”Rhys listened attentively.“You may not know this, but elves possess exceptional footwork.”“They spend most of their lives moving through forests.”She began demonstrating as she spoke.“They have to cross uneven ground without losing their balance.”“They leap from branch to branch.”“They weave through dense trees where a single mistake could cost them their lives.”She took a few light steps across the yard.“Because of that…”“Their movements emphasize flexibility, agility, and stability all at once.”She looked back at Rhys.“Your fighting style relies heavily on firearms.”“You spend a lot of time creating distance while shooting.”“So if your footwork remains stable even while

A strange silence settled over the room.Everyone’s eyes instinctively turned toward Grace.No one understood what the War Minister had whispered to her, but the change in her expression was impossible to miss.Even Rhys couldn’t figure it out.He quietly studied the minister before narrowing his eyes.This old fox…He’s a real politician.He found Grace’s greatest weakness and used it perfectly.Rhys could almost feel the danger radiating from the smiling old man.He’s dangerous.After a brief pause, another thought crossed his mind.No…I should avoid working with him as much as possible in the future.Unfortunately…That decision wasn’t entirely his to make.The minister had already demonstrated exactly why he held his position.He understood people.More importantly…He understood what each person valued most.After Grace, his attention naturally moved to Maeve.Rhys immediately understood the reason.Among everyone present, Maeve stood closest to him.She was the woman who truste

“All right.”Rhys looked around the room.“Let’s begin the experiment.”Charlotte stepped forward and began laying out everything they had prepared over the past several days.The table quickly filled with herbs of different colors, bottles containing strange liquids, crystals, ancient-looking materials, and several odd devices that even Rhys couldn’t identify at a glance.“We’ve prepared multiple possibilities.”Charlotte gestured toward the collection.“Some are herbs.”“Some are catalysts.”“And some are experimental tools.”“We’ll test them one by one.”Meanwhile, Wyndia walked toward a chair in the corner of the room and sat down comfortably.“You don’t need to worry about me.”She crossed her legs.“Carry out the experiment exactly as you planned.”“I’ll simply observe.”“If anything unexpected happens…”“I’ll step in.”Rhys nodded.“Understood.”Just as he was about to begin, he suddenly remembered something.“…Oh, right.”He reached into his storage and took out a black-and-go

Rhys opened his mouth, intending to argue.Charlotte never gave him the opportunity.She stepped forward before he could say a single word.“I’ll explain everything to Risa.”Her tone softened.“I know her.”“If she learns you’ve been risking yourself like this for her…”“She’ll never accept it.”She looked directly into his eyes.“I’m not saying you can never donate your blood again.”She shook her head.“I just need time.”“Please let me find out whether there are any side effects.”“Once I know the answer…”“You can make your own decision.”“…Please.”Seeing the concern on her face, Rhys could only sigh.He bit his lip for a moment before giving in.“…Fine.”“I’ll follow your suggestion.”“At least for now.”Only then did Charlotte finally relax.She quietly let out the breath she had been holding.Anubis suddenly stretched out one of his paws.“In that case…”“Use my blood instead.”Everyone looked toward him.“You can already inspect my detailed status.”“If donating blood causes

The cocoon suddenly pulsed.It rose and fell like a living heart.The rhythmic thump echoed through Wyndia’s house, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.“…!”Every head turned toward it.The dark shell had begun glowing from within, revealing Tayla’s silhouette through the thin layers of condensed Mana.Charlotte’s expression sharpened.She carefully observed every change before speaking.“It’s almost finished.”She took a step back.“Everyone, be ready.”“And be careful.”“It’s releasing Death Energy.”Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the cocoon pulsed again.A faint crack appeared across its surface.Then a small hole opened.Dark energy immediately poured through the opening.The atmosphere inside the room changed in an instant.The Death Energy spread like an invisible poison.The moment it touched the wooden walls and furniture, the wood rapidly lost its vitality.Its rich color faded.The surface cracked.Everything it touched began withering before their eyes.“…!”W