“Haa…”Cassius let out a slow breath as he studied the battlefield.The fight had dragged on for far longer than he had expected.At this point, he was simply waiting for the signal to withdraw.His opponent seemed to be thinking the same thing.Neither side stopped exchanging blows, but both kept listening to the distant sounds coming from the Chaotic Cat headquarters.Then…The fighting there suddenly went silent.The explosions.The clashes.The cries of battle.Everything disappeared.A strange tension spread across both sides.If the headquarters had fallen…Then the people inside had either been wiped out…Or the battle had already ended.No one knew which.Unfortunately, neither side had the luxury of finding out.They were still locked in battle.Then the ground beneath them rippled.A massive wave of darkness surged upward.“…?!”Cassius’ eyes widened.A Living Shadow…Yela.The headquarters is finished.It’s time to retreat.“Stop him!”His opponent immediately rushed forwar

“Are you sure you don’t want someone to go with you?”Laura looked at Maeve with clear concern.“Even if the others are busy, I’m sure Grace or Skylar would help if you asked.”Maeve gently shook her head.“I appreciate it.”“Really.”“But this is something I have to finish myself.”She lowered her eyes for a moment before continuing.“And honestly…”“If Uncle Ray actually falls for this…”“Then it proves just how desperate he’s become.”A faint smile appeared on her face.“Thank you.”“For helping me through all of this.”Laura waved her hand dismissively.“Don’t mention it.”She smiled helplessly.“I’ll admit, though…”“I was completely caught off guard when you first asked me to play along.”“I never expected your plan would involve a letter.”Maeve let out a quiet sigh.“Neither did I.”“But once he decided to cross that final line…”“There was no turning back.”She looked out the window.“He became my enemy.”“And that’s something I have to deal with.”Her voice remained calm, bu

“…This is our base?”Rhys blinked several times as he took in the view before him.Raya had mentioned it was one of Castor’s old vacation homes, but this was nothing like what he had imagined.It was far grander.Far more peaceful.The headquarters sat in the middle of a breathtaking landscape, hidden away by nature itself.Towering mountains wrapped around the northern and western sides like enormous walls, cutting the place off from the outside world. Nestled between them lay a vast lake whose clear water reflected the morning sky, giving the entire valley a calm, almost isolated atmosphere.To the east stretched a dense forest that seemed to continue endlessly into the horizon.The southern side was hidden behind the headquarters itself.Rhys turned to look at the building.It stood three stories high and was much larger than he had expected.The structure was wide enough to comfortably house dozens of people. Fifty would fit without issue, and even a hundred wouldn’t feel particul

“We’re here.”Raya stopped at the edge of the lake and turned toward Rhys.“Are you ready for your test?”Rhys nodded without hesitation.“I am.”“I’m not backing down.”Raya raised a finger.“Before we begin…”“I want to ask you something.”“What do you think about your Dragon Fist?”“You’ve already learned it, haven’t you?”“I have.”Rhys thought about it for a moment.“It’s a powerful technique.”“I use it whenever the situation calls for it.”“But…”“It’s never been the core of my fighting style.”Raya shook her head.“That’s not what I’m asking.”She pointed toward a large boulder resting near the shore.“Go punch that rock.”“Use Dragon Fist.”Rhys walked over without questioning her.Mana gathered around his right fist.He carefully guided it according to the Dragon King’s teachings.Then he threw the punch.Roar!A dragon’s roar echoed across the lake.The boulder exploded into pieces.Rhys turned back.“What do you think?”Raya asked.“Does your Dragon Fist feel any different

Raya had no idea she had underestimated Rhys.Only a few minutes after Nayla left the room, something about him caught her attention.He stood by the lake with one hand gripping his hair, occasionally scratching his head in frustration. He paced back and forth before stopping again, clearly wrestling with something in his mind.She wasn’t surprised he couldn’t solve the problem immediately.Mana discharge was an advanced technique. Anyone would need time to understand it.What she didn’t know was that Rhys had already stopped thinking about the technique itself.He was desperately searching for inspiration.What am I supposed to do? he thought.The Mana flow becomes too chaotic the moment I try to release everything at once. Should I improve my control? But how?He let out a long breath.Raya hasn’t given me any hints. She wants me to figure it out myself.The problem is that I still don’t know enough about this world’s power system.His thoughts wandered elsewhere.Still… one strange