Six months passed since Chloe began training Kaelen, and his growth was undeniable.His swordsmanship had sharpened into something even more precise, disciplined, and frighteningly fast.
Today was no different.
Steel clashed.Sweat dripped.Breaths trembled and came out ragged.
Kaelen and Chloe stood facing each other, panting, drenched in sweat, their clothes sticking to their skin after hours of non-stop sparring.
Chloe exhaled and wiped her forehead."Well… since you've gotten this far, I might as well show you this."
Before Kaelen could blink—
Time stopped.
The world froze in monochrome stillness.Kaelen's body refused to move—not even a twitch.His perception, even with all his heightened senses, completely failed him.
In the silent, unmoving world, Chloe casually walked up to him.She brushed away the sweat on her cheek, then gently placed the edge of her sword on his neck before deactivating the ability.
Time resumed—and Kaelen jolted backward.
Was she always that fast? It felt like instantaneous movement… no, even faster than teleportation…
His thoughts pieced themselves together.
No way… she didn't move instantly. She froze time.
Chloe grinned beneath her bangs."See, brat? I won that easily. I told you—any time of the day, I can beat you."
Kaelen shot back without hesitation."That's only until I figure out how to move in the stopped world."
Chloe blinked, genuinely surprised.
Most people didn't even understand the concept of the Stopped World, let alone its rules:
A realm where time, matter, and energy were frozen.A place where physics didn't exist.A domain only digital-natured beings or heart-core thinkers could move in.A battlefield where attacks were done by manipulating infons rather than particles.
And yet this kid—Knew all of that.
"How do you know about this art?" she asked, curiosity overtaking caution.
Kaelen smirked."You have your ways of getting information… I have mine."
Chloe clicked her tongue and ruffled his hair aggressively."Yeah yeah, whatever. Let's go eat."
Despite their teacher-student relationship, the months had changed something.They had begun to act more like older sister and younger brother—bickering, teasing, but unshakably close.
Western Region — Armed Nation of Dwargon
Deep within the Great Canaat Mountains, the underground capital thrived.Shops lined the stone pathways, lit by glowing crystals embedded in the cavern walls.
Walking among them with serene elegance—
Velzard.
Her mature human form radiated icy grace.Long silver-white hair flowed like silk behind her, rippling with every step.The air grew cooler wherever she walked, as if reality itself bowed to her presence.
Her golden eyes scanned the surroundings with quiet confidence as a faint frost shimmered in her wake.
She was simply… exploring.Looking for anything of interest.
Then she felt it—A strange aura.Familiar.But twisted in a way she couldn't place.
A small tent sat between two stone buildings, its surface fluttering despite the absence of wind.
Inside sat a dark elf.
The lantern-light softly illuminated her silver-white hair and deep crimson eyes.She sat on a low cushion with a relaxed yet alert posture, her dark outfit blending into the shadows.Only a faint glint from her armguards betrayed her readiness.
A simple table sat before her—On it, a single glowing orb pulsed with soft blue light.
Without looking up, the elf smiled.
"Oh my~ Peeking in like that isn't very polite, lady.Do you wish to see my future sight?"
Velzard narrowed her eyes—but the elf showed no fear.Intrigued, she stepped inside and sat opposite her.The orb sat between them, humming faintly.
The elf touched it gently.
Visions spilled into the crystal.
None made immediate sense.
A red haired man wielding Genisis-Class Sword. Velzard's eyes widened slightly.
Guy…? Using his World? What could force him to do that?
The scene shifted.
Vel—No, Veldanava, expression cold and detached, locked in some grand battle.
Velzard's breath caught.
Big brother…? That look—It's the same expression he had right before I sealed him.Did he break the seal…? No… this isn't right.
Another shift.
A blue-haired boy—Rimuru .Holding a weapon glowing with unmistakable authority.
…A Genesis-grade weapon? How…?
Before she could steady her thoughts, the vision changed again.
A boy—Kaelen.
But unlike the others, who radiated power equal to True Dragons, this one—
His aura was alien.Ancient.Cosmic.And disturbingly familiar to Velzard.
"Now who might you be…?" she whispered.
The elf finally spoke:
"Your future… will be difficult.Roughly 300 years from now, you will fight a battle of unimaginable scale.And that boy—your fates are intertwined."
Velzard let out a light, almost amused chuckle.
"Unimaginable scale, hm?It seems you don't know who I am. But fine—you showed me something interesting. I'll overlook your underestimation."
She stood and turned to leave.
Behind her, the elf spoke again.
"You, Frost Dragon Velzard, will fight in a war beyond anything this world has ever seen.And a new anomaly will rise against you.The boy will be… your key."
Velzard turned to respond—
But the tent, the table, the elf—All vanished.
Not a trace remained.Not even lingering presence.
Her eyes widened.
Guy's voice echoed in her mind via thought communication:
"Velzard—where were you?! You completely disappeared from the world and i couldnt connect to you."
Velzard frowned."What do you mean disappeared? I was in a tent."
Slow realization spread across her face.
She hadn't just lost sight of the elf.She had been taken into another dimension so seamlessly that even she hadn't noticed.
Only one thought formed:
Just who or what… was that elf?