We returned from the frozen dungeon at the end of the afternoon.
The sky above Vailor was covered with gray clouds as the cold wind swept through the city's streets. Even after so many missions, that strange feeling still remained inside me.
The monsters were changing far too quickly.
The serpent from that dungeon didn't seem like a creature strengthened by ordinary mana alone. There was something different about it. Something much closer to the demonic energy I had been sensing ever since the dream involving the First General.
I walked beside the girls through the busy streets of the capital as people watched our group pass by.
Some adventurers looked at us with respect.
Others seemed nervous.
The tension of the coming war was already beginning to affect the entire kingdom.
Scarlett placed her hands behind her head as she walked beside me.
"You've been quiet ever since we left the dungeon."
"I'm thinking."
"About the serpent?"
I nodded.
"It felt like it was being fed by something."
Lyannis agreed.
"The demonic mana inside that dungeon was highly concentrated."
Liriel held her staff close to her body.
"And it didn't disappear completely after the creature died."
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"Maybe the demons are spreading mana on purpose."
Elara looked up at the sky for a few seconds.
"If that's true... the creatures will continue to evolve."
Silence fell between us for a few moments.
That was troubling.
Because it meant the demonic army might not even need to attack directly yet.
The world itself was already beginning to be affected by their presence.
When we arrived at the mansion, the guards immediately opened the gates.
We entered while several servants received the materials and magic crystals we had brought back from the dungeon.
The girls began talking among themselves about the battle against the serpent while I headed toward the mansion's underground vault.
I slowly opened the massive metal door.
A golden glow immediately reflected across the walls.
Coins.
Gold bars.
Magic crystals.
Jewels.
The amount accumulated from all those missions was already beginning to look absurd.
It was still strange to think about.
Before coming to this world, I had never imagined I would end up living like this.
I stored the dungeon's reward together with everything else.
Then I closed the vault once again.
When I returned to the main floor, I found the girls gathered in the living room.
Scarlett was sitting on the sofa while Vespera calmly cleaned her bow.
Liriel was organizing several magic scrolls beside Lyannis.
Rai'kanna seemed focused on watching the fire in the fireplace.
Elara was the first to notice me approaching.
"Are you going to train again tonight?"
"I am."
Scarlett let out a small sigh.
"You've been doing that every single night."
"I have to."
She stared at me for a few seconds.
"You're trying to surpass the blessing's limit, aren't you?"
I nodded.
Ever since the battle against the Second General, I had realized something.
Four minutes wouldn't be enough against the First General.
Maybe not even five.
But I had to start somewhere.
Liriel spoke softly.
"Your body still hasn't fully recovered from the last few times."
"I know."
"So don't overdo it."
I smiled faintly.
"I'll try."
Scarlett stood up from the sofa.
"Then I'm coming with you."
"Scarlett."
"There's no point arguing."
Rai'kanna let out a small laugh.
"She never changes."
Scarlett completely ignored the comment.
A short while later, we headed to the training area behind the mansion.
Night had already fallen completely.
The cold wind swept across the field while the stars slowly appeared in the sky.
I stopped in the center of the area destroyed by previous training sessions.
Scorch marks.
Deep cuts.
Craters.
Much of that place had already been rebuilt several times.
I took a deep breath.
Then I gripped the golden sword.
The blade began emitting a faint glow.
"You continue forcing your body."
The sword's voice echoed directly inside my mind.
"I need to become stronger."
"Your current power already surpasses that of most humans."
"But it doesn't surpass the First General."
Silence.
A few seconds later, the sword spoke again.
"Then show me how far you intend to go."
I closed my eyes.
Mana began flowing through my body.
The golden blessing slowly appeared around me.
The pressure immediately increased.
I felt my muscles burning.
My breathing became heavy.
But I continued.
The armor slowly began forming over parts of my body.
First my arms.
Then part of my chest.
The mana around me became unstable.
Scarlett silently watched from outside the training area.
She already knew what would happen if I lost control.
I took another deep breath.
More mana.
More pressure.
The armor continued advancing little by little.
The golden plates gradually covered my entire body.
But along with them came the pain.
My entire body felt as though it were being crushed by its own energy.
I gritted my teeth.
It still wasn't enough.
I needed to endure more.
The sword shone even brighter.
Then the blessing increased once again.
The ground beneath my feet cracked.
The wind around me began spinning violently.
I managed to maintain control for a few seconds.
Then I felt my right arm begin to fail.
The armor started disappearing from parts of my body.
"Damn..."
I tried to stabilize it again.
But the mana slipped out of control.
A golden explosion spread across the training area.
I was thrown several meters backward.
I rolled across the ground until I finally stopped.
I breathed heavily.
Scarlett immediately approached.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah..."
Even sitting on the ground, I could feel the pain running through my entire body.
Scarlett crossed her arms.
"You're trying to maintain too much mana at the same time."
I looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"You're activating the blessing, the armor, and physical enhancement all at once."
I remained silent.
She continued.
"Your body is trying to sustain everything at maximum output from the very beginning."
I thought for a few seconds.
It made sense.
From the very beginning, I had always tried to unleash my maximum power immediately.
Scarlett stepped a little closer.
"Control the flow better."
"How?"
"Stop trying to crush everything with brute force."
She placed a hand on her chest.
"Mana also depends on stability."
Those words stayed in my mind.
I slowly stood up.
I took another deep breath.
Then I tried again.
This time, I reduced the initial amount of mana.
The blessing appeared in a gentler way.
Less explosive.
Then I activated only part of the armor.
The weight on my body decreased significantly.
Scarlett watched carefully.
"Better."
I continued increasing it little by little.
More mana.
More control.
The armor began covering my entire body once again.
But unlike before...
It was stable.
The golden glow remained steady.
I breathed slowly.
It still hurt.
But it was bearable.
The sword reacted immediately.
"You're finally beginning to understand."
I tightened my grip on the sword.
Then I began moving.
Simple steps at first.
Then strikes.
Quick movements.
The mana remained stable.
Scarlett smiled faintly.
"Now try to maintain it."
I nodded.
Time began passing slowly.
One minute.
Two.
Sweat ran down my face.
My body burned.
Even so, I continued.
Three minutes.
The pressure began increasing again.
My breathing became heavy.
My legs started trembling.
But I kept going.
Four minutes.
My previous limit.
The pain intensified violently.
The armor began to waver.
I gritted my teeth.
"Just a little longer..."
The sword's mana responded to my determination.
The golden glow increased once more.
My body felt as though it were about to give out.
Even so, I continued.
Then...
Five minutes.
The time had finally surpassed my limit.
The mana remained active.
The armor didn't disappear.
I stood still for a few seconds, trying to understand.
I had done it.
The sword spoke calmly.
"Your body has finally begun to adapt."
I dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
The armor slowly faded away.
Scarlett walked over to me.
She looked directly into my eyes.
"You did it."
I smiled wearily.
"Five minutes."
"That's already a huge improvement."
I looked down at my hands.
Even after all that training... it still felt insignificant compared to what I sensed from the First General.
But it was better than before.
Much better.
Scarlett sat down beside me on the cold grass.
The night wind slowly crossed the ruined training field.
After a few seconds, she spoke.
"Do you really think you're going to face that thing alone?"
I remained silent for a moment.
Then I slowly shook my head.
"No."
She looked surprised.
"What?"
"I understand that now."
I looked up at the dark sky.
"The First General isn't an ordinary enemy."
The images from the dream returned to my mind.
The monstrous pressure.
The army.
The overwhelming feeling of death.
I continued speaking calmly.
"I'm going to need all of you."
Scarlett remained silent for a few seconds.
Then a small smile appeared on her face.
"You've finally started acting like a real leader."
I let out a tired laugh.
Maybe she was right.
Until now, I had been trying to carry everything by myself.
But that war wouldn't be won by me alone.
I looked once more at the destroyed training field.
Five minutes.
That was my new limit.
And it still wasn't enough.
But for the first time in many days...
I felt that I was truly moving forward.
Even if only slowly.
Even if fear still remained inside me.
I tightened my grip on the sword once more.
Then I closed my eyes as I felt the golden mana slowly flowing through my body.
The war was drawing closer with every passing day.
And I needed to keep becoming stronger.