By the time I returned to the slum district, the streets had become even quieter than before. Most of the residents had already retired to their homes, and only a few dim lights could be seen shining through cracks in the old walls and windows of the houses scattered throughout the district. Aside from the occasional distant sound carried by the wind, the surroundings were almost completely silent.
As I made my way toward our home, a familiar figure immediately caught my attention.
Charlie was standing outside near the entrance, occasionally glancing down the street as though waiting for someone. The moment his gaze landed on me, the tension in his expression eased slightly. He quickly stepped forward and approached me.
"Young Master, where have you been?"
There was obvious concern in his voice. Judging from his expression, he had likely been waiting outside for quite some time.
I looked at him curiously.
"What happened?"
Charlie visibly relaxed after confirming that I was unharmed. The worry that had been lingering on his face eased slightly, and he let out a small sigh of relief.
"The night festival ended a long time ago, but you still hadn't returned. I was a bit worried."
A faint smile appeared on my face. Although Charlie rarely showed it openly, he always seemed to worry about me.
"Charlie, you don't have to worry. You know I'm strong enough to protect myself."
Charlie remained silent for a moment before eventually nodding.
"I know, Young Master."
Even so, his expression suggested that he would probably continue worrying regardless. He seemed about to say something else before suddenly remembering something.
"There is one more thing, Young Master."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Brother Bora sent a message. He wants us to meet him in two days."
A look of slight surprise crossed my face. We had been waiting for Bora to contact us regarding the mission, so the message itself wasn't unexpected.
"Did he tell you where we're meeting?"
Charlie shook his head. "No. He only said that he'll inform us of the location later."
I nodded. "Alright."
Since Bora hadn't provided any further details, there was little point thinking about it now. Whatever the meeting was about, we would find out soon enough.
With the conversation over, Charlie and I entered the house. The events of the day had finally come to an end, and now that I had a chance to relax, the fatigue that had been accumulating throughout the night gradually made itself known. After taking care of a few small things and settling in for the night, I lay down on the bed. Sleep arrived quickly, and before long, I drifted into unconsciousness.
The following morning arrived quietly. As usual, Charlie left early for his shift at the inn while I remained behind. By the time I woke up, he had already departed, leaving the small house completely silent. The only sounds that remained were the occasional noises drifting in from outside and the faint rustling of the morning breeze.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I closed my eyes and focused entirely on cultivation. Nature energy flowed toward me from the surroundings, gathering around my body before gradually entering it. Guided by my control, the energy moved through familiar pathways before being refined and absorbed. Time passed unnoticed as I continued the process, completely immersed in cultivation. Several hours later, I slowly opened my eyes.
A thoughtful expression appeared on my face as I considered the changes that had occurred over the past few weeks. Ever since the second black dot had formed near my left temple and I stepped into the moderate-level Controller stage, the difference had become increasingly apparent.
My ability to sense nature energy had improved dramatically. Not only that, but the amount of energy I could refine during cultivation had increased significantly as well.
The improvement wasn't merely limited to cultivation.
My control over my ability had also improved drastically. Manipulating energy felt smoother and more intuitive than before, requiring less effort while allowing for far greater precision. Whether it was creating shields, swords, spears, reshaping existing constructs, or controlling them after they had formed, every aspect of my ability felt more refined. The energy responded to my will more readily than before, making even complex manipulations easier to execute.
Compared to when I was a low-level Controller, both my perception of nature energy and my control over energy itself had improved tremendously.
It was no wonder Controllers pursued higher stages so relentlessly. The benefits that came with each breakthrough were simply too significant to ignore.
As those thoughts crossed my mind, my gaze gradually shifted toward the sword resting beside the bed. More specifically, it settled on the small serpent wrapped around the blade.
The little creature had once again used its camouflage ability. Its slender body blended seamlessly against the silver blade, causing its scales to adopt a similar metallic coloration. At a casual glance, it was surprisingly difficult to distinguish where the sword ended and the serpent began. Only a closer inspection revealed the subtle imperfections in the disguise. Although the camouflage still wasn't flawless, it was noticeably better than before.
Whether it was due to growth, practice, or simple instinct, the little serpent seemed to be getting better at using its ability with each passing day. A faint smile appeared on my face as I watched it remain perfectly still around the sword, seemingly proud of its handiwork.
I stood up and walked over before picking up the sword.
The moment my hand closed around the hilt, the disguised serpent reacted. The camouflage covering its body gradually faded away, causing the metallic coloration it had adopted to dissolve. As the disguise disappeared, Camose's translucent body became visible once more. Within moments, the section of the sword that had appeared to be nothing more than part of the blade revealed itself as a living serpent coiled around it.
A faintly helpless expression crossed my face.
"Camose, this isn't a plaything." I lightly tapped the blade with my finger. "The blade is sharp. You could end up cutting yourself."
Whether the little serpent actually understood my words remained a mystery. Despite spending considerable time with it, I still had no way of knowing how much it comprehended. Even so, it reacted almost immediately.
Camose loosened its grip on the sword and quickly slithered onto my arm. Its small body moved smoothly across my sleeve before winding its way upward toward my shoulder. A moment later, it settled comfortably around my neck, resting part of its body across my shoulder while placing its head near my collar.
The little serpent then looked up at me with innocent eyes, as though it had done nothing wrong. Seeing that reaction, I could only shake my head helplessly.
Then my attention returned to the sword in my hand. A quiet sigh escaped my mouth as I looked at the familiar blade.
Since arriving in Astravia, I hadn't practiced my swordsmanship even once.
It wasn't because I lacked the time. The real problem was that there was simply no suitable place to train. The slum district certainly didn't have a training ground, and openly practicing swordsmanship in the middle of the city would only attract unnecessary attention.
More importantly, Charlie and I were supposed to maintain a low profile while waiting for developments regarding Bora's mission. Drawing attention to ourselves would only create unnecessary complications. As a result, my swordsmanship training had been placed on hold.
Although my control over energy continued improving through cultivation, my skill with a blade had remained exactly where it was. Swordsmanship required constant practice and repetition. Without training, there could be no progress.
My fingers lightly tightened around the hilt. It seemed I would need to find a suitable place to train sooner or later.
Just as I was considering where I might be able to resume my training, a faint glow suddenly appeared from the small mirror resting atop the nearby table.
My attention immediately shifted toward it. The small mirror was a rare communication artifact, one capable of transmitting images and voices across vast distances. Bora had left it with Charlie and me shortly after our arrival in Astravia so that he could reach us whenever necessary.
Without hesitation, I walked over and picked it up.
The moment it settled in my hand, the mirror's surface rippled like disturbed water. My reflection gradually blurred before disappearing completely, replaced by countless shimmering ripples spreading across the surface. A few moments later, an image slowly began to form within the mirror.
A familiar face soon appeared.
"Greetings, Brother Bora." I offered a polite nod.
Bora acknowledged the greeting with a nod of his own. However, before he could say anything, another face suddenly appeared from the side of the mirror. Tara leaned into view with a bright smile on her face.
"Arthur, how are you?"
Her cheerful greeting immediately lightened the atmosphere. A faint smile appeared on my face in response.
"I'm doing well, Sister Tara."
Tara looked as though she was about to continue the conversation, but before either of us could say anything further, Bora deliberately cleared his throat, clearly signaling for us to stop talking and listen to what he had to say.