Nova surveyed his generals, a faint smile playing on his lips.

  “Who’s going first?” he asked.

  All eyes flicked toward Malachi. He, in turn, gazed at the sky, silently cursing his misfortune.

  Nox, noticing his reluctance, nudged him sharply with an elbow, snapping him out of his daze. With a resigned sigh, Malachi muttered, “I’m first.”

  Nova gave a nod as Malachi stepped forward, stopping ten meters away. He retrieved A mace and shield from his Inventory, immediately gripping them tightly. In an instant, his entire presence shifted. Gone was the hopeless resignation—what remained was a fierce determination worthy of a warrior.

  ‘Interesting.’ Nova mused.

  “You have the first move, Malachi.”

  Exhaling slowly, Malachi dug his foot into the earth and launched himself forward—fast. Faster than expected. Maybe even as fast as Ordun.

  Nova didn’t strike immediately. Instead, he retrieved his spear and stood motionless, waiting.

  Malachi was fast—undeniably so. But thanks to Nova’s Wisdom, that speed unraveled before him, each motion stretching into near stillness, as if Malachi were no faster than a crawling snail.

  Nova thought, his gaze steady ‘I can use this to train a bit more’

  The general closed the distance in an instant, his mace already arcing downward in a crushing overhead strike.

  Nova’s eyes tracked every movement with razor-sharp clarity. At the last possible moment, he shifted—just enough. The mace whistled past, missing him by a hair’s breadth.

  Calm. Effortless.

  [Keen Reflexes proficiency increased]

  Malachi didn’t falter—not for a moment. He had expected nothing less from his boss. Without hesitation, he unleashed a seamless barrage of strikes, each blow faster than the last, until his speed nearly rivaled that of a sky serpent cutting through the depths.

  ‘Impressive’ Nova sharp gaze never wavering as he analyzed Malachi’s every motion.

  ‘He’s reached One with the World… and yet, they said he didn’t even break the top three.’ His pulse quickened with anticipation. ‘Now I’m itching to challenge Nox, Darius, and Alaric.’

  Gracefully, his feet carried him just beyond each strike, weaving through the onslaught with fluid precision. Nova had no intention of countering just yet—this was a test. He wanted to see the full extent of Malachi’s power.

  [Keen Reflexes proficiency increased]

  [Keen Reflexes proficiency increased]

  [Keen Reflexes proficiency increased]

  Ten minutes later, Malachi finally began to gasp for breath.

  He paused, his chest heaving, still staring at Nova, who stood before him unfazed, as though the relentless onslaught had never happened.

  “B-Boss, what do you think?” Malachi asked, his voice ragged. The sheer intensity of the barrage had drained his stamina far faster than he’d anticipated. Despite his best efforts to land even a single hit, all he had accomplished was accelerating Nova’s already incredible reflexes.

  Nova’s eyes gleamed. “You’ve improved more than I expected. I’m impressed. How many commanders and captains did you recruit?”

  Malachi, still catching his breath, offered a tired but proud smile. “I’ve recruited 26 commanders and 109 captains. I’ve already tested their loyalty, and the results are positive.”

  Nova nodded thoughtfully. This general of his had never been one to relish battle—not like the others. For Malachi, power wasn’t about the thrill of the fight; it was about being above others. Combat was simply a tool for that end.

  “Well done,” Nova said, his tone measured but approving. “But remember—quality over quantity. It doesn’t matter how many commanders you have if one person can single-handedly wipe out your entire force.”

  Malachi nodded, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. “Yes, Boss. I may have gone a bit overboard with the numbers.”

  Nova’s gaze remained steady, “Make sure to recruit only elites.” Seeing his general nodding and taking his words seriously he continued “You can go back and rest.”

  At those words, Malachi didn’t hesitate. He immediately turned and sprinted toward the others, his breath still ragged as he worked to regulate it. Nova’s eyes followed him for a moment before shifting to the rest of the generals.

  “Next,” he said flatly, his voice cutting through the silence.

  The generals were quiet, each of them watching intently. They’d all seen how easily Nova had toyed with Malachi, but they’d also expected it. Malachi was, after all, one of the weaker members of their group.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Without wasting time, Shira stepped forward. Her face was grim, eyes narrowed with determination.

  “Start when you’re ready,” Nova said, his gaze lingering on her. ‘She’s excellent at gathering intel and can also act as an assassin when needed. But I wonder how good she is when forced to face an enemy head-on.’

  Shira said nothing in response. Instead, she drew her daggers—small, almost knife-like blades that gleamed in the dim light.

  For a moment, she stood still, gauging Nova. Then, in an instant, her body exploded into motion.

  Her Speed and Dexterity were on an entirely different level than Malachi’s. She darted forward, closing the gap between them in the blink of an eye. Nova’s eyes never left her, unblinking, unfazed.

  What happened next was a blur. From the side, Shira’s daggers appeared as a flashing storm of silver. But what Nova saw was something entirely different: he was not merely witnessing the daggers’ path. His heightened senses allowed him to track every subtle shift in Shira’s movements—each twitch, each breath, each change in momentum. It was as if time had slowed, and he could see beyond the daggers themselves.

  ‘So many feints, all at such blistering speed’. Nova thought, his mind analyzing every movement. ‘Even someone slightly stronger than her would struggle to distinguish one strike from the next.’

  As the flurry of daggers continued, Nova moved with effortless grace, slipping between each attack as though the fight were a carefully choreographed dance, performed before a silent audience of six. His body flowed in perfect harmony with the rhythm of the battle, each step deliberate, each dodge a seamless continuation of the last.

  [Keen Reflexes proficiency increased]

  [Keen Reflexes proficiency increased]

  [Keen Reflexes proficiency increased]

  From the sidelines, Adira couldn’t help but gasp. “How can anyone dodge those strikes so effortlessly?”

  “I can barely even see them,” Malachi muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

  With a smirk, Hector chimed in, “I told you. Don’t ever underestimate our Boss.”

  Darius, his expression unusually serious, added, “Only me, Nox, and Alaric might be able to pull that off.”

  Alaric and Nox stayed silent, their eyes fixed on the spectacle unfolding before them. It was nothing short of a one-man show, and neither of them wanted to admit defeat. They had trained tirelessly for months, striving to become as strong as Nova, if not stronger. But watching the reality of his power play out before them—a reality far beyond anything they had imagined—made them question everything.

  Who had truly lost six months of training? Was it them or Nova?

  As their conversation faded into the background, Nova’s smile widened, pride flashing in his eyes. He was impressed with Shira’s growth. What once could’ve been seen as a weakness in her style—her reliance on swift, deceptive strikes—had now become her greatest strength.

  “You’re surprising me, Shira,” Nova said, his voice calm yet the smile on his face betrayed his true emotions.

  In a flash, he parried both of her daggers, breaking the flurry with effortless precision. The moment his spear struck, Shira’s arms were sent flying back, leaving her wide open. Had this been a real battle, the opening would have been fatal.

  Panting, Shira’s voice was quiet, tinged with a hint of defeat. “I can’t even touch you... How am I surprising you?”

  Nova’s answered in a sincere tone “Your face-to-face combat is no weaker than some who specialize in it. I can only imagine how deadly your stealth attacks must be. You worked hard.”

  Shira fell silent, contemplating his words. A part of her was happy that Nova noticed how much effort she put in her training but the other part also was feeling helpless thinking about his strength. Before she could finish her thoughts, Nova’s voice resounded. “Tell me, how many people have you recruited?”

  She met his gaze with an unflinching look. “That’s a secret.” There was no shame in her words—only quiet confidence.

  Nova raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? Not even I can know?”

  “No,” Shira replied without hesitation.

  “Spies and assassins must remain hidden. If you need anything, I’ll have everyone ready to carry out the task.” She carefully slid her daggers back into her Inventory as she had already felt the helplessness of her attempts and saw no point in continuing the spar.

  Nova shrugged, accepting her decision. He turned toward Nox, an amused glint in his eye. “Does that count for you too?”

  Nox simply nodded, his expression unreadable.

  Nova smiled, his tone light yet laced with an undercurrent of seriousness. “Keep your secrets, but I hope you’re growing your factions well. We might need them very soon.”

  At that, every general immediately perked up, their attention fully captured. They were eager for an explanation—but none came. Nox and Shira exchanged a brief glance before both nodding, accepting Nova's cryptic words.

  Instead of stepping forward like the others, Adira spoke up, her voice laced with frustration. “Boss, can I just tell you how many people I’ve recruited and skip the spar?”

  Nova turned his gaze to her, puzzled. “Why?”

  “Because I use a bow” Adira’s voice was exasperated, a touch of annoyance creeping in. “What’s the point of fighting when you’re standing right in front of me?” She gestured to Nova, her words laced with the practical frustration of knowing that in a direct confrontation, she had no chance.

  Nova considered her reasoning for a moment before turning his attention to Alaric. “Did you train with the bow?”

  “Yes, Boss,” Alaric responded flatly, his expression unchanged.

  “Can you fight up close with it?”

  “Yes, Boss.”

  Nova’s eyes flicked back to Adira, a glint of challenge in his gaze. “Alaric can… so why can’t you fight at close range?”

  Adira felt her pride sting at the question, and she bristled. “You can’t compare me to Alaric!” she snapped, her voice rising with each word. “In the past six months, this guy has become something none of us can beat—even together. What he can do shouldn’t be something I can do!” Her breath grew heavier as she spoke, her face flushed with frustration. By the end of her outburst, her chest was rising and falling rapidly, her emotions running high.

  The other generals remained silent, watching the exchange unfold. Thoughts swirled in their minds, each of them—Alaric excluded—considering Adira’s point. She had a valid concern, but there was a growing sense that her current path might not be healthy for her.

  After having spent such a long time together they had all accepted Alaric as their leader but, in the past few months, he had become too strong. What should’ve been a cause for celebration was now gnawing at them, making them feel hopeless—what was their place here, if Alaric was mastering their own specializations and becoming stronger than any of them in their own areas?

  Some dismissed the thought, pushing it aside with the belief that their own growth would eventually close the gap. They poured themselves into their training, refusing to let doubt hinder them. Others, however, couldn’t quite shake the nagging question about their purpose. And then… there was Adira.

  Nova’s gaze shifted to her, colder now, his eyes sharp and calculating. The temperature in the air seemed to drop as he studied her, and for a brief moment, Adira felt like prey under the cold stare of an apex predator, trapped in its gaze.

  Nova’s voice, when it came, was slow and deliberate, each word carrying weight.

  “Do you believe yourself beneath Alaric?”

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