The [Soul Brand] was a constant, faint vibration in the back of my consciousness, a psychic tether connecting me to Jax's simmering rage. It wasn't intrusive, more like being aware of a storm brewing on a distant horizon. I could feel his location within the compound, a pulsing red dot on the map of my mind, and the general intensity of his hostility—a low, steady burn that occasionally spiked when our paths crossed.
It was the ultimate tool for a phantom. I could now navigate the compound with perfect awareness of my primary threat. When I felt his aura moving towards the mess hall, I would take a longer route. When his anger spiked near the training yard, I'd find an excuse to be in the logistics warehouse. I was a ghost, deftly avoiding the hunter.
This newfound awareness allowed me to focus on what truly mattered: growth.
In the solitude of the logistics warehouse, surrounded by the dormant power of dungeon loot, my passive progression continued its relentless march. The [Mana Core Circuit] reached 4.8%, its luminous latticework growing more intricate and stable. The warmth in my core from [Cellular Empathy] was now a constant companion, and I could feel a tangible difference—my breaths came easier, my muscles recovered faster from Valeriana's brutal conditioning, and the lingering ache from the chasm expedition had faded completely.
I was still F-Rank, but I was becoming the most optimized, efficient F-Rank in existence.
One afternoon, while "sorting" a crate of Shadow-Panther claws, a new, significant chime echoed in my mind, distinct from the steady stream of replication alerts.
[Passive Progression Milestone Reached!]
[Aegis of the Loyal (A-Rank) has reached 100% Progression.]
[Skill is no longer Dormant.]
[Evolution Path Unlocked!]
[Select Evolution:]
- [Aetherial Bastion (S-Rank): Focuses on absolute, immovable defense against physical and magical attacks. High mana cost.]
- [Mirror of Retribution (A-Rank): Focuses on reflecting a portion of incoming attack energy back at the source. Moderate mana cost.]
My breath caught. My second major skill had matured. An A-Rank defensive skill, perfected and ready to evolve. The Aegis had already saved me twice—once from Jax's shove and once from Valeriana's probe. Now, it was offering me a choice. Absolute defense, or a defensive offense.
I didn't select immediately. The memory of the mana backlash was still fresh. I needed the [Mana Core Circuit] to be stronger. But the power was there, waiting in my arsenal, a shield ready to be forged into a greater form.
The following day, Lieutenant Valeriana assembled my training group. "Today's exercise: Team Tactics against Simulated Dungeon Breaches," she announced, gesturing to a series of holographic projectors that flickered to life, depicting a ruined urban landscape. "You will be divided into pairs. Your objective is to secure the designated zone and hold it for five minutes against wave-based enemy projections."
My [Soul Brand] twitched. A spike of anticipation, laced with malice. I didn't need to look to know what was coming.
"Grey," Valeriana's voice cut through my thoughts. "You're with Jax."
A cold knot formed in my stomach. This was no coincidence. She was testing us. Throwing the spark and the gunpowder into a confined space to see what would happen.
Jax smirked, cracking his knuckles. "This should be fun."
We were assigned to a simulated city square. The holographic ruins were eerily realistic, casting long, distorted shadows. The moment the exercise began, a wave of C-Rank Gloom-Bat projections swarmed from the broken windows.
"Alright, sensor," Jax sneered, his [Brawler's Resilience] flaring. "You point, I punch. Try not to get in my way."
I ignored him, my [Analytical Combat Sight] and [Mana Sense] already painting the battlefield. "Three groups," I said, my voice calm. "Left flank, high from the clocktower. Right flank, low through the subway entrance. A third group circling behind us in ten seconds."
Jax grunted in surprise but moved to the left, his fists becoming blurs as he shattered the incoming bat projections. I focused on the right, my body moving with an economy of motion that my optimized F-Rank form allowed, dodging swooping attacks and using the environment to funnel them towards Jax's area of destruction.
For a few minutes, it worked. We were an efficient, if unwilling, team. But I could feel it through the [Soul Brand]—Jax's frustration was building. He wasn't the star. He was just the hammer, and I was the hand guiding it.
The second wave was tougher: two Corrupted Dire Wolf projections. My brand on Jax flared with sudden, decisive intent. Not towards the wolves, but towards me.
As the first wolf lunged at me, Jax "accidentally" shifted his position, his bulky body blocking my line of retreat. It was a subtle, deniable move, but to my enhanced senses, it was as clear as a shout. He was herding me, putting me in the wolf's path.
Time seemed to slow. The wolf's maw, dripping with corrosive holographic saliva, filled my vision. I had a split second to choose. Take the hit and reveal my unnatural durability? Or use a skill and risk exposure?
Neither.
I trusted my data. I trusted the [Soul Brand]. I had felt his intent a fraction of a second before he moved.
As Jax shifted to block me, I was already moving with him, using his own body as a shield. I pivoted, my shoulder brushing against his back, and the wolf's lunge snapped shut on empty air where I had just been. At the same time, my [Analytical Combat Sight] pinpointed the exact moment the second wolf was about to pounce on Jax's exposed flank.
"Jax, duck!" I yelled, not out of concern, but as a calculated part of the performance.
Startled by the command and the near-miss, he instinctively dropped. The second wolf sailed over his head, and I "stumbled" forward, my foot "accidentally" hooking around Jax's ankle. It was a tiny, imperceptible tug, but it was enough to disrupt his balance completely.
He fell hard, and the first wolf, recovering from its lunge, turned its attention to the now-prone, larger threat.
The simulation ended abruptly as Lieutenant Valeriana terminated the exercise. Jax lay on the ground, humiliated, the wolf's projection dissipating over him. He glared up at me, his face a mask of pure, undiluted hatred. He knew. He knew I had outmaneuvered him completely, using his own malice against him.
Valeriana looked between us, her expression unreadable. "An interesting demonstration of... situational awareness, Grey. Dismissed."
As I walked away, the [Soul Brand] vibrated with such intense, impotent fury it was almost a physical scream in my mind. I had not only avoided his trap, I had made him the fool in front of our commander.
Later that evening, as I was reviewing the days' skill progressions, a soft cough came from the doorway of the barracks common room. I looked up to see Elara Vance standing there, her silver hair seeming to glow in the dim light.
"Leon," she said, her voice quiet. "I heard about the training exercise. They're saying you used Jax as a shield."
The romantic conflict was back, intertwined with the intrigue. She was seeking confirmation, trying to reconcile the boy she knew with the rumors she was hearing.
I met her gaze, allowing a flicker of the cold calculation I had used to show in my eyes. "He tried to use the simulation to corner me. I used the simulation to show him it was a bad idea."
She studied me for a long moment, her summer-sky eyes searching for the phantom behind the words. "You're changing, Leon. The boy from the Awakening Ceremony wouldn't have done that."
"He died in that plaza," I said, the truth slipping out wrapped in a lie. "The world doesn't need that boy. It needs a survivor."
A complex emotion flickered in her eyes—not pity, but something closer to understanding, and a hint of fear. She nodded slowly. "Just be careful, Leon. Survivors often have to make choices that haunt them."
She turned and left, leaving me with the weight of her words and the steady, angry pulse of the [Soul Brand]. I had pulled the strings today and won. But I was playing a dangerous game, and the puppets were starting to fight back. The lord's path was not just about power; it was about the cost of wielding it, and the shadows it cast on the soul.