As it was time to go home, Daniel left in silence like a silent wind that came unnoticed and left unnoticed. He then went home. To the Valtier estate.
Daniel stepped through the main gates of the Valtier estate, hands in his pockets.
Nothing had changed.
Same expensive stone walls. Same spotless marble floors. Same empty warmth that meant nothing.
Servants bowed as he passed, like they didn't used to ignore his bleeding lip or the bruises on his cheek. One of them—old, frail, and careful—opened the door to the central hallway.
"Welcome home, Young Master Daniel."
Daniel didn't respond.
Every step inside this house brought back old memories.
One corner of the hall where he got dragged by the collar for "disgracing the family name." The wide stairwell where he once stood and watched his cousins celebrate someone else's birthday while he wasn't invited.
The people inside this estate smiled when convenient. Pretended he didn't exist the rest of the time.
Love and hate didn't matter here.
Only rank did.
That's why he needed more than strategy this time.
He needed to be untouchable.
Up in his room, a big room. He locked the door, tossed his blazer on the giant bed, and sat on his chair.
"I need power," he muttered. "The kind no one in this house can deny. The kind that makes NIFLEIM run when they hear my name."
"But first I need to conquer VALHALLA first."
He pulled up the GOLD SYSTEM panel with a thought.
[MARTIAL PROGRESSION: UNLOCKED]
[Stage: Martial Foundation]
[Next Tier: ASCENDENCY]
[Combat Synchronization: 0.2%]
Everyone starts the same. Throwing punches. Learning timing. Getting beat.
But most people stay average forever.
Martial progression isn't just about skill. It's about evolution.
Once a fighter sharpens their art beyond the ordinary—past just reacting—they hit a new level:
Ascendency.
Unique to oneself and attained only with with enough talent and experience. But to some, it opens through hard work and strong will but that happening was rare.
Reaching ascendency requires one to have a unique Will compatible with themselves.
And when that happens? Something cracks open.
You don't just get stronger. You unlock a Unique Skill—a personal technique that nobody else can copy. Something only you can use, tied to your own style and instincts.
Some twist the rules of movement or pressure.
But Ascendency's just the gateway.
Then come the real monsters.
Legend Breakers.
Or as they're really known—Legend Gods.
These aren't fighters anymore. They're living wreckage.
A basic jab from a Legend God can break reinforced steel. Their bodies react like they're built for combat. And worse? They don't get just one Unique Skill.
They get four.
Four exclusive, destructive techniques no one else can learn. Not inherited. Not taught. Born from pure will, refined through chaos.
There are barely any of them in the districts. And if they exist, they don't walk around in public.
Daniel leaned back in his chair.
"I need that."
[Legend Breaker Status: Locked]
[Legacy Path: Unknown]
There were rumors.
A fighter who almost ruled all four districts before the Divine King.
Some said he reached that stage.
If that's real, Daniel planned to find the trail.
No distractions.
No allies.
Just blood, fists, and progress.