The warm atmosphere of the restaurant lingered long after the meal had ended.
The members of the Black Sun Syndicate remained seated around the large circular table, taking in the lively scene around them. The citizens of the Land of the Sun People laughed freely with one another, raised their cups in celebration, and shared stories that echoed throughout the beautifully crafted hall. There was no fear in their expressions. No anxiety. Only genuine happiness.
For a while, none of them said anything.
They simply watched.
Kaelus leaned back comfortably in his chair, patting his stomach with a satisfied grin.
"That was delicious, not gonna lie."
Dova nodded in complete agreement.
"You can say that again."
Tina rested her chin on one hand as she glanced around the restaurant.
"The food is so good it calms your soul. Imagine what it would do to a human—they would worship it."
A small chuckle spread around the table.
Rein suddenly pushed himself to his feet, rolling his shoulders as excitement returned to his eyes.
"I can't get enough of this place. I wanna train again."
Darius stood shortly after, stretching both arms before rolling his shoulders.
"Yeah."
A grin spread across his face.
"It's time to get some real work done."
Eryndor smiled as he rose from his seat.
One by one, Stellar, Alucard, Dova, Isly, and Tina followed.
Just as they prepared to leave Eryndor's expression changed.
At the exact same moment, Rein's eyes narrowed.
Both of them instinctively turned toward the entrance of the restaurant.
A tremendous aura was approaching.
The others immediately noticed it as well.
The cheerful atmosphere inside the restaurant remained unchanged, yet everyone in the Black Sun Syndicate could clearly feel an overwhelming presence drawing closer.
Then a calm voice echoed directly inside their minds.
"No need to be alarmed."
A figure stepped through the entrance.
He was tall, with dark skin that contrasted against his golden eyes. His short golden hair shimmered beneath the sunlight filtering through the windows, while a sword rested diagonally across his back. In one hand he carried an elegant staff that radiated quiet authority.
Var - The One of Magic.
He stopped before the group and smiled warmly.
"I will be your next instructor."
His golden eyes swept across each member of the Syndicate.
"Are you ready?"
The team exchanged glances before smiling almost simultaneously.
"Yes."
Var nodded once.
"Good."
The group followed him outside the restaurant.
The bustling streets of the Land of the Sun People gradually disappeared behind them until they reached an open clearing.
Var lifted his staff.
The golden crystal at its tip glowed brilliantly.
He gently tapped it against the ground.
Tap.
Golden ripples expanded outward beneath their feet.
The surrounding world distorted.
Light swallowed everything.
An instant later the scenery changed completely.
They now stood upon a vast barren plain.
Endless stretches of open land reached toward the horizon in every direction. There were no forests.
No mountains, buildings, Only earth, Grass and an endless sky overhead.
The wind swept quietly across the empty landscape.
Isly looked around before turning toward Var.
"Instructor… you use both a staff and a sword."
Var smiled.
He turned to face the group.
"Since I was little, my dream was to become a swordsman."
His eyes drifted toward the sword resting across his back.
"But I didn't have any talent for the sword."
He gently rested one hand upon the hilt.
"When I started to walk the path of magic, I understood the way of the sword."
A smile appeared on his face.
"So I became what's called a Magic Swordsman."
Kaelus' eyes widened.
"No way…"
He scratched the back of his head, unable to hide his excitement.
"I've heard of it from my great-grandfather, but I've never seen one until now."
Var chuckled softly.
"You'll be even more surprised in the Upper Realms."
His expression gradually became more serious.
"For this training, I won't teach you how to use magic."
He raised his staff slightly.
"Because you already can."
His gaze settled on Stellar.
"For example… Stellar has the Ice Element."
"She uses Ice Magic—Absolute Frost."
"I won't teach her how to freeze the ground or the air."
He paused.
"I'll teach her when to do it."
Eryndor's eyes lit up with understanding.
"I see…"
He folded his arms thoughtfully.
"Theatrical performance. Directing people where to look using misdirection and psychology. Real-time adaptation, Handling unexpected reactions… mistakes… and adjusting accordingly."
Var smiled approvingly.
"That's correct."
Rein folded his arms.
"I learn better in practical training anyway."
Stellar glanced sideways at him before sighing.
"Muscle head. You just love to fight, that's all."
Kaelus immediately burst into laughter.
Isly joined him.
Var couldn't help but smile.
"So…"
He looked across the group.
"Who's first?"
Without hesitation—
Darius stepped forward.
"I will go first."
Var nodded.
"Good."
His golden eyes sharpened.
"Okay…"
He raised his staff.
"Warden of the Black Sun."
A faint smile crossed Darius' face.
Darkness immediately spread across his entire body like flowing ink.
His eyes shifted into a deep violet.
Several enormous black chains erupted from his back, writhing through the air with eerie precision.
"Shadow Embodiment."
At the same time, Darius naturally released his Soul Power.
The invisible force merged seamlessly with the darkness surrounding him.
Var watched calmly.
Then nodded once.
"Begin."
The ground beneath Darius exploded.
He disappeared.
His body shot forward at faster-than-light speed, closing the distance between them almost instantly.
As he moved, he swung his right hand.
Several massive black chains burst forward, tearing through the air as they rushed toward Var from multiple directions.
Var calmly stamped the base of his staff against the ground.
A radiant barrier instantly formed around him.
Boom!
The chains slammed into it simultaneously.
The barrier held firm. Darius narrowed his eyes.
The barrier prevented him from extending control over Var's shadow.
So instead of forcing his way through He changed tactics.
"Darkness."
Pitch-black shadows erupted across the battlefield, swallowing the barrier entirely.
From every direction, darkness surged inward like an endless tide, striking the barrier again and again until Crack.
The golden shield shattered into countless fragments of light.
Var smiled.
"Good. You're sharp in your thinking."
The instant the barrier disappeared Var released his Soul Power.
An overwhelming invisible force erupted outward.
Boom!
The pressure exploded across the battlefield.
Every strand of darkness surrounding him was instantly blown away as though it had never existed.
Darius was hurled backward by the force.
He flipped through the air before planting both feet firmly against the ground several meters away, sliding across the earth until he finally came to a stop.
On the sidelines, Kaelus folded his arms with a grin.
"This is gonna be good."
Rein immediately shot him an annoyed look.
"Shit, Kaelus. I'm tryna watch the fight."
Kaelus leaned slightly toward him and whispered with a smirk,
"That's why you're such a muscle head."
He then looked toward Stellar with a playful grin.
"I can understand you, sis."
Tina covered her mouth as laughter escaped her.
The barren battlefield fell silent once more as Darius steadied his stance, his violet eyes locked firmly on Var, while the Magic Swordsman smiled patiently, waiting to see what the Warden of the Black Sun would do next.