That day, they partied like they had nothing left to prove.
The desert sun dipped low, staining the sky in orange and dull gold, and for once, none of them cared about schedules, desert heat, or tomorrow's training. They hunted large desert lizards together—not the dangerous kind, just big, stubborn beasts that tasted good when cooked right. Raul chased them down with lazy bursts of speed, Mina pinned them cleanly, and Victor finished them off with one brutal swing, laughing every time the ground shook.
They hauled the meat back to the village, where Kel was already waiting with sacks of vegetables and bundles of herbs grown stubbornly out of sand and grit. In exchange, Victor spent the afternoon at Kel's side, hammering out personalized farming tools—lighter plows, reinforced sickles, a strange curved spade Kel had once described half-jokingly. By the time Victor finished, Kel looked like he'd just been handed treasure.
The wine came next. Desert wine, sharp and warm, made from something Kel refused to name. They drank it anyway.
They grilled the meat over an open fire, smoke curling upward, laughter filling the air. They talked about the mines, about the time Mina had nearly collapsed raising Castle, about Raul's first reckless fights, about the three of them waking up in the desert after completing the Trials of the Temple. They laughed at things that had terrified them back then.
For once, no one talked about the future.
Just the four of them, full bellies, sore muscles, and the quiet satisfaction of having survived long enough to look back.
By the time the fire burned low and the village grew quiet, they drifted back to their hut. The mood softened, laughter turning into tired smiles. That was when Arin sat down at the center of the room, posture straightening slightly—not tense, but deliberate.
"…Alright," he said. "I think it's time."
They all knew what he meant.
They'd been sitting on the Lord Coins for days now, holding back on upgrades while they adjusted to their new strength. Raul and Mina had settled fully into their Captain-rank bodies. Victor had already proven how much a single breakthrough could change everything.
There was no reason to wait anymore.
Arin exhaled slowly and opened Raul's panel first.
___________________________
Subordinate: Raul Slade
Core Talent: Combat Sense
Rank: Captain (1%)
Talent Skills: Sixth Sense, Martial Kinesthesia, Prime Augury
Regular Skills: Dagger Arts, Flowstep, Enduring Heart
----------
Upgrade Panel (Raul Slade):
1. Upgrade Rank to Commander — 10,000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Dagger Arts > Dagger Intent — 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Flowstep > Phaseshift — 1000 Lord Coin
Lord Coins: 3229
___________________________
Arin tilted his head slightly, reading it again even though he'd memorized it already.
"Okay," he said. "Raul. Which one?"
Mina and Victor both looked at him.
Raul scratched the back of his neck, thinking hard about the two options. "That's… annoying," he muttered. "Dagger Intent feels like the natural path. Sharper attacks, better kill potential." He paused, then glanced at the other option. "But Phaseshift… I don't know. That one's pulling at me harder."
Victor nodded. "Mobility defines your style. Always has."
Mina folded her arms. "You already hit hard. Being harder to catch might matter more."
Raul thought about it for another second, then nodded once. "Yeah. Phaseshift."
"Alright," Arin said. "Phaseshift it is."
He gave the command.
Command confirmed. 1000 Lord Coins consumed.
The air around Raul changed instantly.
Mana surged into him—not violently, but densely, like a sudden pressure closing in from all sides. It wrapped around his body, forming a faint, shifting cocoon. Inside it, Raul's outline flickered, his form blurring as if he couldn't quite decide where to exist.
For a moment, it looked like he was phasing in and out of reality itself.
Then the mana receded.
Raul stood there, perfectly still.
"…Raul?" Victor asked cautiously. "You good?"
Raul blinked once. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Just… weird. Like my body learned a new language and didn't bother explaining it to me."
Mina tilted her head. "Try using it."
"Yeah," Raul said. "Good idea."
They stepped outside the hut. The desert night was quiet, stars sharp and clear overhead. Raul took a breath, planted his feet, and activated the skill.
He vanished, not blurred, not dashed.
Gone.
Half a second later, the air tore itself apart with a sharp crack.
Far away, at least a hundred meters—Raul reappeared, boots skidding slightly as he came to a stop.
Arin, Mina, and Victor stood frozen.
"…What?" Mina said quietly.
Before anyone could say anything else, the sound hit them again—another violent rip of air, and Raul was suddenly back in front of them, grinning like an idiot.
"Okay," Raul said, breathing a little fast. "That was insane."
Arin stared at him. "That wasn't teleportation?"
"Nope," Victor said, eyes wide. "Sound lagged. Raul moved faster than it could follow."
Raul laughed, rubbing his arms. "It feels like… stepping sideways through motion. Like I'm skipping space."
Mina exhaled slowly. "You were already fast. But this is… something else."
Arin nodded. "It looks like Flowstep didn't just improve. It changed fundamentally."
Raul glanced down at his hands. "And this came from Quick Footwork originally," he muttered. "That's ridiculous."
Victor crossed his arms. "Most people abandon 'basic' skills early. Ours were pushed by Arin, and now they have become stronger than ever."
Mina's expression turned serious. "Still, don't get cocky. Captain Rank is crowded with monsters."
"Yeah," Arin said. "She's right."
Raul nodded. "I know. This just means I have fewer excuses to mess up."
Arin reopened Raul's panel.
___________________________
Subordinate: Raul Slade
Core Talent: Combat Sense
Rank: Captain (1%)
Talent Skills: Sixth Sense, Martial Kinesthesia, Prime Augury
Regular Skills: Dagger Arts, Phaseshift, Enduring Heart
----------
Upgrade Panel (Raul Slade):
1. Upgrade Rank to Commander — 10,000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Dagger Arts > Dagger Intent — 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Phaseshift > ??? — (Rank up to Commander to unlock)
Lord Coins: 2229
___________________________
"…Huh," Arin said.
Raul leaned over. "What?"
"Phaseshift's next upgrade is locked behind Commander Rank."
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
"Looks like it," Arin said. "You'll need to break through again to push it further."
Raul shrugged. "That's fine. This alone is more than enough for now."
Mina nodded. "We still have plenty of skills to improve."
Arin closed the panel and leaned back. "Alright. Who's next?"
Victor didn't even pause. "Me."
Mina glanced at him, then nodded. "Yeah. It should be Victor."
Arin let out a short breath and smiled. "Alright. You're up."