Chapter: What Remains After War
The battlefield had gone quiet.
Not peaceful—
Just… quiet.
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The smell lingered.
Burnt earth.
Scorched flesh.
Blood.
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The aftermath of the beast tide stretched across the horizon like a scar carved into the land.
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Corpses lay everywhere.
Layer upon layer.
From the smallest beasts—
To the towering remains of those that had nearly broken the line.
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Students moved cautiously through the field.
Some collecting materials.
Some supporting the injured.
Some just… standing.
Still trying to process what had just happened.
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At the center of it all—
Kael stood.
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His expression had returned to its usual calm.
Controlled.
Unreadable.
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As if the earlier conversation—
Had never happened.
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Footsteps approached.
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"Captain."
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Kael didn't turn.
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"I'm here."
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The voice belonged to Cyrus.
One of the two legendary awakeners in Starfire Squad.
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Calm.
Sharp.
Efficient.
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Kael finally glanced at him.
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"Report."
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Cyrus nodded slightly.
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"We've tallied everything."
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A brief pause as he checked the data on his interface.
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"Total confirmed—"
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"156 Tier One corpses."
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"48 Tier Two."
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"Five Tier Three."
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A slight pause.
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"Including the peak Tier Three Thunder-Horned Sub-Dragon you killed."
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The weight of that statement didn't need emphasis.
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It was already understood.
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Cyrus continued.
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"As for sub-tier beasts…"
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A glance toward the field.
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"They made up roughly eighty percent of the horde."
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Burned.
Crushed.
Erased.
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Kael nodded slightly.
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Then—
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"How do we distribute?"
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Cyrus asked.
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A practical question.
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An important one.
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Because here—
Everything had value.
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Kael didn't answer immediately.
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His gaze swept across the battlefield.
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The cadets.
The injured.
The exhausted.
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Then—
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"Contribution-based."
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Simple.
Clean.
Absolute.
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"Coordinate with the camp's contribution recorder."
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"Make sure it's accurate."
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"No disputes later."
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Cyrus nodded.
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"Understood."
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A pause.
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Then—
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"What about the remains?"
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Kael's gaze shifted slightly.
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"The cores and usable materials have already been extracted."
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"Bones. Blood essence. Hides. Horns."
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A brief pause.
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"What's left…"
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He gestured faintly toward the massive field of corpses.
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"…is mostly waste."
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A beat.
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"Do we burn them?"
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A practical suggestion.
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Standard procedure in many cases.
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Prevent rot.
Prevent secondary threats.
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But Kael shook his head.
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"No."
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A pause.
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"They still have uses."
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His tone was decisive.
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"Transport everything to the warehouse."
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"Seal it."
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"Catalog later."
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Cyrus raised a brow slightly.
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But didn't question it.
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"Understood."
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He turned—
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Ready to relay the order.
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"I need them."
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The voice cut in calmly.
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Both of them paused.
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Then turned.
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Zael walked toward them.
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Step by step.
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Steady.
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His expression calm.
Almost indifferent.
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But his eyes—
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Focused.
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Kael's brows furrowed slightly.
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"…What?"
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Zael stopped a few steps away.
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"I need the corpses."
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Silence.
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Cyrus blinked once.
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Then glanced at Kael.
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Waiting.
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Kael's gaze locked onto Zael.
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Sharp.
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Measuring.
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"…For what?"
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His tone had changed.
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Not hostile—
But probing.
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"Outside of material extraction…"
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A slight tilt of his head.
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"…they have no value."
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Silence.
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Zael didn't answer immediately.
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Then—
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A faint smile appeared.
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Small.
Controlled.
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"It's related to my class."
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The words were simple.
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But the effect—
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Immediate.
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Kael's eyes narrowed.
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"…Your class?"
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A pause.
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Something shifted in his expression.
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Recognition.
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Suspicion.
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Memory.
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Zael took another step forward.
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Calm.
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Unhurried.
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Then—
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He spoke again.
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"Guess we still have a few things in common…"
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A slight pause.
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"…brother."
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Silence fell.
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Heavy.
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Kael's grip tightened slightly.
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His mind moved fast.
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Too fast.
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Inheritance.
Deviation.
Irregular paths.
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And now—
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This.
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His gaze sharpened further.
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"…You mean—"
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He stopped.
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Because the thought—
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Was already forming.
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And if it was true—
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Then everything he thought he understood…
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Was about to change.
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Kael didn't respond immediately.
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The air between them shifted—subtle, but undeniable.
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"…You mean…"
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His voice trailed off.
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Because he understood.
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Not fully.
But enough.
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Zael didn't answer.
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He just looked at him.
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Calm.
Unreadable.
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And that silence—
Was confirmation.
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Cyrus, standing to the side, frowned slightly.
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He didn't interrupt.
Didn't speak.
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But his instincts—
Honed through countless battles—
Were screaming.
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Something about this situation…
Was not normal.
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Kael exhaled slowly.
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"…Explain."
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Zael tilted his head slightly.
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"Asking for details already?"
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A faint smile.
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"You've changed."
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Kael's eyes narrowed.
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"I don't have time for games."
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"Then don't play them."
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A pause.
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Silence stretched.
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Then—
Zael spoke.
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"It's simple."
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"My class…"
A slight pause.
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"…allows me to extract value from things others can't."
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Cyrus' gaze sharpened instantly.
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Kael didn't react outwardly.
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But his attention—
Locked in.
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"What kind of value?"
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Zael shrugged lightly.
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"Depends."
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"Energy."
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"Attributes."
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"Sometimes… more."
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Not a lie.
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But not the truth either.
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Kael's eyes bore into him.
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Searching.
Analyzing.
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"…At what cost?"
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Zael met his gaze.
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"No cost."
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A beat.
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"…Just capacity."
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That—
Was the closest thing to truth he would give.
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Silence fell again.
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He could feel it.
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Kael thinking.
Calculating.
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Weighing risk.
Value.
Possibility.
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Finally—
Kael spoke.
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"…How many can you handle?"
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Zael didn't hesitate.
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"All of them."
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Cyrus' expression flickered.
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Kael's gaze deepened.
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"…You're confident."
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"I don't speak on things I can't do."
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A long pause.
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Then—
Kael turned slightly.
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"…Cyrus."
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"Yes, Captain."
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"Give him the Thunder-Horned Sub-Dragon corpse."
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Cyrus froze.
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"…Captain?"
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"And one more Tier Three."
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Now—
Even Cyrus couldn't stay silent.
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"That's excessive."
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"Those alone account for a significant portion of the total gains—"
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"I know."
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Kael cut him off.
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Calm.
Absolute.
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Silence.
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Then—
Kael continued.
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"But not all."
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His gaze returned to Zael.
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Sharp.
Heavy.
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"If you want more…"
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A pause.
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"…you'll pay for it."
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Zael's lips curved slightly.
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"There it is."
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"Terms."
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Kael didn't respond.
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Zael didn't wait.
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"I'll give up my share."
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Cyrus blinked.
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"…All of it?"
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Zael nodded.
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"Everything."
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"No points."
"No materials."
"No recorded contribution."
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"Just corpses."
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Silence.
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Even Kael—
Paused.
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Because that—
Was not a small exchange.
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That was absolute.
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"…You understand what you're giving up?"
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Kael asked quietly.
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Zael nodded.
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"I do."
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His voice didn't waver.
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Not even slightly.
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Another pause.
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Then—
Kael spoke.
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"…Fine."
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A decision made.
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"You'll get all Tier Three corpses."
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"And…"
A brief glance at Cyrus.
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"…ten Tier Two."
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Cyrus clenched his jaw.
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But said nothing.
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Orders were orders.
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Zael nodded.
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"Deal."
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No hesitation.
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No negotiation.
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The exchange was complete.
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As Zael turned—
He could feel it.
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Kael's gaze.
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Lingering.
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Heavy.
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Suspicious.
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But Zael didn't stop.
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Didn't look back.
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Because there was nothing to say.
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And more importantly—
Nothing he could afford to reveal.
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The Talent Bank…
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Remains mine alone.
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He walked into the base.
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Step by step.
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Until the noise faded.
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Until the world quieted.
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Then—
He stopped.
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His eyes flickered.
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And a panel appeared before him.
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[STATUS PANEL]
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Name: Zael Nightshade
Level: 23
EXP: 18,640 / 23,000
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Profession: Child of Dao
Grade: ???
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Description:
Born of Dao, by Dao and of Dao. Fate has no effect on you and destiny traps you not. You are shielded by the heavens so divination, curses and all mental effects of all kinds have no effect on you.
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[Professional Traits]
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1. Devouring
You are not limited to leveling up using EXP alone. Devour beasts, humans, items, or any spiritual entity to gain:
EXP
Attribute Points (Universal/Specific)
Skills
Talents
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2. Origin
All things originate from Dao.
No restriction on class-based skills
No restriction on equipment usage
No restriction on learning pathways
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3. Balance
All free attribute points are evenly distributed across all stats.
Sub-Trait:
All awakening tasks are set to the highest difficulty possible
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4. Limit Break
You are not bound by conventional limits:
Ignore level restrictions (up to +100 levels equipment usage)
Barriers ineffective if energy requirements are met
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5. Evolution
Every 10 levels post-awakening:
Thunder Tribulation occurs
Rewards: stats, skills, talents
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[Attributes]
Strength: 312
Agility: 305
Endurance: 338
Intelligence: 347
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[Talents]
1. Supreme Blessing (Mythical)
Enhances and upgrades items, skills, and tools beyond their base limits.
2. Ascendant Echo (Mythical)
Allows synchronization with a clone entity (Zane), temporarily merging attributes and abilities.
3. Adaptive Evolution (Mythical)
Gain resistance through repeated exposure.
(Current Resistances:)
Fire Resistance Lv. 5 → 25%
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[Skills]
Blade Domain (Active – Control)
Effect: Creates a 20m domain of sword intent
Amplifies attack power by +450%
Suppresses enemies by 30%
Cost: 180 Mana
Cooldown: 3 minutes
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Void Step (Active – Mobility)
Effect: Instant movement within 15m
Bonus: Next attack deals +300% damage
Cost: 60 Mana
Cooldown: 20 seconds
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Resonance Strike (Active – Attack)
Effect: Deals 600% base damage
Bonus: Shockwave deals 250% AoE damage
Cost: 90 Mana
Cooldown: 25 seconds
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Night Sever (Active – Attack)
Effect: Single-target strike dealing 1200% damage
Ignores 40% defense
Cost: 200 Mana
Cooldown: 2 minutes
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Phantom Split (Active – Utility/Attack)
Effect: Creates 1 clone (40% stats) for 20 seconds
Cost: 150 Mana
Cooldown: 3 minutes
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Prime Predator Instinct (Passive)
Enhances danger perception
Predicts hostile intent within 10m
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Titan Sovereign Core (Passive)
Reduces incoming damage by 20%
Increases durability under pressure
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Zael stared at the panel.
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Silent.
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Then—
His gaze shifted.
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Past the numbers.
Past the skills.
To something unseen.
Tier Three…
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Ten Tier Two…
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His fingers curled slightly.
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How much…
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Will I gain?
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A faint glint passed through his eyes.
For the first time since the battle—
Something dangerous surfaced.
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Anticipation.
Stats…
Skills…
Maybe even…
His breath slowed.
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"…Talents."
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Silence.
Then—
He closed the panel.
And began walking.
Toward the warehouse.
Where something—
Was waiting for him.
Something that would change everything.
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[END OF CHAPTER]