Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Only three weeks
Chapter 160 – Only three weeks
Cassius let out a long sigh of relief as he settled into the bathtub of his bathroom.
Just as he had the very first time he found himself in this world, he made the water cold enough to frost every molecule of air around his breath.
He slouched forward, cupped the water and splashed it repeatedly over his face, the action more mechanical than deliberate.
His mind was wandering, turning over his next set of actions.
’The Academy is in three weeks.’ Cassius murmured thoughtfully, still submerging himself in the cold, his mind strangely calm and still. ’With everything I have set in motion, I doubt the Entrance Test will unfold anything like I knew it to.’
In other words, he would be as clueless as everyone else. Which meant he needed to train harder, just to be safe.
The one thing he prayed would remain unchanged was the Academy test grounds. He needed to find that Echo of his family, no matter what.
’I also need to build mastery in wielding chains. With my new skill, it will be genuinely useful if I can manage it. And my dual wielding is beginning to feel inadequate...the stronger I become, the more clearly I start to see the weaknesses in things I once thought I had mastered well enough.’
At that realisation, something important — and yet entirely obvious — became clear to him about his Innate.
The Snake of Adaptation was never a power that acted once and finished.
It was a continuous circle, one where the beginning and the end could no longer be defined or distinguished, as though everything happened simultaneously and without pause.
Cassius could not fully put it into words, but he understood that Adaptation had no ceiling the way most powers did.
As long as life existed, there would always be something new to adapt to.
’And for me, that means everything I have already adapted to will become obsolete if I do not continuously adapt to it at a higher degree.’
He was now immune to Tier Five fire, but there were Four and beyond. And beyond normal fire, there were unique and specialised forms he had not encountered at all. His adaptation covered only the most standard variety.
As all those possibilities began to take shape, something else started to grow inside his mind.
He told himself it was instinct, not realising that it was his own Innate whispering to him so softly that he mistook it for his own thought.
The possibility of mastering multiple weapons simultaneously.
For most people — nearly everyone — that would be impossible. But Cassius felt he could do it.
All that was required was to train, fail and train again.
Easier said than done, most would say. And yes, it was always easier said than done.
But what motivated Cassius was that it was genuinely possible for him. And when a possibility existed, all that remained was the will to transform it into something tangible and real.
’If I can pull that off — if I can learn different weapons and different fighting styles — then I can adapt more completely to any opponent. I will reach a point where nothing can surprise me. If someone needs a sword to beat, I use a sword. If someone needs a fist, I use a fist. The more options I have, the greater my chances of winning.’
The one risk of that kind of approach was becoming the classic Jack of All Trades and master of none.
’Not with me.’ Cassius grinned, cold water trailing down his face. ’Not with my Innate.’
Three weeks were far too short to satisfy his ambitions. But achieving a first-level adaptation to chain wielding should be manageable.
’Not that I have much choice,,I need it regardless.’ He sighed, a plume of frosted silver breath billowing from his lips. ’After all, I need all of this and more to stand against Emrys, don’t I?’
This time, the question was clearly directed at the Queen of Fate who nodded, honest and direct.
[Much more.] She said in a matter-of-fact tone. [Emrys carries multiple Blessings. The exact number escapes me, but certainly more than three, based on the aura I sensed on him. Added to that to his sealed Soulblade and his Ultimate Skill...]
The more she spoke, the more Cassius’s lips twitched.
’This is simply absurd. How can he be this strong? I mean, I know how, exactly. But... sigh...’
He gave up complaining entirely.
The most sobering part was that this was Emrys’s strength without the Fated Quests.
Cassius had expected him to be considerably weaker without that influence. Instead, somehow, Emrys was stronger than the baseline he had remembered.
’I am beginning to resent the consequences of my own actions.’
And yet not everything was bleak. Given enough time, Cassius doubted Emrys would remain ahead of him.
The compounding effect of all his advantages and powers would eventually burst forth — and the Queen knew, when that day came, Emrys would be left utterly devastated by what he found standing in front of him.
’Even so, I will not lose.’ His red eyes glowed with quiet, stubborn pride. ’I will not let him have the Palatine spot.’
And that held regardless of if Emrys needed it.
He didn’t need it because of the benefits. Well, not because the Palatine position lacked genuine benefits, it carried many perks inside the Academy. But none of them were the kind that could truly motivate Emrys at his core.
No. What that man wanted was to show his mother he was strong enough. That he could save her, if she gave him just a little more time.
He wanted real validation from her.
It was noble, and sweet, and honorable.
And Cassius did not give a single damn to any of it.
’I have spent most of my compassion lately.’ He shrugged, dragging a hand back through his wet hair. ’And I cannot afford to extend it to someone who will destroy us all if the opportunity presents itself.’
Still, Cassius found himself genuinely curious about Emrys’s mother, Évangile. And by extension, her sister, Theophane.
From the game, he already knew Évangile’s current condition. Just as he knew the Stormblessed family would never heal her.
’That family is genuinely repugnant.’ Cassius thought, shaking his head and sending droplets scattering.
He could not understand people who hurt their own family for the sake of power. There were countless ways to achieve strength by destroying the lives of those outside it. That might be cruel, but to Cassius, it was still preferable to ever touching his own.
’In any case, the only real way to get Theophane onto my side is through her sister. Whether that will work on someone like her... I can only hope so.’
With that thought settled, Cassius stood and stepped out of the bathtub. He took a purple towel from the rack beside it and wrapped it around his waist, then took a smaller one and folded it around his head.
He stepped out of the bathroom and sat on his bed, eyes distant and pensive.
’Before anything else, it is time to distribute my Stat Points.’
After that, intensive training. And perhaps one or two Fractured Lands to begin getting accustomed to them.
’Shall we?’
He summoned his status panel, his last thought drifting, curiously, to something he had just noticed.
Océane had seemed unusually lively lately, smiling far more than normal.
’Did something good happen to her in the palace?’
Before that thought could take root, his attention was pulled fully to the status panel flickering before him.
He forgot it entirely and focused on growing stronger.
...
Meanwhile, inside her own room, Océane lay on her stomach wearing nothing but an oversized sweatshirt, her legs raised and swaying gently behind her, eyes fixed on the phone in her hands, wearing a bright and persistent smile.
She was in an E-Chat conversation with someone named Valor.
She could not stop smiling every time a new message from him appeared. She did not know how it had happened, but the maid had found herself growing attached to this man faster than she had ever grown attached to anyone.
Something she had never thought possible for herself. Not in her entire life.
But with Cassius spending so much time away and occupied during the palace stay, Océane had found herself spending time with Valor, a guard of the palace.
How they had grown close was a funny and unlikely story. It had begun simply because Cassius was always out and always returning late and Océane, faithful maid that she was, would always wait for him by the door.
With so much time to fill, familiarity had developed naturally between her and Valor, until they exchanged numbers and began talking every day.
<I already miss you sitting by that door like a lost lamb, hahah. When are you coming back?>
Océane laughed softly at the message and, completely forgetting that she still needed to be searching for Tier Six and Tier Five Fractured Lands for her young master, she typed her reply.
<Why not just say you miss me? All this mystery and nonchalance.>
<Will saying it make you come see me?>
<Why don’t you come to me?>
<You know my duties.>
<Because I have no duties? Well... my master is heading to the Academy soon. As a simple maid, I will probably not be able to follow him. So maybe...>
<...I am grinning like an idiot now. Hahaha. Should I start planning the date then?>
Océane beamed, her heart fluttering.
<Now you’re talking. Why not? Impress me.>
The messages did not stop. And by the end of it, Océane had completely forgotten her duty to her young master.
—End of Chapter 160—
