Chapter 18: Skill Management Interface
One month had passed since the Battle of Arthenburg.
Winter had grown harsher, burying the capital beneath thick layers of snow. The scars of battle were hidden now. The blood that once stained the Plains of Ash had vanished under a smooth white cover, yet the silence left behind weighed heavier than the snow itself.
Inside his office, far from the noise of the city, Grand Prince Alexius sat alone with his eyes closed.
His mind sank inward, drifting deep into the quiet depths of his own consciousness.
The war is not over yet. Just a temporary peace before the more violent and cruel storm.
To survive what was coming next—the Duchess of the South in the North and the Sword Master in the West—Alexius had to understand the power that had helped him win.
System, he thought. Open Skill Management.
A web of blue light opened inside his mind. It spread out in all directions.
After Vetus was defeated, the System had changed.
His powers were now arranged like a giant tree. Each branch led to a different kind of strength. Every path showed a future he could choose.
[SKILL MANAGEMENT INTERFACE]
[Category 1: INNATE SKILLS]These are the foundations of your existence. They cannot be removed, only evolved.
Alexius focused on this branch. It was the core of his strength.
Omni-Elemental Mastery (Rank 6 - Magister): This was his greatest weapon. Unlike normal mages who spent a lifetime mastering one or two elements, Alexius had perfect affinity for all. The interface displayed the elemental wheel:Fire: High explosive power. Used for destruction.Water: Manipulation of water. Can change temperatures freely.Wind: Mobility and sensory enhancement. The basis of the speed.Earth: Structure and fortification .
Light/Darkness/Space: Rare elements. Require massive mana cost to utilize effectively.Lightning(sub element): Single-target lethality and nervous system disruption.Imperial Sword Art (Rank 6 - Sword Lord): The physical counterpart. A comprehensive martial database of the Leo bloodline, enhanced by the System. It contained specific "Forms":Form 1: Flash Step (Movement).Form 2: X Strike(Offensive).Form 3: Imperial Tempest (Area of Effect).Form 4: Void Parry (Defensive).
[Category 2: SPECIAL SKILLS]Powers derived from his status as Sovereign and Transmigrator.
Sovereign's Aura (Rank 3): A buff/debuff field. It could instill fear in enemies (reducing their stats by 10-20%) and courage in allies . It The most vital tool for commanding the militia.Grand Strategic View: The RTS-like map interface. It allowed to see troop movements, terrain data, and logistics in real-time. However, it had a limited range based on own perception and intel networks. It could not see into the "Fog of War" covering the occupied territories.
[Category 3: UNIQUE SKILLS]Combinations and sub-skills created or copy by the user.
This section fascinated Alexius the most. It showed how he could combine Innate elements to create new effects.
Stormcloak: (Wind + Lightning). Wraps the body in a protective layer that accelerates movement and shocks attackers.Mana Reinforcement: (Mana + Body). Using raw magical energy to enhance physical strength, allowing him to catch a lance tip with his bare hand.Gravity Well: (Earth + Space). A high-tier crushing spell used to immobilize Vetus.
[Category 4: COMMON SKILLS]Standard spells and techniques.
Hundreds of minor entries filled this list: Fireball, Mana Bolt, Stealth, basic parrying, horseriding, etiquette. They were very useful.
Alexius analyzed the data. He was Rank 6. He would be considered a strong man. But against a Rank 8 entity like Zemlya or Der Gnadenlose, he was still statistically inferior. A Rank 8's mana pool was hundred times his own. Their Auras were dense enough to ignore his standard attacks.
To bridge the gap, he couldn't just "level up" linearly. That would take years he didn't have. He needed to optimize.
He selected [Omni-Elemental Mastery] and [Imperial Sword Art].
System Command: Begin Synthesis Simulation.
He needed to fuse magic and swordsmanship perfectly.
He had to unlock the higher forms of the Imperial Sword Art—moves that could hurt the soul, not only just the physical body.
For hours, he trained inside his mind. He tested how his mana flowed, threw away moves that wasted energy, and improved his Flash Step until it was no longer just fast.
.....
Alexius opened his eyes. The blue light faded away.
He stood and walked to the window of his office.
The Leo Principality had lost almost half of its land and people.
To the North, the capital city of Ferrum was gone. In its place stood a massive fortress of earth and stone, raised by the Imperial Earth Grand Mage, Duchess Zemlya. She had taken the entire northern region—its mines and its farmlands. She was not moving yet. She was likely strengthening her control and waiting for spring. Still, her presence was like a knife held against the capital's throat.
To the West, the Dukedom of Avarus had become an Imperial protectorate. Der Gnadenlose ruled the land with his heavy cavalry. The young Duke of Avarus—only fifteen years old, Vetus's son—was under his control.
To the East, Marquess Orientis had cut off all contact from the first day of the war. Reports said he had sealed his borders and was talking with the Federation of Libertas. He was likely preparing to betray the Principality to save his trade empire.
Alexius had lost more than two hundred thousand people in the occupied lands.
All that remained was the capital, Arthenburg, and the nearby farmlands—about two hundred thousand people in total. Half of them were refugees, living in tents in the Faith District, driven from their homes by war.
Alexius stared out at the snow-covered city.
This was all he had left.
And it was all he was sworn to protect.
He was surrounded.
He was outnumbered.
He was outmatched.
However, he was not alone.
A green flag stood firm in the South.
Marquess Custodias—his grandfather—had won. The Old Lion had broken the enemy blockade at the Southern Pass. Reports from the Nightwatch confirmed it: the Southern Army was rising. Soldiers were being called up. Food and weapons were being gathered.
They were marching north.
It would take them two more weeks to reach the capital through the deep snow. But they were coming.
The South was still loyal.
Until then, Alexius had only one choice.
He had to endure.
He could not attack.
If he marched north, the West would strike his back.
If he marched west, the North would crush him.
So he waited.
Holding the line.
Stalemate.
it gave him the one thing he desperately needed: Time.
Time to train the militia. And time to build the weapons that would shape the future of this continent.
Alexius pulled on his fur-lined cloak and left his office.
He walked through the cold stone corridors. Guards along the way straightened at once, their mind filled with fierce loyalty and admiration.
He stepped outside into the courtyard, where the air was sharp and frozen.
After walking for a while, he arrived at the destination.
The newly established Royal Workshop.
The heat inside the workshop was overwhelming, a sharp contrast to the frozen air outside. Thorgar Ironhand and his team of dwarves worked without shirts, their bodies covered in sweat and black soot.
At the center of the workshop lay a massive iron tube. It was short, thick, and wrapped with heavy steel bands.
"Your Highness," Thorgar said with a tired grunt. He wiped his forehead with a rag and gave a short nod. Dark circles hung under his eyes. "We failed again this morning. Barrel forty-nine cracked during the pressure test. The dwarven alloy is strong, but the black powder is too violent."
"Show me number fifty," Alexius ordered.
Thorgar nodded and pointed to the iron weapon. "We changed the mixture. Added a trace of mithril dust during casting to help spread the heat. And we carved grooves inside the barrel, just like in your drawings."
Alexius stepped forward and placed his hand on the cold metal. Then he stepped back and crossed his arms.
"Load it," Alexius said.
In the test site, The dwarves moved quickly and with care. They poured a bag of black powder into the barrel, packed it tight, and then pushed in a heavy iron ball coated with a thin layer of lead.
They rolled the cannon to the open testing field behind the workshop. Ahead of it stood a thick granite slab, reinforced with a standard Tier 5 Earth Barrier spell.
"Clear the range!" Thorgar shouted.
"Fire."
One of the dwarf lit the fuse.
BOOM.
The sound rippled, even vibration can feel from the earth to the people chest. The ground shook beneath their feet. A huge burst of flame and smoke roared from the cannon's mouth.
The cannon slammed backward, its wheels cutting deep into the frozen dirt.
Far downrange, the result was instant.
The Tier 5 Earth Barrier vanished.
The iron ball struck the granite slab with such force that the stone exploded into dust. The shot kept going, burying itself deep into the earth behind the target.
This was the Cannon.
Alexius had drawn its design months ago, guided by memories from another life—old battlefield weapons from a time without magic. But in this world, plain iron was not enough. To break the shields of a Rank 8 Mage, he needed speed and weight beyond normal limits.
Silence filled the workshop.
Thorgar walked up to the cannon. He leaned close and checked the barrel, running his fingers over the metal.
"No cracks," he whispered.
A wide grin slowly spread across his soot-covered face.
"It held."
Alexius released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"This is it, Thorgar," Alexius said softly.
Then he couldn't help himself.
"This is the answer! Finally We succeed." he shouted with joy.
Thorgar laughed with joy for a while. Alexius smiled.
"How many can you make?" Alexius asked.
"With the mithril alloy, it's slow," Thorgar admitted, scratching his beard. "Maybe one every three days."
"Make them," Alexius "Stop all other projects and focus on producing the Earth Shaker. I will provide whatever you need."
He met Thorgar's eyes.
"I want ten of these ready by the time my grandfather arrives."
The dwarves exchanged looks. "Yes Your Highness, we will do our best".
They replied.
The war was about to change.
[QUEST UPDATED: Production of the Earth Shaker]
[New Asset Unlocked: Mithril-Alloy Field Cannon]
[Production Started: 1/10]
[Time limit: 14 Days]
(Continue....)