Day 83 in the secret realm — Early Morning
The crystal Katherine had given him sat on the desk, pulsing with a faint, rhythmic light. Nova sat before it, his mismatched eyes scanning the holographic display that hovered above its surface.
The information was fragmented—a collection of intercepted messages, old dossiers, and fragmented accounts from Katherine's mysterious "contacts." It wasn't a complete picture, but it was enough to see the shape of the storm gathering on the horizon.
The Maxwell family's influence extended far beyond the eastern continent. Through a web of shipping companies, trade guilds, and "charitable foundations," they controlled nearly thirty percent of the legal mana stone trade in this sector. And through the Fiends, they controlled a significant portion of the illegal trade as well.
Redundant systems, Nova noted with cold appreciation. Cut one head, the other survives.
A specific file drew his attention. It was a list of names—students, instructors, and administrators—who had financial or political ties to Maxwell interests. Some were minor, like a merchant's son whose family relied on Maxwell shipping. Others were more troubling: two combat instructors whose private training academies were funded by Maxwell loans.
They have eyes inside the walls.
Nova dismissed the display and tucked the crystal into his inventory. The siege had begun, but it was a siege of strangulation, not assault. They would squeeze his resources, block his paths, and isolate him until he had no choice but to submit.
Supply Depot — 9:15 AM
The supply depot was a massive structure on the academy's western edge, its shelves lined with everything from camping gear to low-grade artifacts. Normally, this was where students purchased necessities for missions—rations, rope, basic healing salves.
Nova approached the counter, a list of required reagents in hand. He had enough gold to purchase everything ten times over, and the materials were common enough that there should have been no issue.
The clerk, a middle-aged woman with a bored expression, scanned his list. She frowned.
"Silverleaf and Frost-root?" She shook her head. "Out of stock."
"Out of stock?" Nova kept his voice even. "I see both on the shelf behind you."
"Those are reserved." The clerk didn't meet his eyes. "New policy. Bulk orders from the eastern branch take priority. Come back in three weeks."
"Three weeks?" Nova let a hint of coldness seep into his tone. "I need them today."
"Can't help you." The clerk turned away, busying herself with paperwork. "Next customer."
Nova studied her for a moment. Through Soul Perception, he could feel her anxiety—a spiked pulse of fear that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with whoever had given her the order.
Bastards.
He left without another word. Outside the depot, he paused, considering his options. If they were blocking basic supplies, they would soon move to restrict his access to missions and training facilities.
He needed an alternative supply line. Something that didn't rely on academy channels or Maxwell-controlled trade routes.
His mind went to his inventory. The herbs from the drake's cave. The mana stones. The rare materials that even high-ranking alchemists would kill for.
He had resources. What he lacked was a way to convert them into actionable power without alerting his enemies.
Alchemy, he thought. I can make what I need. But to sell... that requires connections.
Combat Arena — Late Morning
The crowd was thinner than usual. Word had spread about the "incident" in the supply depot, and more than a few students gave Nova a wide berth as he passed.
He ignored them, his focus on the ranking board. His name sat at #10, but he knew it was a precarious position. Without merit points from missions, he couldn't maintain his standing. And without standing, he lost access to the advanced training facilities he needed to break through to 3rd Order.
Class A Dormitory — Afternoon
Priscilla was gone when Nova returned.
He found her in Training Hall 4, a smaller facility used for private practice. She stood before a training golem, her movements clumsy but determined. Sweat plastered her hair to her forehead, and her knuckles were raw where they'd struck the construct's reinforced plating.
"Again," she whispered, driving a fist into the golem's chest. The impact barely dented the metal. "Again."
She struck again. And again. Each blow weaker than the last.
"Priscilla."
She spun, eyes wide. For a moment, he saw the old panic in her expression—the fear of being caught, of being hurt. Then it faded, replaced by something harder.
"I'm training." Her voice was steady, but he could feel her exhaustion. "I need to get stronger."
"Breaking your hands won't help."
"Then teach me how not to."
The request was raw, vulnerable. Nova crossed to her, gently examining her bruised knuckles.
"Sit," he said.
She hesitated, then sank to the floor. Nova sat across from her, taking her hands in his.
"You're angry," he said. "Good. Use it. But don't let it use you."
"How?" Her voice cracked. "How do I use it when I can't even... when he just..." She trailed off, unable to finish.
Nova reached into his inventory, producing a small jar of salve. He began applying it to her wounds, his touch gentle.
"Power isn't just about cultivation or superpowers," he said quietly. "It's about control. Over yourself, and over the choices you make." He looked up, meeting her eyes. "You were helpless in the valley. That won't happen again. I promise."
"How can you promise that?"
"Because I'm going to teach you. Not to fight like me—you're not built for that. But to fight like you." He capped the jar. "Your plant affinity... it's not just for growing flowers. It's for controlling the battlefield. For protecting yourself while you strike."
Priscilla stared at him. "You really think I can do that?"
"I know you can." He stood, offering her a hand. "But first, you rest. Tomorrow, we begin."
Alchemy Tower — Evening
Katherine was waiting in her private lab. The crystalline device Nova had given her sat on her desk, its contents extracted and organized into neat piles of notes.
"The Maxwell blockade is efficient," she said without preamble. "But they've overreached. By restricting supplies to all students, not just you, they've created resentment."
"Resentment doesn't help me buy Frost-root."
"No. But it creates opportunity." Katherine slid a folder across the desk. "There's a black market operating out of the lower city. Smugglers who don't care about Maxwell shipping contracts. They have what you need, but the prices are steep."
"How steep?"
"Triple the normal rate. And they only accept untraceable payment—high-grade mana stones or rare materials."
Nova considered. He had both, in abundance. The drake's cave had provided more than enough to buy his way into the black market.
"I can handle it."
"There's something else." Katherine's voice dropped. "I've received word from my contacts in the north. Three men matching Maxwell agents' descriptions were seen near Priscilla's village."
Nova's blood ran cold.
"Are they moving already?"
"Not yet. They're watching and waiting for the right moment." Katherine met his gaze. "If you're going to get her family out, it needs to be soon."
"Do you have people who can reach them?"
"Maybe. But moving a civilian family without alerting the Maxwells... it's delicate. And it requires resources I don't currently have."
"What resources?"
"Void-Touched Mandrake root. It's used in certain concealment rituals—ways to hide a person's presence from magical tracking." Katherine's expression was serious. "I know you have some. If you give it to me, I can ensure your mother disappears before the Maxwells realize she's gone."
Nova hesitated. The Mandrake root was valuable—essential for high-level alchemy. But compared to Priscilla's family, it was nothing.
He produced three roots from his inventory, laying them on the desk.
"Will this be enough?"
Katherine stared at the roots, her eyes wide. "This is... yes. This is more than enough." She quickly gathered them, her movements sharp with purpose. "I'll send word tonight. By the time the Maxwells move, there will be no one left to find."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me." Katherine's voice was quiet. "I told you—I have my own reasons."
Class A Dormitory — Night
Nova sat at his desk, the High-Grade Bloodline Pill resting in his palm.
It glowed with a faint crimson light, its surface marked with intricate patterns that seemed to shift under his gaze. A gift from the System, earned through the siege that had nearly killed him.
He had been saving it. Waiting for the right moment.
But the blockade, the agents in the north, the constant pressure closing in around him—there was no time to wait.
He swallowed the pill.
Warmth flooded through him, centered in his core. It was different from the Mid-Grade pills he'd taken before—deeper, more intense. He felt his blood stirring, the Almond family physique awakening further in response to the stimulus.
GODLESS SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
BLOODLINE ACTIVATION: 60% → 67%
NEW THRESHOLD: 70%
EFFECT: Physical parameters enhanced. Bloodline abilities strengthened.
NOTE: Activation approaching critical mass. Prepare for potential manifestation of new abilities.
Nova exhaled slowly, feeling the power settle into his bones.
Sixty-seven percent. Closer to the full potential that had made his past self a legend.