Now it wasn’t just a story anymore.
Caelus turned fully to face him again.
"I’ll begin preparations," he said. "If those... things... are gathering strength, then I won’t wait for them to co to my gates."
Rhett watched him quietly.
Caelus’s expression hardened.
"...I intend to wipe them out before that happens."
A brief pause.
Then, his tone softened just a little.
"I hope your group will still be available," he said, "when that ti cos."
Rhett t his gaze.
"...Depends on the job."
A faint smile tugged at Caelus’s lips.
"Of course it does."
But behind that smile, the tension remained.
----
The next morning, Virel City woke up to sothing different.
Not the usual noise of rchants and travelers.
But drums.
Low, steady, echoing through the streets.
Boom... boom... boom...
People stepped out of their hos, looking toward the center of the city. The sound wasn’t a call for trade or celebration.
It was a call to gather.
At the main square, a crowd quickly ford, citizens, rcenaries, cultivators, even wandering traders who hadn’t yet left the city.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"What’s going on?"
"Did sothing happen?"
"Is it bandits again?"
Up ahead, a raised platform had been set.
And standing on it, Caelus.
Behind him stood mbers of the Zephyr Clan, lined up in formation. Their presence alone was enough to quiet the crowd.
Two thousand strong.
That was the force the Zephyr Clan could bring.
And everyone in the city knew it.
The drums stopped.
Silence followed.
Caelus stepped forward.
His voice carried across the entire square without needing to be raised.
"Citizens of Virel."
All eyes were on him.
"There will be a mobilization."
A ripple moved through the crowd.
"A nearby town has been destroyed."
Murmurs grew louder.
"Another followed shortly after."
That changed the mood instantly.
"...Two towns?"
"So close to us?"
"What kind of enemy could do that?"
Caelus didn’t rush.
He let the weight of his words settle before continuing.
"The threat is real," he said. "And it is close."
The murmurs turned uneasy.
So people glanced at each other. Others tightened their grip on their weapons.
"We will not wait for it to reach our gates," Caelus continued. "We will take the fight to them."
That drew a stronger reaction.
"You’re sending the clan?"
"Are we going to war?"
Caelus raised a hand slightly.
The noise died down again.
"The Zephyr Clan will lead this operation."
Behind him, the formation stood firm, silent, disciplined.
"Two thousand of our mbers will be mobilized."
That alone was enough to send a wave through the crowd.
"That’s... the whole force..."
"He’s serious..."
But Caelus wasn’t finished.
"However," he added, "this is not a matter for the clan alone."
His gaze swept across the gathered crowd.
"If there are rcenaries, practitioners, or warriors willing to join..."
He paused briefly.
"...you will be compensated."
That got their attention.
Of course it did.
Gold spoke louder than fear, at least for so.
One man stepped forward slightly, raising his voice.
"What exactly are we facing?"
Others quickly followed.
"Yeah! Bandits?"
"A rival city?"
"Monsters?"
The questions ca one after another.
Caelus didn’t answer imdiately.
Instead, he gave a calm, asured response.
"...An enemy that has already proven capable of wiping out two towns."
It wasn’t a lie.
But it wasn’t the full truth either.
The crowd quieted again, but this ti, the unease didn’t go away.
"He’s not saying everything," soone whispered.
"Does it matter?" another replied. "Two towns are gone."
"Yeah... whatever it is, it’s not weak."
At the edge of the crowd, Kellan stood with his arms crossed, watching.
"...He didn’t ntion about those things," he muttered.
Bram stood beside him. "Would you, if you were him?"
Kellan shrugged. "Fair point."
On the platform, Caelus gave his final words.
"Preparations begin imdiately."
His voice was firm.
"We march soon."
----
Inside his villa, the world felt quiet again.
Too quiet, compared to everything happening outside.
Aiden sat back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest. After letting his mana recover a bit, he opened his status once more.
The familiar screen appeared in front of him.
His gaze moved down.
Skill Points: 2
"...Right," he muttered.
He shifted slightly, then opened the skill list.
New options appeared.
Aiden’s eyes sharpened as he began to read.
[Soul Leech]
Active Skill
Allows the user to drain a portion of life force from enemies within a certain range. The stolen life force is converted into mana and partially into vitality.]
Aiden raised a brow slightly.
"...Sustain in battle."
Simple. Useful. Especially in drawn-out fights like the one Carrion just had.
But he didn’t select it yet.
[Corpse Explosion]
Active Skill
Detonates a corpse or undead unit, causing an area explosion of necrotic energy. Damage scales based on the strength of the corpse used.]
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"...That’s brutal."
He could turn fallen enemies, or even his own expendable summons, into weapons.
ssy.
But effective.
[Frenzy]
Active Skill
Temporarily boosts the speed and attack power of all undead under the user’s control. During the effect, undead will ignore damage and relentlessly attack enemies.]
Aiden’s eyes lingered on this one a bit longer.
"...A full assault skill."
High risk, high reward.
Perfect for overwhelming enemies.
[Grave Recall]
Active Skill
Instantly recalls selected undead back to the user’s side, regardless of distance, consuming mana based on the number and strength of units recalled.]
The list faded slightly as Aiden leaned back again.
"...Not bad."
Actually—
More than not bad.
Every single one had its use.
He closed his eyes for a mont, thinking.
Two points.
"...I need to choose carefully," he said quietly.
Aiden didn’t rush his decision.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes half-lidded as he went through each skill again in his mind.
A city was already watching him.
That alone changed everything.
"...This isn’t just small fights anymore," he muttered.
Before, he could afford to experint. Make mistakes. Test things slowly.
Now?
He needed sothing that could turn a battlefield.
His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest as he thought it through.
"Bone Fortress is good for defense..." he said quietly. "Frenzy for offense... Soul Leech for sustain..."
All useful.
All tempting.
But then, his eyes opened slightly.
"...No."
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