Listen To Nostalgic Piano While Reading This Chapter

I exhaled, crouching low, my muscles coiled like springs. The wisps of dark energy in front of me twisted and churned, vaguely humanoid but wild and unstable. My [Construct] skill gave them form—shadows that moved with deadly precision, each one embodying fragments of memories, opponents I'd faced, and those I'd feared. This one, the Shadow King, had been a nightmare in my past life. A titled being of unparalleled mastery over darkness, and here I was, recreating him for training. Some might call me crazy. I called it necessary.

The tendrils lashed out, spearing toward my head. I ducked and swept low, rolling to the side as more spikes shot downward, cracking the stone beneath me. The movements were fast—too fast. My heart raced as I barely parried another strike, my makeshift wooden sword vibrating in my hand as it absorbed the impact.

"Not enough," I muttered, gritting my teeth. My [King] technique, the amalgamation of beastkin martial arts I'd perfected in my previous life, felt sluggish against the Shadow King's relentless assault. Back then, even Sovereigns had respected my creation, praising its balance of parries and counterattacks. Now? It felt incomplete, my reaction time lagging behind where it needed to be. Every dodge, every block, every counterstrike reminded me of how far I had to go.

A sharp prickling sensation ran down my spine. I twisted just in time to avoid a spear of darkness aimed at my back, only to be forced to sidestep as a cluster of dark spikes erupted from the ground. "Sneaky bastard," I hissed, rolling away.

The Shadow King didn't let up, hurling balls of darkness in a calculated arc, boxing me in. My body moved on instinct, stomping hard on the ground and launching myself into the air. The split-second escape brought a brief flicker of triumph—until I saw the trap above me.

The sky was littered with orbs of shadow, swirling with ominous energy. "Haha… shit." The explosions caught me mid-air, the force sending me hurtling back. I hit the ground hard, sprawled out on the cold concrete floor of the training area, gasping for breath.

"Again," I muttered, though my chest heaved with exhaustion. The Shadow King dissipated, his form unraveling into the wisps of my [Construct]. For now, I'd been bested, but this wasn't about winning—it was about sharpening myself. My muscles burned, my reflexes strained. I looked at my trembling hands and clenched them.

Iron VII. The thought brought a grim smile to my lips. I'd climbed the ranks quickly, burning through all those E-rank cores like they were candy. But it wasn't enough. The gap between where I was now and where I needed to be loomed large.

"I'll finish the rest tonight," I whispered to myself, my gaze fixed on the sky above. The remaining cores, the archives, the manor's defenses—they were all pieces of a plan I needed to execute. But right now, there was another task to handle.

"Miss Alice!" a voice chimed, and before I could sit up, Leonard and June were climbing all over me. Their weight, slight as it was, pinned me down as they tugged at my arms and shoulders.

"That was amazing!" Leonard's eyes sparkled with unrestrained excitement. "You have to teach me that! Please!"

"Me too!" June added, her tiny hands gripping the sleeve of my shirt. "I want to do the shadow thingy!"

I chuckled, ruffling June's hair before prying Leonard off my leg. "Shadow thingy, huh? Pretty advanced stuff. You sure you're ready for it?"

They nodded enthusiastically, their faces glowing with childlike determination. I sighed, smiling despite myself. "We'll see. Maybe after you're a bit older."

From the corner of my eye, I caught Abraham, the butler, watching us with a bemused expression. "What did you think?" I asked, shifting my attention to him.

The older man stepped forward, his posture stiff but his tone genuine. "It was… miraculous, Miss Alice. I've served this household for many years, but I've never seen an emblem or ability quite like yours."

I nodded, sitting up with the kids still clinging to me. "It's a unique one, I'll give you that. It helps, though. It's going to help a lot in the future."

Abraham inclined his head, his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer. I could tell he wanted to ask more, but his years of service had taught him restraint. Instead, he smiled faintly. "You're a remarkable young woman, Miss Alice. The children are lucky to have you."

The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. I shrugged it off, turning back to Leonard and June as they started peppering me with questions about training. The Shadow King, the constructs, the cool dodges—they wanted to know it all.

Abraham studied me with quiet curiosity, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. "May I ask, Miss Alice, what your plans are?"

I was about to respond when June tugged at my cheek with surprising ferocity, her giggles breaking through the poised atmosphere. "What are you planning, huh? Something cool? Something big?" Her little hands stretched my face in a way that made me look less like a fearsome warrior and more like a doll at her mercy.

"Something very big," I replied, my words muffled as I gently pried her hands away. I reached up, manifesting two slender poles with my [Construct] skill. White energy glimmered as I hooked the kids onto the poles, lifting them mid-air like a makeshift swing. Their delighted squeals filled the room as they floated a few feet above the ground, giggling uncontrollably.

"Don't you two have school or something?" I asked Abraham, eyeing him over the children's excitement.

He straightened slightly, his expression remaining neutral. "The young master and milady are on summer break, Miss Alice. They are currently attending the Middle Course of [Centarde Academy]."

The name hit me like a bell tolling in the distance. "Centarde Academy…" I muttered, the words slipping out before I could stop myself. Memories stirred—flashes of the renowned academy's sprawling campus, the endless duels, the gathering of some of the world's brightest and strongest prodigies.

"Are you considering enrolling?" Abraham asked, his voice steady but tinged with curiosity.

I hesitated, letting the thought linger. As I was now, I would be placed in the Senior Course, given my age. Sixteen years old, just barely on the cusp of adulthood in this world. The academy had always intrigued me, even as the Celestial Hero in my past life. I'd visited it a handful of times for diplomatic reasons, watching students with awe as they trained and studied, but I had never truly walked its halls as one of them. It was a place for the prodigious, the wealthy, or the famous—an elite institution where the next generation of this world's legends were forged.

"Maybe," I said at last. "But not yet. I want to focus on ranking my emblem higher first. If I reach a level I'm satisfied with, I might register."

Abraham nodded. "You have time. The entrance exams are three months away, in early September. The academy operates on a semester system: fall from September to December and spring from January to May. Currently, it's mid-June."

He paused, glancing at the hovering children. "Now that I think of it, it's almost time for the young master and milady's tuition…"

"I'm not going back to boring school stuff!" Leonard yelled suddenly, his voice cutting through the air. "Put me down, Miss Alice! I wanna see something cool!"

"Yeah, show us something amazing!" June chimed in, kicking her legs enthusiastically.

I glanced at Abraham, who let out a long-suffering sigh. "If this will keep them docile, Miss Alice… please."

"Fine, fine," I said, lowering the poles and letting the children scamper to my side. I knelt down to their level, meeting their eager gazes. "Come closer, you two. You're about to witness the birth of a miracle."

As the kids leaned in, their excitement palpable, I closed my eyes, channeling a significant portion of my Origin reserves. The energy hummed around me, warm and electrifying. My hands began to glow, pure white light spilling from my fingertips as I whispered, "[Construct: Sky Ocean.]"

The effect was immediate. The room darkened, the light from my hands spreading outward like ripples in water. Shadows gave way to a shimmering, endless expanse of ocean, vibrant and alive. Schools of fish darted through the air, their translucent bodies glowing with ethereal light. Massive rays glided gracefully above us, their wings casting soft shadows as they moved in tandem. Bioluminescent jellyfish bobbed gently, their tendrils trailing streams of light that painted the scene with a surreal beauty.

It was like stepping into another world—a perfect projection of an ocean I'd once known in my past life. The children gasped, their voices catching in their throats as they clung to my arms. Even Abraham, ever composed, stood frozen, his mouth slightly agape as he took in the breathtaking sight.

The ocean's hues shifted from deep blues to vibrant greens, the creatures moving in harmonious dance as though they were celebrating our presence. A massive whale swam overhead, its mournful song reverberating softly, a reminder of the vastness of the world I'd left behind.

I tightened my grip on Leonard and June, pulling them closer as they reached out, trying to touch the glowing fish that swam just beyond their fingertips. "What do you think?" I asked softly, my voice almost lost in the serenity of the scene.

"It's… amazing," Leonard whispered, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Beautiful," June added, her voice trembling with emotion.

I glanced at Abraham, who gave a small, reverent nod. "Miss Alice, you've truly created something extraordinary."

I smiled faintly, though my heart ached with nostalgia. The sight reminded me too much of home. This world had its wonders, its beauty, but moments like these made me long for something I could never return to.

The children leaned against me, captivated, and for a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to simply exist in this shared sense of awe.