The four of them watched Jasmine in silence, their gazes fixed as she sank into deep thought. The room was still, the only sound the quiet rhythm of their breathing.

"Alright. Then I'll join."

"Good." Nova smiled. He then held up two fingers. "That means I have two requests."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "What do I have to do?"

"First, let your mother know about us. I need to also talk with her but, that can wait until we're back to Quarath."

I should have seen that coming. She gave a small nod. "And the second?"

"Recruit Troy, Clara, and Wesley. Think you can handle it?" Nova's gaze locked onto hers. Those three were the next most important targets after Jasmine herself. If he could bring them in, it would mean three more talented commanders under his wing.

Jasmine exhaled slowly. "I can try. I can probably talk to Troy and Clara. But Wesley… I'm not so sure."

"Why not Wesley?" Elric cut in, curiosity sparking in his tone.

"He's strange," Jasmine said calmly. "Strong, yes—but people only recognize him because he's the first ranked in Altura. They have no real grasp of his actual strength. Some even say he's hiding it."

Nova tapped his fingers against the armrest, thoughtful. 'Ranked first in Altura. Sixth in the tournament. If the rumors are true and he's hiding his strength, then he might be stronger than Jasmine… maybe even stronger than Neve or Elric. I need to confirm that before someone else gets to him.'

He turned to Alaric. "How's it going with the fire Mana particles?"

Jasmine's brow creased with a flicker of confusion, but she said nothing. Fire Mana particles? What even is that?

"I'm at 59," Alaric replied evenly. His voice was calm, though subtle tremors ran through his body. A fine sheen of sweat clung to his skin, but he showed no sign of discomfort. As if to prove his point, he raised a hand, and a small flame slowly took shape in his palm.

"This is as far as I can go for now."

A sharp gasp escaped Jasmine, echoing softly through the room. He formed a flame in his palm? But it didn't feel like he was using his own Mana... How did he even do that?

"I understand. Come with me," Nova said, rising to his feet and heading toward the door. Alaric followed without hesitation. Just before stepping out, Nova paused, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Wait here. We'll be back soon."

With that, the door shut behind them, leaving Elric, Neve, and Jasmine alone.

Elric and Neve remained still, offering no reaction. But Jasmine couldn't shake her unease.

"What are they going to do?" she asked.

Only silence answered her—followed by two casual shrugs.

//////////

Seated in a quiet room, Nova wrestled with a difficult decision. 'Should I tell him how to form the same Node I have? If I do, he might never consider any other path—and the risk involved is far too great. Yet, there could be a chance to reform Nodes later on...'

"I need to explain something to you," Nova said, breaking the silence.

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Alaric nodded attentively.

"There are two ways to unlock a Node," Nova began. "One is dangerous—if you fail, you might never be able to form that Node again. The other is the normal method."

He paused, then added, "There might be a way to form the first kind of Node later on, even if you don't choose it now. But that's just a possibility."

Alaric's expression darkened, his tone serious. "What do you suggest, Boss?"

He wanted to aim for the best—that meant the first method. But he understood the consequences. If he failed, he wouldn't just be weakened. He might be crippled. And a crippled first general? Friendly terms or not, that title might not hold up when more people joined their group.

"I'd personally suggest going with the normal Node," Nova said. "Even if it turns out you can't form the first type later, there's still room to improve what you have. I'll be honest—I don't know exactly how much stronger the first Node is compared to the second."

Alaric lowered his head, thoughtful. A quiet minute passed before he looked up again, resolve in his eyes.

"I'll follow your advice," he said simply. With a firm nod, he closed his eyes, focusing inward as he began the process of unlocking his Spinal Node.

Nova watched from the side, silent. A part of him was relieved—relieved that Alaric had chosen the safer path. The first Node might be more powerful, but the risks were too great, and he didn't want his general—his friend—enduring that kind of pain for an uncertain reward.

The process went smoothly. Barely any pain. Twenty minutes passed, and when Alaric finally opened his eyes, the strain in his body was gone—now replaced by a calm.

"Can you see them?" Nova asked quietly from beside him.

Alaric looked around, eyes wide with wonder. "There are so many…" Mana particles of various colors floating around them.

Nova smiled. "Yeah. The world is full of them. But right now, we're among the few who can actually see them."

He nodded toward the swirling air. "Try absorbing as many fire Mana particles as you can—but don't overdo it. The moment your body starts to ache, stop and let it become accustomed to them."

Alaric gave a subtle nod and closed his eyes. Gradually, fire Mana particles began drifting toward him, vanishing into his body one by one.

'The second Node doesn't feel much different from mine,' Nova thought as he observed. 'It was also far less painful to form… so what's the real difference?'

But he had no answer. Not yet. The world of Mana manipulation was still too new—too full of unknowns for him.

An hour passed before Alaric finally completed the process, his body now saturated with fire Mana particles. It wasn't because he had absorbed an overwhelming amount—no. The process had simply taken longer.

His Will wasn't as strong as Nova's, and that slowed the absorption.

As soon as Alaric opened his eyes, a question greeted him.

"How many?"

"497" he replied calmly.

"Not bad." Nova clapped a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "You should be able to handle Thomas now."

Alaric returned the smile, a flicker of pride in his eyes.

"Let's head back. They've waited long enough," Nova said, turning toward the door.

"Mhm."

Meanwhile, in the other room, Elric and Neve were chatting with Jasmine, patiently addressing her lingering doubts. The atmosphere was beginning to soften—until the door creaked open.

"Where have you been all this time?" Jasmine asked, still not fully comfortable placing her trust in her new leader.

Nova smiled and gestured toward Alaric. "Take him with you. Go talk to your mother, Troy, Clara, and Wesley. If any of them have questions, Alaric can answer them."

Caught off guard, Jasmine blinked. "And where are you going?" she asked.

"Me? I'm heading to our HQ, of course," Nova said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I've got things to take care of. Once you're done with your task, come back with Alaric."

"A-Alright," Jasmine replied, a bit flustered. She still wasn't used to Nova being her leader—especially when he spoke to her so casually, without the usual airs a commander would have. At least for now.

"Boss, what about us?" Elric asked, gesturing to himself and Neve.

Nova turned his head, eyes calm. "You're coming with me. I've got some gifts for you both."

Then his gaze shifted to Alaric. "You too."

Elric blinked. "Gifts?" he echoed, as if unsure he'd heard correctly.

Neve smiled softly, saying nothing.

Only Alaric calmly nodded.

Watching the exchange, Jasmine couldn't quite decide what to think. Gifts? How good could they really be?

"Right, one last thing," Nova added. "If you run into Thomas, bring him back to Quarath. I've got something for him too."

"Yes, Boss," Alaric said with a nod.

Lagging a step behind, Jasmine stammered, "Y-Yes, B-B-Boss…"

Nova gave a slight wave. "Alright, you two can go."

As Alaric and Jasmine departed, Nova turned to Neve and Elric, slipping the Mask of Three Faces back over his face. "Put on the hats."

Elric's expression fell. "Boss… why are you doing this to me?" he groaned, eyes welling dramatically the moment Nova's face shifted into a perfect copy of his own.

Nova burst out laughing. "I'm going to make your face the strongest on Earth. You'd better live up to it."

Neve let out a quiet laugh of her own, while Elric went pale, regretting every life choice that had led him to this moment.

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