The morning in the village felt nothing like the ones in Magisteria. Those mornings had been alive with the hum of people at work, each moving to their own rhythm, voices carrying across the streets, the scent of bread and smoke mixing with the cool air. Here, though, the forest spoke differently. The damp earth released a rich, musky aroma as dew evaporated in the weak sunlight, mingling with the crispness of leaves still clinging to the trees. A faint wind whispered through the branches, carrying both warmth from the sun and a chill hinting at winter's approach. The birds were few, their chirps cautious, as if aware of the dangers hidden beneath the undergrowth.

Cassian, however, barely registered any of it. His days were consumed by the hunt for a mole within Karmen's earldom—or perhaps an organization leaking information to the cult. On top of that, there was his relentless training. And, of course, most hours of his day were spent indulging women with the kind of satisfaction only he could give.

Last night had been different. Cassian had held back, refraining from slipping into those familiar pleasures. The purple-haired woman rested nearby, lying fully clothed with a calm expression, her breathing steady. Had he not restrained himself, that expression would have been far from serene. Her clothes would have been discarded, the blanket tossed aside, her breath ragged, and her body sprawled from the merciless rhythm he would have forced upon her.

Instead, Cassian sat cross-legged on the sofa, sunk deep into meditation, mana coursing through him in steady waves. He was nearing the completion of his hundredth rotation, each cycle grinding his body and will sharper. One part of the preparation for his second warrior circle was already complete—but completing a circle was never so simple, even with all the ingredients in hand.

A warrior's will had to be polished, forged to a keener edge than before. Convictions needed to deepen, hardened through acts greater than what one's current strength allowed. It demanded a deed so grand that it pushed the boundaries of possibility, proving the will was worthy of shaping a new domain.

And therein lay the problem. How did one achieve such a feat? For Cassian, that answer would come later. Forming a second warrior circle was no trivial matter. Many went their entire extended lifespans without ever managing it.

For Cassian, it hadn't even been a full year since he'd forged his first circle. There was still time before he could truly be ready for the second—time to search for the right opportunities. So why the rush to finish his mana rotations? Perhaps because, while his body cycled mana, his mind was free to wander. He used that spare thread of thought to dissect the Chaos Sword's footwork, replaying it in his head as he had done countless times before.

In the system's training field, Cassian had taken the practice even further after uncovering another of its functions. He could summon a clone—an exact replica of himself—capable of executing any technique he had masterd or is learning. By crossing blades with it and watching it mirror his every move, he stripped each sequence down to its flaws, catching every hesitation, every break in rhythm. The progress was real, but agonizingly slow, far short of the ruthless standards of system.

[Name : Senior Trainee Cassian ven Dyke

Warrior level : Adept

Attributes:

Strength: 33

Agility: 33

Endurance: 57

Intelligence: 19

Dexterity: 27

Vitality: 80

System Function:

Training Field (Status: Available)

Skills:

Cleaning: Adept

Sword Mastery: Adept Lv3 (Gale Whisper Sword Style: Lv12) (Chaos Sword : Lv0(10/10000))

Full Body Massage Mastery: Lv2 (319/1000)

Passive Skills:

Self Healing

Pain Immunity

Mana Rotation and Sealing Techniques: Blood Fire Tempering

Total Seals: ??

Completed Seals: 1

Rotations for Second Seal: 87/100

Resources Required:

Fire Mana Crystal: 1kg

Heart of 3-Star Monster: (2/5)

Accepted Tasks: The Skilled Masseur: (0/10)

Completed Tasks: Mage Slayer (Completed)

Silent Execution (Completed)

Path of the Gladiator (Completed)

Training Points: 481]

All that effort had only earned him a level-zero skill—just a name added to his status screen, even after an entire night of relentless training. It wasn't nearly enough for the fights ahead, the ones where he planned to claim a few slaves for Brigid's assignment. Ronan had hinted at their purpose: infiltrating a dangerous location where only warriors of third circle or higher—or mages no stronger than Pyraxis—could enter, though one Solavris was allowed as well. The rules, limits on circles, mage ranks, and even the number of participants, left Cassian more confused than anything.

But it didn't matter. The more slaves he could secure, the more information he could gather. Brigid, while easy enough to bend to his pleasures, wasn't so easy to draw secrets from. To keep their interactions lukewarm and maintain leverage, he wasn't about to use the slave ring to force her hand.

And as the morning light crept into the room, Brigid stirred. Her lashes fluttered as she woke, her head still clouded with sleep. Surprise crossed her face—surprise that Cassian hadn't returned in the night to seduce or torment her, to keep her from resting. 'He's… meditating? And he didn't touch me at all? That's… unsettling,' she thought, a flicker of amusement and unease mixing in her mind. Instead, there he sat on the sofa, cross-legged, silent, fully immersed in meditation.

"When did you get back?" she asked mid-yawn, her voice groggy, her annoyance softened by curiosity.

Cassian opened his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Not too late… but you were already asleep."

"Thanks for not waking me," Brigid replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, fully aware of how difficult it must have been for him to resist.

Cassian ignored the jab. "So… about the fights. How many people do you need? Any specifications on who I should go after?"

Brigid, amused, stretched and began walking toward the bathroom, Cassian following with a nod. "Like you can really choose who you fight," she said lightly. "The captain of one of the squads here—Ronan Kael—and I made a sort of deal. he will help me pick up up oponents and make them my slaves from warriors of other squads… like those Stranglers, for example."

"Ronan Kael… he seems like a kind man. What made him agree to help you gather slaves?" Brigid asked, as Cassian's eyes roamed over her nightwear—satin shorts and a loose shirt that left her figure on full display for him to feast on.

Most of his attention, of course, went to her wide hips and thighs, the lower half of her body far more pronounced than her petite torso. It was clear she had trained them deliberately, sculpting them to stand out. Last night, he hadn't woken up from excitement—too focused on learning the Chaos Sword—but now, with nothing pressing in the morning, he followed her closely.

She began unbuttoning her satin shirt as she walked, and he assisted, curious. "I don't know the specifics," she said, her voice casual. "Seemed like he needed money, so I paid him. Initially, the deal was only for one, but after I learned about your need for extra hands, I arranged for more. So… you could say it's a little more than just returning a favor—almost like he owes me now."

Amused, she looked at him as he helped loosen the buttons. "And… what, you expect me to return that favor by having sex with you first thing in the morning?"

Cassian shook his head. "Nah, you're gonna do it anyway. The favor? I can have it paid back later…" he said with a smirk, fully aware of the scale of what he was offering her.

He was effectively paying a king's ransom for her help—two thousand gold coins for every second-circle warrior or mage-equivalent they made him fight, and five hundred for each first-circle. A staggering amount, but worth it.

Since they were confirmed to become his slaves once he defeated them, it was a definite advantage. Strong, obedient followers were always valuable—but even better if they were circle warriors or mages. One of them alone could easily match the strength of dozens of seasoned ordinary warriors.

"Aren't you getting a bit too cheeky? Why exactly am gonna have sex with you now?" she said, amusement dancing in her voice as she let him work on unbuttoning her nightwear.

Cassian pressed his crotch against her soft, round butt. "Because you want to," he replied calmly.

Once the buttons were undone, he peeled the fabric away and turned her to face him. She blinked at the sudden movement, but her smile lingered—amused, surprised at how well he had read her in so little time together. 'Well, only about my sexual desiers though…' she thought, leaning in for a kiss of her own. He had been right—she was going to have sex with him. She had made that decision the moment he followed her into the washroom.

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