RAWR!
She squird in my arms eagerly as we approached the cold storage, clearly recognizing where we were heading. The mont I set her down, she waddled directly to one of the larger corpses and began tearing into it with noticeably improved jaw strength.
Crunch! Nom nom nom!
Her eating had beco more efficient. Where before she’d taken delicate bites, now she consud at in larger chunks, her developing teeth and jaw muscles allowing her to process food faster. The cute eating sounds remained, but they carried more power behind them.
I watched her feast while ntally reviewing the mansion’s layout and identifying optimal spaces for training facility conversion. The large empty room on the third floor would work perfectly for a main combat area. Several basent chambers could serve as specialised stations. The expansive grounds behind the mansion offered outdoor training possibilities once I established proper security and privacy asures.
After Changing Star had eaten her fill - approximately ten kilograms of at in one sitting, which was absurd given her size - I picked her up again despite her food-heavy weight.
"Co on. I want to show you the spaces where we’ll be training together soon."
Chirp?
She tilted her head curiously, not fully understanding but trusting my intent.
I carried her up to the third floor and entered the massive open room I’d identified during my initial mansion exploration. The space was easily fifty feet by thirty feet with twenty-foot ceilings - comparable to the academy’s mid-tier training facilities.
"This will be our main combat training area," I explained, setting Changing Star down so she could explore. "Once I install proper reinforcent enchantnts, combat dummies, and asurent systems, we’ll both be able to practice here without constantly travelling to the academy."
Waddle waddle!
She began investigating the empty room with renewed energy, her claws clicking against the hardwood flooring. The open space seed to excite her, and she attempted an experintal run, her coordination had improved considerably with her size change. She no longer fell and tumbled over her own tail, which was really good to see.
I pulled out my smartphone and reviewed the photos I’d taken of the academy’s Transcendent-rank training rooms. The enchantnt matrices were visible in the images - complex patterns etched into walls, floors, and ceilings that provided structural reinforcent, energy absorption, and safety failsafes.
"The workers should be able to replicate most of this," I muttered, analysing the designs with my combined blacksmithing and magical engineering knowledge. "The materials will be expensive, but the family resources can cover it."
I’d need specialized components: reinforced flooring that could withstand Transcendent-level impacts, wall enchantnts that absorbed kinetic energy, ceiling arrays that prevented structural damage from upward force, and integrated asurent systems to track combat effectiveness.
The project would take significant ti and gold, but having private facilities ant I could train without schedule restrictions, equipnt competition, or curious observers docunting my techniques.
RAWR!
Changing Star’s call drew my attention. She’d discovered she could generate small bursts of frost breath - tiny puffs of cold mist that crystallized the air in front of her face. She seed delighted by this new ability, repeatedly exhaling freezing breath and watching the effects with obvious fascination.
"Ice affinity," I noted with interest. "Makes sense given your colouring. I wonder who has a stronger bloodline, you or Kael. "
Her draconic abilities were beginning to manifest alongside her physical growth. Soon she’d develop genuine combat capabilities rather than just adorable party tricks.
I spent so more ti exploring the mansion with Changing Star, identifying additional spaces for specialised training. A dium room would work for skill practice and technique refinent. A basent chamber had perfect conditions for ditation and mana control exercises. The outdoor grounds could accommodate large-scale movent training and eventually flight practice once Changing Star’s wings developed sufficiently.
"This is going to be perfect," I said, feeling genuine excitent about the project. "Our own private training complex where we can develop without limitations."
Chirp chirp!
Changing Star responded enthusiastically, her tail swishing as she continued exploring with boundless curiosity.
I made ntal notes about material requirents, estimated costs, and construction tilines. Converting these spaces into functional training facilities would take at least a few days of focused work, possibly longer depending on component availability and enchantnt complexity.
But the investnt would be worth it. Having Changing Star nearby while training, avoiding academy schedule conflicts, and maintaining complete privacy for experintal techniques would accelerate both our developnts significantly.
I settled onto the floor of what would beco our combat training room, and Changing Star imdiately curled up beside , her purring resuming as she pressed against my side.
I pulled out my smartphone and contacted the sa family subordinate who had handled the Thornback nest operation.
"Young Master Blackwood," his professional voice ca through promptly.
"Marcus, I wanted to check on the status of the Thornback materials sale. How much have we generated so far?"
"Excellent timing, young master. The Elite-rank materials have been processed and sold through our rchant networks. Total revenue reached approximately 70,250 golden coins, and we still have additional materials in processing that should sell within the next few days. The final totals will likely exceed 80,000 once everything is liquidated."
I nodded with satisfaction. Nearly eighty thousand gold from a single night’s work - that was decent inco even by ducal standards.
"Good. I have a new project that will require those funds and your organizational capabilities."
"Of course, young master. What do you need?"
"I want to convert several rooms in my mansion into advanced training facilities - combat areas, specialized practice chambers, equipnt installations. I will tell you detailed specifications based on the academy’s Transcendent-rank facilities."
After listening to everything I told him about, and noting it down, he said. "These are... quite comprehensive, young master. You’re essentially requesting academy-quality construction in a private residence."
"Exactly. Can it be done?"
"Absolutely. We have craftsn and enchanters capable of this work. However, the cost will be significant given the materials and expertise required."
"How much?"
"Approximately 150,000 golden coins for complete implentation of everything in these specifications. That includes reinforced flooring, wall enchantnts, ceiling arrays, combat dummies at various rank levels, asurent systems, and safety failsafes."
I considered the number briefly. It was high but not unreasonable given what I was requesting. The Thornback sales would cover roughly half, and family resources could easily provide the remainder.
"That’s acceptable. Get started as soon as possible."
"I can have crews mobilised by tomorrow morning if you approve imdiate comncent. The location is the mansion where we’ve been delivering at supplies, correct?"
"Correct. You’re already familiar with the property."
"Indeed. With proper crew allocation and working in shifts, we can complete everything within two days. The enchantnt work is the most ti-intensive component, but our enchanters can handle it efficiently."
Two days. That was remarkably fast for such construction, but the Blackwood family employed the best craftsn in the duchy specifically for rapid, quality work.
"Excellent. Begin tomorrow."
"Understood, young master. I’ll coordinate everything personally and provide progress updates. Is there anything else you require?"
"Just maintain discretion about this project. The fewer people who know about my private training facilities, the better."
"Of course. Only essential personnel will be inford, all under family confidentiality oaths."
"Good job, Marcus. Proceed with the work."
I terminated the connection and looked at Changing Star, who was still purring beside .
Two days of construction, and then we’d have everything we needed. Private facilities where I could push my limits without observation, where Changing Star could develop her abilities freely, and where we could both grow strong enough to face the challenges ahead.
150,000 golden coins were in a way, expensive, but strength was priceless.
And with the training complex operational, I’d be able to accelerate both our developnts far beyond what the academy’s shared facilities allowed.
I waited patiently until Changing Star had fallen asleep, her gentle purring gradually fading as she drifted into deep rest. Her body was curled protectively around herself, wings folded neatly against her sides, completely at peace in our new sanctuary.
Once certain she wouldn’t wake, I carefully slipped out of the mansion and made my way to where I’d arranged for a carriage to wait. The driver asked no questions as I gave directions toward the eastern hunting grounds - family servants understood that the young master’s business was not their concern.
Despite my steadily increasing strength and recent advancents, I couldn’t afford to stop accumulating soul power. Soul power was the fundantal currency of advancent in this world. Combat skills, bloodline traits, and equipnt all mattered, but without sufficient soul essence absorption, true rank progression remained impossible.
More importantly, once I reached Transcendent rank, I would finally be able to unlock the second stance of the Overlord-rank secret art that Carmilla had given . That technique represented power beyond anything I currently possessed, but it remained sealed until I t the prerequisite advancent requirent.
I hadn’t lost track of my ultimate goal: gaining enough strength to survive the ordeal that I knew the novel had warned about. And once I did survive, I still had to fulfill my promise to Carmilla- a blood oath bound directly to my heart that would definitely kill if broken. The progress was promising so far, but complacency would be fatal.
The carriage deposited at the forest edge, and I proceeded on foot into the deeper territories where Transcendent-rank beasts typically road.
Silence... emptiness...
Two hours of hunting passed, and my growing frustration deepened with each passing minute.
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