Six Months Later~
The master bedroom in Unit 2101 was shrouded in mostly darkness even though it was the middle of the day. A heavy snowfall was going on at the mont, blanketing the land in white.
One mont, everything was still and then the very next mont, Grace appeared in the room as she exited her space for the first ti in past six months.
Her muscles tensed as her body adjusted to the real world, the shift in ti hitting her like a subtle shockwave. It had been only six months outside, but for her, over four thousand days had passed within the endless expanse of the Infinite Realm.
She stepped out of the room and noticed how her every movent felt different - sharper, more controlled, as if her entire being had undergone a fundantal transformation. She could feel the power humming beneath her skin, waiting to be unleashed.
She had entered her space as a determined warrior. Now, she was sothing much more.
A Rank-A.
She was now a force to be reckoned with.
She glanced at her hands, flexing her fingers as a faint ripple of energy danced across her skin. With a re thought, a translucent barrier shimred into existence around her before vanishing in an instant. Another thought, and the air around her twisted as if space itself had bent to her will.
Her teleportation was nearly flawless now.
Her thought-creation had reached a level where she could form and dissolve constructs in a blink.
Her mastery over Spirit Stone fusion had soared to new heights - she had successfully fused two Level Five stones into a Level Ten, an achievent even she deed impossible just half a year ago.
And most importantly, along with her own evolution, her Shadow Beasts had evolved alongside her. Their powers were now amplified as they too trained with her and the dragon who now carried a Level Eleven Spirit Stone within it - the highest level existing in their world for the ti-being.
As for the rest of her Shadow Beasts, almost all of them wielded Level Four or Five stones. They might not even be half as powerful as the dragon, but they were finally improving at a good speed.
Still... the greatest change had co from within her own body.
Grace exhaled, raising her hand as a drop of water ford at her fingertips, glistening like liquid sapphire.
About three months ago, she finally consud a Level Five Blue Spirit Stone, and it awakened sothing deep within her - a connection to water itself.
Ever since then, she had spent countless hours mastering this newfound power, learning to manipulate its different states with increasing precision. She could now summon water from the air, freeze it into deadly shards, or turn it into mist to obscure her presence.
Now, the power of an elent flowed through her veins.
She inhaled deeply, feeling satisfied with the progress she had made. She was excited about finally returning to the real world, curious to know what things had transpired in her absence.
Instead of bothering to walk all the way down to the ground floor, she teleported directly to the training ground. As her form appeared on the podium where Rune mostly spent his ti observing the warriors practicing, she heard loud gasps from around her.
"Oh! It's Boss!"
Soone shouted as they finally recognized the person who suddenly appeared out of the blue.
"She's back!"
Even before she could have focused her attention on her surroundings, people were shouting as they recognized her, and they all were looking at her in awe.
It wasn't just because she had been gone for six months, but because they could sense it - the sheer presence she now carried.
Unexpectedly, it was Davian who approached her first. There was so much going on in his beautiful deep green eyes that she was left stunned.
"You are back," he murmured, his voice quieter than usual.
She t his gaze as she whispered, "I am."
His sharp eyes swept over her, taking in every subtle difference - the way she carried herself, the confidence in her posture, the raw energy that radiated from her.
"And you are stronger," he stated simply.
She smiled, nodding her head at his acknowledgnt. He was keeping his distance as they talked, probably because they were surrounded by dozens of people.
But she missed him so much, and after finally seeing him, she couldn't find it in herself to stay away.
She stepped forward, closing the distance between them. But she did it slowly, giving him the chance to keep the distance if he wanted to keep things professional in front of the warriors.
And yet... she found him suddenly moving forward and pulling her into his arms right before his lips crashed against hers. Sound of clapping and cheers erupted around them while they lost themselves in one another for a few monts.
When they finally pulled back monts later, she finally noticed a new presence standing close to them - Rune.
Davain stepped away from her, allowing Rune to take his place. The next thing she knew, the warriors were cheering all over again while she found herself kissing Rune.
When he ended the kiss and pulled back to look at her, there was a seriousness in his eyes that made her realize sothing wasn't right despite the beautiful mont they were sharing.
She frowned. "What is it?"
He hesitated for only a second before speaking.
"There's been a crack in the Veil."
Hearing these words, she felt the world around her freezing. Her expression turned sharp. "Where?"
Rune's gaze darkened. "Near the northern outskirts of Country K. It's faint, barely noticeable, but it's there."
A cold sensation settled in her chest.
The Veil - the barrier that separated this world from the unknown. The only thing keeping the true horrors of the apocalypse at bay.
And now, it was breaking.
She clenched her fists. She had trained for months, pushing herself to the very limit of her abilities. But was it enough?
A storm was coming.
And this ti, there might be no stopping it.
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