The hazy, chrome-reflected dawn of a new day did little to soften the scene of utter devastation within the Glacier training facility. It looked less like a state-of-the-art combat gym and more like the frozen heart of a forgotten war.
The ferrocrete floor was a graveyard of twisted, gunmetal-gray alloy, the husks of dozens of destroyed training puppets lying like fallen titans. Starburst-shaped craters scarred the ground, some still radiating a faint, otherworldly heat, while vast patches were coated in a layer of frost so deep it fractured the artificial light into captured rainbows.
In the center of this maelstrom, Orion sat in a silent, perfect lotus. His eyes were closed, but his senses were screaming. He could feel the thrum of his Aether Core, a vibrant, inexhaustible star roaring to life in his dantian. With every controlled breath, Aether energy circulated through his meridians, polishing his spirit and refining his power.
There was no trace of fatigue in his posture, no sign of drowsiness from the all-night battle. His body was a perfectly tuned engine, humming with a power that defied the very laws of this world.
The same could not be said for the women who had shared his battlefield.
Lyra, a human hurricane finally at rest, was sprawled flat on her back, arms and legs spread-eagled in a posture of total, blissful exhaustion. A thin sheen of sweat coated her skin, but a wide, deeply satisfied smile was plastered on her face—the look of a predator who had feasted to her heart's content.
Nearby, Lisanna was slumped against the cool metal base of the control panel, her fiery red hair a stark, beautiful contrast. Her seemingly endless well of solar energy had finally, completely, run dry.
Beside her, ever the proud noble even in the depths of sleep, lay Elysia. Her head was tilted at a graceful angle, her river of silver hair spilling across the floor to mingle with Lisanna's, a breathtaking portrait of exhausted elegance.
Orion's smile was faint as he took a moment to reflect on the night's gains. The training hadn't just gone well; it had been a quantum leap, a fundamental transformation for them all. He opened his eyes, and a profound light seemed to shine within them.
Lyra's control over her Lethal Vibrations had evolved from a raw, explosive tantrum into a symphony of destruction. A shimmering, visible aura of high-frequency Aether now coated her limbs, a dissonant hum that warped the very air around her.
He had watched her final punch against the Peak Bronze Steel puppet. It hadn't just dented its reinforced chassis; a cascade of fatal resonance had surged through its structure, causing it to implode into a shuddering, compacted heap of scrap metal from the inside out.
Her projected attacks were no longer mere blasts but focused lances of molecular disruption that unraveled opposing Aether on a conceptual level.
She was no longer just knocking on the door of the B-Rank; she had kicked it off its hinges.
Elysia and Lisanna's progress was more subtle but no less terrifying. By using his System-granted "blueprint" of perfect control as a guide, they had bypassed years of painstaking trial and error.
Elysia could now manifest an Ice Spear so condensed with cryo-aether that it appeared almost black, a sliver of absolute zero that absorbed all light. The air around its tip would spontaneously liquefy, nitrogen dripping from its edge like venom.
As for Lisanna, she had conjured a greatsword of hard-light, its edges honed to a monomolecular level—a blade of solidified starlight that could shear through Aether shields as if they were mist.
His own gains were twofold. His mastery over Cryokinesis and Photokinesis had reached an artist's level. But more importantly, he had taken the first true steps on the path of fusion. It was still a preliminary, flickering union of opposing talents, but for a split second, he could create a spear of pure light wreathed in an aura of supreme ice—an attack that simultaneously burned and froze its target with paradoxical, law-defying energy.
The potential was limitless. He felt an unshakeable confidence that he could not just survive against an average B-Rank hero, but utterly dominate them.
His gaze softened as he looked at the sleeping women. Lyra, the wildcat, looked as peaceful as an angel. Lisanna, the bubbly sunbeam, resembled a serene fairy. And Elysia, the ice princess, exuded the quiet charm of a proud yet gentle queen.
A warmth that had nothing to do with Aether spread through his chest.
He rose silently and crossed to a storage locker. As expected of a high-end Wintercroft amenity, it was stocked with thick, thermal blankets. He gathered an armful and approached Lisanna first, gently draping the warm fabric over her. He slid a pillow beneath her head, adjusting her position. In her sleep, she murmured something incoherent, and a bright, beautiful smile bloomed on her face as she snuggled into the sudden warmth.
He did the same for Elysia, whose eyelids trembled at the touch before her expression smoothed into one of peaceful contentment. Finally, he came to his sister.
He lifted Lyra—she was surprisingly light for someone who could punch through solid steel—carried her closer to the others, and tucked her into her own cocoon. She simply let out a faint snore and pulled the covers tighter.
Orion stood over them, a rare, genuine smile touching his lips. The path to power was a cold and lonely one, but perhaps, just perhaps, it didn't have to be.
Two hours of silent meditation later, Orion's eyes opened. The facility's lights had shifted to a brighter morning hue. Deciding the girls had rested enough, he stood and made his way to the exit.
The heavy door hissed open, revealing the silent, waiting figure of Chloe. She stood perfectly still in her immaculate maid uniform, having clearly been there for hours, a silent guardian.
Their eyes met. Hers were a whirlwind of unasked questions and professional restraint; his were calm, a gentle smile already on his lips.
"Chloe," he said, his voice soft. "Do you need any help with breakfast? I know a certain glutton who will be a menace until she's fed."
Chloe blinked once, her composure absolute. "The food is already prepared, Sir Orion."
"Just Orion is fine," he said with an easy charm. "And since it's done, I might as well help you. Give them a nice surprise."
For the first time, Chloe's professional mask seemed to fracture. Something in his polite insistence, his complete lack of the arrogance she expected from the powerful, made him difficult to refuse.
She gave a single, almost imperceptible nod. "Very well."
They worked in a smooth, efficient rhythm. In the main estate's kitchen, a multi-course breakfast waited under silver cloches. The staff—maids and butlers alike—watched with calculating, curious eyes. Their gazes lingered on the boy from the Sump who moved with the effortless grace of a true noble, mirroring Chloe's every precise, calculated movement without a single wasted gesture.
Orion felt their stares, a mixture of suspicion and grudging respect, but his disarming smile never wavered.
Soon enough, a feast was arranged on a low table near the sleeping girls. The rich aroma of seared meats, freshly baked pastries, and aromatic tea filled the air—a far more effective alarm clock than any sound.
"Eh…?" A sharp intake of breath came from Lyra. Her eyes snapped open, instantly focused. Her gaze flickered past Chloe, locking onto Orion. "Good. You know not to neglect your duties, even in a new place."
Orion raised an eyebrow. "Keeping you full and fat keeps you less annoying than usual."
Lyra waved him off, sitting up and cracking her shoulders with a series of loud pops as Lisanna and Elysia began to stir, roused by the delicious scent.
"Breakfast in bed?" Lisanna murmured, her eyes widening as the scene registered. "How delightful! And… eh?" Her gaze traveled down to the thick blanket and soft pillow.
Simultaneously, Elysia came to the same realization. Her proud expression began to crack as she sat up, her gaze snapping to Orion. An undeniable softness entered her expression. "Did you… take care of us?"
"You were that attentive?" Lisanna chimed in, her cheeks tinged with a delicate pink.
Orion's smile widened as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "You caught me. Chloe had the food prepared, but I thought you could all use some more comfortable rest. I must say, though," he added, his tone turning teasing, "your sleeping faces are far too cute to ever forget."
A full-blown blush exploded across both their faces. Elysia whipped her head away. "Idiot! D-Do you think your glib tongue would make me happy or that I care about such things?!"
Lisanna, however, giggled, cupping her warm cheeks. "An attack this early in the morning! My maiden heart can barely take it!"
For a moment, Orion forgot about the System, about power progression and the schemes of nobles. He simply enjoyed the warmth in his chest that came from teasing these two beautiful girls with such distinct, captivating personalities.
"Orion!" Lyra's annoyed sigh cut through the moment. "Save your damn flirting for after we eat! I don't want to see these girls swooning over you first thing in the morning!"
"Uncouth," Elysia scoffed, though her blush remained. "Nobody is 'swooning' over anyone."
Lisanna clapped her hands together, her smile radiant. "Oh, Lyra, I'm sure you'll find someone who makes you feel this way someday!"
Lyra rolled her eyes as she stood up and stretched. "Yeah, sure. Maybe when the sky falls and the earth shatters I'll find someone a bit pleasing to the eye."
Hearing their banter, Orion let out a light chuckle. This was nice. He wanted more of this. And as he looked at the three incredible women before him, he knew, with absolute certainty, that he would grasp the future with both hands and make it even better.
Lyra, wasting no time on further words, shot out from her cocoon of blankets. She didn't walk to the silver platters Chloe and Orion had arranged; she practically teleported, her movements sharp and decisive.
She began piling a plate high with seared meats, pastries, and fruits, devouring the food with a focused intensity that bordered on violence.
The speed and brazen lack of etiquette were a fresh shock to Elysia and Lisanna. They blinked, their expressions identical masks of polite confusion.
Lyra's appearance was a contradiction they couldn't reconcile. Even in the poor, functional clothing of the Sump, she was undeniably gorgeous. Her features held a sharp, predatory charm, and they knew instinctively that if she ever chose to genuinely smile, the combined radiance could dwarf half the noblewomen in the Apex.
Yet, here she was, eating with the brazen intensity of a starving wolf.
Orion chuckled softly, drawing their attention. "I wouldn't wait," he remarked, his tone light. "Or you'll both be left fighting over the scraps."
Lisanna let out a wry smile as she rose gracefully, stretching the lingering soreness from her limbs. "Is it strange," she mused, walking over to the food, "that this already feels... almost natural?"
Elysia sighed, pushing her long silver hair back. "Let's just make sure we get our fill. The day ahead will be long."
"Don't worry, Ellie!" Lisanna chirped, her brightness returning as she selected a pastry. "Everything will go just fine!"
"I hope so," Elysia muttered, her gaze unconsciously flicking toward Orion before she turned away to grab her own plate.
As they ate, Orion observed Chloe. The maid turned slightly, her posture indicating she was listening to a high-frequency comm link imperceptible to the others.
She turned back, her usual calm indifference perfectly restored.
Orion smiled inwardly. Anticipation, cold and sharp, filled his chest. It's starting.
Minutes later, the meal concluded. Lyra let out a long, satisfied sigh, leaning back and cracking her neck and shoulders with a series of loud pops, her body showing no sign of the massive meal she'd just inhaled.
"Now that," she declared, "is a meal I should be having every single day. A maid like Chloe should be on our side, not yours."
Elysia rolled her eyes. "Don't get any crazy ideas."
"I can't deny it," Lisanna giggled. "Without Chloe, food in this house would be hundreds of times worse."
The atmosphere was light, almost warm, but Orion knew the shift was imminent. He set his plate down and spoke, his calming voice cutting cleanly through their banter.
"Alright. Now that we've had our fill, I think Chloe has something to tell us."
"Eh?" Lyra raised a brow.
Elysia and Lisanna turned, and the laughter faded from their faces. A rare, growing somberness replaced it. They had a feeling—a cold dread familiar to any child of a great house—of what was about to come.
That feeling solidified into reality when Chloe spoke, her voice as flat and functional as polished steel.
"Lord Theron, Mistress Elara, and Lord and Mistress Vance are requesting your presence. They wish to meet you in the Exchange Chamber."