"Alright," Arin said at last, letting out a slow breath. "Last one."
Mina straightened slightly without meaning to. She hadn't been impatient during Raul's or Victor's upgrades, but now that it was her turn, there was a quiet tension in her posture. Not nerves exactly, more like anticipation held in check.
Arin raised his hand, and her Status panel unfolded in front of him.
___________________________
Subordinate: Mina
Core Talent: Necromancy
Rank: Captain (2%)
Talent Skills: Raise Undead, Undead Contract (4/10), Soul Harvest
Regular Skills: Spear Form, Unbroken Guard
----------
Undead Contract (4/10):
1. Rook (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Soldier +
2. Tank (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Soldier +
3. Ghost (Undead Ghost Scorpion) — Soldier +
4. Castle (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Captain
Harvested Souls: +
----------
Upgrade Panel (Mina)
1. Upgrade Rank to Commander — 10,000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Spear Form > Spear Intent— 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Unbroken Guard > Shifting Aegis — 1000 Lord Coins
Lord Coins: 1229
___________________________
Arin took a moment longer than necessary to read it through. Mina noticed, but she didn't rush him. This was a choice that would define how she fought from here on out.
"So," Arin said finally, lowering his hand. "Which one?"
Mina answered without hesitation. "The shield."
Raul blinked. "Really? Not Spear Intent?"
She shook her head. "I have enough damage right now. Between my spear and my undead, offense isn't my problem." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "What I need is a better defensive skill that doesn't break my rhythm."
Victor nodded slowly, already seeing it. "So you can cast, command, and fight without having to stop."
"Exactly," Mina said. "If I lose focus for even a second while managing necromancy, things can spiral fast."
Arin smiled faintly. "Makes sense."
He didn't argue. Didn't second-guess her. He simply nodded and spoke the command.
"Upgrade Unbroken Guard to Shifting Aegis."
The confirmation came instantly.
Command confirmed. 1000 Lord Coins consumed.
Mana surged outward, rippling through the air like a sudden pressure change. The hut creaked softly, wooden supports groaning as if responding to an unseen tide.
But unlike Raul's or Victor's upgrades, the mana didn't crash into Mina's body like a physical force.
It flowed into her.
Her chest tightened, not painfully, but deeply. Mana flooded her reserves, expanding them, stretching pathways that had already been well-developed and forcing them wider still. It rushed upward, flooding her mind, sharpening her perception of magical structures until the world seemed layered with invisible currents.
For a moment, Mina saw mana everywhere.
Not just as power, but as behavior. As intent. As motion.
Her thoughts accelerated, not chaotically, but cleanly. She could feel her own mana responding faster, smoother, as if it no longer needed to be consciously guided every step of the way.
When the surge ended, she exhaled slowly.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the mana storm itself.
Raul tilted his head. "So?"
Mina opened her eyes and looked at them. There was a small smile on her face, not smug but satisfied.
"It's easier if I show you."
She stood and picked up her shield, feeling its familiar weight settle into her arm. With a casual flick of her wrist, she threw it across the clearing outside the hut.
The shield spun end over end, cutting through the air before striking the sand and skidding to a halt.
Raul raised an eyebrow. "Uh—"
Mina lifted her hand.
The shield jerked.
It dug into the sand for half a second, then shot back toward her, changing direction mid-slide as if pulled by an invisible cord. It flew cleanly into her grasp, landing against her forearm with a solid, reassuring thud.
Raul's mouth fell open. "Okay. That's—"
Before he could finish, Mina let go again.
This time, the shield didn't fall.
It hovered.
A short distance from her body, it floated in place, adjusting subtly as she shifted her weight. When she took a step forward, it moved with her, maintaining position like a silent sentinel.
It moved when it should. Yielded when it had to.
Alive, in its own way.
"Whoa," Raul breathed. "That's… so cool."
Victor's eyes were practically shining. "And I reinforced the edges with Black Aetherite," he said, excitement creeping into his voice. "If it's moving on its own like that, it can cut, bash, and return without you ever needing to pull back."
Mina glanced at the hovering shield, watching how it responded to the slightest fluctuation in her mana. "It feels natural," she said. "Like an extension of my awareness. I don't have to think about defending anymore."
Arin nodded. "That's exactly what you needed."
"Yes," Victor agreed. "A defense strong enough that it doesn't interrupt your spear work or necromancy."
"And once Victor reforges it with Mana Steel," Mina added, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice, "it'll be even better."
She laughed softly, genuinely pleased. Not with the power itself, but with how well it fit her.
Arin summoned her Status panel again, scanning for changes.
___________________________
Subordinate: Mina
Core Talent: Necromancy
Rank: Captain (2%)
Talent Skills: Raise Undead, Undead Contract (4/10), Soul Harvest
Regular Skills: Spear Form, Shifting Aegis
----------
Undead Contract (4/10):
1. Rook (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Soldier +
2. Tank (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Soldier +
3. Ghost (Undead Ghost Scorpion) — Soldier +
4. Castle (Undead Stoneback Lizard) — Captain
Harvested Souls: +
----------
Upgrade Panel (Mina)
1. Upgrade Rank to Commander — 10,000 Lord Coins
2. Upgrade Skill: Spear Form > Spear Intent— 1000 Lord Coins
3. Upgrade Skill: Shifting Aegis > ??? — (Rank up to Commander to unlock)
Lord Coins: 229
___________________________
Arin sighed, half-amused. "Yep. Same story as the rest of you. Locked until Commander."
Mina shrugged. "Maybe our bodies just can't handle more right now. Or maybe it's the world's way of keeping things from getting too out of hand."
"Either way," Victor said, crossing his arms, "we're already strong enough to take down peak Captain-rank monsters on our own. That alone puts us ahead of most people."
Raul grinned. "Top ten percent, easy."
"And we're not stopping here," he continued, voice carrying quiet confidence. "The world's bigger than we think. We'll keep pushing until nobody can stand in our way."
Arin snorted. "And if someone tries?"
"They become fuel to our growth, literally," Raul said simply.
"That came out kind of cringe," Mina said dryly, though she was smiling.
Arin groaned. "You didn't have to say that out loud."
Laughter broke the tension, echoing into the desert night.