“What is the problem with it?” Meriande held her friendly tone, stepping back.

  “They are not ours. These new techniques are way more profound. Both the Vital Magic that cost us so much to buy from the Northern dragons and our own Titan Force. The techniques you sent me are stronger. Our agents in the south, who are using Spirit Magic, attested that the technique you sent them is stronger as well.”

  “Yes, I know that.” Meriande nodded, unsurprised.

  “Who gave you those?” Zenmari's voice was low and tight, a tense wire of urgency. She frowned, her hands clenching into white-knuckled fists.

  “What if I told you that it was the Pioneer of Chaos? Would you believe me?” Meriande flashed her a playful grin.

  “Mer! Mer! This is no time for jokes! Even in situations like these…” Zenmari stopped herself from saying too much and turned to her daughter, “Zenregan, show her.”

  The Princess nodded and, gazing at the Empress, she bowed politely, “Excuse me, Auntie Mer.”

  Soon, the air trembled as pink energy streamed from Zenregan, while red lightning crackled around Zenregan.

  Meriande raised an eyebrow, not understanding, “Why is she using Titan Fury? Can’t she only use it once a week? What if she needs it?”

  The Princess’s energy levels spiked with a sudden, concussive whoosh, so fiercely that one of Meriande's Shadow Guards ripped itself from the shadows behind her, ready to protect the Empress.

  Meriande quickly gestured for the guard to melt back into the shadows.

  When she looked back at the Princess, Zenregan's irises glowed pink, matching the sheen of her hair.

  Energy swirled around her in a roiling crimson storm, lightning serpents crackling and spitting like drops of oil on fire.

  “Wrath…” Meriande gasped the single word, losing her balance completely.

  Her knees buckled, and she sank, falling heavily onto the cushions of the sofa behind her, heart hammering as shock and disbelief washed over her.

  “That’s Titan Wrath. How…? He shouldn’t know this. Could he?” The Empress mused to herself, absent-mindedly.

  “Who, Meriande? I need to know who gave you these techniques.” Zenmari pressed impatiently.

  “You should know how to appreciate a gift, Zenma!”

  A crystalline voice, sweet yet commanding, chimed from the bookshelves close to the secret passage. The hidden wood creaked softly as a section slid inward.

  “Lady Elrilyn! You’re back!” Zenmari smiled widely.

  “And you’re trying to bully my sister.” Elrilyn frowned.

  Elrilyn was Meriande’s twin sister.

  The only difference was that Meriande had neck-length hair; Elrilyn, conversely, wore hers very long.

  Also, the Empress preferred darker clothes while the Leader of the Council of Magi preferred brighter colors. Dressing herself to match the Amarians, with a white, elegant dress with golden ornaments.

  “The Energy Master who gave us those techniques is a very reclusive one who owed us a favor. He won’t reveal himself, and we won’t expose him either. We can’t afford to offend him.” Elrilyn flashed them an overly dramatic, scared expression.

  Zenmari's eyes went wide in realization.

  Elrilyn and Meriande stood among the strongest beings in the world, as Tier 10 Perfect Existences.

  If they couldn’t afford to offend this Energy Master, wouldn’t that mean he could be a Superior Existence?

  “I had no idea, Mer. I’m sorry.” Zenmari rushed to sit beside Meriande, holding her hands.

  An apology written on her face, she looked at Meriande, “I just had some questions to ask the person who created it. I had no idea it was such an amazing person.”

  Meriande cast a glance at her sister, the gratitude in her eyes transmitted the message, ‘Thanks for the save.’

  Elrilyn only smiled, understanding her sister's unspoken words as twins often did.

  Zenregan rushed to hug Elrilyn like a kid who had just seen her favorite aunt. “Auntie!”

  Meriande caressed Zenmari’s face with care and gazed deeply into her apologetic eyes, “No problem, Zenma. Do it like this: write your doubts in a letter, and Elrilyn or I will have it delivered for you. It might take a while, but his answer will come; we do have a few favors to call.”

  “But to waste favor from such a master, just to answer my questions…” Zenmari was now ashamed for not having thought of this possibility, and overstepping, she knew that if it had been any other person speaking with Meriande as she did, they would be dead.

  “If it’s important to you, then it’s worth it, Zenma.” Meriande, now calmer, glanced at Zenregan, still hugging Elrilyn, and waved her to come sit with her.

  Once they were all seated, Meriande turned to Zenregan with a teasing grin, “So, how is it to have become a True Titania?”

  “Come on, Auntie Mer! I’m not there yet, I can barely control it.” Zenregan tried to hide her pride in being the first of her kind to be able to use Titan Wrath in a very long time.

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  “But I noticed that my combat power increases by three Tiers when Wrath is active. But the rage is difficult to control when fighting. I even hurt Zennaide during a spar.”

  “It wasn’t your fault, honey,” Zenmari reassured her, knowing well that Zenregan would never hurt one of her sisters.

  “So, three levels of combat power increase, instead of just one when using Fury, amazing.” Elrilyn mused.

  Zenregan added, showing astonishment of her own, “That is not all, with this new technique, I can use Fury multiple times a day, with a half-hour cooldown period because of the emotional overload. And I can use Wrath once a day.”

  That stunned them back to silence for a while.

  Then Meriande nodded and turned to Zenmari, chuckling, “Now I understand why you were acting so out of character.”

  Zenmari shot her a wry smile, still embarrassed.

  Then, Elrilyn suggested, “Write your doubt in a letter, and we will see it delivered.”

  Zenmari, turning to Zenregan, told her, “You have achieved a greater mastery than the rest of us. Like you said, it felt as though it was created for you…”

  Zenregan nodded, understanding her mother’s meaning, and asked for a piece of paper and a pen.

  For a couple of hours, while Princess Zenregan wrote the letter, the three most influential figures in the elven empire discussed numerous things, some casual and others grave, including the Pioneer of Chaos.

  Once Zenmari left with her daughter, a long breath escaped Meriande’s lips, the tension in her shoulders unraveling like loosened silk.

  “I love Zenma, but she needs to take a vacation.” Meriande let out with a sigh.

  “Just her?” Elrilyn answered, chuckling.

  “I’m Empress, I don’t have the luxury.” Meriande lay over her sister's lap.

  “Let one of those two take over for a while, a few years at best, not enough for them to ruin things. You have capable people to keep the Elder Council in check while one of our brothers plays politics.” Elrilyn suggested.

  “I might do that in a few years,” Meriande fought the grin into submission, determined not to betray the evident reason for her suggestion.

  “Dying to meet a certain dragon after he comes of age, are you? Naughty granny.” Elrilyn giggled teasingly.

  But being caught, Meriande didn’t hide it, “If he is half the dragon his father was, then Hannah and Miralyn might need the help. How about you come with me?”

  Elrilyn nodded, agreeing, “Sure. I’m quite curious about this dragon that is making Nhiria’s heart flutter like that. But how long until then?”

  Meriande became thoughtful, trying to remember something, and then answered, “Garuth entered his first Frenzy at nineteen, quite the early bloomer. So I’ll say four to five years, maybe less, since Hannah's last letter said his curses were already starting to influence the women around him.”

  “Time enough to clear some loose ends then, right?” Meriande cast a knowing glance at Elrilyn, not saying anything else.

  After a few minutes of silence, she looked up at her sister with a sincere smile, “I missed you, Elri.”

  “So did I, Meri,” Elrilyn answered, leaning in and giving her sister a forehead kiss.

  That night, the two of them spent the night reminiscing about their past and sharing hopes for the future, including their hopes for Sokram.

  Meanwhile, back in Eversnow, a new day had come, and Sokram and the others’ work started.

  Instead of beginning his training the very next day, Sokram went to set up the Energy Gathering Runic Formations inside the isolation rooms of the palace for his and Leona’s family.

  But the day after, Sokram did not escape.

  While his family relocated for a prolonged stay in the palace, Margiory worked hard to convince their neighbors to sell their properties, knowing she would spend a small fortune to buy the entire block in the inner ring of the city.

  At the same time, Sokram endured Kamus's hellish training program.

  For those two months, during the days he would train on Kasine’s formation, pushing his body until his muscles trembled and screamed for relief. Each repetition drew fire through his tendons; his breath came ragged, metallic on his tongue.

  During the night, he would either meditate in his Soul Realm or develop the formulas for the spells he could use now, thanks to the knowledge he gained inside the Arch Mage’s Tower.

  On his resting days, his work didn’t stop.

  Living inside the palace gave him more freedom to go in and out of the Tower as he pleased, but also gave him a better insight into Leona’s family situation.

  So much so that he no longer felt guilty about breaking Lycius’s marriages apart.

  His first impression of Lycius was based on the knowledge he carried from his past timeline and the brief interactions they had in this one.

  He’d heard the stories before, but seeing Lycius stumble past his children with empty eyes carved the truth far deeper than rumor ever could.

  Lycius was a respected warrior in Eversnow, with some great deeds to his fame.

  Yet, as a husband and father, he was more than merely lacking.

  When he wasn’t wasting nights at the Purple Pavilion brothel, he was drowning them in the Red Moon.

  Always reeking of sour wine and stale smoke that clung to him like a confession he could never wash away.

  The little time he spent in the palace was dedicated to training to perfect his Flying Glaive Art.

  Kamus and Kasine barely recognized his existence anymore, and Lycius seemed to prefer that way.

  Yet, Licarus and Liaranna always looked displeased with his behavior.

  The only ones who still interacted with him when he was around were Lymus and the twins, Kiren and Kara.

  Leia and Cassandra seemed to have already outgrown their need for their absent father.

  Still, with Licarus and Kamus living there, and Sahvus always around, they had enough father figures not to miss his presence.

  Another good thing was that Sokram was finally reintroduced to Licarus' other two wives.

  Lehnara was his second wife, a very reclusive woman who mostly lived outside the city, still attached to the old Feral ways, enjoying the nomadic lifestyle in the wilds.

  She was also Leona's aunt on her mother’s side.

  They shared the same molten-amber gaze, wild grace, height, tanned olive skin, blonde mane-like hair, and an amazonian, voluptuous build.

  But a wild, untamed ferocity burned in Lehnara's eyes.

  A predatory hunger that was the unmistakable mark of a follower of the Huntress.

  Licarus's third wife was a human woman named Eliana.

  Light-brown waves framed her freckled face, green eyes, pale skin, and a slender, athletic build, around 1.8 meters tall, and the disciplined poise of a knight.

  Like her sister, Elise, she was also a Magic Knight born in the Snowheart Family.

  Both of them were very pleased to finally meet Sokram after hearing so much about the newest hero of Eversnow, the generous new Head of the Dracnakrid.

  Having begun to master Titan Force and Vital Magic, the two of them had many questions.

  This caused them to often stop Sokram in the palace's hallways to chat and seek his guidance, which Sokram was always happy to provide.

  Beyond those interactions, Sokram also grew close to the twins, who would soon enter isolation to become awakened after receiving Karini’s and Leona’s approval.

  They wanted to join Sokram’s team, but were disappointed to discover that his team would disband soon, as that was the last year of mandatory service for most of them.

  And Sokram had more than gained the right to join the Extermination Hall.

  As for Sokram’s family, the first ones to use the Isolation rooms were Margiory and Brunhild.

  Sokram was delighted to see both his grandmothers reach the Exalted level after just one week of isolation, because they were both on the higher Tiers of the Flawless Existence level.

  Outwardly, little seemed to change. Yet an ineffable brilliance clung to Margiory and Brunhild as if the two grandmothers' very essence had been polished.

  Their skin seemed to catch light from within, every motion haloed with a quiet, regal glow. Still, it was impossible to pinpoint exactly what had changed.

  Then came Hilda and Moira, who had just stepped into the Flawless Level, and after two weeks, managed to jump all the way up to Exalted as well.

  It became clear to them that the speed of advancement was a combination of the growth speed of Chaos Energy, the gigantic boost given by what Sokram named the Cultivation Booster, and the Energy Gathering Runic Formation.