Chương 377: Chapter 367 - The Path Ahead (Arc VI - End)

Alonso exhaled, steam coming from his mouth as he finished another session of training… the last one in the waiting rooms. He stared at the timer. Just a bit over an hour left. His focus drifted to his skills. Over the past seven days, progress had slowed noticeably. Aside from his control over Will and Will Manifest, which still had plenty of room to grow, the rest were pushing up against a wall. No more easy gains, not without a true qualitative breakthrough. No-Strike – 20. 149% ➤ 20. 845% Path of Shards – 20.

912% ➤ 20. 993% Will Manifest – 8. 862% ➤ 9. 654% He finished preparing his gear and stood upright just as a prompt appeared before him. Leonie Gruber has invited you. Do you accept? Hmm. He had expected an invite by now, though more likely from Ayu or Lukas. Still, Leonie had earned quite a few points in his book after what she did. It was clear she was the type who did not mess around, someone who handled things directly and effectively.

More importantly, he could see the drive in her, the kind of forward push that outpaced most others. That, above all, was one of the greatest strengths anyone needed to climb The Tower. He willed his acceptance, and a blink later, he appeared in her room. He was mildly surprised to find her alone.

"I kind of expected to see a bunch of people here, to be honest," he said as he glanced around.

"Everyone already knows what they need to do once the timer ends. All situations and plans of action have been briefed and discussed. Further discussion now is pointless. It's more like…" Leonie chuckled, "waiting for a New Year's countdown." Alonso mirrored her smile.

"Fair enough." He folded his arms loosely, taking a moment to study her expression.

"So then," he asked, voice casual but genuinely curious, "what did you call me here for?" Leonie's lips curved in a light teasing smile.

"Can't I just call you for a chat?" Alonso froze. Just a tiny hitch, but enough. He coughed once, looking away for a heartbeat to steady himself. Internally, he sighed. That… was not the kind of line he wanted to navigate. Leonie let out a quiet laugh, light and harmless, and the tension between them eased almost instantly.

"Relax. I'm joking," she said, though her posture shifted a heartbeat later, becoming more composed and serious.

"I actually called you to tell you that Ian's situation has been handled. Everyone has their orders. The moment they confirm a clean window, he will be neutralised. If we all appear together… feel free to do it yourself." Alonso nodded, the humour fading from his expression as the subject settled properly into the room. He appreciated Leonie's efficiency. He knew she had already arranged for Ian's death the moment he returned to Earth, a clean and controlled solution.

But the white rooms were a different matter entirely — a place where a single thought could move one straight back to their chamber. An impulsive strike could create a cascade of issues later on, like Ian going into hiding for the whole next stage and returning to Earth much stronger than he was now and more difficult to handle. Waiting for the next stage was the safer path.

"Thanks for that," he said quietly.

"I really appreciate it." Leonie smiled and then exhaled, her shoulders relaxing as her expression shifted again. This time it wasn't amusement or command but something closer to pride.

"There's also something I want to show you," she said, eyes bright with expectation.

"And I'd like your opinion on it." He tilted his head slightly, intrigued.

"And that is?" She smiled and stepped back. Only then did he properly note she was already in full armour. He had a suspicion of what she intended, but he kept it to himself. Better to see it directly. Leonie took a slow breath in, centering herself. Sparks flickered to life around her. Then more gathered. Lightning crawled across her armour, threading along the seams and climbing her blade as she activated Heart of Sparks. The air vibrated, a low electric hum rolling outward in a rising wave. And then it shifted.

The air around her warped faintly, the edges of her silhouette turning hazy and indistinct. Her heart rate spiked in a controlled pattern, each beat sharpening the distortion. Alonso's eyes widened for a moment before he smiled. He recognised the effect immediately. After a few seconds, Leonie exhaled and let the state unravel. The haze faded. The sparks dimmed. The lightning sank back into her armour. She remained still, watching him closely, as if waiting for a verdict that mattered far too much.

Alonso crossed his arms, amused.

"A bit rough around the edges, but not bad." Leonie's expression shifted into flat disbelief. The look very clearly said: That's it? After everything I just went through to achieve this!? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. If anyone besides Lukas saw her like this, they would question whether she was truly the same ruthless commander they followed.

"So," Alonso continued, his smile deepening, "what did you use as the foundation? And let me guess… you're not at the 7% mark yet, correct?" Leonie sagged ever so slightly.

"No. I only started feeling it properly not long ago." She steadied herself.

"As for the foundation, I used the Ajnal nodes."

"The Ajnal nodes?" Alonso rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Interesting." He had suspected that Will was not exclusive to any single path. It felt more like a fundamental force that anyone could attempt to tap into once their Stage Progress reached the proper level. However, it was one thing to have the potential, and something entirely different to actually achieve it. Seeing Leonie try to reach it through a Tower-derived framework was… enlightening. But there was no denying the drawbacks of such a method now that he saw it.

Compared to Primal Flow, which came naturally and fluidly to those on the Body Path, this approach was slower and far less intuitive. Even Imani, who had started late, was already close to reaching the point where he could manifest flickers of Will using it. And Ayu… she had taken hers further these last two weeks, her Primal Flow already surging past 20%.

Leonie's version felt like a Fusion-Path equivalent of it — a structured, systematic approach that boosted her but was still nowhere near the threshold of a full manifestation. Yet the foundation was there. The seed had sprouted. And if she managed to truly pioneer a path like this… Wang and the others might be able to follow it. Because right now, beyond himself, only Ayu could use Will effectively in combat.

And regarding Primal Flow, he understood it well: it was excellent, far beyond anything The Tower itself taught, assuming Makoh's path counted within it. Yet even so, it remained a league below his own Will Manifest, which was undeniably the strongest skill among them. At barely 7% it was already superior to any other at 20, with it nearing 10 now, the gap had only grown wider. He studied Leonie again. The composed posture, the sharp gaze, the fierce determination radiating from each controlled breath.

He knew how ruthless she could be with herself… and how deeply competitive she was. A small smile tugged at his lips.

"Well, you've got a long way to go," he said, warm and honest, "but nice work. I'm looking forward to seeing what this becomes." Leonie nodded once. A long way. She knew that. Every step forward only made the gap between them clearer. The man before her stood at a height she could only stare at from far below. Yet she would keep pushing. She would keep climbing. No matter how far the path stretched, no matter how much it burned, she would reach the places he would reach and stand where he would stand. One day…

the title of humanity's strongest. She would fight him for it. As an equal.

"Alright, I suppose that's it for now," she said with a small smile.

"See you in the next stage." Alonso nodded.

"I have a feeling we'll meet before that at Lukas' place. Knowing your brother, he'll want a countdown together." He gave a casual lift of his hand, blinked out, and vanished. Leonie was left alone in the room. Her smile softened. Her brother… he had chosen good friends. And even if he no longer cared for leadership or attention, she knew he was one of the reasons Gen-1 had united and survived this far. Yet his way was so different from hers.

She wondered, just for a moment, whether she should try being a little more casual with others. Maybe ease the commander-soldier boundary she always kept in place. It would free time. It would free space. It would let her train more… and live more. Tempting. Leonie grinned to herself. She would consider it.

30 minutes later Leonie was doing her daily meditation and stretching when a sudden prompt appeared before her. Lukas Gruber has invited you. Do you accept? She rose smoothly to her feet and willed her answer. And what she saw next… was not what she expected. The white room dissolved, replaced by a space bursting with colour and movement. Holographic structures floated overhead, drifting lanterns, pulsing light ribbons, shimmering geometric shapes weaving in slow spirals.

They had stretched the default countdown timer across an entire wall in oversized digits, each second ticking down with an echo that made it feel like a dramatic festival clock. Voices filled the air. Laughter. Warmth.

All of Gen-1 was there — Ayu grinning as she sat with her legs crossed over a chair, Alonso beside her, smiling as he talked with Imani and Pablo, Chiara positioned near a wall while several constructs made of Dark Stars balanced trays for her as she chatted with Lukas, and Wang grimly judging a bowl of something spicy. But more than anything, what stunned her was the atmosphere. It was… festive. Celebratory. Joyful, in a way she had not felt since before The Tower.

"What do you think?" Lukas appeared beside her with a wide grin, radiating self-satisfaction. Leonie stared at him.

"You did all this?"

"Maybe," he said, grin widening.

"Can't exactly start the new stage without a proper send-off. Plus"—he pointed toward a corner—"there's good food." Leonie followed his gesture and had to suppress a laugh. Food? Seriously… She turned fully, taking in the long table loaded with very different and very particular dishes, a clear cultural mix spread across colourful plates and steaming bowls. Her eyes narrowed.

"This is…"

"I told everyone to bring their own dishes," he said, tone light and teasing.

"Didn't tell you to bring yours, because Sauerbraten is not contaminating my room." Leonie snorted before she could stop herself, the laugh slipping out bright and unguarded. She exhaled slowly, letting the scene settle into her. The floating lights, the drifting holograms, the scattered laughter, all of Gen-1 thrown together in a way that felt… strangely warm. Natural, even. A fleeting moment of unity before whatever the next stage decided to throw at them.

She glanced at Lukas, a mix of amusement and fond disbelief softening her expression.

"I really missed you," she ended up saying. Lukas smiled.

"I know."

Alonso stood calmly, full gear on, back straight as he looked at the final seconds ticking down. Beside him was Ayu, and beside her were the others, all of them waiting, all of them ready. It felt as if their journey had stretched far behind them. So much had happened already, and yet so much still waited ahead. The climb before them was long and daunting, and yet his heart beat not with fear but with excitement. A thrill for what was coming. A hunger to see how far he could push his path.

A quiet anticipation for the challenges that awaited. Fourteen days in the white rooms had been a strange kind of rest, a pause that helped him see one thing clearly. This was not his life anymore. Not his rhythm. Not his pace. His blade only grew sharper through real fighting. His growth needed pressure. His Will needed fuel. His path needed struggle. And he was ready to push it to the very edge, until every barrier cracked beneath him.

His Will burned with that resolve, and without him thinking about it, a silhouette formed behind him, drawn by that strong desire. A small smile tugged at his lips. Because as he had told his mom back on Earth, he knew. He was exactly… where he was meant to be. [End of Arc VI - The Tails of War]