Chapter 484 — We’re Stuck?

Agatha didn’t say anything for a long time, just sat there processing everything she’d heard.

Finally, she sighed.

"What a pity for such a great figure to really be dead."

Her voice carried genuine regret.

"You know, most of the people beyond the Eternal Horizon still think he’s alive. They refuse to believe someone that strong could actually die."

Silence settled between them again, comfortable despite the heavy topic.

"The soul fragment wasn’t wrong, though."

Agatha looked out toward the north.

"The ones holding the lines near those portals, fighting the demons every single day... they’re still loyal to the Bloodworth family."

She turned to look at Damian.

"You must have already heard about how none of the subordinate families of the Bloodworth Imperial family joined other Imperials after the massacre, right?"

Damian nodded, the information familiar from various sources.

"It’s because their hatred for the Imperials runs as deep as yours does, maybe deeper in some cases."

Agatha’s expression darkened.

"That night, aside from the Bloodworth family itself, the majority of deaths were from those subordinate families. After all, they were all connected to the Bloodworths by marriage, by oaths and by generations of loyalty."

She paused.

"And they started asking questions afterward, looking for their loved ones who’d attended that birthday celebration and never came home..."

She didn’t continue, but Damian understood what had happened to people who asked too many questions.

Damian’s thoughts turned to his mother, to the woman who’d been powerful enough as an S rank to create seals that even SS rank awakeners couldn’t detect.

"Is my mother’s family there as well? Beyond the mountain range?"

Agatha shook her head, her expression becoming thoughtful.

"Mariana Bloodworth..."

The name hung in the air between them.

"I’ve tried to find information about her background, searched through records and asked contacts who should know. But surprisingly, there’s almost nothing available about her past."

Her brow furrowed.

"And there aren’t many people who even seem to remember seeing her. She was the First Lady of the Bloodworth household for just over a year before all of this happened, and then she vanished from history along with everyone else."

Disappointment settled in Damian’s chest, but he forced it down.

He nodded, filing the information away to think about later.

Right now, he didn’t want to dwell on family mysteries he couldn’t solve.

He stood up suddenly, brushing snow off his clothes.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Grandma... Truly."

His voice was sincere despite his exhaustion.

"But I need to return to the Northern Military Training Center now... I’ve been gone too long already."

"About that..."

’Hmm?’

Agatha’s voice carried a note that made Damian pause.

"I don’t think we can go back just yet. Lily has gone to take care of some important matters. It’ll take her a few more days before she returns to pick us up."

Damian blinked, processing this information.

He’d assumed the dragon was probably flying around somewhere nearby, maybe hunting or exploring.

"Are you telling me... we’re stuck here?"

His lips twitched, his gaze sweeping across the highest mountain peak in the region, completely isolated from everything else.

Then he looked back at Agatha’s smiling face, and understanding clicked into place.

’She was the one who sent Lily away, wasn’t she?’

"Don’t look at me like that... She’ll be back soon enough."

Agatha’s smile widened.

"But I looked at your information earlier. You haven’t learned the basic mental defense skills yet, have you? The ones that should have been taught in your third year at the academy?"

’She... wants to teach me? But isn’t her Domain–’

Damian looked at her skeptically, his eyes narrowing.

"You aren’t really a combat awakener, right? How would you teach me mental defense?"

"Are you underestimating this old woman?"

Agatha’s walking stick tapped against the ground.

"Although I’m not much of a fighter, my mind is a fortress. Aside from those of the Verratoux family, there are hardly any awakeners in this Federation who can bypass my mental defenses."

Her eyes gleamed with pride.

"And I’m going to teach you how to build the same kind of fortress in your mind as well."

Damian’s interest sharpened despite himself.

Mental defenses were something he’d been meaning to learn, especially after experiencing mental attacks firsthand.

"Will Strengthening is exactly what it sounds like."

Agatha settled into a more comfortable position, her voice taking on a teaching quality.

"You use your Aura to reinforce your Will stat directly, pushing it higher and making your mental presence stronger. It’s the foundation of all mental combat, the base layer that everything else builds on."

She paused.

"Mental Barrier is the defensive application. You create a wall inside your mind using both Aura and Will, a shield that protects your consciousness from external mental attacks, intrusions, and manipulation."

Her eyes became sharp.

"Both skills are essential for mental domain battles, which you’ll encounter more often as you grow stronger. And they’re the reason someone can’t just walk into your head and rewrite your memories or control your actions."

She stood up, brushing snow off her robes.

"We’ll start with the basics and work our way up."

****

Day 1

Damian sat cross-legged in the snow, his eyes closed, focusing on the sensation of his Will stat.

"Feel the weight of your consciousness first."

Agatha’s voice came from somewhere to his left.

"Your Will isn’t just a number on a status screen. It’s the actual force of your existence, the pressure your soul exerts on reality."

He could feel it, that strange sensation of presence that had grown stronger with every increase to his Will stat.

"Now channel your Aura through it. Let the Aura flow along the pathways of your consciousness and reinforce what’s already there."

The skill felt strange at first, like trying to grab something that wasn’t quite solid.

But after an hour of practice, Damian felt the click of understanding.

E rank Will Strengthening settled into place, the skill becoming instinctive.

"Already?"

Agatha’s voice carried surprise.

"That usually takes at least a few weeks for students to grasp... Move on to the Mental Barrier skill then."

The defensive skill came easier, building naturally on the foundation of Will Strengthening.

By the time the sun set, Damian had reached D rank in both skills.

Agatha stared at him, her expression shifting.

"How high is your Will stat exactly?"

"495."

"..."

Deathly silence fell across them.

’495?! What the hell?! He’s almost at the absolute peak for an A rank! In the entire universe!’

Damian opened his eyes to find Agatha staring at him, her face frozen in shock.

She recovered quickly, clearing her throat.

"I see. That’s... quite high."

Her voice came out more controlled than her thoughts.

"Continue practicing. Focus on maintaining the reinforcement for longer periods."