Chapter 89: Letters, Lightnings, and Invitations
Noah reappeared in his room, the warmth of reality slipping back into his skin. Without wasting a second, he sank into his bed, exhaling deeply. He needed a moment—not for rest, but to organize his mind.
His meeting with Laeh had changed things.
Majorly.
Now, thanks to the will of the world itself, he had vital information: the identities of the remaining champions.
He ran a hand through his hair, speaking softly to himself.
"So the elf... a hidden member of the royal family. And the beastman... their queen. The mother of Ray and Domy."
A smile tugged at his lips.
How... intriguing.
"As for the demons, they don’t have a champion," he muttered, eyes gleaming. "That’s why they’re courting me. Trying to draw me in."
That made it simpler. Knowing what your enemy wanted before the game even started was a massive advantage.
"And with Laeh behind me? Dying’s basically off the table." His smile twisted, darker. "But immortality doesn’t mean invincibility. I can still be caged. That... I won’t allow."
His thoughts shifted. "Only Zara and Alice are left to bring in. And since I’m heading to the demon continent... why not take Zara with me?"
He chuckled to himself.
"A half-demon walking back into her ancestral lands? Maybe I’ll get a front-row seat to some long-awaited revenge."
Already, he could taste the chaos to come.
But the road ahead was long.
The elf and beastman continents were next. The dwarves as well—though they seemed less important. And there was still that dungeon near the elf territory, where Elira had asked him to retrieve something.
So much to do. So little peace.
Noah moved over to his desk, pulling out a sheet of fine paper and a pen. Carefully, he began to write a letter—addressed to someone he hadn’t seen in far too long.
His mother. Selene Weaverheart.
He missed her. Fiercely. And even if he couldn’t go to her yet, he could send something to bridge the silence.
"Soon..." he whispered. "Let me wrap this all up. Then I’ll come for you."
His pen glided across the page with careful affection. He didn’t say much—just light, mundane things. No heavy revelations. Just words that would bring her a smile.
When he finished, he folded the letter with care and sealed it.
"My dear dragon," he called out softly, "mind delivering this for me?"
Elira’s voice echoed sweetly into the room, sultry and amused. "Of course, my love."
The letter shimmered and vanished from his hands.
"Thank you," he murmured with a soft smile.
Time to move.
Before inviting Zara on his next journey, there was someone else he wanted to see.
His empress.
Noah stepped into Sophie’s training grounds silently, cloaked in his Trickster’s aura. Shadows clung to him, erasing his presence completely.
She sat cross-legged at the center of the field, lightning crackling around her in a mesmerizing storm. Not just red—no. Blue, purple, green, even white lightning coiled and sparked through the air.
She was trying to fuse them.
"Oh," Noah murmured, "she’s attempting to merge them all into her red lightning."
That was no easy feat. Her SS-ranked talent allowed fusion—but not with control. She could mix powers, yes, but she couldn’t shape the outcome. If she fused recklessly, her red lightning might transform into something unrecognizable.
And that red lightning... it wasn’t just a skill. It was hers. A pure embodiment of her will to rule. Her identity.
Changing it would mean changing her.
She knew that. That’s why she moved slow. Careful. Methodical.
Progress was gradual, but real.
Noah watched her, pride blooming in his chest. He could solve her problem in seconds. His Ultimate Fusion talent dwarfed hers in every way.
But he wouldn’t.
He understood.
She wanted to earn it. To make it hers. That... was what mattered.
"I’ll leave you to it, my empress," he whispered softly. "Show me your strength. Show me your greatness."
With a tender smile, he faded into the shadows again.
But as soon as he was gone, Sophie’s lightning flickered. Her eyes snapped open, her breath catching.
She sensed something. An echo of sorrow, a whisper of warmth suddenly missing.
She turned—and gasped.
Before her lay dozens of ice lotuses, shimmering delicately. At their center, a message etched into the frozen ground:
"I didn’t want to disturb you, so I left this instead, my dear empress.
I miss you. I believe in you. I know you’ll succeed.
I’m heading to the demon continent for a quick trip.
Oh, and I hope you don’t mind—I took care of Luke. He’s already dead.
Killed by me.
I love you. Take care of yourself.
Your husband."
Sophie stood frozen, eyes wide. Slowly, a radiant smile formed on her lips.
He was sweet. He was cruel. He was unstoppable.
And he was hers.
"I’ll succeed, dear husband," she whispered, clutching one of the lotuses in her hand. Its chill was delicate. Almost sacred.
"I’ll make you proud."
With newfound fire in her veins, she turned back toward her training.
No more hesitations.
She would finish this. Before he returned.
The grind began anew.
Later, Noah appeared in the academy cafeteria.
At a far corner table, Zara Bane sat quietly with Neko curled in her lap. She wasn’t eating. She just watched the tiny feline munching away with a soft smile.
’Hopeless,’ Noah thought fondly.
He slid into the seat across from her, and Neko immediately perked up, eyes sparkling.
’Noah! I missed you so much!’ her voice rang in his head, bursting with excitement as she launched into his arms.
He caught her with a smile. "I thought you forgot about me, Neko."
"I missed you too."
He stroked her dark fur gently, drawing out a happy purr.
Across the table, Zara frowned, jealousy twitching at her features.
Noah noticed—and smirked.
"I have a proposal for you, dear Zara."
She raised a brow. "And what might that be?"
"Come with me to the demon continent," he said smoothly. "I’ve got a few things to handle over there."
She instantly stiffened. "Why would I do that?"
"Oh, nothing major." He leaned back, smiling like the devil himself. "Just thought you wouldn’t want to miss a mini-adventure... with our dear Neko."
Zara’s eye twitched. "You... you’re using Neko to bribe me?!"
Noah’s smirk widened.
"Yes. Shamelessly. Got a problem with that?"
—End of Chapter 89—