[ Vesna ]


    I accepted Blue Fright’s invitation the moment I received it. Now, I’m on my way to their association.


    I still think making a literal castle their base was a bad idea, but everyone seems to find it cool. Arceid can be so childish sometimes.


    Kaltain also accepted the invitation, causing quite an uproar in our college’s group chat. Rumors were flying about a new academy replacing the college—one with an alphabetical tier system.


    Things were accelerating fast. Still, I had a few years before the next catastrophe happened.


    That girl will arrive soon… ‘The Witch of Integration.’ The False Calamity…


    I shook the thought away.


    After a long walk, I finally reached the castle. There was no grand welcome—not that I expected one.


    Surprisingly, Kaltain arrived at the exact same time. He looked amused to see me, which was… odd.


    “Miss Vesna, a pleasure to meet you. So, you got the invitation as well.”


    I frowned. “Please don’t call me Miss. I’m not that old. And yeah, obviously, that’s why I’m here.”


    He chuckled. “Of course, that makes sense. What do you think of Azrael? Are we meeting him too?”


    That ever-present, sympathetic smile of his never wavered. I still couldn’t believe this guy wasn’t hiding something.


    “Kaltain, why don’t we just go inside and check if he’s here?”


    His smile deepened. “A wonderful idea. After you.”


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    He gestured for me to go first, which I did. Even as he smiled, his sharp eyes scanned every nook and cranny of the place.


    Was he planning something? He could be. He was the most mysterious Astra.


    ……


    The castle had an outer and inner circle—the outer housed the training fields, while the inner contained logistics and administrative departments.


    Upon entering, we were greeted by Miss Larrisa, The Frost Queen.


    She was training—probably refining her cosmic energy control. Ice shards floated around her, glowing with an ethereal light.


    “You guys are pretty early. Nice job.”


    Kaltain raised a brow. “Early? And here I was stressing that we were late, Miss Larrisa.”


    She smirked. “Kaltain, right? Strongest of the new generation. I’ve heard a lot about you—good things only. You seem like an easy person to work with. Much better than Azrael.”


    Kaltain’s smile bloomed even further. Maybe he was genuinely happy.


    “So he’s here?” He let out a small chuckle. “That’s nice. Could I ask where he is?”


    Larrisa sighed. “He’s late. He won’t be here until 10 AM—about three hours from now.”


    “Oh, thanks for the info, Ma’am.”


    Larrisa turned to me. “And you’re Vesna, right? You did well against that turtle creature.”


    I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am. But I was just support. The real damage came from Azrael and Kaltain.”


    She waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t think like that. Supports aren’t useless—they’re essential. You’re Planetoid Rank. That puts you above most of your peers. Even above most of humanity.”


    She really was kind beneath that tough exterior. Knowing how things ended for her…


    No. I won’t dwell on the past. Because I’ll change it.


    “Ma’am, what should we do now?” I asked.


    Larrisa smirked. “Good question. Just wait for a portal breach. If you can handle it, go deal with it. Otherwise, just train.”


    “Understood, Ma’am.”


    ……


    Kaltain and I moved to the outer circle, searching for a place to train.


    Only a few people on this planet had Planetoid Rank strength, yet everyone could use cosmic energy—for work, for youth, for survival.


    That was why so many people were here. Even if they didn’t talk much.


    A worker guided us through the training area, explaining how the machines worked. Most were designed for physical enhancement, which suited me perfectly.


    Strangely enough, Kaltain also chose to focus on physical training today.


    The machines were modified versions of regular gym equipment—with a twist. Their weight dynamically adjusted to the user’s strength.


    The facilities included:


    Treadmills with speeds reaching light-speed.


    Gravitational chambers for intense pressure training.


    White rooms for deep meditation and cosmic energy control.


    With cosmic energy, our physical potential could theoretically grow endlessly—given enough time and effort.


    And I intended to test that theory.


    I had both time and determination.


    “Vesna, I’ll be in the gravitational chamber. If anything comes up, let me know.”


    I nodded. He returned the gesture before heading inside.


    As for me—I went straight to strength training inside a temporal dome I created.


    Temporal Dome—Time Manipulation Training


    Inside the dome, time slowed. From an outside perspective, I seemed to be moving faster—but in reality, time itself was decelerated for me.


    With this, I could train longer without wasting real-world time.


    I pushed my limits for the next three hours straight.


    Finally, I stepped out, taking a brief break.


    Kaltain was still inside the gravitational chamber, adjusting to the crushing pressure—refining his control over gravity itself.


    The work never ended.


    And neither did our drive to improve.