Nova was upon the mountain troll in a heartbeat, his left arm moving with razor-sharp precision, intent on piercing the creature’s core.

  The troll barely had time to react, its eyes widening as Nova’s spear thrust into its massive body. A small hole formed, yet the core remained elusive.

  ‘Why does the core keep shifting?’ Nova thought, irritation flickering through his mind. ‘Is there a way to locate it besides sheer luck?’ But he didn’t allow the distraction to slow him. Pivoting on his left foot, he reversed his grip on the spear and drove it deep into the troll’s right side.

  The beast howled in frustration, feeling like nothing more than a practice dummy. Then, at last, it reacted—its colossal right fist hurtling toward Nova, mere centimeters from impact.

  Yet Nova remained unfazed. With a swift, fluid motion, he swept his spear from right to left, parrying the incoming strike and leaving the troll’s massive frame exposed. Seizing the opening, he unleashed a rapid barrage of jabs, each strike seeking the elusive core.

  The ninth thrust finally struck true. His spear found its mark—just below the troll’s throat.

  [Spear Jab proficiency increased]

  [Spear Jab proficiency increased]

  [Spear Jab proficiency increased]

  "Found you."

  The mountain troll had barely stabilized when it swung its massive left hand at Nova, the sheer force of the punch whistling through the air and bending the wind in its wake.

  Nova smiled. Instead of retreating, he dashed forward, gripping the spear’s shaft tightly in the middle. As the troll’s fist hurtled toward his face, he subtly shifted his body to the right, allowing the strike to graze past him. A thin line of blood trailed down his cheek—but his grin only widened.

  His spear had already plunged deep into the spot just below the troll’s throat.

  A solid resistance met the tip of his weapon. There it is. With a powerful push, the spear pierced through, emerging from the other side—dragging the troll’s core out with it.

  The beast, still mid-swing, never even realized what had happened. One moment, it was about to strike, and the next—it crumbled into ash, vanishing from existence.

  [Received 85,000 Stat EXP]

  Nova exhaled, his breath steady but exhilarated. The battle had been a test, and he had passed.

  "My theory was right. Now I just need a way to locate the core without turning them into pincushions first" he muttered, reflecting on the fight.

  Reaching up, he touched the wound on his cheek—only to find smooth skin beneath his fingers. No scar, just a faint trace of dried blood. Feeling the rapid healing at work, he couldn't help but laugh.

  "Regeneration, oh regeneration, what a beautiful thing you are."

  With a final chuckle, he pushed forward, determined to clear this Green portal without stopping to rest.

  While Nova faced his trials, the rest of the group battled their own.

  The day after Nova left, two letters arrived at the Vale estate—both carrying the same message but addressed to different recipients.

  "The Vale family must choose a side. You are either with us or against us. You have three days to send a letter with your decision. If you refuse this invitation everyone in the Vale estate will be killed."

  One letter bore the insignia of the Federation.

  The other was sealed by the high families.

  Victor sat in the main hall, deep in thought, weighing the consequences of each choice. The lives of Cassidy and her friends depended on this decision—one wrong move could mean their end.

  ‘Do I choose the Federation? Their dominance over Earth had lasted for generations, built on intricate, well-executed strategies. Their power ran deep, their control nearly absolute.’

  ‘And yet… the high families… He hadn’t expected them to unite like this. Ten families once ruled as the highest power—now only eight, not counting myself, remained. For them to send a letter with all their names signed… Had their plans failed? Were they forced into an alliance just to survive? What is happening now?’

  Victor clenched his jaw. He needed more information. A figure flashed in his mind—one person who, if present, could have ensured their independence without fear of either side.

  If only he were here…

  Exhaling slowly, Victor made his decision. He pushed himself up from his seat.

  ‘They need to know.’

  With that thought, he made his way to the gym, where he soon found the group training tirelessly.

  Outside, five days had passed since Nova entered the portal. Cassidy, Rachel, Thomas, Samuel, Amelia, and Jack had thrown themselves into grueling training, pushing their limits daily. Their bodies were battered, their muscles aching, but their progress was visible to the naked eye.

  Victor nodded in silent approval. ‘Nova and Jack did an impressive job drilling discipline into this band of gossipers.’

  That last thought made him shake his head. Gossip had been an ongoing theme in the group, their rest periods filled with endless speculation about others.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  ‘Sigh… as long as they train, it’s fine.’

  He exhaled and clapped his hands, drawing their attention.

  The group immediately halted, turning toward him. Cassidy, ever curious, was the first to speak.

  “Dad, why did you clap?”

  Jack asked nonchalantly, “Did something happen?”

  Before Victor could respond, Rachel’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Is someone else joining the group? Who?”

  Samuel let out a small sigh, shaking his head at her enthusiasm, while Thomas’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, already imagining who this new recruit might be.

  Amelia, now fully comfortable within the group, rushed over to Rachel and grabbed her hand. “I hope it’s a girl!” she said eagerly.

  Rachel nodded frantically. “Yes! Finally, someone who gets it.”

  Victor’s momentary approval of the group evaporated like mist in the wind. His expression darkened slightly, and with a firm voice, he cut through their chatter.

  “It’s none of that. Don’t mess around—this is serious.”

  The mood in the gym shifted instantly. The word serious carried weight. They weren’t living in the peaceful days of the past anymore, and they knew it. Straightening their postures, they gave Victor their full attention.

  Nodding slightly, Victor wasted no time. He laid out everything—the letters, the impossible choice before them, and the consequences of every path. He held nothing back. A single missing detail could cost them dearly.

  Silence followed as everyone processed the gravity of their situation.

  After a moment, Thomas hesitantly spoke up. “What if we tell both the Federation and the high families that we’re on their side… while keeping ourselves neutral?”

  Cassidy gave a slow nod, considering the idea. Amelia remained quiet, still lost in thought, weighing the options.

  Rachel and Samuel exchanged uneasy glances. Neither of them liked the sound of it, but if there was no better solution, they might have no choice.

  Victor observed their reactions before shaking his head slightly. ‘That would be a death sentence.’

  ‘Both sides would have spies in each other’s ranks. There’s no way we wouldn’t be exposed. The moment they realize we’re playing both ends, we’d be hunted down from all directions.’

  His gaze finally landed on Jack—the strongest among them. Victor had to admit, the boy might even be stronger than him.

  He exhaled, then asked, “What about you?”

  Jack shrugged, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. “Since they sent us this letter with such a threat, I doubt they know what happened to the Voss family. Or, if they do know, they haven’t figured out that Nova was the one who did it.”

  He let his words sink in, observing Victor’s reaction. The older man gave him a nod, silently urging him to continue.

  “That means they still see us as weak. They don’t realize we have the strength to wipe out a high family.” Jack’s voice remained steady, but his eyes held a sharp glint. “Now, whether we can handle the Federation yet… I’m not sure, and I’d rather not find out right now.”

  A brief silence followed as the group absorbed his words. Then, Cassidy spoke up.

  “Then, what do you propose?” She looked at Jack, curiosity flickering in her gaze. Nova’s best friend—she wanted to know how he planned to handle this crisis.

  Victor and the others also turned their attention to Jack, waiting patiently for his answer.

  Jack’s lips curled into a smile—one eerily similar to Nova’s. “Simple. We have three options.”

  Victor’s brow furrowed. “Three?” he repeated, caught off guard.

  Jack nodded. “Yes. The first option is straightforward: we tell them we wiped out the Voss family.”

  The room tensed at his words.

  Thomas immediately interjected, frowning. “Wouldn’t that just make them see us as a bigger threat? They might come after us immediately to eliminate the danger.”

  The rest of the group nodded in agreement, sharing the same concern.

  Jack acknowledged their point with a nod. “That’s true. But think about it—what if they don’t attack right away? What if they hesitate, thinking we have some kind of secret weapon that let us destroy an entire high family without anyone noticing?”

  Victor exhaled slowly, weighing the risk. ‘It’s a gamble, he thought. If they believe we have a hidden power, they might leave us alone. But if they call our bluff… we could all die.’

  After a moment, he asked, “What about the other two options?”

  Jack’s expression remained unchanged, but his voice carried a darker edge.

  “The second option is about making an example. Kill the chicken to scare the monkey. They might not believe we’ve wiped out one of the high family then… we’ll do it again—and this time, we’ll announce it publicly,” Jack said, his voice unwavering, as if the idea of killing had become second nature to him.

  The air in the room grew heavy. Jack spoke as if taking lives had already become second nature to him.

  Samuel spoke up, his voice calm and measured. “I agree with this idea. The only real risk is failing to eliminate the target, but it’s a low-risk, high-reward move.”

  Cassidy, Thomas, Rachel, and Amelia all found themselves nodding in agreement. However, Rachel and Amelia’s expressions remained slightly stiff—the thought of slaughtering an entire family still unsettled them.

  Victor silently acknowledged their reactions. ‘It’s true. With Jack and me, we could wipe out one of the weaker high families without much threat to ourselves’. A weight lifted from his shoulders at the realization. But there was still one more option.

  His lips curled into a soft smile as he asked, “And the third option?”

  Jack’s expression remained steady as he continued.

  “The third option… We create our own organization.” His words carried a quiet confidence. “With the Vale family as the founder, we could recruit hundreds of people within three days. The wealth, influence, and resources are already there—we just need to act.”

  Victor’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t considered forming an organization now, not in the middle of this chaos. But before he could entertain the idea fully, a serious problem crossed his mind.

  “Creating an organization does sound good…” He exhaled, his sharp gaze meeting Jack’s. “But it carries the same risks as trying to play both the Federation and the high families. If we position ourselves as a rising power, they might see us as a threat and come at us together—just to crush the competition before we grow too strong.”

  Jack shook his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

  “No. Or better said, maybe yes… But would you wage war against an enemy who can inflict serious damage, while knowing there’s another one lurking right behind you, waiting to strike?”

  Victor’s eyes widened as understanding dawned on him.

  “You’re saying that if both the Federation and the high families attack us, we’ll be able to injure their foundations. They won’t be reckless with us, not if they have to treat us as a threat on their level. They’ll need to tread carefully.”

  A thoughtful silence fell over the group as the idea settled in. ‘That works’, Victor thought. The solution made sense. But there was still something nagging at him.

  He looked at Jack, an eyebrow raised.

  “Why didn’t you bring this up sooner?”

  The question echoed in the room, each person wondering the same thing. Why hadn’t Jack led with this option from the start?

  Jack’s laugh, warm and full of mirth, broke the tension. He wiped a tear from his eye before responding, his voice laced with humor.

  “I didn’t want you to choose this one.”

  The group stared at him, confusion written across their faces.

  Thomas, unable to contain his curiosity, spoke up first.

  “Why?”

  Jack’s smile softened as he leaned back, remembering something, or rather, someone.

  “Because I’m 100% sure that when Nova comes back, he’ll want us to pick his fourth option.”

  The room went still. The idea of a fourth option wasn’t something anyone had anticipated.

  Cassidy furrowed her brow in confusion.

  “Fourth option? What are you talking about? You said we had three options.”

  “Yes, we only have three options for now. But when Nova returns, we’ll have a fourth—and it’s the one he’ll want us to take.”

  He let the weight of the words settle before continuing, a dark satisfaction creeping into his voice.

  “We can kill every family and take their spot.”

  The gym fell into a heavy silence. Only the sound of labored breathing filled the air, each person processing the enormity of Jack’s statement.

  Victor felt the flames of ambition ignite within him, a fire that had driven the Vale family’s rise to power. His gaze sharpened, his eyes glinting with an intensity that could rival the sun. He couldn’t stop himself from speaking.

  Extra chapter for each milestone              Ratings 17/20

  ?????????? 80%

  Reviews 2/5

  Followers 74/80

  Advanced Review 0/1

  Whoever wants to help and read advanced chapters can check out my .

  Thank you for reading.