Atheline raised one hand.
Wind appeared.
It circled his fingers without consuming enough Aether to matter. The other also followed suit as they made their presence known. He closed his hand and everything vanished.
His rank hadn't changed, yet comparing himself now to the man who'd walked into the Forbidden Forest six months earlier felt almost ridiculous.
Atheline understood why; rank measured power but it didn't measure understanding. He looked toward the sky.
"Sovereign."
The word felt different now, closer. It wasn't going to be easy or guaranteed but it was reachable.
Atheline could feel the boundary clearly. He suspected forcing his way through it now would be possible. He also suspected doing so would be a mistake.
He would wait.
The final step needed to happen correctly.
A roar echoed through the forest. He glanced sideways as a massive SSS-ranked beast emerged between the trees. It resembled a horned tiger covered in dark scales.
