Cassandra laughed lightly.
"Shocked?"
A small pause.
She waved it off.
"Anyway… let's fix your combat. It's messy."
Her eyes sharpened.
"And you need to learn when to use it."
—
Aaron raised a brow—
—
She moved.
—
A fist shot toward his face.
—
Aaron reacted instantly—
Leaping to the side—
—
Crack—
—
Pain exploded across his head.
—
He hadn't escaped.
—
He'd jumped into her attack.
—
Cassandra's leg had already been there.
Waiting.
—
She didn't stop.
—
Even as he was sent flying—
She followed.
Closing the distance mid-air.
—
[Phantom's Dash]
—
Aaron vanished—
Reappearing farther away.
—
He exhaled.
A brief moment of relief—
—
Then—
Instinct screamed.
—
He moved—
Throwing himself backward—
—
Right as—
Cassandra's fist tore through the space he had just occupied.
—
"Aaron."
Her voice cut through the air.
—
"Focus on defense."
Another strike came—
Fast.
Relentless.
—
"You need to learn when to strike."
—
Aaron raised his arms—
Guarding his face.
—
Each punch—
Heavy.
Painful.
—
His bones rattled under the impact.
—
"And when you do—"
—
He moved.
—
A sweep toward her legs—
—
"Mistake."
—
Cassandra's voice was calm.
Certain.
—
"You're not balanced."
—
Her elbow rose—
High—
—
Then—
Crash—
—
It came down.
—
The impact shook him.
—
His vision blurred—
Spinning—
If this were a cartoon—
Stars would've been circling his head continuously.
—
"Stand up, Aaron."
—
Her voice didn't soften.
—
He forced himself up.
Movement sluggish stand unsteady.
—
Just in time—
—
Her leg cut through the air—
Aimed to take him down again.
—
He leaped back.
—
His eyes shifted—
Crimson.
Reptilian.
—
His senses sharpened.
—
Whoom—
—
A fist came.
—
Aaron bent low—
Letting it pass just above him.
—
[Aegis — Activate]
—
The barrier flared—
—
He used it—
Not to block—
But to push.
—
His leg shot forward—
—
Connecting with Cassandra's abdomen.
—
With force.
—
…
—
Nothing.
—
It felt like striking a wall.
—
She didn't move.
Not even a fraction.
—
Her hand snapped out—
Grabbing his leg.
—
Then—
She spun.
—
Fast.
—
A violent arc—
Like a storm pulling him in—
—
And hurled him away.
—
His body slammed across the arena—
—
"Again."
—
Crack—
—
"Again."
—
Boom—
—
"…again."
—
Thud—
—
"Again!"
—
Aaron stood across from her.
—
His breath came out ragged.
—
A faint streak of blood lined his lips—
He wiped it away with the back of his hand.
—
"Haaah…"
—
Pain ran through every limb.
—
But something inside him—
Ignored it.
—
His sclera darkened.
—
Black.
—
Adrenaline surged through his veins.
His chest rose and fell—
Fast.
Heavy.
—
He took his stance.
—
Cassandra vanished.
—
Aaron moved.
—
Boom—
—
Her fist slammed into the ground where he had been.
—
She turned—
Eyes glowing white—
—
And attacked again.
—
Fists blurred.
Relentless.
—
Aaron raised his guard—
Blocking.
Deflecting.
Enduring.
—
Again.
And again.
—
Each strike heavier than the last.
—
Cassandra barely noticed it—
But—
Her restraint was slipping.
—
Her power—
Already teetering edge of Knight Tier—
about to go beyond that….
—
Was rising.
—
Little by little.
—
Then—
Something changed.
—
Aaron's eyes—
—
Black.
—
Not just dark—
But deep.
—
Endless.
—
His pupils burned crimson—
Alive.
—
And behind him—
Something manifested.
—
A projection.
—
Massive.
—
A creature took form—
Wyvern-like—
Yet not.
—
No wings.
—
A mane like a lion.
—
Claws—
Long and curved
Like scythes. Ready to cleave…
—
An abomination.
A fusion. Destruction and Creation at its finest.
—
Crimson
—
Golden lines traced across its body—
Glowing faintly—
—
The Projection's eyes gleamed and….
It roared.
—
Screeeee—
—
Aaron's body shifted.
—
His nails elongated—
Turning into claws.
—
His stance lowered.
—
A creature…
—
Then—
He moved.
—
Faster than before—
Faster than anything he had shown.
—
A blur.
—
He lunged—
—
Aimed to cleave her head clean off.
—
Cassandra's eyes widened—
Just slightly.
Sensing that that….wasn't Aaron,
she snapped out of it.
—
Her presence exploded.
—
All restraint—
Gone.
—
The air—
froze entirely, …stood still not moving.
—
Aaron froze mid-air.
—
His body frozen.
—
Only his eyes moved, darting around as if searching for prey.
Lost.
—
Cassandra stepped forward.
Calm
Unhurried
She reached him.
Opening her mouth, she calmly said:
"Sleep."
Her voice was quiet, soft.
"Now is not… the time."
The projection flickered.
—
Before….Collapsing….Disappearing…. Completely.
—
Aaron's body went limp.
—
She caught him.
—
His form returning to normal.
Aaron's Magic reserves nearly dry.
—
Ding—
—
———————————————
Totality Combat Aspect I — Upgraded
— Totality's Art of Combat I — Mastery: I
———————————————
Aaron blinked as he slowly became aware of something soft beneath his head.
His thoughts were still hazy, but as he looked up, his gaze met Cassandra's hazel eyes that sparkled lightly.
She was looking down at him.
"Aaron…" she exhaled quietly, relief slipping into her voice. "For a moment there, I thought I lost….you."
Her expression softened as she continued, more composed now.
"We'll get back to training soon, but first I want you to reflect—think about what you could've done differently."
She hesitated briefly, her fingers already moving gently through his hair.
"I only wanted to see how far you could go… I may have pushed a little too far. So—" a small sigh escaped her lips, "forgive me for that."
Only then did it fully register.
His head… was resting on her lap.
Her touch was gentle—almost absentminded—as her hand glided from his hair down to his jaw.
The sensation sent a strange warmth through him, something unfamiliar, something that made his thoughts blur slightly.
"Aaaron~…" her tone shifted, light and teasing now, "I don't remember allowing you to stare at your Master like that."
Aaron blinked, snapping out of it as he quickly averted his gaze. "Aha y-Yeah alright… uh, Master?"
"What?!" she replied a little too quickly, a faint blush creeping onto her face.
A small smirk formed on Aaron's lips despite himself. "You should probably take your own advice." He paused just a second before adding,
"And…Oh by the way…just saying….this is actually quite comfortable."
For a moment, everything went still.
Cassandra's smile twitched.
"…What did you just say?"
That was all the warning he needed.
Aaron rolled off her lap instantly—
[Phantom's Dash]
—reappearing several meters away just as Cassandra's follow-up strike tore through the space he had occupied.
———
Earth Calendar Year 2083Grand New YorkEmpire State Building — Chronology Assembly
—
"Mr. Owen, welcome."
A man bowed his head slightly as footsteps echoed through the dim hallway.
—
"Is everything ready…?"
A deep voice followed, low and measured, as a figure cloaked in shadow approached the sealed door ahead.
—
"Yes, sir."
—
Hiss—
—
The doors slid open with a sharp click.
—
"Mr. Owen… you're quite late, aren't you?"
—
"Quiet down, Mr. Sprive. Just because your company is important doesn't mean that I like your presence here."
Another person said in disdain.
—
A faint chuckle echoed from within the room.
"I know, I know," Sprive replied, raising his hands slightly in mock surrender. "But I promised you this, didn't I? It's finally happening. In about a month, we launch."
He leaned forward, a grin tugging at his lips.
"Besides… Pandora is already everywhere. It's become part of life itself." His eyes gleamed. "Now all that's left… is the Beta players."
—
A woman seated at the table spoke, her voice calm but firm.
"Esteemed….Investors,CEO's, Designers, Programmers, Engineers, Ladies and Gentlemen we're ready to connect the server to the program."
—
The room fell into a focused silence.
—
She raised a card.
—
It was black.
—
Not just in color—but depth.
Strange golden symbols were etched across its surface, shifting faintly as if alive.
—
The table beneath them was metallic, dark, reflecting the thin overhead light that cast long shadows across every face present.
—
"Ladies and gentlemen…"
She paused.
—
A faint smile formed.
—
"Let's welcome…"
—
"…Pandora."
—
Click—
—
The card slid into the center slot of the table.
—
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
—
Then—
A ripple.
—
Soft.
—
Barely visible.
—
It spread from the card—
Into the table—
Down into the structure of the building itself.
—
And then—
—
Whooom—
—
The pulse expanded.
—
Through the Empire State Building.
—
Into the streets.
—
Across Grand New York.
—
Billboards flickered.
—
Screens once dark—
Came alive.
—
Worlds appeared.
—
Kingdoms.
Empires.
Creatures.
—
A new reality—
Bleeding into the old.
—
And it didn't stop there.
—
The signal spread.
—
City to city.
—
Country to country.
—
Until the entire world—
Watched.
—
Above the Empire State Building—
Light gathered.
—
Condensed.
—
Then—
A projection formed.
—
A planet.
—
Earth.
—
But not as it was.
—
Countless rings encircled it—
Layered.
Endless.
—
Shifting.
—
Alive.
—
And as they turned—
A single truth became clear.
—
The Rings… were Pandora