By the time the unit made its way back, the towering barricade rose ahead of them. Even after seeing it multiple times, Ervadelle still couldn't fully wrap her head around its scale. It was practically a moving city in itself, packed with over five hundred thousand Therianthropes who had all been thrown into the Second Epoch Cycle without warning.
Each one was trying to survive in a place that clearly wasn't meant to sustain life. Food should have been a massive issue and for the first few days, it actually was, until Veneri stepped in and quietly used Fool's Copy to duplicate whatever rations they could gather, turning what should have been a starvation crisis into a controlled distribution system that kept everyone alive. The Dynasties had tried to keep that detail as quiet as possible but word still spread in fragments. Even if people didn't know who exactly was responsible, they knew someone powerful was keeping them from collapsing.
As Ervadelle crossed the threshold back into the barricade, her eyes slightly lifted, tracing the towering structure again. No matter how many times she saw it, the idea that this entire place was being held together by a temporary alliance and one hidden figure still felt unreal.
The unit began to split off naturally as soon as they were inside with each member heading toward their assigned sections or resting points without needing to be told. Ervadelle didn't follow any of them, though. She stayed behind Veneri without hesitation. At this point, it was already understood that wherever he went, she would follow, even if no one openly acknowledged it.
They moved through the inner layers of the barricade and then upward, climbing toward the higher sections where the guards were stationed. As soon as they reached those levels, the atmosphere shifted slightly as the stationed Therianthropes immediately straightened.
"Master Veneri," one of the guards greeted as he gave a slight bow. The others followed without hesitation, repeating the same title without question or doubt.
The name carried weight here even though none of them knew who he actually was beyond that title. Not even Ervadelle knew, who only knew him as her master. Veneri acknowledged them with a small nod as he continued forward without slowing down.
Eventually, they reached a quieter section of the barricade that overlooked the barren wasteland beyond while remaining far enough from the main pathways that conversations wouldn't be overheard. Veneri finally stopped walking, turning slightly toward Ervadelle as the wind brushed past them.
"What did you think of today's scouting?"
Ervadelle didn't hesitate to answer. She spoke her thoughts plainly.
"The Krepsunas weren't there, not even scouts. So they're avoiding us or they're scared of the patrols."
Veneri's expression didn't change, but there was a slight pause before he responded.
"That's not the reason. Krepsunas are not fearful beings. They don't process emotions the way we do. They share a hive mind, which dulls individuality and removes hesitation. So fear isn't something that drives them."
Before she question it further, Veneri changed the topic without warning.
"I have something for you. You've been keeping up with the exercises I gave you and your control has improved enough to start actual training, so you'll need this."
He accessed his inventory without any visible effort. Ervadelle's ears perked up instantly. Even without knowing what he was about to give her, the fact that he said she was ready meant more than anything else. He pulled out a sheathed weapon.
The sheath itself was made of a translucent blue crystal that caught the light in a way that felt almost alive. When he handed it to her, she took it carefully. Without waiting any longer, she slowly unsheathed the blade.
The moment the blade slid free, her eyes widened. The sheath and hilt were glowing faintly in a blue hue while the blade itself was a deep, polished black crystal.
"A Mystical Forger completed it a few days ago. It was sent to me, and now it's yours. It's a Divine Weapon so you should give it a name,"
Ervadelle froze for a moment. Divine Weapons were almost nonexistent even among the highest ranks of the Dynasties. The idea that she was holding one in her hands felt unreal. Even top-tier members of powerful bloodlines didn't have easy access to something like this and yet here she was, a seventeen-year-old Therianthrope being handed one like it was nothing.
"Thank you... thank you so much! Where did you even find someone who could make something like this?"
"I have connections. Now that you have a weapon, I can start teaching you my family's Weapon Mastery Technique, the Plenituse Technique. It was created by my mother and passed down to me. I'm the only one with the original version, so what you'll learn isn't something anyone else can replicate easily."
She got serious.
"Your Pinnacle Tether aligns with water, and the exercises you've been doing have already prepared your body and control for this, so you're ready to begin. But before that, I'll show you what the Plenituse Technique can actually do and for that, we'll wait until nightfall."
Ervadelle tilted her head slightly, confused by the sudden mention of timing, because nothing about the current situation suggested they needed to wait for anything.
"Why nightfall?"
"The Krepsunas will attack tonight."
"You can tell that just from today?"
"They aren't stupid. They adapt and if they're avoiding the day patrols, then they'll shift to a time where they think they have an advantage, which is nightfall. Of course, that won't work because security is doubled at night. So they'll walk straight into a reinforced defense and get eliminated before they can even reach the barricade."
"I see."
"Tonight, you'll watch. It's time for you to see how strong I am."