Chapter 9
Roxy sat alone that evening.
Quiet.
Still.
"…I can't teach him anymore."
It wasn't frustration.
It was clarity.
Everything she knew—
Everything she could offer—
Was already surpassed.
"…Even Emperor-tier…"
She hesitated.
"…He might reach it instantly…"
That thought was dangerous.
Because Emperor-tier magic—
Wasn't just powerful.
It was catastrophic.
"…If he tries it…"
"…Can he even fail?"
Inside—
Rudeus continued experimenting.
Not with power—
But with complexity.
Multiple spells.
Simultaneously.
Different properties.
Different outputs.
All controlled perfectly.
"…There's no interference."
Which meant—
He could scale infinitely.
"…Then I don't need to follow progression."
He skipped steps.
Skipped ranks.
Skipped limitations.
Because none of them applied.