Varek fell silent.
His eyes lowered slightly as though searching through memories buried beneath countless years.
The silence lingered for several moments before he finally looked back at Kael.
"That... is difficult to answer, Master."
"If only it were that simple."
"There is no fixed method."
"Some achieve enlightenment during cultivation."
"Some stumble upon it through fortune."
"Others only understand their Law while standing at death’s door."
"It depends entirely upon the individual."
He looked directly at Kael.
"A Law cannot simply be memorized."
"You comprehend it the moment you truly understand its fundamental nature."
Then something seemed to occur to him.
"Oh."
"I should warn you."
Kael looked up.
"If you intend to use this Seat of Authority to accelerate your comprehension..."
"Make sure you already possess a solid understanding of the Law you’re pursuing."
"Otherwise..."
A serious expression appeared on Varek’s face.
"The overwhelming amount of information flooding into your mind will probably make your head explode."
Kael instinctively touched his forehead.
"...I’ll keep that in mind."
Today’s conversation had taught him far more than he expected.
Despite losing most of his memories, Varek remained a Quasi-Transcendent.
The depth of his knowledge still far surpassed anything Kael had across both his lives.
It also made one thing abundantly clear.
Law wasn’t something that could be conquered through brute force.
There were no shortcuts.
Only understanding.
When the time came...
He would naturally comprehend his own.
For now, there was no point forcing it.
With those thoughts settled, Kael rolled his shoulders before a grin slowly spread across his face.
He looked toward Varek.
"I’ve been wondering."
"You’ve recovered quite a bit of your strength, haven’t you?"
Varek inclined his head.
"I have."
Kael’s smile widened.
"Good."
"Then spar with me."
"I want to know just how strong I’ve become."
"As you wish, Master."
The two of them walked toward the center of the throne room.
Neither spoke another word.
Kael lowered his center of gravity, his breathing slowing as his entire body relaxed.
He made no move to draw a weapon.
This fight would be settled with nothing but his own body.
Across from him, Varek calmly raised a hand.
With a gentle flick of his wrist, the shadows gathered within the corners of the throne room suddenly stirred.
Darkness rippled across the floor.
One after another, shadowy figures rose from the blackness like ghosts emerging from a bottomless abyss.
Some resembled armored warriors.
Others possessed elongated limbs that twisted unnaturally.
Several crawled upon all fours, their eyes burning within featureless faces.
The moment they fully materialized, Kael’s pupils narrowed.
"They’re stronger."
Much stronger.
Compared to the shadow constructs he had fought days ago, these were on an entirely different level.
It was obvious.
Varek’s recovery had significantly increased their strength.
Yet instead of concern...
A fierce excitement spread across Kael’s face.
His blood began to race.
Finally.
An opponent worthy of testing his newfound power.
He slowly clenched both fists until his knuckles cracked.
A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"Come."
"Let’s see what you’ve got."
Without another word, Varek lowered his hand.
The entire army exploded forward.
The throne room shook beneath dozens of charging footsteps as the shadow constructs surged toward Kael from every direction.
Kael shot forward to meet them head-on.
The nearest construct lunged first, dozens of shadowy arms extending toward him like living chains.
Kael’s body dipped low.
The grasping hands swept harmlessly over his head.
Before the creature could react, his fist rocketed upward.
Boom!
The construct’s torso caved inward before its entire body exploded into countless wisps of black mist.
Another appeared from his blind spot.
Kael twisted on instinct, his elbow smashing into its skull with enough force to send cracks racing across its body before it burst apart moments later.
One after another, the constructs rushed him without fear.
One after another, they were torn apart.
They had indeed become far stronger.
But so had he.
In fact...
The gap between them had only grown larger.
Even so, Kael refused to let his guard down.
Last time, Varek had been too weak to participate personally, leaving only the shadow constructs to fight in his place.
This time was different.
Now...
The Quasi-Transcendent himself was now battle-ready.
Kael shattered another construct with a straight punch, then flicked his gaze toward Varek.
A slow smile crept onto his face.
Just how strong is a true Quasi-Transcendent? he wondered.
Kael drove his fist through the chest of another shadow construct, the creature exploding into a cloud of writhing darkness before dissolving into the floor.
The moment it disappeared, two more rushed in to fill the gap.
Not giving him even a second to breathe.
Across the throne room, Varek calmly maneuvered around the battlefield, never remaining in one place for long. His eyes tracked every movement Kael made while his hands continuously weaved through the air, shaping more and more shadow constructs from the darkness blanketing the hall.
"Not bad, Master."
His voice echoed calmly through the chamber.
"Your strength has improved considerably."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"But so has mine."
His gaze sharpened.
"So be careful."
"I won’t be holding back."
Kael’s grin widened upon hearing this.
His heart pounded against his chest as excitement coursed through every vein in his body.
"That’s exactly what I want."
He rolled his shoulders, his fists tightening.
"Come at me with everything you’ve got."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the shadows answered.
The darkness beneath Varek’s feet rippled violently.
More constructs clawed their way into existence, but unlike before, they didn’t charge recklessly.
Instead, they spread apart with uncanny coordination.
Some circled left.
Others drifted right.
Several remained behind, patiently waiting.
Within seconds, they had formed an intricate encirclement around Kael.
"They’re working together..."
His eyes narrowed.
It no longer felt like he was fighting mindless summons.
It felt as though he had stepped onto a battlefield against an organized squad.
The construct directly ahead lunged first.