Chapter 29: Portal, Arrival At the Capital
"For the two zones, we have a spatial means of transportation—a replica of the gateway between the Abyss and the human world, although it is several times weaker," Bama explained with a laugh.
Across from them stood an enormous oval structure built upon a raised platform.
It was roughly ten meters wide and more than sixteen meters tall.
"The reason it was built this large is to allow us to transport our soldiers directly to the border cities. It also serves as a secure pathway to the capital and our Zone Three cities.
"Of course, it’s extremely difficult to construct. One needs sufficient mastery over space, which means their Trait must possess special spatial abilities, and they must be at least at the King Realm.
"The requirements are extremely demanding, but thankfully, we found someone capable of meeting them."
Bama finished speaking as the four of them walked toward the portal.
Behind them, Yen’s face became increasingly expressionless.
She couldn’t help but remember her own struggles.
To enter the Destal Kingdom, she had first needed to knock someone unconscious, steal their identity, and sneak across the border.
She had failed countless times before finally obtaining a temporary residence permit.
Then she spent more than a year building herself up, accumulating wealth, and trying to turn her temporary permit into permanent residency before finally gaining access to Zone Two cities.
There were countless times when she had wanted to give up.
But she endured.
As for Zone Three?
Only nobles were permitted to freely enter those cities.
She had been forced to get close to a Baron who had visited the city where she lived. Through him, she managed to enter a Zone Three city under his jurisdiction.
She spent no less than three years there before finally getting an opportunity to enter the capital.
She had accomplished that by secretly hiding inside the carriage of a passing Count.
Barons and Viscounts could reside within Zone Three, but only Counts and nobles above them were permitted to freely enter and reside in the capital.
And after all those struggles, she had finally gotten the chance to witness just how terrifying the family behind Bama truly was.
It was one thing to hear people talk about how powerful, prestigious, and terrifying the Duke’s family was.
It was another thing entirely to witness it with her own eyes.
Only now did Yen truly understand something.
If Bama had never left the Duke’s Mansion, she would never have had a chance to get close to him.
Never mind getting her revenge.
But now...
She was being told that simply walking through this portal in front of her would take them directly to the capital.
The very capital she had spent five years of her life struggling to enter.
Yen’s eyes became even more lifeless before Ronan and the rest stepped into the portal.
For a brief moment, everything became a blur.
Then
Their surroundings changed.The first thing Ronan noticed was the air, it was denser, richer and far more refreshing.
The moment he took a breath, Ronan felt as though his entire body had come alive.
His pale skin seemed to tingle as the cold, refreshing air washed over him, almost as though his body were being baptized.
He nearly opened his mouth and moaned.
This place was amazing.
As for Bama and Selak, this was where they had lived their entire lives.
They didn’t notice much difference.
Even so, it still took them a brief moment to adjust after the spatial transportation.
"This is the capital," Bama explained.
"But first, we’ve arrived at one of the military bases."
"This place serves as a staging ground for transporting our armies, but it also functions as an arrival point for important people entering the capital."
"Aside from ordinary travel, this is one of the safest and most convenient methods of reaching the capital."
Ronan nodded.
But his mind had already gone somewhere else.
’If I had the Duke’s Seal...’
His crimson eyes narrowed.
’I capture the five humans. Perform the sacrifice. Use the seal to travel to Sanju City... and then escape’
At the very least, it would take them some time to realize he was gone.
By then, he could already be far away from the Destal Kingdom.
The more Ronan thought about it, the more excited he became.
His crimson eyes widened slightly as he secretly glanced toward Selak’s pocket.
’Should I try to pickpocket him?’
Ronan immediately began considering the possibility.
Then...
No.
He remembered some very important words.
"A rabbit was able to live for twelve years because it was impatient and rushed to do everything"
"Ronan, you must be like a tortoise. Stay calm and move slowly. Only then can you surpass everyone and live to the golden age of one hundred."
—Grandpa Cedric.
Ronan’s eyes became serious.
’Such wise words.’
His restless heart gradually calmed.
Just then, a group of guards approached them.
The leader stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Please welcome Young Master Bama and Sir Selak. We will escort you to the Duke’s Mansion."
Bama nodded.
"Let’s go."
As they began moving, Ronan looked around the military base.
The base was enormous.
Although he could only see a fraction of it from his current position, its sheer scale was already astonishing.
And the quality of the soldiers was even more shocking.
King Realm experts could occasionally be seen among the troops.
Peak Sovereign Realm experts were everywhere.
They carried shields and swords as they performed coordinated military drills.
Ronan silently observed everything.
This was the capital of the Destal Kingdom.
Even its military bases were terrifying.
Just as they approached the exit of the base, Ronan noticed a small training ground nearby.
Two people were currently sparring.
A woman dressed in short, comfortable training clothes was fighting a man wearing standard military attire.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary training match.
But Ronan’s eyes widened.
The woman was only at the Peak Transcendent Realm.
Her opponent was a genuine Sovereign Realm expert.
And yet..., she was winning.
Ronan immediately scanned her.
Host: ????
Race: Human
Realm: Transcendent • Nine Star
Trait: Battle Instinct Lv.13
Essence: 900/900 (???)
Effect:
• Exceptional combat instincts
• Enhanced reaction speed
• Extreme battle awareness
• Increased physical performance during combat
• Rapid recognition of enemy patterns
• High resistance to pain and fatigue
• Improved control over body during battle
• Allows to fight opponents above Realm
Abilities:
Combat Sense Lv.8
Can instinctively detect changes in an opponent’s movements, killing intent, and attacks, allowing reaction before most attacks are fully unleashed.
Battle Adaptation Lv.9
The longer the fight continues, the more accurately one understands opponent’s movements, techniques, and habits, allowing gradual Adaptation to opponent fighting style.
Frenzied Will Lv.2
When seriously injured or pushed into a desperate situation,physical abilities and combat instincts increase dramatically for a short period.
Ronan’s crimson eyes widened.
"Shit..."
Ronan didn’t even want to look at the man’s stats.
This woman was only the second creature he had encountered who could battle opponents above her own Realm.
Now, Ronan was beginning to realize something.
Realm was important, yes.
But Traits could determine far more than he had initially thought.
This was terrifying.
Just then, the woman crossed her arms and blocked a punch from the man.
The moment she defended against the attack, she exploded forward with incredible force, causing the man to take a step backward.
But he was a battle-hardened veteran.
He immediately understood the danger of retreating.
Worse, he was looking upward at that moment, so he couldn’t see what the woman was doing.
But she would most likely press her advantage.
He quickly brought both hands together as they approached one another.
If she threw a punch or any other attack he would clap his hands together at the perfect moment.
Based on his calculations, the impact would strike her ears, disrupting her balance and leaving her temporarily dizzy.
Afterward, he could either retreat or seize the opportunity to counterattack.
But then...
He felt his hands suddenly being stopped.
She grabbed them?
The man’s eyes widened in shock.
What the hell?!
He didn’t even have time to think.
A sudden chill ran down his back.
His heart skipped a beat.
Then the woman violently dragged him downward.
His gaze dropped.
A knee was rapidly rising toward him, growing larger in his vision with every passing instant.
BOOM!
The impact was tremendous.
The resulting shockwave exploded outward, sending a violent gust of wind across a radius of nearly a hundred meters.
Ronan felt the wind slam into his face.
His mouth slowly fell open in shock.
What kind of monster is this woman?!