[Nightmare]

"Thanks for showing up." Helix said with a genuine expression.

"Of course, boy! I love being roped into your reckless power plays!" A mocking voice replied.

"So please invite me to bail you out every time you make one."

"I'll make sure to do that, Master." Helix joked.

Tilo gave Helix a murderous gaze, but his facial relaxed.

"You know, somehow the stress you're causing me here is mildly soothing." Tilo laughed.

Helix gave Tilo a quizzical expression laced with amusement.

"How so?"

Tilo gave Helix a mocking expression laced with equal amusement.

"After I stopped training you, my stress levels dropped dangerously low." He replied in amazement.

"I never realized life could be so calm, peaceful, and dreadfully lifeless."

Helix and Tilo burst into laughter after that.

The two were walking to the arena on the [day of rest] to prepare for Tyrene's celebration of life.

Marie, Charlotte, and Riley were training the troops on the city's outskirts.

Part of discipline was waking up and performing routine daily, even for a shorter period.

It was something Tilo and Tyrene taught them.

His Knights were walking behind him, ten feet away alongside Mira.

Tilo and Helix were using a conversational privacy circle, making their discussion inaudible to anyone that wasn't within a five-foot radius.

"Besides. This one's on my shoulders." Tilo commented with a frown.

"I should've gone back to Lexion with Tyrene's body to get embalmed and caught up with you all."

Helix nodded with an understanding expression.

"We couldn't have foreseen the calamity was the arrival of the Thymian Knights or the Myriad Records' ruling." He replied.

"We did the best we could with what we had."

Tilo gave Helix a mocking expression.

"If you keep that act on long enough, you might become charismatic one day."

"I'm practicing, Master. At least give me feedback." Helix sighed.

The two chuckled before bursting into light laughter again.

"I never thought I'd say this, but your madness is finally being put to good use." Tilo scoff-laughed in amazement.

"I think it was always useful, Master." Helix chuckled breathlessly.

"The difference is that you're not on the receiving end anymore."

"Haaaaaah. True. I would've paid good money to see you hit Tyrene with that Ghost Walker Trigger."

Tilo and Helix laughed in bewilderment.

"She came down screaming at me for giving you an Eruption spell." Tilo chuckled.

"Oh yeah? How'd that go?" Helix asked with an amused expression.

"Tyrene chewed my ass out for five minutes before I gave up and thrust your circle into her hands." Tilo laughed.

"Then she said, [Tilo. This kid's a damn genius, yet you gave him an Eruption spell. That's your fault].

Then she sighed and said, [Why do I have to do everything myself?

Fine. I'll train the kid full time; you can thank me later]."

Helix chuckled in bewilderment before bursting into laughter.

Tilo gave him a wry smile before cracking and joining in.

"Sounds like her." Helix commented with a warm smile.

"Indeed." Tilo laughed breathlessly.

"She'd be proud of you, boy."

Helix turned to him with a serious expression.

"You think so?"

Tilo matched his gaze before walking through the gateway.

Multiple Knights moved aside when they saw Tilo's face and official clothing.

To Helix, Tilo was always a teacher that he met in Kozen.

However, in Alzeria, the man was the kingdom's top circle master and extremely powerful.

"Yes. You know why Tyrene came to train you, right?" Tilo asked.

"I believe so." Helix replied.

"It's because of the strategic victories I won in Alzeria before leaving for Kozen, right?"

Tilo turned to him with an amused expression.

"Hoh? Did she tell you?"

Helix chuckled lightly.

"Not explicitly. However, Master Tyrene said it as a [joke] when we met, and I never thought it was otherwise."

Tilo smiled with amusement.

"Tyrene was honest in the strangest ways."

He pondered the point a bit longer.

"Well, it's true. Now that death is coming, your strange cunning is somehow gaining power with top officials without force." Tilo chuckled.

Helix, Tilo, and Tyrene made a blood pact to share information on the pending invasion quest.

Therefore, he understood what was coming to Alzeria.

It was the only reason the man was so hands-on with aiding Helix with circles for all his stunts.

While Helix's access to the Myriad Library ensured that he would eventually learn them, and wanted to teach them safely, that still didn't justify teaching him calamity spells.

The teen's talent was unrivaled, and his spirit particle reserve was so high that it was in another world from everyone else.

As a result, while a grandmaster like Tilo could activate three after countless years of developing into a level 189 grandmaster, Helix could toss them out like candy if he could activate them.

And he could activate them.

Therefore, Helix was a huge liability. However, his partners were walking calamities, and his need to amass power was unparalleled. So Tilo didn't hold back when he taught Helix.

"You realize how absurd it is for a nameless boy to show up and speak to generals, right?"

Helix scoff-laughed and gave Tilo an exasperated expression.

"Is that a joke? I can't take a piss without someone reminding me."

Tilo burst into laughter.

"At least you understand."

Helix gave him a wry smile and continued walking.

"But it's working somehow." Tilo continued.

"Tilo, look to your right." Helix requested with a mocking smile.

There was an 8000-pound Colossus skull right next to him.

"Haaaaah. It certainly helps, but I'm not blind to the opposition, you know." Tilo scoff-laughed.

"Me either, unfortunately." Helix sighed.

"Hah! There it is! I thought those magical fairies had completely changed you!" Tilo cried.

Helix turned away from Tilo with a laughing expression.

He couldn't even look at the man at the moment.

After Tilo calmed down, he stopped walking at the tip of the Stalkwalker's snout.

"Honestly, though. Do you have a backup plan?" The man asked with a serious tone.

"You've won 80% of the soldiers and nobles in a few days.

But 20% is a large number in a country, and the 80% aren't loyal, nor will they back you under heat."

Helix closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I do have a backup plan that doesn't involve force." He replied.

"Don't tell me you're going to give everyone in the city a harem." Tilo replied mockingly.

Helix chuckled in bewilderment.

"You know, that's not half bad. I think I'll—"

Tilo stopped him.

"Don't. Just… don't."

Helix laughed lightly.

"Don't worry, Master. It doesn't involve a harem."

Tilo narrowed his eyes and studied an expression.

"However, it's also not pretty. No trump card strategy is." Helix continued.

"But it's also complicated, and I don't want to use it. It's a gamble."

Tilo looked at Helix with a serious expression.

"You're one for risks, but you're not a gambler."

Helix chuckled with lifeless eyes before sighing.

"You're right. However, there's not much to lose when the alternative involves leaving the city and watching thousands die."

Tilo gave Helix a wry smile.

"Yeah. You're right about that."

"Don't worry, Master. I'll make this work." Helix said with a serious expression.

"You make your own luck. And when I'm working this hard and dealing with this much nonsense, I'm feeling pretty damn lucky."

Tilo burst into laughter.

"Still cocky and arrogant as always, I see."

Helix smiled and looked at the Stalkwalker's skull.

"Heh. It's been working for me thus far."

Tilo turned to the skull and chuckled breathlessly.

"I guess you've earned it. At least a little bit."

Helix turned to Tilo with a serious expression.

"Tilo. You may need to protect Mira for a few days."

Tilo glanced at the young woman before turning back to Helix.

"Why?" He asked simply.

"She's… in a complicated situation." Helix sighed.

"If things go wrong, I'm certain I can fix the situation.

But I didn't know what would happen to her if I disappeared for any length."

Tilo glanced at the young woman again.

"You mean that her [position] is connected to you personally?"

Helix gave Tilo a wry smile.

"Yes. Mira's entire existence revolves around me at the moment." Helix sighed.

"It's harmonious when I'm here, but it would be crushing if I weren't.

It's a twisted situation that came at the worst time."

Tilo took a deep breath.

"You can't just buy her out of servitude?"

Helix's eyes glided to the left.

"She's… it's complicated. What's more important is that Mira's presence is symbolic of the kingdom's gratitude and support." He sighed.

"Buying her or leaving with her would be a slap in the face."

Tilo sighed as well.

"What a pain. I'll see what I can do."

Helix gave him a grateful smile.

"Just for a few days, right?" Tilo asked.

"Yes." Helix replied with a slight smile.

"Okay. That should be doable, considering you're insane, and I'm certain you'll come back." Tilo laughed.

"My consistency is a virtue." Helix chuckled.

Tilo gave Helix a murderous gaze before his expression relaxed.

"Heh. Your personality is like fire. It'll keep you warm and alive, but it will raze a kingdom if it gets out of hand."

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[A/N: Who's ready for things to start spiraling out of control?]

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Power stones and grammatical errors = more content. :)

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