Chapter : 1377

She stared at the canvas ceiling, listening to the sounds of the forest. She could hear the crackle of the fire outside. She could hear Lloyd moving around, adding wood to the flames.

She felt a strange mixture of emotions swirling in her chest. Relief that she was safe. Relief that he was guarding her. But also... a tiny, traitorous pang of disappointment.

Part of her, the part she tried to suppress with logic and history books, had wanted him to argue. Had wanted him to come inside. Not for anything improper, of course. Just... to be close. To share the warmth. To not be separated by a wall of canvas.

"He is Rosa's husband," she reminded herself fiercely. "He is forbidden. He is a complicated mess."

But he was also the man who had listened to her. The man who had made her feel brave. The man who was currently sitting in the cold so she could be comfortable.

She turned on her side, facing the entrance. She could see his silhouette through the fabric, a dark shape against the firelight. He was sitting perfectly still, his back straight, a sword across his knees. A guardian.

Outside, Lloyd let out a long breath. He sat on a stump near the tent flap. He wasn't using any monk techniques. He was just tired.

"That was close," he whispered to himself. "Too close."

He had felt the moment by the fire. The connection. It was dangerous. He was already juggling three potential wives. Adding a sister-in-law to the mix was a recipe for a nuclear explosion.

"Focus, Lloyd," he scolded himself. "Focus on the mission. Focus on the giant robot vampire. Do not focus on how nice Mina's eyes are when she isn't yelling at you."

He rubbed his face. He needed a distraction. He needed work.

"The enemy is strong," he thought. "Wilfred has a weapon that eats souls. I have a sword and a bad attitude. The math doesn't work."

He needed an upgrade. A big one. He needed to bridge the gap between a man and a monster.

"Time to go shopping," Lloyd muttered.

He closed his eyes, not to sleep, but to dive into the one place where he could find salvation. The System. The black void of the interface opened up before him, filled with stars and menus and the promise of power.

He had coins. He had a need. And he had a long, lonely night ahead of him.

"Show me the heavy stuff," Lloyd commanded the Administrator. "Show me the things that hurt."

While Mina tossed and turned, wrestling with her heart, Lloyd sat in the dark, wrestling with his own weakness, preparing to forge himself into something that could survive the apocalypse.

The fire had burned down to glowing embers. The forest was deeply silent, the kind of silence that felt heavy, like the world was holding its breath. Inside the tent, Mina’s breathing had evened out, though Lloyd suspected she was still awake.

Lloyd sat cross-legged on the damp ground. His physical body was still, but his mind was racing through the neon-blue corridors of the System Shop.

"Okay, Administrator," Lloyd thought. "I need strength. Raw, physical strength. I need to be able to punch a golem in the face and not break my hand. What do you have?"

The shop interface scrolled. There were potions (too temporary). There were enchanted gauntlets (too expensive). There were spirit upgrades (too flashy).

Then, he saw it. Under the tab labeled "Forbidden Arts - Body Cultivation."

[Skill: Demon Gate]

Description: An ancient martial art that unlocks the body's limiters. The user opens internal 'gates' of energy, flooding the muscles with Void power. Each gate exponentially increases physical strength, speed, and durability.

Risk: High. Opening gates causes extreme physical stress. Improper use results in muscle tearing, bone fracture, and potential explosion of user.

Price: High.

"Explosion of user," Lloyd mused. "That’s a charming side effect. But 'exponential increase' sounds nice."

It was perfect. It wasn't a spell that could be nullified by anti-magic fields. It was internal. It was his own body, overclocked to the max.

"Buy it," Lloyd commanded.

Transaction Complete.

The knowledge slammed into his brain. It wasn't just words; it was sensation. He felt the location of the seven gates within his body. They were like dams holding back a river of power.

The First Gate: The Gate of Opening. Located in the brain. It removed the brain's safety limits on muscle exertion.

"Let's do this," Lloyd whispered. "Quietly."

He focused. He pushed his Void energy towards the base of his skull.

Crack.

Chapter : 1378

It felt like someone had hit him in the back of the head with a hammer. His eyes watered. A jolt of electricity shot down his spine. His muscles tightened, every fiber screaming.

"Ow," he mouthed silently. "Ow, ow, ow."

But then, the pain faded, replaced by a hum. He looked at his hand. It wasn't shaking anymore. It felt... heavy. Dense.

He moved to the Second Gate: The Gate of Healing. Located in the heart. It pumped energy to repair damage instantly, allowing the body to sustain the increased load.

He pushed.

Thump-thump. THUMP-THUMP.

His heart beat like a war drum against his ribs. His blood felt hot, like liquid mercury. He gasped, biting his lip to keep from screaming. The heat spread to his fingertips and toes. He felt energized, like he had just drunk ten espressos and been struck by lightning.

"Two down," Lloyd panted. "Five to go. This is fun. I am having fun."

He didn't stop. He couldn't stop. The enemy wasn't stopping.

The Third Gate: The Gate of Life. Located in the solar plexus.

He forced it open. The sensation was like swallowing a grenade. His abs contracted so hard he thought they would snap. He curled forward, forehead touching the dirt. Sweat poured off him.

"Just... a little... more," he wheezed.

The pain was blinding. But beneath the pain was power. He felt strong. Ridiculously strong. He picked up a rock the size of a melon. He squeezed.

Crunch.

The rock crumbled into dust in his hand. Not broke. Crumbled.

He stared at the dust. "Okay. That's cool."

He wiped the grit from his hand. He was sweating, shaking, and in agony. But he felt alive. He felt like a weapon.

"Gate Four," he thought. "The Gate of Pain."

"Appropriate name," Lloyd thought grimly. "Here we go."

The Fourth Gate was located in the spine. It was the bridge between the upper and lower body. Opening it meant total synchronization.

Lloyd took a deep breath. He braced himself against the tree stump. He channeled his will. Open.

It wasn't a click. It was a roar.

A shockwave of energy blasted through him. His back arched involuntarily. Every vertebrae popped. It felt like his spine was being pulled out and replaced with a rod of molten iron.

He bit down on his leather glove to stifle a scream. Tears streamed down his face. The pain was absolute. It was white-hot and consuming.

But then, it broke.

The energy flooded his limbs. He felt light. He felt like gravity had decided to stop working on him. He stood up. He didn't just stand; he launched himself up. He moved so fast the air cracked.

He landed softly. He looked at his body. He didn't look different. No bulging veins, no glowing aura. But inside, he was a furnace.

"Gate Four," Lloyd whispered. "I feel... incredible."

He looked at a massive oak tree at the edge of the clearing. It was three feet thick.

He walked over to it. He didn't wind up. He just placed his fist against the bark and pushed, activating the power of the Fourth Gate.

CRACK.

The wood groaned. A spiderweb of fractures exploded up the trunk. The tree shuddered. With a simple push, he had compromised the structural integrity of a hundred-year-old oak.

"Emperor-Rank strength," Lloyd estimated. "Raw, physical power. No magic needed."

He felt invincible. He felt like he could wrestle a dragon and win.

"Why stop here?" Lloyd thought. The adrenaline was intoxicating. "The Fifth Gate. The Gate of Limit."

He sat back down. He focused on the spot just below his navel. The Fifth Gate.

He pushed.

Nothing happened.

He pushed harder. He threw his entire will, all his new strength, against the invisible barrier.

It was like hitting a wall of diamond. It didn't budge. It didn't even vibrate.

Instead, a sharp, warning pain shot through his core. It wasn't the growing pain of the other gates. It was a "stop or you will die" pain.

Lloyd gasped and pulled back. He fell onto his back, panting.

"Blocked," he realized. "I can't open it."

He checked the System.

Error: Biological Integrity Insufficient. Opening Fifth Gate at current durability levels will result in immediate liquidation of skeletal structure.

"Liquidation," Lloyd muttered. "That means melting bones. I like my bones solid. Thank you for the warning."

He had hit his limit. Four gates. That was his current max. To open the fifth, he would need to toughen his body even more. Maybe bathe in dragon blood? Or eat more kale? He wasn't sure.