CHAPTER 154: FILLING THE BOOK

The battle ended in a way none of the warriors from Oden could have ever imagined. Not only had they lost to the townsmen of Ribest in mere minutes, they had lost badly, so badly that not a single Ribest fighter had been killed. The townsmen fought with overwhelming strength, precision, and discipline, beating down the invaders without taking a single life.

Yes, many men had sustained heavy injuries on both sides, but no one from Ribest had died.

Over half of Oden’s warriors were forced to retreat, abandoning their own comrades as fear overtook them. Those who remained were quickly captured. The townsmen and the knights tied them all down and dragged them to the town square, the only place large enough to hold prisoners, since Ribest had no dungeon. They were not a war town. They never expected to need one.

But today, they had won a war.

An overwhelming victory, one that left every man, woman, and child in Ribest vibrating with a mixture of pride, disbelief, and joy. Not a single death. Not one. Only battered fists, bruised bodies, and adrenaline still burning through their veins.

More than anything, it filled them with a deep, unshakable respect for their young master, Raze.

He had warned them. Days before, he had told them to prepare themselves, to train, to strengthen their minds because danger might soon come knocking. He gave them instructions, techniques, information, everything they needed.

And when the moment finally came, they outdid themselves.

Their punches landed harder. Their stances were firmer. Their bodies moved with purpose. The Qi training Raze had drilled into them had turned ordinary farmers and workers into warriors capable of suppressing trained soldiers from Oden.

Now, as the dust settled and victory wrapped itself around the town like a warm cloak, everyone in Ribest felt the same undeniable truth:

Their young master had changed their lives. And today, they had proved that his teachings were not just theories, they were power.

[.....,..... ]

Raze sat inside his room as sunlight streamed across his face, warming the side of his cheek. Elaine, Ella, and Fey stood nearby. Gavin had already left earlier, rushing back to the academy to continue his training. After everything that happened in Lumine and after meeting their first demonic beast, he had become twice as eager to grow stronger.

"Well, since we survived it pretty easily," Raze said, lying back on his bed with both hands behind his head. He clearly looked satisfied.

"Pretty easily is an understatement" Ella repeated. "It was completely one sided. The townsmen didn’t even need my help. They handled the Oden army like they were chasing chickens."

Raze smiled. "That was the entire purpose of the Qi training. To make sure they had strength for work and also strength to defend themselves."

He chuckled quietly, obviously proud of himself.

Elaine and Ella exchanged a knowing look. That grin meant the same thing every time. Raze was either plotting something questionable or extremely proud of his own genius. Sometimes both.

"So what do we do now?" Elaine asked. "Do we retaliate against Oden or let this whole thing go?"

Raze leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Oden attacked us without any reason. They believed Andrew’s nonsense that we planned to invade them. They endangered Ribest and everyone inside it. If we were not prepared, people would have died. That is something I cannot allow."

He stared out the window for a moment, silent. Elaine could see his expression sharpening. Ella noticed the slow smile forming.

There it was.

He turned back to them.

"We will give Oden a taste of their own medicine," he said. "But we are not gathering an army. We are heading straight to the Viscount. A personal visit."

Ella blinked. "I am sure he is dying to see you. You know, considering you ruined his entire plan."

"That is why I said we are giving him his own medicine. We are going in swinging," Raze said calmly.

"You want to face the Viscount?" Elaine asked, her eyebrows climbing her forehead. "He has more men than us. Do not tell me you are planning to use the townsmen."

"No need," Raze replied instantly. "They have work to do. Ribest’s development cannot stop because of a spoiled noble. I will go myself. Me and Fey are more than enough to put the Viscount on a very uncomfortable chair."

"That is dangerous," Elaine insisted. "The Viscount is not stupid. He might have items, traps, or backup. You cannot walk into his territory casually."

"Relax," Raze said with a small smile. "I have never acted without thinking. I am not letting anger guide this either. If I make a move, it will be one that is guaranteed to work."

Elaine sighed but nodded. Raze had earned her trust. Every promise he made, he delivered.

"What about Andrew?" Ella asked. "He was behind all of this. I heard you didn’t kill him."

"Correct," Raze said. "He survived. He is unconscious, and we do not know when he will wake."

"Do you feel bad?" she asked.

Raze did not hesitate.

"Not at all. The moment he decided to scheme against us, he stopped being a nuisance and became an enemy. What he got, he earned."

Raze pushed himself off the bed and onto his feet, "now that aside, we have more pressing issues ti handle." He said

"More pressing than this?" Ella asked.

"Definitely, there is a lot more to be done in Ribest, and put pave is snail slow.

While Raze was busy with what was happening on the outside, he was also on the inside, and right in front of him was the book that he had been pouring mana into, he had finally filled the entire background.

He stood up and took a few steps away from the book, it lifted off the table, floating in the air, the image on theypages slowly started morphing, changing chance until a bright light suddenly burst out of it, bright and overpowering right into his face, when it faded, he saw something standing there.