Chapter 660: Next Mission

It was not happiness that appeared on Mina’s face when Clyde told her she was ready. She did not even smile. Instead, a fierce determination settled over her expression, like a bull realizing that the gate had finally opened and it was time to charge.

Mina only gave him a curt nod, but there was enough force behind it to show how seriously she took his words.

She walked toward him with quick, purposeful steps until she stood directly in front of him.

"Tell me what else I need to do after this," Mina said, her voice cold and steady.

Clyde remained silent for a while. His eyes moved as he considered his next move. After a moment, he finally answered.

"I think we should form a team with just the two of us. We’ll enter a Ruin and test your capabilities."

Mina frowned. "You just said I’m ready."

"Yes. But you still need to be tested. I want you to see what a world that has already been destroyed looks like."

Mina nodded after hearing that. She had no problem with it. She had already been waiting for an opportunity like this for some time, and now that Clyde had acknowledged her strength, she believed it would not take long before she could finally fight one of the Higher Beings.

Clyde stared at her for several seconds in silence. Mina had changed considerably. She was no longer the frightened girl he saw after killing her parents that time.

Her movements were sharper, her eyes colder, her determination had hardened and resembled his own. She was following the same path he had chosen, and revenge had gradually become one of the forces shaping her.

In a way, Clyde knew he had played a major role in turning her into this person. But he did not regret it.

The Higher Beings were the ones who had created this path for her. They were the ones who had forced a young girl to watch her own parents transform into monsters before making her kill them with her own hands.

They had taken away her ordinary life and replaced it with hatred, survival, and the desire for revenge.

Clyde understood that better than anyone.

"Let’s spar," Clyde said as he drew his longsword. "I want to see how strong you are now."

A smile finally appeared on Mina’s face. "You’ll be surprised."

They began their sparring match soon afterward.

What was supposed to be a simple test lasted for hours.

Steel clashed repeatedly across the grassland dimension as Mina attacked from different angles, using her speed and agility to pressure Clyde.

She moved far more efficiently than before, rarely wasting a step and quickly adjusting whenever Clyde changed his rhythm.

Clyde deliberately limited his strength and allowed her to attack without immediately overwhelming her. Even so, Mina continued to push herself and refused to slow down despite her growing exhaustion.

As the battle continued, Clyde gradually became more impressed.

Mina was genuinely strong.

She still lacked experience and there were obvious gaps in her technique, but her physical ability and instinct had developed rapidly.

More importantly, she had learned how to fight without depending entirely on the System.

By the time they finally stopped, Clyde was certain that she could survive in a Ruin and hold her own against the monsters waiting there.

That was enough for him. She was really ready.

—

Later that night, Clyde met Maethion again beside the calm lake.

The elf was already waiting on the same bench where they had spoken before. The surface of the lake reflected the quiet perpetually black night sky, disturbed only by the occasional ripple carried by gentle breeze.

Maethion carried a folded sheet of paper in his hand.

When Clyde approached, the elf moved slightly to make room for him.

"I have what you requested," Maethion said as he handed over the document.

Clyde took it and unfolded the paper. His eyes quickly moved on the details. It was a mission related to Demons.

The objective was relatively simple on the surface. The teams were required to enter a forest located within a Ruin and retrieve a particular artifact believed to have connections to Demon-kind.

The document contained information about the Ruin’s condition, the location of the forest, and several warnings about strange creatures and abnormal magical activity detected in the area.

Clyde’s expression was calm as he continued reading. The mission was exactly the kind of opportunity he had been looking for and what he had asked Maethion to select for him.

Maethion watched him for a moment before speaking. "What are you planning to do with it?"

Clyde folded the document again and said, "I have a plan."

Maethion raised an eyebrow. "And you aren’t going to tell me?"

"I’ll tell you when I think you need to know."

The elf stared at him for a few seconds before releasing a quiet sigh.

"You’re still the same," Maethion said.

Clyde gave him a faint smile.

They continued talking for a while, their conversation eventually returning to the Higher Realm and the plans they had once discussed.

They didn’t speak about their ambitions carelessly. Even inside this Fortress. A single mistake could destroy everything before they even begin.

"We can’t repeat what happened before," Clyde said. "I moved too quickly before and so I revealed too much of my strength, and they learned how to respond."

Maethion nodded slowly. "So what do you suggest?"

"We take our time. We build our strength first, then we strike where they don’t expect it. We don’t need to destroy everything at once.

"We need to make them believe nothing has changed. Let them become comfortable and think we’re still insignificant. Then, when we’re ready, we’ll start tearing their world apart again."

Maethion remained silent for a moment before nodding.

This time, they would not rush.

They would build their power quietly, gather information, and wait for the right opportunities.

The Higher Beings had survived his previous rebellion because he had been in a rush and given too much warning.

Clyde didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.

—