Chapter 56: double joy

The room returned to its previous silence as everyone waited for the next Queen to arrive. Smith didn’t hesitate; he immediately initiated another summoning call.

​This time, a portal appeared with a dark silver sheen. It didn’t release the crushing physical pressure that Magenta’s portal had, but it exuded a razor-sharp intent—a feeling as if an unknown entity were targeting everyone in the room. It felt as though an invisible archer was constantly aiming an arrow straight at them. Although no opponent was visible, everyone sensed that an unexpected arrow would strike from nowhere the moment anyone made a sudden move.

​The aura was one of total precision rather than heavy force—like a hidden arrow primed to release at any second, impossible to dodge. Though everyone knew that it was just an illusion created the pressure, no one was actually aiming at them; it was simply the portal’s manifestation.

​From the dark silver portal, a figure stepped out. She was not as heavily built as Magenta, standing at roughly the same height as Velvet and Brenda. She had shoulder-length brown hair framing a remarkably cute face, but her eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s, looking as if they could see through anything.

​She wore dark silver plate armor with green trims. While not as thick as Brenda’s plate armor, it provided ample protection without sacrificing mobility or flexibility. Over her back was a beautifully crafted bow covered in intricate carvings. She also carried two quivers—one on her back containing long arrows, and a second quiver at her hip filled with shorter arrows roughly two-thirds the length of the long ones.

​She exuded the unmistakable air of a master marksman—someone who never missed a target. Even without drawing her bow, her posture radiated absolute confidence.

​When the dark silver portal vanished, the tension in the room subsided. Astra was welcomed warmly by the others. Without wasting time, Smith pulled up her data panel to inspect her details:

​Name: Astra

Title: The Star Shooter (Legendary)

Rank: Novice

Battle Arts: Arrow Arts

​Navigating to her Title effect, he read:

​Title: The Star Shooter

Title Effect: Increases Attack and Speed by 200%.

​Expecting this result, Smith moved directly to her Battle Arts skills:

​Skill 1: Arrow Correction (Stage 1): Fired arrows automatically adjust their trajectory in mid-air to home in on targets.

Skill 2: Arrow Acceleration (Stage 1): Fired arrows can rapidly increase their flight speed at any moment while in mid-air.

​Smith was thoroughly impressed. At first glance, auto-correction might seem redundant for a master marksman, but real targets didn’t stand still—they dodged. Targets usually timed their dodges based on the arrow’s initial release, but with mid-air course correction, dodging became exponentially harder. The second skill was even more lethal: just as an opponent prepared to block or dodge based on an arrow’s calculated timing, the projectile would suddenly accelerate mid-flight, rendering all their preparation useless.

​Smith noted the unique dual-quiver arrangement as well. The longer arrows were clearly crafted for maximum armor penetration and distance snipes, while the shorter ones were designed for rapid-fire close-quarters defense. In tandem with her acceleration and tracking arts, Astra could effortlessly transition between long-range suppression and terrifying point-blank intercepting shots.

​Appreciating her practical skill set, Smith greeted her. "Welcome, Astra. You can join the others for now. We’ll talk details later—the rest are still waiting on the other side."

​Like Magenta, Astra unsummoned her armor and weapons, revealing a supple, lean frame beneath her combat gear. Her physique was quite similar to Velvet’s, optimized entirely for agile maneuvers and fluid drawing motions rather than raw physical strength.

​Remembering to update the Elders, Smith announced that Astra was also a Legendary Titled Queen. The Elders were astounded—that made four Legendary Titled Queens in total. Jacob leaned in closer to the elders, whispering frantically about how such an lineup would fundamentally rewrite the balance of power across the entire region. Excitedly, the group watched the empty space as Smith prepared for the third summon.

​Smith initiated the next call without delay.

​This time, a jet-black portal materialized, absorbing the surrounding light and plunging the room into eerie darkness. The pressure didn’t crush the room physically; instead, it created a chilling sensation of being stalked. It felt as though a venomous snake was lurking in the shadows, ready to spring from nowhere and land a fatal blow in their backs. Even the atmosphere in the ambient air seemed to go dead silent, as if refusing to vibrate near the dark anomaly.

​From the pitch-black portal, a petite figure stepped forward. She wore black leather armor reinforced with fitted steel plating over her shoulders, arms, chest, and other vital areas. The material was a deep, light-absorbing black—resembling VantaBlack—that seemed to swallow the light around it.

​A dark half-mask covered the lower half of her face, leaving only her short, glossy black hair and striking, glowing dark eyes visible. At her waist hung two long daggers—longer than standard daggers, yet shorter than shortswords. Her leather belt was lined with various concealed throwing weapons, including dark steel darts and weighted throwing needles.

​As the black portal dissolved, the petite assassin examined her surroundings before being welcomed by the group. The scene turned comical when she went in for the group hug—her head barely reached Magenta’s chest, leaving her squished against Magenta’s stomach like a hotdog in a bun. Magenta chuckled softly, patting the top of Vesper’s head with a hand larger than the assassin’s entire face.

​Smith opened her data panel:

​Name: Vesper

Title: The Silent Shadow (Legendary)

Rank: Novice

Battle Arts: Shadow Arts

​Checking her Title effect:

​Title: The Silent Shadow

Title Effect: Increases Attack and Speed by 200%.

​As an assassin, high speed and burst attack power were crucial. He then reviewed her Battle Arts:

​Skill 1: Shadow Cloak (Stage 1): Reduces presence to the absolute minimum in dim or dark environments, suppressing detection across sight, sound, smell, and aura.

Skill 2: Shadow Movement (Stage 1): Increases movement speed in proportion to the level of darkness in the surrounding area.

​Smith nodded approvingly. These were ideal skills for an assassin. Shadow Cloak went beyond simple visual stealth by dampening all sensory signatures, while Shadow Movement acted as a low-cost passive speed boost in dark environments. With both active simultaneously, night raids or indoor assassination contracts would become absolute butcheries. Both skills offered massive growth potential.

​Smith turned to the Elders and announced that Vesper was also a Legendary Titled Queen.

​By now, though still thrilled, the Elders were beginning to get used to the extraordinary news. One truth was becoming crystal clear to them: they needed to do everything in their power to support this young man. With two more Queens left to be summoned, the Elders watched in eager anticipation to witness the remaining Queens to reveal themselves.