Warrior Training System

A hand emerged from the crater first, followed by a calm but strained voice. "Aren't you rude, Mr. Blue Hair..." The pastor pulled himself up, his ever-present smile now faintly cracked, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Detective Cassandra, get them out of here, " Julius said, his voice brimming with excitement as he unsheathed his sword once more. Descending toward the man with deliberate steps, he added with a smirk "It's time for a little fun." and continued with raised tone, "Not as rude as you, though—throwing Astraval-level spells at our freshly awakened warrior."

The man's strained smile didn't waver as he stepped out of the crater. The last thing Cassian heard him say was, "I wouldn't have, if he hadn't killed so many of my people..."

Before Cassian could hear more, his vision blurred, and he realized he was floating in the air, encased in a large, transparent silver bubble. Inside with him were three others—Cassandra and two women—while Cassandra's spear served as the bubble's focal point. It seemed to be propelling them forward at incredible speed. Cassian had no idea how it worked, but the sensation was surreal, almost like they were flying.

"Was that who I think he was?" Dallas asked, her gaze fixed on the shrinking battlefield as it blurred into the distance.

"If you're thinking it's the pastor we've been searching for all these weeks, then yes," Cassandra replied, her tone edged with worry. She added, almost to herself, "And he's incredibly strong."

Both women stared at her in shock before blurting out in unison, "Really?"

Cassian, on the other hand, didn't see the big deal. Julius had easily blasted the guy into a crater, after all. Sure, the pastor caught him by surprise, but the way Julius handled him seemed pretty brutal and decisive.

Sensing the tension, Cassandra continued, "He is strong, but Detective Julius can handle him without a problem."

Cassian frowned in confusion and asked, "Then why did he send us away?"

"Didn't you see what happened to the other man dressed as a pastor? Just by standing near when Julius attacked the real one, he was obliterated," Cassandra explained, her words making Cassian realize the gravity of the situation. She continued, "Even if I could shield you all from the aftershocks, in a battle like this, we'd just be liabilities for Detective Julius."

As if to punctuate her point, a deafening explosion echoed behind them—

BOOM!

The sound sent a jolt through everyone except Cassandra. Instinctively, the others turned to look back, their eyes widening as they saw the aftermath of the battle. A wave of destruction surged toward them, ripping through the forest and dragging everything in its path.

The force slammed into Cassandra's silver barrier, which held firm, shielding them from harm. But even from within, the sound of the impact reverberated loudly, a testament to just how powerful the shockwave was.

In that moment, they finally understood why battles between the truly powerful were so rare, except during large-scale conflicts or extraordinary circumstances like this. The sheer devastation unfolding behind them was a stark reminder—when the strong clashed, it wasn't just a fight; it was a force of nature, one that could obliterate everything in its path.

As the booming sounds grew fainter with each passing second, Alix remarked, "Detective Julius is leading the fight away from the villages..."

Turning back, her eyes landed on Cassian, whose burns had completely healed, his skin now smooth and healthy. However, most of his clothes had been scorched away, leaving only a small, tattered section around his hips. Flustered, Alix quickly blushed and conjured a thin layer of water to cover him, shielding his exposed body.

Cassian glanced down, realizing what she'd done. "I'm fine, Detective Alix. You don't need to heal me anymore," he said, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm not healing you," Alix replied, her blush deepening as she tried to control it. Cassian, realizing why she'd done it, blushed as well.

Seeing that he understood, Alix's blush lessened, but she still hesitated. "I'm sorry..." she murmured, her voice soft.

The other two looked at her, quickly piecing together who her apology was directed at. They turned to Cassian, who looked surprised. "Sorry to me? Why?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Alix's expression softened with guilt as she finally answered, her voice quiet but earnest. "Because I sent you to the village that night you got kidnapped. If I hadn't, you wouldn't have gone through all of this..." Her eyes met Cassian's, filled with regret.

Cassian, however, just smiled and waved his hands dismissively. "Nothing bad happened," he said, reassuring her. "I just got a bit burned, that's all." Then, with a wide grin, he added, "Actually, I ended up getting a gift. I awakened my domain."

The others blinked in surprise, but Cassian's bright smile only grew bigger as he excitedly shared the news, his mood lightening despite everything.

The guilt on Alix's face didn't fade, and Dallas still watched Cassian with sympathy. Cassandra's expression was a mix of those emotions as well. All of them knew that awakening a domain wasn't something simple—it took an incredibly strong will or intense emotion. Considering Cassian's circumstances, they all knew what had triggered his awakening.

But Cassian didn't catch on to their unspoken feelings. Instead, he continued with excitement, his energy still high. "I also got this amazing self-healing ability—that's why I healed so quickly..." He turned to Dallas, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Sarge, do you have an ability like mine, or is it something rare?"

Dallas gave Cassian a small, knowing smile but didn't answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at Alix and Cassandra, gauging their reactions. She could tell that Cassian, despite everything, still hadn't fully understood the weight of what he'd gone through.

After a brief pause, Dallas nodded with a smile. "I do," she said. "And so does Detective Cassandra. Every circle warrior gains a unique ability when they awaken their domain. Like yours is self-healing, mine is muscle strengthening..."