Nox slowed slightly during attack transitions.

The Burst Step itself was incredible.

But the moment before impact…

Her momentum became readable.

A weakness.

And Lyra immediately pointed it out.

"You hesitate during commitment."

Nox sat up while rubbing her stomach.

"That punch should honestly count as murder."

"It's still a flaw," Lyra replied calmly.

Nox sighed dramatically.

"Commander, can't you praise me first before trying to kill me?"

"You improved."

Lyra said it directly this time.

And Nox froze slightly.

Because genuine praise from Lyra wasn't common.

"You adapted faster than expected," the commander continued. "Your mana flow is stabilizing naturally now."

That grin slowly returned to Nox's face again.

Even though her stomach still hurt.

The commander crossed her arms.

"But speed alone means nothing if your attack timing becomes obvious."

Nox nodded seriously this time.

She listened carefully.

"Your body accelerates well," Lyra continued. "Now learn how to attack without announcing it."

Ryn suddenly smirked from behind.

"So basically stop fighting like an excited monkey."

Nox immediately pointed at him.

"I WILL fight you after this."

"You won't catch me."

"I'm literally faster now!"

The squad laughed again while the atmosphere lightened.

Arthur watched everything quietly.

Then his eyes drifted toward Nox once more he watched her slowly push herself off the ground, one hand on her stomach while the other brushed dust from her clothes.

That last punch had sent her flying farther than she expected.

Not because she had been weak.

And not because she failed to react.

Commander Lyra had simply gotten carried away.

The woman had completely lost herself in the excitement of watching her squad grow stronger right before her eyes.

Even now, Lyra still looked fired up.

But then she saw Nox standing again only seconds after crashing into the ground, and her expression shifted slightly.

Impressed.

Nox breathed heavily while mana still flickered around her legs in weak bursts.

Yet her eyes still carried the same stubborn fire.

Like she wanted to continue.

Lyra exhaled softly before raising a hand.

"That's enough."

Nox paused.

A small part of her clearly wanted to rush in again, but she eventually relaxed her stance. She reached into her storage pouch and pulled out a mana potion.

The moment she drank it, she nearly groaned.

"Damn… that feels good."

Torren laughed from nearby while sitting against his shield.

"You look like you just survived execution."

"I basically did."

That earned a few chuckles from the others.

Even Lyra smirked a little.

Nox stretched her arms slowly while the potion settled into her system. Her legs still trembled slightly from overuse.

She had never burned through mana this badly before.

Not once.

And honestly…

She loved it.

The speed.

The movement.

That feeling when her body moved faster than her thoughts.

It felt incredible.

Her grin slowly returned.

"I still don't get how I suddenly did all that though…"

Selene crossed her arms nearby.

"Tell me about it. My arrows literally started bending in the air today."

"And my bindings started spreading everywhere," Althea added.

Torren lifted his shield proudly.

"And I became a fortress."

"You became a punching bag," Nox corrected immediately.

The hall burst into laughter again.

Even Arthur smiled while Mel rested lazily beside him.

But unlike the others, Arthur stayed quieter.

Because he already knew.

Meanwhile Lyra's expression slowly became thoughtful again.

Very thoughtful.

Her eyes moved across every member of the squad one after another.

Torren.

Nox.

Selene.

Althea.

Then finally Ryn.

Too many sudden breakthroughs.

Too many.

She could still excuse Ryn because of his talent.

Maybe.

But the others?

No.

This wasn't normal growth anymore.

Selene had practically developed the new arrow skill mid training.

Torren's defensive control evolved within minutes.

Nox suddenly moved like an entirely different fighter.

Even Mel…

Her gaze drifted toward the cub beside Arthur.

That little monster had grown absurdly fast too.

At first Lyra assumed the cub was simply awakening its natural instincts after being pushed properly.

But now?

Now it felt like part of a larger pattern.

And patterns bothered her.

The training hall slowly quieted as the realization settled over everyone.

Torren scratched the back of his head before joking casually.

"Maybe hanging around freaks like Arthur and Ryn rubbed off on us."

The squad laughed again.

But the laughter slowly faded.

Because somehow…

That ridiculous joke sounded like the closest thing to an explanation they had.

Ryn folded his arms thoughtfully.

"I don't know about Arthur," he muttered, "but I'm definitely a genius."

Arthur snorted.

"Your ego grows faster than your skills."

"At least both are growing."

"Fair enough."

Selene shook her head helplessly.

Meanwhile Lyra stayed silent.

Thinking.

Her instincts kept pushing her toward Arthur.

Not directly.

Just subtly.

Every strange thing somehow circled back toward him.

The timing.

The changes.

The growth.

Even the way he calmly watched everything.

It bothered her.

Just then Arthur suddenly noticed her staring.

Their eyes met.

And the idiot winked at her.

A playful, completely shameless wink.

Lyra's eye twitched.

Suspicious brat.

Yet, Arthur only grinned wider.

Because he knew exactly what she was thinking.

But even if she suspected him, there was no logical way she could connect him to any of this.

None.

So eventually Lyra let out a slow breath and pushed the thoughts aside.

Whatever the reason was…

Their growth was real.

And honestly?

The timing could not have been better.

The stronghold needed strength now more than ever.

Her expression hardened slightly.

"Listen carefully," she said.

The squad immediately focused.

"You've all improved faster than I expected. Don't get carried away by it. Growth means responsibility too."

The playful mood eased a little.

"The situation outside is getting worse," she continued. "Far worse than when we entered this hall earlier in the day."

Arthur's smile faded slightly.

The others noticed it too.

Lyra looked toward the closed entrance of the training hall.

"We've been shut in here training for hours. But the world outside hasn't stopped moving."

A tense silence followed.

Then…

WOOOOOOOOOOO…