Published at 14th of February 2026 9:03 am

Chapter 1996 A step Forward 2

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"...A whole vial this time? What exactly are you trying to prove?"

"You're the one blaming me, Soltir?" Renara's lips curved into a faint, tired smile, exhaustion still etched across her features. Her chest rose and fell with heavy, uneven breaths. "Wasn't it you who drank from this pool like a sponge, absorbing every last drop you could until your ninth tail finally stabilized and you broke through as the second Nexus State within the Wing of the Nine Paths?"

"That's not the same," Soltir replied, waving her hand with a mixture of embarrassment and exasperation. "First, I always kept extra

Affinity-Enhancement Elixirs from Headquarters beside me every time I approached the pool. I was never alone in that process. Second, the amount I consumed from the pool, even over hours, doesn't equal a single drop of the vial you swallowed all at once!"

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on Renara with concern. "You've always refined the contents of your vials slowly, carefully... drop by drop. What forced you to act so recklessly this time?"

"..." Renara lowered her eyes for a moment, her expression hardening as she exhaled. "That method is far too slow. Too... mundane." Her eyes lifted, glinting with determination, and then she turned her gaze to the horizon, as if seeing something far beyond the immediate pool. "The Planetary Emperor of the Seven Thrones has begun moving personally. I cannot remain behind. I have to become stronger-far stronger."

"You are already at the peak of the Nexus State! No one among our ancestors ever reached this level!" Soltir's voice rose, tinged with urgency and awe.

"Not enough!" Renara snapped sharply, her voice cutting through the heavy air. Her nine tails twitched and flicked behind her, and her eyes ignited with murderous intent. "The head of the Seven Thrones Emperor is mine... it must be mine!!"

Soltir's eyes flared for a moment, a flash of disbelief and fear, then softened, transforming into understanding... and a hint of pity.

Since Alinor's death, Renara had existed in a strange, perpetual state of competition. She would always set a single target for killing, pouring every ounce of effort, every shred of life, into tracking and destroying it.

When the task was completed, she would feel a hollow emptiness for days, wandering through a silence only she could hear. Then, without pause, she would set her eyes on a new target, moving relentlessly onward.

This cycle had continued until she achieved a breakthrough at the peak of the Nexus State, aided by the periodic Affinity-Enhancement Elixirs from Headquarters. At that level, it was nearly impossible to find an equal within the Nexus State Realm. And when her planetary-grade weapons and equipment were added into the equation, even a half-step into Law Domination could not match her under normal circumstances.

In this state... Renara now set her sights on a far greater target.

One that dwarfed any challenge she had faced before.

She set her eyes on a Guardian.

"You cannot approach the task of killing a Guardian the way you handle the rest. This isn't something you achieve through sheer perseverance and bloodlust alone. The gap is enormous," Soltir said, shaking her head as if trying to shake away a storm. She pointed toward the pool, warning sharply, "And stop drinking that blood! It isn't Nine-Tailed Fox blood. Your body has extreme resistance to it you could actually kill yourself if you push it too far!"

"..." Renara's gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon. She drew in a slow, steady breath, exhaling with a soft, almost imperceptible sigh. "I know it isn't Nine-Tailed Fox blood," she admitted, her voice low but unwavering. "But it is very close. The Polar Aurora Fox is considered a sibling species to the Nine-Tailed Fox, and it possesses perfect affinity with the Law of Frost. By using the blood of a Beast Emperor of this lineage, I can at least open the door to the Minor Frost Law."

"And what about the other eight affinities your body carries? They all resist change. They all fight the advance of Frost affinity over them. That constant resistance places you on the edge of death at all times. This time, you came perilously close-far too close-if not for you specialized Affinity Elixir arriving just in time today, and if I hadn't brought it to you!"

Soltir moved closer on her knees, gently resting a hand on Renara's shoulder. Her touch was soft, yet firm, grounding her. "...My Lady, you are the hope of the Wing of the Nine Paths. You've lifted us to heights we never could have dreamed of. Please, don't abandon yourself like this. Don't risk everything for the sake of progress alone."

"Nothing comes without a little sacrifice," Renara replied coldly, slowly brushing Soltir's hand aside. Her voice carried the weight of unwavering determination. "And to become the Guardian of the Minor Frost Law, I don't need the other eight affinities." Her eyes narrowed, sharp and lethal. "If necessary... I will cut off the rest of my tails."

"..." Soltir bit her lip, a subtle tremor passing through her hand. This time she remained silent, saying nothing at all. Yet her eyes betrayed her-deep worry etched across her face, a rare vulnerability for someone usually so composed. "...It's not as serious as it looks." Seeing that her words had caused concern in the one person she could truly call a friend, Renara forced a small, wry smile. The corners of her lips barely lifted, but it was enough to show a glimmer of reassurance. "Actually... I have some good news."

"It's been a long time since I've heard those words," Soltir said softly, her voice betraying a flicker of hope, a warmth long buried under worry. "What news is that?"

"...I felt it this time." Renara's eyes briefly sparkled, a small, excited smile cutting across her exhausted face, though it vanished almost immediately. "The Minor Frost Law... I felt it. Truly."

"The Minor Frost Law?" Soltir's brows knit tightly, a mixture of disbelief and amazement flashing across her face. "It... it tried to communicate with you already? Does this mean... you've reached a half-step into Law Domination

Realm already?!"

"Shhh!" Renara raised a finger to Soltir's lips, silencing her companion. Her gaze was sharp, commanding attention despite the faint exhaustion shadowing her features. "Do not share that information. I do not want anyone breathing down my neck before it is fully complete. But... yes." She lifted her chin slightly, letting her aura of determination flare. "I am a half-step Law Dominator!" "...Haaa!!" Soltir's eyes widened, sparkling with stars and hearts, her excitement spilling over uncontrollably. Her hands shook slightly, and the air around her seemed to hum with her joy.

Someone of their bloodline-one of their own-could soon become a Law Dominator? This was monumental! A breakthrough that would change their

very fate!

"The important thing, Soltir," Renara said, her tone softening slightly, grounding the flurry of excitement around them, "...what about my request?" Soltir had already taken action. She went directly to Marshal Caesar to petition for an increase in Renra's ultra-concentrated doses-from one every ten years to one every three years.

Each dose cost roughly 300 million pearls. Its primary component was the blood of Devos, but layered within it were the bloods of eight other Beast Kings, each purchased at staggering prices. The alchemical process didn't just combine them-it refined every drop, carefully enhancing their potency while preserving the unique properties of each lineage. This clixir was one of the marvels personally overseen and perfected by Her Highness Zara herself.

It was no wonder the Empire's factories could only produce a single small vial every ten years. Each step of the process was painstaking, precise, and lethal to any who attempted it incorrectly.

But now... this amount had to increase. For Renara to continue her path, the scale of her preparation could no longer remain bound by old limitations. Without those doses to strengthen her entire body, she could never have endured six vials of Beast Emperor blood. Without the elixir that arrived today, she could never have recovered so quickly from swallowing an entire vial at once. The combination of elixir and blood was a delicate, explosive balance- any misstep could have claimed her life.

"Wait... you brought a vial today? Does that mean...?" Renara's eyes widened to their fullest, pupils dilated with anticipation and disbelief. Every muscle in her body tensed, and the aura of raw potential flickered around her like firelight

caught in a storm.

Soltir nodded, a broad, proud smile spreading across her face. "Marshal Caesar told me he has already approved increasing your doses to one per year. From now on, you will receive one every year."

"One per year? That's... that's far too much! This debt...!!!" Renara's eyes

widened even further, the magnitude of the cost dawning on her. Does this mean she would consume roughly three billion pearls every decade? Thirty billion every century? The numbers themselves made her shiver, yet her mind had already calculated that it was a price worth paying for power.

"The Marshal said to focus entirely on whatever you are doing, and not to concern yourself with the rest of the war or excessive expenses," Soltir said with a meaningful smile. "He may be temperamental most of the time, yes-but he is a kind and considerate man when it matters. Don't you see that?"

"...I see it."

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