Chapter 125

"It's split into five pieces... and I want to gain control over all of them using mana threads," Leon muttered, his eyes narrowing in focus.

"But every time I try to control more than one blade... all of them slip out of my grasp."

He pulled the Nyxter out from its sheath. One of it's pieces was missing. Without a word, Leon reached into his back pocket and retrieved the missing blade, carefully slotting it back into the sword.

He placed the sword on the table and looked at it with a confused expression.

"May I see it, Master?" Dusk asked, his expression calm as his gaze rested on Leon.

"What?" Leon blinked in confusion.

"The mana threads, Master. Can I see them?" Dusk repeated, his tone unchanged.

"No. They're invisible," Leon replied flatly.

"But... they're made of mana, right, Master?" Dusk asked again with a curious expression.

"Yeah."

"Then I can see them. I have special eyes that let me perceive all the mana around me, Master. That's how I always see the massive flow of mana your body is releasing every second," Dusk explained as he looked at Leon.

Leon exhaled through his nose.

"Fine. Threads."

At his word, the air subtly shifted as he activated the skill. Slowly, carefully, Leon began binding a mana thread to one of Nyxter's blades, lifting it from the table.

The blade floated, hovering up and down as he guided it with his finger.

"Master... why are you doing that?" Dusk asked, tilting his head with a confused expression as he raised a paw toward Leon's hand.

"I'm controlling the mana thread. See how the blade is floating—" Before Leon could've completed his explanation, Dusk interrupted him.

"No, Master. I see that. But why are you moving your finger like that, if the mana threads are coming out of your head?" Dusk asked, blinking slowly.

"What?" Leon frowned, glancing at Dusk with a very confused expression.

"Yes, Master... the mana threads aren't emerging from your finger.

They're coming from your head. That might be why you can't control them properly. Every time you try to command the blades, you think the threads are flowing from your fingers.

Humans can't control their fingers perfectly... just like us cats. We can't fully control our tails, Master,

It can be the reason, why the blades run here and there." Dusk said, smiling faintly.

"What...?" Leon muttered, his eyes shifting back to the floating blade. Slowly, he lowered his hand.

'Up,' he thought silently-and the blade rose smoothly into the air.

*Swish*

'Down.' The blade lowered instantly.

A grin twitched on his lips. He pictured the blade flipping backward three times. The weapon immediately spun three times elegantly through the air without wasting another second.

"Fucking hell... That's fucking brilliant." Leon breathed, his eyes wide in shock.

"See? It's easier now, right, Master?" Dusk asked with a smile as he looked at the blade floating flawlessly.

"Yeah... but wait. What were you saying about 'finger control'? I can easily move all my fingers however I want.

Look—" Leon flexed his hand, wiggling his fingers confidently, back and forth.

"Can you curl down your smallest finger without moving any of the others, Master?" Dusk asked, his grin widening.

"Yeah, watch— what the fuck?" Leon's brow furrowed in surprise. His ring finger curled alongside his pinky without permission.

'Wait... I want to move my pinky... Why is my other finger moving like that?' Leon thought with a confused expression.

"See? But in your mind, you already imagined it perfectly. Your mind can do it-but your hands can't, Master," Dusk explained, his eyes sparkling with quiet amusement.

"...So that means —Threads. Threads. Threads. Threads." Leon whispered under his breath, closing his eyes and gathering his focus as he imagined four more mana threads branching from his head, binding to each of Nyxter's blades.

'Up.'

When he opened his eyes, all five blades were floating steadily in the air.

"They're stable..." Leon whispered, a grin spreading across his face.

'Spread.'

Immediately, all four detached blades shot outward, scattering around the room exactly as he imagined, while the main blade that was attached to the handle hovered at the center of the table.

'Join.' Leon thought and the blades snapped back together, assembling into the full Nyxter sword with a series of crisp metallic clicks.

TANG-TANG-TANG-TANG-TANG

"Holy shit... that looks so fucking cool," Leon muttered, staring at the pitch-black sword floating before him.

"It's beautiful, Master," Dusk said softly, a smile on his lips.

"You really give good advice, Dusk," Leon said, glancing at him.

"Well... I've been alive for a hundred years, Master. It's only natural," Dusk replied with a faint chuckle as he slowly sat down on the table.

"...Wait, what? How long?" Leon asked with a shocked expression as his eyes widened.

"One hundred and three years, to be exact, Master," Dusk said casually as he looked at Leon with a confused expression.

"How can you be over a hundred years old and still be this weak?" Leon asked, his brows knitting together.

"Master... I'm lazy. I spent more than fifty years of my life sleeping around the Vinceral Forest hiding from humans and monsters alike.

And other 53 years, well... You can say, I roaming around the world." Dusk replied, smiling lazily.

"How long do you guys even live?"

"About a thousand years... if nothing kills us first, Master," Dusk answered flatly.

'The description never mentioned his lifespan... That means he's just a kid,' Leon thought, narrowing his eyes as he studied Dusk.

"Well-"

"Intruder."

Dusk's voice dropped, sharp and cold, as he suddenly stood and fixed his gaze on the window.

"Hm..?" Leon turned slowly, spotting a black raven perched on the sill.

"Should I kill it, Master? I think it's here to watch you," Dusk asked, his voice serious and calm.

"No... wait. I know that raven. It's a carrier raven. But what the hell is it doing here this late?" Leon muttered,

standing up and approaching the window.

Dusk followed silently, his eyes never leaving the bird.