"Might be days, might be weeks, maybe even months, before I get my hands on viable proof," William said. "The point is, I don't know how long this investigation is going to take. All I know is that every day I spend searching for proof is another day where someone is getting hurt. Since I can't get involved, I asked Dahlia for help."

"Well, sorry to break it to you, but it seems she sent me in her place."

William let out a chuckle, his amusement evident as he waved a finger in my direction. "You may not be Dahlia, but you're no pushover either. The way you handled my men back there was quite impressive."

"I disagree."

"You can disagree all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that she sent you here for a reason."

"Enough with the flattery," I sighed, waving him off. "To put it simply, you want me to kill the vampire?"

William nodded. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

"How far is Thornshade from Elysium?"

"A week on foot, a day or two if you drive."

"Very well," I said, standing up. "I'll be leaving tomorrow then."

Just as I turned to leave, William stood up and gestured for me to wait. "Don't tell me you're planning on going to Thornshade all on your own?!"

"Uhh, yeah."

"Dear heavens, are you insane?"

"Kind of."

William closed the distance between us, crossing his arms. "I wasn't going to ask again, but now I can't help myself. Who are you really? Who are you behind that mask?"

I hesitated for a moment, my mouth opening but then closing again. The weight of the decision pressed upon me as I contemplated whether to disclose my true identity to William. Part of me was tempted to reveal myself, considering his connection to Dahlia and the potential alliance it could form. However, I couldn't ignore the complexities and potential complications that could arise at the same time.

As I pondered, William broke the silence, his voice filled with sincerity. "You can trust me, Vick."

I took a deep breath, contemplating his words. Perhaps it was time to take a leap of faith.

"Very well," I replied, the words escaping my lips. "I will reveal myself to you."

William's expression shifted to one of intrigue, clearly eager to learn more.

I cleared my throat. "But not until I have completed the mission at hand."

Disappointment flickered across William's face, but he nodded in agreement. "Fine, I'll wait until after the mission. However, I'm not letting you go alone."

"That's not for you to decide."

"You see, that's where you're wrong," William said. "If I let you go alone and you get yourself killed, Dahlia is going to blame me! I'm sorry, but I'm not going to risk having that crazy woman angry at me."

I hated to admit it, but the case he made was solid. Dahlia did have a temper, and I could see how he didn't want to leave himself in the line of fire. That being said, it wasn't a terrible idea to have help in case things went bad.

"So be it," I said, curious to hear what he had in mind. "Who will accompany me?"

"It is you who will be accompanying a team," William clarified. "I'll be sending a high-ready unit, comprised of some of the most skilled adventurers in the guild. You're going to be their sixth member."

"What ranks do they have?"

"They're all A-rank adventurers," William replied. "Aside from myself and the other S-ranks, they're the finest adventurers we have."

A hint of excitement grew in my stomach as I contemplated the upcoming journey alongside these supposed "skilled adventurers". It would provide the perfect opportunity to observe their fighting styles and gauge their strength, serving as a reference point for my own abilities.

"Well, as long as they're not as weak as your guards, I have no complaints," I joked, a playful grin spreading across my face.

William snorted in amusement, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "Rest assured, they are highly capable fighters."

"I'd like to leave Elysium as soon as possible," I said, noticing that nightfall had arrived. "When does this team plan on departing?"

"They were planning on leaving in two days," William confirmed, his tone decisive. "But I can try to move things ahead of schedule if you like?"

"No, it's fine. Two days is perfect."

I'd been traveling none stop for the last two days, and even though it sucked to admit it, my body was exhausted. I needed rest. I needed time to recover.

These two days not only provided me with the necessary rest but also opened a small window of time to start experimenting with something new. A new type of cultivation method I'd been rolling and molding in my head for days.

For the last year or so, I'd been struggling to manage my time between cultivating and studying barrier magic. However, in the last couple of days, I'd devised an idea, a plan of sorts, to incorporate both into one. Cultivating at its core was just the practice of molding, refining, and expanding the mana in your body. What if I could do all three things while practicing barrier magic?

At first, I hadn't seen the correlation, but after witnessing Dahlia's grand display of barrier magic, I realized that the process of building a barrier was the same as cultivating. However, instead of cultivating the mana in your body, you were manifesting it outside of your body and molding it into something solid.

"I'll notify the team that one more member will be joining the mission," William spoke, his voice bringing me back to the present.

I nodded, forcing down a yawn that was begging to be released. "Well then, I think I should get going."

"Wait!"

In a swift motion, William retrieved a key from his pocket and tossed it to me. "We have a couple of guest suites on the twenty-fifth floor. Feel free to stay there for these next two days."

Relief washed over me, grateful that I wouldn't need to search for an inn in an unfamiliar city. "Thank you."

A warm smile graced William's face as he waved me off. "No problem. Now go get some rest, so I can resume my work. You've taken up enough of my time."

Chuckling, I bid him goodnight and headed towards the elevator, pressing the button for the twenty-fifth floor.

As the doors closed, I felt a sense of anticipation and gratitude. I had a full two days to experiment as much as possible and come up with a cultivation method that would spring me back on track to where I should be.

After a restful night's sleep, the following morning I wasted no time and delved right into my project. The process I had in mind involved combining the creation of barriers using mana with the act of cultivation itself.

With a clear focus in mind, I spent the entire morning breaking down my complicated idea, into five simple steps. Step one involved gathering and concentrating a significant portion of my mana into the palms of my hands.

I closed my eyes and allowed the energy to flow, feeling the power surge within me.

Moving on to step two, I gradually extended my control, manifesting the mana outside of my body. It was a delicate process, as I transferred the mana from my palms into the air above, creating a visible presence of swirling energy. The room hummed with a charged atmosphere.

While the step sounded simple, the action of releasing mana into the air and then controlling it, was anything but. With virtually no space for error, I had to tread the thin line between containing the flow of mana, so that it wouldn't dissipate or implode.

Step three required precision and refinement. With the accumulated mana floating before me, I began molding and shaping it, gradually constructing small cubic barriers.

To put it simply, I was carefully molding mana from its original state to a solid one.

Once the barrier took form, step four commenced. This step involved the same process but in reverse. I gradually broke down the mana in the cube, returning it to its original ethereal nature. It was a delicate balance of deconstruction, ensuring the barrier dissolved gracefully without dissipating the mana it contained.

Step five brought the process full circle. I absorbed the released mana back into my body, allowing it to flow through my core. The energy merged with my essence, replenishing and enhancing my own reservoir of power. With that, the cycle was completed.

If my calculations were correct, with every cycle I completed, my mana capacity expanded by a margin of about three percent. The cycle itself took about an hour to complete, and while it seemed like a small increase per increment, if I did it over and over again, the accumulation would eventually add up.

Throughout the day, I repeated this cycle tirelessly, pushing myself to new limits. I took only brief breaks to nourish my body with food, forgoing any other distractions. Time seemed to slip away as I immersed myself in the cultivation, focusing solely on expanding the size and complexity of the barriers I created.

As the sun began its descent, casting hues of orange across the horizon, I reflected on the progress made. The once small cubic barriers had grown in volume and intricacy, displaying my increased mastery over mana manipulation.

With a contented sigh, I realized that my first day of rest had come to an end. Fatigue tinged my muscles, and my mind craved respite.

As the second day dawned, I awoke slightly later than the previous day, the weariness of my efforts still clinging to my bones. Yet, there was an underlying eagerness that pushed me forward, a hunger to delve deeper into my experiments.

Without delay, I got right to work and dived into the familiar rhythm of my practice. The steps I had meticulously crafted the day before now flowed effortlessly from my mind to my hands. The process had become ingrained within me, like a well-practiced dance I knew by heart.

However, today held a new twist. Instead of crafting the familiar cubic barriers, I decided to test the effects of different shapes. Would the efficiency of the process improve or deteriorate? It was an intriguing experiment that could shed light on the intricacies of my cultivation technique.

For my first cycle, I chose to construct a pyramid-shaped barrier. The complexity of its construction, with its multiple shapes and angles, proved to be a challenge. The once-hour-long process stretched to three arduous hours. Each corner and each surface demanded precision and concentration. But in the end, as I absorbed the mana back into my body, I could sense the futility of my efforts. The pyramid-shaped barrier had yielded only an extra percent in growth, for two hours more of work.

Undeterred by the setback, I forged ahead. In my second cycle, I embarked on crafting a spherical barrier. Little did I anticipate the complexity of this task. The precise curvature and intricate symmetry made it even more arduous than the pyramid. The hours ticked by, and five painstaking hours later, I completed the construction. Yet, the sphere stood before me, imperfect and asymmetrical. It was a harsh reminder that the simple process that worked for a cube was not easily transferable to a sphere.

Exhaustion and frustration washed over me, threatening to dampen my spirits. Doubt crept into my mind, questioning the worthiness of my endeavor.

Seeking solace, I set aside my cultivation for the evening and turned my attention to Blood Reaper. With steady hands, I sharpened the blade, feeling the soothing rhythm of the sharpening stone against the steel. The repetitive motion brought a sense of calm, allowing my mind to quieten and find respite in the simplicity of the task.

As night descended and the stars dotted the sky, I retired to my bed, the disappointment of the day finally drained out of my thoughts.

I closed my eyes, drawing strength from the knowledge that every step, every setback, was shaping me into a stronger man. Or so I hoped.

Just like that, my two days of rest came to an end, and my journey to Thornshade commenced.

The morning sun bathed the Guild's lobby in a warm glow as I emerged from the elevator, feeling a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Thoughts swirled through my mind, like a tempest of doubts and uncertainties. What if my teammates were not as strong as I hoped? What if they despised me or proved to be incompetent? What if they were genuinely good people, would I be able to forge connections with them? And the most haunting question of all; what if any of them meets an untimely death within the depths of the dungeon?

I spotted William engaged in conversation with Evelyn, their heads bent together in earnest discussion. As if sensing my presence, William concluded his conversation with a nod and made his way toward me.

"Good morning," he greeted me with a warm smile. "How are you feeling about the upcoming journey?"

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I'm as good as new, especially after enjoying two nights of comfortable rest in the suites. Thank you again for your generosity, William."

His eyes twinkled with amusement. "I'm glad you were able to appreciate the luxury, Vick."

As we stepped out of the lobby onto the sidewalk, my gaze was drawn to six horses lined up on the curb.

"We'll be traveling on horseback!?" I remarked, intrigued by the change in plans.

William shrugged. "The team leader thought it would be more efficient, considering the terrain and the urgency of our task. If you traveled by car, you'd have to take numerous detours that would add up to another three hours of voyage."

"That sounds like a smart choice. Time is of the essence, after all."

Just as I was on the verge of inquiring about the squad leader, a rough and sarcastic voice cut through the air. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the infamous dwarf twerp. So you’re the mysterious addition to my team, huh?”

Startled, I turned to face the source of the voice.

Standing before me was a man in his late forties, with long gray hair and a subtle beard. His attire, a mismatched ensemble of an untucked white dress shirt, and dark dress pants combined with military boots, seemed eccentric. The scent of alcohol wafted from him, leaving no doubt about his indulgences.

William chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the man's appearance. "Vick, this is Felix, the party leader." 

 I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment as I got a better look at the man who was supposed to lead us to victory.

"Felix, this is Vick," William continued. "Felix, don't let Vick's appearance fool you. This 'dwarf twerp' single-handedly defeated my men."

Felix burst into laughter, his skepticism evident. "No way in hell! That twerp took down those two lumps of meat?!"

My patience waned, and a surge of mana coursed through me. I took a step forward, a mischievous grin tugging at my lips. "Well, Felix, if you doubt it, I'd be more than happy to show you firsthand what I'm capable of."

Raising an eyebrow, Felix calmly retrieved a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"You've got some balls on you, lad. I like that," he admitted, his raspy voice carrying a hint of admiration. "Let me introduce you to the rest of my team."