(Zack)

When I return to my home for the second time, I'm relieved they're done doing that weird dance of theirs. Luca's now leading them in stretches, Kit and Aurum included. Based on their Levels, everyone did some serious training – Max included. They all gained at least 5 Levels in two days, which is impressive for their stats. It's also kind of what I expected, but impressive nonetheless.

They probably went after any Elites they could find, which meant going into the pass or mines. I checked in with their usual trainers, too, who confirmed it. Well, for everyone but Luca – it seems he managed to evade being noticed while doing his Elementalist training in the fields.

If my estimates are correct, Gavin only needs one more Mystic Knight Level to be able to take on a third Class, while Braden is already able to, but I think he's waiting until he can take on Druid.

Now that my team seems to be winding down with their morning… whatever the hell it is, I move onto the property, sneaking up behind Max. No one notices me.

Then I grab Max's ears, and he yelps, running forward, right into Luca, who whacks him over the head. Max then stumbles into Kit as Gavin and Braden jump, bumping into each other. As they recoil from that, they hit Luca and the beastborn, and after another couple of chains, everyone ends up in a pile on the ground.

Gavin sighs, Luca gives me a disapproving look, Kit looks terrified, Max is excited, Aurum looks exasperated, and Braden just rolls his eyes.

"I'm back," I say.

"We noticed," Gavin says as my team and the pair of servants extract themselves from each other and stand up. "How did your training go?"

"Excellent," I walk over to the table and open up my Inventory, pulling out various weapons and equipment. "I picked up the gear you guys had commissioned on my way back."

"Isn't that out of the way?" Gavin asked.

"Shush," I tell him. "Your sword, Max's sword, Braden's bracers and leather vest, Luca's leather vest, Aurum's cloak, and Kit's hat."

Aurum gives me an eye-roll as Kit gives me a confused look.

"I didn't want to leave you two out," I say. "Though Nathan beat me to the punch with Aurum's cloak. I'm… don't bother trying to find out what its effects are. You'll discover them in time and want to smack Nathan for it."

Aurum snorts, then takes the cloak. I'm seriously not sure what Nathan was thinking when he ordered it made. All I can say is that Nathan is Nathan, and his mind is even more of a mystery to me than mine is to everyone else.

"Kit," I say as my team takes their equipment. "My team and I are heading to Talorn for some advanced training. I'll trust you to take care of the property while we're gone."

I pull out some money and hold it out.

"This is so you can pay for any food you need while we're gone," I tell him. "Though I stocked some stuff while you guys were doing your stretches. Also, I don't blame you for sitting out on that dance. That was just weird."

"Was not," Luca pouts.

"It was," I give him a pointed look. "I know you were behind it."

"Was not," he mutters.

"He be the one behind it," Max whispers loudly.

"I know," I tell him as Luca pouts again. "Alright, everyone! Get ready to get going. We're heading to Talorn ASAP. After we settle into our new base, seven days of hell begins for you."

"Why?" Gavin asks.

"The battle is in less than two weeks," Braden says, and Luca nods.

"It is?" Gavin looks confused.

Didn't Braden already tell you that?

"Yep!" Max nods. "They say it be in maybe ten or eleven days, we need to be ready for it! That's why Boss went for super training in the Valley of Power!"

"Who told you where I went?" I ask as Gavin gives me a confused look.

"Gold."

"Of course," I roll my eyes. It was probably Theodore. "Yes, I was in the Valley of Power. Gavin, it's a hellish training place. And awesome one, but still hellish. To put things in perspective, I managed to bring Mystic Knight and Elementalist from Level 1 each to Level 50 and brought my Rank 4 Class up 7 Levels."

His eyes widen.

"However," I hold up a hand. "It came at a price. Those 97 Levels I actually had to grind the Experience for were not Levels I should have managed in that short of a timeframe. A week in the Valley of Power, maybe but not two and a half days. I put so much stress on my body that I'm forbidden from anything strenuous for my body for the next week. If I don't follow this rule, I may completely incapacitate myself. Permanently."

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All six of them stare at me with wide eyes. While the novelty of the monsters' reasons for fighting each other was still amazing to me and entrancing, I decided I could watch them later and pushed myself into my training. Hard. I went deep into the Valley of Power and fought things barely within my power. I pushed myself as hard as possible, and that meant taking a lot of damage. A lot of hits. More than once, Dark Vengeance is the reason I survived.

Nik got mad when I told him it had been seven times. I didn't tell him it had been seventeen times. And he got even madder when I kept pushing myself that hard. But it's important I'm as strong as possible, for when I fight the Dragon. I need to be as strong as possible. I had to remind Nik of that, and that I could have used Heal instead of Dark Vengeance. In fact, I did use Heal instead of Dark Vengeance a number of times. There were just a few times where I was taking damage too fast for Heal, where Dark Vengeance was the better choice.

"And for the next week," I direct my attention to my team. "You four are going to train your assess off in Talorn. Then, you are going to fight that Goblin Chieftain. After that, I am going to restore Talorn's City Barrier. Once I do, the first half of the vision will be met."

All that will be left after is to find out who the brothers are… if I don't take control of the vision and change the predicted outcome. I know Big S says it should be impossible, that it's a guarantee that one of those two will end the war, either for or against our favor, but I don't care.

I am a Child of Existence. I choose what happens. My power is so great that I can subconsciously use it. Luca shouldn't dream at all, yet he does because of my worry for his sleep. Because for a long time, I'd forgotten that humans and demigods don't dream in the Boundary. As a result, my power altered Luca, allowing him to dream in this place outside of reality.

If I can do that, if I can access my dragon form without even being aware of it, then I can do this. Then I can wipe out Alexander's forces, I can kill his final ally from before the split, and I can kill him.

I will change the vision's predictions. Alexander has taken too much from me for me to not.

"After that," I say. "If you still need training, we'll be going to the mines. We'll leave a one-day window for resting before the battle. So gear up, grab what you need, and let's get going."

My team scrambles to pack their stuff, and I walk over to Aurum and Kit.

"Keep an eye on him, would you?" I ask Aurum as a shudder runs through the fabric of the Boundary. That should be the last of them, I think. "He's still pretty new to being free."

Aurum nods.

"Also," I say. "Does Nathan know that you've been practicing?"

He frowns, confused, but then the memories and images of what I'm referring to pop into his head, and his face reddens as he looks down, his tail sagging as his ears flatten against his head.

"I think he's figured it out," I smile a little. "Pretty much all of the free beastborn here other than Kit is doing it. Even the others who were freed with him and the boy who came to us a couple of days ago."

And Max's brothers. It seems he wasn't going to Talorn or the mines when Nik and I saw him, but to the desert City his brothers were slaves in. And he killed their master. Based on the report given, Max had gotten serious.

He pushed away his hyperactivity and channeled his energy into his goal. He strode through town with a badass gaze on his face, took out a few people who attempted to restrain him for 'being a bad beastborn', and then killed his brothers' owner.

They wouldn't pick names, so Max named them. Nit and Nin. I guess that's better than what he'd thought their names were, but we're going to have to have a talk about how things are named. His Pet Rock is Rok. He also doesn't know I'm aware he has one, but that's another story.

No one knows where he found the Pet Rock, either, since there aren't any in Maelnor or the surrounding area. Strangely, he can keep it in his Inventory, even though it's a living thing.

As soon as my team finishes assembling, I take them to the Dark Temple. Luca's able to make the walk without rest, finally. I know he's been working hard on his stamina the last couple of weeks. He's faked a lot of his low stamina over the last week, too, because he prefers being carried on someone's back to walking. Walking long distancesdoes wear him out still, and he doesn't like it when his feet get sore.

At the Dark Temple, I warp us to Talorn, then lead my team through the streets until we come to the place I picked out for our temporary camp. Gold's here, sitting on the end of the picnic table and swinging his legs as he waits for us.

"Thanks for clearing it out," I tell Gold, and he gives me an annoyed look. "I'm allowed to take what I want."

He continues to give me that annoyed stare.

"What?" I ask. "It's not my fault. You aren't the only one who can replace things, you know."

He gives me a pointed look.

"The storage room is too far," I say. "And the ones in the bedrooms are guaranteed to be clean. Again, thanks for clearing the goblins from here and keeping an eye on it, Gold. I see you gained a Level while here, too. Good job on that."

He nods, his tail wagging a little from the praise.

"Your brother wants to play a game of cards," I tell him. "Could you try to convince Kit to join? He's still in the scared phase."

Gold nods, then starts to leave.

"And Gold?" I say. He turns to face me, ears perked up as he gives me a curious look. "I was going to wait for you to reveal it, but I know you've been practicing talking. And no, Max didn't tell me, I'd come across you one night."

His face reddens.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," I smile. "You've been doing it for less time than Max, and you speak better than him. You're pretty smart, and you adjust well. There's a reason we trust you to help oversee the new servants."

"Th-thanks," he speaks softly, and I can sense my team's amazement, outside of Max, who just gets excited.

"Enjoy your day," I tell Gold.

"Y-you, too," he says, then hurries off.

I look at my team.

"Now that we're here," I say. "Let's go over the plans for the next week. You'll be working off just enough sleep to last you the day, with most of the day spent training. Hard. If you want to participate in the battle for the valley, you will retrieve the banners by the end of this week. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The four of them respond at once, and I get the feeling they had rehearsed it.

"Good," I pull out a map of Talorn and spread it out. "We'll be training in the City in phases. Every day, you four will be taking out a large amount of monsters covering a huge section. You will be moving fast, and you will be using a lot of energy. Here's the plan."