Chapter 276: Long Game

Mina was still asleep against him when the last system panel faded into the quiet air. For a moment, Sage simply stared at the ceiling, listening to the distant sounds of the Guild breathing outside their room.

A month ago, he had been adrift in darkness, uncertain if he would ever return. Now, he was here, alive and holding more power in his mind than most kingdoms could gather over generations.

And yet, instead of rushing into action or laughing wildly with excitement, he lay still and thought. The exhilaration that had once consumed him had cooled into something sharper: calm and focused. This was a moment where foolish people often made mistakes, and he had no intention of being one of them.

The first thing that came to his mind wasn’t about his new abilities or the Golden Dome; it was the attack on the Guild, the black-clad figures who struck with precision, nearly wiping out everything. He understood that this assault wasn’t random; it had been meticulously planned. Someone had gathered information, studied the Guild’s growth, and devised an excellent strategy for attack that almost succeeded.

He closed his eyes slowly and replayed it in his mind, the pattern of the assault and became determined to uncover who was behind it.

“Nobles?” he murmured softly to himself. It was possible. The Guild’s rapid growth had disrupted local power dynamics and given adventurers more independence than some houses preferred. But nobles were rarely direct; they thrived on layers and deniability. If a noble house were involved, they wouldn’t act openly but rather through hired hands or shadow organizations.

Opening his eyes again, Sage let his gaze drift without focusing on anything specific. The Fate Weaver Interface lingered faintly in his mind, not active but present.

That ability wasn’t flashy; it wouldn’t win a duel or shatter mountains but it could tilt events in subtle ways. It could foresee patterns before they fully emerged, predict noble movements and unrest and assign missions ahead of time to influence probabilities.

“That one…” he muttered quietly. “That one is dangerous.”

Not because it was overly powerful but because it required judgment, one use per month at this level meant every activation mattered. Use it poorly, and he risked facing backlash, potentially devastating penalties as warned by the system.

He didn’t know exactly how those consequences would manifest but understood well enough from his experiences in the void that fate should not be treated lightly.

Still, its potential advantage was undeniable.

If someone were planning another attack, Fate Weaver could help him sense shifts in probability before danger struck, a priceless asset indeed.

He shifted slightly under Mina’s weight and resumed staring at the ceiling.

Now he began analyzing each ability carefully, not with excitement but with the calm mindset of someone plotting years ahead.

The Primordial Affinity Soul was a long-term weapon, not something that would unleash its power overnight. It demanded training, patience, and discipline. He would need to explore elements he had never engaged with before: ice, light, darkness, earth, space, and time etc.

Just contemplating space and time made him acutely aware of their vastness. These were not beginner paths; they represented god-tier domains that weren’t easily accessed.

Yet with the Primordial Soul at his disposal, he felt confident that given enough time, he could master them. This meant that in the long run, he could evolve beyond a single-element mage but it was a journey measured in years rather than days.

On the other hand, the Divine Mana Veins served as an immediate combat amplifier. Once fused, his mana efficiency would skyrocket beyond normal standards, allowing for near-instant regeneration and spell buffering while enabling multi-casting without exhaustion. In battle, he would become relentless. However, this came at a cost: reconstruction pain and mana shockwaves.

He imagined what would happen if he activated that ability right now in this room. The surge alone could shake the Guild Hall to its core.

He was certain the nobles had spies watching; a sudden eruption of mana at such intensity wouldn’t go unnoticed. It would send ripples through detection artifacts across the district, questions would arise and eyes would turn toward the Guild.

The Eternal Guild Bond was crucial for team scaling and long-term stability. If he advanced alone, the gap between him and his trusted members could widen dangerously, creating imbalance and fear among them.

With this bond in place, his growth could elevate everyone around him as well. But there were conditions: he had to genuinely acknowledge them without reckless contracting or testing it on random members, this bond was reserved for pillars only: Valeria, Gregor, Lyana and perhaps Boren if he truly proved himself, along with Mina when her time came.

The Arcane Overlord ability promised battlefield dominance, a grin crept onto his face at the thought of it. It offered one kilometer of suppression and control over magical beasts while making weaker mages struggle to cast spells effectively; chaos would transform into order under its influence.

Yet again, this ability relied on mana; without fusing the veins first, it wouldn’t reach its full potential and activating everything simultaneously risked exposing him.

Then there was the Golden Dome, a defensive item whose concept was simple yet comforting. A Grade 6 formation capable of protecting the entire Guild from attacks by even a 6-Star Grandmaster Knight meant that anyone trying to replicate previous assaults with brute force would fail miserably, even someone like Valeria attacking at full strength wouldn’t breach its defenses.

This wasn’t an offensive weapon but rather a statement: “Attack us if you dare.” It bought precious time and security.

Fate Weaver was a political chess piece, demanding both patience and intelligence. It wasn’t meant for trivial disputes; it came into play when kingdoms shifted, nobles schemed, or something far grander than a simple dungeon raid began to unfold.

He exhaled slowly, feeling everything click into place like pieces on an expansive board. Each ability had its role and timing.

His thoughts drifted back to the shadowy figure behind the recent attack. The suppression field used that day had shown signs of careful planning. Someone wanted him gone, permanently, not just injured.

“If they think I’m still weak…” he murmured softly.

That perception might actually work to his advantage. His body was still in recovery mode; he could feel the lingering stiffness in his limbs.

His mana veins hadn’t fully healed yet, nor had his soul expanded to its full capacity. Physically, he was far from peak condition. If he attempted to fuse everything now, the resulting shockwave would announce his return too loudly.

Nobles would sense it. Enemies might hasten their schemes. The element of surprise would vanish.

It was better for them to believe he remained fragile, to think the Guild was slowly regaining its strength. He could activate the Golden Dome quietly, integrating it without any dramatic display while reinforcing the district in silence.

But full fusion? That required solitude, a controlled environment with no witnesses.

He allowed himself a faint smile. “Recovery first,” he whispered to himself. “Fuse later.”

He needed to rebuild his physical strength and regain stamina. Walking through the Guild openly would show everyone he was alive and help boost morale, surprising adventurers and stabilizing leadership in the process.

Then, when no one expected it, he would transform. The system’s presence lingered quietly in his mind, waiting patiently for his decision.

He shifted slightly, adjusting Mina more comfortably against him while being careful not to wake her. Outside, the sky had darkened further; the last orange hues faded into deep blue as lamps throughout the district began to flicker on one by one.

The Guild had survived its first major battle and was now entering a new phase, a phase where it wouldn’t just react but anticipate.

Finally, the system’s voice broke through his thoughts:

[Host, do you wish to fuse with all abilities?]

He didn’t respond right away; instead, he stared ahead with narrowed eyes as focus replaced his earlier grin.

Taking a slow breath, he replied firmly, “No.”

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