Chapter 183: Timeskip [1] — Louis’ Relentless Efforts And Growth

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Several months had passed since Louis recruited Timothy and the last traitors to the crown were eliminated. The Frostbane Kingdom now enjoyed a rare period of profound peace. Though not yet a full year, the devastation wrought by the noble rebellion—led by Thalor Vex and backed by the Vultarn High Dominion’s Order of the Fly—had largely healed.

The brave lives lost were mourned and eternally honored through towering pillars inscribed with their names and statues commemorating their sacrifice. One of those statues depicted Prince Louis himself, at the insistence of the vast majority of the population. Life resumed its normal rhythm, granting Louis and his family a fleeting taste of complete, undisturbed normalcy.

For the first time in memory, no threats loomed from every shadow. Louis had lived expecting disaster at every turn, convinced Fate itself sought to shatter his existence and drown him in suffering. Yet nothing—absolutely nothing—had come. From the day he finished recruiting Timothy and purging the traitorous nobles to the eve of the Sinners Academy’s inauguration, peace had held.

“Tomorrow, the Sinners Academy will finally open its doors to over a hundred students from across the world! Among them is the Hero of our Kingdom, Prince Louis Drakeheart Yggdrasil. His companions, Cardoon Zorba and Mirai Takeguchi, will join him as well—both powerful Sinners who wielded their strength to defend our nation from invaders.”

Across the streets of Frostbane’s capital, television news anchors broadcast the message. Citizens of every age gathered around screens as the Kingdom’s newly launched worldwide news network—developed in partnership with Yamato—delivered updates to anyone with a television or internet connection.

“Hoho, to think the crippled prince everyone once despised would grow into such an incredible hero for the country…”

“Indeed! Everyone deserves a second chance, right?”

“Mama! Look! It’s Prince Louis’s statue! Can I grow up to be a hero like him one day?”

“Fufu, perhaps, dear. If you work hard once you enter magic school, alright?”

“Okay! I’ll do my very best!”

“Ah, so it’s tomorrow, huh? I heard the Sinners Academy will gather the greatest minds and geniuses in the world—not just Sinners, but young Espers and others—all seeking to master their powers.”

“I’ve heard it’s so we can finally reclaim our world from the Dimensional Labyrinth that’s been spreading everywhere lately…”

Conversations, laughter, and children’s voices filled the capital. Kids played in the plaza beside the spirit tree forest, gazing up in wonder at the grand statue of Prince Louis Drakeheart—depicted standing proudly with lance in hand, scales, horns, and dragon wings fully manifested.

To the entire Kingdom, Louis was now a hero: the one who had awakened his mother’s powers and the ancient draconic bloodline. New titles spread like wildfire—”The Divine Dragon Prince,” “The Young Dragon God of Frostbane,” and more.

Rumors swirled of him single-handedly annihilating invaders with aid from his allies, slaying two formidable Vultarn High Dominion commanders who had infiltrated the VPI to kidnap the slumbering queen.

His renown had spread far beyond Frostbane. Nations such as Yamato and Camelot acknowledged his strength, celebrated his awakening, and sent lavish gifts monthly to maintain warm relations with the one many now called “The New Divine Dragon Guardian of Humanity”—quietly taking the mantle his mother once held.

As the young boy clasped his mother’s hand and strolled through the clean, now-safe streets—crime eradicated by the prince and his knights—he gazed up at the towering ice castle with eyes full of awe.

“I wonder what the prince is doing right now! Is he training, Mom?”

“Well, rumors say he never stops working hard… I only hope he takes a break now and then. That poor prince. It must be exhausting to carry so many responsibilities.”

♢♢♢♢

Louis slowly opened his eyes. Five radiant streams of colored energy flowed through his body like rivers of pure spiritual and elemental force, brimming with the essence of heaven and earth. The Five Roots within his Physique had finally spread throughout every inch of him, causing his white skin to glow with root-like tattoos in vivid red, blue, green, silver, and purple.

Deep within his being, the Five Elemental Roots had reached the absolute pinnacle of their power after months of relentless, unending training. Louis Drakeheart had advanced the Heaven-Earth Harmonization Sutra to Grand Perfection, and the Five Elemental Spiritual Roots had attained the Peak Stage. He now overflowed with the combined might of Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth, fused with Ki and infused with Heaven and Earth Energy—manifesting as a swirling black-and-white dot, the eternal dance of Yin and Yang.

“So this is what it feels like when the Heaven-Earth Harmonization Sutra and the Five Elemental Spiritual Roots reach mastery… Marvelous.” Louis smiled with quiet pride. “I did it…!”

Sweat drenched his body; exhaustion weighed on every muscle, yet joy burned brighter than fatigue.

Immense power surged through him. His entire physique had undergone near-total reconstruction: bones heavier and tougher, muscles denser and more resilient, cartilage supremely flexible. His body had achieved an astonishing level of perfect synchronization.

“But that’s not all…”

His smile widened. Power flared higher. His aura transformed into a colossal multicolored dragon clad in golden scale armor, crowned with three massive heads—black, silver, and gold. Golden veins spread across his body, glowing fiercely and radiating divine draconic energy like never before. The dragon aura blazed holy and radiant.

“Holy Dragon Spirit Soul Vein Technique, Peak Stage.”

His heartbeat thundered. Draconic power flooded his veins and every fiber of his being. The heart that had once been artificial had crystallized into reality—no longer a mere construct of energy and cultivation, but a true dragon core.

“Fake Dragon Heart Creation Method, Grand Perfection.”

The bonds with his Spirits, Familiars, Incarnations, and Soul Treasures—Handy, The Gardener’s Memento, Belladine, Niflheim, Gungnir, the Gravewalker, the Necromancer’s Fragment, and more—had deepened dramatically. He could now draw their full strength into his body and ascend to an even greater form.

“Spirit Bond Method, Grand Perfection.”

And from the depths of his soul, a colossal furnace of blazing flames erupted, spreading deadly yet beautiful fire. The inferno danced within him, fusing seamlessly with his soul and blooming into dozens of fiery roses.

“Nirvana Soul Flame Furnace Method, Grand Perfection.”

Louis smirked, marveling at the synergy of every method pushed to its maximum. The power was overwhelming; his body, spirit, and soul had been elevated to an almost absurd new height.

He had further accelerated his progress by consuming hundreds of elixirs synthesized in the VPI Alchemy Labs from fresh ingredients harvested on Agustina’s farms.

“I’ve finally reached Grand Perfection on all my primary methods except this one… because this one is simply too complex.” He sighed, rising to his feet and gazing at the black hole swirling within his soul.

The Void Meridian Sutra Method had advanced only to the Middle Stage over these months—a significant leap from Initial Stage. Its command over Void and Space had grown dramatically. Louis had begun experimenting with the power, discovering it was slowly forging his body to endure the extreme conditions of Fantasy Fields while greatly enhancing his Void and Space Elements.

“Well, I’ll find better materials for elixirs later,” he said with a confident smile. “My stats have risen dramatically. My Fantasium Levels must be quite high now… I’m overflowing with energy.”

Through these months, Louis had achieved Grand Perfection in every major method he focused on. The synergy between the Fake Dragon Heart and Spirit Bond Method—transforming his artificial heart into a spirit core—had accelerated his spiritual root cultivation while generating even greater draconic power for the Holy Dragon Spirit Soul Vein Technique.

His greatest triumph, however, was elevating the Fake Dragon Heart and Nirvana Soul Flame Furnace Methods from purely conceptual techniques to Initial, Middle, Upper, Peak, and finally Grand Perfection in just half a year.

It could no longer truly be called a “Fake” Dragon Heart. Though the name remained in his Status, its Grand Perfection form had crystallized it within him, creating a one-of-a-kind Pseudo Dragon Heart that doubled as both a Mana Heart and a Spirit Orb.

His father and the VPI scientists had studied it extensively, yet none could fully comprehend how Louis had achieved such a feat.

Above all, his aura now surged with razor-sharp sword energy. With a casual gesture he manifested a blade of silver-metallic force, leaped to the castle ceiling, and conjured a gigantic iceberg overhead.

He swung forward.

“Sword Breathing Style – Second Step.”

“Myriad Blades.”

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

A single stroke multiplied into dozens, slicing the massive iceberg apart until it shattered into fine powder—snow drifting across the capital on a bright day.

“With the Second Step, I’m no longer just swinging a sword like a fool. I’ve entered the realm of true Sword Masters.”

While First Step practitioners remained mere Swordsmen, Second Step Sword Breathing adepts ascended to the level of Sword Masters—far surpassing ordinary swordsmen.

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