Near the Harkelan-Latias border of Grandia Castle winter had come several months early. The cause of this weather abnormality were the flying fortresses.

It was just like in the Battle of Gryphon's Reach but greater in scope. Back then, there were three fortresses and only for a short time before they were beaten back. At Grandia Castle, there were five flying fortresses that had been doing their thing for more than a month.

According to the intelligence the Kingdom gathered, these things were called Zima fortress by the Empire's official documents. War machines which were created to plow through the Latias Kingdom's borders and swallow its territory.

Each Zima fortress cost a fortune and they had sent many, along with a number of the Empire's top Pathseekers, the Ten Tundras. Not to mention the soldiers under their command.

The Empire's seriousness was clear. If they didn't respond appropriately, Latias Kingdom would face annihilation. Duke Sterling Valentine had made sure his war council realized that.

The snow was thick and piling up from constant snowfall. Rudimentary ice elementals had come into being. The chilling cold was supernatural. Even Pathseekers had been affected by the ice and snow.

The Latias Army had tasted the Harkelan Empire's hospitality and they were sick of it.

The invaders and the invaded.

Both sides had consolidated their forces. The war preparations had finished. The parley between the leaders had fallen through. Diplomacy had failed. All that was left was to fight.

Tomorrow, 36 days after the Battle of Gryphon's Reach, the recapture of Grandia Castle would begin.

The Harkelan soldiers were used to fighting in the snow. Many Ice Pathseekers were born in Harkelan thanks to the country's climate. Their Arte would be stronger with nature on their side. They got the weather advantage, number advantage, and terrain advantage since the Grandia Castle was firmly in their hand.

This would be a battle between tens of thousands of Pathseekers and multiple Level 5s.

One among the sea of combatants was Viers.

Despite the low temperature outside, his fires of ambition burned as hot as ever. He was a footsoldier in this battle of this scale but he had no intention of being a dead combatant, or a nameless combatant, or both by the time the war was over.

In his tent, Viers wore thick clothes because the enchanted tent wasn't enough to completely stop the cold coming inside. He sat with his legs crossed on top of a floor mat.

He was converging the energy from inside and outside of his body to his Intio. At times, his hand reached out to an open pouch nearby and pulled a candy that he tossed into his mouth. It was what Ciel left him, a reward for his war merit.

Nine arcana cards, including Viers' own, were floating surrounding him. From them, white steam-like energy entered his body. There were also a few empty bottles of cultivation elixirs that Clarissa brewed.

After hours of cultivation, daily vigilance, and months of prep work, Viers became a Level 4 middle Pathseeker tonight.

The signs of his improvement were contained in the tent thanks to the isolation barrier he erected beforehand.

Yes! Success! My power grows! Hahahaha!

Using his monetary wealth to buy cultivation resources or plunder from the defeated, Viers made a small step in the Path of Power. A major battle was at hand. If he did not upgrade himself now, then when?

Nutra, the cultivation miracle substance that he and Dia painstakingly cultivated in his home base, was the biggest factor in his speedy growth. Clarissa's alchemy made the Nutra even more effective. Ciel's new candies were also a great cultivation booster.

During the Age of the Gods, Clarissa became a Level 5 at 16 years old. The state of the world was different in the current age. The world's mana was much less in purity and amount. This in turn caused a lower quality of cultivation resources worldwide.

But Clarissa showed it was possible back then.

Viers had exceeded his aim to be a Level 4 before he hit 30 by 9 years. That was the aim he made when he was Level 0. His adventure since then had too many twists and turns but since he was still alive, it was an okay experience.

What was next for Viers, then? Naturally, to become Level 5. Even if it wasn't as fast as Clarissa, he wanted to become Level 5 ASAP.

He didn't know how long it would take but the big bottleneck would be the Ascension from Level 4 to 5. The source of his funds included pocketing ill-gotten gains from honest killings and villainy but Viers didn't care. With enough money, most things could be trivialized and simplified. Path of Power was not an exception.

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That said, significant effort and insight were needed but Viers was confident to reach Level 4 peak without a problem.

Besides that, he also made an improvement in his soul cultivation. Soul cultivation was separated into stages, from low to high: Mortal Soul, Grand Soul, and Hallow Soul. There were more stages, but Viers only knew of those so far. He was a Grand Soul. Most Level 5's soul cultivation was a Mortal Soul.

Thanks to the human souls he harvested before and during the war, Viers had made significant progress toward Hallow Soul. Far from a transformative change, but progress nonetheless. The stronger his soul foundation was, the mightier his soul Artes became.

But, hehehe, how comical. Hallow... Holy Soul stage... What does that say about me, who consumes the souls of my fellow humans to reach that stage? Perhaps Wicked Soul is a more apt title. Hmph.

His wallet was crying from the gargantuan expense to all of his improvements, but he considered improving himself was a non-compromise. Money was there to be used. Besides, he could always get more money.

With the Immortal pursuers hanging like an invisible guillotine above his head, he only had one option to defy them: strength. Until that time came, he would hide, hide like a rat escaping from a snake.

Indubitably, he was in a rush. In a world like this, Viers knew full well he had to grow rapidly, unconventionally even. The Fables about xianxia MCs were the same. Viers was following their adventure like a walkthrough, so he did the same. It wasn't as if he had a choice.

He liked cultivation or walking the Path of Power, as the people of this world called it. Getting stronger bit by bit, being superhuman and ultimately having god-like power... He was addicted to the feeling of becoming stronger.

Although, he sometimes regretted that he couldn't enjoy this world more leisurely. In his pursuit of power, he sometimes had to cast aside the simpler pleasures of life.

It might be an option for cheat MCs that are super strong from the start or have a broken System but it's not an option for me... Well, once I become the strongest, after the journey's end, leisurely experiencing the world like Frieren won't be too late. Besides, isn't my lifespan longer than a normal human's thanks to eating the demi-god bull's flesh? Perhaps it will truly be a reality someday. Fufufu. I won't be getting eaten by mimics though... Okay, perhaps just once, for broadening my Horizon.

Viers spent the remaining hour in meditative sleep to be in peak condition.

And then, morning came. A clear, sunny morning. The pristine snow of yesterday would soak up a lot of blood today.

...It's showtime.

Viers opened both of his eyes. He took a hot bath by combining a few magical items in his possession, and clothed himself with an outfit for war. The style of Latias Pathseekers was heavy, full-plate armor, like their namesake, knights. Viers preferred a lighter style of armor.

It was all a matter of choice in the end. Depending on the quality of the material or enchantment, even a layer of cloth could provide the same level of defense as a full-plate.

Even though Viers preferred not to rely on items, placing his skills above all, this was war. Viers didn't hesitate to wear his best equipment. Some things he couldn't wear because it was too high-quality for a mere Level 3. Of course, Divine-tier items were out of the question.

After suitably geared up, he checked himself out in the mirror. The aesthetic between the armor and himself was satisfying.

Pretty cool, me.

With the katana Umikirimaru on his waist, Viers walked out of the warcamp to Croix's tent, his cape moving with each step he took. All around him, the camp was bursting with activity. The hour of battle would soon be upon them.

On the way, he was joined by Boram and Sakuya.

"Boram, Sakuya, you both look good. And ready."

"Yes, Master."

"I'm a bit nervous," Sakuya admitted.

"Me too. But we'll make it. Believe it and do your best."

"Yes!" The two replied.

After a check from the two guards in front of Croix's tent, the three entered. They saw Croix sitting on a chair in his battle armor, facing them. He looked resolute and ready.

At least, that was how he wanted to present himself to his comrades and men. The truth was he was scared. Scared of the battle ahead, scared that he would make terrible mistakes, scared of the all too real possibility of death.

People called him the Dragon Prince, but so what? He was just a Level 3 and there were a lot of people who could snuff his life out like a candle.

But still, he must go.

His heart told him to move forward.

"Good morning to you all," Croix stood up. "Let's go."

"A moment, Highness."

Viers produced four cups and filled them with aromatic black liquid.

"This is?"

"War Coffee, Highness. A little, pick-me-up for the day ahead."

The four partook in Viers' offering.

"...I'm filled with energy," Boram commented after drinking.

"I feel my strength and agility have increased too!" Sakuya added.

"It's in the name," Viers smiled happily while the guys praised the Viridis-grown product. He hesitated to introduce a product with such potent buffs to the market or keep it for his inner circle.

"Can I have more? With sugar, if possible," Sakuya fidgeted embarrassingly.

"Here's some sugar, but you can't have more than one cup a day. Not to be stingy but overdose will have negative effects."

"All right," Sakuya extended her cup so Viers could put the sugar in.

"Thank you all."

Croix smiled after they all had their drink. His nervousness was gone. No, it was still there, but it no longer weighed his heart and limbs.

The three followed Croix out of the tent to where the one hundred men of the Red Dragon Unit stood in formation.

"Today, I have one order for you all that you must obey at all costs," Croix solemnly said to them. "Don't die!"

The unit cheered, along with a dragon that was its namesake.

"Red Dragon Unit, move out!"

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