Reporting to Colonel II

"Ahem, Alex?"I heard Daniel's voice and turned toward him curiously, wondering what he was about to ask.

"Well… are the individuals securely restrained?"

"Oh, yes. The chains were created using one of my powers—they won't break easily. They should hold for several hours. Also… they've been poisoned with a dormant toxin that should be left undisturbed."I responded matter-of-factly.

At that, not only Daniel but everyone else in the room froze for a second. I could also feel the General's gaze shift toward me—light, but definitely present.

"Poison?"

"Yes," I answered calmly. "I'm skilled with herbs and plants, including the poisonous kind. I used a custom blend I created—it should be quite effective."High Selvagians tend to have impressive resistances, but I had used plants from Wuxia realms and other worlds, further enhanced by my spatial and plant-based powers. With my deep knowledge of toxins, this mixture could absolutely take down even formidable foes.

They didn't comment further, though I caught a strange glint of pride in the General's expression—one Daniel seemed to deliberately ignore.

"And the enemies?"

"Two pirates captured, one traitor, and two dead."

"Understood… take the traitor to the interrogation chamber, and the rest to the brig," the General added, his voice cold and sharp.

"I'll handle the traitor personally," Daniel said. He hesitated a bit but didn't argue. I raised an eyebrow. It looked like he was taking this matter very personally.

The Fourth Army was known for being selective and fiercely loyal. A traitor in their ranks likely hit harder than any pirate attack. And something told me this was just the beginning.

Before leaving, Daniel paused, frowning at the single corpse lying on the floor.

"Where's the other dead one?"

"There."I pointed toward a cracked section of the wall. With a wave of my hand, a golden arrow burst forth, its penetrating energy easily breaking through the stone.

Behind it was a grisly scene.

An elite Selvagian corpse lay half-buried, a bloody hole in his chest where his heart had been torn out.

Gasps and stifled retches echoed behind me. Several soldiers recoiled, and a few engineers turned away quickly, visibly shaken.

It made sense. Scenes like this were rare these days—especially involving humanoid enemies.

I noticed a few frightened looks in my direction, but I ignored them. My eyes were already on Leonardo.

He remained unmoved by the sight. Calm. Indifferent.

"Should I take you and Tiago back to your rooms?" he asked, his gaze steady.

I studied him for a few moments, looking for any flicker of disgust or fear. But there was none. Just calm acceptance.

That made me smile—genuinely.

"Sure."

I wasn't looking for approval. I just wanted to see if someone like him—someone I respected—would flinch.

I've lived too many lives. Seen too many wars. Been tortured. Killed. Watched entire worlds burn. I've been a general, an assassin, a king. Good or evil, it didn't matter anymore. The blood and screams fade with time, and what's left is a kind of… detachment.

So I smiled a little brighter when I saw no fear in his eyes.

Then, in his usual shameless way, Leonardo took my hand without asking and gently tugged me forward.

I didn't resist.

"Come on, Tiago. Mr. Daniel—if you need anything, call me," the General added.

"Oh, okay.""Understood."

With that, we left—Leonardo pulling me along as Tiago trotted to catch up.

Later, in my room…

Since the ship wasn't jumping into hyperspace just yet, I took the chance to enter my personal space.

There, I enjoyed a light shower and cooked a meal: fragrant Japanese rice, flambéed vegetables, and roasted chicken drizzled with a special sauce I created myself.

My kitchen was excellent—an advantage of having been a Michelin-starred chef and a pastry master in two different lives. Honestly, I'd cooked in more lifetimes than I could count, across worlds and realities.

After eating, I had the ship's AI send a portion to Tiago, the General, and the Colonel—plus a few extra servings for whoever was around.

Now alone in my room, I sat comfortably, dark chocolate in hand and a romance novel open in my lap.

I sighed, looking up from the pages.

"I didn't want to get this involved… but I think I'll be tied to the Fourth Army from now on. At the very least, I owe it to Tiago."

I set the book aside.

Raising both hands, I summoned power—my left channeling spatial energy, my right flowing with golden light. Slowly, they wove together, forming a mysterious and intricate magical circle in the air.

As it took shape, the gold and blue shifted into darker tones. The background filled with shadowy figures—beings of ancient nightmares—outlined in deep black, surrounded by purple hues of illusion.

This spell was rare. A fusion of inherited knowledge and energy—my spatial and golden powers acting as conduits for something far more arcane.

"Come to me, Nyx."

From the circle, a butterfly emerged—darker than the void, trailing fragments of illusion with every beat of its wings.

'How can I help you, Master? I missed you so much.'Her voice echoed softly in my mind.

I smiled, stroking her delicate wings with care.

Nyx was my creation—born from dark energy I once possessed as a demon king. Formed from a sentient slime with extreme mimicry, a high-tier illusion crystal, and bound together by an ancient soul-forging ritual.

"I need you to infiltrate the General's meeting room. I'm almost certain he and the Colonel are discussing current events now that things have calmed down. The ship's about to move again… and this is his aura."

I pressed my fingers to her small body, imprinting Leonardo's energy signature into her memory.

'As you wish, Master.'

The butterfly shimmered, then transformed—into a tiny black mouse with glowing purple eyes.

She slipped into the shadows and darted into the ship's ventilation system.

I closed my eyes and linked with her mind.

Nyx was perfect for this—stealthy, cunning, and fully loyal. She moved unseen, her illusions cloaking her every motion. Better than most assassins.

And as her vision began to filter into mine, I couldn't help but smile again.

This was going to be interesting.