What's True Vessel Of War?

Klaus let out a long sigh, trying to push the destruction and the ruined land out of his mind. Everything was lost… Even Hemera wouldn't be able to purify or restore damage on this scale.

He could seal the radiation, yes but without Devourer's support, it would take at least a month.

Another yawn escaped him. His shoulders were hunched, his eyelids heavy. The dark circles under his eyes, the sluggishness of his movements, and the constant yawning made it painfully clear that he was utterly exhausted.

He could have recovered with help from Faceless or Hemera, but Hemera was still weakened and in slumber, and even Faceless couldn't undo six sleepless nights.

Klaus turned his weary gaze toward Lich, who looked equally drained but still awake. His voice was low, almost rasping.

"What do you think? Will it work?"

Lich stared at the ritualistic diagram in silence. The entire underground chamber was illuminated by a dark purple glow, with barely visible, thread-thin lines intertwined in complex patterns. The air pulsed with an eerie, unnatural aura.

"Why don't you finally tell me how your ritualistic magic works?" he asked flatly. "I still don't understand it, to be honest."

Klaus yawned, a bit of drool slipping from his lips, and shook his head.

"I'm too lazy for explanations."

Lich continued staring, unmoving. His gaze didn't waver.

"I need to know the details if I'm going to reinforce it with runes. Back in the Chain Isles, you had time to create the diagram yourself, so you didn't need my help. But now? You don't have the luxury of time to properly enhance your sorcery. That's why I'm here. So... start talking."

Klaus groaned, leaning against the wall with a dark scowl, clearly annoyed.

"I used... geometry."

The azure flames in Lich's eye sockets flickered, momentarily dimming to nothing before reigniting.

"Pardon?"

Klaus sighed, pulling out a few pills and swallowing them.

"Dimensions, in geometry, refer to the number of values required to locate points within a shape. I created this system exclusively for my Aspect since I control space-time. That's why no one but me can use this sorcery, they're inherently incapable of doing so."

He paused, rubbing his temple.

"In mathematics, there's no limit to the number of dimensions a geometric object can have. That's the foundation of my ritualistic magic. Each dimensional diagram has its specific purpose. And since there's no upper limit to dimensions, there's no upper limit to my growth in ritualistic magic."

Klaus leaned against the wall, looking weary.

"That's how I built my sorcery. By using math, geometry, and physics. Integrating those principles into the mystical soul essence of the Dream Realm was the hard part… but after five years, I managed to pull it off. It's flawed but that's exactly why it continues to evolve and remain everchanging…"

Klaus frowned at his own last words. Everchanging? Why did that word stand out so much? It was confusing… but maybe he was just tired.

He shook his head and closed his eyes to rest.

Lich stared at him, remaining motionless for some time, then glanced at the massive, glowing, and complex diagram. At the center of the array, surrounded by dimensions was... a zero dimension?

The azure flames in his empty sockets flared, burning brighter as he glanced at Klaus, who was already asleep, and muttered:

"What the hell... Just how did you think of this? For the dead gods' sake... The mad bastard used math to create sorcery? When even deities couldn't do it for thousands of years, he pulled it off in five? That doesn't make sense... There are Divine Miracles, sorcery exclusive to the gods. Runic Sorcery, created by Hope. The Sorcery of Names that's existed since the dawn of creation... and Weaving, which that nebulous demon brought into being..."

Lich shook his skull, pulled his hood over his bony head with a skeletal hand, and turned to walk away. It was time to reinforce his idiot lord's array. Still, he cast one last glance at the sleeping Klaus.

"You still underestimate what you've accomplished, Niklaus... This is an achievement on the level of Weaver and Hope. Maybe you really do take the teachings of the gods to heart. The War God's realm is a realm of intellect, after all... Still, You should be proud. War Maidens weren't true vessels of war just because they were skilled and fearless but you... you are, because of your mind. Because of your intelligence and creativity."

***

Klaus woke up a few hours later, groggy and sluggish. He was still tired, but for now, he had regained enough energy to last at least two days.

He had spent countless days and nights trying to figure out how to defeat the dragon, but every plan ended the same way. Everyone would die, and everything would be destroyed.

It was impossible. That thing was just too powerful. Sure, he could put up a fight...

This damned pride is going to get me killed one day, he thought bitterly, shaking his head.

No, there was no way to win in a head-on clash. He could try hit-and-run tactics, but even with teleportation and phasing, he would only last a few minutes which was useless. The radiation surrounding the dragon was so intense, long exposure to it alone would be fatal.

And then there was the Spring Sector…

It hadn't been destroyed over several hours. The dragon only wasted time breaking through the barriers and even that took just an hour.

As for the sector itself?

A single breath.

That's all it took to annihilate everything.

Well, Klaus was nothing short of innovative when it came to tactics. He was a scientist and a sorcerer... Well, actually, he was a lot of things thanks to the Wisdom of Uriel but those two defined him the most.

Science and sorcery, huh?

"What a strange pair..." he muttered with a faint smile, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat as he pulled the hood over his head and stepped into the Winter Sector. Snowflakes drifted lazily through the air, blanketing the land in silence.

"If my plan works, then we survive. If not... then all of us die."

A grim smile touched his lips as his fingers traced the scar along his face. He knew exactly why that dragon was here…

"Amelia… That-"

A soft voice interrupted him from behind.

"What about Amelia? What's wrong with her?"

Klaus blinked and looked back, only to see Cassie.

She was wrapped in a long, plush white fur coat that fell gracefully below her knees, swaying gently in the breeze. The coat's texture shimmered subtly under the pale daylight. Atop her head rested a thick, fluffy white hat, and from beneath it, her long, wavy blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders that was slightly tousled, yet clearly styled with intention. The golden tones of her hair contrasted softly against the all-white ensemble, lending her a warm, almost ethereal presence amid the cold.

Her pale blue eyes were partially obscured by oversized round sunglasses whole her lips, faintly tinted, curled in a relaxed expression. Beneath the coat, she wore a chunky white turtleneck sweater which seemed cozy, yet refined. Slim-fitted beige pants hugged her graceful figure, and her white snow boots blended seamlessly into the snowy terrain, balancing elegance with function.

Klaus grimaced, dragging a hand down his face.

What am I even thinking about!? It's not like I'm a judge for supermodels! Why am I evaluating her like I've got scorecards in my pocket!?

Cassie tilted her head in confusion, then flashed him an amused smile. She slipped her hand into his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. Glancing up with a slight frown, she wondered, Am I too short? No, it was just that he was too tall... over six feet, maybe a bit more. Hmm...

"So, what's wrong with Amelia?"

Klaus shrugged as they walked through the quiet streets.

Despair lingered in the air like heavy fog. Some people had locked themselves in their homes, others turned to drinking, and a few had already started indulging in reckless behavior, as if the world was ending and nothing mattered anymore.

"Nothing much," he said bitterly. "The dragon was sent by her."

Cassie blinked in surprise.

"She told me, after our fight, that she was supposed to kill it. But clearly, instead of doing that, she lured the damn thing out of its lair qhich was in Chernobyl."

He exhaled sharply.

"She and the dragon were competing for that place. The high radiation boosts both their powers. It's their source element, where they're at their strongest. Now she has Chernobyl… and I'm the one stuck cleaning up her mess, fighting the thing she was supposed to kill."

Cassie's smile dimmed, her previously amused expression shifting into something more mysterious and thoughtful.

"But why would the dragon do that?" she asked quietly. "Why would it give up on Chernobyl? Sure, she could lure it out... but why wouldn't the dragon just return?"

She paused mid-step. Her cerulean eyes, once aimless, widened with sudden realization.

"Souls..."

Klaus nodded.

"Yeah. It smelled human souls. That's what did it."

The dragon had abandoned its radioactive haven because of the overwhelming scent of life in the southern settlements. It forgot Chernobyl and turned its attention to easier prey.

Still, despite the carnage, Klaus couldn't help but respect Amelia's sheer dedication... and her terrifying strategic mind.

She lured the dragon from Chernobyl all the way to South America.

Bloody hell, he thought with a bitter chuckle. What kind of crazy stamina does that woman have?

"Yeah... well, if my plan doesn't work, we all die. So cheers, I guess. Heh."

Cassie gave him a disapproving look.

"Stop joking about our deaths. How come you always find the most serious situations funny?"

Klaus shrugged, letting go of her arm and walking ahead then turned around and started walking backward.

"Because I'm just that much of a genius, that's how."

Cassie sighed, placed her hands on her hips, and shook her head. Then, with calm precision, she stepped to the left, effortlessly dodging a snowball.

Klaus scowled. Why was it so hard to hit her with a snowball?! Damned oracles! She could see the future! How was that fair!?

Just then, a snowball flew toward him but it stopped midair, caught by a repulsive forcefield, and blasted right back at Cassie's face.

She wiped her face slowly, then narrowed her eyes at him. That bastard! He used a forcefield?! What kind of gentleman does that!?

They stared at each other spitefully.

"Chicken, humph!"

"Donkey, tsk!"

The silence stretched between them for a moment longer… and then, the greatest snowball fight the Winter Sector had ever seen erupted.

Half an hour later, a hand emerged from a hill of snow, and Cassie popped out, coughing and shivering.

"That bastard..."

Cassie had lost... Klaus had gathered all the snow in the area by manipulating space and condensed it into one giant, monstrous snowball. She only looked up when it came crashing down like a meteor, burying the entire street in white.

Using her ability, she scanned the area. Klaus was nowhere to be found.

Only snowmen. Dozens of them, scattered across the snow-covered street.

Cassie looked around warily. Any of them could be an illusion or worse, one of them could be him, just waiting for her to lower her guard and get pelted again.

Finally, fed up, she started destroying the snowmen one by one.

"Nik! Come out! It's not even funny anymore!"

Meanwhile, standing atop a nearby rooftop, Klaus watched her rampage with a calm, almost philosophical expression.

"In the end, the greatest snowball... isn't a snowball at all. It's fear."

***

Well, we finally learned how ritualistic magic works and once again, it proves why Klaus is the greatest. My boy created a whole new type of sorcery using geometry, lol. Weaver must be fuming in his grave.

When we first learned about the War Maidens and the Valor Clan, I was genuinely disappointed. They were idiots. The former served the War Goddess and didn't even know what her domains were about. War isn't just about brute strength or combat skills. it's about strategy, cunning, and intellect. Not to mention, she's not just the Goddess of Life, but also the Goddess of progress, technology, craft, warfare, and intellect. So it's downright stupid that they only focused on martial skill. Tsk, tsk, frauds.

Same goes for the Valor Clan. Those bums are descendants of the War God, yet they're mindless brutes when the War God is supposed to be the most intelligent and creative of all gods. It honestly doesn't make sense how stupid they are. Fr, those fraudulent bums 🥀💔

Anvil is trash without any strategy. Morgan isn't bad, but nothing impressive. Mordret is great. most of his wins came from his cunning and intelligence.

Anyway, Klaus is the true child of war. Not those other bums like the autistic blowtorch, lost-from-height, or the prince of doing nothing.

Spread the word. Klaus carries the legacy they could never live up to.

(Never forget what greatest snowball is about.)

***