Leo woke up the next morning, feeling the heaviness of the day before still lingering in his mind.
The talk with Victor, the sudden proposal to appoint him as the commander-in-chief... it still felt strange.
It had all happened so fast.
Lying in bed for a few more minutes, Leo stared at the ceiling, thinking about it again. He wasn't someone who enjoyed holding authority just for the sake of it.
Power without a clear purpose was meaningless to him. But he understood that if he wanted to shape this place, to steer things toward the future he envisioned, he needed authority.
Not just strength — but position, influence. Without it, no one would truly listen.
And right now, this role was necessary.
With a sigh, he got up and moved to get ready. Splashing cold water on his face, he stared into the mirror. His reflection looked the same — sharp eyes, calm face — but inside, Leo knew a shift had started.
After getting freshened up, he left his quarters and started moving toward the training area.
Some might wonder why he would go there first. After all, he was just newly appointed. He could have taken the day slow, settled into his new role carefully.
But Leo was different. He knew that leadership wasn't about sitting on a chair and giving orders from above.
It was about understanding — knowing the people who would fight under you, seeing their strengths and weaknesses firsthand.
And most importantly, it was about earning their trust before the battles even began.
Besides, Leo wasn't naive. Victor had bigger plans in motion — he had made that very clear during their talk.
The expansion process was going to start soon.
Before the attacks, before the conquests, Leo needed to be ready. He needed to know the army he was supposed to command.
Faster than the battles began — that was his goal.
As he walked through the corridors, he noticed the atmosphere was different. The time was around nine or ten in the morning. The sun was already shining high, casting a bright light through the narrow windows along the stone hallway.
And the news had already spread.
Soldiers passing by would stop in their tracks, standing straight and saluting him.
At first, Leo found it strange. He wasn't used to people treating him this way. Just yesterday, none of these men even knew who he was. Now, suddenly, he was their Commander-in-Chief.
It felt... different.
It was awkward, honestly. But Leo didn't show it on his face. He kept a calm, composed expression, giving a slight nod whenever necessary.
Inside, though, he could feel the change beginning — not in the soldiers, but inside himself.
He wasn't changing into someone else completely. But Leo understood that he had to show a new side of himself now. Authority demanded a different kind of presence.
He couldn't afford to be cold and distant anymore. Especially during last night's conversation with Victor.
Leo had tried to be as human as possible during that talk. He had even tried to smile — something he wasn't particularly good at.
Even now, while walking, he reminded himself to keep a neutral, approachable look.
It still felt weird.
Smiling wasn't exactly in Leo's nature. He wasn't used to pretending either. But leadership required certain sacrifices, even small ones like these.
As he neared the training facility, the sounds of swords clashing, boots pounding on the ground, and instructors shouting filled the air.
The large open ground stretched before him, busy with hundreds of soldiers practicing their drills in organized formations.
It was a completely different sight compared to yesterday night. Back then, only a few soldiers were training, and it was quiet, almost deserted.
But now, in the full light of day, the place was alive with movement and energy.
It made sense. This was the Aether Camp after all — a merger of three different zones.
Their population was naturally higher, and that led to a bigger army. Victor had gathered and united powerful forces here.
As Leo stepped into the training ground, the atmosphere shifted immediately.
All eyes turned to him.
Training stopped.
Weapons were lowered.
Conversations died.
For a moment, there was silence — heavy and complete.
Then, one by one, soldiers dropped what they were doing, forming tight, straight lines.
They saluted him in perfect coordination.
Leo stood there quietly, letting the moment settle. He could feel the weight of their gazes, the expectations, the doubts, the curiosity.
Most of these soldiers had probably never seen him before. And now, he was the man who would lead them.
At the front of the formation, four individuals stood slightly apart from the others.
Leo recognized one of them — the man he had seen during the meeting yesterday. He didn't know the man's full name yet, but Victor had called him Cassian.
Standing beside Cassian were three others — two women and one young man, probably in his mid-twenties.
They all saluted him formally.
Leo gave a simple nod in return, keeping things brief. He wasn't someone who believed in dragging things out with long speeches.
He cleared his throat and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Many of you don't know me," he began simply. "My name is Leo. As Victor announced yesterday, from today onwards, I will be your Commander-in-Chief."
His voice was steady, neither harsh nor soft. He kept it firm — a tone that brooked no nonsense, but wasn't overbearing either.
He noticed a few uncertain looks among the soldiers. Especially when he addressed Victor by his name directly, not using any titles like 'Lord.'
It was a small thing, but Leo understood how military systems worked. Such details mattered. Respect had its place.
So he decided to address it head-on.
"You might find it odd," he continued, "that I'm not calling Victor by any formal titles. That's because I'm not serving him. I'm standing beside him — in an equal partnership. My role here is not to simply take orders, but to lead you directly."
He let his words hang for a moment before continuing.
"I'm not just another fighter. I am a Transcendent — stronger than anyone here.
So understand this clearly. On the battlefield, orders must be absolute. Loyalty is important, but obedience in battle is even more important."
"Mistakes in war are paid with blood.
From this moment on, I am your Commander-in-Chief. Besides Victor, there is no one else in this army above me. Is that understood?"
A strong, unified response echoed across the ground.
"Yes, sir!"
Leo nodded once, satisfied.
This was the strength of a military force — the ability to follow the chain of command without hesitation once it was set.
The soldiers might have their doubts privately, but when it came to the battlefield, discipline ruled everything.
And declaring himself as a Transcendent also helped. In a world where strength decided respect, being at such a high level made a difference.
Leo could see it in their eyes. They respected power. And now, they respected him.
After a pause, Leo added, "You are dismissed. Continue your training. I'll be observing."
The soldiers immediately got back into action, returning to their drills. The energy on the ground picked up again, even sharper than before.
Leo then turned his attention to the four commanders standing nearby.
"Commanders, approach," he ordered.
They walked up and saluted again.
Cassian was the first to speak.
"Sir. Cassian, at your service."
He was a man in his thirties — tall, broad-shouldered, with a strong build. He looked like someone who had seen his fair share of battles. His eyes were calm, measuring, but respectful.
Next was a woman with long blue hair and sharp blue eyes.
"Sarah," she introduced herself simply.
She looked delicate at first glance, but Leo knew better than to judge people based on appearance alone. The way she stood, the way her muscles tensed slightly under her uniform — she was a fighter through and through.
Then another woman stepped forward.
"Sophie," she said.
She had a more relaxed aura compared to Sarah but carried the same sharpness in her movements. Leo noticed a resemblance between the two and later found out they were sisters.
Lastly, a young man — probably in his mid-twenties — gave a sharp salute.
"Sunny," he said.
Sunny looked fast — his build was leaner compared to Cassian, but the muscle definition under his clothes suggested strong physical power too. A combination of agility and strength.
Leo studied them carefully. He could see it — these were capable individuals. Victor hadn't picked them randomly.
Leo kept things short.
"It's good to meet all of you," Leo said. "Let's skip the pleasantries for now. We have work to do."
They nodded in understanding.
Leo continued, "Victor has made it clear. The time for expansion is close. Very close.
In a few days, we'll start moving into the neighboring zones."
"There will be no diplomacy. No long talks.
We move with strength."
He let the words sink in for a moment before asking, "Will the soldiers be ready?"
Cassian spoke up first.
"Yes, sir. The troops are already on high alert. Battalions are organized and prepared. If we get a few more days, we can sharpen them even further."
Leo nodded slightly.
Cassian continued, "Most of our fighters are between Awakened Tier 6 to Awakened Tier 10. About 20% to 30% are Ascended Tier fighters, ranging up to Ascended Tier 3.
Our generals are stronger — Ascended Tier 9 and 10."
Leo listened carefully, taking in the information.
It was impressive. He hadn't expected such high-level forces here.
While Leo himself was now a Transcendent — something far beyond Ascended levels — he respected the strength it took to reach even Ascended Tier 1.
Having such a solid army meant that their expansion efforts had real chances of success.
After a moment of thought, Leo spoke, "Good. This evening, send the soldiers into the outskirts. Tell them to hunt beasts, level up. I want everyone to try and push up at least one tier before the real missions start."
The commanders nodded seriously.
But Sunny raised a reasonable concern.
"If we send so many soldiers outside, sir, who will defend the camp?"
Leo turned his gaze to him and smiled faintly — not a forced smile, but a natural one.
"You don't need to worry about that," Leo said simply.
"I'm here. And in my presence, I doubt there's anything that can threaten this camp."
The confidence in his voice wasn't arrogance — it was fact.
The commanders knew it too.
Leo, a Transcendent Level 4, was more than enough to safeguard the camp single-handedly.
They all nodded in agreement.
Leo then dismissed them, allowing them to return to their duties.
He remained there, standing at the side of the training ground, quietly observing the soldiers at work.