Doran’s firm, commanding voice echoed across the courtyard as he marched back and forth before the new recruits, each step reverberating off the stones.

The men’s shoulders trembled, their eyes shut tight, swords raised before their faces in white-knuckled grips.

Beads of sweat trickled down their temples and chins, dripping silently onto the stone floor.

A single glance was enough for Ethan to realize these men had been standing in that position since early morning.

Their bodies were exhausted, and they truly seemed just one step away from collapse.

He sighed, then approached.

The recruits noticed the lord’s presence immediately, but no one dared to break formation.

"Ah... aren’t they going to end up dying if they keep training like this?" Ethan asked with a gentle smile, catching Doran’s attention.

"My lord," Doran bowed slightly. "No, they can handle much more than that."

A confident smile appeared on Doran’s lips, and Ethan returned the gesture.

Well... it wasn’t a lie.

With the Tree of Life and the dense magical concentration of Goldenveil, a sacred city, it was nearly impossible to completely deplete the stamina of any Awakened, even those at the third stage.

"Hmm... you’re dismissed for today," Ethan said to the recruits, waving his hand to signal them to relax.

The moment his voice fell, all their bodies slumped against the stones of the courtyard, swords slipping from their exhausted hands.

"Rest well. Once you’ve mastered the basics of the Golden Dragon Emperor’s fencing, you’ll enter a special training regimen that will forge you into true warriors," Ethan said, motioning for them to leave.

"Yes, Lord Ethan!" the recruits replied in unison, mustering what little strength they had left to stand up and file out in a line.

If it weren’t for the prospect of glory and the generous pay, many of them would have given up long ago.

After all, everyone there dreamed of becoming great experts, and the Goldenveil army was the perfect path to that goal.

Doran wasn’t annoyed by the interruption of training; he knew his Lord would never stop it without a good reason.

"Did something happen?" he asked, turning to Ethan.

There was a slight hint of concern in his voice.

"Nothing major," Ethan smiled.

His eyes swept across the now-empty courtyard, and from the system’s inventory, he retrieved an item: a summoning card.

Holding the silver card between his fingers, he tore it in half with a firm motion and took a step back.

A thousand golden lights burst from the torn card with a low hum, rising into the sky like a swarm of stars before cascading down onto the barracks’ stones.

Each luminous particle transformed as it landed, taking the shape of a fully equipped soldier. Exactly one thousand men.

At first, they seemed confused, looking around as if trying to figure out where they were.

But it took only a moment, and as soon as their eyes fell on Ethan, every one of them dropped to their knees in a single, synchronized movement.

With a broad smile, Ethan gave Doran a gentle pat on the shoulder. "With these, we’ve reached two thousand five hundred soldiers. We’re just five more cohorts away from completing our first legion.

Train them well."

***

While Ethan and Doran spoke, in a remote region surrounded by icy mountains, stood the Blue Magic Tower, one of the most powerful magical organizations on the entire continent.

In one of its highest chambers, surrounded by still-smoldering magic circles and blue candles that danced without a breath of wind, a pair of eyes slowly opened.

They were blue eyes, as deep as Ethan’s, and the long golden hair falling over the woman’s shoulders shone softly in the candlelight, exactly the same shade as her son’s.

Her eyes held an immediate concern as her delicate fingers reached for the pendant hanging over her chest.

Upon seeing it glow with an intense, vivid green, she let out a long sigh of relief.

Her baby was fine.

Not that she really needed to worry that much, though.

She had hidden, with the utmost care, dozens of magical arrays all over his body.

Should Ethan ever be in real danger, the arrays would activate instantly, forming a shield around him while simultaneously opening spatial portals so her servants could provide immediate assistance.

"Selene," she called softly, rising slowly to her feet.

She brought her hands to the tight neckline of her dress, which strained to contain the pair of full, heavy breasts pressed within.

Gripping the hem, she pulled it up with a firm gesture. Her breasts jostled from the motion, the heavy mounds bouncing softly before settling perfectly into her dress.

A soft sigh escaped her lips.

A few seconds later, the air in front of the woman rippled, a spatial fold opening to reveal the figure of another woman.

This second woman’s body was tall and curvaceous, her hair as black as night falling over her bare shoulders, her green eyes shining with a cold gleam.

Judging by the energy rippling around her figure, she was clearly a space mage.

"Master... was your advance a success?" Selene asked, her eyes already sensing the weight of the new energy emanating from her mistress.

It was still a bit unstable, wavering here and there, but the power behind that aura was clearly terrifying.

"Yes," the golden-haired woman replied with a faint smile. "You’ve reached the fourth stage, as I ordered. Have your sisters achieved the same?"

"Yes, master," Selene nodded, keeping her head bowed in respect.

"Hm... very well."

The golden-haired woman’s lips curved even further in satisfaction, and she snapped her fingers. A small talisman materialized between them.

"Now, gather your sisters and go after my Ethan. I’ll go as soon as I finish stabilizing my foundation," she ordered, handing over the talisman.

Selene didn’t hesitate; she bowed her head and withdrew, her figure dissolving into another spatial fold.

Alone again, the golden-haired woman let out a long sigh.

She had wanted to send Selene much earlier, but she simply couldn’t interrupt Selene’s training—not when she was so close to reaching the fourth stage.

With another soft sigh, she sat back down, her eyes closing as she began to circulate mana through her body once more.

"Just a little longer, love... just a little longer and mommy will be there with you..."