Galaxy Fall: All My Skills Are Maxed-Chapter 158: The Silent Woods

[Mirabella’s Soul Sea.]

​"But how? How can I gain Passive skills?" Mirabella muttered, resting her chin in her palm as she paced across the shimmering surface of her inner consciousness. The ocean of her mind reflected a sky filled with the constellations of her own power, yet it felt cluttered.

​"Forget it... I can’t think of anything. Maybe I am just exhausted." She sighed, the weight of the Abyss still pressing on her spirit. With a flick of her wrist, she dismissed the overwhelming blue system screen that hovered before her.

​"I will sleep for now..." She whispered, her consciousness receding into a deep, meditative slumber within the core of her soul, leaving Adira to keep watch over the silent, glowing tides.

_____

​[In the Real World.]

​The expedition moved steadily along the dusty trade route. The afternoon sun was relentless, beating down on the armored riders.

​"Hey. Why can she stay in the carriage, while we are riding under this hot sun?" Austin asked with a slight frown, wiping sweat from his brow as he rode his horse beside his twin sister. He gestured irritably toward the ornate, shaded carriage where Mirabella and the Princess were sequestered.

​"Because of three reasons," Aurelia answered coolly, raising three fingers without even looking at him.

​"Huh? A whole three things?" Austin was stunned. He was merely complaining out of physical discomfort, but his sister had already categorized the logic of their social standing.

​"First reason... Mirabella is stronger than anyone here. Look at Lady Yakima; even if she’s the leader of this team, she is riding ahead in the dust, not staying with the princess in the carriage. That proves my words. Mirabella’s presence isn’t a luxury; it’s a strategic placement of the team’s ultimate weapon. That’s one." She said, her sharp gaze fixed on the back of the carriage.

​"Second, she is now a Colonel. A Silver-rank Colonel has the power to command 5,000 Dragon Empire Military soldiers. Even a Guild Master of a secondary empire guild is technically under that jurisdictional position, making her the highest-ranking military figure here, second only to the imperial princess." She turned to her brother, whose jaw had begun to drop.

​"And third, she is Spectral."

​"What?! How do you know that?!" Austin hissed in shock, nearly slipping from his saddle.

​"Stellar heard it from the students who came from the lower server. The news is spreading like wildfire among the elites," she gave a small, sad smile, one born of the realization of their own insignificance. "In a simpler way, we aren’t in her league. Even standing before her is now an honor for us."

​Austin fell into a daze. ’She hasn’t even been here for two months and already achieved this much?! She is more than a monster,’ he thought with a flicker of genuine dread.

​"Now you know why she is inside that carriage... I shouldn’t even add the fact that she is Lord Hayatobi’s personal student. I didn’t add this because, if it was part of the reason, Hitachi wouldn’t be outside with us, right?" she whispered.

​"Mirabella is indeed powerful and special."

​The twins looked over their shoulders, seeing Rose riding her white horse toward them. Her cloak billowed in the dry wind, her expression uncharacteristically grim.

​"I have a feeling she will achieve even greater things in the future... And I am also scared."

​The twins blinked in unison. "Scared of what?"

​"If one day she turned against our world... We won’t even have a chance to fight back. No one will," Rose answered, her voice barely audible over the clopping of hooves.

​"I understand your fear," Aurelia nodded slowly. "I also had that thought the moment I heard she was Spectral, but... with your father’s way of thinking, he would have already prepared a backup plan for that, right?"

​Rose sighed, a weary sound. "Before great power, everything is useless. I have a feeling she has a way to break any seal or contract placed on her. Anyway, both of you should know how to address her properly from now on, because she will also become the captain of our academy in the Glory Flag competition."

​"...?!!"

​Austin and Aurelia were left speechless, the weight of that revelation settling like lead in their stomachs.

​Ahead of them, Hitachi remained silent. He was riding a few feet ahead, keeping pace with the carriage’s wheels. His ears had caught every word the three were talking about.

​’Mirabella... You’re the only one I consider a true rival. I will definitely reach your level,’ he thought, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his reins, his gaze fixed on the closed silken curtains of the carriage.

___

​The journey continued in a tense, rhythmic silence. As the hours bled away, the sun finally dipped below the horizon, welcoming the night.

​Yakima narrowed her eyes, scanning the terrain. They were now deep into a narrow path, flanked on both sides by a dense, ancient forest. She raised her head to the sky; it was a void of pitch black, dotted with cold stars, but not a single sliver of the moon was visible. The darkness was absolute.

​"Leader, I think we should rest. The horses are flagging," her Vice-Captain, Sofia—a young lady with long black hair styled in a high ponytail—rode toward her.

​"That’s not a good idea, Sofia," Yakima said, her hand instinctively drifting to the hilt of her blade. She felt the hair on her arms standing up. "This is the same forest path where we lost communication with our ten scouts... This place is too dangerous and far too quiet to spend the night."

​"You are right, Leader... I finally noticed it. There are no insects. No birds. It’s too quiet," Sofia whispered, her eyes darting toward the treeline. "Should we increase the pace?"

​"Stop talking, just keep moving... If something happens, we will simply fight back. But..." Yakima looked at the oppressive canopy above. "It’s getting dark, and I still can’t see the ending of this path. Quietly spread my word: everyone is to be on guard. Weapons drawn but concealed."

​"Yes."

​Sofia nodded, turning her horse around to weave through the line and deliver the command. Yakima gripped her reins tighter, her heart hammering against her ribs. ’I have a very bad feeling about this. The energy in the air feels... stagnant.’

​Further back, Hitachi stared at Sofia as she approached. Rose, Austin, and Aurelia followed closely behind him.

​"You four must be on guard... I am sure you already know the stakes of this mission, and the comrades we’ve already lost to these woods," Sofia said, her voice tight.

​The four students nodded solemnly, their eyes scanning the darkness between the trees.

​"Good. This is the exact sector where we lost contact, so please, be—"

​WHOOSH!!

​The sound of displaced air cut through the silence like a whip. A spear, blackened to absorb the light, flew from the thicket with terminal velocity. It was aimed directly at Sofia’s temple.

​Hitachi’s Celestial Eyes spun violently, the pupilless colorful orbs glowing with a faint, predatory light as they automatically sensed the incoming threat. He snapped his gaze to the weapon, and instantly, a localized distortion of gravity caught the spear. It shattered into a dozen wooden and iron splinters, falling harmlessly to the ground just two feet from Sofia’s horse.

​"....?!!"

​Sofia sat frozen in her saddle, the wind from the projectile’s passage still ruffling her ponytail. If it hadn’t been for Hitachi’s god-like reaction, her skull would have been pinned to the carriage.

​"FORMATION!!!"

Yakima’s voice roared from the front, echoing through the trees as the forest finally came alive with the sound of a thousand unsheathed blades.