Luna and Arura stood frozen in shock. A beat later, they screamed for the guards, barking frantic orders as they turned tail and ran.
"Kill him! Now!" Arura shrieked.
But Nova didn't even flinch.
He didn't chase. Didn't shout. He just stood there—calm, collected, almost amused.
A smile tugged at his lips. "So they're finally scared... Good."
The guards came in droves, blades gleaming, arcana blazing. Their movements blurred as they launched themselves at him, faster than lightning.
Nova blinked.
"Man, they're slow. Not even worth killing. Maybe I can use them later."
He stepped forward.
In the blink of an eye, a hundred guards dropped—unconscious, disarmed, twitching on the floor. Nova hadn't even broken a sweat.
He appeared before Luna and Arura, cutting off their escape.
"Aww, leaving so soon?" he said with a mocking smile.
He reached out and gently played with a lock of Luna's hair. "You know," he said casually, "I always liked the way you dressed... those high-waisted shorts, that flowing blouse, the blue-and-gold jewelry... mm, so mesmerizing."
His voice dripped with amusement, but to Luna, it was a knife twisting in her gut.
She felt her knees go weak.
He remembers. Everything.
The things her family did. The things she did. Would he treat her like she treated him?
The thought was both terrifying... and sickeningly thrilling.
But Nova wasn't done.
His eyes glowed.
ILLUSIVE EYE
With a flick of his hand, he cast them both into a world of nightmares.
Luna saw herself stripped of everything—no money, no family name, no arcana. Alone. Powerless. Reduced to selling herself to survive. Her pride shattered. Her beauty wasted.
Arura, meanwhile, lost her status, her connections, even her arcana. She became a desperate dungeon crawler, relying only on raw sword skill. Until the monsters caught her. They didn't kill her—but they made sure she'd wish they had. One leg. One eye. Broken and discarded. Men sneered at her, pitied her... no one wanted her.
Their screams echoed across the illusion.
"NOOOO!! STOP!!! HELP US! PLEASE!!"
They writhed on the floor, trembling, broken. Not a scratch on their bodies—but their minds were shattered beyond recognition.
Nova simply stood above them, watching with quiet satisfaction.
Nova dispelled the illusion with a snap of his fingers. Both Luna and Arura remained trembling on the ground, too shaken to even lift their heads.
He stepped closer, voice cold and sharp enough to slice through the air.
"System, activate Devour. Take their Arcana."
[BLOOD MOON ARCANA: ACQUIRED]
[SKY ARCANA: ACQUIRED]
Nova raised his hand, ready to finish them off—but he paused.
It wasn't mercy. It wasn't morality. And it sure as hell wasn't because they were women.
No… letting them live, stripped of power, humiliated and broken by the very servant they once tormented—that would be far more satisfying.
With the Bluestones dealt with, Nova finally exhaled. A long, tired sigh escaped him as he dropped down onto the floor, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of armored guards.
"They're all gone… or at least taken care of," he muttered to himself.
He leaned back casually against a shattered pillar and glanced around at the pile of soldiers. His lips curled into a half-smirk.
"Yo, System, do we have any mind control abilities now? After that massive level-up? Not that I expect—"
[YES. ABILITY UNLOCKED: DOMINATION.
DESCRIPTION: NOT EXACTLY MIND CONTROL — MORE OF A HIGH-LEVEL ILLUSION THAT FORCES TARGETS TO SEE THE USER AS A KING OR ALPHA FIGURE.]
"...Mmh. Not even gonna comment on that name," Nova muttered, rubbing his temples. "System, activate Domination on all the guards."
[DOMINATION ACTIVATED.]
A faint shimmer passed over each of the soldiers. One by one, a small glowing wolf-head tattoo appeared on their forearms, burning briefly before settling into the skin like a brand.
Nova grinned.
"Now that's more like it."
Nix and Mina finally reached the ballroom—only to stop dead in their tracks.
Nova was sitting calmly in the middle of a pile of unconscious guards, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Nix froze, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Wait... did Nova do all this? Just how strong has he become?"
She was no stranger to death anymore. The Bluestones had executed so many guards in front of her that her innocence had long since been burned away. Once, she would cry if her brother got even a tiny scrape.
Now… she stood unmoved in front of a battlefield.
Not because the sight didn't disturb her, but because the only thing that truly shocked her—was him.
"Hey, Nix!" Nova called out cheerfully, waving at her like they weren't surrounded by unconscious bodies.
Nix gave a hesitant smile and raised her hand to wave back—
Only for Nova to suddenly appear right in front of them.
"Woah!!" Mina squeaked, jumping back. "You really need to stop doing that! You're gonna give me a heart attack!"
Before either of them could recover, Nova pulled Nix into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She stiffened for a moment, eyes wide—then melted into the embrace.
"I missed you so much," Nova whispered, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his cheeks. "You're free now… You won't have to endure those awful people ever again."
Nix held him back, her arms trembling as she squeezed him tighter, her own tears finally falling.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt safe.
Nova kept his promise.
Something their father never did—
The same father who swore he'd protect her… and then sold her to the Bluestones like she was nothing.
But Nova didn't forget.
Nova came back.
And this time—he didn't come alone.
Kan Sha's voice echoed in Nova's mind, his small, spectral form materializing on Nova's shoulder. "Well, I guess this is mission accomplished. We saved your sister, got your revenge… now comes the hard part."
His appearance was now visible to everyone. Nix blinked in surprise, staring at the tiny ghostly wolf. Mina tilted her head, mumbling, "What a cute little wolf…"
Meanwhile, Nova frowned. "Hard part? What do you mean? I'm overpowered now. Should be smooth sailing from here, right?"
Kan Sha sighed. "You're a fugitive, genius. You just slaughtered nobles in broad daylight. You'll need to get out of the country. Fast."
Nova smirked. "Only if we get caught."
Immediately, Nix, Mina, and Kan Sha all yelled in unison, "This whole estate is covered in crystal surveillance! We're caught in 4K!"
Nova's eyes widened. "…Right. Forgot about that."
He clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone! Grab what you need—we're outta here. We'll figure out where we're going later!"
The group sprang into motion, raiding the Bluestone manor for anything useful. Gold, clothes, relics, potions—anything not bolted down was fair game.
Nova reached the kitchen and waved his hand. A swirling black portal opened—leading into Moonvale, the pocket dimension granted by the Mad Dog System.
Without hesitation, he swept every bit of food from the Bluestone pantry into it. A ridiculous mountain of supplies formed inside.
"That should last us ten years," Nova muttered as he snapped the portal shut.
He dashed back toward Nix's room, where she was folding clothes and stuffing a travel bag with soaps and essentials. Nova simply grabbed the entire closet and hurled it into the portal like a black hole devouring clutter.
Nix stared at him. "What the hell was that?"
"Pocket dimension storage," Nova replied coolly. "Makes things convenient."
Mina zipped by with a bundle of weapons. "Are we taking the wine cellar too?"
Nova grinned. "Take everything that looks expensive."
Kan Sha facepalmed. "We are not looting a noble family. Wait… we are looting a noble family."
"Too late to grow morals now," Nova said, already ripping down a crystal chandelier.
They had less than ten minutes before the alarms reached the kingdom's central archive.
And Nova? He was already planning their next move.
"Yo, Mina, how many potions can you grab?" Nova asked while stuffing a crate of dried herbs into the swirling pocket portal.
Mina smirked, tying her hair back. "We can take the entire alchemy lab. Plus, I know how to make basic potions . Healing, stamina, even a few poisons."
"Perfect," Nova said, eyes gleaming. "Let's clear it out."
The two of them moved like a pair of practiced thieves—bottles, scrolls, magical reagents, even the workbenches were sucked into the black void of the Moonvale dimension. Mina even tossed in a bag labeled 'Highly Volatile – Do Not Shake', giggling as she did.
Once done, they hit the wine cellar.
Nix popped open a barrel and took a sip straight from the tap. "Vintage elven brew. Aged 70 years."
Mina grabbed a smaller cask. "This one smells like cherries. I'm taking it."
Nova, meanwhile, picked the biggest barrel he could find, hoisted it over his shoulder, and grinned. "Mine now."
The three of them looked at each other—covered in dust, carrying stolen wine, and laughing like mischievous goblins. It was the most fun they'd had all there life.
With everything they needed secured, they donned dark cloaks, masks, and scarves to hide their identities. The estate alarms hadn't blared yet, but it was only a matter of time. They moved fast toward the main gate.
That's when Iris stumbled into view.
She dropped to her knees in front of them, her once-pristine dress now dirty and torn, her eyes wild with desperation.
"Please… don't leave me here," she begged. "You took my Arcana, my family's money—everything. Don't leave me alone in this place."
Nova paused, looking down at her with a mixture of annoyance and intrigue.
This girl was part of the Bluestones… but she's useless without her arcana, and if I restore it… she could be a very convenient tool. One loyal servant beats a dozen clueless guards.
He turned to the group. "You know… she might be more useful under my control."
Then he looked down at Iris.
"You can come with us," he said calmly, "but first—kneel."
His eyes glowed crimson as he activated Domination. Dark tendrils of arcana wrapped around Iris's body, binding her soul. Her struggling stopped immediately. Her breathing slowed. Her eyes glazed slightly as the ability took full effect and then a small wolf head tattoo appeared on her neck.
Nova's voice was commanding, but cold. "Get up."
Iris stood without hesitation. "Yes, Master."
Nix raised an eyebrow. "Well… that was fast."
Mina sighed. "Ugh. Mind control. Creepy but effective."
Kan Sha chuckled from Nova's shoulder. "You're building quite the little cult, aren't you?"
Nova smirked beneath his hood. "Let's just call it… a team."
With Iris now following like a trained servant, the group slipped out through the gate, disappearing into the shadows .
The Bluestones were dead. Their estate raided. The entire country would soon be hunting them.
But for the first time, Nova wasn't afraid.
He was free.