"Watch your right, Draven!" ndris''s excited voice cut through the mor of the battle, her words sharp and clear despite the chaos.


    "I know," I replied, my voice steady and calm, as if the monsters closing in from all directions didn''t even matter.


    The truth was, they didn''t. Not to me. The undead goblin king, my minotaur devil servant, and the hobgoblin devil servant were wreaking havoc with brutal efficiency. Trolls, ogres, and grotesque creatures spawned by the dungeonification lurched forward, but each of my summoned forces dispatched them with ruthless precision.


    The goblin king swung its massive, rotting club, smashing an ogre''s head into pulp with a single, deafening blow. The minotaur''s heavy hooves crushed a pack of kobolds beneath its weight, while the hobgoblin devil danced between monsters, its fiery ws leaving trails of dark mes in its wake.


    We were pushing to the top—Level 100. The grand office at the very peak of the Magic Tower University. That was where the Senate met, where all the highest matters of importance were discussed. The ce where Professor Armandra was most likely waiting.


    "She''ll be there," I said, more to myself than to ndris, my eyes fixed on the top of the staircase that spiraled endlessly upward.


    "Are you sure?" ndris asked, ncing at me from the corner of her eye. Her silvery hair shimmered faintly in the dim light of the tower, her mana restrained but still potent enough to make the air hum around her. She moved gracefully beside me, her steps light but purposeful, each movement calcted. Her mana might have been restricted, but she was still incredibly strong.


    Even at this fraction of her power, she was fifty times more powerful than any of the other professors in the Magic Tower. Her control was absolute.


    "Yes, I''m sure," I replied. "There''s no one else who could have orchestrated this chaos. She''ll want to finish what she started."


    I didn''t bring anyone else with me. ndris had to stay unseen by the rest of the tower. Her true identity as Chancellor Sylrin was still hidden, and revealing it now wouldplicate matters more than necessary. Alfred, Garren, Sra, and the Drakhan knights were securing the lower floors, ensuring the students and staff were safe. I left my chimeras with them to aid in the effort.


    As we ascended the staircase, ndris nced back at the undead goblin king and devil servants trailing behind us, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "You''re quite naughty, Draven," she remarked, her tone yful despite the gravity of the situation. "Hiding these creatures all this time."


    "They''re recent acquisitions," I said, my eyes forward. "Captured during the dungeonification. I n to analyze and research them."


    ndris raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Research, huh? Interesting choice of specimens. I''m sure the Senate will love that exnation."


    The minotaur devil servant swung its massive axe, cleaving through a troll that had charged at us from the side. The creature let out a guttural roar as it copsed, its body splitting in two. The hobgoblin devil servant leaped onto an ogre, tearing its throat out with its fiery ws, while the undead goblin king crushed a pack of snarling kobolds with a single swing of its club.


    ndris watched the disy of power with a gleam in her eye, clearly impressed.


    "Your control over them is… remarkable," shemented, her tone almost admiring.


    "It''s not about control," I corrected her. "It''s about understanding. You have to analyze their behavior, predict their movements. If you can anticipate what they''re going to do, you can guide them without needing to force them."


    She chuckled. "Spoken like a true academic. Always analyzing, always calcting. You''re never off the clock, are you?"


    I didn''t respond. There was no need to. We continued our climb, the monsters bing fewer but more powerful the higher we went. More trolls, ogres, and even a few wyverns appeared, their scales gleaming in the dim light as they swooped down to attack. But they were no match for thebined strength of my summons and ndris''s precision.


    ndris moved like a dancer, her mana swirling around her as she dispatched the monsters with effortless grace. A flick of her wrist sent a troll tumbling to the ground, its body convulsing as her restricted mana struck with deadly precision. Despite having most of her power trapped in the doll she left behind, ndris was still formidable. Her attacks were precise, efficient, and devastating.


    But as strong as she was, her incessant curiosity was bing a distraction.


    "So, Draven," she said suddenly, her voice light despite the chaos around us. "I''ve been wondering… What''s your secret?"


    I didn''t bother looking at her. "What are you talking about?"


    "Oh,e on," she teased, dodging a troll''s club with an almostzy grace. "You''re always so secretive. You''re hiding something, aren''t you? Maybe something about your past?"


    "I''m not hiding anything," I replied, blocking an iing ogre with a telekic barrier before it could get too close. "I''m just not interested in sharing personal details."


    She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Everyone has secrets, Draven. Even you."


    I sighed inwardly. ndris could be incredibly annoying when she wanted to be.


    Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "So… what about Lady Sophie? You and her still an item?"


    I paused for just a fraction of a second, caught off guard by the question. It wasn''t something I had expected, not here, not now.


    "No," I said tly. "We''re not."


    ndris froze in mid-step, her eyes widening in shock. "Wait—what? You broke it off?"


    The surprise in her voice was genuine, and for a moment, she almost seemed to forget about the battle raging around us. That moment of distraction nearly cost her as a troll swung its club toward her with terrifying speed.


    I reacted without thinking, halting the troll''s attack with a swift burst of psychokic force. The troll stumbled back, its club frozen in mid-air before shattering into pieces.


    ndris blinked, shaking off her surprise as she realized what had just happened. Then, without warning, she shouted, "WHY!?"


    The sheer force of her voice sent a shockwave through the air, powerful enough to send the goblins in front of us flying into the walls. It wasn''t anger that fueled her outburst, though—it was pure, unbridled curiosity.


    I didn''t flinch. I didn''t react. I simply looked at her, my expression cold and unreadable.


    "You really want to know?" I asked, my voice low.


    "Yes!" she eximed, her eyes wide with an almost childlike fascination. "Why would you break it off? She''s Lady Sophie of Icevern! One of the most sought-after women in the realm! You''re telling me you just… ended it?"


    I turned away, already dismissing her question. "I have my reasons. And I don''t owe you an exnation."


    ndris pouted, clearly unsatisfied with my response. "That''s not fair, Draven. You can''t just drop a bombshell like that and then refuse to exin."


    I remained silent, my attention back on the staircase ahead. The battle wasn''t over yet, and I wasn''t about to waste time discussing my personal life with her.


    She sighed dramatically, clearly frustrated by myck of openness. "You''re impossible, you know that?"


    "I''m aware," I replied dryly.


    As we reached the final steps of the staircase, the monsters began to thin out, their numbers dwindling as we approached the top level. The grand office loomed just ahead, the massive doors standing tall and imposing at the end of the corridor. This was it—the ce where the Senate met, where all the highest matters of the Magic Tower were decided.


    ndris''s yful demeanor faded, reced by a sharp focus as she stared at the doors. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, her mana swirling around her like a storm waiting to be unleashed.


    "She''s behind those doors," ndris said softly, her voice steady now. "Professor Armandra."


    I nodded. "It''s time to finish this."


    We approached the doors together, my undead goblin king and devil servants nking us. The air was thick with tension, the weight of the battle ahead pressing down on us. But I wasn''t worried. I had prepared for this.


    As I reached for the door, ndris spoke one final time, her voice barely above a whisper.


    But I noticed her face turning into an unusual serious expression.


    "Let''s make this quick, Draven. I have a feeling things are about to get much moreplicated."