Chapter 261: Level 12 Swordsmanship Inside the shop, Lola turned toward Leo with a thoughtful expression, her thoughts extending toward both her companions who had become so important to her daily life. "We should try to cheer him up somehow when he comes back," she said with gentle concern, recognizing that Noah would need emotional support beyond their brief conversation. Leo lifted his golden head from his resting position and let out a soft, reassuring roar that seemed to convey understanding of Noah’s distress. His young but increasingly mature voice sounded. "Father looked really sad when he saw the fighting," Leo observed with perceptive honesty. "Maybe we could cook him some delicious meal when he returns? And I could show him the new tricks I’ve been practicing." The young lion’s suggestions were so simple, that it made Lola’s chest tighen with warmth for his innocent desire and thoughts of cheering up Noah. "Those are wonderful ideas," Lola agreed warmly. "He’ll appreciate knowing we were thinking of him while he was processing everything. However, we should also think about some more stuff. Her conversation with Leo was interrupted as she felt new presences manifesting outside. More grandmasters started to appear from both sides. Lola moved quickly toward the window with growing dread, understanding that the conflict wasn’t diminishing but expanding like wildfire spreading through drought-stricken forest. Through the magical glass that protected their sanctuary, she witnessed the scene of Master-level mages—practitioners who had represented the pinnacle of magical achievement just days ago when she herself held similar rank—were falling from the sky like insects. Grandmasters occasionally fell too. Their bodies, strengthened beyond normal limits through Noah’s products, struck the ground with impacts that created small craters and sent tremors through the earth beneath her feet. "Leo, this is worse than I thought," Lola said with growing worry, her protective instincts overriding everything else as she witnessed the true scale of destruction that Noah’s enhancement items had made possible. The war had evolved beyond anything the kingdoms had experienced in their decades of conflict, transforming into something that threatened the very foundations of the elvem magical society. Bodies continued falling as Lola watched. ... Meanwhile, Noah had already departed the resort and made his way higher up the mountain slopes. The need for solitude had become overwhelming—he wanted distance from everyone and everything for some time. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶 The mountain paths provided the isolation he craved at the moment. Ichigo spotted him during his ascent, approaching with his usual friendly energy before noticing something different in Noah’s demeanor. "Hey Noah, where are you going, I was wondering if—" "Sorry Ichigo, I need to be alone right now," Noah interrupted with a tired tone that carried none of his usual energy. Ichigo immediately recognized the change in his new friend’s mood, his built in social sensors detecting distress that went beyond simple pre-competition nerves that Noah never showed. While naturally outgoing and persistent in most situations, Ichigo possessed enough intelligence to understand when pushing would cause harm rather than help. "Alright, man. Take care of yourself, I will see you around," Ichigo replied with respectful understanding, stepping aside to let Noah continue his solitary journey. Noah reached a peak that offered panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. His enhanced physique made the climb easy despite the steep terrain, while his wind manipulation abilities provided additional assistance. The summit wasn’t particularly distant from the resort, but it felt removed from human concerns and complications that had been weighing on his conscience. At the mountain’s peak, Noah settled onto a flat stone outcropping and gazed across the vista spread before him. Rolling hills, distant forests, and clear sky that provided natural tranquility that helped ease the mind from its worries. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift. He wasn’t mourning, nor was he shocked anymore. He had already accepted the fact that his previous actions were a catalyst, his current actions were simply to ease his mind. Time passed unmeasured as Noah found the mental quiet he needed, his high constitution requiring less rest while providing deeper restoration than normal meditation could achieve. A familiar notification eventually broke through his contemplative state, pulling his consciousness back to immediate concerns. [Your Swordsmanship skill has reached Level 12!] The idle room had completed its expensive training cycle, providing advancement that would have required four hours of personal practice with the manuL. Noah absorbed the new insights and techniques that accompanied the skill increase, feeling his understanding of sword combat deepen in subtle but meaningful ways. While the advancement didn’t represent a major breakthrough like achieving a new rank, the accumulated improvements strengthened his overall combat capabilities and provided foundation for future development. Seeing the notification reminded Noah that training still awaited him. Rather than dwelling on problems he couldn’t control, he could focus on improving abilities that might help him handle future challenges more effectively. He withdrew the Tier 5 wind orb from his dimensional storage, settling back into meditative position to work on his elemental manipulation skills. The familiar weight of the artifact and its contained essence provided comfort through routine practice that had proven successful before. Noah sank his mind into the orb’s swirling wind energies, allowing his mana to synchronize with the wind element while his understanding expanded through concentrated study and application. The mountain peak provided an ideal environment for such training, with natural air currents and open space that complemented his elemental focus without distractions from human activity. Nearly four hours passed in dedicated practice as Noah pushed his wind manipulation capabilities toward new levels of sophistication and control. The training provided both skill advancement and time passing, transforming troubled thoughts into productive development. When he finally opened his eyes, another satisfying notification confirmed his progress. [Your skill Wind Manipulation has reached Level 11!] The advancement brought Noah better control over the wind element, and deeper understanding of wind magic’s potential applications in both combat and utility situations. Noah felt significantly better than when he’d arrived at the peak.