Chapter 314: First Impression

As soon as the twins obtained top-level mentors in their respective professions, both of them were immediately taken to the branch’s training center.

As the new Elder Leader, Janna was an extremely busy woman who couldn’t afford to waste time. However, determined to fulfill her promise to compensate Priam and the 11th branch, she personally committed herself to instructing Suien. Otherwise, she would never have agreed to teach a disciple from another branch, even if they belonged to the same sect.

Validar felt the same way. The guilt of having been enchanted by Dioma was eating away at him, and he had never imagined finding himself in such a position. Because of that, he devoted himself body and soul to instructing Meien as rigorously and efficiently as possible.

With the four of them gone, Priam finally headed toward the territory of his own faction.

As he approached the place, he found absolute silence.

’Since everyone is now a beginner Mage Master, Dandara must have ordered everyone to focus entirely on advancing their levels as quickly as possible,’ Priam deduced, directing his steps toward the central mountain.

Through Shione, he had also learned that Flaris had received a reward from the sect for the recent mission: permission to visit her demonic family in another universe.

Occasionally, at the cost of an absurd amount of points, a disciple was granted permission to visit their family outside the sect. In Flaris’s case, it was another universe, so it cost her a hundred times more. Because of that, Flaris would only return in thirty days.

Priam entered the mountain. Currently, the three new generals lived inside that structure. He calmly walked toward the door of Dandara’s room.

Before he could even knock, the door opened.

Dandara was standing at the entrance, her entire body completely rigid and tense. Her facial expression was strange, exactly like someone about to march into a bloody, deadly battle.

Priam blinked, confused.

"What’s wrong?"

"N-nothing..." Dandara stammered, taking a deep breath. Then, she lowered her gaze. "Boss... did you come to...?"

Priam finally put two and two together. Shione and Lumiere had been summoned to reunite with their family, and the news had reached Dandara’s ears.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

Dandara’s current state was pure terror. She knew that Priam would eventually officially introduce her to his family—after all, she was his vice leader.

"If you don’t want to go meet my family right now, that’s fine. You don’t have to..."

"NO! I’m going!" Dandara interrupted him with a jump, her voice fervent and her eyes burning with an almost desperate determination.

Priam narrowed his eyes slightly.

Was this really the reincarnated Sovereign Goddess?

She just looked like a shy, nervous girl.

At that moment, this side completely dominated Dandara. Priam actually found this side of her adorable and amusing, but... if his mother met her like this, the first impression would be terrible.

Priam knew Seien. His mother was a strong, unshakable woman who never backed down in the face of any adversity. She would hardly connect with someone who seemed insecure about herself.

Although she would eventually realize that Dandara was a chaotic existence with countless facets, that shy image would truly make for a terrible first impression.

Priam thought for a few seconds, staring into Dandara’s eyes.

Soon, a perfect plan took shape in his mind.

"Great. Everyone is eager to meet you, but first I want to go over a few things with you."

Priam calmed Dandara down and handed her the advanced Combat Mastery and Energy Control knowledge he had acquired beforehand.

Then, he called her along for a walk through the faction’s domains.

Priam’s secret goal was to buy time until the guests left.

Janna and Validar would only stay for one day before returning to their branches. They would come back monthly to evaluate the twins’ progress and teach them new things.

Along the way, Dandara gave a detailed report on the faction’s current state and her impressions of the new members. As they discussed tactics, organization, and the future, Priam watched Dandara’s aura transform.

The shy-girl facade completely dissolved. After an entire day of conversations and planning, Priam finally took out the emblem granted by the Elder Leader and led Dandara to his family’s building.

He went ahead and opened the main doors. Warm laughter and lively conversations echoed through the hall from inside.

Mirra, the twins, and the rest of the family were enjoying their time together. When Priam crossed the threshold, everyone stopped and looked at him excitedly.

Priam’s gaze immediately locked onto the twins.

"The break is over. Your trainer has arrived."

Suien and Meien widened their eyes, fixing their gazes on the timid figure appearing right behind Priam.

Shione and Lumiere nodded, letting out sympathetic sighs as they anticipated the nightmare the two were about to face. The twins would never forget the days that followed.

Just a few minutes earlier, they had returned from their initial training with the Sages, excitedly chattering about how fascinating this new world of learning was.

Both Janna and Validar had been stunned by how easily the two absorbed all the knowledge, acting like true sponges.

For the twins, learning about alchemy and inscriptions was genuinely enjoyable.

But now... no one in the world was good enough to walk away unscathed from Dandara’s hands.

Priam wasted no time with formal introductions.

"Every hour wasted could cost you your lives in the future. To the training field. Now."

He led the entire group to the vast training arena located in the clearing of the property’s forest.

As they stopped in the center of the grounds, Priam turned toward Dandara... and witnessed the aura around her change drastically.

’The Final Boss has awakened...’ Priam thought with a smile.

Dandara’s expression became absolutely icy. Her eyes turned into dark, unfathomable abysses. She gave Priam a brief nod before turning her attention to the twins.

The three of them walked toward the center of the clearing.

Meanwhile, Priam joined the rest of his family, who were watching the scene from the side.

He smiled when he noticed his mother’s sharp, analytical gaze fixed on Dandara. Seien certainly intended to have a calm conversation with her first, but Priam had been faster, manipulating things a little.

For some reason, deep down, he wanted Dandara to make the most spectacular and overwhelming impression possible. A burning desire for the two most important women in his life to admire each other burned in Priam’s chest.

The training began without any warning.

"!"

Dandara showed not a trace of mercy. She ordered Suien and Meien to team up and attack her with everything they had, while she herself didn’t use a single drop of Ether.

The beating was absolute.

Suien tried to use her nature energy to restrain Dandara’s movements, but Dandara simply destabilized the energy around her using nothing but the pressure of her bloodline, leaving the young woman’s power as fragile as rotten wood.

Dandara had the exact same bloodline as Suien.

Not using Ether, for a Mage, was like swimming without arms or legs. Even so, her control and abilities were like heaven and earth compared to Suien’s.

The current Dandara, after obtaining the ’Goddess’s inheritance’, was just as terrifying and frightening as Priam. Except she didn’t have a system or anything like that; she was simply a reflection of the Goddess she had once been.

Meien swallowed pills, unleashing devastating flames like an erupting volcano.

However, Dandara merely drew her Earth-element dagger. Since it was the element that perfectly balanced Yin and Yang forces, Dandara used the earthly structure to shatter the harmony of Meien’s flames.

This was possible because Meien was a woman, and her body was predominantly Yin. Ordinary flames were almost entirely Yang. So Meien used the Yang power from the pill to create a balance, producing a Yin-and-Yang flame.

The two had never felt so powerless.

They were humiliated in a complete defeat against someone who hadn’t even used Ether, all while listening to a barrage of cold, precise criticism pointing out every millimetric flaw in their posture, reaction time, and attack intent.

When both of them collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath and completely exhausted, Dandara didn’t stop.

Standing over them, she began a masterful lecture on combat tactics, stress management, and troop command. It was a dual lesson: the art of individual survival intertwined with the science of leading armies.

As soon as they caught their breath, the nightmare began again—this time focused purely on close-quarters combat.

Priam smiled inwardly as he watched the scene.

For the next six months, the twins would go through a brutal routine: five uninterrupted days of combat and leadership training with Dandara, followed by two days of complete isolation for practical study of Alchemy and Inscription. No rest, no breaks, sleeping only as much as absolutely necessary.

Hours later, when she finally saw that the twins were in no condition to continue, Dandara ended the training. She then walked back toward Priam and his family.

Boey, Seien, and Orlaith’s eyes were fixed on her, filled with almost sacred respect.

They had absorbed every word of that lesson. Listening to Dandara teach was like witnessing an ancient Master lecturing on the fundamental laws of the world.

The technical foundation of what Dandara taught came from the knowledge Priam had given her, but the execution, refinement, and command tactics were the result of her own pure genius.

"I think the two of them have suffered enough for today. How about we have dinner?" Priam suggested, breaking the silence.

Dandara nodded, becoming rigid.

At that very moment, Seien stepped forward with a warm smile and firmly took the young woman’s hand.

"Thank you so much for all your hard work. My daughters are stubborn, so never go easy on them. Come on, let’s go home."

"!"

The contrast was immediate. The unfathomable figure of the ’Final Boss’ vanished into thin air. Dandara’s eyes widened, her face flushed intensely red, and she began stammering incoherent sentences, falling into complete panic.

Seien blinked, shocked by the instant transformation of that merciless commander into an ordinary girl. Even so, she smiled and gently led her inside the building, followed by the rest of the group.

Priam watched the scene with an amused glint in his eyes. The first impression had been flawless. Seien had recognized Dandara’s strength and unshakable leadership, and that was the only approval that truly mattered.

The night unfolded warmly and pleasantly.

The twins had dinner, practically collapsing over their plates and passed out in bed right afterward.

Meanwhile, Seien pulled Dandara aside for a private conversation, leaving even Priam out of it for hours. When they finally reappeared, Dandara seemed infinitely more relaxed.

...

At dawn the following day, while Dandara was already dragging the twins to the training field under the first rays of sunlight, Priam said goodbye to his family.

’It’s time to go to the Celestial Sanctuary,’ he thought, turning his gaze toward the horizon. ’Let’s see just how difficult it is to become a Sage.’