Reborn: Apocalypse Ready. War Goddess by My Side novel Chapter 245

Chapter 245 A Little Lesson

Steven kept his smile going as he continued.

Finlehed

“Every combat art we’ve ever studied is just technique at the end of the day. The foundation that actually matters is the one you build inside yourself. A blade is only as sharp as the hand that holds it.

“I haven’t fully gotten there myself yet.”

The squad smiled, and not one of them thought less of him for it. His understanding clearly ran several levels above theirs, and everyone in that group knew it.

Peter let out a slow, impressed exhale. “I feel like I just heard something profound. I didn’t follow most of it, but I feel like I should be taking notes.”

Uriah rolled his eyes in Peter’s direction.

“Go stand somewhere else if you’re not following.”

Theh Uriah turned back to Steven with an entirely different expression, layered with hopeful, transparent flattery. “Sir, if you ever have a moment, would you be willing to take a look at my form? My combat art has been stuck at the Mastery threshold for years now.”

Mason was considerably more direct about it.

“Sir, I present myself as your humble student! Please accept me and guide me in the way of the fist!”

Steven’s smile stretched past what he could contain, and he reached out to catch Mason before the man’s forehead actually hit the ground.

“Alright, alright. An informal apprenticeship is more than enough. There’s no need for ceremony. Just work on the details, and Mastery will come.”

The whole squad lost it.

Even Nicole, who rarely let anything break past her composed exterior, let a small, quiet curve find its way onto her lips.

Darlene looked at Steven with genuine admiration. “Steven, that eye of yours is something extraordinary. You’re already operating at a Martial Master level.”

Olivia smiled warmly. “Looks like you’re going to end up as everyone’s part–time mentor whether you planned on it or not.”

Steven laughed and gave a modest wave. “You’re being too generous. As long as nobody minds my company, I’m fine with it.”

Mason pressed on immediately. “Sir, how does someone actually go about condensing Fist Aura? Where do you even start?”

Peter was already shouldering his way into the conversation. “Hey, kid, tell me honestly, is my spear technique anything special?”

12:29 pm

1. PP.

Chapter 245 Lific Lesson

Finished

The rest of the squad crowded in from multiple directions.

Alan cleared his throat with deliberate mildness. “Save the instruction for the road. We’ve got ground to

cover.

The group reluctantly pulled itself back to formation,

Alan glanced at Steven as they moved out.

“Combat art guidance for the squad falls to you going forward.”

Steven said nothing, but his expression did something complicated.

One impromptu demonstration and he’d somehow inherited an entire squad’s worth of students.

The squad moved with visible warmth, smiling and talking as they fell back into the march.

Steven had fully upgraded from teammate to living treasure in the span of one afternoon.

The following days settled into a rhythm. During daylight hours, Steven worked through individual form corrections with the squad members one by one, and every session produced real, measurable results.

At night, he pushed Beast Energy Conversion without holding anything back.

Then one particular night arrived.

Steven sat inside the safehouse with the quiet weight of what was coming pressing against his thoughts.

Tomorrow, they’d reach the target location.

Tomorrow, everything would get dangerous in ways that had no margin for error.

This was the last chance to push further. The gold light in his eyes flared quietly.

“Beast Energy Conversion, activate!”

Deep in the night, Alan kept watch alone.

He stood still and looked out toward the direction of the target location, and something dark and moved beneath the surface of his thoughts.

Tomorrow, probably. He’d almost certainly come face to face with that person.

Olivia appeared behind him, making no sound.

“When you see Theodore,” she said quietly, “what are you going to do?”

Alan’s expression stayed still and unreadable.

He reached down and removed Olivia’s hands from around him, and the feeling he carried toward her was something he couldn’t reduce to a clean description.

“When he’s dead, I’ll be able to face what comes next with a clear mind. Yvonne’s death traces back to them as well, and every account will be settled in time. I won’t die.”

He paused before continuing. “If it truly comes to the worst, take the squad and leave. What I’ve left with you is everyone’s last safeguard.

“Edric.” His voice carried without being loud. “Stay with Olivia. Support her if it coines to that.

12:30 pm

OPP

Chapter 245 Little Lesson

From somewhere up in the trees nearby, Edric answered, “Understood.”

Finished

Edric lifted his gaze to the sky, and the silence in his expression held the particular texture of someone honoring the memory of people who should still be here. There had been a squadmate once, and a woman whose smile was impossible to forget..

Olivia pressed the back of her hand quickly against her eyes.

She knew there was no stopping this.

She pulled herself together and looked at Alan with something luminous and unguarded in her expression. “Alan, my only real mistake was meeting you when I did, and I’d do it again. Just make sure you come back.”

Dawn arrived, and Team Blood Wolf reached the rendezvous.

They’d taken a casualty of their own.

The mood among them was low and heavy.

Sebastian came up beside Alan without ceremony.

“You got hit with coordinated beast pressure too?”

Alan gave a short nod. “Godslayer Order’s doing.”

Sebastian gave his own nod in return. “Figured. Someone’s been pulling strings from behind the whole operation. We lost two armored vehicles to coordinated ambushes.

“So. How do you want to play this from here?”