Nicholas settled deeper into his makeshift seat, his expression growing more serious as he prepared to reveal information that would reshape Klaus's understanding of the coming threat.

"Unlike us who rely on the power of a mana core formed in our dantian or magic circles formed around the heart," Nicholas began, his voice taking on the tone of someone sharing forbidden knowledge, "those in Arkadia have a completely different cultivation and power system. They use a strange mana cultivation technique known as Starscraft."

"Starscraft?" Klaus repeated slowly, the word rolling off his tongue with an odd familiarity. Something stirred in the depths of his mind—a vague recognition that felt like trying to remember a dream. He could sense that he should know about this technique, but whenever he tried to focus on that knowledge, it slipped away like water through his fingers. It was as if a veil had been placed over his memories, blocking any recollection of what Starscraft truly was.

"Yes," Nicholas confirmed, watching Klaus's expression carefully. "And their whole continent uses that cultivation method exclusively. Because of their cultivation method, the average man from their continent is at least ten times stronger than the average man in Runiya."

Klaus felt a chill run down his spine. Ten times stronger than normal humans meant that even their weakest soldiers would be formidable opponents for Runiya's elite warriors. "So in brief, it's that method that makes them dangerous."

Nicholas nodded grimly. "Exactly."

"Then explain to me," Klaus said, leaning forward with intense focus, "what makes that method so dangerous?"

Nicholas took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts before speaking. "From the intelligence I've gathered about their method, it's fundamentally different from anything we practice here. Instead of forming a mana core or magic circles, instead of pursuing martial arts or magic separately, those in the Arkadia continent start their cultivation journey with a pre-stage called the Body Refinement Stage."

Klaus listened intently as Nicholas continued.

"This stage has twelve levels, and it's meant to prepare their body for the real cultivation method. The process involves opening twelve meridians throughout their body—pathways that allow mana to flow more efficiently than anything we can achieve with cores or circles. After opening all twelve meridians, which means reaching the twelfth level of Body Refinement Stage, they absorb mana through these opened pathways and breakthrough to the Stars Body Stage."

Nicholas paused, letting the information sink in before delivering the truly shocking revelation.

"Just by reaching this stage, if I have to compare or quantify this level in terms of power, it's similar to someone possessing a high-tier blue core."

Klaus's lack of enthusiasm at this comparison made Nicholas realize he needed to explain more clearly.

"On average, people from Arkadia reach this stage at age twelve. Twelve years old, Klaus. Even their most talentless individuals achieve what we would consider remarkable power before they're even teenagers. And then, when they manage to form their first star, their power increases by at least ten times, and they become able to learn martial arts and magic simultaneously. But instead of using a core or magic circle as a conduit, they use their star as the foundation for both disciplines."

Nicholas's voice grew more intense as he continued. "From this point on, their power is measured by the number of stars they've accumulated. The more stars you gather, the more your body and power increment by at least ten times with each addition. Imagine facing an opponent who's not just enhanced, but enhanced in a way that makes our strongest warriors look like children."

Klaus pondered this information in silence for several minutes. Nicholas's explanation of the Starscraft system sounded strangely familiar, like something he already knew but had forgotten. The sensation was deeply unsettling—why would some unknown entity conceal his knowledge about Starscraft power? What purpose would such concealment serve?

The implications were staggering. If the Arkadians possessed a cultivation method that could mass-produce enhanced individuals, and if their weakest soldiers were equivalent to high-tier blue core users, then Runiya was facing an invasion that would be less like a war and more like a natural disaster.

"So you said that the main reason they want to invade our continent is because of the presence of apostles?" Klaus asked, breaking the heavy silence.

Nicholas felt his jaw tighten at the question. Internal thoughts raced through his mind as he considered how much truth to reveal. The war was happening five years earlier than in any previous timeline he had experienced. The reason was because the Arkadians had learned about the existence of apostles sooner than expected, and that early discovery could be traced back to one source: Klaus himself.

The disappearance of the eternal rift had been the main factor that turned Arkadian attention to Runiya ahead of schedule. Even Sabrina Petrova's emergence had happened earlier than it should have, all because of the existence of a single being who had never existed before. Klaus Lionhart was an anomaly—a person who should not exist, yet whose very presence was rewriting the future Nicholas knew.

Nicholas felt a surge of resentment toward Klaus, though he kept his expression carefully neutral. In all his previous lives, Klaus had never existed. The timeline had always followed predictable patterns, and Nicholas had spent lifetimes learning to navigate those patterns. But now, this impossible person was changing everything, making his careful preparations crumble like sand castles before a tide. Every timeline Nicholas had lived through, every strategy he had developed, every plan he had cultivated—all of it was being rendered useless by the chaotic variable that was Klaus Lionhart.

The truth was that Nicholas wanted to kill Klaus. Not out of personal hatred, but out of necessity. Klaus was an anomaly that shouldn't exist, and his continued existence was threatening to doom the continent in ways Nicholas couldn't predict or prepare for. This was uncharted territory, and Nicholas hated uncertainty above all else.

But Klaus couldn't know this. Not yet. Nicholas needed to maintain the illusion of cooperation until the right moment presented itself.

"Yes," Nicholas answered finally, "the existence of apostles is the main reason, though conquest of other continents was probably still on their agenda eventually."

Klaus absorbed this information with growing unease. "If their average twelve-year-old is equivalent to a high-tier blue core user, and their soldiers are enhanced beyond that, how is anyone supposed to fight them? Even the Seven Monarchs' combined forces would be overwhelmed."

"That's exactly the problem," Nicholas replied. "Traditional military strategies assume your enemy operates under the same limitations you do. When that assumption breaks down, everything breaks down."

Klaus stood and began pacing, his enhanced physique making his movements appear restless rather than anxious. "There has to be something we can do. Some way to level the playing field."

Nicholas watched Klaus pace with hidden contempt. Even now, faced with overwhelming evidence of the coming disaster, Klaus still believed there was a solution. Still believed that his power and determination could overcome any obstacle. It was exactly the kind of naive optimism that Nicholas had seen destroy countless heroes across his lifetimes. The belief that good intentions and raw power could solve everything—a delusion that had cost entire kingdoms their existence.

"Perhaps," Nicholas said carefully. "But any solution would require sacrifice. Are you prepared to make the hard choices that victory might demand?"

Klaus stopped pacing and turned to face Nicholas. "What kind of hard choices?"

"The kind that prioritize the survival of the continent over individual conscience," Nicholas replied. "The kind that accept terrible costs to prevent even more terrible consequences."

The conversation had taken a darker turn, and Klaus could sense undercurrents he didn't fully understand. Nicholas's words carried implications that went beyond military strategy into moral territory that Klaus wasn't sure he wanted to explore.

"I think," Klaus said slowly, "we should focus on understanding the threat completely before we start discussing what we might have to do about it."

Nicholas nodded, though his expression remained troubled. "Understanding the threat is just the beginning. The real challenge will be convincing others to act on that understanding before it's too late."

Klaus felt the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders once again. Every revelation seemed to make the situation more complex, more dangerous, more likely to end in disaster for everyone involved.

"How long do we really have?" Klaus asked.

"probably a year," Nicholas replied. "Maybe less. The first assault will hit our southern ports before winter ends, and once they establish a foothold, the rest of the invasion will follow quickly."

The timeline felt impossibly short for the scale of preparation that would be required. Warning the Seven Monarchs, coordinating defenses, training soldiers to fight enhanced enemies—all of it would take time that they didn't have.

Nicholas rose from his seat, brushing dust from his clothes with deliberate movements. "I should go. There are other preparations that need to be made."

Klaus watched Nicholas prepare to leave, sensing that their conversation had revealed only the surface of a much deeper crisis. "Will I see you again?"

Nicholas paused at the entrance to the training chamber, his back to Klaus. "Count on it," he said quietly. "When the storm breaks, we'll all be forced to work together whether we want to or not."

With that ominous statement, Nicholas walked out of the Eastern Tower, leaving Klaus alone with his thoughts and the shattered remains of their sparring session. The silence that followed felt heavy with unspoken threats and hidden agendas.

Klaus remained in the damaged chamber long after Nicholas had gone, staring at the cracks in the walls and trying to process everything he had learned. The coming war would be unlike anything Runiya had ever faced, and the solutions would require choices that went against everything Klaus believed about protecting innocent people.

But the most disturbing realization was that Nicholas knew more than he was revealing, and Klaus couldn't shake the feeling that he was being maneuvered into a position where those terrible choices would be his to make.