Absolute Cheater-Chapter 377: Massive Changes

As breakfast slowed and plates emptied, Asher leaned back in his seat and glanced at everyone gathered. His voice was calm, but curious.

"So... what’s changed in Volarisa since I disappeared?"

The table fell quiet for a moment. It was Emily who answered first, setting down a cup of warm tea in front of him.

"Quite a bit, young master. After you vanished, things weren’t peaceful for long. Your family took the lead in repelling the rest of the invading forces. The Magnus name wasn’t just feared after that—it became the shield of Volarisa."

Valeris nodded. "The Supreme Families stopped bickering for a while. The Enrose, Indra, Artemis, and Helion lines joined with Magnus to stabilize the region. They formed a proper core leadership. For the first time in ages, Volarisa had something close to unity."

Freya added, "And that unity made growth easier. Cities expanded, new cultivation paths were explored. The World Roots were tapped more efficiently. Some places that were once battlegrounds are now trade routes or academies. It’s not perfect... but it’s stronger."

Veyra looked thoughtful. "Even the wild zones are different now. Dungeons have changed. Old sealed realms have started to open. More natural treasures, more risks. But also more chances to grow."

Catherine leaned back in her chair, arms folded. "But not all changes were good."

Asher turned to her. "Go on."

She met his eyes evenly. "The Sulbian Empire. You remember those foreigners who came here under the banner of diplomacy?"

"I do," Asher said, his gaze darkening slightly.

"They’re no longer just guests," Catherine continued. "They’ve established bases, claimed territory—slowly, carefully. But steadily. They didn’t use force at first. Just influence. Gold. Trade. Technology."

Freya’s tone was quieter. "Now they’ve begun stationing soul armies near the galaxy’s outer belts. They’ve taken a few fringe systems outside Volarisa and are creeping inward. They say it’s for peacekeeping. We all know that’s a lie."

"And no one stopped them?" Asher asked.

Valeris answered. "We held them back from entering Volarisa’s core worlds. But they’re patient. Smart. They’re waiting. Preparing."

Emily nodded. "The people feel safe now, but that safety has made them complacent. The Sulbians are waiting for a slip. A moment of weakness. Then they’ll strike properly."

Asher drummed his fingers on the table. "So they want to dominate this galaxy."

"They’re already trying," Catherine said. "And they think no one strong enough stands in their way."

Asher was quiet for a moment, letting it all sink in.

New growth. New openings. Stronger unity. But also a new empire circling like a predator.

"Then it’s time I stop just catching up," he said at last. "It’s time I start moving again."

And around the table, his companions nodded.

Because they all knew—as powerful as Volarisa had become, it still needed him.

After breakfast, Asher didn’t linger.

He left the warmth of the dining room behind and made his way toward the Magnus family’s central hall—the heart of the estate. It was an enormous structure carved from black marble and crimson crystal, towering like a fortress and yet carrying the quiet weight of legacy.

This was where the decisions of the Magnus family were made. Where elders debated, where warpaths were planned, where generations of bloodline heirs had once stood.

And it was where his grandfather now waited.

The guards at the main entrance didn’t question Asher. They stepped aside without a word, bowing low in deep respect.

Inside, he moved down long corridors lined with old portraits and relics—memories carved into soulsteel and glass. One painting caught his eye: himself, as a boy, eyes too sharp for his age, a blade already forged before it ever struck. He didn’t stop.

Eventually, he entered the main hall—a wide, high-domed chamber glowing with soul-light torches. Tiered seats curved along the walls like a council court. But at its center, seated not on a throne but a high-backed chair carved of duskwood and silverleaf, was Arnold Magnus.

His grandfather.

The man who had once led Volarisa’s forces through its bloodiest age.

Still broad-shouldered despite his age, his silver beard trimmed neatly, eyes like hammered steel—Arnold turned as Asher entered. His presence hadn’t dimmed in the least.

"Have you rested enough?," Arnold said, his voice weathered but strong.

"I have," Asher answered, stepping forward, his tone calm. "I needed rest. But rest can’t last forever."

Arnold gestured to a seat beside him. "Sit, boy."

Asher nodded as he asked " how are the things here?"

Arnold nodded once, approving. "Good. Because things have changed, and not for the better."

Asher sat beside him, gaze steady. "Tell me what’s happened to Volarisa."

Arnold’s voice lowered, more serious now. "After you vanished, we had to act fast. Two invading races tried to carve up our edge systems. We crushed them—your uncle led the charge, and we bled them out within months."

He leaned back, arms folded.

"But then came the Sulbians. Not with ships. Not with blades. With deals. Smiles. Treaties. Influence."

"They’ve already taken sectors," Asher said. "I heard rumors."

Arnold nodded grimly. "A dozen outer systems now fall under their ’protection.’ They’ve placed governors in disputed territories. Built soul temples and war schools. They speak of order and unity—but they’re just taking the galaxy one inch at a time."

"What about the Supreme Families?" Asher asked.

"We’ve held together, mostly. The Artemis, Helion, Indra and Enrose families stand firm. The Dagon are more slippery—dealing behind closed doors, as usual. But the Magnus name still commands fear. No one dares move openly against us."

"Yet."

"Yet," Arnold echoed darkly.

"And what of Volarisa itself?"

Arnold sighed. "The capital is stronger than ever. New cultivation gates have awakened. The younger generations are rising quickly. But the peace has made some soft. Many don’t remember what war feels like. The Sulbians are counting on that."

"What’s your take on this?" Arnold asked.

Asher took a moment before replying, "What are their strengths?"

"They’re troublesome enemies," Arnold said with a sigh. "In their galaxy, they cultivate through soul cores—pure soul essence, not mana. They don’t rely on elemental cores or spirit veins like we do. Instead, they refine and weaponize their souls directly."

He leaned forward slightly. "That makes them hard to counter. Soul damage isn’t just harder to detect—it’s harder to heal. It eats away at strength slowly, and many of our cultivators don’t even notice until it’s too late."

He paused, then added, "Here in Volarisa, there were once eleven noble families with innate talents related to the soul. Not sects—bloodlines. Lineages born with strange spiritual abilities. Most weren’t powerful enough to stand alone, but they were unique."

"What happened to them?" Asher asked.

Arnold’s expression darkened. "The Sulbians happened. When they learned of those families, they hunted two of them to extinction. The rest only survived because they were near the Supreme Families’ territories."

Asher narrowed his eyes. "So they’re under protection now?"

Arnold nodded. "Yes. The surviving nine families have been taken in—adopted, in a way—by the Supreme Families. We’re sheltering them, integrating them into our structures. The family with the Mystic Eye ability is under our protection specifically."

He sat back. "We’ve started training them again. Even arranged cross-marriages. We’ve been trying to combine their soul-based traits with the Blood Ruler line—our bloodline—hoping to create descendants who can cultivate both soul and blood."

"Any success?"

"Not full success," Arnold admitted. "There are signs, though. Some of the children born from those unions show partial soul traits—they can sense soul fluctuations, even resist certain attacks. But they can’t cultivate the soul itself yet. Not truly. Not like the Sulbians."

Asher frowned in thought, then reached into his robes and drew out a thick, dark book, handing it to Arnold. "Then maybe this will help."

Arnold raised an eyebrow, taking it cautiously. "What is it?"

"A soul cultivation method," Asher said. "From an extinct race in another realm. It’s not of Volarisa. It allows for the creation of hybrid cores—fusing mana and soul essence into one path."

He pointed at the cover. "If it works, someone trained in Blood Laws could also cultivate the soul—properly. Not just passive effects. They’d be dual-type cultivators."

Arnold flipped through a few pages, his expression tightening. "This is... advanced. Very advanced."

"It’s dangerous if taught carelessly," Asher warned. "But it could give us the edge we need. Against the Sulbians, and anyone else who tries to take Volarisa from us."

Arnold nodded, still flipping through the book, scanning the dense soul runes and embedded formation diagrams.

Asher watched him in silence, though his thoughts ran deeper.

I have others, he thought. Many soul cultivation techniques. Some are ancient and vicious. Others are refined and nearly lost to time. But this one... this one was different.

He had selected it not because it was the strongest, but because it was the most compatible. Designed for those with blood-related talents—like him. Like the Magnus family. Like those who carried the mark of Blood Law deep in their cores.

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