Chapter 155: The Weight of Expectations and the Frozen Path
The night fell over the valley like a heavy shroud of obsidian, and a biting wind swept across Volt's farm, carrying the first whispers of a brutal winter. The golden wheat fields, once dancing with life, were now buried under a thin, crystalline layer of frost. Volt, the absolute Demon King, stood in the center of the yard. His breath emerged as thick plumes of white mist, and his violet eyes glowed with a faint, ancient light. To any passerby, he was just a farmer bracing for the cold, but in reality, he was a god standing at the threshold of a new era. He knew that the greatest battle wasn't against a physical foe, but against the agonizing crawl of time—the same "waiting period" that now stood between his family and their promised reward.
Inside the farmhouse, the fireplace crackled, sending orange embers dancing up the chimney. Akuto sat on a wooden stool, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the table. He was a portrait of restless energy. Every few seconds, his gaze darted toward the calendar on the wall, and then back to his own hands. "Anos," Akuto muttered, his voice strained. "How can your father be so calm? We've done everything. The harvest is in, the grain is sold, and the contract is right there, marked as Applying. Why must we wait thirty days? Why can't we just take what is ours?"
Anos, who was leaning against the bookshelf with the stoic grace of a mountain, didn't look up from the ancient tome he was reading. "Akuto, my father often says that power without patience is just a candle in a hurricane. This thirty-day trial isn't a delay; it's a filter. The system needs to know if we are masters of our destiny or just slaves to our impulses. It's testing our consistency."
Suddenly, a jagged mouth tore open on Sai's neck as he sat in the corner, nursing a cup of tea. Sakuna's voice, a rasping sound like metal on bone, filled the room. "Hahaha! Listen to the little princes talk about philosophy! If it were up to me, I'd burn that merchant's office to the ground and take every gold coin by force! Why wait for a piece of paper to tell you that you are rich?" Sai winced, his hand trembling as he forced the cursed spirit back into the shadows of his soul. "Silence, Sakuna," Sai hissed. "Volt knows the rules of this world better than you ever will."
Vanessa and Aki entered from the kitchen, the steam from a large pot of stew filling the air with the scent of herbs and comfort. Vanessa walked over to Akuto and placed a warm, motherly hand on his shoulder. "Life isn't just about reaching the destination, Akuto. It's about surviving the journey without losing who you are. Look at Volt. He could erase the moon if he wished, yet he finds peace in watching the frost settle on the trees. This time is a gift, not a punishment."
Outside, Volt felt a ripple in the fabric of reality. A dark, translucent figure was moving through the trees at the edge of the property—the Shadow of Doubt, a manifestation of the anxiety that plagues those who wait. Volt didn't reach for a weapon. He didn't even move his hands from his pockets. He simply took a single step forward, and the ground beneath his feet groaned as the temperature plummeted even further.
"So, you wish to test my resolve?" Volt whispered, his voice vibrating through the frozen earth. "You think thirty days is enough to break a King who has seen the birth and death of galaxies?" With a flick of his index finger, a shockwave of pure demonic energy rippled through the air, shattering the shadow-beast into a thousand harmless shards of mist.
Karin and Sasha watched from the upstairs window. "Did you see that?" Sasha whispered, her eyes wide. "He didn't even use a spell. He just... willed it to disappear." Karin nodded, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "That is why he is the King. He is clearing the path for us. He is making sure that by the time that Nissan Sunny arrives, we are strong enough to drive it into the future."
Akuto stood up, the frustration in his eyes replaced by a cold, sharp determination. "Fine. Let the thirty days come. I won't just wait; I will evolve. By the time this contract is signed, I will be a warrior that even Sakuna fears to whisper about." From the yard, Volt heard the boy's vow and allowed a small, prideful smile to touch his lips. The trial had truly begun, and Ahmed's word count was climbing toward the heavens.