Chapter 122: A Little Reward

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: A Little Reward

But before Damon could think any further, the Aether around him suddenly began to change.

Damon’s expression shifted.

His cultivation had reached its limit.

The energy inside his body surged.

His Aether Veins trembled as the power within him began to condense.

Damon immediately focused.

The breakthrough came naturally.

His Aether Core shook violently before a powerful wave of energy spread through his body.

Lord Rank.

Damon opened his eyes.

He could clearly feel the difference.

His Aether was denser.

His body was stronger.

Even his control over his Aether had improved.

He had broken through.

Damon smiled slightly.

"So that’s it."

He had expected it eventually, but the timing was interesting.

Then he realized something.

His gaze shifted toward Shiro, The Frost Qilin as it appeared outside of his second core.

Shiro’s body had changed.

He was no longer the small Frost Qilin Damon had first contracted.

His body had grown taller, with thicker, smooth white fur covering his body.

Pale blue markings ran along his limbs and body, glowing faintly beneath his fur.

His crystal-like horns had grown larger and curved backward elegantly.

A thin layer of frost mist escaped his nose with every breath.

His legs were stronger now, ending in dark blue claws that looked capable of tearing through solid ice.

His tail had also grown longer, with a faint blue glow running through it.

But what stood out the most were his eyes.

They were a deep blue now, clear and intelligent.

Small ice crystals had formed around the base of his horns, adding to his appearance.

Even without doing anything, Shiro’s presence had become much stronger.

Damon looked at him for a moment.

"So your growth caused my breakthrough."

Shiro gave a small, happy sound.

Damon smiled.

He could feel the connection between them had become stronger.

And there was something else.

An unfamiliar feeling came through their bond.

An Art.

Of course, Shiro had gained a new Art after his growth.

Damon’s eyes lit up.

He didn’t know what it was yet.

And he certainly wasn’t about to have Shiro use something new inside the room.

There would be plenty of time to test it properly outside.

For now, Damon simply looked at the newly grown Frost Qilin with curiosity.

He was already looking forward to seeing what Shiro could do.

Damon smiled.

"Alright, Shiro. Let’s see what you’ve got to offer in the future."

Damon didn’t hold back, as he immediately thought of rewarding Shiro.

This time, however, he didn’t bring out an Ice Elemental treasure.

Shiro had just finished an evolution, so Damon wanted him to stabilize himself properly before pushing him any further.

Besides, Shiro deserved a proper break.

Not long after, Freya and Sylphie finally came out of the second core.

"Congratulations, Shiro!"

Sylphie flew around him happily while Freya walked over with a proud look.

Shiro lowered his head slightly.

He still wasn’t completely used to the attention.

Damon smiled at the three of them.

Then he noticed something.

Freya and Sylphie weren’t looking at Shiro anymore.

They were looking at him.

More specifically, they were looking at the space beside him.

Damon stared at them for a moment.

"You two..."

Both spirits immediately looked away.

Damon couldn’t help it.

He burst out laughing.

"So that’s why you came out."

Freya gave an innocent look.

Sylphie even tried to look away as though she had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Damon laughed harder.

Their intentions were obvious.

They wanted their reward too.

And honestly, he couldn’t blame them.

They had fought incredibly hard the previous day.

All three of them had.

So Damon didn’t hold back.

"Alright, alright. You earned it."

The moment he brought the snacks out, their eyes lit up.

Damon emptied a large portion in front of them.

Freya and Sylphie immediately dove in.

Shiro hesitated.

He looked at them eating so happily, then looked back at Damon.

"You should eat too."

Shiro slowly approached.

Unlike the other two, he ate carefully at first.

Damon watched him for a moment.

The Frost Qilin was still a little shy.

But that didn’t last long.

After a while, Shiro started eating more.

And more.

Damon smiled when he saw the expression on his face.

He clearly enjoyed them just as much as Freya and Sylphie did.

"I knew it."

Shiro paused for a moment, almost as if he had been caught doing something embarrassing.

Damon laughed.

"Don’t worry. I’m not taking them away."

That seemed to reassure him.

Shiro continued eating.

Damon leaned back and watched the three spirits happily enjoy their snacks.

For a moment, everything was peaceful.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Damon’s eyes shifted toward it.

He already knew who it was.

"Come in."

The door opened almost immediately.

Caelia stepped inside with an excited expression.

She had barely waited for his permission.

Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Did you miss me that much?"

Caelia froze.

A faint blush appeared on her face.

"What? No."

Damon smiled.

"Then why did you rush in before I even finished inviting you?"

"I came to check on our guest."

"Our guest?"

Damon looked around his room.

"Is that what I’m called now?"

Caelia gave him an annoyed look.

"You know what I mean."

Damon laughed.

He had suddenly discovered that teasing Caelia was surprisingly fun.

Maybe it was because things had changed between them after everything that happened.

She wasn’t as reserved around him anymore.

The responsible noble who always measured every word was still there, but with Damon, she had started speaking more freely.

And he enjoyed every bit of it.

"So," Damon said, "you came all the way here just to check on me?"

Caelia crossed her arms.

"Yes."

"Very thoughtful."

"Exactly."

Damon nodded seriously.

"I appreciate your concern."

Caelia narrowed her eyes.

"You are enjoying this."

"Maybe a little."

She sighed.

"You’re impossible."

Damon smiled.

"You’re only noticing now?"

Caelia shook her head, but there was a small smile on her face.

Damon let the teasing continue for another moment before finally getting serious.

"Anyway, what’s the update?"