Chapter 80: One Month Later

The backyard was still dark when Emeric began his drills.

He moved through the forms by memory. Daggers flashing. Footwork precise. Wind and Lightning flowing through his limbs like they had always been there. The grass was damp with morning dew. His breath misted in the cold air.

He finished the sequence and stood still.

His body didn’t ache.

A month ago, this routine would have left him gasping. His muscles would have screamed. His lungs would have burned. He would have collapsed onto the grass and stared at the sky until his heart stopped pounding.

Now?

He felt nothing. Not even winded.

He had taken it on himself to run morning drills every single day.

He sat down. Crossed his legs. Reached for the system.

---

[STATUS — EMERIC HALDEN]

TIER: 7th (78% → 6th)

STRENGTH: 68

AGILITY: 66

MANA: 64

MANA CORE: Active

DEVOTION POINTS (DP): 3450

BOND METER: 100/100 — SOULBOUND

---

He stared at the numbers.

A month ago, he was Tier 8. His stats were in the forties. He was barely surviving D-rank rifts.

Now?

Tier 7. Nearing Tier 6. Stats approaching seventy across the board. He had become something else entirely.

He thought back on the month.

The grind had been relentless. Rift after rift. Day after day. He had pushed himself harder than he ever had. His party had pushed with him.

They had gone back to the Molten Citadel—the rift that had nearly killed them. The one where Maynard had almost died. They had prepared for days. Trained together until they moved as one. Studied the creatures. Learned the terrain. Built their synergy until it was second nature.

They had conquered it.

The Molten Serpent had fallen. The cores had been collected. The rift had been cleared.

And then they had kept going. Rift after rift. C-rank. D-rank. Anything they could find. They had climbed the ranks together.

They were now a C-rank party. Officially recognized by the Guild.

And Emeric himself had been promoted. No longer E-rank or even D-rank. He was a C-rank Vessel now. The license in his pocket proved it.

Collin had cried when they got the certification. The rest of the party had been very happy about it as well.

Emeric had felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Pride.

He could not remember the last time he felt this way and anytime he tried, the memories that came along with it were less than pleasant.

The only other person who made him feel like a human being was his mother. She would not let anyone bully him for not having magic as long as she was around.

The memory surfaced but he quickly shoved it back down. If only she could see him now.

This was the main reason why he could never forgive the Duke. It would feel like betraying his own mother.

---

He pulled up his financial status next.

---

[VESSEL LICENSE — FINANCIAL SUMMARY]

GUILD CREDITS: 127,450

GOLD: 21,200

---

He stared at the numbers.

A month ago, he had been scraping by. Counting coppers. Wondering if he could afford to pay Tatia. Wondering if he could afford to eat.

Now?

He was rich. By modest means. Not noble-rich. Not merchant-prince-rich. But comfortable. Secure. He could pay Tatia for a year. He could buy equipment without flinching. He could provide for Isolde.

It was enough.

He pulled up the Bond Meter next.

100/100.

He had attained the Soulbound.

It had happened a week ago. A quiet night. Isolde had been sad. He had held her. They had talked. And then, without warning, the system had pulsed.

---

[BOND MILESTONE ACHIEVED: 100/100 — SOULBOUND]*

[CONGRATULATIONS, EMERIC HALDEN.]

[YOUR BOND WITH YOUR LEDGER TARGET HAS REACHED ITS FINAL THRESHOLD. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOU IS NOW COMPLETE.]

[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: SOULBOUND (PASSIVE)]

[DESCRIPTION: You and your Ledger Target are permanently connected. You can sense each other’s life force and emotional state across any distance. If one dies, the other will feel it instantly. You may draw on her residual mana reserves in times of desperate need.]

[CURE REQUIREMENTS UPDATE]

[ADDITIONAL COMPONENT UNLOCKED: BLOOD LILY]

[DESCRIPTION: A rare flower that grows at the peak of the highest mountains. Highly poisonous. Lethal to the touch. Requires special handling.]

[LOCATION: UNKNOWN — CURRENTLY SEARCHING]

---

He had not found the Blood Lily yet.

He had searched. He had asked. He had sent inquiries to herbalists, apothecaries, and scholars. But the flower was rare. Almost mythical. It grew only at the highest peaks, in conditions that would kill most men.

He would find it.

But not yet.

He closed the system and stood. The sun was rising. The house was waking.

He went inside.

Isolde was in the kitchen.

She was trying to make tea. Her hands were steadier now—Tatia’s therapy had been working—but she still struggled with some things. The kettle was heavy. The cups were fragile. She moved slowly, carefully, her focus absolute.

He watched her for a moment.

Then he crossed to her. Took the kettle from her hands.

"I’ve got it."

She looked at him. Her eyes were soft.

"You’re up early."

"Training."

"You’re always training."

He smiled. "I have to."

She studied him. Read the tension in his shoulders. The focus in his eyes.

"You’ve gotten stronger."

"I know."

"Faster. Sharper." She paused. "It’s not normal."

He looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Your growth. It’s too fast. Most Vessels take years to reach your level. You’ve done it in months." She tilted her head. "Are you normal?"

He didn’t answer and she didn’t push.

But she watched him.

They ate breakfast together.

She asked about the party. About what he was up to.

He told her. She listened. She always listened. They had not been able to talk in a week.

Then she reached for his hand.

"I’m proud of you."

He looked at her.

"For what?"

"For everything. For how far you’ve come. For what you’re doing." She paused. "For me."

He squeezed her hand.

"I’d do anything for you."

She smiled a warm smile.

"I know."