Chapter 288: The Mindbloom Lotus Seed.

Time passed as Aurelius continued explaining the various items Kael had purchased and introducing him to other goods available in his shop.

The most important of them was the Mindbloom Lotus Seed.

According to Aurelius, the seed could be planted directly within Ezra’s Mind World, where it would gradually take root and release its effects. Rather than simply treating the injuries to her soul and spirit, it would nourish both and strengthen them over time. Its effects made it particularly suitable for Ezra’s condition, and unlike ordinary healing items, it could provide lasting benefits beyond the initial recovery.

Kael listened carefully, making sure he understood how the seed worked and what he needed to do to use it properly. Helping Ezra recover was important, but he had no intention of carelessly using a rare resource without understanding its effects first.

Once Aurelius finished explaining the seed, he took the opportunity to introduce Kael to even more of his merchandise.

Weapons, artifacts, consumables, rare materials, and various other items appeared on the shop interface as Aurelius enthusiastically explained their functions. He seemed to have an endless supply of goods to recommend, and every time Kael thought he had seen enough, something else would catch his attention.

Naturally, Kael couldn’t resist purchasing a few more items.

By the time he finally finished shopping, he’d spent several billion Tower Coins in total. It was an amount that would have been enough to make an ordinary climber weep, but Kael was thoroughly satisfied with his purchases. Every item had a purpose, and most of them would prove useful, either right away or somewhere down the line.

For him, spending money wasn’t a problem as long as he received something worthwhile in return.

After the final transaction was completed, Aurelius bid him farewell before departing. The space where he had been standing returned to normal, leaving Kael alone in his Start Room.

Kael remained there for a while, looking at the spot where the merchant had disappeared.

Just as he was thinking about his next move, a small figure suddenly flew out of the tiny house tucked away in the corner of the room.

Aiona fluttered toward him, her delicate wings beating as she stopped in front of his face.

"Master, you seem happy."

Kael looked at her before nodding.

"Yes, I am."

He wasn’t lying. With the resources he had acquired today, he finally had a way to address several of the problems that had been weighing on his mind. His mother’s condition, Ezra’s injuries, and his need to prepare for what lay ahead had all become considerably easier to deal with.

Of course, that didn’t mean every problem had been solved, but at least he now had a clear path forward.

Aiona smiled at his response.

"That’s good."

She paused briefly, then seemed to remember something.

"Oh, by the way, Master. I noticed that you didn’t seem to receive a gift box from your previous trial. It appears the Admin restricted it."

Kael’s expression shifted slightly.

"They can do that?"

"Yes." Aiona nodded. "It costs them some of their Authority to interfere with a reward like that, so it isn’t something they do all the time. Usually, they have little reason to spend their Authority on something so trivial."

She tilted her head slightly as she studied him.

"Still, it seems your encounter with the Admin didn’t go particularly well."

Kael gave a small shrug.

"You could say that."

He had more or less expected something like this.

Considering how much he had managed to gain from his encounter with Miko, including the VIP card, it wasn’t difficult to understand why the Admin might have decided to interfere with his rewards. Whether it was out of displeasure or some other reason, Kael couldn’t say for certain.

However, he wasn’t particularly bothered by it.

Even without the gift box, his gains from today were more than enough to satisfy him. The items he had purchased would be far more useful to him than whatever reward he might have received from that trial, and he wasn’t about to let a missing gift spoil his mood.

Besides, there was little point dwelling on something he couldn’t change.

"Anyway, I’ll be leaving for now."

"Have a good day, Master!"

Kael gave Aiona a final nod before leaving the Tower.

By the time he returned to the real world, it was already quite dark.

The house was quiet. Judging by the silence, Lyra had probably already gone to bed.

Kael glanced toward the door before letting out a quiet breath.

He was eager to get started.

Now that he’d obtained the necessary items, he could finally begin working on his mother’s and Ezra’s recovery.

Still, he quickly suppressed the urge to start right away.

There was no need to rush things at this hour. It was already late, and he would be better off handling everything the following day when he had enough time to focus properly.

With that decision made, Kael headed to the bathroom.

He washed away the dirt and grime that had accumulated on his body during the trial, taking his time to clean himself before changing into fresh clothes. Once he was done, he returned to his room and lay down on his bed.

Sleep didn’t come easily.

Even after closing his eyes, his mind continued wandering toward the things he had accomplished that day and what he would be able to do tomorrow. The thought of finally helping his mother recover kept his excitement alive, making it difficult to settle down.

Eventually, however, fatigue won out.

Kael finally drifted off to sleep.

The following morning, he woke up fairly early.

The house was still quiet, and from the lack of movement upstairs, Lyra was apparently still asleep. Kael got out of bed, freshened up, and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

He decided to prepare breakfast while he waited for her.

The familiar routine helped settle his thoughts, and before long, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of cooking. Kael worked at an unhurried pace, preparing enough food for both of them.

He was just finishing up when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

A moment later, Lyra appeared at the kitchen entrance.

Her hair was slightly messy from sleep, and she looked as though she hadn’t fully woken up yet. Nevertheless, she made her way into the kitchen and approached him.

Kael glanced up and smiled.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

Lyra returned the greeting before walking over to the counter and sitting on it.

She watched him for a moment as he finished preparing breakfast. Then her eyes narrowed slightly.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Am I?"

Sharp as usual.

He had only just started the morning, yet Lyra had already noticed the change in his mood. It wasn’t particularly surprising, considering how well she knew him, but he had hoped to keep her guessing for a little longer.

"Well, that’s because I have some good news."

Lyra immediately straightened.

"Good news?"

"Yes."

Kael finished plating the food before bringing it over. He placed their breakfast on the counter, then pulled out a seat and sat down beside her.

"But first, we eat."

With that, he picked up his utensils and began eating.

Lyra looked at him.

Then she looked at the food.

After a brief hesitation, she picked up her own utensils, but she didn’t seem particularly interested in eating. Instead, she moved the food around her plate, occasionally glancing at Kael as though waiting for him to continue.

Kael pretended not to notice.

He continued eating at his own pace, taking his time as he enjoyed the breakfast. Every now and then, he caught Lyra staring at him from the corner of his eye, but he remained silent.

It didn’t take long for her patience to wear thin.

Kael finally looked up from his food.

"Hey, I might get indigestion if you keep staring at me like that while I eat."

Lyra’s expression immediately changed.

"And whose fault is that?"

Kael paused before sighing.

"Guess it’s my fault."

He couldn’t really argue with her.

After all, he had deliberately brought up the good news without telling her what it was. Naturally, she would be curious. He had expected her to become interested, but apparently, it hadn’t taken nearly as much effort as he had imagined.

Kael had wanted to build up the suspense a little more before revealing everything, but he could tell that Lyra was already at her limit.

There was no reason to keep teasing her.

He put down his utensils and turned toward her properly.

Lyra immediately stopped fiddling with her food and met his gaze.

Kael smiled.

"Okay. I’ll tell you."

He paused briefly, making sure he had her full attention before speaking.

"I found a way to wake Mum and Ezra up."