We mostly ignored Elric's jab at Serith.

My focus stayed on the much bigger issue gnawing at me.

"Why am I still feeling like this?" I muttered, trying to stir my energy again. Nothing. My body stayed heavy, like my own core was weighing me down. Even the smallest motion sent spikes of pain through my chest and mind.

Serith turned to me calmly. “Your Spiritual Weapons were destroyed, Peter. That kind of backlash isn’t something you walk off.”

"Destroyed?" I blinked. "I mean... I’ve broken them before. I just summon them back."

“That may not have been the same," she explained. "This time, someone else with a Spiritual Weapon shattered them directly. The damage sticks.”

Thea summoned her spear with a flick of her wrist as a quiet example. “Sooo, if I took this and crushed Elric’s weapon head-on? It wouldn’t come back?”

Serith nodded. "Not unless it's reforged."

My stomach tightened. “So, that’s... permanent?"

“Mostly. You can reforge them of course,” she said, voice still soft but carrying a hint of warning.

I tried to nod and mostly succeeded at an awkward head-bob. “Alright, not the worst outcome, then. Maybe even a blessing. They weren't exactly the best design I think.”

“Easy for you to say.” Serith’s lips curved into the faintest smile. “But if you’d invested years of refinement, skill, bloodline work, losing it would be... devastating.”

Elric managed to croak a few more words. "Another reason to k—hate those bastards."

I remembered.

Thea, I had heard scream before getting stomped on, literally, but there was another. They blended at the time, but it wasn't of sorrow or pain. I couldn't remember the words, but Elric had been angry. Very angry.

The thought of years of reinforcement going up in smoke wasn't exactly comforting, but hopefully that wouldn't even be a future problem.

Reforging was possible anyway, but every upgrade, every subtle tweak, all gone if I ever got crushed by someone stronger again.

I exhaled, feeling my own exhaustion settling in.

Elric seemed to feel the same way. "When can we head back? I'm starting to run on fumes. Could really use Lyra's help."

“You two could probably barely tolerate Gate travel,” Serith sighed. “We can try.”

The very idea made my stomach roll in anticipation. But frankly, I'd rather puke at home than nap here, no matter how comfortable these little couches were.

“Yeah… let’s give it a shot.” I glanced at Elric. “You up for it?”

He let out a miserable groan. “Let’s just get it over with.”

Thea helped me up, steadying me against her as we shuffled toward the platform.

The journey was short. One floating platform down led us straight into something that resembled an elevator. I’d half expected Serith to use the same portal trick she brought us in with, but apparently that was only necessary one way.

My luck of course.

We all stepped inside. Several miserable minutes followed. One of which, I’m not ashamed to admit, involved some intense dry heaving. By the time the strange pressure lifted, I could already smell the thick salt air. We were back.

Thea gently lowered me onto the ground as we arrived. Before I could even get my bearings, Lyra rushed over to Elric without a word, casting a spell I didn’t recognize.

A soft green glow surrounded Elric, and within moments, some of the grayness drained from his face. His breathing steadied.

Val sprinted up next, eyes wide with concern. "What happened?"

I tried to offer him a reassuring wave, but only managed to flop my hand weakly.

“I fought someone. It didn’t go great.” I forced a small chuckle. “But I’m alive. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll be back in two weeks,” Serith announced, breaking the brief silence.

I looked up at her. "And how exactly are you planning to find me if I’m not here?"

She waved off my concern before I could finish. “I’ll be able to find you. Don’t worry.”

With that, she made a show of circling her arms through the air as sparkling light danced around her. The glow swirled, wrapping her frame in a glittering cocoon before she slowly shimmered out of existence, leaving behind nothing but a few fading specks.

I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Once again, Serith proved she cared far more about presentation than practicality. Though, I had to admit, if the goal was to stun the audience, it worked. The others around us looked plenty impressed.

Well, and it was practical too.

Drake was the first to break the moment, turning to Elric. “So... anyone going to explain what happened?”

Elric let out a tired groan and weakly gestured toward Thea. “Her turn.”

Marcus, Griffith, Helen, and the others turned to Thea, their stares loaded with the kind of pressure only concerned family and commanders could deliver.

To her credit, Thea handled it like a pro. She calmly laid everything out. Our arrival, the strange arena, the locals, the new species we’d encountered, Kris's rather thorough dismantling of me, the repercussions that followed, and finally, the tournament we now found ourselves committed to. First round in two weeks.

She finished by mentioning the library, or what might be left of it, which must sit somewhere beyond the initial island. We’d need to reach it sooner rather than later.

“How long do you think it'll take you all to fully stabilize your foundations?” Marcus asked, his voice calm but firm.

Sia answered first, “I’ll be ready soon. Thea’s probably too. It shouldn’t take more than a couple more days.”

Griffith nodded. “I’ll need a bit longer, but with my system backing me up, I’ll be fine. Once Thea’s done, the four of us—Peter, Thea, Elric, and myself—can move to the next island.”

Everyone agreed without much argument. Well, aside from a few minor grumbles I caught, likely Val grumbling and maybe Bristle’s stomach chiming in. Hard to say which was louder.

I made a mental note to figure out what Bristle was eating lately. With his growing pack of students, he’d probably find his own solution.

As if reading my thoughts, Bristle trotted over, his paws thudding softly against the ground before resting them on my lap. I leaned forward as best I could and scratched behind his ears, my fingers barely cooperating.

“Hey, boy... I think you're going to have to stay here this time.”

His eyes met mine with a strange kind of awareness that seemed far too sharp for a creature like him. I could swear I'd even seen him nod once or twice before. Whether it was my influence, his own cultivation progress, or just something different about him, Bristle was changing.

Growing in ways I didn’t quite understand.

Turning back to the group, I addressed everyone. “Alright. The plan’s simple. While I reforge my gauntlets, this time using my new elemental force, and maybe even some Precursor Energy, you all keep pushing ahead on your cultivation.”

I glanced at Drake. “What's that item Griffith gave you earlier?”

Drake pulled the small token from his belt, its surface faintly shimmering. “Return emblem,” he said, holding it up. “Works like I mentioned before. It’s linked to a paired token, activate it with a system, and it'll bring you back to its partner. Anything around you gets pulled too.”

“Even opponents?” I asked, raising a brow.

He shrugged. “In theory, yeah. If someone’s close enough, they’re coming with you. Ideally though, we can handle that part on our end when you’re back.”

“Well,” I said, reaching out, “unless you’re planning to come along, I’d like to borrow it.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “You serious? No thanks. I think Griffith’s got the whole research thing covered without me. I’ll stay here… develop m—your castle.”

“Sect,” I corrected.

“Whatever.”

“It's important,” Velea chimed in quietly, looking at him with a pointed glance.

Drake waved her off with a look that said he absolutely didn’t care. Then handed the token over to Thea.

Despite the warmth of the fire and my body begging for sleep, I sat upright, preparing to focus. It was time to recover. The sooner I started cultivating, the better.

Or so I thought.

“You might want to hold off on that,” Elric said, his voice hoarse as he shifted on the nearby couch.

I blinked at him. “Why?”

“I’m not totally sure how my new ability works yet, but if it’s anything like the quick system-level healing… there’s usually a backlash if you push too early or hard.” He groaned. “Just wait until morning, alright?”

Fair enough. That reminded me. “So, that ability, was it from the statue back in the labyrinth?”

Lyra answered for him. “Yeah. That’s what he got. You might’ve seen Sia's activated during the fight with the dogs.”

Sia leaned forward from her seat. “Mine makes me glow red,” she added flatly. “Not exactly impressive, I know. But it boosts my flames like… a lot.”

“More than a little scary, honestly,” Her mother muttered. “It’s nearly caught up to my system, and she’s still years away from my stage.”

I looked at Lyra. “And you?”

She hesitated. “I… can’t really tell. There’s something there, but I can’t feel it now. Maybe I’m too weak. Or maybe it's just blocked.” She shook her head and smiled. “Either way, I’m not the only one feeling stuck lately.”

That last comment hit me, not in a bad way. A strange comfort that both of shared. She couldn’t cultivate for now, and I couldn't use a system.

Not unless she was willing to endure pain so intense it had dropped Elric. For now, she was still limited to a single Grand Channel. And of course, she had the child.

“How’s it going with, you know…”

She smiled faintly. “Pregnancy? It’s only been a few days since I realized. Not much to say yet. I’ve got Helen to help, so I’m not worried.”

“Right,” I said quickly, letting it drop. Not my area.

As Thea and I finally settled down on the ground, something else came to mind. “Hey,” I called out lazily to whoever was listening, “what happened to all the big lizards?”

Griffith answered with a grunt. “They left. Went underwater once the moon started to set.”

Velia had curled up beside Lyra, more attached to her than ever. Watching them, it was clear the bond between them was deepening.

As I laid there, Thea’s arms wrapped around me. Recently she's been more... clingy wouldn’t be right, it was more like extra close. I was more than happy about it.

My thoughts drifted, though they kept circling back to the same place. My fight. My loss. The gap I couldn’t ignore.

I hadn’t heard from Luna or Wyrem in a while. No doubt they were off somewhere, still arguing over something meaningless. But Wyrem had been right. At least about what he told me.

There was far more out there. Beings stronger than me in different in ways I couldn’t even understand  yet.

Even the bloodlines. Was it a system for everyone? Was it something else in others? Did they all have a system and maybe another addon?

Maybe for humans, systems were the benefit. Or rather, the blessings.

Kris, for example. His scales and resilience, were those species traits? Or something else? I didn’t know. That was the part that unsettled me most. How much of this world, this universe, was still completely unknown to me?

It felt like I’d stepped into a new world all over again. Just like when I first arrived here.

But this time... I wasn’t alone.

Back then, I was lucky to meet her. Now, I didn’t need to meet her. She was already here, with me.

Eventually sleep and comfort carried me away and the thoughts drifted away.

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