Goddess of Life Church, Crownfall

Deep within the grand halls of the Goddess of Life Church in Crownfall, soft golden light filtered through stained-glass windows depicting blooming flowers.

The air carried the faint scent of incense and fresh lilies.

In a private chamber lined with bookshelves, an elderly woman with silver hair tied in a neat bun sat behind a large desk.

She was dressed in the white robes of a High Priestess as she carefully turned through a stack of confidential documents.

These were the profiles of the new first-year students at Grayhaven Academy, specifically those who had awakened Mythic-rank classes.

There were only ten of them this year.

She read through each file slowly.

The elderly woman’s expression remained solemn. Mythic-rank awakenings were extremely rare.

Each one represented a future powerhouse who could shift the balance of the entire Human Domain.

She paused on one particular file named Klein Ferass.

Looking at his image and the fact that he cleared all five stages in Entrance exam, she was amused.

’Hoh... that’s a first.’

At that moment, the heavy wooden door to the chamber opened softly.

A beautiful woman with long, flowing blonde hair and striking blue eyes entered the room.

She was wearing elegant white and gold robes that accentuated her graceful figure.

An aura of pure, holy light radiated gently from her body.

Looking at her, the elderly woman immediately stood up and bowed her head respectfully.

"Saintess,"

The Saintess smiled gently and raised her hand.

"Please sit, High Priestess Mirelle. There is no need for such formality when we are alone."

Mirelle sat back down, but her posture remained respectful.

The Saintess approached the desk and glanced at the documents spread across it.

"The documents I requested already arrived from the Academy?"

With a nod, Mirelle replied "Yes, Your Holiness, I was reviewing this year’s Mythic rank students."

"This year’s batch is particularly exceptional. Ten Mythic ranks... the highest number in the last thirty years."

The Saintess hurriedly took the documents and looked through them.

Mirelle was startled by her enthusiasm ’Saintess has been doing this for the past few years... looking through the students from the Academy each time.’

’Just what is she trying to find?’

"Found it!"

Her blue eyes gleamed with intense excitement as she pulled out one particular document.

Her heartbeat quickened noticeably as she stared at the profile and image of Klein Faress.

"I... finally found him."

---

Spirit Realm

Sitting on the bed, Klein looked at the four Energy Stones in front of him.

Orpheus was behind him, pressing her warm, soft body against his back.

She had insisted on helping with the absorption process.

Her hands roamed slowly over his bare upper body, gently tracing the defined lines of his abs and the firm muscles of his chest.

Taking one stone in his hand, Klein examined it closely.

’Energy stones are like mana stones which can be mined. And both of them can be used to absorb mana and strengthen our mana core.’

He turned the stone slowly between his fingers.

’Mana stones are not 100% pure, so when you absorb them, some impurities are left in your body. They require later purification.’

A small smile formed on his lips.

’But an Energy Stone is different. It is 100% pure, so absorbing it won’t leave any impurities in your body...’

’They are also rare and expensive. Time to absorb these four.’

Orpheus leaned forward, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Her long green hair spilled over his chest "Are you ready?" she asked softly, her warm breath hitting against his ear.

"I will help stabilize the flow. With these pure stones, your progress should be excellent."

Klein nodded and closed his eyes. He began circulating his Five Mana Cores while holding the first Energy Stone.

The moment he started absorbing it, a torrent of incredibly pure mana flooded into his body.

A low hum filled the room as the stone slowly dissolved in his palm, turning into sparkling motes of light that merged into his body.

Orpheus’s hands pressed more firmly against his chest and abdomen, guiding the energy and preventing any overload.

Her touch was both nurturing and intimate, making the entire process far more comfortable than it would have been alone.

"You’re absorbing it beautifully," she praised quietly, her fingers tracing the ridges of his abs.

"Your body is very receptive. Hmm... the dual nature of your energy allows you to process pure energy at an astonishing rate."

Klein’s breathing deepened as the first stone was fully absorbed and he felt his mana cores grow noticeably stronger.

He reached for the second stone.

The process continued for a long time.

Orpheus stayed close behind him the entire time and occasionally whispered guidance or encouragement, helping him maintain perfect balance.

By the time Klein absorbed the fourth and final Energy Stone, his entire body was glowing faintly with power.

He could feel a significant leap in his overall strength.

Klein opened his eyes and let out a long, satisfied breath ’I reached E-rank.’

’Since I have two mana cores, it takes a lot of energy for me to rank up.’

’But at the same time... if I opened the second mana core and went all out, I can easily crush anyone up to C-rank and defeat B rank, while putting up a good fight with an A-rank.’

Orpheus hugged him from behind, resting her cheek against his shoulder ’His mana has increased a lot.’

She closed her eyes for a moment, simply feeling the energy radiating from him.

She keeps physical contact with him not just to calm his mind with her soothing energy, but in turn, his spiritual aura also comforts her.

For a High-rank spirit like her, being close to someone like him is incredibly pleasant. It feels like basking in the warmth of a perfect spring day.

’Even Elfaria doesn’t have this aura... Is it because he has perfect balance with cursed and spirit energy?’

A soft, content sigh escaped her lips.

She hugged him tighter and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss against the side of his neck.

"Eh?" Klein turned his head slightly to look at her and a warm smile appeared on his face. "...Thank you, Orpheus."

The Mother of Spirits smiled softly, her green eyes half-lidded with contentment as she nuzzled closer to him.

"You’ve worked hard," she murmured against his skin. "I’m happy to help you grow. And... being close to you like this feels very nice."

Klein chuckled lightly and leaned back into her embrace.

For a while, the two of them simply stayed like that.

A little later, Orpheus spoke softly "Are you... going back now?"

Klein opened his eyes and tilted his head slightly to look at her "Yeah, I just need to rest for a while. It is night out there."

Orpheus nodded her head slowly, her long green hair brushing against his shoulder.

"Then you can rest here,"

"There is no need to return to the mortal world so soon. The Spirit Realm’s time flows differently. You can rest properly here without any disturbances."