It was... a hellish training that had truly paid off. Ats only realized he had been pushing himself for nearly 40 hours straight once he finally pleted all 20 ps.

  The day, he shifted his focus to recovery—semi-naturally. Lyrassa aided in healing his most critical injuries, but he let the rest of his body recover on its own.

  This approach would take longer, but it would also help him better uand his physical limits, allowing him to maximize his potential even further.

  Everyone else was outside training, but Ats remained in his room that day, fog on recovery. He already felt much better, and the releraining had paid off in a big way—he had unlocked the ability to sense Elemental Particles.

  Acc to Edrik, he had ered a phase where he could begin unlog his Elemental Affinity with just a bit more focused practice.

  However, Edrik emphasized that this was a golden phase—a critical window where his progress could be accelerated even further. This short period after pushing his limits and achieving a breakthrough was the perfect time to boost his development.

  If Ats ied a new po into his body during this phase, it would enhance synization within him, resulting in more optimal and accelerated progress.

  And Edrik’s clusion?

  Ats could ask Lyrassa for assistah this process.

  Wait… was this reted to the "sharing vitality" thing?!

  “My Lord…” a soft voice broke the silence as the door creaked opeing in a warm beam of sunlight.

  Lyrassa stepped ih her usual gentle smile, the light framing her figure.

  She closed the door behind her and walked toward him.

  Ats, seated on his bed, shirtless, straightened slightly as Lyrassa approached and sat down beside him.

  “Are you feelier?” she asked, her eyes log onto his.

  “Yes, thanks, Lyrassa,” he replied with a small nod. “I think I’m ready to joihers for training again.”

  “Uhmm…” Lyrassa murmured hesitantly.

  “Yes?”

  “Master Kurogasa said it would be better if you rested today, My Lord,” she said gently.

  “Really?”

  His mind immediately rebelled against the idea.

  Damn it, this was the curse of his talents. Once he set a goal, his entire being fixated on achieving it, refusing to let up. The thought of taking a break made him unfortable.

  But then—

  A calming warmth spread through him.

  Lyrassa had cupped his cheek with her right hand, her touch soft and reassuring. He turo her, startled by the gesture.

  “Resting will be better for you during this phase, My Lord,” she said softly.

  “You’ve trained non-stop for the past two days, and you’ve already awakened a new skill for sensing elemental particles.”

  Ats nodded slowly, his mind drifting to his earlier versation with Edrik.

  “Lyrassa, tell me…” he began, carefully choosing his words. “Edrik mentioned something about the golden phase and accelerating my progress.”

  Lyrassa nodded gently. “Yes, My Lord…”

  “Do you… know something about sharing vitality?”

  She paused, her hand still resting on his cheek, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then, with a soft smile, she asked, “Do you wao share my vitality with you, My Lord?”

  “No… I mean, what does it actually mean? What’s the impae? And what about you—how does it affect you?”

  Lyrassa hesitated briefly, then replied softly, “You will gain some enhas to your body… just as Edrik said. I believe this is the right time for you to do it as well.”

  “And will there be aive effects on you?”

  She fell silent again, as though weighing her words, before shaking her head. “No… I’ll be happy to do this for you.”

  “ you do it… like… now?”

  Lyrassa paused once more, and after a few moments, she nodded. “Yes, My Lord… I do it right away.”

  Ats smiled faintly. “I’m already resting. We might as well use this time as effectively as possible.”

  “Yes,” she agreed softly. “Let’s make the most of it.”

  Lyrassa’s body began to emit a soft green glow, the faint light ing around her like an aura. She smiled as her figure seemed to rise gently from the bed, as though lifted by an unseen force.

  Her hand reached out toward Ats, and as their fiouched, the green energy flowed into him. It spread from his hand, c through his fingers, up his arm, and then throughout his entire body.

  Ats felt an immediate ge—a lighthat overtook him. His body, too, began to lift off the bed, floating effortlessly in the ter of the room. Lyrassa hovered before him, holding his hand.

  He remained silent, watg in awe as it unfolded.

  Lyrassa gently grasped his right hand with both of hers, her touch firm yet soothing.

  Suddenly, green vines began to sprout from the floor beh them, growing and climbing rapidly. The vines wound their , curling around both their bodies as if binding them together.

  A protective sphere of green energy formed around them, enclosing them in its radiant glow. The vines tio crawl along the barrier, weaving into it and thiing, creating a co-like structure.

  Ihe co, the green light persisted, illuminating the space with a calmihereal brightness as the process tinued.

  In that moment, Ats began to feel a profound ge within himself. The energy flowing into his body coursed through him like a rushing current, making his blood feel alive, as if it were surging with newfound power.

  The pressure inside him grew, pushing and f his heartbeat to qui before it stabilized again. This cycle repeated, over and over.

  Their bodies drew closer—so close that their foreheads touched. The vines ed tightly around them, merging them as one.

  It was… a strange sensation. Ats felt his entire being awaken, a deep and overwhelming feeling overtaking him. His eyes closed as he surreo it.

  It was extraordinary—every part of his body felt alive and rejuvenated.

  The calming presence of Lyrassa and the soothing glow of the co enveloped him pletely, amplifying the tranquility he felt in her presence.

  He lost track of time, overwhelmed by the process. Within the co, there was only him, Lyrassa, and the radiant green energy binding them together.

  The sensation became so peaceful, so all-enpassing, that eventually, Ats drifted off, falling into a deep, restful sleep as the transformation tinued.

  Until what felt like endless bliss, Ats slowly opened his eyes.

  Pushing himself up from the bed, Ats blinked groggily, unsure how much time had passed. He g his Awakener Device to check the date.

  Oh damn?! Really?! Two days?

  He stared in disbelief for a moment before shaking his head. His body felt light, almost weightless, brimming with a newfound energy. Instinctively, he raised his right hand and ched it into a fist, testing the strength surging through him.

  With a slight squeeze, he imagined crushing stone, and it felt entirely possible.

  Then, a series of notifications filled his vision.

  [gratutions! You have successfully formed the Sacred Bond with Lyrassa, The Floral Healer.]

  [You have ied some of her vitality through this e.]

  [New skills have been unlocked.]

  [A alent has been unlocked.]

  [Your blood and body have undergone modifications as part of the bonding process.]