Arlo stood by the entrance to Sylvia's room, his eyes fixed on her sleeping form. Serena sat on the bed beside her, fast asleep as she held Sylvia's hand, her head resting on the edge of the mattress.

Serena had been so worried that even after Sylvia's return, she refused to leave her side, waiting anxiously for her to wake up. In the end, exhaustion had claimed her, and she had fallen asleep, still holding onto her mother's hand.

As Arlo watched over the two of them, his heart swelled with relief. He clutched the Grimoire tightly in his arms, its weight a comforting presence against his chest.

'...It was a close call, but I made it in time... I was able to save her.' he thought to himself, his mind replaying the harrowing events of the day.

Arlo couldn't help but feel that his timely arrival had been a stroke of luck. Had he been even a minute later, it might have been the end for Sylvia.

"If something had happened to you… I would’ve…" Arlo’s voice trailed off as he leaned against the wall, slowly raising his head to stare at the ceiling.

In that moment, a surge of bloodlust poured out from within him, the air in the room seemed to darken, and Arlo's Grimoire began to glow with an eerie, dark light. It pulsed in his hands, as if responding to the depth of his emotions.

"No, let’s not think about that." He muttered, his gaze as cold as ice as he continued to stare at the ceiling.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed his palm against his face, trying to calm the storm of emotions that raged within him.

“I need something… something that can keep them safe even when I’m not around.” Arlo muttered, his eyes drifting down to the Grimoire in his hands. It seemed to pulse with a life of its own, as if sensing his desperation and desire.

He opened the book and began to flip through its pages, making his way through the sections until he came to a stop at the end of the [Advanced Class Magic] section. It was the same page he always found himself staring at, a barrier he couldn't seem to break through.

Arlo began to pour more power into trying to turn the page, desperate to unlock the secrets that lay beyond. But no matter how much power he used, the page remained stubbornly in place, unmoved by his efforts.

"...I've checked on all of the available sections but there aren’t any spells like that…... I'm sure whatever's past this page has what I'm looking for... come on Grimoire…!" he groaned, veins bulging in his hands as he tried to force the page to turn.

Despite his desperation, the Grimoire remained unyielding, its secrets locked away behind an impenetrable barrier. In a fit of agitation, Arlo stomped on the floor, his frustration boiling over.

'...System, show me my status.’

[Arlo Axton.]

[Race: Human.]

[Core Rank: Awakened.]

[Mana Core Rank: Tier 1]

[Level 5 (625/800)]

[HP: 100/100%]

[Energy: 100/100%]

[MP: 16/100%]

[Strength: 15]

[Agility: 17]

[Stamina: 12]

[Sense: 12]

[Mana: 5]

Arlo gazed at his status before quickly opening the mail tab and looking at the notifications he had received.

[Mail.]

[You have leveled up!] (x2)

[You have earned a level-up point.] (x2)

[Would you like to exchange your level-up point for rewards?] (Y/N)

-

[You've completed the ‘Emergency Quest: Labyrinth Plague Outbreak!]

[Completion rewards have been sent.]

[Would you like to receive them?] (Y/N)

After reading his mails, Arlo tore his gaze away and made his way towards the door. He cast one final glance back at Sylvia and Serena before stepping out into the hallway.

‘I’ll receive my rewards after, for now I’ll help Vielle with the preparations…’

Despite his annoyance with the Grimoire, Arlo held it close to his chest as he walked down the hall and descended the stairs.

He found Vielle bustling about in the kitchen, stacking their goods into spare cardboard boxes and thoroughly labeling each one with its contents.

"Need any help?" Arlo asked, stepping into the kitchen..

Vielle looked up from her work, her eyes meeting his.

"Nope, I'm more or less finished sorting them out. We should be able to take them back to my world whenever you're ready... but I suppose that's the least of our concerns right now." She paused, her eyes glued to him. "Are you okay?"

"I am. Why do you ask?" Arlo responded with a smile.

Vielle hesitated for a moment, her eyes searching his face before she lowered her head apologetically. "You left the door to your room open... and I have really good hearing, you see... I overheard you talking."

Arlo pressed his palm against his face, a sigh escaping his lips. "...Ah. Sorry. I should've closed the door. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Despite his words, Vielle could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched as he tried to push down the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him.

"You need a spell, right…? One that can keep them safe when you’re not around…"

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Arlo's eyes widened, his head snapping up to meet her gaze. "You have a spell like that?"

Vielle shook her head, her expression apologetic. "No... barrier magic isn't my specialty. I don't have a spell like that, but I know where you can find one."

"Where?"

"A spell that powerful would be hard to come across in the market. You could have someone teach you, or you could purchase the spell at the Magic Guild."

"Magic Guild?" Arlo repeated, the term unfamiliar to him, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Vielle proceeded to explain the concept to him. In her world, there were other kinds of Guilds besides the Adventurers Guild. One of them was the Magic Guild, a place where mages could gather to research various magical topics and share their findings, earning rewards for their contributions to the field.

Spells, magical devices, familiars and other useful things could be traded there for reasonable prices.

"If the outposts don't have what you're looking for, we can go to a Magic Tower too."

"A magic tower… so a tower for mages?" Arlo asked.

"Yeah, they're the headquarters for the Magicians' Guilds. The smaller branches and outposts can be found throughout the kingdom of Jarha and other kingdoms, but the Magic Towers are only located in specific areas," Vielle clarified.

Arlo placed his hand beneath his chin, his mind whirling as he contemplated her words. The Magicians Guild sounded like a truly useful resource.

"Although the closest one is a little far from the city, so maybe it would be easier if we went to a Magic Academy instead… they might have a spell available if we donate…" Vielle whispered under her breath, her thoughts drifting to the various options available to them.

Arlo, lost in his own musings, didn't catch her words. "Alright, let's check out the Magicians Guild when we go back to the other world."

Vielle nodded, a proud smile playing at the corners of her lips as she pointed towards the boxes in the kitchen.

"I've finished packing everything up. When will we be making our move?"

Arlo's gaze drifted up the staircase, towards the room where Sylvia and Serena slept. He wanted to leave immediately. But he knew that this time, their trip to the other world would be a lengthy one.

After going through such a harrowing experience, Sylvia would have probably wanted for him to be by her side when she woke up, just as she had been there for him in his times of need.

The thought of leaving her and Serena alone in the house, especially with the knowledge that other guilds were still after Vielle, made him uneasy.

Despite the possibility that the Labyrinth Outbreak Plague might divert their attention from Vielle's viral video, Arlo didn't want to take any chances.

"We'll go tomorrow..." Arlo muttered, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty. "Is that alright?"

Vielle's smile was bright and reassuring as she responded, "Yeah, of course it is. It'll only be another day, that's not a problem at all."

"Another day...? Ah- Vielle, I forgot to mention something," Arlo said, his voice faltering as cold sweat began to trickle down his face. He averted his eyes, unable to meet her gaze.

"What is it?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Time moves differently in this world... remember how you said it had been a few weeks since you last saw me?"

"Yeah, it was a few weeks, I recall." Vielle confirmed, her brow furrowing slightly.

"About that... I was actually only gone for a day. A day here is equivalent to the amount of time you waited there... so I'm sure after tomorrow over a month will have passed.”

Vielle's expression shifted, nervousness creeping into her features. It was the first time Arlo had ever seen her so visibly unsettled by something, and the sight of cold sweat beading on her forehead only added to his concern.

"Sorry, you had something to do, didn't you?" Arlo asked, guilt gnawing at his heart.

"No, it's not that. It's just..." Vielle's voice trailed off as she let out a heavy sigh. "It's fine, I wouldn't worry about it."

Arlo's guilt intensified at her reaction, and he quickly sought to make amends. "If you want, we can quickly go back so you can sort out whatever you need to."

Vielle's smile returned, warm and genuine as she looked at him. "No, it's fine, really. I still would've come here with you even if I had known about the difference in the flow of time."

Arlo held her gaze for a moment, studying her smile and the sincerity in her eyes. Finally, he nodded, accepting her decision.

"Alright then… let's store these goods in the house's storage. It's empty right now."

Vielle nodded, and with a graceful sway of her staff, the cardboard boxes began to levitate, a shimmering purple magic circle manifesting beneath them.

As they worked together to move the boxes, Arlo couldn't help but notice how useful chantless magic was. He made a mental note to train his spells at every opportunity that he could in order to be able to use one chant-less spell.

Even though they were about to become busy sorting out deals for the trading companies and looking for the spell at the magician’s guild, Arlo had no intentions of slacking off on training.

"We're finished. We can finally head to bed…”

Vielle followed him up the stairs, and together, they made their way to his room. As Arlo opened the door, Vielle's eyes widened in surprise, taking in the transformed space before her.

Gone were the bin bags and scattered clothes that had once littered the floor. Instead, the room was bathed in a soft, inviting light, revealing a tidy and welcoming interior.

"You tidied it?" she asked, recalling the chaotic state it had been in before.

Arlo smiled, a hint of pride in his voice as he responded, "Of course. I couldn't let you sleep here with the condition it was in before."

Vielle looked up at him, a warm smile playing on her lips. "You're quite the gentleman, aren't you?"

"You think so?"

He pointed to his bed, which had been neatly made, the covers crisp and clean. Then, he gestured to the blanket he had laid out on the floor, a pillow resting at one end.

"You can sleep on the bed. I'll sleep on the blanket.”

Vielle glanced at the bed, hesitation flickering in her eyes. "It's your bed, isn't it? I don't mind sleeping on the floor instead—"

"Nah, it's fine. I like sleeping on the floor. I read in a survey once that it's good for your back," Arlo interjected, a playful grin on his face.

Vielle watched silently as he walked down the hall. "Follow me. I'll show you how to use the shower. Let's take one before going to bed," he said, his voice filled with a gentle insistence.

Vielle nodded, ready to follow him, but after a few steps away from the bedroom, she halted, her gaze drawn to something on his desk.

"Arlo, what is that?" she asked, pointing at the unusual object.

Arlo walked over to her and followed her gaze, his expression thoughtful as he responded, "That's a monster core. I got one from defeating a Wyvern. It was taken out of its corpse."

"Monster Core?" Vielle repeated, her hand coming to rest beneath her chin as she contemplated the unfamiliar term. "Yet another difference that can be found between the worlds. In my world, you can take Mana Crystals out of the corpses of monsters, but in this one, you can take 'Monster Cores.'"

Vielle seemed genuinely intrigued by the discovery. Arlo, sensing her interest, handed her the core, allowing her to examine it more closely.

As she turned the core over in her hands, her fingers traced the smooth, pulsing surface.

"So, is it similar to a Mana Crystal in any way?"

Vielle's brow furrowed in concentration, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the object in her hands.

"In some ways, yes. They both seem to be a source of power, however they’re fundamentally different. There isn’t the slightest trace of ‘Mana.’ inside but it’s full of ‘Evolution Energy.’ you told me about.”

"Just like I noticed too. Well, let's head to the shower. I'm tired," Arlo said, stifling a yawn.

After gazing at the core for a few more seconds, Vielle gently placed it back on the table and glanced at Arlo’s back, her eyes tracing the lines of Mana and ‘Evolution Energy’ flowing within him.

They were two distinct sources of power that both resided within Arlo. Compared to when she had first met him, the amount of both energy flows had increased significantly.

Vielle couldn't help but wonder about the potential Arlo held, the sheer power someone wielding both sources could achieve.

'If he's ever able to master both sources of power, he may very well become unstoppable.’

With that final contemplation, she followed Arlo into the bathroom.