Cal clapped my shoulder and grinned wide enough that it looked like it hurt.

"I'm proud of you. Made some interesting choices I'm excited to see," he said.

"Any idea what's up with this one skill? Skald is a term from Earth, right? Uh, old viking song people?"

He frowned. "More than that, but close enough for what you're thinking. And the mana type is unrecognizable because it technically isn't a type. It's a special skillstone requiring a certain proficiency in runic knowledge. Don't ask why. I didn't think there were any skillstones like that on this world. The Weave changed the requirements near the start of this era."

"Will I be able to absorb it then?"

If it didn't work and I wasted my choices, I was gonna be pissed.

"Your knowledge is sufficient."

I relaxed. Crisis averted.

"So why are you here?"

"One moment, Cyrus," Cal said as he walked past me and addressed Broken Tower. They were statues as they stared, but their mouths collectively dropped as Cal bowed low. "Thank you for taking care of him. I know it hasn't been the easiest, so sincerely, thank you."

Isaac looked ready to scream while Igas tried to shrink himself. Teddy, Celenae, and Eodyne were too stunned to speak.

My eye twitched. "I'm not that bad!"

Cal shook his head and bowed lower. "Truly, I'm sorry. In the future, I am willing to return the kindness."

Celenae scrambled with her hands grasping the air. "No! That's fine! It wasn't a problem, I promise!"

Igas and Eodyne nodded vigorously as Isaac refused to look at Cal.

Only Teddy regained some of his composure and bowed low, copying Cal. "That is not required, sir. Cyrus is a valuable friend. Of course, we helped."

Cal stood up straight and smiled while turning back toward me. "I can't stay for too long; the other gods will start to notice. Cyrus, I know you're eager to absorb the skillstones and rank up, but do so inside a dungeon. The dungeon mana will mask your signature and prevent your ascension from being noticed."

"What happens when I evolve? And I still need time to rank the skills up,"

"Nothing too crazy, but Reborns evolve a little differently, and the divinity from being my scion as well as what you already absorbed risks being noticed by someone observant. There are more than a few eyes on the capital," he explained. "As for why to wait, even something as simple as completing your slots can send a pulse strong enough. Better to be careful.

"I thought being a Reborn meant I'd be fine when I evolved."

"You will be," he assured. "But you send out a mana pulse that warps the area, so best to keep it inside a dungeon that can mask and absorb the energy the Weave will put out. Just don't return to the dungeon when you're done."

I deflated. "Fine, I've taken this long. I can wait a little more."

Cal chuckled and shook his head. "You're still vastly ahead of the curve. Even with your new passive you'll need a few days to refine the dungeon energy you acquired."

"W-we can use the local dungeon. The Labyrinth is spacious enough that we shouldn't have trouble entering. If we reserve a spot now, by the time you're ready, we should be able to get in without issue," Celenae added.

"Good, nobody enjoys that dungeon, so you'll be fine."

I crossed my arms. "Can I at least absorb some of the skillstones? Better to get them ranked up now than wait later."

"Just keep your tenth slot open until you're inside the dungeon. And your mana control is advanced enough that ranking up will be easy. Some time spent in the dungeon with some fresh kills. I estimate it'll take a couple of days before you're ready to tier up," Cal said.

He patted me on the back and I felt mana gather, but before he left, I stepped in front of him.

"Has Eraztis said anything about my part of the deal?"

Cal frowned. "He's trying. The goddess I used to scry for Sam is currently away. And he's taking the deal seriously. Which means he's collecting some things to help look for Sam. If she's too far away, it'll be nearly impossible to track her without going off-world and that's not possible for Eraztis."

I hugged Cal and stepped away. "Later, Cal."

"I'll see you soon, Cyrus. There's something coming up that we need to talk about," he said seriously before giving a final pat on my shoulder and disappearing.

Once he left, there was a collective intake of breath behind me and I sighed.

"You're all dramatic as hell."

Isaac threatened to beat me with the betting board, but thankfully the cheerful atmosphere returned, and I stepped in front of the chests to reveal who won and who owed money.

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I flipped open the chest and held up the skillstone for Sovereign's Warcry.

"Who voted for a mass buff skill?"

Celenae and Teddy cheered while the others groaned and began their complaints.

My smile was half-hearted, but I added the tallies to the board and moved on to the next.

---------------

As Galarion extracted the memory, I toyed with an idea and waited till the woman stopped shaking. I let the memory play through my mind, taking in the horror show that she deleted.

It was rough, in the worst kind of way. The disgusting taste on my tongue caused a growl to build, and I ordered Galarion to devour it before I got too riled up.

"It's gone. It's really gone. I-I c-can't," she started before bursting into tears.

Syrreisha was there and placed a comforting hand on her head, activating one of her skills as a firm but gentle warmth filled the room. It washed over me as well, taking away some of the stress created by the memory.

"How do you feel?" Syrreisha asked after stepping away and retaking her seat.

"Like I can breathe. I know of the memory; it's still there, but I can't taste the blood! I.." Illessoa broke down.

The cycle repeated until nearly an hour later, Illessoa bowed to the curtain and was escorted out of the room. Syrreisha returned the monitoring equipment to her storage device and pulled back the curtain.

"How are you doing yourself, Cyrus?"

I bounced Galarion in my hand before smooshing him into the back of my head. As I stood up I accepted the offered cup of tea and downed it, removing the acrid taste in my mouth.

"Good. That memory was awful, easily top five."

She sighed and set her cup down. "I wish you wouldn't relive the memories. This one especially."

"Galarion already devoured it. I didn't need that inside my head. I've seen some dark stuff, but that was too much."

"Well, we are finished for today. Will you be attending Charity Day this Satria?"

"Starts at six in the morning?"

"Yes. But you can come at whatever time you like, even if it's only an hour before closing. Those who attend would appreciate it."

I finished the tea and stared at the setting sun. Two days since I absorbed the skills, another three days before I could enter the dungeon and absorb the last skillstone.

Waiting was surprisingly difficult but I kept myself distracted.

As I stood up I thought about tomorrow.

"Maybe. I can't promise anything."

"Well if you do decide to come, I'll help set up a privacy booth. Think about it. Very few healing skills can do what your little spirit can."

I gave a non-committed nod and said my goodbyes as I exited through a back entrance and escaped into the city.

As I left, I stopped at the usual food stalls and nabbed a few favorites for later. The food vendors recognized me enough that they practically had the food ready and bagged as soon as I stepped up.

It was good to be rich again. The amount of gold stored within each of the chests from the treasury totaled well over five hundred coins.

The others said it was a lot, but nowhere near the amount, I'd need to play with the big boys during the upcoming auction.

At least I wasn't looking for anything in particular. Still, I splurged on food when I could. The snacks were good for an after-training cooldown, and there was only so much I could store in Chomperz.

Hopefully, evolving takes care of that.

"Cyrus?" a voice from behind called out.

I turned and saw Melza carrying a handful of groceries. Her hair was swept back into a ponytail, but it only revealed the dark bags under her eyes.

She looked rough, and I froze.

"I thought I recognized those horns," she said.

I motioned to a nearby bench and we sat down, shielded from the light traffic flowing through the street.

When she sat down, she nearly collapsed, and the bag almost slipped. I reached out and grabbed it, setting it to the side while I examined her closely.

She was thinner than before and her eyes were bloodshot.

Fuck.

"Thank you. Sorry, it's been rough lately," she chuckled.

It sounded pathetically hollow.

"It's not a problem. When was the last time you've eaten anything?"

She lost her smile and gripped her wrist. "Oh, I had a light breakfast."

I summoned an edible bowl filled with steaming soup. It was packed with protein and veggies, but still light enough that it wouldn't upset her stomach by downing it.

"Here," I offered.

"Oh no, Cyrus, it's fine," she protested.

She stopped after I pushed it into her hand and pulled back, forcing her to accept the food. Her mouth twitched with a ghost of a smile before she lightly sipped at the broth.

Once the first gulp was down, she closed her eyes and exhaled. The bowl crunched under her grip, but she pulled back and took another sip.

"Thank you," she said as she swallowed. "This is pretty good."

"A little on the expensive side, but the old man who makes it sells out every day."

She finished the bowl and I offered her a drink that she accepted without protest.

For several minutes, we watched the crowd and I cursed in the back of my head. Galarion rose from his food coma, but I quieted him and continued to smile.

"Cyrus, can I ask you a question?" Melza whispered.

"Sure."

"You borrowed a sword from my husband a few days ago. And you said you'd be back. Was..." she swallowed and took a second to breathe. "That was because of Lezka, right? Sereza and she reassured us he was alive but she couldn't tell me any details. Tell me, please, is my son alright?"

Fuck.

"Melza, do you want to head back to the shop? I can carry the groceries and-"

She shook her head. "Please tell me. I need to know. Please."

I clicked my fangs.

If Sereza didn't tell her, it was for a good reason. But seeing how poor the woman's health was made me rethink about keeping things vague.

"Listen, let's get you home and I can explain some things there."

Melza tried to argue, but I already stood up. She had no choice but to follow and I took the short walk to the crafting district to sort my thoughts.

By the time we entered the main entrance and stepped inside, Melza looked ready to attack me if I didn't answer.

"Mother? I can do the cooking tonight. You should rest," Ernor called out. He blinked when he saw me, and his eyes widened. "Oh! Cyrus. My apologies."

I shook my head and set the groceries on the counter. "No problem. I ran into Melza and wanted to help."

He frowned and glanced at his mother who was trying to burn a hole through the back of my head.

"Mother?" Ernor asked.

"Where is my son? Please tell me," she almost growled.

I opened my mouth to speak, but noise from downstairs stopped us. Judging from Ernor's narrowed eyes, the noise was unexpected.

He took a step toward the stairs, but a mop of dark green hair popped up.

I waved at Sereza, who waved back.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I got done at the healers guild and met Melza. You?"

"Aaah. Uhm. Well, it's good that you're here. I wanted to ask you something."

"Cyrus, please!" Melza interrupted.

Her eyes were full of unshed tears, and she was shaking. Ernor rushed over and hugged her, but she fought him and moved closer.

Sereza placed a hand on her shoulder. "Melza, it's okay."

Melza shrugged her off. "Just tell me about my son. That's all I need."

Sereza glanced at me. "Fine. But let's sit you down first. And Cyrus, I was going to ask you about tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? You mean the deadline?"

She shook her head. "No. Tomorrow, we're raiding the Underground. I was going to ask if you're coming."

My chest tightened and another headache lashed a tendril across my skull.

I gritted my teeth and balled my fists before Galarion siphoned the mental pain away.

"Cyrus?"

Fuck.