After the lunch, Isaac stretched, and looked around.
“There is no class today since it’s weekend, so I’m planning to go to the market right now and see if I can buy the woodworker to build a table for the shop.”
“I’ll come,” Alice said.
“Include me too.” Catherine grinned from her chair. She couldn’t miss the drama when it happened.
“Alright,” Isaac said. “Let me change, and we’ll head out together.”
He went upstairs, and Emily followed.
She slipped into his room behind him and closed the door with a gentle click.
Isaac turned, raising an eyebrow.
“You are changing too? Go ahead then, you can do it first.”
Emily stayed put, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. A blush spread across her face, and she mumbled, “Hungry.”
He tilted his head and a teasing smile formed.
“Hungry? We just ate.”
She stomped her foot. Her cheeks turned brighter.
His grin told her he knew what she meant, but he was teasing her, and waiting for her to say it.
Her shy glare, mixed with stubbornness, only made her cuter.
Isaac was starting to see why Professor Catherine enjoyed teasing people.
“I want to kiss you,” Emily said, her voice loud with embarrassment. “Can I?”
Isaac stepped closer, chuckling.
“That’s it? Could’ve just said so.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he leaned in, his lips finding hers.
He pressed her gently against the door. The kiss was soft at first, then deeper. Their breaths blended.
Their tongues met, playful and warm, and Emily’s hands slid up to his neck, pulling him closer. Her body felt cool against his, and her softness stirred something in him, and he held her tighter.
Her breaths grew quick, her legs shaky, but she didn’t pull away, her fingers tightening in his hair.
Isaac too felt a rush that clouded his thoughts.
Emily was adorable, like a kitten, but her curves were anything but innocent.
Touching her was enough to make him forget everything else. The kiss stretched on, and soon they crossed lines they hadn’t planned to.
A sharp knock broke through the door.
“Isaac, I get that you missed Emily, but it’s still morning. Market’s waiting, or we’ll be late.” Professor Catherine’s voice came from the hall, laced with amusement.
Isaac froze, glancing at the door, then at Emily, then at clock.
’It’s been an hour already?’
“Sorry, I didn’t notice the time,” he called back, keeping his voice steady. “I got caught up in choosing what clothes to wear.”
He could swear he heard Professor Catherine smirking.
Professor Catherine’s fading footsteps soon followed.
Emily sat up fast. Her bare skin caught the light as she grabbed her clothes.
“I’ll get ready,” she said, her voice rushed but warm.
Isaac nodded.
He wanted to pull her back—her every move tempted him—but they were short on time. At night, he promised himself.
As she darted into the bathroom, he sat back, and pulled up his system interface.
It was time he checked what exactly had changed after system upgrade.
“Share the bloodline!”
[Bloodline: Human → Human (Main), Netherborn Phantom Emperor (Sub)]
He let out a slow breath.
“Thank god it’s not Netherborn Phantom Empress…” he muttered.
He flexed his fingers, letting mana trickle through his veins. Something was different.
The sensation was subtle, but undeniable. His body felt lighter, like the pull of gravity had loosened slightly.
He activated Spectral Claws. It came out instantly.
He tried Phantom Steps. His body flickered for much longer than before.
Then he used Demonic Eyes. Despite using it for minutes, he did not feel burn in his eyes.
“Interesting,” he whispered.
It was obvious now. The Netherborn bloodline was enhancing his body’s affinity with ghost-type abilities.
They were still the same skills, but now smoother, faster, more natural. Like a part of him had always known how to use them.
He took a casual step forward as he tested Phantom Steps.
His foot didn’t touch the floor.
He blinked and looked down. He was hovering half an inch off the ground.
“…What the hell?”
He thought of walking, and his body returned to the ground. Then, he tried to float, and his body rose into the air.
A grin formed on his face.
“Float, huh? So this is the main effect of sharing the bloodline.”
Out of curiosity, he reached toward the bed. Then, without thinking, he walked into it. His body phased through with no resistance.
He came out the other side, wide-eyed.
Then he tried something else.
Standing in front of the mirror, he stared at his reflection.
“Invisibility,” he said under his breath and willed it.
He could still see himself, but his reflection was gone.
Now this was game-changing.
Not all racial abilities were skills.
Humans could walk and talk, but that wasn’t a skill, just biology. Similarly, ghosts could float, phase, vanish. Now he could too.
He dropped the invisibility and chuckled, pleased.
Then another thought hit him.
“System. Share Companion!”
A glow pulsed beside him.
Before he could react, a familiar figure appeared midair.
It belonged to a large bird, semi-transparent, almost glowing faintly in the morning light. It hovered gracefully, wings gliding without effort, its feathers glimmering silver, a faint mist rolling off its body.
Violet rings circled its eyes.
[Companion Bond Formed]
’Master,’ the soft and feminine said inside his head.
Isaac blinked. “You are…?”
’Tirra is your beast bond now. Since you summoned Tirra, the contract formed,’ she said calmly.
He walked to the window, and lifted the curtain slightly. Outside, he saw another ghost bird circling the farm. The original.
“Holy… Did the system just copy-paste a living being?”
This was more than skill-sharing. This was duplication. That bird outside was Emily’s summon. And now he had the exact same thing.
Tirra, the ghost bird, jumped on his shoulder and, copying his action, peeked out of the window.
She followed his line of sight, and saw the other bird.
’Huh… that one looks like Tirra.’
She fluttered down to land in front of the mirror. With a tilt of her head, she stared at her own reflection.
Then she shifted, posing, turning left and right as if it was a magazine photoshoot.
’Mmm… as expected, Tirra is more beautiful than the bird outside,’ she said proudly.
Isaac pressed a hand to his face, unsure whether to laugh or be concerned.
“Tirra, come here,” he said quickly, sensing that Emily would soon return.
She chirped followed his words.
He took out the Soulbind Pendant, where those who had formed a bond with him could enter, and she vanished into it.
Then he opened his system again.
“Show me the shop.”
There were two options inside the shop:
[Items] [Time-Limited Items]
He selected the first.
Iron Sword (Mortal) – 1,000 AP
Basic Recovery Potion – 1,200 AP
Spirit Recovery Potion – 2,000 AP
Shadowsteel Daggers (Spirit) – 8,000 AP
Mystic Rank Spear – 18,000 AP
Arcane Chainmail (Mystic) – 20,000 AP
Genetic Catalyst (Tier 1 – Phoenix) – 100,000 AP
Genetic Catalyst (Tier 1 – Earth Dragon) – 100,000 AP
Genetic Catalyst (Tier 1 – Zombie Wyrm) – 100,000 AP
Isaac scrolled, eyes widening slightly. This shop had items of all ranks and potions too.
At the end, he noticed that it said new items would be added regularly over time.
He then looked toward the corner of the screen.
AP Balance: 23.011
“…What’s AP?” he asked.
Affection Points: Your wives’ positive emotions toward you are converted into AP.
Isaac blinked. He watched the number tick.
23.012
23.013
23.014
“…0.001 per second? Seriously?” He almost choked.