Isaac leaned forward a little, resting his arms on the table. “Chairman Lucius… how do people gather these coins?”
Lucius glanced up from his tea.
“Through Quests,” he said. “The World System grants them to people with Combat Talents. Or to those with combat-capable abilities derived from their Life Talents.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow. “Only those two?”
Lucius nodded. “Yes. That’s the basic requirement. Having a Combat Talent or a Life Talent that can be used in battle. Only they qualify for Quests.”
Isaac looked thoughtful. “That was unexpected. Why only those Talents? Why not Support or normal Life Talents?”
Lucius set his cup down. “We don’t know the exact reason. But there are theories. Think about it. Combat Talents are frontline fighters. Life Talents build things, make resources that allow cities to function. Support Talents help others do their jobs better.”
He paused before continuing, “Out of the three, only Combat Talents are constantly risking their lives. It makes sense the system offers them incentives, like Quests, to push them forward. They’re the ones fighting monsters, expanding safe zones, and protecting everyone else. Without them, the society can’t expand.”
Isaac nodded slowly. “I see. That makes sense.”
’I have a Life Talent and Alice has a Support Talent. So that means neither of us will get Quests.’
’But Emily should be able to, right?’
’She has a Combat Talent.’
Isaac frowned.
’It’s good that she can get Quests, but I need to make sure she’s strong enough before I let her fight anything.’
’There’s no way I’m sending her into danger unless I’m absolutely certain she’ll come out on top without a scratch.’
He looked down for a second.
’I’ll need to buy that bloodline upgrade potion no matter what it costs.’
He wondered if the shop had other items that could help Emily grow faster, and in a safer environment.
Lucius leaned back slightly. “We’ll take our leave then. We’ve already taken enough of your time.”
Before Isaac could respond, Professor Catherine stepped in with a smile. “Please, stay for dinner. I’m sure Isaac would appreciate it. And Leora’s cooking is quite good.”
For a second, an intense chill brushed past Isaac’s senses.. It vanished almost instantly, but it had been there.
Leora did not want them to stay for dinner, but Isaac could only sigh.
Isaac looked at Chairman Lucius. “Please do stay the night. Alice has a surprise for you, and I’m sure she would appreciate if you were here here for her to show you that.”
Lucius thought about his words and smiled faintly.
“If you say so. Then we’ll accept your hospitality.”
Just as the mood started to settle, someone knocked at the front door.
Leora walked over and opened it.
Alice stepped in.
She entered the living room in silence, and for a moment, everyone just stared.
Two black horns curled back from her forehead.
The tips shimmered faintly with a dark red hue, matching the color of her eyes.
Her aura had changed. It was colder, more composed, with a sharp edge that hadn’t been there before.
As she entered, her eyes weren’t looking at her uncle, or at Selene. They were fixed on Isaac.
Something told him to check her status, and he did.
[Status 1: Wonders how you think about her new look. Worried you’ll think it looks weird. Thankful you helped her awaken.]
[Status 2: Horny]
[Status 3: Pissed off at you for not picking her up from the hospital.]
Isaac’s smile stiffened. Alice, apparently, was feeling a whole spectrum of emotions.
’I really forgot to pick her up… damn. With everything that happened, it just slipped my mind.’
’I’ll have to make it up to her somehow.’
Still, the stream of AP didn’t lie.
He was getting +0.7 AP and +0.8 AP every second just from being near her.
She was clearly happy to see him. Her aura said otherwise, but the numbers didn’t lie.
Lucius’s voice broke the silence.
“What’s that on your head?”
Alice blinked once, then touched her horn lightly.
“I awakened,” she said. “Isaac helped me.”
Lucius stared.
Then he blinked. He looked at Isaac, then back at Alice.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a slow exhale and closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, the confusion was gone. His calm, professional demeanor had returned.
“Please explain everything,” he said. “In detail.”
Alice nodded. “Of course.”
She launched into a summary of everything that had happened.
From the awakening ritual, the Dragon Catalyst, the way her Talent had finally bloomed, followed by her bloodline, and Physique.
She didn’t hide much, but she didn’t say everything either. Her words were carefully chosen.
Isaac remained quiet through it all. He knew if he said something wrong, Professor Catherine’s ability would catch it. That woman had been watching him carefully the entire time.
Once or twice, Catherine tried to direct a question at him. But Alice cut in and answered for him every time, with no hesitation.
She clearly knew about the lie-detection ability and was doing her best to keep Isaac’s secrets safe, since she knew Isaac had not told them the entire truth.
When she finished, Lucius leaned back in his chair. His gaze shifted from Alice to Isaac.
“Thank you,” he said. “I don’t know what I can offer in return for something this significant. But if you ever need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Isaac gave a small nod. “I don’t have anything I want right now. But thank you for the offer. If I ever need something in the future, I’ll let you know.”
Lucius didn’t speak further. He only looked at Isaac with a quiet, appreciative gaze.
Selene’s gaze, however, was different. Her eyes lingered on Isaac a second longer than necessary.
Isaac blinked and used Inspect.
[Status: Extremely happy and excited that Alice awakened. Wants to rush and hug Alice. In awe of your ability to help Alice awaken.]
He looked away and didn’t say anything.
The group began to split up not long after.
Alice stayed behind to catch up with her uncle and cousin. Emily helped the conversations continue whenever they entered a lull.
Isaac slipped out of the room.
He wanted to head to his room and enter the Soulbind Pendant again to share Alice’s Physique.
He briefly wondered if he’d need a pod like Alice had, but the thought passed quickly.
’I don’t need to ask for pod. Besides, it would just bring suspicion.’
Since he was disappearing suddenly, Alice and Emily would probably look into the pendant if he didn’t return soon.
If he did need the pod, and he was writhing on ground due to it’s lack, they would save him.
And if everything went normally, he’d be back in a few minutes.
He was halfway down the hallway when a thought struck him. He stopped and turned around. Leora was following him at a slow, steady pace.
“What are the requirements for the Quest?” he asked. “Chairman Lucius said having a combat talent is the basic one, so there must be more.”
Leora slowed and tilted her head slightly.
“You need to have a high-rank bloodline, an S-rank Talent or higher, and you must be actively expanding your own or your leader’s territory.”
Isaac raised an eyebrow. “Then how does humanity even have Gold Coins? We’re the lowest-ranked species. We shouldn’t be able to receive Quests.”
“We trade Gold Coins with other species,” Leora replied. “Those trades require a massive amount of resources in exchange. That’s why humanity only has four cities. But…”
She paused, hesitating for a second.
Isaac narrowed his eyes. “But?”
“The situation will change soon,” she said.
Isaac thought she meant that humanity would soon have someone who could receive Quests too. He frowned.
“I don’t have a combat talent. Even if I have a bloodline, how am I supposed to receive Quests?”
“I’m not talking about you,” Leora said. “I’m talking about—”
She stopped herself, and her eyes flickered with indecision.
Isaac used Inspect.
[Status: Wondering if she should tell you the truth about Emily’s bloodline and why she doesn’t have memories of her past, or if this is too soon.]
His expression tightened. “Is this about Emily?”
Leora blinked, surprised. “How did you guess?”
“Her species is ’Netherborn Phantom Empress,’ but it’s only mid-rank. That feels low for something with ’Empress’ in the name,” Isaac replied. “So I figured your words had something to do with her, since except the bloodline rank, she fulfills the other requirements.”
“You’re right,” Leora said with a quiet sigh. “Let’s talk about it in my room.”
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Her room was next to Isaac’s.
When she opened the door, a mild scent greeted him. It smelled fresh, like faint herbs and wood polish. The room was clean and organized.
Isaac sat on the bed while Leora took the chair.
“Emily’s mother was the Empress of the Netherworld,” she began. “And her father was human. Emily was born a pure human. Now, she should have been born as a demi-human, but it’s normal for kids to have only bloodline of their parents instead of a mixed bloodline.
“Later, Netherworld was destroyed, and Emily died. That’s when she became a ghost, and that’s when her Netherborn Phantom Empress bloodline awakened. But the bloodline was broken.”
“Broken?” Isaac questioned.
Leora nodded. “She’s supposed to be an Apex-rank species. But considering the strange circumstances of her death and transformation, it’s understandable that she only awakened a broken version of her bloodline.”
Isaac frowned. “Do all ghost have a broken bloodline when they are ’born’ like Emily did?”