Chapter 32: It’s All Down To Strength!
"What happened?" There was no softness in her tone now.
There was fear. Concern. And determination. Something had taken him. Something powerful enough to teleport him without a trace. Something beyond even her understanding.
She did not like that.
She did not like feeling helpless. It might be on his side right now, but what if it turned against him?
A deadly gleam appeared in her eyes. I have to form countermeasures just in case...
Her gaze never left his.
"Tell me everything," she said quietly. "No holding back."
And for a moment, Bruce actually smiled. A faint, calm smile.
Because this girl... this girl was real. At his current level, the traits from his class had increased exponentially. He could not only view his own body but others as well. From the beating of her heart, he could feel her emotions. He knew exactly what was on her mind. He was not dumb. He knew why she was asking for information. And honestly, he felt the same way. What was he going to do if Vaelith turned against him?
"I have to get stronger," Bruce exhaled under his breath.
He lifted his gaze to Sophie and began speaking plainly.
"Well, it was the Will of this world. It summoned me and asked me to become its Champion."
He delivered it casually, as though he were stating something as ordinary as the weather.
But Sophie froze.
Her crimson eyes widened, shock flickering across her face. She had expected many possibilities behind his disappearance, but not this. The Will of the world was a being that most people only heard of in myths. It rarely interfered, and almost never chose a Champion. That privilege was something only legends possessed.
But Bruce Ackerman was not normal. He defied logic in every step he took. So when Sophie thought about it again, she was not even surprised.
Yes, of course he would draw the attention of even the Will of Velmora. He was a man who shattered limits.
But with that came responsibility, danger, expectation. Sophie did not know how to feel. Proud? Worried? Threatened by the unknown force now tied to him?
No. It always came back to one thing: strength. As long as Bruce grew strong enough, nothing could touch him.
In the end, everything comes down to strength. If I do not grow stronger, I will be left behind. A glint appeared in her crimson eyes.
She was silent for a moment as she processed everything. Behind them, Lily laughed while playing with Ash, their little world of innocence untouched by the heavy truth in the room. For a brief moment, Bruce and Sophie simply sat there, sharing a quiet understanding.
Then Bruce changed the topic with a sigh. "The Adventurers Guild trial for the badge... when is it?"
"It was supposed to be today," Sophie said, still watching him closely, "but it got moved to tomorrow. Saturday. It will last three to four days."
Bruce frowned. "What kind of trial lasts that long?"
Sophie leaned closer with a playful glint in her eyes and whispered, "It is a secret. Come here, I will tell you."
Bruce gave her a suspicious look, remembering her last "secret" whisper that ended with a stolen kiss, but he leaned in anyway.
Sophie brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke with that soft voice of hers that curled around his senses. "They are testing new technology to reduce the death rate of adventurers during dungeon breaks and outland missions."
"Outlands?" Bruce asked.
"Outside the Empire," she nodded. "Out there, battles are pure survival. Dungeons inside the Empire usually get cleared before they break. But far beyond the Empire’s border, there is not enough manpower. Dungeons get neglected, then they burst, and the monster tides head straight for us. That is why the Adventurers Association made this new training method, to increase survival awareness for rookie adventurers. And since this is the first trial run, they are investing a lot into it. You can earn based on performance."
Bruce nodded slowly, finally understanding everything clearly. With this, he could move forward. With this, he could begin.
His path was starting to take shape.
"Is there any place where Awakened can test their strength?" Bruce asked.
Sophie nodded. "You mean a training hall? Yes. There are a few, but the best one in this city belongs to the Reign family. It has proper mana stabilization, reinforced combat chambers, mana pressure zones, everything serious Awakened need to train." She smiled softly. "If you want, I can take you there."
"That sounds perfect," Bruce said with a calm nod.
He stood, already mentally planning his next steps. Strength. Everything came down to strength. Titles, skills, power. He needed all of it. He needed to know how strong he was currently. He needed to know his current limits and break past them.
Then he moved to prepare. Soon he was done, but just as he and Sophie were about to head out, Lily tugged on his sleeve.
"Big brother! Can I keep Ash with me today?" she asked with sparkling eyes. "Please?"
"Kyuuu..." Ash tilted his little dragon head, torn between the two. It wanted to follow Bruce, and it definitely wanted to see Sophie, but it also seemed to like Lily very much.
Ash flapped its wings and hopped to Bruce’s shoulder as if declaring its choice: I am going too.
But Bruce placed a hand on its head and spoke firmly.
"Not today, Ash."
Ash froze.
Bruce gently removed him from his shoulder and held him in front of his chest. "Stay here and protect Lily and my mother. Until I get back, that is your mission."
Ash blinked, then looked between Bruce and Lily. After a moment, it puffed its tiny chest with pride, as if it had just received a royal order.
"Kyuu!"
Lily cheered. "Yaaay! Ash is staying with me!"
Ash let out a proud growl, as proud as a small dragon could, and perched on Lily’s head like a little crown.
Bruce gave a satisfied nod. Good. With Ash here, he did not have to worry while he was gone.
Sophie smiled at the scene, warm and affectionate. She reached out and brushed Ash’s tiny horn with her finger. "Be good, Ashy. Protect them for us, okay?"
"Kyuu!"
Bruce glanced at Sophie. "Let us go."
She nodded, stepping to his side as they headed toward the door.