Chapter 63: A New Pair of Wings

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: A New Pair of Wings

Damon’s gaze drifted toward the Stormreign Wyvern’s core inside one of the storage bags.

Freya and Sylphie had been staring at it ever since he harvested it.

Even now, both of them kept sneaking glances toward it.

Damon chuckled.

"You two really want this that much?"

Freya nodded so quickly her tails swayed behind her.

Sylphie chirped several times in agreement.

They could already sense the rich elemental essence sealed inside the crystal.

Damon smiled.

"It should be worth a fortune outside..."

He tossed the core lightly into his palm.

"A great research material too."

He looked at the eager pair before shaking his head.

"...But what’s the point of selling it if it’ll make you both stronger?"

Without another thought, he handed it over.

Neither of them hesitated.

The moment the core landed between them, soft currents of lightning and wind began flowing from it.

The process amazed Damon.

Neither spirit tried to take everything.

Freya naturally drew the pure lightning essence into herself, while Sylphie absorbed only the wind essence.

The two elements separated almost perfectly.

"So that’s how you do it..."

He watched quietly.

Compared to elemental ores, the essence inside an A rank beast core was far richer.

Cleaner.

More complete.

He could even feel it through their contract.

Every pulse from the core carried far more energy than any ore they had consumed inside the floating ruin.

"No wonder beast cores are so valuable."

The core gradually lost its glow until it finally became an ordinary crystal.

Freya stretched lazily.

Sylphie happily flapped her wings.

Satisfied, both of them disappeared into his Second Core to stabilize what they had just absorbed.

Damon closed his eyes.

"I’ll leave the rest to you."

He smiled to himself.

"If an A rank core can help this much... I wonder what stronger ones can do."

The thought alone excited him.

The world was much bigger than Haven’s Edge.

Much bigger than Tempest Hollow.

If this place held opportunities like these...

What about the places beyond?

He couldn’t help smiling.

"We’ll get there."

He wasn’t talking only to himself.

He knew both spirits had heard him.

One day, they would challenge places far more dangerous than this.

Together.

His attention slowly shifted toward Freya.

Unlike Sylphie, her emotions felt... complicated.

There was excitement.

But beneath it lay confusion.

Almost frustration.

Damon understood why.

Freya had already reached the legendary Nine-Tailed form.

As far as the world knew...

That was the peak.

From there, spirit beasts simply became stronger with experience, better control over their Arts, and countless years of growth.

Yet...

Through their contract...

He could tell she hadn’t truly reached her end.

There was still something beyond.

Something waiting.

Even if neither of them understood what it was.

"The Second Core..."

Damon looked inward.

"It keeps changing every time you both grow."

He still had no answers.

If anything, every evolution only created more questions.

He laughed softly.

"At this point, I’ve stopped trying to understand it."

"I’ll just keep getting stronger."

His thoughts drifted elsewhere.

"I wouldn’t mind getting a proper weapon someday either."

A grin appeared on his face.

"A really good one."

Back on Earth, he’d always loved collecting rare weapons in games.

Mystic swords.

Spears.

Blades with strange abilities.

Now...

Those kinds of weapons actually existed.

"I’ll find one eventually."

"But first..."

"I need to earn the right to wield it."

So Damon resumed his cultivation.

The process had become his second nature as his white core rotated smoothly while Aether flowed through his veins.

Inside the Second Core, he constantly checked on both spirits.

Freya had settled down after their earlier conversation.

She still didn’t know what came after Nine Tails, but she was no longer forcing herself to find the answer.

He had reminded her why she evolved the first time.

To protect him.

That purpose hadn’t changed.

She simply needed to keep walking forward.

One day...

The answer would appear on its own.

Sylphie, on the other hand...

Was the complete opposite.

She was overflowing with excitement.

Every emotion flowing through their connection felt like she was counting down to something.

Then...

It happened.

A powerful surge burst through their bond.

Damon’s eyes flew open.

A smile spread across his face before he could stop it.

"Again?"

"No..."

He laughed.

"You actually did it."

The familiar feeling never got old.

Every time one of them evolved...

He felt just as excited as they did.

"Come on."

"Let’s see."

A gentle breeze swept through the area.

Sylphie emerged gracefully from the Second Core.

She didn’t rush toward him this time.

Instead...

She proudly circled overhead.

Her entire body had grown larger again.

The soft emerald feathers looked even smoother, almost glowing beneath the flashes of distant lightning.

Her wings spread wide.

Once.

Twice.

Three beautiful pairs stretched proudly behind her.

Six wings.

Each pair slightly longer than the last, making her look far more majestic than before.

She no longer resembled an ordinary young Roc.

She carried herself with quiet dignity.

Every flap of her wings blended perfectly with the wind itself.

It was so smooth Damon could barely hear a sound.

She looked less like a beast...

And more like the sky had chosen to take form.

Damon couldn’t hide his amazement.

"...Beautiful."

Sylphie chirped proudly before flying even higher.

The pressure she released spread across the area, calm yet impossible to ignore.

For a brief moment...

Behind her...

A massive ethereal figure appeared.

A Sovereign Roc.

Its enormous body eclipsed the storm clouds.

Six magnificent wings stretched across the heavens as though they ruled the entire sky.

Its golden eyes overlooked the world with quiet authority.

Just as quickly...

The vision disappeared.

Only Sylphie remained.

Cute.

Small.

Yet carrying the shadow of something far greater.

She happily spun through the air before landing gently on Damon’s shoulder.

"Crii!"

Her little chest puffed proudly.

Damon laughed.

"So..."

"You wanted to show off first?"

She nodded repeatedly.

"I noticed."

He rubbed her head.

"You’ve earned it."