[Status 1: She has seen many daredevils, but she has never seen one as daring as you. She is appalled, yet appreciative of your confidence in boldly using this chance to secure items for your future.]
[Status 2: Her opinion of you has increased slightly.]
Isaac suppressed a small smile.
He hadn’t intended to impress the angel, but he wouldn’t reject an extra benefit if it came his way. Something like this could prove useful in the future.
"I’ll take my rewards now," he said.
Seraphina lifted her palm, and five orbs of light shimmered above it.
They hovered for a second before flying toward him.
The power entered his body, and a system message unfolded before his eyes.
Strength: 10 → 510
Agility: 10 → 510
Spirit Power: 10 → 510
Mana: 10 → 510
Constitution: 10 → 510
Isaac let the numbers sink in.
It was a solid boost, but Seraphina wasn’t done.
Three more orbs, glowing brighter than before, formed above her hand.
These felt almost alive.
They drifted toward him, sinking into his body.
[You have received SSS Talent Fragments x3]
Before he could think about it, two glass vials appeared, floating gently in front of him.
"This is the bloodline upgrade potion, which will evolve your bloodline to Apex rank, and the body evolution potion," Seraphina explained. "Drink them together."
Isaac took the vials, weighing them in his hands. "How long will the evolution take?"
"Three days for you," she answered. "But this space is under a Time Spell. Out there, only a few minutes will pass. You also don’t need to worry about the nutrition your body will need during the process. I will handle that."
"Alright." Isaac nodded.
He pulled the corks and swallowed the contents of both vials in one go.
They burned going down, but before he could process the taste, a searing heat spread through his veins.
His vision blurred as a glow radiated from Seraphina, wrapping around him like a cocoon.
His body grew heavy, and he closed his eyes, falling into a trance.
He dreamed.
The dream was long, stretching endlessly, but when he woke, he couldn’t remember a single detail.
Only the feeling of it lingered, like a song whose melody escaped him.
His eyes snapped open, and a powerful wave surged out of his body.
The air vibrated.
He clenched his fists, astonished at the strength he felt pulsing in every muscle.
"Congratulations on your evolution," Seraphina said. "Check your status."
Isaac nodded and pulled up his panel.
[Your bloodline has reached Apex rank.]
[You have awakened your Bloodline skills.]
[You have received the following skills: Sixth Sense, Flow State.]
[Your physique is awakening.]
[The dormant embers of your ancestral lineage are being reignited.]
[You have awakened Warthrone Physique.]
[You have awakened the following skills: War Cry, Heart of War, Warforged Union.]
[Your physique has evolved.]
[Skill: Warforged Union (SSS) → Warforged Union (SSS+)]
Isaac’s heart pounded.
His body practically hummed with raw force.
He flexed his fingers, then unclenched them, the strength flowing naturally.
He checked his stats, and what he saw surprised him.
Strength: 510 → 670
Agility: 510 → 687
Spirit Power: 510 → 700
Mana: 510 → 650
Constitution: 510 → 710
They weren’t at the 1,000-point cap for Apex-ranked species, yet the power felt far beyond what he had once experienced at that level.
’I’m only sitting around six hundred fifty points, but I feel stronger than I did at a thousand,’ Isaac thought. ’How is this possible?’
Seraphina seemed to notice his puzzled expression.
"You have more than one physique, don’t you?"
Isaac gave her a neutral look.
He neither confirmed nor denied.
"Each physique gives different boosts to stats," she explained patiently. "For some, each stat point is equal to one actual point. For others, a single stat point might count for four. The boost is not always equal.
"Dragons, for example, might have five- or six-points’ worth in every single stat of Strength and Constitution, while their Spirit Power and Agility stats would have only three or four."
Isaac listened carefully.
"Normally," she continued, "when someone has multiple physiques, the body uses only the strongest Physique for the stat scaling.
"The others provide no extra boost.
"However, with your Warforged Union, you are gaining the best benefits from each of your physiques simultaneously.
"Think of it like this—your Strength and Constitution could be drawing from Titan Physique, Agility from Daywalkers, Spirit Power from Umbras, and Mana from Spirits."
She made clear it was just an example, but the explanation clicked in Isaac’s mind.
’So that’s why,’ he thought. ’And with Warforged Union upgraded to SSS+, this effect is even stronger.’
He already had the Solar Dragon, Hollow Crown, and now Warthrone Physique.
Thanks to the SSS+ rank skill, the power from each blended into something greater than the sum of its parts.
Even so, a quiet instinct told him this wasn’t the only effect of Warforged Union.
"Now," Seraphina said, "take your final reward."
She lifted her hand again, and another orb of light appeared, brighter than the rest.
It drifted toward Isaac’s pendant.
[Would you like to upgrade Soulbind Pendant by merging it with Calloway Family Sun Dragon Cradle?]
[The contents inside the Soulbind Pendant will not be harmed during the upgrade.]
"Yes," Isaac said without hesitation.
The pendant flared with golden light.
Cracks that once ran across its surface vanished, and its dull black stone surface changed.
A golden dragon appeared engraved on the front, its body curling to form the shape of a sun.
Isaac sensed within and inhaled sharply.
The interior had transformed completely.
What was once a small space was now vast, stretching out like a world of its own.
The area inside was larger than a city.
A blazing sun shone above, lighting mountains, forests, and flowing rivers.
A grand mansion stood in the center, far more luxurious than what he had seen in the trial.
Strange beasts roamed freely, giving the place a wild but vibrant atmosphere.
It was almost too much to take in at once.
Before he could voice his thoughts, Seraphina spoke again.
"The trial has ended. You cannot buy more items now, even though your stats have increased." A small smile curved her lips.
"May we meet again."
A sudden flash enveloped Isaac’s vision.
He shielded his eyes instinctively, and when the light faded, the scene around him had changed.
He was no longer standing before the angel.
Instead, he was in the house built inside the stronghold at Fortified City 89.
The quiet air and familiar walls confirmed it.
Isaac moved toward a window.
Outside, the sky was dark.
He pulled out his device and glanced at the screen.
The glowing numbers confirmed what he had suspected.
"I spent one day and a few hours in the trial," he murmured to himself, rubbing his temple.
It didn’t feel that long, but then again, time always flowed strangely inside system-related spaces.
He was about to check the house for Alice, Professor Catherine, or anyone else when another thought crossed his mind.
"What affinities did I awaken?"
He called up his system window.
Affinities:
From Wife Alice Calloway: Solar Fire, Fire, Light
From Wife Emily Warren: Curse, Spirit, Ice
Personal Affinities.....