Affinities:
From Wife Alice Calloway: Solar Fire, Fire, Light
From Wife Emily Warren: Curse, Spirit, Ice
Personal: Life, Death, Wood, Earth
"Four affinities?"
That was unusual.
Alice had three affinities. Emily also had three affinities.
But he had four.
His eyes lingered on the last one. "Death?"
He rubbed his chin, confused. None of his abilities had anything to do with death.
"Is it something like life and death are just two sides of the same coin?" he wondered aloud.
But then he dismissed the idea.
If that was the case, then Alice should have awakened Darkness affinity since she already had Light affinity.
That hadn’t happened.
"Maybe awakening Death affinity has something to do with my Warthrone Physique," he muttered after a pause. That seemed more likely.
"Now that I think about it, while my Physique was awakening, I received a system message about my ’ancestral lineage being reignited.’
"I wonder if everyone gets that notification, or if it something unique to me."
He didn’t dwell on it too long. There were more pressing things to focus on. After only a few seconds of looking over the affinities, another notification replaced the screen.
[All Class Quest Requirements have been met.]
[Would you like to gain Genetic Harvester (SSS+) Class?]
Isaac stared at the words.
Their meaning unmistakable, yet he didn’t move immediately.
"Do I need to take the Class right now, or can I do it later too?"
[You can delay taking the Class as long as you want, Isaac Hargraves.]
Isaac was surprised when he received the response.
He asked a few more questions, but he did not get a response again.
"Seems like the answers are only provided to a few specific questions."
His eyes alternated between his status and the notification before his eyes.
"If I accept the Class... I’ll breakthrough to Adept rank Level 11."
Professor Catherine’s warning echoed back to him almost immediately.
In Emily’s trial, his abilities would be suppressed to match what he had been during his Initiate rank Level 10.
That meant no matter how far ahead he pulled now, no matter how much strength he stacked on after reaching Adept rank, the version of him that stepped into her trial would be the same as the Initiate-rank Isaac.
The realization brought a weight to his chest.
"Well, right now I’m stronger than I was in my own trial, but..."
His words trailed into the air.
"I can still get stronger."
That was the truth.
He hadn’t hit his limits yet. He was not even close.
He thought of Emily.
Once she reached Apex rank, his own stats would rise again through their link.
He had three SSS rank Talent fragments too, waiting to be placed into the right hands.
One for Emily. One for Alice. And the last... Celia.
If he gave them those fragments, and shared them with himself, he would gain tremendous strength while he was still in Initiate rank.
It would solidify his foundation.
And it could affect whether he completed Emily’s trial, or failed.
Isaac made his decision.
He would wait.
His Class would come, but not before he wrung out everything Initiate rank had to offer.
To rush forward now would be to cheat himself out of strength that could be the difference between life and death.
"Honestly," he admitted under his breath, "I think my foundation is strong enough even if I jumped ranks now. But I don’t want to take risks when it comes to Emily."
Emily’s trial wasn’t going to be simple.
They were going to face something overwhelming.
Isaac didn’t know what it would be yet, but he could feel the pressure of it, like a storm crouched just beyond the horizon.
He couldn’t afford to gamble right now.
’I’m strong now, but I can’t let that blind me,’ he reminded himself. ’Countless Apex-rank species were wiped out when the apocalypse came. The dangers this world has to offer aren’t something to scoff at.’
’I must not let my strength get to my head, and I must keep on striving to get stronger so that I can live a happy and comfortable life with people close to me.’
The breath he let out was slow and steady.
When it left him, the heaviness lifted slightly, and a small smile pushed its way onto his face.
"Alright. First step is regaining my stats."
With that, he pushed himself forward and left the room.
The house was quiet.
He moved from room to room, expecting to find someone in at least one of them, but no one was there.
"Where is everyone?" he muttered, frowning slightly as he headed toward the front of the house.
He stopped when he caught a flicker of movement from the window.
Tyr was outside.
The treant noticed him and immediately walked over.
"Good job guarding the house while I was gone," Isaac said as he stepped outside.
He reached into his inventory and pulled out two items from the special shop: a small buckler and a stone etched with runes.
"Here. These are for you."
He held up the first item.
"This is the Twilight Buckler . It’ll deflect elemental attacks. And this," he pointed to the stone, "is a Rune Wardstone . If you plant it into the ground, it’ll create a defensive perimeter around you."
Tyr tilted his wooden head and let out a creaking sound, like branches swaying in the wind.
"Yeah, they’re yours," Isaac assured him. "They’ll keep you safe."
The treant beamed—well, as much as a treant could—and lowered his head as though asking for something.
Isaac chuckled.
"Headpats, huh?"
Quite a few people around him liked headpats.
He reached up and patted Tyr’s bark-like head.
The wood was firm, but the gesture felt right.
’Well, he is still a child, so it’s fine to ask for praises.’
Tyr straightened again, full of enthusiasm, and returned to patrolling the perimeter with renewed energy.
With that handled, Isaac turned back to his usual routine.
He pulled out his hoe and began harvesting the crops.
Golden grains shimmered faintly under the light of the distant tower, and as he collected them, he felt the surge of energy.
Mana: 650 → 1000 [10,000]
Constitution: 710 → 1000 [10,000]
He let out a wry smile.
Just a single harvest had maxed out his backlog.
Fifteen thousand Mana and fifteen thousand Constitution came with every harvest, yet he could gain only eleven thousand and waster the other four.
"I really need to find a way to use all these extra stats," he muttered.
After carefully storing away the grains, he returned inside.
The silence of the house struck him again.
He glanced at the clock. It was close to ten at night. Odd. Everyone should have been back by now.
"Why hasn’t anyone returned yet?" he wondered aloud.
Rather than calling Alice or Profesor Catherine right away, he reached for the Soulbind Pendant hanging at his chest.
"Celia."
At his voice, a faint light shimmered, and Celia stepped out.
She looked around, surprised, then focused on him.
"When are you going to attempt your evolution?" she asked, her tone casual at first but laced with curiosity.
Isaac gave a small smile. "I’ve already completed it."
Her eyes widened. "Already? Shouldn’t it have taken you at least a few days?"
They went back and forth for a moment until they realized something.
Time inside the pendant hadn’t moved while he was going through the evolution. For Celia, it was as if only minutes had passed.
"The system really can do anything," she said finally, shaking her head in amazement.
She glanced around again. "Also, the inside of the pendant changed. For now, I’ve stationed some of Emily’s spirits to watch over her life pod and guard the mansion. And the puppets... their bodies are glowing."
Isaac thought back to the angel’s words. "The lingering souls of the nannies were supposed to evolve into Spirit Warriors. It must be that."
He checked the pendant himself.
Emily’s evolution was nearly finished, and only a few more hours were left.
From his inventory, he pulled out another Rune Wardstone.
"Can you set this up around the mansion?"
Celia accepted the stone without hesitation. "Of course."
She disappeared into the pendant, and a moment later, a faint dome of transparent light appeared around the mansion where Emily’s life pod was present.
The runes pulsed softly as the ward activated.
Isaac could always monitor the pendant’s contents, and would know if a monster tried to harm her.
He could stop it instantly.
But the Rune Wardstone gave him another layer of reassurance.
As for why he didn’t set up the Rune Wardstone himself, he and Celia could not enter the pendant together since it would leave it unprotected in the real world.
Celia soon returned, dusting her delicate hands.
"Thanks," Isaac said.
"It’s no problem," she replied with a small smile. Then she glanced around the empty living room. "But seriously, where is everyone?"
"Seems like they went somewhere," Isaac said, frowning slightly.
He was about to call Alice when Celia suddenly reached out, and grabbed his hand tightly.
"Wait," she whispered.
Isaac stilled.
The air around them felt subtly different now.
"You... That..."
She hesitated, her lips pressing together like she was trying to hold the words in.
Isaac stayed quiet. He could sense she wanted to say something important, and it wasn’t his place to rush her.
Finally, she spoke again, softer this time. "Emily’s trial is dangerous... and you need to help her."
Her face turned red almost instantly.
For someone who had been acting quite coquettishly with confidence, she suddenly looked embarrassed.
Her hands fidgeted at her sides, and then as if she had made her decision, her gaze became firm.
"You used Alice’s abilities in your trial. That makes it clear you can copy the abilities of the woman you sleep with."
Isaac blinked, surprised. "Celia—"
"Let me speak."
Her voice cut in quickly.
"You need to help Emily too. Professor Catherine made it clear that even the Sword Empress and herself would have difficulty in Emily’s trial. That says a lot about how serious this is going to be. You’re going to help her, right? That’s why you need to get even stronger, and.....
"I want to help you."
The meaning behind her words was obvious, and Isaac felt a weight settle in his chest as he realized what she was offering.
"Celia—"
"Don’t say no."
She kept her tone steady, but Isaac could hear the slight tremors in her voice.
Her arms and shoulders trembled too, betraying her nerves even though she was trying hard to keep them hidden.
"You’re my Lord," she continued. "If you can’t help Emily, or worse, if you both get eliminated during her trial, it will affect me directly. I’ve already taken your side. So have people like Professor Catherine, the three top universities, even my brother’s guild. I can’t afford to just sit back. So let me help you—"
"Celia."
Isaac stepped forward and grabbed both of her hands, cutting her off.
Her breath hitched sharply at the sudden contact.
She looked up at him, eyes already glossy with unshed tears.
He held her gaze without flinching.
"Are you going to refuse me?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly.
"No," Isaac said calmly.
The memory of Alice when he had failed to speak his heart to her flashed through his mind. He could remember how his cowardice had affected her.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He wouldn’t run from this.
"Is the only reason you want to help me because of Emily?" he asked.
"...what?" Her eyes widened at the question.
"I’m asking if you’re doing this only for Emily and my safety," Isaac said.
His tone stayed steady, and he didn’t look away.
"That..." Celia faltered.
Her lips moved, but no clear words came out.
She was hesitating, not because she didn’t know the answer, but because saying it out loud was terrifying.
Rejection was heavy, and even the slight thought of it froze her tongue in a way that she never thought was possible.
Isaac knew that feeling well. He had been in her place before.
That was why he squeezed her hands gently, assuring her.
"Celia," he said softly, "I like you."
Her eyes widened, and her breath stopped in her throat.
"Will you be mine?"
Celia stared at him as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.
For a long moment, she stood frozen, like she was trying to figure out whether he was serious or if her ears had tricked her.
But Isaac didn’t look away.
He stayed there, holding her hands, eyes locked to hers.
Then, slowly, she moved. One step. Then another. And another. Until she stood right in front of him, so close her head almost rested against his chest.
In that position, Isaac couldn’t look at her face.
Her voice was quiet, almost trembling. "Is this a joke?"
"It’s not," he said firmly.
"Then why?"
"I like you because I like you."
Celia pulled back slightly, just enough to look him in the eyes.
The vulnerability in her expression was clear.
"Really?"
"Yes," Isaac answered without hesitation.
He lowered his head slightly, stopping only when his lips were a few inches away from hers.
He cupped her face with one hand, making his intentions clear, "Can I?"
"Yes," she whispered.
Celia leaned forward first, closing the small gap between them.
Their lips met softly, as if both were testing the reality of the moment.
"Yes..." she breathed, and this time she smiled.
The relief in her eyes was unmistakable.
Her hands trembling regained their calmness. With those hands, she grabbed the front of his shirt, tugging him closer.
Isaac didn’t resist.
They kissed again, then again.
Each time, the kiss lasted longer, and it deepened further, until neither of them could pretend it was just a passing moment.
Their breaths grew heavier. Their bodies were pressed close.
By the time their tongues intertwined, Isaac’s hand was already resting on the back of her head, pulling her gently but firmly into him.
[Marriage Contract formed with Celia von Rae, the Hellfire Maiden]
The notification rang through his mind, but he barely registered it over the sound of her voice.
"Isaac, I love you," she said between breaths, her forehead pressed against his. "I love you. I love you. I love you."
She kissed him again, this time with a fierceness that surprised him, almost desperate in its intensity.
[A wife’s affection for you has reached 100.]
[All affection points received from Celia von Rae will hereon be increased by ten times.]
[You can now see a hint to help Celia von Rae increase her rating.]
Celia, who had always kept herself at a distance from relationships, who had built walls around herself, now clung to him with no restraint.
She didn’t seem to know how to stop, and Isaac didn’t pull away.
[Congratulations, you have gained three wives.]
[You have received...]