Reawakening: I Can Absorb Infinite Skills

The tension over the bloom slowly gave way as one of the elders leaned back, folding his hands. "That settles one matter. Now, onto another. Compensation."

The envoy stepped in quickly, as though waiting for that moment. "Yes. As I urged before, their effort deserves recognition. Not only as a matter of fairness but as encouragement. If they are to continue serving the guild and the kingdom, their value must be matched with reward."

Arden tilted his head, eyes narrowing faintly behind the mask. He almost smirked at the envoy's choice of words, fairness and encouragement, both nice ways of saying the council knew they couldn't afford to let their group walk away feeling overlooked.

The elders gave small nods, none openly opposing. One whispered to the attendant behind him, who slipped out swiftly.

Another elder spoke, his tone smoother. "We did not forget. The delay was not negligence but consideration. We took time to prepare something fitting, drawn from our secured stores, guided by what information we gathered about your group."

Arden inclined his head. "We appreciate the thought. To prepare something tailored is no small task."

Nyra bowed slightly as well, Rael remained still but respectful, while Zephyra gave only a low rumble that could pass as acknowledgment.

Moments later, the attendants returned carrying long chests lacquered in dark wood, trimmed with iron. They set them down before the council, and the elders began unveiling the contents one by one.

The first elder drew out a small crystalline core that flickered between red and green, glowing faintly as if both fire and wind battled within it. "For your beast," he said, then corrected himself as his eyes flicked to Zephyra, "for Zephyra.

This is the Gale-Ember Heart. Her flames will carry the swiftness of wind, her strikes will cut further, faster. And the embers will linger, forming storms of flame in her wake.

Its secondary effect is subtler, though no less important. The heart should bolster her vitality, also stabilizing her bond with you."

Zephyra padded forward, her eyes fixed on the glowing core. She did not bow nor lower herself, yet when the attendant set the heart before her, she leaned down, teeth delicately closing over it before tucking it close. It will do, her voice carried faintly to the group, edged with approval.

Rael let out a low chuckle under his breath. "She likes it. Guess that's rare praise."

The council moved on. Another elder unlatched the next chest, lifting a staff- like rod bound in frost-edged metal, veins of pale blue sparking faintly with electricity.

"Rael. The Stormfrost Conductor. A weapon and channel. Its circuits will let you layer lightning and ice without draining your core as quickly. Your fists will attack with cold and burn with thunder in the same strike."

Rael's eyes widened slightly. He stepped forward and accepted it with a grin he didn't bother to hide. "I can work with this. Guess you do know how to pick after all."

The elder only smiled faintly, unmoved by Rael's casual tone.

From the next chest, a set of thin, silver-threaded weaves shimmered as they were lifted.

The threads moved as though alive, fluttering between frost and air. "Nyra. The Frostwind Arcanum Weave. With this, the flow between your affinities will smooth. Dual-casting will be quicker, your barriers sharper, and your constructs more flexible. Your ice will no longer shatter as easily, carried instead by the current of wind."

Nyra's eyes softened. She stepped forward, her voice quieter than Rael's but steadier. "This will help more than you know. Thank you." She took the weave, her fingers brushing the threads like one testing a familiar string instrument, her expression touched with quiet satisfaction.

Finally, the elder at the center gestured, and the last chest was opened. Inside rested a stone the color of emerald, veins of ember pulsing faintly through it like roots carrying fire. Its glow was steady, almost rhythmic, and it seemed to hum faintly in the air.

"This is for you, Arden. The Verdant Ember Vein. We know of your… breadth. Many affinities, many threads to pull, not all easily balanced. This vein will help. It will harmonize the flow, soften the backlash when you call on them together. Techniques that once wavered will hold firm. Intent will scale them further. The stronger your will, the sharper your results."

Arden stepped forward, gaze fixed on the stone. He picked it up slowly, weighing it in his palm. It thrummed faintly against his skin, like a heartbeat.

The elder's explanation had been formal, measured, but Arden could already feel what it offered, stability. No more frayed edges when he pushed his limits. The memory of Verdant Anchor nearly shattering his frame came back to him, and he understood immediately how useful this would be.

He slipped it into his storage and gave a curt nod. "That's more than generous. We'll use them well."

Rael raised his staff slightly with a grin. "We'll more than use them, we'll prove them."

Nyra only gave another bow, quiet but sincere. Zephyra's rumble echoed again, flame licking faintly from her nostrils.

The group turned, ready to step back, but an elder raised his hand. "One more matter."

They stopped.

The elder spoke with a softer tone, though his eyes were sharp. "There have been reports. Beasts stirring in other regions.

Not of the size you dealt with, but unusual nonetheless. They call it natural fluctuation, but we know better. Something is off. We sent a first group of explorers already, yet… with what you've proven, you may be better suited. You've faced what others cannot."

Arden met his gaze, his voice calm but pointed. "And what exactly do you suspect?"

The elder hesitated. "We do not name suspicions without proof. For now, it is a task, not a theory. You will be given details at the mission post. But know this, if the cause is what we fear, your party may be the only one with the footing to handle it."

Silence lingered for a breath before Arden gave a small shrug. "We'll look into it once we've settled. A little more trouble won't hurt."

Rael smirked at that. "Speak for yourself."

Nyra gave him a look, but Arden's faint grin returned.

The pressure in the hall had not eased, but for him it was nothing more than another weight to carry.

The council nodded once, and the attendants stepped forward to guide them out.

As they turned, Arden's eyes flicked once more toward the man beneath the Caelum crest, his uncle before the door shut behind them.

A/N:

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