Reawakening: I Can Absorb Infinite Skills

Stepping out of the guild hall, Arden loosened his shoulders, a faint breath slipping out.

The air outside felt lighter, though the weight of the elders' stares still lingered. Rael let out a low whistle.

"Tell me again how you didn't even flinch back there? Those old men looked like they wanted to crush us under their pressure."

Nyra nodded, eyes narrowing at Arden. "And you still carry that parasite bloom as if it's a pet rock. Do you enjoy making enemies worry about you?"

Arden smirked. "Maybe. Keeps life interesting. Besides, if it wanted to bite, I'd be the first it chewed on."

Rael shook his head, laughing. "You're an anomaly, that's what you are. A crazy one."

Zephyra huffed, a low sound, almost agreeing. Arden only stretched his neck and shrugged. "Crazy or not, we made it. We're silver now. I say we celebrate properly. Meal, drinks, the whole lot. A treat."

Nyra's lips twitched, her usual composure slipping. "You mean you actually want to pay for food instead of rationing roots and dried meat?"

"Roots and dried meat builds character," Arden fired back with a grin. "But tonight, we'll build memories. Let's see what this city has to offer."

The others didn't argue. The thought of food from a real city tavern lit sparks in their eyes, so Arden led them through Caelum's crowded streets until they found a bar nestled between stone shops, its sign swinging overhead.

Inside, the bar was bustling, the air thick with spice, smoke, and chatter.

Lanterns lined the walls, brighter and steadier than the flickering oil lamps in Greyhold.

Nyra stiffened slightly at the noise while Rael's eyes darted from the polished counters to the shining mugs, clearly out of place but trying not to show it.

At the front, a drunk staggered against the counter, slurring as he demanded another round.

The receptionist's patience snapped, she shoved him aside with little courtesy, sending him stumbling out the door.

Yet the moment her eyes caught the glint of Arden's silver insignia, her whole demeanor shifted. She straightened, smoothed her apron, and bowed slightly.

"Explorers, silver rank?" she asked with careful respect.

Arden held up his insignia, the polished shine catching the lamplight. "That's right."

Her smile brightened, and she beckoned them in as though they were royalty. "This way, honored guests. A private table, of course. Allow me to assure you, the city is proud of your service."

Rael muttered under his breath as they followed, "Heh, funny how quick people bow when they see shiny metal."

Nyra glanced at him. "Take it for what it is. Respect in this city isn't handed out lightly."

They sat, and Arden waved off the whispers around the room. Stares followed them, hushed conversations rippling from table to table. It wasn't every day that a young group bore silver insignia. Arden ignored it, leaning back as if he belonged here all along.

He ordered generously, and when the bill came, even he raised an eyebrow. "I just paid half a beast's core worth of coin on food."

Rael nearly choked. "On food?!"

The receptionist returned the change, bowing again. "The city thanks you. Your contribution is known. Please, accept a discount in gratitude."

Arden tucked the coins away, shaking his head with a crooked smile. "Expensive or not, tonight's about us."

The dishes arrived soon after. Plates of roasted riverfish glazed with herbs, cuts of venison soaked in rich sauce, spiced bread still steaming, and bowls of thick stew with roots and grains. Arden tasted a slice of meat, closed his eyes, and nodded.

"Mountain venison. Raised in the northern ranges, fed on frost grass. That sauce, honeyed spice from the southern coast."

Rael blinked. "You just ate it. How do you even know that?"

Arden smirked, leaning back. "Taste tells stories. You just have to listen."

Nyra's lips curved faintly. "Strange, but not wrong. This is far better than Greyhold's fare."

They dug in, laughter rising between mouthfuls. Arden finally lifted his cup, raising it high. "To us. To silver rank, to surviving what we shouldn't have, and to proving the world wrong."

Rael clinked his cup eagerly. "To us."

Nyra's nod was steady but warm. "To what we've done, and what's ahead."

Even Zephyra dipped her head toward her dish of fire-grilled meat, a low rumble of contentment vibrating her chest.

The cheer slowly turned to talk. Rael leaned in, lowering his voice. "About that next mission. You think it's the same thing? More parasite blooms?"

Nyra's expression tightened. "It doesn't add up. Multiple outbreaks, spread so far apart. That isn't natural."

Arden swirled the last of his drink, eyes narrowing faintly. "I'd bet coin it's tied to the same people. The organization. But there's no proof yet. Until then, it's just a hunch."

Rael frowned. "Still… doesn't sit right."

Arden smirked, setting down his cup. "That's why we'll check it ourselves. We've handled worse. Tomorrow, we look into it. Tonight, we enjoy this."

And they did. The laughter returned, the tension easing. Yet even as the bar filled with noise and music, none of them forgot their discipline.

Later, back at the inn, each retreated to their own corner of the private room they'd rented. The gifts they'd received from the council lay before them.

Rael gripped the Stormfrost Conductor, running his hand along its circuits. "This'll change how I fight. No draining myself empty every time I mix lightning and ice. This way i can finally stay in the fight longer."

Nyra sat cross-legged, the Frostwind Arcanum Weave draped across her lap, threads glimmering as if alive. "This smooths the flow. Less hesitation, faster casting. I can shield and strike without delay."

Zephyra crouched near the window, her eyes glowing faintly as she absorbed the Gale-Ember Heart. Sparks of wind and fire rippled along her scales, faint embers floating around her paws before vanishing. Her voice carried faintly. My flame runs further. My wings burn with it now.

Arden sat quietly, his Verdant Ember Vein in hand. The stone's pulse resonated with his core, steadying it. The chaotic pull of his mixed affinities softened, the edges dulled. He exhaled slowly. "This… will keep me from tearing myself apart next time."

Nyra glanced at him, her voice calm. "Then it was worth the risk."

He smirked. "Everything worth having comes with risk."

Silence fell as they settled into cultivation. The gifts fused slowly into their cores, shaping themselves into the rhythm of the party. Outside, the city was alive with lights and sounds, but within their inn room, only the hum of power and steady breathing filled the air.

Celebration was one thing. But discipline was their true strength. Tomorrow, they would step into the unknown again. And none of them would falter.

A/N:

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