The Author's Viewpoint

One week.

For an entire week after their arrival on Vensalor Island, Tave and Lily had fallen into a steady rhythm.

Tave trained. Relentlessly. Every day with Aura, sharpening his archery skill until it was nearly unrecognizable from his first attempt. And Lily, guided by Sylara, spent her days hunting through the forest, raising her level, honing her instincts, growing fast.

Tave, on the other hand, didn't gain much in terms of raw level. He hadn't hunted as much as Lily, hadn't spent time chasing monsters or grinding points.

But what he did gain was precision. Form. Control. Archery was no longer foreign to him.

And Aura, this woman. This goddess-faced, endlessly-smiling, nightmare of a drillmaster.

She wrapped everything in kindness, that calm, serene demeanor. But underneath?

Hell!

She was relentless.

Smiling sweetly as she dragged Tave through training that would break most fighters. And now, she didn't even let him return home to sleep. No soft bed. No warm room. She made him sleep in the wild, near monsters.

Always alert. Always on edge.

And worse?

He wasn't allowed to carry any weapon except the bow.

Not even his sword.

Even Fang, his shadow wolf, had been reduced to a docile, obedient fluff-ball under Aura's control. She'd stroke his head like a pet, and the moment Fang made even the slightest move, worried for Tave—

"Fang? Where do you think you're going?"

Fang lowered himself instantly, letting out a low whimper.

Traitor!

One week! A full week of this madness!

And still, Aura looked at him like she'd forgotten he was human.

"No! You're not human!" she snapped once when he dared complain. "Don't make me say what you really are!"

"You already know!" he groaned. "Saying it won't change anything, Aura!"

"Oh? Aura, now?" she raised an eyebrow. "What happened to Lady Aura? Where's the respect?"

She sat beside him on the grass, watching him sweat, his breath shallow from exhaustion.

"You look tired," she said gently. "Do you want to eat first?"

"No," he replied, teeth clenched, back straight. "I'm still good."

Aura tilted her head with a smile that was way too pleasant.

"Then let's hunt something first, for dinner."

"Yes, ma'am," Tave muttered, resigned.

And he grabbed his bow again.

On the eighth day, Tave was finally granted permission to rest at Aura's home. He sank into the soft embrace of the mattress and closed his eyes, trembling with exhaustion and relief.

The battles in the emergency rift had been grueling. But this week of training with Aura? Far more draining.

Not because it was dangerous—no, it was the challenge of keeping up with a woman who bordered on psycho.

Aura treated him like a child, with all the coddling, concern, and sugary praise of a doting mother.

"Oh, just a bit more and you'll be able to kill that monster with a single shot. Let's go, no resting yet!"

"I promise I'll show you a cute monster next. Bet you'll love it."

Cute monster! That meant Tier 5 hellbeasts, and she said it with a chirp.

A gentle knock, and Lily slipped into the room, plopping herself on the edge of Tave's bed. She prodded his leg.

"You look like you just crawled out of hell," she teased.

"Yes…" Tave admitted, voice hoarse. "The hell's name was Aura."

Lily laughed. "Just… What did you do to make Lady Aura go all psycho like that?"

He sat up slowly, bracing himself on the bed, closing his eyes for a moment before he spoke.

"Lily…" he sighed, still weary. "If you really knew Aura… you wouldn't be asking that."

Silence settled for a heartbeat. Then Tave rose and moved to the small table in the corner, where a simple meal had been laid out. He sat back down beside Lily and accepted a portion of food.

They continued to eat in pleasant, lazy conversation.

"Hey, Tave. Any news from the palace?" Lily asked softly, voice pulling him back into the moment.

He paused, fork halfway to his mouth, and met her eyes. He'd almost forgotten, caught up in training, exhaustion, and the strange rhythm of this island.

"I don't know… maybe nothing yet," he said slowly. He chewed thoughtfully. "We just have to wait."

"And Princess Vanya?" Lily asked.

He shook his head. "No word on her either." A soft sigh escaped him. "Honestly, I'm losing track of what's even real anymore."

He swallowed and set his fork down, his mind drifting.

None of this had ever happened in the story he wrote. Not the pact with the princess, not the demon blood in his veins, definitely not being gifted a Tier 5 bow, or being hunted by an elf who alternated between gentle encouragement and relentless drill sergeant mode.

He rubbed his temples tiredly.

So… how would the kingdom react?

Would the royal court see a human-demon hybrid, bound by pact to their princess, as an ally, or a threat?

He didn't have the script for this.

But one thing he did know: His choices now would matter more than any plot he'd ever written—and waiting might be the hardest part of all.

They continued their meal.

"What about Deadbay?" Lily asked.

Tave shook his head. "Aura hasn't shared anything about Deadbay. But—if the palace has no news, I'm sure Vanya emphasized her worries. That's why she sent Elincia to stay behind."

Lily exhaled. "It's only been a week, but I'm already worried about the city. Still… part of me wants to stay here longer."

Tave met her eyes and offered a soft smile. "Don't worry. Let's finish everything here first. Then we'll return to Deadbay."

He hesitated quietly. Maybe Lily should stay longer—she was training, improving, and her hand was still unusable. But if she remained here too long, would she lose momentum elsewhere?

Then an idea struck him. "Lily, do you remember what I mentioned a while ago?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Which thing?"

Tave explained again, the concept of a Bloodline Override.

He watched Lily's face light up. "Yes. That's it. I want to do it too, get a companion like Fang, someone to share my strength."

Tave stared. "You… want to do a Bloodline Override with a shadow wolf?"

She nodded. "Why not? You didn't explain the full details last time. Why can't I do it?"

He sighed, and launched into a long, dry explanation of the rules, risks, curses, and requirements.

Lily listened carefully, nodding.

"Interesting…" she muttered when he finished. "I've never heard of a creature like the one you described."

"Me neither," Tave admitted with a tired smile. "But Aura can find one for you."

Lily's eyes glowed. She leaned in. "So… we can do this?"

Tave looked away, swallowing hard. "If Aura finds the right creature… maybe."

This Bloodline Override idea. Aura already knew that Tave had undergone the process before. Not just once, but three times, and even knew the exact creatures he had bonded with. So if it had worked multiple times before… surely, it could be done again.

The next morning at breakfast, Tave hesitated for a moment, then found the courage to speak up.

"Uhm… a water-element monster, at least Tier 4, high grade?" Aura responded to the discussion.

"We can certainly find water-element monsters around here."

Lily perked up. "That'll do. Is there one I could ride?"

Tave sighed. "Lily… seriously?"

She snorted softly, dismissing her own suggestion. "Relax. Just joking."

Aura laughed too. "Yes, Lily, your brother is very serious, even when we're trying to keep things light here."

Tave shot them a side glance, annoyed by their teasing.

Aura leaned forward. "I can bring one. Seriously."

Tave straightened in his seat, eyes bright.

She added. "Just… need a near-death monster?"

Aura nodded. "Exactly. Why make it hard? You know how strong I am. Besides, we're surrounded by the sea. Water element monsters are common. And Tier 4 is easy enough. As for the grade…"

She let that hang.

Common? Definitely not.

Rare? Aura could find something better.

Elite? Acceptable.

But Epic-grade would be a significant prize. A Unique-grade Tier 4? Nearly impossible. Still, even an Epic-grade monster would be more than enough for Lily to prove she was ready, for her hand to heal.

"Good. Let's go." Aura rose, setting aside her meal even before she'd finished eating.

"Let's go," Lily echoed, already on her feet.

"Wait. I haven't eaten!" Tave protested.

Aura smiled at him. So calm, so kind, so annoyingly gentle. "You want to see your sister heal, right? We can eat after we catch this monster."

Tave let out a long sigh, dragging his feet as he followed behind them.

Alright. If this was the way for Lily to reclaim the use of her hand, then yes. This would be a gift worth more than anything else from this island.

"We'll scout the surrounding waters," Aura said casually, like she was talking about picking fruit. "I think the monster we encountered on the way to the island might be the one we need."

Tave stopped short. "Wait. What? The tier 7 sea beast?! No! Absolutely not!"