"Reporting! I'm here to report!"
Aether stepped forward, putting on an eager expression.
"Huh? What is that thing on your shoulder?"
The steward furrowed his brows, staring at Paimon perched on Aether's shoulder, clearly puzzled.
"This is my spirit."
Aether pursed his lips and replied calmly.
"Spirit?"
Not only the steward, but even the surrounding people looked shocked.
None of them had ever seen such a spirit before—especially one that looked human…
"Yes." Aether nodded.
"Spirit… Great King..."
Paimon blinked her large eyes slowly, her expression blank and robotic, as if she had lost all sense of self, mumbling the phrase stiffly.
"Excellent! You're hired!"
The steward was so amazed that he slapped the table in excitement.
His beady green eyes almost lit up with glee.
But then, perhaps realizing he was overreacting, he coughed lightly and added,
"Still, proper procedures must be followed. What's your name? Activate your spirit for me."
"Just Aether."
"Just Aether, is it…?"
Though he found the name odd, the steward still jotted it down on his paper, then looked back up at Aether.
"…"
"…"
They locked eyes—Aether's gaze full of innocent sincerity.
"Didn't I just tell you to activate your spirit?"
The steward's face twisted in annoyance when he saw Aether unmoved.
"…"
"Isn't his spirit already out…?"
Someone in the crowd murmured, and all eyes shifted toward Paimon, then back to the steward.
"Ahem… What about your spirit rings?"
The steward's expression darkened, his tone turning sharp.
"Oh! My spirit rings, right—here they are!"
Aether flushed red, seemingly straining hard, and two amber-colored halos of spirit rings rose from beneath him. Then, another two rings appeared, crackling with lightning.
In total, he revealed four spirit rings—clear proof of a Spirit Ancestor.
"No way, those rings are… really high quality?"
"Damn, I can't put my finger on it, but something feels off… Let me look again…"
"Yellow, yellow, purple, purple! Is he some kind of genius from a powerful clan?"
"Such strange spirit rings. I've got yellow and purple too, but compared to his, mine feel like cheap knockoffs…"
A nearby Spirit Ancestor with a rank of 46 looked down at his own utterly bland spirit rings and suddenly felt embarrassed. Quietly, he retracted them.
He had planned to show off his rings, but ended up getting completely outclassed by a true expert.
That unusual spirit… those dazzling rings…
He couldn't help but wonder: Are we really cultivating the same kind of spirit power??
Meanwhile, the steward's once-excited face suddenly froze. A hint of unease flickered in his beady green eyes.
This spirit ring configuration… that level of power… and the boy's youthful appearance…
He must be a genius nurtured by some powerful faction!
Damn it—what terrible luck!
The steward stared at Aether with a complicated expression. No matter how he tried to make sense of it, he couldn't figure out why someone like this—whether from an academy or a sect— would lack a few soul coins?
Why would he stoop to taking on bounty missions personally?
No, this had to be discussed with the master. If something went wrong, they might not even know how they died.
With that in mind, the steward nodded slightly and said,
"Alright, your strength is recognized. However, we've already gathered quite a few people. I'll need to report to the master first."
He swept his gaze across the crowd, then turned and stepped into the residence.
"…"
Aether withdrew his 'spirit rings' and stared thoughtfully at the door.
There's something strange about this bounty mission…
That steward had been welcoming to anyone above Rank 30, accepting nearly all Spirit Masters without question.
So why did it seem like he didn't want to include me?
Was my acting not convincing enough?
No… it must be the spirit rings and spirit power level.
He had disguised himself as a mid-level Rank 46 Spirit Ancestor just for this mission.
Since the strongest present was only Rank 46, his fake status made him appear to be the top expert in the group.
That way, when he spoke with the boy who posted the commission, the latter would feel more secure and possibly open up about the mission details.
But now things had gotten complicated…
Aether glanced at the isolated boy in the crowd. If they didn't let him participate, he'd have no choice but to follow them in secret.
That boy looked troubled. His mission was likely anything but simple.
If Aether approached directly, he might not only get nothing out of him—but actually make him more cautious…
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the residence was eerily silent—utterly still compared to the chatter outside.
The steward now stood hunched over, waiting respectfully as a woman behind a desk made her decision.
"You're saying two special individuals have joined this group?"
The woman spoke calmly.
"Yes. One of them has an exceptionally strong spirit—I suspect it's at least high-tier."
The steward paused, then continued:
"The other one… young, yet already a Spirit Ancestor. He must come from a major power.
If anything were to happen to him, I'm afraid his backers would come looking."
"No matter. After this job, we're relocating anyway. I'm sure someone sharp has already noticed something suspicious here.
And right now, he is at a critical stage. This resource might be exactly what he needs to grow stronger—we can't afford to miss this chance."
The figure rose and Issued a final order:
"Let's move. The sooner, the better."
"Yes, ma'am."
…
"Zhuqing-jie, you're amazing!"
At Skywater Academy, Yu Keke clapped her hands in admiration after watching Zhu Zhuqing demonstrate her close-combat soul techniques.
"Keke, why don't you try it?"
Zhu Zhuqing gave a small smile and gestured encouragingly.
"Okay!"
Following Zhu Zhuqing's instructions, Yu Keke eagerly began copying the moves.
After a few attempts, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but be impressed—Yu Keke might even be more naturally gifted than she was.
Since both of their spirits belonged to the agility-attack category, many of the techniques matched well. Zhu Zhuqing didn't hesitate to share everything she knew.
Part of it was because of lingering guilt over the past. After all, she had once been on Shrek's side—no matter what happened, she still carried a sense of remorse.
The other reason was His Lordship.
This beautiful girl before her, who was just as stunning as she was, called him "brother" so sweetly—and he doted on her immensely.
For some reason, being close to someone dear to him brought Zhu Zhuqing peace.
And from time to time, she could hear little stories about His Lordship.
_
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