Wude himself found it almost unbelievable—his strength had genuinely increased.

In the past, his magical prowess hovered at level three, while his physical strength barely scraped level four—a hard-won result of relentless training. Pushing further had seemed nearly hopeless.

Yet just moments ago, though he hadn’t dodged the plant’s vine attack in time, the impact left him feeling absolutely no pain. Strange.

By his old standards, that strike should’ve left him severely injured.

“Hmm, your physical resilience has indeed improved significantly!” Alreis observed.

“Shall we test a counterattack?” she added, curious just how far his power had grown.

“Sure!” Wude grinned. Unarmed but brimming with newfound confidence, he felt unstoppable.

*Whoosh!* Another vine lashed out. Wude caught it mid-swing, yanked hard, and pulled it taut.

“Hah!!! Rip it apart!” Muscles bulged across his frame, radiating raw power.

“Oh! That’s impressive!” Tini’s eyes sparkled. To a Life Magic researcher like her, such a vibrant, pulsing physique was utterly captivating.

The vine strained rigid under his grip—immobilized. But the plant had more than one tendril. In an instant, another whipped toward him.

*Crack!* It struck his back with a sharp snap… and did nothing.

Wude felt boundless power surging within—limitless, and still not his peak. He could sense greater strength waiting just beneath the surface.

“Come on! Try my full power!” Veins corded his arms, testament to the force he unleashed.

As if stunned, the plant thrashed wildly, unleashing all its remaining tendrils at once.

But before they landed—Wude roared, heaved—and ripped the entire plant clean from the earth.

“Fly!” He spun and hurled it down.

The plant hit the ground, glowed jade-green, and reshaped into Tini’s staff. Guided by her mental command, it floated back to her hand.

“What a rough man!” Tini huffed, clearly annoyed.

“Sorry, sorry!” Wude scratched his head, mood buoyant.

Alreis stepped forward, studied him, then smiled. “Congratulations, master~ Your physical strength now rivals level six.”

“Hahahaha!” Wude beamed. *Powerful. Two strong yet adorable slaves. Is this not perfection?*

“I’m even stronger than Frisi now!” He compared himself to the warrior he once admired.

“I must tell Elisa!” Excited, he knew showing off to her felt most rewarding. After all, to two Ascendant Sovereigns, level six meant little more than level three.

“Elisa’s at the agreed spot,” Alreis said. Wude jogged off.

Only when he vanished did Alreis’s smile fade. She exchanged a grave look with Tini. “Just now… when Wude opened his eyes… he was definitely using the Slave Contract, wasn’t he?” She’d nearly slipped and said *master*—no need to reveal how thoroughly she’d been conditioned before another Ascendant Sovereign.

Tini, equally aware, chose not to press it. “You’re right. That was unmistakably the Slave Contract magic.”

“But why activate it then? The area was a magic vacuum—Wude should’ve been drained.”

“Could the Slave Contract function without magic?” Tini mused.

“…Unlikely. Unless it draws on that unique power from your old Sacred Church?”

“You know the Sacred Church?” Alreis blinked. It had fallen centuries before Tini ascended.

“My Life Magic inherits part of its legacy…” Tini shot her a look. *How could you not know?*

“True. They specialized in physical enhancement and healing—the core of your Life Magic.”

“I’ve studied their Holy Light too,” Alreis reminisced. “Distinct from ordinary magic, yet still magic—just an exceptionally rare hybrid type.”

“Hybrid?” Tini frowned. Unfamiliar term.

“A phrase I coined. Magic is the world’s fundamental particle—each type carries one fixed attribute.”

Tini nodded. Standard theory.

“But Holy Light is different. It’s not pure light magic—it holds fire attributes too, amplifying its destructive power. That fueled the Sacred Church’s rise.”

“Crucially,” Alreis continued, “unlike blended spells, its duality exists at the particle level. Like a new magic type… synthesized within the body, not found in nature.”

“So you suspect Wude’s Slave Contract magic resembles Holy Light?” Tini questioned skeptically. It defied her research—but without witnessing Holy Light herself, she couldn’t dismiss it.

“Just a guess. Still, Wude shows no ill effects—that’s what matters. That orb’s power was far too immense for him…” Alreis sighed inwardly. No answers yet. But his growth? Undeniably good.

***

“Elisa! My strength’s reached level six!” Wude flexed proudly before her.

“Brother Wude! Really?” Elisa feigned wide-eyed delight. “Wonderful! You’re closer to your dream of dominating the world…”

Wude facepalmed. *“That was just something I said to comfort you…”* He swallowed the words.

“But… now Brother Wude is stronger than me…” Her smile dimmed.

“Elisa, that’s not what I meant!”

“No, I’m not upset,” she said firmly, resolve settling in her voice. “I just… feel too weak.”

“Let me finish,” she stopped his protest. “You told me to train hard, survive—to help your dream, right? Now you’re close. You have two Ascendant Sovereigns as slaves. I used to tell myself I was stronger than you… but now you’ve surpassed me too. With this strength… am I not too weak?”

“Elisa…” Wude’s throat tightened. He never knew she held those words so close.

“So, Brother Wude… I want to leave. Temporarily.”