Hector stopped at the doorway, looking back at Soren. "Get a good night’s rest. We will continue the training early in the morning."
"Yes, sir."
Soren did not bother wishing him a good night, knowing high-level cultivators had long abandoned the need for sleep. In fact, even Soren himself had cut his rest down to just a couple of hours a night.
’...Now we can continue our conversation.’ He smiled, turning back to Ethea.
She blinked. ’Mm.’
’To start, let me explain your physical condition,’ Soren said as he looked at her status window in his vision. ’Hmm... Right now, your core remains ninety-two percent destroyed, with only nine percent of your mana pathways functional. In fact, those numbers have actually improved from yesterday, meaning the consommé and nutrient fluid are already showing their effects. Yet, beyond the paralysis, you are still dealing with severe nerve damage across your body. So, as encouraging as these gains might be, we are still essentially patching up a broken wall.’
’...I see.’ Ethea replied softly.
She had always known her body was in critical shape, but hearing the actual extent of the damage was jarring. It was almost frightening to realize how close to the brink she really was, even with the slight progress he mentioned. Yet, what surprised her even more was the sheer level of detail Soren possessed. She could not comprehend how he was able to diagnose the state of her core and mana pathways with such exact precision. Was his appraisal ability that powerful? Or was it tailored specifically toward diagnostic perception?
At the same time, she noticed something missing from his breakdown. He had not mentioned a single word about her chronic pain. She had also not forgotten how the constant, agonizing burn in her nerves dulled whenever he was near her.
’...’
Squinting slightly at him, she decided to finally bring it up.
’Soren... what about the pain?’ she asked, her gaze fixing on him. ’You mentioned everything else, but left that out.’
’...’
’Moreover, it has been remarkably manageable lately, especially when you are close to me... Soren. It... has something to do with you, doesn’t it?’
’...Yes.’
’I see,’ Ethea’s expression relaxed. ’You do not have to explain every detail to me, Soren. I am simply happy that you are sharing this much.’
’Ethea... It was not my intention to hide it from you. I simply could not find the right moment to bring it up,’ he sent back, his tone turning grounded and sincere. ’Actually, it is a shared ability between us, one that represents our bond.’
He met her eyes directly, laying out the details without withholding anything.
’As long as we remain close to each other, a passive effect activates. Both of our strength, speed, and overall resilience are heightened. For you, it also significantly dulls the chronic pain. On my end, my mana absorption and recovery rates increase. Beyond that, there is a hidden layer to it, a state called Synchronicity. It is supposed to trigger whenever our emotions, conviction, or intent completely align. I do not actually know what benefits it gives, only that it must be useful. Though, considering it has not activated once so far, I suppose the conditions are more spontaneous than I thought. Or perhaps it already happened, but we simply did not notice.’
He paused briefly, letting the information sink in before finishing his thought.
’On top of all that, it has another crucial effect,’ he added, his gaze softening slightly. ’It is what allowed me to shoulder the backlash from your curse that time, and it is the exact reason we can communicate like this right now.’
Ethea tilted her head, a flicker of genuine curiosity breaking through her quiet demeanor. ’How does that work?’
Soren hesitated for a moment, the words stalling in his throat. A sudden wave of doubt crept into his mind as he wondered how she might react, or if she already had a grasp on how deep this connection ran. And... What if she realized how to manipulate the bond from her end? If she figured out how to draw the burden back, she might force the pain and the curse’s feedback onto herself the next time he tried to absorb it and...
’...Sigh.’
He caught himself mid-spiral and let out a soft, silent chuckle at his own tendency to overthink. Dispelling the dark thoughts, he cleared his head and laid out the rest of the explanation to her.
’...’ Ethea fell silent, her gaze drifting downward as she suddenly closed her eyes.
Soren did not interrupt her, quietly observing the subtle shift in her expression. He guessed she was trying to probe the bond herself, testing its limits now that she knew it existed.
A few moments passed in total stillness before her eyes opened again. She stared directly at Soren, her gaze carrying a faint trace of confusion alongside a complex emotion hidden deep in her eyes, one he could not quite put a name to.
’...It did not work,’ she sent softly through the bond.
’Huh? What do you mean?’ Soren asked, genuine confusion creeping into his thoughts. ’Could there be something wrong with the connection?’
’No, I could sense the connection clearly,’ she explained, her eyes remaining locked on him. ’However, when I tried to take one of your abilities, the regeneration one, I could not find it on you. Then I realized... I already had it.’
Soren froze, the silence stretching between them for a brief beat before he cleared his throat awkwardly.
’Ah... yeah. I am not injured right now, so I did not need it anyway,’ he replied, trying to downplay the gesture. ’I just passed it over to you. Do not worry about it.’
’...That is not all,’ she continued, her voice taking on a heavier weight. ’I also sensed more. Three of them in fact.’
Soren went still a second time, his mind racing as he searched for a smooth way to explain the rest of his hidden set. Just as he opened his mouth to formulate a careful response, Ethea cut him off.
’Stop. It is better if you keep the rest to yourself,’ she sent, her tone turning firm yet calm.
’Are you sure?’ Soren asked, surprised by her suggestion.
’Yes, I am sure,’ she replied, her gaze softening as she looked at him. ’And please, do not share these secrets with anyone else.’
Soren looked at her eyes, catching the faint flicker of concern and unspoken dread lingering beneath her softened gaze.
’Yes, I understand.’