Both Leo and Sylvia were granted a Unique-grade chest as a testament to their feat. Sylvia's emerald eyes flickered as she navigated her private channel. ''My, Leo... it seems you're a local celebrity. 'Crimson,' the one who claimed the first Ascendant achievement on day two?'' she asked, her voice tinged with genuine intrigue.
Leo gave a curt nod, his focus remaining on the inventory screen. ''Something like that.''
''I suspected as much. Your features carry an elegance that doesn't belong to a commoner,'' she said, dismissing her interface with a flick of her wrist.
Leo offered no rebuttal. 'What does my face have to do with an achievement? She is definitely a weirdo,' he thought, rising to his feet. He gestured toward the open loot. ''Take what you need, it's only right we divide the spoils.''
Sylvia's brows arched in surprise. ''You're offering me a share of your personal rewards? Are you truly that noble, or just exceptionally overconfident?'' she asked, stepping into his personal space.
Leo shifted his gaze, refusing to be baited by her tactics. ''We were a team for this raid. You provided the finishing blow. So of course, we share.''
Aurella scoffed inwardly. 'Says the guy who robbed the grotto the first chance he got,' she thought.
Sylvia smiled, crossing her arms. ''Most Lords would be clawing at each other's throats for an extra scrap of Rare-grade steel. And yet, you haven't even asked me how a 'pitiful elf' can call down a star to execute an Epic-rank Alpha.''
'Pitiful, my foot,' Leo thought. He turned back, meeting her emerald stare with cold, unwavering crimson. ''I have no interest in prying. You didn't demand to know the mechanics of my invisibility, and I won't demand to know your source of power. It's best if we keep things simple.''
A sudden, faint flush colored Sylvia's cheeks. She let out a soft, melodic laugh, partially shielding her face with her hand. ''Oh, Leo... looking at me like that... I think my heart just skipped a beat.''
''Aish, enough of that.'' Leo recoiled, his irritation rising. 'Is she pathologically incapable of being serious?'
Sylvia laughed again and finally turned her attention to the loot. She reached down and plucked the Oathbreaker Ring. Her fingers then hovered over the Legacy Stone- the very heart of the reward. She watched Leo out of the corner of her eye, noting the way his jaw tightened as he tried to mask his apprehension. With a playful smirk, she withdrew her hand, leaving the stone where it lay.
''Is the ring sufficient?'' Leo asked, a wave of relief washing through him.
''Hardly,'' Sylvia replied, her eyes dancing with mischief. ''I require one more thing.''
Leo's instincts flared with a warning. ''Wh...at?''
She tossed the ring back to him. Leo caught it out of instinct, looking at the band in confusion. Sylvia stepped forward and presented her slender hand to him. ''Put it on me,'' she commanded, her voice devoid of any hesitation or shame.
Aurella let out a long, suffering sigh, staring at the rainy sky. 'To think a High Elf of her standing would act so shamelessly,' she thought, caught between the urge to intervene and the desire to pretend she was elsewhere.
Beside them, Malphas's armor rattled slightly. For the first time since his reconstruction, the knight was struggling to suppress a metallic wheeze of laughter at the sight of his master's utter bewilderment.
''You... what in the hell are you talking about?'' Leo demanded.
Sylvia remained silent, her palm still upturned, her smile widening with a mischievous light.
'What is her angle?' Leo wondered, his gaze shifting from the ring in his hand to her slender, porcelain-white fingers. 'No matter. If playing along gets her out of my hair before she notices the missing treasure, so be it.'
With his jaw set in a hard line, Leo stared down the ridiculousness of the moment. ''I hope you realize how absurd this looks,'' he grumbled. Despite the protest, he reached out, his pale fingers steadying her hand as he slid the Oathbreaker Ring into place.
The contact was brief, but as the metal seated against her skin, a low-frequency hum vibrated through the air. The ring's Silver surface rippled, the artifact acknowledging its new wearer by weaving a faint, tethering shadow around her finger.
Sylvia didn't pull away immediately. She leaned in, her emerald eyes searching his with a sudden, sharp intensity. ''A ring of this grade doesn't just look pretty, Leo. It resonates with the wearer's soul. It demands honesty to function.'' She tilted her head, a stray drop of rain sliding down her cheek. ''Tell me, neighbor—is there a woman in your life back where you came from? A wife? A lover waiting for a Lord to return?''
Leo blinked, caught off guard by the personal turn. ''No. There's no one. My life wasn't exactly built for romance before I ended up here,'' he answered honestly.
The ring pulsed a soft, reassuring violet, confirming his words were true. Sylvia beamed, seemingly satisfied with the result. ''Good. The ring works perfectly, and that... is a very interesting answer.''
''Are the games finally over?'' Leo grunted, retracting his hand.
''Oh, I am quite finished,'' Sylvia laughed, as ethereal wings erupted from her back. ''I promised you information; message me when the need arises, but remember—I only answer three questions.'' She gave him a final wink. ''Until next time, Leo. And a word of advice: don't foolishly attempt to use that legacy on yourself. A Lord's soul is not built to carry two talents.''
She surged into the air, leaving the land behind. Aurella gave a curt nod to Malphas and Leo before following in her wake, until they both vanished into the horizon.
''What a chaotic woman,'' Leo exhaled, his sigh heavy with relief. He began moving the remaining spoils into his inventory.
''We move out,'' Leo commanded. He summoned his Hell Horse, leading his retinue of ogres and undead away from the blood-soaked camp.
Miles away, Sylvia touched down as her wings flickered and dissolved into mist.
''Why the theatrics when you know that skill drains you so quickly?'' Aurella asked, landing gracefully beside her.
''Hehe, I had to leave a lasting impression, big sis,'' Sylvia replied, smoothing her wind-blown hair with a satisfied grin.
''Do you truly have an interest in him? You usually don't permit any male to even breathe your air,'' Aurella noted.
''Perhaps.'' Sylvia looked toward the horizon. ''But my bloodline is reacting violently in his presence. There is an undeniable gravity to him that pulls at me.''
''Then why be subtle? We could have eliminated his guards and dissected him for answers,'' Aurella suggested, her logic cold and pragmatic.
Sylvia let out a mocking chuckle. ''I am beginning to see why you are still single despite the centuries,'' she teased, walking ahead.
Aurella stood frozen, processing the jab for several long moments. ''You brat! Do you have any idea how many Celestials have begged for just a glimpse of my face?''
"Regardless, I doubt an attack would have left us unscathed,'' Sylvia said, her playful mask dropping for a moment of cold clarity.
"His Lord talent likely fueled that disappearance. But don't undersell yourself, Sylvia. You possess a pure combat talent—something so rare it borders on the Taboo.''
''It is the only reason I consented to follow you,'' Aurella added.
Sylvia smiled softly. ''I didn't mean to offend, sis. But trust me on this—my instincts have never led me astray.''