The Devouring Knight-Chapter 366 - 365: Quiet Ascension

"Hey, Lumberling! It's my turn now, right?" Aurelya said with a bright grin, her eyes sparkling as she glanced at the two remaining Vikings. "I'm going to power up like crazy too."

"I'll take the wolfy-looking one," she added quickly. "You can have the other, Thessalia."

Thessalia let out a soft sigh, a light smile on her face. "As the more mature one, I'll take what's left. Someone has to be the older sister here."

"Hmph, I did all the work," Aurelya muttered, puffing out her cheeks.

Lumberling chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, both of you, get ready."

"Wait, Lumberling," Aurelya said suddenly, looking down at her chosen Viking. "This one's a spear user. Do you want to share the essence with me?"

He paused for a moment, then smiled gently. "No, it's fine. I've absorbed enough essence for now. I'll rest a bit. But thanks for the offer."

Aurelya nodded, satisfied.

Without another word, Lumberling raised his hand. In an instant, both chained Vikings collapsed, lifeless. The air seemed to shiver as their essence began to rise from their bodies.

Lumberling's expression was focused. With precise control, he guided the essence through the air. Thin, transparent threads of light spiraled gracefully, flowing straight toward Aurelya and Thessalia. His mastery over Essence Weave had clearly improved, the motion smooth and effortless.

Aurelya stayed calm as the swirling essence flowed into her. Her eyes were closed, her breathing steady. It was as if she was listening, sorting through the Viking's memories, taking what was useful and discarding the rest. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Beside her, Thessalia was less composed. Her brows knitted, and her body trembled slightly as veins pulsed beneath her skin. It was her first time absorbing essence, and starting with a high-stage warrior was clearly too much. Still, she gritted her teeth and endured it silently.

A few moments later, the air around them shifted.

Blue light wrapped around Aurelya like flowing water, while faint golden lines flickered beneath her skin. A strange symbol appeared briefly over her heart before fading away. At the same time, Thessalia's aura thickened like a stormy sea, the Viking's power pulsing faintly within her.

Each had gained their own blessing, Ullr's Blessing for Thessalia, Thor's Blessing for Aurelya.

Both of them had changed slightly. Their mana expanded, and the pressure they gave off grew heavier, almost Viking-like in its intensity.

Aurelya clenched her fist and grinned. "I feel like my body's getting tougher," she said, her voice full of energy.

Thessalia reached for the Viking's fallen axe, running her fingers along the handle. "So we even gain traces of their weapon mastery, huh…" she murmured, awe shining in her eyes. "This… this really is an absurd ability."

"I want to test my new technique," Aurelya said suddenly, turning to Lumberling with a mischievous grin. "Let's spar now."

Lumberling raised both hands with a helpless smile. "No, I'm good. You two go ahead."

Aurelya's grin widened. "Then Thessalia's my target."

"Eh? Wait, no!" Thessalia's eyes went wide as Aurelya lunged playfully toward her.

…..

As night fell, the city grew quiet. Moonlight poured gently over the stone walls of the guest compound, casting a soft glow on everything it touched.

Lumberling was heading to his room when he noticed Liraeth standing on the balcony, gazing up at the moon. Her black hair shimmered under the pale light, swaying gently in the night breeze.

"Liraeth?" he called softly.

She turned to him, her green eyes calm and thoughtful.

"Why haven't you rested yet? You still have your vein engraving tomorrow," Lumberling said, stepping closer.

"It's fine. I'm not sleepy," Liraeth replied with a faint smile. "What about you? Did Aurelya visit you again?" she teased, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.

"No. Maybe she's tired," he answered without a hint of embarrassment.

"Then," she said, tilting her head slightly, "would you like me to accompany you tonight?"

"Gladly," Lumberling said without hesitation, a grin spreading across his face.

Liraeth's cheeks warmed to a soft shade of red as she quickly looked away. "I was kidding," she muttered, trying to hide her face.

Lumberling chuckled, leaning on the balcony rail beside her. "Your Oracle Path," he said after a moment, "what stage are you at now?"

"I'm in the Expert stage," Liraeth replied, still gazing at the moon. She made no effort to hide it.

"So fast?" Lumberling's eyes widened. This stage was equivalent to Quasi-Knight. "You can skip stages like that?"

"I don't know," she said with a small shrug. "It just… works that way for me, I guess."

He smiled softly. "Then I'll be in your care, Master Oracle."

Liraeth chuckled at his words. "Alright, let's teach each other."

They stayed on the balcony, talking and teasing under the moonlight. Their laughter drifted quietly through the still night.

….

The next day arrived quietly. Morning light spilled through the tall windows of the duke's pavilion as Lumberling and his group made their way to Duke Hadric's office.

When Hadric saw them enter, he paused for a moment. There was something… different about the elves. Their presence carried a weight that hadn't been there before, a faint pressure that brushed against his senses.

'They grew stronger?' he wondered. 'No… probably just my imagination.'

He smiled warmly and gestured toward the chairs. "Welcome back. I've already prepared the tools and alchemical liquids for your vein engraving."

The group nodded, and soon the process began.

The Duke worked carefully. Even without his left arm, his movements were precise and practiced, each motion carrying the quiet confidence of experience. A faint scent of herbs filled the room, and golden liquid glowed softly inside the crystal tubes on the table.

"This will sting a little," Hadric said, dipping a rune-etched brush into the shimmering liquid. "It's a special alchemical conductor. It will help form the artificial meridians in your body."

He pressed his palm forward, and a stream of mana flowed into Liraeth first. Her body trembled slightly as faint golden lines began to appear beneath her skin, spreading like delicate roots of light across her arms and chest.