The moment Lena disappeared through the dining hall doors, Damon’s system chimed.

He flinched. The sound cut through the quiet she’d left behind, sharp and poorly timed.

’Seriously? Right now?’

He pulled up the notification, half-expecting something useless.

[SUBORDINATE GAINED]

[LENA HARTWELL — SUBORDINATE]

[CLASS: ALCHEMIST — D-RANK]

[LOYALTY: INFALLIBLE]

[AVAILABLE UPGRADES:]

[SUBORDINATE BOND: 10 TRIBUTE] — Establishes a connection with the sovereign. Subordinate gains a bonus to their highest stat while bonded, based on 20% of the Sovereign’s highest stat.

[SHARED VIGOR: 25 TRIBUTE] — Subordinate gains 20% of the sovereign’s health pool.

[EMPOWERED STRIKE: 50 TRIBUTE] — Subordinate is granted access to [SOVEREIGN’S STRIKE].

Damon stared at the screen.

’She counts as a subordinate? Is it because of the preparation deal?’

He glanced toward the doors Lena had passed through, but she was long gone.

He looked back at the screen. Subordinate Bond. Shared Vigor. Both powerful. He still had seventy tribute left, and considering everything Lena had done for him, the potions, the sleepless nights, the month of believing in him before he’d believed in himself, he wanted to repay her.

He already knew the bond had no negative effects. He’d tested it with Sera. No mind control. No artificial affection. Just stats.

He could buy the upgrades in secret. Strengthen Lena without her knowing. Without making her feel even more indebted to him.

He didn’t hesitate.

[SUBORDINATE BOND PURCHASED]

[TRIBUTE: 70 → 60]

[SHARED VIGOR PURCHASED]

[TRIBUTE: 60 → 35]

He left Empowered Strike untouched. That one would be too obvious.

Now for the other matter. His level-ups from the alpha and the farming run had left him with unspent stat points, and he’d been putting off the allocation long enough.

[STATUS]

[LEVEL: 3]

[STR: 19]

[AGI: 24]

[VIT: 18]

[MAG: 22]

[STAT POINTS AVAILABLE: 3]

The alpha fight had given him plenty of data for what he needed now.

Speed was his greatest asset, but he’d felt the limits of his strength against the alpha’s hide. His normal strikes hadn’t punched through; only Sovereign’s Strike had done real damage. And his mana pool, whatever it actually was, had held up fine through multiple casts.

But that was only when he relied on Sovereign’s Strike. Now that he had a ranged option, he’d likely burn through more mana. On top of that, he had Sera to think about.

His choice was quick.

His speed was already decent, and his skills could compensate for his strength; what truly held him back was his shallow mana pool and weak magic.

[MAG: 22] -> [MAG: 25]

Now for the second matter.

[SOVEREIGN’S LEADERSHIP]

[CHOOSE SKILL FROM LENA HARTWELL]

[LENA HARTWELL — SUBORDINATE]

[CLASS: ALCHEMIST — D-RANK]

[AVAILABLE SKILLS:]

[POTION EFFICIENCY (PASSIVE) — D-RANK]: Increases the potency of all consumed potions by 30%.

[INGREDIENT SENSE (PASSIVE) — E-RANK]: Detects nearby alchemical ingredients within a 20-meter radius.

[STEADY HAND (PASSIVE) — D-RANK]: Improves precision during delicate manual tasks. Reduces error rate in crafting.

Damon stared at the options.

All passives. No Lightning Lance equivalent, no combat nukes hidden in Lena’s repertoire. He shouldn’t have been surprised. She was an alchemist. Her skills were built for creation, not destruction.

But Potion Efficiency? Thirty percent more potency from every recovery draught, every stamina potion, every buff vial he consumed?

That wasn’t combat magic. But over time, it might be just as valuable, especially if it stacks with his system’s override.

He selected it without hesitation.

[SKILL ACQUIRED: POTION EFFICIENCY — D-RANK]

[EFFECT: ALL CONSUMED POTIONS ARE 30% MORE EFFECTIVE.]

The golden text pulsed once and settled into his status screen alongside Lightning Lance.

Two subordinates and two borrowed skills. His build was starting to take shape.

He closed the system and stood, rolling his shoulders. The recovery draught was still working, but with Potion Efficiency boosting it by thirty percent, the effect was noticeably stronger.

"I should check on Sera. Another portal run to get more tribute and exp wouldn’t hurt."

***

Damon found Sera outside the equipment office, a new staff clutched in one hand. The crystal at its tip was smaller than her old one, the runes less intricate, but she twirled it once with practiced ease and seemed satisfied.

"Not bad," she said. "Not as good as my last staff, but better than my spare one. Good enough for another run."

"Good. Because that’s exactly what I was going to suggest."

Sera raised an eyebrow. "Already? Your ribs—"

"Are fine. Mostly." He rolled his shoulder, testing. The ache had faded to a dull murmur. "The recovery draught did its work. I’m not at full, but I’m close enough."

"Close enough isn’t the same as ready."

"Close enough means I can still move faster than anything in a D-Rank portal." He met her eyes. "We just formed a party. I want to see how we fight together. Besides, we won’t be fighting against another alpha."

Sera studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "You’re the boss. Which portal?"

"D-7 again, it’s the only one I have authorization on. I know the layout, and the goblin nest should have respawned by now. Wolves, too, probably. The alpha won’t be back for hours, but the scouts and warriors will be there."

"Farming run. Simple enough." She slung her staff across her back. "Let me grab more mana potions. If we’re going to grind, I’d rather not run dry halfway through."

"Meet at the portal platform. I’ve got a stop to make as well."

Sera waved without looking back. "Try not to get beaten up on the way."

Damon pulled out his communicator.

Damon: You said you wanted to prep me. I’m heading into D-7 with Sera. Farming run.

Lena: Already? It hasn’t even been an hour.

Damon: You know me.

Lena: Unfortunately. Where are you?

Damon: Heading toward the alchemy lab now.

Lena: I’ll meet you outside. Don’t go in without me.

She was waiting by the lab entrance when he arrived, a satchel slung over one shoulder and the familiar no-nonsense expression fixed firmly in place.

Her fingers still carried traces of recent work, faint stains from crushed herbs, a small burn mark on her sleeve she hadn’t noticed yet.

"You don’t waste time," she said.

"You told me to let you prep me. I’m letting you prep me."

"I didn’t think you’d test it this fast." She set the satchel down on a nearby bench and opened it. Inside, neatly organized in padded slots, were vials of varying colors. Recovery draughts. Stamina potions. Something dark green he didn’t recognize.

"How many of those did you bring?"

"Enough. Give me your pack."

He handed it over. She worked quickly, slotting vials into the empty pockets with practiced efficiency, her movements automatic in a way that spoke to hours of repetition.

"Three D-Rank recovery draughts," she said, tapping each pocket as she went. "Two stamina draughts, those are still F-Rank. I haven’t figured out the D-Rank formula yet. And one antitoxin. Goblins don’t use poison, but dire wolves sometimes track through toxic spores in the deeper caves. If your breathing gets tight, drink it immediately."

"You made an antitoxin for me?"

"I made a batch of antitoxin. You happen to be using one." She didn’t look up from the pack. "Don’t read into it."

"Wouldn’t dream of it."

She finished loading the pack and held it out to him. "There. Now I’ve prepped you. Try not to need half of those."

"I’ll do my best."

"Your best usually means you’ll come back with three of them used and a new set of injuries."

"And yet you keep supplying me."

Lena met his eyes. "And yet I keep supplying you."

The moment stretched. Neither of them moved to fill it.

Then Lena stepped back and crossed her arms. "Go. Your new partner’s waiting. I’ve got another batch brewing anyway."

"Thanks, Lena."

"Thank me by coming back in one piece."

Damon slung the pack over his shoulder. The vials clinked softly against one another, a familiar, reassuring sound. He’d gone into his first portal run with borrowed gear and no support.

Now he had a properly stocked pack, a party member waiting at the platform, and someone who’d made sure he wasn’t walking in unprepared.

It was more than he’d ever expected to have.

***

They regrouped at the portal platform twenty minutes later. The prep chamber was busier now, afternoon parties forming up for their own runs. A few students glanced at Damon as he passed, whispers trailing in his wake.

"It’s Damon..."

"So he really did get his system."

"So the rumour about Matthew was real?"

"I wonder what class he has."

He ignored them.

Professor Voss wasn’t at the desk this time, an assistant handled the log, waving them through once Damon’s Solo Authorization pinged on the tablet.

[PARTY REGISTERED: DAMON PERSIVAL & SERA AZURE]

[PORTAL D-7: AUTHORIZED]

[ENTRY GRANTED]

The cold sweep of the portal passed over them, and then the cave materialized around them. Bioluminescent moss pulsed in the familiar blue-green glow. The air was cool and damp.

Sera glanced at his pack. "You’re carrying more than before."

"Lena stocked me."

"The potion supplier?"

"The same."

Sera’s staff hummed as she brought it to ready. "She must really care about you."

"She has a funny way of showing it."

"Those are usually the ones who care the most," Sera said, her new staff already humming with a faint charge. "Where to first?"

"Goblin nest. Let’s only take on the smaller ones. We clear them fast, then move to the wolves." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The tunnel to the goblin nest was busier than before. Two other parties had set up near the outer chambers, one farming slimes near the spring, another cutting through goblin scouts at the nest’s edge.

Damon led Sera past them, deeper into the tunnels where the respawns were thicker and the competition thinner.

They found a side chamber off the main nest, smaller than the one Damon had cleared with Kara’s team. Five goblins milled around a crude fire pit, their weapons, rusted blades and spiked clubs, scattered across the stone. None of them were archers.

"Five," Sera murmured, staff already crackling. "Want me to open?"

"Do it."

She stepped forward, mana surging along the length of her new staff. The crystal flared blue-white, and a bolt of lightning leaped from the tip, crossing the chamber in an instant.

It struck the largest goblin square in the chest, lifting it off its feet and hurling it into the far wall. The corpse hit the stone with a wet crack and didn’t rise.

[GOBLIN WARRIOR DEFEATED]

[EXPERIENCE SHARED: 15]

[SOVEREIGN’S TRIBUTE: +3]

The remaining four goblins scrambled for their weapons, shrieking in their guttural tongue. Damon was already moving.

He crossed the chamber in three strides, longsword clearing its sheath. The first goblin swung a club at his knees. He vaulted it, came down with his blade already descending, and split the creature from shoulder to sternum.

[GOBLIN WARRIOR DEFEATED]

[EXPERIENCE SHARED: 15]

[SOVEREIGN’S TRIBUTE: +3]

The second lunged at his flank. Damon sidestepped, let it stumble past, and drove his sword through its back.

[GOBLIN WARRIOR DEFEATED]

[EXPERIENCE SHARED: 15]

[SOVEREIGN’S TRIBUTE: +3]

Behind him, another crackle of lightning. Sera’s second bolt took the fourth goblin before it could close the distance, leaving only one.

The last goblin hesitated. Its yellow eyes darted between Damon and Sera, its rusted blade trembling in its grip. Then it turned to flee.

Damon didn’t let it. A quick lunge, a single thrust, and it collapsed.

[GOBLIN SCOUT DEFEATED]

[EXPERIENCE SHARED: 10]

[SOVEREIGN’S TRIBUTE: +2]

[TRIBUTE: 46]

The chamber fell silent. The five corpses dissolved into motes of mana, leaving almost nothing behind, unlike slimes and wolves.

Goblins dropped almost no loot, only their crude weapons, which simply get reused whenever new goblins spawned and re-armed themselves.

"That was fast," Sera said, lowering her staff.

"Good... I’d be terrified if it took us long to kill a few goblins."