"That thing will protect you, but it'll only start activating once your soul power reaches Rank 45."
Aether didn't explain to Yu Keke what exactly it was. But off to the side, Paimon's eyes lit up.
"Keke, the Traveler gave you something amazing too! He spent so long grinding for it in another world~"
As she spoke, Paimon seemed to recall the days she and the Traveler spent endlessly farming, the look of bitter frustration constantly etched on his face. Her little cheeks couldn't help but lift into a grin at the memory.
"Really… Thank you, big brother! Don't worry, I'll take good care of it!"
Seeing even Paimon speak so highly of it, Yu Keke's large, watery eyes curved into two beautiful crescent moons. She patted her little chest with pride and gave her firm promise.
When Aether had handed the Dull Blade to Zhu Zhuqing earlier, Keke didn't show it, but there'd been a hint of disappointment in her heart. After all, what little sister doesn't hope her big brother would spoil her more?
But now things were different. Even though she didn't know what exactly it was that he'd given her—or what grinding meant—Paimon made it sound like it was even more important than that sword.
"Hehe~"
Aether reached out and gave Keke's cheek a gentle pinch.
"Remember, you can only start activating the first part at Rank 45. The stronger you become, the more parts you can awaken. So Keke, you've got to keep working hard~"
"Mhm! I promise, big brother! I already promised Paimon that once I get stronger, I'll protect you both!"
Yu Keke nodded vigorously, her small face filled with unwavering resolve.
Aether smiled again at her adorable determination.
Truthfully, even without reaching Rank 45, the items he'd given her were more than enough to keep her safe. But he'd deliberately sealed their powers, setting them to only unlock as her strength grew. This wasn't just for her safety—it was to motivate her to train harder.
Because within this little girl… was a legend waiting to awaken.
The fate of this continent had already shifted dramatically with the arrival of him and Paimon. And strange occurrences like the one Qian Renxue mentioned in her letter would only increase from here on out. He needed to gather the energy to lift the seals on his own powers as quickly as possible if he wanted to face what lay ahead.
"…My lord, what about me?"
Beside them, Fire Meow Meow finally spoke up. Seeing Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Keke both receive such mysterious and powerful gifts, it couldn't help but get excited too. Who wouldn't want a treasure to beef themselves up?
"Uh…"
Aether was momentarily stumped, his mouth twitching awkwardly before he started rummaging through his Serenitea Pot.
And wouldn't you know it? After some digging, he really did find an item for pets.
"My lord, what's this? What does it do?"
Fire Meow Meow looked at the rather ordinary-looking net in Aether's hands, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Sure, it looked plain—but if it came from Aether, there was no way it was anything normal!
"This…"
Aether coughed lightly, looking at the net in his hand.
"It's called the Omni Ubiquity Net. I found it in a land called Inazuma. Its main purpose… is to capture small animals~"
"…Huh?"
Fire Meow Meow blinked, startled, instinctively stepping back half a pace. But then it quickly reminded itself—it wasn't some puny critter! It was a soul beast! Fire Meow Meow! Super powerful!
There's no way… this thing could catch me… right?
"What's wrong? Don't want it?"
Aether raised an eyebrow at Fire Meow Meow's confused look and lightly tossed the Omni Ubiquity Net in his hand.
"Ah—no no! I-I don't usually catch small animals, you know~"
Fire Meow Meow laughed nervously, flashing its little tiger teeth.
Good grief, was this a subtle way of telling it to… catch itself?
"I said it's used to catch small animals. I never said that's all it can catch…"
Aether rolled his eyes.
"This net can capture any single target. Don't be fooled by its size. When you throw it, it automatically expands to whatever size it needs to fully envelop the target."
"Also, I've imbued it with my power. As long as the target isn't stronger than me, it won't be able to break free."
"!!!"
Fire Meow Meow's big round eyes widened at the explanation. It stared unblinking at the net, drooling slightly at the corners of its mouth.
"My lord! I—I want it!!"
Unable to contain its eagerness, Fire Meow Meow stood up on its hind legs, eyes burning with fervor as it looked at Aether and the net.
"…Alright, fine. Take it."
Aether casually tossed the Omni Ubiquity Net over. Fire Meow Meow let out a joyful "ah-woo!" and swallowed the net in one gulp, then turned to Aether with a bright grin.
"Hehe~ my lord, how do I use it?"
"Just look at your target, aim your intent, and spit the net at it."
Aether didn't expect Fire Meow Meow to actually throw things properly, so he kept it simple—just spit it out.
"Got it!"
Fire Meow Meow nodded eagerly like a bobblehead.
"Oh, right—this net's single-use. Once you use it, it's gone. So unless it's absolutely necessary, you might want to save it as a last resort—or just keep it as a souvenir~"
Aether added casually.
"…Huh? O-okay."
Fire Meow Meow was taken aback. It had been thinking of secretly trying it out on its own later, but now realized this was a one-shot wonder…
Then again, with such overwhelming power, it made sense it could only be used once.
A treasure like this—one use is more than enough!!!
In its mind, Fire Meow Meow couldn't help but think—if it had had this thing back at the Lake of Life, that damn monkey and that water buffalo wouldn't have stood a chance! One net toss and they'd both be crying for grandpa on the spot!
After Fire Meow Meow happily retreated to admire its gift, Aether turned to the rest of the group.
Keke and Zhuqing now had their artifacts and the Dull Blade. As long as they weren't up against those enemies Paimon had pummeled before, they could at least escape even if they couldn't win.
Fire Meow Meow had the Omni Ubiquity Net—a trump card that could flip the table in any desperate situation.
Which left just one person eyeing the scene with longing—Dugu Bo.
The old man prided himself on his dignity. If it hadn't been for his granddaughter's situation back then, he never would've lowered himself so humbly.
Just like now—his old eyes were wide with hope, but he wasn't going to be like Fire Meow Meow and directly ask for a gift.
Still, Aether trusted the man's character. Why not help him out one more time?
With that thought, Aether reached into the void and pulled out two flowers.
"Elder, these are for you. I believe they'll help your martial soul."
"Thank you, my lord! These are…"
As a soul master, Dugu Bo had no resistance to anything that could enhance his martial soul—especially something Aether handed him. He didn't hesitate. With trembling hands, he received the blossoms, a strange and gentle fragrance wafting from them.
"I found them by chance during my travels. They only grow atop the lonely spires of proud peaks, unwilling to accept the warmth or moisture of the plains—blooms that stand tall in the cold and alone. They're called Qingxin."
"Qingxin…"
Dugu Bo cradled the flowers carefully. Just inhaling their scent made his mind sharper and his soul power circulate faster—he even felt more physically responsive.
"Mhm. It's said that atop those peaks lives a cool and elegant immortal. She often eats these flowers as part of her diet."
"!!!"
An immortal?
Dugu Bo swallowed hard—not because of the immortal, but because…
These flowers were eaten by divine beings…
That means—this was immortal grass!
He hadn't been nervous before, but now, just holding them felt like a heavy responsibility. He was terrified of damaging them with even the slightest wrong move.
_
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