Chapter 60 — Rewards and Reflections
Back at the Royal Layer, the system distributed Royal-grade materials to their inventory. Blade examined the stats, while Nyx carefully cataloged the crafting items.
Cyberius spun his revolvers, grinning. "Next time, we pick a quest without giant tree monsters, yeah?"
Nyx laughed softly, brushing dirt from her gloves. "You weren't bad yourself."
Optimus_Prime leaned against a wall. "I think I'll stick to Knight basics more often. That was intense."
Blade's visor flickered, Tactical Awareness still active. Exploding Bullets had cooled, but he was already calculating future angles. "Good coordination. Everyone leveled properly."
The system confirmed: Blade now Lv 30, unlocking slight improvements to damage and reaction speed. Nyx, Cyberius, and Optimus all advanced, each gaining better stats, health, and skill efficiency.
Nyx caught Blade's gaze, a faint smile on her face. "You never smiled much during the fight. Not even a little?"
Blade's head tilted slightly. "Focus mattered more than expression."
She stepped closer, voice low: "Maybe next time, you can focus on me for a moment."
Blade's eyes flicked to her, visor dimming as he processed the subtle human tone. Something new stirred.
Outside, the Ironfang Wilds were calm again, but the team knew this was only a moment of reprieve. Their bond had strengthened, their skills sharpened, and their paths had intertwined in ways beyond mere strategy.
Blade glanced at Nyx one more time, noting the rarity of her presence—not just the pink hair, not just the skill, but the way she fought beside him as an equal.
For the first time since leaving Winterland, he considered that some connections weren't calculated.
And maybe…