Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Eventually, the discussion came to an end.

Luna and Queen Arlen stood, gave respectful nods, and quietly took their leave, the door shutting softly behind them.

Silence settled again, brief and comfortable.

Then Ruby, now sitting cross-legged in Lily's lap, perked up.

"Brother~ can I go to the spirit world and get a soul bond too?"

Ace blinked, then raised a brow. "Spirit world?"

Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "The spirit connection gate thingy—can I go through it?"

The Spirit Connection Gate was a Huge Gate deep within the system space—a dimensional pathway to the realm of wandering spirits.

Through it, Ace had summoned multiple spirits, some powerful, some bizarre, and a few that made the system space feel like a haunted house.

Not really haunted. Just… annoyingly crowded.

He leaned back turning to Lily, "Is it safe to go inside?"

Lily gave a small nod. "She'll be fine. And if you're still unsure, I can go with her."

Ace narrowed his eyes and stared at her. For a moment, he considered it.

Then he sighed.

"Alright. After we get through this Divine Step mess, I'll let you go."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Nooooo! That's going to take too loooooong!"

She threw herself back dramatically, kicking her feet and flailing in Lily's lap like a child being denied candy.

Ace rubbed his forehead. Every day I drift further from dignity...

Ignoring her tantrum, he reached for the table and picked up the comb.

He gave it a quick glance, then tucked it into his interspatial ring without a word.

Behind him, Lily giggled softly as she stroked Ruby's head.

"There, there, don't cry," she cooed. "Your brother will come around later. Just give it some time~"

Ace groaned on his way to the door.

"Hey! Stop spoiling the brat."

Then, with a dramatic sweep of his coat and a roll of his eyes, he left the room.

Ace made his way through the winding paths of the sect grounds, his steps slow, his thoughts heavy.

He needed peace. A moment to think; to breathe.

Eventually, he arrived at his favorite spot: a quiet rise near the outer edge of the sect, where a lone tree stood watch over a stretch of dry, cracked land.

The old wooden chair beneath its shade creaked familiarly as he sank into it, arms resting on the sides.

This place… always calmed his nerves.

Fairy Pavilion Master Luna had brought him a solution, a lifeline.

The comb.

With it, he could forcefully push Lily's cultivation to Divine Step, even if it was just for a day.

One day.

But as the wind brushed against his face, the doubt returned like an unwelcome ghost.

What comes after that?

What if Sarah didn't fight at full strength? What if she simply held back, waited for the effect to wear off?

It wasn't impossible.

He'd seen Legend-rank cultivators fight for weeks without a clear winner. Divine Step cultivators?

They could prolong battles for months, especially if they were just toying with someone.

Even a day of Divine Step power couldn't guarantee victory. Not if Sarah was planning something worse.

And worst of all? He was starting to think she was.

Ace sighed, his gaze drifting across the vast expanse before him.

Down below, the dry land was coming to life.

A group of teenagers, full of energy and laughter, ran drills in their sect uniforms.

Some sparred, others cheered, and a few just stood around pretending to stretch while sneaking glances at each other.

He found himself smiling faintly at the scene. Innocence had a way of numbing sharp thoughts.

Then he noticed one of them standing a little apart—back straight, arms crossed, trying too hard to look like he didn't care about the group dynamics.

Ace squinted.

Isn't that Lily's direct disciple?

He wondered what that poor kid thought, seeing Lily dressed in all those questionable outfits—maid uniforms, cat ears, goddess robes with scandalously high slits.

She was a spirit bot after all… but still.

Did he even understand what he signed up for?

Ace chuckled under his breath, rubbing his temples.

Everything in his life felt like a divine comedy penned by a drunk author.

Ding!

A sudden chime echoed through the air like divine bells crashing against reality.

Ace blinked.

Then—

[There's a mail for Mr. Ace from the creator of the system.]

He froze.

For a moment, he thought he misheard. But no. The robotic monotone was unmistakable.

He stood up slowly, like a man afraid the floor might give way.

"A mail… from the creator of the system?"

His heart skipped. His eye twitched.

He opened the mail with a shaky hand.

Inside was a short, glowing message and beneath it, a single word:

[Claim]

He read it aloud:

[Due to errors unknown, you have received no tasks for years.

Here's a compensation for it.]

Ace stared blankly.

"…No tasks for years and you only noticed it now?. I thought I was running on discount mode!"

Then, with a cautious tap, he pressed Claim.

Not once.

Twice.

And just like that—

[ Item: Heavenly Cloak (Grade – Void Grade)

Known Effects:

1. Shields user from the eyes of the heavens.

2. Absorbs 90% damage from all attacks below Divine Halo Rank.

Additional functions unknown. Please explore at your leisure. ]

Before he could fully process it, the system mail shimmered and vanished in a burst of light.

A wave of cool air washed over him as a dark, silk cloak appeared, seemingly spun from starlight and shadow, and draped itself elegantly over his shoulders.

It settled like it belonged there.

Ace looked down at himself, then caught a glimpse of his reflection in the nearby pond.

The cloak danced in the wind behind him, giving him a mysterious, untouchable presence.

He looked like a hidden monarch… or a protagonist handpicked by fate itself.

He blinked.

He turned left. The cloak fluttered with poise.

He turned right. It swayed like liquid darkness.

"…Whoa."

His lips curled into a wide, satisfied grin.

"Forget what I said about being written by a drunk author," he muttered, stroking the edge of the cloak like it was a long-lost lover.

"I've clearly been favored by the heavens all along."