Tucker rubbed the bump on the top of his head. “This is outrageous. I can’t believe you would do this to me. There was no need for violence!”

  “Shut up, you damn brat.” Alex’s brows knitted together, casting a dark shadow over his eyes. “If you’re awake, just say something instead of pretending to be asleep.”

  The rookie pressed his fingers together. “I just wanted to hear what you had to say.”

  Alex felt his eyes twitch once more. “Fargrim, I take back everything I said about this free-spirited idiot. I don’t like him one bit, and he has an ego bigger than the mountains.”

  Meanwhile, Fargrim had a wide grin on his face, but before either of them could respond, Tucker flipped his white blanket over. Examining his legs with a bitter expression. He didn’t feel pain, but instead, a numbness that took over.

  “Will I be able to walk again?” Tucker asked.

  The two veterans stared at each other before nodding.

  “You should be able to. We just need you to visit a priest, but that means they’ll probably put us into recovery for a few days,” Alex replied.

  “And if they can’t fix my legs?”

  “It’s highly unlikely. Their Gods wouldn’t let such a thing happen in their presence.” Fargrim crossed his arms before his chest and leaned back. “They aren’t the kind to abandon those seeking help.”

  “That’s only if they favor you,” Alex coldly added. “I’ve seen many prayers fall on deaf ears.”

  “Don’t listen to him.” Fargrim glared at Alex as if to lecture him that he wasn’t helping with the situation. “He’s just being a hardass.”

  The old man rolled his eyes. He knew the personalities of the Gods dwelling in the Holy Kingdom and sighed. They reigned the Celestia Souldom with an iron fist, not to the extent of the Empire but enough for there to be fanatics.

  Alex sat back down on his bed and gazed at the stone ground. “Unlike your gods that stay with every dwarven hold, ours plays favorites and abandon those they deem unnecessary.”

  “Alas, that may be the case in the past, but I’ve heard that the Souldom has changed their stance,” Fargrim said. “They’ve dispatched priests to both the kingdom and the empire to provide healing.”

  “What? They’re playing both sides?” Tucker asked.

  “That’s one way of looking at it.” Fargrim wiped his bald head with a cloth. “They have worshippers in both nations, so it makes sense how they choose not to abandon either. But that being said, they may have some underhanded tactics in mind.”

  Tucker clenched onto the bedsheets, creasing the fabric, but soon released his grip. “I don’t think that’s the case.”

  Alex raised a brow. “You changed your mind pretty quick.”

  “Well, after nearly dying, I can see why it’s important for there to be healers.” Tucker gently touched the back of his shoulder. “I would have probably died if the dwarves hadn't saved me. It's probably the same on the front lines. Countless soldiers were critically injured and being healed by priests from the Souldom. So I don’t think they have ill intentions.”

  Alex kept quiet. He knew each word that came out of Tucker’s mouth was right. The gods were merciful in their own way, but he couldn’t accept it. Even Fargrim felt bitter hearing this. It was the first time he had ever heard of the Celestia Souldom aiding both nations at war. In fact, he considered it some kind of ruse.

  “Well, that’s enough outta me. I best leave ya to rest now,” Fargrim said, rising from his seat. After taking several strides, he flung open the door and stopped. “That reminds me, Salamander. We’ve sent word to the Order and told them about your situation.”

  “Oh? And what did they say?” Alex asked.

  “Nothing useful just said to wait, but for some reason, the damn custodian just kept talking about spring flowers and how pretty they were as they bloomed. They’re still a bunch of weirdos if ya asked me,” Fargrim replied.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “The custodians have always been a bit odd, to be honest,” Tucker added.

  “Well, they’re good at their job, so it ain’t a big deal.” Alex shrugged his shoulders and stared at the stone ceiling. “Do you know how the war is going so far, Fargrim?”

  “Afraid not, but it’s probably best you don’t know what’s happening there.” Fargrim examined the three bedridden watchmen and smirked. “It’ll do no good for you to worry about such things. Focus on recovering. We’ve prepared your things under the bed and repaired what we could. Like I said, once Owl wakes up. It’ll be best to leave. Though knowing you, Salamander, you’re probably keen on leaving.”

  “You know me well.” Alex cracked a smile as Fargrim scoffed. “We appreciate all the help you’ve given.”

  “No worries, laddie, it’s a small favor compared to what you guys have done for us.” Fargrim returned a simple nod before stepping out and slowly closing the door. Leaving the three alone.

  Once Alex was confident that no one else was around them. He released a deep breath before tightly closing his eyes. “The Order has planned their spring offensive.”

  “Without us?” Tucker asked.

  “Yeah, it’s probably too late for us to even participate. We’ve been out for a while, and Owl still hasn’t woken up.” Alex stared at Blaire, who was still unconscious. “Though even if we did make it back in time, we would probably be forced to recover for a while to regain our strength before being assigned to higher-ranked missions—what the hell are you doing?”

  Tucker froze and looked back at Alex. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

  The old man glared at Tucker, who was manipulating the wind to pull Blaire’s bed closer to his. “It looks like you’re about to disturb someone’s rest.”

  ”Exactly.” Tucker continued his actions but soon stopped as his spine shivered. Soon, he let out a dry cough and moved the bed back. “I was just kidding. I was just testing out my new ability.”

  “Your new ability? Like what?”

  “Well, it’s probably easier to show it than to explain,” Tucker said, holding out his hands as a thin thread of spirit essence manifested between his fingers. Unlike the translucent energy that usually hovered without form. This one was clearly visible and had a clear shape.

  “You’ve manifested a spirit thread?” Alex asked.

  “Yeah, if that’s what you call it, but what does this mean for me?”

  “Well, it means you’ve entered the first step of bonding with your companion. The more threads you create, the stronger your bond and the higher your chance of ascending your spirit to their next form.”

  “Wait, but if that’s the case, how many threads have you manifested?”

  Alex remained still for a moment. Watching as Sally poked their head from beneath the blanket with a cheerful smile. “Zero.”

  Tucker watched as Alex gently brushed his fingers against Sally’s scales. Noticing the trace of sadness in the old man’s eyes before quietly shifting the topic. “In that case, how many threads would I need to make in order to counter an aura user that has created their fifth star?”

  “You mean someone that’s managed to create their own world?” Alex asked, thinking carefully as Tucker nodded. “Well, normally, a spirit contractor isn’t enough to fight within someone’s domain. Only by creating your own world would you be able to fight on even ground.”

  “I mean, hypothetically, how would you do it without the use of aura and magic?”

  “It’ll be difficult, but you’ll be relying on your companion for most of it. You need aura or magic to contend against those foes. Otherwise, you pray you’re skilled enough to fight under their constraints or pray that their world doesn’t restrict your movements.”

  “So… I’m just fucked then?”

  “Afraid so, that’s why you shouldn’t rely too heavily on your companion. They’re essential in the sense that they add in another factor for your opponent to worry about, but aura and magic depends on the strength of the individuals themselves.”

  Tucker sat there with a conflicted expression. He fell deep into thought but soon opened his mouth. “Then why is it that spirit contractors are so important in the Order?”

  “Because the average contractor is stronger than the average mage or aura user. The threshold for each concept differs, but typically, if you were to group four-star aura users and lower with their mage counterparts. You’ll see that most individuals are around the same strength, give or take.”

  “Right, because the early stages for both of those concepts are weak, then you get exponentially stronger.”

  “Yes, that’s why when you join the Order, we only have two requirements. To either be a four-star aura user or to be a fifth circle mage. As well as have a contract with a spirit.”

  Tucker nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense, except I don’t meet any of the first requirements.”

  Alex blankly stared at Tucker with a dumbfounded expression. “What?”

  “I mean, I thought you knew. I even stated it in my application,” Tucker pointed out.

  “No, I don’t look at the applications. I just take whoever the administrators assign to me,” Alex shot back.

  “Uh… surprise?” Tucker forced a weak smile, causing Alex to raise a brow.

  “Are you fucking with me?” Alex asked with a deadpan expression. “You’re not serious right?”

  “No, no! Of course, I’m not fucking with you. I really thought you knew.” Tucker shook his head and held onto the pillow as his aura enveloped the object. “I’m a three-star aura user.” Then he held out his hand with his palm facing the ceiling. “And a one-circle mage.”

  Alex’s frown hardened even more as he saw the feeble mana circle form above Tucker’s hand. It wasn’t anything like he had seen in his years of service and was barely maintaining its form. Coupled with the aura-covered pillow and spirit thread, the sight was a spectacle to behold. “What in the hell?”

  Alas, it seems like I have a bunch of work to do, so my writing pace has slowed.

  Also, let me know if you see any mistakes!

  Hope you enjoyed the chapter!