Birds chirped softly in the distance. The air was clear, the moonlight gentle, and the stars watched quietly from above. Wrapped in this serene environment, Ray's restless heart gradually settled.
Slowly, naturally, he entered a meditative state.
Blue points of light drifted in from every direction, like fireflies drawn by an unseen call.
They gathered around Ray, slipping quietly into his body and spreading through him without resistance. He felt as though he had sunk into a vast blue ocean, surrounded on all sides by gentle currents.
Within that ocean, countless faint voices seemed to whisper his name, overlapping and echoing softly, neither urgent nor loud, yet impossible to ignore.
The familiar fragrance of Silverfalls Vine permeated every part of him. It seeped into his skin, his bones, and even his breath.
Deep within his lower abdomen, his soul power warmed and stirred, no longer stagnant, slowly unfolding like a bud meeting the first light of dawn. In his perception, the world lost its original colors and was dyed entirely in shades of blue.
The scent of Silverfalls Vine existed everywhere, inside and outside his body, until he could no longer tell where it ended and he began.
Faint golden lines quietly lit up on his forehead, the same intricate pattern that had appeared before.
They extended outward across his skin, tracing his limbs and torso like living veins of light. For a brief moment, blue radiance and gold intertwined upon his body, alternating softly.
Then, as if satisfied, the golden lines gradually withdrew and vanished without a trace. Ray remained seated in meditation, his body glowing faintly, calm and unmoving.
By the time dawn arrived, the night had long passed.
"Ray, Ray…" Selina's anxious voice echoed through the streets as she searched.
In the small garden, Ray stirred.
He slowly opened his eyes and rose from his cross-legged position. Morning dew had dampened his clothes, but he felt no chill at all. I
nstead, a warm, indescribable sensation flowed through his entire body, as though every joint and muscle had been gently loosened.
"Ray, Ray…" His mother's voice came again, closer this time.
"I'm here, Mom!" Ray called back quickly, hopping off the grass and running toward her.
As he moved, he noticed that his body felt lighter than ever before. His steps were steady and effortless, as if some invisible restraint had been removed.
"You child, why were you out here all night?" Selina scolded him the moment she saw him, her voice stern but trembling with relief as she checked him over from head to toe. "You nearly scared me to death."
"I'm sorry, Mom," Ray said obediently. "I was meditating in the garden. I think… I think I broke through to the tenth rank."
Selina froze for a moment, stunned. Then she lowered her head and examined him carefully. Ray was already nearly as tall as her shoulder now.
Though his clothes were slightly damp, his skin seemed to glow with a healthy luster, and his eyes were bright and spirited.
"Listen to me," she said softly after a moment. "Nothing is more important than your safety. Come home first. I'll make you breakfast." She kissed the top of his head several times before taking his hand and leading him back.
When Wilheim heard the news, his face lit up instantly. "You broke through?" he said happily. "Then we'll go to the academy today and have you tested. If it's true, I'll take you to buy a spirit soul tomorrow."
"Long live Dad!" Ray cheered, pumping his fist.
As they sat down to breakfast, Ray noticed something odd. "Vivi, what's wrong? Aren't you happy for me?" he asked, puzzled. Usually she would have already finished half her meal by now, but today she sat quietly, staring into space.
"Ah? Nothing's wrong," Vivienne said, startled, before giving him a gentle smile.
"Congratulations, big brother." She then lowered her head and began eating.
Ray assumed she felt down because she had no martial soul and didn't press the issue.
His guess about the breakthrough was soon confirmed. At the academy, Teacher Gerrad Frost personally brought him to test his soul power. The result was clear. Rank ten.
With this, Ray became the seventh student in his class to reach the tenth rank.
Crossing this threshold meant stepping beyond the level of a Soul Scholar. Once he obtained a spirit soul, he would officially become a Soul Master and take his first true step on this path.
"Ray," Gerrad Frost said with a smile, "have your family take you to the Spirit Tower as soon as possible. After fusing with a spirit soul, you'll be an official Soul Master. You'll receive a monthly stipend of one thousand Federation Coins. That will be enough to support you in an intermediate academy."
Ray nodded eagerly. "I already have enough money to buy a spirit soul, Teacher. I'll go tomorrow."
"Good," Gerrad Frost replied warmly. "I'll help you apply for leave tomorrow. I wish you the best of luck."
After becoming a Soul Master, the stipend would allow him to support himself without burdening his parents.
Though intermediate academies were compulsory, living expenses still mattered. If one day he reached the rank of Soul Grandmaster, the stipend would increase even further.
Step by step, he was moving closer to his dream.
That night, despite his excitement, Ray remained composed. Years of forging had tempered his heart as much as his body. He went to Gilbert's workshop as usual and completed his assignments before returning home.
Wilheim immediately took the next day off after receiving the academy's notice so he could accompany his son. Selina tried to do the same, but her request was denied due to work.
"Vivi, you seem distracted today," Ray said gently that evening. "Don't worry. Even if you don't have a martial soul, big brother will protect you. I'll protect you for your whole life, alright?" He rubbed her head affectionately.
Vivienne looked up at him. Her purple eyes shimmered with an unusual brilliance. "Big brother, can you take me to the beach after we eat?"
Ray turned toward his father.
"Go ahead," Wilheim said with a smile. "Just don't come back too late."
Ironspire City was more like a sprawling village than a true city, with no walls to speak of. The commoner's district lay close to the shore. It took less than ten minutes to walk there.
The beach itself was rough, covered in coarse sand and broken shells rather than fine grains. Legends said that humanity's excessive hunting of ocean soul beasts had angered nature itself.
The moonlight that night was as beautiful as the night before, pure and bright like snow. Stars glittered across the sky like embedded gems, their light mirrored upon the restless surface of the sea. Waves surged and retreated endlessly, accompanied by the cries of seabirds, filling the night with a vibrant, living rhythm.
Vivienne gazed at the ocean, then up at the sky. "There are so many stars tonight, big brother."
Ray laughed softly. "Maybe they all came out to congratulate me on becoming a Soul Master. Vivi, are you sad that you can't become one?"
She shook her head. "That's not it." After a brief silence, she turned to face him, her eyes fixed on his. "Big brother… would you miss me if I left one day?"