The familiar hum of settled energy resonated through me as I finally opened my eyes. After what felt like an eternity, but was likely only a few hours of focused meditation, the last lingering tremors from overexertion had been shunted from my loci, and my internal pathways felt stable once more. With a thought, a translucent, shimmering interface bloomed before my vision, invisible to anyone but myself. ◈ Messages (2 Unread) ◈ Resonant Relics/Treasures ◈ Techniques/Styles/Arts I’d felt the System pings during the battle - those insistent vibrations at the edge of awareness. Now, with the Keep secured and my body no longer threatening to implode, I could properly review them. I immediately noticed the signs on the two functions but decided to start with the messages, as I promised myself last time. Two new messages glowed, signifying their unread status: ◈ [ECLIPSE KEEP’S SILENT ARCHITECT] (*) ◈ [ECHO OF ANCIENT COLD] (*) I mentally selected the first entry. The window expanded, filling my vision with its detailed report. 「 ECLIPSE KEEP’S SILENT ARCHITECT 」 "A healer’s hands mended flesh. A tactician’s mind outmaneuvered fate. And when the Lament Shroud’s mist threatened to drown all hope — you stood where the tide broke. ▸ CONTRIBUTIONS RECOGNIZED: ✓ Orchestrated triage protocols that reduced casualties by 81% ✓ Devised and implemented strategic counter-measures that critically weakened the enemy. ✓ Personally stabilized Baron Nusayel’s critical meridians post-battle ✓ Intercepted fatal backlash meant for Baroness Selvienne ✓ Saved a corrupted soul Result: Played a paramount part in the overall victory of Eclipse Keep. ◈ + 100 Scenario Points ◈ [Title Unlocked: [Shadow Mender]] "You work where the light doesn’t reach - stitching wounds and fates alike." ▸ +10% Mender’s Paradox comprehension ▸ Minor aura regeneration growth when healing ◈ [Memory Fragment: The Second Thread] ◈ [Healer’s Indispensable Toolkit] - "A comprehensive collection of fundamental instruments and sterile supplies. An essential for any practicing or aspiring healer." ◈ [Apothecary’s First Compendium] - "A foundational text detailing the identification, properties, and basic preparation of common medicinal plants." NOTICE: SHOP UNLOCKED! A wry smile tugged at my lips as I finished reading. The System really enjoys glazing me, doesn’t it? Not that I minded - the praise was... satisfying, in a way I’d never admit aloud. My gaze skipped past the florid prose and the report to the rewards. The [Shadow Mender] title caught my attention first - its effects were more practical than I expected. The aura regeneration while healing would be invaluable, and that boost to Mender’s Paradox comprehension... I lingered on [Memory Fragment: The Second Thread] for a moment before deciding to save it for later. Some things deserved proper focus. The last two rewards - the toolkit and compendium - were clearly the System’s way of supporting my new persona. Not that I’d complain about professional-grade equipment and what appeared to be an exhaustive medicinal reference. NOTICE: SHOP UNLOCKED! My smile widened. So that’s what the asterisk meant. If the Shop was open, then Bonds likely were too. I decided to check both of them after reviewing the next message. A chime echoed in my mind as the System automatically minimized the message, drawing my attention to the second entry: 「 ECHO OF ANCIENT COLD 」 "You saw the monster behind the mist — and chose to offer a hand instead of a blade. Where others sought destruction, you sought understanding. And in that moment of mercy, a myth was reborn." ▸ Connection Established: You have successfully saved, stabilized, and bonded with the core entity of the Lament Shroud, now known as the Rime Weaver. ▸ Soul Symbiosis: Your destinies are now intertwined, granting you unique access to its nascent powers. ◈ + 100 Scenario Points ◈ [Title Unlocked: [Conduit of the Rime]] "A living link to the silent storms, channeling the primordial chill of a forgotten age. Your will guides the essence of absolute zero." ▸ Enhanced control over cold-affinity abilities. ▸ Increased resistance to frost and ice. ◈ [Rime Weaver’s Call (Active)] ◈ [Glacial Heartbeat (Passive)] ◈ Water Affinity has Evolved! - See the [Bonds] function for more information. As I absorbed the contents, phantom frost formed on my eyelashes, melting instantly in the cavern’s ambient warmth. The System’s dramatic phrasing aside, the message confirmed what I’d suspected - my connection with the Rime Weaver went deeper than simple coexistence. The rewards were... substantial. [Conduit of the Rime] - the title alone sent a shiver down my spine. Enhanced cold control and frost resistance would be invaluable, since I planned to work closely with the Weaver. [Rime Weaver’s Call] appeared to be a summoning skill with limitations - likely duration and cooldown restrictions I’d need to test. [Glacial Heartbeat] was more straightforward - passive aura regeneration in cold environments. Useful, especially in this frozen wasteland of a Keep. Then came the final line: Water Affinity has Evolved! So I do have water affinity. I still hadn’t synchronized my loci, a crucial step in formal cultivation or whatever they call it, and Virion had told me to check my affinities only after officially becoming an Initiate Resonator. He probably meant that I should focus on the immediate problem rather than worrying about other things. A quiet satisfaction settled in my chest as I processed the revelation. At least I wasn’t some affinity-less anomaly, doomed to rely purely on brute force or external tools. Coupled with my already awakened and subtly growing void affinity, the implications were many. With a thought, the detailed message windows vanished, collapsing back into the minimalist system dashboard. I then opened the [Bonds] window. There was an image of a swirling vortex ball - probably the Rime Weaver. And below the image, [Name: Empty] was written. Right, I haven’t given it a name yet. I considered it for a fleeting moment but decided against it for now. Some things required more thought. I just couldn’t name it Whitey or Frosty, those cliche monikers didn’t suit a being of its depth. Yet neither would I burden it with some grandiose title like "Glacius the Eternal" or equally pompous nonsense. I’ll think about it later. With that in mind, I mentally tapped the image. The window instantly morphed, presenting the detailed breakdown of my first bond. Race: Pure Aura Beast Affinity: Ice | Mental | Mist Innate Rank/Potential: Mythical Tier Current Rank: Elder Tier ◈ Special Bond Ability