"I am scared I will get used to you."

Those words set some kind of heavy silence in the room again. It wasn’t awkward nor was it peaceful either.

It was the kind that pressed on my chest and stayed there. And honestly, I didn’t know what to say anymore.

Just a few days ago, this girl was someone I only knew from a novel. A blind side character doomed to die miserably at the hands of someone who wasn’t even themselves.

But now?

She was standing in front of me, gripping my hand so tightly that it had begun to hurt, and saying something that was really hard for me to process, all because she was scared of depending on me too much.

Or in other words, she was scared of losing me. Because when she was in the hospital, she couldn’t walk, couldn’t drink, and couldn’t eat by herself, so the blindness wasn’t much of a problem for her.

Now, when she could move, walk, and do what she wanted, the disability of not being able to see was finally hitting her.

Because, what was the point of recovering when she still needed someone else’s support all the time?

I think I need to change that. No, I have to change that. I must.

"I think you are tired. You should take a nap first. Maybe you will feel better afterward?"

I said, hoping to pull her thoughts away from this whole depending-on-me thing. However, she just placed her head on my chest again and leaned herself against my body.

"No. I am not feeling tired. If anything, I am feeling better after coming close to you."

Only then did I realize something strange.

Ever since we had made contact, my body had gradually stopped feeling tired. The heaviness from running around all morning, sneaking her out, and dealing with Elena had almost completely faded away.

It was the same as when I first got the trait Mana Link, but this time something was different.

It only recovered my stamina before, not the ache in my muscles. However now, the ache, pain, uneasiness, everything was gone.

Ding!

[Soul-Link has leveled up!

Lvl. 1 > Lvl. 2

Effects added: All of your stats will be increased by 3× whenever you are within a 10m radius of your wife.

One-time Effect: Your wife has received a temporary buff!

Note: The level of the skill rises or drops depending on your wife’s emotional connection with you.]

That explains why we are feeling a bit too good. Looks like Soul-Link was a skill all along.

Now I think I have got an idea. What is there to worry about when I have this system? I just need to evolve Viora into someone who can not only walk independently but fight and protect herself too.

"Viora, even if you aren’t feeling tired, you have to sleep." I spoke and helped her lie down on the bed.

I had to leave her room if I was going to check every single menu of the system.

"Sleep. I will wake you up in an hour or two."

"Okay..." She seemed confused at first but then decided to do as I said and closed her eyes.

Now, I was going to get out of her room, but she said something that made me stop.

"Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" she said with her eyes closed. "I am afraid of being alone."

So, I had no choice but to stay there until she fell asleep. And somehow, despite everything that had happened today, this moment felt oddly calm.

But that calmness only made another thought appear in my head.

What would happen later?

Right now, Viora couldn’t even walk around a room without bumping into walls.

If someone discovered her like this... with those horns on her head.

No. Not if.

When.

Because eventually someone definitely would. And when that happened, weakness wouldn’t save her, neither would hiding.

My eyes slowly narrowed.

’If she wants to survive in this world... rewrite her fate with Jane, then she not only needs to become stronger. She needs to be able to understand her surroundings first.’

Not just emotionally. Physically too.

And that brought me to the biggest question. What exactly was happening to her body?

The system called it evolution or mutation or whatever. But I still didn’t know what that truly meant.

I slowly loosened my grip from Viora’s hand and took a small step back.

Immediately, her fingers twitched slightly like she subconsciously wanted to hold me again.

"I will still be here," I said.

Only after hearing my voice did she calm down.

Then, I went back to my room and sat cross-legged on the floor. Focusing inwardly, I called out the system.

Ding!

[System Menu Initializing...]

[ <Menu>

Skills

Powers

Stats

Wife’s Stats

Wife’s Evolution

Quests ]

My gaze immediately stopped at the second last option. And without hesitation, I selected it.

Ding!

[Opening Wife Evolution...]

For a brief moment, the screen flickered strangely before several lines slowly appeared one after another.

[Name: Viora Han

Current Evolution Phase: 0 (Mutation)

Status: Incomplete Mutation

Condition: Stable

Current Physical Alterations:

— Enhanced Hearing

— Enhanced Sensory Awareness(Small)

— Demonic Horn Formation (Permanent)

Note:- Phase 0 (Mutation) can only alter the body on a small scale. Please upgrade to higher phases to unlock different types of alterations and customization features.]

’So even the phases are upgradeable.’

I thought and slowly moved my eyes to read beneath the screen.

[Adaptation Method:

— Mutation/Evolution possible through consumption.

— Wife can gain traits according to the phase level and monsters consumed through the host.]

My brows furrowed.

This...?

To evolve Viora, I have to consume monsters? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Viora consumes them and evolves?

’Everything is messed up in this system.’

Suddenly, another line appeared beneath the previous one.

[Host Authority Detected.

Every monster weaker than your wife will fear you and think of you as their king and your wife as queen and follow your orders.]

"...This is insane."