Chapter 47: Vitae Wielder

Daphne didn’t answer right away. Instead, she settled into his lap, turning sideways so her long legs draped over him comfortably. The warmth and closeness made Zaeryn take notice—but he didn’t mind. His hands naturally rested at her hips, steadying her, as their gazes locked. There was a spark of amusement in her eyes, one that made the air between them feel charged. Daphne remembered that she still had to answer Zaeryn’s question about Kira. Her expression took on a serious look as she said. "You can definitely trust her. Despite how annoying she is, Kira can keep a secret," she said, her voice low, almost teasing. "She’s my best friend here. When I first arrived here, I was in a tough situation and, things weren’t great—but she was the only one who accepted me and saw my potential." She leaned just a little closer, brushing against him, "Even though I’ve grown to be her superior, she and the High Commander Lysara are the reason I’m here." Zaeryn nodded, noting the sincerity in Daphne’s voice as she spoke about Kira. It was nice hearing her sound so human, so different from her usual detached tone. And about Kira, clearly, they were close, probably best friends. But that wasn’t what captured his attention. What piqued his curiosity was something else: the part about how Daphne had come here under circumstances similar to his own, a detail Kira had mentioned before in the cafeteria. It made him want to ask and he did."Mind telling me...." Daphne stopped him, her hand lifting to cup his cheek. "No, not now," she said, her voice softening, but with a firmness that left no room for argument. "I’m not ready to share that part with you." Her thumb traced the line of his jaw. "I like you, but I don’t think we’re at a point where I can share who I was before I became a chief scientist here." Zaeryn’s mind raced at her statement. The words weren’t a rejection, but a confession—a puzzle he hadn’t known existed. ’Who she was before’ she became all of this? Did that mean she was someone else? The phrase echoed in his head, pulling at a thousand questions. What kind of life did she have before this? Was she a commoner? An outcast? A prodigy from a remote sector, brought here to be shaped into the powerful woman she was today? Zaeryn felt a pang of genuine disappointment because she didn’t just tell him herself to stop the curiosity he was feeling. "Got it," he said, the word coming out a little flat. He couldn’t help but add, a hint of playful hurt in his tone, "And I thought after the bond, you would trust me?" Daphne chuckled, a small, genuine sound. "Shut up. I do trust you. Which is scary, seeing as I only met you not long ago, but we’ve already done so much already it feels like i’ve known you for forty days." Wow she trusted him? Zaeryn didn’t know what to say or how to feel about that. A part of him was flattered, and the other part was completely overwhelmed. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they had skipped a dozen steps, their relationship accelerating at a pace that felt both thrilling and a little terrifying. He wasn’t complaining, though. He liked this. Whatever it was. His mind, however, couldn’t help but go down a familiar path. Did this mean she was going to be a part of his harem? It was a question that felt natural to him, a core part of his transmigration goal. He was a man with a destiny to build a harem, and here was a beautiful, powerful woman openly admitting her trust in him. The thought felt both audacious and completely, thrillingly possible. "Yeah, I trust you too," Zaeryn said, a smile finally breaking through. She stood up, the warmth of her presence leaving him in a sudden absence of heat. "Alright, get up." Zaeryn rose from the chair, wondering what she had in mind. "Now what?" Instead of answering, Daphne walked behind him. Her arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a soft hug from behind. She leaned her head against his shoulder, her breath a warm wisp against his ear. "Let’s see," she whispered, her voice a soft, intimate hum. "I want you to try using Vitae. You now have my ability; it’s called Vitae Weaving." Zaeryn shifted slightly, suddenly aware of how her body pressed against his back. He could feel the gentle weight of her breasts, the faint hardness of her nipples pressing through the thin fabric of her top. The sensation was distracting, stirring something low and electric inside him. He cleared his throat, trying to focus, but the warmth of her close presence made it harder to think straight. Still, he welcomed it, because this quiet intimacy was something he liked. "So... uh, can you explain more about this Vitae Weaving?" Zaeryn asked, his voice low and curious. Her voice dropped to a soft murmur. "Vitae Weaving lets you shape your will into something physical—temporary, of course. Nothing fancy at first. Just try creating a simple shield or basic shape." Her arms tightened around him, one hand pressing gently against his chest while the other drifted slowly across his ribs, tracing lazy, deliberate patterns that sent an unexpected shiver curling down his spine. The warmth of her touch was electric, every brush of her fingers sparking a fire beneath his skin. Daphne’s tone deepened, laced with something more intense now. "This is the core ability you’ve unlocked. It lets you control Vitae energy—turning it into something real, something you can wield. Now, try it." Zaeryn closed his eyes, focusing on the new golden energy thrumming inside him. He felt like he could see it in his head. He reached out, trying to pull it to the surface, to forge a shield as Daphne had described. But instead of a solid form, a small wisp of energy crackled to life between his hands—a flickering golden light that vanished almost as soon as it appeared. A disappointed sigh escaped Zaeryn. However, Daphne was far from being disappointed. She was actually impressed. She had expected failure on the first try. But the fact that even this tiny spark appeared was impressive. Most Vitae wielders had to struggle through many stages before seeing anything. It usually took days, sometimes weeks, to get this far. A genuine smile flickered at the corner of her lips. "Not bad, for your first try" she murmured, her voice losing its usual clinical edge. "You didn’t just feel it—you brought it to life. Most nascent wielders take much longer to manifest a visible effect." Zaeryn didn’t expect to hear that from her. Nonetheless it made him feel better, knowing that he was still surpassing expectations. "That’s a good thing then," he responded, his voice low. "At this stage, your skill is Nascent, Rank F. That means it’s still raw and unstable." Zaeryn’s eyes narrowed, intrigued despite the challenge ahead. "And how do I change that?" She answered softly, "With practice, you’ll learn to use it more smoothly, more powerfully. This is just the beginning." Her breath brushed against his neck as she whispered the last part, and Zaeryn’s grin widened. Freedom. Power. Options. She released her embrace, but her hands lingered on his shoulders,"This time," she instructed, "don’t just push the energy out. Guide it. Feel it flow from your core, down your arms, into your hands. Imagine it flowing through you, and then shape it with your will." Zaeryn took a deep breath, his mind clearing. The physical distractions, as nice as they were, faded. They were now replaced by the humming golden power in his gut. He closed his eyes, picturing a shield—not a wisp, but a solid, disc-like form of golden light. He stayed like that for more than half a minute, just concentrating and imagining what he wanted to create out of thin air, just using his will and Vitae energy. Daphne watched him quietly, her expression a thoughtful look in her eyes. She noticed that he was taking longer than usual, or maybe he was already reaching out and failing, but that wasn’t surprising. Not alarming. In fact, it was perfectly normal. Meanwhile, Zaeryn tightened his focus, pushing the golden energy forward with a quiet, deliberate command. This time, the wisp didn’t vanish into nothingness. It held—flickering violently, threatening to shatter—but he gripped it firmly with sheer force of will. Between his hands hovered a small, unstable disc of glowing light, trembling but real. It lasted only a few seconds before dissolving, but the proof was undeniable: Zaeryn had created a tangible construct on his very first day. Daphne’s breath caught, her wide eyes betraying the shock she refused to voice. How was this possible? He had only just acquired Vitae, and yet here he was, surpassing months of practice in mere minutes. Even she hadn’t mastered her powers that quickly—and she knew the cost of such recklessness.