Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

A day later...

Atlas and Seraphiel could be seen walking through a different city this time. After the meeting, Seraphiel had requested a free day from Aurelis because she wanted to do something important, and Aurelis had immediately understood what she meant.

She didn’t stop Seraphiel from taking the day off, knowing that their training could resume at any moment and that Seraphiel also needed some time to focus on her personal life. After all, there was little point in pushing herself through training every single day without allowing herself time to enjoy the things she wanted to do.

Atlas was in no hurry to reach Emperor Rank either. He had spent ten whole days training without a proper break, and even though the results had been worthwhile, the process had become tiring and boring enough that he no longer felt like continuing immediately.

For now, he wanted to rest, spend some time with Seraphiel, and enjoy a little peace before returning to cultivation. He would break through to the next ranks whenever he felt like it, rather than forcing himself to do so simply because he had the opportunity.

After all, Atlas was already powerful enough to deal with most threats, especially now that his attributes had reached an entirely different level. His abilities were abnormal enough that he didn’t feel particularly concerned about facing another opponent like Trelisa, even if she appeared before him again.

He still remembered their previous confrontation and the fact that she had managed to survive his attacks, but that alone wasn’t enough to make him abandon his plans to enjoy his free time. For once, he had decided that there was no need to spend every moment thinking about getting stronger.

With that in mind, Seraphiel had taken the day off to accompany Atlas on their second date. This time, she held his right hand with both of hers while leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked through the streets. There was no embarrassment on her face anymore as she no longer felt the same hesitation she had experienced during their earlier interactions.

She had gradually come to understand that there was nothing to be embarrassed about when a couple spent time together, especially when both of them genuinely wanted to be close to each other, ’Master Aurelis really is amazing. If not for her teachings in these areas, just like Mother, I would have blushed terribly by now...’

Seraphiel glanced toward Atlas’s face, noticing the small smile that had appeared on his lips as they continued walking. The indifferent expression he had worn so often in the past seemed to be fading away little by little, and seeing that change made her feel unexpectedly happy.

’It seems I’m not the only one changing, hehe~. He looks even more handsome now.’ She continued looking at him for a moment before quietly turning her attention back to the street, trying to enjoy the time they had together without thinking too much about anything else.

They continued walking like that for quite a while before Atlas suddenly turned toward her and spoke. ”Seraphiel, I have an idea.”

Seraphiel lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him with a calm expression, asking, ”What is it?”

Atlas’s smile grew slightly, and there was a hint of excitement in his expression as he answered, ”How about I take you to the ’outside’ and show you how wonderful the view is?”

”Although you’ll eventually go there yourself, we can still spend some time together and enjoy the view, right? And this time, I’ll be the one taking you somewhere good.” Atlas spoke casually, but Seraphiel’s heart began racing the moment she saw that small smile on his face.

She had grown more accustomed to his affection, yet even such a simple gesture could still catch her off guard. After briefly losing herself in his expression, she quickly came back to her senses and answered, ”A-Alright, let’s go then.”

Atlas nodded before lifting his free hand and snapping his fingers. The moment he did, both he and Seraphiel vanished from their positions, leaving the people behind with nothing but their astonishment as they were unable to detect their disappearance even when both were just in front of them.

...

Atlas and Seraphiel appeared in outer space just outside Eliomor. The moment they arrived, they were already inside a separate, transparent space that Atlas had prepared beforehand to keep Seraphiel safe from the surrounding environment.

At her current level, she wouldn’t even be able to survive the Aether energy flowing through the space beyond Eliomor, let alone remain there long enough to appreciate the view. Atlas had therefore created a protective space around them before bringing her outside, ensuring that she could experience the surroundings without suffering any harm.

As soon as they appeared, Seraphiel opened her eyes, and the moment she saw what lay before her, both of them widened in astonishment. Countless stars shone throughout the vast expanse, while planets and different kinds of asteroids floated through the seemingly endless darkness.

For a moment, she simply stared at the sight before her, unable to take in everything at once. ”...Beautiful,” she murmured instinctively, feeling overwhelmed by something she had never experienced in her entire life.

Seraphiel slowly turned around, searching for Eliomor, but she couldn’t see their world anywhere around them. Even if it had been within her field of vision, she wouldn’t have been able to perceive it because of two reasons: the Veil concealed Eliomor from the outside, and she had never seen what their world looked like from beyond its boundaries.

She knew how Eliomor appeared from its surface, but that knowledge offered little help when she was standing outside it for the first time. Nevertheless, she continued looking around, fascinated by the unfamiliar surroundings.

As she turned further, another extraordinary sight entered her vision. A massive world floated in the distance, surrounded by several smaller, ashen spherical structures that orbited it. Even those smaller structures were almost the size of small planets, making the entire arrangement far larger than anything Seraphiel had imagined.

Her eyes remained widened as she looked at each one with visible curiosity and excitement, trying to take in the scale of the worlds before her. She had spent her entire life inside Eliomor, and seeing so many celestial bodies gathered in a single view made her realize just how vast the Galaxy truly was.

Atlas remained silent as he watched her reaction, smiling slightly while allowing her to enjoy the sight without interruption. He waited patiently until several moments had passed before Seraphiel finally turned toward him, still wearing a bright smile, ”It’s so beautiful, Atlas! Our world must look like one of them too, right?”

Atlas raised an eyebrow at her excitement before nodding, ’I have never seen her this excited...’