"Breathe, kid," Mist's voice was surprisingly gentle.
The Tiger Squad Captain stepped forward, placing a steadying hand on Krad's trembling shoulder.
"You're back. The simulation is over."
Queen Hania immediately rushed to the bedside, her hands glowing with soothing emerald magic.
"His heart rate is dangerously erratic! Captain, you pushed him too far. His physical body is mirroring the psychological trauma!"
Kashima stood at the foot of the bed, his stormy gray eyes analyzing Krad like a blacksmith examining a piece of hammered steel. He did not look apologetic. He looked expectant.
"His mind has survived," Kashima stated, his deep voice leaving no room for argument. "Now, we repair the vessel."
He reached into his coat and produced a small, unassuming glass vial. The liquid inside was a vibrant, sparkling red, catching the magical light of the ward.
Krad cracked one golden eye open, his breath hitching as he recognized the vial immediately.
"Wait," Krad wheezed, pointing a shaking finger at the glass. "I know that... that's the Quick Potion! From the Weakling Shop in Ustina!"
Kashima's jagged scar twitched in what might have been amusement. He popped the cork and handed the vial to Krad. "Drink it."
Krad didn't hesitate. He grabbed the vial and downed the sparkling liquid in one gulp.
Just like that day in Ustina, absolute warmth exploded through his system. But this wasn't the minor, tingling relief of a standard health potion. This felt like a miniature sun igniting in his stomach. The agonizing heat in his torn thigh instantly vanished, replaced by the bizarre, itchy sensation of muscle fibers violently knitting themselves back together. The grinding pain in his chest completely ceased as his ribs fused perfectly into place.
Krad took a deep, full breath. No pain.
[ Health: 1000/1000 (Maximum Over-Heal Achieved) ]
[ Status Effects: Purged ]
"Whoa," Krad gasped, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. He bounced on his left leg. Perfect. "I paid twenty Pesos for that stuff back in the day! I should have bought out his whole inventory!"
"Twenty Pesos," Mist snorted, crossing his arms. "Kid, what you just drank is called the Elixir of the First Dawn. A single drop takes three years to brew. That vial is worth roughly four million Pesos on the black market."
Krad's jaw hit the floor. "Four... four million?!"
"The man you met in Ustina," Kashima said, his tone turning serious, "is not just a potion seller. His name is Aldous. He is a retired Continental Pillar, a Rare Healer Mage Slayer, and one of the original founding members of the Vanguard."
"The old man with the awesome crimson beard?!" Krad yelled, his mind reeling. "But... but he laughed at me! He told me I was crazy for fighting Devourer Slimes with my fists!"
"He laughed because you were crazy," Mist smirked. "But Aldous doesn't run a shop in a beginner town by accident. He stays there to watch for anomalies. He looks for players who possess a spirit that cannot be taught. When you walked into his shop, battered, broke, and demanding to hunt down a Corrupted Mage to avenge a bunch of low-level slimes... he saw exactly what you were."
"He sent you to the Kingdom of Darkness not just to find a weapon," Kashima added, stepping closer to Krad. "He sent you there because he sensed the ancient, dormant seal within your soul. He knew that environment would catalyze your awakening as the Vessel."
Krad stared at his own fists, the realization washing over him. The old man hadn't been mocking him. He had been testing him. Guiding him.
"We are out of time for pleasantries," Kashima said, shattering the nostalgic moment. "I have forcefully repaired your physical body because you are about to endure a strain far greater than any physical combat."
Krad looked up, the humor draining from his face.
"Tactics will keep you alive against standard Slayers," Kashima said coldly. "But Morana Blackthorn, Titan Forgeborn, and Liyab are not standard. They wield Domains. And Xerxes is marching on this city with an army of revived, corrupted Slayers to rip your heart out."
Kashima pointed a stern finger at Krad's chest.
"You survived Brick Stonefist by suppressing the Moon Eater and relying on your human willpower. I commend your spirit. But willpower alone is a shield of glass against a god's design. If you want to save this world, you cannot just lock the monster in the basement."
Mist stepped up beside his Captain, his eyes serious. "You have to open the cage, Krad. You have to force the Moon Eater to yield twenty percent of its power to you, completely under your control."
"Every time I use it, it tries to take over," Krad argued, his heart rate spiking. "You guys were the ones who told me not to rely on it! You said it would consume me!"
"We told you not to rely on it as a crutch," Mist corrected. "There is a massive difference between borrowing power because you are weak, and commanding power because you are strong. You've proven your foundation. You fought a Level 401 and won as a human. Now, you must prove to the beast that you are the master of this vessel."
Queen Hania looked worried, her silver hair shimmering as she stepped forward. "To attempt a forced synchronization... he will have to enter his own Innate Domain. His soul space. If the beast overpowers his mind in there, his body in the real world will become a permanent, hollow puppet."
"He will not fail," Kashima said. It wasn't a word of encouragement, it was an absolute demand.
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the medical ward. Krad swallowed hard, looking at the strict, unyielding faces of Kashima and Mist. He took a deep breath, preparing to accept his destiny, to march into the darkest corners of his own soul and conquer a primordial beast.
GRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOAWWWRRR!
The sound was absolutely deafening. It echoed off the white stone walls of the medical ward like a dying, high-level magical beast roaring in agony.
Queen Hania gasped, taking a step back. Mist immediately reached for the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting around the room for an ambush. Even Kashima's hand twitched toward his coat.
But there was no monster.
Krad slowly raised a hand, his face burning completely bright red. He clutched his stomach, which let out another, slightly smaller, pathetic squeak.
"I... uh," Krad stammered, looking at the floor. "I haven't eaten since before the Brick fight. And recovering a thousand health points really, really burns calories."
[ System Buddy: Alert! Caloric Deficit Critical! If you try to fight a cosmic space dragon on an empty stomach, you will literally pass out from low blood sugar! ]
The terrifying, world-ending tension in the room shattered into a million comedic pieces.
Hania let out a sudden, melodic laugh, covering her mouth with her elegant hands. Mist face-palmed so hard the smack echoed in the ward, dragging his hand slowly down his face in pure exasperation.
Commander Kashima, however, did not laugh. He simply stared at Krad's stomach for three painfully long seconds.
"A vessel cannot wage war if it is running on fumes," Kashima stated, his voice completely deadpan, as if he were discussing a high-level military tactic. He turned sharply toward the door. "We will hold a feast to replenish his physical reserves before the soul synchronization."
Krad's eyes instantly lit up. "A feast?! Real food?!"
Kashima paused at the ruined doorway, turning his stormy gray eyes toward his Vice Captain.
"Mist," Kashima commanded. "You are paying."
Mist's head snapped up, his eyes widening in absolute horror. "What?! Captain, respectfully, no! Have you seen him eat? His stomach is a dimensional void! I just paid his tournament registration fee! I bought the premium medical ward package! I am the Third-Ranked Slayer on the Continent, not the Royal Treasury!"
"You are his sponsor," Kashima replied, completely unmoved. "A sponsor provides. Do not make me pull rank, Assistant Manager."
Krad burst out laughing. Mist shot Krad a withering, lethal glare.
"I am going to make you run three hundred laps around the arena for that," Mist hissed, his shoulders slumping as he reluctantly pulled a heavy coin pouch from his coat, already mourning its contents. "Fine. Let's go feed the bottomless pit."
Twenty minutes later, they were sitting at a massive outdoor table in the Center of Sorsogon Plaza.
The Plaza was a vibrant. Magical lanterns floated in the air, casting warm, golden light over hundreds of merchant stalls, open-air kitchens, and wandering tournament fighters. The smell of roasted meats, spiced noodles, and sweet pastries was intoxicating.
At the center of their table sat a mountain of food. Literally, a mountain.
"More skewers!" Krad yelled with his mouth full, dual-wielding two massive, roasted turkey legs like they were daggers. "And get some of those spicy fire-noodles! My agility stat demands carbohydrates!"
Mist sat across from him, looking physically ill. Every time Krad signaled a waiter to bring another plate, Mist winced, aggressively counting the gold and silver coins remaining in his pouch.
"Slow down, you feral animal," Mist groaned, watching Krad inhale a bowl of broth in three seconds flat. "You don't even chew! You just unhinge your jaw like a snake!"
"Leave the boy alone, Mist," Queen Hania smiled warmly, delicately slicing a small piece of seared fish. "In the Green Kingdom, a warrior who eats well fights well. His body has been through unimaginable stress today. It is only natural that it seeks to rebuild."
Kashima sat at the head of the table. He ate with terrifying, robotic efficiency. Every cut of his knife was perfectly measured, every bite chewed exactly ten times. He looked completely out of place in the lively plaza, a hardened war commander surrounded by joyful noise, but his eyes never stopped scanning the crowds, watching for any sign of Xerxes's spies.
Krad finally slowed down, tossing his seventh empty skewer onto the growing pile in the center of the table. He grabbed a napkin, wiping the grease from his chin, and let out a massive, satisfied sigh.
"Okay," Krad said, leaning back in his chair. The joke was over. The warmth of the food settled into his stomach, but the heavy reality of what came next settled back into his mind. "I'm full."
Mist stopped counting his coins, looking up at the shift in Krad's tone.
Krad looked at his own hands. They weren't trembling anymore. The Elixir of the First Dawn had completely repaired his muscles, and the food had restored his energy. He felt perfectly, 100% healthy.
But he knew it wasn't his physical body that was going to be tested next.
"Captain," Krad said, dropping the jokes, looking the intimidating commander dead in the eye. "When I go into my Innate Domain... when I face the Moon Eater."
Kashima set his fork down, giving Krad his full attention.
"It's going to try to consume my mind, isn't it?" Krad asked softly. "It's going to use every memory, every fear, and every ounce of its ancient aura to crush my ego. It wants me to become a hollow puppet so it can break free."
"Yes," Kashima answered honestly. "The beast is primordial. It does not understand mercy. It only understands hunger and dominance. It will attack your psyche with everything it has."
Mist leaned forward, his eyes entirely serious now. "If you lose control in there... your physical body sitting in the real world will change. Your eyes will go permanently silver. Your mind will die. And the Moon Eater will take the wheel. If that happens..."
Mist swallowed hard, glancing at Kashima. "If that happens, the Commander and I will have no choice. We will have to execute you right where you sit, before the beast can fully manifest."
Queen Hania gasped softly, but Krad didn't flinch. He just nodded slowly. He understood the stakes.
"I won't let that happen," Krad said.
He thought about Hanan, standing brave in the face of her lost kingdom. He thought about Aze, fighting with everything he had against Morana. He thought about Kora, who burned her own lifespan to heal him, and Dani, who gave him her armor and told him to stay alive.
"I am the master of this vessel," Krad said, his golden eyes hardening into unyielding resolve. "I'll rip that twenty percent out of its jaws if I have to."
Kashima stared at the boy. For the first time all day, a genuine, terrifyingly fierce smile crossed the Commander's scarred face.
"Good," Kashima said, standing up from the table. "The feast is over. It is time to open the cage."