Grey was sitting cross-legged in Bahus’ room. The latter was in the dining room, telling his mother that he was fine and that there wasn’t anything to worry about anymore, before coming back to his room to find Grey.

“I… Please let me get stronger!”

Bahus bowed his head to Grey, to which Grey lightly smiled.

Using void magic to restore Bahus’ body cost him 400 mana. This wasn’t something he didn’t expect but it was still something he couldn’t disregard. Though he had clues about remnants of a dragon class, it wasn’t in his possession so he couldn’t use his mana that freely anymore.

After he saved Bahus, he asked him why he was put in such a state. The answer wasn’t something Grey expected. Apparently, they beat him until he was crippled just to warn him from not trying to get things which he shouldn’t even look at. Grey thought that someone finally caught Bahus stealing from wealthy people, but that wasn’t the case. When Grey asked him what they meant about that, Bahus’ eyes flickered with a strange light.

“They… I think it might be because of her…”

“Her?”

“The first daughter of the Hecht, Milena Hecht…”

“Oh? The girl you like?”

“No! It isn't love! I just… I just admire her beauty. After the exam, I managed to strike a conversation with her. We just talked about what he had to reflect on during the exam and exchanged our point of view. I never meant to court her or anything alike. But… Some might have thought otherwise. I tried to explain myself but they just kept beating me up…”

“Did they say anything else?”

“Yes… They said that if I were to talk to her again, they would take care of Maya and my family… I… I don’t want to risk my family’s wellbeing but… I know that she will come to talk to me on her own…”

“Why?”

“I somewhat told her that if she could take me as a friend or even someone with which she could talk about the different material with, I’d be glad to accept this position…”

At that moment, Bahus throat was little dry and his cheeks were a bit red.

His heart beat faster to the sweet thoughts about him and Milena chatting about everything and nothing in the courtyards while laughing. However, his delusions were broken by an icy cold air emanating from Grey.

“I can help you. However… It might hurt, a lot. And I can’t promise you that you’ll be strong enough by the next time you’ll encounter them. You told me what they looked like, but those are surely only small fries. The real culprits didn’t act.”

“I know. With me being part of the Academy if I were to complain about a student they would surely be in a pinch in case of an investigation if they acted personally. But, regardless of the pain, I want to become stronger.”

Grey sighed and took out the core of the underworld beast he retrieved a few days earlier. Seeing the core a look of shock appeared on Bahus’ face.

“A blue core?! You have a king class core!”

According to the level of a magical beast or monster, the color of its core would differ. Blue was for king class, and the brighter the core, the higher the level of the beast or monster.

“Yes. And I will forcefully transfuse a part of its stats and mana pool to you. How much will depend on your endurance…”

Grey’s voice was low but showed a hint of sadness. He knew better than anyone else what kind of pain it was.

“W-What are you talking about?!”

“In a core, reside the beast’ stats and mana pool. Humanoids can’t possess a core otherwise their body would explode, but I found a way to transfuse the stats. This core is the highest I currently have. If you can endure the pain and maintain the connection, I will be able to transfer to you a part of its stats.”

“This… This is insane! Imagine… What if you absorbed a dragon’s core?!”

“You’d die. There is probably more chance for you to defeat me than being able to absorb a dragon’s core.”

“Ahah… You can heal a crippled body in thirty minutes, engrave arrays like they were kid’s drawings… And I don’t want to test how good you are at fighting, I might commit suicide otherwise.”

Grey frowned.

“Why would you commit suicide? I just saved you.”

“Because you’re good at fighting too?!”

“I can manage.”

“Manage means?”

Grey stayed silent, avoiding Bahus questioning gaze. If he told him that he only needed one bullet to kill a king class, he didn’t know what his reaction would be.

“Anyway… If you can increase my stats… That’s good I guess…”

“Increasing your stats is the first step. The hardest step would be learning how to fight. What kind of weapon do you use?”

“Hum… I… I used my fists…”

“Martial arts then? Hum… I wonder if you can survive that training...”

Grey’s voice was very low but Bahus still managed to hear his words.

“What? What do you mean to survive?”

“I need you to be able to protect your family against multiple opponents who will be armed and will use magic at the same time and in the most efficient way to prevent them from harming your family while you fight. Do you think I will simply teach how to throw punches left and right?”

Bahus was dumbstruck.

Just how much of an abnormality are you?

But before he could say something, something hot flowed down his cheeks. Noticing that he had started crying, Grey raised his eyebrows. Bahus himself didn’t understand, he never felt like that before.

Is this… Being able to rely on a friend…

Grey sighed.

“I will transfuse the stats in you and we will start the training afterward. But, we will do this tomorrow. However, I have something to say. This is important since I will be looking for who crippled.”

Bahus nodded his head after wiping off his tears.

Back in his room, Grey fell head first on his bed.

“Do you want a massage young master?”

Alexia offered her service since she could see that Grey tired. Grey didn’t even bother looking at her.

“You can go back now. I think you paid Sylvia’s debt already.”

Hearing him, Alexia’s face paled. Her body was trembling uncontrollably as she was trying to muster enough courage to defend herself.

“Please… Don’t throw me away… I don’t want to be with them anymore… Please…”

Her eyes were looking at the floor while she was trying her hardest to speak. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

Then, she felt a hand on her head and looked up to see that Grey was standing in front of her.

“Do you really want to stay with me?”

“Yes! No matter what!”

Alexia didn’t even think twice and nodded her head vehemently.

“Then, I’ll have to get rid of these things in your body.”

After that, a shroud of darkness covered Alexia’s consciousness.

Watching the collapsed Alexia in his arm, Grey let out a cold smile.

“Now then, if I help Bahus I will certainly antagonize those guys, might as well go all the way.”

Meanwhile, in the Bethel family mansion.

“Alexia’s link has been cut.”

It was dining time, thus everyone present in the mansion, was in the dining room having a meal together.

Hearing his father’s words, Sylvia’s younger brother darkened.

“Her last report mentioned that Grey’s friend seems to have been crippled then healed by him through unknown meanings. Something must have happened for her bind to disappear like this. Kayne, do you have any idea about this?”

“I don’t. This is indeed troubling. This Grey’s talent isn’t ordinary, I’d say that he dangerous. If what she said is right, then not only does he have a godly talent in crafting but in healing spells as well. This kind of person needs to be roped in at any cost.”

Kayne answered his father with a calm and composed face. Recently, Grey’s name was something he grew accustomed to.

“We shouldn’t involve him in our matters… He won’t like it.”

Sylvia voiced her opinions, though her tone was composed, complex emotions could be felt in her last words.

“I am with Sylvia. We should let that commoner out of our matters! We shouldn’t have given him Alexia in the first place.”

This time it was her younger brother, Chris who spoke. Since the beginning, Chris wanted to get back at Grey, but couldn’t since his father prohibited him to do so. However, things would be different as long as his father disregarded Grey.

“I wonder? Though his lack of background is troublesome, with his talent and prowess he would be fit for our little Sylvia.”

Sylvia’s mother interjection made her daughter blush, a fact that didn’t escape her eyes. Since few years, she tried to find an appropriate partner for her daughter, but no one managed to move her or make her drop her cold shoulders. The fact that a talent full young man could make her daughter react that way, was an opportunity she wouldn’t let go of.

“Indeed. Little sister could use her charms bind him to our family.”

Kayne supported his mother idea.

“No. He doesn’t like me and… I didn’t leave him a good impression of me.”

“What? You didn’t outright refuse? Is my baby daughter alright?”

Her father didn’t let go of that chance to tease her.

“Dad! Stop! I don’t love him either. He is just… more interesting than the others.”

“Honey, you shouldn’t tease your daughter like that. But Sylvia, if you find him interesting it is enough. If you fall in love with him afterward there won’t be any problems but if someone else steals him from you, it will be too late by then.”

“Mom… I don’t want to marry him…”

“Why? Is it because he is weaker than your formidable big brother?”

She gave her daughter a look as if she had a complex on her own brother.

“No! And… I think he is stronger.”

This sentence made Kayne’s lips twitch.

“Little sister, I can agree to the fact that this Grey of yours is strong, but overestimating his abilities isn’t something you should do.”

“He. Is. Not. My Grey. And I am not exaggerating. Can you kill an underworld grizzly with one attack? Can you block Chris magic with one finger? I know that big brother is really strong, but Grey is stronger. I don’t know how much, but at least I know that if I were to fight him I wouldn’t even see how I died.”

“If he was that strong, why didn’t he sign up in the Alpha group?”

“Because he doesn’t want to… I think? I don’t know… I didn’t get the chance to speak with him since your little presentation…”

Seeing that their conversation was starting to go off the chart, Sylvia’s father finally reacted.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Tomorrow you will go and see and try to get close to him. If you find any clues about what happened to Alexia, be sure to investigate about it without being found out.”

Sylvia’s eyes flickered with shock.

“Dad, are you thinking that Grey undid you slave seal?”

“A little bit. This kid has given me too many surprises already that if it were to be him, I would be half shocked now.”