"Okay then, I should help you take the flame into your body," Anastasia said, the Iron Flame flickering gently above her small palm, casting a soft, warm light between them.
Now that Christian had agreed, she was ready to fulfill her part of the deal without delay.
But Christian, instead of stepping forward, gave a small, tired smile and asked, "I want to tame it myself... so, can you just store it in something that can withstand its power, and give it to me like that?"
It was a simple request, but the air subtly shifted.
Anastasia’s smile remained unchanged, still charming and sweet, yet her violet eye narrowed sharply, almost in warning. For a moment, she said nothing — the room quiet, heavy with a silent pressure.
But then, with a flick of her wrist, she produced a small, ornate box from seemingly nowhere. It was silver-blue in color, engraved with delicate glowing lines, and pulsed faintly as if alive. She placed the flame inside the container, sealing it with a faint click, and extended it toward him without a word.
Christian reached out slowly and accepted it with both hands.
The box was cool — unnaturally so. A crisp, metallic coldness seeped into his skin, making him wonder for a moment what kind of material could contain such a flame without melting. But his curiosity was quickly overshadowed by a quiet excitement rising within him.
The Iron Flame was now in his possession.
Still, he knew this wasn’t the time to marvel or experiment. He gave Anastasia a faint nod and said, "I’ll go get some rest. We’ll start tomorrow."
He explained that he was already at his limit, and if they were going to forge parts infused with essence for her android, then the entire process would take longer than expected — likely no less than two months. He had to keep himself in top form.
Anastasia didn’t object, nor did she say anything further. She just gave a small wave of her hand as if to say, "Do as you please."
And Christian finally turned to leave.
From the workshop to the house, his steps were slow, but steady. The moment he entered, he didn’t head to the kitchen or the bed — he went straight to the bath.
Steam curled into the air as he sank into the warm water, every tense muscle in his back and arms relaxing all at once. The sensation felt like heaven after days of nonstop work.
He held the small box in front of him, just above the water’s surface, staring at it intently.
The memory of that moment — when Anastasia briefly let the flame’s power surge — was still fresh in his mind.
And there was no doubt about it.
He was far too weak to handle this flame.
And so the question echoed in his mind again and again: How could he tame it?
Asking for Anastasia’s help?
That was completely out of the question, after all.
He knew she was strong. She didn’t need any tricks to do something to him.
And maybe, he was simply thinking too much.
But still, he didn’t want to entrust his life... his body... to her.
Deciding to think about that later, after Anastasia left, Christian just rose up from the bathtub, dried himself off, and put something on before heading back to his room.
The first thing he did was call his sister and Eva.
Even though he had already heard from Iris that they were doing fine by Olivia’s side, he still wanted to hear their voices himself.
And it was only after that, that he finally turned to the more pressing matter he had been delaying.
Since he started making the android for Anastasia, Christian had still not received his Idle Accumulation — not even once. The source of thɪs content is N0veI.Fiɾe.net
[First Slot - Space Technique - 96:00:00 / 96:00:00]
[Second Slot - Essence Manipulation - 96:00:00 / 96:00:00]
[Third Slot - General Mechanic - 96:00:00 / 96:00:00]
[Fourth Slot - Breath of the Shadow Blade - 96:00:00 / 96:00:00]
[Fifth Slot - Perfect Body - 96:00:00 / 96:00:00]
[Sixth Slot – Infernal Spark – 96:00:00 / 96:00:00]
Looking at the Idle Practicing slots... at the timers already full...
Christian wondered if he should just receive them.
The problem was, he didn’t have the confidence that the moment he received them, Anastasia wouldn’t notice the commotion.
Did he actually make that big of a reaction when receiving them?
It was never anything huge. Especially for things like General Mechanic.
But the Essence Technique?
Christian had no confidence that Anastasia wouldn’t notice it — especially if she happened to be focusing her senses on him.
And even if, at this moment, she wasn’t paying him any attention and he managed to slip under her radar, there was still a chance she’d notice the change in him tomorrow... when she saw him again.
But then, should he really waste two whole months, just because he was in her company?
Christian clenched his hand, already feeling his heart bleed at how wasteful that thought was.
That’s why, after a moment of hesitation and scattered thoughts, he made up his mind.
He can’t be that wasteful.
Even then, there was no need to advertise that he had something unique inside him.
That’s why Christian decided on the best course of action he could take for now.
And that was to concentrate on General Mechanic this time — a purely knowledge-based skill.
He didn’t receive his Idle Accumulation right away, though.
First, he coated his body in a thin layer of essence, hoping it would mask the changes that were about to take place inside him.
He didn’t use his shadow attribute — because that would just alert her instead.
So he held his breath and hoped this could do the trick... before finally willing his Idle System to receive all the Idle Slots, and convert them into General Mechanic.
[You have received 3,840,000 Experience]
[The skill Void Art (First Chapter) has become Lv.8 (10%)]
[The Idle Practice in the First Slot, General Mechanic, has started.]
[You have received 576,000 Experience]
[The skill Essence Manipulation has become Lv.7 (40%)]
[The Idle Practice...]