Chapter 179: Bloom

"Inside my ring, there are two High Pure Aethers. Absorb them directly. I’ll release them the moment you start absorbing," Grace said.

"What?" Richard felt like he had misheard something.

Grace had High Pure Aethers—and she was giving them to him?

This was beyond shocking.

"Are you serious, Grace?" Richard asked.

"Wait, I can’t just take something that valuable from you. Tell me, what do you want in return?" he added.

If she wanted something small, like minor help, that would be fine—but High Pure Aether was extremely precious.

Richard had used it before, so he knew its effects were not merely about increasing Aether. It even enhanced the body, improving its ability to absorb Aether in the future.

Richard was certain Grace had obtained those with great difficulty. Even buying them would feel like extorting her.

"No need," Grace replied immediately. "My Aether is already full. I’ve used up quite a lot."

Richard’s mouth hung open. He didn’t know what to say after hearing such a straightforward answer.

She truly wanted to give him those two High Pure Aethers.

Richard looked at their hands, still holding each other’s, and suddenly wondered why she didn’t just lend him her ring.

Unless she was afraid he’d rob her?

"Go ahead," Grace said when Richard was still thinking.

She seemed absolutely confident.

Since that was the case, Richard nodded lightly and began absorbing.

Right after, he saw two violet orbs of light emerge from Grace’s ring.

They had golden streaks running through them.

If left outside without coming into contact with a Magus absorbing them, they would disperse into the environment.

They had to be stored either in a Storage Artifact or a Hidden World Space—places where the area was limited so they could be recollected even if they tried to diffuse.

Having grown much stronger, absorbing two High Pure Aethers at once was easy for Richard. They merged into his body smoothly.

The process lasted only a few minutes.

[Aether: 50,000/50,000 <Tier 3>] +2000

[Aether Accumulation: 85,000 <Tier 3>]

Now that his Aether was full—even though the increase was only 2000—Richard still felt an extraordinary sensation.

He had reached the limit. And at the limit, at least in terms of quality, his power improved.

"Are you done?" Grace asked.

"Yes..." Richard nodded.

"Thank you," he added.

Just as Grace tried to pull her hand back, Richard accidentally held on, preventing her from withdrawing.

It truly was unintentional—Richard was simply still enjoying the comfort of holding her exceptionally soft hand.

It was a normal reflex.

Richard gave an awkward smile and tried to release her, but to his shock, Grace’s hand suddenly tightened, so he failed to pull away.

Richard was stunned—and then he noticed Grace’s gaze on him, sharp and intense.

This wasn’t just a stare.

In her eyes, Richard saw a desire she herself probably wouldn’t say aloud.

In truth, Richard understood her feelings—ever since she had so willingly helped him, even giving him two High Pure Aethers.

The affection she felt for him when they were young had not disappeared. If anything, it might have only grown stronger after years of missing him.

Now that they were both adults, those feelings naturally carried... different implications.

Richard wasn’t sure how to respond.

Grace’s sincerity was something he could feel.

And though he was a reincarnator, not exactly a moral idealist, this still wasn’t easy to process due to his lack of experience.

For a moment, things were awkward.

Then Grace pulled her hand back and calmly turned her gaze forward, pretending nothing happened.

But Richard saw her eyes—she seemed dissatisfied.

This woman clearly expected initiative from him. As a woman, she wasn’t bold enough to take the first step.

’This is what happens when you’re alone with a woman at this age,’ Richard thought.

If she had no interest in him, why would she join him alone on this journey?

"Grace," Richard called out.

He felt it was better to clarify things—to give her the reassurance she wanted.

Not to reject her. He preferred having Grace by his side. Otherwise, he wouldn’t just lose a woman who needed him—Grace might even become his enemy if he didn’t become her partner.

Grace looked at him again, wondering what he wanted to say.

Richard smiled faintly and placed his hand on top of hers on the table.

For years he had wanted to touch a woman’s hand, to hold someone in his arms.

But as a complete beginner, thinking and doing were different. Only he knew how nervous he was. And this was just holding hands.

It was entirely different from earlier—they had a reason then. A handshake.

Now, Grace looked truly stunned.

She stared directly into his eyes.

"Is this all?" she asked in a provoking tone.

Grace simply couldn’t take the first step. But once the step was taken—she immediately revealed an aggressive side, much like her battle style.

Richard felt challenged. If he didn’t do something more, it would be embarrassing.

He stood up, tugged Grace’s hand so she stood as well, then pulled her into his arms, holding her slender waist.

It felt incredible—the softness of her figure pressing against him.

Grace didn’t resist. She placed her hands on his shoulders.

Now their faces were only inches apart.

Seeing her face up close, Richard became even more aware of how stunningly beautiful she was.

"Grace, are you sure?" he asked.

As he asked that, Grace’s hands slid up and wrapped around his neck.

Then she suddenly pushed him back until he was pressed against the railing of the airship, which only reached their waists.

She had become even more aggressive.

"I want you, Richard. Let yourself be mine, and I will do anything you want," Grace said without blinking.

"Wh-why?" Richard asked, voice trembling slightly.

"Because you understand me. You understand my suffering. And you have the power to free me from it," she answered.

"And..." she leaned in even closer.

"My body wants your body."

Richard, "..."

While he was still stunned, Grace’s lips pressed against his.

In his imagination, he always thought he would kiss a beautiful woman when he became an adult.

Instead, a beautiful woman had kissed him.

It was intoxicating—far more than anything he had expected.

Grace’s lips didn’t just touch his—they pressed, even sucked on his lips.

Reflexively, he responded, tasting Grace’s wine-scented breath.

His hands moved to stroke her back, though he struggled to go further.

Grace was also a beginner. She might be aggressive, but everything came from instinct and desire—embracing him tighter and kissing him harder.

They kissed for a long time, not needing to breathe, until the airship shook from hitting a dense cloud.

Even then, Grace immediately leaned in to kiss him again.

"Wait, Grace!"

Richard stopped her by placing his hand on her cheek.

If they continued, he would lose control.

This was not the time.

Thankfully, Grace didn’t force it.

But she still held him, resting her forehead against his.

"Ever since I became an adult, this is what I wanted most. Now I know what it feels like," she said.

"That’s normal," Richard replied.

"But was it good?" she asked playfully.

"Yes..." Grace answered anyway.

Only then did she finally release him and step back.

Richard let out a silent breath of relief.

Sooner or later was fine—but this was definitely not the right time.

After such a kiss, Grace’s gaze had changed.

Richard couldn’t look at her the same either—the wall between them had been shattered.

He only wondered whether Lilith would tolerate him doing something like this with another woman.

Of course, he knew this had to be kept secret.

But he wasn’t sure how Grace viewed his engagement to Lilith.

Surely she knew—they had been engaged since he was a child.

Unless Grace considered it a joke Lilith made long ago.

Richard pushed the thoughts aside and refocused on the mission: rescuing the Red Star Empress.

He already knew the general direction of the Holy Light Capital, but he didn’t know how close they were.

Before long, he started seeing destruction everywhere—half-collapsed mountains, rivers blocked, enormous craters.

There was even a mountain floating upside down in the air, shattered and fractured.

All of this was recent—dust still hung heavily in the air.

Not long after, Richard noticed the sky itself was different—dark and torn open.

The darkness blocked sunlight from the entire region.

Yet there was no rain—only a dry, piercing cold.

’This is only the effect of power at the Grand Sovereign level,’ Richard thought.

After seeing the massive devastation, he assumed they were already close to the Holy Light Capital, but after one hour... two hours... they still hadn’t arrived.

What he saw was the world growing darker—like a starless night.

Yet within that darkness, the cities he passed shone brightly, becoming sources of light for everything around them.

In the Holy Star Kingdom, there wasn’t a single city as bright as these—not even the capital.

At the very least, as long as they were near any city, Richard could still see the scenery clearly.