Lior stayed silent, not speaking; he simply stared at Asher without breaking eye contact, as though wondering how Asher had arrived at all these conclusions. Asher didn’t bother entering a staring contest with Lior; he simply ate his cherry, blinked when he wanted, and remained perfectly calm, his composure unshaken by the tension that subtly lingered in the air, faint yet present.

Of course, Asher didn’t really know anything; the only reason he was making a guess was simply because his senses had felt a flicker of danger when Lior had come closer to him. Although Asher wouldn’t call himself overpowered, he had been able to figure out Debro and had even progressed after that fight, sharpening his strength, instincts and awareness further than before.

Yet, he felt danger when sitting beside this Rank Five positive Emovira, meaning either Lior could also fight across several ranks like him, or the being was simply never Rank Five to begin with but above that rank, an unsettling possibility that quietly took root in his thoughts, refusing to be ignored.

And if there was something Asher believed in without fail, it was his senses, a trust he had forged through repeated battles and near-death experiences, something he had come to rely on without question.

Lior finally sighed, then rose to his feet. He didn’t want to answer any more questions from this abnormal guy; with that, he turned into a soul form and vanished, returning to Finch’s soul as though he knew that continuing to talk to Asher would only reveal more than he intended.

Watching Lior vanish, Asher made no visible reaction; he simply remained indifferent to the entire ordeal. The former Asher would have frowned or been shocked, but he had learned to remain indifferent to situations he couldn’t control, adapting to uncertainty with quiet acceptance.

’So, Lior knows something about the Emovirae of Old, but whether they are still alive, or if it’s only secrets concerning their existence he knows about, I don’t know,’ Asher’s mind spun around the information he had gotten in such a short time, piecing together fragments of possibility.

’And he also isn’t Rank Five... is he Rank Eight?’ Asher thought to himself, ’or possibly Rank Ten,’ his eyes narrowing slightly at the thought. Although the danger sensation he felt was small, it didn’t mean that he and Lior were almost equal in strength; no, it simply meant Lior was strong enough to pose a danger.

But how dangerous... now that was unknown, a question without a clear answer.

Asher’s mind ran through the explanation Finch had given at the time about his soul-bonding with Lior. He remembered the boy talking about Lior being injured and him dying in two days. Asher couldn’t help but question what was true and what was a lie. Would Finch dying really make Lior die? Or was that a lie, a convenient fabrication meant to conceal something deeper?

But... Lior had no reason to bond with Finch, at least none that was immediately apparent, which only made things more questionable.

’What if Lior is faking being naive about the world’s lore?’ Asher thought to himself, his mind spinning endlessly, weaving possibilities and counterarguments in equal measure.

’Well... at least, he is a positive Emovira; that much is known,’ Asher thought to himself as he shook his head slightly, grounding himself in what little certainty he possessed.

But just because Lior was a positive Emovira didn’t mean he wasn’t capable of killing or wiping out people. Positive Emovirae are calm beings who prefer to be on their own without causing trouble, but if you step on their tail, they are also capable of just as much destruction as the negative Emovira.

They were peaceful, not weak and naive.

There was a difference, a crucial distinction that could not be ignored.

’Why does it feel as though everywhere I gaze there is a secret to be uncovered or something?’ Asher sighed as he thought to himself. There seemed to be so many secrets in this world that Finch had left home and come back with yet another one, adding to the ever-growing pile of mysteries.

’The difficulty level of this world is really Hell Mode,’ Asher mused to himself. ’Why couldn’t I reincarnate in a simple world? You know, become a Hunter, enter dungeons, fight monsters, gain monster cores, sell them to guilds, then repeat until I marry, have a couple of talented or untalented beautiful children, then die of old age in my bed,’ he thought to himself, as that seemed like the ideal version of reincarnation and transmigration.

’I hope there isn’t a transmigration or reincarnation HQ; if not, I will be suing for such a difficulty level,’ Asher thought to himself as he shook his head, his thoughts tinged with dry humor.

His eyes shifted to William and Finch; these two were so oblivious, but could he blame them? Definitely not. Even if they knew what he did, what could they possibly do in the face of such overwhelming uncertainties?

’Ignorance sure is bliss,’ Asher mused to himself as his thoughts continued to spin. ’Well, as my older brother said, I just have to get to the Crownstar Life Rank,’ he concluded to himself, anchoring his thoughts to a clear and tangible goal.

But at the same time, Asher understood something, he could simply be overthinking the whole situation. Yes, Lior might be hiding something, but it might be nothing evil or dangerous. The Emovira could simply have something personal and didn’t want to share. Maybe the being simply wanted to know what it was like to be around humans, hence the soul-bonding.

Lior could just be a chill, cool guy who didn’t have some mysterious agenda, and maybe he was indeed injured at the time, making Finch his last resort.

’There should be a few positive Emovirae back at home,’ Asher thought to himself, tempted to teleport back and ask around, curiosity quietly nudging him.

’Hey, system, as you can see, Lior might be a Rank Ten being, a level one hundred final boss. Shouldn’t you give me something I can use to protect myself against such a calamity?’ Asher spoke mentally, his thoughts directed toward the system.

[The system acknowledges the Host’s request]

The system replied as though it understood Asher’s situation and plight, its response immediate and precise.

Asher sat dumbfounded, as though he couldn’t believe what he had just read... the system was about to help.

[The System has given the Host a lot of free stuff; the Host should pay up this time, and the Host will receive an insane boost in Life Rank and ability control, and also awaken a new ability]

Asher sat in silence, wondering what the payment was all about, but still, he wanted to know. An all-round boost together with a new ability was highly welcomed, especially in a world filled with uncertainty.

’What do you need, system?’ Asher asked, eager to know, as he was ready to pay whatever the price was. If he could jump directly to the Crownstar Life Rank, that would be even better, an opportunity too valuable to ignore.

[The system demands ninety percent of the Host’s vitality]