"I could’ve made something way better than this."

Amanda protested while holding a sushi piece between her chopsticks.

Kyle gave her a sheepish smile.

"I know. And I’m sorry I ruined the whole cooking plan."

The moment Amanda had entered the kitchen wearing nothing but an apron, his self-control had completely collapsed.

And afterward...

Well, Amanda had been left far too exhausted to continue cooking anything.

In the end, Kyle simply ordered sushi and some chicken from a nearby restaurant instead.

Amanda let out an annoyed huff.

"Kyle... you seriously have way too much energy for someone who was discharged from the hospital just this morning."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

Even after they had gone into the bathroom a second time to clean themselves up and rest, Amanda had suddenly been attacked from behind again.

And by the time Kyle finally carried her out in his arms, she had been so drained she couldn’t even properly move for nearly half an hour afterward.

Kyle chuckled shamelessly.

"Doesn’t that just prove I’m perfectly healthy now?" he asked in return.

Amanda only hummed while chewing on the sushi roll, her eyes still narrowed.

Truthfully, her concern wasn’t really about his physical condition anymore.

It was his mental state that worried her.

She had even discussed it with Blake earlier, trying to understand what kind of consequences someone inexperienced might suffer after directly confronting a Special Grade.

Amanda herself knew that feeling all too well.

The overwhelming despair of battling an opponent you already knew you couldn’t defeat.

And Kyle had been pushed dangerously close to that edge.

If Veronica hadn’t arrived when she did...

Things could’ve ended far worse.

That was why both she and Blake had already started considering counseling sessions for him once the issue with the Central Ministry settled down and they decided how to proceed regarding Kyle.

Bzzz.

Amanda’s phone suddenly vibrated on the table.

She picked it up and saw her father calling.

Glancing toward Kyle, she noticed him silently asking who it was.

Amanda briefly flipped the phone toward him so he could see the caller ID before turning it back and answering.

"Hey, Dad."

{Amanda... are you coming home anytime soon?}

"Hmm? Why?" she asked casually while absentmindedly rolling a sushi piece across the plate with her chopsticks.

{Didn’t I tell you we were leaving for golf today? Milli is alone at home, so come back as soon as you can, alright?}

Amanda glanced toward Kyle again before nodding lightly.

"I understand. I’ll head back to her soon."

And with that, she ended the call.

For a few moments, silence lingered between them.

This wasn’t about fighting monsters or escaping a deranged hunter anymore.

This involved someone deeply important to Amanda.

Which meant both of them needed time to mentally prepare themselves.

Eventually, Amanda pushed her chair back and stood up.

"I should change and head home now."

Kyle looked at her carefully before asking,

"Amanda... are you really sure about telling Melissa the truth?"

A trace of concern lingered in his voice.

"What if her father finds out from her and comes after her because of it?"

Amanda gently shook her head.

"I know Melissa won’t tell him." Then, after a brief pause, she added, "And even if Uncle somehow learns about it and comes complaining, I’ll deal with it somehow."

Her eyes sharpened faintly.

"In the first place, he can’t create too much noise over this matter anyway."

Kyle quietly listened.

Amanda continued,

"He used Melissa’s gift to develop dangerous equipment himself. If things escalate publicly, it won’t end well for him either."

Kyle slowly nodded in understanding.

Even though hesitation still lingered inside him, he chose not to argue further.

In the end, Amanda changed her clothes and prepared to leave first.

At the doorway, she stepped closer before gently pressing a kiss against the corner of his lips.

"Take care of yourself," she whispered softly. "And don’t use public transportation. Call for a ride instead, okay?"

Kyle nodded obediently.

Then, gently squeezing her hand, he said,

"Thank you, Amanda... for trusting me."

Amanda’s expression softened instantly.

"Always."

The two shared one final brief embrace before she finally walked out the door.

Kyle remained standing there for several silent moments afterward.

Simply thinking about her.

Seriously...

Amanda’s presence brought genuine warmth and stability into his life.

Not long ago, he had somehow forced himself to accept living without her.

He knew it would’ve been painful, but he had still convinced himself he could endure it somehow.

Yet now that she was back beside him again...

Just imagining that kind of life felt unbearable.

Impossible.

The thought alone became so suffocating that he couldn’t even dwell on it for long.

"Haah..."

Kyle exhaled quietly before raising his hand in front of him.

"System... tell me something."

Golden energy instantly began swirling around his palm like smoky mist, blurring the outline of his skin beneath its glow.

"Did something inside me change after fighting Ava?"

[Indeed, Host.]

The system responded immediately.

[As the system has repeatedly informed the Host, real combat where one’s life is genuinely at stake remains the most effective method of developing skills.]

The golden haze around Kyle’s hand slowly pulsed.

[During your battle against that woman, the Host continuously operated Genesis at extreme capacity in order to reinforce the body and keep pace with the enemy.]

A brief pause followed.

[Although the Host performed this unconsciously, the repeated strain significantly improved both Genesis efficiency and overall control over magic.]

Kyle hummed softly.

"Well then... what do my stats look like right now?"

---

[Stats]

Strength: 14.5 → 16

Speed: 15.5 → 16.5

Endurance: 19 → 21

Intelligence: 10 → 11.5

[Affinity]

Magic Control: 8%

Efficiency: 4%

---

[Skills]

God’s Eye (Lvl 1)

---

[Items]

Aquilla of Archilles

Red Elixir ×1

Lantern of Life

---

[Soul Points]: 6521

---

Kyle’s brows lifted slightly in surprise while reading through the changes.

The increase in his physical attributes was understandable.

After all, he had pushed his body to its absolute limit during the battle against Ava.

But what truly caught his attention was the newly appeared affinity section.

"What’s the difference between Magic Control and Efficiency?"

The system immediately answered.

[At the Host’s current Magic Control level, the Host can consciously regulate Genesis for approximately four to five minutes without heavily straining the body.]

Kyle quietly listened while the golden haze around his hand continued flickering.

[Efficiency refers to how effectively the Host can utilize magic itself.]

[This includes reinforcing physical attributes, minimizing energy waste, and strengthening the Host’s arrows.]

Then the system summarized it simply:

[Control is the engine.]

[Efficiency is the fuel.]

Kyle crossed his arms in understanding.

Consciously controlling the magic would allow him to use Genesis not only as a means to support his abilities but also to enhance his physical attributes, heal his body, and later create barriers and whatnot.

Aleda has promised to teach him all that once he reaches a certain threshold.

*Bzzz*

Hearing his phone buzz, he took it out of his pocket and saw a familiar name there.

"Hey, Veronica." He called out after picking it up.

{You are at your new place, right? I am coming to meet you. It’s an emergency.}

"...."

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, drop a comment.