Damon felt a clear connection.
Something alive seemed to be responding to him.
The feeling was weak.
Like a sleeping creature shifting beneath a blanket.
But it was there.
Damon couldn’t stop smiling.
"It really is connected."
The more energy flowed through the mysterious core, the stronger the reaction became.
The Spark Seed floated slightly higher.
Its glow became steadier.
And the sense of life inside it became easier to feel.
Damon’s mind immediately started working.
If the dormant spirit was responding...
Then maybe it wasn’t dead.
Maybe those old theories were wrong.
Maybe it simply lacked something.
His thoughts raced.
How were spirit elementals nurtured?
What did they need?
What allowed them to grow?
The answer came surprisingly fast.
Elemental essence.
Specifically, lightning essence.
Which meant...
Lightning-related resources.
Damon opened his eyes.
"Lightning ores."
It was the most logical place to start.
The Spark Seed came from a lightning Birthground.
If anything could help it grow, it would probably be lightning-attributed materials.
The idea made sense.
The problem came immediately afterward.
How was he supposed to get them?
A week ago, obtaining resources would’ve been easy.
People would’ve thrown treasures at him.
Now?
Most of those same people probably wouldn’t even lend him a coin.
Damon looked at the floating Spark Seed.
The tiny spirit remained quiet.
Almost as if it were waiting.
He chuckled softly.
"Well."
"You picked a terrible partner."
The Spark Seed flickered once.
Damon blinked.
Then laughed.
"Or maybe we’re both unlucky."
The tiny spark flickered again.
This time, Damon wasn’t imagining it.
For some reason, that simple reaction made him grin.
Maybe everyone else saw a useless, incomplete spirit.
Maybe they were right.
But for the first time since the awakening ceremony...
He felt like he had found something that belonged to him.
Something worth pursuing.
Something worth betting on.
Damon had never been the type to give up.
Not in his previous life.
And certainly not now.
If one path was blocked, he would find another.
His gaze finally settled back on the Spark Seed.
A plan was already forming in his head.
First, he needed lightning ore.
After that...
He would figure out the rest.
One step at a time. Just like always.
After thinking through his options, one person quickly came to mind.
Cedric Calloway.
The senior butler.
The same man who had stepped in during his confrontation with Kane before they entered the Birthground.
At the time, Damon had immediately understood what Cedric was doing.
The old man wasn’t protecting Kane.
He was protecting both of them.
A fight there would have helped nobody.
More importantly, Cedric was someone Damon trusted.
Or rather, someone the previous Damon trusted.
The memories made that very clear.
Long before the awakening ceremony, Cedric had been responsible for much of Damon’s training.
Aether theory.
Cultivation basics.
Physical conditioning.
Weapons training.
Noble etiquette.
The old man had taught him almost everything he knew growing up.
In a way, Cedric had been more present than many members of the family.
Damon even knew the man’s story.
Cedric wasn’t born a Calloway.
Years ago, he had earned the family name through exceptional service and loyalty.
It was one of the highest honors the family could give.
Even after becoming a noble himself, Cedric continued serving the family by training younger generations.
That was how he eventually became Damon’s instructor.
The only problem was Kane.
These days, Cedric was almost permanently assigned to him.
Still, Damon decided it was worth trying.
A little rejection wasn’t going to kill him.
After changing clothes, he left his room and started searching the mansion.
The estate was huge.
Servants moved constantly through the halls.
Messages came and went.
The entire place felt busier than usual because of the upcoming mission.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long.
Eventually, Damon found Cedric in one of the training courtyards.
Just as expected.
Busy.
The old man was reviewing documents while directing servants at the same time.
Damon almost felt bad for interrupting him.
Almost.
"Cedric."
The old man looked up.
For a moment, surprise crossed his face.
Then he smiled lightly.
"Young Master Damon."
"Busy?"
Cedric glanced at the pile of papers.
"Unfortunately."
"I’ll be quick then."
Cedric nodded.
Damon went straight to the point.
"I need lightning ores."
The old man’s eyebrow rose.
"Lightning ores?"
"Or lightning beast cores. Anything with concentrated lightning essence."
Cedric became quiet.
His eyes carefully studied Damon.
The silence stretched.
Damon didn’t rush him.
Eventually, the old man spoke.
"What do you need them for?"
Damon hesitated.
Not because he didn’t trust Cedric.
Because he couldn’t explain the Spark Seed.
Not yet.
"I’m testing something."
Cedric looked unconvinced.
From his perspective, Damon probably looked like someone desperately searching for any way to compensate for lacking an element.
Honestly, it wasn’t an unreasonable conclusion.
The old man’s gaze softened slightly.
There was pity there.
And somehow, Damon hated that more than mockery.
Just as Cedric was about to respond...
A familiar voice interrupted them.
"Testing what?"
Damon didn’t even need to turn around.
Kane.
Of course.
The timing was almost impressive.
The blonde youth walked into the courtyard with his usual confidence.
His Storm Serpent wasn’t present, but he carried himself as though it was coiled around his shoulders.
His eyes immediately landed on Damon.
Then on Cedric.
And his expression darkened.
"I’ve been looking for you."
The words were directed at Cedric.
Not Damon.
Cedric remained calm.
"I was occupied."
Kane’s gaze shifted between them.
Then he smiled.
But there was no warmth in it.
"Occupied helping him?"
The atmosphere immediately became awkward.
Even the nearby servants slowed down.
Kane folded his arms.
"I didn’t realize my instructor had so much free time."
The meaning behind the words was obvious.
Cedric understood it.
Damon understood it too.
Kane wasn’t openly ordering him.
That would be disrespectful.
Instead, he was reminding Cedric where the family’s priorities currently lay.
And everyone knew it.
Cedric belonged beside the family’s brightest talent.
Not its biggest disappointment.