Chapter 35: Vanessa’s Loyalty Skyrockets

Raphael stepped out of the Bureau’s gated residential compound into the crisp morning air, his black duffel bag slung casually over one broad shoulder. His stride was long, relaxed, and measured. For a man who had just dismantled an A-Tier operative, incapacitated two dozen heavily armed guards, and broken out of a top-secret facility, he looked remarkably unbothered.

He didn’t have a concrete destination, but the complete lack of a plan didn’t bring even a sliver of anxiety.

A glance at his smartphone confirmed the successful transfer of his entire Bureau balance into his personal, untraceable account. He had just enough credits to secure a modest room in the lower districts, buy basic rations, and keep a low profile while the twenty-nine-day timer on his Sovereign Quest ticked down.

It wouldn’t be the luxurious amenities or high-grade mana-infused meals provided by the Bureau’s hospitality wing, but living on cheap bread and instant soup was infinitely preferable to existing as a pampered prize pig being fattened for the slaughterhouse.

The thought made his jaw tighten with a sudden surge of disgust. It irked him to his very core, making him wonder how he had managed to tolerate being poked, probed, and coddled like a helpless child for days on end.

"I feel ashamed..." he muttered softly, his deep baritone lost to the ambient rumble of street traffic.

If he hadn’t accepted the system’s cold truth, shattered his childish illusions, and embraced his evolution, he would still be sitting in that sterile room, offering meek excuses and celebrating like a fool over basic footwork drills.

Shaking off the lingering distaste, Raphael adjusted the strap of his duffel bag and quickened his pace, turning away from the high-rise commercial center and heading toward Jiston.

Jiston was a densely packed, lower-tier district located on the outer rim of the city center. It was a place where independent contractors, mercenary Awakened, and unclassified citizens mingled in a chaotic web of neon-lit alleys and towering concrete apartment blocks.

It was cheap, crowded, and notoriously indifferent to the affairs of the high-ranking Bureau; the perfect place for an "Unknown" asset to vanish into plain sight. If he played his cards right and bargained well, his credits could stretch far enough to secure a roof over his head for months.

An hour later, after navigating a labyrinth of narrow streets and faded apartment complexes, Raphael found himself standing in the dusty office of a local property manager in middle Jiston.

The landlord, a stout, mid-forties man with thinning hair and a greasy vest, was initially grinning with predatory grease, preparing to gouge the towering newcomer with exorbitant short-term rental fees.

He tapped his dirty desk, declaring that a bare-bones single room with working plumbing and a lock would cost a non-negotiable three hundred credits per month, paid strictly in advance.

Raphael didn’t bother arguing with words.

He simply stepped closer, his six-foot-five frame casting a long, imposing shadow over the small desk. He looked down into the landlord’s eyes, allowing his luminous silver irises to flash with a subtle, icy glint while unleashing the absolute barest whisper of his Sovereign’s Veil.

The air pressure in the dusty office plummeted instantly. The temperature dropped several degrees, and the room grew dead silent. The landlord gasped for air, his predatory smirk evaporating into a pale, sweat-slicked mask of primal terror as his knees knocked against the underside of his desk.

"Four months," Raphael said softly, his deep, resonant voice vibrating through the small room like a rolling thunderclap. "Three hundred and fifty credits total. In advance."

"Y-Yes! Absolutely, sir! Right away!" the landlord squeaked, his hands trembling so violently he nearly dropped the digital payment scanner.

Raphael tapped his smartphone against the terminal, completing the transfer instantly. He took the brass key card handed over by the quivering man, offered a faint, chilling nod of thanks, and walked up the creaky stairs to the third floor.

...

The room was simple: a single bed with clean sheets, a small wooden desk, an attached washroom with running water, and a wide window looking out over the crowded, rusted rooftops of Jiston. It wasn’t a palace, but it was private, quiet, and completely his.

Raphael tossed his duffel bag onto the bed and locked the heavy wooden door behind him. The moment he sat down on the edge of the mattress, his vision flickered with a cascade of brilliant, silvery-violet system prompts.

[HIDDEN MISSION COMPLETED!]

- Condition: Leave the Bureau Facility while Asserting Absolute Dominance over all opposing forces.

- Evaluation: Exceptional. Target breached high-security perimeter without taking physical damage while crippling enemy morale.

[Rewards:]

- Unlocking Domain Protocol: System Shop Function

- Sovereign Weapon Legacy: Dual-Weapon Mastery Manual

[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED: SYSTEM SHOP]

- The Sovereign may now exchange Domain Authority and Quest Points for rare catalysts, dark artifacts, legion blueprints, and core materials.

[ITEM ACQUIRED: DUAL-WEAPON MASTERY MANUAL]

- Select two weapon classifications to permanently integrate their foundational core skills directly into your muscle memory and neural processing.

Raphael read through the floating text with a calm, analytical focus, nodding quietly as the mechanics settled into his mind. The ability to select two primary weapons and instantaneously absorb their core skills saved him months of tedious physical conditioning.

Before he could process his choices, another dramatic notification flashed across his vision, pulsing with a deep, radiant violet light that eclipsed the rest of the text.

[SERVANT LOYALTY UPDATED!]

- Entity: Vanessa Fencer

- Loyalty: 3% -> 15% (Recognized Sovereign / Budding Devotion)

- Note: Servant strength and mana scaling will now increase significantly in tandem with your physical growth.

Raphael blinked, genuine surprise flickering across his eyes as he stared at the sudden twelve-point jump in her loyalty metric. Just a few days ago, she had viewed him as a fragile, pathetic vessel wasting her time.

Without hesitation, Raphael focused his mind on the cold thread anchoring their spirits together.

"Vanessa."

A flurry of dark, cold violet mana swirled in the center of the small room, freezing the moisture on the floorboards into delicate frost patterns. The ethereal figure of the Saintess materialized, her flowing dark robes settling around her boots with silent grace. Her pale, flawless face looked up at him, but the icy contempt that had previously dominated her expression was entirely gone.

Vanessa lowered her head, bowing her shoulders in a subtle, reverent gesture of absolute respect.

"Sovereign," her silk-soft voice echoed smoothly through the room. "You summoned me."