Chapter 287 | Jasmine Reward

Chapter 287: 287 | Jasmine Reward

Dexter read that description carefully, then nodded. This was useful.

Fire, ice, and shadow were hardly the easiest combination to accommodate in a small house.

Selene’s condition sometimes affected the entire room. Mira’s temper could raise the temperature just as quickly. Lyra’s shadow energy occasionally gathered in places where it shouldn’t. A formation that allowed each of them to cultivate comfortably without disturbing the others was almost tailor-made for their situation.

His gaze lingered on the warning signal.

Yesterday, finding Lyra’s missing heartbeat had nearly stopped his own. He couldn’t place the whole city inside a household formation, but at home, at least, he could make them safer.

A small square array plate appeared in the preview, its four corners marked with empty circles. Dexter smiled at it. Their house was gradually becoming something much harder to break into.

---

[PRIMARY REWARD FIVE]

[Recognized Investment]

? Maintaining controlled Heavenly Flame support throughout the night to ease Selene’s Eternal Winter Ice.

[Reward]

? Thunder Manipulation Talent: Advanced by One Rank

Dexter blinked. "Thunder?"

He had spent the night using flame. The system offered no explanation. He considered complaining, then remembered that a system capable of handing him a resurrection pill probably wasn’t interested in his opinion on reward categories.

The upgrade settled into him quietly. A faint spark moved across his knuckles, and he watched it crawl between two fingers without burning his skin. Before, controlling such a small discharge would have required deliberate concentration. Now it felt natural.

Dexter closed his hand. Combined with his saber techniques, this would be troublesome for anyone who made the mistake of treating him as an ordinary Superhuman.

---

[PRIMARY REWARD SIX]

[Recognized Investment]

? Teaching Lyra How to kiss.

[Reward]

? Kamasutra of Harmonious Union

? Manual Tier: 4

Dexter froze. His expression went through several rapid changes, and then he looked toward the closed bedroom door.

"System."

The panel remained unchanged.

He lowered his voice. "You should be a match maker. "

A short description appeared.

[A manual concerning mutual intimacy, emotional attentiveness, and paired energy harmony.]

[Progress requires willing participation from both individuals.]

Dexter stared at it, then immediately sent the manual into the deepest corner of his storage.

His ears warmed.m with embarrassment. "That one can wait."

---

[PRIMARY REWARD SEVEN]

[Recognized Investment]

? Providing the care, resources, and encouragement that enabled Mira to stand through her own development of spectral support.

[Reward]

? Meridian Loom Bracelet

? Relic Type: 4

? Quantity: 1 Pair

[Effects]

? Improves fine control of external mana constructs.

? Reduces mana usage by 40%

[SYSTEM NOTE]

? This relic assists mana-supported movement.

? It does not repair paralysis or replace the need for continued recovery.

Dexter’s smile returned immediately. Mira.

He remembered mana gathering around her legs and the concentration on her face.

The way she had risen in front of him. He had been so stunned by the kiss afterward that he hadn’t properly considered how difficult standing must have been for her.

Dexter studied the bracelet. They were thin enough to wear beneath sleeves, with no bulky metalwork that would get in her way.

He could already imagine her reaction a suspicious glare, a complaint about him spending money, and then perhaps that brief look she got whenever something gave her back a little more freedom.

He would give them to her today, well, that was a ithout mentioning the kiss. He valued his life.

---

The next three panels opened together.

[PRIMARY REWARD EIGHT]

[Recognized Investment]

? Supporting Mira’s chosen festival activity: the roller coaster.

[Reward]

? Skybalance Cushion

? Relic Type: 3

[Effects]

? Adapts to wheelchairs and ordinary seats.

? Reduces harmful jolts and uneven pressure.

? Stabilizes the user during abrupt movement.

Dexter laughed quietly. Mira would pretend it was unnecessary, then she would undoubtedly use it.

[PRIMARY REWARD NINE]

[Recognized Investment]

? Sharing Lyra’s chosen festival activity: the haunted house.

[Reward]

? Dawn Moth Lantern

? Relic Type: 3

[Effects]

? Reveals any changes to one’s consciousness.

Dexter’s smile faded into thoughtfulness. Finally he could know if it was Lyra or Aurelyx for sure.

[PRIMARY REWARD TEN]

[Recognized Investment]

? Ensuring Selene could enjoy her chosen festival activity: Paintball

[Reward]

? Echo Thread Earrings

? Relic Type: 4

[Effects]

? Refines the wearer’s interpretation of reflected sound.

? Reduces interference from overlapping noise.

? Helps distinguish moving objects in crowded environments.

Dexter immediately thought of the festival—hundreds of voices, music, footsteps, the waterfall.

Even with Echolocation, Selene must have needed constant effort to sort through it all.

These earrings wouldn’t restore her sight, but they would make the world less exhausting to navigate.

The final notification appeared beneath them.

---

[ADDITIONAL LINKED-TARGET REWARD]

[Investment Target]

? Jasmine Constance

[Recognized Response]

? Pride in the host’s publicly witnessed conduct.

[Reward]

? Clearheart Soothing Pill

? Grade: 4

? Quantity: 1

Dexter’s smile slowly disappeared. "Jasmine?"

He stared at the name. "How did I make her proud?"

The system did not explain.

His gaze remained on the panel long after he had finished reading it. Jasmine.

There had been a time when her name alone could change the course of his entire day. Back at the Ashford estate, kindness had been something he learned to accept cautiously. People who showed him too much of it always paid for the mistake. But she had still found ways around it.

For years, the system’s requirement had remained almost entirely unfulfilled, almost.

Dexter’s expression became complicated. He hadn’t thought about her in a while.

He had been busy surviving, cooking, rebuilding walls, and learning how three very different women liked their tea.

Now the past had appeared between his rewards without warning. How should he feel?

...

By the time Dexter stood up, a few hours had passed.

It was Sunday.

The realization came when Dexter glanced at the date on his phone while tying his apron. Outside, the neighborhood was quieter than usual. A few gates stood open, but there was no weekday rush.

Yesterday had left the whole street tired. Dexter understood the feeling.

He entered the living room first and found the source of the earlier crash—a broken cup sitting in a neat pile on a tray.

Mira was by the window, and Lyra sat on the couch looking far too innocent.

Dexter glanced at the fragments, then at Mira. "Cultivation accident?"

’Yes...’

Lyra covered her mouth and replied.