Chapter 61: I’m Standing

Emily was already looking toward Cassian. "Can I stand?"

The room went quiet.

Cassian checked the readings. "You can try."

Emily nodded, moved to the edge of the bed, and planted both feet on the floor. She could feel it. The floor was beneath her.

Then she pushed. Her arms tensed as her body rose, but her legs immediately began shaking. She pushed harder. She made it halfway up before her knees buckled.

Reinhard caught her instantly. "I got you."

Emily rested against him, breathing heavily. For the first time in two years, she had tried to stand. And failed.

Maki rushed over. "Are you hurt?"

"Did anything happen?" Yuna asked.

"You scared me!" Lily added.

Emily shook her head. "I’m okay." She looked up at Reinhard. "Keep holding me." He looked at her. "I think I can really do it."

His expression softened. "Then do it."

Cassian frowned. "You can still wait a few days."

"No," Reinhard said.

Cassian looked at him, and Reinhard looked at Emily. "I believe in our Emily."

Maki smiled. "So do I."

Lily stepped closer and poked Emily’s cheek. "Then don’t fail again, Big Sis."

Emily laughed.

Yuna met her eyes. "Stand on your two feet like you always have."

Emily took a breath. Then she tried again. She planted both feet firmly against the floor and gripped the bed. Reinhard stayed beside her without carrying her weight.

Emily pushed. Her arms trembled. Her legs shook violently. Her knees nearly buckled. She stopped, took another breath, and pushed again.

Slowly, her body rose. Her back straightened. Her knees locked. Her feet pressed firmly against the floor.

She was standing. "I’m standing."

[Target Value Increased.]

[Emily Ashcroft: A → A+]

His eyes widened at the swift jump from B+ to A+ but then he realized both came from different sources. One from Emily seeing her family taking her burden for her and the other one from finally being able to use her legs.

Lily’s eyes widened.

Maki smiled.

Yuna’s eyes filled with tears. Cassian stared at the readings. Reinhard simply smiled.

Emily took a breath. "Don’t celebrate yet."

Everyone looked at her.

"I still have to walk."

She slowly lifted one foot, her body wobbling, and Reinhard instinctively reached toward her, but Emily steadied herself and placed her foot down. "One." She lifted the other.

Step. Then another.

Her balance was terrible at first, and every movement required concentration. She stumbled again, but this time she caught herself.

Nobody moved.

Emily kept walking, and step by step her balance improved. Then she realized that nobody was touching her. She was walking alone. Emily stopped and looked down at her legs. Then she took another step.

And another.

Her movements gradually became smoother as her muscles remembered what they had once known. She crossed the room and reached the far wall, then turned around.

Everyone stared.

Emily grinned. "See?" She spread her arms slightly. "Not a big deal."

Lily stared at her. "You’re going to brag about this forever, aren’t you?"

"Probably."

"Then I’m definitely beating you."

"Keep dreaming."

Emily laughed.

Cassian checked the readings one final time. "The treatment worked."

Reinhard watched her standing across the room. All the searching, the rare materials, the money, Eclipse, the impossible journey to get here, it had all been worth it.

We really did it.

He then went on to pay for this treatment.

[$13,698,000 --> $12,500,000]

[Current Balance: $1,198,000]

More than twice the last treatment. Reinhard thought in amusement before then another notification appeared.

[S-Rank Investment Successful.]

[Target: Emily Ashcroft.]

[Calculation Complete.]

[Legendary Rewards Granted.]

The notifications continued.

[Legendary Reward Granted: Legendary Weapon — Heavenpiercer.]

[Automatically locks onto a chosen target.]

[Cannot normally be stopped after being thrown.]

[Impact Effects: Lightning and Fire.]

[Returns after striking.]

[Trajectory Adjustment: Active.]

Reinhard stared at the description.

A weapon that could lock onto a target, ignore conventional durability, adjust its trajectory, and return after striking.

That was already ridiculous.

Then the next reward appeared.

[Legendary Additional Reward Granted: Defensive Item — Aegis of Eight.]

A small black-and-silver necklace appeared in his inventory, its pendant shaped like eight overlapping shields.

[Effect: Automatically summons a spectral shield when a hostile attack is detected.]

[Maximum Shields: 8.]

[Shattered shields gradually regenerate.]

Reinhard raised an eyebrow.

Eight automatic shields.

The next notification appeared.

[Additional Reward Granted: Mana Infusion — 5 Years.]

Then—

[Additional Reward Granted: Body Churning Fruit.]

[Effect: Restores physical conditioning and bodily function after prolonged physical inactivity.]

Reinhard immediately thought of Emily.

Then the next rewards arrived.

[Additional Reward Granted: Enhanced Immortal Emperor Body Technique.]

[Maximum Mana Capacity increased by 3x.]

[Mana Absorption Speed increased by 2.5x.]

[Mana Recovery Speed increased by 2.5x.]

[Life Force threshold has increased by over 3x.]

Reinhard’s eyes widened.

Then came another.

[Additional Reward Granted: Enhanced Demon God Tyrant Body.]

[Tyrant Tower: Physical Defense increased by three times. Direct attacks can be absorbed.]

[Demon God Awakening: Physical Power, Speed, and Durability by over two times.]

[Demon Roar: Releases a sound wave that stuns nearby targets for 3 seconds.]

Reinhard stared at the notification.

The System wasn’t slowing down.

[Additional Reward Granted: Ice Shards Bullet. Effects: Unleashed shards made out of ice and shoot them like a bullet]

[Additional Reward Granted: Mia.]

[Effect: Mends small wounds and stops internal bleeding.]

[Additional Reward Granted: Varu.]

[Effect: Increases the defense of the user or selected target.]

[Additional Reward Granted: Taru.]

[Effect: Increases attack power by 1.5x.]

[Additional Reward Granted: Sparu.]

[Effect: Increases the movement speed of the user or selected target.]

Then the final notification appeared.

[Additional Reward Granted: Terra Slash.]

[Effect: The user strikes so fast it looks like they have six arms or legs]

Reinhard smiles at the rewards before focusing on Emily and the others.

"Barbecue." Lily’s voice broke the silence. Everyone looked at her. "We need a barbecue. She can walk again, so this deserves meat."

Maki laughed. "That’s your first thought?"

"Of course."

Yuna nodded. "I agree."

Maki shook her head, but she was smiling. "Fine. Let’s go home."

Emily looked around the room before quietly repeating the word. "Home." She took another step, then another, while her family walked beside her without trying to support her.

...

By the time they returned home, the sun was beginning to set. Emily moved slowly through the house, stopping every few steps as she took in things she had passed every day for years but hadn’t been able to reach herself.

She walked to the dining table and ran her fingers along its surface. "I forgot how high this felt."

Lily looked at her strangely. "You’re acting like you’ve never seen a table before."

"I’ve seen it." Emily smiled. "I just haven’t been able to walk up to it."

Lily was quiet for a moment before grinning. "Well, now you can."

Emily nodded. "Now I can."

She continued toward the back door and pushed it open. Cool air brushed against her face as she stepped outside, and when her bare feet touched the grass, she stopped. The soft blades moved beneath her toes.

Emily looked down and smiled. "It feels different."

Reinhard stepped outside beside her. "Good different?"

"Very good." She took another step, feeling the grass beneath her feet again. "I used to imagine what this would feel like."

Reinhard looked at her. "Walking through the yard?"

"Walking anywhere." Her smile softened. "I stopped believing I would ever get to do it."

Reinhard stayed beside her. "You can believe it now."

Emily looked at him before smiling. "I know."

From inside the house, Lily suddenly shouted. "Are you two coming or not? I’m not cooking everything myself!"

Emily laughed. "She’s ruining the moment."

"She’s probably hungry."

"That makes it worse."

They returned to the house together.

A little later, the family gathered outside around the barbecue. Reinhard cut up the Body Churning Fruit and added it as food for everyone to eat. Maki brought the drinks while Yuna prepared the table.

Lily stood over the grill with a pair of tongs as if she had been entrusted with something extremely important. "Nobody touch anything until I’m finished."

Maki raised an eyebrow. "You burned the vegetables last time."

"That was one time."

"It was yesterday."

"Exactly. I’ve improved since then."

Yuna quietly reached over and took a piece of meat from the grill.

Lily stared at her. "Hey!"

Yuna took a bite and nodded. "It’s good."

Lily immediately looked pleased. "See?"

Maki laughed. "You were just waiting for someone to compliment you."

"Obviously."

Emily watched them from the table, smiling as the argument continued. For the first time in a long time, she wasn’t thinking about her legs, her Gnosis, or the next treatment. She was simply sitting outside with her family, waiting for dinner. It felt ordinary. And somehow, that made it even more special.

Reinhard placed a plate in front of her. "Eat."

Emily looked up at him. "You’re ordering me around already?"

"Of course. You’re my wife."

She smiled. "I can walk now. I can probably beat you up."

Reinhard laughed. "Your legs have been working for about an hour. Let’s not get too confident."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "You’re asking for trouble."

"Maybe."

She picked up a piece of meat. "Idiot."

Reinhard smiled. "Your idiot."

Emily paused for a moment before quietly smiling and taking a bite.

The evening passed with more laughter than either of them expected. Lily complained that Maki was taking too much food, Maki denied it, and Yuna quietly took another piece while neither of them were looking.

Emily laughed so hard that she nearly spilled her drink. "You three are unbelievable."

After dinner, Emily stood again. Nobody reacted this time. She simply walked across the yard, then turned around and walked back.

Lily watched her from the table. "You’re showing off."

Emily smiled. "Obviously."

"You’ve been walking all evening."

"And?"

"You’re already becoming arrogant."

Emily laughed. "I’ve always been arrogant."

Reinhard raised his drink. "That’s my wife."

Emily shook her head, smiling as she continued walking around the yard and nobody followed behind her. And for Emily, that felt almost as important as taking her first step. For the first time in two years, she wasn’t being treated like someone who might break.

It was then that Reinhard’s phone vibrated and he glanced down to see it was Lucien. Two messages waited for him.

Lightning Emperor Key location confirmed.

Lightkeeper Dew negotiations are progressing.

The last two materials. The next step was already waiting. But Reinhard turned the phone over.

Emily noticed. "Aren’t you going to check it?"

Reinhard looked toward his family. Lily was arguing with Maki about who had eaten the most. Yuna was quietly smiling. Emily was standing. Actually standing.

He smiled. "Tomorrow."

Emily smiled back. "Tomorrow."

Reinhard then stood up before holding his hand out to her. "Walk with me?"

Emily smiled. "Of course." She took his hand before being pulled up, and then they began walking in the yard together. The others didn’t say anything, all of them wearing faint smiles as they continued eating.

The moon hung above the yard. After a few steps, Emily smiled. "You know..."

"What?"

"I’m really happy it was you I married."

Reinhard laughed. "Of course."

Emily rolled her eyes.

He grinned. "Your investment in me led to legendary returns."

"Here we go."

Emily laughed and reached over to take his hand. "Maybe it did."

They continued walking beneath the moon.