The apartment no longer felt empty.
It wasn't sound or movement that changed it—both eggs were still resting quietly in their incubator—but presence. A subtle pressure, like two sleeping storms waiting for permission to wake.
Eren adjusted the temperature controls carefully. "Honedge prefers lower ambient heat. Charmander's the opposite."
Lia nodded, already taking notes on her tablet. "We'll need two incubation cycles, alternating environments. I'll handle Honedge's calibration."
"You sure?"
She glanced up, eyes steady. "You handle the dragon. I'll handle the blade."
That was how they worked. No arguments. No ego.
As the hours passed, faint reactions began.
The Honedge egg vibrated in short, controlled pulses—measured, almost disciplined. When Lia adjusted the energy flow incorrectly, the vibrations stopped entirely, as if in disapproval.
"…Okay," she muttered. "I get it. My fault."
The vibration resumed.
The Charmander egg, on the other hand, responded emotionally. When Eren spoke near it, the shell warmed slightly. When he pulled away for too long, the internal flame flickered erratically.
"It recognizes you already," Lia said quietly.
Eren frowned. "That fast?"
"Dragon bloodlines are territorial," she replied. "And proud. It's testing whether you're worthy."
Eren placed his hand near the egg—not touching, just close enough for warmth to pass.
"I won't control you," he said softly. "But I won't abandon you either."
The flame stabilized.
Lia watched the exchange, then looked away, smiling faintly.
The system chimed softly in Eren's mind.
[Daily Realm Synchronization Complete.][Egg Nurturing Efficiency: Optimal.]
"No rewards?" Lia asked.
Eren shook his head. "The system doesn't reward basics."
She smirked. "Figures."
That night, as Linhai City slept, Eren logged into the mall system for the first time—not to buy, but to understand. Prices were absurd. Even with one hundred thousand points, most mid-to-high-grade items were locked behind authority, time, or conditions.
Power wasn't sold.
It was rationed.
"This keeps idiots from self-destructing," Lia said, reading over his shoulder.
"And keeps the world stable," Eren replied. "Mostly."
They shut it down and sat quietly.
"Eren," Lia said suddenly, voice low. "If this gets out… they won't come after just you."
"I know."
"They'll come after the eggs. The realm. Me."
"I know."
She met his eyes. "If that day comes, don't hesitate."
Eren's jaw tightened. "Neither will you."
They didn't say what hesitation meant.
They didn't need to.
Just before dawn, the Honedge egg cracked.
Not fully—just a hairline fracture, glowing faintly white.
Lia was on her feet instantly. "That's early."
Eren checked the data. "It's responding to realm exposure. Accelerated bonding."
The fracture sealed again, but the vibration changed—stronger now. Clearer.
A presence pressed outward.
The blade was listening.
Eren leaned back, exhaustion finally catching him.
"This is just the start," he murmured.
Lia looked at the eggs, then out the window at the waking city.
"And already," she said quietly, "we're standing on a knife-edge."