...

Right after Immortal disappeared beyond the spatial portal, the familiar sound that Shin had been waiting for finally echoed before his eyes.

*Ding*

System: Congratulations! You have successfully rescued the Ancient Elemental Being of Darkness from the clutches of the mysterious existence attempting to corrupt it.

System: The corruption within the Ancient Elemental Being has begun to recede.

System: The Ancient Elemental Being has entered a state of self-purification.

...

Seeing those words, Shin unconsciously let out a long sigh.

The tension that had accumulated throughout the entire battle finally disappeared from his shoulders.

"So I was right..." he muttered.

Destroying the altar had never been about defeating the Elemental Anomalies. It had severed the channel continuously feeding slaughter energy into the corruption.

Without that external source, the Ancient Elemental Being was finally capable of relying on its own overwhelming authority to suppress the corruption invading its body.

At least, for now.

Before Shin could organize his thoughts any further, another series of notifications rapidly appeared before him.

*Ding*

System: Your Favor with the Ancient Elemental Being of Darkness has increased.

Current Relationship: Friendly

Shin’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

An existence standing at the pinnacle of all Elemental Spirits had personally acknowledged him.

However, before he could fully appreciate what that meant, another notification appeared.

*Ding*

System: Your contracted Elemental Spirit, Grimrace, has attained enlightenment through repeated battles against the Elemental Anomalies.

System: The unique authority belonging to the Eldritch Psychic Spirit bloodline has been awakened.

"..." Shin instinctively turned toward the black cloak fluttering quietly behind him.

Even without opening Grimrace’s status panel, he could already sense that the latter’s aura had become noticeably deeper than before

"This nutjob must have gained something amazing," he mumbled.

Then, the third notification suddenly appeared.

*Ding*

System: Your contracted Elemental Spirit, Blackie, has been acknowledged by the Ancient Elemental Being of Darkness.

System: The bloodline of the Abyssal Penumbra Spirit has been officially recorded within the Historical Records of the Elemental Bloodlines.

System: Blackie has inherited a portion of the Legacy of the Ancient Elemental Being of Darkness.

Shin’s pupils contracted slightly. "The Historical Records..."

That was no ordinary recognition.

It meant Blackie’s bloodline had officially become one of the acknowledged elemental lineages existing within the Elemental Lineage itself.

It was no longer merely an evolved special Elemental Spirit. It had become a recognized bloodline.

While he was appreciating this set of notifications, the final notification quietly descended before him.

*Ding*

System: The Authorities Abyssal Severance and Mantle of Darkness have become permanent Authorities of your contracted Elemental Spirits.

System: Due to becoming part of their innate bloodlines, both Authorities have returned to their initial stage.

System: These Authorities may be cultivated and strengthened alongside their respective Elemental Spirits.

...

A slow smile gradually appeared beneath Shin’s mask.

Compared even to ordinary rewards such as equipment or levels, these gains possessed far greater value in the long run.

He was not lacking in any equipment anyway, while levels could still be earned so long as he spent enough time grinding experience points.

These rewards, however, were permanent growth. A growth that would remain with Blackie and Grimrace for the rest of their existence.

Which also meant his own strength had quietly taken another step forward.

"Not bad..." Shin muttered with a satisfied grin.

He casually dismissed the notification panel with a wave of his hand. "That was worth all the trouble."

He was just about to turn his attention toward the gigantic, chained gate in the distance when both Blackie and Grimrace simultaneously released their possessions over the [Yamato] and the [Death’s Shadow].

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Without saying a single word, Grimrace immediately transformed into a stream of black mist before disappearing into the Reaper’s Realm.

"As expected of that troublesome fellow." Shin could only shake his head helplessly.

Blackie, however, chose to remain.

A gentle darkness gathered before him, gradually taking the form of a young woman with a seductive figure, a pair of black tiger ears, and a long tail swaying quietly behind her.

The moment her figure fully materialized, she lowered herself onto one knee. "My Lord."

Shin instinctively stopped walking.

For some reason, the way Blackie addressed him this time felt subtly different. There was a seriousness behind those words that had never existed before.

"Speak." He simply nodded.

Blackie lowered her head respectfully before speaking. "My Lord... I will soon enter a temporary slumber as I must digest the legacy bestowed upon me by the Great Existence."

She then paused, making her fingers unconsciously tighten against the ground beneath her knee.

It was obvious that there was something else she wanted to say.

"Speak your mind." Shin immediately sensed the slight hesitation flowing through their spiritual connection. "There is no need to hesitate."

Blackie bowed even deeper before quietly continuing. "Since I have received the acknowledgment of that great existence..."

"...my name shall be engraved within the Historical Records of the Elemental Lineage." She could not help but stop once more.

Even Shin could feel the nervousness coming from her.

After gathering every bit of courage she had, she finally raised her head slightly. "...My Lord... Please... Grant me a proper name."

Shin blinked. "..."

"A... proper name?" The words escaped almost instinctively.

For the first time in a long while, he was genuinely caught off guard.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly beneath the mask. "You... don’t like the name I’ve given you?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Blackie’s expression immediately changed.

"N-No!" She hurriedly shook her head, panic visibly filling her face. "That is absolutely not what I meant, My Lord!"

"It was the very first gift you ever gave me after I was born into this world along with my brother! I would never dislike it!"

"I have treasured it ever since." Her voice gradually became softer.

"But..." She gently lowered her gaze. "...I don’t believe ’Blackie’ is a name worthy of being engraved within the Historical Records of the Elemental Bloodlines."

She hesitated for a brief moment before speaking once more. "I... do not wish to bring shame upon the name you have given me."

"However..." A faint smile gradually appeared on her face. "The name ’Blackie’ will always remain in my heart..."

She slowly raised her head and looked at Shin with unwavering respect. "...as the name that only my Lord is allowed to call me."

However, Shin was not entirely convinced.

He simply stood there in silence, staring at Blackie, who was still kneeling before him with her head lowered.

"..."

"..."

’If you don’t like the name, then you can just say it.’ Shin sighed inwardly. ’There’s no need to dramatize it this much.’

’It’s not like I’m so narrow-minded that I’d get angry over something like that.’ Another helpless sigh escaped his thoughts.

After all, he was well aware that his naming sense had always been... questionable.

"Maybe Blackie really is a little too much." He mumbled to himself.

Shin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "A proper name..."

His gaze lingered on Blackie for a long while.

He recalled everything that had happened throughout this journey.

From the little tiger that had faithfully followed him to the Abyssal Penumbra Spirit that had fought beside him through countless life-and-death battles.

And now, a newly acknowledged Elemental Bloodline whose name would forever be engraved within the Historical Records of the Elemental World.

She was no longer merely a special Elemental Spirit evolved from a pet tiger. She had become the beginning of an entirely new lineage.

"Then..." Shin slowly spoke. "Nythera."

Blackie’s body trembled slightly.

"Nythera..." she softly repeated, as if tasting the unfamiliar name.

Shin gave a small nod. "It is an ancient name associated with the eternal night."

"A name symbolizing the primordial darkness that existed before light ever illuminated the world."

"It is not the darkness that devours, but the darkness that quietly embraces everything beneath the night sky."

"I believe that it suits the path you’ve chosen." He looked directly into her eyes. "And... it also suits the Elemental Bloodline that you’ve awakened."

Silence filled the surroundings.

A few seconds later, Blackie’s eyes gradually became moist.

"Thank you... My Lord." She gently placed a hand over her chest before lowering her head once more. "From this day onward... ’Nythera’ shall be the name remembered by history..."

She smiled warmly. "...while ’Blackie’ shall forever remain the name that belongs only to you."

Blackie...

No...

Nythera remained in her kneeling position as her body gradually dissolved into countless specks of black light.

The tiny particles quietly drifted into the air before flying toward the Reaper’s Realm.

Not once did she raise her head.

...

Watching her disappear, Shin could not help but notice the tears that had quietly fallen from the corners of her eyes.

Unfortunately, he arrived at a completely different conclusion.

"They really were tears of liberation, huh?" He silently looked toward the place where Nythera had disappeared before letting out a long, helpless sigh. "So she really hated that nickname that much..."

It finally dawned on him.

The little tiger he had casually named Blackie when he first contracted them as his pet had now become an Elemental Spirit whose name would forever be engraved within the Historical Records of the Elemental Lineage.

Looking at it from that perspective, calling her Blackie did sound rather... Embarrassing.

Shin rubbed his forehead. "Now that I think about it..."

A bad premonition suddenly surfaced in his heart.

"Based on today’s events... Whitie will probably ask me for a proper name sooner or later as well."

"This is troublesome." He could not help but heave yet another powerless sigh.

He could already imagine another awkward conversation waiting for him in the future.

With that thought in mind, Shin could only shake his head repeatedly before letting out another helpless sigh.

"Looks like I really need to improve my naming sense."

......