Kapitel 5: A Compromise

Eating the familiar cooking of his sister, Jyorta almost teared up, missing it while he had been in the military academy. Food in the military academy was bland, without any spice or flavour.

But now, every flavour he liked had been prepared. Even though she had been busy with everything that had been happening, Heima still prepared a feast for him.

When they were finished with their breakfast, Heima asked in passing, "What job were you allotted with now?"

"When I reach Tier 3, I'll gain entry into Grapple Force. My job description would change then." Jyorta recalled everything that had happened in the past week, saying, "But until then, I have two temporary jobs."

"As a Soldier, I have been stationed at the walls. Since my Psychic Energy reserves aren't that high, I'll just be acting as a reserve of energy for the fighting soldiers. Regen is great in that regard. For my civilian job, I've been posted as a nurse/caretaker in the Second Academy." Jyorta laughed, "Both are less demanding jobs. I have a month of free time until I have to start working."

"That's great," Heima smiled, "It's impressive that you have Regen now. You won't face too much risk thanks to that."

"Alright, I'll be heading out to work now." Ravis Bone took the moment to excuse himself, noticing the time as he hurried along. He then laughed while facing Jyorta, "Sorry that I'm busy. Once I return, let's catch up."

"Sure," Jyorta waved his hand, watching Ravis Bone exit the home. He then sighed, looking at his sister as he spoke, still unable to believe himself, "It feels surreal that you've married and already have kids."

"It was bound to happen anyway," Heima said, then sporting a serious expression, "By the way, do you have a girl you like?"

"W-Why are you asking it all of a sudden?" Jyorta was flustered for a moment. Upon seeing the seriousness of his sister, he had assumed she was about to talk of something serious. But, her statement caught him off guard.

"There's nothing sudden about it," Heima glared, easing up a little as she spoke, "Madam Light has finalised what to do for our subsequent breakthroughs."

His eyes widened as Jyorta straightened himself, "Did she figure out a method to deal with the Mind Hound?"

"That's impossible," Heima shook her head, "The Mind Hound is closely related to something Gajara Rahi had done in the past. At present, it isn't something anyone can deal with. No matter what we attack it with, it won't ever die, since it seems to now bear the consciousness of the Mental Realm itself."

"The consciousness of the Mental Realm?" Jyorta was shocked, "How is that possible?"

"It's related to the Mind Path. So, anything's possible." Heima sighed, "And, during every breakthrough in Marble City over the year, we have seen the Mind Hound prowling about the city. It hasn't attacked us, but hasn't left the city's vicinity either."

"With it around, the moment we enter the Mental Realm, it will devour us," Heima shuddered for a moment, recalling every statement she had read about the matter, "The Mind Hound isn't something we can deal with. So, we have to settle with a compromise."

"A compromise?" Jyorta asked.

"Yes," Heima nodded, iterating the plan Atika Light had informed her about, "We'll breakthrough simultaneously every time. And, we'll be heading to each city of humanity to do so. This way, the distance between us and Marble City would be vast. By the time the Mind Hound reaches the respective city, we would have completed our breakthroughs. Every time, we'll be doing the same."

"And, to prevent it from following us, Ancestor Light would personally drop us off. It would hardly take a second with him to transport us," Heima laughed, "We'll head towards the weakest of human stronghold first, Desert City. I'll reach Tier 4 while you'll reach Tier 3 there. For our subsequent breakthroughs, we'll head to Floating City, Reef City, and finally, Dawn City. This way, we'll avoid the Mind Hound all the time."

"That's a solid plan," Jyorta nodded, "Since someone is constantly breaking through in all the cities, we'll be able to figure out the Mind Hound's position and prepare accordingly."

He then expressed his confusion, "What does this matter have to do with your initial question?"

"It matters a lot," Heima stressed, "Remember your identity. The Mind, Soul, and Aura Paths are offshoots of the Parasite Path. And, you're the fusion of the Soul and Parasite Path. Why do you think I was so worried about having a child all along?"

She stated, "At Tier 3, the chances of birthing a Child of Wisdom is only 30 percent. That means, if I give birth three times, I'll only birth a Child of Wisdom once. But in reality, that is not the case for me. It's because I'm a Subsoul. The essence of the Parasite Path is stronger in me. So, my chances to birth a Child of Wisdom is almost the same as the case of a Shifter giving birth. I just got lucky this time."

"And you!" She shouted, "You're even worse. I am just a Subsoul. But you're a Psychic Parasite. For you, forget about birthing a normal child once you reach Tier 3. The risks are high even at your current level."

"You can't prolong your development just to birth a child. The Saturation Point in the Mental Realm is fast approaching." Heima almost shouted, "And, Madam Light has already given the date for us to breakthrough. There are only two years left. So, do you get my point now?"

"If you don't have a child within these two years, you can forget about having one for the rest of your life."

Her words slammed like a hammer on him as Jyorta's mood worsened instantly. '2…years? That's too short. Can I…really handle it?'

As he worried about it, Heima dropped another bomb on him, "That's why I asked if you had someone you liked. Otherwise, grandpa plans to engage you to Dalna Doppler. Her pedigree, talent, character, potential, etc. is stellar. Comparing everything, she seems to be your best match."

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Author Notes: Until we reach the target amount in my Patre0n, I'll release a bonus chapter for every 10 USD increase in the pledged amount.

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