The message came at noon.
Riser was in his room, going through notes he had started keeping—messy, half-organized thoughts about training, peerage structure, and things that needed to be done but hadn't been yet.
Akeno.
Koneko.
Power.
Always power.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter."
Yubelluna stepped in.
"Young master, Lady Phenex requests your presence."
Riser didn't need to ask why.
"…It's ready?"
"Yes."
That was enough.
The Garden
The Phenex garden was quieter than usual.
The air was warm, but not oppressive. Flames flickered gently along the edges of pathways, reflecting off polished stone and shallow pools of water that softened the otherwise overwhelming heat of the estate.
Lady Phenex sat at the center table.
Elegant.
Calm.
Watching.
Waiting.
Riser approached.
"…Mom."
The word still felt slightly unfamiliar.
But less than before.
Her expression softened immediately.
"Riser."
He sat across from her.
And only then did he notice the small crystal vial resting on the table between them.
Dark liquid.
Almost metallic in color.
Thick.
Heavy.
It didn't look like something meant to be consumed.
It looked like something meant to survive.
"That is the Draught of Iron Skin," Lady Phenex said quietly.
Riser didn't touch it.
Not yet.
He could feel it.
Even from here.
Dense.
Violent.
Wrong.
"You understand what it does?"
"Yes."
"And what it will feel like?"
"…Yes."
She didn't look convinced.
"It is not a training aid," she continued. "It is a forced evolution. Your body will not accept it gently."
"I know."
"It will hurt."
"I know."
"It may feel like your body is breaking apart."
Riser met her gaze.
"I know."
Silence.
The kind that stretched just long enough to matter.
"…Then why?" she asked softly.
Not as Lady Phenex.
Not as a noble.
As a mother.
Riser looked down at the vial.
Then back at her.
"…Because I don't have time."
That was the simplest version of the truth.
Not the whole truth.
But enough.
She studied him.
Longer this time.
Searching.
Weighing.
"…You've changed," she said.
"I have."
"And you won't stop."
It wasn't a question.
"…No."
Another pause.
Then—
She reached forward and pushed the vial slightly closer to him.
"…Then don't do it alone."
That caught him off guard.
"I will stay," she said. "If your body rejects it, I will stabilize you."
Riser blinked.
"…You don't have to—"
"I know."
Her voice was calm.
Unmovable.
"…I want to."
That ended the argument.
Before it started.
Riser exhaled slowly.
Then reached for the vial.
It was warm.
Too warm.
Like it had its own pulse.
"…Here we go."
He didn't hesitate.
He drank it.
Pain
There was no transition.
No buildup.
No warning.
It hit instantly.
Riser's body locked.
His vision snapped white.
And then—
Pain.
Not sharp.
Not clean.
Not something you could focus on and endure.
It was everywhere.
His skin felt like it was splitting.
His muscles twisted.
His bones—
God—
It felt like his bones were being crushed and reforged at the same time.
He dropped to one knee.
Then both.
Then his hands hit the ground.
"Riser!"
He heard her voice.
Distant.
Distorted.
He couldn't respond.
Couldn't breathe properly.
Couldn't think properly.
The pain didn't spike.
It didn't fade.
It just—
Stayed.
Constant.
Relentless.
Unforgiving.
This… is insane…
His body convulsed.
Fire burst from his skin uncontrollably—wild Phenex flames erupting outward in unstable waves.
The garden around him shimmered.
Heat distorted the air violently.
Lady Phenex moved instantly.
A barrier snapped into place around them, containing the flames.
Her hand pressed against his back.
Warm.
Steady.
Anchoring.
"Focus, Riser!"
Focus?
On what?!
Everything hurt.
Everything.
But—
He tried.
Breathing.
That was something.
In.
Out.
In—
No.
That didn't work.
He shifted.
Not breathing.
Enduring.
That was it.
That was the point.
Endure it.
His hands clenched against the ground.
Fingers digging into stone.
Don't fight it.
Don't reject it.
Take it.
The moment that thought settled—
Something changed.
Not the pain.
Never the pain.
But his reaction to it.
His body stopped resisting.
Stopped panicking.
Stopped trying to escape.
And instead—
Accepted it.
The flames stabilized slightly.
Still violent.
Still unstable.
But no longer exploding outward randomly.
"…Good," Lady Phenex whispered.
Riser didn't hear it clearly.
But something in him registered approval.
Time lost meaning.
Minutes?
Hours?
He had no idea.
There was only pain.
Endurance.
And the slow, brutal process of something inside him being reforged.
After
When it ended—
It ended abruptly.
The pain didn't fade.
It vanished.
Riser collapsed forward.
Breathing hard.
Body trembling.
Skin burning with residual heat.
"…Riser."
He felt her hand again.
Cooler now.
Gentler.
"…I'm… alive," he managed.
His voice sounded wrecked.
"…Of course you are," she said softly.
He laughed.
Weak.
Breathless.
"…Good to know."
System Notification
[Draught of Iron Skin successfully integrated.][Body Reinforcement Complete.]
New Passive Skill Acquired:→ Enhanced Endurance (Basic)
Effects:
Increased tolerance to pain Improved stamina recovery Reduced physical strain during high-intensity training
Stats Updated:
STR: D+ → C-DEF: D- → D+STM: C → C+
Riser stared at the screen.
"…That's… actually a lot."
His body still hurt.
Not like before.
But deep.
Heavy.
Real.
He pushed himself up slowly.
Testing.
Everything felt—
Different.
Denser.
Stronger.
More stable.
"…Yeah."
This was worth it.
He looked at his hands.
Then clenched them.
"…This is just the start."
Behind him—
Lady Phenex watched quietly.
Relieved.
Proud.
And just slightly worried.
Because the look in his eyes—
Was no longer just determination.
It was something sharper.
Something that burned.