Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

Swoosh-!

Ryan delivered the final strike, putting the creature down.

They quickly harvested the mana core from the corpse, gathered the valuable materials, and left the gate.

Now that they were done smurfing in a First Circle gate, they left the outpost without wasting any time.

They caught a transit ride across the city outskirts and headed straight toward their actual destination: the Muddy Burrow, a Second Circle Gate where they could finally test their teamwork much more thoroughly.

Even though they could probably clear a Third Circle Gate if they gave it their all, just like their desperate survival inside the Golden Gate, choosing a Second Circle one was the right call.

First, they didn’t have much of a choice anyway. Soren was still officially an E-rank hunter registered at the Second Circle level. Ryan was still a student, and he was keeping his breakthrough to the Third Circle a closely guarded secret. In fact, Soren had only found out about it today, and Ryan asked him to keep it a secret. Because of these restrictions, they were completely unable to book or enter a Third Circle Gate through official channels.

Secondly, they were still a small party of two. Having recently recovered from their near-death experiences, neither of them was eager to risk their lives again so soon. Jumping straight into higher-tier gates with an untested partnership was a recipe for disaster.

And finally, a Second Circle gate provided the ideal threshold for steady refinement. The monsters here would be aggressive enough to actively push their new style without completely overwhelming them if a mistake occurred. They didn’t need life-or-death stakes to make progress; they just needed an environment where they could actually push the pace.

As the transport sped toward the burrow, the dark silhouette of the reinforced gate outpost loomed in the distance.

They swiped their entry permits at the automated terminal, completed the brief security scan, and stepped directly into the distortion field without a second thought.

Two hours later, they walked back out through the swirling vortex completely unscathed.

The Muddy Burrow had thrown everything a standard Second Circle gate could muster at them, from aggressive burrowing beasts to a heavy, swarming boss, but their synchronized style held up perfectly. They managed to smooth out the transition gaps in their technique until the movements became almost instinctual.

Standing outside the outpost lobby, Soren divided the harvested cores and materials into two equal shares and handed Ryan his portion.

With the day’s objective thoroughly accomplished and the blueprint successfully tested, they exchanged a brief nod and parted ways, each heading back to their respective destinations.

Since he was already in Eastern Kalmira for the raid, Soren decided to stop by the Verdant Glen Gardens, using the opportunity to sort out his thoughts before heading home.

He caught a local transit pod that dropped him off right at the edge of the district’s ecological zone. Stepping off the platform, he passed through the grand arched entrance of the gardens, the sudden shift from the bustling city streets to the serene expanse immediately easing the tension in his shoulders.

The garden was remarkably quiet today, with only the occasional automated maintenance drone humming softly in the distance as it trimmed the hedges.

Soren let his feet guide him down the winding stone paths, breathing in the crisp, floral-infused air.

As he rounded a familiar corridor of white wisteria arches, his gaze fell upon a quiet wooden pavilion. It was the exact spot where he and Ethea had sat together during their walk.

The sudden memory of her quiet presence made the path’s current emptiness feel much more pronounced, and Soren lingered by the arches for a moment, his eyes fixed on the empty wooden bench.

’I really came all the way out here to escape the tension, yet she’s still the first thing I think about,’ he thought, a faint, wry smile crossing his face.

Shaking his head at his own helplessness, he turned away from the pavilion to find some actual privacy.

He ambled deeper into the sanctuary until he reached a secluded spot near a large, clear pond. Sitting down on a stone bench, he leaned forward and stared at his own reflection stretching across the still water.

”Oh, I got a bit more handsome, huh?”

He chuckled lightly at the thought.

It wasn’t just a baseless boast, though. His facial features had significantly sharpened, losing the gaunt, hollow look of his survival days, and his posture carried a natural presence. His eyes became clearer and more profound, carrying a subtle, piercing depth that naturally commanded attention.

This transformation wasn’t a mere coincidence; it was the direct result of his awakening, the constant refinement of cultivation, and training. The pure mana circulating through his meridians had systematically purged the impurities from his body, reshaping his physique and lending an effortless, steady composure to his every movement.

’Hmm...’

Soren squinted.

If he actually bothered to visit a professional styling salon instead of settling for his usual low-maintenance look, and if he traded his plain clothes and utilitarian hunter gear for a decent tailored outfit, he could probably give those arrogant, trust-fund young masters or top-tier idol actors a serious run for their money.

Heck, if he continues to sharpen his presence at this rate, he might even make a few of them look like background extras.

’Not that it matters anyway,’ he mused, tilting his head slightly as he examined his watery image. ’It’s not like I’m planning to audition for a romance drama or win a modeling contest. Who am I even trying to impress?’

The answer surfaced in his mind before he could stop it, instantly making his smug amusement wither away.

’...’

As the faint smile died on his lips, his gaze drifted deeper into the shimmering water, and his thoughts naturally gravitated back toward the small apartment.

The lighthearted mood evaporated, replaced by a sudden, familiar tightness in his chest.

’Haha...’

It was ridiculous, really.

He could stand perfectly still inside a dangerous gate, talk and deal with an otherworldly emperor, face down charging beasts, and calculate split-second deflections without a single tremor in his hands.

And yet...

A single, soft memory from a quiet bedroom was all it took to completely bypass his defenses.

’Urgh...’