Back in their apartment, Dana sat on the comfortable beanbag chair with her legs crossed, and focused on transforming soul power as Karl worked on the rune to convert Immortal Essence to Soul Energy for her to absorb.

Helping her regenerate was easy enough to add to the rune stone, but still Karl felt that it could use a little something to help Dana make the conversion before dinner.

[Haint, why don't you come out and play? Dana could use a little help.]

The Haint was happy to comply. With the Soul Bond, Dana was practically an extension of Karl. Strengthening her made him stronger as well.

So, she came out and began to gently pour some of her remaining stored soul energy into the meditating mage. Nowhere near the rate that Karl had drawn it at, but Dana didn't have far left to go, she just needed a bit more energy in her Immortal Spirit to stabilize it.

The basics were already formed.

Dana felt the outside power flowing into her, and wondered just what it was that Karl had done while she was working. This felt like refined Soul Energy, and very familiar.

Not like something that had come from a runic array.

But she still integrated it into her Immortal Spirit, helping build the energy level high enough that it was stable without constant attention.

Karl finished the rune stone and activated it, then immediately began to make another.

He would save them as gifts for the Elders.

The Elders didn't actually need them, but they could put them in the reserved spots for their disciples, or use them as rewards for special achievements by new Immortals.

Anything that he made was worth having a spare for, given how popular they all

were.

The New Home Merchant Clan really did need to do more to gather crafting talents, but Karl could see that the Clan Leader had a different vision.

She treated the Clan more like a newbie zone for Immortals. She collected them, helped them get settled into the world, and guided the clan to gather resources for them.

Then, she let them grow free on their own.

It was an odd practice, but Karl could see the logic behind it. Some people collected cats, stuffed animals or trinkets. She collected new Immortals, and when they were no longer new and cute, she wasn't concerned by what they did.

Or, she was looking for something particular, and none of the newbies she had collected had the potential for it.

That was also a definite possibility. When you had forever, you could devote centuries or millennia to researching and hunting for rare things. Lady Matilda had done that on his old world, so it wouldn't surprise Karl if that was actually a common trait for Supreme Ranked beings.

Though... given his current class abilities, he might be the worst of them once he gained the power.

He did have a power designed specifically to keep absolutely anything as a pet. How much better could it get for a bored Immortal? It was practically a hoarder's wet dream.

Dana's aura was shifting as she completed the stabilization of her Immortal Spirit, and Karl could feel the difference between where she was now, and where she was an hour ago.

The raw essence of her being was tucked away, protected by the Immortal Spirit.

Now, they were definitely ready to go out.

The question was more about who should go with them on the trip. The beasts formed an Immortal Spirit as soon as they advanced. So, they could all go, other than Thor, who had other things to do at the moment.

However, Leo had friends at school, and Remi was busy with her Alchemy work.

So, they might not want to come along on the trip.

Dana thought differently. Leo definitely wanted to come along, so he could show off to his new friends. The other kids in first grade never got to go on adventures with their family.

Karl finished a third Soul Energy gathering array stone, and addressed the group, who were all lounging around the main room, while Opal put on a reenactment of Lotus and Button in dragon form trying to sneak into the Tiny World's school to inspect the eggs.

The eggs in the Tiny World were getting very close to hatching, so Karl was going to have to act soon if he wanted to help them upgrade.

[Breath of the World] would evolve the baby dragons into ones with better potential, and it might give them an increase in constitution.

Giving them a better chance at Immortality would make all the caretakers happy, and he would eventually be able to let them wander the world as Immortal Dragons.

The Druids and Green Dragons would be overjoyed.

As if thinking of baby dragons had summoned them, Karl heard a knock at the door, and saw Brother Chin's spirit through the wall.

"Coming! What's up, Brother Chin?"

The tiny white dragon flapped into the room, and then collapsed on the table with a sigh of relief.

{Being small is exhausting, and I needed somewhere to hide from Min. I wanted to get some items from the warehouse and barely left with my life.}

Karl laughed. "She's not going to actually hurt you. Just cuddle you a little. Or a lot. But you're just in time. We're going to head to the Cafeteria for dinner in a few minutes to show off Dana finishing her Immortal Spirit.

Swag wants to go on an outing when the dungeon at Alhos opens, and I thought that we would meet his group, since yours is in recovery mode."

Chin bobbed his tiny head. {That's not a bad idea. His group is pretty solid. With your assistance and some pickup members, you should be fine.

But being in the cafeteria when I'm being stalked by an invisible cat sounds

stressful.}

Karl laughed, and Opal flew over to greet the dragon.

"Fear not, we have the perfect tactic. Tian loves attention, so we can distract

the Green Dragons with him while you eat."