I reached the Realm Union in just under thirty minutes.
That alone told me something had changed.
I slowed to a stop a few steps away from the entrance, more out of habit than exhaustion, and waited for the familiar burn in my lungs. It never came. My breathing was steady. My legs felt warm but not strained, like I had just finished a light jog instead of sprinting across a good portion of the capital.
I blinked and straightened, flexing my fingers once.
So that's how it feels.
Back in Hearthroot, even walking fast had felt like I was pushing a body that wasn't built for it. Now my steps had been longer, my turns sharper, my balance cleaner. I hadn't tripped once, hadn't slowed on corners, hadn't needed to pause and recalibrate my direction. It was subtle, but unmistakable.
The stat increase mattered.
I looked up.
