"Do you think that way too? Do you also think I will become a useless person?" William Carter wasn't asking anyone else, only Emily Brooks about her own thoughts—whether she would also see William Carter as a good-for-nothing.

"Even if you don't kill Grace Dawson, I wouldn't see you that way." Emily Brooks had already passed the most emotional moment; now, her reply was calm and natural: "But I alone don't mean much. How others see you, I don't think it will be much different."

As she spoke, what flashed through Emily Brooks's mind was William Carter's masterful hidden weapon technique when he casually took out Grace Dawson and several guards, as well as William Carter's terrifying ability to spot the flaws in her swordsmanship at a glance. How could someone like that possibly be a useless person?

"If everyone looks down on me, doesn't take me seriously, and ignores my existence, that would actually be a good thing." William Carter was a sniper, and from the perspective of his profession, he couldn't wish more for everyone to ignore him—only then could he complete his missions more easily. "That's exactly what I want!"

This was William Carter's true feeling, not perfunctory, nor a venting of emotion—he genuinely thought this way. A sniper that everyone is on guard against is definitely the one who dies the fastest.

But when Emily Brooks heard this, it took on a different meaning for her. A sudden, inexplicable anger flared up in her mind: "How can you be so unambitious?"

Emily Brooks's outburst was baffling, and William Carter was even more confused hearing it. Even Emily Brooks herself didn't know what was going on.

Maybe it was related to how Emily Brooks had introduced William Carter to others as her fiancé, or maybe it had to do with something about herself that even she hadn't realized. William Carter had been like a godsend, pulling her out of the depths of despair at her most desperate moment. Emily Brooks really didn't want her "savior" to become someone who gave up on himself.

Fortunately, Emily Brooks quickly realized her loss of composure and calmed down swiftly: "Sorry, I lost my temper."

"Can a soul core be replaced?" William Carter waited until Emily Brooks was completely calm before asking in his usual steady, unhurried tone.

"Generally speaking, once a soul core is fused, it can't be removed." Emily Brooks thought for a moment and still gave William Carter an answer.

"But..." William Carter proactively added a transition word for Emily Brooks, then gestured for her to continue.

"But it's not absolute." Emily Brooks shot William Carter a look, then continued, "There is a way to erase the soul core from the human body."

When she shot that look at William Carter, the inadvertent charm Emily Brooks displayed almost made William Carter lose his composure. It was at this moment that William Carter truly began to look at Emily Brooks as a woman, not just as a warrior.

Emily Brooks was very beautiful—even in plain clothes, she still had a stunning presence. Especially those unintentional expressions and smiles she showed from time to time—she really had the potential to bring ruin to a nation. No wonder Grace Dawson tried to seize her by force; Emily Brooks truly had the looks.

Seeing William Carter staring at her in a daze, Emily Brooks felt a bit pleased with herself. This brute finally realized how naturally beautiful this young lady was—there might still be hope for him.

"The price is very high?" William Carter was almost captivated by Emily Brooks's beauty, but fortunately, his willpower was extremely strong, and he quickly returned to reality.

"Extremely high!" Emily Brooks nodded. This wasn't a secret, so there was nothing to hide: "Maybe if the five great families and the imperial court pooled their resources, they could barely gather enough materials for one or two attempts. And that's just the materials—not counting the experts needed. If you were a big shot, maybe you could pull it off."

At this moment, Emily Brooks really hoped William Carter would reveal himself as a scion of some hidden noble family and smile as he told her it was a trivial matter. Unfortunately, Emily Brooks was disappointed again. William Carter just waved his hand dismissively, as if none of this had anything to do with him, and said, "Let's leave it at that! So, tell me, how do you cultivate a soul core?"

"It's very simple at the beginning. Just focus your mind, clear away all distractions, and try to communicate with your soul core." Emily Brooks answered in a seemingly casual way. Since William Carter was so nonchalant, she had to give him a bit of a reality check.

There was something Emily Brooks didn't tell William Carter: the higher the level of the soul core, the easier it is to communicate with its host, and vice versa. The first time she communicated with her soul core, it took her more than ten days, and that was already considered a remarkable talent. William Carter was carrying a worthless soul core—if he could communicate with it within two years, it would be thanks to his ancestors' accumulated virtue.

"Once you make contact, your consciousness will enter the soul core space, where you construct the form and environment of the soul core, as well as the conditions for its upgrade." Emily Brooks added, "Once all this is done, the initiation is complete, and you can choose a suitable cultivation method to begin training."

"I'll give it a try!" William Carter immediately closed his eyes. "Let's see if I can make contact."

Emily Brooks snorted, noncommittal. If it were really that easy just by sitting and thinking, wouldn't the world be full of soul core masters?

With a few deep breaths, William Carter quickly entered a state of calm that outsiders couldn't sense. This was something William Carter had learned during sniper patience training—a kind of breathing and meditation technique that allowed him to quickly achieve inner peace and also recover his strength rapidly. It sounded similar to the communication method Emily Brooks described, so it was a good opportunity to try it out.