Kayden and Phoebe arrived at the apartment, but as soon as Kayden stepped inside, he could feel a lingering trace of an abnormal substance in the air. Without hesitation, he quickly ran inside, his senses on high alert.
Inside, he was met with Anna, sitting in a corner with tears streaming down her face. It was clear she had not slept well the night before. Kayden rushed to her side.
"Kayden!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. He hugged her back just as tightly, feeling guilty for not being there when she needed him.
Anna's attention was drawn to a girl walking into the room. "Kayden, who is this?" she asked curiously.
Kayden introduced the two of them to each other, mentally preparing for Anna's usual anger or resentment towards any other woman in his life. But instead, she simply smiled and welcomed Phoebe into their home. She must have known that there were reasons beyond just being with another girl for Kayden's absence last night. The important thing now was to focus on saving Sophie.
"Kayden, where is Sophie?" Anna began to ask before he could even say a word.
But he interrupted her, already knowing what she was going to ask. "I know," he replied with determination in his voice.
A faint, unfamiliar aura pulsed around Kayden, catching his attention. He reached out with his senses, trying to track down its source.
Focusing on the letter that lay on top of the table, he read the words written in elegant script: "Dear Kayden, I have heard of your marvelous deeds in killing Joel. Your talents have piqued my interest. I am also intrigued by your woman, this Sophie girl with a beautiful body. Would you mind giving her to me? I would love to have a proper taste." The signature was absent, but Kayden could feel the malicious intent behind the words.
As rage coursed through him, he turned to Sophie and Phoebe, who could both sense his anger rising.
"System," Kayden growled, "is there a way for me to track another aura bearer?"
"Ding! It is possible but will require a certain amount of lust points," the mechanical voice replied.
"Lust points? You never mentioned those during our first meeting," Kayden said through clenched teeth.
"Well, Master wasn't able to receive any lust points at that time because the system hadn't fully finished updating. But now that you've brought it up..." The system paused before continuing, "If this situation had not occurred, it would have taken longer for you to learn about them."
Kayden seethed with anger at the thought of being kept in the dark about such an important aspect of the system's functions.
"I apologize for not informing you earlier, but the current situation requires immediate action. Our system will now grant you the corresponding rewards for each woman with whom you have engaged in intercourse."
"Sophie - Grade S (5000 HP)
Anna - Grade S (5000 HP)
Ashely - Grade S (5000 HP)
Phoebe - Grade S (5000 HP)
A total of 20,000 HP."
"Is that a significant amount?"
"It depends on what tier items the user is purchasing. Our items range from tier 1 to 12."
"As for my stats..."
Name: Kayden
Occupation: Gym Instructor
Realm: Peak (Advanced)
Experience:
Level: 36/100
Strength: 30
Dexterity: 29
Intelligence: 28
Health: 2890
Speed: 29
HP: 20,000
"I gained an additional 7 points after engaging in intercourse with Phoebe."
"The system suggests that you use your points to surpass the advanced stage and reach the Lord realm. We have detected that the person who took Ms. Sophie is at least a Lord realm being."
Kayden's surprise was palpable as he realized that the Lord Realm was two levels above his current realm, even with the aid of a strengthening pill. He knew that to stand a chance against those in the advanced and lord realms, he would need to increase his strength significantly. The cost of reaching these higher realms was steep, but Kayden was determined to do whatever it takes to protect his woman from any potential threats.
Ding! The progression through the realms varied based on one's starting level. For beginners, they gained 1 Hp per level in the mid stage, 2 Hp per level in the late stage, and 3 Hp per level in the peak stage before advancing to the next realm. For those in the advanced realm, they gained 4-7 Hp per level before becoming veterans. Veterans gained 8-11 Hp per level before reaching the coveted lord realm, where they gained an additional 12 Hp per level. And finally, for those who were deemed worthy and powerful enough, there was the King realm where they gained 20 Hp per level.
But with each realm consisting of 100 levels, it would take a substantial amount of points to reach the top. To reach the desired lord realm, Kayden calculated that he would need to consume a total of 4200 points - 512 hp for veteran stage, 900 for mid stage, 1000 for late stage, and 1100 for peak stage - before finally consuming another 1200 points to reach the lord realm.
However, Kayden's determination only grew stronger as he thought about protecting his loved ones and seeking justice against those who wronged them. "They may have multiple lords on their side," he thought fiercely, "but I won't back down. Upgrade me to the King realm."
A loud chime echoed through the training room as Kayden's coins were deducted - 4200 from his mid realm upgrade, 1300 for the advanced realm, 1400 for the expert realm, 1500 for the master realm, and a whopping 2000 for the king realm. As he questioned the cost of upgrading to the king realm, Kayden could feel his body growing stronger with each passing moment.
His friends Anna and Phoebe could see the evident changes happening to Kayden's physique - his muscles becoming more defined and a visible purging of impurities from his body. With each skipped realm, a large pile of black water formed underneath him. And not only was he getting physically stronger, but he also grew 0.5 centimeters with each realm reached.
After five minutes, Kayden opened his eyes and felt a surge of strength coursing through him at reaching the king realm. He saw the worry on Anna and Phoebe's faces, but assured them that he was alright and ready to save Sophie. As he headed off for a shower, Phoebe and Anna helped clean up the training room.
Another loud chime sounded and three consecutive announcements followed as Kayden relaxed in the bath. His master rank entitled him to receive a veteran gift pack, lord gift pack, and king gift pack - all of which would surely aid him in his journey to save Sophie. "Claim," he said confidently, feeling more powerful than ever before.
As a reward for his dedication and hard work, Kayden was given a veteran gift pack. Inside, he found 500 points of health, enough to sustain him through battles and challenges. He also received a protection jade bracelet, said to have been blessed by the gods themselves. When worn, it could withstand up to five attacks from aura bearers below the veteran level, and even fend off one strike from a lord realm opponent.
In addition, the pack contained a strengthening pill that would temporarily increase his strength by one stage for five minutes. For mortals who were not yet at the veteran level of cultivation, it granted them the power to become aura bearers and begin their journey towards enlightenment.
As Kayden continued to excel in his training, he was eventually promoted to the lord realm. As a reward for this achievement, he received a lord gift pack filled with 1000 points of health and a powerful Lord class sword. When wielded, this sword would boost his strength by an additional 300 points.
But that wasn't all - as Kayden continued to rise in ranks, he eventually reached the pinnacle of cultivation and became a King. His King gift pack contained an impressive 3000 points of health and a sought-after King class seeker jade. This jade was said to improve one's overall health when worn.
With his job as a gym instructor and his current realm status as King (beginning), Kayden's stats were formidable: 430 strength (+300 from the sword), 439 dexterity, 210 intelligence, 6890 health (+800 from the jade), and an impressive speed of 420. With these abilities, he boasted a total of 14100 HP - making him nearly invincible in battle.
With excitement coursing through him, Kayden eagerly equipped his new sword and slipped on the seeker jade. The sword was sheathed until needed, but Kayden could already feel the power coursing through him. A confident smile graced his face as he prepared to take on any challenge that came his way.