After a brief consideration, rather than returning to Helga, I decided to leave the school for a midnight hunt, something only a madman would do.
A madman, or an extraordinarily-strong level twenty with a wide range of expertise that was suddenly feeling trapped after his latest realization that there was a mysterious threat out there. I felt trapped, and with my strength, I didn't appreciate the feeling, and I was willing to risk a violent death to get rid of it.
During the day, the surroundings were usually safe enough that even low-level students could go hunting without too big of a risk as long as they had a minder. The same wasn't applicable for the night, however. There were a lot of creatures that preferred the darkness to move around in, easily avoiding the culling efforts. The shadow wolf that almost killed me when I was in the protected forest was a good example of it.
So, when I actually heard the footsteps barely louder than a whisper, a smile appeared on my face. When I felt the presence closing in, I did nothing until the last second, then slashed expertly four times before my attacker could react. The shadow wolf collapsed on the ground, bleeding, quickly driving toward its death despite its impressive vitality. Just a sign of how far I had come.
However, I decided to experiment. I let my mana seep into its head, trying to force it into the creature's soul space, or whatever its equivalent was.
I received a stab of pain as a reward.
[-53 Mana]
[-266 HP]
"That was a stupid move," I murmured even as I rubbed my head, trying to ignore the sudden stab of pain. I hadn't expected its core to be filled with violent energies, immediately attacking toward me the moment I touched it. The smart thing would be just to let it slide, but I decided to do the stupid thing, and kept my mana around its core, just not letting it connect again. When the creature died, the core dissipated except for a sliver of energy, and that sliver of energy tried to connect with me, but failed to find a purchase before dissipating. It was nothing I had read about, but I had a feeling that I had discovered how normal people gained experience.
It was a barely noticeable process, the only reason I was able to detect it was because of my ridiculous stats and specialized Mana manipulation skill. Even then, I had a question. Did I discover something new, or did I discover something that others knew but kept under wraps. I had a feeling that it was the second part.
With a sigh, I continued my deadly hunt, killing several creatures in rapid succession, the most dangerous one being a Class Fifteen Blood Owl, but even that didn't survive for more than a minute against me. For every creature I tested, I observed the same pattern. Violent core, linking with its killer, but only to fail to find a purchase in my case. Maybe I should observe them being killed by another person. It would give me a better idea of what was going on during a level up, maybe even to a point that I might enhance the effectiveness of my newly-discovered leveling methodology.
It was a pity I didn't have anyone I could wake up in the middle of the night to ask me to accompany for a bit of killing.
Or did I?
With a smirk I returned back to the school, once again avoiding the guards with contemptuous ease. I knew that they were geared against monsters rather than human infiltrators, but it was still shameful. Rather dangerous as well, considering my encounters with the necromancers. Slipping into the Fighter quarters had been a bit more difficult. Unlike the outer walls, this section was protected by the students, and some rangers had rather sharp eyes.
Luckily, I was well past the point of being scared of their attention, not with my stats. Disguised as a servant, it required only a few low-powered spells before I arrived at the female section.
At a glance, I could see that the living principles in this area were very different. The mage section allowed expensive rooms with opulent furnishings, while this section was much more spartan. Noble students had a small room for themselves, while the others lived in bunk beds, a necessity considering there were a lot more warrior classes than mage classes, especially from the less fortunate with no perceived potential for high levels.
With a low-level cap, warriors were a much better choice than mage classes.
As I walked through the rooms, concealed in the shadows, I saw many beautiful students in various states of undress. Unfortunately, it was invariably followed by that infernal notification.
[Level Difference of at least 50%! No Experience]
At level twenty, I was well-past the limits of this school. I believed that I was strong enough to defeat the majority of the teaching staff, even, even if that was more about my unorthodox style and overwhelming stats than a dominating level advantage. Other than the very rare exceptions like Cornelia, students couldn't help me enhance my strength.
When I arrived at Aviada's room, I did my best to silently unlock the simple lock that was keeping her door closed, and slid inside before alerting anyone.
I wasn't expecting to meet with the naked figure of Aviada, who, apparently, preferred to sleep in the buff. I decided to mess with her a bit, and quickly undressed before sliding in next to her, curious just how long I could mess with her without waking her up.
First, I gently caressed her arm, making her turn restlessly until she was laying on her back, her legs parted enough to reveal the beautiful treasure between them. However, I had other priorities. I leaned in for a kiss, and with the opportunity, I even slipped a small stream of mana in, examining her soul space.
[-5 Mana]
[+1 Tantric]
With our strong bond and the increase in my Tantric abilities, the impression I received was the clearest yet. I could easily sense her stat distribution, heavily leaning toward the physical side, with strength shining above and beyond others. Her mental stats were low, but relatively well-distributed.
Her skills, on the other hand, were extremely specialized. She only had two skills, a fully evolved Grandmaster Sword, and Basic Observation. She was amazing with her sword, which was shining on the hook above her bed, but without that, she was dangerously vulnerable.
Luckily for her, I was making great strides in understanding the System. Who knows, maybe when I attain Master Tantric, I might actually do something about that. After a brief examination, I carefully dissipated the mana, not letting it get absorbed by her. I didn't want to give her experience yet. Not because I didn't trust her, but because I was afraid that she wouldn't get the dangers associated with a wider reveal. She was too straightforward to be a part of this discussion.
Instead, I started caressing her breasts, enjoying the way they stiffened and she moaned, but still not waking up. I decided to up the ante, and let my fingers cross the smooth expanse of her stomach before arriving between her legs, caressing gently. Once again, she just moaned, but still stayed asleep, even when I gently fingered her for five whole minutes.
It was likely because unconsciously, she identified me as a familiar presence, preventing her from waking up in alarm, as there was no other explanation for her sleepiness. Maybe I should teach her a lesson before we went out for training.
I climbed on top of her, and grabbed both of her arms, ready to pin her in place the moment she woke up. Then, I aligned myself at her entrance, and leaned down for a kiss. "Good morning, princess," I whispered before kissing her softly, and her eyes popped open in shock.
"Caesar-" she started, only to be silenced as I slid inside her, enjoying her tightness. She was wet thanks to the foreplay she received when she was sleeping. She moaned at the sudden intrusion, but before she could cry, I stole another kiss.
"I didn't put any up any silencing wards, so you need to be silent," I warned her with a playful smile.
"You're seeking death," she murmured as she tried to raise her arm, only to find herself unable to move. "You got stronger," she whispered in shock, which was very understandable. The last time we wrestled, she was stronger than me by a small margin, and I only managed to defeat her through my recent boost.
This time, she was barely able to move, not shocking considering I had several points more strength, and a superior position. "I did," I answered simply before leaning on for a lingering kiss.
"How?" she asked followed by a moan considering I was still moving deep inside her.
"It all started after I left you girls behind and went to the canyon, only to find a deadly necromancer ambush. A horde, several bone dragons, and two dozen necromancers," I explained, and her eyes widened in shock. Understandable, as that group could have easily destroyed a town, and even against a mid-sized city, they wouldn't have necessarily lost.
"How did you survive that?" she asked in shock, though from the way she tightened, she was clearly enjoying the story.
"The ambush was not for me, so I managed to hit them from behind, breaking their magical trap and killing a couple of necromancers as a start," I explained, before launching into a detailed breakdown of the battle, making sure to avoid any references that would reveal Titania's identity. Once again, I didn't trust her capacity to hold secrets in the areas she wouldn't understand its importance. Even convincing her not to brag about my part was a challenge.
Still, I was glad that I told the tale for a few reasons. She was my ally as well as my girlfriend —or something like that, at least, the titles were rather confusing at the moment— and she deserved to know of the growing threat of the necromancers. Also, if I could resolve my challenges, I would be able to boost her combat capabilities a great deal, enough to make her a deadly combatant, especially with her unique sword, Also, unlike the more mysterious details, she fully understood the sensitivity of the combat information, and would keep her mouth closed.
Of course, the benefits were not limited to that. When I pushed deep inside her once more after finishing my tale, I was met with a welcome notification.
[Companion Acquisition: Progress 51%]
Apparently, impressing her with the tales of my heroic battle made our relationship even stronger, making the discussion worthwhile. "So," I said with a smirk as I lowered myself down until I started looking at her eyes from very close proximity. "Do I get a reward for my impressive performance," I asked even as I sped up my pacing, impaling her again and again, enjoying the way she tried to suppress her moans, but with limited success.
I decided to have mercy as her orgasm hit her. I quickly established a silencing ward to cover the wall, but I didn't inform her of that, watching as she bit her lips desperately, trying to contain the moans of her orgasm, only to fail spectacularly. The panic in her eyes was just beautiful.
[Companion Acquisition: Progress 54%]
[Mana regeneration perk activated. Count 2. Duration, 8 hours]
"Don't worry, I silenced the room just before you lost control," I whispered into her ear throatily, and earned a painful bite on my shoulder as a result, one that hurt despite my ridiculous endurance.
[-10 HP]
"That's your punishment for daring to play with me like that," she explained even as she tried to get away from my grip. I let her slide away, but when she tried to push me out of the bed, I chose to roll out and started dressing instead. "You're leaving?" she murmured, her tone uncharacteristically vulnerable.
"No, we're going," I answered. "I'm in the mood for a midnight hunt," I added, before letting my smirk widen salaciously. "And maybe more if the way you dress impresses me," I added.
"Is that so?" she murmured, her smile equally wide as she walked toward her closet. "Turn your back," she ordered mischievously.
I did so, curious about her surprise. When she called me to turn back, I couldn't help but frown as she revealed herself in a thick travel cape, tied up to cover her whole body. A frown appeared on my face, and she smiled wider before letting it widen just enough to give a glimpse of her armor underneath, one that covered significantly less area than I had been expecting. "Much better," I said with a smirk, gesturing for her to follow me, while I once again cast a spell to conceal our presence and let us fade into the shadows.
[-15 Mana]
"I have to admit, magic can be useful occasionally," she admitted with a sigh, which was a great thing considering her usual antagonistic approach. It was good to see her finally getting softer on the issue. We stayed silent until we reached the walls, and she spoke in shock. "We're going outside?" she gasped.
"Of course," I answered. "I'm not in the mood for hunting rabbits." She looked unsure, so I put my hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly. It was enough to renew her courage.
She finally let her cape open when we were a couple of miles away from the school, revealing the ensemble underneath, making me harden immediately. She was wearing a set of completely useless armor. Well, useless in terms of combat, as I could easily imagine different usages. Her top was covered with no more area than a bra —a particularly salacious one, even— while the bottom part was literally a piece of metal kept upright with strings. Under the moonlight, she looked delectable enough to eat.
"That seems useful for combat," I said mockingly, but I let my gaze devour her body to convey the impact of it on me. Also, I was touched. The fact that she walked outside with absolutely no protection highlighted her trust in me, conveying that, with my skills, she needed no armor.
Not a functional one instead.
I was tempted to push her down and take her on the grass, but we were interrupted by a band of golden lions. Scary creatures, class fourteen power, strong cooperation, and a vicious mentality. Moreover, they were famous for their magic resistance, making them true pests. The attacking pride contained six members, definitely a scary combination. "Keep on defensive," I ordered her even as I drew my sword, and dashed forward —after coating it with magic because its steel wouldn't have resisted my strength otherwise.
[-96 Mana]
I was in need of a better weapon, as constantly wasting mana to reinforce my sword wasn't the best option. Luckily, with two instances of my regeneration perk active, I wasn't exactly straining for mana.
Golden lions were vicious predators with a unique blend of strength, grace, and vitality, but against me, they were helpless. I ducked under one of their claws, cutting its throat in return. I still rolled away, because even a cut to the throat was barely an inconvenience.
When I noticed two of them charging toward Aviada, however, I decided to act quickly. I raised my hand, and a thick earthen cage appeared around them, pinning them in place.
[-140 Mana]
They raged against the walls, trying to break it, while I delivered another bleeding wound to the one that attacked me first. I wanted to remove at least one of them as soon as possible. After receiving two more wounds in the next second, it pulled away rather than waiting for its pride mates. I used the opportunity to strengthen their cages, but didn't bother to cast an offensive spell. Their skin was too strong to actually be affected by an elemental spell, at least not in a way that would be worth the mana expenditure.
[-430 Mana]
"Kill the wounded one," I ordered even as I dashed forward and cut two of its tendons, but not without a cost. It landed a vicious blow to my shoulder. Luckily, I had HP to spare.
[-130 HP]
I stood in front of the wounded one, protecting Aviada as she approached, even casting a few lightning bolts to distract them. They might be resistant to magic, but nonetheless, the bright crackling of lightning cutting through the darkness was scary enough to trick their primitive minds.
I let my mana senses expand and wrapped them around Aviada and her victim, carefully watching the changes as Aviada delivered the killing blow. Like before, the creature's energy dispersed into the air, with only a small sliver of it flying toward the soul space of its killer, in this case, Aviada, and merging with its boundaries, strengthening it slightly.
[+2 Tantric]
Interesting, I thought even as I turned toward the rest of the lions, ready to make quick work of them.
Even as I charged once more, I couldn't help but smile elatedly. The experiment I was running was a true joy, beautiful weather, danger enough to make me appreciate life, and a sexy brunette with a body to die for dressed in bikini armor.
Sometimes, being a nerd paid off…
—
[Level: 20 Experience: 203100 / 210000
Strength: 24 Charisma: 34
Precision: 17 Perception: 21
Agility: 21 Manipulation: 26
Speed: 19 Intelligence: 26
Endurance: 18 Wisdom: 28
HP: 1840 / 1980 Mana: 1920 / 2700 ]
SKILLS
Master Melee [100/100]
Expert Arcana [75/75]
Expert Elemental [75/75]
Expert Biomancy [75/75]
Expert Tantric [70/75]
Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]
Basic Speech [25/25]
PERKS
Mana Regeneration