Chapter 106: No Way, a Sugar Mommy?!
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The rising sun bathed the room in a warm glow, its rays spotlighting the bed as if it were center stage.
I sat with my back against the bed frame, my arms around Akane who sat between my legs. My chin rested on her shoulder, peeking into the book that floated in front of her.
"Can you see it?" she asked, swiping her finger in the air and causing the book page to flap to the other side. It was an empty page. It turned backward on its own as if it wasn't supposed to be viewed yet.
The cover of the book appeared to be ancient parchment, colored a deep, rich gold, and almost glowing with an inner light. Its edges were intricately decorated with hieroglyphs, depicting various scenes of ancient Egyptian life and mythology.
In the center, in bold and elegant hieroglyphics, was the title, "The Book of Thoth," written in a script that seemed to pulsate with hidden knowledge. That was the only thing, along with the introduction page, that could be viewed right now.
"I can't," I shook my head. Even my Jade Perception failed to see the text written on the blank pages. The only thing I could see other than the Cover was the beginning page, as Akane turned it to face us: The Introductory Page.
===
# Page Zeroth – Introduction #
[0 – Mana Flows Through Your Veins – 0]
These pages are spread to welcome those who seek beyond the mortal realm. Within the ancient scriptures recorded here, lies the wisdom of Thoth, the scribe of the gods, the keeper of secrets, the master of mysteries.
To thee who bear these Twelve Pages, know that thou hold the key to the arcane, a gateway to the truths that govern existence. Herein lieth the synthesis of magic and science, the convergence of past, present, and future.
Navigate these pages with reverence and humility, for the knowledge they impart is both a gift and a responsibility. Each word, each symbol, each glyph resonates with the power of the divine, a witness to the eternal legacy of Thoth.
Beware, seeker of truth, for this journey is not for the faint of heart. The path to enlightenment is fraught with challenges that will test thy resolve, thy wisdom, and thy courage. But fear not, for in embracing these trials, thou shalt emerge transformed, endowed with a profound understanding of the cosmos.
Remember, the key to unlocking the subsequent pages lieth not in mere reading, but in the internalization and application of the wisdom they contain. Seek within, and the path shall be revealed.
May the light of Thoth guide thy way.
===
As the golden light from the page softly illuminated our faces, it became clear that this was more than just a dusty old book; it was a repository of divine knowledge. I wondered how much power it could grant her if all pages were awakened.
The book had 12 pages, true, but each was a pinky-finger-thick. Gladly it was capable of floating on its own, otherwise, I doubted Akane would have been able to hold it.
I was wondering how to awaken the book within her, but the worry was for naught. She woke me up at midnight, telling me that she dreamt about the legends of an Egyptian God, and when she woke up a book was floating above her.
…I suppose my Qi-infused sperm was the energy the book needed to awaken. Huh. That was easy, I would have preferred a bit of a challenge.
Thoth was the God of Wisdom, Knowledge, and the Moon. As well as the Patron of All Scribes; and writers. While the 0th page didn't hold any information about his life, apparently her dream had. She saw tales of his vast knowledge, his role as the scribe of the gods, and his dominion over the realms of magic and the hidden.
The first page was more of a gatekeeper than an introduction. It hinted at the sacred and profound knowledge contained within the later pages, yet also served as a warning to keep the reader away if they were unwilling to take risks.
Thankfully for the darling girl in my arms, any risk she might face would pale before my preparation.
"I don't know exactly how to advance to the next pages," I admitted, "but if I were to guess, I think they'll unlock as you grow and develop as a person, or maybe in power. Thankfully, to begin with, I was planning to teach you magic on my own, instead of depending on the book. The fact that it's providing boons such as granting you access to Mana simply eases my work."
She closed the book and with a snap it vanished in thin air, returning to within her soul. The weight of her soul was remarkable, robust enough to contain such a divine book, a feat impressive for any mortal. "So you're going to teach me magic now…?" she asked, failing to keep a tint of excitement away from her voice.
I couldn't blame her. After all, who wouldn't want to use Magic? Who wouldn't want superpowers? While witches in the distant past were burned and killed, thus killing the idea of learning magic within any person's heart, that was not the case nowadays. With the increase in fantasy movies, the attraction toward magic and the supernatural in general was all-time high.
Though I had to decide what type of Magic I should teach her, "Do you have any special affinity you want to learn? Like your mana was awakened by the Book of Thoth, I see an affinity for lunar magic, mental magic, and writing manifestation magic. I can give you a starting package of any three, or something else if you want. For example, magic in general, like Doctor Strange for example, or elemental-focused magic too."
"Hmmm," she tilted her head, wondering, while I did the same.
She oddly had many different possible starts, and they were special too, they went with the main power of some of the other people around me. Writing Manifestation was similar to the magic I planned to teach Shoko: Word Soul Magic. While Lunar Magic should be similar to whatever power Mai Senpai owned, that allowed her fur to change color.
"Hmm," she tilted her head, "Would mental magic be ethical to use?"
'Depends on the user,' I said and she blinked, looking around before locking eyes with me. I hadn't spoken with my mouth; my thoughts had transmitted to her head. At Underlord it wasn't particularly hard to deliver thoughts to someone else.
She smiled nervously, "Uh, you haven't been reading my mind, have you?"
"No, I can't do that," I shook my head. I'd have required a mental-focused Path for that. I didn't like reading minds, my interactions felt dry and boring. It was one of the personal rules I had, to not use it unless absolutely necessary, something I decided upon in my 9th life after nearly bored to death when I read the minds of everyone I encountered for a few thousand years, out of sheer paranoia.
"I personally wouldn't suggest it," I told her as she blinked. She was a nice girl, mental magic would leave her dark and twisted in a few years, if not months. The inside of people's heads was ugly indeed, me being the prime example.
"Hmm," seeing me reject it, she hummed. I could tell she was interested in mental magic, thanks to her general interest in psychology, so she had to think about what else she wanted. "Is there telekinesis-type magic?"
"Yes, on broader scales," I nodded, "I can either teach you Gravity Magic, or Spatial Magic. Gravity would go well with your Book, as Thoth was a God of the Moon. There isn't any direct connection with gravity, true, but I can imagine it allowing you slight control over gravitational forces in the future. As for Space Magic, it's a much broader subject, it's not bad either."
"Let's go with gravity then?"
"Gyromancy it is, alright."
I tightened the hug and kissed her nape. She wiggled in my grip, humming to cover her whimper. "We'll follow the typical 1st to 9th Circle power system, it's easier to keep track of. You have very little mana at the moment, barely 1st Circle, so I'll start by teaching you a technique to train and increase your mana, along with knowledge about Six Spells. Kiss me."
The command confused her but she did so anyway. She turned her head back and gently took my lips, while I called the [Crown Icon] above me. Similar to what I did to Koneko with the Tiger Icon, I could grant certain memories to Akane by using the Emperor of Humanity as a pillar.
I knew to be particularly careful this time, knowing what happened last time. I kissed her and passed the information about six spells to her, along with a mana training method. The training method was similar to a cultivation technique, except it just increased the mana in the heart, instead of empowering the entire body.
As for the spells, their effects were simple enough.
===
# Circle 1 - Novice Gravity Magic
Gravity Pull: Attract small objects toward the caster.
Featherfall: Slow the descent of objects or individuals.
Lighten Load: Reduce the weight of objects temporarily.
# Circle 2 - Apprentice Gravity Magic
Levitate: Lift objects or individuals off the ground.
Suspend: Temporarily hold objects in mid-air.
Gravitational Pulse: Create small shockwaves.
# Circle 3 - Journeyman Gravity Magic
Gravity Well: Generate a localized area of increased gravity.
Weighted Strike: Enhance the weight of objects for more potent attacks.
Gravity Distortion: Bend or warp gravity slightly in a limited area.
===
I ended the kiss, leaving her gasping for air as she wiped her lips while looking away in embarrassment.
"Neat technique…" she said.
"Yes. Keep in mind to not try the 2nd or 3rd Circle spells yet, your body will just collapse. Train your Mana Heart and grow stronger first," I said.
This would have been easier if she had a gravity-related bloodline power, like how Mem-Cho had a time-related one. But she didn't, so I had to use the Crown Icon to transfer her techniques.
Now that I was done, I let the Crown Icon disperse.
Instantly, my hair turned golden and my eyes blue.
I blinked, my reflection in the windows staring back at me.
"Huh," I had activated the Crown Icon without realizing it, but the Emperor's will had erased the influence of the Venerable One from my natural state.
"Huh, your disguise fell?" Akane inquired. As my emotions returned to normal, a twinge of guilt surfaced for using such a pure and innocent girl for my pleasure the previous night.
We should have taken it slow.
* * *
Everything could have gone better. I don't like how the Venerable Ego treated Ai, she wasn't at fault. But no point in crying over spilled milk, the end result wasn't bad.
'Making her call me 'daddy' was a step too far. That's weird… Then again it's funny.'
I gave Akane a lift through the sky, knowing she enjoyed it. In fact, All girls I knew seemed to share a fondness for flying. I dropped her in front of her house, where she hesitated before kissing me on the lips and running into her house. Then I took off into the air toward my home.
'I'm glad,'
Although the last few days were pretty rough, and my 11th life almost ended, I'm happy the situation with Ai got resolved. Even if the outcome was slightly weird.
In mere minutes, I reached my home, soaring at the speed of sound. The Instant Dungeon I'd set up earlier enabled me to fly at breakneck speeds without triggering any government missile alerts.
Upon landing at my front door, I dispelled the Instant Dungeon. Reality fractured like splintering glass, revealing a vibrant, living world once hidden beneath its veneer. My Jade Perception bloomed like a flower as I sensed the nearby life.
Instantly, my danger senses went ablaze. I sensed an incredibly powerful presence inside my house. Was there an enemy-?!
I stopped myself from calling upon an Icon and getting battle-ready when I realized I recognized the presence. Opening the door, as I wore a frown, I walked inside and stopped in front of the living room.
"All these expensive items as gifts? I simply can't accept them..." Ai protested to the blonde woman, who was clad in a bodycon dress with fur trim and holding a hand fan over her smiling face.
"As you suggested earlier, let us wait until he returns. Ah- he's here," the blonde, Ranefer Phenex, turned her head to look at me.
Ai looked at me too, blinking at my blonde hair. Ranefer moved her fan to reveal her smile and walked towards me, "My boy," she said as she pulled me into a hug, my face sinking between her chest. "Your sugar mommy brought you some gifts~ come see if they fit your taste."
"S-sugar what?!" Ai gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she momentarily choked on air. Meanwhile, I narrowed my eyes in annoyance at the audacious devil.
'Sugar mommy?' I thought incredulously.
What nonsense is this slave bitch blabbering?
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