[Gravity Manipulation (??): A manipulation-type ability that lets one have complete control over gravitation, but not just anyone can use it. To use it to its full capabilities, one must be strong enough.
→ Gravity Multiplier – You can use mana to multiply the gravity in your surroundings, making it affect everything other than yourself. (Current multiplier is 3X maximum.)
{This ability's evolution depends solely on the user. You can develop whatever skills that come to your mind, and your body can handle.}
]
This was the ability that Alex had received from the wheel, the same ability that Alex had his eyes fixed on before he spun the wheel.
It was a manipulation-type ability—something that alone could make him the strongest in this world, yet it had limitations. One couldn't fire a sniper ammunition with a pistol, after all.
For him to use this skill to the best efficiency, he needed a strong body—which he certainly didn't have right now.
With the body he had, only one thing could be done, and it was gravity multiplier, or maybe he could do more things he just hadn't discovered them yet.
"Phew..."
Right now, however, Alex just breathed a sigh of relief. He never thought that the beast could be able to move at 3X gravity, but it was not something he didn't take into account.
He had his plan ready and that was why, the moment he had his finger touch Verathian, he deactivated the gravity manipulator skill, and hurriedly used his one and only sword skill—the rising star sword art—mentally commanding Verathian to turn into a sword, which it did in an instant.
After that, it was as smooth as it could be.
The star path made the easiest and the fastest path to kill the beast and with one strike the beast was dead.
*Thud*
Its body, after wobbling aimlessly for a while fell to the ground with a heavy thud, and Alex without even sparing it a glance, stepped toward the cave's opening.
"Ghh!"
The moment he did, he had to cover his eyes with his palms as the surroundings were too bright for him, whose eyes had adapted to the cave's darkness.
*Woosh*
But before he could even have his eyes adjust to the brightness, a sweet scent hit his nose, making a smile automatically appear on his face as he spread his arms, his eyes still closed, only to fall back to the ground with a soft, bubbly, huggable body pressing against him.
"I wouldn't have died anyway, you know. I can't die here. So, don't get worried about me getting hurt a bit. It will teach me lessons."
He hugged Sophie back, as she lay on top of him with her head pressed against his chest, and patter her head, comforting her with gentle words.
He could hear her heartbeats hammering against her ribcage, he could literally feel its vibration, so he knew that she wasn't just doing this out of worry, she was scared as well. It was clear from the light tremors on her body.
"I-It will take me a while to get used to seeing you dealing with danger from this close..."
Sophie, in reply, just gripped him tighter, letting out those muffled words, not really saying anything about his fighting style.
She had always known that he would have to fight a lot of battles, and in this dream world, he might go through the hardest ones, he might even die. So, she was preparing herself for all those 16 years, steeling her nerves, training to control herself when the time came, and when it finally came...
'I-I just can't...'
She realized that it wasn't as easy as she thought.
But she wasn't going to keep doing this forever, she didn't want to be seen as fragile anymore, and she didn't want to just stay as the little princess of Alex who never got to see him fight a real battle until the last moment when she did, only for both of them to die.
In this life, she wanted to see him shine brighter—so bright that the other beings' majesty would diminish by just standing beside him. And when he reached that point, she wanted to stand by his side and let the world know that she was his.
So, after hugging him for a while, she sat up straight on his waist, her eyes shining with determination as she stared down into Alex's eyes.
*Chuckle*
But her expression broke and her cheeks flushed as she saw Alex chuckling at her—it was as if he was making fun of her.
"W-What are you laughing abo—"
She tried to frown, putting up a question, but before she could complete her words.
"—Woah!"
Alex sat up straight as well, with her sitting on his lap and her legs coiled around his waist, making her exclaim in surprise as she might've fallen back if not for her quick movements.
"You look so cute when you make that face. Can you do that again?"
Alex, on the other hand, still kept chuckling as he recalled the way she was looking at him before. It was a look that said: Stay right there, mama will look after you.
It was as if she were a mana duck and was determined to make her duckling learn how to fly.
His words, however, made Sophie put, her cheeks puffed as she punched Alex's chest lightly, "I-I was being serious, you know?!"
"Yes, yes~," Alex raised his arms in surrender, laughing her little outburst off, but Sophie kept pouting, but just then...
A message flashed, but, unlike the ones until now, this one was not in front of his eyes, it was up in the sky. Bold text with the size of 1 meter, outlined with gold started to form out of thin air.
[Congratulations on completing the tutorial dungeon.]
This is what it said, and the next second...
*Whoop*
The wind blew, blowing both Sophie and Alex's hair before they found themselves sitting in the system space or dream space whatever one wanted to call it. They were teleported back to the room.
"What just happened?"
Alex, with his hands instinctively enveloping Sophie's body in order to shield her from any harm, one of them sinking in her bubbly butts, frowned, inquiring what was going on, and Sophie, who, right after getting hugged tight by Alex, had her annoyance blown off, heard those words, she replied immediately.
"It's normal, don't worry. Once you complete the tutorial, the dream is supposed to start getting built up.
In around 12 hours, there will be a brand-new world for you to explore, and when I say world, I mean a world and not just a piece of land like the one you saw just now."
She raised her head, looking up into his eyes, making Alex loosen up a bit, relaxing as he realized that it was nothing dangerous.
"I see... So, what now?" With his head thrown back, staring at the ceiling and Sophie still sitting on his lap, he questioned, only to feel Sophie's finger touch his forehead, making his eyes turn to look at her.
"What's with that smile?"
He frowned as he saw Sophie smiling in the way that she does when she's planning something or hiding something.
"Well, you asked what now, so I'm telling you what now."
She shrugged, still smiling, making Alex frown harder.
"What do you—"
He tried to ask what she meant, but his words were cut short as Sophie flicked his forehead, making him a bit surprised, closing his eyes.
"What was that... for...?
He growled, trying to hold her hand, only to find himself waving his hand in the air, and a familiar ceiling came into his view, making his words turn into a mutter before he went completely silent.
'...'
He couldn't help but speechlessly stare at his outstretched hand before he retracted it, sighing in defeat.
'You could've just told me instead of doing th—'
His thoughts, however, were cut short as he felt something in his pants—wet and slimy, not something he would want to have there.
'What the fuck...'
He hurriedly jumped down the bed and rushed to the washroom, ignoring the laugh he could hear in his head. Sophie was finally having her revenge, and he was paying the price for laughing at her.