"I've heard of these before," I said as I changed direction and leapt to a different tree, just narrowly dodging the expansion of my fiancée's Innate Energy Barrier.
On my way over, I noticed Sammy and her Spirit Summon. Under any other—more dire circumstances—I would've gunned for them in an attempt to throw my opponent off guard.
However, seeing as this was my fiancée and everything—plus, she was holding her punches quite a bit—I decided not to do something that would really burn all bridges between us.
Right now, what I seriously needed were more Attribute Orbs.
But as far as I knew, Attribute Orbs dropped very randomly if I wasn't killing anything.
This meant that my chances of finding one in this sort of situation were very… slim…
Wait, is that…!?
*Ding!*
[A Peak Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator has dropped an Energy Attribute Orb!]
[+120 Energy]
The sight of a dark purple spherical object dropping from Yennefer and falling to the ground was enough to make me salivate. I waited until the very moment it left her Innate Energy Barrier's sphere of influence, then sprang off the side of the tree I was on.
I didn't totally clear the distance, for I was worried about my feisty fiancée, but I got close enough to be capable of pulling the Attribute Orb with my mind. I watched as the Energy Attribute Orb moved like a blur and assimilated with me.
After which, I felt an empowering sensation wash over me.
It was very much unlike when I absorbed the Agility Attribute Orb, for it improved not a physical aspect but instead something inside the core of my being.
My Sea of Innate Energy.
The Energy Stat.
If previously, I had not even the tiniest smidgen of talent for cultivation or energy amassment, then after activating my Energy stat, that no longer mattered. My lack of talent was directly supplemented by a direct increase in the amount of Energy stored within my Innate Energy Sea.
A sea that now spanned a distance of a dozen meters, which was far superior to what it was before—which was nothing.
"Hmm?" Yennefer's brows raised in surprise as an inquisitive glint appeared in her purple pupils. "Did you just advance your cultivation base?? But it doesn't seem to be that way…"
She wholeheartedly had no clue what the hell was going on right now.
Her best guess was that her fiancé had been concealing his cultivation base, but that also didn't make sense. After all, up until a couple hours ago, he was reportedly a cultivationless cripple.
How could he possibly have progressed his cultivation to the point of possessing Innate Energy within such a brief period of time??
Brooding over this inexplicable matter put Yennefer in a worse mood.
Yet, just as she was going to take things up a notch, the enraged cry of a mentally deranged girl thundered out.
"So you're the thieving whore who plans to take my Knox away from me!??"
There she was—Cela!
Cela Bonanier!
The sole heiress to the Bonanier Count Family!
"Ho?" I looked toward the source of the voice and saw a clinically insane Yandere burn through the forestry before facing the ice beauty in a glare-off. "It appears that she instinctively knew that the Energy I acquired was mine. I must say, although she's definitely one of the craziest chicks I've ever met, she's a real genius in what she does."
I nodded in appreciation at the bust-off happening above me before sneaking away in the chaos.
There simply wasn't enough of me to go around!
Two at once was too much for the current me!
[You can say that again! Even one would be far more than you could handle!]
[Sh*t, that doesn't even just apply to human women either! A single furr—]
'Stop being gross, you damned System!' I interrupted with a slight snarl, clicking my tongue in annoyance. 'Just be quiet and let me figure out my next course of action.'
[Fine, fine… You're no fun, humph!]
Ignoring both my System and the explosions blasting out in the background, I ran toward a small cave.
I entered the cave and ventured deep into its depths.
However, after realizing that it was far too dark to see anything, I retraced my steps and stopped when it was just bright enough for the cave's entrance to be barely visible. Sitting down on a medium-sized boulder, I earnestly pondered what I should do next.
This land I found myself in was called the Water Kingdom, and it was bordered on multiple sides by the other Elemental Nations.
The Water Kingdom, the Fire Kingdom, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Kingdom, the Ice Kingdom, the Dark Kingdom, the Lightning Kingdom, and the Metal Kingdom—they were all a part of the Elemental Nations Region.
As for the Water Kingdom itself, there were hundreds of Noble Families and the Royal Family.
The highest rank a Noble Family could achieve was the Duke Rank—there were three of them.
Right under them were the Count Families, of which there were roughly ten.
And as it just so happened, I had somehow embroiled myself with the heirs of not one, not two, not even three of the Count Families!
But four of them!
The fourth one had still yet to appear after my miraculous return to the world of the living, but there was no doubt in my mind that they'd soon show up…
With so many important figures orbiting around me in one way or another, it was highly likely that I'd find myself in some ditch somewhere.
The political climate in the Water Kingdom was just that bad.
So, to avoid that, I required what?
Obviously—Strength!
I could scheme and charm the ladies all day long, but in a world where one's fist reigned supreme, I myself needed to be strong!
Only that way could I live my first non-crippled life to the fullest!
That, and I was the teensiest bit afraid that if I were to die, I'd once again return to the eternal cycle of crippled rebirth…
Nonetheless, I had to have a game plan if I was going to take this run seriously!
Game plan, game plan! Think game plan!!
Hmm…
Welp, I've got nothing.
Perhaps I should just go around and start soccer-punching people?
No, wait—my System!
That sick, sadistic a*shole of a System!
Attribute Farming!
That's what I should be doing!
Attribute Farming as a Crippled Young Master!