Chapter 137: Winning Against A Monster
[Your talent: True Immortal Blood is being refined. +0.0005% progress, +0.5 maximum Immortal Energy.]
[Your physique has grown. +1 strength, +1 agility, +1 vitality.]
[You sense all sort of energy clearer than before. +1 arcane.]
[Your body and soul seem to grow closer. +1 harmony.]
A faint, mysterious light escapes from the depth of Novus’ eyes as he finally opened them after a long, satisfying meditation session, the large amount of E Tier Evolution Crystals he had previously taken out now drained in their entirety, turning into nothing but dust that disappears with the wind.
"I need to clean myself up..." remembering the fact that he is still currently on his uniform, the young man reminded himself as he stood up from his bed, his muscles feeling quite powerful and refreshed as if he just experienced a full night of good, peaceful sleep.
As he took his clothes off and begin washing himself, his eyes drifted towards the floating screen that shows the progress for his focused meditation for almost half of the day, and coupled with the boost he received from also utilizing Slimy Gold Dusts during his previous hunt, even he himself couldn’t believe with the speed that his strength accumulates right now.
[Novus Helion van Argenta]
[Combat Rating: E Tier Mage (Assessment Ongoing)]
[Talent: True Immortal Blood (EX-Rank Growth-type Innate Talent)]
[Current Evolution Domain Location: Verdant Expanse: Verdant Forest (1.5-star danger level)]
[Immortal Energy: 1800/1800]
[Strength: 1400]
[Agility: 1400]
[Vitality: 1400]
[Arcane: 1400]
[Harmony: 1400]
[True Immortal Blood (EX-Rank Growth-type Innate Talent)]
[Growth Progress: 2.183% (97.817% before Talent Rank Up)]
[Mastery: Entry-level (99.99%)]
[Elemental Affinity]
[Fire: Novice (79.25%)]
[Shadow: Novice (27.12%)]
As he feels his body getting closer and closer to the limit of the power it can achieve being an E Tier mage, Novus also notices something finally hitting limits, the mastery of his talent no longer growing as it hits just a bit more before it can reach the next stage.
[Detected the mastery of the system user’s talent: True Immortal Blood, has reached its current limits. Advance to D Tier in order to increase the level of mastery.]
Seeing those words, he knew that there is but one last goal for him to achieve before he undergoes a significant improvement once more, a faint smile appearing on his face in anticipation of the massive growth that he will undergo once he takes his step into the D Tier.
’But before that...’ as he finally finishes cleaning himself, donning a comfortable casual wear of a plain white shirt and a comfy jogging pants, he looks at himself in the mirror for a moment before he flashed a faint smile, feeling prepared to head outside once again.
Despite his desire to further increase his body’s strength, he still find it in him to restrain himself from continuing meditation as he knew that whatever it is that he is doing now is just as important as absorbing and refining Evolution Energy.
Of course, while it is just as important, it is important in a completely different way than increasing his strength.
Moments passes and he had unknowingly reached a familiar crossroad, the one where the path towards the male and female dormitories meet, his steps light, just like the smile on his face as he saw someone familiar from the other side of the crossroad.
This certain someone seems to look forward to their meeting as well, given that her pace begins to hasten as soon as she laid her gaze on him, her speed showing just how physically stronger she is compared to mages of the same level as herself.
"Did you wait long~~?" now standing just an arm’s length away from him, Novus heard the lady’s melodious, cheerful voice, the mischievous smile on her face along with the excited glint hiding beneath her gaze making him unable to articulate his reply.
He merely shakes his head while smiling, the lady flashing a charming, knowing smile before taking the lead as the two of them walk away from the dormitory area, towards their safe place, towards the place the two of them feels comfortable the most.
"Fufufu~~~ stunned, aren’t you? At this lady’s beauty~~"
"Don’t flatter yourself."
"It is the truth though~~"
"..."
"Hehe~~ you don’t deny it, Novus~~"
"I never agreed to it as well, Medea."
----------
While it is true that the two of them are going in the place that they are most comfortable with inside of the academy, it is also certainly true that this place is not something that any other student will find comfort in at all.
Blood drips from Novus’ arms as he went head on, blocking Medea’s strongest strike as her blade glows of brilliant white, the pale, crescent arc fading into nothingness as it was stopped in its path, solely by virtue of her opponent’s bodily resilience.
From that single attack alone, attack that accumulated force from all their previous clashes once their duel begins, the young man is already battered and broken, his clothing tattered as if he just weathered a storm, his skin red and blistered from the sheer amount of energy from the Sword Princess’ final attack.
Not only that, but even his insides, his organs misaligned and out of place, his muscles strained and his bones cracked, making it difficult for him to just outright ignore the amplified pain flooding his head right now.
"You’re grown stronger, Medea."
He praises as he realized that this lady in front of him is capable of showing so much more once she starts improving her bodily prowess as well, something only possible due to his constant support of giving her Evolution Crystals that allows her to improve her physical strength.
"Still, I lost, huh..."
Hearing the praise from her duel partner, she couldn’t stop herself from revealing a bright, genuine smile, something that she immediately reigned in as she realized that for the first time, he had completely endured the impact from her strongest attack.
’Well, given the Evolution Crystal’s property and how many he might’ve already absorbed himself, I guess it just makes sense...’ she thought to herself in comfort as she watches in extreme interest as his body gradually returns to its peak form, the injuries from their intense clash disappearing like nothing happened at all as moments passes.
[Immortal Energy: 1700/1800]
Still, it is not like it doesn’t come without a cost for Novus as he sees Immortal Energy being cut by a hundred, showing how truly devastating Medea’s final attack is.
’Had it been any other mage, even if they are D Tier...’ realizing how out of league Medea is compared to her peers, he couldn’t help but admire her even more.
"Novus? Is something wrong?" staring at the young man who just suddenly turned silent, Medea asked with an obvious trace of concern in her tone, snapping the young man awake as he looks at her with a faint trace of anticipation in his gaze.
What most students sees as someone who is already a finished, completed product just waiting to grow, he sees a mountain of untapped potential, a genius whose brightness can just be further elevated with the help of the resources he has in hand.
"Nothing. I just can’t help but think how amazing you are, Medea." he praised generously, the faint smile on his face growing a bit wider as he speaks with soft, sonorous tone, his words effortlessly pulling the lady’s entire attention on him.
Those words were nothing but genuine, admiration born from the fact that the individual in front of him managed to reach such level of prowess when she is just a couple of years ahead of him and his peers.
"A-a-a-amazing??!!"
And the lady, received, felt the genuine feeling of admiration in his voice as well, only, while Novus only thinks of it as a praise from one mage to another, the lady’s initial interpretation seems to be way different than his.