Chapter 63 63: Alfia's Emotion
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"Root of blessings, hatred of birth, the original sin of devouring my other half—"
Alfia's third magic, which was also her Limit Off magic, revealed this truth through its incantation.
"Root of blessings, hatred of birth"—this line alone explained that her magic originated from two distinct aspects. One side was a blessing, and the other a curse, representing two separate skills. Rather than saying the skills were extensions of the magic, it was more accurate to say the skills formed the foundational structure of the magic itself.
"The original sin of devouring my other half"—this particular line instilled a deep, lingering sense of guilt within Alfia toward Meteria.
Like Riveria, Alfia had unlocked three magics from the very moment she became an adventurer. Coupled with Meteria's incredibly low aptitude—so low she could even be considered "talentless"—Alfia often mocked herself, believing she had stolen her younger sister's talents while they were still in the womb.
This wasn't just her being paranoid. While the incantations of most magics represented a person's wishes or scars, for someone like Alfia, whose magic was fully awakened the moment she became an adventurer, it was a pure manifestation of her innate talent. Therefore, her incantation spoke the literal truth. Not to mention, Alfia's second skill was named Dual Fate, a constant, agonizing reminder that pierced her heart every single moment.
To prevent any alterations to the skill from negatively impacting Alfia's magic, he couldn't simply reverse the effects; instead, he had to transfer them. Speaking of which, Lucian had always used his Rule Creation as a sort of underlying logic for the sake of creating things. This time, however, he could properly test the effects of "Rule Punishment."
[Gifts of Flaws]
Limit Off
Inflicts negative status effects such as poison, paralysis, and functional impairment during combat or skill activation.
Semi-permanent continuous decline of ability values, stamina, and mind while the skill is active.
"Gifts of Flaws... with talent comes disaster," Lucian muttered under his breath, engraving Alfia's new parameters.
[Gifts of Flaws]
Limit Off
During combat or skill activation, your enemies will suffer from negative effects such as poison, paralysis, and functional impairment.
While the skill is active, your enemies will suffer a semi-permanent, continuous decline in ability values, stamina, and mind.
"Are you serious?" Alfia stared at the freshly imprinted data, her expression complicated.
Setting aside how Lucian could actually modify the effects of a skill—something she wasn't even that surprised by anymore—the fact that he could transfer the physical toll onto others was completely beyond her expectations. The effect was absurdly overpowered, and incredibly wicked.
"I play with rules and concepts, after all," Lucian chuckled softly. "Right now, your skill is composed of three parts: a blessing, a curse, and the rules I set."
"I guess you could say we're intertwined now, huh?"
Hearing this, Alfia rolled her eyes and proceeded to put her clothes back on. Her face was slightly flushed, but her gaze was incredibly soft. Her entire body felt comfortably warm, a sweetness seeping deep into her heart. Of course, if anyone actually asked, she would never admit it.
"I'm so glad, Sister." Meteria stood to the side, revealing a bright, happy smile. "Congratulations."
Faced with Meteria's blessing, Alfia fell somewhat silent.
"Don't make that kind of face..." Meteria gently stroked Alfia's cheek, smiling warmly. "With you here, and with Mr. Lucian around, I'm already incredibly happy."
"Meteria..." Alfia's voice was low, but not wanting to worry her sister, she forced herself to perk up.
"By the way, there's something I need to remind you both about," Lucian suddenly spoke up. "Residents of the Divine Court possess a unique experience point system, as well as a Party Function."
"An experience point system?" Alfia looked at Lucian, her heart skipping a beat. A sudden premonition welled up inside her; this feature was extremely important.
"Killing living beings grants experience points, and these points can be used to improve yourself, including your individual potential," Lucian explained. "The Party Function is also very simple. As long as you acknowledge each other as teammates and fight side-by-side, you can share the experience points obtained."
Lucian said as he handed Alfia a piece of parchment. "These are my personal stats."
"This... all of your attributes have achieved a Limit Break?" Alfia exclaimed in shock, then suddenly realized something. "You joined the Familia Alliance's expedition for this?"
"Exactly. Although my magic is very unique, my personal growth rate and potential aren't actually that high. I was only able to achieve this by using my magic to create this rule," Lucian nodded, then said with profound meaning, "You can do this. And similarly, Meteria can do it too."
Realization dawned on Alfia, and for the first time, an uncontrollable look of joy spread across her face. The most sinful thing she had done in her entire life was stealing Meteria's talent while in the womb. Even though it hadn't been her conscious choice, that profound guilt had followed her for her entire life. Now, she finally had a chance to make amends. This feeling completely surpassed the joy of having her skill's negative effects entirely cured!
"I can do it too?" Meteria murmured, slightly dazed.
"Of course," Lucian said softly. "The Divine Court isn't a place just anyone can join. Since you are a part of it, I will take full responsibility for you."
"Mr. Lucian..." Meteria looked at Lucian, her eyes brimming with intense emotion.
Alfia looked at Meteria, then at Lucian—who seemed to be smiling—and couldn't help but fall silent. She couldn't stop it at all, nor did she want to. This massive debt of gratitude was impossible to repay. The only way they could even slightly compensate him was to offer themselves. If Meteria wasn't enough... what if she included herself?
In that moment, a glimmer of light appeared in Alfia's eyes. It was unknown whether she had convinced herself, or simply found a convenient excuse. Facing Lucian once more, she couldn't muster up even the slightest shred of negative emotion.
Alfia even thought that if she ever walked in on the two of them performing a sacred ritual, she wouldn't think Lucian was bullying her sister and get angry over it. Instead, she'd think her sister was too frail and needed help supporting herself—or maybe she'd even give them a push. Of course, it was just a fleeting thought, but it almost made her laugh at herself. The fact that she was even entertaining such shameful thoughts proved just how profoundly her heart had been shaken.
"Mr. Lucian." A crisp female voice rang out from the side; Talvi was walking over, holding Ais's hand.
"Did you two go to the freezing spring?" Lucian asked.
"Ais discovered that the Freezing Spring of Life works wonders for recovering from exhaustion." Talvi smiled wryly. "This child is pushing herself a little too hard."
"I need to gain power as quickly as possible," Ais said, clenching her small fists.
"Bheara entrusted this child to my care, so I can only keep her company," Talvi chuckled.
It seemed the two were getting along quite well. Compared to Bheara's wicked teasing, Ais likely preferred spending time with the gentle and energetic Talvi.
"This child..." Alfia looked at Ais, sensing a strange aura emanating from her. Is that... wind?
"She is the one I wanted you to teach," Lucian smiled warmly. "Her name is Ais. Ais Wallenstein."
"I imagine you've heard that surname before. I brought her back from the Glacier Territory."
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