UGAEL went down to the ground floor following the order she had received, while Aelion headed to the bathroom, making sure Seraphina wasn't there. Once he confirmed, he began to wash and relax peacefully.
The vampire, for her part, hadn't spoken to him again after the scene she had witnessed earlier. After getting dressed, she went to the kitchen to clear her mind. Today, her plan mostly revolved around accepting his request to teach him magic. Her anger and jealousy could have stopped her, but she blamed herself more than him.
In the end, the two of them found themselves in the same place, surrounded by an awkward silence. Aelion didn't understand why Seraphina seemed distant, with a certain hostility toward him. Even the way she set the plate in front of him seemed to radiate resentment.
"Eat. Afterward, we'll meet in the training room," she ordered.
Why does my heart ache every time I think about it...
Her chest was heating up for some particular reason, while her heart suffered from a phantom pain. A dagger to the heart? No, it was more like a heavy, cold weight slowly settling in her chest whenever she remembered Aelion with UGAEL.
"Oh, you're agreeing to teach me magic?" Aelion asked, surprised by her quick decision.
"Yes. Otherwise, who do you think will be the handicap if we're attacked again? I don't want to drag around dead weight."
"I... I see."
Her words were harsh, yet they reflected the hard truth of what had happened during the previous fight. However, after having enjoyed some time together, things should have lightened between them. Aelion hadn't expected her to be so blunt; he thought they would get closer instead. He had been completely wrong.
Even so, he didn't give up. The change was far too sudden — he needed to know what had happened, especially since the system hadn't reported anything alarming regarding resistance or acceptance.
"Hey, are you hungry? You can always take a sip of my blood."
"No, that won't be necessary."
I really don't like what's happening... or these misunderstandings. It feels like we're heading straight for one...
"Can I know what's going on?!"
"Nothing."
He stood up and approached her, trying to place his hand on her shoulder. The moment he did, the vampire's body rejected him violently, her fingers tipped with sharp nails aimed straight at his throat.
"DON'T TOUCH ME, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
[ Warning! The target's resistance gauge has increased by 10%! ]
[ The target's acceptance gauge has decreased by 5%! ]
──────────────────────────────
Target: [ Seraphina Duskbane – Blood Empress ]
Resistance: 50%
Acceptance: 40%
Available Paths: [ Please reach an acceptance rate of 100% to unlock a path ]
──────────────────────────────
Damn it... that's exactly what I feared the most.
Aelion nodded nervously, hands raised, turning away from her. He still took the time to finish his meal before heading to the training room. The curious thing was that Seraphina hadn't even turned around or shown her face — she had remained facing away from him the whole time.
He had tried to learn more, but it had only irritated her further, so he decided not to bring it up again. Sitting cross-legged in the training room, his thoughts focused on his possible evolutions and how he could level up.
"System, explain to me how leveling up works, and everything related to evolution and becoming stronger."
[ Every being is classified through a hierarchy of ranks, from weakest to strongest, ranging from F to SSS.
Rank E ---> Rank F : 15 levels required
Rank F ---> Rank D : 20 levels required
Rank D ---> Rank C : 25 levels required
Rank C ---> Rank B : 30 levels required
Rank B ---> Rank A : 35 levels required
Rank A ---> Rank S : 40 levels required
Rank S ---> Rank SS : 45 levels required
Rank SS ---> Rank SSS : 50 levels required
Regarding attributes/statistics, you gain 6 attribute points per level:
Rank F ----> +6 pts/lvl ----> 90 pts/rank
Rank E ----> +12 pts/lvl ----> 240 pts/rank
Rank D ----> +18 pts/lvl ----> 450 pts/rank
Rank C ----> +24 pts/lvl ----> 720 pts/rank
Rank B ----> +30 pts/lvl ----> 1050 pts/rank
Rank A ----> +40 pts/lvl ----> 1600 pts/rank
Rank S ----> +50 pts/lvl ----> 2500 pts/rank
Rank SS ----> +60 pts/lvl ----> 3600 pts/rank
Rank SSS ----> +75 pts/lvl ----> 5625 pts/rank
Each time you level up, the points gained are distributed according to an 80% ratio:
80% of the points are automatically invested according to your class; 20% remain free. If a stat reaches its rank limit, the automatic points are redirected to the next priority. Unusable points become free points. Under no circumstances can a stat exceed its rank limit.
Statistical caps per rank:
Rank F: 50 pts/stat ----> 300 TOTAL STAT
Rank E: 100 pts/stat ----> 600 TOTAL STAT
Rank D: 200 pts/stat ----> 1200 TOTAL STAT
Rank C: 400 pts/stat ----> 2400 TOTAL STAT
Rank B: 800 pts/stat ----> 4800 TOTAL STAT
Rank A: 1600 pts/stat ----> 9600 TOTAL STAT
Rank S: 3200 pts/stat ----> 19,200 TOTAL STAT
Rank SS: 6400 pts/stat ----> 38,400 TOTAL STAT
Rank SSS: 12,800 pts/stat ----> 76,800 TOTAL STAT ]
Aelion carefully read the information displayed by the system through the translucent interface. The astronomical numbers caught his attention, of course, but it was mainly a calculation mismatch that bothered him even more.
"If the total stat cap is 300, why is the total stat gain from the 15 levels needed to reach Rank F only 90? The total points gained are way too low compared to the cap — isn't that a calculation error?" he asked curiously.
[ This is not a calculation error. The total stat cap is not the number of points you can earn through normal progression, but rather the theoretical maximum you could reach through equipment bonuses, awakenings, mutations, special quests, and rewards. The 80% ratio distribution also prevents you from reaching the individual stat cap. ]
"I understand much better now."
[ Having leveled up 5 times, you currently possess 30 stat points. However, since you do not yet have a class, all points will be distributed evenly until you assign yourself a class. ]
STATISTICS:
Strength: 16
Agility: 17
Intelligence: 18
Vitality: 17
Charisma: 20
Luck: 25
"My luck was an unknown value until this morning. Why has it returned to a numerical value?"
[ Luck is difficult to measure numerically. The karma from your previous life has a strong influence, so it took longer than expected to calibrate it. ]
CLINK !!!!!
The sound of clashing metal echoed throughout the manor. Fearing another attack, Aelion quickly rushed to the hall, only to see the source of the noise. Nothing serious, but Seraphina and UGAEL were fighting — and it was clearly one-sided, as UGAEL had the upper hand. At least, that's what he could tell, since the confrontation between the two of them surpassed his natural perception, leaving only blurs in the wake of their movements from one spot to another.
The only time he could clearly see them was when their attacks collided, releasing a shockwave that sent him flying backward. As he tried to get up, he noticed blackened blood dripping from his nose. It didn't take him long to understand why, as his eyes showed the same symptoms — just trying to follow their speed and see the traces of their fight was putting all his senses under extreme strain, burning his nerves and neutralizing his ability to think.
Aelion would have liked to study their fighting styles and gather information from their clash, but that was impossible right now — he had to stop them first and foremost.
"STOP!!! Can I know what's gotten into you two?!" he asked, perplexed.