"Luci, I–I don't want to ruin… your moment, but they are really just a block away now." I patted Alya's head at that.
A hybrid strategy it is. I shook my head. There's no way I am facing them head-on, so these two stats were the most versatile option in my opinion. I thought, taking a step forward.
My palms, glued to Alya's smooth thighs, itch aggressively. I felt a surge of energy stabbing through my muscles and nerves. My body grew much lighter, as if I had thrown away a hundred-kilo bag. They grew stronger and stronger, the natural force in them increasing.
As my foot finally touched the ground, my eyes widened. It made no sound. My control over my breath's sound and speed had also increased.
Stat increase actually changed my body physically right in front of my eyes….
I couldn't help but imagine my version who had chosen hundred stat points, making either a flashy one-hit kill, escape, or becoming a complete ghost with hundred stealth, slipping out without anyone even noticing.
My eyes blurred at the narrow pathway covered with countless black bricks shining under Victorian-style red lanterns every few feet away.
I turned off [Eye of Sanguine], finally enjoying real colors, breathing without the shit particles in every breath.
Alya too looked even cuter, or more so… higher resolution from my normal vision in the dark.
"Would you like some cream bread when we get out?" Alya whispered in my ear, "I baked it just an hour before that." She added bitterly.
"I'll love it! Though, leave the coffee to me." I winked, that must've meant before we got caught, probably…
"Do you see it too?" Suddenly, I nudged Alya on her belly, getting her attention to the ceiling.
She nodded slowly as her lips curled upwards, "It will still be less stinky than that cell." There were seven small orangish dots all across the ceiling. When focusing on it, it had wet patches all across the thick stone.
Water pipelines were just above us. A perfect pathway that leads to some sorta sewer.
Alya shook her head, "But, they're too close for you to try that."
"Maybe I can just hang on the roof, and hope they won't check it?" I shrugged.
"They are looking for us though…" Alya grew speechless.
"No, no, let me cook for a second!"
"Cook?"
"They'd wanna get to their boss first, no? There was this one lady who was with him to buy; she was the one who reported our escape. She mentioned Sue's situation, and they'd naturally wanna save their boss. Why would they stare at random ceilings when their boss could die any second?"
"That does… kind of sound logical." I flashed a smirk before punching the burning red lantern beside us. Darkness spread instantly. The entire foot of the surface turned blinding black.
"Smarttt!" I chuckled at Alya's awe-filled face. Now, if we hide in a corner, even if they have torches, they won't be able to find us easily.
I shook my head, punching another lantern—
THAMMM!
Rubble flew all around as the entire brick wall cracked, darkening three lanterns. I bit my lip, realising I created a big ass hole in the entire wall.
_Controlling my stat changed strength was a bit difficult. It wasn't like normal strength, but more like suddenly getting Mike Tyson's right arm.
Fuck it! Alya stared in complete horror as I leapt all around the narrow hallway with Hulk-like jumps, smashing lanterns left and right.
After all that, we could see was darkness. I smiled proudly, ignoring the bricks falling all around as if hit by a massive earthquake.
"Luci…. You do realise they can figure we are out now, and their leader, most likely dead..."
"It can't be helped, too little time." I shrugged, squatting while tightly grabbing Alya from back, her soft thighs and arms tightening around me too.
I winced as her grip almost choked the air out of my lungs.
I didn't hate it.
Not at all.
"Okay, I am ready," Alya confirmed.
"Y–Yes Ma'am!"
Pushing energy across my legs, I jumped with all my strength. Next second, I was flying… piercing through the air pressure freely. This body was amazing.
I reached fifteen feet high in a blur.
I clenched my fists, punching the stone as my hand dug into its firm texture like it was made of clay.
I hung straight in the ceiling for a good ten seconds, taking deep breaths to stabilize the high.
"Good work, good work," Alya's soft hand on my face lessened the ache in my fist considerably.
[+20 slave XP]
[Slave level 1: 20/70]
[Congratulations on successfully being submissive to Alya!]
"…"
Can we just remove the slave class? I asked through a shaking breath.
[Yes, it's possible to abandon {Slave} entirely, but you will lose five (Intelligence) stat points, leading to slower cognitive process, and rash, dumber decisions/choices. Blood control across your body will be significantly harder as well. But, you will gain five (Charisma) points.]
[Are you sure?]
Wow! Just amazing!
I obviously declined.
I sighed, focused on my enhanced hearing; they were getting in a formation.
Four people in front, five people in the rear, and the rest in the center, splitting their focus across all directions.
[If you really don't like the Slave class, you can change it to a secondary class and focus on leveling [criminal] more. The amount of XP and its quality will improve immensely.
Hmm, yeah, do it. It's not even that I disliked the slave class, just I was in a situation to level up Criminal faster…
[Primary class: Criminal: Lvl 1 (40/70) ]
[Secondary class:
Slave: Lvl 1 (20/70) XXX XXX]
My forearms burned as I pushed my other arm and leg against the stone ceiling as well, crawling across the narrow hallway to locate the perfect corner, blinking again and again to stay sane.
My head throbbed with all that sticky, itchy sweat across my body, both Alya's and mine, her long snow white hair sticking to my face.
I didn't stop even as my fingers bled and I almost fell thrice, I was almost at the first turn of the pathway that led to our cell. The plan was to first let them pass us, and then get past the turn, entering the ceiling there.
Alya's breath hastened as the sound of footsteps was loud enough to hear without any enhanced senses.
They were here.