Caramel's face flushed a deeper red, her breath quickening as an overwhelming excitement coursed through her. "It's love, isn't it?" she whispered again, her trembling lips forming a crazed smile.
That's what she decided this feeling must be—love. A new kind of love she had never experienced before.
To Caramel, everyone who adored her was beneath her. Their love was only natural because they were inferior beings compared to her beauty. But now? Now, she saw herself as lesser than Maruti.
"Yes, that's it," she thought, her eyes wide with determination. "As an inferior being, I should love her! I should dedicate myself to her completely. Be hers forever! Do whatever it takes to make her mine!"
Her crazed grin widened, and her eyes sparkled with a fiery excitement.
"Ms. Caramel, did you hear what I said? You don't need anyone else! You have me!" a concerned female voice cut through her thoughts.
But Caramel barely spared her a glance. Her lips curled into a sneer of disgust. "No! I don't want anyone else. I only want her. I *need* her!" she muttered, her tone filled with conviction.
Without another word, she turned and stormed out of the cafeteria, her steps quick and purposeful.
---
The sky had darkened by the time classes ended, and the academy halls were quiet under the moonlit evening.
In Esdeath's dorm room, however, the air was filled with the sound of fists meeting flesh and feet thudding against the ground. Esdeath and Selene were locked in intense combat training.
Selene, though just a few days old, had already grown at an extraordinary pace. Her physical strength was at least two to three times greater than Esdeath's, and her height had increased again. She now stood just shy of Esdeath's waist—a feat considering Esdeath's long, graceful legs accounted for 60% of her height.
Despite Selene's natural strength, Esdeath held the upper hand with her superior combat experience. She moved with precision and restraint, teaching Selene through action rather than overpowering her.
"Focus," Esdeath said, her voice calm but firm as she dodged a wild punch from Selene.
Selene gritted her teeth, trying to mimic Esdeath's fluid movements, but her punches were still unrefined.
Esdeath countered with a low kick, sweeping Selene's legs out from under her. "You're relying too much on your strength," Esdeath instructed, extending a hand to help Selene back up.
Selene's frustration was evident, but her eyes were filled with determination. She refused to give up.
Esdeath observed her with a mix of pride and urgency. "We don't have much time," she thought. "Even if she's only a few days old, she needs to learn how to fight—and even kill—within a year."
Esdeath stretched her arms and let out a tired sigh, sitting down on the bed with a sense of accomplishment after finishing Selene's training for the day. Her eyes softened as she glanced at the young girl, who was still catching her breath.
"That's it for today," Esdeath said with a small smile. Selene nodded but stayed standing, her determined gaze still fixed on Esdeath.
As soon as Selene stepped away to grab some water, Esdeath whispered, "Status," and a glowing interface appeared in front of her, visible only to her.
------
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Current skills in possession:
- Sharpshooter (E) Upgradable: When used, time will slow down for five seconds. Can only be used once every 50 minutes.
- Iron Gaze (D) Upgradable: Can see over great distances with precision + Can see the flow of mana + Can see at 250 FPS rate.
- Paralyze Bullet (E) Upgradable: After using this skill, the first bullet fired by you will have a paralyzing effect that can immobilize both monsters and awakened individuals up to D-rank for around 10 minutes.
- Echo of Restoration (C) Upgradable:Heals injuries gradually by "echoing" moments in time when the user was uninjured, slowly mending wounds to mirror their former state.
---
Esdeath's gaze lingered on her skills as she thought about upgrading one of them.
"Sharpshooter is incredibly useful," she mused, recalling how many times she used it in battle. But upgrading it would likely require over 20,000 SP. If she used that much, there wouldn't be enough left to boost her other skills or stats.
She shifted her focus to another skill. "Paralyze Bullet," she decided.
With a single thought, the interface responded.
-------
<500 SP deducted>
Effect: The first ten bullets fired by you will have a paralyzing effect that can immobilize both monsters and awakened individuals up to D-rank for around 20 minutes.
---------
Esdeath's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Now that's a real upgrade," she thought.
Previously, only her first bullet could paralyze, and the effect lasted just 10 minutes. Now, the first ten bullets carried the same effect, and the paralysis time had doubled. Though it was still limited to D-rank monsters, it was a solid improvement.
"Efficient and worth the SP," she nodded, mentally congratulating herself.
As she contemplated her next move, Selene suddenly waved her hand in front of Esdeath's face. "What are you doing, just staring at the air like that?" Selene asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Shhh..." Esdeath hushed her, turning back to the glowing screen.
Her focus shifted to her remaining skills.
"Echo of Restoration is already a C-rank skill. Upgrading it would cost far more SP than I have right now," she thought, tapping her fingers lightly on the bed. "Besides, it's already powerful enough to heal most injuries."
She then considered Iron Gaze. While it was tempting to upgrade, she decided against it for now.
A new thought crossed her mind. "Should I buy a new skill?"
But after weighing the idea, she dismissed it. "The skills I know from the time path are too expensive for my current SP. And taking the time to learn and master a new skill isn't practical right now. A big battle is coming, and I need to prepare for that instead."
Esdeath's gaze darkened slightly as another realization surfaced.
"My star constellation," she murmured, her fingers tightening into a fist. "Unlike Ethan, whose constellation is dead, mine can be still alive. If It made me its incarnation, then it can discard me just as easily."
Her heart beat heavily as the thought lingered. She couldn't rely entirely on her constellation's power.
"I need to build my own strength. I need essence stones , physical strength, and abilities that belong to me alone." Her determination burned brighter with each word.
Next Esdeath Used SP to increase her stats.
Esdeath sat cross-legged on the bed, her crimson eyes glowing faintly as she focused. She decided it was time to boost her stats and strengthen her body further. With a quick thought, she began the process.
---
<400 SP deducted>
<2000 SP deducted>
<2000 SP deducted> <2000 SP deducted> --- Esdeath stretched her arms, feeling a strange rush of energy flow through her veins. Her muscles felt tighter, her breath steadier, and her body lighter. It wasn't the first time she had experienced this sensation, but it still left her momentarily stunned. "It never gets old," she murmured, cracking her neck. A faint smirk tugged at her lips. "But this is the limit for now. My body's foundation can only handle so much improvement at once." She thought about the Iron Bone Essence Stone, she could use it to further strengthen her durability. However, the process would take time—a luxury she didn't currently have. Sighing, she turned her attention to her skills, her eyes narrowing on Iron Gaze. She immediately made the decision to upgrade it. ------- <10,100 SP deducted> - Can see over great distances with precision. - Can see the flow of mana. - Can see at 400 FPS rate. - Can perceive spirits --------- As the upgrade completed, Esdeath felt a sharp jolt in her eyes. Her pupils glowed brighter, spinning mechanically for a moment before settling. She blinked a few times, her vision sharper than ever. Two key changes caught her attention. First, her ability to perceive motion had improved from 250 FPS to 400 FPS, making the world appear slower and more manageable in combat. Second, a new power had been added—the ability to perceive spirits. Her heart skipped a beat as she processed what this meant. "Spirits," she muttered under her breath. "That includes phantoms, ghosts, and even anomaly-type monsters that can't normally be seen." A cold realization hit her. These spirits were a significant threat to most people, as they couldn't be easily detected or fought. Even Kaelith, with her immense talents, still couldn't see spirits due to her current limitations, There was still some time for her till she reaches to that level. She scanned the room instinctively, her newly enhanced eyes darting to every corner. That's when she spotted it—a small, glowing orange bat hovering near the ceiling. Flames flickered softly along its tiny body. "A lesser fire spirit," Esdeath thought, her eyes narrowing. It wasn't dangerous, merely curious. She observed it quietly, noting how unusual it was to find a spirit in a place like this. Good spirits typically resided in nature, far away from the chaos of human dwellings. "Lucky," she muttered to herself. Still, her curiosity wasn't satisfied. She crouched down and checked under the bed, her eyes sweeping the dark space for anything unusual. She moved to the cupboards, peering into their depths, her breath slightly heavier with anticipation. But she found nothing—no evil spirits, no phantoms, no ghosts. Esdeath sat back on her heels, frowning slightly. "I've killed so many people," she murmured. "I thought their vengeful spirits would be clinging to me, haunting me... but there's nothing." Her chest tightened briefly, though she wasn't sure if it was relief or disappointment. Perhaps a bit of both. Esdeath lay on the bed with a satisfied smile. "I'll save the rest for later. That's enough for today." As she relaxed, Selene suddenly jumped onto her belly. "Time to sleep, right?" she said with a grin. Esdeath sighed, gently grabbing Selene's hands and guiding her to lie beside her. Selene snuggled close, resting her head between Esdeath's breasts, and quietly drifted to sleep. --------------------------- Discord Link : https://discord.gg/jkM2yT79dT