Chapter 75: What did I do deserve this!!
‘You must know,’ Aether thought to himself, ‘In every game, chantless magic was incredibly overpowered, so…’ He trailed off, his gaze fixated on the woman standing before him, her eyes scanning him with a disconcerting intensity as if he were nothing more than a treasure to guard.
“You possess the ability to wield chantless magic… ah,” Delphine remarked, a mischievous grin playing at the corners of her lips.
‘Yeah… I know, I messed up’ Aether bitterly thought. He had only wanted to control his energy, but now he had forgotten he was in enemy territory and had inadvertently revealed his overpowered skills.
“Is this really important?” Aether asked.
“Indeed, you may not fully grasp its rarity here,” Delphine replied, her arms folding beneath her ample bosom as she spoke, “Chantless magic is a precious rarity, a feat accomplished only by those who have earned the love of the Arcane,” she explained, her tone carrying a mixture of admiration and caution.
“I understand…” Aether nodded outwardly, though inwardly, a storm of conflicting emotions raged within him. ‘Loved by the Arcane? That fucking bitch is responsible for fucking life!!!’.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind before, contemplating using Stella as a shield, portraying her as a hidden master whose teachings he had absorbed. Yet, he quickly dismissed the notion, since Arcane bitch was involved.
‘Although she is far from a hidden Master… haha’ Aether thought how naive and good heart girl Stella was.
Collecting his thoughts, he looked at Delphine with a serious expression and asked, “Could you keep this a secret?”
“Why? You know how muc… ah,” Delphine’s expression shifted as she realized the implications. With a sad smile, she said, “I guess it’s better for you to keep this hidden.”
After nodding, Delphine’s gaze shifted to the scene of destruction, her brows furrowing in contemplation. “Hmmm… That level of devastation surpasses what a mere Level 1 Magic affinity or one point could cause…?” Her voice trailed off into a thoughtful frown as she turned back to Aether, requesting to see his log once more for verification. Without hesitation, Aether obliged, revealing his fake log.
“Hmm…” Delphine nodded in acknowledgement, her expression serious. “This level of power is certainly beyond what one would expect from a Level 1 Magic affinity or merely one point… It almost resembles the capabilities of a Level 2 Magic affinity or someone with over 10 points,” she remarked, her eyes scanning the remnants of the chaos around them.
‘I told you… Mine is OP!!’ Aether’s inner thoughts clenched with a mix of pride and apprehension.
“Oh, well… sometimes miracles do occur in the world,” Delphine remarked with a playful grin as she glanced at Aether.
[+1 Affection]
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 2%↑]
“Hahah…” Aether’s smile widened like that of a child receiving praise, but inwardly, questions gnawed at his mind. ‘Looks like she’s truly related to my survival, but why hasn’t the mission prompt appeared…?’ Despite his curiosity, he shrugged off the momentary confusion.
Delphine proceeded to set up another dummy figure, her movements deliberate and focused. As she raised her hand, a hushed whisper escaped her lips,
/Flames/
‘Pufff’
With a gentle puff, a small yellow flame materialized on her palm, casting a warm glow in the dim surroundings,
“Every form of magic has its basic requirement rooted in Arcane energy,” Delphine explained calmly, her eyes alight with knowledge. “No matter the type of magic you wield, as long as you master the manipulation of Arcane energy, you can transform and enhance every aspect of your magic… Tuning…” Her voice trailed off as the yellow flames in her hand began to shift and morph.
…into a small sphere.
“Modifying…”
The flame condensed into a minute dot, pulsating with contained energy.
“Structural changing …..”
The dot elongated into a nail-like structure, demonstrating Delphine’s precise control.
“Compositional changing…”
The yellow flames transitioned into a fierce shade of red.
“Finally, allowing every flow to move freely…”
“PUFF!!”
With a dramatic exhale, Delphine released the pent-up energy, causing the flames to surge upward, nearly reaching the roof in a spectacular display.
“Wow…” Aether couldn’t contain his amazement at Delphine’s mastery over the flames, his eyes wide with excitement and curiosity, a newfound respect blooming within him for her magic skills.
“Hehe…” Delphine’s laughter rang out softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she observed Aether’s curious expression. Stepping closer, she gently took his hands in hers, her touch warm and reassuring, “Try to sense anything invading your body,” she instructed, her tone carrying a mix of encouragement and anticipation.
Aether nodded gravely, a sense of determination flickering in his features as he closed his eyes, focusing intently on his inner senses, waiting for any sign of intrusion.
After a brief moment of silence, Delphine’s voice broke through the stillness, “Do you feel it?” Aether’s response was a subtle shake of his head, indicating his inability to detect anything out of the ordinary.
“Hmm,” Delphine acknowledged, her brows furrowing slightly. With a deliberate motion, she increased the flow of Arcane energy from her own body to his, hoping to trigger a response.
After a few more seconds,
Once again, she posed the question, “Do you feel it now?” Yet, Aether’s response remained unchanged as he shook his head once more. He wasn’t feeling anything other than sweating forming in their joined hands.
‘Do I tell her?’ Aether pondered internally but decided not to.
Delphine’s frown deepened, her determination evident. She increased the flow of energy once more, however, he denied it yet again.
Sighing she was about to stop and change the method when,
“W-Wait, I can feel…” His words trailed off momentarily, a hint of surprise colouring his tone as he sensed a flowing from her hand to his.
“Really?” Delphine’s smile widened, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. Adjusting the flow with precision, she maintained a steady stream of energy between them, encouraging Aether to take control. “Now, you should guide it through your body, akin to directing blood circulation,” she instructed, her voice gentle yet firm.
“Understood,” Aether affirmed, his focus sharpening as he attempted to navigate the unfamiliar sensation coursing through him.
As moments passed, a mixture of confusion and frustration crept into Aether’s expression. “Hmm… Hmmm?… ??” He furrowed his brow, voicing his struggle, “I can’t seem to control its flow smoothly; it’s like it stops at certain points.”
Delphine’s frown deepened upon hearing that Aether still struggled with controlling the flow of energy.
‘Something isn’t right…’ echoed in both of their minds as Aether slowly opened his eyes, uncertainty flickering in his gaze.
“Hmmm…” Aether hesitated, drawing Delphine’s attention.
“Yes?”
“I-I think it’s your sweat flowing from your palm to my hand,” Aether confessed, gesturing towards his hand where a faint trail of moisture glistened, tracing a path from his wrist to his elbow before dripping due to the bend of his arm.
“!!!” Delphine’s face flushed crimson with embarrassment as she realized the source of the unexpected sensation.
“You must get easily wet every time–PUFFF!!” Aether’s innocent words were cut short as Delphine swiftly delivered a punch to his gut once again.
Aether doubled over in pain, a torrent of expletives echoing in his mind. ‘FUCKER!!! What did I do to deserve this?!’ he screamed inwardly.
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