Unlock new chapters and exclusive illustrations at https://www.patreon.com/Rayish.
As Loki's fingers moved along Lefiya's back, the Falna update continued... and the goddess's expression began to change drastically.
"Hmm..."
Then, "Hoo?"
And finally, "Hah?!"
Lefiya straightened her back slightly. Loki's voice was unlike her usual playful or teasing tone. It was... serious. And each of Loki's surprised murmurs seemed to strike Lefiya's heart harder.
Why is she so shocked...? Lefiya thought anxiously. If even Loki is this surprised... it must be a good thing, right? But... why do I feel even more uneasy?
Her small hands clenched tightly on her thighs as she tried to steady her suddenly heavy breathing.
After a few minutes, Loki finally withdrew her fingers from Lefiya's smooth, white back and let out a long sigh. "Done."
Lefiya immediately moved. With quick, practiced motions, she adjusted her bra, fastened it, and slipped back into the light green tunic she had removed earlier. She didn't dare ask anything yet, but her eyes kept darting to Loki's hand... where a copy of her new status—inscribed with magic ink on a piece of parchment—was still held by the goddess.
Loki raised an eyebrow as she looked at her. "Lefiya... when was the last time you updated your status?"
Lefiya took a breath before answering. "After the expedition... to the 59th floor. That was around... a few months ago?"
Loki snapped her fingers. "Ah, right! Back then, you were already ready to level up to Level 4, but I told you to hold off. We were waiting for your Magic to reach Rank S so you'd get the maximum boost when leveling up."
"Yeah..." Lefiya nodded slowly, then smiled faintly. "Even Shirou has surpassed me in level now."
But before she could continue, Loki cut in quickly, "Hey, don't compare yourself to that weird kid! His brain's wired to another dimension or something."
Lefiya giggled softly.
Loki then extended her hand, handing the status parchment to Lefiya with a grin.
"But... this time, I have good news for you."
The parchment... felt heavy, not because of its weight, but because of everything written on it. Lefiya stared at it with bated breath.
And her heart began to beat faster.
With trembling hands, Lefiya unrolled the parchment, and as her eyes traced the rows of numbers and letters, her breath hitched for a moment.
Lefiya Viridis
Level: 3
Strength: I (70) → H (100)
Endurance: H (140) → H (182)
Dexterity: H (174) → G (213)
Agility: G (240) → G (278)
Magic: A (870) → S (910)
Her deep blue eyes widened. She stared at the number under Magic without blinking, and like a flood breaking through a dam, a wave of emotion and joy surged through her chest.
"I-I... reached Rank S..." she whispered in disbelief. She quickly turned to Loki, her voice rising with excitement, "That means I can level up now, right? Right, Loki?!"
Loki grinned smugly and nodded casually. "Yep. I'll level you up right away. Congratulations, Lefiya—you're officially Level 4 now."
"Hooray!!" Lefiya cheered, unable to contain herself any longer. She hugged the parchment as if it were the most precious gift she'd ever received.
"What Developmental Abilities can I choose now?!" she asked eagerly. "Magic Resistance? Healing Power? Or... or... can I pick Spirit Healing? I can, right?!"
Loki raised a hand, amused. "Heheh, hold on, hold on. You haven't even read everything yet, have you? Take another look. There might be another surprise~"
"Alright..." Lefiya nodded quickly, took a deep breath, and lowered her gaze back to the parchment. She read the next section:
Developmental Abilities:
Mage: H
Abnormal Resistance: I
She frowned slightly. "Huh? My Developmental Abilities haven't changed ranks... they're the same as before."
Loki just winked. "Keep going..."
Curious, Lefiya directed her gaze to the last section, where Skills were usually listed. She squinted for a moment... then froze.
Skills: Fairy Cannon: Increases the effects of Magic. The effect doubles when used with attack Magic.
Double Cannon: Lets the user keep the magic circle of magic they'd finished chanting as a ring on their left arm by using mind. Allows the user to use it whenever they want. The user is only able to keep one magic.
"E-Eh...? A new skill?" Lefiya whispered, her eyes slowly widening as she read the name beneath Fairy Cannon.
"Double Cannon...?" she murmured softly.
The hand holding the parchment trembled slightly. Unconsciously, the corners of her eyes grew warm. Emotions she couldn't hold back rose to the surface. All the training day and night. Every battle, every close call, every failure... was now replaced with one undeniable truth: she... had grown.
That her efforts... hadn't been in vain.
"I... got a new skill..." she mumbled, her voice cracking.
Loki watched her for a moment. She knew full well that this was a fragile moment for Lefiya—a moment when all the masks of her resilience could crack from sheer happiness. So this time, the goddess didn't say anything weird or teasing. She simply patted Lefiya's shoulder gently, softly, but meaningfully.
"You're amazing, Lefiya," she said sincerely. "Truly amazing."
Lefiya wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, brushing away the small tears that had escaped her control. Her cheeks were still warm, but now adorned with a bright, determined smile.
She clutched her status parchment tightly and looked at Loki with sparkling eyes. "In that case... I want to try Double Cannon right now!"
Loki blinked, momentarily confused. "Hah? Right now? You mean in my room?"
But before the goddess could even rise from her seat, Lefiya was already standing in the middle of the room—her hands raised, her fingertips trembling slightly as she channeled mind. What surprised Loki the most, however, were the words that spilled from the young elf's lips.
"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tr—"
Loki immediately stood up, her eyes wide. "HEY!"
Whack!
The goddess's hand landed squarely on Lefiya's head. The girl flinched, crouching down while clutching her head with both hands.
"Ow! Huuuu...!" she whined, scrunching her face. "That hurt, Loki..."
"What do you think this place is?! My room isn't a training ground!" Loki grumbled, half-angry, half-worried. "If you recklessly activate a new skill you haven't mastered yet, what if something weird happens?! Or worse, what if it explodes?!"
Lefiya was still rubbing her head, her lips pursed like a scolded child. "I was just... curious. I wanted to know what it felt like to store magic in my hand..."
Loki took a deep breath and sighed heavily. After a few seconds, her voice calmed. "If you really want to try Double Cannon, wait until your next training session. Ask Riveria to supervise you. She'll definitely be able to monitor the effects."
Lefiya nodded slowly, still wincing a little. "Alright... I'll wait. But I'm still curious..." she murmured, glancing at her hand as if hoping to see a magic circle appear out of nowhere.
Loki just shook her head, raising an eyebrow before lightly patting Lefiya's back with a half-teasing expression. "If you want to test it, don't do it in my room! It's already messy enough—I don't need a fire on top of that!"
Lefiya smiled faintly, her cheeks still red from the scolding. "Yeah... sorry, Loki. I got too excited."
Then the young elf bowed slightly, lowering her head respectfully toward Loki. "Thank you so much, Loki... I'm really happy to see the results today. I'll take my leave now—"
But just as she turned halfway, Loki's voice cut in.
"Heh! Trying to run away? You forgot something, Lefiya~" she said, crossing her arms, her tone teasing but meaningful. "You were so eager to pick a Developmental Ability earlier, and now you're forgetting to choose one. Tsk, tsk..."
Lefiya froze for a moment, then lightly smacked her forehead. "Oh... right, I forgot!"
She quickly turned back, sitting on the edge of the bed as her deep blue eyes looked at Loki with hopeful anticipation. The goddess's half-lidded red eyes gleamed mischievously and calmly, like a cat who'd just found a new toy.
"So... what are my options?" Lefiya asked.
Loki raised a finger, swinging it slowly. "I'll list them one by one. But don't decide right away. Think carefully first."
Lefiya nodded obediently. "Okay."
Loki cleared her throat. "Ahem. First, you can choose Magic Resistance. It'll strengthen your resistance against magical attacks."
"Oooh, that's good," Lefiya commented, nodding. "Especially against our arch-nemesis, the Corrupted Spirits, since they use magic too."
"Correct. But the second one is more interesting," Loki said, her eyes narrowing slightly with dramatic flair. "Spirit Healing."
The moment she heard that, Lefiya's face brightened. "Wow! Then I'll definitely pick Spirit Healing! I've wanted that for so long!"
Spirit Healing was a rare Developmental Ability that allowed the user to passively recover the mind. It was especially useful for mages who relied heavily on magic in battle. Riveria Ljos Alf and Aiz Wallenstein were among those who had Spirit Healing in their list of Developmental Abilities, making it a crucial asset for high-level adventurers.
Lefiya was already ready to make her final decision, but Loki raised another finger, this time with a more mysterious air.
"I wouldn't mind if you picked that... but this last Developmental Ability... is unexpected. And it turns out you can choose it too."
Lefiya tilted her head. "Huh? What is it? Is there something even better than Spirit Healing for me?"
Her face was puzzled as she tried to guess, but nothing came to mind immediately. Was it something not directly related to magic?
Loki's gaze remained enigmatic, her mischievous smile creeping onto her lips.
"Here's the interesting part..." she whispered.
"Mystery," Loki said, leaning back against the bed and raising one leg, relaxed but with a meaningful tone.
"Huh? Mystery?" Lefiya blinked rapidly, then frowned. "Loki... don't joke around. This is serious, you know."
Loki sighed dramatically and sat up slightly. "That's not what I meant, kid. Mystery is the actual name of the Developmental Ability!" she said, poking Lefiya's forehead with her index finger.
Lefiya blinked slowly, finally understanding. "Oohh... like the one Asfi has?" she asked quickly, her expression now full of curiosity.
"Correct." Loki crossed her legs and began explaining more seriously. "But remember, the effects of Mystery aren't the same for everyone. Each user has a unique manifestation."
She raised a finger. "Asfi—the Perseus of Hermes Familia—uses it to create various magic tools. From magic weapons to mobility gear like..."
"...those winged shoes of hers," Lefiya added, picturing the short, blue-haired woman with a cool demeanor she'd once seen soaring through the air at high speed.
Loki nodded. "Right. Now, Airmid of Dian Cecht also has Mystery, and she uses it to create artificial limbs—ones that can even channel the mind. Extremely useful for patients who've lost body parts."
She leaned forward. "And... I suspect the cursed weapons used by Evilus members in the past were also made by someone with Mystery."
Lefiya listened intently, her eyes widening as she realized just how versatile the ability could be.
"So... the potential of Mystery depends on the user themselves?" she murmured softly.
Loki grinned. "Exactly. Now it's your turn—what could you create with your Mystery?"
Lefiya nodded slowly, beginning to grasp the implications, but one question lingered in her mind.
She looked at Loki with a confused expression. "But... why is Mystery one of my options? I don't think I've done anything extraordinary like Asfi or Airmid..."
Loki raised an eyebrow, then crossed her arms and sighed. "Hah... have you forgotten? You did make something with that red-haired brat."
"Shirou?" Lefiya murmured reflexively, then her eyes slowly widened as a memory surfaced in her mind.
She recalled the moment she and Shirou had sat together in Twilight Manor's Forge—Shirou spending days tinkering with metal, trying to balance the wheels and rods he'd copied from the bicycles of his world. Meanwhile, with her rudimentary alchemy, Lefiya had helped Shirou make tires for the bike from slime carcasses, something entirely new in this world.
At first, she'd just been helping casually, but somehow, Shirou had ended up giving her the bike. A gift. Without many words. It had deeply touched her at the time.
And now, from that simple act... a potential she hadn't even realized had opened up.
So this is why... Lefiya thought. The sweet feelings I have for Shirou... ended up bringing me closer to him and made me stronger. Thank you, Shirou...
She smiled faintly, lowering her head unconsciously.
Loki, misinterpreting her silence, let out a long sigh. "Haaah... It's tough, huh? Choosing between Spirit Healing and Mystery. Both are awesome. Think it over carefully," she said, adopting a wise tone with dramatic flair.
But before Loki could continue, Lefiya straightened her back and shouted loudly, "Mystery!!! I choose Mystery!!"
Loki immediately covered her ears with both hands. "OY! No need to yell!"
But then she grinned widely, shaking her head slightly before standing up. She placed a hand on Lefiya's head and lightly channeled her blessing.
"Congratulations, Lefiya. You officially have Mystery now."
Lefiya stared at her own hands, as if she could feel something new growing within her—subtle, faint, but full of promise.
I can be even more useful now, she thought, clenching her fists. I can help Shirou with his next project. This time... with more than just bike tires.