Chapter 75 – Terms for Negotiation, and Level Up!
Akira stared at the two Amazon women in front of him, eyes laced with scorn.
One of them was Level 3, the other barely Level 2—at their level, they were no more than easy prey to him.
"Hey, you... the blue-haired one," Akira called out coldly.
"Hm? What do you want?" Aisha replied, her voice wavering slightly.
Her body tensed instinctively. A shiver ran down her spine. She was scared—and rightly so. She knew exactly who she was standing in front of. The fear only ran deeper because of that.
"Tell Ishtar this—if she wants to have a proper conversation with me, she'd better send a more sincere gesture of goodwill."
"And what exactly do you want?" Aisha asked cautiously, her guard fully up now.
"I heard there's a fox-eared girl in your Familia. Her name is... Sanjouno Haruhime, if I'm not mistaken."
"Haruhime…? How do you know about her?" Aisha asked, visibly shaken.
"It's not like I have any hobbies other than admiring beautiful women," Akira replied flatly. "Send her to me, and then we'll talk."
"No way. Lady Ishtar would never agree to something like that," Aisha said firmly.
Not because Ishtar was protective, but because Haruhime was far more than just another member—she was Ishtar's most prized possession. There was no way she'd hand her over to anyone.
Aisha knew this better than most. She held a high position within the Familia and was directly responsible for Haruhime's care.
"This isn't a request," Akira said. "It's a condition. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
He didn't care what Aisha thought. He wasn't negotiating—he was stating terms. Whether they agreed or not was none of his concern.
The reason he demanded Haruhime wasn't driven by lust or desire, but rather by her unique ability. An ability so rare that Ishtar had clung to her for it.
Uchide no Kozuchi—a Skill that temporarily allowed someone to raise another person's Level for fifteen minutes.
An absurdly powerful Skill. Even if it only lasted for a short time, its effects were devastating—enough to rewrite the outcome of any battle.
In Orario, a Level-up meant a dramatic jump in power. Haruhime's ability allowed someone to close—or even erase—that gap for a short while.
For lower-level adventurers, it was already great. But for high-level elites? It was a one-shot killing technique in disguise.
Just imagine—a Level 6 surging to Level 7. A Level 7 becoming Level 8. Even one minute of that kind of power could decide a battle. Fifteen minutes? That was game-changing.
Aisha's expression shifted. Emotions flickered across her face, but in the end, she swallowed it all down.
In Orario, the law was simple: the strong ruled.
And the man in front of her? He wasn't just strong—he carried something terrifying. Power, tactics, and the aura of a true predator. She had no choice but to yield.
"Understood," she muttered, her voice subdued. "I'll deliver your message honestly to Lady Ishtar."
She lowered her head. After all, she wasn't the one in charge. The best course of action was to simply relay everything without adding or removing a word.
"I'll be waiting for good news," Akira said casually.
With that, he turned around and walked away.
Neither Aisha nor Liena dared say a word. They couldn't even bring themselves to look at his back as he left.
And deep inside, they wondered—how could just a little bit of pressure from him cause this much fear? Why did it feel like even breathing became difficult?
Ever since Akira had gained partial mastery over the Shadow Realm, the aura of a true ruler had begun to envelop him.
The authority to command the Shadow Realm and summon an endless legion of Shadowkhan granted him the power to challenge gods and monsters alike. Without even realizing it, the way he saw the world had started to shift.
As the night deepened, Akira returned straight to the top floor of Babel Tower.
The moment he opened the door, a soft creak echoed through the quiet room.
Click—
Inside, Hephaestus sat at the dining table, waiting. A warm meal was laid out before her.
It was a scene that looked like a wife waiting for her husband to come home.
"Ah, you're back," Hephaestus said as she looked up.
"I'm home," Akira replied with a calm smile.
Their words were brief, but the atmosphere was gentle—soothing.
Though neither of them had ever explicitly confirmed any kind of special relationship, the subtle warmth between them spoke volumes.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're ready to level up today, aren't you?" Hephaestus asked softly.
"You've decided?"
"Yeah. My stats are nearly maxed out. Let's do it tonight."
"Alright. After dinner, we'll begin," she said with a nod.
"Sounds good."
Their exchange felt so casual—just another couple talking over dinner. If anyone else had heard them, they'd be stunned. Since when did Leveling Up become something discussed like weekend plans?
A few days ago, due to the incident with Ddraig, Akira had no choice but to confess some of his secrets to Hephaestus.
Although he still kept the existence of the system—and his reincarnation—under wraps.
He had also confessed that back in the world of High School DxD, he had a fiancée, and a few other women who had feelings for him.
As a goddess, Hephaestus had naturally been angry. But her rage didn't last long.
Love was never something you could control. Once feelings had bloomed, they were impossible to suppress.
Especially for someone like Hephaestus, who hadn't experienced love for millennia. Once her heart stirred, there was no stopping it.
After dinner was over and the table cleared, Hephaestus moved to update Akira's Falna.
His stats had nearly maxed out the day before, but his perfectionist tendencies made him wait an extra day to make sure every single value reached its peak.
Now, for the first time in half a month, Hephaestus was about to witness the monster before her ascend yet again.
— — —
[Ding!]
[You have received 10% Template Inheritance Progress!]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have acquired the Skill: Knight Order (Special Division)]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have acquired the Talent: Shadow Body!]
— — —
[Shadow Body]: The user's body merges with the Shadow Realm. As long as the Shadow Realm remains intact, the user's body is immortal.
Akira's eyes widened as he read the description.
A body fused with the Shadow Realm—completely imperishable as long as the realm exists. This wasn't just impressive. It was absurd.
It wasn't an offensive skill, but in terms of survivability, it was one of the strongest abilities possible.
The Shadow Realm was a separate plane, connected yet independent from reality.
And since it was nearly impossible to destroy, it meant Akira had essentially gained eternal life—a body that could never die.
"Akira," Hephaestus said, eyes still scanning the glowing script. "You've gained two new Development Abilities this time."
"Oh? What are they?"
"One is [Strength]. The other is [Defense]. Which will you choose?"
"Is [Mystery] still available?"
"It is."
"In that case, let's go with [Mystery], please."
"Understood."
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