"Miss, how were you able to tell that I'm at Radiant level 3?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Hehehe, you must be surprised," she said with a cheerful smile. "In that case, I'll show you my true power." The woman folded her arms beneath her chest.
The movement caused the slightly low neckline of her blouse to open a bit more, clearly revealing the curve of her chest. The blouse was made of smooth, dark-colored fabric that fit her body closely, emphasizing her silhouette. The folds and stitching gave off an elegant yet faintly alluring impression.
"That's… pretty impressive," I muttered, unconsciously letting my gaze linger.
"Right? A few days ago, I advanced to Radiant level 4. That's why I can see your strength," she said proudly.
Hearing that, something came to mind. There were rare cases where someone's body became crippled, yet their soul experienced heightened perception and mental resilience due to excessive consumption of Aetherium Potions. Maybe my current condition was the opposite of that.
"So, is there a reason you want to buy a level 1 Aetherium Potion? You look really young. You're not buying it for your child, are you?" she laughed teasingly.
I just smiled in response. Honestly, I didn't have a proper answer for her anyway.
She suddenly froze, frowning in confusion. "Wait, aren't you under twenty, just like me? When did you even have a kid?"
"Ow—!"
She cried out in pain.
From the side, another woman appeared and pinched her stomach. With a single sharp glance, the teasing woman immediately retreated to the back.
"We apologize. She's a new employee here," the woman said.
She was wearing the same kind of blouse as the previous receptionist—smooth fabric, form-fitting, with a low neckline accentuating her chest. The difference was that her figure was fuller, and her brown hair fell neatly over her shoulders. As she spoke, she half-closed her eyes with a gentle smile and slightly tilted her head, giving off a warm, soothing aura that reminded me of a motherly presence, making anyone feel at ease and subtly captivated.
"It's fine. I actually thought her attitude was kind of cute," I replied politely.
She let out a light sigh. "It must be tough being a parent at your age. I once took care of my seven-year-old niece, and she caused nothing but chaos."
"I think there's been a misunderstanding. I'm actually buying the potion for my nephew. He's really eager to start training and reach Radiant 1. Since he's old enough, I decided to buy this as a gift," I said, trying to clear things up.
"Oh, I see. Sorry for misunderstanding earlier," she said apologetically.
Not long after, the previous woman returned, carrying five level 1 Aetherium Potions and placing them on the counter.
"Our shop provides high-quality potions, so just these five bottles are enough to help someone reach Radiant 1. On top of that, they're much easier to absorb," she explained in a professional tone."The total price is 2,500 Orialis. Since you're buying a full set, we're giving you a 10% discount, bringing it down to 2,250 Orialis."
I gave a brief nod and handed over my card.
She lifted a thin metal device with a faintly glowing crystal surface—a specialized payment tool. With a smooth motion, she swiped my card and pushed the device toward me.
I calmly entered my passcode. The crystal flickered briefly before dimming, signaling that the transaction was complete.
"Thank you for shopping with us. We hope to see you again," she said with a polite smile.
I took the bag of potions and left the apothecary.
This time, I didn't head to a hospital or a place to check my condition. Instead, I went to the combat equipment district and entered a sword shop. The strongest aspect I currently had was this body—still at least at Radiant level 3.Even though I couldn't use any sword techniques, I felt confident just swinging one. At the very least… I had knowledge from the comics and novels I'd read.
Besides the sword, I also bought an affinity crystal and several books covering general knowledge about this world, including how to enter Radiant 1 and the stages beyond it. Relying on vague memories felt too risky—it was better to be cautious than regretful.
After finishing everything, I returned to the hotel and entered my room.
I closed the door, placed my things on the table, and sat on the edge of the bed, opening the books I had just bought. After reading for a long while and making sure I hadn't missed anything important…
I finally took out one of the potion bottles. Without hesitation, I opened it and drank it.
I could feel a change within my soul. It felt as if my soul itself was expanding, while my senses grew sharper. All the power from the potion was absorbed directly by my soul, making the process far more efficient without having to share it with my body.
In an instant, I realized the potion had been completely digested. I opened my eyes in shock.
"Just a few minutes… how did I fully absorb an entire potion already?" I muttered. "Could it be because I died once before, making my soul stronger than most?"
To be sure, I immediately drank another potion. Just like before, I felt my soul growing stronger and my senses sharpening. But this time, something different happened.
In the darkness, I saw a light begin to appear—growing brighter, like a star. In that short moment, I could clearly feel a change in my soul.
"Radiant 1…" I murmured in happiness. At this pace, I was confident I could reach Radiant 3 quickly.
At first, I had considered leaving the academy and starting a business instead. After all, if I returned to the academy in my previous condition, I couldn't imagine what kind of trouble might follow.
But with my current state, I wasn't going to miss the chance to study there. There was a reason all the talented people gathered at the academy—it had produced countless famous figures who fought monsters and stopped breakouts that could have wiped out humanity.
With that resolve, I picked up the affinity crystal I had bought earlier. Following the instructions in the book, I began channeling my magic into it. Somehow, I was able to control the flow smoothly—maybe this body had already been used to doing it before.
I couldn't wait to find out what affinity I had. Basically, everyone in this world possessed an affinity—ranging from low-tier natural elements like fire, water, and earth, to higher-tier ones like lightning and ice, and even unique elements like light, darkness, gravity, and many more.
Most people only had one affinity, though it wasn't rare for some to have multiple. As someone who had crossed dimensions, I naturally hoped for something extraordinary.
But after waiting for a while, the crystal showed no sign of glowing at all. I frowned.
Using my magic, I lightly waved my hand. The pillow on the bed immediately lifted into the air before dropping back onto the floor.
"Wind element…" I muttered, slightly disappointed.
Lucian had a wind affinity. And even though there was nothing wrong with it, knowing my affinity was exactly the same as his made it hard to hide the small sense of disappointment in my chest.
Even though it wasn't a bad element—in fact, it was quite good and wouldn't raise any suspicion—I still felt like I had pulled a common card in a gacha game.