Valessia looked at Bruno with slight surprise before pinching his waist and beginning to scold him.
— You really need to stop acting like that, speaking without thinking.
Bruno raised an eyebrow, noticing a faint, almost imperceptible blush on her face. The urge to tease her surged inside him once again, but he decided to wait for the right moment. He kept eating Valessia's treats cheerfully until she asked a question:
— Do you want to learn how to control your energy field gift?
He thought for a few seconds before answering with a joke:
— Only if I can get a picture with you too — he said, chuckling lightly.
To his surprise, Valessia seemed serious, her eyes glowing:
— Of course.
She pulled him along, taking him to the training grounds where they had already been before. As soon as they arrived, she began to explain enthusiastically:
— Listen carefully, Bruno. A gift is something completely innate, and no two are ever exactly the same — at most, similar. We vampires divide gifts into twelve levels: six for the transformed and six for those born vampires.
— For the transformed, the levels are: ordinary, low, medium, mid-high, high, and supreme.
— For the born vampires: medium, high level, supreme, sovereign, legendary, and ancient.
— Yours lies between medium and mid-high, which is considered rare among the transformed and quite useful in battle. Of course, gifts can be enhanced — yours could reach up to the supreme level, since every gift can evolve up to two levels higher.
Once she finished her explanation, Bruno asked:
— Then, is it possible for a transformed vampire with a high-level gift to reach sovereign?
Valessia stared at him for a few seconds before answering:
— No. That's an extremely strong and strange barrier. Only a transformed vampire with an innate supreme gift can break it and reach the sovereign level. Whether one could go on to legendary, I really don't know. But don't worry too much — gifts are not always tied to combat. There are sensory, spiritual, and many other kinds of gifts.
She paused, then added:
— Besides, levels don't mean that a supreme will always lose to a sovereign. The level indicates the maximum limit, not guaranteed victory. A well-trained supreme can defeat even a legendary.
After giving Bruno some time to reflect, he asked:
— Then what level would my hearing gift be?
— Ordinary.
— If I raised it to medium, would it be useful in combat?
— Perhaps. Extremely limited, but possible — she replied after thinking for a moment.
Valessia then resumed:
— Let's move on to your light energy field gift. Try activating it.
Bruno looked confused.
— How can I activate something I didn't even know existed? — he asked honestly.
Valessia gave a slight smile:
— It's not that hard to use a gift, Bruno. It's much simpler to use it than it is to discover it. Just focus, and it will appear.
Her words brought him a strange sense of confidence. Bruno closed his eyes and concentrated. He tried to imagine his energy field. Slowly, a faint blue aura began forming around him. It reached about three meters in height and diameter, crackling softly without sparks or secondary effects.
Bruno opened his eyes, ecstatic. Connected to the field, he could feel everything around him, and his control over his powers felt steadier. There was also a slight layer of added protection.
In the distance, Valessia raised her thumb, excited and full of expectations.
— As I said, it's a useful gift at your level. Of course, you'll need a lot of training, but if you raise it to a high level, it will have wonderful effects.
Bruno kept testing his new gift, thrilled. He imagined what it would be like if he could extend its reach, combining it with Nox or even a future mastery of fire. The field could become a space where every advantage leaned in his favor. On top of that, no one would be able to leave it without breaking through — perfect for close combat and for amplifying his control over nature.
He had no more complaints.
— Ahem, ahem.
He heard Valessia cough twice.
— Since you enjoyed it and trained… it's time for the picture, remember? — she said with a smile, eager to expand her collection.
Bruno had been waiting for that too and agreed without hesitation. He dismissed the energy field and approached her, while she held a strange magical camera.
— You like photos, don't you? — he asked with a grin.
— Of course! I love capturing pleasant moments. Every picture with youngsters like you, Selena, Flávia, Nerys, and Viena fills my heart with joy. — Valessia replied with tenderness, almost like a doting mother.
Bruno laughed. She really did have a sweet side.
Valessia used telekinesis to set the camera floating in the air.
— Smile and wait a few seconds — she said, striking an elegant pose, both hands in front of her like a painting model.
The camera glowed and clack! took the picture. Valessia stepped closer, curious to see the result… but immediately blushed.
In the image, Bruno was lifting her in an embrace and giving her a cheerful kiss on the cheek, as if he had just achieved something important.
In a soft, timid, yet happy voice, Valessia murmured:
— You little bully…