I was completely exhausted.
For the last 16 hours, I did nothing but practice Atomic Stabilization, and by now, I was sure I had gotten the hang of it.
Controlling only one atom was harder than controlling many, since all I needed to do was mirror every atom in sight.
It was a bit easier said than done, but eh... Playing around for a little while made me improve significantly.
•—Amon Everness—•
Level 325 → 331 [Mid-Grade 32 → Low-Grade 33]
▷Stats
[Strength 310]
[Stamina 315 → 317]
[Speed 323]
[Perception 319 → 343]
[Vitality 360]
▷Inherent Gift
★Telekinesis [Advanced → Expert] (Lv.5)
★Lightning Manipulation [Advanced → Expert] (Lv.7 → Lv.9)
▷Special Abilities
★Blood-Sight (Lv.70 → Lv.72)
★Demonic Energy Resistance (Lv.53)
★Lightning Resistance (Lv.89)
▷General Abilities
☆Sprint (Lv.70)
☆Pain Tolerance (Lv.80)
☆First Aid (Lv.90)
☆Mental Resistance (Lv. MAX)
▷Core Traits
◆The Demon King of Wrath's Blood [Beginner] (Lv.11 → Lv.13)
◆Dragon Heart [Intermediate] (Lv.19 → Lv.21)
•——•
I reached Expert rank in Telekinesis, and I was sure that by the time I mastered Atomic Telekinesis, I would reach the Master rank.
As for Lightning Manipulation... I still needed to find a technique.
But I was satisfied with my progress, and now it was about time I went ahead and got a gift for Clementine.
Her birthday was tomorrow, after all.
As I turned around to leave, a familiar voice rang out inside my mind.
[Why?]
[Why did you not visit?]
[I was all alone for a week.]
"Is that so..."
Uhh...
"I'll be gone again for a while. So could you stop bringing people down here and killing them?"
For a moment, there was only silence.
[...]
[Do you know why I was sealed?]
I was more confused about why it was talking to me in the first place.
But I guess... I did have a bit of time.
"Why?"
[Because I was deemed hideous by the standards of humans.]
[I was once referred to as a divine beast...]
[Now look at me.]
To my genuine surprise, every one of its eyes suddenly opened.
And there were many more than I thought.
The eyes of humans and demons, animals and the like...
It was a sight straight out of a horror movie.
But soon enough, the majority of its eyes closed.
[Why show prejudice when you yourself are a part of an imperfect race?]
[Imperfections are what make us whole...]
[Is it not?]
"..."
I snapped out of my earlier stupor and glanced at it.
Honestly, as much as I'd like to call whatever it said false, it really wasn't.
We judge everyone based on appearances.
So if what this Eldritch monster was saying was the truth... I wouldn't be surprised if it really was chained down here because of its hideous appearance.
"I can't deny that. But I'm still not planning to free you, if that was what you were aiming for."
[I was not.]
[I only wanted your ear for a moment.]
[You may leave now.]
I could tell it was sad.
But regardless of what it told me, I calmly began flying upward.
Eventually, the colossal figure of the Eldritch monster faded away as the pit once again appeared bottomless.
I silently made my way back up to the city.
When I came up, I noticed that the sun was already halfway up in the sky.
However, just as I was about to close the manhole cover, I froze.
[It would be beneficial for you to refine the demonic blood that is inside of you.]
[I could help you.]
"..."
I was thousands of meters away from it, and yet the Eldritch monster could still speak to me.
Though... was it talking about the Demon King of Wrath's Blood?
Refine it, huh?
"Thanks for the tip. I'll figure it out myself."
With that, I finally closed the manhole cover and walked away.
I still felt like it could reach me, but since it remained silent, I didn't call out to it either.
And so, I directly made my way to the jewelry shop.
When I arrived, I was genuinely surprised that it looked similar to how it did in the modern era.
It almost made me forget that I was in a world that was still in the steampunk era.
I put aside my wandering thoughts and stepped into the jewelry store, then went straight to the front desk.
The receptionist was kind, and so after taking a bit of time, she took out several black diamond necklaces.
They were all so beautiful, but the one with the biggest black diamond caught my attention.
It was perfect.
Almost like I was staring directly into Clementine's eyes.
So I didn't hesitate to buy it.
The exchange was quick and easy, and as I neared the door with Clementine's birthday gift, I suddenly saw something in the corner of my vision.
A beautiful golden ring.
"..."
I know I shouldn't.
It's definitely too early.
But it wouldn't hurt to be prepared... right?
"Does this come in a pair?"
The receptionist smiled.
"All our rings do."
Hah.
"In that case..."
***
As I stared at our wooden hut, I couldn't help but feel lightly uneasy.
I did buy the rings...
But it's not like I was planning to propose to her today.
Still, I made sure to keep the necklace and the rings close by in my dimensional ring as I eventually gathered the courage to go inside.
Strangely enough, Clementine wasn't in the living room.
Instead, she was holed up in the bedroom.
It also seemed like she hadn't realized I was back.
I placed my hand on the doorknob and turned it slightly, prepared to surprise her.
Just then, a strange sound rang out from inside.
"Aaah~!"
I froze for a moment and lifted my hand off the doorknob.
The doorknob recoiled back into place, causing a loud clack to resound.
And just like that, both of us went quiet.
Me, in front of the door.
And Clementine, inside the room.
My heart beat even quicker since I knew I hadn't misheard.
That was a moan.
Was she...?
Before I could picture something nice, the door opened slightly, and I saw Clementine peeking through with one eye.
Not only that, but I could also see her hip slightly.
And she wasn't wearing any panties.
This girl...
Just how much does she think I can take?
"Y-You're back a little early."
"Were you that distracted?"
Her cheeks immediately flushed red as she shut the door in my face.
I heard thuds and rumbling coming from inside the room.
It reminded me of when I first got here.
Before long, the door opened and Clementine's earlier embarrassment was nowhere to be seen.
She had also put on a shirt and a short skirt.
Yet as I glanced at her neck and thin fingers, I spotted a few beads of sweat.
How could I hold back?
I pulled her in close and kissed her.
She was slightly surprised.
...And she was also very sweaty.
Our tongues intertwined.
And when we parted for a moment, I leaned in, licking the sweat off her neck, then trailed up as I licked the tip of her ear.
"Aah..."
Another soft moan escaped her lips.
And then, when I stuck my tongue inside her mouth, her body suddenly twitched as her eyes rolled back slightly.
Her knees buckled, and I caught her just in time.
I glanced at her legs and saw glistening liquid slide down her thigh and land like a droplet onto the ground.
Clementine snapped out of it in an instant as her whole face flushed red.
But right as I was about to comfort her, she abruptly rose to her feet, wobbled over to the bathroom, and slammed the door shut.
"..."
I... I didn't know whether to feel guilty or happy.
Guilty, for making her so embarrassed.
Or happy, because I made her cum just by kissing her.
Regardless of how I felt, I knew tonight was going to be very, very awkward.
Still...
I picked up a towel and cleaned her liquids off the ground.
I also changed the bed sheets, since in her rush, she forgot to clean her mess up.
When I was done, I lay down on the bed.
I hadn't slept in close to two days, so I was totally exhausted.
As I drifted off to sleep, I spotted a book cover stuffed inside Clementine's pillow.
And when I curiously reached my hand inside, I pulled out an erotic manga, flipped open a few pages, and eventually put it away.
"..."
"Hahaha..."
I'm glad I bought the rings today.
With that thought, I finally fell asleep.