In the morning, Tatsuya woke up, stirred by a warm sensation pressing against his upper body.
What he saw next left him momentarily stunned. That warmth was coming from Miyuki; she was fast asleep, draped right over him. Her breathing was steady and her expression so radiant that Tatsuya found it difficult to bring himself to wake her.
"Honestly... she's an adult now, yet she still acts like a little girl." Tatsuya gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, smoothing it out as he took in her flawless features.
Gulp.
"Even though I'm used to seeing her, I can't help but be captivated by her beauty."
His gaze drifted downward, settling on Miyuki's petite, rosy lips that shimmered like fine jewels. Even without a touch of lipstick, the natural gloss of her lips was utterly enchanting.
"Hngh..." Miyuki's eyes slowly fluttered open. She froze the moment she realized just how close her face was to Tatsuya's. "Onii-sama?"
"Good morning, Miyuki," Tatsuya greeted her with a warm, calm smile.
"...Morning." Miyuki scrambled off him immediately. Her face turned a deep shade of crimson, and her heart began to race so violently that Tatsuya could actually hear the pounding in her chest. "Onii-sama... Miyuki is so sorry!"
Tatsuya let out a light chuckle, reaching out to pat her head affectionately.
"Don't worry about it. It wasn't exactly a bad experience, getting to feel the warmth of your body."
Miyuki gasped, her face flushing even darker as she cried out, "Onii-sama, you pervert!"
Her voice was panicked, but she couldn't quite hide the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Tatsuya smirked, leaning forward to whisper directly into her ear.
"If I'm a pervert, then what does that make you? Weren't you the one who took the initiative to sleep here while wearing those nearly see-through pajamas?"
"That's..." Miyuki stammered, completely at a loss for words.
Tatsuya's smile turned mischievous as he continued to whisper. "Next time you want to sleep together, pick a more modest pair of pajamas. I'm not sure I'll be able to restrain myself a second time."
"..." Miyuki went silent, her head spinning from sheer embarrassment.
Tatsuya sighed and finally climbed out of bed to wash his face. Once the cold water hit his skin, his lingering arousal was finally brought back under control.
When he returned to the room, Miyuki was gone, but he could sense her presence—she was leaning against the other side of the door, trying to steady her racing heart. It took several more minutes before she finally composed herself enough to retreat to her own room.
...
With the chaotic morning behind him, Tatsuya flashed a bitter smile and tried to distract himself by checking his group chat.
[Check-in successful! You have earned 999 points!]
"Not bad. That brings me up to 15,000 points. I wonder if there's anything worth buying with this?"
Tatsuya opened the Marketplace and went quiet. The prices were staggering—items were listed for billions, even trillions of points. Compared to the featured items on the main interface, his 15,000 points felt like pocket change.
"Wait a second. The interface is probably only showcasing top-tier items. If I adjust the filters, I should find something within my budget."
He began tinkering with the settings to display items priced under 20,000 points. The search returned millions of results.
"This is too much. I need to be more specific."
Tatsuya pondered for a moment before refining the Marketplace search again.
[D-Rank Lightning Magic – 10,000 points]
[D-Rank Fire Magic – 7,500 points]
[D-Rank Wind Magic – 7,500 points]
[...]
"Oh! Now these prices make sense. But what does 'D-Rank' actually imply?" Curiously, Tatsuya tapped the rank descriptions.
D-Rank: Skills specifically designed for active combat. Skills at this level can affect small groups or a designated area, provided the user possesses sufficient mana to cast them.
For Tatsuya, mana was never the issue. This skill would be genuinely useful.
"With my current points, I can only afford one. I wonder which is the best choice?"
After a moment of deliberation, he made his move. Among the various D-Rank options, Lightning Magic was the most tactical choice due to its high destructive power and its ability to paralyze opponents depending on the user's intent.
[Are you sure you wish to purchase 'D-Rank Lightning Magic' for 10,000 points?]
"Do it."
[Purchase successful! D-Rank Lightning Magic has been added to your skill list.]
Tatsuya immediately opened his status window, a satisfied smile playing on his lips as he looked at his new acquisition.
...
Status Window
Name: Tatsuya Yotsuba
Points: 5,000
Title: Prince of the Yotsuba Family
Magic:
- Super Decomposition (Ex)
- Super Regrowth (Ex)
- Super Elemental Sight (Ex)
- Lightning Magic (D) [New!]
Trait: Infinite Mana
...
Tatsuya's attention was drawn to his three innate skills. Now that he had the System, their true rankings were finally visible.
"Ex-Rank? What kind of level is that?"
Driven by curiosity, he pulled up the level classification guide once more.
Ex-Rank — Authority Level
Skills at this level are no longer mere powers; they represent authority over the laws of the world. The user can manipulate fundamental concepts of reality—such as time, death, causality, or existence itself.
Example: Erasing the concept of death, rewriting history, or manipulating the laws of reality.
"I'm not dreaming, am I? All three of my innate skills are Ex-Rank?" Tatsuya stared in disbelief, blinking repeatedly to ensure he wasn't hallucinating. "It's true. No wonder it felt strange... these abilities are far more powerful and absolute than they were in the original story."
Skill ranks were divided into eleven tiers, with F being the lowest and Ex+ being the peak. Ex-Rank sat just one step below the absolute top.
While Ex-Rank functioned within the confines of a single world, Ex+ was capable of affecting other dimensions—a truly multiversal level of power.
To be continued...