Acht laid his back on the wall as he thought about what happened previously. He was not a dense idiot so he was sure that this kiss was not friendly by any means. It was a straight on french kiss with very clear intentions behind them.
But, that fact made him feel conflicted even more. Leislet was a beautiful and smart woman who would be the desire of any sane man. She was also kind and very considerate which was like a sherry on top of the cake. However, Acht didn't know whether to accept her feelings or not.
First of all, he didn't really fall for her or even considered her as a romantic interest from the start. She was just like a partner he had and maybe friends if you stretch that meaning to the maximum.
Second of all, he already had someone he loved and that person was waiting for him back on earth. Hell, all of this stuff he was doing was mainly to find a way to go back to earth. So, he can't just forget about Dia and try to live here. Or, to be more precise, he didn't want to forget Dia. She was his whole world and the person that he held in a very special place in his heart.
'I should properly refuse her or misunderstanding will soon arise and it will be a pain in the ass to deal with them.' He sighed loudly with an exasperated look.
Then, he walked back to the group while keeping his same demeanor. When they saw him, they made him the star of the celebration. He was the best person to contribute to their survival after all.
He also felt Leislet looking at him with a small smile that made him purposefully ignore her. It was not the time to deal with it, yet.
Then, the group finally shifted their focus to the monster. They can't bring it with them since it was way too huge. So, they decided to get out first and then come back with actual workers who can deal with a monster this size.
Many of them heard of it before, a monster that could be the size of a city and that consumes whatever exists inside dungeons. But, they never seen one of them or even heard of their existence in the real world before. So, in a sense, this was also a huge discovery.
The group then finally went back to the gates from where they came from. After the happiness settled in, they remembered the others that died inside that monster and felt dejected. It was a big loss no matter how you look at it.
Nonetheless, the moment they stepped out of the dungeon, the world cheered like never before. They became stars…heroes that saved a whole world from destruction. Especially Leislet who was the leader of the expedition, they hailed her as the savior and the true president of the hunter association.
As for Acht, he didn't want to be involved in any of that so he made Leislet erase his name from anything related to that expedition.
Being a star was not something he liked since he lived most of his life in the shadows, where everything bad and cruel happened. He didn't want anyone's gratitude or respect since they all could change with a small mistake. People will prioritize mistakes over good deeds no matter what. It's in their genes and mindset.
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A few days passed and the world finally calmed down slightly after the whole propaganda of the expedition and everything around it. Leislet was so busy with the aftermath that she was not home for most of the days of the week and came back once or twice a week to rest.
She told the world about the creature they found inside and she researched its origins thoroughly.
Obviously, she hid the existence of that weird man they met inside that chamber since it could make everything they tried to build disappear completely.
It was a secret that they will discuss with other powerhouses and see what they could do about it. But, for now, the world was calm and there were no big threats or problems looming on the horizon.
During this time, Acht was able to pass some time without the high-intensity action that was his everyday thing. He had grown accustomed to that intensity and made sure he could adapt to it as fast as possible or he would die.
It became so bad that he felt uncomfortable if nothing major happened every few days. However, rest was always something that he welcomed happily since risking his life and sustaining injuries every day was not a pleasant thing and he was not a masochistic pervert.
'I should end training soon.' He thought as he absorbed the last energy stone had.
What he discovered during the last few days is that leveling up now became harder…stupidly harder!
It was so hard that it took him 80 D-Grade soul stones to reach level 3 when it only took him 20 to reach level 4. But, that was not the only thing since with each level up, he was also growing way stronger than before. What that means is that each level gave him a huge boost in power that is incomparable to leveling before.
'Everything comes at a cost and power is not a cheap thing to get.' He reminded himself as he stood up.
Then, he heard a knock on the door. He knew that knock very well so he didn't bother to open it since that person will enter anyway.
Then, Leislet barged into the room, bringing along with her a beautiful smell of roses and an allure that was akin to that of a fairy
"Heyyy~" she greeted him jovially and sat down on the sofa as if it was her own room.
"You seem to be energetic today," Acht commented as he made his own food.
"Well, you can say I have a small surprise for you."
"Hmm." He signaled for her to continue so she did.
"We will go on a date!"
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