Chapter 131: 131:Improved.
Silver felt his consciousness pulled inward. It wasn’t painful: instead, it felt as though the world around him had suddenly become... larger.
The room disappeared, the walls vanished, and even the floor beneath him seemed to dissolve.
He floated within an endless silver expanse filled with countless tiny lights. Each one shimmered like a distant star before stretching into thin lines that connected to one another in every direction.
Living space.
For the first time since awakening his Space Beast Tattoo, he wasn’t simply manipulating it; he was perceiving it.
The countless invisible folds surrounding the world revealed themselves one after another. Distances that should have seemed fixed now felt flexible. Every point in space possessed countless paths connecting it to every other point.
The realization struck him naturally.
’This... is how teleportation actually works’
He had never truly understood it before. Previously, Short-Step simply felt like activating a skill. Now, he could actually sense the fold he was creating before his body moved through it.
Outside the mental landscape, faint silver-whitish ripples spread around Silver’s body. The air distorted for only a brief moment before returning to normal.
Ravenna experienced something entirely different. An endless sea of flames stretched before her. Unlike ordinary fire, these flames didn’t burn recklessly; they felt alive. Every flame moved in perfect harmony with the next, as though each possessed its own rhythm.
She instinctively extended a hand. The nearest flame gently landed upon her palm. It didn’t scorch her skin; instead, it became pleasantly warm.
The warmth slowly travelled up her arm before merging into the Fire Beast Tattoo resting above her chest.
Ravenna unconsciously smiled.
’So this... is fire.’
It was simply a form of energy that was waiting to be guided. The realization caused the flames surrounding her to settle even further.
Outside, tiny wisps of crimson fire appeared around her body before quietly disappearing into her skin.
The Soul Harmonization Crystal pulsed once, then again. Every pulse synchronized perfectly with their breathing. Their elemental affinities stabilized at an astonishing pace.
Silver could practically feel the crystal preventing any violent backlash that normally accompanied elemental absorption.
No wonder these artifacts were so expensive. Without it, he doubted either of them would have absorbed the cores this smoothly.
Several minutes passed. Silver’s body suddenly trembled. The first Space Core was completely dissolved. Immediately, a familiar blue screen appeared before him.
[Tier Two Space Core Successfully Absorbed.]
{Space Affinity Increased.
Soul Synchronization Increased.}
He barely finished reading before the second Space Core naturally began releasing its energy. Silver didn’t hesitate. He guided it through the same pathways.
This time, the spatial fluctuations surrounding him became noticeably stronger. The distortion around his body briefly caused the nearby curtains to flutter despite the windows remaining closed.
A moment later...
[Short-Step Lv1]
{Proficiency Requirement Satisfied.}
Silver’s heartbeat quickened. The notification flickered again.
[Short-Step]
{Level Increased.
Lv2 Achieved.}
New information immediately flowed into his mind. Unlike before, when he simply blinked forward a fixed distance, the improved skill allowed him to adjust his destination much more precisely.
The energy consumption had also become smoother. Most importantly, he instinctively understood that carrying another person had become far easier.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
’So that’s why...’
He finally understood how he had unconsciously teleported with Ravenna during the chaos in Detroin. His skill had already been approaching its breakthrough. The desperate situation had simply forced him to cross that final threshold.
More notifications appeared.
[Spatial Sense Lv2]
Proficiency Increased.
[Current Progress: 38%]
Silver nodded inwardly. It hadn’t levelled up yet, but compared to before, everything felt clearer. Even with his eyes closed, he could now vaguely perceive almost half of the hotel.
The silver threads of space extended beyond the room. The increase wasn’t dramatic, but it was unmistakable.
Another notification appeared.
[Primal Strength Lv1]
Proficiency Increased.
---
[Iron Bones Lv1]
Proficiency Increased.
---
Silver flexed his fingers slightly. The increase wasn’t explosive; instead, it felt solid and stable. His body had become better at using the strength he already possessed.
One final notification appeared.
[Space Slash Lv1]
No Change.
Reason: Insufficient Practical Usage.
Silver chuckled quietly.
’I expected that.’
Simply possessing space affinity wasn’t enough. Space Slash was a combat technique. Without repeatedly using it in real battles, it wouldn’t improve. He had been relying too much on his sword, so it was unconsciously put in the back of his mind.
Across from him, Ravenna slowly opened her eyes. Gentle flames flickered briefly within her irises before fading away. She looked down at her hands.
Almost experimentally, she summoned a tiny flame. The difference was immediate; the flame remained perfectly stable, its temperature remained constant, and even its shape barely changed.
Silver noticed immediately.
"...Your control improved."
Ravenna nodded.
"I don’t have to force it anymore. It feels..." She searched for the right word. "...natural."
Silver smiled.
"The Fire Cores worked."
She extinguished the flame before taking a deep breath.
"And you?"
Silver stood slowly. Every movement felt lighter than before. He unconsciously activated Short-Step. For the briefest instant, his figure blurred. He reappeared nearly four meters away without making a sound.
Ravenna’s eyes widened.
"...That looked smoother."
"It is."
Silver couldn’t hide his satisfaction.
"I barely felt the transition."
He looked around the room before quietly testing his Spatial Sense once more. Even without turning his head, he could roughly identify where every piece of furniture stood. His perception had become noticeably sharper.
He nodded to himself.
"Tomorrow."
Ravenna tilted her head.
"Tomorrow?"
"I’m going to rent one of the Association training rooms."
She looked curious.
"To practice?"
Silver nodded.
"I’ve neglected Space Slash. It hasn’t improved because I rarely use it. Now that Short-Step has reached Level Two..." He smiled. "It’s time to start mastering my strongest attack."
Ravenna stood as well, stretching her arms overhead.
"And after training?"
Silver laughed.
"After training... I think we’ve earned a date."
A faint blush coloured Ravenna’s cheeks. She looked away toward the evening sky beyond the hotel window, where the last rays of sunlight painted Delta Four in shades of orange and gold.
"...Then don’t make me wait too long."
Silver smiled.
"I won’t."
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