Chapter 2043: Which Stat Should I Spiritualize Next?
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"Enough is enough..." I said angrily. "Scarlet! You too!"
"Agh..." Scarlet clicked her tongue and returned to her sword form. "S-Sorry... Bad habits die hard, as they say."
As both quickly rejoined the rest of my familiars, I turned to Aquarina with an apologetic look.
"I-I’m sorry. Please don’t get mad... I always try to stop them, but... well, they’re just a sword and a shield," I sighed.
"No, it’s fine," Aquarina replied. "I knew they were showing affection, but I still got jealous... I only want you for myself, so you’re only getting my kisses from now on. Also, wash off all that lipstick! I’ll cover you with my own."
"You have lipstick?" I asked, surprised.
"I-I’ve been buying a lot of beauty products lately..." Aquarina admitted, her cheeks flushing. "If you liked it, you should’ve said something!"
"I never really... Well, this got a little awkward, but let me see those lips with the new lipstick," I said with a smile.
She quickly turned away, retrieved something from her Inventory, and applied it while checking herself in a small mirror.
"D-Done! How does it look?" she asked, still blushing.
"Ooohhh?!" I gasped.
It was a world of difference. She looked even more gorgeous than usual.
But when didn’t she look gorgeous?
"Blue lipstick and... big eyelashes," she explained. "My tribe doesn’t really have customs for this, but I got curious... Dad bought them for me. He said they were the highest quality. I want to look... more feminine. I like dressing cutely too."
"Heheh... I know, and you look adorable," I said, pulling her into a hug. "Smooch!" I kissed her lips. The lipstick tasted sweetly addictive, and I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her again and again.
In the end, Aquarina went berserk with her affection, covering me in kiss marks from head to toe...
Yet I couldn’t complain. It felt incredible.
"Maybe I should buy red lipstick and do the same to you—to mark you as mine," I laughed.
"Uoogh?!" she gasped. "I bet you’d look great, but you already wear makeup, don’t you?"
"Me?" I tilted my head. "I do most of the time, but today I’m not wearing any."
"E-Eh?!" she exclaimed. "S-So you’re this cute by default, Sylphy?!"
"Must be an elven thing," I shrugged, my hair swaying and catching the light with a brilliant shine.
"It’s not fair!" she cried, hugging me tightly. "Elves are too beautiful!"
"Hahaha, calm down... You’re beautiful too," I whispered, kissing her neck. "Anyway, we made quite the mess here... but I can tell I gained a lot of EXP. Strength even leveled up!"
As I surveyed the area, Alice appeared beside me.
"Sylphy, you’ve accumulated plenty of EXP now. With Strength reaching Rank D, it has finally acclimated to your System Status, and the connection has spread," she explained.
"Eh?" I asked. "What does that mean?"
"There’s now enough space within your inner circuits for another Living Stat Spirit—if you want one," she said.
"Ah! That’s amazing...! Already?!" I exclaimed, staring at my status window in disbelief. "Wow... what should I choose? There are still so many stats besides Strength. Magic, maybe? It would boost my overall power even more since I fight with a mix of strength and magic... It could double my strength."
"Yeah, it would," Alice agreed. "However, you could also consider Agility, allowing you to move even faster than before. And don’t forget the sub-stats! Once a stat becomes a Living Stat, it gains sub-stats that completely rewrite and enhance it, granting far more powerful effects than before."
"Right..." I nodded, rubbing my chin. "Let me check."
I opened my status screen.
Ignoring the bonus stats—which were only surface-level boosts and not the true internal growth—the numbers were still as low as I remembered. All that compressed power inside me, unable to level up until now... hah.
"202 Strength is my biggest accomplishment so far, and I can already feel the difference, but damn, the number still looks so low," I sighed. "I hope it grows even faster now."
"It should. Each new Rank will allow the Living Stat to grow exponentially faster than before. Don’t worry, Sylphy," Alice reassured me.
"Hmmm, okay then," I nodded. "Defense...? That wouldn’t be bad... Magic seems like the obvious choice, but... Resistance? What could it do once it awakens?"
"Naturally, it would greatly boost your resistance against all types of non-physical damage and more," Alice explained.
"Interesting... Wait, I can even choose HP or MP?" I wondered. "But those would feel really strange... Hm... What would happen if I made my infinite mana grow even further? Would I lose it?"
"No. We’re simply overlaying new templates onto your frozen status," Alice explained. "I’m increasing your stats by adding living systems that sit on top of your own. By turning them into living spirits connected to each stat and your soul, it all integrates. The stronger they grow, the better it works."
"Oh, that’s so fascinating..." I nodded. "So what do you think about Mana then?"
"Hmm, I’d still leave it for last," she said. "But it might produce all sorts of effects—more than you can imagine."
"Huh..." I rubbed my chin. "Every stat gains a bunch of sub-stats, so they expand significantly. That means I gain those sub-stats too, right? Oh! I see! By creating sub-stats for each main stat, I can increase them because they aren’t frozen, and their total feeds back into the main stat, correct?"
"Yes, you’ve figured it out! Well done," Alice nodded, smiling. "I thought you might never guess how it truly worked, but I suppose you’re a very smart girl."
"Of course I am," I replied with a proud nod. "Now... Uhhh... Oh, there’s Luck and Charm? Wait, what would those even do?!"
"Charm could help you handle people better—convince them, manipulate, deceive, or rally them more effectively. It might even make your allies stronger," Alice explained. "As for Luck... I think you should consider that one."
"Eh? Wait, what? Why that one all of a sudden?"
Alice’s face shifted into pure shock as she analyzed the potential of the Luck Stat. Her eyes gleamed with unexpected intensity.
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