Chapter 16: level up
I woke up to the cold sensation of the floor against my face.
The pink-colored world had disappeared.
Distant screams echoed through the air, while the announcer narrated the battle taking place in the arena.
Above me was the brightly lit ceiling of the room.
I raised a hand to my forehead and rubbed it slowly.
My head throbbed.
My last memories returned in scattered, confused fragments.
A spell, voices, the smell of drinks and sex...
I turned my face to the side.
They were still there, talking around the table.
But the moment they realized I was awake, the conversation came to an abrupt stop.
Four pairs of eyes turned toward me.
Bleia, her dark-blue hair shimmering like the deep ocean, tilted her head slightly.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
— Hey, Boy— she said, her tone almost amused. — Are you still in one piece?
Her voice carried genuine concern, as though she were feeling something warm deep inside.
Before I could respond, Misty raised her hand abruptly, my semen still dripping between her legs.
— What? — she protested. — He was joking around with me earlier.
— Don’t try to steal him away now.
Bleia narrowed her eyes.
— I only asked a question.
— You always turn everything into a competition.
— Because you’re always provoking people, — Misty replied, crossing her arms.
The argument began to grow louder.
The two of them glared at each other like waves on the verge of crashing together.
I was still sitting on the ground, unable to believe everything that had just happened.
Quickly, I looked around and checked my belongings. Luckily, nothing had been stolen.
I couldn’t deny that my experience with Misty had been absolutely absurd.
I never thought I would pass out because I couldn’t stand the intoxicating pleasure that flooded my head when I had my orgasm.
Misty, even though she was pounded hard, still didn’t cum on my cock.
I think I underestimated an old lady’s pussy.
Watching the two mature women who were on the verge of fighting because of me, Selene let out a sigh.
She brought two fingers to her forehead, as if the situation were physically exhausting her.
The green-haired woman beside her slowly shook her head.
— Unbelievable... — she murmured.
Selene gave an almost imperceptible nod in agreement.
— All because of a boy who knows how to have sex?
—Are you two idiots? How old are you, twenty? You’re older — stop acting like teenagers — added the green-haired one, looking at Bleia and Misty.
— It’s been many decades since you behaved like this.
I looked at my cock, which was once throbbing and firm, but now soft and shy.
It was impossible to continue, moreover, the spell had disappeared. I could now think and control my own body.
I got up and got dressed and walked away immediately.
— Excuse me!
I didn’t wait for a response.
I turned around and practically ran out of the private room.
Behind me, laughter erupted.
— Hahaha!
— Look at him running away!
— How adorable!
— I think you laid it on a little too thick, Misty!
I didn’t even dare look back.
I just kept walking as fast as I could.
My heart was still pounding.
I only slowed down once I was well away from the private rooms.
I took several deep breaths.
Then I ran a hand over my face.
Damn...
That could have ended much worse.
— Biochip.
— I want a complete report on what happened to me.
[Beep!]
[Analyzing internal records...]
...
...
[Report complete.]
As I hurried through the corridors of the Arena of Death, information began appearing before my eyes.
[Mental Incident Report]
[Temporary interference detected in brain activity.]
[Recorded effects: Partial suppression of critical thinking.]
[Artificial increase in emotional affinity toward the target.]
[Estimated duration: 25 minutes.]
I need to become stronger. Otherwise, any higher-level acolyte will be able to toy with me... or even rob me blind.
.
.
.
.
One month later.
.
.
.
.
Now...
There was only one month left until the grand mentor selection.
The entire tower was more restless than ever.
Many had already engraved nearly all of the codes onto their own bodies.
The most talented...
Had finished all of the basic codes long ago and had finally reached the rank of Level 1 Acolyte.
And just as planned, my turn had finally come.
I slowly closed my eyes.
I took a deep breath.
Following the Elemental Technique perfected by the Biochip, my consciousness slowly descended into my own body.
The darkness faded.
In its place...
My inner world unfolded before me.
Luminous veins carried streams of blood.
My organs worked in quiet harmony.
At the center of that space, my brain pulsed steadily.
That was the place.
According to the adapted technique...
The first code had to be engraved into the brain.
Without opening my eyes, I issued a mental command.
— Biochip.
— Display the complete code.
— Project it virtually onto the designated locations.
[Beep!]
[Executing...]
The brain before me lit up.
Blue lines began spreading across its surface.
A moment later...
Symbols appeared.
Ten magical letters.
Ten magical numbers.
All interconnected by incredibly thin lines of light.
Together, they formed an extraordinarily complex circuit.
Every stroke followed a precise order.
Every curve carried a specific meaning.
A single mistake...
And the entire code would become meaningless.
I took a slow breath.
Then focused my mental energy.
It condensed into the shape of a thin needle of light.
I drew the first stroke.
The instant the needle’s tip touched my brain...
A sharp pain shot through my head.
— Hnng...
My face tightened.
It felt as though an impossibly hot blade were slowly carving into my brain.
But it was still bearable.
I continued.
Second stroke.
Third.
Fourth.
With each completed letter, the throbbing inside my head intensified.
Sweat began trickling down my forehead.
Even so...
I didn’t stop.
The letters were finished.
Now came the numbers.
Each one had to connect perfectly with the preceding letters.
Otherwise...
The entire magical circuit would be rendered useless.
The pain continued to grow.
Even so...
I kept writing.
My inner vision was beginning to waver.
The glowing lines trembled before my eyes.
But only the final symbol remained.
I steadied my mental energy.
Then slowly drew the last number.
The moment the final line was completed...
The entire circuit blazed with brilliant light.
A wave of heat surged through my brain.
I opened my eyes immediately.
My breathing was heavy.
Instinctively, I raised a hand to my face.
Something warm was running from my nose.
I wiped it with a finger.
Then looked.
Blood.
A small crimson drop slid down my fingertip.
I frowned.
— Biochip...
— Why am I bleeding?
[Beep!]
[Answer: Mental overload.]
[Explanation: Level 0 Acolytes normally engrave only one magical code per session.]
[Afterward, they rest for one to five days before continuing. This variation depends on each individual’s talent.]
[Your brain was subjected to the complete engraving of all basic codes in a single session.]
[Minor damage to the blood vessels is consistent with the strain endured.]
[Recommendation: Rest.]
I wiped the blood from my nose.
Then I started chuckling softly.
Hehehehe~~
The other acolytes needed days.
I had completed the entire process in a single session.
I slowly shook my head.
Without the Biochip...
It would have been virtually impossible.
Not only to comprehend the entire structure of the codes...
But also to engrave them with absolute precision, without making a single mistake, in such a short amount of time.
In terms of raw magical talent...
There were undoubtedly five-star geniuses far superior to me.
But...
With a Biochip capable of analyzing, correcting, optimizing, and eliminating virtually every possibility of error...
I had just surpassed all of them in efficiency. If anyone learned about this, I would certainly be in trouble. I feared that even full-fledged mages would kill each other to uncover my secret and monopolize it.
I took several deep breaths until the throbbing in my head subsided.
The bleeding had already slowed.
I slowly got to my feet, still feeling a little dizzy.
But the moment I was fully standing...
I realized something was different.
Very different.
I frowned.
Before...
There had always been a faint sensation surrounding me.
It was so weak that I had almost never paid attention to it.
Now...
It had changed completely.
It was as if an incredibly thin mist surrounded my entire body.
Almost invisible.
Had I not been paying close attention, I would never have noticed it.
I slowly extended my hand.
My fingers passed through the mist.
It dispersed for an instant.
But the moment it touched my skin, I felt a pleasant coolness.
It was impossible to describe exactly.
It felt like a blend of human warmth and the gentle breeze of an early morning.
I moved my hand.
The mist scattered.
Then slowly gathered again.
As if it were alive.
Without wasting any time, I issued another mental command.
— Biochip.
— Analyze this.
— Generate a complete report.
[Beep!]
[Initiating environmental scan...]
...
...
[Analyzing suspended particles...]
...
...
...
...
[Report complete.]
[Energy Analysis Report]
[Analyzed Object: Energy particles suspended in the atmosphere.]
[Result: The detected particles exhibit high compatibility with the magical codes recently engraved into the host’s brain.]
[Observed Function: The particles partially resonate with the cerebral magical circuit. This resonance creates a weak natural attraction between the host and the surrounding environment.]
[Hypothesis: These particles constitute a form of energy utilized by magic practitioners.]
[Suggested Designation: Magical Energy Particles.]
[Current Status: The newly completed cerebral circuit allows the host to perceive these particles for the first time.]
[Absorption Capacity: Very low.]
[Perception Capacity: Basic.]
[Recommendation: Complete the remaining bodily codes to increase resonance efficiency.]
I studied the report for several seconds.
Then a smile spread across my face.
So that was it...
Now I could perceive that faint luminous mist stretching across the entire landscape.
It filled the room.
The air beyond the window.
The sky.
Everything.
The Arcangrove Tower certainly hadn’t been built in this location by chance.
Before entering the tower, I had undergone an elemental affinity test.
The result was still etched into my memory.
Three affinities.
Light.
Fire.
Plant.
Arcangrove Tower specialized in exactly two of those elements.
Light.
And Plant.
It was only natural that it had been built in a region exceptionally rich in those particles.
Unfortunately...
The Biochip also indicated that the concentration of particles related to the Fire element was relatively low in this region.
That meant my development in that element would likely be slower if I relied solely on the environment.
But...
That hardly mattered at the moment.
My priority was something else.
My heart.
I still needed to engrave twenty magical runes into that organ.
Only then would my internal circuit be complete.
And when that happened...
My body would finally awaken as a true Level 1 Acolyte.
...
1802 Words

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