Capítulo 17: Return

Before we begin, I would like to thank "dn_walker" for being my first consistent reader and supporter.

Enjoy reading!

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Chapter 17

'Status.'

[Name: Adrian Von Deus Lux

LV: 92

EXP: 241000\430000

Age: 16

Race: Human

HP: 960\960

MP: 930\930

STR: 101

AGI: 101

END: 101

PER: 151

INT: 211

CHR: 191

LUCK: 101

SP: 0

SKILLS: Heal LV: 5 (488\500), Divine Shield LV: 4 (174\200), Magic bullet (intermediate) LV: 1 (964\1000), Bless LV: 5 (2\500)

TITLES: None

Achievement(s): 2]

Haha. My status finally started to show something. It was still tiny compared to the standards of this world, but I was finally in the ranks of normal awakened. Adrian couldn't lose the title of a weakling because he couldn't use mana but I had no such problem because I couldn't use mana in the first place. I was a little bummed about losing EXP.

[You should thank me then]

Allison remarked. Of course, I should. Because of her, I was able to get this strong without much effort. I would have to give it my all if I wanted to reach this level without the option of a level up and Allison can easily take it away as proven by how I received less Exp earlier for killing the vampire.

The next level requirement was a bummer though and it would be very difficult to level up unless I went to a dungeon equivalent to my rank. Which reminds me, I haven't checked my blessing status since the day I came here.

"Status," I spoke out loud which caused Max to groan slightly. It seems his body is still getting used to the changes.

[Name: Adrian Von Deus Lux

Rank: D+

Condition: Healthy

Strength: D

Agility: D+

Stamina: D+

Mana: Null

Charm: A+

Skills: None]

So according to this one, only my strength is left to be fulfilled to reach the peak of rank D+. Otherwise, I had already stepped into the ranks of D+. Eric was C- when the first year of the academy started and when he finished his second year, he was already (A-)—a marvelous achievement in history. Considering I can also raid a few more dungeons, I can easily enter the levels of C+ before the academy starts.

Of course only in terms of stats. In terms of level, I doubt I will be easily able to fill this gauge and I have a feeling that once I reach level hundred, the Exp requirement will increase slightly.

[It would]

Thanks for dousing my hope.

[But there is also a bonus reward at each hundred-level increase]

'Of course, there is. It's in every game.' Anyway, I think it's about time Max woke up. Besides he needs to be surprised about his rank upgrade and get this over with.

'What is his level anyway?' I asked Allison and a notification regarding that showed up.

[Your party member, Maximillian Specter is now at level 99]

Ohhh… Another unlucky part about him or more accurately the people of this world. Breakthrough. Max is stuck at the peak of rank D+ and he needs to break through to the next level.

Still, with our gains of today, I will be able to solve that problem of Max by the upcoming three breakthroughs. But they would also be useful for later breakthroughs so it would be best to save them for later.

Besides, early walls are easier to overcome. I'm sure Max would come up with something soon. And if he doesn't, I can help him with that anyway.

'Can't you do something about Max's breakthrough?' I asked Allison as I stored the body of the dead vampire in my inventory.

[I can]

Came a simple reply from Allison which also meant, 'She can but she won't unless it's a favor.' And my answer to that is no. Allison's help and favors are precious. I can waste all my coins but not them.

"Max, wake up." I gently shook him and he started to wake up. Slowly he was coming to his senses and as soon as he did, he groaned strongly just like I did earlier.

"It would take some time to get used to this buddy. Try to get through it." I whispered slightly. Talking loudly when his senses were enhanced was a bad idea.

"Your Highness?" He muttered, still a little lost, and asked, "What happened?"

"You ranked up buddy," I replied. He processed what I had said for a while and in the beginning, he was having difficulty grasping my words. But as my words began to sink in, his eyes began to widen.

"Status!" He hurriedly yelled which sent a shiver down my ears and tore the eardrums of his own.

"Agghhh…" He flailed on the ground while grasping his ears.

"Heal." I applied heal on him and admonished him in a very low voice, "Who told you to yell so loudly."

He understood the meaning when the pain lessened so he nodded to my words but was soon about to make the same mistake when I blocked his mouth with my hand.

"Yeah, I know. Surprising. But don't yell." I said in a low but strong voice. He nodded after a few moments which meant he had come to his senses. I let go of him and he said, "How did I reach all the way up to the threshold of rank E?"

I nodded at his question which was a logical and sensible question. But that didn't mean I needed to answer it so I said, "Get up. We're leaving."

"But how did I go---" He asked again but was very much rudely interrupted by me, "I don't know about you but I could do with some sunlight."

We have been here for at least sixteen days or so. It's time we got out of here and took some fresh air. While on our way out, Max kept bantering about his rank up and kept bothering me with stupid questions but I answered none of them.

However, with each question, his admiration and reverence kept increasing. It wouldn't be long before it reached the point of worship. Pure worship.

[It's not like that hasn't happened before]

Allison commented but I chose to ignore that. People were like that and I had no problem with it. As long as he was loyal to me, I didn't really care whether he worshipped me or not.

Although I still knew of many places to level up, right now I was in no mood to do so. And besides, I need to start working on the penta enhancement array. The sooner I am done with it, the better.

"We will be back just in time it seems," Max said while we were on our horses. It was a good decision to leave our horses in plenty of vegetation so they wouldn't starve to death. Although there was the risk of them running away, we were lucky that they didn't.

"Time for what?" I asked. Max looked at me strangely as if I was pulling his leg but then he seemed to have remembered something which was most likely my memory loss and replied, "The birthday ceremony of his lordship, the grand elder."

"Oh." Was my simple lackluster reply. I thought it was something important. I didn't know of such an event because it wasn't mentioned in the novel. Besides, the novel hasn't even begun yet.

"Yes. All the kingdoms, central alliance, and the academy would be attending." Max informed me of the event.

"Is that so?" I replied uninterestingly.

"Yes. This event is more important than the coronation of a king or queen. Although there is no official punishment for attending it, for some reason all the kingdoms and everyone in power make sure to attend." He explained.

Probably because of the nature of those old men. The old men I had encountered that day weren't just brawns. They were equally good in the brains department as well. Especially the head elder. He seems to have been the brain in their group.

In the novel, the volume in which Eric got involved with the Cortum empire, the emperor, and his group were the scariest and the strongest group throughout the novel. If not for their old age, defeating them would have been impossible even for the guardians.

Even then, those four went down taking about sixty percent of the demon king's forces with them. And the reason for their fall was in the first place from within.

But in no way was that my problem. If they appear to be useful, I wouldn't mind allying with them but if they get in my way or get me in a dangerous situation by using me like they did this time, then their enemies are the least they would need to worry about.

And speaking of allies, I got my eyes set on one. The blue-eyed girl. Laura Ravenknight. The sole daughter of the queen of Ravenknight.

Ravenknight had a very weird tradition. They have twelve noble families of the same rank. The ruler of the country was to marry each member of the noble house and produce an heir.

If it was a male, then marry twelve girls. If it was female, then marry twelve men. Talk about ga.n*ba.ng. Anyway, the problem began when the previous queen, Laura's mother broke the long-kept tradition of the kingdom and married only one man from another kingdom.

The families rose against her but her husband wasn't a no-name. The protest was met with a slaughter from the queen's husband and the families considerably lost their power.

No problem arose again for many years but tragedy struck when Laura's father went missing and her mother suddenly fell into a coma. No one could diagnose the problem.

The responsibility of the throne came on her. The problem for her wasn't that she had to take care of the whole kingdom, the problem was that she had to defend herself against the aggressive assault of the twelve families. The families saw their chance and there was no way they would let this chance go.

And their opponent was only a girl with a few strong protectors at most.

So those twelve families are going to be my way in. And they wouldn't even know it.

=======

We finally reached the capital and straight away, made our way to the imperial palace. The eyes of the knight captain who received us went wide when he received someone other than he was expecting.

Still, he had no choice but to make a report and forward it. "Maximillian Specter, you will come with me and report what has happened." He ordered Max. Max was about to leave with an uneasy look when I said, "Maximillian Specter is no longer yours to command. From this moment on, I am making him my personal knight."

The knight captain along with Max was surprised. "Your Highness, respectfully, you cannot do this. You will have to get permission from the----" he started explaining the procedure but he didn't know that he was across as a very shameless person and I was very quick to shift the blame onto others.

"Are you questioning my decision, whoever you are?" He was taken aback at the words I used to address him. He was about to introduce himself but I once again interrupted him, "Ah, ah, ah, too late. Your name is 'whoever you are' from now on."

He was speechless at my abrupt interruption. "Go and tell that to whoever is in charge of this process. Or do you want me to go there myself?" I asked with a little anger in my voice.

If he wasn't thick, he would understand that I was humiliating him in front of his own subordinates, and from how his cheeks were reddening, he wasn't.

"Let's go, Max," I ordered the stunned Max who was suddenly promoted higher than the knight captain. He broke out of his surprise and hurriedly tagged along. He didn't need to be afraid of the knight captain anymore since now he was of higher rank and in terms of strength, he was soon about to be equal.

Still, despite that brief episode, the report was nonetheless spread around the palace regarding my return. Those who were aware of the information behind this fact were confused and those who weren't wondered why I had come alone.

I, however, don't care in the least. "Get me these things Max," I ordered Max when I came out of the bath. He seems to have taken a bath too.

He checked the list and without knowing or questioning, he left to procure them for me.