บท 236: Chapter 236: Maxed-Out Stealth
She had already grown accustomed to Nolan's occasional displays of affection, but this time, she sensed that he had something to say.
"Ahem, well... during your last adventure, did you happen to come across any Primogems?"
"You know, I can absorb their energy to get stronger. So, could you give me one? Of course, I'll pay you in Mora for it," Nolan said, coughing lightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Generally speaking, he rarely asked his female companions for free resources, even those he was close with. If he needed something, he would usually offer something of equal value in exchange.
Even with Fischl, with whom he was officially in a relationship and had maxed out his affection level, he still operated this way.
After all, he didn't subscribe to the idea that just because they were in a close relationship, he could freely use the resources she had worked hard to obtain.
Even if they offered voluntarily, Nolan couldn't get past that mental barrier.
Though he was a bit of a flirt, he was still upright in other ways. He believed that everyone was an equal individual and refused to be arrogant enough to think that just because they were a couple, their resources were interchangeable.
If Nolan had that kind of mentality and exhibited that sort of machismo, Fischl, Lumine, and the other girls would probably avoid him. Let alone continuously building affection with him.
It was precisely because of his admirable and noble character that he made a good first impression on them, which led to them being willing to continue interacting with him.
Nolan smugly thought to himself.
Lumine looked at this guy in front of her, who was inexplicably smiling, and wondered what nonsense this fool was imagining again.
With a resigned sigh, she used her free left hand to rub her forehead, then took out two beautiful Primogems from her storage space and handed them to the fool, saying:
"I only have two. Make do with them."
She vaguely remembered that this flirtatious guy did mention he could use the energy from Primogems.
"Hehe, thanks."
Taking advantage of the fact that Lumine's left hand was holding the Primogems and her right hand was still being held by him, Nolan reached over with his right hand, wrapped it around her back, and pulled her closer.
"Mm..."
Lumine instinctively wanted to protest, but before she could react, he managed to slip in past her pearly white teeth.
This jerk!
Lumine cursed inwardly, but feeling helpless, she could only go along with it.
[Lumine Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 200 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (325/900).]
The two stopped in their tracks. Fortunately, Liyue Harbor was a big city, and people were used to seeing this kind of thing.
Besides, there weren't many people around at this time, so they didn't attract much attention.
Only little Paimon was standing off to the side, covering her eyes in embarrassment, feeling like she had seen something she shouldn't have.
A few seconds later, as their lips continued to touch, the "Harmony" specialty skill activated.
Lumine suddenly felt something strange in her body.
What is this?
Lumine was a bit puzzled. It felt as if she were standing under the sun, basking in its perfectly warm rays.
Her body and mind both felt as though they were absorbing energy and growing stronger.
Had this guy discovered some strange new ability again?
Lumine was captivated by the sensation of becoming stronger.
A few minutes passed, and as the energy gradually faded, she finally snapped back to reality.
Reflecting on how she had been so immersed in the moment, her fair face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.
Nolan, sensing the time was right, gently took Lumine's hand and continued walking forward.
Paimon, seeing that the two were finally moving again, breathed a small sigh of relief. If they didn't start walking soon, she would have fallen asleep right there.
"What was that just now?" Lumine asked after calming down for a moment. She realized that her body had become significantly stronger about ten minutes after absorbing that energy and was curious.
"A special skill I just recently mastered. I can use it to make you stronger. Pretty impressive, huh?" Nolan explained with a smile.
"Hm? Will it affect you in any way?" Lumine asked, a bit concerned.
Seeing her worried expression, Nolan felt a surge of warmth. He planted a quick kiss on her cheek before she pushed him away in mild annoyance.
Then, he replied, "Don't worry. This energy is an external source. It regenerates on its own over time, and the recovery rate is quite fast, so there's no need to worry about any harm to me."
"Hmph, that's good to hear," Lumine said with a sigh of relief, handing him the two Primogems. "Take these. Consider it an exchange."
"Alright, that works. I'll use this method to help you power up in return," Nolan said, taking the Primogems with a nod.
"You... I don't need that!" Lumine, recalling what had just happened, still felt a bit embarrassed and annoyed.
[Lumine Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 150 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.9 (475/900).]
Hmph, stubborn woman. Your rising affection has already given you away.
Nolan chuckled inwardly while absorbing the Primogems.
+6000 Adventure EXP
Seeing that his Adventure EXP had now reached nearly 49,000, Nolan realized he had enough to max out one of his secret art-level skills.
-45,000 Adventure EXP
Concealment Form: Secret Arts Lv.1 (0/1000) > Concealment Form: Secret Arts Lv.10 (Maxed)
[Your Secret Art Skill Has Reached Its Maximum Level. Please Select A Specialization.]
After reaching the skill's max level, the relevant knowledge didn't immediately appear in Nolan's mind. Instead, a prompt popped up on his character screen, asking him to choose a specialization for the maxed-out skill.
Nolan remembered that when he maxed out the "Dandelion Shield," this didn't happen. Was it because that was an Elemental Skill and not a secret art skill?
With some curiosity, Nolan looked at the options presented on his character screen:
[Stability]: While in stealth, attacks that do not exceed your level's strength will not break stealth due to elemental interference.
[Duration]: You can enter stealth at will, with no time limit. The effect will persist until you actively cancel it.
[Domain]: The stealth effect's area of influence expands. You can grant stealth to anything within a three-meter radius centered on you.
Just like choosing a character specialty upon leveling up, there were three options.
Why couldn't he choose all of them? Each specialization had its own significant benefits!
The first option solved the problem of being unable to attack while in stealth. The second allowed him to enter stealth at any time without a duration limit. The third was the effect he wanted—being able to bring others into stealth with him.
If he were on the path of an assassin, the first option would be the most suitable.
But considering his current weapons and abilities, which didn't focus much on ambush tactics, and the fact that ranged attacks like archery already provided the element of surprise, he didn't seem to need that effect as much.
(End of Chapter)
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