"W-wait! Y-you can't be serious right!?"

Her face pale, cold sweat slathered across the back of her neck, her feet itching to turn and run like a coward would, Martha was praying that both her eyes and ears were playing tricks upon her.

 

"I'm serious. As much as I'd like to boost you, I do not have the luxury of time to do so, and with your current ability, you're far to weak to be of any use to me... I can't even take you with me if I wanted to, Robin can only carry one other person with her during flight."

Upon her knees, hands latching onto his legs as she wondered as to which celestial being she had angered to suffer such a predicament.

 

[Asai de Trichia: Lvl 98]

[Robin Sol: Lvl 95]

[Martha: Lvl 51]

 

Seeing the man unyielding in his orders, she turned her gaze towards the half-elf who lingered close by, clutching her hands onto her legs as Cotton glared down at the giantess like a conqueror would.

Hope entered her mind as Robin knelt besides her, before a pat upon the shoulder and a small pouch filled with potions was shoved into her chest.

"Good luck~ You can do it, believe in yourself." Within Robin's mind, Martha was a unique being who was lucky enough to receive her man's blood and essence without earning it. Thus, the least she could do was make use of it, the benefits she had received, and develop herself into a character that benefitted society rather than just indulging herself within mountains of books.

 

Asai grabbed her by the collar, dragging her away before throwing her through a dungeon portal without hesitation.

"Don't worry, from the glow and intensity of this portal, I can confidently say that it is a wild dungeon, one ungoverned by any gods. The perfect type of dungeon for her."

"Right, because wild dungeons are weaker compared to the ones I keep finding and entering huh?"

"Yep. Most she'll encounter are hob-goblins and kobolds, easy stuff. And, if she does somehow fail to beat such lesser beasts and die, she'll just spawn out of your shadow like before, so no harm done~"

"Lemon, are you sure there are no permanent consequences from dying? For her that is..."

"Well... She might go crazy, lose her personality, her sense of self... But nothing that will effect you even though her soul is chained to yours like a slave. If anything, she'll probably be starved for your blood, which is what her body now requires to continue existing."

"Bloody hell, she's basically a summoned creature now." Glancing towards Cotton, and Tanuki who was playing around with a leaf upon her forehead, Asai wondered if Martha was now no different from them, creatures that only exist due to him.

"Still better than dying right?"

"Mmm..." Throwing through the portal an entire backpack filled with camping essentials, Asai spent no further thought upon the woman and met Robin's warm gaze.

 

"Robin, take me back to Par'Talucca, I want to speak to Sakura before we march into Armenes again."

With a spring under her feet, she hopped on over behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist before taking flight, shielding the both of them from the natural elements by emitting a gentle layer of [Divinity]

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

Soaring through the skies, bypassing all security check points and gliding through the pent house itself, the two wasted no time with pleasantries and greetings at all, descending through the floors whilst hidden in [Hide] and [Disappear] 

Leaving the man with just a kiss upon his cheek before he entered through the master-artwork that decorated the entrance hall, Asai had already begun to pray that a divine-being would do better than a succubus would, in regards to intelligence and information.

 

 

Into her celestial realm, a world of pure white, if it weren't for the cherry blossoms decorated both the atmosphere and the floor itself, Asai would've been struggling with keeping his mind from spinning due to the visual-puzzles presented.

As expected, Sakura no Par'Talucca was dressed in a beautiful soft-pink yukata, adorned by floral patterns and lucky red charms. Whilst her long pink hair flowed from her head like a waterfall, covering both her back and the floor like water would, little sakura flowers even began to bloom as if she were a sakura tree. Sipping upon her herbal tea, the celestial beauty didn't even give the man a glance as he approached.

 

"No."

"Huh?"

"No. I have no information regarding the dekans' ability to restrict mana usage within their governed territory. If I did, the dekans would've been defeated long before you were born. And my descendants wouldn't have been forced to share Bahran Island with them."

 

Seeing as her hands were busy cupping around her own fine-china, a strand of her soft pink hair pushed forwards a cup whilst another strand poured tea for her guest.

"I see..."

"A shame, I know, I agree. I was actually hoping someone favoured and blessed by so many divinities would fare better than I did." Rather than finish her last words, she dipped her tongue into green tea once more, before finally placing her cup down and allowing her eyes to linger upon the man, reading and learning of his latest struggles and achievements.

"A house of cards." Sakura precisely snatched a falling blossom out of the air, biting into it as if it were a cookie.

"Sorry?"

"A house of cards, that's what you are. You think yourself to be powerful, to be above others. And yet, with a single blood ritual, your power forsook you, left you to your fate, left you to run and abscond from the kingdom like that of a thief. Why is that so?"

 

Rather than reply immediately, the human took his time and dived into his own thoughts. Finding her bluntness to be quite surprising, as she was usually more soft-spoken, more welcoming, akin to a mentor.

After moments of peaceful silence, and another few more blossoms falling victim to her sweet-tooth and desire to snack upon treats.

 

"Are you saying that I'm relying on the system, mana and skills too much? That I'm missing something? Something fundamental? But what?"

 

"Rather than focus on the magical aspects, you should improve more upon the physical and the spiritual. Your weapons remained behind correct? They never abandoned you right? So why not upgrade them?" Already aware of the human's next thoughts, Sakura plucked out an ingot that continuously changed from white, to silver, to gold, pushing it across the table and presenting it clearly.

 

[Enchanted Alloy]

 

"An upgrade for your weapon of choice, the physical." With but a snap of her fingers, a message appeared within the man's consciousness.

 

 

[Congratulations Asai de Trichia]

[Qualifications Obtained:]

[93/99] 

[5/6]

-

[Royal Soul] [1]
+20 HP/MP [Asai] Level +5

[Loha's Blessing] [2]
Del Lagos Royal Blood now flows through your veins.

[Craut's Blessing] [3]
Par'Talucca Royal Blood now flows through your veins.

[Marea's Blessing] [4]
Regenon Royal Blood now flows through your veins.

[Silva's Blessing] [5]
Goddess of wind Silva's favour now flows through you. +10 HP/MP/SP

[6]

-

 

 

"For your spiritual upgrade, a blessing that amplifies not just that of your physical body, but that of your blood, heart, mind and soul. Something you get to keep, even in death."

 

Finishing his cup of green tea, Asai filled his lungs to their utmost, enjoying the warmth and pureness of both the tea and the air, before voicing his next question.

"What's the catch?" "To receive your blessing, what do you want me to do?"

 

"It's simple really~ You have to defeat him." Following the direction her hair was pointed to.

 

[Uda Par'Talucca: Lvl 99]

 

The old king of Par'Talucca stood proudly within his custom tailored armour set, spears, katars, katanas, kunai and shuriken allotted all over his person. Taking his devil helm off to reveal his face brimming with excitement and energy, Asai blinked twice as the man was no longer the old and wrinkly deceased king he had met once before, but a man who stood at his prime, with strength and vigour coursing through him.

 

"The rules are simple, you just have to beat him once and entertain me. Don't worry about dying, you will simply resurrect besides the table, to fight again until you win, good luck~"

 

Uda took a few steps forward before clasping his hands together and bowing like a warrior would upon meeting his adversary, or a swordsman he respected.

"Asai, show me, show me the swordsmanship that bested my own blood and flesh, my son... And that of your heart, the courage and ferocity that managed to capture not one, but both of my daughter's hearts."

 

Already aware that there'd be no free meals, Asai rose from the tatami mat and approached the previous king, bowing and returning the respect he had received.

 

With their focus locked upon one and another, filling their attention with only the twitches of their muscles, the slightest joint movement, the raising of their katanas, and the pink blossoms that segregated their world into that of an arena. Uda pounced like a lion, surging onwards with shuriken escorting his path towards his target.

To counter his sudden advance without warning, Asai dipped into [Hide]...

The man tried to, that is, as he once again found his mana ignoring his call.

 

"Fuck!"

 

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

 

 

From afar, from the safety of her own cloud, Sakura watched as the human struggled to fight against a foe who had access to his skills.

"You wanted my help right? Well, there's no better way of learning than to experience it first hand. Learn to fight without your mana heart, learn to rely less upon it. So that not just your heart, but that of your physical body and soul may also grow."