In Ryoji's hand was another piece of parchment, one he hadn't shown to Ais earlier.
What was printed on it was the Ability Values after leveling up.
Ryoji Lv.3
Power: I (0)
Endurance: I (0)
Dexterity: I (0)
Agility: I (0)
Magic Power: I (0)
Development Abilities:
Hunter: I
Mana Recovery: I
Magic:
Skills:
[Ten Years of Sharpening a Sword]
Unyielding: Can continue fighting even when seriously injured or near death.
Mastery of the Final Boundary: When fighting with a sword, one can fully draw out one's potential as a swordsman.
[Brave Sword Heart]
Courageous Heart: Exceptionally high resistance to mental or energetic disruption.
Fierce Attack: Increases sword attack power; effect scales with level of bravery.
[Charm]
Top-tier charm.
That's right, Ryoji had leveled up again, even though his Dexterity and Agility hadn't yet reached their limits. Even with the same level of improvement, Lv.3 would definitely be more efficient than Lv.2.
For someone like him, who needed to save time, it was good enough to just reach a decent level. If he ever needed to further enhance his physique or magic power, he could just go to another world and look for solutions, no need to waste time grinding here.
As for the new development ability he chose upon leveling up: Mana Recovery.
This ability only activates when one uses large amounts of magic power in a short period of time.
In simple terms, it speeds up the self-recovery of magic/mind energy. Once it reaches a high level, there's no need for potions, just a bit of rest and all consumed energy will naturally be restored. For someone who fights using magic, it's an extremely useful ability.
It was especially beneficial for Ryoji, which is why he chose it.
But of course, the most crucial part was the new Skill that appeared upon leveling up.
[Charm].
Unexpected, yet reasonable.
Its description was only a single line, but even that one line was enough to send Loki into a panic.
Just look at her current state. She still retained a sliver of reason, but that was likely only because it was Ryoji's first time using the skill and he hadn't mastered it yet. Once he became proficient, her sanity would probably be completely shattered.
This was a terrifying charm even Loki couldn't resist. Ryoji's smile slowly faded, and the aura of charm gradually receded.
"Phew, hah!" Loki suddenly snapped back to her senses, gasping for breath in panic.
She quickly turned around, covered her ears, and tightly shut her eyes, doing everything she could to block Ryoji out.
However, this highest level of charm apparently couldn't be avoided just by cutting off sight and sound. Even as she tried to shield herself, the concept-like beauty radiating from Ryoji's body seeped into every crack, circling endlessly in her mind, impossible to erase.
"Huuh…"
Loki took a deep breath, trying her best to calm down. She was a god. An evil god, no less! She had dealt with Freya so many times before, she was no stranger to charm. There was no way she would lose her reason from a single encounter!
Impossible!
"Anyway, the essence of the Blessing (Falna), is just a catalyst. What it draws out is your own potential. This charm was part of your ability all along; it was simply discovered this time…"
"I already knew that." Ryoji curled his lips. Why was she saying such obvious things now?
"My question is, what does 'highest level' mean?"
--Highest level of charm.
What exactly did that mean?
What Ryoji wanted to know was the answer to that mysterious term: "highest level."
Blessings (Falna) always explained Skills like riddles.
"Hmm… I guess it means a charm that's on the level of the gods?" Loki looked inward, trying to regain composure as she answered.
"Anyway, I've only ever seen charm like this in the bodies of Freya and a handful of other gods."
After all, the Blessing (Falna) is something granted by the gods.
If one develops their Blessing to the limit, it's said they can even transcend humanity and become a god. So this so-called "highest level," in Loki's eyes, was likely referring to a divine level, she herself had never seen a Skill description like this before.
In other words, Ryoji's charm had reached the level of the gods.
Thinking about it now, Freya hadn't been wrong.
Ryoji had always underestimated his own charm, he thought having a high charm stat just meant he was more "attractive," and never realized he had such power. But now, with a single awakening, he instantly obtained a charm on par with Freya's.
"…But why didn't I notice this earlier?"
Ryoji clutched his head in frustration. If he had this kind of charm before, wouldn't he have been able to attract more cute elder sisters, wait no, he meant have more means to deal with enemies, right?
"I know!" Loki raised her hand, face lighting up with a cheerful grin.
"Because you have a mouth!"
"…Are you insulting me?"
"No, what I mean is, your every word and action is completely un-charming!"
"…You're definitely insulting me."
"Eh… I mean, like, your personality and temperament and stuff!"
Ryoji looked very annoyed.
So basically, charm meant nothing if it was just about looks?
Loki, who had dealt with Freya often, quickly understood.
Comparing Ryoji to Freya revealed a glaring difference.
Freya's every word and gesture, every smile and glance, was filled with indescribable allure. Her voice carried elegance, even her smallest movements were enchanting, every reaction of hers made hearts race, drawing the attention of gods and mortals alike.
But Ryoji?
He spouted nonsense, had an unreliable personality, was a pervert, petty… His character flaws were far too obvious. His behavior either made people laugh or pissed them off. There was no way it stirred anyone's desire.
To give a simple example,
'Can you really feel turned on when facing a clown?'
Thinking back, the rare times Ryoji's charm activated were when he was unusually smooth-talking, or more often, when he simply shut up. Like that smile he gave Tiona when she took him shopping.
He got it now.
'Silence is invincible.'
Ryoji nodded in understanding.
"Loki, let me ask you one more thing."
"What?" Loki looked up instinctively, and was hit head-on by another dazzling, charm-laced smile.
He even reached out and gently scratched under her chin like petting a cat.
"Ahhnyaa" Loki instantly collapsed.
Her entire body went soft, all resistance gone, little pink hearts floating in her eyes.
If Ryoji wanted, he could probably make her strike a peace sign with an ahegao face by tonight.
"You cleared up my confusion, so as a generous person, I obviously have to reward you. Just relax and enjoy this moment!"
Ryoji smiled and left Loki's room.
That's what you get for insulting me.
Still, Ryoji was in a great mood.
He had been prepared to sell his dignity just to gain a charm-related ability. Who would've thought it would awaken right at this critical moment? It was truly an unexpected blessing.
Charm had always been part of his innate potential, but the Blessing/Falna had forcibly drawn it out, skipping the need for training altogether.
Just as he thought, his luck was truly Schrödinger-grade.
Looking back now, Ryoji came to a realization:
If he had to sum up his luck in one sentence, it would be, unreliable in small matters, but never sloppy in big ones.
But then again…
Did this Skill really awaken by coincidence?
Ryoji thought back to that time he discussed vocal techniques with Freya…
…Let's just call it coincidence.
(End of Chapter)
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