Eleanor glanced down at her body, checking for any remaining wounds, but there were none.
"Wow, to think I could be completely healed in just a flash."
She reached a hand to the back of her head to feel for the injury that had been there earlier, but as she did, a few strands of hair slipped forward, catching her eye. Her eyes widened.
'Why is my hair white? No, only part of it is white, the rest is still black…'
Her hair had always been fully black, a trait she heard she'd inherited from her mother. But now, the entire left side had turned white, while the right side retained its original colour.
She immediately spun around to face Amith, whom she assumed was responsible, but before she could say a word, she noticed that the Devil's brows were slightly furrowed.
'Could it be…?'
Wanting to test her suspicion, Eleanor leaned in suddenly, and just as she expected, Amith reflexively took a step back.
At that, Eleanor's lips curled slowly into a smug grin, and Amith's frown deepened.
[Get that smug expression off your face.]
"Hmm? Why? Is someone feeling flu—"
[No. It's not what you're thinking. I just expended more soul power than I intended to,] Amith interjected, cutting her off.
At that, Eleanor blinked, then repeated her words.
"More soul power than you intended to?"
She wore a thoughtful expression for a moment, then said,
"So, in other words, you lost control and used more power than you meant to?"
Her smug look returned, this time with a teasing edge to her tone.
"I wonder why?"
[I can clearly tell what you're thinking, and that's not the case,] Amith said defensively, but that only made Eleanor's grin spread even wider.
"Really? You can? So you can tell I'm thinking that you lost control and used more power than intended because you were flustered from the kiss?"
[I was not.]
Amith's immediate response wasn't taken seriously by Eleanor, who kept on teasing.
"Really? You sure about that?" she asked, then paused, raising a hand over her mouth as she gasped. "Could it be?! Was that your firs—"
[Obviously not.]
The Devil cut her off, facepalmed, and shook her head before continuing.
[I've lived for thousands of years, Eleanor. Did you seriously think I've had zero partners in all that time?]
"…"
Eleanor went quiet for a moment, then raised a hand to her chin, considering the question.
"It does seem possible…"
Amith was ready to snap back and deny it outright, but she froze halfway as a thought crossed her mind.
[Some of those damn angels could actually pull that off…]
She quickly shook her head and redirected the conversation.
[That's not the case for me.]
When she heard that, Eleanor gave a shrug, as if she didn't particularly care, and replied, "Whatever you say, miss experienced."
Her words made Amith narrow her eyes, clearly suspicious.
[Why does that feel like veiled mockery?]
"It's just your imagination."
Eleanor didn't sound very convincing, especially as she looked away while saying it. But before Amith could press her any further, Eleanor quickly shifted the topic back to what she'd originally meant to ask.
"Why did part of my hair turn white?"
[That may be due to my influence.]
Amith raised her hand, and pure white magic power surged from her fingertips, a sight that could momentarily make one forget that she was, in fact, a devil.
The display of Amith's power reminded Eleanor of another strange sensation she'd been feeling.
"My energy didn't fully recover…"
She raised her hand and channelled magic power through it, releasing a grey-coloured energy. At the sight, Amith gave her a reminder.
[I trust you haven't forgotten that you lost your ability to manipulate divinity?]
"I haven't. The sensation of something being drained from my veins earlier isn't something I'm likely to forget. But I'm not talking about divinity, I'm referring to my magic power.
It hasn't recovered to full capacity… and my body feels weaker too."
At this, Amith gave Eleanor a slightly puzzled glance.
[Have you looked at your status?]
"Hm? Now that you mention it, I haven't."
By Eleanor's will, the grey, diaphanous display showing a concise summary of her essential records that was her 'Status' appeared.
|Name- Eleanor Crafiel
Race- High-Human
Gender- Female
Age- 18
Level- 212 (412)
Titles- [...]
Class- None
Health– C+ (A+)
Energy– B- (S-)
Strength– B- (S-)
Agility– B- (S-)
Durability– C+ (A+)
Intelligence– C+ (A+)
|Trait– Kinetic Efficiency| Core Skill– Arsenal Shift.|
|Extra Skills– Body Strengthening, Mach Step, Instinctive Guard, Impact Compression.|
|Unique Skill– Soul Striker .|
The moment she saw the atrocity that was her current status board, Eleanor's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What th—?! Why did my stats drop this much?!"
[Did you forget what I said earlier?] Amith replied, sighing before elaborating.
[You were cursed and poisoned. The sword that stabbed you in the back carried a power-draining curse, and the blades that slashed you were laced with various poisons.]
"…"
Eleanor fell silent, the mention of a cursed blade once again bringing to mind the Grand Duchess's deep hatred for her.
As she remained wordless, Amith went on.
[That number representing the calibre of your soul should have dropped by about 370. But due to my existence, curses and poisons are less effective on you.]
That meant the curse should have drained 90% of her power!
No wonder they hadn't even bothered to confirm whether she had truly died after she fell from the cliff. If her level had actually fallen all the way to 41, she would have died instantly upon impact.
"…I suppose I should thank you…" Eleanor muttered.
[You're welcome.]
Amith replied calmly, then lightly hopped into the air, remaining suspended as she pulled her legs up and hugged them loosely.
"Even if Level 212 is far below where my level should have been, it's still better than being completely helpless in this rift space."
She then turned to Amith, who was quietly floating in the air, and asked.
"What about the Lust Brand? Where is it?"
[It's on your soul. Physically, it can manifest on the back of your hands or your lower abdomen.
It appears when you will it to, but if you ever enter a Frenzy State, the one below will remain visible until your urges are quelled.]
The phrase 'Frenzy State' filled Eleanor with unease.
"That doesn't sound good…"
[Will the mark to appear and touch it to view its information.]
Eleanor followed the instructions, and immediately, a board resembling her status board materialised, displaying the details of the Lust Brand, whose symbol was identical to the image on the card she had drawn.
She scanned the information thoroughly, mentally summarising the most important points.
|Lust Brand
Type: Sin Brand – Lust
Nature: Enhancement/Enchantment
The user possesses a Carnal Meter, which fills the longer they go without indulging in carnal desires.
Passive – Allure of the Branded
The user radiates a constant charm, subtly warping perception and lowering resistance to their presence. The higher their Carnal Meter, the stronger the pull.
Carnal Accumulation
The Carnal Meter fills the longer the user abstains, increasing all stats in proportion. But the cost is steep—higher levels blur inhibition, heighten impulse, and at the peak, may trigger a Lust Frenzy where instinct takes over entirely.
Amplified Sensory Feedback
Touch, pleasure, and intimacy become deeply magnified for both the user and their partners, whether physical or emotional. Release brings temporary clarity and slight recovery.
Orgasmic Pulse
Climax unleashes a psychic ripple to all bonded partners, flooding them with shared pleasure. Enemies caught nearby suffer disorientation or brief mental collapse, depending on resistance.|
"So I can charm people, I get hornier more easily, and the hornier I get, the stronger I become. But if I get too horny, I lose control of myself."
She nodded in understanding, then turned to Amith, who had been silently hovering around her, and asked,
"So, this Horny Meter, I—"
[Carnal Accumulation Meter,] Amith interjected.
"The Horny Meter is that emotional energy thing you were talking about?"
Eleanor met Amith's flat gaze with a raised brow, silently waiting for an answer.
Knowing it was pointless to argue over the name, Amith let out a small sigh and responded,
[Yes.]
"Cool. So when I'm lowering the Horny Meter, the energy is being converted to pay off the debt I owe?"
[Affirmative.]
"So, how do I know how much I owe? Is there a separate gauge for that?"
At her question, Amith snapped her fingers, and another meter appeared beside the Carnal Accumulation meter.
[This one's reversed. You currently owe 100%, and as you pay it back, the gauge will go down.
It will require a considerable amount of energy, since I restored your body to the best condition it could achieve, given how weakened you were. You shouldn't experience any difficulties in combat.]
Amith's explanation made Eleanor nod. She then dismissed the Brand description and posed another question.
"Can I lift this curse?"
[Unfortunately, there is no curse to lift. It was a one-time curse that drained the energy from your body and soul, diminishing your overall power. The curse exhausted its own energy to do so, and as a result, it no longer exists.
You'll have to level up again.]
Eleanor sighed, her thoughts drifting to how much of her hard-earned progress had been undone.
Even her Combat Class had vanished, as the class she previously held had a Level 400 requirement.
Now, she was Classless and no longer benefited from any of the Combat Class buffs.
[It seems you've finally caught a stroke of luck in an otherwise miserable day. There are certain entities nearby whose deaths by your hand would prompt the transfer of their residual magic and existential records to you, helping you regain your levels.]
At Amith's words, Eleanor turned her gaze in the direction the devil had been staring, and there, emerging from the mouths of distant caves along the cliff walls, were wolves.
"Monsters, huh? Good. Let me get used to this weakened body of mine."