Looking through, Alex was not surprised as he already felt the slow changes happening to his body.
However, it's just that, all the above abilities are just F Rank, with two C Rank... But, even if they were just F rank, each one of them had a high potential and they could evolve further.
"But what is this '+' next to those F rank skills?"
Curious, he tried checking the plus sign next to the Serpentine Musculature.
A new, smaller window popped up over the main screen.
[ Serpentine Musculature (F-Rank) ]
[ Upgrade to E-Rank Requirement: 100 Source Power ]
[ Do you want to upgrade? ]
[ Yes / No ]
"Is this the function of the system? Can I upgrade my skills directly?"
Alex felt shocked, then a wave of pure excitement washed over him.
"Hahahaaa..." He laughed internally, his heart racing. "If I can just upgrade my skills without training for years like other awakeners, I'll be invincible!"
Without much thought, he mentally chose the option 'Yes' and waited excitedly for the surge of power.
[ Error… Insufficient Source Power. ]
[ Current Source Power: 28.3 points ]
[ Please try again later. ]
"..."
Alex paused, his smile freezing on his face. It felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured right over his head.
"Insufficient Source Power?" He stared at the number, feeling stupid.
The Empress, on the other hand, couldn't see the system panel.
She could only feel the sudden, violent shift in Alex's emotions from a strange, greedy high to a sudden, crushing disappointment.
She sighed, her voice sounding bored and annoyed in his mind.
"Don't think too much about the stupid worm," she said, assuming he was still thinking about the Iron Armored Snake King being captured. "It was weak… You should focus on yourself."
Alex didn't bother listening to her words. He just got back to his senses and started racking his brain about the 'Source Power'.
"Where do I get it? Killing monsters?"
"I don't think so… Or maybe... that 'Empathetic Energy' stuff?"
He was so deep in thought, ignoring the Empress completely, that he forgot who was living in his head.
The Empress narrowed her eyes in the void of his consciousness.
"You dare ignore me?" she hissed. "I am speaking to you, little vessel."
Alex still didn't answer, staring blankly at the air while walking.
"Fine. If you won't listen... I'll make you listen." Suddenly, Alex felt it.
It wasn't a phantom pressure this time. It was sharp, focused pain mixed with an electric jolt of pleasure.
"Ah—!"
He stopped dead in his tracks.
It felt like invisible, icy fingers had reached under his inner shirt and pinched his nipples. Hard.
"Nnnngh... ahhh!"
A loud, broken moan escaped out of his mouth before he could stop it.
It was high-pitched, breathless, and sounded undeniably like a woman in the throes of passion.
The sound echoed on the busy street.
Alex immediately slammed both hands over his mouth, his eyes going wide with horror.
His face turned beet red.
He looked around. A group of merchants had stopped their cart to stare at him. A couple walking by gave him weird looks.
"Did that guy just...?" someone whispered.
"He's wearing a robe, maybe he's... you know," another snickered.
Alex felt his nipples throbbing against the soft fabric of his new shirt, standing up hard as rocks.
The pinch had left a lingering, burning sensation that made his knees weak.
"You..." Alex thought furiously, tears pricking his eyes from the shame.
"Pay attention when I speak," the Empress purred, sounding very satisfied with the public humiliation. "Or else…"
Alex didn't wait for the crowd to ask any more questions. With his face burning like a hot iron, he lowered his head and pushed through the confused bystanders.
"Excuse me! Just... a cramp!" he squeaked, his voice cracking slightly.
He hurried down the street, turning the corner sharply and ducking into a narrow, shadowed alleyway between two stone buildings.
Only when he was sure no one was looking did he lean his back against the rough brick wall, gasping for breath.
His chest was heaving.
The cool air of the alley felt good against his flushed skin, but his nipples were still throbbing with a dull, aching heat.
The phantom sensation of her cold fingers twisting his nipples was gone, but the aftershocks remained.
His shirt felt too rough against his sensitive skin, every breath making the fabric rub against the hardened nubs.
"You... you crazy woman," Alex hissed under his breath, clutching his chest. "You can't just do that in public! People thought I was... I was..."
"Enjoying yourself?" The Empress's voice echoed in his mind, smooth and dripping with amusement. "You certainly sounded like a girl in heat..."
"I was not! I'm a man!" Alex whisper-shouted, his face flushing hot again. "That hurt! And it was weird! You have to stop touching me like that when people are around."
"You act like a frightened rabbit," the Empress replied, her voice echoing lazily in his mind. "And stop lying to yourself. You are barely a 'man' anymore."
"Did you not feel how your body reacted? You enjoyed it, didn't you?."
"I did not!" Alex argued, though his face got hotter because he knew she wasn't entirely wrong.
The pinch had hurt, yes, but that jolt of pleasure that shot down to his groin was undeniable.
"Hmph. Deny it all you want," she scoffed.
"Stop... just stop, I won't ignore you. Just... don't do that again. Please." Alex whispered, leaning his head back against the gritty brick wall of the alley.
He waited for the throbbing in his chest to subside.
"Hmph," the Empress scoffed in his mind. "You are boring…"
"That depends on your behavior," the Empress hummed, her presence in his mind settling down like a satisfied cat. "Now, stop pouting and don't bore me anymore."
Alex took a deep breath, straightened his black silk robes, and focused on the blue translucent panel still floating in his vision.
He looked at the error message again.
[ Error… Insufficient Source Power. ]
[ Current Source Power: 28.3 points ]
"Isnt Source Power... is just Empathetic Energy?" Alex thought.
He swiped back to his log history, scrolling past the new ability descriptions until he found the notification from two days ago.
"So, to upgrade my skills... to get stronger..." Alex swallowed hard, his throat feeling dry as he pondered. "I have to... do that? I have to make people lust after me?"
"But if I do that... doesn't that accelerate the Shedding?" Alex whispered, the realization hitting him like a punch to the gut.
It was a vicious cycle. A trap.
To get stronger, to upgrade his skills, he needed Source Power.
But Source Power came from Empathetic Energy.
And Empathetic Energy was generated by... intimacy. Lust. Desire.
"Fuck... what kind of shit situation did I get myself into... Ahaaa."
He let out a frustrated groan, sliding down the wall until he was crouching again.
But even that sound came out wrong. It wasn't a manly grunt of annoyance. It was soft, breathy, and ended in a little, pathetic whimper that made his own toes curl inside his boots.
"Ohhh, you catch on quickly," the Empress giggled in his mind. "Yes. To gain power, you must embrace your nature. To stay a weak little man... is to die."
She paused, her tone turning sharp. "And frankly, you don't have a choice. That 'shedding' will happen regardless. You might as well enjoy the benefits while it transforms you."