Chapter 126
Back in the current time……..
The air was thick with anticipation as the group gathered outside Bahamut's room.
Clair couldn't help but steal glances at Michalis, her mind still reeling from the recent conversation she had with Vasiliki.
Michalis, on the other hand, was also sneaking furtive looks at Clair, his concern for her wellbeing evident in his expression.
Vasiliki couldn't help but smile, finding the subtle interactions between the two quite endearing.
'What could Vasiliki have discussed with Clair to make her act so strangely?' Dimitra wondered, her interest piqued.
Eleni's eyes sparkled with a gnawing curiosity, sensing that something interesting must have transpired.
Nikolaos, Vasileios, and Draco, however, were more focused on  – the prospect of levelling up.
"So, who wants to go first?" Draco asked, glancing around at the group, some of whom seemed lost in their own thoughts.
Initially, the group had been buzzing with excitement, but the arrival of Vasiliki and Clair had seemed to shift the mood.
Dimitra, Michalis, and Eleni had become distracted, and Draco couldn't quite pinpoint the reason.
He too was curious about what was going on between them, but decided to curb his curiosity.
"No volunteers, huh? Alright, then we'll go from youngest to oldest. Vasiliki, you're up first. Levelling up should also help clear any lingering effects from the mind down," Draco said, his tone reassuring.
"If that's the case, then I'll be glad to go first," Vasiliki replied, her eyes brightening with anticipation.
"Oh, and by the way, about those things you requested – can I make them tomorrow morning instead? Dinner's already been prepared, so it seems like a waste to make them now," Draco said, just as she turned the door knob.
Vasiliki's expression turned serious as she responded, "I don't mind, as long as it's made only for me by you." she said.
Draco paused, a little taken aback by Vasiliki's insistence.
He had planned to prepare everything she requested as breakfast for the entire group as a little celebration, but her request to keep it just for her made him reconsider.
"...Sure," Draco replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Eleni couldn't contain her curiosity.
"What are you two talking about? What are you making for her?" she asked.
Vasiliki brought a finger to her lips, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
"It's a secret," she said, before slipping into Bahamut's room and closing the door behind her.
"Tsk, Draco nii, can you tell me?" Eleni pleaded, her expression morphing into a cute, kitten-like pout.
Draco almost immediately succumbed to her charm, but managed to hold firm.
"As she said, it's a secret," he replied, mimicking Vasiliki's action and adding a wink for good measure.
"That's kind of gross," Michalis muttered, earning him a head bump from Draco.
Michalis couldn’t exactly complain, since he brought it on himself.
…………………………………………………………………..
Inside Bahamut's room, Vasiliki lay on the bed, ready for what was to come.
"Seems like you're feeling a lot better now," Bahamut said, trying to make some small talk as she pricked her finger, letting the divine blood drip onto Vasiliki’s back.
"Yeah," Vasiliki replied simply.
"By the way, congratulations on being the first to be ‘romantic partners’ with Draco," Vasiliki said, her tone playful as she tried to elicit a reaction from the goddess.
"Silly girl, that won't work on me," Bahamut replied with an amused smile, unfazed by Vasiliki's attempt at teasing.
"Why are you unbothered?" Vasiliki asked.
She was somewhat adept at discerning surface thoughts, but she couldn't quite put her finger on the goddess inner thoughts.
"Don't think too much about it, the answer is quite simple. I don't mind sharing him," Bahamut said, picking up on Vasiliki's curious probe.
"I know it's not a thrilling answer, but that's what it is. As for why, well, let's just say I know some things, so I am less bothered by the inevitable. You, on the other hand, are quite the nosy little one, aren't you?" Bahamut mused, lightly flicking Vasiliki’s sensitive ears.
Vasiliki wanted to ask more, but Bahamut quickly cut her off.
"Yes, this is my first love experience. As for the reason why I didn't take romantic interest in any male god’s, it's simply because I found most of them quite annoying." she said.
Vasiliki simply laid on the bed, gaping, as Bahamut effortlessly read her and answered the questions.
She was being so easily discerned by the goddess that she didn't even get the chance to actually pose the queries before they were addressed.
"Are you reading my mind?" Vasiliki couldn't help but ask, her brow furrowed in both confusion and awe.
"Of course not," Bahamut replied, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Then how..." Vasiliki began, only to be cut off once more.
"It's not important," Bahamut said dismissively.
"Anyway, take a look at this. You have quite the selection of development abilities." she said, offering Vasiliki her status sheet.
She had discreetly copied Vasiliki's status sheet while they conversed.
Vasiliki's eyes lit up as she examined the options before her.
"Ooh, you're right," she said, excitement evident in her voice.
Bahamut's gaze lingered on the young girl, her expression thoughtful.
"Don't you think your physical stats are a bit too high for a mage?" she asked.
Bahamut hadn’t paid much interest to the stats of the others as they updated it less frequently than Draco.
"I wanted to focus purely on my magic, but Draco nii said I should try to increase my physical stats during the early levels when it's easier. Apparently, it will help a lot in the future, so I worked hard to get them up," Vasiliki explained.
"Hmm, it may prove to be a useful surprise against enemies who underestimate your physical capabilities," Bahamut noted.
"Exactly! It also helps with stamina and certain physical tasks, so I don't mind the investment," Vasiliki replied.
"By the way, why didn't my magic increase much even after all that effort?" Vasiliki asked, puzzled by the meager 8-point increase in her magical prowess.
"My guess is that, it is the limit of your magic stats," Bahamut speculated.
"The fact that you've even reached those limits is already a commendable achievement." Bahamut reassured.
Vasiliki's brow furrowed. "What if one of the others pass this number? Would that mean that my potential is lesser than theirs?" she asked, a note of concern in her voice.
"Hmm, it's highly unlikely, except for Draco. I don't really know the limits of the status board, but if you're curious, I can ask a friend about it at a later date," Bahamut offered.
"Oh, thank you," Vasiliki said, her eyes once again drawn to her status sheet as she contemplated her next steps.
'Guess I couldn't take my physical stats past this, but I can't delay my level-up to try maxing them out. Besides, Draco nii said an A in all my stats is acceptable, and I already have them all above A, so I should be fine to level up,' she thought, determination shining in her gaze.
With that settled, Vasiliki began carefully reviewing the list of development abilities available to her, eager to make the most of her growing powers.
Vasiliki carefully scanned the list of available development abilities, her gaze focusing on the options that seemed most relevant to her needs.
Among the many choices, a few stood out as promising avenues for further exploration.
The "Hunter" ability caught her attention, as it promised to enhance her skills against monsters she had faced before and gained valuable excelia from.
This could prove invaluable in her ongoing adventures and battles.
The "Mage" ability also piqued her interest, as it offered the potential to boost her magical prowess, increase the effective range of her spells, and improve the efficiency of her mind usage.
This was an option that she heavily leaned towards, the only thing temporarily stopping, was because her spell chant had a similar effect.
She wasn’t sure if their effects would stack.
Vasiliki's eyes then fell upon the "Frost Resistance" and "Abnormal Resistance" abilities.
The former would increase her resilience against the debilitating effects of cold from all sources, while the latter would negate the impact of various abnormalities, such as poisoning.
These abilities could provide a valuable safeguard against the hazards she might encounter.
Lastly, the "Frozen Heart" ability intrigued her.
The promise of a clearer state of mind, achieved through the temporary dampening of distracting emotions, could be a valuable asset in moments of high-stakes decision-making or intense conflict.
However, she made a mental note of the potential drawback of a temporary disconnection between mind and body, should she rely on it too heavily without proper breaks.
As Vasiliki contemplated the merits of these five abilities, she set aside the options that she deemed less immediately useful, such as the "Bunny Hop," which would increase her jumping height, and "Sly Hands," which would provide a modest boost to her dexterity.
While these skills might have their own advantages, she felt that her current focus should be on enhancing her magical capabilities, and defensive measures.