29 Chapter 28: The Boy I'm Closed To

Seely opened the door and...

"Leylin, I'm so glad you could co-" Seely realized it wasn't Leylin.

"I'm sorry you might had been expecting some one else. Here! It's a pie I just baked. It was made from a fruit from my country. Welcomen to the neighbourhood." The boy dashed away, just like that. No hello, No goodbyes.

Seely was standing there with a pie on both of his hands. He reflexively took it. There was one thought in Seely's mind.

"Cute...vampire?"'

The boy who came did looked cute. Tall. Pale white skin. Blood red eyes. White hair but had a totally shy and anti-social disposition.

"Hey, system. What's his stats?"

[Name: Unknown

Aptitude: 5

Strength: 3

Agility: 5

Vitality: 10

Spiritual Force: 10

Acolyte Rank: 2

Status: Healthy]

"Hmmm.. how about his race?"

[Human]

"Oh... He just looked like a vampire. A cute one though.

System, scan the pie. Can you detect any harmful substance that could harm me?"

[Scanning. No harmful substance detected.]

"...?....where did he go?"

[According to the scan, the person is in the room next to yours.]

"Oh.. so a neighbour. He was being nice? Well ...if that's the case then I should also bring some home warming gifts."

Seely closed the door. Snapped his fingers and made a wooden basket. Snapped again, grown some apples, grapes and oranges.

"Hmmm.. *snap*" Seely made a rose that was scented but he made it extra red...like his eyes...and lips.

He was preparing to put it inside the basket... but... throwed it on the floor instead.

"What the hell ..." Seely realized what he was about to do and snapped back out of it.

He got a vine to open the door while he had a basket full of fruits and the pie the vampire boy gave to him.

Somehow, Seely felt nervous. He knew it wasn't necessary too go there and bring back a gift. It was the boy's choice to give him the pie...but honestly... he was just really curious of the boy.

"A cute human that looked like a vampire. Who wouldn't want to stare at it, right?" Seely explained to himself and gave a pathetic reason.

"Am I actually attracted...? Well he's personality is one of my types. The Boy next door huh...Ill just be making friends. There's nothing wrong with that, right?" Seely steeled his nerves and went to that boy's dorm room door.

*Knock*Knock*Knock*

...

No one answers.

*Knock*Knock*Knock*

No one still answers.

'System, are you sure he's inside?'

[Positive. It seems that he is lying in his bed with a pillow on his face. There is a 60% chance he is feeling embarrassment and 40% of regretting.]

"Oh...system when did your speech pattern get that informal?" ...Seely honestly couldn't react to that. Should he feel good or bad because of what's happening? He also noticed that about the change of the system.

[The system's speech pattern continuously changes based on the personality or the current mood of the host. The system simplifies for the efficient understanding of the host.]

'Wow, what a convenient funct-wait.. Did the system just insulted my intelligence?' Seely let it go since the system had so much for him.

He was gonna knock again when...

"Seely? What are you doing there?"

"Leylin? What are you doing here?"

"Well, a certain someone took longer than expected. I thought of checking with you since I'll be going to the dining hall. You might want to join?" Leylin saw the dorm number and noticed it wasn't Seely's dorm. He then saw the pie and the basket...which according to the A.I. Chip were fruits he was familiar of.

"Oh.. yeah...its just... Just let me bring this pie into my dorm then we'll go together."

*Knock*Knock*Knock*

Seely left the fruit basket in front of the door after knocking a few more times.

Seely then went to his dorm and put the pie on the floor. Some plants carried it into his desk.

Of course, when Leylin took a looked at his brother's dorm. He was shocked. It was like a luxury hotel there with a forest theme. Leylin even thought he saw a bathtub.

"Come On. Stop staring. I'll let you see after we eat." Seely wasn't in the mood.

"B-but... Sigh...Fine." Leylin looked dejected. Leylin wanted to see his brother's room.

...

When the two brothers were gone, the boy next door opened his door and saw a basket. He looked around and then picked the basket. He looked inside. He saw fruits he had never seen before.

"Is this vegetable or fruits?"

There was a number weaved using vines. The number of his next door neighbour. The one he gave the pie to. His face blushed in embarrassment. He went inside and closed the door again.

...

"Do you even know where the dining hall is? A guy named Bill told me directions but I still couldn't figure it out." Leylin admitted.

Seely looked at the system map.

"Yeah. I think I know where it is." Seely simply said.

"As expected of my brother." Leylin nodded in approval.

Seely led the way.

"The dining hall is on level 3, underground, and everything there is free. Of course, you can fork out money and let them make a dish that you want to eat!" Leylin said to Seely.

"Yeah. What will we eat?" Although Seely asked that. He wasn't really thinking about food right now. He thought about the pie though. He couldn't even taste the pie.

Leylin knew Seely wasn't really in the moment so he didn't bother answering. Whatever Seely was doing before he came to interrupt.. he must get the bottom of it. He never see Seely get distracted like that... Hmmm.. correction. The first time he owned a magic crystal. Now that was being distracted in its purest form but his situation right now is somehow... different?

Leylin talked about the whole of Abyssal Bone Forest Academy where the professors numbered close to a hundred, while the acolytes numbered over a thousand.

Seely is still in deep thoughts.

"Not only is it difficult, the study of alchemy requires a huge amount of resources and ingredients. People who don't come from a good family background will rarely choose this! However, alchemists tend to make a lot of money after they have been certified! Bill said that to me." Leylin tried maybe using alchemy as a topic since they had a plan.

Seely is still looking forward quietly. Failed.

"Did you know that the Phython's name that chooses professors for acolytes who can't choose voluntarily is named Spotty?" Leylin was running out of things to say and still Seely is still deep in his thoughts.

"Oh really?" Seely rubbed his nose.

'I stand corrected. That one got his attention.. but really? The snake's name got his attention???' Leylin thought.

'I wonder if Spotty chose for that guy instead of using a magic crystal.' Seely was still thinking about the white haired, vampire-looking guy.

"Alright! We're here at the dining hall now. Shall we eat?" Leylin said to Seely.

"Yes, we shall." Seely simply replied.

Leylin... was speechless. He felt this was the longest time Seely lasted without doing something... well... silly.

The dining hall was extremely extravagant, and the food was more delicious than what he had on the dirigible. Everyone who sat here was also an acolyte, and there were no signs of a Magus.

After dinner, Leylin followed his brother to his room.

When they arrived at the door, they found a note. It says "Thank you 794-795"

Seely smiled.

Leylin saw this and smiled too.

Seely opened the door to his dorm and Leylin followed inside. A vibe closed the door after.

"Wow! Impressive!" Leylin was impressed at his brother's dorm and kept staring all around. Seely learned that if he were gonna be surprised with each unreasonable thing Seely does, he might not last long in this life so he decided to just take things with a pinch of salt when it comes to his brother.

"Is that a bathtub?" Leylin kinds feels envious.

"Oh, brother! You're still here?" Seely actually forgot that his brother was here.

"(+_+)"

"What's with that face?" Seely innocently asked.

"You... Sigh. Nevermind." This brother of his said that he'll show me his room but forgot about it because of some note? Leylin felt flipping a table right now.

[Author: Dont worry MC, I got you covered.

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ )

*Snapped* Flower Lamps were on.

"Anyway, there are more important things to do now." Leylin proclaimed.

"Important things? Like what?" Seely was so distracted today that he forgot an important thing.

*Flick* Leylin flick his fingers on Seely's forehead.

"We need to train. Meditation techniques... remember?" Leylin responded.

"Oh yeah." Seely smiled.

"but Brother, I'll got take a shower first, okay! Hadn't had a good bath for a long time." Seely rushed off to his self-made wooden bathroom that had a wooden pipe connected to the washroom for the water source.

*Sniff* Leylin smelled himself.

"I should take a bath too after Seely."

After a few minutes, Seely got out of the shower.

Leylin was... mesmerized.

Seely only had a leaf like towel that was both water absorbent and long. Not long enough though to cover those white legs.

Seely's skin was fair and white. His hair dripping with water seems like a leaf had a calculator morning dew on the cold morning.

Seely had that aromatic, addicting smell on him. Seely's seductive figure and beautiful feminine face made Leylin stared too long.

Long enough that he realized that what he was doing was inappropriate. He couldn't deny how alluring Seely is when he is only covered by a towel. Like a fairy ready to take flight.

Leylin shooked his head. It's good that Seely was facing the cabinet to find some clothes.

Leylin went ahead to take his bath.

"Hmm.. " Leylin couldn't stop thinking about the scene he just saw. He even felt more ashamed when his lower body actually... intensified... to that image.

He thought about relieving himself but that just made what he was feeling worsten. He couldn't relieve himself while imagining his brother. Cause that's wrong... right? NO it is wrong.. though technically if we're talking about souls, I'm not his brother. Heck, he's not even from this world.

"That's just... "

In the end, Leylin couldn't do it. He calmed down. His lower body calmed down.

After finishing his bath, he came out.

Thought what he saw didn't really helped with calming his emotions.

'Seely is wearing a nightgown?!'

Seely was sitting where his legs are bent. Seely's figure could be seen from the clothes he was wearing. Seely looked pure yet appetising right now.

Leylin's nose bled.

"Hey you do know I can hear your thoughts. And this isn't a nightgown! This is just an airy and oversized silk shirt. I made it semi- transparent so that the air could freely come. And a silk short for sleeping. It's pretty hot here. I'm making you one too." Seely was focused on directing the plants on making the night clothes he was making for his brother. The shorts Seely made was too short that the oversized nightgown like shirt covered it making him looked like he didn't have anything underneath because the lower part of the shirt wasn't transparent. It seemed the main purpose of Seely for doing that was too not get hot and sweaty on the chest and the back when sleeping.

"All done! What do you think Leyl- !!!" Seely was shocked. He is currently staring at his brothers muscles and naked body. It was like an idol's body maybe because of Leylin always training the Knight breathing technique. What really made him look though was the big bulging banana that Leylin was trying to cover up with his clothes between his legs.

Seely's nose bled too.

Leylin realized what was happening and blushed.

"Seely I can expla- " Leylin was going to say something when a giant flower gobbled him up out of nowhere.

Seely tossed the clothes he made for his brother. Some vines caught it and put it inside the flower.

"Hey don't touch that!" Leylin screamed.

"That's not somewhere you put the vines in! UGH." Leylin was having a hard time inside.

"Brother, before anything, stop struggling. The flower is helping you dress. Also I just wanted to put this out that whatever the plants are touching there, I have nothing to do with it!" Seely was blushing red while saying the latter part.

Leylin was suddenly tossed out of the flower.

He was wearing the clothes Seely made.

"That was... wild."

"Yeah. Sorry brother. The plants were too tough on handling you."

"Seely!" Leylin loudly said.

"Yes brot-" Seely felt warmth. He was surprised. He was being hugged! It felt good and his heart was beating.

"I'm sorry for being like that. Please... forget that." Leylin looked into Seely's eyes.

"O-Of course, brother." Seely had mixed feelings about what's happening right now but couldn't help lean his face on Leylin's chest that that felt so... comfortable.

Leylin instinctively put Seely's face closer to his chest.

It took a few seconds when Leylin realized he was still hugging Seely and immediately released Seely.

" *cough* Now...about that...training." Leylin changed the topic but it was too sudden that it didnt really fit the mood.

"We can finally start practising as a Magus!" Seely pretended to be... excited but his mind was actually thinking about something else.

Both of the brothers was awkwardly getting prepared for their very first training.

Leylin stroked the crystal ball, his eyes gradually turned hazy, and his nostrils flared.

'Focus' Leylin told himself and returned back to his original self.

Seely, seeing Leylin's expression also became serious. That determination and will to get stronger. That was the Leylin in the original timeline when he, Seely didn't exist. He put those thoughts at the back Idaho's mind and put all his attention in training.

[A data interface has been discovered, start transmitting or not?] The A.I. Chip's voice sounded.

"Begin!" At Leylin's command, an acute pain entered his brain, as if someone filled it with lead.

"This is... " Leylin grabbed his head, and discovered that many images and words appeared in his brain along with the pain, and the first line was: "Elementary Meditation Technique!"

This information appeared out of nowhere and was firmly imprinted in Leylin's mind.

After some time, Leylin finally recovered from the pain, but he was still feeling groggy.

"A.I. Chip, defragment the data for the elementary meditation technique!"

[Beep! Task established, beginning defragmentation!]

A blue interface started to flicker in front of Leylin's eyes.

[Beep! The data has been defragmented. 21.3% of miscellaneous information has been removed, begin to transmit?"

"Transmit!" Leylin ordered.

'System, get the defragement data from the A. I. Chip's data and begin transmission too.'

[Transmission Complete.]

'Eh-... Isn't it too fast? That's it?' Seely was being reminded again that the system works faster than the A. I. Chip. The feeling was no different from his usual transmission of information from the updated chapters.

With the continuous transmission from the A.I. Chip, Leylin began to gain an understanding of the elementary meditation technique for acolytes.

'Should I start my meditation? It seems like Leylin is still pondering about it.' Seely honestly could do it but he wanted to wait for Leylin, he got a feeling that something might go wrong.

...

Leylin was still analyzing about the meditation technique he got.

Elementary meditation techniques are, as their name implies, special meditation techniques given to acolytes, and are the most basic of techniques. After many years of modification, they have already reached a nearly perfect stage, and the content of the elementary meditation techniques from the various academies did not differ by much.

To be specific, they are similar to the visualisation techniques from Leylin's previous world. An acolyte draws mind runes inside their mind to increase their spiritual force, and as they draw more mind runes, their spiritual force grows stronger.

Every Magi liked to record all the precise details and processes down.

In regards to acolytes, they have divided the practice into three levels: level 1 acolyte, level 2 acolyte, and level 3 acolyte.

As for the division between levels, it is seen through the progression of the elementary meditation technique.

When one has the ability to meditate with 8 runes, they have passed the criteria for a level 1 acolyte. Being able to meditate with 24 runes is the sign of a level 2 acolyte. As for level 3 acolytes, there seemed to be other conditions needed.

As for the meditation progress, it is closely related to a Magus' aptitude.

[The user's strength can already rival a Rank 1 Magus but to be officially identified as one boy this world, Mind runes are the least requirement. To be specific, the host is someone who can defeat a magus while being an acolyte which is a feat that could be mistaken for a peerless genius. The only benefit from the Mind runes for the user is increasing your spiritual forces and needed steps to be recognized as a Magus. The user can still rival Maguses and cast spells using the elements because of your overwhelming stats in regards to not being a Magus yet. Additionally you could control the plant elements with no energy nor spiritual cost seemingly.]

Seely heard the system and thought about it. He could not become a magus and cast spells freely without form but... he bet the spells he would be able to use wouldn't that be stable and he would need to research the spells he would use for more complex effects. On the other hand if he becomes a magus using the mind runes, he could immediately learn the spells using the system. He wouldn't lose anything and the spells he would get would have been refined. Like the system said, he could freely control plant elements. That would be his trump card.

Seely decided to continue being a Magus. Leylin would become a Magus so it may help on staying closer to the MC. He's acting as both brother and protector of the MC. Being too strong than lacking strength at all is a better choice. His spells would be more solid if becomes a Magus.

"In regards to meditation practice, the superiority of a fifth-grade acolyte is extremely obvious; they can become a level 1 acolyte in only five to six days. No wonder Jayden, who was a regular human before boarding the dirigible, was able to use a magic artifact in just half a month's time." Leylin pondered.

As for a fourth-grade acolyte, the time needed to become a level 1 acolyte is approximately fifteen to twenty days. Third-grade acolytes will need a month's time; second-grade acolytes will need half a year, and first-grade acolytes will need several years!"

"This difficulty in progressing will only increase when ascending to level 2 acolyte and level 3 acolyte, hence is it understandable for professors to favour acolytes with high aptitudes. After all, maybe one can receive the remuneration of a proper Magus in a dozen years, with just a little more effort put in now!"

[An independent file has been created for the meditation technique data, analyse or not?] The A.I. Chip prompted with a window.

"Begin analysing!"

[In the process of analysing! Progress: 0.11%] The A.I. Chip showed the current state.

"This crystal ball seems to input the information directly into the acolytes' brains, but the method is a little too crude and it does not care if you remember it completely or not. But the A.I. Chip is able to defragment and store it directly in the memory bank, and is even able to aid by analysing the process!"

Leylin indifferently compared the differences between the two and hoping Seely is also learning from what he was saying.

Seely was both listening to his brother's word and the system.

[Chapter 23 is now available.]

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