KonoSuba 9
After our heartfelt discussion about the future, we settled in for the night. As soon as my head met the cool surface of the pillow, I drifted off into a deep slumber. I slept like a log, undisturbed until morning.
It seemed that even with her newfound skill eliminating the need for sleep, Olivia chose to snuggle up to me, wrapping her arms around me as she drifted off. I tried in vain to free myself from her tight grip, but each attempt proved futile, so I eventually gave up. With a sigh and a smile, I gently brushed the strands of hair away from her face, and allow her to sleep a little longer. I decided to take a moment to review my Adventurer System, giving it a thorough check.
The battle against the gods, coupled with my previous disposal of the Generals, proved to be a valuable source of experience. Despite the system dividing it between Olivia and me, my adventurer levels soared, propelling me to level 151.
With this came the reward of 380 free attribute points, additionally, considering the two points I had previously saved, I now had a total of 78 ability points at my disposal. I made the swift decision to max the skill I had leveled up last time, [Mana Conservation]. That left me with 60 remaining ability points to allocate.
[Mana Conservation X LVL: N/A]
- Enables the user to conserve mana more efficiently, reducing the mana cost of spells by 15%.
Now only the question remained: Which abilities to choose?
As I pondered over the available skills, my perfect memory proving to be both a boon and a curse, I couldn't shake off a tinge of disappointment. Despite my thorough examination, nothing truly extraordinary caught my undivided attention.
The allure of investing points into [Explosion Synergy], enhancing the power, efficiency, and scale of my abilities that went 'Boom', tempted me momentarily. However, ultimately, I made the decision to channel all of my remaining points into augmenting the elements I relied on most: Spatial and Temporal.
[Spatial Synergy X LVL: N/A]
- Amplifies the user's control over space-related abilities, granting a 25% boost in the effectiveness of spatial-based abilities.
[Temporal Synergy X LVL: N/A]
- Amplifies the user's control over time-related abilities, granting a 25% boost in the effectiveness of temporal-based powers.
As the newly acquired abilities settled within the depths of my soul, I could sense a strengthening of my control over these affinities. While the changes may not have been cataclysmic in nature, there was a subtle shift in the air, and I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of confidence coursing through my veins.
With the enhanced grasp I now had over time and space, I believed that in a hypothetical rematch against the gods who held a divine domain over these affinities, I stood a better chance of resisting their powers and perhaps even counter them. Also, the evolution of [Optimize] in the direction I desired, further bolstered my confidence, granting me the ability to swiftly discern vulnerabilities and exploit them to my advantage.
With the ability points depleted, I directed my attention to my attribute points. One hundred and fifty points flowed into bolstering my agility, granting me enhanced speed and agility in combat. The remaining two hundred and thirty points found their home in the attribute of Luck, in the hopes of increasing the likelihood of fortuitous encounters and deftly evading potential pitfalls that lay ahead on my path.
Done with the Adventurer System, I lost myself in deep contemplation, I weighed the advantages and disadvantages of merging all of my Spatial and Temporal abilities into a singular skill. Yet, with a moment's reflection, the notion was promptly discarded, as came to the realization that a vital element was absent from this combination: Gravity Manipulation.
I even considered the idea of placing them as subskills under [Space-Time Manipulation], which was similar to the last idea, but swiftly abandoned.
"The next world harbors a handful of gravity users." In a hushed tone, I mumbled, while absentmindedly stroking Olivia, who continued to pretend to be asleep, and gently caressing the belly of the wolf cub, whom Olivia inexplicably named Sky.
"It's time to wake up." I declared, planting a tender kiss on Olivia's forehead, causing her to mumble, "Just five more minutes." Her childish response elicited a chuckle that escaped from my lips, "Yeah, no chance." I replied with a playful shake of my head, continuing to chuckle. "Let's rise and shine, have a meal, and then go farm some experience. You only need a few more levels to max out two abilities. Once you achieve that, we can leave this world and enter the one with Heroes and Villains."
Seeing that my words had little effect on her, I let out a sigh and resorted to a more mischievous tactic. Slowly, my hand trailed down her back, causing a smile to bloom on her face, oblivious to the impending danger that awaited her. As my hand reached her rump, I playfully pinched it, resulting in her shooting up in a startled yelp. Swiftly, she retaliated with a slap, but I deftly dodged it by teleporting to the other side of the room.
Her eyes narrowed with a glare, and without hesitation, she seized a nearby pillow. Instinctively, channeling her [Sword Aura] into it, transforming it into a formidable weapon, which she hurled towards me. Reacting swiftly, I ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the pillow as it transformed into a deadly projectile, lodging itself into the wall.
As the energy surrounding the now-embedded pillow dissipated, I turned my gaze away from the hole it had created and faced Olivia with a wry smile. She shyly averted her eyes, and I chuckled, remarking, "Note to self: never engage in a pillow fight with you." This elicited a snort of amusement from her, making her roll her eyes, and look back at me with a pout on her face. "Now that you're fully awake, let's go grab something to eat," I said with a smile, rewinding time and restoring the wall to its former glory.
With nothing to pack, we used a cleaning spell to freshen ourselves up before activating our watches. Swiftly, we changed into different outfits and with Sky by our side, made our way down to the dining area for breakfast. Even if the staff seemed surprised by my presence, they maintained their professional demeanor and refrained from voicing any concerns. We were escorted to an unoccupied table and handed the menu.
As the butler departed to fetch our orders, a question nagged at me. "How much does a night here cost?" I inquired, curious about the expenses.
"Around a hundred gold," Olivia replied with a nonchalant shrug.
I checked our UC balance and discovered that it had decreased by a significant 50 points, roughly equivalent to 2,750 dollars. Not that money held the same importance anymore, but perhaps due to my previous lifestyle of living paycheck to paycheck, I couldn't help but express my apprehension. "Well, that's quite a steep price."
"You slept well, didn't you?" she countered, raising an eyebrow. "Besides, breakfast is included in the cost," she added with another shrug.
"Fine, whatever," I responded, rolling my eyes in playful exasperation.
"How do you like the wolf pup?" I asked, steering the conversation in a different direction, a smile spreading across my face.
"She's absolutely adorable!" Olivia exclaimed, her voice rising in excitement. "Where did you even find her? I hope you didn't kidnap her! Also, why is she so calm, and what exactly is a Hati?" Her barrage of rapid-fire questions caught me off guard momentarily, but once I regained my composure, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alright, let me answer those questions in order. I found her in a meadow. As far as I know, there are no other divine beasts on this planet, so I don't believe I kidnapped her from anyone or anything. I have no idea why she's so calm, honestly. I promise I didn't do anything to her. I just grabbed her and brought her to you. And a Hati, to the best of my knowledge, is a divine wolf depicted in Norse mythology as a creature that relentlessly chases after the moon. So considering her species, her moon divinity isn't much of a surprise." I answered, causing Olivia to nod in understanding before her gaze shifted down to the pup sprawled across her lap.
"So, are you planning to add her to the Pet System?" I asked curiously.
"I'm not sure," she replied with a wry smile. "She's small, but surprisingly strong and intelligent. Despite her size, she's already at the level of a toddler and can understand a few spoken words," she said proudly, wearing a maternal expression as if she were discussing her own child.
"Well, why don't we ask her if she wants to join you on an adventure?" I suggested, raising an eyebrow.
"And how would we even do that?" she inquired, her voice brimming with curiosity.
"With my skill, [Master of Natural Creation], I can communicate with practically anything, even the most ordinary blade of grass. I can establish a telepathic link with her and then connect it to you, so you two can have a little chat," I explained.
"That would be wonderful. Thank you," she responded with a smile, gently brushing her fingers through Sky's fur.
Using my skill, I initiated the telepathic connection, reaching out to the consciousness of the wolf cub and gently stirring her awake from her slumber. As she blinked in confusion and took in her surroundings, our eyes met, and she tilted her head to the side, causing her ears to flop about. In an innocent and childlike voice, she asked, "Papa?"
I couldn't help but feel a shudder of surprise ripple through my body upon hearing her innocent question. I had initially planned to ask her to stop calling me "Papa," but when I saw the hopeful look in her eyes, I reconsidered my response. A wry smile formed on my lips as I let out a sigh, finally replying, "Yes... Mommy wants to talk with you, Sky." Her eyes widened at my words, and she swiftly turned her gaze in Olivia's direction.
"Mommy? Mommy! Mommy!" she kept repeating, while I established a connection between them, acting as the intermediary, but intentionally tuning out their following conversation. The unexpected shock of being called "Papa" continued to linger, causing my mind to delve into deep contemplation.
"I thought I had at least a year or two before being called that," I muttered under my breath, my gaze still lost in contemplation.
However, I was abruptly pulled out of my thoughts as Olivia placed a comforting hand on mine. I gave her a quizzical look, realizing that our food had already been served. "Yes?" I responded, my voice tinged with confusion.
"You were the one insisting on getting something to eat, and now that the food is here, you're just blankly staring at the wall," she said with concern evident in her voice. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, just lost in thought," I replied with a casual shrug. "So, did she make a decision?" I quickly changed the subject.
"Yes... She wants to travel with her Papa and Mama," Olivia answered, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips, causing another shudder to run through me at the mention of 'Papa'. "So, what do I do now?" She continued, not noticing my discomfort caused by that word.
"To add her to the Pet System, you need to establish some level of trust or tame her. Since she's already calling you 'Mommy,' it seems like a deep bond has already formed," I explained, rolling my eyes slightly while noticing a light blush coloring Olivia's cheeks. "After that, it's straightforward. You'll need direct contact with her and simply think of the Pet System. A prompt should appear, guiding you through the process," I shared my understanding of the system.
Olivia shrugged, placed her palm on top of Sky, and with a muted flash of light, a new companion finally joined us on our journey.
As we began digging into our breakfast, I stole a quick glance at Sky's Library system status, checking for anything unusual or noteworthy.
Sky
[Global L: 1 XP: 0]
[Titles: [Moonchaser] [None] [None]]
[Race: Hati | Tier: 3 | Ev. Stage: 0] [HS: Healthy]
[Domains: Moon]
Stamina: 6,789 (11/s)
Mana: 20 (0.12/min)
STR: 88
VIT: 93
DEX: 73
AGI: 79
PER: 89
INT: 5
WIS: 4
CHAR: 14
LUCK: 16
P. Res: 500 (5.00%)
M. Res: 500 (5.00%)
Defence: None
Offence: None
Magic: [Shadow Manipulation 1]
Misc.: [Puppy Eyes 1] [Enhanced Smell 3] [Night Vision] [Ageless]
Sky's status screen differed from ours in several ways. She didn't have a class and was unable to change her race. Instead, she had something we didn't—an Evolution Stage. The system didn't provide much explanation for it, only hinting that as she grew and leveled up, that number would advance. Its significance in the grand scheme of things remained unclear.
I felt a sense of relief knowing that Sky didn't have access to our UC or WP. However, it was interesting to note that she had access to the inventory system, specifically Olivia's inventory. This meant that the little wolf cub could serve as an efficient courier if needed.
I was genuinely surprised by her stats. Despite her young age of just a few months, the adorable creature possessed impressive physical strength. However, her Intelligence and Wisdom were relatively low, which, to be honest, was to be expected at her age.
Examining her skills, most were self-explanatory except for one—[Puppy Eyes]. This charm-based ability allowed her to captivate her targets with her irresistible cuteness, granting her the ability to evade trouble or even launch surprise attacks when enemies displayed hesitation. It was a devious skill, one that I couldn't help but appreciate and love. The thought of using her adorable charm to our advantage brought a mischievous grin to my face.
After finishing our quick meal, I adjusted the experience-sharing settings, removing myself from Olivia's share and replacing it with Sky. With our new arrangement, we teleported to various locations across the globe, encountering and defeating any monsters we came across.
The moment she reached level 61, following my suggestion, she allocated all of her free attribute points into Intelligence. This significant boost of 300 points not only increased her mana capacity but also improved her mana regeneration by a considerable margin.
As a higher-tier class, her Hero class offered intriguing abilities. Olivia wasted no time in allocating her 60 free ability points into the two skills with the most potential, immediately maxing them out. The choices were made carefully, ensuring she optimized her skill set for the challenges that lay ahead.
[Physical Enhancement X LVL: N/A]
- Amplifies the user's physical abilities across the board, granting a 5% increase in strength, vitality, dexterity, agility, and perception.
[Sunder X LVL: N/A]
- The user channels a significant amount of stamina into a single strike, enabling them to flawlessly split objects or entities.
- The split created by Sunder is clean and seamless, with minimal collateral damage to the surrounding area.
- The user's weapon, if applicable, should possess exceptional sharpness and durability to withstand the force of the strike.
- Upon executing the strike, the user experiences a surge of heightened awareness and agility, enhancing their speed by 20% for a brief moment.
With the allure of gaining more experience diminishing, we realized there was nothing holding us back in this world. Without wasting any more time, I summoned the system and used it to exit the world, paying a hefty sum of 7,500 WP for the Wish-Fulfilling Book.
The cost of the Philosopher's Stone and the materials from the divine snake had already taken a toll on our shared wallet, and the expense of extracting the book alone was staggering. It left us with only 1,589 WP remaining.
In a flash of light, the three of us, including the wolf cub, found ourselves standing before the pedestal where Index resided. The golden book lay open, seemingly welcoming our return. {Greetings!} Index exclaimed with a jovial tone. {I see you've brought a new companion!} He leaned forward as if trying to get a closer look at the wolf, which cowered behind Olivia's legs. Index chuckled and turned back to face us. {So, how was your stay?} he inquired.
"Good enough?" I replied with a shrug. "But we obtained what we wanted from it," I added.
{Did you happen to have time to look through the list I provided?} asked Index in a hopeful voice, causing me to sigh in annoyance.
"No, not yet," I replied, shaking my head. "As I mentioned before, once we complete the next two worlds, we'll consider visiting one of the worlds you suggested. Alright?" I tilted my head to the side, hoping he would accept this plan.
{Sure, sure,} he replied, nodding. {If you'd like, I can update the list, taking into account your growth over those two worlds. I can add worlds that I estimate will be challenging but not life-threatening,} he offered.
"That's thoughtful of you, Index. Thank you," Olivia replied with a smile, holding the wolf cub in her embrace.
{No need for thanks; it's my duty,} Index replied, and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought he blushed.
While they continued to chat and exchange pleasantries, discussing the new addition to our family, I took the opportunity to contact Mai and get an update on her progress.
Focusing on our soulbond link, I cast my [Link] spell manually, connecting to her consciousness.
"Hey Mai, how's it going?"
"Greetings, Master. I'm approximately a quarter of the way through. The mana saturation of the artificial universe is at 28%. Estimated time of completion is in 5 days, 7 hours, and 38 minutes."
"Thanks for the update. Are you bored alone? Do you want me to come over and keep you company for a few hours?"
"There's no need. I've discovered this fascinating series in the replicator memory. I still have 12 seasons to go, though."
Her response made me chuckle, and I replied, "Alright, but don't overdo it." Actually, I wasn't even sure if she could overdo it. "Olivia and I will be heading to a new world shortly. We'll stay there for a few days. If any issues arise, contact me through our connection."
"Will do, Master. Have a safe trip!"
"Thanks. See you in a few days." With that, I ended the telepathic link and turned my attention to Olivia. "Do you want to enter a new world right away, or do you need to take care of something?" I asked, hoping she didn't have any other plans.
My prayers were answered as she shrugged and said, "Sure, the Heroes and Villains one, right?"
"That's the one," I confirmed with a nod, turning to Index. "Index, could you find us a My Hero Academia world, preferably one that will provide a challenge?"
{What kind of challenge are you looking for?}