[STATUS]
[Name: Seth (Rank-E)
[Class: [None]
[Title: [Desert Sovereign (Equipped)]
[Level]: 24
[Strength]: 55
[Speed]: 58
[Intelligence]: 50
[Endurance]: 53
[Extra points: 31]
Skills: [The End (Rank-SSS)] [Killing Blow (Rank-E)] [Presence of the King (Rank-D)] [Fleeing Instinct (Rank-E)] [Storm Spear (Rank-A)]
[Storage] [Skill Slot: (1 of 2)]
[Temporarily stored copied skills: [Electrokinesis - Rank-D]]
[Next Slot: Level 25]
[Gold: 16. 548]
Seth stared at the floating interface in front of him, the numbers softly illuminating the steam that enveloped the black marble bathtub where his body rested.
The bubbles and heat massaged his muscles as his golden eyes coldly analyzed the panel.
"Impressive..." Seth murmured, resting his arm on the edge of the tub, his golden eyes half-closed. A discreet smile played on his lips, serene... but with a hint of danger. "This system's XP system is really generous... I went up several levels in one go, and yet a single Rank-D monster gave me another whole level."
Steam enveloped the room like a holy mist, drowning out the sounds of the outside world. The hot water enveloped his body as if to dissolve any trace of tension... but that wasn't what kept him awake. What was boiling inside him was far more uncomfortable than the heat of the bath.
He sighed, still analyzing the status panel in front of him. Stronger. Faster. More intelligent. More resilient. And each number represented a gear turning towards something bigger.
With a subtle movement of his hand, he slid the Status tab to the side. "Right... let's see..." he muttered, touching the golden icon with the symbol of a flaming coin. "Shop."
The interface changed. A subtle sound, like the ringing of bells, echoed in his mind. The screen opened up with a few categories... Potions, Weapons, Utilities, and Armor... But...
It was like a generic catalog of supplies for low-ranking adventurers.
[Minor Healing Potion - 1150G]
[Minor Mana Potion - 75G]
[Vigor Elixir - 1120G]
[Dungeon Survival Kit - 1250G]
[Light Protective Enchanted Clothing - 1600G] (with ridiculous bonuses, in his opinion)
Seth arched an eyebrow. "So basic it's like a tutorial store... And those prices are shit..."
Still, there was organization. Each category was well defined, and he noticed that the rarest items required prerequisites - level, class, even specific titles.
'The stronger I get... the better I'll be able to buy... that should probably update every time I level up... I'm considering it, but let's try it when level 25 comes around.'
But then, as he ran his finger over an almost unnoticed scroll, he stopped.
Something lit up. A glow - not from the screen, but from the blade inside it.
[Sovereign of Storms - Rank-A+]
The name appeared on its own, highlighted in a silver frame as if waiting to be noticed. The weapon was actually on its own tab called "Unique"
The image was beautiful.
A long sword with a translucent blue crystal blade that looked as if it had been carved from thunder frozen in time. In the center of the blade, real lightning pulsed - alive, contained, fierce.
It moved like an electric snake, zigzagging silently from the inside to the outside of the blade.
The handle was made of blackened silver, with runic inscriptions that seemed to tremble at the touch of the eye.
It was no ordinary weapon.
And Seth felt it.
The description appeared slowly, as if the store itself took longer to process something of that caliber...
[Queen of Storms - Long Sword - Rank A+]
[Type: Elemental Conductor Weapon]
[Description: Forged in the eye of an ancient storm and bathed in the tears of a betrayed goddess, the Sovereign of Storms carries within her the fury of heaven. Only those capable of mastering thunder can wield it without being destroyed by its will].
[560 Attack] | [+80 Strength] | [+50 Speed] | [+35 Intelligence]
[Active Skill - [Sovereign Storm]: Fires a concentrated bolt of lightning that deals magic damage in an area based on the user's Intelligence. Chance to electrocute for 3 seconds causing rooting. Cooldown: 5 minutes]
[Requirements: Level 35 | 80 INT | Lightning Affinity
[Price: 24,000G]
Seth leaned back in the tub, letting the warm water envelop his body like a blanket of calm. A wider smile crossed his face - not of relief, but of anticipation.
"You're... not just any weapon."
He knew. The sword had felt him.
The lightning pulsing inside the blade seemed to react to his presence - as if it recognized the thunder lying dormant beneath his skin.
It wasn't coincidence. It was connection.
His eyes slid to the status menu:
[Temporarily stored copied skills: Electrokinesis - Rank-D]
"Electrical affinity equipped... even if temporary."
The sword knew.
The System knew.
And maybe... it was waiting for him too.
He remained silent, staring at the image of the weapon like someone contemplating something sacred. The Storm Queen wasn't just powerful - she was selective.
Will condensed into steel.
Storm trapped in crystal.
Fury disguised as beauty.
"Only level left... and gold." He murmured, his eyes shining with something more than desire - pure ambition.
His finger hovered over the buy button. A simple gesture.
But it didn't click.
Not yet.
"Wait for me, Queen..." His voice came out low, almost a whisper. "It's not long before we're one."
And at that instant, the lightning inside the blade moved.
Not just any animation - but real lightning, as if the weapon had responded.
A vivid, wild spark... like a nod.
Like a yes.
"Well... I need a weapon in the meantime..." Seth muttered, sliding his finger to the weapons tab as calmly as someone opens a treasure chest.
But as he touched the section, the interface changed - and a message in red pulsed before him:
[Insufficient Level!]
He blinked.
"...Nothing?" His voice came out low, disbelieving.
He scrolled down the menu, reloaded the tab. Nothing had changed. Just the same merciless message, burning before his eyes like an invisible barrier.
[Requirements not met.]
[Minimum unlock: Level 30.]
Seth let out a long sigh, resting his head against the cold edge of the bath. The steam rose around him like a mist trying to soften his frustration.
"Of course... generous system with experience, cheapskate with weapons."
For a moment, his gaze returned to the image of the Storm Queen. Still there, still beautiful - still unattainable.
"You want me. I know that." "But it looks like I'm going to have to sweat a bit more before I can touch you, doesn't it?"
The crystalline blade, stuck in the store window, pulsed with another electric spark - almost like a silent provocation.
Seth stepped out of the bath, the steam still hanging in the air behind him, dripping down the mirrors and the walls. A towel thrown carelessly over his shoulders, his damp hair falling over his golden eyes.
But he stopped as soon as he crossed the threshold of the bathroom.
Connie was there. Standing against the wall of the room, arms crossed, her gaze firm - but charged with something softer. Vixen wasn't there. Just the two of them.
She stared at him in silence for a few seconds, before briefly looking away to the window, as if she were preparing herself for something she had been rehearsing for some time.
"Vixen's gone," she said, almost as a formality. "We need to talk."
Seth arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. He just walked calmly over to the bed, picked up a shirt from the back of the armchair and put it on without haste. Her silence said more than her words.
"I know you weren't in a dungeon."
He stopped.
Connie's voice wasn't accusatory. Nor cold. It was... careful.
"His tracks, the kind of residual magic he left behind... the pattern of the Association's notifications... doesn't match any record of entry into Dungeon."
Seth turned his face slowly, his eyes meeting hers.
"Are you watching me now?"
She let out a short laugh. "If I was, I'd know where you really went."
Seth didn't answer immediately, but his gaze softened for a moment.
Connie then uncrossed her arms and took a few steps forward, stopping a few centimeters from him. Her tone lowered, but became firmer:
"I don't want lies between us. And I don't need you to tell me now." She took a deep breath. "But I want you to know... I'll wait. As soon as you trust me enough, you'll tell me. Okay?"
His golden eyes lingered on hers for a moment longer, before he nodded slightly. "Okay."
She relaxed a little. Just a little.
"But I'm going away tomorrow." She continued, looking away for a moment. "I need to go to the United States... high-level mission. Serious stuff."
"How long will you be gone?" Seth asked, not completely hiding his annoyance.
"I don't know yet. Maybe a week. Maybe longer."
She turned her face back to him.
"While I'm gone... I've organized some portals for you. I've gained access to some low and medium risk dungeons. Apparently you want to be a hunter now... So I've got everything ready."
A smile appeared on her face. "Consider it my way of saying: 'Come back stronger.'"
Seth stared at her for a few seconds, then walked over to her, stopping so close that she had to lift her face to maintain eye contact.
"Come back alive. Consider this my way of saying, 'Don't die and leave me with this mess.
The silence between them was as thick as fog - full of unspoken things, of contained desires, of words that preferred to come through touch rather than voice.
Connie didn't look away. Not this time. Her face was inches from his, her eyes fixed on the intense golds that seemed to observe even the most hidden corners of the soul.
Then she smiled - small, but genuine. One of those rare smiles that broke through the armor she wore with the world.
And Seth, without saying another word, just leaned in.
Their lips touched with the same restrained firmness that existed in everything they shared: tension, desire, wounded pride... and a mute promise. There was no hurry. There was no doubt. Just the two of them, there, allowing themselves to give in.
The kiss began calmly - but charged with electricity. Like silent thunder before a storm. Connie brought her hand up to his face, fingers sliding across his warm skin, feeling his pulse quicken under his jaw.
When they finally pulled apart, even by a few millimeters, she let out a sigh against his lips.
"...I loved it when you said I was only yours."
The voice came out in a hoarse whisper, more of a shiver than a sentence.
Seth leaned his forehead against hers, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"That's because it's true," he murmured. "And if anyone tries to change that... they'll end up meeting the 'End'."