Highschool DxD-Dream of Perfection

Chapter 28

(Author Note: Do you think those in the Ultimate class or higher should have extended lifespans? I imagine Ultimate Class beings could naturally live up to at least 250 years, either through rituals or sheer power. Let me know your thoughts!

Yuto lay sprawled on the bed, his legs lazily swinging left and right in sync with the ticking of the clock beside him. Every two seconds, his legs would reach their full arc before reversing direction. Next to his massive pillow, where his head rested, sat a bowl filled with an assortment of candy—chocolates, hard candies, and everything in between, all of the finest quality. Every few minutes, he would grab a piece and pop it into his mouth while engrossed in a fantasy novel. It wasn't his usual choice of magic theory or formation books; instead, it was a tale about a future great knight making his way through the world.

There's nothing better than resting after a good day's work, Yuto thought with satisfaction, conveniently ignoring the fact that he hadn't done a single productive thing in the past few days. To be fair, both his body and mind were exhausted to the point that even mild exertion risked reopening his injuries or burning him out completely.

Not wanting to worsen his condition, he reluctantly resigned himself to what he considered an unproductive existence—reading novels and lounging on the softest mattress he had ever encountered. Of course, this wasn't something he liked doing. Definitely not. That would not be who he is.

Lost in thought, Yuto reached out for another piece of candy, only for his fingers to scrape against the bottom of the bowl. It was empty.

"Secil," Yuto called, glancing toward the elf maid standing nearby. She wore a crisp maid uniform, her expression etched with a frown and barely concealed irritation.

"Yes, Sir Yuto," she replied through gritted teeth, her displeasure evident in both tone and posture. Yuto, unfazed—or perhaps simply indifferent—continued as though he hadn't noticed her mood.

"My bowl is empty. Refill it and bring me a nice blanket while you're at it."

"Understood," Secil bit out, her voice tight with suppressed anger. She took the empty bowl with both hands and left the room, clearly irritated but compelled to obey.

You might be wondering who Secil is and why she seems so upset with Yuto. Secil is one of the elves who initially viewed Yuto as inferior—a mere human with ultimate-class mana, which she dismissed as a one-trick talent, a wolf without teeth. In contrast, she was a proud genius of the Phamos family, a mere fifty years old but already approaching the peak of mid-high-class strength. She was a future powerhouse in the making, destined to reach the ultimate class within a few decades or less.

Her condescending attitude toward Yuto—shouting orders, grabbing him forcefully, and other indignities—had not gone unpunished. In response, Yuto had grabbed her by the hair and repeatedly kneed her in the face until her facial bones fractured and her scalp was bloodied. While such injuries would be catastrophic for a human, in this world, they were considered relatively minor—a level of harm akin to leaving a bruise on a mortal.

Secil returned, carrying a warm, cozy-looking blanket and a freshly filled bowl of candy.

"Here, master," she said stiffly, handing the items to Yuto.

Without even glancing up from his book, Yuto replied, "Oh, you were quick. Just put the bowl beside me and lay the blanket over me."

Her face twitched in irritation, but she did as instructed, draping the blanket over him with forced precision before stepping back.

A day earlier, something rather interesting had happened. The head of the Phamos family had entered Yuto's tent, dragging Secil along by her arm. He had apologized profusely for her and the rest of the family's prior rudeness, offering a variety of gifts as compensation. Among the offerings were potions, totems, and rare knowledge, the most prized being a Basic Soul Theory totem—an exceedingly rare artifact, especially considering how rare it is, at least from what Yuto experienced. Although it might be just because those at the top confiscated most of them.

As part of the apology, Secil had been assigned as Yuto's personal maid for the duration of his stay. While her attitude remained sour, she now had little choice but to follow his every command.

On another note, the aftermath of Yuto pushing himself beyond his limits had yielded surprising benefits. His physique had strengthened to the point where he was now firmly at the threshold of the ultimate class, albeit just barely. Additionally, he had grown a few centimeters taller, now officially standing at 170 cm—not particularly tall, but respectable for someone approaching their fourteenth birthday.

All things considered, life wasn't too bad for Yuto. Not bad at all.

()

Ding

Ding

The system notification chimed every few minutes, persistently mimicking an alarm. It kept Yuto aware of the steady stream of perfection points he was earning. Although he does not know the details he is guessing, it has something to do with the fight he just had.

Perfection Points: 3717 + 34 = 3751

"It's slowing down," Yuto thought, glancing at the updated point total before pulling out his status sheet. He decided it was time to spend all his points to enhance his talent.

Level: 12 => 15

Perfection Points: 3751 - 2250 => 1501

Talent: 3.62 + 0.6 => 4.22

Just as he completed the upgrade, a sudden notification interrupted him.

[Congratulations, Host!]

The host's talent has stepped through the gates of legendary heroes and sages.

[Notice]

All ancient heroes and sages possessed immense talent, unwavering willpower, and colossal luck. These three attributes defined their greatness. Now, Host, your talent has entered that same legendary realm—beyond the boundaries of ordinary humans.

[Notice]

[Every five levels, the price of upgrading the talent will double it, reaching 30 at the maximum].

[System of Perfection]

Name: Tsuki Yuto

Race: Human

Talent level: 15

Points to Next level: 1600

Talent Value: 4.22

Perks:

Supernatural Charm (Basic)

Skills:

Everyday Household Jobs, Level 2 (Advanced)

Mana Manipulation, Level 17 (Master)

Physical Enhancement, Level 17 (Master)

Hand-to-Hand Combat, Level 19 (Master)

Acting, Level 26 (Master)

Enchanted Senses, Level 8 (Master)

Presence, Level 16 (Master)

Swordsmanship, Level 3 (Master)

Marksmanship, Level 2 (Master)

Elemental Magic, Level 17 (Master)

Limit Breaker, Level 16 (Master)

Normal State Power Level: 50

Boosted Power Level: 60 (at the limit)

Overboosted Power Level: 79 (beyond the limit—extremely short duration, rapidly reduces lifespan, can use potion and other things to reduce the side effect.) 

()

"Maximum ?" Yuto questioned, his voice tinged with confusion as he pondered the sudden change in the system. It felt abrupt and unexpected. Truth be told, while Yuto acknowledged his system wasn't perfect, it wasn't entirely lacking either. Imagine possessing a talent value of ten million—you could ascend to godhood in mere seconds, perhaps even become a multiversal deity within a day. Such overwhelming talent is possible, yet now there was a sudden limit on his talent?

"System," Yuto called out in his mind, keeping his expression neutral, betraying none of the turmoil within.

[Ding]

[How can I assist you, sir?]

"Why did it suddenly change? Now there is a limit to levels?" Yuto asked, his voice steady but sharp with curiosity.

Every living organism has a limit, sir; there is nothing that exists that has truly infinite potential. However, do not worry—the skill upgrade process will continue as usual, sir,] the system replied in its usual calm and polite tone.

Yet beneath that voice was a profound emptiness, a hollow sensation Yuto could never shake. It was as if the system, for all its apparent sentience, was nothing more than an empty shell.

Yuto pressed further, asking questions in various ways: Can I go beyond the limit? Will this restrict me in any way? The answers remained consistent:

You can surpass the limits, sir. The maximum rank is merely the system's current capacity. No, the system will not restrict you, sir.

And then, just like that, the system fell silent after five minutes, deactivating itself. Unless Yuto actively upgraded something in the system panel, its voice wouldn't activate again.

"Damn it," Yuto muttered under his breath, frustration washing over him. Several plans for his future now lay in ruins. He had hoped to bide his time, to grow his talent quietly, parading his abilities only when his strength had reached a sufficient degree. Then, perhaps, he could rid himself of the system—or at least wrest complete control over it.

The fact that the system subtly urged him to use the panel for skill upgrades only deepened his suspicions. Its goals unknown, its intentions unclear. But for now, Yuto was powerless. His only option was to grow stronger, to amass enough knowledge and power to someday sever himself from its grip.

()

Clara entered Yuto's tent after ringing the bell at the entrance a few times, signaling her arrival. Gripping her old staff firmly in her hand, she stepped inside. Yuto, noticing her presence, immediately stopped his train of thought and focused on the present.

"Oh, Ms. Beinzwell, you came. Did you need anything?" Yuto asked politely, setting his book aside and sitting up on the bed instead of lying down. However, he made no move to stand and formally greet her.

Clara sighed inwardly at his choice of address. Despite her repeated insistence that he call her "Grandma Clara," Yuto refused every time with his usual polite demeanor. She had first asked him to call her that month ago, not long after they first met. "What a stubborn kid," she thought, though the irony was not lost on her—after all, she was famously known as the "Iron Maiden" for her own stubbornness and unyielding nature.

She walked to the small table in the middle of the tent and sat down with a heavy uff. It was noticeably smaller than the one in her own tent, but that was fair enough—hers served as the hub for all war councils. She pretended to sit as though she were a weak old grandmother, but the truth was far from that. Though she had once been a Peak Ultimate rank, she was now closer to Peak Mid Ultimate. Even so, she was still formidable and likely had a few decades left before age would truly catch up with her.

"I'm just reminding you that the representative from Asgard will arrive in a few hours," she muttered, picking up an apple from the table and taking a bite. Yuto, on his part, casually grabbed a candy from the bowl and popped it into his mouth.

Like the little child he truly is, Clara thought, though she couldn't ignore the weight of the information she had recently received. If the reports were accurate, Yuto was the strongest participant in this war. He had managed to defeat Bayl the Blood Weaver, a Peak Ultimate-class devil, without losing a limb—or worse. From what she could observe, he hadn't even sustained serious injuries, only mild exhaustion.

What she didn't know was that he had indeed lost vital lifeforce—equivalent to several decades. Some of his hair had turned white and brittle, which he discreetly plucked before arriving at the camp. While most of his external injuries had healed, his internal wounds were far from fully recovered. But it is healed to the point that he can unleash most of his power.

"Okay," Yuto replied nonchalantly, picking up the book he had just set aside and resuming his reading. Clara, meanwhile, turned to the elf maid, Secil, and addressed her.

"Prepare me a meal, preferably a steak," she ordered. Clara had noticed long ago that Secil was no ordinary maid considering her mana and somewhat familiar face, but she didn't care much. By the time the elf might grow into an Ultimate class herself, Clara would likely already be gone—or so she assumed. If Secil even reached that rank at all.

Secil bowed gracefully, her voice calm and steady as she replied, "Understood." She turned and walked toward the entrance of the tent, hands clasped neatly at her stomach.

While this was happening, Yuto continued reading, pretending not to listen. In truth, he was paying close attention, though he felt a twinge of annoyance at the stark difference in how Secil treated Clara compared to him. It bothered him that an old woman, seemingly at death's door, commanded more respect than him—a super-genius, at least among humans. Of course, on a broader scale, he acknowledged the existence of beings like Sirzechs Lucifer and Ajuka Beelzebub, born as ultimate-class devils, as well as the rare naturally born gods and dragons he'd only heard about in passing.

He suspected that word of his fight had spread, though he couldn't fathom who might have leaked it.

Yuto was well aware that his youth and his status as a human without a sacred gear made it challenging to wield the authority he desired. However, he was confident this limitation would soon become a thing of the past. Still, he knew that fame brought its own set of problems, and he braced himself to confront them in due time.

As he pondered, the sound of Secil's footsteps drew closer to the tent, accompanied by the distinct clinking of forks and knives.