NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14: Level Up
The magic circle, drawn with my blood, glows and flickers as I separate my body from the unconscious Rero Sansanti.
On my right arm, an ethereal-looking tattoo appears.
I have the feeling that I can summon it at will.
The tattoo is a replica of the magic circle, with the octogram inside, the eight-pointed star.
This mark is the sign that I have become a Master.
"With the octogram, you can demand absolute loyalty from your Servants," Raqahela confirms to me, positioning herself behind me. "Raqahela congratulates you, her beloved bishop. The ritual was a success and was Sublime."
I don't respond.
I feel strange. Different.
Like a smartphone left alone for days, the system is filled with notifications.
It will take some time to make sense of it all.
In the meantime, the mischievous demon begins to give me a back massage.
I smile at the absurdity of it.
Let's take a look at the notifications.
Like the never-ending pop-up errors of Windows XP, I'm inundated with countless menu windows.
[[ You have begun corrupting the soul of Rero Sansanti: Obtained 1 [CORRUPTION POINT] ]]
[[ New Master-Servant Contract of LV 1 Formed with Rero Sansanti: Obtained 1500 Exp ]]
[[ M/S CONTRACT New skill obtained: [SHARED EXPERIENCE] ]]
[[ Warning: Your Servant will get exp whenever you get exp. The amount of exp is based on the level of the contract.]]
[[ Warning: When your Servant gets exp points, you will get exp amount based on the level of the contract.]]
[[ M/S CONTRACT New skill obtained: [ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE] ]]
[[ M/S CONTRACT New skill obtained: [SHARE SKILL] ]]
[[ M/S CONTRACT New skill obtained: [TRANSFER HP] ]]
[[ M/S CONTRACT New skill obtained: [TRANSFER MP] ]]
[[ M/S CONTRACT New skill obtained: [KNOW POSITION] ]]
[[ Obtained 12 Exp ]]
[[ Obtained 50 Exp ]]
[[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: "Make a woman have an orgasm with vaginal penetration" You earned 300 EXP ]]
[[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: "Make a woman have an orgasm with a creampie" You earned 300 EXP ]]
[[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: "Take virginity of a woman" You earned 300 EXP ]]
[[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: "Perform the Master-Servant contract ritual for the first time" You earned 300 EXP ]]
{EXP FOR NEXT LEVEL: 2479 / 3500 + NEW EXP LOADING
+ 2762 EXP
5241 / 3500
*Dling*
[[CONGRATULATIONS! You level up! ]]
[[ STRAUSS WAGNER > LEVEL 2 ]]
[[ [FAKE CLASS] > Level 2 ]]
[[ [SCAN-EYE] > Level 2 ]]
[[ [AUTO-HEAL] > Level 2 ]]
[[ Cleric New skill Obtained: [HEAL] ]]
[[ Cleric New skill Obtained: [PANACEA] ]]
[[ Cleric New skill Obtained: [BLESSED ARMOR] ]]
[[ Cleric New Skill Obtained: [BLESSED WEAPON] ]]
[[ Cleric New Skill Obtained: [SLOW] ]]
Wow, all of this is overwhelming.
After the exhilarating dopamine rush, I feel disoriented.
Not knowing exactly where to begin, the first thing I do is check my status.
{{ STATUS
STRAUSS WAGNER
AGE: 18
LEVEL: 2
RANK: F
CLASS: Cleric
MASTER
SERVANT: Rero Sansanti
BASE M/S Cnt Boost
MAX HP: 260 > 325
MAX MP: 390 > 488
STRENGTH: 10 > 13
DEFENSE: 12 > 15
AGILITY: 10 > 13
INTELLIGENCE: 25 > 31
EXP FOR NEXT LEVEL: 1741 / 10000
STATUS }}
My stats have significantly increased, but being of Rank F, I still appear weaker than many of my classmates.
However, the boost provided by the contract is almost like a level-up.
Now I understand why this contract is referred to as the source of Demon power.
Even some of my abilities have leveled up, especially the [FAKE CLASS].
[FAKE CLASS Level 2]
Activation: Passive
*Hidden* Your true class and special abilities are hidden.
You can hide your level or choose which level and statistics to display.
You can also hide abilities, levels, and statistics of your Servants.
This will undoubtedly be useful.
One of my concerns with leveling up was that others might see my level.
However, [FAKE CLASS] conceals not only my stats and level but also those of my servant, Rero Sansanti.
I observe the generous body of Rero, who is now lying unconscious on the ground, and who now belongs to me.
I am filled with a great sense of satisfaction for having achieved what I set out to do.
Let's see the results of my work.
[SCAN EYE]
[[ SCAN TARGET >>
RERO SANSANTI
AGE: 18
LEVEL: 2
RANK: C
CLASS: Warrior > Swordsman
SERVANT
Master: Strauss Wagner
Base | M/S Ct | Dem Sperm Boost
MAX HP: 520 > 650 > 910
MAX MP: 117 > 146 > 204
STRENGTH: 21 > 26 > 36
DEFENSE: 21 > 26 > 36
AGILITY: 25 > 31 > 43
INTELLIGENCE: 13 > 16 > 22
EXP FOR NEXT LEVEL: 120 / 10000
Bonus exp gained 40%
END SCAN]]
"AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
I let out a hearty laugh, worthy of a B-movie villain.
What in the world are these monstrous statistics?
I've powered up Sansanti beyond my wildest expectations.
Thanks to the shared experience and the 40% buff of my demonic sperm, she has even leveled up.
I don't think there's a student in the academy who can compete with her.
"Her dear Strauss, are you satisfied?" Raqahela asks as she finishes massaging my back.
"Very much so. With this contract, I have no limits on what I can achieve. Who can stop me from taking over the world?" I'm in a delirium of omnipotence.
"This won't go unnoticed. They'll send someone to hunt you down soon. The Church isn't fun," she responds, warning me.
I'll have to use secrecy as much as possible, but given my tremendous increase in power, it'll become increasingly difficult to conceal how overpowered I am.
I need allies.
I need infiltrators within the Church.
"Is it true that gods aren't fun? I have a riddle for you, Raqahela," I say, turning towards her and looking into her violet eyes.
"A riddle? That's interesting," the demon comments, getting excited.
"No mind reading allowed," I insist.
"It would spoil the fun. Okay, Raqahela is ready to hear this riddle," she agrees.
"What's the difference between gods and demons?" I ask.
"Um... Alignment? The type of magic? The place they reside?" she guesses.
"No, it's much simpler."
"Appearance?"
"No."
"Raqahela thought it would be something more trivial."
"It's the basis of the relationship."
"Um..."
"You can read my mind if you want to now," I say, smiling.
She brightens up with the revelation of this simple concept.
"Exactly. Demons are fair. Demons make contracts with terms, penalties, and rewards," I continue.
Raqahela looks at me with a puzzled expression.
"Do you think you've been fair with me, Raqahela?"
"Why do you say that, her beloved Strauss?"
"When you offered me the [DEMONIC HOLD], did you tell me how much it would cost?"
"Um... There wasn't time; you were risking your life."
"That's not a good excuse. You weren't fair. I found myself in debt without knowing it first."
"Um... Maybe you're pushing it a bit. Raqahela was very good to you; she offered you this special class..."
"That doesn't matter! You can't offer something as if it's free and then demand payment later. It makes me doubt the integrity of demonic contracts."
For the first time in a long while, Raqahela seems embarrassed.
"Raqahela never thought a human would make her feel shame."
"Wrongs can be righted; it's not my intention to shame you," I respond.
"Raqahela thinks you're right. She thinks we can rectify this oversight."
"How?"
"If you spend one [CORRUPTION POINT] in her shop, buying an item or skill, she will consider your debt paid."
Two for the price of one. I can't get a better deal.
This offer is advantageous and resolves the issue.
"Acceptable."
"You can open her [DEMONIC SHOP] from your system. Choose something from the selection of items. For this agreement, you can't choose the most valuable items. Don't abuse her generosity."
I open the shop, and it displays a screen filled with items, abilities, enhancements, weapons, and armor.
Every demon's dream, to put it mildly.
I ponder over the menu for about ten minutes, trying to decide on the perfect item.
Here's the item!
[CURSED RING OF THE HIDDEN CURSER HAG]
When you wear this ring, your STR, DEF, AGI, INT decrease by 2 points.
Your maximum HP and MP decrease by 50.
As long as you wear the ring, your curses cannot be detected.
Your curses can only be removed by individuals of a higher level and greater intelligence than yours.
If seven days have passed since you put on the ring, when you remove it, your MP will be fully restored.
Cost: 1 [CORRUPTION POINT]
The debuff is quite heavy, but the passive ability making your curses perfectly untraceable justifies it.
With this, I'll no longer have to fear being detected, making things much easier.
"Raqahela, I choose this."
"Interesting. She thought you'd pick something more exotic, but in the end, this choice reflects you," the demon tells me.
[[ YOU'VE SPENT 1 [CORRUPTION POINT] ]]
The system notifies me of the successful transaction.
The ring appears in my hand.
It's quite simple in design, making it perfect for not drawing attention.
It's made of a steel-like metal, colored black.
I put it on immediately, and I can sense the decrease in my stats.
I might not have brute strength, but I'm becoming increasingly unstoppable.
"So I no longer have any debts with you, Raqahela," I ask for confirmation.
"For the time being, it's as you say."
"When you offer me something, remember to tell me the price beforehand," I remind her.
"Raqahela will do that."
I approach Rero and gently stroke her hair.
I wake her with tenderness.
"S-strauss..." she whispers.
"We did it, Rero," I smile at her.
Her expression is puzzled for a moment.
"Look at your statistics," I tell her.
She does.
Then she gasps.
"What the heck?!" she exclaims as she looks at her statistics.
I smile.
I kept my promise. Demons always do.
After the initial shock, she looks me straight in the eyes with passion.
"I love you!" she exclaims, blushing.