102 THE RED HEAD KISSES

102 THE RED HEAD KISSES

"Is Knekis, the genius of Sodom, challenging the Demon of Gullee?"

"This could be epic."

"No contest—Tier 1 versus Tier 2? Knekis will crush him."

"Finally, the Demon meets his match!"

"You're known for fighting with NPCs, but players are different. Each of us has unique abilities. You must use all you've got against them. You cannot hold back," Petunia advised.

"True. I've never actually fought another player," Leo admitted. "What's Knekis's unique abilities?"

"His advantage is Rage. The longer he fights, the faster and deadlier he becomes."

"There's a fucking good ability like that? Any weaknesses?"

"If he's not enraged, his power drops back to the minimum," she said.

"So, the best strategy is not to fight him at all," Leo said.

"Exactly," Petunia agreed then added, "No, you can fight him, just be smart about it."

Leo called out to Knekis. "Not interested in fighting you, Knekis. Your breath stinks. Get it checked before you speak to me again."

Knekis snarled. "I'll kill you!"

Petunia hissed, "Are you crazy? You're just making him angrier!"

"Wait… his fucking Rage increases from insults?" Leo asked, alarmed.

"Yes. He's a mad dog—most players won't fight him or talk to him besides flattery," she replied.

Knekis lunged at Leo, his hands forming magic claws.

"Seriously? He thinks he's Wolverine?" Leo scoffed.

"He's stronger than that," Petunia said quickly.

Knekis's hands glowed, energy projecting from his claws to form long, razor-sharp blades. The attack came faster than Leo could dodge, forcing him into the fight.

Leo leapt back, barely avoiding Knekis's strike.

Despite his agility, boosted by his Incubus constitution, Knekis had the upper hand—a Tier 2 was significantly stronger than a Tier 1.

"Too slow," Knekis sneered.

"I am not ready for this player combat yet," Leo muttered to himself.

Leo was used to fighting NPCs, who were generally weaker and their abilities predictable. Against human players was a whole new different game.

Suddenly, a blur of motion zipped past him. A long blade blocked Knekis's attack just in time.

"You are not going to harm my young master," said a voice. It was Grammers and a drawn sword stood between them.

"Grammers, I didn't expect you to be a Svad mage", Leo asked his bodyguard who flowed him discreetly and came out at the moment of danger to help him.

"I was the most talented in my family. That is why uncle Kasshyek recommended me to be your bodyguard", Grammers replied.

"You dog, stay out of this!" Knekis snarled, but Grammers raised his blade, undeterred.

"Leave him to me, young master", Grammers cried.

"Are you sure you can handle a tier 2 Svad?" Leo asked him.

"I can only try", he replied as he exchanged blows with Knekis.

"Well, let those two fight," Petunia suggested with relief.

"Don't leave me out from the fun!" Bara yelled, flinging her plate across the room.

"What the—?" the plate's recipient sputtered.

"Food fight!" Bara shouted gleefully.

Soon, the entire hall descended into chaos as students threw food, plates, and even chairs at each other. A staged fight turned real as new students erupted into a frenzy.

Before Leo knew it, Petunia grabbed his hand and led him out of the hall, slipping away into a quiet garden.

-----

"What the hell was that?" Leo asked, catching his breath.

Petunia shrugged, smiling. "Who cares? It was fun, wasn't it?"

"This isn't what I expected from this place," Leo muttered, surprised as Petunia suddenly leaned in, catching him off guard with a kiss.

For a moment, Leo was stunned by her boldness.

Yet, as the reborn God of Lust, his instincts surged, and he instinctively returned her kiss, letting himself get lost in the moment.

Just as he reached to tug at her dress, Petunia gently placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"No further," she said with a teasing smile. "Convent rules."

He pulled back, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry—my instincts got the better of me."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what instincts would those be?"

He gave her a half-smile. "Lust."

Suddenly, Grammers arrived followed by Bara.

"Why did you two run out here? It was so much fun inside", Bara asked.

"How are you, were you hurt?" Leo asked Grammers about his fight with Knekis.

"I took a few punches, but I'll live. The food fight distracted our duel", Grammers replied.

"How are you so tough?" Leo asked his bodyguard. Usually the guards in Gullee family were at most at the peak of Svad tier.

"I wasn't this strong before, but Megane made me test her new potions all the time. Surprisingly her medicine made me strong, and I even broke through Svad because of them. I was waiting for the opportunity to try my new strength against someone", Grammers explained.

"Great for you."

"Well, since the party is over, I'll be leaving", Petunia bid goodbye.

The party has ended, and they all went home.

-----

The next day, classes at the academy began with rounds of dry lectures on the theory of magic. Leo, already well-versed in the basics, found his attention drifting.

In the row beside him, Bara was fast asleep, making no attempt to hide her complete lack of interest in magic education.

"Are you bored out of your mind too?" Petunia whispered, leaning over to Leo.

"Absolutely," he replied with a smirk.

"Then let's go somewhere more… enlightening," she suggested with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Curious, Leo slipped out of the classroom with Petunia.

She led him through a series of winding hallways to a secluded building that new students seldom heard of. The structure was imposing, towering into the sky—a cross between a gladiatorial arena and an ancient library.

Inside, Leo looked up, astonished.

The tower stretched upward without floors or stairs, just an immense vertical space filled with magical casks hovering like constellations, each containing rare and powerful tomes of magic.

Below, at the tower's base, lay a grand arena. "What is this place?" Leo asked, his eyes wide with interest.