Chapter 135 - Ryuu’s Status

As everyone knows—

Among the elven race, women are all exceptionally beautiful.

Known as forest elves, they are also far more prideful than any other race.

Most of them hold little warmth toward other species.

They only allow those they acknowledge to touch their skin.

Ryuu… was no different.

Steeped in elven customs, she too avoided physical contact with others.

If someone touched her hand, she would immediately pull away.

Even in battle,

Ryuu often wore long gloves to avoid direct contact with enemies.

That's why…

Elves were considered purer than all other races.

…

"What's wrong?"

Raven cast a strange look at Ryuu, who looked as if she'd turned to stone.

"N-Nothing…"

Ryuu flustered.

Her face suddenly turned crimson again.

Though she had recently cut her hair short and dyed it green with Syr's help,

Five years ago—she had long, golden hair.

"By the way."

"You probably don't know my current level, right?"

"I'm already Level 3 now."

"In fact, almost Level 4."

Seeing her awkwardly avoiding eye contact, Raven decided to change the subject.

"That fast?"

Ryuu blinked, stunned, her tone no longer shy.

"So…"

"Wanna grow stronger with me?"

Raven smiled faintly.

"…Mmh."

Ryuu lowered her head again.

Without hesitation, Raven took her soft, fair hand.

Ryuu didn't resist.

She closed her eyes and gently interlaced her fingers with his.

A warm, comforting feeling surged in her chest.

After adjusting for a moment, Ryuu whispered:

"C-Can you… h-hold me?"

"No problem."

Raven wrapped his arms around Ryuu's slender figure, holding her tightly.

In that moment of stillness,

Their pressed-together skin transmitted the sound of Ryuu's racing heartbeat.

It was pounding intensely.

Moments later,

The embrace was released.

Raven exhaled quietly and shook his head in exasperation.

What the hell is going on…

Even I'm starting to feel nervous.

Seriously…

What's the big deal?

Haven't I already seen everything…?

Taking a deep breath and brushing away the thoughts, Raven asked:

"You nervous?"

…

There was no answer.

But Ryuu slowly parted her lips and leaned in close.

Seeing this, Raven raised a brow slightly.

Coming in?

Is she finally offering her lips?

And then…

The distance between them vanished.

Boundaries dissolved, and the two became one.

The crystal lamps on the bedside table shone softly over their entwined shadows.

United and intertwined, they sank into a world of sweet indulgence.

At that moment, Raven's rare skill finally activated.

...

Time passed swiftly. An hour flew by.

Through his [True Data Eye]—

Raven checked Ryuu's updated status.

And to his surprise…

Her stats had skyrocketed dramatically.

All her ability scores surged, totaling over 300 points of improvement.

…

[Name]: Ryuu Lion

[Level]: 4

[Stats]: STR/C600, END/C601, DEX/S955, AGI/S956, MAG/S910

[Development Abilities]: Hunter/G, Abnormal Resistance/G, Magic Defense/I

[Magic]: Luminous Wind, Noah Heal

[Skills]: Elven Star Chant, Spirit Recharge, Gale Step

[Affiliation]: Astraea Familia

This was the latest set of Falna data, as revealed by the Data Eye.

…

Unfortunately—

Ryuu hadn't yet acquired any rare magic or rare skills.

Her magic, Star Memory, allowed her to use her Familia members' spells.

Her skill Justice Inheritance was even more powerful than Aude's Justice Patrol.

But that didn't matter.

Raven would make sure she obtained both cheat-level abilities.

And also—

Before meeting Goddess Astraea again,

He planned to max all her stats to S999 and help her level up twice.

"Ryuu, congratulations…"

"You just earned a total of 385 experience points."

Raven gently stroked Ryuu's hair, who had shyly buried her face into his chest.

She didn't respond.

Like a bashful maiden, Ryuu was red to the ears.

"…Tomorrow."

"I plan to train in the Deep Floors. You sure you want to come?"

"Mmh…"

Ryuu tightened her grip around Raven's neck, letting out a soft hum.

"What if you skip work… won't Mama Mia scold you?"

"I already took the day off."

"Alright then."

Raven sighed.

Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was already late.

It was 11 PM…

From the way Ryuu clung tightly to him, it was clear—she had no intention of going back to the tavern to sleep tonight.

…

Meanwhile,

In the bustling South District—

In a corner of the entertainment zone, the Grand Casino Area—

Within an oval plaza surrounded by buildings of three stories or more,

Palm trees unique to the southern regions were scattered throughout.

At the plaza's center,

A magnificent fountain surged like a great tide of water.

In this Labyrinth City shrouded in night,

This place glowed brightest, a glorious city of lights.

The dazzling lights welcomed guests from far and wide.

Using top-grade magic stones, the illumination sparkled red, blue, purple, and gold.

And among them—

One building stood out in particular: the Golden Sanctuary.

Its golden exterior, seemingly crafted from solid gold, shimmered with luxury.

It exuded a magical allure that made passersby's hearts race.

This casino, the most prestigious in all of Orario, belonged to none other than Raven Eltharion.

Thanks to Todd's gambling promotion, a massive wave of VIP guests had arrived.

Even Guildmaster Royman had shown up tonight—with over ten billion valis in hand.

---

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