Multiversal Ascension-Chapter 71: Taking Cares of his Weakness

Amelia's expression shifted to one of awe. "Wow... that's incredible." Then, as if a thought struck her, her face fell slightly, and a self-deprecating smile appeared. "I don't think I can be your sparring partner anymore. I'm not your match."

"Why not?" Mikael asked.

"Huh?" A dumbfounded look crossed her face.

He continued, "Even if I'm stronger than you, we can still spar. Just because you didn't gave an answer to my confession two weeks ago doesn't mean we're not friends, right? And if I'm stronger now, that just means you need to train to surpass me." He ended with a challenging smirk.

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As she listened, a warm feeling blossomed in her chest. The determination in his words reignited her own. "You're right. I shouldn't give up so easily. I'll train hard and surpass you—mark my words!"

"That's the spirit!" he said, offering her his hand.

She took it, letting him pull her to her feet, but her legs were weak from exhaustion. She stumbled forward, and before she could fall, Mikael caught her in his arms.

For a moment, she froze, her face inches from his chest, before a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "If you wanted a hug, Amelia, you just needed to ask," he teased, his tone playful.

Her blush deepened, and she quickly extricated herself from his hold. Standing on her own, she avoided his gaze, her face still flushed with embarrassment.

Mikael found her reaction captivating. Seeing the usually calm and composed Amelia with a deep blush and an averted gaze stirred something in him.

"I should go," she said quietly, her voice softer than usual.

"Yeah, me too," he replied.

They each returned to their dormitory rooms, but both knew that today, for the first time, a line they had carefully avoided crossing had been crossed. That night, as they slept, their thoughts were filled with each other.

After a short nap, Mikael woke up and ran a hand through his hair before getting out of bed. As he stretched, his thoughts wandered to the girls he was interested in, and a silent chuckle escaped his lips. 'Look at me. Two or three months ago, I was a virgin, and now I'm aiming for a harem and already working toward building one. Life really is unpredictable.'

'It's incredible how much the Records have changed me. Before, I didn't care about women—that's why I was a virgin. I was calmer, more emotionless, if that's the right word. But now, I've changed so much, not just in terms of strength, though that's obvious—I'm capable of superhuman feats now, something I couldn't have dreamed of before.'

'The most noticeable changes, though, are in my personality. I've become a bit of a training maniac, as Amelia would say. On the romantic side, the shifts are even more striking. I've found myself genuinely interested in girls and even wanting multiple partners. It's surprising... though maybe it isn't. I've always been greedy, like most people, but with me, it's worse. Maybe it's a habit I picked up as a street orphan, always wanting more because I had so little back then.'

'But no, what's truly unexpected is how much I care about my women—or rather, my woman, for now, since Kiara is the only one I'm in a real relationship with. Before, I didn't care about other people's lives, but now there are those who are important to me. I genuinely care about them. Then there's this playful side of me, which I initially "created" while flirting. It felt fake at first, but now it's become a natural part of who I am.'

'Yeah, I've really changed,' he realized, a small smile tugging at his lips. Clearing his mind of these thoughts, he reminded himself that he had just woken up and wasn't in the mood for more philosophical reflection. Instead, he turned his focus to the day ahead and headed toward the training room. There was work to be done.

In the training room, he focused on the three things he'd identified as weaknesses during his first military mission. He decided to start with the easiest: learning how to use Explosive Style in conjunction with Blade Tempest, as he had struggled with this combination.

His training revolved solely around mastering this technique. Thanks to his foundational knowledge and high intelligence stats, it took him only a few hours to achieve success. By the end, he could use his Chained Sword Style in conjunction with Explosive Style as effortlessly as if he were using either technique on its own.

After completing his training, it was time for a Ranker Path class with Emily. His return to class attracted some attention, as he had been absent for the past two weeks. While such absences weren't unusual for students, his reputation—or more accurately, his "infamy" due to his close relationship with Amelia—made his movements more noticeable.

Still, he ignored the attention and focused on the class. While it didn't offer groundbreaking information, it did expand his knowledge.

After the class, he knew he still had two remaining "weaknesses" to address, so he headed to the first year library.

For once, the librarian wasn't Lyra but another person, a man. This mildly surprised him, but he quickly assumed Lyra was busy with something else and dismissed the thought. He made his way to the mage section, where he delved into books on spells and magical theory. His goal was twofold: to learn useful spells and to reinforce his foundational knowledge of magic.

He stayed in the library until late, leaving only because he needed to at least pretend to sleep. Before leaving, he made sure to rent a few books to continue his studies on magic in his free time.

***

In this way, three days passed uneventfully. Apart from his magical foundation growing at an incredible speed, not much happened. The only notable event was a small sparring session with Amelia, who had made remarkable progress. Determined to surpass Mikael, and regaining her place as a valid sparring partner.

During this time, he also contemplated finding an opportunity to acquire higher-level talents. With the Advanced Race Gain System now in his possession and his current race variation limited to average talent, he wanted to find a way to come into contact with a high-ranker. Killing one was practically impossible, but even a single touch could be enough to copy a talent superior to his current level. Unfortunately, no such opportunity had presented itself so far.

On the fourth day, just after the duel class a thought that had been lingering in the back of his mind pushed Mikael to send a message to Lyra.

Mikael [11:04 AM]: Hello, I'm wondering, why haven't I seen you in the library? I've been there over the past few days, and you weren't at the counter.

Lyra [11:05 AM]: Oh, that! I forgot to tell you. Starting a little after you left the Academy, I was reassigned to the Main Library. Being the assistant librarian for the First-Year Library was only a temporary role for one month.

Mikael [11:06 AM]: Looks like I'll need to visit the Main Library. I can't leave my favorite bookworm alone, can I?

Lyra [11:06 AM]: If you want to visit me, I'd be happy! ^o^

After finishing the texts, Mikael decided to visit the Main Library, not just because Lyra was there, but also because his collection of magic books was running low. Before heading over, he stopped at the First-Year Library to return the books he had borrowed.

The walk to the Main Library was longer than usual, as it was located farther from his dormitory. When he finally arrived, the sight of the grand building left an impression. Towering shelves stretched toward the ceiling, and the architecture exuded a sense of sophistication. Inside, students wandered between the rows of books, most of them second, third, or fourth-years. First-years like Mikael were rare here, but he paid it no mind and headed straight to the counter where Lyra worked.

Lyra sat at the counter, her legs crossed, engrossed in a thick tome. Her long purple hair, streaked with red-pink highlights, framed her face, giving her a striking yet effortless beauty. When her vivid purple eyes glanced up and recognized Mikael, her expression softened slightly. Despite her reserved nature, there was a natural ease between them.

"You're already here? Didn't know you missed me that much," Lyra teased, setting her book aside.

Momentarily surprised by her uncharacteristic playfulness, Mikael chuckled. "Of course. It's been too long since I saw my favorite librarian. How could I not miss you?" he replied in an exaggerated but soft tone, mindful of the library setting.

She smirked, visibly pleased by his words. "Looking for something specific today?"

"Yeah, I'm currently looking for books on magic, mage theory, and anything that could help me with the mage path."

Her eyes lit up at his answer. "You're working on what we talked about before? Combining the warrior and mage paths?" she asked, clearly excited by the idea. For a bookworm like her, the prospect of such a rare fusion appearing before her was like a dream come true.

Her excitement grew as she leaned forward. "When you achieve results, can you show me? Please?" she asked, her expression made even more persuasive by her puppy-dog eyes.

Seeing her usually reserved demeanor vanish in the face of her thirst for knowledge was endearing to Mikael, and he smiled. "I've already combined the two paths to help me in combat. Of course, it isn't perfect, but it's working. Right now, I'm focusing on becoming a better mage before I try to find a way to better combine the two paths together."

Her eyes widened, and she began trembling with excitement. "Really!? Can you show me?

Mikael chuckled at her reaction. "Sure, no problem. Once I grab the books I need, we can head to a training room, where I could show you. But can you leave your post as assistant librarian so easily?"

Unfazed by his question, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick message. "Done. Someone will come to replace me soon enough," she said confidently.

He whistled in admiration. "Efficient as always. By the way, do you have any recommendations for mage-related books?"

She thought for a moment before pointing to a section of the library and giving him directions to the books he needed.

"Thanks! I'll grab those now. You can join me once your replacement arrives," he said, heading off to the indicated shelves.

Meanwhile, Lyra returned to the thick tome she had been reading when Mikael arrived. From within its pages, she pulled out a much smaller book titled How to Identify One's Own Feelings. She glanced around to ensure no one was watching before carefully locking it away in a secure compartment under the counter using the bracelet on her wrist as the key.

Mikael moved through the aisles of the library, searching for books. He found a few that piqued his interest, them being Advanced Mana Theory, Elemental Control, and Heal.

After picking up these three books, Lyra joined him and recommended a couple more. In the end, he also took Spell Creation Fundamentals and Understanding Spells. With that, his limit of five books was reached. He rented them from the woman temporarily replacing Lyra as the assistant librarian, and together they exited the building.

Once inside a private training room, Mikael noticed Lyra's intense stare and the notebook clutched in her hands. He honestly wanted to laugh but controlled himself and began demonstrating Explosive Style. He performed it slowly to ensure she could observe the process.

A small explosion appeared beneath his left foot, propelling him a few meters forward.

"Woah," Lyra exclaimed in wonder. She quickly approached him, eyes wide with curiosity, and began firing off a barrage of questions. "That was fire magic, wasn't it? You created an explosion beneath you to move—brilliant! But why was there no sound? And how do you control the strength of the explosion? And the—"

Mikael raised a hand to stop the flood of questions. Lyra immediately flushed with embarrassment, realizing she had let her curiosity get the better of her, which often happened when she found a subject particularly fascinating.

Author Note:

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