Show Me Your Stats!-Chapter 155

Swindle

Ding! With a cheerful notification sound announcing quest completion, Pebble spun once in midair and burst into a celebratory fanfare dance. Then, a stat selection window floated up before Ayra’s eyes.

<Quest Complete!>

[Please select a stat to unlock as your quest reward.]

Magic Attack

Related Individuals (Level insufficient)

Current Thoughts (Requires GM Spirit’s final level)

Over the past few days, Ayra had been pushing himself to the limit—even skipping meals—in order to complete the level-up quest before the approval rating gained by offering skitte silk to the temple began to drop. His efforts had paid off with this satisfying achievement.

‘Well, there’s really only one I can pick.’

Naturally, Ayra selected option 1. He recalled the moment he first awakened his Blooming Magic—it felt like just yesterday that only the stat names were unlocked, and now there were only two left. A quiet pride welled up inside him. After unlocking Magic Attack, Ayra immediately checked his own stats.

HP: 724

MP: 55,583

Physical Attack: 122

Magic Attack: 28,762

Favorability: 95♡

[View Details]

Title: Devout Lord

Class: Lord, Blooming Mage (Second Advancement)

Strength: 27

Intelligence: 468

Skills: Physical Magic IV, Illusion Magic XII, Telepathy V

Owned Titles: [Click!]

Labyrinth Mage, Magical Beast Enthusiast, Skilled Agitator, Childhood Crush, Hide-and-Seek Champion

Related Individuals: [Click!]

Janus Rehzedet: So exactly how many eyes do you have? ‖ 82♡

Botello: My grandson’s learning to be a chamberlain—seems pretty sharp ‖ 72♡

Hess Lu Jinas: Looks really happy these days ‖ 65♡

Hera: Wolff’s working on a new steamed bun recipe—should I ask her to let you try it? ‖ 56♡

Lan Gretel: Just because you plant beans doesn’t mean only beans grow ‖ 49♡

Bloom: Why does he keep picking fights with Janus and getting beaten up? ‖ 41♡

Dallok Logia: Friendly collaborator ‖ 11♡

Attera Te Act: Super-annoying High Priest ‖ -18♡

Current Thoughts: If I get one every ten years, and I assume I live to 80, that’s six eyes—but if I’m a dragon’s mate, I should live at least n hundred years! That’s at least n dozen eyes! The more, the better! Should I make a dedicated display cabinet?

Even though Ayra’s specialization wasn’t in physical magic, his magic attack stat was quite high. He made a mental note to study how non-physical magic damage was calculated. As he scanned through the rest of the stats—including a few new ones from the recent meeting with the Soblets delegation—Ayra grew curious.

‘How high is a non-mage’s magic attack stat?’

He glanced over at Janus, who was lazily sprawled on the sofa, gnawing on a massive basket of jerky that Botello had brought. He’d been lying down so long a clear crease had formed in his hair from the sofa cushion. Ayra averted his eyes, pretending to study his documents, and quietly opened Janus’s stat window.

HP: 9,999,999

MP: 87

Physical Attack: 99,999

Magic Attack: 0

Favorability: 72♡

[View Details]

Title: The Lord’s Consort

Class: Unemployed

Strength: 999

Intelligence: 390

Skills: Slash, Tear, Smash, Transform

Owned Titles: [Click!]

That Red-Haired Guy, Violent Problem Solver, Crimson Dragon

Related Individuals: ??? [Click!]

Current Thoughts: Unlockable upon GM Spirit reaching final level

Ayra had opened the stat window intending to check magic attack, but his gaze ended up fixated on the slightly increased favorability and the title <The Lord’s Consort>. It was a little embarrassing to see that title again. And then he remembered something.

‘Secret relationship...’

He muttered under his breath, recalling that brief and one-sided conversation with Janus a few days ago.

“Let’s keep our relationship a secret for now.”

“Secret? Why?”

“Why, you don’t like that? Then forget it. But no more eyeballs for you.”

“No! Wh—When did I say I didn’t like it? Why are you always so extreme?!”

In the face of that overwhelming birthday present, Ayra had no walls left to put up, and the promise of future gifts had swept away all hesitation. But the whole thing still felt suspicious.

He wasn’t particularly angry about the “secret” part—it was just... odd. Based on everything Ayra had observed about Janus’s personality, the idea of him wanting a secret relationship didn’t make sense.

‘Janus isn’t human. He may look like one, but he doesn’t think or act like one.’

He didn’t bat an eye when rumors spread that he was the Lord’s consort. He didn’t care at all about human reputation. Even if people called him something worse than a consort, Janus wouldn’t so much as blink. He was a dragon, after all. Why would someone like him care what people thought?

‘Unless... does he still not believe I’m his mate?’

It didn’t quite feel like that either. But Ayra couldn’t be certain of anything. Since Janus had said “for now,” Ayra decided to go along with it—at least temporarily.

Done with that reflection, Ayra’s gaze shifted back to Janus’s “class.”

‘Wait, his class is just... unemployed?’

It seemed he’d completely quit his mercenary work, which he’d treated more like a hobby. Lately, Janus had been glued to Ayra nearly 24/7, either clinging to him or idly lounging ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) about like this.

In any case, without studying magic, his magic attack stat really was stuck at 0. Ayra shifted his gaze to Janus’s MP. He remembered it being in the low 30s when he first checked, but it had crept up to 87. Janus must have taken Ayra’s advice seriously—he’d been fiddling with mana stones constantly. With 87 MP, he just barely qualified to start learning magic.

After some thought, Ayra called out.

“Janus.”

Janus, rubbing his overstuffed belly with a sour expression, twitched an eyebrow at the summons.

“Do you still want to try learning magic?”

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Ayra asked, voice full of curiosity. Could a dragon even learn magic? The thought of a creature already so powerful becoming even stronger was chilling... but also thrilling. If Janus could master magic, Ayra would have created a being straight out of fantasy legend—the ultimate force.

“Magic?”

Janus echoed, voice laced with interest. Then, for the first time all afternoon, he rose from the sofa with surprising energy.

“How does it work?”

“Well, you’ve been in contact with mana stones for a while now, so you should be somewhat used to magic power. First... want to try touching Pebble?”

At Ayra’s words, Pebble—who had been perched atop Ayra’s head like a tiny hat—panicked and fled. But when Ayra reeled him in with a pulse of magic, the little artificial spirit was helplessly drawn back into his hand.

Pebble trembled in his palm, ears twitching like little leaves. When Janus leaned in to examine him, he let out a faint squeak of protest.

“I’m supposed to be able to touch this?”

Janus reached out without hesitation. He’d tried and failed to touch Pebble before, and once again, his fingers passed right through.

The startled spirit puffed up like a hamster.

“No, don’t just grope him. You have to intend to touch the surface. Think of feeling a shimmer of heat at your fingertips and slowly stroke it.”

Ayra deliberately overlaid rough magic onto Janus’s fingertips to help him sense it. Most people struggled at this stage, but despite his minuscule mana, Janus picked it up surprisingly quickly.

Once he managed it, he grabbed Pebble like a bun, squishing him without restraint. A system message popped up in panic.

[The GM Spirit is under attack! User assistance required!]

Ayra doubted Janus could actually hurt him, but still, he spoke gently.

“Be careful. He’s practically my second self.”

“Your second self?”

At that, Janus froze and stared at the spirit. Pebble’s beady little eyes widened. Just when Ayra hoped he’d start being gentler, Janus suddenly popped him into his mouth and swallowed him whole.

Ayra’s jaw dropped.

[#%$&@*!]

Startled by the system warning, Ayra lunged at Janus.

“Hey! He’s not food!”

He managed to pry open Janus’s mouth, but those razor-sharp white teeth weren’t budging. After several minutes of struggle, Ayra finally pulled Pebble out, halfway down his throat.

The little spirit, drenched in tears like morning dew, clung flat against Ayra’s palm. Janus licked his lips as Ayra protectively shielded Pebble from his predatory gaze. For a second, Ayra panicked—Pebble’s twitching ears were gone—but then realized they were just plastered against his body.

Seeing that Pebble was okay, Ayra scolded Janus.

“Why the hell would you eat him?!”

“He looks like a bun. A bun that looks like you?”

Sure, he looked like a bun or mochi, but who the hell actually eats a spirit? Ayra forced Janus to promise never to put his familiar in his mouth again, then tucked the still-shivering Pebble safely into his body.

He felt a little guilty.