SSS Ranked Awakening: All My Skills Are at Level 100-Chapter 402: Making Connection

Soon, the preparation for the festival feast was complete. Leon had tried earnestly to learn the exact method by which the Pyrrhans purified and enhanced monster meat, following their techniques step by step with careful attention.

However, he didn’t succeed in achieving the same results as they did, despite replicating their movements precisely.

The limitation lies in the fact that their flames have a special property to dismantle other elemental corruption at the molecular level. My fire doesn’t have that specific characteristic.

Their unique fire could break down the toxic mana inherent in monster flesh, transforming poison into nourishment through a process that seemed almost alchemical.

In the end, Leon was not able to perfectly replicate their method. However, with his normal Rank 7 flames and following the same cooking procedure, he wasn’t completely unsuccessful either.

It does work. Just on a much smaller scale—maybe ten percent effectiveness compared to their purified fire.

The meat he prepared was technically edible and did provide slight mana enhancement, but nowhere near the potency of properly prepared Pyrrhan cuisine.

Still, ten percent is better than nothing. I can work with this.

To make up for their inherent fire, he either had to make the process so refined with his flame that it would either work for it, or he had to find some alternative, get some special flame of his own somehow, or he had so many other elements, he had to experiment.

The ten percent told him that he could do this; next time he would be in training, he would make sure to master this method on his own and develop it for himself.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The celebration started with the traditional opening—ceremonial speeches from the Archon, followed by the massive circle formation around the great central bonfire. Flames leaped dozens of feet into the air, casting dancing shadows across hundreds of gathered Pyrrhans.

Leon stood among them, understanding now that holding hands carried profound meaning in their culture. He’d learned that lesson quite thoroughly.

For a while, he kept his hands to himself, simply observing the festivities and enjoying the communal energy.

But then he noticed Ira sneaking glances at his hand while they roamed around the celebration grounds together. Her crimson eyes would dart down, linger for a fraction of a second, then quickly look away when she thought he might notice.

She wants me to hold her hand, but is too shy to initiate.

Leon, taking the hint without hesitation, reached out and took hold of her hand firmly but gently.

There was a slight hiccup in Ira’s breathing when his fingers interlaced with hers—a tiny gasp of surprise; however, she didn’t say anything and kept her silence, her hand remaining in his grasp.

Her skin was warm, naturally heated by the fire element that flowed through all Pyrrhans.

During the festival’s progression, both of them somehow ended up sitting on the same bench in the same park area where they’d spent time yesterday. The atmosphere felt more relaxed compared to before, less charged with nervous tension.

Leon continued holding her hand comfortably. Along the benches scattered across the park, numerous Pyrrhan couples engaged in their intimate bonding—hands intertwined, bodies glowing with that characteristic fiery luminescence as their flames merged in the space above their joined palms.

A weirdly beautiful mix of their individual fires creating something new together. And that glow spreading across their entire bodies...

Ira had explained to him previously how Pyrrhans made babies through this fire-merging process. Leon still hadn’t witnessed the actual moment of conception happen himself, but he was genuinely curious to experience it in the future firsthand.

He’d observed quite a few Pyrrhan couples engaging in the connection ritual, though he hadn’t seen any of them reach the point of actual new life creation that Ira had described.

Maybe that requires a longer duration or a deeper connection than what I’m seeing here.

Ira wasn’t saying anything, but the grip on his hand was firm and present. She seemed quite at peace right now, her usual nervous energy settled into comfortable silence.

Leon didn’t want to be the one to break her peaceful state. They’d been sitting like this for nearly twenty minutes already, which definitely indicated she was relaxed and content in the moment.

But his curiosity was building. He’d been watching the other couples, wondering...

He called her name softly. "Ira."

She replied immediately, her voice carrying that same relaxed quality. "What is it, Leon?"

Leon said it nonchalantly, as if suggesting they grab food or take a walk.

"Do you want to try what they’re doing?"

The words should have been absurd from her cultural standpoint—an incredibly forward proposition. But Leon said it anyway because he was genuinely curious, and he wanted to see how she would react.

Her response came without hesitation.

"Of course, Leon."

Wait... what?

Those thoughts crossed Leon’s mind simultaneously. He genuinely wasn’t expecting such a calm and relaxed reply from her, especially considering how embarrassed she’d acted the last time anything intimate came up between them.

It took a couple of seconds for what she’d just casually agreed to fully register in Ira’s own mind.

Oh no. Oh no no no. What did I just say?!

She’d been too relaxed, too comfortable. The feeling of holding hands with someone she’d started to admire and genuinely develop feelings for—moving past the initial embarrassment for the first time and just enjoying the simple connection—it had been so nice and peaceful.

She’d gotten too comfortable in that warmth.

And now she’d replied to something incredibly embarrassing and essentially agreed to make love with him in the traditional Pyrrhic way.

But I can’t run away like I used to before! What should I do now?!

Ira’s mind raced with panic and confusion. She hadn’t seriously thought about getting a romantic partner since the time her sister was separated from her.

Before that traumatic event, she remembered vividly how her twin used to tease her so often about boys, romance, and intimacy.

My sister was always the one who was more interested in getting a partner compared to me. Yet her words definitely influenced my thinking...

Her twin would talk so dreamily about the connection ritual, speaking almost poetically—and sometimes quite explicitly—about how incredible the feeling of making that intimate bond with a partner would be.

Those thoughts and dreams were gone along with her when she disappeared.

But since Leon—this unexpected stranger—had entered Ira’s life so dramatically, she’d started having those romantic feelings again. Feelings she’d buried for years.

However, she felt conflicted about acting on them.

He’s way above my level in terms of power. In Pyrrhan culture, one of the main things we consider when choosing partners is based on strength. As a Pyrrhan woman, I should be stronger than my partner, and both close to each other in power level. That’s the traditional dynamic.

It felt weird and embarrassing to be trying to pursue someone so much more powerful than herself, hundreds of times more.

He and Aunt Vyrra would make a perfect match. Their strength would complement each other perfectly. Aunt is also really beautiful and accomplished...

However, just thinking about that possibility—imagining Leon with her Aunt—made Ira’s heart feel impossibly heavy, like a stone had settled in her chest. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

I don’t want that!!